NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new coalition government on Monday appointed Nirmala Sitharaman as finance minister for a second consecutive term, the government said in a statement.

Ministerial posts were allotted a day after Modi was sworn in for a rare third term, and his cabinet held its first meeting on Monday evening. Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Interior Minister Amit Shah also retained their portfolios, the government said.