Bengaluru: DK ShivakumarHis long-awaited ambition came true on Wednesday when he took oath as the 24th Chief Minister of Karnataka at the Lok Bhavan, with his new cabinet bearing a distinct imprint of his predecessor but also reflecting a careful balance of caste and regional dynamics. Siddaramaiah. Prominent Dalit face G Parameshwar took oath as Deputy CM. Twelve other ministers were included in the initial phase, many of whom are close associates of Siddaramaiah. These include former CM’s son Yatindra Siddaramaiah. MLC BK Hariprasad found himself the center of attention during the function, with several party colleagues congratulating him amid heated discussion that he could be the next KPCC president, the official announcement of which came a few hours later.Free student pass, portal for private jobs, Rs 2 thousand crore for roadsSoon after assuming office, Shivakumar chaired his first cabinet meeting and announced several initiatives focused on youth welfare, infrastructure and employment, terming the new administration’s agenda as ‘Yuva Yug’ (Youth Era).These decisions include free bus passes for all students from school to post-graduation; establishment of a private employment office; Publication of government job vacancies calendar with recruitment timelines; Establishment of 10,000 Bharat Jodo youth clubs across the state; Rs 2,000 crore road repair programme; and relaxation in building norms for select residential constructions.The swearing-in ceremony was filled with religious symbolism and cultural traditions, with Shivakumar taking oath in the name of Veer Gangadhar Ajayya, a revered Shaiva saint from Tumakuru district, while holding a copy of the Constitution.The initial cabinet reflected a deliberate attempt at social engineering, but did not include any women. In terms of caste representation, three ministers each are drawn from the politically influential Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities as well as SCs. The Kuruba community got two seats, while the ST, Christian and Muslim communities got one seat each.With the state’s total sanctioned ministry strength being 34, the cabinet expansion is expected to take place after the June 18 Rajya Sabha elections.The event served as a major show of strength for the Congress, which was attended by top national leaders including AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi and the chief ministers of Telangana, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala. The event was attended by a star-studded crowd from Bengaluru’s corporate, legal, cultural and sports worlds.