President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has yesterday renamed the Defence Ministry to Ministry of Defence and National Service. 

The President's Office said that the change had been brought under the powers granted to the President under Article 116(a) of the Maldives Constitution. 

While National Service has been added to the mandate of the Defence Ministry, the President has last year launched the Maldives National Service program, which aims develop disciplined, patriotic youth. Trainings for recruits under the program are overseen by the Defence Ministry. 

Some participants of the program have now been given jobs within the MNDF and other State institutions. 

Last night, the president also appointed Hassan Rasheed as the new Minister of Defence and National Service. 

Rasheed hails from Th. Vilufushi. He has been amongst President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's most trusted associates since before his presidency, when he had been serving as Housing Minister. 

Rasheed has previously served as an MNDF officer. Following this, he has worked for about ten years as a State Minister since the administration of former President Dr Mohamed Waheed, at the Housing Ministry, Health Ministry, and Islamic Ministry. 

During President Muizzu's tenure as Housing Minister, Rasheed served as a State Minister at the same ministry.

He is also the older brother of former Vilufushi constituency MP Riyaz Rasheed. 

Rasheed, along with 13 other ministers, was appointed over the past two days after 10 out of 20 cabinet ministers abruptly resigned. The President's Office stated that the 10 ministers had resigned to facilitate positive reforms in the administration. 

In addition to the ten ministers, several heads of State owned enterprises have also recently been dismissed or resigned. The changes come in the wake of the government facing significant loss of support in the recent April 4 elections.