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Our Bureau

Pranab moves to External Affairs

Back in action: The former Kerala Chief Minister, Mr A.K. Antony, being sworn in as Union Minister at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. -Shanker Chakravarty

New Delhi , Oct. 24

Mr A.K. Antony has been appointed as the country's new Defence Minister.

He replaces Mr Pranab Mukherjee, who has taken over as the External Affairs Minister. The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, was holding External Affairs portfolio ever since Mr Natwar Singh was made to resign last December over the Iraq oil-for-food scandal.

The other major portfolio that was filled at the Cabinet reshuffle exercise carried out here on Tuesday was Labour and Employment. Mr Oscar Fernandes has been given charge of the Ministry which was headless following the resignation of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Mr Fernandes was till now a Minister of State (Independent Charge) without portfolio. Besides these major appointments, there were also changes at the Ministers-of-State level. Kannada actor-turned politician Mr M.H. Ambarish, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Mr Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav were inducted as Ministers of State for Information & Broadcasting and Water Resources, respectively. Mr Chandra Sekhar Sahu, currently Minister of State for Labour and Employment, has been shifted to Rural Development.

The newly inducted Ministers were formally administered the oath of office by the President, Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, at a ceremony in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

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