The Hindu Business Line : 7 new Ministers in Union Cabinet — Aiyar loses Petroleum to Murli Deora; Shinde gets Power

LEAVING the four pillars of his Cabinet - Finance, Home, Defence, and Law - untouched, and retaining the External Affairs portfolio, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, today did the first major reshuffle and expansion of his Council of Ministers.

Mr Murli Deora

Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar

In a swearing-in-ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, three heavyweights from Maharashtra - Mr Sushil Kumar Shinde, Mr A.R. Antulay and Mr Murli Deora — were brought into the Union Cabinet. The reshuffle also saw Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar being stripped of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry, which has been given to Mr Deora.

The expansion saw the entry of seven new Cabinet ministers, elevation of three to the Cabinet rank, and inclusion of 12 at the Ministers of State level.

Shifted out of the Andhra Pradesh Raj Bhavan, Mr Shinde has been given the portfolio of Power. Mr Antulay has been given the charge of Minority Affairs.

Mr Aiyar has been given Youth Affairs and Sports and retains Panchayati Raj Ministry. Mr Oscar Fernandes, who was holding the Youth Affairs and Sports portfolio after the demise of Sunil Dutt, now remains a Minister without portfolio. Kerala got representation in the Cabinet with the entry of Mr Vayalar Ravi who got Overseas Indians Affairs till now held by Mr Fernandes.

Mr Shibu Soren

Further, the Urban Development Minister, Mr S. Jaipal Reddy, was relieved of Culture portfolio, which has now gone to Ms Ambika Soni. Ms Soni has been entrusted with Tourism and Culture. The Jammu and Kashmir leader, Mr Saif-u-Din Soz, has been given the charge of Water Resources and the JMM leader, Mr Shibu Soren, makes a re-entry as Coal Minister.

Mr Premchand Gupta

Beneficiaries of the Cabinet expansion included RJD's Mr Prem Chand Gupta, Mr Santosh Mohan Dev and Mr Kapil Sibal. While Mr Gupta was elevated to the Cabinet rank from his current position as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Company Affairs, Mr Sibal was elevated to the rank for Science and Technology and Ocean Development and Mr Dev for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

RJD's Ms Kanti Singh has been shifted from Women and Child Development in HRD Ministry to Heavy Industries as Minister of State. Prominent among the new faces sworn in as Ministers of State (MoS) is Mr G.K. Vasan with independent charge of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal has been made MoS for Finance and Mr Ajay Maken has been given Urban Development. Mr Anand Sharma has been made MoS External Affairs and Mr Ashwani Kumar will be MoS in Industries. Late Telugu Desam Party patriarch N.T. Rama Rao's daughter, Ms D. Purandareswari, is the new MoS in the HRD Ministry. Mr M.M. Pallam Raju has been given Defence.

The other new Ministers of State are Mr Jairam Ramesh, Mr T. Subbarami Reddy and Mr Dinsha Patel, whose portfolios are yet to be decided.

Mr Akhilesh Das is the new MoS for Steel, while Mr Chandra Sekhar Sahu becomes MoS for Labour Ministry. Ms Renuka Chowdhary, who held Tourism, now moves to Women and Child Development.

In the reshuffle, Mr E.V.K.S. Elangovan has been shifted from Commerce to Textiles; Mr Rao Inderjit Singh from External Affairs to Defence; and Mr B.K. Handique from Defence to Chemicals and Fertilisers. He continues to retain Parliamentary Affairs.