| The most significant aspect of the Cabinet reshuffle is the fact that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has kept the external affairs portfolio for himself.
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| The reason being given out by senior Congressmen is that it will ensure continuity before a crucial visit by US President George W Bush next month. The real reason, however, could be that the Prime Minister’s stature among the allies will keep the Left attack on government’s stand over Iran nuclear issue and Indo-US deal muted.
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| Whatever the reason, there are no strong message that the party has given through the reshuffle, only small hints on what is pre-occupying the mind of the Congress President Sonia Gandhi. The foremost being elections in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
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| Vyalar Ravi from Kerala has been Cabinet minister while TNCC president G K Vasan has been made a minister of state.
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| Oil diplomacy, and power reforms are occupying Manmohan Singh’s mind as well, which is why Murli Deora, who has considerable networking skills has been brought in as petroleum minister, and Sushil Kumar Shinde, Gadnhi loyalist been made power minister.
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| The government seems to have decided to reward Kapil Sibal for his fire-fighting skills during the recent Bofors controversy. He has been elevated to Cabinet minister, equivalent to his rival, law minister Hansraj Bharadwaj.
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| Ambika Soni’s inclusion in the Cabinet was expected but the jury is still out on whether this inclusion as a Tourism minister is a punishment posting. Soni, it seems, has lost out to her main rival Ahmad Patel, political secretary to Sonia Gandhi, this time.
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| None of the young MPs, except Ajay Maken, has been made minister. Maken too has had a long stint in state politics and has been brought in to counter Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Otherwise, Rahul Gandhi’s refusal to accept any post in the party or government has meant it is curtains for the young brigade to operate on any official capacity.
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After being in the opposition for 10 years, Sonia Gandhi appears more inclined to reward older, more trusted loyalists than young blood. “They must wait for their turn,” she said when asked as to why no young MP has been inducted.
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Cabinet ministers
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| Prime Minister Manmohan Singh: External Affairs, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Planning, Atomic Energy, Space
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| Pranab Mukherjee: Defence
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| Arjun Singh: Human Resource Development
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| Sharad Pawar: Agriculture, Consumer affairs, Food and Public Distribution
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| Lalu Prasad: Railways
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| Shivraj Patil: Home
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| Ram Vilas Paswan: Chemicals & Fertilisers and Steel
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| Jaipal Reddy: Urban Development
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| K Chandra Shekhar Rao: Labour and Employment
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| P Chidambaram: Finance
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| Mahavir Prasad: Small Scale Industries, Agro and rural industries
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| P R Kyndiah: Tribal Affairs & Development of North Eastern Region
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| T R Baalu: Shipping; Road Transport & highways
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| Shankersinh Vaghela: Textiles
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| Kamal Nath: Commerce & Industry
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| H R Bhardwaj: Law & Justice.
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| Raghuvansh Prasad Singh: Rural Development
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| Priyaranjan Dasmunsi: Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs
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| Mani Shankar Aiyar: Panchayati Raj, Youth Affairs and Sports
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| Meira Kumar: Social Justice & Empowerment
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| A Raja: Environment & Forests
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| Dayanidhi Maran: Communication & Information Technology
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| Anbumani Ramdoss: Health & Family Welfare
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| Sis Ram Ola: Mines
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| Murli Deora: Petroleum and Natural Gas
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| Sushil Kumar Shinde: Power
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| A R Antulay: Minority Affairs
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| Vayalar Ravi: Overseas Indian Affairs
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| Ambika Soni: Tourism and Culture
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| Saifuddin Soz: Water Resources
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| Shibu Soren: Coal
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| Santosh Mohan Dev: Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
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| P C Gupta: Company Affairs
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| Kapil Sibal: Science & Technology and Ocean Development
Ministers of State (Independent Charge)
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| Renuka Choudhury: Women and child Development
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| Subodh Kant Sahay: Food Processing Industries
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| Vilas Muttemwar: Non-Conventional Energy Sources
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| Kumari Selja: Urban Employment & Poverty Alleviation.
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| Praful Patel: Civil Aviation
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| G K Vasan: Statistics and Programme Implementation
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| Oscar Fernandes: Minister without portfolio
Ministers of State
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| E Ahamed: External Affairs
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| Suresh Pachauri: Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions and Parliamentary Affairs
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| B K Handique: Chemical and Fertilisers, Parliamentary Affairs
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| Panabaka Lakshmi: Health & Family Welfare
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| Dasari Narayan Rao: Coal & Mines
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| Shaqeel Ahmed: Communications & Information Technology
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| Rao Inderjit Singh: Defence
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| Naranbhai Rathwa: Railways
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| K H Muniappa: Road Transport and Highways
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| M V Rajashekharan: Planning
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| Kantilal Bhuria: Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
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| Manik Rao Gavit: Home Affairs
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| Sri Prakash Jaiswal: Home Affairs
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| Prithviraj Chavan: Prime Minister's Office
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| Taslimuddin: Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
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| Suryakanta Patil: Rural Development; Parliamentary Affairs
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| Md Ali Ashraf Fatmi: Human Resource Development
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| A Narendra: Rural Development
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| R Velu: Railways
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| S S Palanimanikkam: Finance
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| S Regupathy: Home Affairs
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| K Venkatapathy: Law & Justice
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| Subbulakshmi Jegadeesan: Social Justice & Empowerment
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| E V K Elangovan: Textiles
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| Kanti Singh: Heavy Industries
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| Namo Narayan Meena: Environment & Forests
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| Akhilesh Singh: Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public distribution
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| Pawan Kumar Bansal: Finance
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| Anand Sharma: External Affairs
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| Ajay Maken: Urban Development
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| M M Pallam Raju: Defence
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| Akhilesh Das: Steel
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| Chandrasekhar Sahu: Labour
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| Ashwani Kumar: Industries
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| D Purandareshwari: Human Resource Development
Ministers of State (without portfolio)
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| Dinshaw Patel, T Subbirami Reddy, Jairam Ramesh. |
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Content Guide
