59 ministers sworn in to complete India's new government

May 28, 2009, 10:08 GMT

   New Delhi - India's President Pratibha Patil Thursday administered the oath of office to 59 new ministers, completing the formation of the United Progressive Alliance government.

   The alliance, led by the Indian National Congress party recorded a resounding victory in the country's month-long national elections.

   Nineteen cabinet ministers had been sworn in with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week. Thursday's additions, consisting of 14 cabinet ministers and 45 junior ministers, bring the council of ministers to 78.

   Singh's cabinet is described as a blend of young and old which represents various castes, religions and regions of the country.

   The swearing-in followed days of intense negotiations over including leaders of key UPA constituents. The portfolios of the new ministers were expected to be announced later on in the day.

   Patil administered the oath in a ceremony that began at 11:30 am (0600 GMT) at the Presidential Palace.

   Singh, the second Indian leader after Jawaharlal Nehru to be sworn in as prime minister for a second term after completing a full first term in office, and Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi were present at the ceremony.

   The government's 78-member cabinet includes 19 ministers from UPA allies: seven each from the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham and Trinamool Congress party, three from the Nationalist Congress Party and one each from the Muslim League and National Conference.

   The new cabinet ministers include three former chief ministers - Vilasrao Deshmukh, Farooq Abdullah and Virbhadra Singh and 29 newcomers.

   Prominent among the new faces is Shashi Tharoor, a former United Nations diplomat, who was India's candidate for the post of secretary-general in 2006. He won a seat from the southern Kerala state as a Congress candidate.

   Twenty-eight-year-old Agatha Sangma, a lawmaker from the north-eastern state of Meghalaya is the youngest of Singh's ministers.

   Rahul Gandhi, the rising star of the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty, was named to a ministry, contrary to rumours that the 38-year-old leader who is considered the architect of the party's win could be given a cabinet position.

   Singh had already allotted the key ministries in his cabinet to senior Congress party leaders, including Pranab Mukherjee as the country's finance minister and SM Krishna as foreign minister.

   AK Antony has been retained the defence minister and P Chidambaram as home minister for the second term.