Know your ministers

New ministers will be sworn-in this evening, and are likely to include three-four young MPs. Here's a look at the ministers to keep their portfolios and those who will make way for new faces.

Kapil Sibal holds on to the dual responsibilities of Human Resource Development and additional charge of Communications and Information Technology. He took over the telecom ministry from A Raja after the 2G spectrum scam. He has been relieved of his duties in the Science and Technology Ministry.

A former lawyer, Sibal won the 2004 general elections by a large margin from Chandni Chowk constituency and was inducted into the Cabinet as Union Minister for Science, Technology and Earth Sciences. In the 2009 elections, he again won by a large margin and took charge of the key Human Resource Development ministry in the second Manmohan Singh government.

Known as the sugar king of Baramati in Maharashtra , the Union Minister for Agriculture is also the President of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

A work-weary Pawar's request to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to "reduce his burden" in the government triggered speculation of an early reshuffle of the Union Cabinet. The 70-year-old minister sought induction of more Ministers of State to share his burden in Agriculture, Food and Consumer Affairs portfolios. Ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle, Pawar's NCP said the party wanted to retain its three ministerial berths.

He retains the Agriculture and Food portfolios while Consumer Affairs has been taken away from him.

Salman Khurshid who handled Corporate Affairs has been elevated to Cabinet rank. He has been given charge of Water Resources and additional charge of Minority Affairs ministry.In the 2009 Lok Sabha Elections, Khurshid won from the Farrukhabad constituency of Uttar Pradesh.

Praful Patel has been made Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises with a Cabinet rank. This NCP man has a massive business empire concentrated in and around Nagpur and Gondia in Vidarbha.

Ajay Maken has been given independent charge of Youth Affairs and Sports. He has the distinction of being the youngest minister from the Indian National Congress, to be sworn in the Council of Ministers when he was made the Minister of State for Urban Development in 2006. He played a key role in finalising the Master Plan for New Delhi.

Virbhadra Singh has been made Cabinet Minister with charge of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. He has been relieved of his duties as Union Minister of Steel. Singh had been under a cloud following an adverse ruling against him by the Himachal Pradesh high court in a corruption case.

Kantilal Bhuria exits the Union Ministry of Steel. Bhuria, a tribal, is tipped to go back to his home state of Madhya Pradesh as chief of the Congress state unit.

M Veerappa Moily, the Minister of Law and Justice retains his post.

Kamal Nath, who held the post of Union Cabinet Minister of Road Transport and Highways has been made the Urban Development Minister.

MS Gill becomes the Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation. He has been relieved of charge of Sports Ministry after the massive controversy that surrounded the Commonwealth Games.

Dr. Gill was formerly a member of the Indian Administrative Services and served as the Chief Election Commissioner of India from 1996 to 2001. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan for his work in this post. He also served as the Agriculture Secretary of Punjab under Capt. Amarinder Singh who was then the Agriculture Minister.

Jyotiraditya Scindia- is likely to become country's new Junior Minister for External Affairs, he took over the position that has been vacant since Shashi Tharoor resigned last year after a cricket controversy involving Sunanda Pushkar, who he has since married.

Sriprakash Jaiswal, has been made Minister of State for Coal. He is a third-time MP from Kanpur.

Pranab Mukherjee, the astute politician who is known as the troubleshooter for Congress retains his portfolio as the Finance Minister.

P.Chidambaram, the country's Home Minister who had been kept busy the last year with stone pelting incidences in Kashmir and Naxal attacks in the red belt retains his portfolio.

AK Antony, the Union defence Minister retains his portfolio

SM Krishna, the Union Minister for External Affairs retains his portfolio in the UPA governnment. He was the Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1999 to 2004 and the Governor of Maharashtra from 2004 to 2008.

CP Joshi has been made Minister of Road Transport and Highways with Cabinet rank. He was one of the first 19 members of India's new cabinet sworn in on May 22, 2009, despite being a first-time member of the Lok Sabha. The Rural Development portfolio has been taken away from him.

Ashwani Kumar has been made Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs and Science and Technology and Earth Sciences. A senior lawyer, Kumar was the the Additional Solicitor General of India before being elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2002.

Jaipal Reddy has been given charge of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. A four-time member of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, S Jaipal Reddy has held prominent cabinet positions in both the NDA and the UPA government.

KC Venugopal has been made Minister of State for Power. A first time MP from Alappuzha in Kerala, KC Venugopal was inducted as a Deputy Minister in the Railways in 2010 after Shashi Tharoor was forced to quit as a Union Minister.

KV Thomas has been given independent charge of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. A member of the AICC since 1984, Thomas has represented Ernakulam in the Lok Sabha and the Kerala Assembly.

Murli Deora has been given charge of Ministry of Corporate Affairs. He has been relieved of his duties as Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas. Deora first came into prominence in 1977 when he was elected Mayor of Mumbai. He is a three-time Lok Sabha member from South Mumbai and is currently a member of the Rajya Sabha. He had been the Petroleum Minister since 2006.

Congress leader Beni Prasad Verma has been made the new Steel Minister after Cabinet rejig on January 19, 2011. He served as the Union Communications Minister in Deve Gowda's cabinet from 1996-98. In 2009, he was re-elected to the Lok Sabha from Gonda constituency in Uttar Pradesh. (PTI Photo)

President's bodyguards after the swearing-in ceremony for the new ministers of Union Council at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)

Dignitaries during the swearing-in ceremony for the new ministers of Union Council at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. (PTI Photo)