Nine ministers retain portfolios

Senior Maharashtra leader Sushil Kumar Shinde retains the power ministry, S Jaipal Reddy will continue to occupy the office of urban development minister.

As many as nine ministers, including seven Cabinet ranks and two ministers of state with independent charge, whom Prime Minister Manmohan Singh distributed portfolios on Thursday evening have retained the ministries they had in the previous government.

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Senior Maharashtra leader Sushil Kumar Shinde retains the power ministry, S Jaipal Reddy will continue to occupy the office of urban development minister. Similarly, Vayalar Ravi will continue to be minister for overseas Indian affairs.

Prithviraj Chavan retains his independent charge as minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office and so does MoS (Independent charge) for civil aviation Praful Patel.

Jharkhand's Subodh Kant Sahay, who was a minister of state for food processing industries, has been elevated as cabinet minister in the same ministry.

Congress's United Progressive Alliance (UPA) partner DMK's A Raja retains communications and information technology and Murli Deora similarly gets the petroleum and natural gas portfolio.

Former chief election commissioner MS Gill keeps youth affairs and sports.