New Delhi, July 12 (IANS) Thirteen union ministers, including eight new faces, were Tuesday sworn in at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shuffled his council of ministers in the second such exercise in 25 months.


President Pratiba Patil administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at the historic Ashoka Hall. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sushma Swaraj and other other leaders were amongst those present in the packed hall.

Tribal Affairs Minister K.C. Deo was the first to take oath.

This is the second reshuffle of the 25-month-old UPA II ministry.