Manmohan Singh assumed office for a second term as prime minister of India today, along with a 19-member cabinet team. President Pratibha Patil administered the oath of office and secrecy to Manmohan Singh and his council of ministers at the Ashoka Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan at  6.30 pm.

Coincidentally, Manmohan Singh started his innings as prime minister same date in 2004.

The cabinet ministers sworn in today include:

1. Pranab Mukherjee
2. A K Antony
3. P Chidambaram
4. S M Krishna
5. Ghulam Nabi Azad
6. Veerappa Moily
7. Sushilkumar Shinde
8. S Jaipal Reddy
9. Kamal Nath
10. Vayalar Ravi
11. Meira Kumar
12. Murli Deora
13. Kapil Sibal
14. Ambika Soni
15. B K Handique
16. Anand Sharma
17. C P Joshi  - all if Congress;
18. Sharad Pawar (NCP)
19. Mamata Banerjee (Trinamool Congress)

Handique, currently minister of state for parliamentary affairs and Sharma, minister of state for information and broadcasting, are being elevated to cabinet rank.

While Mukherjee is expected to retain the finance portfolio which he got as additional charge towards the end of the tenure of the outgoing government, SM Krishna or Kamal Nath may get external affairs.

Chidambaram and Antony are expected to retain home and defence, respectively.

The portfolios are yet to be announced and it is likely that a final decision on the portfolios will come after talks with UPA constituents conclude.

The ministry is expected to be expanded on Tuesday, during which Congress leader Salman Khursheed and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah as also former ministers Vilas Muttemwar and Mukul Wasnik among about two dozen ministers will be inducted into the council.

UPA partner DMK, however, has so far refused to join the ministry after talks on more ministerial berths ended in a deadlock. A DMK spokesman said the party would support the UPA government from outside.

Former railway minister Lalu Prasad also does not figure in the list with the UPA deciding to keep out those who had not fought as part of the alliance.

It is also likely that the party may finally join the government on Tuesday if an understanding is arrived with the Congress by that time.

Expansion of the council of ministers, including cabinet ministers, ministers of state with independent charge as well as other ministers of state, will take a few days, according to Ms Sandhu.

The first session of the newly constituted Lok Sabha is expected to begin on 2 June and extend till 10 June. The budget session is expected to be held in first week of July.

The 76-year-old, economist-turned politician Dr Manmohan Singh is also the first prime minister after Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to assume office again after a full term.