Defence minister Pranab Mukherjee will take charge as foreign minister following a reshuffle of the union cabinet today, and senior Congress leader A K Antony will take over from Mukherjee as the union cabinet.

The post of defence minister has been vacant ever since Natwar Singh vacated it following the oil-for-food scandal.

RJD's Jayprakash Narayan Yadav and Karnataka actor-turned-politician M H Ambareesh have been inducted as ministers of state in the union council of ministers.

The much-awaited cabinet reshuffle took place today with the swearing-in of the new ministers took place at the Rashtrapati Bhawan at 7:30 pm.