New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's 78 ministers have got down to work but it's the Culture Ministry that's drawing attention even though no one has been given that portfolio yet.
For the time being the Prime Minister is retaining Culture Ministry. But sources say Ambika Soni is likely to get charge of Culture along with Information & Broadcasting Ministry.
CNN-IBN has also learnt that Secretary of Culture Jawahar Sircar will take over additional charge of I&B on Saturday evening.
It is being done as Culture Ministry is too important and big a to be left unattended with over 45 autonomous bodies like the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) that need to be manned.
Culture and Tourism used to be two separate ministries, but under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, it was clubbed into one.
Now it seems Prime Minister Manmohan wants them separated. It also has many foreign missions across the world under its jurisdiction.
Culture Ministry was given to Jaipal Reddy in 2004 along with I & B but it was later given to Ambika along with Tourism.
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