Daniel Lak: "Mr Vajpayee has not appeared to be firmly in control"

The move has been seen as an assertion of authority by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee over his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following recent losses in state assembly elections.

Jaswant Singh has become the country's foreign minister. A familiar face in the world arena, he was involved in multiple rounds of discussions with senior US officials over whether India would sign the nuclear test ban treaty.

Pramod Mahojan has been put in charge of the information and broadcasting ministry and Jagmohan Malhotra is taking over at the communications ministry.

All three ministers belong to the BJP. Mr Mahojan and Mr Malhotra are close allies of Mr Vajpayee.

BBC Delhi Correspondent Daniel Lak says that with these appointments, Mr Vajpayee is sending a message to his critics within the BJP to follow his moderate approach to government.

Various ministers and party officials in his 18-party coalition have at times been at odds with his policy.

The cabinet expansion is part of Mr Vajpayee's efforts to tell his detractors within the BJP to line up behind his less ideological approach to government.

Mr Vajpayee has been trying to persuade a BJP state government in the crucial northern state of Uttar Pradesh to stop making all students sing patriotic songs which some Muslims find offensive.

He also made a significant stand against fundamentalism on Friday when he pledged protection and dignity for the country's Christians who were marching to protest at a wave of violent attacks by alleged Hindu extremists.