Performance Is King In The Cabinet Reshuffle

Performance Is King In The Cabinet Reshuffle

The most encouraging thing to observe in the mint new cabinet/ministerial pack reshuffle cum expansion, is that prime minister  Modi does appear to have his ear to the ground. He also has a clear handle on what is going on in his mantri mandal!

This comes as a relief. It was probably helped a great deal by his trusted lieutenant, BJP president Amit Shah who prides himself on not only managing the largest party, by membership, in the world, but also his ability to feel the pulse of the people.

Otherwise, Modi’s jet-set diplomacy that takes him abroad frequently, plus the natural tendency of retreating into an ivory tower, that goes with his top-job, was becoming a distinct worry voiced by some.

Many in the ministerial league were not performing well, some because they were in the wrong ministries, others because they weren’t up to the task, and still nothing was being done about it. Corruption was down, but efficiency was not quite up. Did Modi and Shah realise this? Now we know that they did.

A penchant for sartorial splendour, and hobnobbing with the world’s leadership, garnering remarkable gains for India, does not dull Modi’s personal credentials as a grassroots RSS karyakarta for most of his early years.

It has, combined with his personal austerity, even in this most powerful job, given him unique insights, and a rare, grounded, realism, not generally seen in the top echelons of the political arena.

Great care was taken in this long-awaited exercise; there were multiple consultations and meetings. But it is indeed gratifying to see that  most who have been lagging in their performance, over the last two years, have been pulled up and/or reshuffled in no uncertain terms.

The earlier media reports suggested that this was to be largely an exercise with an eye on the forthcoming UP polls. This too has been borne out in the 19 minister expansion, taking the count up to 78.

But performance as a yardstick, for continued presence and prominence in the council of ministers, has definitely not been ignored. In fact, mere access to the top, is seen to have not cut much ice.

This emphasis on ‘presentations’ on work done, and detailed performance evaluations by the prime minister personally, is a new phenomenon at the national level.

The old UPA/Lutyens Delhi culture was based on  an unflinching and all seasons personal loyalty to the Gandhi family, caste and religious considerations, ability to garner party funds etc. with little care about governance, and indeed even the ability to win elections.

Welfarism was the Brahma-asthra, meant to take care of the poor man’s vote, on autopilot. This enabled an ignoring of development and implementation. And Sonia Gandhi meanwhile diligently projected herself as the sole annadata to the poor.

It had worked in Indira Gandhi’s day, though there was probably much greater love for the country and personal integrity in Nehru’s daughter, and  through the decade of 2004-14; and so why not, once again, in 2014?

Much that was worthwhile in policy-making from the UPA years, though mostly on paper, due to the diarchy and ‘policy paralysis’, has been carried forward by this government.

But this reshuffle and expansion shows dissatisfaction still with both the pace and efficacy, in keeping with the perceptions of the people.

Those ministers who have proved to be out of their depth, involved in controversy, or speaking out-of –turn, all this, in place of getting on with their  jobs, have had to pay a price.

Smriti Irani’s ineptness and bizarre headline generation in HRD comes to mind, though she may be trotted out yet for the slugfest coming up with Priyanka Gandhi in UP.

And then there is General VK Singh, MoS  External Affairs, controversial, even from his Army days, who has not managed to get much done, while coining the memorable word ‘presstitudes’ to browbeat his critics.

The addition of the urbane and suave MJ Akbar into the crucially important MEA, under the circumstances, is an excellent move indeed.

Then there’s Jayant Sinha, an old McKinsey staffer, who curiously chose to follow in RBI governor Raghuram Rajan’s footsteps, though not quite at the rate of a soundbyte a day!

Seeing the back of ‘Call-drop-Prasad’ from Communications will come as a welcome relief to many as well. Though his commitment is not in question, may he truly perform better in Law.

But the incompetence is in a different class from the seeming subversion. It is curious how, so many people connected with the finance ministry have not only shown an inordinate sympathy to various Congress people in trouble with the authorities, but mysteriously seen fit to talk down their noses at the very government they work for.  Besides the performance of the ministry itself has been bureaucratic and lacklustre, disappointing critics and supporters alike.

This intolerable situation has at last been addressed to a degree that should be sufficient hint to the wise, and not a minute too soon.  

Many other ministers in the top deck have been left undisturbed, and unremarked upon. This means that they have, and are, cutting the mustard, according to Modi. This, though our internal security is certainly not all that it could be. And speed of implementation in the Indian Railways is also none too exciting either.

But now that the BJP is slamming the Congress as necessary to get things done, as of the last parliamentary session; it highlights that Jaitley’s much vaunted cross-party contacts built up over his years as leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, did not yield the results expected.

Neither did his cordial relationship with the media, that has largely continued to go hammer and tongs at the Modi government in general, and Modi himself in particular. So divesting the man of I&B was absolutely necessary!

The elevation of the affable Prakash Javdekar to cabinet rank, and bestowal of charge of HRD, is demonstration of the new emphasis on performance. Javdekar helped to get many projects stuck from the infamous ‘Jayanti tax’ days, going again. He also delivered well on India’s concerns at the international climate talks.

Venkaya Naidu’s dogged, if old-fashioned efforts, have also been appreciated and acknowledged.  Piyush Goyal’s excellent work has been rewarded with more responsibilities too. This is the need from all ministers of the realm.

Everyone in the now 78, needs to absorb this message going forward. Modi refers to this innings as ‘my first term’. Nobody in his government should mistake his intent to win just as big in 2019, and beyond.

For: The Pioneer

(1,090 words)

July 6^th, 2016

Gautam Mukherjee