The PM has effected a reshuffle of his council of ministers.
What are the major happenings?
The reshuffle has been perceived as a clear attempt to improve the capability quotient by bringing in new people with proven administrative experience.
Bureaucrats - Of the 9 new ministers of state, 4 were former bureaucrats and significantly three of them have been given independent charge of important ministries straightaway.
Two of them - Hardeep Singh Puri and Alphons Kannanthanam, are not even MPs.
Their mandate will be to single-mindedly focus on results without having to worry about nurturing a political constituency.
This is indicative of Mr Modi’s desire to address concerns over talent deficit in his party to fill in key portfolios.
Age Criteria – The dropping of Kalraj Mishra is an indication that PM Modi is serious about the below 75-years cuttoff.
Benefit of Doubt - Former railway minister Mr.Suresh Prabhu, who offered to resign in the wake of several rail accidents is now in charge of commerce and industry.
He has been given the benefit of doubt & it is hoped that he will bring a more positive approach to trade issues and will be able to use exports as a genuine engine for domestic growth.
The Gainers - The PM has also rewarded the performance of a few of his existing ministers by promoting them to Cabinet rank or by giving additional responsibilities.
The biggest surprise was the elevation of Ms.Nirmala Sitharaman as defence minister.
She now becomes part of the Cabinet Committee on Security, along with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, making it the first time that two women are on the top decision-making body.
Ms.Sitharaman takes over at a time of complex challenges for the ministry, notably the border tensions & the awaited big ticket purchases.
What are the criticisms?
It is hard to understand why the vacated portfolios were treated as adjuncts - Skill development has been clubbed with the ministry of petroleum and water resources with road transport and shipping.
Strangely, the coal ministry has been grouped with railways, but the mines portfolio has been packaged with the rural development ministry.
There was also a hint of some political compulsions in the reshuffle with a clear eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
