If the long-awaited Union Cabinet reshuffle was intended to refurbish the scams-tainted image, and boost the declining political stock, of the Congress-led government, it has conspicuously failed to do so. The principal message sent out is one of political drift: that this United Progressive Alliance regime is stuck in a course that has taken a heavy toll on its reputation and that it is not willing to act boldly, taking well-calculated risks, to cleanse the system and raise the performance bar for policy-making and governance. As in most such exercises, there are welcome changes: some Ministers judged to be non-performers or underperformers being dropped, a few competent administrators raised to Cabinet rank, a couple of promising young faces inducted. But what stands out is the stickiness and indeed the apparent immovability of the heavyweights in the Cabinet irrespective of their performance, good or bad, and the measurable results of their tenure in office.
The change that raises deep concern over its motivation is the shifting of Jairam Ramesh out of the Ministry of Environment and Forests. He is one Minister who has distinguished himself in a vital and challenging area of governance — by studying environmental and climate change questions seriously, interacting with experts as well as the wider public, standing up to pressure from special interests, corporate as well as political, acting boldly and transparently, and doing valuable agenda-building. The government can argue that Mr. Ramesh's contribution has been rewarded by his elevation from Minister of State (with independent charge) to Cabinet rank and by his being entrusted with the big responsibility of Rural Development. But that argument would be ingenuous. One hopes that Jayanthi Natarajan, Mr. Ramesh's successor, will emulate his example and not allow the momentum he has built on key environmental and climate change issues to dissipate. It is disappointing that at a time when India's massive infrastructural deficits are under the spotlight, the crucial infrastructure ministries whose leadership can at best be described as lacklustre have been left in the same old hands, with Beni Prasad Verma being rewarded with Cabinet rank (for Steel) on account of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections rather than for his performance. Particularly distressing is the manner in which Water Resources, a crucial Ministry, has been dealt with under UPA-II. It is a political football that has now been kicked back, as ‘additional charge,' to Pawan Kumar Bansal, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs. Finally, the door has been left half-open to the DMK so that it can send, should it so decide, replacements for the two Ministers who were compelled to resign. Textiles, which has been placed in the ‘additional charge' of Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, is surely a portfolio reserved for the aggrieved ally. If this is not a story of drift, what is?
Keywords: Cabinet reshuffle
The much-vaunted reshuffle ended in a whimper.Some Congress hopefuls in Andhra should be gnawing their teeth for leaving them high and dry the nth time.They may create trouble for the 'high command'which is neither high nor in command as far as A.P State is concerned. The shift of Jairam Ramesh shows,P.M is being driven by some powerful forces behind--I mean some vested interests for whom environmentalist concerns seem to be a nuisance.He did exactly the same a few years ago when Mani Shankar aiyer was replaced by Deora as petrol was the issue then.I think, he will serve the country better by putting in his papers instead of acting as a glorified clerk.
The transfer of Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh to Science and Technology ministry shows the govt. is not serious in Science & tech. All in all, it was a worthless exercise
It is again very disappointing to see such a move from the UPA regime instead of throwing out the jokers from the deck they just reshuffled it and in a way which disturbs the already placed one or two kings like Mr. Jairam Ramesh
The recent cabinet reshuffle was forthcoming amidst all the scams that UPA has experienced.It was badly needed by UPA,but what was disheartening to see were the untenable decisions it had taken .The transfer of Jairam Ramesh captures the essence of the recent reshuffle of how UPA goofed it up.And no surprises, as also stated by conspiracy theorists that someone else was making the moves instead of Dr.Singh.UPA had the chance of wining back some confidence of ppl it had lost,but rather unfortunately has lost the plot.The consolations of this reshuffle were elevation of Ramesh to Cabinet and absence of Digvijay Singh.Home ministry has done reasonably well under PC's leadership in UPA-2 by what is perceived,but his involvement in scams unveiled recently should have affected a change.Reluctance to take actions against its leaders involved in scams until being forced by SC was also well reflected yet again during this reshuffle.UPA imploring people's confidence in them should have done better
Vamsi, it is the best this country can have !! People like us who only blog and write messages wont get into politics to correct all these ! So we need to accept the best option available. As i mentioned UPA is better than any other coalition government we have seen. If UPA goes,this country will get into slow down mode again. And all of us will be sitting without job and Hindu can still write only about MMS and not on other important things like Inflation and Price rise !! >There is no point in getting emotion. What if the government revives the 2G money. Will you be paying 2 Rs per minute for your mobile ! That time you will complain about that !! Because we are just citizen who look for comfortness and nothing else !! We dont risk even a single rupee!
In one of the previous comments, Ajay makes a nice observation. Why is the UPA desperately clinging on to DMK? DMK has tainted the government to a great degree, got routed in TN and does not seem to be in a position to bounce back unless JJ messes up totally in the next few yrs. Karuna also said that the DMK was not looking for cabinet berths. But Pranab Mukherjee's visit and the overall behaviour is bewildering. Is there more than what meets the eye?
Jairam Ramesh has justified his role as environment minister.He took some bold initiatives to safe guard environment.May be it's time for the government to find a better person who can do some good to rural development and so it picked Jairam Ramesh.Also rural development has huge allocation in budget compared to environment. But on overall the UPA-2 governance is distressing.Probably the Election Commission should use new technologies to decrease costs for elections and decrease the tenure time from 5 years to 4 or 3 years.
Why is only this move highlighted as a wrong move? Why dont we think on the positives... Jairam Ramesh is a good minister and he has been given a very good responsible position and this stint in the Envirnoment Ministry will give him a grass-root knowledge of land-acquisitions and such things. There is no words on the positive inclusion of a smart intellectual, Salman Khursheed, an advocate in the Supreme Court as a Law Minister. Jayanti Natarajan is a very competent person, known for her intergrity and as competently articulate. Not all moves are positive, but given the political balances that has to be done to given the coalition politics it is indeed good; but scope of improvement is open.
I think there are few names for the good positions on offer in the ministry. Is this a sign that good administrators and knowledgeable people are shying away from politicks? or is a normal situation where we Indians like to cricticise without doing anything much substantial, which we are so good at. Why are Anna Hazare, the Bhushans, Kiran Bedi and other really good people shying away from politics. IF you want to clean it, come here and clean. Dont be spectators and laugh and scoff at things.
P.M. under Indian Constitution is head of the Indian Government and President is only Head of the State. P.M has more responsibility and accountability.He must have freedom to select the council of Ministers. Party in power can only recommend and not to use strings to control PM.But over a period his position has been affected due to peculiar political situations in India.It is high time that law makers in the country bring about changes if necessary bring radical changes in our political and electoral systems. India needs a strong leadership with vision and new ideas to maintain the economic growth and improve the percapita income of lower middle class and rural and agricutural sector and also provide adequate opportunities to gain the advantages of the growth.Majority of people in India is now feeling helpless. We have to stop the method of manipulative politics.We have to rise above to save the country fron disaster.Dr MMS must act bold and UPA 2 is using him as a puppet.
The idea that the PM and the ruling coalition met to assess the performance of the ministers and elevate or deprecate them in light of their performance, is extremely misleading. It paints a picture of an efficient and hierarchical arrangement in which merit and achievement is rewarded, just as it would ideally be in a corporate house or in a professional military. Nothing can be farther from the truth. This is politics, where the elites come together to share the rents and to lay down the rules of their internal games. The bottom line is who or what gets them the maximum votes, just as a corporate house looks at maximizing revenue through sales. Everything else is secondary. Jairam Ramesh has shown a flair for gaining attention. He is thus now aptly unleashed on the voting base to capture their attention (read votes). The rest is business as usual, how many vote one gets decides the hierarchy in which they get to choose their portfolio. Why should anybody be surprised?
Apart from single complaint of 2G and CWG! I am shocked beyond belief that there are educated people who can still talk about corruption in such terms. People running 3 portfolios without 'taints' is being considered a success is the height of the pessimissm that is prevailing. The 'greatness' of other Ministers not to cheat or get caught is being hailed as a miracle from heaven. The challenge that is already with us is the temptation to accept the present situation as acceptable what in reality is only a new form of incompetence.
It is very disappointing to see yesterday's reshuffle which is going to be totally ineffective as usual specially at the juncture when our nation is grappling with multi-crore corruption scams. The performances and values, on which the ministers should be appraised, seem to never have been in place. It is beyond any stretch of understanding to think of government being run by council whose average age turns out to be 60 plus and that too in a country in which around two-third of population is below the age of 35 or so. We are in desperate need of many young leaders who would be ready to serve and devote themselves to the service of nation. If given chance it would definitely usher in new era with the induction of fresh and revolutionary ideas in every front.
The current reshuffle takes after the palace intrigues the Sultanate stage managed during the Mughal period in Delhi. It does not reflect the political determination of a Government. Really, it truly mirrors the mindset of the Manmohan Government. Shifting Jayaram Ramesh from the Environment Ministry is surely the handiwork of moneybags, monopolies and the mafia gangs, who could not endure him any more. It signals the message whom the UPA Government stands for. Jaiaram Ramesh is the Minister, who proved that he was capable of administration. The reshuffle is any thing but a useful, earnest exercise to invigorate the process of governance.
Nice to see Jairam in Rural Development. RD with a huge budget allocated to it, provides a huge scope of innovation. A cause for environment can only be sustainable only when it promotes micro-level sustainability, for example when it promotes livelihood for rural poor. And uplifting the profile of Environment Ministry is surely a valuable contribution which I am sure his successor will also follow.
Dare 'High Command' promote too many young faces into senior positions of government? To do so risks the possibility of such individuals actually being effective and perceived in a positive light by the public. THAT 'show' (young reformist blood and all that) is reserved for the next Gandhi. The reshuffle exposes just how unlikely it is for other 'young' faces to prematurely crash his future induction into the executive. For now, the priority for Delhi's nerve centre is the upcoming UP polls & of course for the Congress, preserving their crown jewels lustre.
This UPA-II reshuffled , perhaps the last one , has cited the best example before the Nation that how Mr. MMS & Co. succumb to the vested interest of their alliance. Indeed this was an opportunity for UPA government to revamp their image. But eventually Nation got a superficial reshuffle.
What makes the top 4 ministers in the cabinet so special ?-- their ability to mess up the things when extreme caution is to be taken(like what CHIDAMBARAM did in the case of ANDHRA PRADESH and the decision to send CRPF into naxal prone area) ;UPA govt is trying to redeem its image in the eye of public(to say their last and hyped makeover) aftermath of all the scams, only those ministers who the government has some work to do with in the local elections have been appointed to handle higher and sophisticated responsibilies and the other capable ministers are dropped from the highways as usual.
Transfer of Mr Jairam Ramesh is really sucking up to the corporate lobby.Otherwise there is no logical explanation to this. We are again reminded of this culture inherited from Mrs Gandhi, who never allowed any minister to outshine her,Mr Vasanth sathe was a shining example, which we could remember. It is becoming increasingly clear that the whole governance is under remote control and Our PM has no power or say whatsoever.
One can only hope that Jayanti Natarajan will follow the good works done by Ramesh. The periodic reshuffle of ministers are the funniest part in our deteriorating democratic values.
Believe we are missing the objective of identifying the capability to run a government. In the past we have seen ministers in NDA and Third Front, giving away the responsibility to IAS officers and enjoying their power as ministers. Only in UPA1 and UPA2 we have effective ministers who are working in their area. For example Finance, Home and Defense we have effective people running the show. With a single complaint of 2G and CWG , media is totally biased and negative. Other than that this country is sailing smoothly. If media goes on leave for a month, this country will be flourishing like a heaven.
Wholesale changes are an admission of incompetence.No government will ever do that.It would have been nice if this one did but such a hope would have been overly optimistic.And either way,it is not exactly like the ruling coalition ( opposition for that matter) is brimming with wonderful choices.A lot of hullabaloo has been made about age etc.,I would request all such 'youth' enthusiasts to bear in mind that all the 'youngsters' are an offspring of older Ministers already in charge. However, a few majorly under performing senior ministers are still around; they should have been dropped even if it would have caused disappointment in the Mumbai Cricket Association/International Cricket Council or the Portuguese speaking world.It is sad to see such bunglers keep their job in spite of umpteen embarrassments.
Officially the Prime Minister and unofficially Sonia Gandhi had all the power to run the UPA-1 and UPA-2 governments devoid of corrupt practices at any level. But for 7 years they let mega corruption to thrive in the government. Therefore there is no logic in expecting these two to refurbish the corrupt image of the government they run. Why is public opinion in India afraid of saying that if the government is corrupt, those who run it cannot escape blame.
I've said this before and will re-iterate my point. UPA is working for UPA only and not for India. Their goals stem from the idea of keeping UPA in power for as long as possible. There is hardly any progress seen under UPA.
Its disappointing to see crucial ministeries alloted not on the basis of peformance but on reasons of political expediency.Reshuffle looks like a face saving exercise in the season of scams.Alas public confidence will not resume in govt unless it comes clean on corruption front.
The Hindu editorial has correctly analysed cabinet changes. It is not for image building but for cosmetic changes to ease out uncomfortable ministers from one portfolios to others and also lacked dyyamism in briging bright hands to handle different ministries. Jairam Ramesh, who was doing well in his envioronment ministry and tightening noose around industrials, corporates, multinationals for ruining the envioronment, has although been promoted to cabinet rank and entrusted with important rural development portfolios! But the matter is something else- Ramesh has been eased out from envorionment ministry on pressures of corporate lobbies, as he was strict in accordance with law to allow them setting up industries! Similarly, many dead woods like Sharad Pawar continue even with his worst performances.Changes not to cleanse problem but adjustment! Also the Congress has kept in mind the next elections and Beni Babu of UP has been promoted.Change is an eyewash.www.kksingh1.blogspot.com
A good appraisal of the current situation by 'The Hindu'. It is indeed very sueprising that the Congress has still held on to DMK, despite the DMK ministers bringing it a very bad name..The argument that DMK support is needed in the long term is also negated by the TN election results and the fact that JJ offered has her party's support..One only wonders if there is more to the 2G scam than meets the eye, for Congress seems to be clinging on to the DMK rather desperately. Rumours have been surfacing that Kani/Raja want to 'tell the whole story'.. I kindly request The Hindu to investigate this angle..
The reshuffle has nothing to improve its scam-tainted image and the approach was very disappointing. I thought may be PM, Manmohan Singh hands were tied by partners but the conclusion "There will be no more reshuffle up to 2014 Lok sabha selections" made the reshuffle as game theory. PM should have given warning to cabinet ministers that "Whenever there is requirement of reshuffle", we will go for it for the better governance of the country, it would have been for Congress party. All have noticed the results of Bihar and TN elections, the trend of the voters is changing, then also Congress led UPA lost its final chance for better performance of the governance.
This reshuffle at best is 'Amazingly Brazen', as it has gone contrary to the public sentiment. The ruling party just doesn't get it (as to the mood of the people), which doesn't surprise me. How many Ministers in the current Government can boast of doing grassroots work. None. In the sense of Ministry i would have liked Moily, and Jairam to retain there portfolios (even though i am not a big fan of either). Primarily because both of them were credited with doing some substantial work. Moreover i would have definitely not liked Jayanti to replace Jairam in Environment. We know only quite well it is in the interest of Corporate, and some regional parties, like the one in Maharashtra, to which she will hold allegiance, as against Jairam's tenure, where he angered these two entities. Also i realize increasingly portfolio selection is commensurate to the budget allocation of these Ministries, rather than the quality of work-input, which should be the real measurement. So open loot is logical.
It is disappointing to see enviromental minister given to Congress former spokeperson jayanti natarajan. It is crystal clear that she will not fit into the shoes of Jairam Ramesh. She is going to be only rubber stamp for corporates.
Your editorial adequately reflect the public disappointment at the cabinet reshuffle. First, the promotion and transfer of Jairam Ramesh is more to keep him away from a portfolio to which be brought real life and meaning. Hopefully, people expect his successor to continue his good work in public interest. As for the change in the top four, unless there is a modern Kamaraj Plan it cannot come about. To expect such a surgical cleaning is also unrealistic keeping the current political structure in view. IN fact, it may turn out to be too risky for the UPA. As you have rightly said, vital portfolios such as water resources etc. are being are being used as attachments of convenience. More time was spent on discussions between the PM and Congress President in the 'reshuffle exercise' and if similar time was spent by the PM with the ministers who have now chosen to express their displeasure this ugly spat could have been avoided. Take the case of Gurudas Kamat of Mumbai who is an MP for several times. He is far nearer the people than the scion of an old and powerful south Mumbai congress minister who chose to retire after successfully and sumptuously providing for his son. Congress may have been correct in quoting discipline and protocol to try to punish Kamat but it will have in the final analysis done harm to the congress organisation at Mumbai. The message that we get is money bags and business are more important than leaders nearer the people. The apprehensions of Mr. Moilee on his being ripped of law ministry cannot be ignored. The law ministry is after all a facilitating one and as he had said, the sins of the adminsitrative ministries cannot be pinned on him.
As for railways, the perpetration of the notion that it is reserved for the coalition partner TMC is as bad as continuing to reserve two berths for the sulking DMK. No doubt these parties are so essential for the survival of the congress in the centre but even so, the PM and the Congress President should have made them realise it. In the process, the railways ministry - one of the pivotal infrastructure organizations will continue to suffer. UPAII has failed to put the railways on an operating plan not only to compensate for the failures of these 60 years but also slowly and steadily within available resources to fulfil the modest targets instead of pursuing gimmicks like Vision Document, etc. Lastly, no amount of changes in the ministry will yield results unless the substantive policies are realistic and fully and faithfully implemented. It is still possible for the UPA to repair these omissions if it concentrates on substantive work and not on political one-up-manship with opposition parties.
There is some concern regarding Jairam Ramesh moving out of the MoEF. True, he had set an example by leading the ministry through various development vs environment battles like Posco, Vedanta and Lavasa and much more. He has been handed the crucial ministry of Rural Development which saw no progress under erstwhile minster Vilasrao deshmukh. Hope that he will bring in changes in the functioning of the RD ministry by bringing in accountability and transparency. The PM has announced that this would be the last shuffle till the next general elections meaning the crucial minstrires of telecom, textiles and water resources will have to bear the brunt.
The whole nation is shocked with the approach of UPA-II with which it has reshuffled the ministries. Most surprisingly no changes in the big four ministries. With this reshuffle it has promoted regional politics with Dinesh Trivedi of TMC as Railway Minister and as you've mentioned Beni Prasad Verma & slots left open for DMK as well.
The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh wanted to do a lot more in the rejig that concluded on tuesday last but he had to follow the diktats from the party and surely it was not the reshuffle he wanted to give the Indian public. One wonders as to why the PM cannot exercise his prerogative in having a cabinet of his choice and had watered down the hopes of his country men in having a cabinet which works for aam admi.
Who expects something 'bold' from the Government? Politics is the key word and elections are the sole motive. Who is bothered about performance? Had the Government been so keen on performance, it would not have waited for so long. At the same time, by constant reshuffles, the concept of 'ministerial responsibility' is being diluted. Is it justified to hold a minister responsible for his work if he is not being involved with it for long? He is shifted to another ministry before he gets to understand his present ministry. At the same time, how do we balance governance and concerns about graft in it? These are issues to ponder.
"If the long-awaited Union Cabinet reshuffle was intended to refurbish the scams-tainted image, and boost the declining political stock, of the Congress-led government, it has conspicuously failed to do so." The above findings cannot be more aptly stated. The reshuffle that took place yesterday is a tame affair signifying nothing to cheer about.The P.M has missed the bus and we cannot expect sparkles from him as he is ,it is stated,powerless in the powerful post It is our ill luck to have a lame-duck PM. There are some tainted and inefficient and non-working ministers who could very well be dropped and some competent persons from the industries could have been inducted with a view to tone up the sinking political impasse. India has everything --manpower,resources, skilled labour, competent managers etc. but alas we have a corrupt political system which nullify other redeeming features.
Thank you for your forthright editorial.The big bang has ended in a whimper. The PM has lost his credibility and public image. The stink arising out of scams is suffocating. The image of the PM as a person of honesty and integrity has suffered most. The ordinary citizen feels that had it not been for the judiciary, the Govt. would not have acted on the persons responsible for the scams. The credibility of the Govt.- now in tatters- could not be restored by these reshuffles.
The only surprise in the reshuffle seems to continuance of Dr Manmohan Singh as PM.It is evident from the experiment of a Low profile PM, Dr Singh as he is,is that the mass base leader should be the head of the cabinet or PM who will have final say in the issues.This is tragedy of the Indian democracy that PM is at the mercy of someone in the party and not on people of India.The PM himself said that he is ready to vacate seat for someone.This is an important issue of Indian democracy and Indian people for the PM is not there to lead the country but just >filling the vacancy for time.
Despite the farmer suicides and drop in agricultural produce, the Agriculture Minister is hell bent on spending time at the BCCI. There is no change in the Agri Ministry.And why has Mani Shankar Aiyar not been inducted ? Is he not capable or does he not want to be a minister in a non-Gandhi dispensation ?
As pointed out succinctly in the editorial, this reshuffle is another episode in the mega story of drift in UPA . In a meeting with a group of editors Dr. Singh had reportedly stated: " India has no option but to industrialise. The only way we can raise our heads above the poverty is for more people to be taken out of agriculture.".In the light of this policy prescription of Dr. Singh,and the shifting of Mr. Jairam Ramesh who had handled his previous portfolio in a free, transparent and fearless manner and allotting that portfolio to Ms. Jayanthi Natarajan, it would be interesting to watch how the environmental issues that have a significant bearing on industrialisation and rural development are going to be addressed by the respective ministers. Very soon, we can hear from Mr. Jairam Ramesh ,in his characteristic style, rural poor friendly soundbytes.
It is really disappointing to see Jairam Ramesh moved out of Environment. I expected that he will be promoted to cabinet rank in the same ministry based on his accomplishments. Also, I expect PC moved out of home ministry based on his alleged involvement in 2G scam and more importantly for creating Telangana issue with his midnight announcement in panic. It is certainly a political leadership in drift.
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