REJIG FOR REJUVENATION

Modi’s cabinet reshuffle shows that he wants to win back voters' trust by focusing on the delivery of his promises

- PRATUL SHARMA

The year 2022 is a year of deadlines. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to usher in a “New India” by the time the country celebrates its 75th year of independence. From doubling of farmers' income to sending an Indian to outer space in an indigenous spacecraft, the BJP had made 75 ambitious promises in its 2019 elections manifesto. The prime minister had promised to fulfil them by 2022.

Modi 2.0 has so far delivered on several of its ideological poll promises—for instance, abrogation of Article 370, abolition of triple talaq and bringing the Citizenship Amendment Act. But its promises to provide better infrastructure and turn the economy around have lagged.

On the economy front, the recovery and employment generation has been slow, though the Reserve Bank of India in its June bulletin saw reasons to be “cautiously optimistic”. A rampaging Covid-19 worsened the existing vulnerabilities of the economy. To revive the economy, the government needs successful management of Covid-19, capital expenditure on infrastructure, disinvestment, fast implementation of reforms, and new policies in the social and corporate sectors. Fulfilling the 2022 targets is crucial before the prime minister could go back to the people with a report card.

To make this possible, Modi initiated a major revamp of his team by booting out 12 cabinet ministers. He brought in 36 new faces and promoted seven ministers to cabinet rank. The intent was both political and governance-oriented as it balanced caste equations in the poll-bound states. Modi's induction of new faces in key portfolios like health, education, railways and IT showed that he wanted to shake off inertia and focus on delivery.