Narendra Modi has been speaking of India's huge youth dividend. In his speeches he has stretched how democracy, demography and demand are a unique combination. Modi has told his team of officers that young men and women should be involved in the governance. While the cabinet has youthful ministers like Smriti Irani and Piyush Goyal, Modi however has not been able to bring in many younger officials into key positions in the bureaucracy. Even though the three key aides appointed in his office - principal secretary Nripender Mishra, additional principal secretary P.K. Mishra and national security adviser Ajit Doval - had all retired years ago, Modi has been indicating that he wants to bring in younger people.
The first such appointment happened when it came to chose India's executive director to the world bank. Normally this position, which involves posting in Washington and handsome salary, goes to secretary level officers or those who have retired from plum positions in Prime Minister's Office or from Finance Ministry. When the file went to Modi proposing a panel of three senior officers, he asked the Personnel Department, whether they would be in service after finishing the three year Washington assignment.
Modi was told they would be retired by then, but it was their experience which would help. Modi differed with the ministry's arguement, saying foreign assignments should be given to middle level officers, so that the government continues to benefit from their experience. Then another panel was prepared and Modi finally picked a joint secretary level serving with Gujarat government. Modi had sent a signal that he is not going with the system of giving overseas jobs who had served prime minister or finance minister, as was the case with Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh governments.
Modi has also asked the government to review the practice of accommodating a large number of officials with high salaries. He has already cut down the size of the national disaster management authority, and downgraded the status of its members to that of secretaries to government. They had enjoyed minister of state status. Even national security advisor Ajit Doval has not been given minister status, which was enjoyed by his predecessors M.K. Narayanan and Shiv Shankar Menon. Brijesh Mishra, the first national security adviser who was also principal secretary to prime minister enjoyed cabinet rank.
Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi were liberal in giving ministerial status to retired officials and Congresss activists. But now Modi seems to have a tight fist. Taking a hint from the Prime Minister's tough posture, the personnel department is reworking on the total number of statutory bodies like national commissions for minorities, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, women, information. It is also trimming the size of the Lokpal. The exercise is in tune with Modi's principle of maximum governance and minimum government. Given the pressures that are inherent in the system, it remains be seen how much of pruning can be done by Modi.
Tailpiece: Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M. Thambidurai who had planned to offer his resignation to protest the jailing of his leader Jayalalithaa, and join the protests organised by AIADMK, has been advised not to rush with his resignation. Thambidurai will wait for a fresh signal from Jayalalithaa.
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