THE reshuffle of the Union Council of Ministers effected by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi is slated to be a game-changer not just for the Government but also for the nation as a whole. Every change seems to have come after much thought and focus on what the Government wishes to achieve only partly in politics but mostly for larger national good. Confident that the nation will emerge from the pandemic with right lessons learnt, the Prime Minister has introduced changes in his team as an exercise of substantial course-correction. He has done well to convert the lessons he learned from the pandemic into a well-thought response to forge a better team with whose help to con front the changed situation. The reshuffle, thus, offers both, a serious attention to detail of micro-management and a macro-purpose in mind -- of guiding the nation to a better future.

 

Much will be talked about the removal of a few senior ministers such as Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad or Mr. Prakash Javadekar or Dr. Harsh Vardhan and a few others. Much will also be talked about inclusion of new persons into the Council of Minister, such as Mr. Jyotiraditya Scindia or Mr. Narayan Rane or Ms. Meenakshi Lekhi. But it can be said safely that most of these changes came almost on expected lines as the nation knows what the Prime Minister wishes to achieve in the post-pandemic period that will also see legislative elections in some States. Seen from this angle, the reshuffle does not come with major surprise. No matter this, the shake-up was a major exercise in politics and governance, and gave a clear indication of the shape of things to come in the next couple of years. For, the current pandemic conditions taught the Government many a lesson. It realised that its performance on some counts was not satisfactory from multiple angles. Prime Minister Mr. Modi was in no mood to put up with mediocrity in governance in the next some years -- as is indicated by the reshuffle.

 

One of the most important facets of this change is that the Prime Minister has infused a younger blood in the Council of Ministers. He has made a few alterations in governance infrastructure by effecting a remix of portfolios with ministers. But a major highlight is the introduction of a separate Ministry of Cooperation which will be headed by none other than Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah. A lot of guesswork can be tried to understand this major step. But suffice it is to say at this stage that a few major initiatives could be expected in the next some time to rectify the ills now dogging cooperative sector. It is obvious that Mr. Narendra Modi was not satisfied with the performances of some of his colleagues. He expected a great thrust in their respective mandates and an efficient handling of the challenges of the constantly changing scenario. Many names were dropped from the ministry because their performances did not match promises. In each such exercise, a lot of heads often roll. But this time, the texture of the thought-process appeared different and far more focused than before. The nation saw a no-nonsense Prime Minister reorganising his team with specific goals in mind -- in spite of the fact that he always believed in the principle of collective responsibility as core of good governance.

 

No matter that, the Prime Minister appeared to have decided to let some of his colleagues go out of the team because he wanted them to realise the importance of their share of individual responsibility in the collective picture. Post reshuffle, the people can expect Mr. Narendra Modi in a more assertive avtar, directing the Government to a more resolute action on most fronts, as the changes indicate. He is gearing up not just for electoral confrontations ahead, but also for handling challenges in critical sectors such as the economy, health, education. Of course, he has continued with some of his leading colleagues in their respective ministries -- such as Defence, Foreign Affairs, Surface Transport. But each member of the new Council of Ministers is aware fully that for the changing times, he or she will have to spruce up the individual efficiency for the larger good that goes far beyond mere politics.