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A week is a rather short period to assess the way a government might function over its full term. But if early signs are anything to go by, there's a certain transition in work culture across offices housing ministries and departments in Lutyens' Delhi - a shift that might seem more corporate than bureaucratic - under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In a clear break from the past, when you see officials having unusually long working days, a drastically shortened weekend and fewer recreational activities, the stamp of Modi, whose leadership style is prompting many to call him the chief executive of India, is difficult to miss.
Within a week of taking charge at the Centre, the new government has already abolished ministerial groups, often cited as a reason for indecision and policy paralysis during the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government - brought an ordinance to appoint a principal secretary of choice to the PM; set up a special investigation team to probe black money stashed abroad; held bilateral talks with neighbouring countries like Pakistan; issued a 10-point mission on governance; asked ministers to stick to a 100-day agenda; and sent out feelers that investors are welcome.
Modi, believed to start his day at 6 am and end it past midnight, wants ministers and bureaucrats to follow a similar regime, it is learnt. Also looming large and keeping officials on their toes is the threat of a bureaucratic reshuffle. Besides, there are mergers of some like-minded ministries and creation of certain 'super' ministries keeping them busy, since such moves might mean reduction of some posts. A secretary in a ministry expected to be merged with another told Business Standard: "There's no communication on a merger yet, but it will be a good move." In the past 15 years or so of coalition rule, there have been several demergers of ministries which have created more posts at all levels. But, not any more!
So, be it North Block or South Block or any of the many Bhavans, ministers and bureaucrats are seen coming early to work; at times, as early as 8 am. The time to leave office, though, is undecided - mostly past regular dinner time and beyond prime-time news or the officials' favourite soap on TV.
Summer vacations to the Swiss Alps, the Kashmir valley or anywhere else for that matter is ruled out this season, as the Modi government is in a hurry to show results, sources say. Even short breaks at the elite Gymkhana or Golf Club are turning out to be difficult for those who have been used to such life. In fact, there have been reports suggesting the government is making a list of officials who frequent the Golf course, so that the practice could be stopped. The message: Concentrate on the files, generate innovative ideas, interact with people on social media or otherwise, rather than "wasting" time on leisure activities.
"Ours is a 24x7 sarkaar! We are doing our best," Power, Coal and Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday, in a post on microblogging site Twitter, after widespread power cuts due to thunderstorm. In another tweet, on May 27, the day he took charge as minister, Goyal had said he was returning home after a "phenomenal day". Nothing surprising about it, except that the tweet came at 1:17 am.
At North Block, both Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Minister of State Nirmala Sitharaman kept officials busy till late in the evening on all days last week. Many officials reported to work even on Saturday, as their boss was in office.
Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a new face in the power corridors, is making up for inexperience by putting in more hours in office to look at presentations, a source says. The man, who was instrumental in the Bharatiya Janata Party's good show in Bihar, is expected to repeat the magic at the petroleum ministry.
At the health ministry, it's a scene of hectic activity these days. Minister Harsh Vardhan had a series of meetings with officials and industry through the week. The ministry is also getting a facelift, with new wall paint and new interiors. Many other ministries, including the finance ministry, are also witnessing a cleanliness drive.
In yet another change, Hindi is being adopted as the official language for communication in some ministries. For instance, at the agriculture ministry, which is headed by Radha Mohan Singh, there is a distinct shift towards developing a culture for work in Hindi.
Some insiders say they have been directed to put their views and notes in Hindi. This has caught most of them off-guard: the officials are running around to find a translator for the job. Some officials, used to taking notes and dictations in English, are even contemplating a shift to their parent cadres.
But the biggest change has been in the way work is done. Bureaucrats have been given a free hand, with a message to this effect being reiterated by many, including Telecom, IT and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Vardhan. Prasad asked his officials to go ahead and take decisions without any fear or favour. Vardhan is learnt to have told his officials to deal freely with state governments and that he should be kept in the loop for immediate action in case of any hurdle.
Coordination, though, is proving an issue for the ministries that have been clubbed under one minister or are likely to be merged. For instance, power, coal and renewable energy officials sit across Shastri Bhavan, Shram Shakti Bhawan and CGO Complex. Goyal has called a meeting of over 100 officials from these three ministries on Monday for better coordination. He has already had meetings with Prakash Javadekar, minister of state (independent charge) for environment, along with officials of all the ministries concerned, to understand issues linked to environment clearance. The objective, according to Goyal, was to have "sampark, samvaad and samanwaya" among officials of the ministries under his charge, to indicate silos won't work.
In another shift, ministers of state have enough work now. Earlier, under the UPA regime, there were complaints from MoSes that they were underworked as Cabinet ministers chose to be in the limelight. Unlike her predecessors, who mainly dealt with transfers and postings, Sitharaman is holding regular meetings with officials to discuss key issues.
Ministers in the Modi government are also guarding against off-the-cuff statements. For example, TV cameras are not allowed outside the ministries on Raisina Hill, where the security has been beefed up.
An official, however, points out that changes like merging ministries and creating super-ministries are more cosmetic in nature. A decision on what role the Planning Commission might ultimately play in the new dispensation will define the government, he says.
