Pressing a point

The fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the undisputed boss of the government is well established by now, but the Press Information Bureau (PIB) appears to be keen to emphasise that point at every opportunity. In his capacity as head of the executive arm of government, Modi chairs cabinet and Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) meetings. Since last month, however, all press releases and statements issued by the PIB mandatorily mention that the meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Modi. This was never the case in the two United Progressive Alliance regimes. In those days, the PIB statements merely mentioned that decisions were taken at a meeting of the Union cabinet/CCEA.