I was delighted to read the front-page story, "In their modified role, junior ministers no longer pushovers" (July 9). By bringing in intelligent, well-educated and experienced ministers of state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken yet another step towards fulfilling his electoral promises. He is moving further into the role of the country's CEO by empowering several of his ministers.
The Cabinet minister functions as the CEO of his domain with an able minister of state (MoS) as COO to assist him/her - this is similar to how a large corporation functions.
Of course, a lot depends on how well the Cabinet ministers "accept" their junior colleagues and how much they "empower" them. If the seniors are objective this will only help them improve the operation of their ministries.
Many MoSes in the past got only pay and perks but no work. Some of them would beg for work and responsibilities to get a chance to prove themselves to their bosses but were denied the opportunity.
Obviously, no modern day corporation can afford such a situation: paying for senior managers who add no value. Yes, corporations with the Raj era hangover did employ managers with fat salaries - in some cases this was done to frustrate the manager so he would leave. In today's competitive world that practice is a no-no.
This apart, a front-page snippet, "Tax kitty up 28% in Q1" (July 9), restored my faith and hope in the long-term success of the Modi government.
Krishan Kalra, Gurgaon
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