The ratings game

With the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre about to complete a month in office, former finance minister P Chidambaram was asked by journalists to rate the new government's performance. Chidambaram, who obviously didn't want to be seen criticising or praising the new prime minister, simply said, "I am not a rating agency." It may be recalled that when Chidambaram was the finance minister, the United Progressive Alliance government had a love-hate relationship with rating agencies such as Standard & Poor's and Fitch. No wonder the former finance minister wants to stay clear of all kinds of ratings.