Time for a transparent evaluation of ministers’ performance

Atul Sethi

Atul Sethi heads The Times of India’s editorial bureau in Uttarakhand. He is also a children’s writer whose first book – Magic in Mussoorie — a comic book adventure set in the Garhwal Himalayas was well-received by young readers. This blog is about the mountains, environment, civic and heritage issues as well as occasionally about food, travel and comics. LESS … MORE

The past week has been an interesting one for political watchers. In Uttarakhand, yet another CM changed, while 12 Union ministers lost their jobs in the recent cabinet reshuffle. The stated reasons might be ostensibly different – sidestepping a constitutional crisis in the case of the CM and infusion of new faces in the case of the Union ministry – but the underlying message was purely electoral. That the changes were done with an eye on the forthcoming assembly polls is no secret. Caste and regional considerations once again held sway in the choice of the new Uttarakhand CM and seems to have also influenced the selection of many of the central ministers. It is this rejig, with an apparent focus on votes, that poses many uncomfortable questions on the state of our polity.

Even when three-fourths of a century has passed since we gained independence, why is it that caste and regional dynamics continue to be the deciding factors for appointments to top posts? This is not to say that those chosen for the new posts are not competent enough. However, the timing of the replacements and the broader choice of candidates make it apparent where the focus is.

When PM Modi had taken over in 2014, he had announced a corporate-style appraisal system for ministers based on set targets and deliverables. This was a welcome move. If done on performance and merit, this would have set a benchmark for governance and ensured greater accountability of ministers towards their jobs. But with political considerations also coming into the equation, the initiative, even though well-intended, seems to have been diluted.

It is perhaps now time to look for a comprehensive appraisal system for ministers, including chief ministers, where the people can also rate the performance of the ministers and the way they have handled their brief. Technology can be deployed and an online system, maybe on the lines of the approval ratings system in the US, can be experimented with, to gauge how people feel about the performance of their elected representatives in ministerial roles. The findings should be publicly shared and this can be the basis for justifying replacement of ministers and CMs if the need arises.

The government has time and again stressed on its focus on ‘vikas’ (development). To ensure it can achieve that, the best people need to be put on the job and performance should be paramount. ‘Vikas’ will undoubtedly follow.

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Views expressed above are the author’s own.

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