Turnaround could be the cornerstone of the Narendra Modi Government, 100 days down the line—an evaluation parameter he himself ironically refused go by when he took over as Prime Minister on May 27. But a look back on the last three months of Modi Sarkar in New Delhi is inevitable, since anticipation was high, particularly after the spectacular swearing-in ceremony.
Three things stand out: an economy showing signs of a pick-up, a new work ethic in government offices and a functioning Parliament. Disparate as the three elements may seem, it yielded Modi the much-needed “feel good’’ factor carrying which he has gone on his trip to Japan, the first major bilateral trip outside the subcontinent.
With the economy on the rebound, though figures of a 5.7 per cent growth in GDP pertains to the April-June period, Modi was quick to point out that he has “managed to stall the slide” and the attendant gloom associated with it.
But, the first things that bore the Modi imprint was the perception change about the government—achieved through brainstorming sessions with the top echelons of the bureaucracy and then a strict adherence to a work ethic. Suggestions for improvement were welcome –‘’idea boxes’’ were put up at strategic points in key ministries—but there would be no let-up on a 9 am attendance and till-the-job-is-done approach. From ministers to the sub-lings down below, there was a crackdown on a laid back approach.
Timely clearance of projects would spur growth and development—that was the underlying message. Those who complained about a lack of ‘big bang’ ideas had to wait. The signalling was changed subtly from corruption and policy paralysis to a sense of government on the go. The media has readjust to real stories—like inclusive banking—and not tax rebates or major government disinvestment from core sectors, says a top Union minister.
Chief Ministers who came to meet Modi too were surprised to see a responsive Prime Minister telling them, “Give me a few weeks—I will sort it out.” Naveen Patnaik of Odisha and J. Jayalalithaa of Tamil Nadu had similar tales to recount after their first pow-wow with the PM.
What about results? Is it too early for that? Well, a week ago the mining and mineral royalties issue that was pending for two years, much to the annoyance of states like Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, was decided in two weeks. This was one of the key demands of the Patnaik Government, other than a special package for his state. For Karnataka and Kerala, the Gadgil report on the Western Ghats was rejected. Instead, the watered-down Kasturirangan report was accepted as the blueprint.
Similarly, a clutch of festering foreign policy issues seeping into domestic politics, a source of perennial headache for New Delhi, was quietly addressed, outside the public glare. A top source lets on that when Prime Minister Modi spoke to President Mahinda Rajapakse and the Lankan delegation later, he flagged two concerns: New Delhi cannot compromise on a political resolution of the ethnic Tamil crisis nor can it allow its fishermen to be jailed with regular frequency. But this admonition was sugar-coated with a pragmatic touch: Modi advised Rajapakse, the source adds, that if Indian fishermen cross over into their side of the sea—“Stop them and send them back—do not arrest them”, for they are merely people eking out livelihoods. This, many here believe, will knock the bottom of the charge against New Delhi ignoring sentiments of Tamil Nadu.
Another sign of the general uptick is the functioning of Parliament. The Opposition may have cornered the Modi government on many issues, forcing it to refer a handful of bills to standing committees, but at the end of the day it was able to push through landmark legislative frameworks and get the nod for opening up production in core sectors like defence and railways on the one hand and for the appointment of High Court and Supreme Court judges on the other. Plus, the hours of Parliament functioning saw a significant improvement.
One of PM Modi’s great skills is his capacity to put himself out in the public domain as a good omen, a harbinger of good fortunes. Mostly, the gods of circumstances have smiled on him in this outward projection. The battle of perceptions, which Modi has the habit of winning.
Narendra Modi Captain Courage Prime Minister
Mandate: To revive the economy; impel growth; control price rise; generate jobs; control corruption; improve delivery system; strengthen ties with neighbours; build infrastructure; more investments, improve industry sentiment
Decisions: ■ SIT to bring back black money ■ Scraps GOMs ■ New appointments ■ Commandments for bureaucracy and ministers to improve efficiency ■ Fixed targets ■ To reinvent Planning Commission ■ Judicial commission for appointment of judges ■Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana for opening bank accounts of poor ■ Invited heads of states of Saarc ■Visited Nepal, Bhutan, Japan, Brazil to improve ties ■ Cancelled foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan ■ Website Mygov.nic.in to interact with people ■ Pushes for self certification instead of attestation of documents ■ Gas prices put on hold
PENDING:Policy for smart cities; Ganga Action plan; talks with Pakistan
TEAM M
1.Rajnath Singh Securing the Home
Ministry: Home
Mandate: Ensuring internal security; improving Centre-state relations; securing borders; tackling anti-terror cases and managing disasters; home-grown jihadi groups; Left Wing extremism and insurgency; communal riots
Decisions: ■ 10 new governors ■ Police modernisation budget doubled ■ 6 mercy petitions rejected ■ Visa for Afghans streamlined ■ issues between Telengana and Andhra addressed ■ Assam-Naga border dispute settled ■ relief for Kashmiri migrants ■ Advisory to police force to recruit more women
PENDING: Selection of Natgrid and NDMA chiefs; streamlining Intelligence agencies
IN PARLIAMENT: Reply on performance of Home Ministry
2.Sushma Swaraj Look East, Act East
Ministry: External and Overseas Indians Affairs
Mandate: To improve India’s ties with neighbour; to present India’s side at the international fora; to oversee the interests of Indians settled abroad.
Decisions taken: ■ Visited several countries like Vietnam, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Singapore to cement ties with them ■ Took decision to bring back stranded Indians in Iraq ■ Oversaw negotiations for release of Indians in Iraq ■ Took up the cause of Indian fishermen ■ Called off talks with Pakistan following Pak high commissioner’s meeting with Kashmiri separatists ■ Started online system for facilitating transportation of mortal remains of deceased Indian emigrants ■ Pushed for Act East policy, not just look East to engage with neighbouring countries
PENDING: Boundary agreement with Bangladesh; Teesta water sharing; border disputes with China
IN PARLIAMENT: Active participant
3.Arun Jaitley Defence of Finance
Ministry: Finance, corporate affairs and defence
Mandate: To pull the economy back on track from low growth and high inflation; boost investor confidence by engaging with industry and woo foreign investors; revive domestic defence manufacturing sector and clear the logjam in foreign defence procurements
Decisions taken: ■ Expenditure Management Commission in place ■ Panel to suggest ways to reduce food, fertiliser and oil subsidies and other ways of controlling fiscal deficit ■ Jan Dhan Yojana for financial inclusion; rejigging tax slabs ■ 49 % FDI in defence ■ 2 DAC meeting cleared defence procurement proposal worth `41,000 crore ■ Decks cleared for procurement of 22 Apache helicopters and 15 Chinook choppers ■ Mazdock modernisation project
PENDING: Passage of Insurance Bill in Parliament; Consensus regarding uniform tax code
IN PARLIAMENT: NDA’s crisis manager
4.M Venkaiah Naidu Aim House-Full
Ministries: Urban development, housing and urban poverty alleviation, parliamentary affairs
Mandate: Development of 100 smart cities; expansion of Metro networks; providing better water and sanitation facilities; housing for all by 2022; implementation of JNNURM, Rajiv Rinn Yojana
Decisions taken: ■ Decongestion of Delhi, expansion of metro network and development of five sub cities ■ Nagpur Metro ■ Country’s first cycle sharing system at Dwarka sub-city ■ Reviewed National Urban Transport Policy ■ Turnaround in functioning of Parliament; punctuality at work and clean environment
■ Development of heritage cities
PENDING: No response on regularisation of unauthorised colonies and urbanisation of rural areas
IN PARLIAMENT: During Parliament session, Naidu adopted ‘consensus mantra’ in constitution of the finance committees without any elections
5.Nitin Gadkari Road to Growth
Ministries: Road transport and highways (additional charge: rural development)
Mandate: To restart roads and highways construction that had come down to barely 2 or less kilometres per day during UPA regime; Amend existing land acquisition norms as suggested by the states to make it more industry-friendly; boost confidence of investors in the infrastructure sector
DECISIONS TAKEN: ■ Announced construction of 30 kilometers of roads per day by 2015 ■ Interlinking of rivers for creation of inland water ways ■ Has so far cleared roads and highway projects worth `40,000 crore ■ Creation of land banks for faster implementation of infrastructure projects ■ Six-day work week for Road Ministry officials ■ Swachh Bharat Mission mode project for sanitation ■ Launched “RURBAN Mission” to create infrastructure in rural areas ■ Revamping MGNREGS
PENDING: 300 projects for rail over bridges (RoB) pending since UPA regime needs to be cleared; revival of CAPART
IN PARLIAMENT: Gadkari floored his opponents in the recently concluded lok Sabha budget session saying that “he believes in delivering whatever he has promised”. Although the bugging controversy was raked up during the session, Gadkari won the hearts of opposition by infusing new energy in road ministry
6.D V Sadanand GowdaRight on Track Ministry: Railways
Mandate: Implement bullet train project; turnaround railways to profit making entity; attract private investment for infrastructure development; provide better services and amenities to passengers; aggressive policy to tap rich dividends through PPP model; reforms in working and policies; improving fiscal health without burdening passengers
Decisions taken: ■ Increase in rail tariff; push for bullet train ■ Successful trials of high speed train on Delhi-Agra sector ■ FDI in railways ■ Efforts to improve ticketing and other amenities in trains
PENDING: Policy reforms; PPP model
IN PARLIAMENT: Successfully presented his maiden Railway Budget
7.Uma Bharti For Rivers’ Sake
Ministries: Water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation
Mandate: Ganga cleaning; river interlinking; development of other rivers; preparing a holistic and comprehensive roadmap to clean Ganga and other rivers
Decisions taken: ■ Formed a Committee of Secretaries to prepare Ganga cleaning plan ■ To clean Ganga by 2017 ■ efforts on to trace Saraswati ■ Increased height of Sardar Sarovar Dam over Narmada River in Gujarat ■ Cabinet clearance for first river inter-linking project with Ken-Betwa
PENDING: Despite month’s deadline, yet to come up with a plan to clean Ganga; No decision on National Water Policy
IN PARLIAMENT: Sought help of all MPs to clean all rivers
8.Najma Heptulla No Minor Feat
Ministry: Minority Affairs
Mandate: Modernisation of madrasas; skill development programmes for minorties; preservation and promotion of traditional arts and crafts; digitalizing minority dominated villages
Decisions taken: ■ Nai Roshni, to address issues affecting girls from minority communities ■ Nai Manzil, to offer a formal curriculum to Muslim boys studying in madrasas
PENDING: My heritage scheme aimed at preservation and protection of religious shrines outside India; cyber madrasas
IN PARLIAMENT: Well versed in rules and regulations and spoke on work being done by her ministry
9.Ram Vilas Paswan Distributing Spree
Ministries: Consumer affairs, food, public distribution
Mandate: Strengthening of Public Distribution System; curbing price rise; implementation of National Food Security Act; ensuring minimum support price to farmers; reducing food storage and distribution losses
Decisions taken: ■ Restructuring of Food Corporation of India ■ Changes in the Essential Commodities Act to make hoarding a non-bailable offence ■ Ensured payments for sugarcane farmers
PENDING: Improving supply chain management; developing scientific storage facilities and warehouses; strategy to link producers directly with consumers; stopping wastage of grains due to inadequate storage facility
IN PARLIAMENT: Took part in debate on rise in price of essential commodities like onion, tomato and potato
10.Kalraj Mishra Micro Gains
Ministry: Micro, small and medium enterprises
Mandate: Revival of micro, small and medium enterprise or MSME sector that contributes about 8 per cent to country’s GDP and employs about 6.3 million people and was one of the most neglected ministries in the UPA dispensation; to help India improve its manufacturing base and generate employment
Decisions taken: ■ To redraft MSME policy after looking at national and international models ■ Engaged with PSUs to source more goods and services from MSMEs ■ To constitute a committee with officials from ministries of finance to chalk out issues for the sector
PENDING: Tool room and training centres for MSMEs across the country
IN PARLIAMENT: Keen participant in debates
11.Maneka Sanjay Gandhi All for Women Power
Ministry: Women and child development
Mandate: Empowerment of women; Give the much needed impetus to the holistic development of women and children
Decisions taken: ■ Amendments to Juvenile Justice Act ■ Adoption reforms ■ One-stop crisis centres for women ■ More teeth to the National Commission for Women
PENDING: Bill in Parliament for providing more powers to the National Commission for Women; providing all-India women helpline
IN PARLIAMENT: Gave an impressive reply in Lok Sabha on the debate on the functioning of the Women and Child Development boards
12.Ananth Kumar Right Formula
Ministry: Chemicals and fertilisers
Mandate: To make India a hub for chemicals and fertilizers and an established exporter of chemicals to bring in foreign exchange
Decisions taken: ■ Skill development and vocational training imparted to 30,000 by CIPET ■ Rationalisation of customs duty structure ■ Set up specially delineated investment PCPIRs
PENDING: New chemicals and fertilizers policy to boost growth; Plans to establish “reverse SEZs” in Iran and Myanmar to help industry source its raw-material
IN PARLIAMENT: Good with numbers, Kumar always has his answers punctuated with statistics. A good orator Kumar is keen participant in debates
13.Ravi Shankar Prasad Legal Eagle
Ministries: Communications and information technology; law and justice
Mandate: National Litigation Policy; repealing of obsolete laws; digital India with a mission of implementation of optical fibre in entire country; mobile connectivity to all by 2019
Decisions taken: ■ Clearing of pendency of cases ■ Introducing more courts ■ filling up of vacancies in courts ■ Internet domains in regional languages ■ Launching of e-greetings portal of government
PENDING: Changes in arbitration law; creating more courts for which funds are needed
IN PARLIAMENT: Piloted the National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill with full majority in both houses of Parliament
14.Pusapati Ashok Gajapati Raju Flying High
Ministry: Civil aviation
Mandate: To revive national carrier Air India; upgradation of Indian airports; better connectivity with establishing new airports; revival of aviation industry through FDI; airport privatization
Decisions taken: ■ Air India joined the Star alliance ■ 49 per cent FDI allowed ■ 24 airports identified for development as domestic air cargo terminals
PENDING: Creation of a Civil Aviation Authority replacing DGCA; lowering taxes on jet fuel
IN PARLIAMENT: Though the House did not debate any important issues related to civil aviation, Raju’s austere style is talked about. For instance, he boards an ordinary bus to the aircraft instead of an assigned car
15.Anant Geete Heavy Task Ahead
Ministries: Heavy industries and public enterprises
Mandate: To help revive the scores of sick and loss making public sector units under his administrative control; to help achieve automotive excellence through state-of-the-art Research and Testing infrastructure; To make Indian PSUs more competitive and self reliant in the global market; ensure top level positions are filled in PSUs where they are lying vacant
Decisions taken: ■ Development of Ultra Super Critical Technology for thermal power plants in order to improve their plant load efficiency at an estimated cost of `1500 crore ■ to help revive investment and production of automobile industry
PENDING: New auto policy
16.Harsimrat Kaur Badal Food Thoughts
Ministry: Food processing
Mandate: Setting up of mega food parks; food processing industries; promotion of nutritious food; to curb food inflation; to mitigate post-harvest fruit and vegetable losses; simplifying clearances for food processing projects
Decisions taken: ■ Asks states to strengthen cooperatives and stop waste of food ■ Push for drawing a food map focussing food production ■ Push for enhancement of cold storage facilities and moved cabinet note ■ Suggests reducing the 50 acre ceiling for setting up of food parks
PENDING: Nothing concrete to show
IN PARLIAMENT: Answered a few questions relating to her ministry in both houses of Parliament
17.Narenda Singh Tomar Labour Friendly
Ministries: Mines, steel, labour and employment
Mandate: Labour welfare schemes; social security for unorganised sector; welfare of SC/STs; development of iron and steel sector; reforms in mining sector to check illegal mining
Decisions taken: ■ Modernisation of ESI hospitals; Banned setting up of more ESI medical colleges ■ Apprentices (Amendment) Bill that provides for apprenticeship training to non-engineering graduates and diploma holders
PENDING: CBI probe into multi-crore mining scam; amendments to MMDR Act; labour law reforms
IN PARLIAMENT: Ensured passage of Apprentices (Amendment) Bill
18.Jual Oram Tribal Inc
Ministry: Tribal affairs
Mandate: Fighting Naxalism; overcoming Maoism in forest areas; giving tribals the best education and health benefits; addressing job and livelihood issue of inhabitants of Koira region
Decisions taken: ■ To address health care challenges of tribals, ministry has constituted an Expert Committee on Tribal Health with 10 experts ■ Use of Adivasi land must now be taken with the concurrence of Adivasi communities ■ Online facility launched to ensure fair price to minor forest produce by tribals
PENDING: National Tribal Policy; more say in green clearances of projects in tribal areas
IN PARLIAMENT: Has replied to various questions
19.Radha Mohan Singh Nothing Short of Revolution
Ministry: Agriculture
Mandate: Development and strengthening of agriculture; food security; development of horticulture and vegetable crops; blue revolution through fisheries; crop insurance; loans for small farmers; soil health card to farmers; agriculture marketing; promotion of biotechnology; strengthening rural infrastructure fund; rural credit fund; irrigation in every field
Decisions taken: ■ Saffron Park in J&K ■ 10 schemes to benefit small farmers ■ Fisheries development board ■ Diesel subsidy for farmers
PENDING: Development of cattle breeds; 100 mobile soil testing labs; agriculture varsities
IN PARLIAMENT: Spoke on drought
20.Thawar Chand Gehlot Power to Disabled
Ministries: Social justice and empowerment
Mandate: Introducing penal provisions and fixing accountability for diversion of funds meant for the welfare of dalits; Dalit budget six months ahead of the fiscal; empowerment of persons with disabilities; granting scholarships to disabled students
Decisions taken: ■ Granting of aids to SC/ST/OBC students ■ Scholarships given to 2,500 students with disabilities; ■ National Overseas Scholarship for Students with Disabilities
PENDING: Guidelines for empowerment of people with disabilities; guidelines for barrier free environment
IN PARLIAMENT: Answered various questions on welfare of SC/STs and people with disabilities
21.Smriti Zubin Irani Harnessing HRD
Ministry: Human Resource Development
Mandate: To provide quality education to all; target of 30 per cent enrolment in higher education institutions by 2020; to meet the targets of RTEs
Decisions taken: ■ Got FYUP scrapped in DU ■ Initiated process for setting up IITs and IIMs in every state ■ Launched national e-library ■ Know your college portal ■ Study webs for active learning for young minds ■ New teacher training programme ■ MOOC ■ School assessment programme ■ Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana ■ Madarsa modernisation ■ Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat
PENDING: Reform bills waiting to be passed
IN PARLIAMENT: Introduced two bills in Parliament and handled questions well
22.Harsh Vardhan Doc on Call
Ministries: Health and family welfare
Mandate: Providing holistic health care system that is universally accessible, affordable and effective and drastically reduces the out of pocket spending on health.
Decisions taken: ■ Setting up AIIMS like institutions in each state and even wanted to consult Chief Ministers to avail the opportunity to improve health care facilities. ■ Bring in transparency in health care system and quality medical education and to make health as a social movement
PENDING: New health policy
IN PARLIAMENT: Handles questions and debates well
23.V K Singh NE’s Hero
Ministry: Development of North Eastern Region
Mandate: Socio-economic development of eight states; infrastructure development including roads and bridges; implementation of NE Region livelihood projects; capacity building of North Eastern youths; speedy development of infrastructure in Bodoland; upgrading infrastructure in border areas; boosting economic growth
Decisions taken: ■ Seven new projects sanctioned ■ Organic food project launched ■ `1,000 crore rail link approved
PENDING: Development of alternate national highway
IN PARLIAMENT: Other than DONER, looks after overseas Indian affairs
24.Rao Inderjit Singh Plan in Place
Ministries: Planning, statistics and programme implementation
Mandate: Evaluation of flagship programmes in a professional and unbiased manner to enable the planners and policy makers to utilize the findings and improve the efficiency in implementation of programmes
Decisions taken: ■ Review of the implementation of MPLADS through national-level ■ Asked the state governments to take appropriate action on complaints on MPLADS and the cases are monitored for necessary compliance
PENDING: Restructuring of the Planning Commission
IN PARLIAMENT: Being a senior minister, he handled questions and debates
25.Santosh K Gangwar Weaving Dreams
Ministry: Textiles
Mandate: Policy formulation, development and export promotion of textiles industry; develop a vibrant handlooms and handicrafts sector; promote skills of textile workers, handloom weavers and handicrafts artisans; promote exports of all types of textiles and handicrafts
Decisions taken: ■ Central Management Information System for integrated skills development scheme ■ Setting up of five mega textile clusters ■ Scheme for promotion and application of geo-textiles in NE ■ Trade facilitation centre and Crafts Museum in Varanasi
PENDING: Open market for weavers
IN PARLIAMENT: MoS in 2 ministries
26.Shripad Yesso Naik On Tourist Trail
Ministries: Tourism and Culture
Mandate: Revive tourism; remove bottlenecks in hospitality projects; ensure cleanliness around tourism spots; develop religious tourism; generate jobs in hospitality; promote Indian culture; promote research in national heroes; boost tourism inflow; safety of women tourists
Decisions taken: ■ Eased clearances for hotel projects ■ Got state ministers on same page ■ Promoting centenaries of Begum Akhtar and Kamaghata Maru ■ PR campaign to build image of safe India ■ Online registration of travel operators
PENDING: Cleanliness drive; filling up of vacancies in top cultural bodies
IN PARLIAMENT: Replied to queries
27.Dharmendra Pradhan Fuelling Forward
Ministry: Petroleum and natural gas
Mandate: To keep consumers insulated from the steep price hikes in international markets; provide new gas pricing policy, keeping in mind interest of consumers; ensure direct benefit transfers and remove bottlenecks from LPG supplies; bring down India’s oil import bill; upgrade oil and gas production; invite investments to improve energy security
Decisions taken: ■ Lifted cap on LPG quota of one cylinder per month to every household ■ priority accorded to supply of natural gas to households not to burden consumers with steep hikes
PENDING: Fresh round of exploration licences for new oil and gas fields
28.Sarbananda Sonowal Off the Block
Ministries: Skill development, entrepreneurship, youth affairs and sports
Mandate: Implementation of `1,000 crore skill development fund; ensuring better sports infrastructure in the country; ensuring better medal tally by Indian sportspersons at international events; better management of the numerous sports bodies
Decisions taken: ■ Declaration of national sports awards including Arjuna awards ■ Not to bid for 2019 Asian Games
PENDING: Outling the work of skill development ministry; no word yet on new sports projects to be taken up
IN PARLIAMENT: Answered a few questions relating to his ministry
29.Prakash Javadekar Green Steel
Ministries: Environment, info & broadcasting and parliamentary affairs
Mandate: Remove green hurdles for industry; smooth sailing for govt in Parliament; improved government interface with people; Prasar Bharati reforms
Decisions taken: ■ Launched online system for green clearances ■ Policy changes for faster clearances to defence, strategic and highway projects ■ Cleared over 200 projects ■ Developing a social media hub to take govt to people ■ Chai pe charcha meetings with media heads ■ Launch of Arun Prabha channel for NE
PENDING: Prasar Bharati reforms; appointment of environment regulator
30.Piyush Goyal Energetic Pitch
Ministry: Chemicals and Fertilizers
Mandate: Cheap and affordable 24x7 power to all; coal linkages to power plants to be commissioned by 2015; harness alternative sources to meet power for all promise; resolve conflicts between power producers and bankers; check transmission and distribution losses
Decisions taken: ■ Has asked Coal India Limited to submit detailed report on mines to see how coal stocks can be harnessed ■ Restructuring debt-ridden state electricity boards
PENDING: Allocation of coal blocks despite Coal Auction Policy in place
IN PARLIAMENT: Being an investment banker, is an articulate speaker
31. Jitendra Singh Scientific Temp
Ministries: Science and tech, earth sciences, PMO personnel, public grievances & pensions, dept of atomic energy
Mandate: Investigation and prosecution in corruption cases; administrative and police reforms; increase nuclear energy production to meet power needs; make policies to attract mores youth to science and innovation sector
Decisions taken: ■ Reshuffle of bureaucrats ■ English marks of CSAT-II not be included for gradation or merit in UPSC exam ■ Launch of ISRO’s PSLV-C23
PENDING: CIC members’ appointment; setting up of committee on UPSC row; appointment of science and technology secretary
32.Nirmala Sitaraman Talk Trade
Ministry: Commerce
Mandate: Defending India’s decision on the WTO agreement; ensuring FDI in Multi Brand Retail is not allowed
Decisions taken: ■ Has said a firm NO to FDI in multi-brand keeping the interest of small and marginal traders in minds ■ Has in conjunction with Finance Ministry allowed FDI in critical sectors like railways, defence production. ■ Has asserted that India will honour its commitment with ASEAN, but is yet to give a firm date about when
PENDING: New and much awaited Foreign Trade Policy
IN PARLIAMENT:Has opposed entry of multi-brand retail players
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