Five months ago, the UPA Government came to office through a mandate that was described as "indecisive", even "fractured". Whatever else it may have been, the mandate was most certainly unexpected. Once the results were known, the coalition that came together was a conglomerate of ideologies and regional interests.

PICTURE SPEAK

Our August 27, 2001 cover on NDA ministers

The arithmetic of government formation meant that some of those in Manmohan Singh's Government may have not expected-or dare we say it, deserved-to be holding important office before the elections. What we have now is a Government that has been pulled in many directions and a country that wonders where it is going. There is trouble in the Northeast, a minister has been charged with murder and foreign direct investment continues to be contentious.

Usually, the work and efficiency of a new government is summarised by a 100-day report, which focuses on prominent ministers. But the UPA coalition is ridden with so many contradictions that each of its ministers calls for a closer look. We decided to study this Government a little differently and in greater depth.

Our cover story this week is a report card on the UPA Government prepared by the editors of India Today. In August 2001 we had rated the NDA government but concentrated only on the economic ministries.

This time we decided to take the exercise further and have focused on the entire Cabinet-every ministry, every minister has been rated and ranked on the basis of performance and perception.

It is quite probable we will be accused of being subjective but we believe we have the experience and credibility to do a fair and accurate job. This is based on our correspondents fanning out through the corridors of power, meeting ministers and talking to experts. Our editors then gave the ministers marks out of 10, with Finance Minister P. Chidambaram finishing at the top of the class. The average score though is a very low 43/100. Not everyone is pulling his weight-some ministers are hardly pulling anything at all.

The overall picture that emerges is a hazy one, indicative of a lack of cohesion or clear articulation of policy within the Government. Manmohan Singh has tremendous credibility but the feeling is that a sense of authority, both real and implied, is missing from his prime ministership.

Deputy Editor Shankkar Aiyar, who put together the cover package, says, "What this Government lacks is a big idea." The P.V. Narasimha Rao government had liberalisation, the NDA coalition used the catch phrase of connectivity-through roads and telecom. What the UPA needs most now is a USP.

(Aroon Purie)

Index