Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi showed his trust and confidence in the team he assembled to assist him in the immense tasks that he was handed over by voters in India in May 2014. Although there was a fair amount of commentary about the “pressure” or “influence” of agencies such as the RSS over the choices made by the new Prime Minister, come 26 May 2014, the reality is that from the start of his career in politics, Modi has been his own man, essentially marching to his own beat. Hence it follows that the Cabinet and official choices made by him were his own, and comprised individuals whom he believed would assist him in the task of ensuring a stable society and a growing economy. Indeed, in some cases, so convinced was the Prime Minister of the correctness of his choice, that he even changed the law so as to ensure that a particular individual could be placed in a key post, that of Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. This is understandable, as positions such as the National Security Adviser or Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister must get filled only by those who have the full confidence of the incumbent. Both intelligence expert Ajit Doval and administrative maestro Nripendra Mishra have worked with dedication from the start of the Modi government, as indeed have others chosen by the Prime Minister for their ability to deliver results and understand problems. These officials work with the PM on almost a 24/7 basis and need to be of the same wavelength and possess extraordinary efficacy and prescience for the immense tasks that Modi is attempting to succeed. Another crucial post in which the Prime Minister got the opportunity to place his choice was that of the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, which has been filled by a respected Central banker with a distinguished career in banking and administration. NITI Aayog is another agency where the hand of the Prime Minister was visible in the picks for Vice-Chairman and CEO, with both being filled by individuals of known knowledge and competence. PM Modi clearly saw that the international experience of Arvind Panagariya would ensure a better integration of a growing economy into the global matrix of development, while the established track record of CEO Amitabh Kanth has given promise that NITI Aayog will live up to its name and transform the country through innovative ideas.
On 8 November 2016, Prime Minister Modi gave a call to the people of India to keep faith with him in a bold move unprecedented in human history. This is the extinguishing of 86% of a country’s currency with four hours’ notice period—a country of 1. 26 billion people, all of whom are affected by the move. Modi correctly warned that the immediate period ahead would be hard, and this is certainly the case. The sudden shift to a combination of cashless as well as New Cash economy has been difficult, in large part because the Reserve Bank of India seems to have been less than fully effective in ensuring that the liquidity so essential to the smooth functioning of the economy be maintained at an adequate level. It is clear that advance notice of more than six months was given before the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes were withdrawn, hence it is unfortunate that as yet, people are scrambling for cash, even while rogues and racketeers seem to have gained access to large sums of the new currency. Clearly, there is much work to be done to ensure that the bold move announced by Prime Minister Modi succeeds. The Prime Minister has placed his prestige and his credibility on the line, which is why there is hope that on 31 December 2016 the glitches will end and the economy will move smoothly forward as promised by the Prime Minister in his historic speeches in Delhi and Goa. The nation is with the Prime Minister and 1.26 billion citizens look forward to the dawn of 31 December 2016, when the travails of the past seven weeks get extinguished and the country moves in a cleansed and efficient fashion towards a bright future.