NON POLITICAL FACES FOR MODI CABINET?
Will N. Chandrasekaran, the outgoing chairman of Tata Sons, join the Modi Cabinet? There is a buzz in Delhi that this might be the case, especially since the Narendra Modi government is looking for credible faces post the Gen Z agitation to reach out to the youth. The focus necessarily need not be on age but on credible faces who can convince the uber critical Gen Z that governance and fixing the system is a key concern for the Prime Minister and not just making cosmetic changes. As Shashi Tharoor pointed out at a NewsX conclave recently, what Nandan (Nilekani) is doing is fixing the plumbing (for his focus is on stopping the exam paper leaks). What also needs to be done is to fix the architecture of the education system. Will Chandrasekaran be co-opted for this job? He certainly has a reputation for being upright, ethical and putting systems in place. That will send out the right messaging to Gen Z.
WILL HE, WON’T HE?
As the debate over a possible Modi government reshuffle continues, there is a valid argument that the exercise is long overdue. Given that the 2024 team was more a less a continuation of the old, the same look has been in place for over a decade. And who knows better than Prime Minister Modi, the benefit of musical chairs. Look what he did in Gujarat, for instance, when he changed the entire Bhupendra Patel ministry in October 2025, bringing in a new team for the state CM. While this “saare badal diye (change them all)” approach may not happen, the general feeling is that it will either be a comprehensive reshuffle, or none at all. To further elaborate, a comprehensive reshuffle is one that would be aimed at redeploying the Big Five that form the Cabinet Committee on Security, under the leadership of the Prime Minister. The latter option may not be good news for those newly minted BJP allies looking for a space in the Modi cabinet. But then, when has that been a priority for this government? Look at how long someone of Jyotiraditya Scindia’s stature had to wait before he was sworn into the cabinet.
GUBERNATORIAL RESHUFFLE
It is not just the Union Council of Ministers but there is also talk of a gubernatorial reshuffle. At least two governors are expected to change (not dropped). One from a prominent northern state could be shifted to the south, while another belonging to a hill state could be brought into the cabinet—if the reshuffle ever happens. Both are politically active names and known to be close to the Prime Minister.
