The new cabinet headed by Narendra Modi has 76 members. Jumbo cabinets seem to have become a permanent feature of the Indian administrative landscape. The usual reason trotted out when Manmohan Singh worked with a large team was that it was a political necessity to accommodate powerful coalition partners. The initial hopes that his slogan of minimum government would lead to fewer ministries and administrative departments have been belied. Alphons, Satya Pal Singh and R.K. Singh could be seen either as a focus on administrative capabilities or the harsh fact that the BJP operates with a weak bench strength.

Source: Mint September 03, 2017 18:00 UTC