Team UPA cruises to a 100

Hundred days is a small moment in the life of a government. It is perhaps no surprise that celebrations are muted as UPA 2 cruises past this
milestone. The decision to keep matters low-key seems to have been deliberate as the government looks to take stock quietly of how its second innings in office is progressing.

Some hype about the first 100 days was inevitable since President Pratibha Patil spoke of this target in her address to Parliament. The speech was careful in stating that the government would move to initiate certain measures rather than setting out objectives to be achieved. Yet, the phrase was catchy and it stuck — though officials clarified there really was no such 100-day document.

There was also a sense of enhanced expectation as UPA had returned to power with a solid majority powered by 206 Congress MPs in Lok Sabha. It was felt that with the Left and allies like PMK, SP and RJD out of the frame, it might be possible to expect a more purposeful and action-oriented government. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be able to bring forth his real agenda, not one hamstrung by capricious allies.

The picture, however, is mixed. There is a welcome sense of progress in ministries like rural development and HRD, now under control of men handpicked by the Congress leadership. The stalled roads and highways programme is showing signs of picking pace. And finance is in the capable hands of Pranab Mukherjee while P Chidambaram brings his energy to bear on home affairs.

But governance is never simple or predictable. For instance, the Ambani feud flared up all of a sudden, embroiling the government and showing how important it is to manage perceptions. It took the government a while to ensure that it looked above the fray. Then there was the India-Pakistan Sharm el-Sheikh joint statement that opened a brief divide between the government and Congress. Drought and swine flu were unexpected challenges.

Fortunately for the government, the pyrotechnics within BJP has helped prolong the honeymoon.

The economy is clearly the main worry with the government anticipating a fall of 15-20% in farm output and more importantly, a slackening of rural demand so vital to its game plan of climbing out of a slowdown. As the year progresses, the full impact of the partially failed monsoon will become more apparent. Every half-point of GDP counts as the government hopes that growth does not fall below 6-6.25%. On the happier side, corporate results have improved and demand in consumer goods is picking up.

The government had marked out a wide area in the President’s speech. It had said it would take steps to provide early passage of the women’s reservation bill, but has managed to push through one for panchayats. A National Mission on Empowerment of Women is still in the works.

A voluntary national youth corps is being mulled while steps have been taken towards changing and expanding NREGA. Climate change has seen controversy over a small but significant shift in India’s position on emission caps while there is slight progress on wildlife conservation and river protection. Meanwhile, the drought has driven home the need to think afresh on water resources.

Strengthening the Right to Information, law reforms and revving up the power sector are proving to be challenges, as are monitoring of flagship programmes with a view to make them more accountable and ensuring better delivery. A monitoring cell in PMO is a step in this direction. A model public services law is also awaited.

The unique identification authority has set itself an ambitious target but better ID cards are badly needed with the proposed national Food Security Act running into some hurdles.

In its first 100 days, UPA 2 has had to negotiate some sharp bends with drought and swine flu but it hasn’t lost momentum. But then it has to run a five-year marathon.
Source:: Times of india