Ministers in the Narendra Modi government have been busy making presentations on their 100 days of work. But what these presentations do not mention is that decisions by ministers have been few, with plenty of papers and files moving to the Prime Minister's Office, which is increasingly emerging as a centralised clearance point, even for routine and ordinary issues. Though policy paralysis was a term used freely for the United Progressive Alliance regime, questions are now being raised about pending decisions across ministries and whether at least some ministers have turned redundant.
In a curious turn of events on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi picked Rajeev Topno, a 1996 batch Indian Administrative Service officer from the Gujarat cadre and a part of the Prime Minister's Office under former PM Manmohan Singh, as private secretary.
PMO asks Air India to submit revival plan, financial report.
Pressure is mounting for a resolution to be moved in the assembly when it meets next week for its maiden sitting to demand 'restoration of Article 370 and Article 35A' as committed in the National Conference's election manifesto, reveals Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
The incident took place on October three when President's Secretary Christy Fernandez tapped the Prime Minister on his shoulder and asked him to change his seat from the one earmarked under protocol for Dr Singh next to the President. Fernandez accommodated the President's husband Devi Singh Patil who sat actually on the seat earmarked for Pratibha Patil, which led to the seating arrangement going haywire.
Over 61,000 public grievances related to a range of issues are received by the Prime Minister's Office every month, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.
Eighteen people were killed and 19 injured when a double-decker sleeper bus headed for Delhi hit a milk tanker on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway in Unnao on Wednesday, officials said.
On Monday, Railway Board, the apex body in the ministry, issued a circular that the Prime Minister's Office would handle all projects worth Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) and above.
The Prime Minister's Office has refused to furnish data on documents and records it held on the mysterious disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, saying the disclosure would harm India's relations with foreign countries.
The PMO, in its reaction posted on the United States-based newspaper's website, has said the story was "totally one-sided" as the journalist "never" got in touch with the PMO for its version
PMO's stance came as part of a reply to the whistle-blower forest officer, Sanjiv Chaturvedi, after he dragged the PMO to the Central Information Commission for denying information under the RTI Act.
India and Iran on Monday signed a 10-year contract for the operation of a terminal at the strategically important Chabahar port in Iran, a move that will boost regional connectivity as well as trade ties. This is the first time India will take over the management of an overseas port that will also have a multiplier effect on trade among India, Iran and Afghanistan as efforts continue to directly tap the potential in Central Asia, bypassing neighbouring Pakistan.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Tuesday claimed there was no disagreement within the government, or between ministers and the prime minister, over enhancement of bilateral air traffic rights to Abu Dhabi.
The accident took place near Badjhar Ghat at around 1.30 am when the vehicle's driver lost control over the wheels.
The Prime Minister's Office sought on Sunday to justify the exclusion of the Gandhi clan in the reconstituted government committee for commemoration of 125th birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru, arguing that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had opted out of such an initiative in May this year.
As many as 37 central ministers visited Jammu and Kashmir to assess the ground situation and interact with people on various development schemes. Over 30 of them have submitted their reports to the Home Ministry and those were forwarded to the PMO recently, a government official said.
They met with a warm embrace at the Outreach session of the G7 Summit in Apulia, southern Italy where they joined other world leaders to deliberate on the topic of Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa and the Mediterranean.
Early this week, the US imposed sanctions on suppliers to Pakistan's ballistic missile programme, including three companies from China.
Seconds after Narendra Modi was sworn-in as the 15th prime minister of the country, the PMO website was re-launched carrying his message and pictures.
The Prime Minister's Office has given the nod to questioning of Puducherry Lt Governor Iqbal Singh by the Enforcement Directorate for his alleged links with suspected money launderer Hasan Ali Khan.
After terror attack, Mumbai red alert, a large posse of officials to fly down with PM, reports Archis Mohan.
Realty players want single window clearance for all affordable projects, reports Karan Choudhury.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat has refused to entertain the request from the Prime Minister's Office seeking permission to disclose ministers' assets who are members of the House, saying RTI act does not have any such provisions for giving such "clearances".
The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday alleged that graffiti threatening Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were scribbled inside the metro trains in Delhi, as it accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of being behind this incident.
The members of the cabinet committees included Union ministers from the Bharatiya Janata Party and its National Democratic Alliance partners like Janata Dal-United, Telugu Desam Party, Janata Dal-Secular, Shiv Sena and Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas.
The Prime Minister's Office has replied to the allegations of corruption made by Team Anna in the allotment of coal blocks during 2006-2009 when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was in charge of the ministry. However, Team Anna finds most of the PMO clarifications unsubstantial. In a press communique released on Friday, Team Anna rebuts PMO's clarifications point-by-point. We reproduce the press release verbatim:
Dr T V Somanathan is the first finance secretary to be appointed Cabinet secretary since 1985. His appointment at this juncture seems to carry much meaning for the forthcoming trajectory of reforms and restructuring of India's steel frame.
Even after a thorough search, the documents pertaining to imposition of Emergency could not be traced in prime minister's office records, Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
Modi unveiled the statue on December 4 last year on the occasion of Navy Day. He also participated in the celebrations at the fort.
A photograph of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in a Gujarat government publication has angered the Prime Minister's Office.
Amid controversy over the Jet Airways-Etihad deal, the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday said the stake sale matter was still under examination and the issues raised have been referred to various concerned ministries.
The change of media advisor may be about the changing power equation in the PMO. The Congress party's view may once again get greater weightage in the government's decision-making processes than had been the case so far in UPA-II, says Neerja Chowdhury.
Manmohan Singh clarifies his office's involvement in the deal that's facing criticism from the opposition and the media.
In the phone talks, Modi emphasised on an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict, including the release of all hostages, through "dialogue and diplomacy" as well as continued humanitarian assistance to the affected people.
The prime minister told all senior PMO officers on Thursday to drop the bureaucratic way of working and think creatively on implementing the UPA government's agenda and improving delivery systems.
Prime Minister's Office on Friday came down heavily on former media adviser Sanjaya Baru accusing him of "misusing" a privileged position for commercial gain in writing a book in which he says Manmohan Singh had been undermined by the Congress party.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday night ordered the removal of the Sagar district collector, superintendent of police and sub-divisional magistrate following the deaths of nine children on Sunday, an official said.
"It has come to the attention of the PMO that one Dr M V Rao has circulated visiting cards and greeting cards describing himself as advisor to the prime minister.
Central Bureau of Investigation Director Ranjit Sinha on Monday admitted before the Supreme Court that certain changes were made in the coalgate draft report on suggestions given by Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, Attorney General G E Vanahvati and the officials of PMO and Coal Ministry.
