Within two days of being sworn in as the prime minister for the first time, Narendra Modi, on May 28, 2014, pushed for the appointment of retired IAS officer Nripendra Misra as his principal secretary. An ordinance was brought in to amend the TRAI Act as the law prohibited its former chairman from taking up a post retirement job. Misra was the former TRAI chief.
After serving for five years, 74-year-old Misra, who was the most-trusted Modi's lieutenant, was finally allowed to demit office. Modi announced that he had agreed to Misra's request to be relieved of his duties. “After serving the PMO assiduously and diligently for over five years and making an indelible contribution to India’s growth trajectory, Shri Nripendra Misra Ji will be embarking on a new phase of his life. My best wishes to him for his future endeavours,” Modi tweeted.
Modi said he was new to Delhi in 2014, and even new to Misra. But Misra was not new to Delhi as he worked there for long. Misra helped him navigate the bureaucracy and the power structure of the capital. “Nripendra Misra is among the most outstanding officers, who has a great grasp of public policy and administration. When I was new to Delhi in 2014, he taught me a lot and his guidance remains extremely valuable,” the prime minister said.
Shri Nripendra Misra is among the most outstanding officers, who has a great grasp of public policy and administration. When I was new to Delhi in 2014, he taught me a lot and his guidance remains extremely valuable.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 30, 2019
Since 2014, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has had very powerful influence over the policy making and guiding the bureaucracy, even vetting transfers and postings of various departments. With Misra by his side, Modi cracked the whip on the bureaucracy to cut down red tapism, absentism, and to weed out power brokers.
The prime minister took keen interest in following up the implementation of key schemes as he regularly interacted with officers of various ministries.
Misra handled policy in the PMO. He had recently written a letter to highways secretary asking if road construction could be stopped as they were financially unviable. This caused a consternation in the government circles.
Misra, a 1967-batch UP cadre officer, had expressed his desire to be relieved of his responsibilities after the Modi government won elections for the second time. Modi asked him to stay till his replacement was found.
Misra, along with Additional Principal Secretary P.K. Mishra and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, was even given cabinet rank and extension in June last. This made them much powerful and senior in rank even to Minister of State.
Misra will retire in second week of September.
As Misra demits office, the government has appointed P.K. Sinha who retired as cabinet secretary on August 30 as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the PMO. A 1977-batch UP cadre officer, Sinha had also served as the power and shipping secretary. He was appointed as cabinet secretary in 2015 by the Modi government.
The government has not announced who would be the new principal secretary in place of Misra. P.K. Mishra, who is senior to Sinha because of IAS seniority and cabinet rank, may assume the post of principal secretary.
Sinha holds a degree in Economics. His experience as a senior bureaucrat is likely to help the PMO in navigating the economy which is facing the headwinds.
