All the President’s Men

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 23

President-elect Ram Nath Kovind has been given a team of senior functionaries, headed by Sanjay Kothari, a retired IAS officer of Haryana cadre. Such appointments are subject to ratification by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, but the question being asked in political circles is whether President-elect Kovind has had a say in the selection of these functionaries, or is he being fenced in.

Selection of the man or woman to head the President’s secretariat is a delicate decision, according to officials who had dealt with such matters in the past. Since the Secretary to President ends up being the principal adviser to the Rashtrapati, the Prime Minister and his/her advisers are known to take a keen interest.

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Such choices were relatively simple till President Shankar Dayal Sharma arrived at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Till then, the government used to put together a panel of three senior IAS officers and the President/President-elect would indicate his preference.

The Secretary to the President carries with it the rank of secretary to Government of India. In the hierarchy-conscious world of Indian bureaucracy, ranks matter as well as rankle.

Because all official dealings and interactions with the President take place through the secretary, there is a natural comfort level if the Secretary to the President is a secretary-level officer. The choice of Secretary to the President reflects, in some ways, the President-Prime Minister equation. A weak government may not be able to suggest too strongly a name.

Shankar Dayal Sharma brought with him Shrinivas Sohoni, an IAS officer of 1970 batch, to Rashtrapati Bhavan under controversial circumstances. In 1992, Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao was battling challenges inside and outside his government, and he was in no position to object to Sohoni’s appointment. It is believed that because President Sharma was in command of officers of his choice, he was able to speak up on that fateful day, December 6, 1992 when the Prime Minister’s establishment was maintaining tactical silence.

Then, KR Narayanan opted for Gopal Gandhi, an IFS man, a relatively junior officer. Prime Minister IK Gujral was, again, a very weak Prime Minister and President Narayanan was a man who always knew his mind; on more than one crucial occasion, President Narayanan was able to disagree with his government. The voice of his advisers was independent and the quality of advice available to him was brilliant.

President Kalam, in turn, could also get a man of choice to head his secretariat. He opted for PM Nair, a UT-cadre officer, then serving as Secretary (Defence Production), because he was familiar and comfortable with him. The Vajpayee government could not insist otherwise.

When Pratibha Patil became the first woman President, she had every reason to heed the Manmohan Singh government’s advice. The government tried to restore the old tradition and was able to insert a serving IAS officer, Christy Fernandez of Gujarat cadre, as Secretary to the President. It is a different matter that once ensconced in Rashtrapati Bhavan, Fernandez started giving himself airs.

President Pranab Mukherjee created history of sorts. He appointed his long-time aide and confidante, Omita Paul, an Indian Information Service officer, as his Secretary. But since he had become President despite reservations from the Congress brass, he needed to signal that he would be his own President. Hence, Omita Paul.

Now President-elect Kovind will have Sanjay Kothari, whose last substantive job was Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training. The Secretary, DoPT, is a man who helps the incumbent political executive control the bureaucracy. The very nature of that job gets the Secretary, DoPT, sucked into the day’s partisanship. Some try to perform professionally, some get overenthusiastic and get rewarded.

Ram Nath Kovind has no political base or assets of his own. Still, as a former cabinet secretary put it, the very magnificence of that mansion atop Raisina Hills tends to give the occupant ideas. The political leadership cannot be faulted for taking precautions.