New Delhi: In an unprecedented administrative move that has sparked considerable discussion in Delhi’s power corridors, the Vice President of India’s Secretariat has issued an advisory to all Union Cabinet Ministers, directing them to present detailed performance reports on their respective ministries.
The directive, sent recently from the office of Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan, calls for ministries to prepare a comprehensive “report card” outlining their achievements, ongoing initiatives, and future plans.
Objective of the Exercise Still Unclear
While the advisory does not specify the purpose of the review, senior officials and bureaucratic circles are abuzz with speculation.
A former Union Secretary who previously served in the Law Ministry said,
“It’s an advisory note requiring ministries to brief the Vice President on their functioning and achievements. This will enable him to better discharge his duties as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.”
The move is being interpreted as part of a broader effort to enhance institutional coordination and strengthen the Vice President’s role in legislative oversight.
Ministries Asked to Present Comprehensive Reviews
According to the communication, each ministry has been asked to submit both a presentation and a detailed note in advance to the Vice President’s Secretariat. These documents are expected to cover:
- The organizational structure and mandate of the ministry.
- A comparative analysis of achievements over the last 11 years, measured against previous benchmarks.
- Key accomplishments during the government’s current third term.
- Future roadmap, including upcoming projects, reforms, and policy directions.
Several Ministries Have Already Complied
Sources indicate that a number of ministries and departments have already submitted their progress reports and briefings to the Vice President, while others are in the process of preparing their documentation.
Officials describe the exercise as a “performance-oriented review”, aimed at compiling an overarching view of the government’s administrative and developmental achievements across sectors.
Political and Bureaucratic Reactions
The unusual nature of the request — coming from the Vice President rather than the Prime Minister’s Office or the Cabinet Secretariat — has generated significant interest among both political observers and bureaucrats.
While some see it as a knowledge-building exercise, others view it as part of a larger institutional reform that seeks to strengthen the Vice President’s engagement with ministries beyond his constitutional role as Rajya Sabha Chairman.
As one senior official put it, “It’s a new precedent — perhaps an effort to align the executive’s performance narratives with legislative understanding.”
Transparency
Whether this initiative evolves into a recurring performance review framework remains to be seen. But for now, the Vice President’s move has set a new tone for administrative accountability — blending transparency, legislative awareness, and executive reporting in an innovative format.
