PM Narendra Modi to meet his council for first time today

After an extensive interaction with secretaries from all Union ministries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to convene the first meeting of his new council of 57 ministers on Wednesday. At the meeting, he is expected to outline the roadmap of his government for the next five years.

Sources in the loop said PM Modi is expected to dilate upon the highlights of his interaction with the secretaries on Monday on possible problem areas the government faces and ways to overcome them.

Monday's key takeaways were: to prioritise ease of living, alleviate poverty, chalk a roadmap to make India a $5 trillion economy and give importance to aspirational districts.

The PM is also expected to underline the role of Ministers of State in running the ministries and seek the Cabinet ministers' consent in giving their deputies adequate responsibilities — something that had emerged as a sore point during the National Democratic Alliance's first term.

Before the meeting of the council of ministers, the Union Cabinet will also meet on Wednesday.

With NDA-II's Parliament session beginning next week, the Ministers of State will have a key role to play, since in most ministries they are responsible for handling parliamentary questions tabled on the floor of the House.

Considering that the PM had tasked the ministers with furnishing an action plan for their respective ministries for the first 100 days, he is expected to ask them about the milestones that they have kept in mind and how they intend to achieve them.

The PM is also expected to inquire about the two important agendas that were discussed during his interaction with the secretaries.

One is coming up with a five-year plan document for each ministry, with well-defined targets and milestones. The other is making a significant and impactful decision in each ministry, for which approvals will be taken within 100 days.

The Cabinet, which will also meet on Wednesday, is likely to take a call on a fresh bill to ban the practice of instant triple talaq. Once passed by Parliament, the proposed bill will replace an ordinance issued earlier this year.

With the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha last month, the contentious bill had lapsed as it could not be passed by Parliament and was pending in Rajya Sabha.

In the first Cabinet meeting, the Modi regime had approved the expansion of the PM-KISAN scheme to give farmers Rs 6,000 financial assistance per annum.

100-Day Plan

• PM expected to underline the role of MoS in running the ministries
• Will seek consent of Cabinet Mins in giving their deputies adequate responsibilities: a sore point during NDA-I

Lawfully Speaking

• Cabinet is likely to take a call on a fresh bill to ban the practice of instant triple talaq in its meeting on Wednesday, sources said. Once passed by Parl, proposed bill to replace ordinance issued earlier.
• Modi govt is also planning a new labour legislation that would merge 44 labour laws under four categories — wages, social security, industrial safety and welfare, and industrial relations