Two announcements on the same day, exit of economist Raghuram Rajan from the Reserve Bank of India and entry of cricketer Chetan Chauhan as the head of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, have put the spotlight on the Narendra Modi government's way of handling talent.
When Narendra Modi took oath as Prime Minister in May 2014, the new government was expected to tap into expertise outside the system, shake up the style of governance, in short, put a premium on talent. But that has not been the case, if one has to go by appointments in the last two years.
Rajan, who has been credited with bringing down inflation and launching a clean-up operation of the banking sector, was hounded with public statements by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, forcing him to give up on an extension of his term. He is the first governor who wouldn't be serving a five-year term after 1990.
On the other hand, several other appointments like Gajendra Chauhan, Pahlaj Nihalani and Chetan Chauhan, have sparked sharp criticism.
Chauhan himself was at a loss of words justifying his appointment.
Speaking to The Indian Express, he said, "This is a government of India appointment. The names are sent by the Ministry of Textiles... preference is given to people in the party... They examined many names and ultimately chose me because I am an international sportsman and have experience in banking."
Pahlaj Nihalani, who took office as the chief of the Central Board of Film Certification, has proven to be an unmatched asset in embarrassment for the government. Critics have questiond his qualifications to be the chief censor. As a film producer, he looked for excuses to sneak in 'jhatkas'.
And today, Nihalani is busy reading the morality code to Bollywood, banning films for no rhyme or reason. Nihalani, who wears his loyalty on his sleeves, is in no way troubled by the controversies surrounding him.
Nihalani had said, "I am proud to be a chamcha of Modi, should I be a chamcha of the Italian Prime Minister?"
Another controversial appointment is that of Gajendra Chauhan as chairperson of the premier Film and Television Institute of India, which has produced stalwarts like Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Kundan Shah. The appointment was followed by a strike by FTII students, but the government stood its ground.
Chauhan is known to the country for his role as Yudhishthira, the Pandavas king in Mahabharata.
Yudhishthira was also known as the Dharmaraj, the epitome of justice. But the appointment of Chauhan and many others, beg a question -- is the Modi government doing justice to talent.
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