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work. As old files were thrown out and offices were cleaned, some agencies
found files dating as far back as the time of British colonial rule.
Modi personally called ministers on their desk phones to ensure they were at
work on time, and instituted a biometric “check in, check out” system for
government employees that can be accessed by anyone in real time. The system
has led to a morning rush of government employees at the Delhi Metro in a
scramble to arrive at work on time.2
Modi also abolished around 30 committees that had been set up by the previous
government to resolve disputes between ministries, a symbol of policy
paralysis.3 Instead, his office and cabinet, the smallest in 16 years (see Figure 1),
will resolve disputes directly and leave decision-making to the ministries
themselves, without the burden of overarching groups and panels. These small,
but meaningful steps in the central government were only given lip service by
politicians until now.
IGTA eJournal | Summer 2015 | 26