A jumbo size may be unavoidable in a country of more than a billion people with its diversity, regional aspirations, caste compulsions and requirements of minority, gender and youth representation. But the end product may still be unappealing despite the tough exercises gone through by the Prime Minister and the Congress President Ms. Sonia Gandhi for days together.

Mr. Rahul Gandhi has enhanced his political stature by rejecting a position in Government and is determined to continue his work for strengthening the Congress organisation in the country. He would like to build on the successes he has been able to achieve for the Congress, most demonstrably in UP, and getting elections in Youth Congress held in more states, as in Punjab, and will give attention next to Tamil Nadu, UP and Bihar. Tamil Nadu is a typical example where there are feuding leaders and fewer followers and dedicated workers, and yet all of them have been talking of bringing back the rule of their revered leader - the Kamraj era. Mr. Kamraj was the last Congress Chief Minister. The State has since 1967 been ruled by one or the other of the two Dravidian parties, DMK and AIADMK.

There are unprecedented challenges through which the Manmohan Singh Government has to steer the country over the coming years. Apart from the global economic and financial crisis triggered by the worst recession in the developed world, there are regional and internal security challenges to be confronted. The over-riding concern at present is naturally revival of economic dynamism and there is the imperative of restoring economic growth with jobs and furthering inclusive development.

By virtue of its 200-plus strength, the Congress heading another coalition is in a commanding position to set the agenda. While keeping in view the party's electoral promises, a new framework of policies and programmes designed to achieve the economic and social goals over the coming five years would need to be put in place at the highest level to which all partners in Government must remain committed. This has become necessary since there is no common minimum programme as in 2004.

Such a policy framework should ensure the authority of the Prime Minister whenever any Minister tries to foist his own approach or advance some special interests, so that the collective image of the Government does not suffer. Off-the-cuff pronouncements made by some new Ministers, particularly of DMK, within hours of being sworn in, of doing this or that in two months or making commitments on subjects outside their portfolio ought to be discouraged in the interests of the Government as a whole. Ministers should not as a rule make firm policy commitments unless they have a Cabinet clearance.

All said and done, serious efforts have been made to put together a team which broadly reflects experience and youth though there may be doubts as to whether many among the MOS would fit the portfolios allocated to them. At the Cabinet level, care has been taken to make the best use of talent available and a certain amount of reorganisation of portfolios, especially in regard to infrastructure, has also been effected. Power is the most important part of infrastructure but there is no change in this portfolio and hopefully Mr. Shinde would deliver better than what he has been able to accomplish so far. The Prime Minister has talked of urgent reforms in this sector.

Mr. Kapil Sibal and Mr. Anand Sharma are among the right choices with major responsibilities entrusted to them. Education (Human Resource Development), Health and Rural Development are vital areas if development has to become inclusive. There are two Ministers of State for health and family welfare and three for Rural Development. Areas of responsibility for each Minister have to be clearly demarcated and outcomes of flagship programmes including education, rural health and employment guarantee determined as these are the most relevant to inclusive development.

But the overall composition of the Union Government still leaves some states under-represented like Andhra Pradesh (which returned the largest number of Congress MPs - 33) and UP where the Congress looks poised for regeneration. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and West Bengal have proportionately larger representation. There could still be some refinements in the distribution of portfolios. Oddly, Tourism has been tagged on to Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation for the Cabinet Minister Kumari Selja though a MOS has also been named for Tourism.

Senior Ministers holding key portfolios have spoken of their immediate concerns and tasks. The medium-term vision of the Government and its policy directions are expected to be outlined in the President's opening address to Parliament on June 4. In the context of the forthcoming Budget for 2009/10 in the first week of July, Finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee has said that a concrete short-term and medium-term strategy for reviving growth momentum would be unveiled. The Finance Ministry has a “plan of action” and Government would do what is immediately necessary to reverse the slowdown, keeping in view fiscal prudence. The Minister would hold pre-budget consultations with all stakeholders in June.

Home Minister Mr. P Chidambaram has talked of Government's response to threats to security or communal harmony with speed and decisiveness. Listing terrorism, naxalite violence and insurgency in North-East as the key issues, Mr. Chidambaram says under its action plan, the Ministry would further raise its level of preparedness with modern systems to counter any challenge to peace and order.

Railways have to present a new version of their estimates as at present for the current fiscal year. The new Railway Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee, in unprecedented style, took office in Kolkata with an announcement of concessional monthly tickets at Rs.20 for a distance of 100 km. for those with monthly incomes below Rs.500. It will be interesting to see what further announcements would come from her in Parliament but the Trinamool Congress leader, the No.1 ally for the Congress,, did not evince much interest in another Cabinet berth. Five of her partymen took office as Ministers of State out of the 59 new Ministers sworn in on May 28.

The scene now shifts to the 15th Lok Sabha which will get ready for business after its 543 newly elected members take their oaths and a new Speaker assumes office before the President's address on June 4. (IPA)