HT has learned that the performance of various Union ministries under the new evaluation system led by the Cabinet Secretariat was announced in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The assessment – for which Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan submitted scorecards to various ministries on Thursday – was comprehensive and separated the best and worst performers in a number of categories, people familiar with the developments said.
Among the ministries that performed well in some categories were the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, the Ministry of Coal, the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Health, the people cited above said.
To be sure, each ministry had its performance assessed in 2025, and there were best and worst performers across multiple categories. Hizb ut-Tahrir reached out to several ministries but only got confirmation from officials in the Ministries of Coal, Energy, Steel and Consumer Affairs about their findings.
Other toppers in different categories were not known. No official commented on the course of the meeting.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs was selected as the best ministry in two categories – Grievance Redressal and Crisis Handling resulting from the West Asian War. In the file disposal and management category, the Ministry of Coal received the highest marks. Other ministries that performed well include the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Health.
While presenting the evaluation, Somanathan is learned to have said that the aim of the evaluation system is to encourage all ministries to streamline their performance and identify their lagging points. Among the criteria taken into consideration was the ministry’s ability to provide insightful inputs on inter-ministerial Cabinet memorandums, the people cited above said. The rankings were announced after two Niti Aayog officials – including member Rajeev Gauba – spoke on ways to make the ministries and their work more accessible to citizens.
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The meeting – which lasted for over four hours – was attended by Cabinet Ministers, independently designated Ministers of State and other State Ministers to take stock of the implementation of various policies and programs ahead of the second anniversary of Modi’s third term on June 9.
In his speech, Modi reiterated his advice to citizens to rein in spending and said it should become a rule for all ministers and bureaucrats.
The Prime Minister said there should be no foreign travel unless it is beneficial for India on the world stage or “defines India’s future,” the people cited above said.
Modi also asked the ministers to avoid large convoys and hinted that the government is considering launching a new campaign in this regard.
All ministries have also been asked to cancel any international summits. On Thursday, the government announced the cancellation of the meetings of the Africa Alliance and the Big Cat Alliance in the capital.
At the meeting – the first event of its kind in almost a year – Modi focused on steps needed to mitigate power outages and reviewed the work of nine key sectors, including the economy, agriculture, labor and energy sector, as India continues to confront challenges resulting from the war in West Asia.
According to the people mentioned above, the Prime Minister pointed out the need to look for alternatives to fuels such as biogas and other renewable energy sources in the wake of the impasse over the Strait of Hormuz and the consequent disruption in supplies of oil, gas and other essentials.
