The performance of various Union ministries under a new assessment system piloted by the cabinet secretariat was announced at the council of ministers meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, HT has learnt.
The assessment – for which scorecards were presented by cabinet secretary TV Somanathan to various ministries on Thursday– was extensive and carved out separate best and worst performers in a number of categories, people aware of developments said.
Among the ministries that performed well in some categories were the consumer affairs ministry, the coal ministry, the power ministry and the health ministry, the people cited above said.
To be sure, every ministry was marked on their performance in 2025 and there were best and worst performers across multiple categories. HT reached out to several ministries but only got confirmation from officials in the ministries of coal, power, steel and consumer affairs about their scores.
Other toppers in different categories were not known. No official commented on the meeting’s proceedings.
The ministry of consumer affairs was adjudged the best in two categories – grievance redressal and handling of the crisis arising from the West Asia war. In the file disposal and management category, the coal ministry secured top marks. Other ministries that did well included the ministry of power and the ministry of health.
While giving out the assessment, Somanathan was learnt to have said that the objective of the appraisal system was to encourage all ministries to streamline their performance and identify where they were lagging. Among the parameters taken into consideration was the ability of a ministry to give insightful inputs about interministerial cabinet notes, said the people cited above. The ratings were announced after two Niti Aayog officials – including member Rajiv Gauba – spoke about ways to make ministries and their work more accessible to citizens.
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The meeting – which ran for more than four hours – was attended by cabinet ministers, ministers of state with independent charge and other ministers of state to assess the implementation of various policies and programmes ahead of the second anniversary of Modi’s third term on June 9.
In his address, Modi reiterated his advice to citizens to rein in spending and said it should become a rule for all ministers and bureaucrats.
The PM said there should not be any foreign travel unless it was beneficial for India on the world stage or “define the future of India”, said the people cited above.
Modi also asked ministers to shun large convoys and hinted that the government was thinking about introducing a new campaign in this regard.
All ministries were also told to cancel any international summits. On Thursday, the government had publicly announced the cancellation of the Africa and the Big Cat alliance meetings in the Capital.
In the meeting – the first such event in almost a year – Modi focussed on steps to mitigate energy disruptions and reviewed the work of nine key sectors, including the economy, agriculture, labour, and the energy sector as India continues to battle challenges due to the war in West Asia.
According to the people cited above, the PM pointed out a need to look for fuel alternatives such as biogas and other renewable energy sources in the wake of the deadlock over the Strait of Hormuz and the consequent disruption in the supply of oil, gas and other essentials.
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