Wide remit for PK Mishra in PMO

NEW DELHI: PK Mishra, principal secretary to the PM, has got an expanded role that includes listing of Cabinet items and “all other important policy issues and matters”, allowing him to intervene at any juncture in key decisions. That’s according to a September 13 order of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) that details allocation of work and comes about a week after Mishra was appointed to the post, succeeding Nripendra Misra.

The newest entrant to the PMO, PK Sinha, principal adviser to the PM, has been tasked with coordinating “all policy issues and matters relating to all ministries/departments/agencies and bodies, except those specifically allocated to the principal secretary to PM and the NSA”. Ajit Doval is the national security adviser (NSA).

Sinha, a 1977 batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, had retired as Cabinet secretary earlier this year and was given a three-month extension after the Modi government returned to power in May.


Following Misra’s departure from the PMO, the latest order sees the return of matters pertaining to the ministry of law and justice as well as the Cabinet secretariat to the PM’s principal secretary. In the previous Modi government, these matters were under the purview of the additional principal secretary. Mishra, a 1972 batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, is known to be a confidant of the PM and worked with him when he was the chief minister of Gujarat.

Meanwhile, Doval will continue to handle matters, barring appointments, relating to the ministries of external affairs, overseas Indian affairs, defence, space, atomic energy, Nagaland and the RAW. Further, all policies and matters related to national security as well as the National Security Council Secretariat and National Authority for Chemical Weapons will be under the NSA’s remit.