21 : Jairam Ramesh, 55 Minister for EnvironmentWhyHe breaks into the list,and in the top 30,because Copenhagen showed hes capable of negotiating domestic and global political challenges on policy. He put pragmatism in Indias climate negotiations. For six months ahead of the meet,Ramesh made small shifts in the governments position and was able to convert it into the official line despite protests by influential members of Indias team. He has raised the profile of the Environment Ministry. Power punchIn his statement in Parliament after the Copenhagen meet,Ramesh said he had gone beyond domestically comfortable commitments at the conference. The PM was there and he was backing his minister. What nextBt Brinjal: to clear or not to clear. Also,can he reduce the ministrys discretionary powers on project grants? 22 : Fali S. Nariman,81Legal expertWhyHe goes up sharply in the list because,at a time when the Bar and Bench are accused of overreach,he is their conscience-keeper. From arguing for minority rights to being the only official to resign in protest against the Emergency,he blends legal acumen with integrity in a way few others can. Power punchWhen he lent his weight to the movement against Justice P.D. Dinakaran being elevated to the SC,their lordships listened. Justice Dinakarans appointment is now on hold,while his impeachment proceedings start. What nextWith questions about judicial accountability only set to get louder,Narimans mediating role remains the strongest hope of consensus emerging over judicial appointments and punishment. 23 : Kanishka Singh, 39 Rahul Gandhi's aideWhyThe son of former diplomat,the late S.K. Singh,he makes it to the list because as his boss becomes more important,the aide who has the trust of the boss and can control access to the boss becomes a player. Hes becoming to Rahul Gandhi what Ahmed Patel is to Sonia Gandhi. Hes been with Rahul for five years and is the man for all jobs. Though extremely polite,he can give a piece of his mind to powerful ministers. Power punchDid AICC HQ know of Rahuls tours during the last elections? No. That information was with Kanishka Singh. He planned Rahuls campaign schedule. What nextHis big test will come as and when he starts dealing with party veterans outside the secure confines of 12 Tughlaq Lane,Rahul Gandhis residence and work HQ. 24 : AK Antony, 69 Defence Minister WhyHe goes up the list because hes stronger in UPA-II. He helped the Congress-led alliance sweep Kerala in the Lok Sabha polls. In his first term as a clean defence minister,he became a confidante of Sonia Gandhi and was asked to handle the ministry a second time. Many in the government want a faster build-up of defence ties with the US and Israel. He prefers gradualism. Hes got his way so far. Power punchWhen a corruption scandal broke out last year in the Ordnance Factory Board,he banned seven defence firms from all dealings. He has also intervened firmly in the army land scam case. What nextHe has to ensure procurements of equipment close to $ 10 billion for the armed forces,though allegations of wrongdoing will inevitably crop up. 25 : Sunil Mittal, 51IndustrialistWhyHe stays almost where he was despite the failure of the Bharti-MTN merger because Bharti is getting more and more of Bharat to talk. He heads the seventh largest telecom company in the world; Indias largest. With the telecom sector poised to grow faster than China,Bharti can only grow bigger. He beat a conglomerate like the Tatas in terms of market cap at one time. Power punchHe tried hard to push the Bharti-MTN deal through. He couldnt succeed but his determination showed what his ambitions are. His telecom venture now serves 100 million-plus Indians. What nextIf his mantra of low cost and high volume succeeds in any other emerging market outside India,he has the potential to emerge as one of the worlds topmost telecom players. 26 : T.K.A. Nair, 69 Principal Secretary to PMWhyHis clout has increased,hence he comes up the list. As the PM takes a firmer grip on policy,his principal secretary becomes more important. The PM has tremendous trust in this retired IAS officer. He is a key link between the party and the PM and his reputation as a man who can deliver remains intact. That he got the same job as he did in UPA-I is proof of his importance. Power punchWhen the PM set up a delivery monitoring unit in the PMO to keep track of his pet projects as well as flagship programmes,he entrusted it to Nair. When business tycoons want the PMs ear,they speak to Nair. He played a key role in the Air India bailout efforts. What nextOnly one question: How long will he have the bosss confidence? From present evidence,for quite some time. 27 : Kamal Nath, 63Minister for Road,Transport and HighwaysWhyHe slips down the list because the change in politics post-2009 polls has made some party colleagues move up the list; his earlier portfolio,commerce,was more high-profile. But hes definitely in the top 30 because as minister for roads,he has one of the most critical jobs in UPA-II. Power punchKnown to push his way with the PMO,he has the PM engaged in the highway development programme with regular updates. He has ensured that Planning Commissions involvement in the road sector is the bare minimum. A big change for the commission. What nextHe plans to build 20 km of roads a day by the next fiscal and has managed to pull up the daily average to 8 km a day since June 2009,from 2 km a day earlier. More action is likely in awarding projects. 28 : Prithviraj Chavan, 64Science and Technology Minister WhyHe makes it to the list this year because in UPA-II,he is far more powerful than he was in UPA-I. Hes one of the few to have good access to the PM and Sonia. Hes a key party-government link. In UPA-II,he has charge over five ministries,two more than he had in UPA-I,and that list includes the department of personnel and training,which has administrative control over the CBI. Power punchUnder his charge as party general secretary,the Congress retained power in Haryana for the second time. He has been given the task of getting the Nuclear Liability bill approved. What nextUpward mobility is expected to continue with elevation as cabinet minister in the near future. 29 : Nitish Kumar, 58 Bihar Chief MinisterWhyHe drops down our list because although he reduced his state rivals Lalu Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan to also-rans in the 2009 general elections,his plans to be a key member in Delhis government-formation went nowhere. But his stature as a reformist CM has grown. Power punchWhen he talks development,Delhis policymaking establishment listens. That Bihar has clocked a growth of 11.03 per cent,second to one of Indias most prosperous state Gujarat (11.05 per cent),makes the case for his governance. Some decisions taken by his government are being replicated by the Centre,for example,50 per cent reservation for women in panchayats. What nextBihar goes to the polls this year. The results will define his position in every way. 30 : Shashi Tharoor, 53 Minister of state,MEAWhyHe didnt tweet his way into the list,that too in the top 30. Hes here despite his tweets. How many Congress ministers can carry on after poking fun at the partys austerity drive,dissenting with his senior minister on new visa policies and having to deny he interrogated Nehruvian foreign policy? The fact that Tharoor still has his job shows he has something many party colleagues would love to have: the ability to survive a big controversy. Power punchHe enjoys Sonia Gandhis confidence and has a direct line of communication with Rahul Gandhi. After his public critique of visa restrictions,some modifications were implemented. Tharoor could have tweeted,I told you so. What nextDrumming support for Indias bid for permanent membership of the UN Security Council. Of course,tweeting will continue.
