Indian prime minister reshuffles Cabinet

Reporting from New Delhi —  In a bid to jump-start a flagging government and move beyond persistent corruption scandals, India’s ruling coalition Tuesday announced a Cabinet reshuffle.

But analysts questioned whether the relatively modest changes would be enough to restore political momentum and burnish the image of the Congress Party and its allies.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced new leaders for 13 ministries, mostly in the social welfare area, while leaving the four most powerful portfolios — defense, external affairs, finance and home — untouched.

“I don’t think he’s done enough, but I’m not sure he could do more,” said Sankarshan Thakur, executive editor of the Telegraph newspaper. “He’s not a man who acts with his hands free, nor does any prime minister, to some extent, given the political parties and other factors that must be balanced.”

Singh, 78, is seen as serving at the approval of Sonia Gandhi, the powerful head of the Congress Party. Gandhi’s son, Rahul Gandhi, 41, is viewed by many as the heir apparent should Singh step down. In recent months, however, the younger Gandhi’s star has dimmed somewhat after a series of gaffes and missteps.

In comments to reporters, Singh said he asked Rahul Gandhi several times to join the Cabinet but was told the young politician had other responsibilities.

The reshuffle leaves India with 68 Cabinet ministers and ministers of state.

The biggest change occurred to the environment portfolio, with minister Jairam Ramesh replaced by Jayanthi Natarajan, a former Congress Party spokeswoman and member of the upper house of parliament.

Ramesh took a hard line on granting permits for several industrial projects, making him a hero to environmentalists but a demon to those who believe he undermined economic growth.

He clearly stood out among many of his peers, however, for his active approach and reputation for honesty, and he has been given a new Cabinet-level post: minister of rural development. That could be a key position in coming months as the government tries to push various social programs before the next election, which must be called by 2014.

Ramesh could also play a role in rewriting India’s outdated land-acquisition laws, which have frustrated efforts to carry out badly needed upgrades of highways and other infrastructure.

Dinesh Trivedi, former minister of state for health, was named Cabinet minister for railways. He inherits oversight of a sprawling rail network that’s seen three accidents involving 100 fatalities in the last two weeks, amid criticism that equipment hasn’t been properly maintained. Indian Railways is the nation’s largest employer, with more than 1 million workers.

Singh’s government also has been hurt by high inflation and scandals over the alleged underpricing of cellphone rights worth tens of billions of dollars, the awarding of contracts tied to last year’s Commonwealth Games sporting event, and a real estate deal involving the Defense Ministry that saw apartments meant for widows go to top brass and political insiders.

The government also has been challenged by activists mounting high-profile hunger strikes against corruption and by a Supreme Court that has repeatedly questioned the government’s policies.

mark.magnier@latimes.com