'Rehearsals' in the finance ministry

Policy-making usually comes to a halt in an election year but the increasing number of internal meetings in the finance ministry may tell a different story. Officials there hold several meetings on various subjects these days, but not all of them are being held to formulate a policy or address an issue. They are, in effect, rehearsals ahead of the actual meeting with their exacting boss, Finance Minister P Chidambaram. It turns out that Chidambaram has often pulled up officials for not being properly prepared. So, as an official explains, "We have to meet among ourselves at least twice whenever the finance minister calls for a briefing or meeting."