Safety first

Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have told bureaucrats in his first meeting with them in June after taking charge that he didn't believe in transferring bureaucrats since doing so didn't really solve anything, but his assurance has not rung true. Rumours of another reshuffle have resurfaced after some bureaucrats were transferred overnight recently. As a result, some officers are playing it ultra-safe when it comes to complying with any instruction or advisory from the Cabinet Secretariat or the Prime Minister's Office. For instance, although it was not mandatory for officers to come to take the Swachh Bharat pledge on October 2 because it is a national holiday, but many did turn up, fearing a small act of omission could get them "a transfer to the North East".