PORTRAITS FRAMED IN STEEL

IT HAS LONG been recognised that while iconic figures stride across the political field talking of big change, it is the bureaucracy whose work endures.

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They bring order to change, navigating the nittygritty and authoring the fine print often also the main text of policy. We take an expansive view of officialdom, choosing 10 individuals who form the backbone of India's governance structure, holding roles that impact every facet of the nation's functioning, from security to financial stability to justice delivery. For instance, P.K. Mishra, as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, orchestrates policy across ministries. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval handles everything from geostrategy to defence to counterterrorism. Shaktikanta Das, as RBI Governor, ensures India's financial stability. Our radar registers both the Chief Justice of India, the keeper of the Constitution, as well as the heads of the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI, whose mandate is equally vital but can also often be the subject matter of judicial questioning. In a sense, these 10 people in high office demonstrate the distributed responsibilities and differing imperatives the task of running a complex country like India summons up. These officials sometimes act as executors, at other times as the conscience-keepers, or often as the brains trust of the political class. Both a B.V.R. Subrahmanyam and an Arvind Panagariya may note something on the margins of a file that may affect distant futures in different realms. The influence they wield is unique, in that they embody power but also the accountability needed to preserve India's constitutional and democratic integrity. And in uncredited ways, the imagination needed to fuel it.

The Quiet Implementer