A diminished Jaitley

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s clout has been diminishing for quite some time. First, he was deprived of the Information & Broadcasting portfolio, a charge which helped him make his favorite pastime—media manipulation—especially effectual. Now, the Prime Minister’s Office is intervening more regularly in the Finance Ministry. In fact, he is often not even aware of the decisions taken. For instance, he came to know that the Railway Budget has been merged with the General Budget only after the decision was made by the PMO.