A training abroad postponed five times – did I finally make it?
Cabinet Secretariat is a compact but effective office. Not a great deal is known about it when we work in the States. In the Centre as well, it is more of a backend entity, but a powerful one. Officers from Cabinet Secretariat usually don’t go out and attend meetings in other departments – one of my colleagues calls it and the PMO, the ‘huzur office’.
My first deputation for any central government posting was to Cabinet Secretariat. In my romanticism and probably naivete, I was looking for Departments like Women and Child Development, Tribal Welfare and the like. So, when the Establishment Officer, Personnel Department, called me and told me that he has sent my name for consideration as a Joint Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, I was not amused. In fact, his statement “I am bringing you to the ‘core’ of governance.” sounded so unconvincing that I told my friends that I am being led up the garden path.
But slowly I started figuring out what this small compact entity, tucked away in a corner of the Rashtrapati Bhavan premises meant. A clear give away of its importance was the oft repeated question “How did you then manage to get this posting?” after hearing that I had never worked in Delhi earlier. “Manage? I never wanted this posting.” That may be the reason you got this post, was the philosophical reasoning of one friend.
One problem with this office of course, was the next to nil chance, of going abroad for any meetings, conferences, events and the like. In Delhi, your foreign tours are an important yardstick of how your job is viewed. I remember one description about a JS in the Animal Husbandry Department, a relatively low-key post, “Sir, hats off to her! There is hardly any part of the world she may not have visited, thanks to all the regulatory requirements in the poultry sector.” But in the Cabinet Secretariat, a green room institution, such foreign trips were rare. To compensate for it, the Personnel Department would be sympathetic and send the officers in the Cabinet Secretariat for some ‘in service’ training programmes abroad. A two-week training programme in governance at Colarado, USA was one such programme for which I and my colleague Dr Kedar had been selected. I was slated to go for the earlier cohort and he would have gone a couple of months later. Both of us were happy at the prospect of this break.
Dr Kedar was particularly happy since his daughter was in the US then. So, he was looking forward to meeting her. But then there was a catch. He came to my room once and very hesitantly asked me if we could swap our schedule. I wondered what the reason could be. Actually his daughter was expecting and the EDD was quite close to the window in which I was scheduled to go.
“Why not?” I said very gallantly. “What are friends for?”
“But boss, who will bell the cat?” he asked. “Secretary Personnel, has to agree first and then the Cab Sec.”
“Not an issue.” I declared. Sometimes ‘Main hoon naa” syndrome overtakes you. “I will talk to Secretary Personnel. We do have a meeting this afternoon that he is attending”.
When Secretary Personnel heard the idea of a swap, he thought I was crazy. “Aise thode he naa hotaa hai” was his cryptic remark. But I persisted. “We will see” he said. Both of you should send me a mail after checking with the Boss and cite the reason clearly.”
We did not need to wait for long. In a meeting two days hence, he beckoned me and told that the approval has been taken for this. Kedar was happy, I was satisfied that I could do him a good turn.
I was all set to go for the Colorado training in the new slot, but just two days prior to the scheduled departure, my mother had a fall in the bathroom, and as it happens in that age she did have a bone fracture. I was obviously needed to be with her at Mumbai. I informed the Cab Sec and the Secretary Personnel seeking permission to drop out. The Secretary was gracious enough to allow me to do so. The training Institute was also sympathetic, but agreed only to a postponement and not cancellation unless we were ready to forego the fees of 5000 USD deposited in my name. Postponement was welcome, you could live another day.
The third time everything was fine. But suddenly the general elections to Lok Sabha were announced. To review the preparations, the Cabinet Secretary took a review meeting. After the meeting was over, I went to his chamber for the customary quick stock taking. Both of us looked at each other. The unsaid said more that the said. He smiled sympathetically, I smiled wanly. “You obviously cannot go now” he said. “Ask Rahul if this can be deferred.” Mr Rahul Sarin was the Secretary Personnel.
The reason I could not go ‘now’, was that I was then handling all security related departments internal as well as external, apart from a host of other departments. The declaration of the election schedule ruled out my being spared for a fortnight.
I sought appointment of Mr Sarin. Walked down to his office – a good winter afternoon walk, and explained the situation to him. He had a hearty laugh. “Tum pagal ho. You should have gone as per the original slot. Let me seek a postponement – well after the general elections are over.” I thanked him and came back. The training did again get deferred, but this time we did not make any immediate commitment.
Post elections, when the UPA did come back, governance settled down quite quickly. I did remind DoPT to reschedule my thrice postponed training at Colorado. This got scheduled for August 2010. I had by then joined as DG Shipping and things looked all set for the training now.
But Murphy did strike again. Some three days prior to my scheduled departure, a big shipping accident took place in Mumbai post navigation channel (an experience narrated elsewhere). As DG Shipping, entrusted with the responsibility of handling the aftermath, there was no way, I could have gone away for training. It was important however to keep the Training Centre at Colorado informed. Once again there were very sympathetic and did agree to defer the training to another date. They underscored that the fees paid was not transferable, but rescheduling was agreed to ‘given the circumstances’!
I had started losing hope by now. However, convincing the DoPT to let me go for the training at a later date was not very difficult, given that the training fees had already been paid and also because handling of the aftermath of the accident in Mumbai Port was as genuine a reason as genuine can be.
So, it was the 5th time that the Colorado training was scheduled to happen. I had my fingers crossed. But there did not seem any cause for worry. The waters were, so to say, calm. There was of however, a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security where Somalian piracy issue was to be discussed. But that was to be attended by the Secretary and all information had been furnished. I was therefore looking forward to my leaving for the US.
I received a phone call from Secretary, Shipping. “Satish there is this meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on Wednesday. The piracy issue is to be discussed.”
“Yes Sir, I am aware. I have sent all required information.”
“I know, I have seen it. But you also need to be there.”
“There? You mean, Sir, in Delhi? It should not be necessary, Sir. But if that helps, I can be there in the Ministry to provide any additional information. But then I will return taking a late-night flight. You are aware Sir, that I will be leaving for the US on Saturday.”
“Saturday? Then there is plenty of time at hand. What I meant was that you will also need to attend the CCS meeting.”
“Me attending the CCS meeting? Sir, that will be highly unusual. Head of Departments do not attend Cabinet Meetings ” Having been in the Cabinet Secretariat, I was aware that this was an unlikely possibility. Perhaps, Secretary was not aware … But he was unfazed. “There is no such bar. I have talked to the Cab Sec.”
So here I was, attending a meeting of the CCS. Sitting at a table facing the Prime Minister, Dr Singh, the Home Minister Mr Chidambaram, the Finance Minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee, the Defence Minister, Mr A K Antony and of course our Minister Mr Wasan. The Minister Shipping was always comfortable with my handling of the Piracy issues, so was the Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary with whom I had worked closely. I had done my homework so I could stand my ground when Mr Chidambaram asked some nuanced questions.
After the meeting I met Mr Mrutyunjay Sarangi, the Additional Secretary, “Sir I was scheduled to go for my training to Colorado this Saturday. Do you think I should drop it?” “Looks tough, but why do you want to take the decision. Ek aadmi naa ho to kaam thode hi ruk jataa hai. Check with Boss. If he okays, then just go.”
I mustered some courage and approached the Cab Sec. “Good job, Satish” he said. Now lot of follow up to be done.”
“That will be done, Sir. But there was a small bother.” I hesitated.
“What is it?” He looked suspicious.
“Sir I was to go for my training to Colorado from this Saturday. I was wondering …”
“Of course you are not going Yaar.” He was very clear. We will send you for some other training later.” Then he suddenly remembered, “Is this the same training which you missed earlier a couple of times?”
“Yes.” I admitted sheepishly.
“There is some jinx, I say” he grinned. “Try the East West Centre, not Colorado. It may work.” The Shipping Secretary also smiled. “May be some divine signal!” Everybody laughed.
Superstition or no superstition. I dropped the idea. Informed the DoPT about the cancellation under ‘exigencies of circumstances.
I have no idea what happened to the fee of 5,000 USD that was not transferable.
Amen!