PMO’s Mishra Moment: Know more about new additional principal secretary PK Mishra

IN YET another surprise appointment, the Centre has accommodated one of prime minister Narendra Modi’s close associates and 1972 batch former IAS PK Mishra as additional principal secretary to PM against a newly created high-profile post in prime minister's office (PMO). Call it a Mishra moment in PMO as Nripendra Misra was already appointed as principal secretary to PM. This Gujarat cadre retired IAS was principal secretary to Gujarat CM till 2004 before moving to the Centre as…
union agriculture secretary. That Modi valued him a lot was demonstrated when Mishra was brought back to Gujarat after his retirement in 2008. Post-retirement, he was made chief of Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC). Mishra, who was Modi’s principal secretary during the infamous 2002 Gujarat riot, is currently serving as the director-general of Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM).
In his four decades long career as an administrator, Mishra also served as member secretary in National Capital Region Planning Board and secretary of National Disaster Management Authority.
It remains to be seen how Modi allocates work to PK Mishra when another Misra -- Nripendra  Misra, was already made principal secretary to PM. Modi did not however work closely with Nripendra Misra earlier whereas he has personal rapport with PK. That explains why PK Mishra could emerge as Narendra Modi’s Nair (TKA). For the last 10 years, TKA Nair was the first man the then prime minister Manmohan Singh used to call whenever there was a crisis. Many in the corridors acknowledge Singh opened up only to Nair.
With PK Mishra now joining the PMO at a highly influential position, BoI’s earlier analysis that 1972 batch of IAS has been a class apart, gets vindicated further. In fact, current chief vigilance commissioner Pradeep Kumar, the most talked about CAG Vinod Rai, former RBI governor D Subbarao, former home secretary GK Pillai, former secretary general of Planning Commission Sudha Pillai – all belonged to 1972 batch IAS, and were in fact batch-mates of PK Mishra. Even former national security adviser Shivshankar Menon is a 1972 batch Indian Foreign Service officer.