By MANISH ANAND
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the annual Council of Ministers meeting ahead of the government anniversary, with discussions centred on governance, presentations and faster decision-making while contentious issues such as NEET and energy crisis backlash reportedly remained outside deliberations.
New Delhi, May 22, 2026 — Prime Minister Narendra Modi met members of his council of ministers on Thursday. The meeting, now an annual feature, precedes anniversary of the formation of the government. Contrary to speculations in a section of the media of an impending Cabinet reshuffle, the meeting focused on sharing of experiences. Presentations, chats, and Modi’s pep talks set the stage for the meeting.
It has been learnt that the meeting didn’t discuss any of the issues agitating the people on the internet. NEET UG paper leaks and the subsequent cancellation of the examination were not discussed, said informed sources. Incidentally, Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan is in the eye of a raging internet storm. His resignation is being sought, for alleged fiasco in handling crucial affairs of the ministry.
Close on the heels of the UGC resolution controversy, stayed later by the Supreme Court even after Pradhan valiantly defended it, the NEET UG exam cancellation has unleashed an outpouring of anger from among even the key support base of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
The prime minister reiterated his calls, made almost in all such meetings, for the ministries to speed up decision making. Some of the ministers made presentations to showcase their respective success stories. Union Minister for External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar briefed the media on five-nation tour of the prime minister.
On the eve of the anniversary of the government formation, Modi meets his ministers in a setting called the Meeting of the Council of Ministers. The mood per an informed source is informal where the prime minister talks and listens. The ministers stay in celebratory moods, according to a senior official, while richly complimenting the prime minister for electoral feats.
The BJP won Assam and West Bengal in the recently held Assembly elections. The prime minister was the lead campaigner in both the states. The poll victory in West Bengal buzzed during the meeting of the council of ministers.
In line with the practice, the media has not been officially briefed about the discussions in the meeting of the council of ministers. In the past also, there had been no official media briefings.
Yet it emerged that ministers are nonchalant about raging anger on the social media platforms over the government handling of the energy crisis, as well as paper leaks of examinations. They maintain that such episodes crop up periodically and then fade in own courses.
Follow The Raisina Hills on WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn
