First week of PM Modi: How did he fare?

A week is a short period to assess how the new government will function over its full term, but if early signs are anything to go by, prime minister Narendra Modi is planning significant changes to the way government has been functioning - from scrapping EGoM and GoMs to asking ministers and bureaucrats to work for six days a week - the prime minister wants to change the work culture of bureaucrats and ministers.

Needless to say that the Modi government made a good beginning, but AK Bhattacharya editor of Business Standard believes it could have been better.

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He feels abolition of EGoMs is a progressive step, which effectively means the PMO will become all powerful once again.

The Modi government has also set up a SIT on black money, which will hold its first meeting on Wednesday - June 4. Bhattacharya says it is a move in the right direction and will send good signal to tax payers.

He doesn't see any problem on proposed reforms in the insurance sector, but is not confident about transferring of government stake in PSU banks to holding companies. Instead Bhattacharya feels the government should try and reduce its stake in PSU banks from 51 percent to 33 percent and thereafter to 26 percent.

On the matter of asking bureaucrats and ministers to work six days a week, he believes instead of making changes in laws, a simple directive will do the trick.