THE UNITED PROGRESSIVE Alliance 2.0 came to power on the back of a strong mandate in favour of the Congress and its allies. It seemed that after such a favorable verdict, nothing could go wrong for the 'grand old party' and many expected that it was time that India continued its onward journey under a rather stable-looking government in which more than 200 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats are with the Congress. However, developments in the last two months have ensured that the UPA government has a lot on its plate. Frankly speaking, not many of these problems have a lot to do with the performance of the new government. Nevertheless, a government is expected to be pro-active and astute for the purpose of pre-empting contingencies and tackling them as they develop.

The External Affairs Ministry With an old horse at its helm was amongst the first to face the heat. The increasingly precarious situation of Indians in Australia and SM Krishna’s role in the controversial Sharm-al-Sheikh agreement has put a big question mark on the efficacy of the 77-year-old veteran. On the one hand, he faced the uphill task of filling in the boots of the shrewd Pranab Mukherjee and on the other hand, his sedate attitude and lack of belligerence have not done any favours. Unfortunately, his appointment has come at a time when the future of India relies quite heavily on decisive leadership that would help the nation grapple major international issues of security and climate change.

Although he is considered to be one of the aces in the Manmohan government and has been a perpetual performer, P Chidambaram is finding it difficult to address the grave threat posed by Naxalites, who have increased the length of the 'Red Corridor' in the last few months. The home minister might have shown a lot of astuteness and his new policies might sound attractive, but it will be inappropriate to count the chickens before they hatch. Besides, the deployment of troops in sensitive areas in Jammu and Kashmir and Orissa remains a Gordian Knot for the sexagenarian. By holding on to his ministry, AK Antony might have maintained his status quo, but his challenges haven’t. China’s increasing military infrastructure on the Northeastern borders is a cause for serious concern. Besides, there is a dire need to upgrade defense machinery deployed at the frontiers.

After running an erratic coalition government with the People's Democratic Party, there is no respite for Ghulam Nabi Azad. The newly-appointed health minister faces the daunting task of dealing with the menace and the widespread hype around the swine flu. Air India’s woes seem to be never-ending, and there is not much that Praful Patel seems to be able to do. Though the National Congress Party leader has shown promise and is aiming to bring in sweeping changes, his second term in the Civil Aviation Ministry will demand a lot from him.

The Ambani scuffle has also left the government with egg on its face, with the younger brother accusing Murali Deora of bias towards Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited (RIL). If that wasn’t enough, the alleged involvement of cabinet minister and Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) leader A Raja in influencing a judge in Chennai has further degraded his already tainted image and has had a disparaging effect on the image of the government. The above mentioned challenges are serious, but can be tackled in the long run with an extra bit of sincerity and pro-activeness. However, the most imminent threat is that of a serious drought and dearth of food grains owing to below-normal rainfall. The Prime Minister has formed a crack team to take the bull by its horns, but the situation on ground zero is deteriorating. Back-breaking inflation in food prices is already haunting all sections of society and India can ill-afford to have a food-scarce season. Areas like Bundelkhand have already started witnessing farmer suicides and if the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s comments are anything to go by, one cannot imagine the magnitude of problems that will crop up, if rains do not arrive in the next two weeks.

Amidst all the hue and cry, it is time that the Congress drops the euphoria of its emphatic victory in the recently-concluded general elections. By tackling day-to-day problems, the leadership will have to ensure that the party justifies re-election. It might be a tough period, but the Congress has to realise that it is this expectation of efficiency and the appraisal of their last tenure that were responsible for the formation of UPA 2.0. Besides, because this is the second consecutive term for the coalition, there is not a lot of scope for trading charges. Therefore, it is time that the new government moved ahead - all guns blazing.