Will Pranab find comfort in arms?

In political terms his is not the highest appointment after the Prime Minister, but his seniority would suggest that defence is being accorded a distinct priority.

Yet, defence was not the ministry for which the veteran Congressmen was being tipped. The somewhat more important home ministry was what had been predicted by most observers. That Shivraj Patil defeated at the hustings should get that job could be deemed a political snub for Mukherjee.

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With his considerable and wide-ranging administrative experience, Mukherjee would bring to the MoD section of South Block a level of maturity and restraint. What could prove an asset is his experience as finance minister he ought to know how to get the funds from his colleague on the other side of the Central Secretariat.

All is currently quiet along the borders of both Pakistan and China. However, there are quite a few "hot" issues in the defence ministry that are likely to test Mukherjee's mettle. Effective utilisation of the budgetary allocations is one of them. It has found mention in the draft of the common minimum programme that will serve as the blueprint of the UPA government's functioning.

The process of integration has made only limited progress within the armed forces.