The only surprise in the six portfolios Manmohan Singh announced at the outset was S.M. Krishna. After a more or less flawless career as chief minister of Karnataka and governor of Maharashtra, he has earned his spurs and been elevated to the Central cabinet. It takes ages in the Congress to earn your spurs; it is no wonder, then, that he is close to eighty. He has been given a portfolio in which he has no experience, unless one counts the foreign worthies who called on him in his earlier roles.   read more »