AP Photo

The prime minister's interaction with editors turned out to be an occasion to dispel the impression that the UPA-II government is drifting and to seize the initiative for the political executive. Manmohan Singh spoke on a host of issues and made it clear that he'll complete his term as prime minister, most likely with a new team of ministers. He used the occasion to speak his mind on the big issues facing India, adopting a reasonable, middle-of-the-road position on many of them.