The Prime Minister’s Office is getting a new media research specialist, whatever that is. According to exchange4media, Ashutosh Narayan has resigned from the post of associate executive editor with news channel IBN7and is all set to join Narendra Modi’s team.

While confirmation is awaited, ‘research specialist’ appears to be a new and improved version of media adviser – less acting as an interface between the PM and journalists; more research, analysis and feedback to the PMO. If that is indeed the case, it would be consistent with the central government’s predisposition towards branding exercises and cosmetic makeovers. In two years, Planning Commission has given way to NITI Aayog (NITI, in case you don’t remember, is short for National Institution for Transforming India). Nirmal Bharat is now Swachh Bharat and JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission) is now AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation).

The post of media adviser has been vacant ever since Narendra Modi replaced Dr Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister. The last person to be a communications adviser in the PMO was Pankaj Pachauri, best known for his 15-year stint at NDTV. In January 2012, Pachauri had taken over from another former journalist. Harish Khare, former chief of national bureau at The Hindu, was the media adviser from June 2009 to January 2012. Other illustrious journalists who have acted as press advisers to former PMs include Kuldip Nayar and BG Verghese.

The role of the media adviser – specifically, access to the Prime Minister and other high-ranking officials – was under the scanner when Sanjaya Baru’s tell-all memoir was released in the run-up to the 2014 general elections. Baru, who has worked with The Economic Times, The Times of India and Business Standard in various editorial roles, served as adviser to PM from May 2004 to August 2008. In his book The Accidental Prime Minister published in April 2014, Baru said that Dr Singh wielded limited clout when compared to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and the UPA’s allies.