Dil ki Baat
Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar was in high spirits after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s All India Radio address to the nation on Sunday. Shortly after the PM’s address, he twitted, “Man Ki Baat has become Dil Ki Baat of our PM for it makes people eagerly wait for the next broadcast. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Andaman to Arunachal, Kachchh to Kamrup, everyone listened to the PM.”
Writing’s on the ‘banner’
Rocked by scams in the past few years, the Defence Ministry has issued stern warning to its officials to refrain from indulging in corrupt practices. These warnings were prominently displayed through big banners put up last week in the main courtyard of South Block. The banners carried messages like “illegal gratification lead to jail, dismissal and disgrace” and “help us in catching corrupt officials red-handed.”
Yoga breaks boundaries
India and Pakistan may not share good relations, but yoga has quietly made inroads into the Pakistan entertainment industry. Popular Pakistani television serial Humsafar beamed into millions of Indian homes, last week had a scene in the main heroine is shown practicing yogaasanas as part of her fitness routine. Incidentally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address in the United Nations General Assembly, New York last month advocated an International Yoga Day. Indian officials are now trying hard to get June 21 declared as Yoga Day, and more than 50 countries including China, US and Brazil are backing this move.
Rivalry buried
Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari treated Devendra Fadnavis at his New Delhi residence with a sumptuous treat. The purported rivalry for the CM seat between the two leaders did not come in their ways to enjoy each other’s company after Fadnavis was declared as chief ministerial candidate. Both the BJP leaders are foodie and have a sweet tooth. Gadkari welcomed the 44-year-old Fadnavis with ‘sweet poha’ and Maharashtraian sweet, including Srikhand. Too much of sweet.
Falling In line
New Chief Justice of India Hl Dattu has ensured female lawyers get first preference. Discontinuing the earlier practice that allowed any lawyer to mention a matter out of turn, the CJI has directed all the lawyers, including seniors, to maintain a queue after he saw many female lawyers being inconvenienced in the melee while mentioning. last week, a male lawyer was also hauled by the CJI for gesturing a female lawyer to move aside after her case had ended. The CJI quipped, “Don’t push the lady lawyer. She has every right to stand anywhere in court.”
Homecoming
Senior IAS official lalit K Panwar (Rajasthan:1979), who is Secretary in the Minority Affairs Ministry, is all set to stage a homecoming in the Tourism Ministry. He will replace Tourism Secretary Parvez Dewan who will be soon superannuating from the service. An old hand in the Tourism Department in Rajasthan and in the Central Government, Panwar has served as Director-Tourism and Secretary in-charge in Rajasthan. He was the vice chairman and Managing Director of India Tourism Development Corporation ltd (ITDC) from 2010-2013.
Culture control
Amidst the speculations rife that actor-turned-politician Kirron Kher may be entrusted with the task of supervising some key cultural institutions, the Government finally decided to appoint academician Prof lokesh Chandra as the 17th president of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). Chandra succeeds the longest-serving ICCR president and senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Dr Karan Singh. A former Rajya Sabha member, Chandra is a renowned scholar of Buddhism and Indian arts and simultaneously served as ICCR vice-president and the chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).
Chhath holiday
Guess who played the key role ensuring that Delhi Government declares Chhath festival as a public holidayIJ The credit would go to senior BJP leader from Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi, who pleaded with Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to ensure that the Delhi Government and the nation recognises the importance of the festival of sun worship, which is mainly observed by the people of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. With voters from the two States dominating several Assembly segments of Delhi, the BJP can also hope to use the ‘chhath’ card to influence them as and when the State Assembly polls takes place.
Karat pleased as punch!
CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat is a straight talker. last week, talking to reporters he said he was happy that media has devoted some space to cover the Central Committee meeting of his party, even though some of it was negative coverage. He was referring to the wide coverage given to the sharp differences in the Central Committee meeting on the political line of Karat and Sitaram Yechury. “Happy that after a long time media started covering our party. Some make mistakes in comparing our working style with other parties. Anyway, it’s OK,” he said.
Jawans want AK-47
The CRPF jawans deployed in anti-Naxal operations in Jharkhand have demanded SlRs of 7.62 mm caliber as the INSAS rifles supplied to them are not sturdy and require a lot of maintenance. The jawans made the request to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his recent visit to Thalkobad in Jharkhand. The jawans insisted that they should be given SlRs/AK 47s instead of INSAS. To this, the Minister said the Police Modernisation Division of his Ministry should undertake a review of allotment of arms for a company and come up with necessary changes according to the projected operational requirements.