RESTRICTED ENTRY
The new Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who also holds the charge of the equally crucial Coal Ministry, has directed the top officials of the Railway Ministry not to visit him without a prior appointment. In a written order to General Managers of the Zonal Railways, heads of railways’ PSUs and undertakings, Goyal has asked them for a minimised and regulated visit to Rail Bhawan saying whoever wishes to meet him for any kind of briefings should take prior appointment. Under Goyal’s predecessor Suresh Prabhu, the GMs and DRMs had a direct access to the Railway Minister. Grapevine in the Rail Bhawan corridors has it that Goyal doesn’t want frequent disturbances given that he is saddled with two heavyweight Ministries. A battery of 17 management graduates with him is already on the job for charting a new rail roadmap.
COURT VIGIlANTISM
Opposing the trend of vigilantism over slaughter and sale of cow that has already claimed several lives, senior advocate Indira Jaising argued vociferously in the Supreme Court to bring home the connivance of the Centre and inaction by State Governments to tackle the issue. However, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta, who handled the brief for the BJP-ruled States, was in no mood to take the challenge thrown by his lady friend. Keeping his calm, Mehta said, “I do not have the kind of vigilantism as my friend.”
MEDIA AT BAY
After the recent reshuffle, an outgoing Minister who was elevated to the Cabinet rank had a word of advise for his successor. But it wasn’t on any core issue or policy matter. It was related to the media. The advisory was to keep journalists away from his office in Shastri Bhawan and it came after he saw a large number of media persons moving in the corridor. He wondered how the journalists accessed the corridor even as he proudly asserted how he had succeeded in keeping the media away.
FINAl BlOW
Underperformance coupled with complaints from several quarters about his functioning and his Ministry’s decisions led to the ouster of one the Ministers during the recent reshuffle. For the last one year, the flush-with-funds Ministry, tasked with implementing one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s most ambitious projects, was under the PMO’s scanner. But
grapevine has it that a series of online petitions against the Ministry, of late, finally sealed his fate.
ANTI-RAGGING RAAGA
With an aim to prohibit, prevent and eliminate the scourge of ragging, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to launch a film-making competition to promote a debate on the issue and its menace. The UGC has issued letters to Vice-Chancellors of all universities and higher educational institutions regarding the launch of a National University Film Making Competition to make the students aware about the ill effects of ragging.
WHATSAPP CHAOS
Administrators of many WhatsApp groups related to several security and intelligence agencies and para-military forces have been directed by the security establishment top brass not to be too open on the platform with the beat reporters who are also members of the group. It is not the place for off-the- record talks but is only meant for spreading the official versions, the message was sent. The directions followed a goof-up over the Doklam crisis coverage which resulted in the change of the PRO of an agency.
DENGUE DEFENCE
Dengue menace now sweeping across the national Capital has put the Defence Ministry headquarters in South Block too on alert. Notices warning the symptoms of the mosquito-borne disease were put up last week in the corridors of the Ministry and employees and visitors alike urged to take all precautions. Defence journalists were also asked to leave the premises early to enable the pest control department to fumigate the complex over the weekend.
DR lOGO
The doctor’s logo will undergo another change. In a bid to look ‘different’ from alternative medical practitioners, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), representing about 2.5 lakh MBBS doctors in the country, has come out with a separate patented logo for allopathy doctors. The new trade logo has a red colour ‘plus’ sign with “Dr” written in the middle. The old logo was a simple red colour ‘plus’ sign, but since it was in contravention to the patented International Committee of Red Cross logo, it was changed. Those defending the new logo which is again similar to the Red Cross one say it uses lighter shade of red and also has Dr in the centre.