Media missed Nitish
A section of the media missed the speech of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar at the Janata Dal(U) National Council on Sunday. JD(U) general secretary KC Tyagi had on Saturday told journalists that Nitish would speak at the party meet after 3 pm, but the Bihar CM sprang a surprise by deciding to deliver his speech two hours before the schedule. A senior JD(U) leader rued, “Even we did not know when he will speak.” For the rest of the day, Tyagi was at the receiving end of journalists who missed Kumar’s speech.
IB chief ignored
In a significant break from the past, Director Intelligence Bureau Syed Asif Ibrahim did not accompany Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who led a high-powered delegation to Russia last week. Grapevine has it that Ibrahim was not included in the list of officials prepared by the Union Home Ministry. Serving and retired IB officials said the DIB should have been included in the delegation and his non-inclusion for the official trip only reflects the falling clout of the premier intelligence agency. Ibrahim, however, was noticed at the Valour Day celebration of the CRPF here on April 9.
Is this new IndiaIJ
Creating a new India’, the adage attached by Emaar MGF group to its Commonwealth Games Village residency project, came in for ridicule last week when the National Green Tribunal, which was to take possession of flats for its judicial members, discovered cracks, seepage and lack of conveniences that made it far from habitable. “Is this the new India,” remarked Justice GS Singhvi while hearing the case. With each built apartment selling for crores of rupees, the court’s concern was understandable.
Turncoats rewarded
Many senior Congress leaders are sulking over the list of candidates for Karnataka Assembly polls. A senior leader was heard complaining that loyal Congress workers have been ignored while those joining from the JD(S) rewarded with tickets. However, in view of the growing profile of AICC general secretary in-charge Madhusudan Mistry in the party, they are apprehensive of expressing their dissent openly. Mistry is calling the shots in candidate selections after he was included in the Election Coordination Committee headed by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
Headless
The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has no Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the last three months. This is not the first time that the top food regulator is subjected to such an apathetic approach from the Health Ministry, which oversees its functioning. The current FSSAI chairperson K Chandramouli was appointed four months later after his predecessor left the post. Also, no meeting of the Authority, a high-level decision making body of the FSSAI, has been held since his appointment.
IIT-K’s woes
A section of the IIT-Kanpur faculty is a disillusioned lot nowadays. It feels the focus of the institute has shifted from academics & research to carrying out unheard of changes in work style. Director Indranil Manna is exhorting his dons and other staff members to carry visiting cards, change email ids, and acquire uniform PNT numbers of office and home. Manna has come from IIT-KGP, which has been embroiled in many controversies, and his style of functioning has few takers among the professors.
lalu’s Man Friday at NHAI
The endless wait for over a year for Member (PPP) at NHAI is over. Former Railway Minister lalu Prasad Yadav’s Man Friday Sudhir Kumar is joining the country’s road making agency on Monday. His appointment was in doldrums as lalu’s political bête noire Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was reportedly not too keen on relieving the Bihar cadre officer. Sudhir emerged a front runner amongst seven candidates interviewed in August 2012.
Wildlife sops
At a time when the environment protectionists are fighting a losing battle against the development protagonists, a sudden spree of announcements of tiger reserves by the Government has cheered wildlife experts. First, the Sathyamangalam Forest was declared a tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu, then Rajasthan got its third big cat home at Mukundara, and if all goes well, Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand may soon follow suit. “With general elections next year, pre-election sops to voters are routine, but for a change these favours are being extended for wildlife as well,” commented an expert.