IPS rejig
Grapevine has it that the PMO has decided for a shakeup of the IPS fraternity that could affect CBI and other probe agencies. The changes are expected to be in Joint Director and Additional Director-level posts. The new inductions could well lead to the exit of officers appointed during the UPA regime. Grapevine has it that key pending cases would be fast-tracked for logical conclusion. The CVC is said to have already cleared the new list of the IPS officers meant for key appointments.
Punch counterpunch
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who is known to keep dark secrets of all persons who matter in the country, was at the receiving end last week when his comment on a senior lawyer met with an equally stunning counter. While arguing a case before the Supreme Court, Bhushan told the court that senior advocate Dushyant Dave had made big money by appearing for a client in an environment matter. Dave, president of Supreme Court Bar Association, least expected the statement from Bhushan but made an instant vitriolic counter. “We also know how many crores you made through Ford Foundation donations. When you were in difficulty you had come to me.”
NCTE now
Yet another head of an HRD Ministry-backed autonomous institution has been “removed”. This time, NCTE chairperson Santosh Panda has been axed for reasons not known yet. Intriguingly, Panda was credited with bringing in certain changes in teachers’ education system of the country and was in the good books of the HRD Ministry. Earlier, administrative officials of IIT, NCERT, Bal Bhawan, the UGC and IGNOU were removed. And some others chose to quit citing
different reasons. An Additional Secretary has now been given the charge of the NCTE. Interestingly, CBSE too is headed by an Additional Secretary for the past one and a half year.
Namesake curiosity
There is no love lost between actress Karisma Kapoor and her estranged businessman hubby Sunjay Kapur. And one of the reasons for this is the other woman in Sunjay’s life, rumoured to be model Priya Chatwal. last week, when the duo appeared in the Supreme Court to settle their divorce, Karisma got to learn that one of the lawyers assisting Sunjay was also named Priya. Grapevine has it that Karisma told her lawyer, “Sunjay doesn’t seem to be getting over his fascination over this name.”
CRPF too!
Months after paramilitary forces like the ITBP and investigative agencies, including the NIA and CBI created a WhatsApp group for beat reporters, the CRPF too joined the club by creating such a group on the social networking site. The move comes after a number of journalists requested the paramilitary bosses to take the initiative so that they are able to get updates on a real time basis. It remains to be seen how effective it turns out in the coming future.
Migrant Naidu
In a witty interaction with the reporters at the Indian Women’s Press Corps last week, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu likened himself to a migrant. He said like many in the country he had also “migrated” from the Rural Development Ministry (during the NDA-1 regime) to the current Urban Development Ministry. However, he was quick to add that he was chosen for the present Ministry because of his “talent” and not because of compulsion. His comment came in the context of the Modi Government’s focus on rural India to check migration of people to urban area.
Host Parrikar
US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter will be accorded a unique welcome by his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar next week during a three-day State visit starting Sunday. Parrikar will escort Carter to world famous churches besides some beaches of Goa during his two-day stay there. Earlier, Carter will inspect a guard of honour at aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya off Goa and Parrikar will reciprocate by landing on a US aircraft carrier docked there. The two Ministers will fly to New Delhi on April 12 for intense discussions and a possible joint Press conference.
Waste-less
Waste management seems to have become the top priority of the Green Ministry. In quick succession we had a string of waste management rules ranging from solid waste, e-waste, plastic waste, construction & demolition waste, hazardous waste to hospital waste. In fact, there is hardly any “genre” of waste left untouched by these rules. However, according to Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, the rules, though multiple in nature, all lead to one and the same goal Swachchh Bharat Mission.