Delhi Confidential: Marked Absent

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s participation in the recent ‘Sadbhav Yatra’ in Gurgaon gave some much-needed energy to the Congress cadres. But sources say that the party’s Haryana unit has taken note of some senior leaders from the state who were conspicuous by their absence. Several senior leaders, including AICC appointees, were missing from the yatra and the state unit of the party is likely to seek explanations from those who missed the Rahul event.

Austere Steps

Union Science Minister Jitendra Singh has cancelled his visit to Africa in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for austerity. Singh has informed High Commissioner of Rwanda to India, Jacqueline Mukangira, that he wouldn’t be able to make it to the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa next week, and agreed to address a session virtually. He has also started travelling without escort vehicles.

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Heat & Water

At a seminar on heat on Wednesday, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra went down the memory lane, reminiscing about the summer season during his childhood. He recalled how as a child he would carry drinking water for the farm workers. Talking about traditions in his home state Odisha, Mohapatra said starting with the Odia new year mid-April, people would distribute cool beverages. This, he said, was a kind of symbolic community initiative signifying the importance of hydration.