Joshi quits Bal Bhavan job

National Bal Bhavan chairman Ram Sharan Joshi has resigned from his post, complaining that the job was taking too much of his time and the honorarium was hardly enough for him to sustain himself and his family. Joshi, a journalist from Madhya Pradesh, had been handpicked by HRD Minister Arjun Singh.

Joshi informed the ministry that he found it difficult to continue with his occupational responsibilities because the job kept him busy. He said since this was an honorary job, he could not devote his entire time to it. Joshi said, 8216;8216;There were some protocol problems. The Bal Bhavan position is very prestigious, given the people who had held the position in the past former PM Indira Gandhi and the late Pupul Jaikar are among those who held the post. Who am I compared to them? Besides, I8217;m still a full-time journalist and could not cope with the work.8217;8217;

Ministry sources, however, said Joshi had written an article in the Hindi journal, Hans, against a few Madhya Pradesh officials, which had angered the political establishment. On the other hand, Bal Bhavan sources said that Joshi was overawed by the union problems which had assumed epidemic proportions.

On the other hand, Singh today announced he would replace R. Natarajan, chairman of the All Indian Council of Technical Education.