Science meet: Sibal146;s trial

In their enthusiasm to accommodate leaders from their state, organisers of the 95th Indian Science Congress at Vizag completely forgot about protocol. Accompanying the Prime Minister on his visit to Vizag was Minister of State for Mines T Subbarami Reddy and Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju, both from Andhra Pradesh. The seating arrangement on the dais was such that the Prime Minister was flanked by the General President of the Science Congress and Andhra Chief Minister Y S R Reddy. The organisers made Raju and Subbarami Reddy sit on either side of these three, completely overlooking the fact that Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal, who holds a Cabinet rank, was also present. Sibal was seated far away, with the Andhra University Vice-Chancellor. To add to the insult, the Science Congress President did not even acknowledge Sibal8217;s presence in his presidential address. Not surprisingly, when he was being presented with a momento like everyone else on the dais, Sibal refused to accept it.