Being candid

The candid admission sure enough ensured Pitroda generated some interest in the gathering.

Being candid

Few ministers or government functionaries would say that the subject of their own press conference is mundane and boring. National Innovation Council Chairman Sam Pitroda,however,did exactly that. Opening his conference on innovation clusters,Pitroda said for the benefit of gathered journalists that this was a routine,mundane issue without any juicy stuff or front page potential. This is simply good news that needs to be shared,but had no sex appeal whatsoever,he said. The candid admission sure enough ensured Pitroda generated some interest in the gathering.

Crying wolf

Nervous Chinese intelligence had Delhi Police on tenterhooks in the past two days,passing on an alert that a minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile had parked himself in one Hotel Jackson and was coordinating the protests from there. No address of the hotel or further details were provided. Security agencies and the Delhi Police then went out on a search of the city,trying to find a hotel called Jackson. Simultaneously,another search was launched to ascertain the whereabouts of the minister named by the Chinese. The second search provided an assuring result that the Tibetan minister was away in Shillong taking some time off from work. That also brought to end the wayward hunt for Hotel Jackson in Delhi. But the Chinese were then worried about the foliage around the Oberoi Hotel where their President is to stay during the BRICS summit,their concern being that the trees could be used to put up banners by the protesters.

House expansion

AFTER a protracted fight lasting over a year,the exclusive Constitution Club may finally be able to expand its working area. The executive committee running the club had been engaged in a hard battle with the Urban Development Ministry to claim ownership of the adjoining Mavalankar Hall,usage of which had been denied to them on grounds that it was not the property of the Lok Sabha secretariat. After several months of communication,it has now been settled that the Hall indeed belongs to the LS secretariat. On Wednesday,a group of MPs led by Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj called on Speaker Meira Kumar and urged her to restore ownership of the Hall to the Club. Though Kumar was non-commital,a favourable response is expected from her.

Missing halves

THE External Affairs Ministry was planning an elaborate programme for the spouses of the visiting leaders from the BRICS countries. It had zeroed in on Udaipur for a day-long trip for the visiting spouses,which would have been hosted by Prime Ministers wife Gursharan Kaur. An advance team had even been sent to Udaipur to arrange for local sight-seeing and accommodation. But,since not all of them have brought along their better-halves,the idea was junked. The Brazilian President,who will be paying a bilateral visit after the BRICS summit,however,will go to Agra for a day-long trip.