Culture Shift

Private pressure

During last weeks evacuation drive to bring back Indians from Libya,the government had to forcefully co-opt private airlines into the process after it was discovered that Air India alone would not be able to fly back the large number of Indians stranded there. The Civil Aviation Ministry had to issue a one-page order which was passed in the wake of the Mumbai terror strikes that empowered a ministry official to impound any private plane and use it for national service in an emergency. After some initial resistance,the private airlines came on board,hoping that their efforts would at least enhance their brand image.

Waiting for sonia

Sonia Gandhis authority over the Congress party is so complete that her absence from New Delhi,even for a few days,affects decision-making in the party at all levels. On the eve of Holi,the AICC media department was uncertain whether to send the customary Holi greetings on behalf of the Congress party. A routine matter in the normal course,the decision demanded clearance in view of the tragedy in Japan as well as the embarrassment caused to the party and the government by latest disclosures from WikiLeaks. The party finally did decide to issue greetings on Sonias behalf late in the evening apparently because it was considered safe to do so after the President and the Prime Minister had greeted the nation. Another decision for which the party was awaiting Sonias arrival from a brief visit to London related to the West Bengal Assembly elections. Mamata Banerjees unilateral move to announce 228 names for the elections,leaving just 64 seats for the Congress,had left the party enraged but the reaction was muted. The party obviously needed the requisite signal from Sonia to decide whether to take a hardline position or settle for the 64 seats allotted to them by Mamata.

Telangana power

With Telangana having developed into an extremely delicate issue for the Centre,ministers and legislators from Andhra Pradesh have suddenly begun to feel extra important and are not shy of throwing their weight around. After he was made to wait for half-an-hour by a Cabinet minister,a leader from Telangana and minister in the Andhra Pradesh government bluntly told the personal staff of the minister that he was not willing to wait any longer as he had to meet other leaders to discuss the Telangana issue. The T-word did its magic and the state leader was promptly called in by the Cabinet minister.

Unhealthy rivalry

The Health Ministry may have given a years extension to the Board of Governors of the Medical Council of India MCI but it is unlikely that all six current members will continue in their positions. The MCI has been at the loggerheads with the ministry on some some key issues,including the ambitious proposal to start a Bachelor of Rural Medicine course. It also went ahead with its decision to have a Common Entrance Test for all medical colleges even though the ministry was reluctant. It is learnt that the ministry is actively considering the appointment of a new set of doctors on the Board of Governors of MCI.

Mixing work and play

Many a bureaucrat has faced criticism for taking his or her spouse or family members on official trips abroad. But that hardly seems to act as a deterrent. Two officials from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry are currently undergoing a three-month official training at Cardiff near London. Both decided to take their respective spouses and kids on what was supposed to be a purely academic exercise.