Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Lost Room
Amongst the several perks that the Trinamool Congress is likely to lose out on,after it left the UPA government,is the only room it has in Parliament. The party does not have an office in Parliament,and this room was doubling as the parliamentary party office. It was originally allotted to Mamata Banerjee when she was the Railway Minister,and was passed on first to Dinesh Trivedi and then to Mukul Roy. It served as the meeting point of TMC MPs who have no other room to go to.
Media Savvy
WITH its workload increasing,the NIA wants to keep an eye on how the organisation and its work is being reported by the media. Accordingly,it is in the process of setting up a media monitoring unit. But it is not trusting any government agency with this task. The NIA floated a tender for hiring a private firm that will prepare a daily report on the news items appearing in print and broadcast media related to the investigations handled by it.
Private Placing
WHILE Jaideep Sarkar,who has been named as Indias next ambassador to Israel,is yet to vacate his current post,the word out is that Vikram Misri,a fellow foreign service officer,is likely to replace him as private secretary to the Prime Minister. Misri,currently a Joint Secretary in the PMO,has been in the position earlier,having served as private secretary to the then Prime Minister I K Gujral. He was called back to the PMO earlier this year from his assignment in Munich. The buzz around Misris likely shift has led to speculation in the Ministry of External Affairs regarding his replacement. Among the names doing the rounds is that of Jawed Ashraf,a 1991 batch officer,who is the Joint Secretary in charge of Americas Division in MEA.
Extended Tenure
THE Home Ministry is learnt to have given a three-month extension to CRPF DG K Vijay Kumar who is set to retire by the end of this month. Kumar,however,is expected to decline the offer. He is learnt to have argued that if his tenure has to be extended it should be for a substantial period for him to make significant contribution. With less than two weeks left for the month to get over,it will be difficult for the government to finalise a successor,something that is likely to indirectly benefit Kumars case for a longer extension.
