Zen for simplicity

Mamata Banerjees dislike for show of power using long cavalcades of vehicles and excessive security is visible every time she is in Delhi.

Zen for simplicity

Mamata Banerjees dislike for show of power using long cavalcades of vehicles and excessive security is visible every time she is in Delhi. Unlike her Cabinet colleagues,she used to move around in an old model Maruti Zen which belongs to a close associate of hers based in the capital when she was the Union Railway Minister. Things have not changed much even after becoming Chief Minister of West Bengal. On a visit to Delhi this week,she preferred the Maruti instead of the ubiquitous white ambassadors with red beacons. And as usual,she sat in the front seat of the car.

Training Pay

Bureaucrats assigned for a nine-month-long government-sponsored course at the Indian Institute of Public Administration received a shocker this week when the Department of Personnel sent out order for them to sign a loyalty bond if they wanted to do the course. This was not part of the original circular and seems to be an afterthought. The move,which is common practice in the private sector,has left bureaucrats bewildered because it asks for a written commitment to not quit the government for the next five years. And in case a premature exit,the officer will have to repay with interest the total expenses incurred on the training.

Hard Choice

The race for the top job in the University Grants Commission is nearing a close and the two left in the fray are IIM Bangalore director Prof Pankaj Chandra and former vice-chancellor of Hyderabad University Prof Seyed E Hasnain. It is now to be seen whom the HRD Ministry picks a B-school heavyweight or the one who has come out of the university governance system.

Central Issues

There was an unusual visitor at the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI headquarters on Friday. Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma turned up at the CBI office for an informal interaction with top CBI officials. Insiders said the top investigators discussed about various treaties and pacts being inked with different governments. Sharma,on the other hand,enlightened curious CBI officials on what the proposal for FDI in retail entails and the controversy surrounding it. He also forecast that India will surpass China in economic growth in the coming years.

Syrian Conundrum

India,which is riding two horses at the same time on the Syria issue,found itself in a bit of spot recently when South Block received an invitation for the Friends of Syria meeting over the weekend in Tunis. After detailed deliberation,it was decided that the External Affairs Minister will not represent India even though US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was to pilot the event there. The compromise: Joint Secretary West Asia and North Africa division Rajeev Shahare was dispatched to Tunisia to mark New Delhis attendance.