The myth of power is self-explanatory: power draws from myths. A sense of reality, on the contrary, acts as a check. Young David’s sling when he took on the giant Goliath, Birsa Munda’s professed power to turn bullets to powder: history is replete with such examples. The steed of power has always galloped on the spur of the moment. Truly speaking, a second thought would
Some commentators think this government suffers from policy paralysis. Nothing can be farther from truth. The UPA government is working pretty efficiently. It’s a different matter that its initiatives are in the patently wrong directions when not altogether dangerous. Consider NCTC. Or consider the proposal to give a legal backing to the model of code of conduct for electioneering.
When SY Quraishi, supported by his two “peers”, VS Sampath and HS Brahma, who unlike him don’t enjoy constitutional protection, had statues of Mayawati and the BSP’s elephant covered, the three-member Election Commission (EC) trended on Twitter for three days. Images of elephants covered in pink (the colour, by the way, wasn’t chosen by EC) brought t
It’s that time of the year again (actually, it is always that time of the year but we don’t notice it). Anyway, the time I am talking about is the one to select books that you are actually going to read rather than (influenced by New Year resolutions) the ones you think you ought to read. For many years now I have planned to read Anna Karenina. It’s in my &lsquo
The matter which I wish to highlight is judicial accountability. Judges of the apex court are expected to conform to the highest standards of rectitude and despite an occasional aberration, our apex court commands the highest respect both with the country and abroad. The troubling feature that seems to take away the sheen from the judges is the post retirement engagement of the su
Mohammed Aamir Khan has reasons to be unhappy, feel vengeful and hurt. Instead, he chooses to be grateful with an angelic smile spread across his face. Most of us complain about little inconveniences in our daily life. And here is a man who has been through hell and back but his indomitable spirit has conquered all. Aamir bears no grudge. Sitting at his home in Old Delhi all he c
Twenty-five years is such a long time. That’s the space Salman Khurshid has taken to don a new mask and make his Jinnah-like proposition. One can understand his frustration. But let me assure you, he wasn’t always like that. He was once a suave Class 1 in Jurisprudence from St Edmund Hall, Oxford (later Liu Po Shan Lecturer in law at Trinity College). He was, and some argue still is
The group of ministers on aviation recommended on Tuesday that airline companies be allowed to import jet fuel. This has been a long standing demand of some airline companies, Kingfisher in particular. They hope that the direct import of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) will help lower their fuel bill by 10-15 percent. However, ground realities may not support these claims. While the l
The proposed food security law is giving finance minister Pranab Mukherjee sleepless nights. Feeding the country should present no small bill, and it is understandable that the man feels a bit daunted. But that shouldn`t be the concern, ideally. Given that the subsidy bill is still far lesser than the tax holidays and subsidies given to the super-rich corporate, all in the name of encouraging i
The civil aviation sector will soon have a new regulator. The civil aviation authority (CAA) will replace the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) sometime soon in 2012. Though the CAA has already become mired in controversy over its formation and the selection of members, it is expected a welcome change from the DGCA. The well-meaning outgoing apex regulator had become limited
Ah! The joys of flying! Friends and family don’t know this yet, but I am radioactive, which is why I don’t shake hands in greeting but either nod my head or smile foolishly. The reason is simple – I have been taking flights almost on a daily basis these past few weeks, and passing through all manner of x-ray screenings. As the bard nearly said, throw enough x-ray at a person a
``Britain is a third-rate power nursing illusions of grandeur of its colonial past. It created Kashmir when it divided India. Now it wants to give us a solution.`` These were the words that an exasperated IK Gujral used just before the Queen landed in India for her official state visit in the year 1997. Of course, Gujral, who was then prime minister, later withdrew his rema
The fine print of the 2G verdict is out and the government and the telcos get a sigh of relief. Is it because it could have been worse or is it because the worst is over? This comment on the apex court’s verdict bears me out on my own humble submission made on this website regarding the Busi
Madam Chief Minister, Your concern about the rising number of private vehicles and people’s disinterest in opting for public conveyance is praiseworthy. You say that there are very few takers of public transport despite the introduction of battery-operated cars and bikes. Your insistence on going green by curbing consumption of petroleum-based fuel at the Delhi sustainable develop
The supreme court judgment cancelling 2G licences, 122 in all, is no doubt historic. But the learned judges may have unwittingly impacted the telecom industry and our economy in more ways than they intended. This column is about that part of the story. The judgment is not yet available and thus reliance has been placed on reports published relating to the ruling.
French fighter aircraft maker Dassault Aviation landing an Indian air force contract for its Rafale jets has raised many an eyebrow. The company outbid the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) consortium which was pitching its Eurofighter jet to India. Till the last minute, it had seemed that the latter was the favourite but it is learned now that it placed a quote higher than t
December brings with it the end of the year, a welcome chill in the air and the Christmas vacations. So, last December vacation, off I went to explore India’s largest biosphere reserve with my family. After a four and half hours’ bus journey, most of which I spent dozing, we reached Gotkhali. There we boarded a steamer which took us through the Pitchkhali river to our destination &m
National Water Policies are extremely important legal and institutional tools as they reflect the basic intent and direction that the government is planning to take regarding water resources. To ensure that this is a direction acceptable and beneficial to all, open public consultations need to be the backbones of such policies. Thus looking at the immense importance of water to society & en
A government school teacher in Madhya Pradesh`s Betul district got drunk in front of his students and, behind the closed doors of a classroom, ordered girls as young as seven to dance for him — and the caned them for "not dancing properly". All on Republic Day. The man had sent a class V student to fetch liquor from a shop half-a-mile away. He was put under suspension on
