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Thanks, MEA. Your passport office is finally world class
And now, for some good news. Our passport offices are getting customer-friendly and modern. After decades of sending us from pillar to post, chasing xerox copies of this document or that, the government’s new Passport Seva Kendras (PSK) seem to have got things just right. Here’s my first-hand experience of applying #First Person #Passport Office #Passport Seva Kendras
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Time to rush for storm shelters; equity can be toxic for now
The simultaneously plunge of the rupee and the stock markets calls for a serious reassessment of investor strategy in the near term. This is the overall scenario as of today. The global economy is heading for a tailspin in the wake of the eurozone crisis. Politicians are running for cover as the #FDs #Fixed income #Investing Strategy #Sensex #tax-free bonds
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Jaya, Modi and the PM’s job after the next elections
Anybody with access to any English newspaper could not have missed Wednesday morning’s spectacular advertising splurge by the Tamil Nadu government extolling the virtues of Puratchi Thalaivi Selvi J Jayalalithaa on the first anniversary of her return to power. The front page cover ads, complemented by several inside page ads, #2014 Lok Sabha polls #Jayalalithaa #Mayawati #Mulayam Singh Yadav #Narendra Modi #Nitish Kumar #Politics Decoder
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PIL in SC accuses Allahabad HC of throttling RTI
As public interest litigations (PILs) go, this is an audacious one. A PIL has been filed by Common Cause, a Delhi-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), in the Supreme Court against the Allahabad High Court for seeking to abridge citizens’ rights under the Right to Information Act. The writ petition challenges certain administrative rules #Allahabad High Court #Public Interest Litigation #Right To Information #Superme Court
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The 10 commandments, as redefined by our politicians
Now that parliament has unanimously rejected the idea of using cartoons to make fun of politicians, it is time to frame a new batch of 10 commandments on their behalf so that our democracy works better, and in tune with political correctness. Here they are (with due apologies to Moses): And our #10 Commandments #Ambedkar Cartoon #Parliament 60th Anniversary #Why Now
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Mess-up: High food inflation when granaries are bursting
Monday’s wholesale price index (WPI) number is a standing indictment of the way the government has mismanaged the food economy. The main reason why the WPI leapt up in April to 7.23 percent—which is well outside the Reserve Bank’s comfort zone—is the return of food inflation, which is back in #food inflation #Food security #ThatsJustWrong
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2G licences: Was Telenor the innocent it claims to be?
It didn’t need a Norwegian Trade and Industry Minister to warn us that if we fail to clear up the telecom mess, foreign investment will shy away. However, the minister, Trond Giske, managed to make threatening noises the other day which call for a riposte. In hinting darkly at “political implications,” #2G scam #Telenor #Trond Giske #Unitech #Unitech Wireless Limited
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10 things to do as world and India slow down
They say history repeats itself, first as tragedy, and then as farce. This seems to be the case with the eurozone. The first Greek tragedy got its bailout; the second one, the farcical one, is underway: a general election has produced nothing more than a widespread repudiation of austerity and #Global Growth #Reforms #Slowdown
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Toon trouble: Why Dalits prefer the Ambedkar myth to reality
The political panic over the use of a 1949 Ambedkar cartoon in a Class XI political science textbook has raised a debate over whether electoral democracy is riding roughshod over democratic values. Faced with the belligerence of Dalit leaders, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal executed a complete retreat and not only #Ambedkar Cartoon #Buddha #Dalits #Jesus #Mahavira #Mohammed #OnOurMind
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Sonia’s claims on federalism do not stand test of reality
Sometimes one wonders if isolated leaders like Sonia Gandhi really get it. Whether it is federalism or governance or political management, their statements betray such a complete lack of understanding of ground realities that one wonders why they are considered so politically savvy. Let’s look at some of the statements Sonia #Federalism #Manmohan Singh #Sonia Gandhi