Chidambaram’s gesture
If the Karnataka government cannot do it,  Finance Minister P Chidambaram can. That’s what happened in the case of senior IAS officer of Karnataka cadre Dr Anoop Pujari.

The 1980 batch officer has been teaching at Harvard University's John F Kennedy School of Government for more than 15 years. However, the continuity broke last year as the state government refused to let Dr Poojari, then IT secretary in Karnataka, to go for his teaching stint.

However, it was not the case to be, this year. Having been posted in the finance ministry as joint secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, the officer has been allowed by the  Harvard-educated FM to take up teaching. Official sources say but for the Harvard alma-mater, Pujari could not have made it.

Dr Pujari has a PhD from USA and is in Harvard teaching the Mid Career MPAs at the Kennedy School.
B S Arun

‘Out with your cell phones’
What makes Finance Minister P Chidambaram angry?

If your mobile phone rings in the midst of Chidambaram addressing a Press Conference you are bound to receive his flak.

Recently, Chidambaram was briefing scribes on his meeting with MDs of public sector banks. Prior to commencement of the press conference the Finance Ministry spokesperson  made the customary request “Please switch off your cell or keep it on silent mode”.

This is the request the spokesperson makes whenever Chidambaram addresses any press conference.

As the FM was through his briefing a cell phone started ringing. A visibly irritated Chidambaram craned his neck to find out who the culprit was. “Here is a person who wants to listen to me and at the same time wants to attend to his cell phone. You cannot do two things at a time. What is your priority then?” he asked.

After a pause Chidambaram resumed his briefing. After some time again a phone started ringing. This time the culprit was no less than a CMD of a public sector bank, who happened to walk past the venue.

Before Chidambaram could locate who the culprit was this time, the CMD vanished from the scene.
Aditya Raj Das

A V-P in waiting
Preparations for the Vice President’s election might be still on, but the results are already certain, at least in some quarters.

If the happenings in the National Commission for Minorities are seriously considered, it might seem that election of Mr Hamid Ansari to the V-P post is almost a foregone conclusion.

The commission has already given a farewell to the chairman, Mr Ansari, who has been nominated by the UPA-Left combine for the second top post. Although it was not officially termed as a “farewell party”, the “official meeting” could not be dismissed as a routine one as a resolution was moved thanking Mr Ansari for his contribution as chairman of the commission. The members made speeches on the “illustrious” tenure of Ansari and thanked him for his vision and mission for the welfare of the minorities in the country.

They also reposed their faith in him and wished him well in all his “future” ventures.
Shruba Mukherjee