Rahul’s Eklavya ‘faux pas’

Rahul Gandhi’s latest slip during the Constitution Day debate in the Lok Sabha added some unexpected levity to the session. Narrating an incident from the Mahabharata, the Congress leader described Eklavya, the determined tribal archer, as a “7-year-old young man” instead as a kid. The error drew laughter and jeers from NDA MPs, who seized the moment for some light-hearted banter.

While the Opposition leader’s speeches often aim to strike at the government, moments like these highlight how even serious debates can take an amusing turn, often at the expense of their orators.

Open minds, closed doors

The Global Economic Policy Forum 2024 witnessed a moment of unexpected drama this past week when Chief Economic Adviser Anantha Nageswaran took a sly swipe at the moderator during a panel discussion on “Future of Regulation: Balancing Innovation and Risk”.

The moderator had urged the panelists — comprising regulatory chiefs and the CEA — to be “open” in what was described as a “closed-door” session (not allowed for media).

Quick on his feet, Nageswaran quipped on the paradox, exposing the irony, leaving the audience in amused discomfort. The embarrassment was palpable as the organisers scrambled to retract and announced that the session would henceforth be “open to the media”.

This incident is emblematic of the tension regulators face: championing transparency while grappling with the risks of their words being misconstrued in public forums.

For regulators navigating the delicate dance of transparency and caution, Nageswaran’s jab serves as a reminder: frankness is best served with an open door.

Making a debut

Year-ends are usually the time for get-togethers by ‘corporate types’ where the media can interact with top honchos informally over drinks and dinner. This year a surprise entrant to the party scene was Kotak Mahindra Bank. The ‘first annual media dinner’ the invite said.

Despite it being a Thursday and the venue BKC, the media was present in impressive numbers including some well known television anchors.

Not only the bank management but the investment bank, wealth management and asset management division’s top executives were also present. The bank’s CEO & MD Ashok Vaswani in a welcome speech, spoke of the changing morale of Indians globally riding on its economic growth. He also promised to make the dinner an annual affair.

WhatsApp Governance

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that WhatsApp would be utilised for issuance of certificates such as caste and income.

At a review meeting on RTGES (Real-Time Governance Society) Naidu had said “Everything is going digital, and WhatsApp Governance will be the future. The goal is to deliver the best services through ‘WhatsApp Governance’ by collecting and integrating data from each department,” he said.