Is the Congress all set to revive its old warhorses? The presence of former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot alongside veteran leaders Salman Khurshid, Mukul Wasnik, Pawan Bansal, and Janardan Dwivedi at Sonia Gandhi’s 10 Janpath residence has reignited political speculation. A brief video of the meeting has fuelled a big buzz over Gehlot’s possible return to the party’s national decision-making circle after a long absence. Officially, the leaders gathered for a meeting of Congress-linked trusts, but political observers see a larger message. With electoral challenges mounting, the Congress may rediscover the value of experience.
RAS officer’s admin exile comes to end at long last
After years in administrative limbo, controversial RAS officer Pinky Meena is back in the system. In the Bhajan Lal government’s recent jumbo transfer list of 178 RAS officers, Meena has been posted as Assistant Director (Public Services) in Sawai Madhopur’s Administrative Reforms and Coordination Department. The move has revived memories of the 2021 bribery case that made national headlines, when the then Bandikui SDM was arrested by the ACB for allegedly accepting a `10 lakh bribe linked to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway project. Her dramatic wedding during interim bail from jail had also captured public attention.
AI to power Kota-Bundi road safety
Can AI and cutting-edge technology succeed where traditional road safety measures have struggled? Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is betting on exactly that with the launch of the “Zero Fatality District Program” in his Kota-Bundi parliamentary constituency. Triggered by a Save Life Foundation report highlighting over 400 road deaths annually, the ambitious initiative will deploy AI-based surveillance, smart monitoring systems, engineering upgrades at accident black spots, and a strengthened emergency response network. Multiple departments, including NHAI, PWD, Transport, and Police, will work in tandem.
Rajesh Asnani
Our correspondent in Jaipur
rajesh.asnani@newindianexpress.com