What looked like a routine post-AGM media interaction at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd on Thursday acquired a rather different flavour by nightfall. BPCL indicated that E10 petrol was technically feasible alongside E20, and the remark circulated through the afternoon without apparent alarm. Then, at 11 pm, came the correction: BPCL denied its position was contrary to the government’s existing ethanol-blending policy. The timing caused some raised eyebrows in oil circles. Sources said concern had travelled upwards, with the PMO learnt to have pulled up officials over the comments. Subsequently, Oil Minister Hardeep Puri reportedly sought an explanation from BPCL CMD Sanjay Khanna. The episode left little doubt about the government’s message: no freelancing on ethanol.
Getting Nepal to relent on rescue aid
Nepal’s initial reluctance to seek international search-and-rescue assistance in the Bhotekoshi flash flood-hit areas appears to have given way after some persistent diplomatic persuasion. Several people, including foreign nationals, remained missing, prompting countries whose citizens were caught up in the disaster to press Kathmandu and offer assistance. India, meanwhile, put several options on the table, including a specialised tunnel rescue team, medical support and teams from the National Disaster Response Force. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Nepali counterpart, Shisir Khanal, and reiterated India’s readiness to provide whatever specialised assistance Nepal might require. After a series of such efforts, Kathmandu eventually reversed its earlier position and agreed to seek help from international rescue teams.
Mystery of the missing IPS
Officials are now looking for senior IPS officer Shankar Choudhary, a 2011-batch officer of the AGMUT cadre, who is supposed to be serving as Officer on Special Duty at Police Headquarters in Aizawl, Mizoram. Choudhary has been on prolonged leave for more than 100 days between April and July 15, 2026. Although he was ordered to take up a new assignment as Deputy Inspector General of Police, Training, he has not joined duty, officials said. With authorities unable to establish his whereabouts, an inquiry has now been instituted to locate him. The development has drawn attention because the missing officer belongs to the police establishment itself, leaving the department to trace one of its own senior officers.
A woman again for RPF?
The race for the next Director General of the Railway Protection Force is already attracting attention, with Sonali Mishra set to move out on November 1. The buzz points towards another woman IPS officer. Sampat Meena, a 1994-batch Jharkhand cadre officer serving as Special Director in the CBI, is among the names doing the rounds. She is unlikely to return to her parent cadre. If appointed, Meena would become only the second woman to head the RPF. Another woman contender, Anupama Chandra, currently DG (Investigation) at the NHRC, is also being mentioned seriously. Besides them, several 1993 and 1994-batch IPS officers are quietly eyeing the coveted post as well. The final choice remains open, with contenders waiting for the decision.
Playful Modi goes Gen Alpha
A new political line is doing the rounds in saffron circles: where the Opposition stops thinking, Prime Minister Narendra Modi starts thinking. At this year’s Raksha Bandhan celebration, Modi seemed to go beyond the Opposition’s focus on NextGen and Gen Z, reaching instead towards Gen Alpha. At his home, schoolgirls tied rakhis on his wrist, bringing out a playful side as he joked, laughed and mingled with them. Modi later wrote, “High-fives, smiles and more during today’s Raksha Bandhan celebrations at 7, LKM.” Asked about his childhood dream, he smiled and replied, “Aap logon se milna”, drawing laughter. A senior BJP functionary said this showed Modi reaching Gen Alpha, shaping aspirations and the “New Bharat” image of Viksit Bharat.
