Rajiv Gauba in the reckoning again
There is a strong buzz in the political circles that former cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba may soon get a place in the Narendra Modi’s ministry. A reshuffle is expected around June or July. People in the know say if Gauba doesn’t make it to the cabinet, then he is likely to get a governor role. Gauba served as cabinet secretary, with his term being extended four times—each for one-year periods. The close working relationship between Gauba and PM Modi has led to speculation about his possible inclusion in the cabinet.
Given his impressive track record, Gauba could be assigned a significant portfolio, possibly similar to how S Jaishankar, also a former diplomat, was brought in for his expertise. Gauba’s administrative experience, especially in national security, positions him as a strong candidate for roles such as IT minister or MoS Home. A graduate in Physics from Patna University, Gauba’s career is marked by handling high-stakes situations, including the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and overseeing elections in Muzaffarpur and Gaya.
His expertise in international economics even led to his appointment as Senior Adviser to the Executive Director at IMF in Washington. Known for his role in shaping the National Action Plan to combat Left-Wing Extremism and contributing to the peaceful revocation of Article 370, Gauba has a distinguished career.
The importance of Vivek Joshi
Vivek Joshi, a 1989-batch Haryana cadre IAS officer, appears to be a man of all seasons in the government, as he was assigned three important roles within a span of six months. Joshi from becoming Secretary to the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) to Chief Secretary of Haryana to ending up as the Election Commissioner within the same period indicates that he happened to be the most-sought-after officer. Barely three months before he was appointed as the Election Commissioner, on the request of the Haryana government, the Centre repatriated him to his home cadre and allowed him to be appointed as the Chief Secretary of the state on November 1, 2024.
On February 19, he joined the Election Commission as one of the two Commissioners. He held the position of Secretary DoPT only for less than two and a half months before being shifted from Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance on August 19, where he could remain in office only till October 31. Earlier, Joshi had nearly 2-year stints both as Secretary DFS and Registrar General and Census Commissioner, where he took charge in January 2019.
Nadda waits to take Kumbh holy dip
Here is a Kumbh connection to BJP’s Delhi election victory. While the entire BJP top deck made a beeline to Maha Kumbh not willing to miss the auspicious moments of ‘shahi snans’, party president J P Nadda waited for Delhi election results before taking a holy dip. In what can be called a ‘thank you prayer’ for the BJP’s impressive comeback in the national capital after 27 long years, Nadda stopped at Kashi before reaching Prayagraj on Saturday. And his family, too, joined him for the holy dip at the Sangam.
V-P hails Mammooty as Ambedkar
Southern film star Mammootty, accompanied by CPM MP John Britas, recently paid a visit to Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar. To the actor’s surprise, Dhankhar spoke fondly about some of Mammootty’s iconic roles, particularly his portrayal of Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar in the 2000 film Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, directed by Jabbar Patel. The performance earned Mammootty his third National Award. The V-C specifically mentioned certain frames from the movie, particularly those shot in Parliament, where the actor’s portrayal of Ambedkar left a lasting impact. Dhankhar spoke about how Mammootty brought depth to the character in those pivotal scenes, sparking a moment of shared appreciation between the two.