After a two-year pause, Nalanda University finally has a full-time vice-chancellor. Economist Sachin Chaturvedi has taken charge, succeeding Sunaina Singh, who served a notably extended six-year term. As he steps into his new academic role, Chaturvedi has also been asked to continue as Director General of the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), a New Delhi-based government think tank. RIS, supported by a Governing Council that includes the ministries of external affairs, economic affairs, finance, science and technology, and commerce, is a multi-country platform that advises developing nations on regional and global economic issues.
With Chaturvedi juggling both hats, the Ministry of External Affairs has begun looking for a full-time replacement at RIS. The brief? A candidate with at least 15 years of experience in research and teaching in economics or a related field—including five years as a professor. Unsurprisingly, this has piqued the interest of many former bureaucrats and policy veterans keen to throw their hats into the ring. Traditionally, the RIS has maintained a balance of scholarly and diplomatic heft: its president is a former Indian Foreign Service officer, while the DG is typically an economist—a mix that keeps the numbers and the nuance in check.
‘Go far and wide with Op Sindoor’
BJP MPs, senior leaders, and other NDA allies are understood to have been asked to promote the success of Operation Sindoor as widely as possible through their social media platforms, including X. “Every detail which showcases the abilities of our armed forces must be amplified globally and within the country to make their bravery public,” remarked a BJP functionary. He added that Union cabinet ministers have also been mobilised to popularise government achievements under Prime Minister Modi and highlight the success of Operation Sindoor’s success. A source remarked that the suggestion appears to have spurred a competition of sorts, with “everyone in the cabinet and in organisational roles engaged in a global digital race to ensure Modi’s reach extends across the world.”
With power, comes sense of neglect
With BJP’s dramatic takeover of the Delhi government, its MPs now feel like political outcasts on their turf. Previously, the BJP held all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, but it was out of power. During that time, party workers and sympathisers would turn to the MPs for assistance or to voice grievances. Now that the saffron party has dethroned AAP and seized the reins of Delhi, all eyes—and grievances—have shifted to the newly empowered MLAs and ministers. The once-crowded offices and residences of BJP MPs usually wear a deserted look, leaving them struggling to adjust to their diminished local role.
‘Karmayogi of Month’ — DoPT way
The Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) has implemented a unique and innovative way to celebrate the birthdays of department personnel and make public announcements of the names of the ‘Karmayogi of the Month’. The DoPT, which functions from the North Block, has put up a huge LED display screen at the entrance at Gae No. 4, listing the birthdays of personnel daily. The names of the employees with their pictures appear on the screen amid virtual firecrackers and the words “Happy Birthday” in bold. The display screen alternatively announces the names of the “Karmayogi of the Month” with the tagline “Top Learner of DoPT on iGOT Karmayogi Platform” and offers congratulations for their achievement.
Money matters in keeping babus happy
In a major relief to Union government employees, the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) recently issued an order saying that those retiring a day before the annual pay hike is announced will get a notional increment for the calculation of their pension. The Centre announces employee pay hikes on January 1 and July 1. Therefore, those who retire on December 31 and June 30 will be eligible for the notional increment. An office memorandum was issued earlier this week. Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services (Revise Pay) 2006 norms stipulates that the date of annual increment was made uniform by fixing July 1 every year from January 1, 2006. However, in 2016, by amending Rule 10 by inserting (1), the government decided that there should be two dates for the grant of increment: January 1 and July 1. The new decision gives retiring employees an increased retirement benefit.