Amidst the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the Indian Parliament last month, the highlight of which was a special sitting of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, a fine gesture on the part of the LS speaker Meira Kumar is worth a mention. For, she ensured that employees of the Lok Sabha Secretariat too were made to feel a part of the institution for which they work so hard.

So Ms Kumar made her way to the central courtyard of the grand Parliament House for no less than three days for those who gathered there in batches to have themselves photographed with the speaker.
The speaker felt that they contribute as much to the functioning of Parliament as the members of Parliament, so they too should have the privilege of being photographed with her. So staff ranging from the chamber attendants to lift attendants to those who work in the table office or those dealing with the media were called for the photo session with the Speaker. And they were, for sure, a happy lot as they too felt a part of the celebrations as well as becoming a part of history.

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India’s ‘small’ participation proves a cause for concern
This year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) may have been an event to be remembered by the Indian participants, particularly with India’s resolution focusing on the burden of mental disorders receiving warm support from other countries. However, the “small” participation with only 9 delegates (five officials from the ministry and four from the Indian embassy) has become a cause for concern for the officials, after the officials witnessed stronger participation by other counties.
While China had 49 participants including students and journalists, 25 participants came from Indonesia and Thailand had 68 participants. The officials feel that since developing countries look up to India, a stronger participation from next year should be taken into consideration, and a recommendation to this effect has been shared with the health secretary and the Union health minister.

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Cabinet ministers eye likely vacancies
Now that UPA has nominated Pranab Mukherjee for President, a number of Cabinet ministers are looking at the likely vacancies in the UPA. Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh and commerce minister Anand Sharma are said to be eying the Ministry of finance. Apparently acting on cue, Ramesh shared his views on key economic concerns, including on high subsidy burden.
Within a couple of days, Sharma too spoke on the issue and publicly criticised him. While it’s to be seen who gets what in the likely Cabinet reshuffle, Ramesh (having widely travelled the naxal-affected areas) is also looking at the Ministry of Home with hope, sources said. This of course can happen only if Home Minister P. Chidambaram moves to Finance and creates a vacancy.

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Montek lauds CMs’ battle against poverty
Despite the government having announced a new expert group to work out a new methodology to assess the number of poor in the country by overhauling the current Tendulkar committee’s assessment, it appears that both Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and chief ministers of different states including Shivraj Singh Chauhan (Madhya Pradesh), Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh) and Prithviraj Chavan (Maharashtra) prefer to follow the existing system. Since, the plan panel has projected a substantial decline in the present poverty level in the country in comparison to 2004-05 using Tendulkar committee’s methodology, Mr Ahluwalia is learnt to have appreciated chief ministers’ efforts in reducing poverty in their States. However, in the case of BJP chief ministers (Shviraj Singh Chauhan and Dr Raman Singh), it is learnt that Mr Ahluwalia, during their plan discussion meeting, suggested that he would forward the poverty figures presented by them to their party leader Yashwant Sinha. Incidentally, Mr Sinha, while participating in debate in the Lok Sabha over poverty figures, had lambasted the government and planning commission.

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BSP members can’t afford to upset Behenji
Entry of BSP supremo Mayawati into Rajya Sabha has led to a precarious situation for top party leaders in Parliament, particularly BSP leader in Rajya Sabha, Satish Chandra Mishra, and Dara Singh Chauhan in Lok Sabha.
Prior to Mayawati’s entry into the House of Elders, the rulings by UPA was often bailed out by Mr Mishra and Mr Chauhan during floor management in both the Houses.
But now that the party chief herself is present in the Parliament, both the leaders have categorically conveyed to the Congress-led UPA that from now even the smallest decision on floor management in Parliament will have to be approved by Behenji. Perhaps, both Mr Mishra and Mr Chauhan realise that antagonising Behenji may prove to be a lethal mistake.