Shreekant Sambrani

Dec 09, 2011

Autopsies in Bihar confirm insecticide

Bihar education minister P.K. Sahi, under fire for the death of 23 schoolchildren soon after they ate a contaminated midday meal, on Thursday refused to resign even as calls for his dismissal grew and autopsy reports confirmed the presence of an insecticide in the children’s meals.

Central Nigeria ethnic violence kills at least 48

Raids by gunmen in ethnically divided central Nigeria and gun battles between soldiers and attackers have killed at least 48 people and left dozens of homes burnt, the military said today.

Our many ‘gates’

It is now customary to affix “gate” to all scandals.

Did Pari step into Sasha’s territory?

Sasha Agha, Yash Raj Films’ newest protégé, is not seeing eye to eye with Parineeti Chopra, another YRF favourite.

A pillion-ride to Dr Reddy’s fair trade

The small town of Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam district, which straddles the state highway connecting Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, experienced its first-ever traffic jam in August 2008. Its sole claim to fame until then was that it was a picturesque locale for the occasional song-and-dance routines of Telugu films.

Drawing-room ennui

We are treated to two blockbuster TV shows in late February. On the last Monday morning of the month, we watch the Oscars and the last day brings us the Union Budget. This year, the outcomes of both these spectacles were widely predicted well in advance, but we watched them live anyway. We knew the Oscar winners, and found the show dull.

Diagnose the Budget

It’s not just mice an’ men whose best-laid schemes go awry. Sometimes that misfortune afflicts mighty finance ministers of wannabe economic superpowers as well. P. Chidambaram returned to Budget-making much refreshed from his road-shows in financial capitals of the world where he did what he thought was a stand-out job of selling India.

Paradox of plenty

At the end of the day, when we are done pondering weighty issues of governance, freedom of expression and what have you in the august company of talking heads, we must perforce return to the mundane question of bread: Will it cost the same tomorrow as it did today? And can we afford any butter at all?

Wages of sin

A deeply traumatised nation also needs to address the ordinary business of life.

Modi 3: Karma vs dharma

Thank you, chief minister,” said Gujaratis of all descriptions on December 13 and 17. They gave Narendra Modi a victory less substantial than he expected, but an effective one nonetheless.

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