Bloated Babudam
More heads, less work-that's the state of the bureaucracy in India. A privileged lot with guaranteed rights, pay and perks, they cost the taxpayers Rs 75,000 crore a year.The work culture makes them surplus but hard to get rid of.

Taking the
Plunge
Congress President Sonia Gandhi shedding her inhibitions and taking a dip at the Mahakumbha in Allahabad and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's Dharma Sansad at the same venue were both seen as political moves.

Starved of Future
With the state reeling under a severe drought and government measures providing little succour, the prospect of a famine looms large. The debilitating results are now showing up as a chain of catastrophes in this rain-fed region.

Puppy Paradise Professionals have turned Ludhiana into the richest city.

Fifth Column
by Tavleen Singh
Let's Get Real

Kautilya
by Jairam Ramesh
Core To RBI,Sore To Others

Right Angle
by Swapan Dasgupta
Knee Dip In Hindu Votes

Flip Side
by Dilip Bobb
Panic Stations

Luck's Abode

Pen Friend

More...

NEWSNOTES: CONFESSIONAL

As the deadline for relocating polluting industries nears, Delhi Chief Minister Sheela Dixit is getting desperate.

Q. Why have you not been able to get the support of Delhi's BJP MPs on the polluting units issue?
A. It is too much to expect them to change their attitude all of a sudden. They would give their consent and then come up with some excuse or the other and walk out at the eleventh hour.

Q. But they say you are squarely responsible for the state of affairs.
A. The fact is, we are the ones who took up issues like the large-scale retrenchment of workers and its fallout on Delhi's economy.

Q. That means you are still helpless. Is it a race against time?
A. I am sure the courts will take a long look at the matter and give us some time.

Q. But isn't your government also responsible for the state of affairs?
A. We are only paying for the misdeeds of the previous BJP government of Delhi. Our Government moved swiftly and hired professional consultants to help us deal with the situation.

Q. What about the guilty officials?
A. We'll proceed against the guilty.

-K.S. Singh

Top

Heads In Golf
It seems the golf course is a welcome change from the boardroom. On a foggy Saturday morning last week, 96 of India's top CEOs braved the cold and determinedly made their way to ITC Classic Golf Resort near Gurgaon. more...

Looking Glass

Bangalore:
Coffee Bar

Delhi: Music

Bangalore: Cultural Festival

If planned well, the quake could be the Keynesian opportunity for Yashwant Sinha to trigger growth,
says India Today Associate Editor
V. Shankar Aiyar
in Au ContrAiyar.

This is just the beginning, V.K. Aatre, who is at the core of the LCA action, tells India Today Principal Correspondent Stephen David in an exclusive
Interview.

Managing home and
a career was always tough but women in the metros can now choose from an increasing array of options to work flexible hours.
India Today's
Namita Bhandare takes a look at the part-time and flexi-time job market in Despatches.