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...

METRO FEATURE

Heads In Golf

All SMILES: (from left) Best team score winners S. Krishnamurti from BPC, golf pro Amandeep Johl and Kapil Dev with Michael Perchan of South African Airlines (the trio along with Alex Von Behr of Coca Cola won a trip to South Africa; pro winner Ali Sher; and Yogi Deveshwar of ITC drives off 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. Reason? The two-day 6th Business Today Pro-Am tournament where three corporate heads teamed up with a leading Indian professional (46 executives played in each day in 16 teams) to compete for some upbeat prizes like a Maruti Baleno and trips to golf Mecca, St Andrews in Scotland, and South Africa.

So while Yogi Deveshwar of ITC was happily teamed up with Indian Open champ Jyoti Randhawa, A. Dhar (of ad agency Dhar and Hoon) was none too pleased with his pro Vivek Bhandari who was woefully out of form. "I'm kidding, I'm not a pro," cackled Bhandari after shooting a dismal 8 over par on the first day. The lunch hosted by the poolside after the game was a cheerful mix of business, networking and fun. The CEOs chilled out with some exotic cocktails made by Famous Grouse's bartender and got some pointers on golf from the pros.

Though it wasn't always dead earnest golf, the pros enjoyed themselves thoroughly. "It's fun playing with these corporate heads-they're competitive and very receptive to comments," said Bhandari. The performance of the 16 pros, who joined the executives on both days, was judged independently with Ali Sher winning after a playoff with Mukesh Kumar. Pramod Bhasin of GE Capital who played a 5-over won the trip to Scotland with runner-up Anoop Singh from ITC. The post-golf revelry continued at the prize distribution ceremony at the Maurya Sheraton.

-Lehar Kala

more...

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.