Vice-President Hamid Ansari got a special parting gift from artist-MP Jogen Chowdhury on Thursday.
Even as Rajya Sabha MPs spoke about his 10 years in office and the multiple facets of his personality, Vice-President Hamid Ansari got a special parting gift from artist-MP Jogen Chowdhury on Thursday. Chowdhury, who is in the habit of sitting in the House and sketching, came with a mounted sketch of Ansari in the chair. The MP gave the 2015 sketch to Ansari soon after he adjourned the House for one last time.
Making It Public
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’ Brien on Thursday spilled the beans about CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury’s next project. Derek, who was giving his farewell speech for Yechury, said that they were both writing books, which are being published by an “American” publisher, and that Yechury’s book is titled “The Left is always right”. Derek also said that his daughter tells him that he has started resembling Yechury since he stopped colouring his hair.
Courtesy Visit
Fresh from his Gujarat election victory, Congress leader Ahmed Patel paid West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee a visit at the residence of MP Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday. The Trinamool chief is in town to attend a meeting of opposition parties on Friday. As there were apprehensions about how Patel would fare in Gujarat, Mamata had offered to send him to Rajya Sabha from West Bengal.
The Speedbreaker
The HRD Ministry’s plans to set up an agency to conduct all national entrance tests for admission to higher education institutions has hit a bump. The ministry, which was ready with the Cabinet note, has now been asked by the Prime Minister’s Office to consult UPSC, Railway Recruitment Board, Central Staffing Board, among others, to see if the proposed National Testing Agency (NTA) can also conduct recruitment examinations. NTA was initially proposed to relieve CBSE of the additional responsiblity of conducting exams like NEET and UGC-NET. The PMO’s suggestion means the HRD Ministry will have to consult more stakeholders and that could delay the setting up of the agency.
