Aditi Phadnis And Gyan Verma

Stories by Aditi Phadnis And Gyan Verma

Manipur's development blockade

Manipur's development blockade

Rediff.com   12 Jun 2010

The Nagas, who inhabit the hills, feel the Manipur (Hill Area) District Council Act (Third Amendment) 2008, under which the election was to have been held, takes away the powers of the tribal people.

Karunanidhi's Tale: A divided Hindu family

Karunanidhi's Tale: A divided Hindu family

Rediff.com   15 May 2010

All parents worry when their children quarrel, more so in the sunset of their lives. Karunanidhi's children are special.

From genteel poverty to crusading CJI

From genteel poverty to crusading CJI

Rediff.com   14 May 2010

The young Sarosh may not have been rich but what he did possess was ambition and determination to become a judge. He became counsel for the income tax department in 1974, aged 27. He also appeared for the then Bombay Municipal Corporation in matters concerning rateable value and octroi. He represented the Maharashtra government and several public sector undertakings until he was appointed a high court judge.

Greed is the only motive for politics in Jharkhand

Greed is the only motive for politics in Jharkhand

Rediff.com   3 May 2010

Unnoticed by the rest of the world, a bizarre drama was played out in Jharkhand recently -- that is, even more bizarre than the claims made by Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren's aides that Soren voted for the United Progressive Alliance in the Lok Sabha because he is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, so he forgot that it was the National Democratic Alliance which was supporting his government in Jharkhand.

Parties pad up to ward off IPL bouncers

Parties pad up to ward off IPL bouncers

Rediff.com   22 Apr 2010

Caught in the vortex of a political cyclone that the affairs of the Indian Premier League (IPL) have turned into, the Congress is clear: It wants heads to roll, but they must be of CEOs and not any more ministers.

Hassled Kochi IPL franchisees knock Sonia's doors

Hassled Kochi IPL franchisees knock Sonia's doors

Rediff.com   14 Apr 2010

Told to take money and withdraw, the successful but frightened Kochi franchise winners seek Sonia's protection.

What worries the Delhi chief minister

What worries the Delhi chief minister

Rediff.com   5 Apr 2010

Sheila Dikshit answers the question everyone is asking: 'What after the Commonwealth Games'?

For SIT chief Raghavan, law comes above religion

For SIT chief Raghavan, law comes above religion

Rediff.com   2 Apr 2010

He's a devout Hindu but places fairness above religion.

The one thing Chidambaram is terrified of

The one thing Chidambaram is terrified of

Rediff.com   30 Mar 2010

He's looked after commerce, finance, home ... and holds forth on his predecessors, their bosses, his bosses, and more.

BJP reshuffle: What is Nitin Gadkari thinking?

BJP reshuffle: What is Nitin Gadkari thinking?

Rediff.com   20 Mar 2010

Sheikh Chilli is a well-known character in South Asian mythology. He abounds in vision, dreams, and knows how to inspire people with his talk. He is brimming with futuristic ideas, but has no idea how to realise them: The most famous Sheikh Chilli story is how he decided to cut a branch off a tree when he needed firewood, except that he was sitting on the branch while cutting it.Several in the Bharatiya Janata Party are reminded of Sheikh Chilli while evaluating the team.

Column : M K Narayanan- the last super 'spook'

Column : M K Narayanan- the last super 'spook'

Rediff.com   22 Jan 2010

The consensus in the intelligence community is that there never has been and never will be the kind of super spook that M K Narayanan is considered to have been in the government.

View: Keeping the Samajwadi flock together

View: Keeping the Samajwadi flock together

Rediff.com   9 Jan 2010

The stranglehold of Mulayam's family on the party is at the centre of the debate.

Telangana: Poor development, inept leaders

Telangana: Poor development, inept leaders

Rediff.com   14 Dec 2009

K Chandrashekhar Rao belongs to an intermediate caste called Velama -- corresponding to Jats in north India. Velamas, who were kings in medieval India, are now rich landlords with a presence in at least three districts in Telangana -- Warangal, Medak and Nizamabad. Telangana has been backward for centuries. Remember, it never came under the British but was ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad who did set up a few factories and a textile mill in Warangal.

How the 'Bulldozer' failed in Pak, Afghanistan

How the 'Bulldozer' failed in Pak, Afghanistan

Rediff.com   28 Nov 2009

At a recent Track II conference of Indians and Pakistanis, predictions about the fate of Richard Holbrooke, the key interlocutor for US policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan (Af-Pak, because nothing can be solved in Afghanistan without addressing Pakistan) were dire. He's losing his job and going home -- after all, he's achieved very little, and he's abrasive and rude.

Slim majority complicates Hooda's functioning

Slim majority complicates Hooda's functioning

Rediff.com   14 Nov 2009

Today, Hooda wears a hangdog look. With 40 MLAs, he's barely been able to form a government. He is at the mercy of independents - and has had to part with portfolios as important as transport and tourism - so that they don't cross over to Om Prakash Chautala whose Indian National Lok Dal, with 32 MLAs, is snapping at his heels.

Global recovery: Destination India?

Global recovery: Destination India?

Rediff.com   9 Nov 2009

This year, the India Economic Summit has more foreign companies attending than Indian ones.

Special: Madhu Koda and his circle of friends

Special: Madhu Koda and his circle of friends

Rediff.com   8 Nov 2009

The first five years of Koda's life as a BJP legislator were uneventful: he used this time to consolidate relationships. But elections came around in 2005 and the BJP turned down Koda's claim of a nomination. He contested as an Independent from his old constituency and won.

'Pak has most to gain from peace in Afghanistan'

'Pak has most to gain from peace in Afghanistan'

Rediff.com   11 Oct 2009

Former Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan and former chief secretary of the North West Frontier Province, Rustam Shah Mohmand, tells Aditi Phadnis that the United States is part of the problem in Afghanistan.

Govt to split Chiria mines, SAIL gets half

Govt to split Chiria mines, SAIL gets half

Rediff.com   7 Oct 2009

Putting an end to the fierce scramble for India's iron ore resources, the government has decided to split the Chiria iron ore mines in Jharkhand into two and give at least half the reserves to Steel Authority of India Ltd for its expansion plans. The other half will be kept for development by the private sector later, said informed sources.

Why the haloed Bihar CM lost in the by-polls

Why the haloed Bihar CM lost in the by-polls

Rediff.com   3 Oct 2009

The Bihar result could be a flash in the pan but it has Nitish Kumar seriously worried. More so, because the loss represents a defeat for many of the reforms he was trying to introduce.