Above the Fold
1. The Supreme Court has told Gujarat police there is no need to arrest activist Teesta Setalvad, who is currently being accused of embezzlement.
2. RK Pachauri, the renowned environmental scientist, has been ordered to join an investigation into allegations that he sexually harassed a female colleague.
3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Arunachal Pradesh today, his first visit to the state as PM, coinciding with statehood day celebrations.
4. Indian workers, treated like slaves in the US, just won a $14 million lawsuit.
The Big Story: Oil firms caught in muck
In one sentence: Delhi Police has busted a racket to forge and steal confidential oil ministry documents and is now attempting to ascertain which petroleum companies were part of the conspiracy.
Five people, including former staffers from the ministry, have been arrested after Delhi Police set a trap. The gang used forged IDs and duplicate keys to enter the ministry after hours to access papers. These were then packaged for sale to either companies who could benefit or investors who could trade on the info.
Besides former ministry staffers, the police are also quizzing two former journalists, who were allegedly involved. The police also raided the offices of Reliance Industries Ltd, which put out a statement that one of its personnel was under investigation. In addition to RIL, the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, the Essar Group and the Cairn Group are reportedly being probed.
To make things worse for RIL chief Mukesh Ambani, he is no longer India's richest man.
The Big Scroll
The Oil Ministry leaks are a reminder of how shockingly widespread corporate espionage is in India.
Need to Know 1: Bihar brouhaha
Today's events in the Bihar Assembly are crucial as the Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi will have to survive a trust vote, after the governor's address and presuming there is no ruckus first. Manjhi has been promised support from the Bharatiya Janata Party, but former CM Nitish Kumar might still have tricks up his sleeve. The final result will have a serious political impact on the upcoming Parliament Session in Delhi.
Need to Know 2: Pakistan's own hard stance
Last year New Delhi sent a message to Islamabad by calling off talks because Pakistani ambassador had met with separatist Hurriyat leaders from Kashmir. This time Islamabad is returning the favour, denying a visa to a Peoples Democratic Party leader to attend a Track II conference next week. Pakistan also said it sees the Hurriyat as the "true representative" of the people of J&K, which is significant because the BJP is set to form government in the state with the PDP.
Politicking
1. Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen won't try for a second term as Chancellor of Nalanda University, because he believes the BJP doesn't want him.
2. Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy is still trying to cozy up to the BJP, but it's not working so well.
3. Ahead of a crucial meeting of the Kerala unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), leaders Pinarayi Vijayan and VS Achuthandan are locked in a pitched battle.
Giggle
Punditry
1. Shiv Visvanathan tries to get you to imagine Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal in a snazzy suit. You can't do it.
2. Pratap Bhanu Mehta says Modi's remarks on communal violence shows an important thing about the PM: he does respond to criticism.
3. Amartya Sen laments the amount of political interference that exists in academic governance.
Don't Miss
Former BJP National Executive member Prodyut Bora speaks to Scroll about why he left the party:
"All the ministers are frustrated, all the senior leaders are frustrated, all the national office-bearers are frustrated. Go and speak to them. Don't take my word for granted. "
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letters@scroll.in.
1. The Supreme Court has told Gujarat police there is no need to arrest activist Teesta Setalvad, who is currently being accused of embezzlement.
2. RK Pachauri, the renowned environmental scientist, has been ordered to join an investigation into allegations that he sexually harassed a female colleague.
3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Arunachal Pradesh today, his first visit to the state as PM, coinciding with statehood day celebrations.
4. Indian workers, treated like slaves in the US, just won a $14 million lawsuit.
The Big Story: Oil firms caught in muck
In one sentence: Delhi Police has busted a racket to forge and steal confidential oil ministry documents and is now attempting to ascertain which petroleum companies were part of the conspiracy.
Five people, including former staffers from the ministry, have been arrested after Delhi Police set a trap. The gang used forged IDs and duplicate keys to enter the ministry after hours to access papers. These were then packaged for sale to either companies who could benefit or investors who could trade on the info.
Besides former ministry staffers, the police are also quizzing two former journalists, who were allegedly involved. The police also raided the offices of Reliance Industries Ltd, which put out a statement that one of its personnel was under investigation. In addition to RIL, the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, the Essar Group and the Cairn Group are reportedly being probed.
To make things worse for RIL chief Mukesh Ambani, he is no longer India's richest man.
The Big Scroll
The Oil Ministry leaks are a reminder of how shockingly widespread corporate espionage is in India.
Need to Know 1: Bihar brouhaha
Today's events in the Bihar Assembly are crucial as the Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi will have to survive a trust vote, after the governor's address and presuming there is no ruckus first. Manjhi has been promised support from the Bharatiya Janata Party, but former CM Nitish Kumar might still have tricks up his sleeve. The final result will have a serious political impact on the upcoming Parliament Session in Delhi.
Need to Know 2: Pakistan's own hard stance
Last year New Delhi sent a message to Islamabad by calling off talks because Pakistani ambassador had met with separatist Hurriyat leaders from Kashmir. This time Islamabad is returning the favour, denying a visa to a Peoples Democratic Party leader to attend a Track II conference next week. Pakistan also said it sees the Hurriyat as the "true representative" of the people of J&K, which is significant because the BJP is set to form government in the state with the PDP.
Politicking
1. Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen won't try for a second term as Chancellor of Nalanda University, because he believes the BJP doesn't want him.
2. Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy is still trying to cozy up to the BJP, but it's not working so well.
3. Ahead of a crucial meeting of the Kerala unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), leaders Pinarayi Vijayan and VS Achuthandan are locked in a pitched battle.
Giggle
#PakBoat cartoon @ETPolitics @EconomicTimes pic.twitter.com/zK4vGFmqyL
— R Prasad (@rprasad66) February 20, 2015Punditry
1. Shiv Visvanathan tries to get you to imagine Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal in a snazzy suit. You can't do it.
2. Pratap Bhanu Mehta says Modi's remarks on communal violence shows an important thing about the PM: he does respond to criticism.
3. Amartya Sen laments the amount of political interference that exists in academic governance.
Don't Miss
Former BJP National Executive member Prodyut Bora speaks to Scroll about why he left the party:
"All the ministers are frustrated, all the senior leaders are frustrated, all the national office-bearers are frustrated. Go and speak to them. Don't take my word for granted. "
