A pension jackpot
In a surprise move, the Cabinet has rolled out the red carpet for its loyal Central government employees with the newly approved Unified Pension Scheme (UPS). Effective April 1, 2025, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke — it’s Modi’s latest master-stroke to ensure a happy retirement for those who’ve toiled under the Central government’s watchful eye.
Picture this: 50 per cent assured pension linked to your last year’s average basic pay. Yes, you heard that right! And that’s not all. Even if you clocked in fewer years than the magic number 25, no worries. Even with just 10 years under your belt, you’ll still pocket a proportionate pension. Talk about a win-win!
A break from black robes
The Health Ministry has decided to do away with the practice of using black robe and cap during convocation ceremonies across its institutes. A notification said,this attire originated in the Middle Ages in Europe and was introduced by the British in all their colonies. This attire is “colonial legacy which needs to be changed”. Various institutes of the Ministry, including AIIMS and ‘institutes of national importance’ engaged in imparting medical education, will design “appropriate India dress codes” for convocation ceremonies. These will be “based on local traditions of the State in which the Institute is located”. The Ministry will be reviewing the dress codes before approving the changes.
Red Book or Blue Book?
The buzzword in Andhra Pradesh politics is the ‘Red Book’ of the ruling Telugu Desam Party. The book refers to a diary maintained by IT Minister Nara Lokesh and son of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu recording the alleged illegal activities of the YSR Congress leaders and ministers when the party was in power during 2019-24. With the NDA government coming to power in the recent election, YSR Congress Party leaders are alleging that the Red Book is being used by the ruling party to settle scores with the opposition. Lokesh has a better reply, as he says it is the duty of any government to bring the culprits to book as per the law. Some YSRCP leaders are now talking of a ‘Blue Book’ (the symbol of YSRCP being blue), which will be maintained to record the ‘excesses’ of the NDA government so that they can be punished by the YSRCP whenever their party comes to power.
Revanth quotes Krishna
New-age politicians seem to be depending a lot on the teachings of Lord Krishna to fight political battles. At the the foundation stone-laying for the Hare Krishna Heritage Tower in Hyderabad, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said, “Inspired by Lord Krishna’s teachings to Arjuna in the Kurukshetra battle, our government will fight against the encroachment of lakes. This is not a programme for politics or political parties... The government has undertaken this... to provide better lives to future generations. We will not succumb to pressure and will take stringent action against the encroachers. Our government stands for righteousness in the spirit of Lord Krishna’s teachings.”