It’s not every day that a chair makes headlines — but in Delhi’s political theatre, even an empty one carries weight. As Atishi took the reins as the new Chief Minister, she made one thing clear: the real boss is still Arvind Kejriwal.

In a symbolic move that’s part tribute, part strategy, she refused to sit in the chair occupied by her “guru”, declaring it reserved for the man she hopes will return in a few months.

Setting aside comparisons to Bharat holding Lord Ram’s Khadaun, this chair seems to carry more political clout than those in use. As Atishi navigates the corridors of power, the question lingers — will this empty chair overshadow her brief tenure? One thing’s for sure: in Delhi’s Secretariat, even the furniture has a voice!

Duty cut blues

The Centre on Friday cut the export duty on parboiled rice to 10 per cent from 20 per cent. It reduced the export duty on white rice to zero per cent, leaving the trade confused. The issue is there was no point in removing the duty, while the ban was still in force. The decision to allow exports vests with the Commerce Ministry.

On Saturday, its arm DGFT issued a notification lifting the ban. But with the condition that shipment will be at a minimum export price of $490.

According to some in the trade, exporters had “set up channels” to pay the 10 per cent duty meant for parboiled rice and export white rice in the garb of parboiled rice.

Coldplay Craze

Forget inflation – the real economic indicator in India? Look at the way Coldplay tickets were sold, with over 1.3 crore fans battling for just 1.5 lakh tickets. In just 30 minutes, BookMyShow was sold out, but if you’ve got ₹10 lakh lying around (yes, that’s right), resale sites have got your back!

Now, the plot thickens. As fans clamour for their “Fix You” moment, Mumbai’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has jumped into the mix, summoning BookMyShow CEO Ashish Hemrajani for alleged black marketing of these golden tickets!

Advocate Amit Vyas filed a complaint claiming fans were being duped as ticket prices went from ₹35,000 to a jaw-dropping ₹10 lakh on resale platforms. Yes, Coldplay’s Mumbai show has not only crashed wallets but also raised eyebrows in the police department.

It’s the wild west of premium consumption, with fans battling bots and waiting in endless virtual queues. But FOMO’s a powerful thing, and it seems India’s love for Coldplay is only matched by its disposable incomes — and now, legal drama!

Hemrajani and his team will soon have their day with the EOW, but until then, fans are left wondering if they will end up with just a front-row seat to the courtroom drama.

True copy

SEBI has recently announced an essay competition for students to test their financial literacy. Given how entrenched ChatGPT is today, Madhabi Puri Buch, Chairperson of SEBI, recently said they had to create one category for original writers and another for students using ChatGPT.

“We wanted to ensure that students display their creativity even while using ChatGPT,” she said. Adopting technology is better than competing with it, you bet. Our Bureaus