Delhi Guardian

“I promise you in 21st Century Narendra Modi will never become the Prime Minister of the country. …But if he wants to distribute tea here, we will find a place for him." This was Mani Shankar Aiyar's caustic claim in January this year, a gratuitous insult which I am certain embarrasses Aiyar today. He is wrong at so many levels. Mani Shankar Aiyar is a supercilious, a blatantly pompous, intellectual who believes that anyone who has not studied at The Doon School, St Stephen's College, and the University of Cambridge is devoid of the cognitive moorings to engage with him. An illusion which mirror the manifold misconceptions which plague him. His cavalier attitude has not taken him very far. His drubbing at the hustings this year has made him even more belligerent. Shashi Tharoor, very recently, was very vocal about his positive views on Narendra Modi. This distressed Aiyar of course.   A disgruntled man like Aiyar is a pleasure to watch on television. He is...

I have followed Smriti Irani's career trajectory quite closely. Right from the time when she was the protagonist in 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabji Bahu Thi' till the time she became a part of the new cabinet and was vested with the responsibility of guiding the educational policy as the Human resource Development Minister. I am told that she was a Miss India finalist. I have observed her on television channels where she vociferously attacked the Congress on a number of issues. Her stamina and the articulate manner in which she voices her opinions are commendable. Smriti’s checkered history is indeed a success story; rising from a nondescript individual to a minister in the Modi cabinet. Being in the educational sector, I have a number of policy suggestions for the new minister but that calls for a separate blog. I want to focus more on the contentious debate regarding her educational qualifications. She herself boldly stated that she should be judged by the quality of he...