Matilda

NEWS: The CAG(Comptroller and Auditor General) recently released a report of the COALGATE scam. In this whole master blunder, the national exchequer faced an estimated loss of Rs. 1.86 lakh crore. The 155 coal blocks obtained by captive mining were distributed illegally to 100 private companies. BACKGROUND: During the period of 2004-2009, the coal ministry was to allocate coal blocks to the companies and as per the legal process, this had to be done through an auction. However, the top notches of the ministry which also includes the current Prime Minister , Dr. Manmohan Singh, who was the minister-in-charge from 2005-09 , had manipulated the legal processes. It is believed that even though the date for auction was decided but before that some firms were granted coal blocks through a screening committee. This delay in the introduction of competitive bidding is the reason why the CAG is pointing fingers. As the report elucidates, these choiced companies were given post-bid concessio...

St. Stephen's , as known to many, is a highly prestigious institution which has been under the limelight ever since it was founded. Initially thought of as the Britisher's hiding ground, the senior members of the college have not only shown the students the right path but also left their own trail behind. The college has always been under the leadership of stalwarts who have had the courage to fight for the sound cause.During the Indian Independence Struggle, St. Stephen's College has also left its imprint on the pages of history.  Charles Freer Andrews(a former principal), a famous and staunch follower of Mahatma Gandhi , has been an integral part of the Indian Independence Struggle. He was named "Deenbandhu"( i.e. the friend of the poor) and had strong belief in the power of "ahimsa".  He was one unique stephanian who had attended the national meeting of Congress. He wrote articles for The Tribune to express his nationalist fervour. While he w...

I recently read an article by Mahesh Dattani titled “Don’t worry, be crazy.” He emphasized the fact that “No matter how old you are, it is necessary to keep reviving the bubbly child in you.” I believe in this theory because I have tested it and tried it. When you laugh hysterically and literally roll on the floor laughing (ROFLing!!), you can experience the true zing in life!!Ever tried running after a moving bus, racing with a squirrel, shrieking while driving through a tunnel and dancing in the bathroom with loud music? I feel these can be the best times of one’s life. This crazy creativity does not mean getting high on alcohol or any other vice – rather it just means feeling uninhibited for a short while in your limits!! For some “supposedly sane” people, craziness is not “socially appropriate”. I vehemently oppose this school of thought. I realize that it is essential to follow social decorum but doesn’t mean that those restrictive norms should keep you locked in a c...