Chana, lentils and politics
The Centre will unlikely extend duty-free imports of chickpeas (chana) and lentils. The prices of pulses are ruling below minimum support price. Any decision on cutting wheat import duty, as demanded by millers, is likely only on a comprehensive review of production, stocks and demand. A little bird says the Sangh is against allowing imports that affect farmers.
The Bharatiya Kisan Sangh is also against cheaper imports. There are elections ahead in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and the Sangh wants to have its say.
Gender bender
Larsen & Toubro has rolled out a one-day paid menstrual leave for female employees — a move that, at first glance, seems like a progressive step towards workplace inclusivity. Just months ago, CEO SN Subrahmanyan stirred controversy with his now-infamous call for a 90-hour work-week. The backlash was swift, and now, suddenly, a “thoughtful” leave policy emerges. The policy itself is limited — it only applies to the parent company, leaving out thousands of women in subsidiaries. While menstrual leave is a commendable initiative, the timing makes it look more like a strategic bandage on a self-inflicted PR wound than a genuine commitment to gender inclusivity.
SEBI’s focus
The Securities and Exchange Board of India’s new chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey is on mission mode to boost transparency within the entity, especially concerning board members’ conflicts of interest. Pandey’s agenda aims to rebuild trust among investors and stakeholders. But in a landscape where corporate intrigue often rivals Bollywood plots, will these reforms script a happy ending or just another sequel in the saga of regulatory challenges, wondered capital market observers.
Know your leader
Actor-director Santhana Bharathi would have been shocked to see his picture in wall posters, pasted by BJP workers in and around Ranipet. He had nothing to do with the party nor the event. The goof-up was that the posters should have carried the picture of BJP leader Amit Shah instead.
Treasure hunt
The release of Chhaava — starring Vicky Kaushal as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj — has turned Burhanpur’s Asirgarh Fort into a hotspot for midnight treasure hunts. Inspired by the film’s depiction of history, villagers armed with shovels and metal detectors have been digging, chasing whispers of Mughal-era gold.
The frenzy escalated after ancient-looking coins surfaced in soil dumped from a highway project. Hopefuls flocked to the fields, only to see authorities step in and cordon off the area. While the fields may not have yielded the promised treasures, Chhaava has certainly struck gold at the box office.