The Hindu Business Line : Unfussy Governor

The RBI Governor, Dr Duvvuri Subba rao, is acknowledged by everyone to be a modest man. Even so, a colleague was astonished a few days ago when he saw the Good Governor standing in a queue at the airport, first to enter the building, then to check in, and then at security. At the departure gate, he was told his hand baggage tag had not been stamped, so would he please go back and get it done? Dr Subbarao quietly turned back and got the needful done. The RBI has an elaborate system of liaison offficers who normally see to it that the bosses are never troubled. So do senior bankers, government officials and, of course, ministers, not to mention Congress Presidents and their sons-in-law. Clearly, Dr Subbarao does not believe in being fussed over.

RBI's prima donna

It seems the new media advisor/consultant who is soon joining the RBI from the IMF - an Indian lady - is quite something. Recently, she was asked by the Governor to go over some speech and she declined saying she had to go to the US. But that's not all. The lady has been demanding a flat of choice, which even very senior RBI staffers have to wait for in a queue. She turned down a flat sometime ago saying the she could not possibly live on the higher floors and would the RBI please get off its backside and show me something lower down? Nice way to start, no?

Wrong economy

That the Government is keen to stimulate growth in the economy is well known. But the key question is which economy - Indian or Chinese? At a day-long conference chaired by the Cabinet Secretary on how the various stimulus measures given by the Government were doing on the ground, the usual bags were distributed. Guess where they were made? The Guanzhou province in China!

Tailpiece

Jai Hind College in Mumbai recently celebrated its 60th anniversary. A colleague who was invited to speak at the occasion says the college motto is "I will and I can". So, did President Obama of the US get his idea - Yes, we can - from Jai Hind College?

OUR DELHI BUREAU