22 JANUARY 2016

Ø  Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan will soon meet for the first round of talks under the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue to discuss terrorism by Pakistan-based outfits, a senior government official told The Hindu, ending speculation about the future of bilateral diplomatic engagement. We are resolving the scheduling problem as both the Foreign Secretaries have busy diplomatic schedule in the coming days but we are confident of finding a convenient date for their meeting soon. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar who postponed the January 15 dialogue with his Pakistan counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, is now focused on the visit by French President Francois Hollande and other high level visitors from Europe during the last week of January.

Ø  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called a meeting of his Council of Ministers for January 27, a day after Republic Day to seek a review of all decisions taken by the Cabinet, and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in the last one-and-a-half years of the NDA government. The agenda circulated has only one item, and it seems to be a mid-term review of sorts for the government. At the end of 2016, the government will be half-way through its five-year term, and this year is being seen as a make-or-break one to deliver on governance and the economy. Mr. Modi had earlier set up eight groups of secretaries to suggest innovative ideas to implement the government’s programmes, and this too is being seen as a way to keep his team on its toes. The agenda has set off speculation that there could be a Cabinet reshuffle during the winter session of the budget session of Parliament.

Ø  Veteran dancer and Padma Bhushan recipient Mrinalini Sarabhai passed away at her residence in Ahmedabad on Thursday after a day’s hospitalisation. She was 97.