25 DECEMBER 2014: Bharat Ratna for Vajpayi n Malaviya

Ø  The Modi government’s decision to confer the Bharat Ratna on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malaviya evoked a positive response even while striking a chord with its key Hindutva constituency. If Mr.Vajpayee will be the first swayamsewak to be honoured with the Bharat Ratna, Pandit Malaviya, though essentially a Congressman, had also been the president of the Hindu Mahasabha. As the BJP’s first PM, Mr Vajpayee holds a special place not just in his own party but across the political spectrum where his qualities of head and heart earned him respect. As for Pandit Malaviya, the RSS had on his 150{+t}{+h}anniversary in 2010, recommended the Bharat Ratna for him. With both men sharing a birthday, December 25, the government decided to honour them together.

Ø  Ending seven months of uncertainty, Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the guidelines for allocation of All India Services officers based on the Pratyush Sinha Committee’s recommendations. Following the green signal, the Department of Personnel and Training will now prepare and publish the provisional list of officers with their allocation to A.P. and Telangana.

Ø  Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 102nd Indian Science Congress here on January 3. Preparations are in full swing at the University of Mumbai’s Kalina Campus to host the event from January 3 to January 7, 2015. Around 12,000 delegates, including seven Nobel laureates and four Nobel-equivalent prize winning scientists, are expected to attend the congress.