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Of India's top anti-corruption Lokpal's tender to buy seven BMW luxury cars!
The ethics and optics of such a high-end procurement by the chairman of the anti-corruption body has ignited nationwide outrage. Has the watchdog become the wolf! The moment has come in our democratic discourse to realise, repeat realise, that fighting corruption is not just about laws and institutions. Its feasibility lies in a culture of governance nurtured by appropriate democracy (which has to evolve on its own). Is anybody listening?

NEW DELHI, Oct 21: In a move that has stunned the country, the Lokpal of India has invited open tenders for supply of seven luxury BMW 3 Series Li cars for the country's anti-corruption ombudsman and his staff.

The notice inviting the tender of October 16 has sparked outrage across the country and on social media.

Each vehicle is estimated to cost upwards of Rs 70 lakh, bringing the total projected expenditure to nearly Rs 5 cr.

"The Lokpal of India invites open tenders from reputed Agencies for the supply of seven BMW 3 Series Li Cars to the Lokpal of India,"the notive said. The start date for bid submission was October 17, while the end date is November 6 at 3 pm. The evaluation process will begin on November 7.

The delivery deadline is preferably within two weeks, but no later than 30 days from the supply order. No extensions will be granted.

The Lokpal has specified that the cars must be M Sport variant of the BMW 330 Li, known for its luxury features and extended wheelbase comfort.

The tender specifies that the cars are intended for use by Lokpal members, including the Chairperson, former Supreme Court judge Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar.

The procurement includes not just the vehicles but also a comprehensive training program for drivers. Vendors are required to provide both theoretical and practical instruction—covering 50 to 100 km of supervised driving—and familiarize drivers with the cars’ advanced electronic systems. All training costs are to be borne by the vendor.

Public teaction and criticism

The announcement has triggered a wave of criticism across social media and civil society. Prominent activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan condemned the move, stating on X:

“The institution of Lokpal has been ground to dust by the Modi govt, by keeping it vacant for many years and then appointing servile members who are not bothered by graft and are happy with their luxuries. They are now buying Rs 70L BMW cars for themselves!”

Many netizens echoed Bhushan’s sentiment, branding the Lokpal as “Luxury-pal” and accusing it of hypocrisy—spending lavishly while its mandate is to combat corruption and promote austerity. Critics argue that such a display of extravagance undermines public trust and contradicts the very ethos of the institution.

This controversy comes amid ongoing concerns about the Lokpal’s effectiveness. Since its inception, the body has faced criticism for limited action against high-profile corruption. The luxury car procurement has reignited debates about institutional accountability, transparency and the disconnect between public service and privilege.

As the bidding process unfolds, the Lokpal faces mounting pressure to justify its decision and realign with its foundational mission: fighting corruption, not indulging in opulence.

What is really happening and will never end: Corruption is often tackled unevenly. High-profile cases may be pursued for political gain, while systemic corruption—like procurement fraud, regulatory manipulation, or local-level bribery—remains untouched.

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Nepal is burning literally, unlike of anything history has witnessed in any part of the world in modern times. The “Gen Z Rebellion” has set fire to Prime Minister Oli, President Poudel's houses and Parliament building. They are burning—flames and smoke billowing out high into the skies.

Neither the fate of former Prime Ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda and Sher Bahadur Deuba was different!

KP Sharma Oli, who reportedly resigned as PM earlier, and Prez Ram Chandra Poudel are scrambling army choppers to flee. Protesters are setting fireworks around the airport to stop leaders and the elite clerks from leaving the country. India has partially closed its border.

Gen Z protesters took to arson and vandalism all across the tiny Himalayan country.

Army is getting ready to take over.

(The violence was more of an eruption of underlying discontent over corruption in high places, the lavish lifestyles of legions of unproductive clerks constituting what is called the Government machinery and the resultant grinding poverty across an underdeveloped country—than a simple ban on social media.)

Black proofing of the 2000-km iron wall is the brainchild of Trump although he is innocent of physics or for that matter anything of science. To demonstrate the will power behind the President's decision, Noem also picked up a roller brush where the work is going on. (Aside: But illegal immigrants can cross the border at night! Nights are cooler.)

WHO GOT WHAT: For Putin, the summit marked a symbolic return to global legitimacy—an escape from diplomatic isolation - a great leap forward, standing on his head. He even floated proposals for joint US–Russia ventures, signaling a bold pivot toward normalization. (Where have the sanctions gone!)

For Trump, the meeting served to boost his self-styled image as a master dealmaker, inching him closer to what some insiders describe as his “obsessive” pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize. Whether this ambition compromises national interest is a question critics are now asking aloud. Ironically, the original Alaska agenda was left untouched—overshadowed by optics, ambition, and the choreography of power.)

(Aside: Let’s put the Ukraine issue simply. Imagine India is obsessed with national security. It decides to invade and own not the bordering Pakistan or Bangladesh but Sri Lanka or the Maldives—not across a land border, but across the sea—because it perceives growing Chinese influence in the ocean as a threat. Now apply that logic to Russia. Putin wants to annex Ukrainian territory across the strategic Black Sea—not just for land, but to control the strategic sea route itself. Same style, a decade ago it annexed Crimea. So he invaded Ukraine again for more. It is not a war but is an invasion. It’s not just about borders. It’s about expansion and dominance. Now let the common man take the explanation forward! Let us not be confused! Ukraine is not at war! There is no war!)

  • The State will have a two-language formula for the schools—Tamil and English.
  • Goodbye to the fraud called entrance exams: No competitive entrance exam for higher education - Admissions will be based on Class 11 and 12 marks. (See footnote)
  • The SEP and the State's determination to bring education back to the State List constitute a structured resistance to the Centre’s ultimate designs for centralisation of governance.

The preliminary probe report claims both the fuel control switches were in ‘CUT OFF’ mode moments after lift-off (FADEC may be set to register like that). But the switches are mounted on the centre pedestal, between the seats of the captain and the first officer at arm's length. Who can switch it off? Transitioning is a two-stage manual procedure and that makes a clicking sound also. Not one, both switches! The switches are so protected by multiple layers of physical and procedural safeguards and guarded by metal brackets for a third party to meddle with easily. The cockpit is locked during takeoff. They are handled only for start and after landing, also in emergencies. Is it possible that the pilot just missed to put the switch to RUN while on the runway and the aircraft, a good one, was running on residual fuel? Which it can do for 20 to 40 seconds. The Air India flight stalled after 32 seconds of passing the Go/NoGo point.

(Soon after the videos came into public domain, the next day of the crash, our aviation expert had stated in these columns, the crash had something to do with the fuel line.)

(Soon we will put together another diverse discourse with experts to dispel any nagging doubts surrounding aviation dynamics that are stirring curious minds in the current context.)

TRUMP: "We'll have to take a look. We might have to put DOGE on Elon. You know what DOGE is? The monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn’t that be terrible? He gets a lot of subsidies (Tesla and SpaceX)." Nobody on earth ever got so much of Government subsidies as Musk, The New Trump declared audaciously when the 'Beautifiul Bill' that scraps Tesla subsidies made its entry into the Capitol. Musk knew the Bill spelt his death knell...

The incident has triggered a debate on social media whether the officer refused to take orders from a party leader or he was accused of any corruption, some netizens justifying the handling in either case, that Ratnakar was blocking public welfare work! It is true the Govt machinery has been the enemy Number One of the people of this country, existing for itself and for these politicians, for well over seven decades. India will never make an inch of progress - real progress, not make-believe-progress - unless and until this machinery is eliminated.

The irony lies in her illustration of her experiences in the country she has been living in for the last four years. What it really is!

ANALYSIS: There have been cases of Britons going to Switzerland to get rid of a miserable life. Now once the House of Lords also passes the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, terminally ill Britons can call it quits with the help of a medical practitioner here itself. But the measure when comes into practice, will have very serious social consequences, it is feared. There won't be comparisons, even as tropes in Latin American folklores. The worst case scenario is of those who are not terminally ill also trying to misuse the provision to leave this world early when life with dignity is not available. But that is, in fact, a political question and not a moral imbroglio!

The CCTV footage and the video circulating on social media do not indicate any serious abnormalities in takeoff or descent, it has been confirmed. The disaster is becoming curiouser and curiouser. The flight path was not curvy. And the aircraft maintained a steady, gliding descent with its nose straight and the wings perfectly level. The pilot's distress call does not specify what prevented lift and climb-out. Here are some expert opinions. The sole purpose is to raise travellers' awareness about air travel.

Many of the victims were charred beyond recognition, making identification difficult. Three hundred nineteen body parts have been sent for DNA matching with relatives to determine the identities.

  • The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line provides Kashmir with all-weather connectivity and integrates the Valley with the rest of India.
  • The saying 'Kashmir to Kanyakumari' is now a dream come true.
  • The Chenab bridge on the line, an engineering marvel, is the world's highest railway bridge, taller than the Eiffel Tower. (Video: File)

A comment on social media on Kanimozhi's answer on the question of national language read: "Daughter of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. Delivered the Birthday Present to her Father!!" (Karunanidhi was born on June 3, 1924) (Today's headlines )

Trump said, "Elon is not really leaving" and will be "back and forth" to the White House because DOGE is his "baby." "I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things.”

Musk wrote: "My scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end... The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Now on it will be on auto-pilot.

PROGNOSIS: DOGE was prematurely born to protect the country by aborting an impending socio-economic disaster which very few people could see coming.

Although its immediate job was to save American taxpayers billions by slashing waste, eliminating fraud, cutting Government bloat and ensuring utmost efficiency in administration for the good of the people. (Today's headlines )

"Coming from a system like in England, empowering," she says she never had an idea of this sort of experience... being asked to “socialise with middle-aged men” who financed the event...humiliating...

Originally from Junagadh, Gujarat, Pataudi was relocated to Etawah Lion Safari in September 2019 before being transferred to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021. Recently it was receiving treatment for pancreatic and liver infections. After tigress Shakti died in the zoo on May 7 due to bird flu, Pataudi was shifted to Kanpur. Some birds are also reported to have died mysteriously around Gorakhpur. All zoos in UP are closed for fear of a bird flu outbreak.

Three other animals too had died - a tiger, a leopardess and a female wolf. Wolf Bhairavi died last Saturday, leopardess Mona died the Thursday before that and tiger Kesari died on March 30. Some of them had Shakti's symptoms but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet.

As tourist inflow is an indicator of normalcy returning to an erstwhile terrorist infested Valley, the Government has been trying hard to make everything travel-friendly, launching lot many projects and bringing Kashmir on the national rail map that physically completes the process of Kashmir's integration with the rest of India. And that defeats the designs of Pakistan eyeing Kashmir and simply explains a recrudescence of terrorism in J&K.

The committee headed by justice Kurian Joseph will study Centre-State relations and make proposals to ensure foolproof separation of powers.

"It's a big victory not just for Tamil Nadu but for all Indian States. DMK will continue to struggle for and win State autonomy and Federal polity," Chief Minister MK Stalin said.

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