Babus, mantris & buzz: Why another Yadav clan is in discussion in Bihar election?

Why another Yadav clan is in discussion in Bihar election?

In Bihar, another Yadav is also in discussion and he is Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav. Akhilesh is campaigning aggressively for the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan candidates but this is not the news. The punch is, the Samajwadi Party has released a list of 20 star campaigners for the Bihar Assembly elections with a big surprise. Both his uncles, Ramgopal Yadav, Chief National General Secretary, and Shivpal Yadav, party’s General Secretary, are conspicuously missing in the list. However, Mohammad Azam Khan’s name appears prominently at the third place on the list of the star campaigners after Akhilesh Yadav and Kiranmay Nanda, though Azam Khan has refused campaigning due to ‘health’ reasons.

Phalodi Satta Bazaar predicts NDA government once again in Bihar

Bookies in the Phalodi Satta Bazaar have become very active for Bihar Assembly polls. With the first phase for elections nearing, the prices have also started to come out. As per the latest estimates, the NDA government can be formed once again in Bihar. The NDA is expected to get 128 to 132 seats, while the estimate for the Grand Alliance is limited to 97 to 100 seats. The speculative market is indicating a steady decline in the status of the Congress-backed Grand Alliance. The total Assembly segments in Bihar Vidhan Sabha is 243. However, bets have not been opened on the victory or defeat of any individual candidate in the market. Bookies say that as the campaigning intensifies in the next few days, the prices of individual seats may also be released.

BUREAUCRACY

Race for new Maharashtra DGP begins: State sends list of 7 eligible officers to UPSC

With Maharashtra’s Director General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Shukla set to retire on December 31, the state Home department had shortlisted seven IPS officers as potential successors. The list was sent to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for further action. The UPSC Is likely to select any three names for final consideration. The state government will appoint one of the three as the next DGP of the state. The names in the list are NIA Chief Sadanand Date, DGP (Legal and Technical) Sanjay Verma, Commandant General of Home Guards Ritesh Kumar, DGP (Anti-Corruption Bureau) Sanjeev Kumar Singhal, Director General (state Police Housing and Welfare Corporation) Archana Tyagi, Civil Defence Director Sanjeev Kumar and DG (Government Railway Police) Prashant Burde.

Meet people who are behind shaping salary hike in 8th Pay Commission

The central government approved the terms of reference of the 8th Central Pay Commission. The centre has announced its formation in January this year. The Commission will be headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. Let us take a closer look at the persons, who would shape the salary hike.

Justice Ranjana Desai: Justice Desai hails from Mumbai. She was born on October 30, 1949. She completed her BA at Elphinstone College and LLB at Government Law College in Mumbai. First, she was appointed as a judge in the Bombay High Court in 1996 and then she served in the Supreme Court from September 13, 2011 to October 29, 2014. She has also chaired the Delimitation Commission of India and the Press Council of India.

Professor Pulak Ghosh: He has been appointed a part-time member of the Commission. He is working as a professor at IIM Bangalore, specialising in technology, data science, artificial intelligence (AI), and their impact on finance, development policy, and social value creation.

Pankaj Jain: He has been appointed as the Member-Secretary of the Commission. He is a senior IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre belonging to 1990 batch. Before this appointment, he was Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. He holds an MBA degree and is a qualified Cost Accountant.

Know the Diplomats behind delivering six-month exemption for India’s operations at Chabahar Port from the United States

Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Vikram Misri, and JP Singh have formed a formidable diplomatic team, pivotal in securing the US six-month exemption for India’s operations at Chabahar Port. Their collective expertise and coordinated efforts not only safeguarded a vital economic and strategic asset for India but also reaffirmed New Delhi’s role as a decisive actor in regional connectivity and humanitarian corridors.

Kwatra’s tenure as India’s Ambassador to the US brought continuity and deep institutional memory to the negotiations. His prior experience as Foreign Secretary and key postings in Washington equipped him to argue India’s strategic necessity for Chabahar directly to American lawmakers and senior officials. His active engagement—like his October 2025 meeting with Senator Jacky Rosen—ensured the US administration understood Chabahar’s critical role for Afghanistan’s development and regional stability.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, succeeding Kwatra, sustained the dialogue at the highest levels. Through multiple visits to the US, including extensive May 2025 talks with State, Defense, and Commerce officials, Misri laid the diplomatic groundwork. These interactions addressed US concerns, shaped the bilateral architecture, and created the environment for the eventual waiver.

JP Singh’s stewardship of the PAI division was instrumental for operational credibility. Singh’s numerous missions to Kabul and direct conversations with Taliban leadership ensured Chabahar’s role as a humanitarian lifeline was clear. His technical expertise in navigating both Afghan and Iranian dynamics enriched India’s case, reinforcing that strategic connectivity and aid delivery depended on continued access to the port.

Their synergy guaranteed that India’s commitment to regional stability—via Chabahar—was recognized by Washington. This exemption is not just a diplomatic win but a validation of India’s proactive foreign policy, preserving a key route for trade and aid to Afghanistan and Central Asia amid complex geopolitical challenges.

PSB Merger Reshuffle in progress

The government is preparing the next phase of PSU bank mergers, reducing the number from 12 to 8 by FY27. Proposed pairings include: Indian Overseas Bank with SBI, Central Bank of India with PNB, Bank of India with BoB, and Bank of Maharashtra with BoB. This follows the 2019 mergers that cut NPAs by 70% and boosted profits 5x. Unions express concerns over job losses and branch closures, but officials emphasize efficiency gains.

Manish Singh appointed as SP, BPR&D

Manish Singh has been appointed as Superintendent of Police, Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), on deputation basis. He is a 2013 batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre.

Deputation tenure extended to join FIU

Manish Kumar Hairat, P&TBWS officer, who is working as Addl Director in FIU-IND, under the ministry of finance as Addl Director on deputation basis, will continue till October 28, 2026.

Speculation on CBI Overburden

The Punjab & Haryana High Court remarked that the CBI is “over-burdened,” urging lapses in police investigations (e.g., the IPS officer Puran Kumar suicide case) to justify probe transfers. This fuels whispers of increasing judicial scrutiny on IPS accountability, potentially leading to more inter-agency shifts by early 2026.

GST revenue soars in October

The Government of India has collected a revenue of ₹1,95,936 crores from Gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) for October 2025, registering a 4.6% increase compared to ₹1,87,346 crores for the same month last year.

(DISCLAIMER: Correctness of this content is the responsibility of the author. By arrangement with whispersinthecorridors.com)

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