Rug veda

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion in the Commerce Ministry had been talking about the FDI review being before the Cabinet for months (it was cleared last week after being deferred seven times by the Cabinet). But the day it got cleared, DIPP Secretary Ajay Shankar was nowhere to be seen. As it turns out, he was in office, but busy with another pressing matter: selecting new carpets for his office. And seen milling in and out of the building during that time was his wife Meera Shankar, India’s high profile ambassador to Germany. She was active on the political and social circuit ahead of Republic Day, apparently canvassing for the job at India’s permanent mission in the UN. As for the carpets, the selection comprised several handwoven and moderately expensive carpets from Manipur and Badhoi. The carpet brigade was later seen heading urgently to Minister Kamal Nath’s office.