Change of Heart? Ahluwalia takes break from macro-economics to discover world of paintings

WHAT has happened to the man who spends time only on planning and macro economics to have a relaxed afternoon in appreciating traditional paintings? Yes, the photograph is of deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia after inaugurating the exhibition-cum-sale of traditional paintings and home decor products, in New Delhi on August 25, 2010. Does Ahluwalia love painting, or is it his Member Secretary and retired IAS Sudha Pillai's influence on Yojana Bhawan? Ms Pillai is a quality painter for whom painting is a serious hobby. Ms Pillai, who is wife of home secretary GK Pillai, has made several ceramic murals, including a series on the Tree of Life and organised a number of painting exhibitions. No doubt, there is a little bit of art in everybody's life!

Who would be the first Additional Secretary in 1980 batch: An analysis by an anonymous Insider
An anonymous officer, who definitely understands the power dynamics well, has mailed the following analysis to babu blogger on who could be the first Additional Secretary in 1980 batch. It's worth reading.
"Upendra Tripathy (Karnataka) has moved from Minority Affairs Ministry to Cabinet Secretariat as JS in a lateral shift, to eventually take over from Dr Mrutunjay Sarangi (1977 Tamil Nadu) as and when he moves out as Secretary. Ashok Lavasa (Haryana) has also got a lateral move to Power Ministry to be the AS there when his turn comes, although there is a clear vacancy in Power Ministry after Anil Kumar moved to Planning Commission. Dr Satish B Agnihotri (Orissa) is in charge Director General of Shipping at Mumbai. He would take over as DG when his turn comes.
So these three officers have been slotted and would become AS when there turn comes as per seniority. Similarly Amitabh Kant (Kerala) CEO of Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor of Industry Ministry, Dr J S Mishra (UP) CEO Khadi Board at Mumbai and Jiji Thomson (Kerala) with Commonwealth Games would get promoted in their present posts by upgrading the posts.
At least four officers would be designated as Additional Secretaries in their present posts. Naini Jaiseelan (AGMUT) who is Advisor in Planning Commission (though Smt Omita Paul, Advisor to Pranab Mukherjee has made a request to bring her to Finance Ministry); Shakti Kantha Das (Tamil Nadu) who is JS (Budget) in Finance Ministry; Shankar Agrawala (UP) who is JS (E-Governance) in Department of Information Technology and Rajeev Kher (UP) who is JS (Trade Policy) in Commerce.
All eyes are on the top five officers of 1980 batch in the list of empanelment and who are posted in Delhi now. NK Sinha (Bihar) is in Human Resource Development. Kapil Sibal is happy with him and may request for in situ upgradation (as he did for two officers of 1979 batch Sunil Kumar and Anitha Kaul). Dr Arvind Prasad (Bihar) is JS in Social Justice and Empowerment and with a B Tech from IIT Kanpur and PhD from Yale is in high demand. Next is Naini Jaiseelan (Naini Dhillon before marriage) who may stay back in Planning Commission or go to Finance. Dr Anup K Pujari, part time Harvard professor is now in Finance looking after Fund-Bank work (which had such stalwarts as N K Singh (now MP Rajya Sabha from Bihar and V Govindarajan, from AP cadre now in National Manufacturing Commission, both of whom became Additional Secretary in the same desk), and then is Dr Shyam Agrawala (Rajasthan), now JS in Commerce.
Both Dr Pujari and Dr Agrawala have PhD from USA and both have been Additional DG Foreign Trade and hence are in demand to be the DGFT (vacated by R S Gujaral who moved as Secretary Road Transport). Dr Shyam Agrawala may also become AS and FA in place of Dr Sutanu Behuria (1976 HP).
Every one is hoping that an officer of 1980 batch is posted quickly as DGFT or as Establishment Officer (these are the ONLY two clear vacancies) so that other officers get in situ posting as Additional Secretary immediately. Present EO Pradip Mishra prefers Shankar Agrawala who is also from UP cadre like him (and has worked in DoPT earlier) or Dr Pujari who is from Delhi School of Economics like him, to come as EO. PMO has a preference for Dr Nandita Chatterjee (West Bengal) both to have a lady officer as EO and also being backed by a powerful JS in PMO. Dr Chatterjee is now Dy Director General with CAPART and has worked with WHO earlier."