WILL STATEHOOD BE RESTORED IN J&K?
Given the fact that the 6th anniversary of the revocation of both statehood and Article 370 from J&K is approaching, there is a buzz in the Valley that the Narendra Modi government will make good on its promise and restore statehood. This is also what the Supreme Court has directed and what both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister have promised. But no timeline has been set. However, now that the Union Territory has a mature leader in place, for Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has proved time and again that he is no rabid separatist, many feel that this is the right time for the Central government to hand back the reins to the elected government. Additionally, it will send the right message to the Valley, which saw the locals come together and condemn the dastardly Pahalgam massacre. The CM too spoke in the Assembly and added that he would not politicise a tragedy to raise the demand for statehood. A goodwill gesture has been extended, will the BJP government return the clasp?
NEW BJP CHIEF & CABINET RESHUFFLE
The BJP has for long delayed appointing its new party chief, but we are told that the decision will be taken before the Monsoon Session of Parliament begins on the 20 July. No new names have cropped up apart from the usual merry-go-round—from M.L. Khattar, Dharmendra Pradhan and Bhupendra Yadav to Shivraj Singh Chauhan. There has also been talk of a woman party chief but again no one is quite sure as to what is on the Prime Minister’s mind. However, what is also being speculated is that the nomination of the new chief, and change at the BJP headquarters would be accompanied by a comprehensive cabinet reshuffle. This one, we are told, won’t be a cosmetic affair or a fill in the blanks exercise but an opportunity for the PM to put in place the team he wants to take to the next general elections (yes, the BJP thinks that far ahead). If you recall, post the Lok Sabha results of 2024, the BJP was on somewhat of a backfoot, even though it was the undisputed winner, its margin had reduced. Perhaps this prevented the PMO from putting together the cabinet it really wanted, because most of the current cabinet is another version of Modi 2.0. Will the PM use this opportunity for a more comprehensive rejig?
TO OZEMPIC, OR NOT?
Colloquially known as weight loss drugs, Ozempic, Mounajaro, Wegovy and their ilk, have created a mini revolution in the world of lifestyle drugs. Interestingly, this is not their primary usage, for these drugs were essentially used to treat diabetes. Being GPL-1 (Glucagon Like Peptide-1) receptor agonists, these drugs target cells in the body which are usually activated by the natural GLP-1 hormone, which controls blood sugar and appetite—this is also why they are used to control diabetes and weight loss. However, given the number of celebs and others, who are opting for these as a shortcut to weight loss, one of India’s top endocrinologist Dr Ambrish Mithal has come out with a comprehensive guide aptly titled, “The Weight Loss Revolution: Weight Loss Drugs and How to Use Them”. The book is co-authored with Shivam Vij and is an essential read, with case studies, patient/user experiences as well as expert medical advice on how to navigate the usage of these drugs. Or you could read it simply for the sheer pleasure of how to navigate drawing room conversations and TV debates these days, since this is a current hot topic, the world over.
HOTLINE TO THE UNION GOVERNMENT?
Has former Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot got a hotline to someone important in the Union government? This is the speculation that was doing the rounds at the Congress headquarters after his son-inlaw Gautam Ashwin Ankhad was recently appointed Additional Judge in the Bombay High Court. In fact, Congress leaders also recall how at a time when Avneesh Awasthi, a bureaucrat close to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath didn’t get an extension, Usha Sharma, the then Chief Secretary of Rajasthan, was given a six-month extension just a day before she was due to retire, on the request of the then CM of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot himself. It is interesting that those keeping a close eye on the veteran leader, belong to his own party and not the BJP—but then that is the way politics usually plays out.
