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So, is Varun Gandhi’s wedding going to set the stage for a possible rapprochement between the two Gandhi bahus and their families? With Sonia Gandhi and family finding a place on the guest list, Rahul Gandhi, known for his affable ways, could turn out to be the peacemaker between the two families.

And if that happens, it could leave both the BJP and the Congress squirming. But even as peace is found, will it be a long-term one, paving the way for a new chapter in India’s political history?

Varun (30) is slated to get married to a Bengali girl Yamini Roy, who passed out from St Stephen's College in Delhi. She also completed a fashion designing course from Sorbonne in Paris.

On the other hand, Varun, the youngest grandchild of Indira Gandhi, completed his graduation from LSE via University of London external system. He also has a master’s degree in public policy from School of Oriental and African Studies.

Confirming the marriage plans of the Pilibhit MP (Varun), his mother Maneka (BJP MP from Aonla) said Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her family would be invited as they are a part of the Gandhi family.

Although she declined to divulge a date, it is believed that the wedding will take place in December this year.

Maneka was recently seen with Yamini’s mother and film critic Aruna Vasudev in Varanasi shopping for trousseau. This had given rise to speculation of Varun’s wedding.

After the death of her husband Sanjay Gandhi, who found many detractors because of his aggressive policies during the emergency, Maneka left Indira Gandhi’s home and raised Varun all alone. Maneka, besides being an MP, is also a well known animal activist.

Varun Gandhi’s wedding is likely to result in media frenzy as the entire country will keenly await gossip on interaction and a possible peace between the two families.

Manipulation has probably seen prices of vegetables such as onions and tomatoes along with fruits soar to unprecedented levels. This is the ideal time – just before Christmas and New Year – for hoarders to manipulate as the demand soars.

So, the unusual prices coupled with an uptick in demand have allowed hoarders, retailers as well as wholesales make a quick buck. Not that the issue is entirely stage-managed.

Yes, there may be an iota of truth in the inflation figures. As per data, food inflation shot up to 12.13 per cent this week from 9.46 per cent last week. And, a price rise is only natural.

But not the kind we see in newspapers which have reported that vegetable prices have risen 15.5 per cent in a year, while the figure for milk is 17.7 per cent, for fruits it is 20.1 per cent, for egg, fish and meat 19.4 per cent and for condiments and spices it is a whopping 32 per cent.

But, as the government does not have a proper mechanism in place to check manipulators, prices tend to head skyward.

Like stock market watchdog Sebi, which has brought a great deal of transparency into our bourses over the years, can we not have an autonomous regulator to check hoarding by traders and wholesalers? In fact, the body can declare retail price trends of vegetables on a weekly basis and put it in newspapers so that hoarding can be obliterated.

Yes, it is an insurmountable task to reach out to every nook and corner of the country, but once a mechanism is put in place, it could help find a long-term solution to check prices of vegetables.

Is A Raja’s CBI grilling too late?

Are we going to see the conviction of a once stalwart politician A Raja, who has drained the government coffers of Rs 1.76 lakh crore, in awarding telecom licences.

Well, even though the CBI has zeroed in on him (after Raja decided to give the investigating agency an audience), the probe has started late enough to allow destruction of evidence. So, now is it time for another politician (Raja) to go scot free?

Moreover, what’s baffling is that Raja’s party, the DMK, instead of reprimanding him, is campaigning in his support. And this could pave the way for other politicians to follow suit and garner support of friends, aides and party men to conceal their crimes.

Backing a politician under such circumstances is tantamount to supporting corruption. So, are we in India actually interested in weeding out corruption or are we still supporting it?

The CBI has also raided Suresh Kalmadi in Pune and found a CD which allegedly contained evidence against him. The person who had the CD in his possession was blackmailing Kalmadi and demanding Rs 4 crore.

This is something Kalmadi did not reveal to the police, clearly indicating that he could have been a party to the irregularities that took place during the Commonwealth Games.

Like the Raja case, the government has allowed the CBI to go ahead with its probe but has also given Kalmadi ample time to come clean (by destroying evidence?). At least, the Congress can claim that their partymen are not beyond the law.

Difficult to believe, but not a single Indian institute or university ranks among the top 150 global centres of learning, not even the coveted IITs and IIMs, according to a study. As per research conducted by Times Higher Education (THE), a London-based magazine, the US dominates the rankings, followed by the UK at a distant second.

So far as India goes, IIT-Bombay bagged the best rank, clinching the 187th spot, placed even behind Taiwan. Truly shocking!

In the study, China leads the Asian pack with six schools in the top 200 (Peking University is at no. 37 overall). Of the total 25 Asian schools in the top 200, there are five from Japan, four from Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan and two from Singapore.

What is even more astounding is the fact that two more rankings - Academic Ranking of World Universities compiled by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and QS World University Rankings – were released recently. Here also, none of the India’s varsities or institutes figured in the top 100.

Meanwhile, the US, clinched 72 slots among the world’s top 200, bagging the top five also. UK saw 29 varsities in the top 200.

The top-ranked school was Harvard, California Institute of Technology or CalTech was at no. 2 and MIT no. 3. Stanford and Princeton were placed fourth and fifth.

Six out of eight Ivy League colleges were in the top 20 (overall), but Brown and Dartmouth, the smaller schools in the group of the prestigious league, stood at 55th and 99th place.

The top ranked UK institutes were the University of Cambridge and University of Oxford, tied at no. 6. In the top 200, there were 14 schools from Germany, 10 from the Netherlands and nine from Canada.

Perhaps poor infrastructure could have led to even India’s most sought-after institutes (The IITs & IIMs) not finding a place in the rankings. Moreover, the government is averse to doling out funds to even our coveted institutes and there is an alarming crunch of teaching staff. These factors could have led to India’s abysmal show in the world university rankings.

Whenever a catastrophe like an earthquake or a tsunami jolts countries such as India and Pakistan (or any other developing country), rescue efforts take place at a tardy pace and the end result: unprecedented casualties and victims are not rehabilitated even years after the devastation.

Although administrators in the sub-continent show some initial keenness to help the victims, in the long run we see that their interest to pursue rehabilitation efforts with zeal is just lost. The powerful earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, that rocked a remote area of southwest Pakistan, has thankfully not seen any casualties (as per initial reports) but has damaged over 200 structures.

The earthquake was almost a monster and jolted cities spanning from Dubai to Delhi. Two women in Sindh and Quetta provinces of Pakistan died of heart attack and these deaths were not linked to the earthquake, as per a news report.

The earthquake took place around 1:23 am at a depth of 84 km, according to the US Geological Survey. The epicentre was 50 km west of Dalbandin town in Balochistan that has a population of 15,000.

The Pakistani authorities need to not only step up rescue and rehabilitation efforts but also see that they are managed in a better fashion so that victims can find some solace, at least in the long term.

Although black money continues to drain the Indian government's coffers, there has been little effort to plug this stream of money, and in the latest outburst, the Supreme Court has hit out at the government for its mishandling of unaccounted money stashed by industrialists in foreign banks (read Swiss banks).

The apex court slammed the government, saying, “It is theft of the national money. We are talking about mind-boggling crime” (over which the government is yet to wake up from its slumber).

Calling the diversion of the unaccounted sums to foreign banks as a “national plunder”, the Supreme Court told the Centre to share information it had on Indians who have diverted their money to tax havens in order to avoid tax.

Even our politicians have made a killing from corruption in India and diverted dollops of unaccounted money into Swiss banks, a truth that is unlike to see its logical end ever.

This move by the Supreme Court is in the wake of solicitor general Gopal Subramanium seeking an explanation on what steps the government has taken under the Double Taxation Avoidance Act.

Ex law minister Ram Jethmalani and others want the government to retrieve the black money hoarded in foreign banks. But is that possible and are political parties really interested to pursue these irregularities?

Even if the Centre tries to initiate steps, the probe is likely to hit a huge hurdle as Swiss bank authorities are unlikely to cooperate and will remain tightlipped on client names and the amounts of black money parked.

After back-to-back scams, now it’s the turn of a Wikileaks cable to take some sheen out of the Congress prospects in the Lok Sabha elections to be held in 2014. At the centre of a controversy is none other than the party’s poster boy Rahul Gandhi.

By saying “Hindu terror groups are a bigger threat to the nation than Pakistan-based ones,” to US ambassador Timothy Roemer, Rahul has stirred up the Hindutva issue again, which could be to the BJP’s advantage.

He has also given Pakistan an opportunity to say that so called “Hindu terrorists” were targeting Muslims in India and the country’s government was doing nothing about it. There was, however, some damage control done when Rahul clarified that “terrorism of all types were a threat to India.”

In fact, the BJP already launched its attack when its spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said “Rahul was speaking the language of Pakistan.”

So, can the opposition parties rake up this issue along with the series of scams that took place during the Congress-led rule to wrest power in Delhi from the UPA after the forthcoming general elections.

Although it is difficult to say who could form the government, these incidents are slowly making the Congress party’s prospects of a comeback bleak. But again, with the Lok Sabha elections four years away, this issue could become a forgotten one altogether.

Another finding by Wikileaks said that a US document, before the Indo-US nuclear treaty was signed, also left the Congress red faced.

The paper said, “Sonia never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity,” casting a shadow on Sonia’s leadership qualities. This again could be drummed up by opposition parties to vindicate their stand on her “inability to rule the UPA.” But again, communicating this issue to the public could be an insurmountable task as at least 35% of the electorate are still illiterate and could fail to grasp the significance of the issue.

The Wikileaks document has also debilitated on a serious issue our government has been neglecting for long. That our sensitive labs, which lack adequate security (a privilege offered to our netas only) and have weak controls, are prone to bio terror.

Unlike in the US, security in India comes only after a terror incident has taken place. For instance, our government never anticipated an incident like 26/11 and could send Black Cat commandos only after 12 hours after the terror attack. Our government will do well to foresee possible areas that are vulnerable to terror attacks and accordingly devise a strategy.

Can relationships be built on mistrust? Well, that’s what India and China are trying to do. Even as India failed to recognise the ‘One China’ policy – where it will declare Tibet and Taiwan as part of China, China also did not show its keenness on inking a deal on ‘One India’ policy where it will recognise Jammu and Kashmir as a part of India.

Such a deal is unlikely to see light of the day in view of China’s proximity to Pakistan as signing such a pact will put China-Pak ties at a new low. This is something both the countries would like to avoid. Moreover, with India granting asylum to the Dalai Lama, the other treaty (One India) will contradict India’s stand on Tibet.

Also, border disputes remain for which there can be no solution and even China’s ambition on gaining ground in Arunachal and Ladakh are unlikely to die down in the near future.

But thankfully, the economic ties don’t seem to be so bad with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese premier Wen Jiabao signing deals worth nearly $20 billion. But if the mistrust between the two neighbours spills over to trade, the two governments may try and nix efforts by the industry to get a strong foothold in the each other’s country.

Has Sheila Dikshit’s proximity to Sonia Gandhi helped the Delhi chief minister wriggle out of the Commonwealth Games scandal and put the blame squarely on Suresh Kalmadi?

Although Dikshit said corruption lied in the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, Kalmadi, who is the panel’s chairman, retorted saying Dikshit should check corruption in her department first.

Kalmadi said, “We don’t want to be the scapegoat anymore. The Organising Committee is constantly being hauled up for the delays in construction when it was not involved in the works.”

Even the Central government seems to be riveting the spotlight on Kalmadi with regard to the corruption issue, excluding him from key Commonwealth Games meetings, which were attended by Dikshit.

So, should Dikshit own up (along with Kalmadi) and share the blame for the shoddy patch up of Delhi’s roads, incomplete flyover near the Commonwealth Games Village (Mayur Vihar Phase I), shooing away beggars and prohibiting Blueline buses to operate for two weeks forcing commuters to jostle for space in the few DTC buses.

Also, the area outside the Commonwealth Games Village was abysmal and the pavements in the vicinity (near the Yamuna bridge in ITO) were covered with banners to conceal the filth that lay beyond it.

Prime Minster Manmohan Singh, who is known for his clean image, has set up a probe within 24 hours of the Commonwealth Games by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). Also, agencies such as the Central Vigilance Commission and the Income Tax department have started their independent scrutiny.

The Comptroller and Auditor General will start the audit work of Commonwealth Games Village from October 28 and probe allegations of financial irregularities.

The CAG will most likely audit the accounts of Delhi Development Authority and the expenditure incurred for constructing at the Commonwealth Games Village. It will also look into the alleged favours granted to a leading real estate group for various construction projects.

But will Sheila Dikshit be made to share the blame or can the Sonia connection help her come clean on the issue?

Pamela Anderson seems to have brought some bad luck with her to the Bigg Boss 4 reality show. On the day she arrived, the information and broadcasting ministry ordered television channels not to telecast Bigg Boss 4 along with Rakhi Ka Insaaf before 11 pm as it feels the shows are not suitable for universal viewing. These shows can only be aired between 11 pm and 5 am.

Pamela Anderson, who came to the limelight in the serial Bay Watch, has stepped into the Big Boss 4 house while on her maiden visit to India. On her arrival, she was given a rousing welcome by the Big Boss 4 inmates.

Draped in a white sari, the lady, who also modelled for Playboy, greeted every one with a ‘Nammastey’. Pamela will remain as guest in the Bigg Boss 4 house for only three days.

A lot has been happening at the Salman Khan-hosted show, with the most exciting incident being the wedding of TV actress Sara Khan and her beau Ali Merchant. Grapevine has it that the actors were paid Rs 50 lakh to stage their marriage at the Bigg Boss 4 house.

In the latest incident, Bigg Boss 4 expelled participants Dolly Bindra and Sameer Soni on Wednesday for flouting norms and using abusive language.

Meanwhile, Rakhi Sawant’s use of abusive language at Rakhi ka Insaaf, which she is hosting, has been flayed by the ministry.

The ministry said “participants often reveal intimate details of their relationships, resulting in embarrassment to viewers watching the programme along with their families and also to the participants in the show.”

The Rakhi Sawant show was mired in controversy after one participant whom she had called “impotent” on the show, allegedly sunk into depression and died, for which his family members put the blame on Rakhi.

Instead of putting curbs on the myriad shows on various channels, it will be judicious if the information and broadcasting ministry comes up with clear-cut guidelines before shows like Big Boss 4, spiced up by Pamela Anderson, and Rakhi ka Insaaf are hosted.

Niira Radia tapes have opened a can of worms. It began with the scalp of former telecom minister A Raja, then it was on the verge of tarnishing Ratan Tata’s image, added to the list of Congress party’s corruption woes, and now, DMK boss M Karunanidhi’s third wife and Kanimozhi’s mother is believed to be involved along with a few of A Raja’s aides.

The Congress and the DMK have no choice but to remain mum as a DMK walkout in Delhi could topple the Congress government at the Centre and a similar walkout by the Congress in Tamil Nadu could put the DMK in trouble.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi had recently reprimanded the BJP for doubting the integrity of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Well, he may be the cleanest politician around, but with regard to the 2G scam, why was he silent for a year and how could Raja be allowed to drain the coffers of a whopping Rs 1.76 lakh crore?

Could no journalist present at the inteaction ask her that? Was the PMO clueless on what was going on for over a year? Very, very difficult to believe.

However, the smaller fry have been made to pay the price. For instance, former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan was asked to leave for his involvement in the Adarsh Society scam. Now, the axe is set to fall on another former Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh, who is now Union heavy industries minister. He may also have to follow suit for his alleged role in shielding an MLA’s money-lender kin who was charged with illegal money lending to suicide-prone Vidarbha farmers.

May be the Congress’ cleansing drive will take a toll on these Maharashtra stalwarts. But what about the DMK and Raja? Will the CBI also have to throw up its hands in despair?

Sad to see the Hero group split with its long-time partner Japan’s Honda, a joint venture that made India’s finest motorcycles. The two companies were a formidable force - the joint venture was the largest motorcycle maker in the world. The split is apparently because of differences over ‘certain’ issues. Honda is likely to sell its entire stake of 26% to the Munjal family for $1 billion.

So, what is likely to happen with a split? First and foremost, the motorcycles, which will come under a different brand name now, are likely to suffer from quality issues with Honda no more being a partner (Honda’s cars and motorcycles are arguably among the best in the world in terms of quality).

Could this mean the end of the road for Hero’s motorcycle ambition or can Hero rope in another global player to stay afloat or even rev up?

The Union human resources ministry has turned a blind eye to the issue of a severe staff crunch at the IITs but has leapfrogged to turn these coveted institutes into medical colleges. A look at the recent staff crisis will reveal the sorry state of affairs. IIT-Kharagpur leads the pack with 299 vacancies and is followed by IIT-Bombay with 222. For IIT-Roorkee, it is 194 while the number in IIT-Madras is 138 and IIT-Delhi 78.

There are 69 vacancies in IIT-Kanpur, 65 in IIT-Guwahati and 48 in IIT-Ropad. Many of the IITs, in order to tackle a severe cash problem, had sought permission to start courses in medicine and various expert panels constituted to look into the issue had given their nod.

But the health ministry was not keen on allowing these institutes to start medical courses directly and suggested they begin Ph.D programmes that entail collaboration between engineering and medical science.

However, another move by the government - of allowing up to 10% foreign nationals as teaching staff - could turn out to be beneficial for the IITs by enhancing the quality of education. There is one fear though. Will the IITs be able to attract the best faculty from abroad with the measly salaries that is being paid to the lecturers and professors now? If faculty from premier institutes in the US and UK are brought in with fancy pay packets, the current lot will also have to be paid on par.

Otherwise, there is likely to be turmoil that could result in a series of stirs that will take a toll on the functioning of the institutes. Moreover, will the government come forward to dole out money to pay for the higher wage bill? That seems unlikely. The only way this can be sorted out is by ramping up private sector funding.

A comments column in a premier daily has scoffed at the government’s idea, saying that the IITs cannot even run their hospital properly, so how will they be expected to run a medical college. It added this step could also lead to constant tiffs between the medical and engineering students, who would want to establish their supremacy.

Even as our government eyes to transform the IITs into the likes of MIT, Stanford, CalTech & Princeton, it is not willing to provide funds to enhance the poor infrastructure at these institutes and refurbish the shabby student hostels.

So, how will the Centre expect the IITs to bear the burden of an additional bunch of medical students and hi-tech hospitals with specialised equipment? Although additional tuition and other fees could partly offset the costs, the financial burden will have to be mainly borne by the IITs.

Moreover, the introduction of medical courses, notwithstanding a cash crunch, could dilute the brandname of the IIT as the Mecca of engineering.