SPLIT VERDICT AT THE SC - APPOINTMENT OF CEC AND THE ECs

 Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma were on the bench at the Supreme Court of India. They were hearing the petition on  the validity of the law on appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs) by a panel consisting of the Prime Minister, a Cabinet Minister and the leader of the opposition.

Views of Justice Dipankar Datta on appointment of the CEC and the ECs

1. It would not be a fallacious metaphor if it is said that since the umpire is picked by the captain of one side and his team wins, even if the decisions taken by such umpire are correct, it has the patina of suspicion.

2. Deliberating on the validity of the law on appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commissioners by a panel consisting of the Prime Minister, a Cabinet Minister and the leader of opposition, he mentioned the flaws.

a. It gave "overwhelming power" to the  executive.

b. It made the presence of the LOP ornamental.

c. It undermines the appearance of independence in the selection process.

d. Since independence, governments had tried to control the poll body.

e. Over seven decades, every dispensation wresting office found it convenient to keep institutions which the constitution envisioned to be independent under its control.

f.  To enact a law on the lines empowered by Article 324 (2) would have meant freeing ECI from exclusive executive control and inviting trouble for the ruling regime.

g. To the mind of this court, this has not been the failing of any one party or one period.

h. A consistent trait of political power, discernible over the decades, has been to preserve leverage over the very body that is meant to judge its claim to power.

i. If free and fair elections were to be ensured, it was axiomatic that the EC must not only be an independent body, but also be seen to act independently.

j. It was painful to note that not a single party in power entrusted by the people of India to govern this great nation took the initiative of enacting a law of the nature which Article 324 (2) left to the supreme law making body, ie. Parliament, to legislate.

k. Placing its own electoral fortunes in the hands of a truly independent arbiter was not favoured by any political party for obvious reasons.

l. To remain in power, the consistent pursuit through executive action has indeed been simple - influence the composition of the EC, control the process of appointment of the CEC and ECs and thereby temper adverse electoral outcomes.

m. The bottom line of the argument runs like this:-  It would not be a fallacious metaphor if it is said that since the umpire is picked by the captain of one side and his team wins, even if the decisions taken by such umpire are correct, it has the patina of suspicion.

n. There can be no gainsaying that free and fair elections, to a large extent, depend on a truly indepndent Election Commission. It is not enough for the EC to be independent, it must also appear to be independent. The minister nominated by the Prime minister to function as the third member on the selection committee chaired by the Prime Minister cannot be expected  to defy his own nominator.

o.In such a circumstance, the inclusion of a minister in the selection committee fails to provide the independent counterweight that a neutral selector could and he would merely echo the voice of his leader. 

p. Consequently, the presence of the leader of opposition in the selection committee becomes largely ornamental, without furthering the purpose of his inclusion.

Views of Justice Satish Chandra Sharma

a. The petition challenging the 2023 law on appointment of the CEC and the ECs raised substantial questions of law.

b.The substantive constitutional questions should be systematically referred for an authoritative pronouncement. 

c. It required consideration  by a larger bench.

Outcome

While Justice Datta did not find a reference to a Constitution Bench necessary, Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, puisne judge on the Division Bench held in favour of sending the case to a constitution bench reasoning that several questions of substantial importance were at stake.

Due to the differing opinions on whether to directly process or refer the matter regarding the inclusion of a Cabinet Minister in place of the CJI, the two judge bench delivered a split verdict. 

The Bench requested the Chief Justice of India to constitute a five judge Constitution Bench to settle the issue.

FACTOR FITNESS AND PERFORMANCE - M.R. POOVAMMA - GOLD MEDALLIST AT NAGOYA ASIAN GAMES

 When her teammates from the gold winning quartet of the women's 4x400 relay in 2014 Asian Games moved away from the track, M R Poovamma, the debutant at that games, chose to stay.

Many laughed and some questioned why she was still running. Some said she would not last. She answered them not with words, but with performances. At an age most Indian athletes would  move on from elite competition,  Poovamma, 36,  was among India's oldest at the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games. She was part of the quartet that won the women's 4x400 relay gold for India. It was the lone Gold India won in athletics at Nagoya. With the silver in the mixed 4x400 relay a couple of days earlier, she now has six  Asian games medals  altogether.

She believes the secret to her longevity lies in discipline and fitness.

To a query whether this was the end, she replied, "Why should I give up when I am performing well? "

"That I am competing even after all these years, with nothing to prove, should be an inspiration to youngsters."

"I have the LA Olympics and the 2030 Asian Games on my mind, which I may go to with my future child."

"I am in good form and retirement is not on my mind."

She insists age has little bearing on what an  athlete can achieve.

"Age for me is just a number."

"It is said that in India, there is so much talk on an athlete's age."

"The only thing that should be factored in is fitness and performance."

"That's the measure in most countries."

"I have always believed that it is important to be physically and mentally fit.'

"With that, you also need to stay motivated."

Poovamma, who had represented India at the 2016 and 2024 olympics concludes, "I have nothing to prove. I led a very disciplined lifestyle thanks to the support from my husband Jithin Paul, from my entire family and especially from my mother. She ensures I don't have to worry about household chores and can stay focussed on my training."

M R Poovamma does convey to us how we must look at life and how we must tackle life's challenges.

IIT - IIM ALUMNI TO HEAD INDIA'S TWO TOP PRIVATE BANKS

 Congratulations to,  Anup Bagchi and Anup Kumar Saha who have been appointed as MD &CEO at HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank respectively.

They have excellent track records.

They are brilliant

They both are alumni of IIT and IIM.

We wish them the very best in their challenging assignments

However, the question persists.

Not withstanding a few greats, unless you are from IITs or IIMs it's very difficult to ascend to top positions. And to get into these premier institutions, an aspirant from the remote villages of the country stands little chance. He doesn't even know the existence of such opportunities. You have to be city bred or you have to belong to major towns to cross the stringent admission processes that demand a high level of competence. 

Further even if you have similar qualifications from elsewhere you are treated badly in the sense you'd be recruited to positions lower down the scale.

When people from places like Kandankary, Agaly, Kanthalloor, Mankulam, Kunjithanny - these are places in Keralam - or places more remote than them in the whole of India  are able to prove themselves one better than those from India's premier institutions like IITs and IIMs and reach  the top postions, we can truly state that the country is a developed nation. Till then equality in opportunities will remain a rainbow.

ANUP BAGCHI - MD & CEO - HDFC BANK - FROM OCTOBER 27, 2026

 

Anup Bagchi will be the MD & CEO of HDFC Bank from October 27, 2026.

He is the first outsider to head HDFC Bank since it was set up in 1994.

He will have to focus on loan growth and credit-deposit dynamics in the existing competitive environment. Further he will be tasked to extract synergies from the HDFC merger. 

He succeeds Sashidhar Jagadishan who took over from Aditya Puri in 2020. Jagadishan had completed the merger leading the bank through the pandemic. During his tenure  the  digital operations of the bank had been expanded.  

Colleagues describe Anup Bagchi as a big picture manager. He prefers to give teams both a destination and a route to reach it. He is a firm leader. But he is known for persuasion than theatrics. The approach has shaped his mangement style. 

He is regarded as unusually grounded for someone who has occupied senior positions across a large financial conglomerate (ICICI group). He relishes holding meetings with executives in the common canteen rather than behind glass doors.

Bagchi has tended to travel light. During his transfers between ICICI group businesses, he is known to have moved without taking large teams with him.

WARREN BUFFETT - SIX TRAITS THAT LED THE GREAT INVESTOR

 Warren Buffett stepped down on September 18, 2026 as Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway at 96, a journey he began in 1970.  Early in Buffett's career, a member of a prominent Omaha family predicted over lunch that the young upstart would be broke within a year. Seventy years on, Bershire is up 6099.294%. The returns were the by-product. The character was always the point.

These are the six traits that made him great.

1.Rejection is not a verdict

Buffett was  certain of a seat at Harvard Business School. He had urged a friend to join him there, before he had even been accepted. A 10 minute interview ended it. He later called Harvard's rejection the pivotal episode of his life as it had guided him to his hero Benjamin Graham's classroom at Columbia.

Rejection today arrives faster and more publicly. Peers announce promotions you didn't get. Layoff lands by email.

Buffett's example is, a closed door is a measure of the target, not the archer, so re-aim

2. Audit your mistakes

He learned it at a very young age. 

Don't anchor on your purchase price. Don't grab a small profit to quiet your nerves.. Don't manage other people's money unless you are certain. Most of the people treat a  loss as bad luck and move on. Buffett treated it as tution and kept the notes.

3. Keep an inner score card

His father, Howard, judged himself only against his own standards. Buffett called him "a 100% inner scorecard guy" warning that anyone who lives for the world's opinion "will wind up with an Outer Scorecard."

The outer  scorecard displays, likes, followers and a screenshot of gains on the stock you .skipped.

He didn't get into the dotcom boom. He was ridiculed for that. After two years he was proved right.  In an era that rewards looking right, he optimised for being right.

4. Want less; be patient

The Buffett family motto might have been "spend less than you make" and "don't go into debt." He lived for decades in the house he bought in 1958. He took a hamburger over anything fancier.

It isn't a statement on thrift. He never converted future income into present obligations. A man who needs little money is never forced into a bad decision to get more of it. Desperation is expensive. Someone carrying fixed costs cannot afford to wait, and waiting was Buffett's entire edge.

5. Be sceptical of incentives

Buffett remembered a question put to him, "What stock do you like," forever. The rule he framed for himself was,"praise by name, criticise by category." He was sceptical of incentives. "Don't ask the barber whether you need a haircut," was a line that had been most useful to him. His principle was to listen politely and then ask who gets paid if you say yes to those who solicit business promising quick returns

6. Find your Charlie Munger

Everyone needs at least one sparring partner sharp enough to say "that's a dumb idea," and trusted enough to be heard.

Buffett's most valuable partnership began with long phone calls to Charlie Munger, lawyer at    Los Angeles. When Munger's wife asked why he paid such attention to this Omaha fellow, Munger replied,"That is no ordinary human being."

For six decades, Munger's real job was not to agree with Buffett. It was to tell him when he was wrong. Buffett credited him with the habit of studying failures, instead of admiring successes. 

Krishnan Ranganathan writes in The Times of India of October 1, 2026. 

MESSAGES FROM THE HEART

The early signs of heart disease never look like a medical emergency to most. The seemingly ordinary symptoms can be the body's first indication that something is seriously wrong -             - - A persistent bout of fatigue. Breatlessness that seems easy to blame on a hectic schedule. Discomfort in the jaw, back or shoulders that is dismissed as muscle strain. 

Recognising heart disease symptoms early can save lives and prevent cardiovascular deaths. Heart disease remains world's leading killer where one in three lives are lost due to its rampage. 

While advances in treatment have improved the outcomes, awareness remains still a challenge.  People, at first, tend to ignore the symptoms that arise.  The cardinal neglect delays diagnosis. And precious time is lost even as quick intervention could make rapid differences.

The burden of cardiovascular disease is quite large. CVDs claim about 17.9 million lives annually which is one third of all the deaths worldwide with more than four in five resulting from heart attacks and strokes.

Many cardiovascular signs develop silently. Elevated blood pressure may remain sans symptom for years together.  Cholestrol level goes up unchecked. Diabetes damages nerves and hides the warning signs.  Consequently, significant cardiovascular damage occurs before symptoms prompt medical attention.

Cardiovascular disease may arise silently. But the symptoms should not be overlooked. They include - unexplained breathlessness, unusual fatigue, dizziness, sweating, nausea, pain spreading from the chest to the arm, shoulders, back, neck, or jaw.

Symptoms may be atypical in women and people with diabetes, making them easier to miss.

The risk can be obviated by regular blood pressure checks, consistent physical activity, a balanced diet, adequate sleep, effective stress management and giving up smoking.

Women may experience atypical fatigue, breathlessness, nausea, heaviness in the chest or pain radiating to the jaw or back, symptoms often mistaken for stress or acidity. 

Adults, as the advance in age, may appear weak, dizzy or less active.

Emergency cardiac care doesnot begin at the hospital. The initial response can make  significant difference in a cardiac emergency. 

Knowing the warning signs, knowing when to call for help and knowing the difference betwenn a heart attack and a cardiac arrest can turn an ordinary bystander into the first link in the patient's chance for survival.

Heart disease is often preventable. But prevention has to begin with awareness. 

Recognising symptoms, knowing the risk factors, getting screened and acting on unusual warning signs  improve outcomes manifold. 

Fact is, efficient management of health condition  reduces cardiovascular risk to a great extent.

Warnig signs not be ignored

1. Persistent or unusual fatigue.
2. Shortness of breath without a clear cause.
3. Chest pressure, heaviness or discomfort
4. Pain spreading to the arm, shoulders, neck, jaw or back.
5. Dizziness, weakness or sudden sweating.
6. Nausea or syptoms mistaken for acidity.
7. Reduced stamina, confusion or unexpected decline in activity

Courtesy 'Listen to THE HEART',  A Lifetime in every Beat,  World Heart Day Special, The Times of India on 29thSeptember2026 

STENT

 A stent opens a narrowed artery. It does not remove the risk behind coronary artery disease. High blood pressure, high cholestrol, diabetes, smoking, physical inactivity and an unhealthy diet can continue to affect the heart and the blood vessels.

The coronary stent is a small mesh tube placed inside a narrowed or blocked artery to restore blood flow. It is inserted through a catheter, usually via the wrist or groin. The procedure is called PCI - Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. Recovery continues  after the procedure with  medication, lifestyle changes and follow up,  playing major roles.

After a stent, taking care of the self is important.

Adherence to medication is crucial.

A stent may address a blockage. Protecting the heart, however,  is an ongoing process. Smoking must be avoided even if medicines are consumed with discipline. Parting with the drugs leads to formation of clots inside the stent. 

Lifestyle changes are unavoidable to keep the heart healthy.

Stenting is not always the primary option. It is resorted to only after lifestyle modifications and drugs. However in an emergency with 100 percent blockage, stenting is carried out at once.

The coronary stent brings significant relief to a large number of patiens. It eases the symptoms. It assists the patients to return to an active and healthy life. 

It marks the beginning of an ongoing approach to heart health driven by the active role of drugs, lifestyle changes and regular follow up.

It secures  the heart. The quality of life leaps beyond  barriers.

It is resilence all the way.

Indebted to 'A stent is not the finish line' by Nayanthara Rajeev in,  A Lifetime in every Beat,  World Heart Day Special, The Times of India on 29thSeptember2026