‘Pappu’ is now officially Modi’s 2019 rival, and the journey of Class XII toppers

Congress president Rahul Gandhi during an election campaign rally | PTI file photo

A selection of the best news reports, analysis and opinions published by ThePrint this week.

Why the ‘Pappu’ tag may be an asset for Rahul Gandhi

Friday’s discussions in Parliament on the opposition’s no-confidence motion answered a lot of questions, writes Shekhar Gupta in his weekly column, National Interest. But, more importantly, they announced Rahul Gandhi’s arrival as a clear rival to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. To this end, Gupta argues, the ‘Pappu’ tag may prove an asset for Gandhi as he seeks votes from a young electorate.

Imran Khan as PM is bad news for Pakistan’s democracy

Former cricketer Imran Khan, a beloved sports figure who led Pakistan to its 1992 World Cup win, has emerged as the frontrunner for the prime minister’s post this election season. But while he may have won hearts with his philanthropic initiatives, Khan’s flirtation with Islamists and his lack of attachment to democratic principles augur ill for Pakistan, writes Washington-based journalist Sadanand Dhume.

Under the Modi government, bureaucracy as ‘unstable’ as under UPA-II

The Narendra Modi-led NDA government has failed to inject stability in the bureaucracy, where top secretaries are often shunted from one ministry to another within months, Sanya Dhingra reports, adding that even critical ministries are not exempt. Frequent changes, abrupt end to tenures, and the appointment of officials whose retirement is just round the corner are as much a norm under the NDA government as they were under UPA-II, the report states.

They made headlines with their Class XII score. But where are they now?

The announcement of Class XII board exam results brings much fanfare for the toppers, but little is heard of them afterwards. Kritika Sharma and Manisha Mondal set out to track past Class XII toppers to find out about the journey that followed their 15 minutes of fame. They brought back some encouraging messages from the toppers for those who didn’t score as well.

This human rights lawyer moonlights as a drag queen

Delhi-based Kush aka Kushboo is a human rights lawyer by day and a beloved drag queen by night. Shahbaz Ansar offers us a peek into the life of an electric personality with a scintillating video that delves deep into the problems faced by one of Delhi’s first drag queens, but primarily the pure joy of his art.

Would ‘eminence’ tag for Raghuram Rajan project have evoked the same rage?

There has been a lot of controversy over the government’s decision to grant the ‘institute of eminence’ tag to Reliance Foundation’s Jio Institute, which is yet to be established and was selected under a category aimed at greenfield institutions. In a compelling column, marketing executive and writer Sandip Ghose wonders whether the rage was against the recognition of greenfield institutes or the fact that the one chosen belonged to Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance.

Why IAS officers grow ignorant and arrogant

Naresh Chandra Saxena, a former secretary in the erstwhile Planning Commission, explains why bureaucrats lose the will to learn as their career progresses. Frequent transfers from one post to another are a big factor, he writes.