The Anna Effect

The effect of 74-year old Anna Hazare's fast against corruption resonated at Cipla's recent shareholder meeting. Responding to a media-query on what he thought of Anna's fast, Cipla's Chairman Dr Y.K. Hamied, himself 75-years-old, responded: “ He (Anna) should have been there in 2005” when the Indian Patent Act was amended through an overnight Ordinance. Dr Hamied has been critical of the amended Indian Patent Act that came into effect in 2005. The country has a high disease burden and needs affordable medicines, he said, cautioning that frivolous patenting would keep medicines beyond the reach of people.

Cabinet holiday?

The Anna wave seems to be affecting the normal functioning of the Government. Since the Anna brigade hit Delhi, the Union Cabinet has not met for the last two weeks. While the Cabinet Committee of Political Affairs has been meeting, the Union Cabinet does not seem to have met at all. This is much to the relief of newspersons who dread Cabinet meetings during the Parliament session as they would invariably be held during the night, playing havoc with the deadlines of many a newspaper.

Jewel in the Tata crown

The Tata Group may have many jewels in its crown, but a curious investor at the recent Tata Chemicals annual general meeting wanted to know what Ratan Tata's favourite was. Obliging the investor, Mr Tata answered spontaneously that his favourites were Tata Steel, Tata Motors and, of late, Indian Hotels, without elaborating on the reasons. When asked whether Indian Hotels was added to the list after the recent terrorist attack, he denied it instantly. Another investor was all praise for the transparency the Group follows and said Tata, to him, means Trust and Truth Always.

Put on a protein-rich diet

The latest RBI annual report is thinner; it has less than half the number of pages that the previous issues had. According to Executive Director Deepak Mohanty, the report has been put on a ‘protein-rich' diet! Less mass, but rich in assessment.

At a media interaction at the release of the report, Dr Subir Gokarn, Deputy Governor, explained in detail: “Till two years ago this used to be a 500-page document, which most people found very difficult to lift, including myself. Which is why, as soon as I came in, I insisted that it be brought down to 200 pages. We are trying to stick with that. We are also contributing to paper conservation. If things that you require are not there, remember that every new element requires more paper.”

Kangaroos vs Elephants

A first time visitor to Perth was eager to snap kangaroos on her high-tech camera purchased at the duty- free shop. Towards the end of the guided tour, she asked the guide, “Hey, you did not show us any kangaroos?” The polite guide quipped, “Tell me which country you are from”. The amused Indian tourist affirmed her nationality. The guide responded, “Hey, good country… do you see elephants on the roads in India?” The smart guide might have silenced her, but little did he know that we do see elephants — mostly aged and tired — wending their way through the sea of human and vehicular traffic on our streets, even in the metros.

Lesson to learn

One saw a deluge of media agency professionals at the Ad Club Bombay's EMVIES 2011 awards night in Mumbai at the ballroom of the Taj Lands End hotel. The dholaks , horns and other paraphernalia that the cheering squads brought with them and used to good effect threatened to drown out the side acts of musical performances by agencies and media companies. With agencies competing tooth and nail for medals at the EMVIES, there was a risk that rivals in the audience would out-shout the music on stage. Thankfully, that was not to be. One appeal from the MC Brian Tellis did the trick. Maximum cheering before each performance, and generous appreciation after, was the welcome result. There is a lesson somewhere for journalists — especially of the television variety — catching up with each other at press conferences.

Faux for you, passes for me

At a recent CII event on counterfeiting and piracy in Bangalore, Mr L.Suresh, producer of some hit films and President of the Film Federation of India, elaborated on how efficient and fastidious the US enforcement system was when it came to protecting the brands and intellectual property of its companies.

“In the US, you can't get a pirated CD or DVD of Hollywood's latest films. Ask for one and they will look at you like dirt,” he said, recounting one of his tragi-comic brushes with fakes there. There was more to his pause: “But if you shop for $200, the same people will give you a (pirated) DVD of the latest Indian hit movie as a complimentary.” A case of what's faux for you passes for me?

A matter of quid pro quo

Of late, the Ministry of Shipping has been taking more time to clear the travel and other overseas expenses of the Chairman of Shipping Corporation of India. The bureaucrats also raise several questions before okaying any proposal. The reason (goes the grapevine) is a matter of quid pro quo . After SCI got the ‘Navaratna' status, it has become selective in entertaining requests for favours from Ministry officials.

These range from free transport, accommodation and other facilities.

There was a time when these hospitalities were extended not only to the officials and their families, but also to their friends and associates as a matter of routine. As a Navaratna company, the management has more independence in decision-making, but it is also accountable.

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