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In an interesting move ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections early next year, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was found nominating Dhanraj Nathwani, son of a close Reliance aide Parimal Nathwani to Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh. It is being said Dhanraj and Anant Ambani are very close buddies. Apparently, Delhi dispensation also gave its quiet nod. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was however kept out of the loop. It is also being said Dimple Yadav and Nita Ambani apparently settled the Rajya Sabha matter in London. Picking a Nathwani for Rajya Sabha was deemed to be useful for the Samajwadi Party which was looking to pad up in an election year. The buzz is Dhanraj Nathwani is said to be close to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s son Jay. With his entry into the RS, Dhanraj will be teaming up with his father Parimal who got elected to the RS from Jharkhand as an independent candidate backed by the NDA and the JMM in June 2026. Parimal Nathwani had defeated Congress candidate Pranav Jha much to the consternation of the Congress. Dhanraj’s entry into the Rajya Sabha means the father-son duo will remain on the opposite side of political divide. As for Akhilesh Yadav, his high sounding PDA formula for reaching out to Muslim-Yadav-Dalit vote bank will certainly go for a toss.
When this techie returned to his desk after lunch, he felt a sudden punch to the solar plexus: the dreaded pink slip was waiting for him. Welcome to the AI world. Here are you pink-slip proof? No, say a majority working 24X7. Career cushioning, a side hustle and pink slip insurance are not just mandatory but a survival skill in this age of overwhelming AI. Every survey rings the death knell to job permanencies. Devotion to your company and the bosses who mentored you? You must be joking! The sweeping storm of AI has churned up the job market…it’s a tech revolution that shakes and stirs every norm that we held sacred. A long list of surveys only confirms what is feared. Deloitte’s survey is ominous. It says 63 % of Gen Z and 65% of millennials fear generative AI may wipe out jobs. At the same time, they are convinced that acquiring generative AI skills are de rigueur to go up the tech ladder. Then there are the wise owls who adopt a new scheme to pink slip proof their jobs. So what options are there for a side hustle? One, consultancy or advisory research data hustles. Two, start an online business of boutique style snacks, services and on call HR or temps. Three, mine data for multiple domains, especially medical fields heavily dependent on past validated research for writing grants …funding for grants makes you an entrepreneur. Four, start local or neighbourhood clubs, golf, book discussion, parenting, coaching for exams. Five, generate surveys for any domain, boost business plans providing statistics. Astrology platforms attract big money …one has turned Unicorn! Who is overwhelmed by AI? Not the savvy career cushioned, side hustlers who are smart to pink slip proof their futures. Are you ready?
The Ruias-controlled Essar Group after exiting most of its steel assets years ago to clear debts is now more confident and assertive today than ever before. In fact, Essar is now firing on all cylinders for big ticket investment plans spread across the U.S., Saudi Arabia, India and others. Recently, the conglomerate captured major international headlines when the U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Essar-backed Mesabi Metallics will invest $18 billion to build America’s largest integrated steel plant complex in Iowa, America — producing 10 MTPA of steel annually using iron ore from Essar mines in Minnesota, USA. Similarly, in Saudi Arabia also, Essar is said to be gearing up to set up 4 MTPA green steel plant in Ras Al-Khair to capture the Middle Eastern industrial boom. And in India, Essar is executing a Rs 12,000 crore project to build a 14 million tonne iron ore pellet complex in Keonjhar in Odisha and a slurry pipeline to Paradip port. Essar’s aspiration does not end here, it is now going back to its roots Gujarat. Sources say Essar is also exploring an investment of $ 5 billion in the next few years to set up a 8-million tonne steel manufacturing plant in Gujarat. It may be mentioned Essar Steel was among the first list of the largest 12 stressed accounts that the RBI had drawn up in June 2017. The company was acquired by ArcelorMittal in 2019 under the NCLT and a final Supreme Court ruling.
There is something almost absurd about India’s latest coal crisis: the problem isn’t a supply shortage. Domestic production and imports are both up, and coal is piling up at the pitheads. What is missing is last-mile connectivity—specifically, the railway rakes needed to carry it to power stations. By September 9, as many as 59 thermal power plants across India were operating with critically low coal stocks, some holding barely three days of generation fuel. Maharashtra is right at the centre of this logistics crunch. Plants at Butibori and GMR Warora were down to a single day’s supply, while Dahanu, Amravati, Dhariwal, and Adani Tiroda held roughly three days’ stock, with Khaparkheda and Solapur at four. The Union Coal Ministry notes that rake loading for the power sector actually rose 20% in four days—from 370 rakes a day on September 3 to 444 on September 6. This raises an obvious question: if supplies are stepping up, why are generating stations still running on fumes? The official rationale points to seasonal logistics—heavy rains, evacuation delays, and a bottleneck in rake availability. Coal India itself acknowledged that several subsidiaries have ample coal but cannot move it due to rainfall and transport constraints. Yet monsoons are an annual affair. India has the coal; it simply needs the railways to deliver it. Adding to the drama, Gujarat has reportedly reached out to Maharashtra asking how the state is managing its thermal power operations without major disruptions. With stocks running thin, the question remains: will the Union Coal Secretary step up with answers?
It could prove to be a masterstroke by 69-year-old Noel Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts, which holds 66% in Tata Sons, the holding company of the $180-billion Tata Group. Noel, who has strongly opposed the listing of Tata Sons, seems to have found a possible way out of this vexatious issue. Tata Sons had earlier sought regulatory relief from the Reserve Bank of India as it tried to avoid a mandatory listing. Initially, there appeared to be broad alignment within the Tata establishment. But after Noel expressed reservations about a third term for N Chandrasekaran as chairman of Tata Sons, two camps seem to have emerged. Now Noel has made a bold move. Tata Trusts has proposed a strategic reorganisation of Tata Sons through the merger of Tata Electronics Systems Solutions Pvt Ltd and Tata Consulting Engineers with the holding company. The objective is clear: after the restructuring, Tata Sons would seek to operate neither as a NBFC nor as a Core Investment Company. If the restructuring achieves that regulatory status, the very basis for the RBI-mandated listing could disappear. The ball is now in the RBI’s court. But Noel has another battle on his hands — N Chandrasekaran’s third term. Chandra had announced on August 12 that he would not seek another term after his current tenure ends in February 2027. But the September 17 Tata Sons board meeting dramatically reversed that position, approving his reappointment for another five years by a majority vote. Noel was the sole dissenter. So, far from ending, the battle for Bombay House may only have entered its next round. In some ways, Noel Tata appears to be going through the same grind that his elder half-brother, the late Ratan Tata, faced after taking charge of Tata Sons in 1991.
There is speculation that political slugfest over CEC Gyanesh Kumar could all be his own making. The general buzz is that he could be unilateral in decision-making like former CEC T N Seshan and this may not have gone down well with his two fellow Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. The latest controversy erupted over an Indian Express investigative report alleging that Sandhu and Joshi recorded their objections in writing on at least 14 occasions in the last 10 months. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh says “The CEC has deliberately and explicitly violated the spirit of the Constitution and its provisions on citizenship…by illegally amending Form 6 to deprive Gen Z voters of their voting rights…he is a pawn of the cunning duo of PM-HM”. It is being said when ECs Sandhu and Joshi wrote to Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan complaining about the CEC, he told them it was not remit of the government to give directions to the poll body as it was an independent institution. Soon after the Express expose, alarm bells were sounded within the NDA and regional parties wanted the EC to function credibly and coherently. It then became incumbent for the CEC and ECs to come together to hammer out a joint statement. Even though appointments to the ECI are made as sinecure postings for retired bureaucrats — all the officials on ECI are close to ruling side — there is still a possibility that they may not always contribute to smooth functioning of the poll body. Gyanesh Kumar has been charged with bias towards the BJP, foisting the SIR on the country, which has removed 13 crore voters. The Congress even dubs the EC’s latest offer to get the BLO to visit the home of electors to get documents of those who received notices of discrepancies as an admission of guilt by the ECI.
It seems Hockey India, the apex body governing the sport in the country, is facing a severe internal crisis as personal agendas, power struggles, and petty politics take precedence over its organizational mission. At the centre of the deep-seated infighting are President Dilip Kumar Tirkey and Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh. Padma Shri and Arjuna Awardee Tirkey has filed a formal police complaint in Delhi against four high-ranking federation officials, alleging criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, and acts endangering his safety during a recent visit to the capital. In his complaint, Tirkey alleged that his Delhi-based driver failed to report for duty and absconded with critical office records, including his personal health files and medical reports. Tirkey named Bhola Nath Singh as the mastermind behind the incident. According to sources, tension had been brewing after Tirkey reprimanded Singh for failing to abide by administrative instructions regarding governance, financial disputes, convening an unapproved Executive Board meeting, and altering the national team’s jersey color to saffron without his consent. The escalating feud threatens to derail one of the country’s most iconic sporting institutions.
An important event took place at the recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Mumbai. BCCI members, as permitted by the Supreme Court, attend the AGM and try to make their presence felt. The representative of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), Dr Unmesh Khanvilkar, may have stirred the hornets’ nest by telling the BCCI bigwigs that Mumbai should be considered for prominent Test matches. He even went so far as to propose that Mumbai be awarded a Test match in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy because Gavaskar is from the great city of Mumbai, which has won the Ranji Trophy 42 times. The MCA has hosted 27 Test matches in the last 51 years, the last being the third Test of that series against New Zealand. The city’s second Test venue, the Brabourne Stadium at the Cricket Club of India, has hosted 18 Tests, while the Bombay Gymkhana hosted one, the inaugural Test in India, against England. India has over 30 Test grounds, with the original first five permanent Test venues being Bombay (Mumbai), Madras (Chennai), Delhi, Calcutta (Kolkata), and Kanpur. Some noted former Test players believe that the time has come for the authorities to schedule Test matches at traditional venues. Australia, England, South Africa, and New Zealand have their own Test centres that attract large attendance. Adding Guwahati, Ranchi, Indore, Visakhapatnam, Dharamsala, New Chandigarh and Rajkot has made the rotation policy long and winding. The five Test series against Australia have already been scheduled at Nagpur, Chennai, Ranchi, Guwahati and Ahmedabad, and it looks like Mumbai’s frustration will continue for a long time. But it’s good that the MCA has raised the issue.
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and CPI(M) secretary M A Baby have reopened communication after decades of rivalry in West Bengal, amid concern over differences within the Election Commission on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Both parties are founding constituents of the INDIA bloc but maintained no communication. Sources said Mamata and Baby spoke over the phone after Baby wrote to Opposition and non-BJP parties. They discussed bringing Opposition parties together to launch a joint campaign to safeguard the credibility of the electoral system. It is also learnt that Didi spoke to LoP Rahul Gandhi and urged him to call an INDIA bloc meeting next week. Baby’s letter called the recently published news report a “major exposé”, raising questions over the commission’s credibility and saying the democratic process was at stake. He claimed the process could affect voting rights of more than 13 crore voters and urged a collective response. Baby proposed a date and venue and approached non-INDIA parties, including BRS, AAP, DMK, Tamil Nadu’s ruling party TVK, BJD and the Cockroach Janta Party. Mamata is learnt to have told Baby that INDIA constituents should meet without delay and work out a strategy. Coordination gathered momentum after reports said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections at least 14 occasions over 10 months to SIR-related decisions. Opposition parties have demanded CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s removal and an independent inquiry into the EC under Supreme Court oversight, and are likely to submit a notice in Parliament.
India’s culture of political defections has been deplored by Sweden’s MP Nila Vikhe Patil while castigating her uncle Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, a senior minister in Maharashtra. After spending her childhood at Loni in Ahilyanagar district of north Maharashtra, 41-year old Nila returned to Sweden where she has been recently elected to its Parliament. A staunch worker of the Green Party, Nila has expressed chagrin over the attempts by Sujay, son of Radhakrishna, to show closeness to her and claim some credit in her political achievement. Radhakrishna Vikhe and his son Sujay are with the BJP. Sujay was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2019 but lost five years later. Nila is the daughter of Radhakrishna’s elder brother and educationist Ashok Vikhe Patil. The brothers Vikhe are not on good terms. After Nila’s electoral victory, Sujay spoke with news channels. Nila, however, erupted when she saw one of the video clips in which Sujay was seen saying that although he was defeated in the Lok Sabha election, another member was elected in Sweden. Nila expressed angrily that she had no contact with either Radhakrishna or Sujay in over a decade. She burst out, “I will never change my party. They have.” She was referring to Vikhe’s changing caps, from the Congress to the Shiv Sena (Unified) and now with the BJP. All through, he has remained an influential cabinet minister, belonging to the powerful Maratha caste and seen as a confidant of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Why do two senior Congress leaders take opposite stands on the same issue? Does one do it to please Rahul Gandhi, or does the other want to show he thinks independently on the matter? A day after P Chidambaram questioned the tangible benefits India has gained from recent BRICS Summits, saying he had not seen any significant outcomes from the last two or three meetings, his party colleague and MP Shashi Tharoor said that the grouping shows India’s “diplomatic convening power”. Speaking ahead of the BRICS Summit in Delhi, Tharoor called the summit an important platform for the Global South. Tharoor highlighted the importance of the BRICS Summit and said the 11 BRICS countries represent a majority of the world’s population and 41% of global GDP. Saying it is no small matter, he said the rest of the world must take it very seriously. Earlier, Chidambaram talked about the BRICS Summit 2026 in Delhi and questioned what concrete benefits the country has received from it. He said he doesn’t know how many Presidents and how many Prime Ministers are coming, but he doesn’t think the last two or three BRICS Summits have delivered tangible benefits or results for India. However, the BJP lashed out at Chidambaram and called him part of the “naraaz phupha” lot (angry uncle as described by Modi) who can’t digest India’s growth and development. India assumed the BRICS chairmanship for the fourth time on January 1, with its 2026 presidency driven by the theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. Among the delegates are Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and several other global leaders who have come to Delhi to attend the summit. It is being said the Congress is upset that Chinese President Xi is also attending BRICS summit. And the party felt left out of the loop.
Following bilateral talks at Bharat Mandapam, PM Modi and President Putin travelled together in an armoured Aurus Senat limousine to the INNOPROM industrial exhibition on September 11, marking their fourth shared ride within a year. Normally, talks between top leaders usually happen across negotiating tables. It was the same “Aurus Senat” car that made headlines after Modi rode in it with Putin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China in September 2025. The two leaders have used cars for secret negotiations. Putin shares car rides — often dubbed “carplomacy”— to showcase their strong personal bond and hold private, uninterrupted discussions. Travelling together creates the world’s secure private room away from aides and officials, allowing the two leaders to speak candidly about major geopolitical updates or sensitive matters. It is uncommon for PM Modi to travel with a foreign dignitary in the same vehicle, but an exception was again made for Putin who visited India for the first time in four years. Back in September 2025, during the SCO Summit in Tianjin (China), the two were seen travelling together in Putin’s bulletproof car, drawing widespread global attention. Later, Putin said, “The car ride with Modi was my idea. It was a symbol of our friendship. We talked throughout the drive; there’s always something to discuss. We even sat inside the car for quite some time afterwards.” Modi has shared car rides with a few foreign leaders in the past, former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe during a 2017 roadshow, and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during a 2024 roadshow. Putin last visited India in December 2025 for the India-Russia summit, but it will be his first in-person participation at a BRICS Summit outside Russia since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022.
Pune, the seat of the vast Maratha empire, continues to hit headlines, mostly for wrong reasons. However, an observation by the Bombay High Court on Friday (Sept 11) has somehow restored Pune’s pride and pleased its tippler community immensely. The bench has castigated the Pune district administration for imposing an arbitrary liquor sales ban for the duration of the Ganesh festival. Already, the administration has banned the use of DJ sound systems and laser beams during the famous public celebration of the festival, ending September 26. That restriction has been welcomed all around. However, the liquor ban was immediately challenged by the wine shop owners while those enjoying a swig or two were waiting patiently for divine intervention. It has come from the HC, which said that the ban is an arbitrary decision. The bench has queried why only Pune has been singled out. It noted that Mumbai and other areas have no such restrictions. The court observed the ban unfairly portrays Pune residents as troublemakers after drinking. The judges remarked that stopping alcohol for 10 days could cause medical issues and flood hospitals with habitual drinkers. The Bench was headed by newly appointed Chief Justice M C Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna. The Petitioners are hotel and wine shop owner associations, who unitedly rose to challenge the Pune district collector’s order. The HC has asked the authorities to withdraw the ban or face direct judicial intervention.
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Editor’s Note: Short Post Is Here To Stay…
Time, they say, flies—and how true that is. Here we are celebrating our 5th Anniversary. Five years ago, when Covid-19 was wreaking havoc across the globe, I took a leap of faith and launched Short Post, India’s first website for Authentic Gossip. That was on January 31, 2021. I was convinced there was a clear gap in the market for gossip that was credible, sharp, and impactful—especially if told in just 250 words.
In this, I was fortunate. Scores of senior editors across diverse verticals bought into the idea and, in the process, gave wings to my dream. Quite honestly, Short Post could not have crossed these milestones without the unflinching support of its contributing editors. Like all start-ups, we have seen our share of ups and downs, but these editors have stood by us like a rock. I take this opportunity to doff my hat to them.
Thanks to their commitment, we have published close to 5,000 stories spanning politics, business, entertainment, and sports. I say this with pride: we made our mark as people who matter read us. “Small packs, big impact” truly captures the essence of Short Post.
We all know that Covid-19 has reset businesses worldwide, and the media sector is no exception. In the post-Covid era, investors have become more cautious and selective—and advertisers too. To compound matters, the entry of AI has disrupted the media landscape in equal measure. So far, we have managed to hold our ground, hopeful that some angel investors will take a shine to us.
What gives me confidence is this: AI cannot smell news—especially the gossipy kind. In other words, AI cannot churn out Short Post-type stories, no matter the prompt. That puts us in a safe zone. As someone rightly said, “AI is a co-pilot, not a pilot.”