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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

President takes prompt cognizance

Mumbai: President Droupadi Murmu has taken immediate cognizance of a plea pointing at grave insults to the Indian Tricolour (Tiranga) in pubs and hotels, violations to the Flag Code of India, 2002, in the name of celebrating Republic Day and Independence Day. Pune businessman-cum-activist Prafful Sarda had shot off a complaint to the President on Jan. 26 but was surprised to receive a response from her office in less than 72 hours. Under Secretary Lakshmi Maharabooshanam in the President’s...

President takes prompt cognizance

Mumbai: President Droupadi Murmu has taken immediate cognizance of a plea pointing at grave insults to the Indian Tricolour (Tiranga) in pubs and hotels, violations to the Flag Code of India, 2002, in the name of celebrating Republic Day and Independence Day. Pune businessman-cum-activist Prafful Sarda had shot off a complaint to the President on Jan. 26 but was surprised to receive a response from her office in less than 72 hours. Under Secretary Lakshmi Maharabooshanam in the President’s Secretariat at Rashtrapati Bhavan, replied to Sarda on forwarding his complaint to the Ministry of Home Affairs for necessary action. It further stated that action taken in the matter must be conveyed directly to Sarda. “It’s a pleasant surprise indeed that the President has taken serious note of the issue of insults to the National Flag at night-clubs, pubs, lounges, sports bars and other places all over the country. The blatant mishandling of the National Flag also violates the specially laid-down provisions of the Flag Code of India,” said Sarda. He pointed out that the Tricolor is a sacred symbol and not a ‘commercial prop’ for entertainment purposes to be used by artists without disregard for the rules. “There are multiple videos, reels or photos available on social media… It's painful to view how the National Flag is being grossly misused, disrespected and even displayed at late nights or early morning hours, flouting the rules,” Sarda said. The more worrisome aspect is that such transgressions are occurring openly, repeatedly and apparently without any apprehensions for the potential consequences. This indicates serious lapses in the enforcement and supervision, but such unchecked abuse could portend dangerous signals that national symbols can be ‘trivialized and traded for profits’. He urged the President to direct the issue of stringent written guidelines with circular to all such private or commercial outlets on mandatory compliance with the Flag Code of India, conduct special awareness drives, surprise checks on such venues and regular inspections to curb the misuse of the Tricolour. Flag Code of India, 2002 Perturbed over the “perceptible lack of awareness” not only among the masses but also governmental agencies with regard to the laws, practices and conventions for displaying the National Flag as per the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, the centre had brought out the detailed 25-page Flag Code of India, 2002. The Flag Code of India has minute guidelines on the display of the Tricolour, the happy occasions when it flies high, or the sad times when it is at half-mast, the privileged dignitaries who are entitled to display it on their vehicles, etc. Certain violations attract hefty fines and/or imprisonment till three years.

Matriarchs of Mantralaya

Maharashtra is rebuilding its ‘Iron Frame’ of women leadership

Manisha Patankar-Mhaiskar Ashwini Bhide
Manisha Patankar-Mhaiskar Ashwini Bhide

Mumbai: In the wake of a tragic week that saw the sudden demise of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the contours of power in Maharashtra are being redrawn with a distinct and decisive feature: the ascendancy of women to the state's highest political and administrative offices. With the reshuffle on Friday, it is now becoming clear that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is trying to come up with a governance model where the three pillars of the state—Political Stability, Internal Security, and Infrastructure Delivery— are entrusted to women.


The corridors of Mantralaya, power has a distinct new profile. Just weeks after the retirement of Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla and months after the exit of Chief Secretary Sujata Sounik, a vacuum seemed to loom over Maharashtra’s administrative gender diversity. The brief dip in what was termed the "golden era" of women bureaucrats—where the state’s top police officer and top civil servant were both women—appears to have been a temporary pause rather than a full stop.


With Friday’s transfer of senior bureaucrat Manisha Patankar-Mhaiskar to the critical Home Department as Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) and the growing political clamor to elevate Sunetra Pawar to the Deputy Chief Ministership following the tragic demise of her husband Ajit Pawar, the Fadnavis administration is swiftly reassembling a formidable "all-women" power axis. This new triad, anchored by Ashwini Bhide in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), suggests that Maharashtra’s pragmatic reliance on female leadership is shifting from "historic firsts" to operational inevitability.


Political Anchor

The most seismic shift is likely to be political. Following the untimely death of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in a plane crash earlier this week, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is reportedly rallying behind his wife, Sunetra Pawar. While her potential elevation to Deputy Chief Minister is politically expedient to keep the party united, it also places a woman in one of the highest executive offices in the state.


Unlike the bureaucratic roles, Sunetra Pawar’s challenge will be managing the volatile coalition dynamics of the Mahayuti alliance. If appointed, she would not only inherit her late husband’s political legacy but also likely his portfolios, which often included Finance. Her presence would act as the political counterweight to the bureaucratic influence of Mhaiskar and Bhide, completing a triad of governance that spans policy, execution, and politics.


Guardian of Home

Friday’s appointment of Manisha Patankar-Mhaiskar as ACS (Home) is a masterstroke in administrative continuity. The Home Department, traditionally the domain of the state’s most trusted hands, oversees law and order—a portfolio Fadnavis himself holds. By placing Mhaiskar here, Fadnavis has signaled immense trust.


A 1992-batch IAS officer, Mhaiskar is no stranger to high-pressure zones. She has previously handled the Environment and Protocol departments and was instrumental during the COVID-19 crisis. Her shift from Public Works Department (PWD) to Home suggests that the administration values her "crisis manager" reputation. In the Home department, she will be the administrative spine ensuring that the police force—recently vacated by Rashmi Shukla—remains aligned with the executive’s vision.


The Executor

While Mhaiskar manages the state’s internal security apparatus, Ashwini Bhide continues to drive its developmental engine from the Chief Minister’s Office. Known widely as the "Metro Woman" for her unwavering leadership of the Mumbai Metro Line 3 project despite intense environmental and political opposition, Bhide’s role as Principal Secretary to the CM is pivotal.


Her presence in the CMO ensures that the state's massive infrastructure mandate remains on track. Unlike Sounik and Shukla, who held constitutional/statutory summits, Bhide’s power is derived from her proximity to the decision-making core. Her retention in the CMO alongside her charge of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRCL) underscores a governance model that prioritizes delivery over optics.


Legacy of Firsts

The current reshuffle stands on the foundation laid by Sujata Sounik and Rashmi Shukla. Sounik, who retired in June 2025, was Maharashtra’s first female Chief Secretary, bringing a technocratic edge to the state's top office. Rashmi Shukla, who retired earlier this month, broke the brass ceiling as the first female DGP.


Their simultaneous tenure was a historic anomaly that normalized the idea of women running the state. The current administration seems keen to ensure that this was not a fleeting moment. By positioning Mhaiskar in Home and Bhide in the CMO—and potentially Sunetra Pawar in the Deputy CM’s chair—Chief Minister Fadnavis is curating a leadership team where "women’s power" is not just a slogan, but the operational reality of Maharashtra’s governance.

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