Aneek Biswas

[THE SKIN DOCTOR @theskindoctor13]

While the whole country is debating petrol-ethanol, the bros from Madhya Pradesh have already pulled off what is arguably India's first major ethanol scam, not counting you know who.

There is a govt policy that surplus rice in govt warehouses can be sold to ethanol manufacturers at subsidised rates to prevent it from rotting.

According to a Dainik Bhaskar report, the scam began when some officials allegedly (willingly?) ignored the rules and allocated "newly procured" fortified rice (not even regular rice, but fortified rice) for ethanol production. The rice, bought at a high price (₹4,000 per quintal), was sold at a throwaway price (₹2,320 per quintal) to ethanol plants.

The ethanol plant operators allegedly knew it was fortified rice, so instead of using it to make ethanol, they sold it to rice millers at ₹2,800 per quintal, and instead bought cheap broken rice (₹2,100 per quintal) from the open market for ethanol production, making an overall profit of ₹700 per quintal.

The rice millers allegedly repacked the fortified rice in new gunny bags and supplied it back to the govt as freshly milled rice. The govt paid them milling charges, while the govt supplied paddy they were actually supposed to mill was allegedly sold in the open market for another round of profit.

So the same bag of rice allegedly kept changing hands: govt warehouse to ethanol plant to rice mill to back to govt warehouse. Everyone in the chain allegedly made money.

The MP govt formed an SIT. So far, four people have been arrested and 12 trucks seized. Investigators suspect that up to 50 lakh quintals of govt rice, worth around ₹1,160 crore, may have been diverted through this alleged racket.

[MUDIT AGARWAL @mudit_aggarwal]

नितिन गडकरी जी, आपकी इथेनॉल नीति आम जनता की जेब पर भारी पड़ रही है! 3.5 साल पुरानी Skoda Slavia का फ्यूल पंप इस नए ईंधन के कारण खराब हो गया। सर्विस स्टेशन पर रोज़ ऐसे 6-7 मामले आ रहे हैं। क्या बिना किसी रिसर्च के आम कार मालिकों को 'गिनी पिग' बनाकर यह नीति थोप दी गई? इस आर्थिक नुकसान का ज़िम्मेदार कौन है @nitin_gadkari जी??

[Ritu #सत्यसाधक @RituRathaur]

Lo Behold! 🚨

The script writes itself! 🎪😂

First, the UP government creates a toothless SIT to look into the massive Ram Mandir donation scam. The catch? They completely bypass standard legal procedures and don't file a single FIR, ignoring glaring evidence of insider theft.

Next, this SIT wraps up its probe and dutifully submits the report to IAS officer Sanjay Prasad. Who just happens to sit on the Ram Mandir Trust board as an ex-officio member. 😂😂😂

You truly cannot make this up. They are submitting a robbery report to the very authority responsible for safeguarding the vault while it was being looted.

Cinema. Pure cinema. 👏👏👏 😂😂

[Mr Sharma @sharma_views]

INDIAN EXPRESS DROPS A LAND BOMB ON BJP CM 🔥

After Mohan Yadav became Madhya Pradesh CM, his family and real estate companies reportedly bought at least 137 plots spread over 168 acres in and around Ujjain.

This is the same Ujjain being reshaped for Simhastha 2028 with highways, road widening, townships, riverfront projects, medical city, IT park and new commercial zones.

The most damning part is this: out of the 168 acres bought after he became CM, 111 acres are reportedly located along roads announced by CM Mohan Yadav himself.

His family already had land. But after Dec 2023, the land buying saw a sharp jump, right when Ujjain’s development map started turning into a goldmine.

Indian Express repeatedly asked the CM for answers. He stayed silent.

This is how BJP turns religion into a business model 😡

[anand mahindra @anandmahindra]

I ran across this video a few days ago and couldn’t stop watching it.

It’s about something ordinary & boring, a plastic gas lighter. But it changes how one thinks about manufacturing.

That lighter in so many of our homes, holds pressurised gas. It has over 30 microscopic parts, has to pass international safety codes, & travel 10,000 miles by sea, & the total cost of doing all that, materials, labour, freight, every middleman along the way, comes to fifteen U.S cents.

So how does anyone make money on this?

Turns out almost the entire world’s supply comes from one place: a county called Shaodong, in China’s Hunan province.

It wasn’t always there.

But today, Shaodong has 114 lighter-related companies packed into the place & between them they source more than 200 different components from each other, all within a 20-kilometre radius. They supply something like seventy percent of the world’s disposable lighters. And the industry alone employs over 80,000 people locally.

Nobody there is winning on cheap labour anymore. They’re winning by shaving a thousandth of a cent off the thickness of a plastic wall, or redesigning a base so a few thousand more units fit into the same shipping container.

It took my thoughts back to an old professor of mine, Michael Porter.
His 1980 book, Competitive Strategy, is still the 1st book most MBAs read, the one that gave the world the Five Forces and basically invented modern strategic thinking.

But there’s a quieter piece of his work, on industrial clusters, that never got nearly the same attention, and it is the one that explains exactly what is happening in Shaodong.

His argument was that nations and regions rarely win because of cheap inputs. They win when rival firms and specialist suppliers crowd into the same small geography for long enough that they keep pushing each other past what any one of them could manage alone. He found it in the Swiss watchmaking towns of the Jura, in the German printing press industry and in Italy’s ceramic tile and footwear districts (interestingly, it’s the SAME blueprint which built Morbi, in Gujarat, into the world’s second-largest ceramic cluster, now outproducing Italy by volume. I have posted before, about Morbi)

None of these started out as giants. The neighbourhood made them giants.

Which is exactly why it’s so relevant to India’s climb up the global manufacturing table

I’ve also attached a slide with this post that I saw recently and which shows us breaking into the top 5 manufacturing globally. (A quick reference check told me that we may not have overtaken Korea yet, but the trajectory’s clear)

That climb has happened on the back of scale: bigger plants, bigger parks, more FDI.

I should declare an interest here, because the Mahindra Group set up 2 of India’s first integrated, plug-and-play business cities, in Chennai in 2002 & Jaipur in 2006.

Both have been extremely successful. Chennai’s business zone alone today employs 45,000 people..

But I admit that we need to think differently.

A park brings in investors and hands them a ready plot, power, water & roads

A cluster is a completely different animal: hundreds of small, specialised suppliers, each obsessed with doing a tiny thing better than anyone else, feeding off each other’s presence for years until no outsider can compete with the whole.

I think that’s the work ahead of us now.

Not just more factories, and not just more parks.

Policymakers & developers like us need to start consciously pulling as many of the inputs and resources a sector needs, the toolmakers, the component suppliers, the testing labs, the logistics specialists, into the same neighbourhood.

Shaodong and Morbi both got there by accident, one town stumbling onto a way to shave a thousandth of a cent off a lighter wall, the other discovering it had the clay and, later, the gas pipeline for tiles.

We don’t have the luxury of waiting for accidents anymore.

We need to do it on purpose

[Iain Cameron @theiaincameron]

France v Senegal is the World Cup’s only group-stage match where both countries surround OTHER sovereign countries that open to the sea*.

France wraps around Monaco, and Senegal wraps The Gambia. (Monaco and Gambia are 2 of the only 3 such surrounded countries in the world.**)

Stay tuned for more cutting-edge, geography-based World Cup analysis.

* Also known as a semi-enclave: a territory that is completely surrounded by another country's land borders, except for one section that borders an open body of water.

** The only other semi-enclave in the world is Brunei, which is surrounded by Malaysia.

[Iain Cameron @theiaincameron]

Netherlands v Japan is the World Cup’s only group-stage match where both countries have capital cities with neighbourhoods below sea level.

Amsterdam is famously below sea level. Tokyo has “zero-metre zones” protected by flood defences.

Stay tuned for more cutting-edge, geography-based World Cup analysis.

[Iain Cameron @theiaincameron]

Côte d'Ivoire v Ecuador is the World Cup’s only group-stage match where both countries are named after geographic features you can point to on a map.

Ecuador is named after the Equator. Côte d'Ivoire is named after the ivory-trading coast of West Africa.

Stay tuned for more cutting-edge, geography-based World Cup analysis.

[Iain Cameron @theiaincameron]

Belgium v Egypt is the World Cup’s only group-stage match where both present-day countries contain battlefields where Napoleon personally commanded an army.

Egypt had the Battle of the Pyramids. Belgium had Waterloo.

Stay tuned for more cutting-edge, geography-based World Cup analysis.

[Iain Cameron @theiaincameron]

Spain v Cape Verde is the World Cup’s only group-stage match where both countries’ highest points are volcanoes in Macaronesia.

Spain tops out at Mount Teide in Tenerife. Cape Verde tops out at Pico do Fogo on Fogo.

Stay tuned for more cutting-edge, geography-based World Cup analysis.

[Iain Cameron @theiaincameron]

Iran v New Zealand is the World Cup’s only group-stage match where both countries are the sole wild home of a globally recognisable animal.

Iran has the last Asiatic cheetahs. New Zealand has the kiwi.

Stay tuned for more cutting-edge, geography-based World Cup analysis.

[Iain Cameron @theiaincameron]

Saudi Arabia v Uruguay is the World Cup’s only group-stage match where the world’s largest country without a permanent river faces a country named *after* a river.

Saudi Arabia has no permanent rivers. Uruguay takes its name from the Uruguay River.

Stay tuned for more cutting-edge, geography-based World Cup analysis.

[Awesh Tiwari @awesh29]

बेरोज़गार युवाओं को 'कॉक्रोच' समझने वाले भारत के मुख्य न्यायाधीश इस समय क्या कर रहे हैं - मालूम है? मी लॉर्ड इस समय लंडन की खूबसूरत फिज़ाओं में बैडमिंटन का टूर्नामेंट खेल रहे हैं.

जून का महीना चल रहा है. देश में भयंकर उमस और गर्मी है तो मी लॉर्ड महोदय यहां कैसे खेलते? पसीना निकलता. कहीं बेहोश हो जाते तो? मी लॉर्ड के मनोरंजन में कहीं कोई कमी न रह जाये इसलिये मोदी जी के कानून मंत्री किरण रिजिजू ने खुद आगे बढ़कर लंडन में टूर्नामेंट कराने का इंतज़ाम कराया.

भारत का कानून मंत्रालय मी लॉर्ड और उनके चेले-चमचों का खेल स्पॉन्सर कर रहा है.

बैडमिंटन तो अकेले खेला नहीं जाता इसलिये मुख्य न्यायाधीश का साथ देने देश कानून मंत्री भी लंडन पहुंचे हुये हैं. उन्होंने और मी लॉर्ड ने मिलकर बैडमिंटन टूर्नामेंट का उद्घाटन किया. पांच लाख का इनाम भी रखा है. 1000 रुपये एंट्री फीस. सूर्यकांत और रिजिजू के अलावा भारत के 150 जज और वकील इस वक्त लंडन में बैडमिंटन टूर्नामेंट खेल रहे हैं.

कितना सुंदर दृश्य होगा! भारत का मुख्य न्यायाधीश जो युवाओं को 'कॉक्रोच' समझता है और युवाओं को 'कॉक्रोच' बनाने वाली सरकार का कानून मंत्री एक साथ बैडमिंटन खेल रहे हैं. एक से बढ़कर एक शॉट्स मार रहे हैं. चेले-चमटे तालियां बजा रहे हैं. दमकते-महकते माहौल में बियर, व्हिस्की परोसी जा रही है.

मी लॉर्ड और माननीय मंत्री जब खेल रहे होंगे तब उनके हाथ में रैकेट होगा. जब नहीं खेल रहे होंगे तो हाथ में बियर या व्हिस्की का ग्लास होगा. बैडमिंटन की बारिकियों के अलावा तब दोनों लोग, चुस्कियां लेते हुये, भारत को विश्वगुरु बनाने गंभीर चर्चा करते होंगे.

ब्रिटेन की राजधानी में, ब्रिटेन के गुलाम भारत की न्यायपालिका और कार्यपालिका का ऐसा मिलन अब तक कम से कम मैंने नहीं देखा या पढ़ा था.

मोदी जी चाहते हैं कि जनता सोना न खरीदे, बैलगाड़ी से चले, शादी-ब्याह का आयोजन न करे ,पैसा बचाये ताकि उनकी असफलताओं को ढंका जा सके. लेकिन इस देश का इलीट क्लास, देश को चूसकर भी लंडन में मौज कर रहा है. पर मोदी जी कुछ नहीं बोलते.

@vdiimc

[New Direction AFRICA @Its_ereko]

🚨 HUMILIATION AT THE WORLD CUP: SENEGAL STARS TREATED LIKE CRIMINALS BY US BORDER THUGS

Senegal 🇸🇳 national team arrives in the US for #WorldCup2026 — and what do they get?

US authorities pulling them off the plane for aggressive bag searches, invasive checks, and public degradation right on the tarmac. Top African football giants disrespected like suspects.

This is not "security." This is racist arrogance from the host nation that lectures the world on fairness while treating African players like second-class humans.

Same America blocking referees, humiliating teams, and showing its true face to the Global South.

Senegal, Africa is with you. CAF and FIFA — speak up or remain useless puppets.

The World Cup belongs to the world, not to US ego and discrimination.

Expose this disgrace. Share widely.

[meetu jain @meetujain]

Morning gyan: Permission to travel is always given by the @PMOIndia. Judges of the #SupremeCourt and high courts concerned forward a request to Dept of Justice, Ministry of Law. A travel itinerary is prepared, the financial implications (TA/DA), official protocol etc worked out. The Foreign Travel Order is then forwarded to the PM who okays it.
Some 18 years ago, the Manmohan Singh govt had cracked the whip and read out the Code of Conduct to judges of the Supreme Court and high courts to curb the practice of judges going abroad for conferences and seminars even when the court was in session and a handful of judges were always away.
But even then, I don’t remember a judge going abroad to attend a private sports tournament!
In order to curb this practice, the MMS government’s law minister, Hansraj Bharadwaj, forwarded a story done by me for @CNNnews18 to the CJI and expressed his unhappiness at the “bad press”. The law ministry also came up with a fresh list of protocols following the story. The CJI then unhappily used my story to write to the high courts concerned sharing the government’s concerns. Some fresh rules were laid out.
It was decided that there would be proportional representation of judges accepting the invite and only one judge would represent the court. The invite would only be accepted if it was by the judiciary/government of the host country. The number of days was curtailed to what was considered necessary. Judges would travel by the shortest route possible.

The kill joy story that led to these seminal changes was me accessing through RTI the FTO of judges of the SCs and high courts from the dept of Justice since the #SupremeCourtifIndia was not under the RTI.

Then CJI KG Balakrishnan opposed my RTI tooth and nail, accused Hansraj Bharadwaj and then Home minister of conspiring with the media against the judiciary (untrue completely) and finally after nine months of my relentless pursuit, released the FTOs.

The travel details were an eye opener. The biggest “traveller” was ex CJI YK Sabharwal. He was out of the country for 45 days (the entire summer vacation) on tax payer expense, travelled to the US, went to Disneyland, visited his brother, went to Montreal via Vancouver (!!!) before going to Paris and back. The conferences in end May and mid July were at Montreal and Paris. (Why YKS went to Vancouver is another story. IYKYK).
KGB went for a conference to Pretoria, South Africa. His route was Kochi (three day layover at his house), then South Africa where he visited the famous Kruger National Park but skipped going to the Victoria Falls (the PMO was frowning) and some other touristy spots.
A few years later, I chased the story again. The RTI s came in a jiffy. Foreign travels had reduced to 10 per cent of what it used to be. Bharadwaj called me a killjoy but was secretly happy.
I can go on! There are hundreds of FTOs lying around which I got under RTI that gives you an idea how the tax payers money is spent.
But never have I heard of so many judges going for a private event, sponsored by the very companies they are sitting in judgement over.
@sardesairajdeep
@kthaparoffice
@maneeshchhibber
@sharmanagendar

[Cristiano Ronaldo @Cristiano]

RIP THE SCRIPT @Nike

#Ad

[Cockroach Party of India @Cockroach4India]

Open Challenge to all political parties 🚨

Debate us on unemployment, inflation, taxes, corruption, education, healthcare & infrastructure.

no pr scripts, no tv circus.
Let’s see who actually shows up.

[Cockroach Party of India @Cockroach4India]

The Cockroach Party of India invites India’s top leaders for a real public debate. No drama, no excuses.

PM Narendra Modi: come without a teleprompter.

Rahul Gandhi: come without talking only about your family legacy.

Arvind Kejriwal: come without playing the victim card.

Let’s debate real issues:

Jobs.
Unemployment.
AI and automation.
Education.
Healthcare.
Paper leaks.
Inflation.
Corruption.
Women’s safety.
Urban collapse.
Taxpayer accountability.

India does not need more speeches, slogans, reels, or emotional packaging.

India needs answers.

So here is the challenge:

Face the people.
Face the questions.
Face the data.

If you claim to lead India, then debate India’s real problems.

[Manu🇮🇳🇮🇳 @mshahi0024]

How BJP fooled the middle class.

1. They said there were ₹1.25 lakh crore oil bonds, so excise duty had to be increased. They raised the duty from ₹9 to ₹33 within just a couple of years.

2. In the name of those bonds, they extracted nearly ₹42 lakh crores from the public.

3. When crude oil prices fell to $30 to $40, they did not pass the benefit to the common people. Instead, they increased various taxes to keep boosting revenue.

4. When they got the opportunity to buy cheap oil from Russia, they allowed one rich businessman to buy that oil, bring it to India, and then sell it to richer nations. He earned around ₹45,000 crores, while the common people got nothing.

5. Then a minister introduced ethanol blending. Without public consent, petrol was mixed with ethanol from sugarcane. His children allegedly made profits in billions, while the common public not only got no relief, but also faced reduced mileage and damage to many vehicles.

6. Now, when a crisis is looming because of failed government policies, instead of making excise duty zero, they still want to burden the same common people.

7. They know that this time the public may not spare them, so now they have started appealing, begging, and blaming international markets.

For the last 12 years, it is the common public that has paid the heavy price for the sheer failures of this government.

Now they say other countries also increased fuel prices. Yes, because those countries did not loot the public when crude prices were at rock bottom.

Minimum wages and salaries in those countries are many times higher than ours, and they provide world class education, healthcare, transport, and multiple other benefits.

What do we have in India?🤔