An appetite for work

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bonhomie-laden chai pe charcha during his election campaign does not appear to extend to his stint in government. At Wednesday evening's meeting with 77 secretaries to the Government of India, several bureaucrats had expected at least high tea and, maybe, dinner if the meeting ran on. But Modi, who "doesn't believe in pleasantries" according to one participant, apparently started the meeting at 6 p m with tea but no snacks. When the discussion stretched to 9 p m, the prime minister apologised for not being a good host, but asked Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth whether arrangements had been made for dinner. Obviously not, and Seth's sheepish explanation was that the government was in mourning, a reference to minister Gopinath Munde's death a day earlier.