Indian of the Year

After the media is done ushering in the new year, TV channels try to raise their TRPs by covering the slew of awards ceremonies that kick off soon after. This year's itinerary was especially crowded - it wasn't just the usual Golden Globes or the Oscars (which have a history and tradition behind them that make them awards worth their name), or the Bharat Ratna, Padma Bhushan, or Padma Shris (which are awarded by the Indian Government, and so carry the stamp of authority), but also awards no one would remember come the end of this week, initiated by CNN IBN and NDTV.

However, out of this incongruous mess came an award that I believe is finally worth something. Not because of its prize money, or its coverage in the news, but because of who it rewarded. We finally had an award going to a civil servant (I know I'm being loose with this term) - a man who broke through the bureaucratic mess and red tape that stood in his way to build the Delhi Metro ahead of schedule, and strictly within its budget. I salute E Sreedharan, and also CNN IBN for finally having rewarded true merit.

Read the article by clicking here.
(it's moderately better written than most other IBNlive articles)