While in the past the selection committee normally recommended one person for the job from among a list of contenders, this time it has been asked to give the government a list of four names so that the government can finally pick and chose the winner. Eavesdropper hears that the selection committee is nervously holding the list close to its chest and hoping the government will take an early decision so that none of the members runs the risk of being accused of leaking the name!

Elusive COP
The recently concluded Climate Change negotiations at The Hague had the power minister confused and frustrated. To start with, the minister could not fathom why some of the richer countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Argentina, were regarded as Non Annex I countries, while the East European transition economies, with their lower per capita incomes found themselves in Annex I category, alongwith the OECD countries and the EU. Next, the co-chair of the Compliance committee found himself totally frustrated by the inaction of the developed countries, in reducing their domestic emissions.

Chiding the non-performers, he said that the only 'demonstrable progress' witnessed had been on account of the non governmental organisations! Finally, faced with the prospect of a lack of consensus, Mr Suresh Prabhu could not resist quipping, that much like its counterpart back at home in India, the COP (Conference of Parties, the Convention's supreme body) was fast becoming elusive.