Saree, tie, pen, bangle, kettle, wrist watch, mobile phone– the gifs that bureaucrats receive; Full List

DIPLOMATS and bureaucrats including foreign secretary, home secretary and defence secretary received as many as 43 gifts including saree, tie, pen, mobile phone etc. which they had deposited in the ministry of external affairs’ Toshakhana department for valuation between January and March, 2015, according to data available with the MEA. After valuation, the gifts below the worth of Rs 5,000 are usually returned to the recipients. But the very fact that 43 out of 110 gifts deposited in the Toshakhana during the period were given to civil servants (as against ministers including PM) demonstrates the importance of the babus in the set-up. Here is the list of the officers, the gifts that they received, the valuation of the gifts and whether those were returned to the officers concerned.

Foreign dignitaries carry carpets (red?) as gifts for Indian politicians and officials

WHEN a foreign dignitary comes to New Delhi, India’s top diplomats leave no stone unturned to give them a red carpet welcome. What do they give in return? Believe it or not, foreign dignitaries too carry carpets as gifts for Indian politicians and officials. Carpet has emerged as one of the most preferred gift items of foreign dignitaries, as out of 41 gifts listed in the…