Principal Secretary to PM Nripendra Misra decides to step down; P K Sinha appointed OSD in PMO
PM calls him as 'Most outstanding officer'
New Delhi Aug 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra has decided to step down from his post after serving as a key aide of Modi for over five years.
Misra has been asked by the Prime Minister to continue for two weeks, principal government spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said on Friday.
Modi has appointed P K Sinha, who superannuated as cabinet secretary on Friday, as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the PMO, he said.
Describing Misra, 1967-batch retired IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, as one of the most outstanding officers, Modi said "When I was new to Delhi in 2014, he taught me a lot and his guidance remains extremely valuable."
Conveying his best wishes to 74-year-old retired bureaucrat for the "new phase" of his life, Modi said,"after serving the PMO assiduously and diligently for over five years and making an indelible contribution to India's growth trajectory, Shri Nripendra Misra Ji will be embarking on a new phase of his life. My best wishes to him for his future endeavours."
In a statement, Misra said it has been a privilege for him to serve the country under Modi. "I am deeply grateful to him for this opportunity and the complete confidence he has placed in me," he said.
He said he enjoyed working, committing his every hour and thought for more than five years towards a satisfying journey.
"It is now time for me to move on, even as I remain devoted to public causes and national interest. I thank all colleagues, within and outside the government, friends and my family for this support. I wish Shri Narendra Modi Ji, our Prime Minister, success as he leads our country into a bright future," he said.
Misra has been in the PMO since 2014 after BJP-led NDA came to power and Modi became the Prime Minister.
He was reappointed as the prime minister's principal secretary with a rank of a cabinet minister after the Modi government returned to power in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
After serving in various capacities in the government, Misra had retired as the chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in 2009.
Misra was appointed in the PMO in 2014 after the government promulgated an ordinance to amend the TRAI Act that could have prevented him from getting the key post.
The TRAI Act prohibits its chairman and members from taking up any other job in the central or state governments after demitting office.
A powerful officer in the PMO, Misra was responsible for coordinating with ministries, and implementing key policy decisions of the government.
After serving the PMO assiduously and diligently for over five years and making an indelible contribution to India’s growth trajectory, Shri Nripendra Misra Ji will be embarking on a new phase of his life. My best wishes to him for his future endeavours.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 30, 2019
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
