For the record

Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor Subir Gokarn, who is in charge of monetary policy, usually speaks at academic institutions and RBI puts out a schedule of events at which the governor and deputy governors will participate in the forthcoming week. Of late, the schedule has started carrying a footnote that reads: “Dr Subir Gokarn’s speaking engagements in academic institutions are generally off-the-record.” This has raised eyebrows because earlier footnotes read: “...strictly off-the-record”. With Gokarn’s first term slated to end soon, it is worth wondering whether the difference between “generally” and “strictly” has any significance in terms of him getting an extension.