Starred questions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi may be keen to promote a scientific temperament among Indians but his ministers continue to place their faith in superstition.

Like many ministers before them in previous governments, several ministers who were sworn in during the November 9 government expansion deferred a visit to their new offices to formally take charge by a day to avoid rahu-kaal or the inauspicious period designated by astrologers.

Nor did they bother to inform their new offices so that, a senior official from one of the departments recalled, entire offices were all prepared to welcome ministers who were conspicuous by their absence.