Sting in the tale

Advances in information technology (IT) may have come as a boon for investigative agencies and journalists of a particular stripe, but many bureaucrats have developed a strong aversion to electronic gadgetry and the press in particular. A senior bureaucrat in Uttar Pradesh recently confessed to being wary of entertaining journalists beyond the routine press conference or engagements. "You don't know if someone is secretly filming you or recording your phone conversation. It is possible for an innocuous personal comment to be taken out of context and then you are in trouble," he said with a wry smile.