MPs at Yale soiree

Scions of India’s many political dynasties converged on Yale over the weekend to kick off the third edition of the India-Yale parliamentary leadership programme focusing on demands of geopolitical and economic affairs.

A Yale professor told DNA he was impressed that the star politicians were “thoroughly present” and didn’t fiddle with their Blackberrys during lectures. “This is rare. American legislators are always trying to grab extra mileage by doing some hit-and-run engagement they can’t attend,” he said.

Since 2004, Yale has held governmental programmes for leaders from China, Japan and India and sought to engage the rising leadership of the world’s most consequential countries.

The programme with the Yale faculty will be complemented with a three-day programme of meetings with US government and business officials in Washington. “The programme will provide the MPs with opportunities to think about the challenges of leadership and to explore freely, away from the legislative arena, issues facing India,” said Yale president Richard C Levin.

The visit of the young inheritors of Indian political dynasties will go down well in the US, where similar dynasties control politics. America’s version of political dynasties includes 16 wealthy American families and their often engaging, usually ambitious, sometimes brilliant and occasionally unscrupulous individuals.