It was like any other day on the Anna University campus in Chennai. As I was returning to my room in the evening, the vice-chancellor, Prof. A. Kalanidhi, fell in step with me.Someone had been frantically trying to get in touch with me through the day, he said. Indeed, the phone was ringing when I entered the room.When I answered, a voice at the other end said, 'The prime minister wants to talk with you.' Some months earlier, I had left my post as...