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The world needs strong unions to protect its workers, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) urged on Saturday, after a global report listed the UK among “regular violators” of trade-union rights.

India’s transparency law i.e. Right to Information (RTI), enacted on 12 October 2005, is one of the most powerful legislations to have come in force. Its recognition has a long history, but it was only in the 1990s that the struggle demanding a legislation really took off. In Rajasthan, some of the labourers working on daily wage basis were deprived of their minimum wages. Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), a non-political organization came forward to help them. Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey, Shankar Singh, Shekhar Singh from MKSS started conducting jan-sunwais (public hearings) for spreading awareness at various places in Rajasthan.

Something very odd is happening in the United States. The coronavirus toll keeps rising with no end in sight. The economy has virtually collapsed with more than 40 million people filing for unemployment. Thousands are out on the streets protesting against the rampant racism that marks that society. Relations with China have reached a nadir. Altogether, as philosopher Cornel West put it, the US is showing every sign of being a “failed social experiment”. And yet there is a veritable boom in the US stock market. The stock market index Nasdaq has increased by more than 40 per cent since March 23 and is now “within striking distance of all time highs” as one commentator put it.

Reminiscent to the Swadeshi movement of pre Independence times, India is witnessing a new movement to boycott the Chinese goods. But the character and cultural implication of both the calls are quite different. While the earlier one was resorted to fight the hegemony and dictates of the British government the latest has a political dimension and has precisely been given to arouse the element of BJP’s nationalism which has been on the decline.

Last week, campaigning for the Bihar assembly election, scheduled for the end of this year, commenced. Home minister Amit Shah addressed party workers digitally – confidently declaring that the Janata Dal (United)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Nitish Kumar will return to power and outlining its achievements, including in the wake of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19)-sparked pandemic. On the same day, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) staged a symbolic protest, by banging utensils, to highlight both the Centre and state government’s failure to deal with migrant workers crisis.

In 1953 author Simone de Beauvoir asked Must We Burn De Sade? regarding the French Marquis and his sadomasochistic books. Today, as the multiple plagues of COVID-19, widespread economic displacement and police brutality disproportionately ravage the African-American community, we’re likewise asking: Must Gone with the Wind be gone?

Modi’s trade mark thunder which was missing for two days after the killing of the 20 Indian soldiers in Galwan reverberated in the political circle of Delhi on Wednesday with assertion; “Bharat shanti chahata hai. Lekin Bharat ko uksane par har haal me nirnayak jawab bhi diya jaayega (Indian wants peace. But if India is provoked, then under any situation, a decisive reply will also be given)”.

Lockdown being gradually lifted across the globe does not signify that the fears of corona virus are over. Yet great powers have become active in asserting to play their role in a post-COVID world. Concerns for collectively working to save the world from COVID crisis have taken a backseat. With US presidential elections round the corner, this year, President Trump is determined to expose China for not being transparent in handling the pandemic which has spread across the globe from its epicentre. China has kept on denying that the virus was not the product of Wuhan lab, but has jumped to humans from the wild.

The bloody face-off in the Galwan valley leaves no space for doubt as to the future relationship between India and China.

India has an estimated 26,000 startups, making it the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world, recording consolidated inflows of over $36 billion in the past 3 years with 26 “unicorns” – startups valued over $1 billion. However, data suggest that the expansion in the startup ecosystem has largely been clustered in the large (Tier 1) cities and states with financial depth, and especially in IT-enabled sectors including e-commerce, transport, and finance. Small businesses beyond the metros are not fully aware of, or integrated into, programs that provide startups with various government incentives and tax breaks. Despite the progress made so far, Indian businesses face huge challenges, such as the unorganized and fragmented nature of the market in most sectors, a lack of clear and transparent policy initiatives that startups can tap into quickly, as well as a lack of infrastructure, a lack of knowledge and exposure, and complications in doing business.