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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The campaigning in the five Assembly by-elections in the State has acquired a new dimension with the Nair Service Society (NSS), the powerful organisation of the Nairs, changing its political stance.

Like the past several years, we are once again faced with a situation where air quality index has crossed dangerous level. Those already suffering from respiratory illnesses are at the worst receiving end. One such serious situation occurred in 1998 when whole of Punjab was engulfed with smoke pushing large number of sick people into serious trouble. Every year we witness smoke in atmosphere in the months of October and November. The agricultural and medical professionals have held several rounds of discussions on the subject with a view to ameliorate the situation.

KOLKATA: Once more the professionalism of west Bengal police has come under the scanner and for the wrong reasons. Even normally, the sensational triple murder on October 8 of Bandhuprakash Pal, his wife and young son at their Jiaganj residence, Murshidabad district, would have launched an avalanche of protests in Bengal. Violence-prone as the state has become in recent times, the brutal hacking of three people is not something to be easily glossed over. Only prompt and decisive action by the state police could have helped the administration save its blushes.

Haryana, which goes to poll on October 21 along with Maharashtra, is witnessing a gradual shift with formations of new social alliances replacing the old existing ones. When in 2014, BJP formed the government for the first time in the state on its own, the party made Manohar Lal Khattar, a Punjabi (non-Jat), the chief minister of the state — where Jats, an agricultural community accounting for 27 per cent of the state's population, have been dominating in politics for decades. This was done to build a new social alliance in the state by combining the other non-Jat social groups. It ultimately paid rich dividends to the BJP when the party won all the seats in the Lok Sabha elections held this year.

Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has set up Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre at an estimated cost of rupees 415.86 crore to be implemented by March 31, 2020, while Cyber Crime Prevention for Women and Children Scheme (CCPWC) formulated by the MHA is underway. Whatever it be, fighting cybercrime against women and children may not be effective unless the servers for Internet service providers that are abroad, are stationed in the country. Without such steps, fighting cybercrimes will be futile and hence, very challenging.In the present scheme, disciplining Internet service providers for any cybercrime is not workablewithout their servers in the country notwithstanding the Union Government’s laudable objectives.CCPWC will act as nodal point of contact for fight against cybercrime against women and children. It will work as an open platform for complainants as well as victims. National Cyber Crime Forensic Laboratory will provide logistics for scientific investigation, analysis, reporting and assist States and Union Territories in capacity building.

India is passing through the dark alley of overall decay. In every field, we have started moving backward. Added to it, there is distortion of history, culture and most importantly, downward economic growth. Our country has slipped down ten ranks at 68th position among 141 countries according to World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report this year, one of the results of the policies of the present regime.

WESTERVILLE, Ohio: If there’s one issue the Democratic presidential hopefuls seemed to agree upon in their nationally televised debate on October 15, it’s the absolute need for an impeachment inquiry against their foe, incumbent GOP President Donald Trump. And, they said, the country agrees.

LUCKNOW: Priyanka Vadra Gandhi is the main face of Congress in Uttar Pradesh which is evident from the new executive announced recently. Ajay Kumar Lalloo who is serving second term as MLA from Tumkahiraj constituency in eastern UP, is the state President.

Informal summit between India and China has become more effective to re-set the ties than official summit. The first informal summit in April 2018 in Wuhan was successful to settle the Doklam Standoff amicably and brought back the two countries on track. The second informal summit in Chennai in this month received bigger ovation for its success in overarching both political and economic issues. India and China softened their political tiff, erupted by China’s support to Pakistan relating to abrogation of Article 370 and finding a new way to defuse the trade tension before joining RCEP.

If Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi manages to produce a verdict on the vexed Ayodhya land dispute before he retires next month, which he seems to be poised to do in all likelihood, his name will be etched in golden letters in the annals of Indian history.