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Sonia Gandhi is back again as the Congress President after two years. She had taken a backseat during this period leaving the field entirely to her son after handing over the baton to Rahul Gandhi in 2017. She will be at the helm of affairs until the party holds the next organisational elections. Sonia had stepped in in1998 when the party was in bad shape and was able to check the erosion. She even brought the party to power twice (2004-2014) Now that she is reluctantly back as Congress chief, what would be her challenges in the coming days and months?

The trade war between the United States and China entered a more critical phase last week as Beijing allowed its currency to weaken further. The falling Yuan has become a major concern for not only the US, but also the rest of the world. Lower Yuan will help China dump more of its exports on other economies. Export to China will be more difficult. President Trump’s Treasury Department has formally labelled China a ‘currency manipulator’ as Chinese enterprises have stopped making fresh purchases of farm products from the US. In so far as India is concerned, lower Yuan may further flood Chinese goods into the Indian market and adversely impact the country’s economic growth and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘make-in-India’ drive.

Congress party, which still remains the main opposition party, did really a surprising thing by choosing Sonia Gandhi as the “new” president of the party — when names of senior leaders like Mukul Wasnik, Mallikarjun Kharge and young leaders like Jyotiraditya Scindia were discussed in the media for the post. Remember what Rahul Gandhi told while putting his papers down from the post of presidentship — that neither his mother Sonia nor his sister Priyanka Gandhi would succeed him. However, it happened completely opposite what Rahul said — with his mother back in the helm as the “new” interim president of the party. Not to forget the fact that Sonia, who was the party president from 1998-2017, has been the longest president in Congress party's 133 years history.

The online support which the person who refused to accept a vegetarian platter from a Muslim delivery boy showed how ineffective has been Narendra Modi’s appeal for winning the vishwas (trust) of the minority community.

With increased transparency in the Indian economy and greater cross border capital flows, non-resident interest in the Rupee has gone up significantly, both for risk management purposes or speculative ends. This is pointing the need for wider participation of rupee forward markets in on-shore markets.

Times were different when Kashmir was given special status and Article 370 was enacted. Over 70 years have passed since then and the ground realities have vastly changed. When the state of Jammu and Kashmir is considered an integral part of India, why it should be treated differently from other states of the Union. Why people from other parts of India cannot purchase land or built houses in Kashmir? Why they can’t set up industry in J&K, which will generate employment? If industries come in Kashmir and investment made, employment will be generated and youth will get employment instead of taking to gun.

LUCKNOW: After satisfactory performance in Lok Sabha elections when the party gained 10 seats BSP national President Mayawati is busy in consolidating her vote bank in Uttar Pradesh.

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has taken two major initiatives which will go a long way in the development of the state.

When a reputed global news agency like Reuters carries a news report on 6 August 2019 that since April 2019 automobile and auto component units and automobile dealers in India have laid off 350,000 workers, it is bound to send shock waves globally. India’s economic slowdown under Modi 2.0 has now come under global limelight.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Thursday night about the thinking of his Government on the future of J&K following the scrapping of Article 370 and 35A to bring the erstwhile border state and now union territory fully under the purview of the Indian Constitution and the Indian laws. The thrust of the address was that in the new era in J&K after his government’s historic decision on August 5, the development will flow at breakneck speed which was not possible in the last seventy years due to the prevalence of Article 370 and Article 35A.