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It is too early to predict the nature and characteristics of the emerging new farmers’ movement in India, but one thing is certain that the coming together of divergent forces and groups would invariably have a major impact on the politics of the country.

Is it possible to overturn the seven decade old regime of industrial relations in a democracy like India by stealth? Without much debate and by making the existing labour laws irrelevant without passing any new law? Unbelievable but true! This is precisely what the Modi government did on 20 March 2018 when it extended fixed-term employment to all sectors.

The CPI(M) leadership is at crossroads again. The majority of the politburo led by the former general secretary Prakash Karat is putting barriers in the way of an electoral understanding with the anti-BJP forces led by the Congress and in the process obstructing the course of building an all out unity of the opposition parties against the BJP and its allies in the coming assembly elections as also in the Lok Sabha poll in 2019.The issue of giving primary importance to the defeat of the BJP in the coming elections, approved at the CPI(M)’s last party congress at Hyderabad in April this year, is being negated by the dominant section of the politburo which is not allowing the party general secretary Sitaram Yechury to take initiative in forming anti-BJP alliances on the lines of the Hyderabad political resolution.

The Judge Brett Kavanaugh controversy in the United States may be coming to a closure but actor Nana Patekar case will keep stewing for a time in the foreseeable future. The judge did not get what Patekar also cannot: A penile plythsmography or phallometry test, which is a measurement of blood flow to the male organ, typically used as a proxy for measurement of sexual arousal at the time of an alleged sexual incident.

At Conservative Party conference, keynote speeches from senior cabinet members have shown that the Tories have simply run out of things to say. The consistent attacks on Labour and Jeremy Corbyn are so devoid of substance that any actual critique of Labour policy, particularly on the economy, is non-existent.

Even though dissolution of Medical Council of India (MCI) was on the cards, that it would be done so unceremoniously through an ordinance bypassing Parliament was not expected. It is unfortunate that such exercises have become routine with the government. Till date the MCI has been the regulatory body which decided about the admission process to the undergraduate as well as postgraduate classes; set basic minimum standards required to open a medical college and carried out regular inspections of the colleges to check the status of education. It also maintained the registry of doctors around the country. The MCI could derecognize any medical college that did not fulfill the required standards. It also decided the medical curriculum. Whereas the government’s nominated members were there in the MCI, it had elected members as well, which gave it a partial democratic structure. Unfortunately, the MCI lost its reputation as there have been allegations of corruption against some of its higher-ups, particularly the past president Ketan Desai.

BHOPAL: As the Assembly poll dates are coming nearer, the electoral scenario has become more complicated. One month ago it was thought that the poll battle will be fought between BJP and the alliance of Congress, BSP and SP. The hopes of such a united front were dashed with BSP leader Mayawati’s decision to join hands with Ajit Jogi, former Congress chief minister of Chhattisgarh who has floated a new party after severing ties with Congress. Since Jogi has floated an anti-Congress front, chances of BSP joining hands with Congress in Madhya Pradesh have disappeared. Moreover, Mayawati has also released a list of 22 BSP candidates who will fight the Vidhan Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh. Mayawati has also announced that her party proposes to contest from all the 230 Vidhan Sabha seats and BSP will not have any alliance with congress in Madhya Pradesh in coming assembly elections.

Social activist Rahul Eshwar says he will lay out a mile-long ‘human carpet’ to welcome #RightToPray feminist antagonist Trupti Desai if and when she lands in Kerala to worship at Sabarimala. “She will have to step over our chests to reach Ayyappa,” he keeps telling Malayalam TV news channels, adding it will not be easy for Trupti. “The Supreme Court will not be there to help her.”

LUCKNOW: BJP and the Yogi Adityanath government are unnerved by the dent in image caused by country-wide reaction to killing of Apple executive Vivek Tewari by a policeman in the night when he failed to stop his car in the state capital on Friday night.

Tanusree Dutta and Nana Patekar is an 'item' though it will take a subpoena to make them admit that they are joined at the hip even if it’s to snipe at each other while failing to find allies. They are a couple because they happen to be India’s and Bollywood’s first #MeToo adversaries with Nana in the dock and Tanusree in the prosecutor’s role, aided and abetted by the new standard that says accusation is guilt.