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The latest round of public sector bank (PSB) mergers — the third since 2017 — may help the merged banks cut their operational expenditure and improve bottomline, but the initiative seems to have come at a wrong time. The merger of 10 PSBs into four may make a total of well over 30,000 employees surplus if the experience of the merger of associate banks with SBI is any indication. Such large job losses in the midst of economic recession is bound to impact the overall market demand badly, leading to further job cuts in various other sectors.

It is often said that one year is a short time in the lifetime of a country, and even law, but one year could be a long tumultuous one in an individual’s life. On 6th September, 2018, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (‘LGBTQ’) community changed forever, at least in law, if not in reality. On that day, the Supreme Court of India in Navtej Johar & Ors. V. Union of India [2018 (10) SCC 1] struck down Section 377, IPC, to the extent that it criminalized sexual acts between consenting adults, especially between homosexual persons, as unconstitutional. In doing so, the Supreme Court overturned its own appalling decision in Suresh Kumar Koushal v. Naz Foundation (2013), which upheld the validity of Section 377, thereby bringing to curtain one of the longest litigations in the history of India, starting from November, 2001 in Delhi High Court in Naz Foundation v. NCT of Delhi (2009), with its roots going even further in AIDS Bhedbhav Virodhi Andolan (‘ABVA’) v. Union of India (1994). For over 20 years, the entire LGBTQ community had rallied around to repeal the law, and to claim their fundamental rights to dignity, freedom and non-discrimination, while navigating their sexual identity in family, schools, colleges, workplaces, and in public spaces.

Will there ever be an end to the Brexit crisis? With a stubborn new Prime Minister apparently unwilling to admit defeat, and Members of Parliament opposed to a no-deal U.K. withdrawal from the European Union—the so-called “Rebel Alliance”— holding their ground, it seems the end of Brexit is nowhere near.

When most people think of climate change, what come to mind are the poles, Asia’s fast vanishing glaciers, or Australia, where punishing droughts are drying up the subcontinent’s longest river, the Murray. But climate change is an equal opportunity disrupter, and Europe is facing a one-two punch of too much water in the north and centre and not enough in the south.

It is a no-brainer that when there is an increase in digital payments, a proportionate rise in fraud is a given. But India’s payment digitisation programme has gone ahead without a requisite improvement in the infrastructure for fraud detection and prevention.

One wonders what prompted Narendra Modi government to withdraw the SPG security cover to former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh. He will now be guarded by the CRPF in Z+ category, much like Mukesh Ambani, but with one difference. The tycoon pays for his security. Withdrawal of security cover could sometime prove disastrous. Rajiv Gandhi’s security cover was withdrawn by V P Singh when he was the Prime Minister. Facing threat from Lankan tigers with no SPG cover when he demitted office, he roamed the badlands with just two cops; sadly, one was killed with him in the blast at Sriperumbudur where he was campaigning in the 1991 polls.

New Delhi: Hours after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a $1 billion line of credit to Russia's Far East, India's apex exporters body said the decision will go a long way to promote India’s economic presence in the Eurasian region.

Concerned of the damage to its global image and reputation by the pro-democracy protest, the Beijing authorities finally agreed to the suggestion of the chief executive of Hong Kong, Carrie Lam to withdraw the Extradition Bill.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The internecine rift in the Kerala Congress (M) has cast an ominous shadow on the prospects of the United Democratic Front(UDF) candidate in the by-election to the prestigious Pala assembly seat.

BHOPAL: The passing of every day factional fight in the Madhya Pradesh Congress is becoming murkier. Minister Umang Singar has not stopped his tirade against Digvijaya Singh, senior most MP Congress leader despite Chief Minister Kamal Nath’s stern warning to him. Nath summoned him and told him to keep quiet.