View Articles

Rahul Gandhi has improved tremendously, sooner than expected as he prepares to takeover the mantle of the Congress President, a position held by his mother, father, grandmother and great-grandfather. He is no longer called “Pappu” by his critics. He has now become a leader by his own right and matured as he campaigns in Gujarat where a shattered Congress has emerged as a formidable force to face the BJP in the coming assembly elections. It is said in lighter vein that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made him a leader by his sustained attacked on Gandhi scion. On his part, Rahul replied with same ferocity and learnt the tactic of political brinkmanship.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government’s decision to implement 10 per cent economic reservation for the forward communities in appointments to Devaswam Boards, which manage the state’s temples, has run into rough weather.

That a family had to pay 16 lakh rupees to the Fortis Hospital, Gurgaon, for the treatment of dengue fever, that too when their child did not survive, and a similar case from Medanta Hospital Gurgaon is a matter of shame for the nation, which is aspiring to be world economic leader. This is a pathetic situation and total failure of the healthcare delivery system. In our country 30 percent of the population lives below poverty line with a per capita earning of Rs.32 in rural and Rs.47 in urban areas and another 50 percent population is marginally above the poverty line. It is beyond comprehension that how these people can afford even basic healthcare what to talk of tertiary advanced care like the one being provided by Forits hospital and the like. Even the middle class population, which is nearly 26 crores and who, by accepted definition, earn Rs.60,000 approximately per month, find it difficult to bear such huge expenditure. That is why 6.3 crore people are pushed below poverty line because of out of pocket health expenditure.

The leading public sector companies of the country are increasingly getting sidelined by the Narendra Modi Government in terms of getting orders despite recording solid performance in their respective areas of operations for long. The Government is making all efforts to extract maximum dividends from the PSEs. The government policies have been tuned to mobilise substantial funds from the sale of the stakes of the premium PSEs but at ground level, the public sector enterprises are being deprived of a level playing field as against some of the leading private players.

The patent-based system of drug development will come under further pressure from key countries aiming to increase access to medicines at a World Health Organization (WHO) meeting in New Delhi, with India hosting the first World Conference on Access to Medical Products.

LUCKNOW: At a time when BJP, Sangh Parivar and the Yogi government are busy in reviving the issue of Ram temple at Ayodhya, the main opposition party Samajwadi Party is now invoking Lord Kishna for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

With the nation facing considerable economic difficulties and outgoing president Michele Bachelet of the Socialist Party seeing a sharp drop in her popularity, a major reversal for the left was expected in November 19 elections in Chile. Considering these headwinds, however, the left-center forces did not fare too badly. Citizens voted for a new president as well as senators, congresspersons, and local officials in the November 19 poll. The presidential race will now head to a runoff to take place December 17.

We have been hearing about recapitalising of banks for some time now. More, banks have been infused with fresh capital funds in driblets as well. There is nothing extraordinary about it. There are two distinct aspects of raising banks’ capital.

Mani Shankar Aiyar’s expectation about a “Godhra moment” sooner or later after Narendra Modi’s ascent hasn’t come true in the way the Congress leader thought that it might.

Paradox prevails between domestic and foreign investors in the post–demonetization period. While domestic investors were in a subdued mood, foreign investors were upbeat to invest in India in the post–demonetization period. This means that despite the general negativity about demonetization, foreign investors continued to repose confidence in the strong macro- economic parameters of India.