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The opposition parties have at last set in motion their campaign programme at national level to combat the divisive policies of the Narendra Modi Government. After a lot of setbacks including the departure of the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to the NDA, the 16 opposition parties have set up a committee headed by the JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav to hold conventions in all the states on the pattern of the August 17 Delhi conclave on the theme of Save Composite Culture. The focus is broad and this has the possibility of bringing within its fold the non party elements of the society who are against the communal and anti-people policies of the BJP.

COLOMBO: With the high profile probes against former rulers not moving ahead in a significant manner, discontent has been brewing in political circles as well as amongst the common people. In recent months the ruling coalition has had to face public criticism for handling the issue of corruption.

It is over two months that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is confronting the Indian army eyeball-to-eyeball at Doklam. When the Indian troops prevented the PLA from building a strategic road in Bhutanese territory in mid-June and China threatened India to withdraw its troops “from our territory” or face a consequence that would be worse than that of 1962, they thought India would give in and retreat hastily. This has not happened. The Indian soldiers have dug in their heels at Doklam and by now China has realized that New Delhi is in no mood to withdraw troops and leave the Chinese in possession of Bhutan’s territory.

Wonderful Confederate culture and beautiful racist statues. Are these the things upon which the fate of the Donald Trump presidency rests? If the last few days are any indication, there is a distinct possibility it could be true.

A recent move by Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to bring China within the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMST-EC) regional grouping poses a diplomatic challenge for India. Given India’s abandonment of its initial interest in the BCIM Economic Corridor project, which upset its nearest neighbours Myanmar and Bangladesh, it may be difficult to prevent China from eventually securing a place in the BIMST-EC organisation, observers feel.

The BJP-led NDA government’s hard work for over two years to get India’s constitution amended to introduce a four-tier goods and services tax (GST) from July 1 now facing new problems at the hands of rules-happy babus in the central board of excise and customs (CBEC). The framing of rules post-GST gives an impression the universal GST principle is getting diluted. GST in India is not becoming a truly industry-friendly indirect-tax made-easy to expand its reach and induce producers, importers and service providers to push economic growth. For long, India used a tax tool — both indirect and direct — that rewarded tax evasion and black economy expansion.

Some people are born great. Some others achieve greatness through their determination and hard work. Yet another group has ‘greatness thrust upon them’.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address from the ramparts of Red Fort this year was not as inspiratory as on previous years. His speech was shortest—less than an hour—delivered on Independence Day so far. A significant departure Prime Minister made relates to toning down of his foreign policy eloquence. He restricted himself to general observation that India is getting global support to fight against terror. A surprise was that there was no Pakistan bashing, nor a reference to Balochistan as before. On China also, he exercised restraint. Though short, Modi’s address was not without its quota of election-time rhetoric.

People of India are confused over a conflicting information from the NDA Union Government about correctness of information about the rise in income-tax payers, post-demonetisation of high value currencies. Altogether, there are four versions, all from the Government side, about the addition of new income-tax payers. People are in dilemma about the credibility of information, which one should the nation believe?

The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to open outpatient departments (OPD) for astrologers and soothers who will give consultancy to the patients. In these outpatient departments, teams of experts and neo-astrologers will study the planetary combinations and changes reflected in the horoscopes of patients. The prognosticators will also analyze the diseases of the patients who come without horoscopes using the ‘Prashna Kundali’ technique.