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Authoritarian regimes tend to think they are for ever. And they create draconian rules to drive their agendas, but without realising that they could some day be at the receiving end of their own evil when they change places, which is unavoidable in any democratic set-up.

NDA Union Government in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a gazette notification authorizing ten Central Security and Intelligence Agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource (computing device). The notification issued on December 20, 2018, under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and Rule 4 of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Interception, Monitoring and Decryption of Information) Rules, 2009 framed under the IT Act, 2000, as amended in 2008. Any service provider not cooperating with any of the Central Agencies will invite imprisonment of seven years or fine or both.

In what seems a replay of recent German and Italian elections, an openly authoritarian and racist party made major electoral gains in Spain’s most populous province, Andalusia, helping to dethrone the Socialist Party that had dominated the southern region for 36 years. Vox (Voice)—a party that stands for “Spain First,” restrictions on women’s rights, ending abortion, stopping immigration, and dismantling the country’s regional governments—won almost 11 percent of the vote.

Keeping NATO-allies blindsided, US President Donald John Trump announced withdrawal 7,000 out of 14,000 troops from Afghanistan – one of the decisions disagreeing with which Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis put in his papers. However, the chief executive office at Kabul heaved a sigh of relief and appreciated the US initiative in successfully in persuading Taliban militants to hold face-to-face talks with the government, having taken place in Qatar capital Doha. A spokesperson Feraidoon Khozon said, “We are still optimistic and hopeful that Taliban will meet Afghanistan’s negotiating team. Our regional and US friends are trying to pave the ground and encourage Taliban to hold face to face talks with government’s team,” although Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated bluntly that the Taliban negotiators would not meet the government’s delegation while the latter seems prepared to extend negotiations with the US Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation Amb Zalmay Khalilzad for a second round of the on-going peace process.

The issue of cheap drugs and their quality has always been a cause of concern. With more than 40 percent of our population living below poverty line, if a patient needs medicines he or she has to pay more than half of her/his earning. As per the trends in catastrophic health expenditure in India: 1993 to 2014, published in the Bulletin of WHO 2018, out of pocket expenditure on health in India is catastrophic. The catastrophic health expenditure is defined as ‘out-of-pocket payments on health equalling or exceeding 10 percent of total household expenditure and 40 percent of the household’s capacity to pay’. The proportion of households experiencing catastrophic health expenditure increased in the last 20 years, and the increase was greater for the poor than the rich.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath is a canny political strategist. He knows that he has no time to loose as 2019 Lok Sabha elections are not far away. The alacrity with which CM has announced the new government’s two decisions—farm loan wavers and limiting government incentives to Industries that employ 70 per cent locals — has stunned the BJP.

So, if it was not a fake encounter, then it was a genuine encounter. Or, maybe, Sohrabuddin, Tulsi Prajapati and Kauser Bi just upped and set up an encounter with the police and were shot to ribbons. The CBI court, hearing the case, acquitted the last remaining 22 accused and washed its hands off the mess created by investigating agencies involved. But that is not what the CBI Court judge should be worried about. The Modi government most probably knew of the exact wordings of the verdict to come considering that his computer most probably was being snooped upon!

Deaths of homeless people have been branded a “national tragedy” after shock figures revealed today that the number has leapt by almost a quarter in the last five years. Almost 600 people sleeping rough or in emergency accommodation died last year in England and Wales, according to an estimate from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This total represents a 24 per cent rise from the 482 who died in 2013, according to the first research of its kind by the ONS.

Till a month back the rebellion by Tejpratap Yadav, elder son of Lalu Prasad, against his younger brother Tejashvi had very few takers. But with Lalu’s daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Misha Bharati blasting the brothers for fighting, bolstering the chances of their opponents JD(U) and BJP, it has given a rude shock to the RJD rank and file.

In an unusual gesture, Prime Minister Modi chose to personally announce an increase in honorarium for scheme workers like anganwadi workers and accredited social health activists (ASHAs) on 21 September 2018. He even called it a “landmark increase in remuneration”. However, the increase turned out to be quite paltry in absolute terms.