View Articles

It is now finally official. The murmurs in the global nuclear industry were getting louder in the recent years about the malpractices of the Japanese major Toshiba which owns the US company Westinghouse. Now Toshiba has decided to withdraw from the construction of nuclear power plants in United Kingdom and India and this decision poses a big uncertainty over the future of India’s ambitious nuclear power programme with US collaboration.

DEHRADUN: Amidst speculations over the probable outcome of Assembly election in Uttarakhand, BJP and Congress are still groping in the dark- barely two days left for the poll- with the voters keeping them guessing. The political, social and media circles are abuzz with wild conjectures over “who will have the extra edge”. This implies that no party is confident enough about its chance to form the new government.

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu's Political Crisis, with ruling AIADMK entangled in leadership battle between incumbent Mr Panneerselvam and Ms. V K Sasikala, till lately a close aide of “Amma” Jayalalithaa, deepened further as the State keenly awaited return of Acting Governor Mr Vidyasagar Rao, to adjudge the situation and make the next move.

The top brass of Coal India Limited, India’s unassailable monopoly entity in coal industry and, the world's largest coal producer, is on pins and needles due to tapering off of demand. The CIL’s ambition of reaching an annual output level of billion tonnes by 2020 –hitherto a realistic target- has suddenly turned into a mirage. This pessimism is scripted in a recent report prepared by India’s largest public sector undertaking. Although remaining under wraps, it has been circulated to the unions that are a part of statutory Joint bipartite committee for the coal industry (JBCCI) on conditions of secrecy.

Since the feudalism inherent in the choice of Sasikala as head of the legislature party in Tamil Nadu by a large number of MLAs runs counter to modern-day practices, a revolt against Jayalalithaa’s former aide was only to be expected.

The USA president Donald Trump will rewrite the history of America and the world through his new found vision 'America First'. Though he is accused of pushing America to isolation, Trump is unmoved in his assertion as he nurses that during last 70 years, precisely during 8 years of presidency of Barrack Obama, America has lost much of its credibility. While America’s hegemony policy lies shattered, its status of monarch of the capitalist country and economy has also turned suspect. People have already started comparing the performances of Obama and Trump, which is indeed unrealistic. Trump has just started. He ought to be watched.

BHOPAL: Considerable importance is being given to almost a week-long stay of RSS chief Dr. Mohan Bhagwat in Madhya Pradesh. According to newspaper reports, Dr. Bhagwat may review the performance of the government and the BJP.

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has gifted the third woman chief minister to Tamil Nadu this week. Janaki Ramachandran, wife of the AIADMK founder and its first chief minister M.G. Ramachandran was pushed to take on his mantle after MGR’s demise in 1987 but she lasted just 24 days. The second was Jayalalithaa Jayaram who fought her way to claim MGR’s legacy and survived in the Tamil Nadu politics from 1989, bringing the party to power four times – 1991- 1996, 2001-2006, 2011- 2016 and from 2016 till her death on December 5. She also played a role in national politics and even brought down the Vajpayee government in 1999.

Fissures and rumblings within the ruling AIADMK may have been overcome for the present at any rate with a planned change-over in leadership, from Mr O. Panneerselvam to 'Chinamma' Ms. V.K Sasikala (62), highly preferred for her close association with late 'Amma' Jayalalithaa. She is already the General Secretary of the Party and has taken full control of the Party.

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party alliance with Congress is a major setback for BJP which was expecting reap harvest from split in Yadav family and possible split in Samajwadi Party.