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NEW DELHI: The Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of India (CPI) has hailed the landmark judgment of the Supreme Court of India, on misuse of religion, caste and language to gain votes in the elections and is of the view that the judgment should put an end to the long litigation used by some vested interests on the issue.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Habits die hard. That being the reality, the CPI(M) heading the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government in Kerala is back at playing the big brother and lecturing the allies!

There are winds of change in Tamil Nadu politics with both the Dravidian parties – the AIADMK and the DMK opting for a leadership change as the old leadership is fading away. While the DMK has its second - generation leaders in place, the AIADMK has none in the aftermath of the death of Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa last month. So it is clinging to her long time companion Sasikala Natarajan in an emotional moment. Whether Sasikala could transfer that moment into a political moment is yet to be seen.

Government economists may disagree, the country’s GDP growth in 2016-17 may show a big drop by nearly one per cent, mainly due to the current cash shortage that has badly hit the small and medium scale industry. The year-end measures announced by the prime minister, including three to four per cent interest relief for low cost housing, full interest relief for loans for Ravi crop for 60 days and credit guarantee for small traders, followed by big lending rate cuts made by the State Bank of India and a few other nationalized banks may help improve the performance in housing sector, the farm sector and small industry to an extent, but they are unlikely to bring much relief to the economy as a whole for the current year and the next financial year.

Irrespective of how the family feud in the Samajwadi Party (SP) ends – and it is bound to be messy – one thing is clear. It is that the era of feudalism in Indian politics is coming to an end.

2017 can unfold as a dramatic year completely changing the existing pattern of global alliances and the relationship between the major global powers. With Donald Trump taking over the reins of US administration on January 20 after eight years of Barack Obama’s rule, the US foreign policy is sure to undergo dramatic changes calling for unconventional measures which have not been so far the hallmark of the Republican Party’s global views. The policies of the new regime so far announced by Trump indicate that Trump will certainly improve US relations with Russia and there will be good understanding with President Putin which will lead USA to reduce its commitment and defence expenses for Europe. As Trump’s advisers as also the newly appointed secretary of state Rex Tillerson have explained that Trump will give focus on improving the quality of life of the average Americans and the new government will be spending more funds for USA by cutting its fund commitments to the other parts of the world including Europe.

KOLKATA: Researchers in West Bengal have succeeded in developing a new strain of rice capable of resisting arsenic contamination in vast areas where the groundwater has been affected by chemical poisoning.

A year of despair ends; a year of hope begins. Ending the third year of his government (2016), Narendra Modi-dispensation is ending in state of paralysis of India’s financial system. It has totally failed to discharge its mandatory payment obligation for the millions of customers, even six weeks after Prime Minister Modi’s demonetization of Rs, 1000 and Rs, 500 notes. Bulk what has became “worthless paper overnight”.

India’s exports are facing the challenges of global recession and protectionist measures in the developed world. After two consecutive years of drought, this year’s good monsoon rains came as a blessing to the farmers. Farm production revived, but the farmers could not get the advantage as the domestic prices of produces have fallen and particularly after government’s demonetization of high value currency notes the traders are reluctant to purchase perishable commodities from farmers at remunerative prices and as a result the farmers are resorting to distress sales. The recent case of farmers throwing tomatoes in the streets of wholesale markets (mandis) instead of selling their produce to traders is a pertinent case.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress politics in Kerala plumbed a new low with the factional fight taking a nasty and violent turn.