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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Iran later this month has special significance in strengthening India’s west Asia policy in the wake of the withdrawal of the sanctions against Teheran by the western powers headed by USA. Iran is now an active regional player and in the emerging geo political scenario, Iran is seeking to play an increasingly important role in collaboration with China, Russia and also with India. Mr. Modi is set to make use of his visit to build a strategic relationship with Iran which will cover both energy collaboration and regional security.

Tamil Nadu's multi-party battle for power has risen to a crescendo, with just a week left for polling on May 16, as outcomes turn somewhat unpredictable amid the roar of corruption held out against both Dravidian majors and rousing calls for change to healthy governance.

The BJP’s khap panchayat-type outlook, which places communitarian fads and fetishes over individual rights, has received a blow with the Bombay high court ruling on the Maharashtra government’s beef ban.

The latest Supreme Court judgement on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for MBBS, BDS and their post-graduate courses is most welcome. It is good that private medical colleges and their associates will no longer be allowed to hold separate admission tests for these courses. Some of these institutes are often accused of being easy money making organisations, offering poor quality education. But, it remains still somewhat unclear as to how a common entrance test for medical and dental education will solve the problem of shortage of quality medical professionals across the country? The apex court judgement does not quite link it with a more important unresolved issue of ensuring a uniform educational curriculum, syllabus and right to quality education at the school level across the country.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A beleaguered Oommen Chandy Government, badly shaken by the fierce onslaught from the political left and right over its corruption, scams and various acts of omission and commission, has been further rattled by the Nirbhaya-type murder of a Dalit girl. The heinous murder of a law student in Prumbavur nine days ago, has sent the Government into a tizzy.

BHOPAL: The BJP government of Madhya Pradesh headed by Shivraj Singh Chauhan has landed itself in an administrative mess over the recent judgement of the MP High Court striking down reservations for scheduled castes and tribes in government job promotions. This order has its immediate impact on the future of about 30,000 officers in the state government. The state government has decided to challenge the order in the Supreme Court but its political implications have created jitters in the state BJP, already afflicted with lot of inner party problems.

Adivasis are aliens in their own land. The local residents’ policy passed by the BJP government of Jharkhand, has failed to keep its promises made to the tribals of the state. An insight into the policy would reveal that the Jharkhand chief minister, Raghubar Das has failed to do justice to the adivasis and true enough has given too much credence to the non-adivasis who constitute the primary support base for the BJP.

LUCKNOW: Ruling Samajwadi Party is engaged in massive preparations for achieving its Mission 2017 by winning the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh to make a big impact on the national politics for playing a bigger role in 2019 Lok Sabha poll. Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav is masterminding the entire planning and he has nominated his brother Shivpal Yadav as the leader in charge for the assembly elections.

A press release, using over 1300 words issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, ostensibly on the Government’s clarification over the aborted Agusta Westland Helicopter deal and corruption therein, the resultant political turmoil, is not only unprecedented, bizarre, poorly drafted and full of howlers but de horse the rule of law based system of governance as established by the authority of the Constitution of India under clause (3) of Article 77. The rules framed there under, the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules read with the Manual of Office Procedure and the Technical Publicity Rules prescribe formats for dissemination of information through centralized official media unit, Press Information Bureau (PIB). The impugned press release violates that format with impunity. It was not processed before it was issued.

What is common between British Prince Charles, Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi, the DMK leader MK Stalin and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal? They are all in the queue to take over from their parent, some eagerly and Rahul Gandhi reluctantly. The 90-year-old Queen is making Prince Charles wait for decades. Stalin too is facing the same problem that his 94-year-old father Karunanidhi is still in the saddle. Parkash Singh Badal is going strong at the age of 87.