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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is no crime for politicians to be smart. But when they try to be over-smart, they sometimes end up with egg on their faces.

BHOPAL: Though the members of Parliament and Assemblies are called law makers but increasingly law making is the only task which they often perform in the most casual manner.

Too many prosecution cases – routine or those having exceptional political and financial ramifications involving the rich and famous – are being dismissed by the judiciary as prosecutors are failing to establish charges before the court. More and more accused are being let off by the higher judiciary though rarely before their custodial harassment and discomfort for weeks, months or even years as prosecutors make persistent plea for extension of custody to help investigation into crime. What happens to the accused who are let off by judiciary after long suffering at the hands of mischievous, often dishonest, politically guided police or enforcement agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation? Should not the relieved accused be adequately compensated for the mischief, mistake and incompetence of the prosecution after deliberate and politically-prompted harassment by the police and law enforcers?

KOLKATA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the peace accord, signed in New Delhi on Monday between the leaders of the NSCN(IM) and the Centre, as being a “landmark” one. What is intriguing, however, is that the details of the peace treaty have not been made public but kept a closely-guarded secret. But from what the PM told the Naga leaders, like “we will also be your partner as you restore your pride and prestige” it seems reasonable to presume that a substantive degree of autonomy has been given to the Nagas, because a ‘partnership’ can be entered into only by two distinct bodies, each retaining its separate identity.

BHOPAL: A gathering of intellectuals, literary personalities, educationists, politicians, social activists and journalists held at Bhopal with one voice condemned the deliberate harassment and persecution of social activists Teesta Sitalvad and Javed Anand. The participants attending the meeting unanimously resolved to organise such meetings at other places to apprise the people about the facts of the case which has been foisted on Teesta by the CBI and other authorities.

The Reserve Bank has kept its monetary policy unchanged. Repo rate, CRR have been left untouched. Its current monetary policy stance is effectively “wait and watch”. Is that justified?

The Reserve Bank's third bi-monthly policy review on August 4 holds the key lending rate, repo, unchanged at 7.25 per cent, in line with consensus expectations, on the basis of an overall assessment of current and evolving macroeconomic situation. Governor Rajan said it was a 'prudent' step at this juncture while maintaining the accommodative stance.

The Gurdaspur terrorist attack has raised a number of questions having ramifications not only for Punjab but also for the country. The material recovered from the three killed terrorists leaves no doubt that the attackers originated from Pakistan. But were they non-state players? Did they have the backing of Pakistan’s political establishment or belonged to the army/ISI-backed terrorist outfits? Or, does the attack have any connection with the ISIS’s plan to launch a major attack in India, as revealed in a secret IS document obtained by American Media Institute, which was reported by USA Today on Wednesday? And lastly, was the attack a part of the Pakistan ISI’s plan to create environment in Punjab conducive for revival of militancy and Khalistan demand?

First it was Al-Qaeda which threatened to launch a major attack on India. Now, it is the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which is said to be targeting India.

Better late than never, seems to be the mantra at South Block as the government finally bites the bullet over the long-delayed acquisition bid to provide the Indian Air Force (IAF) with a new fleet of frontline fighters. Last April, the government announced its decision to break the deadlock over acquiring 126 Rafale jets from France by agreeing to buy 36 aircraft in a “fly away” condition instead. But the IAF has been reportedly very disappointed at what it considers “a half-hearted attempt” (as a high-ranking air force officer described it) to address the issue of dwindling numbers of fighter jets in its fleet. The air force is currently operating with just 34 fighter squadrons as against the sanctioned strength of 45, which is the baseline for ensuring air superiority against China and Pakistan. The IAF’s ageing fleets of MiG 21s and MiG 27s are to be phased out in the next six years, which makes it imperative for the air force to induct some 400 new fighter jets by 2025. Upgrading the existing fleets of Mirage 2000s and Jaguars is only a short term solution, as is inducting 72 more Sukhoi-30 MKIs from Russia to bulwark the 200 Sukhois already in the fleet (whose serviceability barely touches 55 percent).