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While all eyes are on the outcome of the Gujarat Assembly polls on December 18 (the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP chief Amit Shah), the neighbouring tiny mountain state Himachal Pradesh is no less important politically. If the ruling Congress retains power, it would give a moral boost to the party. If the BJP wins the state, it would mean the winning streak of the BJP continues. So stakes are high for both the parties, which have been alternating in power since 1988 in the state. It is a direct fight as there is no third factor like former Telecom Minister Sukhram Sharma’s Himachal Vikas Congress in 1998 and 2003 and the Bahujan Samaj Party in 2007. In 2012, again, there was the Himachal Lokhit Party, started by former state BJP president Maheshwar Singh.

A recent report in the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post said China was planning to dig a thousand kilometre long tunnel to divert unspecified quantities of water from the Brahmaputra in Tibet (where the river is known as Yarlung Tsangpo) to green the Taklamakan desert in its Xinjiang province. For obvious reasons, the report created consternation in Delhi and Dispur. The Brahmaputra waters are the lifeblood of Assam. It has sustained the Brahmaputra Valley civilization through the ages.

KOLKATA: Whether Mukul Roy, until the other day the second in command within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), is able to bring the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) in power in West Bengal is yet to be seen. But there is no doubt about the huge burden of political expectations to which he has subjected himself.

Jumping 30 steps in one year in the global perception parameter on ‘the ease of doing business’ by India is undoubtedly a remarkable achievement. Yet, the country has a long way to go to be recognised by investors across the world as among the most desirable places to do business. The 15th edition of the World Bank's Doing Business Report, 2018, projects the country as a substantially easier place to do business than it was a year ago. India’s progress in this regard looks exceptional. The World Bank’s annual study rates 190 countries on the ease of starting and running businesses.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Timing is of utmost importance in politics. If your sense of time fails you, it could exact a heavy political cost.

Stung by all-round criticism for the poor show of the economy, India’s 30-point jump in the World Bank‘s Ease of Doing Business came as a heaven sent reprieve for the Narendra Modi government in facing up to its detractors. The report was no doubt a major public relations boost for Modi and his economic managers, particularly Arun Jaitley, who literally took full mileage of the endorsement after having been on the receiving end of a blistering attack on his performance as Finance Minister.

President Ramnath Kovind has completed 100 days in the highest office of the land. Though this is a short period, it brings out many facets of his personality. Firstly, he has given the impression that he is an independent minded person and may not turn out to be rubber-stamp President. He may have been a BJP man all his life but now, in the highest office, he is not following the party line and acting independently. Many eyebrows were raised in the BJP when, contrary to the party’s line, he described Tipu Sultan as a hero who died “a heroic death fighting the British. He was also a pioneer in the development and use of Mysore rockets in warfare”.

Health is a concern for all the people. Only a healthy person can contribute to productivity. That is why the saying, “Health is Wealth”. Lifestyle diseases have been added to the disease pattern in the last few years. New types of communicable diseases like Dengue, Chikungunya, HIV and many new types of viral infections have come up, which need serious consideration in addition to the already existing communicable diseases. As most of the healthcare in our country is in the private sector, the burden of the disease is manifold on our people. A diseased person loses earning, has to spend more on nutrition during the illness and convalescence period as compared to the normal days and has to bear the cost of treatment.

After the welcome move to spend Rs 6.9 lakh crore on roads and carry out a mega Rs 2.11 lakh crore recapitalisation of banks, the Narendra Modi government needed to step on the peddle to tackle farm distress in the country, which is real and shattering. Father of India's green revolution M S Swaminathan is right in saying India cannot eradicate poverty without tackling the woes of farmers, who formed 50 per cent of the population.

It is amazing how memories cling to the mind-space. Almost three decades after it was launched, the twenty point programme for the uplift of the economically weaker sections still dominates the mind space of people.