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Aadhar (12 digit unique bio-metric identification for all citizens), created by the UPA Government for Direct Benefit Transfer of subsidy amounts in the welfare schemes to the targeted poor beneficiaries right in their bank accounts, is being expanded by the successor NDA Government to create a Frankenstein monster of surveillance architecture to keep a watchful eye on every citizen of India, undermining their Fundamental Right to Life, Privacy and Personal Liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, upheld by the Supreme Court of India.

Among major opposition parties in West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), despite its poor representation in the state legislature, seems to be in a stronger position than the Congress or the Left front.

The Bihar Congress has become the worst victim of the war of attrition between RJD chief Lalu Yadav and chief minister Nitish Kumar. Ever since Nitish rejoined his old saffron friends and reinstalled the NDA government, protracted efforts were being made to split the Congress. It has so far been averted only because of the vigilance of the state Congress leaders.

No one says any more that the “achhe din” are here, while those like Omar Abdullah and Nitish Kumar, who claimed that Narendra Modi faced no challenges, have fallen silent. Even the boasts about the BJP ushering in a Congress-mukt Bharat have died down.

CBI additional superintendent of police (ASP) S.K. Malik, who was chief of the 20-member team probing the transfer of government funds allegedly to the accounts of an NGO called Srijan Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti, has been shifted from Bhagalpur and asked to report to the CBI's headquarters in New Delhi.

Last week, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was in Dhaka on a three-day visit to sign a $4.5 billion letter of credit to Bangladesh. The decision in this regard was announced last April during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Delhi visit. India’s aid package to Bangladesh has increased steadily. This is the third LoC India has signed with Bangladesh. The first one was for $862 million, while the second one was for $2 billion. The latest deal is more than double the size of the second. Indian assistance has been primarily for the development of Bangladesh’s infrastructure sector.

Half a century ago, on October 9 1967, Ernesto “Che” Guevara, was assassinated by Mario Teran, a Bolivian army officer, following orders from the CIA. The Argentinian-born Cuban revolutionary hero died leading a guerilla struggle against the US-backed Bolivian military regime of Rene Barrientos, eight years after playing a leading role in the Cuban revolution.

As India wallows in the post-demonetisation mire, the global growth is accelerating to 3.6 per cent in 2017 and 3.7 per cent in 2018 with pickups in investment, trade, and industrial production in advanced and other emerging economies, coupled with strengthening business and consumer confidence.

So, at last Rahul Gandhi is ready to take over the 132-year-old Congress Party next month. There is a sigh of relief in the party that at last the suspense will be over. This might end the “will he, won’t he” suspense and open a new chapter for the party. Though he chose the US to announce that he was ready to be a challenger to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2019 polls, the young Gandhi has his task cut out to build the organization in the next 18 months and keep it poll ready. The party has been on a steady decline since 2014.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Will the by-election in Vengara assembly constituency in Malappuram district witness an upset victory of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate? That is the question worrying the rival United Democratic Front (UDF).