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Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forthcoming visit to India provides a great opportunity to the two time-tested allies for a wide-ranging strategic tie-up in the energy sector, encompassing hydrocarbon, coal, nuclear and non-conventional energies, both at local and global levels to benefit both the countries as well as other stakeholders. Russia has probably the world’s largest reserves of oil and gas. According to Russian Natural Resources Minister Sergey Donskoy, as of 1 January 2012, recoverable reserves of oil in Russia under category ABC1 (equivalent to proven reserves) were 17.8 billion tons and category C2 reserves (equivalent to probable and possible) were 10.9 billion tons. It is a major energy exporter to the European Union. Russian Federation has the world’s second largest coal reserves. It is also 3rd largest producer of nuclear power.

KOLKATA: In the three and a half years since it lost power in West Bengal, the CPI-M’s downhill journey has continued. It is still losing ground – not to the Trinamool Congress but to the BJP. Once upon a time the Bengal Leftists were in the habit of quoting poet Sukanta Bhattacharjee’s line Banglar mati djurjoy ghanti chine nik durbritta (let the reactionaries know the soil of Bengal is an impregnable bastion). The memory of that era is fast receding into oblivion. The rude fact of life is that the middle and lower-level workers of the party are deserting its ranks and joining the BJP.

Twentyfive years ago this month, the Berlin Wall was dismantled by East German citizens who responded to an official announcement of a relaxation of the harsh travel restrictions they faced. Thousands spontaneously flocked to the Wall, overwhelmed the guards, and were soon joined by West Berliners in tearing down the barrier. The authorities had lost the will to stop them.

It is the season of clean chits. First, the Nehru-Gandhi family’s loyalist, A.K. Antony, gave a clean chit to the dynasty to absolve it of any blame for the Congress party’s miserable showing in the last general election. Then, the Mukul Mudgal committee exonerated N. Srinivasan of any wrong-doing in the IPL betting scandal. Finally, the Nanavati commission cleared the Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government of the charge of complicity in the 2002 riots.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Raids by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) against an IAS officer causes no more than a ripple in the normal course hardly hogging the headlines. But, PWD secretary, T O Sooraj against whom the VACB conducted raids the other day is no ordinary bureaucrat. And the action is the staple these days of all the major newspapers and TV channels in the State.

Forty eight hours after meeting Mr. L.K. Advani, and Union Ministers Mr, Arun Jaitley and Mr, Rajnath Singh in Delhi, Trinamool Congress supremo (TMC) Mamata Banerjee declared war against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) in Kolkata.

Haryana often makes headlines. The latest is the last week’s Rampal episode. It has brought into focus important issues: activities of the self-styled godmen, babas, sants and their ashrams as also of the deras spread over Punjab and Haryana; the nexus between these ‘holy’ souls and politicians; and, the governance capabilities of the BJP’s Haryana government and the Modi government’s role in the Rampal controversy.

Parliament's winter session, starting on November 24, may prove tougher and more tricky for the Modi Government, not as smooth-sailing as the budget session, with the country still left, without a sense of economic growth pick-up and social developmental directions, beyond the promised 'maximum governance' and a plethora of catchwords for disaggregated 'yojanas'.

The occasion was Jawaharlal Nehru’s 125th birth anniversary. To celebrate the event the Congress leadership had invited a wide range of secular parties and their leaders. Among them were ebullient Mamata Banerjee and her bête noir Left Party leaders. The Left and Trinamool Congress have been life-long adversaries. Also among thnvitees were Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar; they sent their representatives instead of attending the conclave personally. The JDU leader, Sharad Yadav, besides spokesman of the NCP were also present.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An unfortunate upshot of the ongoing bar bribery scam battering the ruling United Democratic Front Government has been the war of words which raged for a while between the CPI and the CPI(M).