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India’s foreign trade has badly suffered since the beginning of the global financial crisis in August-September 2008 and the subsequent shock of the sovereign crisis in Eurozone added to the problem.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The crisis plaguing the Congress in Kerala over the Shashi Tharoor issue has deepened with the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, demanding in an un precedented move, ‘appropriate action’ against the high-profile MP from Thiruvananthapuram, for his frequent praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

KOLKATA: There are no two opinions about it: unless the Indian government cracks down hard on the unholy nexus between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bangladeshi Jamat-e-Islami, India’s regional foreign policy objectives will be seriously compromised.

INDORE: Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi inaugurated here today the Global Investors Summit of Madhya Pradesh. He said that states play important role in the development of country and centre-state relationship is important for it. PM mentioned that Madhya Pradesh may become driving force of the country’s economy. He was categorical that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan is doing excellent work towards this and the centre will take the country forward towards prosperity with the help of the states.

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh has joined the club of leading agricultural states because of its excellent performance in agricultural production. It has got awarded for it at national level. Three years ago the Centre had instituted Krishi Karman Award. MP has won this prize twice and it is likely to win it third time, because it has found place in the list of states chosen for the award.

Will the ensuing Assembly polls to Haryana and Maharashtra be seen as a referendum on the new Modi government? No doubt stakes are high for both Prime Minister Narendra Modi who feels on the top of the world after his landslide victory and congress President Sonia Gandhi, who is suffering from the most humiliating defeat in the recent Lok Sabha polls. It is virtually a Sonia Gandhi versus Modi fight as Rahul Gandhi has taken a back seat this time. The success or failure in these polls will set the stage for the next Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Jharkhand. On the face of it the BJP is in an upbeat mood while the Congress is facing the anti incumbency, infighting and a demoralized cadre.

BHOPAL: The first day of Global Investors Summit in Indore got underway on October 8 with convention of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME). Union Minister for Micro and Small Industries Kalraj Mishra inaugurated Convention of MSMEs. It was the second time in Madhya Pradesh when the first day of Global Investors Summit organized convention of MSMEs. MSMEs feared about their market and status when the MP government invited large and multinational companies to invest in the state. The state government organised a convention of MSMEs first and gave many facilities to them. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan announced the constitution of a separate ministry for MSMEs and Laghu Udyog Samvardhan Board to be headed by the Chief Minister. It is a positive step of government. To give a boost to the medium and small industries in the state.

LUCKNOW: In the name of memorial for late Prime Minister Charan Singh, various political parties are coming together to face the challenge from BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

The inexorable humid weather in the capital in the festive month of October has robbed the exuberant moments of celebrations, even as the weather patterns across the country seem to be swinging in extremes. India and other developing countries may continue to be in a denial mood that weather-related aberrations are not directly due to the broad climate change that is sweeping the universe due to the disproportionate spurt in greenhouse gases (GHC). They might persist with the folly of following the principles on equity and common but differentiated responsibilities, citing the case of how advanced countries had the prime mover advantage in exploiting the energy potentials to prime their industrial development in the last century when the rest of the world was in penury. But this in no way detracts the significance of doing something right now by all to reduce the noxious pollutions the planet is exposed to day in and day out in the name of economic growth and development that bear hardly any relationship to human happiness and well-being.

Believe it or not, the half-a-million-employee-strong postal department of the government of India faces the biggest threat to its 150-odd years’ existence from no other than the world’s largest courier conglomerate, Deutsche Post AG, a $55-billion German behemoth. Already a victim of governmental apathy and the Narasimha Rao-Manmohan Singh-led 1991-92 reform that led to a massive overhaul of the then departments of posts and telecommunications and corporatization of the telecom function leaving the loss-making postal department in the cold, India Post ended 2013-14 with a turnover of only around $1.7 billion (Rs.10,000 crore) leaving a one-billion-dollar (Rs. 6,000 crore) hole in the exchequer’s pocket to cover the revenue deficit. And, now Deutsche Post is breathing down its weak, business-wary, over-aged, wrinkled neck.