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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government’s new liquor policy has left a large slice of Kerala’s population staggered. But it has come as a much-needed relief for the cash-strapped State economy.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is undoubtedly one of the most efficient performers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet. And, at the moment, Jaitley is also probably the most over-worked minister, implementing a total budgetary expenditure of Rs 21.47-lakh crore proposed for 2017-18. Jaitley looks after the corporate affairs ministry as well. And, since Manohar Parrikar was sent to Goa after the state election to form a BJP-led government there, the defence ministry came under Jaitley’s care.

Women’s security and increase in cyber crimes are the new challenges facing India today. In this connection, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been assisting the States and Union Territories to set up investigating units for crimes against women and children, utilizing Nirbhaya Fund. The MHA has also extended recently the revamped Crime and Criminal Targeting Network System (CCTNS) project with an objective of fully computerizing the functioning of police stations across the country, interlinking and sharing of data amongst police, courts, prisons, prosecution and forensic laboratories.

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan sprang a surprise on his supporters and admirers alike on June 9 evening by announcing that he would go a fast-unto-death from June 10 to restore peace in the state. Apparently, he believes that like Bapu's, his fast too would soothe frayed nerves and the farmers, who are on a rampage for the past ten days, would calm down.

If we look back in history it’s apparent that prohibition, wherever practiced, has created parallel problems while failing to achieve its intended objectives. Not only are the facts of prohibition misunderstood, it is also misapplied by the government and the judiciary in India. Our nation is now in the forefront of bans, with the government banning anything and everything that goes against its understanding of nationalism and cultural ethos, and the courts imposing bans based on judicial prudence.

As assessment by the World Gold Council on the impact of GST on India’s gold and jewellery industry suggests that while the new tax regime may be disruptive in the short term as the industry adjusts to the changes, it will introduce greater transparency in the business, which will be beneficial to consumers and all other stakeholders in the long run.

Mocked and derided from the beginning of his career as the leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn has transcended expectations. He has achieved the unexpected. The individual who began his campaign to be Labour leader as a 100-1 outsider, and was systematically despised and derided as unelectable, not only increased the number of Labour seats, a prospect seen by many as unthinkable when the election was called on 18 April, but even made the powerful prime minister, May to bite the dust.

US President Donald Trump is facing his biggest political battle in less than five months of presidency after the testimony given by the fired FBI Director James B. Comey on June 8 that President Trump put pressure on him at one to one meeting to drop the investigations against his former national security adviser Michael T Flynn. He also said that Trump and White House spread lies against him and FBI. The unequivocal manner in which Comey mentioned of the US President’s continuing insistence on him to let Flynn go meaning dropping the investigations for his Russian links, is a sort of obstruction to justice and this is a serious offence as per the American constitution calling for prosecution.

LUCKNOW: As the BJP government nears its 100 days in office, Chief Minister Yogi Aditya Nath is finding it difficult to get his orders implemented by a feudal bureaucracy.

With India turning towards America during the last 15 years and virtually becoming its ally, the nature of its relations with Russia has become suspect. Uncertainty loomed over India’s future relations with Russia. But the International Economic Forum summit at St. Petersburg provided a new thrust, dimension and dynamics to India-Russia relations.