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India has made a major stride in its bid to become an active participant in the global efforts to exploit the vast hydrocarbon and maritime resources of the Arctic Ocean by agreeing with Russia to launch joint projects on exploration of hydrocarbons in the Arctic shelf of the Russian Federation.

Father of the Green revolution Professor MS Swaminathan tweeted last week: “If agriculture goes wrong nothing else will go right. That's why@AgriGoI should make farmers’ wellbeing centre of all programmes & policies.” The renowned agricultural expert took to the social media soon after the farmers in Mandsaur, (Madhya Pradesh) resorted to widespread arson pressing for better price and loan waiver on June 1 after which five of them were killed and several injured.

Senator Bernie Sanders told thousands gathered at Chicago on June 10 for the People’s Summit, that President Trump poses an unprecedented threat to democracy and to the very lives of 99 percent of the U.S. population. To a standing ovation, he declared a political revolution is underway to replace right wing Republicans across the nation with progressives who represent the people rather than a handful of oligarchs.

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s strategy of sitting on a ‘fast unto death’ hours before the planned closure of the farmers agitation has paid off; or at least he has managed to create such impression.

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.