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“The Indian Democracy cannot be a tyranny of the unelected.” This remark made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in October 2015 aptly sums up the relation between the current political regime, led by Narendra Modi, and the Judiciary, especially the Supreme Court, in the last three years. This comment by Arun Jaitley was made in the context of the Supreme Court striking down the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, which brought in Executive role and control in the appointment of Judges to the High Courts and the Supreme Court, as violative of the basic structure of the Constitution. This dealt a body blow to the attempts made by the Modi Government to limit what they call ‘judicial overreach’ by having a say in the critical issue of judicial appointments.

Global fraternity gradually getting disillusioned and frustrated with the America’s policy of hegemony and its economy always on the prowl to squeeze other economies, has been contemplating to put an end to its dollar hegemony by promoting a new currency to replace it.

Will the Tamil superstar Rajinikanth finally enter politics? Tamil Nadu is abuzz with speculation that the veteran actor might make a dramatic entry soon. Indeed it is quite hard to keep up with how many times this speculation has come up in the past 21 years as almost all the mainline parties have been wooing him before the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

Independent India is now nearly 70 years old. From the high hopes in the ‘40s that we will be a leading nation by the end of the millennium, the average Indian citizen is now worse off than in any other country of the world. Illiteracy is still rampant, nearly 50% of the population has anaemia, a quarter of the population does not get clean drinking water, income disparities are among the highest in the world, farmer suicides are rising, every state government is corrupt, elections are settled by large illegal spending – the dismal list can go on.

Time and again, ruling political parties at the centre have used the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), to expose economic offences and corruption by chosen hi-profile members of political opposition and their associates more to make political gains than for any genuine desire to fight corruption. It seems the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not want to be seen as a laggard in this regard. In fact, CBI raids have been back with a bang and vengeance. Regional opposition parties, running state governments and having good presence in both houses of Parliament, were the first targets. For instance, at least two ool Congress MPs, including the TMC parliamentary party’s Lok Sabha leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay, have been under CBI custody for months in a chit fund case. CBI is making little progress in the investigation, excepting repeating high-pitch allegations about their political contacts and profile.

The turning tide has gradually ebbed out social and geographical influence of the Congress over last thirty years. Despite every visible sign of the turning tide in every defeat, the party leadership never engaged in introspection to understand causes of its receding tides. Instead of in depth analysis of success or defeat, the leadership found it easier to blame other humans overlooking that minions were chosen by the leader with only merit of his or her inability to challenge the leader. The decline was inherent in restructuring of the party edifice to make it subservient to interests of the leader instead of keeping it lively structure depending on individuals’ merit and ability to inspire people as a criterion for upward movement within. The grafting of weak persons in political or party posts and making them dependent on pleasure or displeasure of the leader brought in all types of inabilities to the party as internal democracy got replaced by autocracy.

The NDA Union Government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes three years on May 26, 2017. It’s therefore relevant to talk of its performance heretofore. Promises of achche din (halcyon days), sabka saath, sabka vikas (inclusive development), and corruption free transparent governance remain elusive. There is no progress, only half-hearted measures, if any.

The Reserve Bank is quietly launching a major restoration work, it appears. RBI has released a discussion paper on wholesale and long term banks which proposes to set up the eponymous new financial institutions.

Time moves fast. The Modi government completes next week three years in office. In another two years, the country will go in for general election. What are the achievements and failure of the Modi Government? It may be called a mixed bag. On political front the BJP has revived many controversial issues like Ram Mandir, for which there is no cut and dry solution. The RSS dominates and its front organizations have sought to establish Hindutva supremacy. The Hindu-Muslim divide has been sharpened. The minorities appear to be scared.

LUCKNOW: After the drubbing in the UP Assembly elections, Samajwadi party national president Akhilesh Yadav is busy building a strong party apparatus to face the Lok Sabha polls in 2019.