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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'astra' (demonetisation) has misfired, his 'maximum governance' failing to ensure an orderly exchange of illegalised high value notes for the urgent cash needs of hundreds of millions of people in all walks of life.

Never before India – Japan relations was calibrated by a third country factor. The recent summit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on November 11 and 12 in Japan and the deals between the two countries were the reflections of India-Japan concern over China’s assertiveness for Asian hegemony and muscle flexing in South China sea. Six year tug-of-war on Civil Nuclear deal and Japan’s sale of US -2 amphibious planes to Indian Navy, pledging for defense equipment and cooperation through Defense Framework Agreement and Joint Working Group in the Joint Statement , joint cooperation for development of Chabahar Port in Iran and reiteration of commitment for maintenance of peace in South China Sea reflect the new directions of the India-Japan relation, catalyzed by China concern in Asia.

After weeks of upheavals and violence in Kashmir in the wake of killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, small but significant signs of normalcy are visible in the Valley. The Ministry of Home Affairs is closely watching the situation as it unfolds.

BHOPAL: Outcome of two by-elections in Madhya Pradesh to be held on November 19 may indicate whether what is now popularly known as 'note bandi' and the killing of 8 Simmi activists in a fake encounter played any role or not. Out of the two by-elections one is for the Shahdol Lok Sabha seat and the other for Nepanagar Vidhan Sabha seat. Both the seats were rendered vacant because of the deaths of sittings members.

At a time when the Narendra Modi Government has actually turned the rural India and the urban poor destitute through his demonetization measures, the recent petition in Supreme Court filed by the noted activist jurist Prashant Bhushan, has added a new political dimension to the extent of corruption at the level of the politicians including the Chief Ministers and the nexus between the industry people and the political parties.

Normal life for millions in the country was thrown quite out of gear ever since the Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s dramatic decision on November 8 to declare the extant high denomination currencies of Rs 1000 and Rs 500, the latter widely used by all for meeting daily expenses, would no longer be legal tender and genuine holders of these notes need to exchange them within a set time limit. He has not really demonetized these notes as they are bound to return with new security features and in new series before long since the intent was only to remove the existing notes in flow and in stocks to be consigned to the waste paper heap as their value was not worth the paper on which they were colorfully printed!

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's extended stay in Apollo hospital for recuperation has put her Government rudderless in tackling major policy issues, as Parliament opened its winter session amid storms over demonetisation.

The Global steel sector is at cross-roads with falling commodity prices and declining demand for steel with poor growth and aggravated by excess steel supply and dumping from China. But strangely India is in a unique position with surging growth, accelerated by massive investment in infrastructure generating huge demand for steel and cement.

It was an outlandish suggestion, but the advice of Nitish Kumar to Mulayam Singh Yadav to join hands with Mayawati for floating a 'Mahagathbandhan' in Uttar Pradesh, had wider implication.

Power induces responsibility and moderation. This phenomenon has been seen in India where, as Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, Narendra Modi has been transformed from a hate figure to an “avatar of progress and modernity”.