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Poverty is taken to be a homogeneous phenomenon irrespective of the mode of production that is under consideration. Even reputed economists believe in this homogeneous conception of poverty. In fact, however, poverty under capitalism is entirely different from poverty in pre-capitalist times. Even if for statistical purposes poverty is defined as lack of access to a set of use-values that are essential for living irrespective of the mode of production, the fact remains that this lack is enmeshed under capitalism within a set of social relationships that are sui generis and different from earlier. Poverty under capitalism thus takes a specific form associated with insecurity and indignity that makes it particularly unbearable.

The summer heat has been so acute this year in India that more than 40,000 people have had heat strokes, and several hundred of them have died. In Delhi, water and electricity consumption has broken all previous records. Some reports suggest that the temperatures crossed 50 degrees centigrade in many places adjoining Delhi. In Bihar, school students fainted on their way to school. Some developed complications inside the school, forcing the government to announce an unscheduled school closure.

The formation of a Modi-led NDA coalition government has led to expectations in some circles that this will be a government which will face serious constraints in going ahead with the BJP/RSS’s authoritarian-communal-corporate agenda. Some of these expectations are exaggerated. The fact that the BJP has lost its majority and confined to 240 seats in the Lok Sabha may check or slow down certain aspects of the agenda which Modi and the RSS/BJP were aiming to implement in the third term of Modi’s rule.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by accepting Narendra Modi’s nominee Om Birla as the Speaker of Lok Sabha without a division in the house on June 26 has not set a good example as the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha in his first confrontation with the third time Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rahul gave the impression of being a leader who believes in democratic functioning but his rival Modi has not changed, he remains stuck to his old authoritarian moorings. Rahul even did not try for a deal over deputy speakership for opposition while allowing Modi to nominate Om Birla as speaker for the second time.

India and Bangladesh have signed several agreements during the recent visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India. These agreements cover various areas including connectivity, health, trade, energy, defense, maritime cooperation, and aid. One of the key agreements is Bangladesh agreeing to take part in India's $1 billion project for the comprehensive management and restoration of the Teesta River.

The left wing President of Bolivia foiled an attempt by the army generals of his government on Wednesday but the dissenting voices in the pro-government army ranks and the vertical split in the ruling party have made the political situation difficult for the incumbent President.

President Droupadi Murmu must have known the moment she woke up that she would be mentioning “my government” again and again when she addresses the joint session of Parliament. It is another presidential chore — addressing joint sessions of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, reading out aloud the speech written for her by the government of the day which she did on June 27.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have to undergo his first litmus test from July 1, the date scheduled for implementation of the three new criminal laws –The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) – on account of strong opposition from the various section of the society, including the State Bar Councils and Bar associations across the country and a demand for a comprehensive review by the Parliament of India, where the people of the country have just sent a very strong opposition. These laws will replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), and Indian Evidence Act (IEA).

Most states and union territories in India are gripped by hunger deprived of food, the only source of any strength that can keep them alive. In fact most of the regions fall in the worrisome category and very few fall in the moderate. There is hardly space left for those who could be placed in the lower category, and yet those in the alarming category, lowest and awaiting the end have crowded over everywhere. They all know that “No Hunger” target is still unreachable…while succumbing to darkness eternally. Each day, more than 25,000 among the masses from the lower depths get perished, that includes little more than 10,000 babies.

UNICEF Child Food poverty report 2024 has brought forward startling figures on child malnutrition in India. As per the report 40% of the country’s children suffer from severe food poverty and 36% with moderate to severe food poverty. Our rank is much below even from our south Asian neighbours with Pakistan at 38%, Bangladesh 20%, Nepal 8% children suffering from severe food poverty. The seven more worse off countries than us are Somalia (63 %), Guinea (54 %), Guinea-Bissau (53 %), Afghanistan (49 %), Sierra Leone (47%), Ethiopia (46 %) and Liberia (43 %).