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It is understandable why the BJP has been unnerved by the ongoing student unrest rather than by the protests of the established parties. When the BJP won in 2014, it saw before it a virtually deserted political field since all its opponents stood discredited in the eyes of the people because of their sleaze and skullduggery.

Few things capture the seat-at-big-table yearnings of something as petty as Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan as the launch of the 12-language 24X7 tourist helpline started on February 8, 2016 by Mahesh Sharma, Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture. As some aspirational browns want to look and act like whites while retaining Bollywood inspired Hindi-Hindu characteristics a.k.a. “Indian culture”, it is important to understand the anti-people ideology than lies beneath some apparently people-friendly initiatives, such as the 12 language helpline.

Rahul Gandhi was at his best when he spoke in Lok Sabha in the debate on President’s address. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too in his reply was sharp and focused but skipped responding to direct questions on issues before Parliament like JNU, the Rohith Vemula suicide or his Pakistan policy. Rahul mocked the government for what he called “the fair and lovely scheme” on black money, asked job creation numbers from “Babbarsher” of “Make in India” and taunted ministers for not speaking before PM out of fear.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: These are bad times for the Congress-0led United Democratic Front (UDF) Government. Two legal setbacks followed by a major political jolt. That has been the lot of the UDF, which has sunk deeper into the mire as a result.

NEW DELHI: At a time when national flag carrier Air India is saddled with a debt of over Rs 40,000 crore and a cumulative loss of about Rs 25,000 crore, it has no option but to tighten its belt for a steep climb. It has to get its acts together and improve its bottomline in order to survive.

The Economic Survey 2016-17, a pre-budget document to review the economic health of the country, was emphatic in focusing foreign investors’ upbeat on Make in India campaign. However, the survey was silent on domestic investors’ reciprocation. In the first year of Make in India campaign, domestic investors were impressed by Modi government’s Minimum Government Maximum Governance slogan and his assertiveness to push reforms which were restricting investment in the country. Domestic investors were jubilant to announce several new projects in the hope of good days ahead.

WARANGAL: If the promises made by the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and other ministers are implemented sincerely, newly formed Telangana state may become heaven for working journalists. The Telangana state government has decided to build hundreds of houses and gift them to working journalists free of cost. Similarly Telangana government has also decided to provide free treatment to journalists.

Environmentalists have expressed their concern about the negative geological impact of major hydro projects in Sikkim and the future of the Teesta river which is apparently drying up.

Close on the heels of a politically-loaded budget of the Modi Government in 2016, India gets reminded by IMF of key macro-economic challenges which may hinder growth – high household inflation expectations, still large fiscal deficits, and potential risks from weak corporate and bank balance sheets.

As Bhubaneswar tops the list of smart cities to be built in the first phase and the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik praises the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu for the first time for being generous to the state, the Congress senses a secret deal between the BJP and the ruling BJD in the state. The Naveen wants the central watchdog, CBI to be slow in investigation into the ponzi and mining scams that has engulfed senior BJD leaders. In return the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre would seek BJD's support for the passage of the critical Bill that has been held up in the Rajya Sabha. BJD has not much been a problem to the NDA when issues like Rohith Vemula and JNU issues were discussed in Parliament.