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On June 21, 1991, the 70-year-old Congress veteran P V Narasimha Rao took oath as the Prime Minister of a minority government amidst massive political uncertainty over its longevity. The Congress had got only 232 seats as against the usual majority of 272 in the Lok Sabha with the total strength of 543. Only one month ago, on May 21, Rajiv Gandhi was killed in the course of campaign for the 1991 Lok Sabha elections. Sonia Gandhi was in mourning and Rao was also acting as the Congress president.

Pakistan's national elections held on February 8 have resulted in a hung parliament, meaning no party has enough seats to govern alone. A coalition government will need to be formed, and an immediate priority will be seeking financial assistance from the IMF.

The Supreme Court has issued a rather contrarian ruling on the grant of bail, by proclaiming that people accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) do not deserve bail as a rule. Such people must be granted only in exceptional cases, the court clarified. The court further said that delay in hearing of the case is no ground to grant bail.

Bestowing Bharat Ratna on former prime minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, is a partial correction of neglect and, often, heaping of indignities on him. Well into his twilight era after his prime ministership, Rao used to lead a forlorn life in a bungalow on Man Singh Road, when hardly anybody would come to see him.

US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has found a hardened political landscape as he tours the Middle East for the fifth time since the Gaza war erupted. The war has toughened Israeli and Palestinian positions. At the same time, Saudi Arabia appears eager to finalise a comprehensive package deal that would include recognition of Israel.

Two-time Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is wheelchair-bound though mentally alert, will no longer be an active politician even if it’s a cinch that he will be sought out on occasion to get a quip on issues and people. Like, for example, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is years younger than Manmohan Singh but has been quite free with bad vibes for the former Prime Minister whose quiet demeanour covered up for a steely resolve as displayed during the days of the contentious Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

The results of Pakistan election held on Thursday make it clear that it has been a vote for the underdog . It is also a vote against the Establishment meaning powerful Pakistan army.. Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) headed by an imprisoned Imran Khan has emerged on top. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, army backing notwithstanding, has failed to reach the top tier of victory stand.

The United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week, observed every year across the world from February 1 to 7, has ended without observation in India this year 2023. The Interfaith Harmony Week has not been observed since 2014. People are not aware of it generally. This is largely because of communal, discriminatory, divisive and religious polarizing majoritarian Hindutva politics of the RSS Pariwar union government and its ruled state governments.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown his nervousness in announcing the Bharat Ratna awards in a haste to two former Prime Ministers Choudhury Charan Singh and P V Narasimha Rao While choosing Charan Singh from western Uttar Pradesh, a Jat dominated region, Modi showered praise; “He dedicated his life to the rights and welfare of farmers. His dedication to our farmer brothers and sisters and his commitment to democracy during the Emergency are an inspiration to the entire nation.”

The Himalayan states, which have had comparatively less economic development due to various issues including security, have done reasonably well under Prime Minister Narendra Modi if one went by budget allocations in recent years. The Interim budget on February 1, 2024 is no different. The budget allocation for Jammu and Kashmir in particular after abrogation of article 370 on August 5, 2019, has been more pronounced to the envy of Kashmiris leaving across the border and under occupation of Pakistan. This has been acknowledged by Pakistani media as well where in one of the popular channels, a commentator said the interim budget in India has allocated as much as $16 billion for the development of Jammu and Kashmir when the entire Pakistan was struggling to get peanuts of $3 billion from International Monetary Fund.