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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proved his diplomatic mettle in his first foreign trip to Bhutan by restoring trust in the tiny Himalayan kingdom about Indian sincerity in protecting the interests of that country. Modi was quite candid in underlining that Bhutan can depend on India for both political and economic support and it should not feel insecure as a result of domineering attitude of China.

The two-day meeting of 80-plus member central committee of India’s largest Leftist political outfit, Communist Party of India ( Marxist) last week failed to adopt a proper review on the disastrous performance of the Party in the recent Lok Sabha elections. And for the first time the party could not prepare and release the communiqué immediately after the end of CC meeting. And all this brought despair to the committed members of CPI(M) and fellow-travellers.

After long years—more than a decade—both the houses of Parliament heard a Prime Minister speak extempore, without notes or even talking points; Narendra Modi’s maiden speech, heart rendering and reassuring, was example of powerful oratory. His reply to the debate on the President’s address was, perhaps, the best in his political career, marked by clarity, striking of right note on development, no evidence of triumphalism and invention of new phrases like—allegations are bad but criticism is never, Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat, Scam India to Skill India and the country is bigger than our parties……let us put the bitterness of the past behind us.

BHOPAL: There is no end to scams in Madhya Pradesh. Only recently, a mega scam had come to light, which emanated from the irregularities in a government board that handles the task of recruiting non-gazetted government employees and also holds tests for admission to medical, engineering and other professional colleges and technical institutions. The board is called Professional Examination Board (PEB).

Gone Nina Radia, enters Murli Deora. Both lobbyists, with excellent connections with industry, media and the government. The two acquired limelight for their covert and overt lobbying for clients coinciding with the formation of new government at the centre. NRI businesswoman Radia went strong during the UPA. And, now former Congress minister and present Rajya Sabha member Murli Deora seems to be out to prove his skill in the job. Radia had reportedly lobbied for the Tatas in the telecom sector. Deora is batting for deep-pocket foreign insurers probably with an eye to benefit many Indian promoters, including the Ambanis, as well. Unlike Radia, Deora’s passion is politics. A former union cabinet minister in the Congress-led UPA government, he was a top dog in the Bombay Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC). He can’t be suddenly lobbying for foreign minority joint venture partners in India’s insurance business for personal gains.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The tenuous truce is over, and the guns have started blazing again in the Kerala CPI(M).

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu is in some ways a prototype for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Babu talked of development, Information technology, e-governance, and foreign investment and CEO model of administration in the nineties and also made Hyderabad a brand name for his achievements. He is no less a showman than Modi seen by his glittering oath taking ceremony near Vijayawada on Sunday. Where he failed and lost elections in 2004 was that he did not take care of the rest of Andhra Pradesh, more importantly of farmers and rural areas. Perhaps to correct this mage he began his new avatar as the first chief minister of the truncated Andhra Pradesh by signing the first file waiving off farmer’s loans amounting to a whopping Rs 56000 crores.

The Indian Union ranks extremely low in the level of healthcare that most of its citizens have access to. Beyond the swanky places that cater to the Indian elites and also increasingly to others in the name of ‘medical tourism’, much of the healthcare that is available is of low quality or is unaffordable. This reality is the disease that needs to be cured, if one is serious about health in India. The revamping of medical education and research is an important part of the cure.

After facing a crushing defeat Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is going through one crisis after another. The arrest of Arvind Kejriwal over his refusal to sign a bail bond did not provoke people of Delhi to stand up against that. It only gave him and his party a bad name. Many leaders are leaving the party sensing its uncertain future and there are internal squabbles among the leaders.

With a compact cabinet crew in place, the Modi Government has made the right head-start in getting into the brass-tacks without wasting time and energy in frivolities. The Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi has proved his detractors plumb wrong in the inception by inviting leaders of the continent’s sub-region to his inauguration ceremony and demonstrating his fervent faith in securing the comfort and confidence of the neighbours. This process is bound to generate enormous goodwill and galvanize friendly feelings in building an “inter-linked neighbourhood” before India goes about hobnobbing itself with the rest of the high and mighty in the comity of nations.