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Finally, the Congress is on track to win Rajasthan after the Bharatiya Janata Party poured urine over its prospects in Madhya Pradesh which along with Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are among five states that will go to polls before the 2024 general elections. So, has Sachin Pilot’s truce with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot put an end to the bitter feud which more than once left the Congress high command at its wit’s end? From henceforth, both Gehlot and Pilot have promised to work as a team with the right to name the Chief Minister resting with the high command, i.e., the Gandhi family.

It is for the people of West Bengal to decipher the real nature of what the TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee observed about the Governor: “A man of C V Ananda Bose's ‘intellect, wisdom and understanding of democratic values and the Constitution’ was needed more in Manipur right now and not in Bengal,” whether it was a jibe or affront. But it is obvious his remark speaks a lot of the functioning and behaviour of the Governor.

The Union Cabinet last week approved the introduction of the National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill 2023 to promote Research and Development in the country. The program which is budgeted with Rs 50,000 crore for five years (2023-28) is aimed at fostering research and development in various national institutes, IITs, Universities, and local colleges with an emphasis on innovation. As part of the controversial National Educational Policy (NEP 2020) the task is to reorganize the foundations of Indian science with a big emphasis on markets and corporate instead of serving the immediate needs of the people. The bill is proposed to be introduced in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament.

Monsoons are supposed to be the harbingers of new life in a parched, thirsty subcontinent. But, for the second year in a row, the rains have brought along a political storm in Maharashtra.

Fascistic elements exist in every modern society, but usually as fringe, marginal or minor elements. They move centre-stage only when they get the support of monopoly capital which provides them with ample money and media coverage; and this happens when there is a capitalist crisis that substantially increases unemployment and puts a question mark on the hegemony enjoyed by monopoly capital until then. The role of the fascistic elements in such a situation is to provide a diversion of discourse, so that the basic distress of living under a capitalism afflicted by crisis, is sought to be covered up through the spread of hatred and antagonism against some hapless religious or ethnic or linguistic minority; in addition of course there is the use of State repression when fascistic elements come to power, as well as the unleashing of their own fascist thugs as vigilante groups against the targeted minority, and against thinkers, intellectuals, political opponents and independent academics.

New Delhi: Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen and two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu made it to the quarter finals of the Canada Badminton Open in a contrasting style at Calgary.

New Delhi: Ace defender Harmanpreet Singh will lead the 24-member Indian Team for the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation - International Tournament to be held in Terrasa, Spain from 25th to 30th July. Prolific midfielder Hardik Singh has been named vice captain.

Indian hair is lustrous, wavy, bouncy and lightweight, making it so popular for wigs and hair extensions. Each month, lakhs of devotees at the Tirupati Balaji temple donate their hair to the service of the Lord. At a rough estimate, devotees from all over the world donate 500-600 tons of human hair is donated at the Tirupati temple each year.

India is not an important trading partner of USA. Neither, it is a political ally or major buyer of defence equipment from USA. Even then, USA needs India more than India needs. The big takeaway by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to USA reaffirmed to make India a strong proxy to contain China.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) has decided to intensify its campaign against the Union Government’s plan to enact a Uniform Civil Code in the country. The Front has also called for a joint campaign on the issue.