View Articles

Modi’s New India by 2022 is finally emerging. In April, the first month of the current financial year 2022-23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had boasted to feed the world on amidst the impending global food crisis, but a month later in mid-May wheat export was banned. One month ago he tried to give impression that India has surplus food stock while a month later wheat export ban was announced for ensuring food security in the country. The statements present a contrast that hides the truth manifested across the country in the form of hungry malnourished lean and thin men and animals including cows in large number.

The academic definition of ‘disinvestment’ is quite different from the meaning that the government of India emphasizes on. To avoid any confusion, one must forget one’s own understanding and remember the disinvestment in India is nothing but a government policy under which the government, fully or partially, liquidates its assets in the Public Sector Enterprises. Providing greater role to private sector is the usual propaganda that veils the chief objective of reducing the fiscal burden and bridge the revenue shortfall of the government.

It is a matter of concern that India, sitting over the world’s fifth largest proven coal reserves of well over 111 billion tonnes, produces only around 800 million tonnes of coal per annum and continues to be a major global coal importer year after year. China, ranked 4th in coal reserves with around 134 billion tonnes, produced over four billion tonnes of coal, a world record. The nationalisation of coal mining by the Indian government over 50 years ago seems to have failed to achieve its purpose. The sector remains one of the most corrupt government-controlled areas. Such practices as illegal mining and transportation, unreliable pit-head stock claims, import manipulation and cost distortion have remained common. The country’s near-monopoly public sector producer Coal India’s (CIL) poor performance over the years is mainly responsible for coal shortage and imports, perpetuating massive corruption. In the past, coal scandal cases had reached the Supreme Court and even a prime minister’s name was dragged in.

The continuing crisis in Maharashtra shows a clear dichotomy between the political class and the people. The rank and file of the Shiv Sena pivots on personality cult rather than on an ideological appeal. Here is a lively demonstration that rising numbers could not stand in front of a single picture.

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav is responsible for the defeat of his party candidates in Azamgarh and Rampur. Since Azamgarh and Rampur Lok Sabha seats were won by Akhilesh Yadav himself and another important leader Mohd Azam Khan, the defeat of the Samajwadi candidates in the traditional strongholds of SP is a big setback to the Party and especially Akhilesh Yadav.

Had the Modi Government not been undergoing some fresh resistance from the unemployed youths for yet another disastrous policy experiment in defence recruitment, the rules under four controversial labour codes would have been notified by now for their implementation from July 1, as it had been earlier planned, despite stiff resistance from the 10 Central Trade Unions and other employees unions. Even so, as the time closes, the workforce across the country is growing anxious on the prospect of the new rules seeing light of the day, because the Centre is all set to roll them out.

A feature of the present ruling dispensation at the centre is the fear that it has generated even among the rich and famous.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The recently-concluded Statewide ‘Friendship Yatra’, undertaken by President of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) Syed Sadiq Ali Thangal was a laudable initiative to promote communal harmony.

The Global learning poverty has further increased to 70 per cent in 2022 with largest increases in South Asia and the Latin America and the Caribbean, as per the simulation result based on the latest available data and evidence. It means the world has lost the gains during 2000-2015 when it had fallen from 61 per cent to 53 per cent.

The militant Shiv Sena is in search of a commander-in-chief. The first one was Sena founder Bal Thackeray. Uddhav Thackeray didn’t shape up to be one. Now, the mantle may have fallen on Aaditya Thackeray. This is because Uddhav Thackeray’s emotional speech didn’t help. It wasn’t of the calibre of the Gita, or Gettysburg. In both instances, the message was to ride into attack; for victory awaits the brave, and the courageous.