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Poised to emerge as ruling dispensation of West Bengal an year ago before state Assembly polls, state BJP hopes fell flat thereafter. And now the party finds itself to be a house divided with intra party squabbles, so far under the wraps is now in the open like a can of worms.

Early this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 75 Digital Bank Units (DBUs) to mark 75 years of Independence. These brick-and-mortar digital banks one each in 75 districts of India aims to take the benefits of digital banking to every part of the country – all states and Union Territories. The initiative is seeing the participation of 11 public, 12 private, and small finance sector banks. These banks will offer customers regular banking services such as the opening of savings and fixed deposit accounts, transfer of funds, processing the applications for debit and credit cards, loan applications, and stop payment instructions.

Except jabbing his jumlas and narrating his “man ki baat” that too once in a month, Narendra Modi is not known to be upfront in his expressions and usually refrains from conveying his thoughts and ideas to the people of the country. But whenever he speaks, his speeches are loaded with cyphers and constrictions.

Reserve Bank Deputy Governor T Ravi Sankar is absolutely right to say that there is no alternative to the internationalisation of Indian Rupee (INR) despite the domestic monetary challenges it will pose. The use of INR in cross-border transactions is expected to mitigate currency risks for Indian business. It will reduce the need for holding large foreign exchange (forex) reserves. At the same time, a globally exchangeable INR will make India less vulnerable to external trade and financial shocks while it will add to the bargaining power of Indian businesses. “Internationalisation (of INR) will make monetary policy more challenging, but compromising on growth is not an optimal choice,” Ravi Sankar said.

In a development of historic significance for Latin American politics, the Brazilian voters on Sunday, October 30, ousted far-right President Jair Bolsonaro after just one term and elected the leftist former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by a narrow margin. The Presidential runoff between the moderate Left and the far-right incumbent was most the polarized in Brazil’s history. The fierce campaign since the October 2’s indecisive first round saw bloody clashes between the rival groups and also deaths due to shooting by rightwing extremists.

Some days you’re the bug, some days you’re the windshield! Of late, the Bharatiya Janata Party is the bug plastered all over India's windshield. Before the ‘Bridge over River Machchhu’ in Morbi collapsed, there was ‘Operation Lotus’ going completely wrong in Telangana, making Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao label BJP leaders “brokers from Delhi”.

Bhubaneswar: India went down fighting 2-3 to Spain in its second match of the FIH pro League at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium here on Sunday.

Coimbatore: Seasoned campaigner Viswas Vijayaraj held his nerves as piped veteran Ahura Racing’s Amir Sayedin an intense race to win the Race 2 of the LGB Formula 4 of the Round 2 of the 25th JK Tyre National Racing Championship at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Sunday.

Chonburi, Thailand: It was a tentative show by the Indians as Aryan Roopa Anand carded a 1-under 71 last round and finished tied 38th place at the 13th Asia Pacific Amateur Championships at the Amata Spring Country Club here on Sunday.

New Delhi: Eleventh seed Grandmaster Priyanka Nuttaki stunned top seed and former Asian Women Champion Tania Sachdev while Saina Salonika beat fourth seed Bhakti Kulkarni in the fourth round of Asian Continental Chess Championship at Leela Ambience Convention Hotel here.