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One of the salient features of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is that it builds on substantive equality and State obligation to eliminate the granular structural inequalities faced by women. The first thing to know about CEDAW is that it codifies women’s rights into one cohesive format and establishes the inter-relatedness of civil, political, social and economic rights. It entrenches the breadth of international protection of women’s rights and it is precisely this aspect of CEDAW that deserves our focus.

Come general budget, there will be demand for more tax sops and less economics as it is a case of nine blind men describing elephant and the Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is therefore saddled with a tough job to balance conflicting demands. Unlike in China and several other developed countries where the general budget is a mere statement of government account as they have a settled and stable tax structure, in India it is vastly different as general budget is not merely a statement of government accounts for the year but also it unveils the economic roadmap for the coming year. Also there are so many imponderables both in revenue mobilization efforts as well as in expenditure particularly when contingencies arise. That apart there are too many rent-seekers particularly from industries as their lobby is very powerful politically. This also leads to growing crony capitalism and ensures there is no level playing field in economic and regional development.

THIRUVANNTHAPURAM: A flaming row has erupted over CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s remark that the minorities are being sidelined by the Congress.

A small band of fanatics is attempting to build their strength in power political arena in society by exploiting religious sentiments of masses by dividing the Indians in religious segments. After tolerating the Muslim rule for 550 years and living together with them for 200 years under the alien rule and 70 years of the secular rule without even once raising their voice they have suddenly identified the Muslims to be their enemy. In process of earning their base they do not realize or even care the serious damage they are inflicting to the national fiber. They blame through their campaign the previous political force for accepting the divide of the sub continent in two nations but preparing or seeking to create grounds for one more divide. They out to know they cannot drive away 150 million Muslims to any other land nor can invite a permanent injury to their conscious by drowning them or burning them.

Animoca Brands is a Hong Kong-based company that develops blockchain-based gaming software. It also invests in NFT and metaverse projects like a venture capitalist and its investments span 150 companies including leading NFT marketplace OpenSea. On Monday, Animoca Brands announced that it has received $360 million in a fresh round of funding at a valuation of $5.5 billion. The company’s valuation doubled in 3 months flat from $2.2 billion in October 2021 when it raised $65 million. In May last year, the company was valued at $1 billion when it raised $88 million and $50 million in two tranches spread over May and July. From $1 billion in May 2021 to $5.5 billion in January 2021, Animoca Brands’ dramatic spike in value signifies the industry in which it is active. The company was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange from 2015 until March 2020 when it was delisted for being involved in crypto-related activities.

A rare combination of virtuosity and expression, grace and control Birju Maharaj, who became synonymous with Kathak, passed away in Delhi at the age of 83. He suffered from kidney ailments and has been on dialysis for some months. He died from sudden heart attack.

Social scientists are busy trying to analyse the reasons for the recent large scale desertion of senior BJP ministers and legislators and subsequently going back to the SP. While some look at it reappearing of the old syndrome, a large section of experts and scholars nevertheless strongly feel that it symbolises the protest of the dalits and non-yadav OBCs against the hegemonistic politics of RSS and BJP.

The Bharatiya Janata Party and its top most leader Narendra Modi hawk antigens against dynastic rule and political dynasties. In fact, there cannot be more dynasty-hurt people than those with the mark of the RSS parivaar on their foreheads. The BJP, while it opposes “family rule”, embraces rogue members of the ruling dynasties of prominent opposition parties just so that it can wreck those parties and rule.

There comes a time when the established order seems ripe for a change. In Indian cricket, the time has come for that obviously. The ruling monarch of Indian cricket for the past so many years, has slid past in two formats already and in the third he has sensed the straws in the wind and has given up.

Corbevax the vaccine for COVID-19 is a new hope. It is cheapest and hence most affordable, paving the way for equitable supply of the same to the have-nots of the world. When it headed from USA to India, newspapers like the Washington Post of the USA, and the Guardian of the UK carried articles, and now it has been approved by India at the fag-end of December for emergency use, and the Indian Company Biological-E would be producing it. It is here India has a big role to play without caring for the profit making lobbies who might not want such a cheap option available to the people. Equitable and affordable vaccine to all across the world must be secured now, since it may rescue the world.