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People in 14 states and Union Territories of India were earning below the national average in 2023-24. Out of these 9 are larger states and UTs –Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, while 5 are smaller – Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, and Jammu & Kashmir. It means majority of the Indians are under the yoke of severe inequality, which should be a matter for serious concern.

KOLKATA: The North East Student’s Organisation (NESO) which as a matter of principle sticks to educational and student-related issues, seems poised to stretch a point and initiate reconciliation efforts in strife-torn, hapless Manipur. On September 12 NESO made a modest start to this end by writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah to constitute a high level, representative peace committee to facilitate a decisive intervention in the ethnic conflict between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zo community.

On September 16, the Adani Group issued a press release to address a false statement circulating about its recent projects in Kenya. The fake press release claimed that the group had threatened Kenyan protestors who were opposing the deal to hand over Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to the Adani Group for operation and maintenance. Adani Group categorically denied these allegations, stating that the press release was entirely fabricated. The company urged media outlets and influencers to verify information from official sources, such as its corporate website, before disseminating it.

The girl was molested barbarically. She has asked to be shot. She hates life, a woman’s life. Even after hours, she is unable to face the horror of reality. She has refused to give the statement …and thus bring back the episode live. That was September 11, this year. Little before that, on August 9, there was the R G Kar incident. Still smouldering, it was not the bare facts that were all, there was a deeper conspiracy. There are so many questions left… awaiting the replies.

It is Atishi and it will be Atishi who will be the next Delhi Chief Minister, to succeed Arvind Kejriwal. The 'Marlena' surname she dropped in 2019 when contesting the Lok Sabha election from East Delhi. Point to note, however, is Atishi will be Chief Minister only till the next assembly elections, till Arvind Kejriwal returns with another resounding mandate to rule Delhi. Till then, Atishi will be Ramayana's ‘Bharat’ to Kejriwal's 'Ram'. And if ‘Modi bhakts’ shout ‘Jai Shri Ram’, they would be glorifying 'Hanuman-bhakt' Arvind Kejriwal.

It is nowadays rare to see National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti agreeing on anything. They speak in different voices, often against each other and in stridently condemnatory terms. On the release of Baramullah MP Engineer Rashid, the traditional rivals seemed on the same page using similar accusations against him.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a decisive move, a conclave of finance ministers of five states has demanded a fair and equitable division of resources to the States besides a cap on the cesses and surcharges collected by the Union Government.

Union Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari may be right to say that electric vehicles manufacturers do not need any more government subsidies, as consumers are now opting for EVs and CNG vehicles independently. The minister reasoned that the drop in production costs and the lower GST on EVs make further subsidies unnecessary, with EV costs expected to match those of diesel and petrol vehicles within two years or so. The initial costs of manufacturing electric vehicles were high. Now, with increasing demand for EVs in the market, production costs are coming down, making further subsidies unnecessary. India has been late to enter the EV market. Initially, EV manufacturing countries did offer various incentives to welcome seemingly eco-friendly electric vehicles to curtail the use of petrol and diesel automobiles. A good number of them have either withdrawn the incentives or in the process of recasting them. Today, countries are more concerned about the systematic dumping of China’s subsidised EVs.

KOLKATA: During the last few months, a disturbing discordance between India’s ambitious developmental initiative in its Northeast and a spectacular failure of governance from Manipur to Assam, has impacted regional stability. Alarmingly, despite GOI’s serious efforts to improve the Manipur law and order situation, even traditional social ethnic relationships, far from flourishing, are rapidly cracking.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's recent trip to the United States has provoked a war of words between the ruling BJP and the main opposition Congress in India. Should the Indian leaders refrain from badmouthing the ruling BJP while abroad? Is there a red line, and has Rahul crossed it while he was in the US? The BJP claims yes, and the Congress says no.