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India achieves a milestone by administering 100 crore doses, including both the first and second doses, of anti-corona vaccines. The achievement is celebrated across the country, and it was good. However, it still reminds the cost of unpreparedness the country has paid since the first case of COVID-19 surfaced in Kerala on January 30, 2020, and may still pay dearly in future if public health is continued to be ignored, access to health facilities are kept beyond the reach of common people while hoodwinking them with schemes like ‘health insurance’ such as Ayushman Bharat, that has nothing to do with strengthening the health facilities and infrastructure in the country. Increasing public investment in health and making access to health facilities a basic human right might be the only answer to our predicaments that the present vaccination drive itself has proved.

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) has shattered the propaganda fanfare of the Narendra Modi government. The government along with its army of pracharaks was claiming that it has successfully resolved all the burning issues of the country. Some of the enthusiasts among them even went to the extent of preaching that Modi rule has outsmarted all the achievements of all the previous governments. On every passing day they are in search of new items of achievements. The startling revelations of the Global Hunger Index stand before them as a stumbling block on the track of bogus propaganda.

The series of targeted killings of minorities and migrant workers by terrorist groups in the Kashmir Valley have pushed the besieged territory of Jammu & Kashmir into new depths of despair and gloom. The diabolical aim of killing school teachers, street vendors and migrant workers is clear – deepen the communal divide and create conditions for an exodus.

Two recent reports - one the World Economic Outlook (WEO) released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the other on employment status study made by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) have once again shown how the present economic policies of the Narendra Modi Government including its packages during the pandemic period have failed to take care of the very basic of the economic growth of a developing country like India- job generation.

Only six months before Assam witnessed assembly elections, where the BJP led NDA returned back to power for the second consecutive time by defeating the Congress-led Grand Alliance. Within a short period, election season is back as the state readies itself for the bypolls for five assembly seats — Tamulpur, Gossaigaon, Bhabanipur, Mariani and Thowra — on October 30. These bypolls are due to deaths and resignations of incumbent MLAs.

The Border Security Force told to patrol away from the international border is of no use. Its jurisdiction limits should be in sight of the border. The Centre’s order to extend the BSF’s jurisdiction is, therefore, even if not out of New Delhi’s jurisdiction, not going to achieve anything substantive. Like one analyst said, “It’s unclear how the BSF’s extended jurisdiction will help counter border threats.” The BSF is tasked to render service at the border, even with their lives, and would be a total misfit in “civilian” areas.

Hisar: The 2018 World Championships bronze medallist Simranjit Kaur and reigning Asian champion Pooja Rani are among the top boxers to fight it out for the title as the 5th elite Women’s National Boxing Championships begins at St Joseph’s International School in Hisar, Haryana on Thursday.

Panchkula: Pranavi Urs, carded 3-under 69 to take a one-shot lead over pre-tournament favourite Amandeep Drall. at the end of the first round of the 11th leg of the Hero WPGT at the Panchkula Golf Club here Wednesday.

I have always been an admirer of Shoojit Sircar for choosing varying themes for his films, always offering to the viewers something interesting content wise. Sircar showed his directorial talent in choosing an offbeat content in Vicky Donor and in a different manner, he portrayed the evolving relationship between an old man, his daughter and her friend in Piku. His production of Pink was equally socially relevant with that categorical statement by the lawyer’ No means No’, but after seeing his 163 minute film ‘Sardar Udham’ in Amazon streaming platform this week, I am in a position to state that this the best film so far directed by Shoojit.

The crypto ecosystem has recorded a milestone in integrating itself into global finance, with the first Bitcoin-based exchange traded fund (ETF) having debuted trading on the Wall Street. This means the completely unregulated Bitcoin is getting a regulatory interface in the sense the ETF market is subject to all regulations. The development is watched with keen interest in India, which is supposed to be one of the most active cryptocurrency markets, although the decentralised digital currency is yet to receive recognition here.