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If bribery is a common practice in business, and often viewed as the normal way of doing business in many countries, including India, there is little too sensational about the US Department of Justice indictment, last week, against India’s US$37-billion infrastructure conglomerate Adani group head Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, Adani Green Energy CEO Vneet S Jaain and others for bribing officials in India, raising money from US investors and misleading them. The US prosecutors indicted Gautam S Adani, Sagar Adani and six others for allegedly offering RS.2,029 crore bribes to Indian government officials for securing “lucrative solar energy supply contracts” with state electricity distribution companies.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attributing the BJP victory in bye-elections in his state to Narendra Modi and hailing him as the visionary leader leaves no space for any doubt that the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Modi have opted for cease fire in the interest of the saffron organisation. Yogi’s remark is quite diplomatic but also significant as the top leaders of RSS well ahead of the formal announcement of the by-polls had entrusted Yogi with the task to strategise the campaign and also to lead it from the front to the elections. It obviously had made it explicit that Yogi was not to take orders from Modi and he was not his boss.

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh by-elections results have not only boosted the morale of BJP in the state but also consolidated the leadership of chief minister Yogi Adityanath at both state and central level. With victory in seven out nine assembly seats for NDA, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has emerged more powerful in his party after initial set back in Lok Sabha polls held in April/ May this year.

Why do the residents of Delhi experience pollution every year while the ruling class blames it on stubble burning in the neighbouring states of Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh? Can't they find a permanent solution instead of debating who will pay for the burning machines and other related expenses? The air pollution levels in Delhi are eight times higher than the WHO's prescribed limits. It has reached a level where the judiciary, executive, and parliament blame each other, and the severe pollution level continues.

KOLKATA: In Bangladesh, interim Chief adviser to the caretaker regime, Dr Mohammad Yunus has tasted success in an entirely unintended manner: He has succeeded remarkably in bringing about a political unity of sorts. Defying conventional wisdom and analysis, the Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have opposed the ban declared against the Awami League (AL) by the present rulers. Both parties have also strongly pressed for early elections in Bangladesh.

India is moving fast with its intention of implementing the next phase of labour reforms. Digital bases are being put in place, that may ultimately pave the way for smooth transition to new labour code regime, implementation of which is likely to be announced soon, though it is generally considered to be a minefield that would be very problematic to navigate by both workers and employers. Both the stakeholders are yet not ready to the occasion, though Centre and the majority of States and UTs are ready with their laws required for implementation.

Five Sambhal residents, alive and kicking till yesterday (November 24), are now dead, from bullet wounds, in violence that raged at Sambhal in western Uttar Pradesh over a mosque-over-mandir dispute. This mandir is said to be that of ‘Bhagwan Kalki’, the next god avatar of Lord Vishnu, and was called Shri Hari Har Mandir. But this violence wasn’t ‘danga’ as Hindi newsreaders are prone to christen all and sundry "clashes" in Muslim-dominated pockets of India that is Bharat.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) scored a morale-boosting victory in the Kerala by-elections by retaining its sitting Assembly seat, Chelakkara and increasing its vote share in Palakkad, a Congress stronghold.

Finally, it seems the developed world has realised its omissions and at COP29 meeting in Baku, most western nations agreed to a new Climate Fund to save the planet from catastrophic climate changes due to harmful emissions. However, India, Malawi, Bolivia, and Nigeria have rejected the deal, terming it as insufficient.

Even as India aspires for inclusive growth and development, the rising cost of higher education in the country threatens to undermine this wish. Once considered a key to upward mobility, higher education is increasingly becoming out of reach to many middle class and lower middle class youth.