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COVID-19 has disrupted the personal and professional lives of most people. More than three million globally have succumbed to the virus and across sectors, people have lost jobs and livelihoods. The pandemic has been the greatest human tragedy the world has witnessed in the last 100 years. Due to the indomitable efforts of the medical community, many lives were saved and with more people getting vaccinated, chances of herd immunity setting in are likely in the distant future. But there is an elephant in the room: Climate Change.

In Assam, old ethnic tensions over identity politics are set for a revival under a new format. Jana Gosthiya Samannay Parishad Asom (JGSPA). This new organisation is conducting what it calls a digital census for homegrown Assamiya-speaking Muslims only. The objective is: to identify/ separate native Assamiya speaking Muslims from the ‘Mians’ — that is Bengali-speaking Muslims settled in Assam since 1920s and thereafter.

A section of liberals sympathise with the sentiment expressed by Narendra Modi on the death of the “kuch log” (some people) and even argue that it would be unfair to treat his tears as that of a crocodile. One ought not forget that it took nearly sixteen months and the death of nearly 40 lakh people, according to the New York Times, to make Modi sympathise with these people. Though belated it underlines the level and nature of sensitivity he possesses.

It was unusual for attorney general K K Venugopal the other day to remind the Supreme Court, though gently, that no matter what orders the court might pass, parliament has the powers to neutralise these.

India’s politicians have shifted focus from the east and the south to the north. Even as the country battles the devastating second wave of Covid-19 infections, both political activity and political competition have intensified in states going to polls early next year. And nowhere is this battle most intense, and arguably most crucial for the future of Indian politics and democracy, than in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP).

Another sure sign of turning tide for the NaMo regime is sudden return of the judicial system to assume its role assigned in the frame of Indian constitution. The severe critical remarks against the use and misuse of normal but precautionary legal provisions by the law and order wing to impose its repressive regime and thus deny justice in several instances indicate that the judiciary not only returned to its assigned role but also took over several functions of the executive. The turning tide also exposed failure of the third wing the legislature to perform.

NDA Union Government has issued strict gag orders prohibiting pensioners, both newly retired and older ones, from communicating in the media, writing books, participating in public discourses sharing their domain experiences without prior permission of the government, failing which their pension can be withheld or withdrawn. Fascist’s usual plank always is national security and public order. This covers ostensibly retirees from security and intelligence but its ambit sweeps all India services like IAS, IPS and all other Central Civil Services as there is interchangeability of officials from deputy secretary level and higher grade from one wing of the government to the other on periodic deputation notwithstanding specialized service cadres for different organisations of the government.

Mexico is going to the polls on next Sunday June 6 to elect its 500 members of the chamber of deputies, the outcome of which will decide whether the present centre left President Lopez Obrador, known by his initials AMLO, will be able to go ahead with his proposed reforms to transform the economy of the covid-ravaged country in favour of the poor. AMLO was elected President in 2018 and this midterm election is a sort of mandate on his three years of performance.

As the world is passing through serious crisis of COVID Pandemic, at present Vaccination seems to be the only answer to put a break to it. The process has to be carried out simultaneously at the global level if we have to achieve an early end to Pandemic. This is important because in this highly interconnected world movement of people from one to other country cannot be stopped for very long. Whereas the developed countries have been able to vaccinate substantial number of their population, most of the developing countries are finding it hard to procure the vaccines in required numbers. The affluent countries booked the vaccines much early. Under the circumstances several developing countries including India are unable to get the vaccines now from the companies in other countries.

Every person in the ruling BJP knows of soreness that exists in relations between the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Aditya Nath Yogi though most do not know the Cause of sore relationship bordering to an intense dislike for each other.