PRIME Minister Narender Modi had made extra diplomatic efforts to secure a seat for India in the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). However, despite his lobbying and intense drama, during the two-day meeting of the group members in Seoul on June 23-24, India failed to get a seat in the club of nuclear suppliers. Why did Modi meet his Waterloo at NSG in spite of his efforts to win over the American imperialist-led western capitalist countries? Where did Modi go wrong in his handling of powerful countries of the world whose support was essential for India’s entry into NSG?

TWO years have passed since the installation of the BJP led government at the centre and there is growing frustration at the inability or unwillingness of the present government to provide leadership in key areas of public policy. The health sector typifies the hands-off policy of the present government towards important areas that impact on welfare and livelihoods. There has been a singular lack of purpose in policy making and implementation in the health sector.

IT is for the first time in the history of India that the BJP came to power at the Centre on the basis of its individual strength, securing one-third votes and 282 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. The yardstick for evaluation of a party-in-government for two years either at the Centre or in states is quite simple. Policies and performance of a government is judged on the basis of its strengths as well as inadequacies in terms of outcome. Hence, “performance” is the criterion for a critical evaluation of a government after two years.