THE NSSO Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), 2017-2018 was released one day after the new government assumed office. It confirmed the earlier ‘leaked reports’ that the unemployment rate in the country had reached an all time high of 6.1 per cent. In fact the opposition campaign had been predicated on the fact that the fast track reforms and the pro-corporate policies of the government had unleashed an unprecedented employment crisis.
IN the run-up to the parliamentary election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah went to town on the danger of dynastic politics, thundering that it was being practised by opposition parties against the interests of the country and that the BJP was here to put an end to it. In reality though, the BJP too practises dynastic politics like any other bourgeois party.
Here is the truth – at least one-fourth of the 58 newly appointed ministers have or had close family members in high political positions.
THE golden jubilee celebrations of CITU, began in Sundarayya Vignana Kendram on May 30. Chukka Ramulu, the Telangana state president of CITU, presided over the meeting. In this context B V Raghavulu, former secretary of CITU of the combined state said that the building of socialism is possible only by working class and the present defeats are only temporary. He was speaking on the topic “world economic crisis and contemporary socialism”.
THE AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu is very keen on privatising education and is about to close down 3,400 government schools across the state. The state government earlier released an order by which any individual, private trust or NGO can adopt government schools and run as their own.
THE Students Federation of India(SFI), through a press statement released on June 2 has responded to the proposed draft National Education Policy released by the HRD ministry. It has opposed the idea of the imposition of three-language formula from primary level of school education. The SFI does not stand as pro or anti to any language as the multi-linguistic nature of India should always be exercised and celebrated. The SFI has stated that it wants the government to step forward to preserve and care for each and every regional language to celebrate the linguistic diversity of India.
CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statements on June 2, 2019 THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) is unequivocally opposed to the imposition of the three-language formula from primary level of school education as proposed in the Draft National Education Policy released by the HRD ministry. The CPI(M) is of the firm opinion that the opposition is not to any particular language but for ensuring the opportunity for all Indian languages to develop and thrive.
THE official Gross Domestic Product data have just been released, which show that the growth rate in the fourth quarter of 2018-19 (January-March) over the fourth quarter of 2017-18 was 5.8 per cent. This is the lowest quarterly growth rate in five years. The media coverage of this event however has only been concerned with India’s rivalry with China, i.e., with the fact that India has lost the position of being the fastest-growing economy in the world to China.
CPI(M) expresses deep condolence on the demise of Comrade Mangaleshwari Devi. She was one of the first women hailing from tribal community to join the Left movement in the state. Comrade Devi, wife of former chief minister and eminent leader of the CPI(M), Comrade Dasarath Deb has contributed immensely to the Left and progressive movement in the state of Tripura.
ON May 27, a DSMM delegation visited Jatnagla village in Muzaffarnagar, UP; the site of alleged gang rape and murder of a dalit girl. The victim was 14 year old and daughter of a brick kiln worker. The delegation comprised of Ajay Kumar-convenor DSMM, Surender Kumar-district joint secretary of CITU, Subhash Kumar-leader of Brick Kiln Workers Union and Suresh Kumar.
IN an interesting turn of events, Sudip Ray Barman, minister for health, DWS, science and technology and information technology was dropped from the state cabinet in the night of May 31st.
Ray Barman, a former PCC president and erstwhile leader of opposition in the state assembly, had left the Congress party with five other Congress MLAs before the assembly elections, first to join the TMC and then the BJP.