THE BJP government, since assuming office for a second term in May 2019, has been working overtime to take away the rights of workers through codifications of labour laws, a euphemism for corporate unbridled process of profit maximisation. Accordingly, the labour minister introduced the Code on Wages and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSHWC) Code in the Lok Sabha on July 23. The Code on Wages was passed by Lok Sabha on July 30 and got the Rajya Sabha nod on August 2. The president gave his assent on August 8.

THE Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Ranjan Gogoi, retired on November 17.  Justice S A Bobde has taken over charge as the new chief justice of India.  This is an appropriate time to look at what is happening to the highest judicial court of the land.  The Supreme Court is entrusted with the duty of ensuring that the laws adopted by Parliament are in conformity with Constitution and that the constitutional rights of citizens are safeguarded. 

EVO Morales, elected president of Bolivia, was overthrown in a coup carried out by the opposition oligarchic forces, aided and abetted by the US. With grave threats to his life, Morales was forced to seek asylum in Mexico. Bolivia now joins the long list of countries where the US had intervened and aided the overthrow of progressive, Left leaning presidents in Latin America. Morales was forced by the army to resign, though he had clearly won the elections by attaining 10 per cent votes more than his nearest opponent, Carlos Mesa.

THE recent economic ‘stimulus package’ presented by the Modi government mainly to benefit the big business houses shall cost the exchequer of the country a huge amount Rs 1.45 lakh crore. More such stimulus packages are under consideration of the government. To make good the revenue loss, the government has resorted to selling out public sector undertakings (PSU) with huge physical and financial assets.