Bhagat Singh Birth Anniversary: Distanced in Time; Closer in Purpose

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 marks the 113th birth anniversary of India’s legendary martyr, Bhagat Singh. He may be distanced in time each year, but his relevance resonates closer to our challenges today. This occasion, this year, comes at a time when many observations made by Bhagat Singh resonate a contemporary relevance and urgency.

Worrisome Rise in Suicides by Daily Wagers

THE recently published National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report brought into notice the issue of suicides by daily wage workers. The NCRB has started categorising daily wage workers in the ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides’ data since 2014. Though the number of suicides by daily wage workers has been continuously increasing since then, this was widely covered only this year.

Cancelling Question Hour Erodes Constitutional Mandate of Parliamentary Oversight over Executive Action

Moreover, such actions prevent the members of Parliament from carrying out their constitutional obligations of questioning, debating, discussing and scrutinising government policies and actions.THE decision to go without “question hour” during the monsoon session of parliament, beginning September 14, has evoked serious concerns about the democratic functioning of the institution. Question hour is not only an opportunity for the members to raise questions, but it is a parliamentary device primarily meant for exercising legislative control over executive actions.

Ideological Hostility to state intervention, BJP a tool to carry the agenda

ANKHI Das, a name, which all of a sudden became popular in the country continues to make headlines in the media. Public policy chief of Facebook for South and Central Asia, Das is known for her proximity to the BJP and also to the point how she shaped Facebook’s policy, more aligned to the BJP. Her remarks do not just limit to this alignment brought about to win the general elections in 2014 but go deeper to the ideological hostility to which she is wedded/ linked to.

Birth Centenary of Anna Bhau Sathe- People’s poet

TITLED as Gorky of Maharashtra, Anna Bhau Sathe was born in a dalit family on August 11, 1920 in Vategaon village in Satara district in Maharashtra. Anna Bhau’s journey from his village to one of the most astounding figures of literature in Maharashtra is nothing less than a fairy tale. A person who did not even know the letters till he started working in Bombay rose to one of the finest poets that the state has ever produced.

Ventilator Scam: PM Cares, Sorry Careless

PMCARES, a private trust fund created by the prime minister, right since the inception is in strong criticism not just by the opposition parties but by all those who believe in transparency of public funds. Nobody knew for what and how will this money be utilised, which quintessentially was supposed to be spent to mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic in India.

J & K: A Year after 370, Belie the Euphoric Pronouncements

THE euphoric reverberations sounded by the BJP and its cohorts immediately after the shredding of Article 370 of the Constitution of India did not last long. August 5, 2020 will mark one year of the dismantling of the state into two union territories, Ladhak and Jammu & Kashmir.

Smoke and Mirrors: A Corporate Hindutva Project as delusional NEP

ANY worthwhile policy making has to start with an objective assessment of the existing ground reality. Proceeding from this, discerning the challenges, the policy ought to set out a roadmap for overcoming them. However, despite the PM’s loud claims that NEP 2020 was preceded by intense study and research for last 3-4 years, no data or reference to these appear in the policy document! Therefore, the inescapable conclusion is, more than anything else, this is a vision statement.The PM is uncharacteristically pitching for NEP asserting that it faces no opposition.

Drive for Privatisation of Healthcare: NDHM

IN his Independence Day speech this year, the prime minister has made a ‘major’ announcement. It is about the launching of NDHM (National Digital Health Mission). He said, “From today, a major campaign is being launched in which technology will play a big role. The National Digital Health Mission is being launched today. This will bring a new revolution in India’s health sector and it will help reduce problems in getting treatment with the help of technology,” PM has said.What NDHM scheme proposes to do for the citizen’s healthcare?

Increasing Child Sexual Abuse: A Wake-Up Call to Government and Society

AS many as 109 children were sexually abused every day in India in 2018 according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). 39,827 cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO) were reported in that year. But on an average, the conviction rate in child rape cases is less than 30 per cent and pendency of cases is as high as 80-85 per cent. India has come a long way in enacting legislations and legal measures to handle cases of child sexual abuse.

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