IN the week before the historic nationwide farmers’ struggle completed three months on February 26, the BJP has begun to pay a heavy political price for its pro-corporate adamancy.STINGING SLAPS TO BJP INPUNJAB, WEST UP & HARYANAOn February 17, the results of the elections to eight municipal corporations and 109 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Punjab were declared. The BJP was handed down a stinging defeat even by urban voters. Of the total 1,815 seats in the 109 municipal bodies, the BJP won only 38 seats.

THE central executive committee of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has condemned the seemingly deliberate attempt by centrally funded technical institutions (CFTIs) to bypass reservation norms. Condemning the lack of initiative on the part of the ministry of education to address the issue of severe under-representation of students belonging to SC, ST and OBC categories in technical education and research, it has demanded an immediate intervention from the president of India on the issue.

SURMOUNTING numerous odds such as Cyclone Ockhi, two back-to-back floods and the coronavirus pandemic, the LDF government in Kerala has performed well in diverse arenas, including infrastructure development, education, health, social welfare, information and technology, job creation, revival of public sector units, construction of homes for the homeless, waste management, and revival of water bodies. The government has also excelled in maintaining communal harmony.

THE diabolical and paranoid BJP-RSS central government led by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah has accelerated on the atrocious path of criminalising dissent and demonising protesters in the valiant nationwide farmers’ struggle, which will complete three months on February 26.SERIAL ASSAULTSON DEMOCRACYAfter the violent events on January 26 which the BJP regime had itself orchestrated, the government first went after farmers, arresting over 122 of them and throwing them in prison.

THE centre's decision to privatise the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant invited sharp opposition from people and political parties across Andhra Pradesh. RashtriyaIspat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) is the largest public-sector industrial unit in the state creating employment opportunity for close to around 20,000 people directly and many other indirect employment opportunities.The presence of the steel plant led to the massive economic development of the city.