THE convention declaring ‘Right to Employment’ was held at a time when the slowdown in manufacturing and various other sectors is snowballing into a deep economic crisis and our country is facing an epidemic of unemployment. Inaugurating the convention, noted economist Jayati Ghosh said that unemployment is on a rise and decent wages are declining drastically. She told that around 5-6 per cent of the GDP is given as tax concession to big corporates in a country where the amount allocated to social expenditure is a bare minimum and that too is underspent.

THE state secretariat of the CPI(M) on November 5 issued a statement and stated that the anti government campaigns related to the arrest of two youths in Kozhikode is politically motivated. The CPI(M) has been opposing the imposition of UAPA act on the arrested youths. When the central government passed the UAPA bill, the CPI(M) had opposed it tooth and nail. The chief minister has already sought the report from the police on Kozhikode arrest. When LDF came to power, the CPI(M), has since then opposed the imposition of UAPA in every such incident.

THE opposition of kisan and democratic movements forced Narendra Modi to beat a retreat on the question of signing Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement.  For the last several years, the Modi government was engaged in discussing on this agreement.

THE CPI(M) Delhi state committee, in a statement issued on October 30, has welcomed the announcement of the AAP government fixing monthly minimum wage of unskilled workers at Rs 14,842. It also welcomed enhancement in wages of semi-skilled and skilled workers. This is the result of prolonged struggles by the Left trade unions and workers of Delhi as well as the successful legal fight waged by them in the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court.

A SEMINAR on the draft New Education Policy(DNEP) was held on September 21, 2019 at the Ferozeshah Mehta Bhavan Auditorium, University of Mumbai; jointly organized by the School of Social Sciences (SSS) Mumbai, Bombay University and College Teachers’ Union (BUCTU) and University of Mumbai Academic Staff Association (UMASA). Kapil Patil, Member of Legislative Council(MLC)- Teachers’ constituency was chief guest and keynote address was delivered by Aniket Sule, of Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE – TIFR).