THE process of elections for the Senate, Academic Council and Boards of Studies in the University of Mumbai has been underway since January 2018. The elections have acquired much greater significance than earlier ones as they are being conducted under the provisions of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act (MPUA) 2016, enforced since March 2017. A new education policy has already been released by the state government under the Act. This policy will be implemented by bringing in a structural change through a new institutional arrangement.

IN West Bengal, panchayat elections have been reduced to a farce as 34 per cent seats in three tiers have been captured by the TMC ‘uncontested’. There is no example of such an unashamed exercise of terrorisation either in West Bengal or in the country.The first phase of organised attack occurred during the nomination period, when BDO and SDO offices were cordoned by the TMC armed gangs who chased away opposition candidates, injuring hundreds in the process.

THE 22ND Punjab State Conference of the CPI(M) successfully concluded in Mahilpur in Hoshiarpur district on April 11. The conference gave a clarion call to regain the lost glory of the Party in Punjab by strengthening the organisation at grassroots level and drawing the youth, women and Dalits to it in a big way.

THE Delhi state committee of the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch (DSMM), had organised a stall near RBI on Parliament Street in Delhi on April 14, to mark the 127th birth anniversary of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar. CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat inaugurated the stall by garlanding Ambedkar’s photograph. She also addressed the gathering and said that Baba Saheb gave his entire life to the struggle against the varna system and caste system prevalent in the Indian society. Dr Ambedkar’s goal in life was to create an equal society free of injustice and oppression.

THE process of this year’s panchayat elections in West Bengal has exposed unashamed terror-based, lumpenised political-administrative structure in Mamata Banerjee regime.As the process of nominations began, TMC terror machine became active. Earlier it was booth capturing; this year it began with administrative office capturing. Block and sub divisional offices were cordoned off and opposition candidates were barred from submitting nominations.