THE Global Hunger Index (GHI) for 2022 has just come out, which shows India occupying the 107th position among the 121 countries for which the index is prepared (countries where hunger is not a noteworthy problem are left out of the index). India’s score on the hunger index is 29.1 which is worse than the score of 28.2 it had in 2014. (The lower the figure the less is hunger).
THE highly anticipated 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opened on the morning of October 16 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.Xi Jinping delivered to the Congress a report titled "Hold High the Great Banner of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Strive in Unity to Build a Modern Socialist Country in All Respects." He pointed out, the 20th CPC National Congress is a meeting of great importance.
THE Global Hunger Index 2022, released on October 13, shows that India’s rank in the world has slipped further – from 101 last year to 107 this year – in terms of this important indicator of conditions of hunger and malnutrition. India’s rank is far below that of its neighbours, and levels of hunger and malnutrition are much better in many countries with significantly lower levels of economic development than India.
THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions, in a statement issued on October 18, has strongly denounced the coercive memorandum of understanding (MoU) entered into between the Election Commission and thousands of employers(corporate houses)/industries in poll-bound Gujarat.
THE US has gambled big in its latest, across-the-board sanctions on Chinese companies in the semiconductor industry, believing it can kneecap China and retain its global dominance. From the slogan of globalisation and "free trade" of the neoliberal 90s, it has reverted to good old technology denial regimes followed by the US and its allies during the Cold War. While it might work in the short run in slowing down the Chinese advances, the cost to the US semiconductor industry of losing China – its biggest market – will also have significant consequences.
IT has been almost an untold convention held by the pink papers and mainstream media that an expenditure from government exchequer that flows to the poor directly or indirectly are to be termed as ‘populist’ in political discourse and recently as ‘freebies’ in the context of ‘economic prudence’. A mirror image, in the lens of class, is the huge applaud the same media shower on policies that propose tax cuts or subsidies to capitalists.
BSNL Employees Union has scored a magnificent victory in the election held in BSNL, for the granting of trade union recognition. This is the eighth consecutive victory being scored by BSNLEU. The election for granting recognition was held on October 12, 2022 and the result was declared on October 14, 2022. BSNLEU came first with 15,311 (48.62 per cent) votes. The union has increased its votes by 5.18 per cent. The National Federation of Telecom Employees (NFTE) came second with 11,201 (35.57 per cent) votes. The BMS affiliated BTEU came third with 1,635 (5.19 per cent) votes.
THE reinvigoration of the Left in Bengal shall enthuse people’s movement across the country, and augment the struggle to oust BJP from the centre which is our primary task, said Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of CPI (M) while addressing a packed auditorium, at Pramod Dasgupta Bhawan in Kolkata on the occasion of the 102nd anniversary of the formation of the Communist Party of India as an émigré unit in Tashkent in 1920. The meeting was presided over by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Suryakanta Mishra. CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim also addressed the meeting.
THE All India Kisan Sabha, in a statement issued on October 20, has said the Modi government has once again displayed its crass anti-farmer attitude in the recent announcement of the minimum support prices for crops for the Rabi Marketing Season 2022-23. The prices announced by the government are too little and will never provide 50 per cent return to farmers over Cost C2 as was recommended by the Swaminathan Commission.