World Cities Day: Can Technology serve the purpose

OCTOBER 31st, marked the United Nation’s World Cities Day and the theme for this year is “Changing the world: innovations and better life for the future generations”. Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General has remarked, “let us commit to embracing innovation to ensure a better life for future generations and chart a path towards sustainable, inclusive urban development that benefits all.” Over half of the world’s population now resides in cities, with rapid urbanisation, the number of people will almost double by 2050.

What is Ravishankar Prasad Hiding on WhatsApp Hack?

AS many as 1,400 smartphones worldwide – including 140 of Indians – have been hacked. This hack used Pegasus, the software tools from the notorious hacker-for-hire Israeli company NSO or Q Cyber Technologies. The fundamental question for us, is who-dun-it? The simple question that the government refuses to answer.This is what political parties and others are asking: was it a government agency that bought the hacking tools from the Israeli company? And used it against its own citizens?

TAMIL NADU UNTOUCHABILITY ERADICATION FRONT: Twelve Years of Struggle and Achievements

FORMED twelve years ago, the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF), a broad-based organisation, has since carried out many successful struggles and movements, increased its influence over various sections of the society and made quite an impact in the southern state.

Sitaram Yechury at Oxford Union Debate

AT the Oxford Union, in a prestigious head to head debate, Sitaram Yechury opposed the motion as an Indian patriot against the suspension of article 370, the impact of the suspension in Kashmir and the manner in which it was done. The debate was held on October 29.The motion was defended by one of the vice presidents of the BJP, a former MP, Baijayant Panda.The debate attracted a lot of publicity and was surrounded by controversy before it started.

DELHI: DYFI Rally Demands Measures to Curb Air Pollution

MARCHING under the banner of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on November 3, about a hundred youngsters demanded that the government of Delhi, in coordination with that of Haryana and Punjab and with the required financial assistance from the union government, fulfill five demands to reduce air pollution.demands included:

Act against Use of Spyware

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on November 2CPI(M) strongly condemns the hacking of the phones of activists, lawyers and journalists in India with Israeli Pegasus spyware. WhatsApp itself has accepted that over 1,400 people were targeted globally including 40 from India. It might be noted that if phones are hacked, all information on the phone including WhatsApp or other encrypted messages sent using platforms such as Telegram or Signal are then available to the agency that hacked the phone.Any hacking of personal equipment such as a smart

Don’t Proceed with RCEP

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on November 2THE last-minute negotiations are in progress to conclude the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a mega Free Trade Agreement (FTA) being negotiated between ASEAN, China, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, South Korea and India. The secretive and undemocratic manner in which BJP central government is conducting these negotiations for RCEP without involving the stakeholders and without consulting the states and parliament is highly objectionable. If India chooses to join this FTA, it wil

Kerala: CM Seeks report on Arrests

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.

Bihar: AIDWA State Conference

THE 12th state conference of Bihar AIDWA was held on October 19-20 at Madehpura Town Hall. The conference called for launching struggles against patriarchy, communalism, for joint land titles to women, land for housing to the poor and against casteist and obscurantist ideologies prevalent in the country.On October 19th a procession was taken out in the town and at the district collectorate a public meeting was held. The procession and public meeting were attended by women from different walks of life.

BJP Govt’s Red Carpet Welcome for Oil MNCs

THE recent economic ‘stimulus package’ presented by the Modi government mainly to benefit the big business houses shall cost the exchequer of the country a huge amount Rs 1.45 lakh crore. More such stimulus packages are under consideration of the government.

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