Journalist Unions Denounce Journalist’s Murder, Demand Justice

THE year 2025 has begun on an ominous note, with the shocking murder of a journalist.The National Alliance of Journalists (NAJ), the Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ), the Andhra Pradesh Working Journalists Federation(APWJF) and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ Delhi unit) send out their first press release of the year on January 4, with grief and shock at the killing of Bastar journalist Mukesh Chandrakar on January 1, 2025.

Karnataka: CPI(M) State Conference Calls for Building a Left and Democratic Alternative

THE 24th Karnataka State Conference of the CPI(M) was held from December 29-31, 2024, with the slogan “Towards Harmonious, Integral, and Prosperous Karnataka” at the Star Convention Hall, Tumkur. The conference issued a clarion call to build a Left and democratic alternative to challenge the bipolar polity between the Congress and the NDA, into which Karnataka has slipped, with the JD(S) joining the BJP-led NDA.On the morning of December 29, a big, colourful procession was held from Freedom Square to Town Hall.

Changing Patterns of Consumption Expenditure

THE National Statistical Office has recently released the fact sheet of Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2023-24. It is the second survey report of the annual series that begun in 2022-23 after a long gap since the 68th Round Consumption Expenditure Survey released by the government in 2011-12. The government seems to be comfortable to release this report this time as the Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) has increased from Rs 3,773 in 2022-23 to Rs 4,122 in 2023-24 in rural India and from Rs 6,459 to Rs 6,996 in urban India respectively.

All India People’s Science Congress

THE 18th All India People's Science Congress (AIPSC) which is the bi-annual meeting of the All India People's Science Network (AIPSN) was held from December 27-30, 2024, at Kolkata in the West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences. Activists and intellectuals, along with those in academia, together deliberated on the issues at the intersection of science, technology, and society. More than 500 delegates from 43 member organisations which are part of AIPSN attended, representing states and union territories spread across the country.

Uttar Pradesh State Conference of CPI(M)

THE 24th Uttar Pradesh state conference of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was held from December 29-31, 2024 at Bulandshahr with the resolve to build a revolutionary communist party with a strong mass base in Uttar Pradesh.The comrades of Bulandshahr had made elaborate preparations for the conference; the entire city was decorated with red flags and four-month long campaign for the conference and rally was conducted in 300 villages.The venue of the conference was named after our beloved leader Comrade Sitaram Yechury, the meeting stage was named after former MLA Comrade Dinanath Sin

UGC Rules: Assault on State Universities

THE New Year 2025 started with another assault on the education system. The Modi government, through the UGC, announced new draft regulations titled, ‘University Grants Commission (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education)’. This is yet another attempt by the central government to assume control over all the higher education institutions in the country.According to the UGC, there are 56 central universities and 481 state universities.

Waged and Unwaged Work in Capitalism

CAPITALIST accumulation entails a combination of waged and unwaged work involved in production and social reproduction. Production of goods and services must be supported by a process of social reproduction that refers to producing the labour power required for production.Capitalism is defined as a system of generalised commodity production which includes commodification of labour power.

US Pegasus Ruling: A Reminder of India’s Stalled Probe

A US court has held the Israeli spyware maker NSO Group responsible for using WhatsApp to illegally infiltrate the mobile phones of thousands of individuals with its Pegasus software – a military-grade spyware. In a landmark decision, the US District Court in Northern California found the NSO Group liable for violating state and federal hacking laws such as the US Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

The Strengthening of the Dollar

THE Indian newspapers have been full of stories about the fall of the rupee vis-à-vis the US dollar in the last few days. Just over a month ago, on November 27, the value of the dollar was Rs 84.559; by December 29, it had risen to Rs 85.5.

AIRTWF’s Call for Urgent Transport Sector Overhaul

ON December 18, 2024, the All India Road Transport Workers’ Federation (AIRTWF) submitted a memorandum to the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, New Delhi to demand resolution of the issues of road transport sector and the workers.It is important to know that the transport sector is a critical lifeline for the economy. Contributing 4.1 per cent to the GDP, it is the second-largest employment generator after agriculture. A society without a functional transport system is almost unimaginable.

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