THE death of Muhammad Ali, the legend of world boxing, is an irreplaceable loss for the world of sports. He was three times world heavyweight champion. He won a gold medal in the Rome Olympics in 1960. Very few are considered unsurpassed geniuses in the world of sports – Jesse Owens, Nadia Comaneci, Pele, Maradona, Bradman, Federer – Muhammad Ali gained a celebrated place amongst them.
THE 2016 Assembly election ousted the Congress from power in Assam. The Tarun Gogoi-led dispensation was in power for three successive terms since 2001. Bringing an end to the 15-year Congress rule, the BJP, with the help of alliance partners AGP and BPF, came to power with comfortable majority. In the 126-member Assembly, the BJP and its allies have won 86 seats, while the Congress managed to win only 26 seats. A majority of political observers and analysts predicted a hung Assembly.
Widespread Attack Continues in West BengalFrom our special correspondent INTENSIVE political violence against the opposition is continuing even after three weeks after election results have been declared.In Basudebpur village in Purba Medinipur district, CPI(M) activist Amit Pradhan was brutally killed by the TMC gang. His only ‘fault’ was that he was a polling agent of the CPI(M) in Bhagabanpur assembly constituency. Pradhan, along with his father was kidnapped by the TMC miscreants. Amit, 32 and father of a child, was mercilessly beaten to death.
THE confusion surrounding the National Eligibility Entrance Examination (NEET) -- a centralised entrance for the MBBS, BDS and PG medical courses --ended in the last week of May, with President Pranab Mukherjee’s assent to the ordinance brought by the central government following the Supreme Court ruling, which called for holding NEET from this year itself. Now, what does this mean in effective terms?
THE fourth visit of Modi to the US has very little to show as achievements. No wonder, the headlines screamed about “the start of the preparatory work” on six nuclear reactors as a major achievement. Not content with this, the Westinghouse AP 1000 reactors were hyped as fifth generation reactors, skipping two whole generations of reactors in between.
NEO-LIBERALISM is usually portrayed in terms of a “State versus Market” dichotomy, as entailing greater recourse to the market in lieu of State regulation, and hence constituting a “retreat of the State”.
FINDINGS of the Prakash Singh Committee, set up by the Haryana government to probe the violent Jat agitation for reservation, continue to generate criticism from various quarters including political parties -- both ruling and opposition. Even the Punjab and Haryana High Court questioned the validity of the committee headed by Singh, a retired police officer. Its report has become a laughing stock. A former Haryana minister has gone to the extent of demanding that a Supreme Court judge look into its findings.
What are the reasons for recurring droughts in the country? Explain how the long term effect of erroneous policies by the governments has led to such a situation. What are the features of this year's drought? What are the immediate and long-term solutions.
Sarbatrik Brahma, Kolkata
BEING children of the nature, adivasis are the protectors of environment, and not its destructors. They are patriots. Tribal people’s contribution to Indian culture, language, society and economy is immense. But, negating their noble contribution, they are being ill-treated, neglected and subjected to inhuman treatment.
THE Karnataka state units of Left parties – CPI(M), CPI, SUCI(C) AIFB, CPI(ML)-Liberation – had jointly organised a rally protesting against the misrule of the two-year old NDA government at the centre and three-year old Congress government in the state. The rally was held at Freedom Park in Bangalore on June 6.This rally was a culmination of the month-long campaign by five Left Parties – CPI, CPI(M), Forward Block, SUCI(C), CPI(M)-Liberation – across Karnataka. Before the rally, a massive procession of about ten thousand people was held from City Railway Station to Freedom Park.