ONE cannot but be struck by the tone of smug self-satisfaction that pervades this report, that India was the origin of most great ideas including the Pythagoras theorem and the Fibonacci series, that Indian universities like Nalanda and Taxila were unique and unparalleled institutions, and that Sanskrit has a literature that is larger than Latin and Classical Greek combined, and so on. In fact the report recommends the setting up of a Mission Nalanda and Mission Taxila to revive old glory.

SITARAM Yechury, general secretary of CPI(M) has called upon the secular democratic forces and the people of the country to meet the challenges thrown by BJP, the political arm of fascistic RSS.

Below we publish the letter to the prime minister dated July 11, signed by around 30 Opposition MPs, on the raids at the homes of senior advocates Indira Jaisingh and Anand Grover. Those who signed the letter include TK Rangarajan (CPI(M)),  D Raja (CPI), Anand Sharma (Congress), Jaya Bachchan (SP), Santanu Sen (TMC), Sanjay Singh (AAP), WE, the undersigned individuals strongly condemn the raids at the homes and offices of senior advocates Indira Jaisingh and Anand Grover this morning by the CBI. The raids are being carried out in both Delhi and Mumbai.

THE entire labour law architecture of the country will be destroyed if the Modi government’s proposed labour codes are enacted by parliament, warned senior advocate Colin Gonsalves at a recent meeting organised in Delhi. Leaders of several central trade unions who echoed these warnings included Deepak Sharma of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Swadesh Dev Roye of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and Vidya Sagar Giri of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC).

THE union budget placed by Nirmala Sitharaman, the Finance Minister, pecks growth of the economy to 8 per cent. The target is to reach a GDP figure of $ 5 trillion ($ 5 lakh crore) by 2024. It will be a leap by 100 per cent to the current GDP figures, which is about $ 2.5 trillion. The moot point is how India achieves this growth.One of the important sectors to ensure growth in the country is by investing in the cities. The cities presently contribute about 66 per cent to the GDP and about 90 per cent of total government revenues are generated from them.