THE special CBI court in Panchkula, Haryana, has convicted the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the charge of rape of two sadhvis, in a case that was registered in 2002. This verdict has sparked off widespread violence and rioting in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and parts of Uttar Pradesh, leading to the unfortunate death of over 30 people and injuries to hundreds.

LOOK at some broad figures:On August 13, elections to seven municipalities including Durgapur Corporation took place in West Bengal.  There were 146 wards in total. TMC won four of them without contest. Out of the rest 142, TMC won 138 wards. In Durgapur, a traditional strong base of the Left and in Haldia, TMC won all the wards. They got 72 per cent votes in seven municipalities. TMC got 85 per cent votes in Haldia. In many wards of Haldia, Durgapur, Nalhati and Coopers’ Camp, TMC received over 90 per cent votes.  To a section of media, this is a ‘clean sweep’ by the TMC.

THE post-liberalisation period is widely perceived to have been a period of jobless growth. Between 1999-2000 and 2011-12, proportion of men in the age-group 15 to 59 years who were gainfully employed declined from 84 per cent to 81 per cent. During the same period, proportion of women aged 15 to 59 years who were gainfully employed for at least some part of the year fell from 41 per cent to only 32 per cent.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on August 23THE Kerala High Court judgement is a resounding vindication of the stand taken by the CPI(M) that the Lavalin case was a politically motivated case. The Kerala High Court has upheld the judgment of the trial court discharging Pinarayi Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin case.The High Court has stated that Pinarayi Vijayan was deliberately targeted by the CBI.

 ·         729 deaths in four states of Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and UP in August·          Declare flood in northern and eastern India as national calamity ·          Expedite relief operations on War FootingSERIOUS flood situation has disrupted life in many states in northern and eastern India especially Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and eastern Uttar Pradesh.