Kerala Budget Strengthens Petty Production

THE remarkable characteristic of the revised budget 2016-17 of Kerala presented by the finance minister Dr Thomas Issac is the thrust it gives to the task of modernisation of agriculture and production sector. This aspect has the potential to help the state in the long run to overcome the imminent stagnation and prolong crisis looming large on the economic and social sphere of the state in the context of the failure of neoliberal model of reforms and systemic crisis of world capitalist system.The budget has been hailed for its emphasis on social welfare and it truly deserves so.

Kerala Budget Focuses on Social Security, Infrastructure Development

THE road map for tackling the challenges thrown by the global economic slowdown and the crisis in the Gulf was laid out by the Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala in its first budget. In what is clearly an aspiration-driven budget, finance minister T M Thomas Isaac has sought to give a big push to infrastructure development using extra-budgetary resources, while attempting to raise tax revenue with better tax administration and fresh imposts and provide a healing touch to vulnerable sections. Traditional industries like coir, cashew and handloom also get focus in the budget.

Modi's Foreign Policy: Westward Ho!

Two years after Prime Minster Narendra Modi took over, India's foreign policy has significantly changed its contours. Without taking parliament and Indian public opinion into confidence, the Modi government has gone ahead and virtually changed the country's traditional non-aligned status. The pro-western tilt that had started during the earlier NDA and UPA regimes has become even more pronounced in the last two years, despite India being a member of groupings like BRICS and IBSA. So much so that the Obama administration now wants India to be given the exalted status of a non-NATO ally.

DSMM Condemns Attack on Dalit family In Gujarat for Skinning Dead Cow

THE Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch, in a statement issued on July 14 has strongly condemned the gruesome attack on seven members of a dalit family by the cow protection vigilantes (gau rakshaks) in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district on July 11.

The victims were attacked with iron rods and sticks. They were tied to a car, while the group of gau rakshaks was beating them up. Two people sustained severe head injuries and were referred to Junagadh civil hospital for treatment.

CPI(M) Submits Memo to CM On Major Issues Faced by People

THE CPI(M) had conducted a survey in several areas of Delhi during the month of June 2016. This survey brought to fore issues which were taken to the notice of the chief minister at numerous occasions in the recent past. The major issues and the Party's demands were again brought to the notice of the chief minister in a memorandum submitted to him on July 14. The main issues are discussed below. Unrelenting price rise, particularly in the prices of food grains and vegetables continues to be the biggest problem for the working class and vulnerable sections.

Crony Capitalism in Fertiliser & CBM Sector

UNDER the neo-liberal economic policies in early 1990s, the then P V Narsimha Rao government had destroyed the public sector fertiliser industry step-by-step. Workers under the leadership of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) carried out protracted united struggles but the government did not respond to their demands. At the sole initiative of the unions, a techno economic revival plan was prepared, with the help of in-house experts, and submitted to the government.

Struggle in Labour Party: Defending Corbyn

NOW that enough time has passed with Britain voting to leave the European Union (EU) without any major catastrophe occurring (frankly, should we even be surprised that a former imperial power still thinks that squabbles between its cabinet members and parliamentary backbenchers would lead to the end of the world, ‘as we know it’?), it may be a good time to think about what ‘Brexit’ means for political action, especially on the Left. The result of the British referendum should have hardly been surprising.

Civil Aviation Policy: Subsidise the Rich, Corporates & Foreign Companies

IT is by now clear that the settled policy framework of the Modi government is to pump in public investment for infrastructure, services, taxes and other incentives for corporates and higher income groups in the belief that this will stimulate further investment especially FDI, wealth creation and GDP growth which will in turn, hopefully and ultimately, trickle down to the less well-off or at least lead to a “feel good” factor.

Six Lakh Anganwadi Workers & Helpers Observe “Black Day” on July 11

THE All India federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers (AIFAWH) has congratulated the anganwadi workers and helpers all over the country for the magnificent success of the observance of “Black Day” on July 11, 2016.In a press statement issued on July 11, AIFWAH said that as per the reports received so far, more than six lakh anganwadi workers from 24 states – Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakh

AIDWA Welcomes Order by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes

THE All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), in a statement issued on July 13 has welcomed the order passed by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes asking the Haryana and Rajasthan governments to reconsider their recently imposed criteria of minimum educational qualifications for those wanting to contest panchayat elections.

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