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.
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on June 4, 2016.
THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its serious concern over the developments in Mathura that have so far led to the death of at least 24 people. The dead include two senior police officers and 22 people claiming to be militants of the Swadhin Bharat Subash Sena (SBSS). This SBSS claims to have over 2000 armed militants supposed adherents and true followers of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose.
A FEW days back, the Narendra Modi government has amended the Public Sector Recruitment Rules retrospectively providing for appointment of candidates from the private sector, to very senior management positions in the central public sector undertakings and also in the PESB (Public Sector Enterprise Selection Board). Obviously, the profit-making blue chip PSUs are the target of the Modi government in this regard. The government's argument is that this will help CPSUs in getting ‘capable and efficient’ hands from the private sector.
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on June 8, 2016.
THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the nefarious designs of the BJP and the Hindutva communal forces who are once again seeking to raise communal tensions by utilising the so-called beef consumption in Bisara village in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh. The killing of Mohammad Akhlaq and the attack on his family is now sought to be diverted to the issue of cow slaughter and beef consumption.