THE 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress that was tabled by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development recently throws light on the alarming rise in homelessness in advanced capitalist countries. According to the report, there was a 7 per cent increase in the number of homeless people staying outdoors and a 13 per cent increase in the number of unsheltered families in the US during the previous year. It estimates that the homeless population in California alone was 161,548 as of January 2020.

THE visit of the US secretary of defence, Lloyd Austin, to India barely two months after the Biden administration took office indicates the importance the United States attributes to India as a defence partner and ally.Austin was in Japan and South Korea – both close military and strategic allies of the US in Asia – before coming to India.  India being next in his itinerary indicates that the Pentagon views India as of the same status as Japan and South Korea.  Lloyd underlined this importance during his visit when he described the India-US partnership as a “central pillar” of American poli

AS on March 1, 2021, India has a huge buffer stock of food grains of 9.2 crore tonnes (including unmilled paddy) which is three times more than the mandated buffer. In 2019-2020 when the buffer stock was slightly less, according to the annual report of the FCI, the carrying costs of the buffer stock was over Rs 12,000 crore.

THE AIKS, CITU and AIAWU jointly organised three Shaheed Yaadgar Kisan Mazdoor Padayatras (Martyrs’ Memorial March of Farmers and Workers) remembering the martyrs of the freedom struggle and the nearly 300 martyrs of the on-going historic kisan struggle. The padayatras took around a clear message of resistance against the anti-farmer, anti-worker acts brought by the Narendra Modi led BJP government.

IN the ensuing elections to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly to be held on April 6, the CPI(M) Tamil Nadu state committee has decided to fight along with the DMK-led Secular Progressive Front. Following the discussions with the DMK, CPI(M) will contest six assembly seats. Similarly, CPI, VCK, MDMK are also contesting in six seats each.Following this agreement with the DMK, the state secretariat and the state committee of CPI(M) met and finalised the candidates for the six assembly seats as follows:1. Keelvelur (SC) – Nagai Mali2. Thiruparankundram – S K Ponnuthai3.