John Brittas, CPI(M) MP in Rajya Sabha, has written a letter to Dharmendra Pradhan, minister for education, Government of India, on June 21, 2024 expressing pressing concerns surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET). Both examinations have elicited significant criticism for their impact on the federal structure and the autonomy of state educational institutions.

DOLOO is a nearly 200-year-old tea garden near Silchar city in Cachar district of lower Assam. A substantial part of the plantation area had been sold by the Doloo Tea Company to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for building a new airport. Tea plantation in this estate is spread over more than 1200 hectares and has four divisions namely Doloo, Moinagarh, Lalbagh and Murlidha. The Barak valley in Assam houses many such large tea gardens contributing a sizable quantity to tea exports from India.

IN false anticipation of a big victory for the BJP-NDA in the Lok Sabha elections, the police and administration of Palghar district, dancing to the tune of deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, had been threatening people, and bullying the common tribals including women. Harassment of CPI(M) activists by BJP goons, encroachment on their land, filing false cases against them was rampant. CPI(M) leaders were their main target. BJP goons and the police were working hand in hand, in a notoriously corrupt nexus.

PRIVATE corporate sector in India seems to have recorded historically high rates of profits during the post-Covid three years. The average net profit in a quarter suffered a steep decline during the successive quarters ending on March and June 2020 but since the quarter ending September 2020, the net profits of corporate sector recovered by about seven times compared to the pandemic period and touched a record level in the recent period.In spite of high rates of income growth and increased share of profit within income, investment growth didn’t show adequate response.

FOR the last one decade, there are systematic attacks on the workers’ right to strike that have been relentlessly unleashed across all continents. And now, this right is being more resolutely challenged by employers group in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) itself where unfortunately the class collaborationist workers’ group meekly gave in to the employers’ proposal.       It is not surprising to find that the right to strike is not set out explicitly in ILO conventions and recommendations given the class character of ILO.