Occupy UGC: Challenges of Intensifying and Sustaining the Struggle

LAST week Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced fifty thousand scholarships for African students at the conclusion of the India–Africa Summit. It is quite natural that the African leadership lauded Modi and gratefully accepted the largesse offered by India. However this kodak moment was spoilt by the simultaneous police action that was taking place against Indian students who have been protesting against the withdrawal of non-NET fellowships outside the UGC.

Orchestrated Attack on India’s Research System

“There will always be circumstances when private investment lags – when the innovation creates a public good, such as clean air, for which an investor can’t capture the value, or when the risk is too high, such as novel approaches to new antibiotic drugs, or when the technical complexity is so high that there is fundamental uncertainty as to the outcome, such as with quantum computing or fusion energy. For these cases, government funding is the only possible source to spur innovation”.

The Slogan of “Make in India”

AT first sight, the “Make in India” campaign appears innocuous, a pipe-dream perhaps but a rather harmless one. If the world’s big companies come to “make” things in India for selling all over the world, which is the thrust of the “Make in India” campaign of the Modi government, then what is wrong with it?

Thinking Together

Is it not a fact that very often defenders of secularism are more conscious of the rights of Muslims than of the majority community? This is specially true of Communists.Gyanshankar, MumbaiThis is a question that has been raised ever since a secular, democratic Constitution was adopted in our country. The Constitution was adopted at a time when a debate was raging about what the nature of the Indian republic should be. Partition had just taken place and there were many who believed – and communal forces like the Hindu Mahasabha and RSS encouraged and propagated this beli

Cultural-Democratic Upsurge in Karnataka Post-Kalburgi Killing

AFTER the barbaric killing of scholar-writer M M Kalburgi at Dharwad on August 30, 2015, Karnataka has been witnessing an unprecedented cultural-democratic upsurge in order to put a stiff resistance to the draconian forces of religious fundamentalism. A shocked fraternity of literary and cultural fields, intellectuals and people from various sections of society did not stop at mere condemnation of the assassination of Dr.Kalburgi, but has been working persistently to build up a resistance movement to fundamentalist/obscurantist forces.

Bribery Case: Trouble Mounts for Mani, Court Orders Further Probe

IN a major setback to the UDF government just before the three-tier panchayat elections in the state, a special anti-corruption court on October 29 ordered further investigation into allegations that finance minister K M Mani took Rs 25 lakh bribe in two installments from office-bearers of the Kerala Bar Hotels Association (KBHA). Judge John K Illikkadan observed that there was sufficient material for making out a prima facie case against Mani and directed investigating officer R Sukesan to conduct further probe.

People’s Welfare Front Emerges, Providing Electorate a Pro-People Alternative

ON November 2, at a function held in Thaayakam, the headquarters of the Marumalarchchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) in Chennai, the leaders of MDMK, CPI(M), CPI and the Viduthalai Chiruththaikal Katchi (VCK) released the common minimum programme (CMP) of the alliance of the four parties which will contest the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu in 2016 jointly.

Mass Organisations Prepare for Statewide Jatha

IN the second half of November, 113 mass organisations will conduct a statewide intensive campaign on peoples’ issues. These organisations, representing all sections of people including peasants, workers, employees, teachers, students, youth, and women have formed Bengal Platform of Mass Organisations (BPMO) from a public convention in Rani Rasmoni Avenue in Kolkata on September 28.

Comrade Hashim Abdul Halim

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on November 2, 2015.

THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses its shock and profound grief at the sudden death of Comrade Hashim Abdul Halim, veteran leader of the Party. He was eighty years old.

Polit Bureau Communique

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met at New Delhi on October 28-29, 2015. It has issued the following statement on October 30.

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