IT was a bizarre situation. On the penultimate day of the monsoon session of Parliament, the all-powerful Home Minister, Amit Shah sounded despondent while talking to media channels. In a tone of soliloquy, he posed ‘what is the point in going inside the Lok Sabha’! For context, almost the entire monsoon session could not transact any substantial business as Shah was refusing to explain the role of the Delhi Police on the July 20, in tackling the peaceful student protest at Jantar Mantar.

Junior doctors across Andhra Pradesh have launched a strike, demanding the immediate release of stipend arrears, implementation of the mandatory stipend hike, and strict adherence to the National Medical Commission regulations on regularisation of monthly payments.

FOR the entire duration of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, we were at Jantar Mantar, participating in the continuous dharna demanding the immediate implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies. Our demand was clear: implement women’s reservation now. Do not link it to the census or delimitation.

ON August 7, the US Senate passed a bill, by a large majority (86-11), permitting the US Administration to impose up to 100 percent tariff on countries that import substantial amounts of oil from Russia in violation of the US-imposed unilateral sanctions against that country. The five countries which import substantial amounts of oil from Russia and are targeted by this bill are: India, China, Hungary, Slovakia and Azerbaijan.

Anger over abnormally high electricity bills has spread across Tripura, with consumers staging protests, gheraoing electricity offices and blocking the Assam-Agartala national highway at several places on August 7. Consumers alleged that repeated tariff hikes and the introduction of smart meters have placed an additional financial burden on ordinary households. Protests were reported from Manu Ghat, Gandatwisa, Kumarghat, Bishalgarh and other areas, with demonstrators demanding correction and withdrawal of inflated bills.