Modi Govt, FDI Policy & Pharmaceuticals

The central government’s decision to allow up to 74 percent foreign direct investment (FDI) as brownfield investment in the domestic pharmaceutical companies for their acquisition by the foreign firms through the automatic route has serious implications for the development of pharmaceutical industry and public health in India.

Free, Free Our Universities..!!

THE new academic year has begun in Indian universities with signals of authoritarian highhandedness in different forms. The beginning of any academic activity is supposed to be fear free and must be in an atmosphere of freedom. However, the news coming from campuses from EFLU to JNU, situated in diverse locations in the country offer stern warnings regarding what is in store for the new students.

The Una Dalit Struggle and What it Holds for the Future

ON July 11, 2016 four young dalits were publicly flogged and paraded around in Una, Gujarat for skinning a dead cow in broad daylight. Most inhuman kind of torture has been meted to people on the pretext of cow protection and the perpetrators in their bravado have uploaded their brutal acts on social media with utmost impunity. The incident sparked widespread protests in the state against their act and transformed into a movement for dalit rights.

Fight on, for Social Justice

Caste has been playing a very dominant, debilitating role in our society since long. “Turn in any direction you like, caste is the monster that crosses your path. You cannot have political reform; you cannot have economic reform, unless you kill this monster”. Recalling these words of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, one can say that the condition of social justice in our country is woefully bad. Rising instances of caste discrimination, untouchability, attacks on dalits and adivasis reflect this situation. Caste rigidities have made the lives of dalits and adivasis difficult.

Don't Interfere with Judiciary

THE chief justice of India, T S Thakur, has recently warned that the Supreme Court may have to make a judicial intervention to get the names of High Court judges recommended by the collegium and pending with the government approved. For months now, there has been a stalemate between the government and the higher judiciary over filling up the vacancies in the High Court. The Supreme Court collegium had recommended 74 names for appointment as High Court judges. These have not been cleared by the government for appointment yet. The standoff between the Modi government and the judiciary com

Fidel Castro’s 90th Birthday Celebrated with Joy

THE National Committee for Solidarity with Cuba, in association with the Embassy of Cuba celebrated the 90th birthday of Comrade Fidel Castro.Marileydis, Chargé d'Affaires of the Cuban Embassy briefly spoke about the historic contribution of Fidel in the construction of socialism in Cuba. She stated that Fidel is an inspiration to all Cubans and is loved by them as a father figure.

Retrograde Steps on Kashmir

KASHMIR has been in turmoil for the past six weeks. The people in the Valley have been out on the streets in mass protests since the death of Burhan Wani, the Hizbul commander. Sixty five people have died in firing by the security forces and hundreds injured. The latest to be killed was 16 year old Mohd. Yasir Sheikh who was shot by police in Batamaloo area of Srinagar on August 15.

Working Class Resistance in 25 Years of Neo-Liberal Reforms

THE working class, is a prime target of attack under the neo-liberal regime in the country.From the initial days of the policy pronouncements in 1991, ruling class and policy makers have been targeting the working people and their hard earned rights.Even while discussing about more investments, industrialisation, creation of employment opportunities, those in the authority could only identify rigidity and multiplicity of labour laws along with the `mushrooming’ of trade unions as hurdles.

The Logic of Neo-Liberal Capitalism

CAPITALISM is a “spontaneous” system in the sense that its dynamic is characterised by the unfolding of certain immanent tendencies, such as the commoditisation of every object, the destruction of pre-capitalist production, and the process of centralisation of capital. The question arises: what is the role of the State in this spontaneous dynamic of capitalism? In general the State in a capitalist society aids this dynamic, removing hurdles to, and accelerating the operation of, its immanent tendencies.

Denial of Healthcare at a Grand Scale: The Neo-liberal Vision

TWENTY five years ago, a child born in India had significantly better chances of survival than in neighbouring Nepal and Bangladesh. Twenty five years later, after neo-liberal reforms were implemented in India since 1991, both Nepal and Bangladesh have lower child mortality rates than India, ie, a child born in these countries are more likely to survive than in India. The above encapsulates the story of neo-liberal reforms in India and its impact on people's health.

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