WHILE Kerala can be proud of the large number of functioning public libraries in India, Kannur district located in the north of the state has the distinction of ranking first in the state with more than a thousand libraries.  Kannur has thus become the logical place of choice for holding this first Indian Library Congress from January 1-3, 2023.Kerala has pioneered the growth of the public library through popular participation for more than a century, taking this institution beyond the confines of universities, state repositories and privately held book collections.

A CONSTITUTION Bench of the Supreme Court has, by a split verdict of 3 to 2 upheld the validity of the 103rd constitutional amendment which provided reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) from within the general category.

SINCE the 33rd conference of the Kisan Sabha, a new trend emerged in the peasant movement. Kisan Sabha always stressed on the need for independent movements as it strengthens the organisation, spreads its influence, creates confidence within the organisation and helps to draw other organisations towards a united struggle. This led to the slogan of “Kisan Sabha in all villages and all kisans in Kisan Sabha”. The entire history of AIKS proved it. But AIKS gave equal importance to building a united kisan movement.

THE 105th anniversary of the October Revolution was observed all across the state in Tripura. A hall meeting at Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhavan in Agartala was held on November 8.In the morning, at all the Party and trade union offices, red flags were hoisted. Floral tributes were paid to Karl Marx, Fredrick Engels, Lenin and Stalin at many places. Party offices were decorated with red lights and flags. In the state committee office of CPI(M) in Agartala, red flag was hoisted by senior kisan leader and former Polit Bureau member of the Party, Hannan Mollah.

THE All India Democratic Women’s Association has sent a memorandum to Sushil Kumar Modi, MP and Chair, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law & Justice, on November 4, regarding the review of personal law which is sought to be undertaken by the committee. A press communiqué issued on behalf of the Standing Committee on October 11, 2022, asked for memoranda concerning the entire gamut of personal law within a short period of 21 days.