A GLOBAL IT outage on July 19th, 2024, affected more than 8.5 Million Microsoft computers worldwide, disrupting airlines, hospitals, banks, train services, and even government agencies. The outage was caused by a faulty update from the cybersecurity provider, CrowdStrike, which caused Microsoft Windows machines to crash and get stuck in the infamous “blue screen of death” booting loop.

THE Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has strongly criticised the union budget for its obstinate direction of corporatisation of agriculture at the cost of farmers and workers, and usurping the rights of state governments thus violating the basic concept of the federal character of the Constitution of India.The budget prepared under the duress of international finance capital has declared a tax exemption of 5 per cent for MNC’s and is not ready to tax the corporates and super rich, while 67 per cent of the GST collected as indirect tax is from 50 per cent of the poor population.

THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), in a statement issued on July 23, has vehemently criticised the Karnataka government's recent move to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act of 1961, which would increase the working hours in the IT/ITES/BPO sector to 14 hours a day. It said that the proposed amendment is an infringement on basic workers' rights and personal life.According to CITU, the proposed changes would force workers into a gruelling 14-hour workday, enabling IT/ITES companies to reduce the number of shifts from three to two.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on July 20

THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly condemns the decision by the BJP state governments in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand directing all eateries along the entire stretch of the Kanwar Yatra route to display the owners' names. Clearly, this is designed to sharpen communal polarisation and foster tensions among religious communities.

THE National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD) has issued a statement on July 21, in response to the recent scandal involving trainee IAS officer Puja Khandekar, who has been accused of multiple frauds. The NPRD's statement highlights the disturbing ableist attitudes revealed by several high-ranking officials in the wake of the scandal, calling out their inherent prejudices against disabled individuals.Amitabh Kant, vice chairperson of Niti Aayog, called for a "review" of the system of reservations for the disabled, a move that NPRD says is rooted in bias.