THE national women’s organisations – AIDWA,   NFIW, JWP, CWDS, GOS, Bulbul Das, Binodini Moses and concerned individuals, Dr Mohan Rao     (Professor, JNU) and Dr Sabu George (social activist), in a joint statement issued on February 5 have expressed strong condemnation and shock at the suggestion made by the central minister for women and child development, Maneka Gandhi to subject all pregnant women to a sex determination test, record the sex of the foetus, track and monitor the pregnancy, and thereby prevent sex selection.

THE Central Executive Committee of SFI, in a statement issued on February 6, has expressed deep concern and anger over the continuing developments in Indian universities which leads to the suicide of students one after another.   A young scholar has ended his life leaving another dark reminder how the universities have become effectively a killing field for the students and young scholars of our country under the thriving neo-liberal saffron raj of Modi.

Professor Randhir Singh, Marxist thinker, activist and teacher passed away on January 31, 2016, at the age of 94. His immense popularity as a teacher gave him almost a cult status, which however remained irrelevant to him personally. It was his activism, combined with his intellectual engagement as a communist ideologue, that was relevant for him.

THE All India Kisan Sabha and the Prantiya Khetihar Mazdoor Union have jointly organised a one-day seminar on alternative agricultural policies for the development of Bihar in the era of neo-liberalism. From all accounts, it was a very rich experience where veterans of peasant movements were joined by Patna-based intellectuals and teachers who were unanimous that the agricultural scenario and the development of Bihar is intrinsically linked with the successful implementation of land reform.

ANGANWADI Workers scored an emphatic victory over an unwilling Chandrababu Naidu government as the GO effecting hike in honorarium for them was issued on February 6, 2016.The honorarium of Anganwadi workers has been enhanced from the existing Rs 4,200 a month to Rs 7,000, while that of Anganwadi helpers from Rs 2,200 to Rs 4,500 and it will be implemented from April 1, 2016.The hike may be modest but it has come only after bitter and protracted struggles as the government has been adamant on the genuine demands of the workers.