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India’s Higher Education: Threat of Commercialisation

THERE are clear signals that India’s higher and technical education is being thrown open to ‘for profit’ private entities. The threat of global competition via the WTO route is already here, and it is likely to aggravate in future.Under WTO, educational services, particularly the tertiary educational services like higher education, are treated as globally tradable services.

Reckless Privatisation of Professional Education

THE All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has decided to cut over 6,00,000 seats in engineering colleges across the country from the current 16.7 lakh to around 11 lakh. This move is being supposedly made due to the poor quality of engineering education, low ‘employability’ of the students graduating from these institutions, and the huge increase in the number of vacant seats.

First All India Convention of Sugarcane Growers Held

THE first all India convention of sugarcane growers, held in Madurai, Tamil Nadu on September 27-28, resolved to organise militant struggles in front of sugar mills across the country on various issues. The first ever convention of the sugarcane growers was held under the direction of All India Kisan Council of the AIKS. It was a memorable and historic event in the Kisan movement of the country, held in the historic city of Madurai, which contributed immensely in building the Kisan movement.

Memo Submitted to NCW on Disabled Women’s Issues

THERE has been a manifold increase in the number of reported cases of sexual assaults against girls and women with disabilities. Considered as soft targets, disabled girls and women are more vulnerable to sexual assaults. While specific provisions are contained in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act as well as the amendments to the criminal laws post Verma Committee with regard to disabled girls and women, it is a matter of grave concern that provisions contained therein are not implemented at all or are not implemented in full.

Hindutva Brigade’s Undeclared War on the Idea of India

THE idea of India as a secular democratic and culturally diverse nation was a result of the broad consensus between the representatives of all major classes in the Constituent Assembly. The Constitution, which was a result of this broad process of negotiation, guaranteed certain fundamental rights such as the freedom of expression and religion as well as equal opportunity for historically exploited social groups. The attack on this idea has been growing.

Sanatan Sanstha’s ‘Hindutva’ Fanatics Arrested

ON September 16, 2015, seven months after the dastardly murder of senior CPI leader Govind Pansare in February, and just a fortnight after the similar murder of prominent intellectual Prof M M Kalburgi, the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra arrested three ‘Hindutva’-minded fanatics of a thoroughly communal organisation called ‘Sanatan Sanstha’, while a fourth one called Rudra Patil is absconding.Actually, the Sanatan Sanstha was very much on the radar of the police investigation immediately after the murder of Pansare.

Telangana Democratic Front Formed

FACED with growing resentment of people, the TRS government of Telangana is resorting to severe repression against people’s movements and opponents. Two Maoist leaders were killed by police in Warangal district making it the first encounter killings in the new state of Telangana. What shocked the people of the state was the police brutality against a woman Maoist cadre Shruti. Her body showed signs of gang-rape and torture. In a bid to eradicate evidence, acid was poured on the her stomach and near private parts.

Interest Rate Cut A Matter of Interest

RESERVE Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan has surprised all by a “bold” 50 basis points (or half a percentage point) reduction in policy (interest) rates. The interest rate payable on borrowing by banks from the RBI (or the repo rate) has been brought down to 6.75 percent and the interest rate banks get when they hold deposits with the RBI (or the reverse repo rate) has been reduced to 5.75 percent. The idea is not merely to reduce interest rates charged to borrowers, but to push banks into lending more rather than holding large cash reserves.

India-US helicopter deal

JUST in time for Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the US, the cabinet approved the much earlier declared yet long-pending Indian acquisition of 22 Apache AH- 64E attack helicopters and 15 Chinook CH-47F heavy lift copters, both made by Boeing, with an option for 11 more Apaches and 7 more Chinooks, at a total cost of $3.1 billion (Rs 1900 crores).

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