THE fourth factor impinging on caste-contradictions in a neo-liberal economic regime arises from the tendency of this regime to get into crises and periods of prolonged stagnation. Growth under a neo-liberal regime depends essentially upon the formation of “bubbles” in asset prices. When such bubbles get formed, especially in the economy of the United States, which is the leading capitalist power in the world, the entire world capitalist system, and with it Indian capitalism as well, experiences high growth.

THE National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD), in a statement issued on September 13, has welcomed the judgment of the Supreme Court setting at rest all hitherto misinterpretations of the three percent reservation provided to persons with disabilities as per the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995. The Court has ruled that the three percent reservation applies not just to recruitment to all categories, but to departmental promotions as well.

FROM love jihad to the appropriation of the revolutionary freedom fighter Rajguru as a ‘dharma yoddha’, it is abundantly evident that the Modi government is more about aggressive reassertion of the Hindutva agenda and less about development, efficiency and accountability. The growing spate of communal riots and the recent campaigns of the Sangh Parivar show that the BJP and its government has created the legitimacy and space for dangerous political polarisation and discourse.

THE first set of reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in 2014 have exposed the state and local government’s negligence towards the urban poor in the National Capital Region. Though the corporate media has largely highlighted the failures of the previous state government, it must be noted that the BJP run municipal corporations have also been indicted by the CAG.

K Varadharajan, Polit Bureau member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has written to finance minister Arun Jaitley, on July 12 regarding the budget allocations for the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan.  Below is the text of the letter.

THE Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP) is a crucial initiative in closing the development gap between the Scheduled Castes and the others. One of the most important budgetary issues for Dalits is the allocations for the Sub-Plan.