April 12, 2008

As we go to press news has come that the Supreme Court, in its verdict on the 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in central educational institutions, including the IIMs and IITs, has upheld the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation on Admission) Act, 2006 which ensured such reservation. This has come as a blow to the petitioners challenging the law; their counsels had argued that the law was unconstitutional as the government went ahead with reservation for OBCs without identifying the (…)

Washington is currently focussing attention on the situation with regard to drug production in Myanmar. By this it is trying to meet several objectives: first, exaggerating the scale of Myanmarese “narco threat” and ignoring the steps taken by Yangon to counter the narcotics menace, the US is seeking to undermine the political regime in the country (for which purpose it is simultaneously levelling accusations of violation of human rights, lack of freedom, growth of corruption, uncontrolled (…)

In the killing fields of Iraq or Afghanistan, Bosnia or Lebnon one weapon which has proved particularly cruel in claming lives and maiming people for a long time is the weapon called cluster bomb or cluster munitions.
A cluster bomb is a weapon containing multiple explosive submunitions. Cluster munitions consist of containers and submunition. Launched from the ground or air the containers open and disperse bomb-lets over a wide area. Several dozen or even several hundred bomblets can be (…)

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act came into force on February 2, 2006 and was implemented in 200 of India’s most backward districts. The Ministry of Rural Development described it as a revolutionary measure to transform the rural economy. In 2007, it was extended to another 130 districts and with effect from April 1, 2008, the Act is to cover all districts.
For its progress and the weaknesses during its implementation, two kinds of reviews are available– (i) the implementation (…)

The Russian presidential elections in March 2008 and their results did not come as a surprise to Russia watchers. Expectedly Dmitry Anatolevich Medvedev, the candidate backed by President Vladimir Putin, won an overwhelming majority, that is, more than seventy per cent of votes amidst charges of irregularities and state patronage. Besides the high drama of rejection of some high profile candidates such as former Prime Minister, Kasyanov, the boycott of elections by some international (…)

[(On April 14, 2008 falls the 117th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. To mark the occasion we are publishing the following article.)]
Some people are born great, some have greatness thrust upon them and some achieve greatness. To the last category, Bharat Ratna Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar belongs. Ambedkar was a great nationalist, political thinker, reformer and revolutionary and prolific writer with prodigious ideas. He stood for all scientific and social (…)

[(BOOK REVIEW)]
1. Nandigram and Beyond by Gautam Ray (ed.); Sangehil, Kolkata; January 2008; pages 223; price: Rs 395.
2. Nandigram: What Really Happened: Report of the People’s Tribunal on Nandigram; Daanish Books, Delhi; December 2007; pages 102; price: with CD–Rs 225 and without CD–Rs 175.
Persons of my generation vividly remember even after the lapse of four decades that shocking black- and-white photograph of a small girl child, totally naked, running away from her blazing (…)

In the hurly-burly of day-to-day politics, Tibet has receded quite a distance in our horizon. Even when we talk about the political environment in our neighbourhood, Tibet rarely figures in it.
In the discussions with the Chinese, whether in official or non-official capacity, at the governmental or political level, we have practically ceased to raise the question of Tibet and the Tibetan people. But the Chinese always make it a point to impress upon us the benefit of Chinese rule for the (…)

The fourth presidential election for the post of President of the Republic of China on Taiwan was held on March 22, 2008. Ma Ying-jeou and his running mate, Vincent Siew of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidates scored a landslide victory by almost a 17 per cent margin for the post of President and Vice-President, defeating Frank Hsieh and Su Tseng-chang, the candidates of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The KMT candidates got nearly 60 per cent of the votes. Ma is the first (…)

[(On April 14 this year the birth centenary celebrations of P.C. Joshi, the legendary Communist leader and General Secretary of the undivided CPI (1935-48) in one of the most momentous periods of the communist movement in India, will come to an end. He was born on April 14, 2007. On this occasion we are carrying the following article written some time ago.)]
It would be appropriate to examine the role of P.C. Joshi as the organiser and inspirer of memorable mass movements in the context of (…)