Columns

Apart from the usual concerns about religious polarisation, anti-incumbency, party hopping, a major focus is on a national debate on privatisation and disinvestment whereby state-run enterprises are to be gradually dismantled

The Delhi High Court recently observed that it had become a trend to register false FIRs in sexual offence cases, thereby tarnishing the image of the man. The police too prefers to ignore them.

Just where central Kolkata ends, melding into the north, inside Akrur Dutta Lane, there is a special place for Mohun Bagan supporters. It is a typical Kolkata take-off on TMC’s poll plank, khela hobe, (there will be a match). “There are very few East Bengal supporters in this lane,” asserts an old timer.

West Bengal represents the BJP’s final frontier but the party heavyweights are up against a gutsy street fighter in Mamata Banerjee. The elections have become a volatile mix of horse trading and power games and, to paraphrase the TMC slogan, the game is on. The final score will have a major impact on national politics.

There is a constitutional right to speedy trial, but this often does not take place due to case overload in courts. The apex court needs to devise an effective policy on wrongful charging, prosecution and incarceration.

Over the last five years, there has been a systemic slowdown in the submission of CAG reports. Critics wonder if the government’s fiscal strength and management is being assessed at all or not.

The selective way in which the government is vaccinating the population came in for stricture from the Delhi High Court which asked it to explain why it was keeping such “strict control” over the process.

With several states breaching the 50 percent quota in government jobs, the apex court has issued a notice to them and Union Territories asking if this could be allowed as the limit was laid down by a bench in 1992.

Justice Kamaljit Singh Garewal’s remarkable piece penned in India Legal magazine shows his passion for liberty. His ceaseless outpourings of sagacity never cease to astound as well as to amuse me.

The two rather contradictory news the government’s decision to hike customs duty on solar modules and solar cells and Delhi HC’s objections to India exporting Covid-19 vaccines that appeared recently are interesting studies in the nature of diplomatic paradox.