Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• Russia: Putin has Won the Presidential Election but Formidable Challenges Persist

  20 March 2012

  by R.G. GIDADHUBLI
  On March 4, 2012 Russia witnessed an impor-tant event in its contemporary history when the highly debated presidential election was held; and this was monitored by thousands of Russian and foreign observers. The Central Election Commission (CEC) declared that among the five contestants, Vladimir Putin received 63.75 per cent of the votes while Russian Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov received 17.19 per cent, independent candidate Mikhail Prokhorov 7.82 per cent, (…)

• Putin and Russia’s Yearning for Change

  20 March 2012, by M K Bhadrakumar

  The following is an analytical piece written before the holding of the Russian presidential election. It is being used here as its contents are quite relevant even now.
  Predicting the outcome of democratic elections is fraught with risks. In the last elections to the Duma, the Russian electorate sprang a surprise by denying the ruling party a “brute” majority, but nonetheless voted it in. The popular mood has changed while at the same time the Russian electorate sought political stability. (…)

• Upsurge of the Underprivileged

  20 March 2012

  Whoever rules Uttar Pradesh gets the pass-port to Delhi. This has long been the rule during the days of Congress hegemony. Actually, Uttar Pradesh can claim to have reared as many as seven Prime Ministers: Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Charan Singh, Rajiv Gandhi, V.P. Singh and Chandra Shekhar. The only exceptions so far have been Morarji Desai and now Narasimha Rao.
  What is more significant is that the political set-up in Uttar Pradesh, more than of any other (…)

• Acid Test for Mulayam

  20 March 2012

  Varanasi and Kanpur are the danger signals which Mulayam Singh Yadav can hardly afford to underplay. The significant impact that was made on the Indian political scene by his victory in the December elections along with his allies, ousting the BJP in office from the key State of Uttar Pradesh, would be grievously dissipated if his government is shown up as incompetent to govern.
  The very character of the support that Mulayam Singh’s government has been able to muster tempts its adversaries (…)

• Movement that Continues

  20 March 2012

  by SUNIL RAY
  Resurgence of Indian State
  The crusade launched against corruption is one of the significant historical moments that should not be misapprehended by those whose engagement in their movements to create a better world is equally commendable. What is important to understand is that any movement being waged by the people—whether for uplifting the cause of Dalits or against discrimination perpetrated against the minorities or disposse-ssion of peasants and tribals from ownership (…)

• UN Must Outlaw Nuclear Power Plants

  20 March 2012, by Sailendra Nath Ghosh

  A few days back, the Prime Minister accused Tirunevleli’s NGOs of using foreign funds for organising protest movements against the com-missioning of the Kundakulam nuclear plant. If he meant to say that the protest is foreign inspired, he is entirely mistaken. Now common people all over the world know that nuclear plants are based on a technology which spews deaths to hundreds of thousands in the event of a small human or machine error and that there can be no guarantee against such an (…)

• JNNURM, Reforms and Lies

  20 March 2012

  by SHOBHA AGGARWAL
  In December 2005 the Prime Minister had launched the flagship scheme, Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), with the stated objective of urban development. It is the biggest funded urban renewal mission ever undertaken in any country so far. The policy document clearly enunciates the mandatory reforms to be implemented by the States and civic agencies during 2005-12. To receive funds under the JNNURM the States and civic agencies have to sign a (…)

• River Link Scheme: Awaiting a Big Disaster

  20 March 2012, by Bharat Dogra

  On February 27, the Supreme Court of India gave directions to the Union Government to constitute a special committee to take forward the controversial project of national-level linking of rivers. The Supreme Court’s judgement was highly favourable towards this project, but past experience regarding such gigantic projects would suggest the need for a lot of caution. Also, it may be recalled that the previous Union Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh, had warned against the hazards of such a (…)

• Indo-Pak Trade Ties

  20 March 2012, by Sunita Vakil

  After much procrastination, Pakistan on February 29 decided to switch to the negative list approach for trade with India indicating its resolve to improve relations with its regional rival despite opposition from Islamic groups. This came soon after Commerce Minister Anand Sharma’s visit to Pakistan which gave a much-needed boost to India-Pakistan bilateral trade paving the way for full liberalisation of trade between the two countries, eventually culminating in the granting of the Most (…)

• Union Budget 2012-13: Expectations of the Power Sector

  20 March 2012

  by HIRANMOY ROY
  This article reached us late last week. It could not be used earlier due to unavoidable reasons.
  At the beginning of the 12th Plan, there is a genuine expectation from the Union Budget 2012-13 that there will be far more action-orientation and policy-setting based on the present needs than populist schemes.
  The infra-sector is enthusiastically awaiting some energetic stimuli as it presently struggles with the broken cash cycles and high debt leverage. So the share of (…)