2018

Any comprehensive understanding of India’s possible pathways in the near future should be linked to a wider understanding of the most essential features of the present-day world. India should of course plan its future in accordance with its needs, but this has to be seen in the wider context of the world’s most serious issues and problems so that the path India chooses is in conformity with the world’s most urgently felt needs.
The two most important features of the present-day world are: (…)

From a reading of the recent judgement passed on December 14, 2018 by the Supreme Court on the Rafale matter involving Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (“MMRCA”), it is clear that the Court has held its hand largely on account of its having been a Defence-related transaction. This led the Court to circumscribe the scope of judicial review in the petitions before it and to state at the end of the judgement that the matter had been looked at only from the perspective of the Writ Jurisdiction (…)

by Sukumaran C.V.
Article 15 (1), which is included as Funda-mental Rights in our Constitution, says: “The state shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.” The Sabarimala temple in the so-called God’s Own Country has virtually been violating the Constitution by practising discrimination against women in the name of gender. The Supreme Court rightly put an end to this gender discrimination on September 28, 2018. (…)

MUSINGS
The latest election results have brought about such a relief! These results are enough to relay that the fascist forces have been somewhat halted in their destructive moves and that we can hope for better days to come... Needless to add that these results have been along the expected strain because in the last over four years, we Indians have gone through the worst forms of deceit, abuse, killings and communal divides. There has been complete anarchy. After all, it was no (…)

TRIBUTE
Prof Mushirul Hasan is no more. The renowned historian—whose comprehension, according to fellow-historians, of Islam, Muslims and the Partition of India was indeed matchless—breathed his last in his sleep in the Capital on Monday, December 10, 2018, four years after he suffered serious injuries on account of a major car accident in November 2014 that severely impaired his functioning and activities. This accident happened soon after his latest book, When Stone Walls Cry: The Nehrus (…)

by Bheenaveni Ram Shepherd
The meeting of the Delhi University Standing Committee for Academic Affairs was held on October 24, 2018 and it has recommended dropping edification of three books at the post-graduate level. And, those books have been in the MA Political Science’s syllabi for the past few years. The three books are: Why I am not a Hindu?—A Sudra Critique of Hindutva Philosophy, Culture and Political Economy; God as Political Philosopher: Buddha’s Challenge to Brahmanism; and (…)

by Saumitra Mohan
With the next parliamentary elections due in 2019, preparations for the same have already commenced. While the timing of the ensuing elections is subject to the consideration of multiple factors including relevant constitutional stipulations by the Election Commission of India (ECI), another important electoral issue has lately been engaging the attention of the policy-makers and political observers. This relates to the conduct of simultaneous elections (SE) for the Lok (…)

EDITORIAL
Today is December 6, 2018. On this day twentysix years ago “to build a temple to mark the birthplace of Ram, a mosque was destroyed by deceit”, as the founder of this publication wrote on December 19, 1992, thirteen days after the Babri Masjid was razed at Ayodhya, highlighting the false assurances given before the nation by the BJP leaders that the mosque would not be harmed. Indeed the Parliament, nation and people at large were deceived as the plan to pull down the mosque was (…)

by A.V.V.S.K. Rao and M. Ramulu
“Employment and well placed labour produce in a country general prosperity, content and cheerfulness”. —Daniel Weber
Introduction
India is facing severe crises of employment and livelihood. Economic growth since 2012 failed to generate secure, regular and decent incomes for a vast majority, particularly in the unorganised and informal sector.
As per official records, the growth rate in India between July 2012-2016, was impressive. However, the (…)

by L.K. Sharma
Large hoardings in Jaipur, the capital of one of the five poll-bound States in India, call upon the voters to celebrate the democracy “festival” —tyohar, the Hindi word for a religious festival. The Election Commission’s messages are not needed because the poll-related celebrations are in full swing. Campaigners hired on daily wages go around waving party flags and shouting slogans. The festive spirit is reflected in the viral videos of drunken men unable to hold the party (…)