The Chief Minister, Mr. E.M.S. Nambudiripad today [January 9, Trivandrum] demanded the Union Government to conduct an enquiry into the sources responsible for making allegations against the Marxist Communist Party from 1962 onwards and also whether these sources had any connections with Pulpalli and Tellicherry incidents in Kerala. Mr. Nambudiripad …

Why the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is so contentious in the Northeast What is the Bill about? More than 33 years after an anti-foreigners’ agitation from 1979 to 1985, Assam is in turmoil again — this time because of the Modi government’s bid to get the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 passed …

Kim Jong-un’s visit to China is likely to force next steps after the Singapore summit The visit to China of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, is significant for two distinct reasons. It is evidence of the continuing calm in the Korean peninsula for …

The BJP is recklessly reinforcing ethnic and religious fault lines in the Northeast Protests in the Northeast, especially in Assam and Tripura, over the Centre’s move to push through the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Parliament highlight the dangerous pre-election adventurism of the BJP. The Bill seeks to confer Indian citizenship …

Contrary to popular opinion, he was not a free market apologist The authority of Adam Smith is frequently invoked by supporters of the free market, who argue for extending the market forces to all conceivable goods and services and eliminating any kind of government intervention in markets. However, Smith’s The …

India and China can work together, bilaterally and in multilateral groupings, to build a secure Afghanistan There is an air of uncertainty about the U.S.’s intentions in Afghanistan. The likelihood of an American pullout raises the spectre of instability in Afghanistan, South and Central Asia. If this happens, security could …

In high stakes cases, the Supreme Court must ensure that judgments are timely and clear On October 26, 2018, a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of India, was confronted with a straightforward legal question: whether the decision taken by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) …

The focus needs to shift from the entry of women to ecological destruction of the Western Ghats Public opinion on the question of women’s entry into Sabarimala is polarised. While some cite “age-old traditions” to explain why women aged 10 to 50 should not enter the temple, others believe that …

High-resolution satellite data can precisely assess the status of poverty at household level in rural areas of developing countries, according to a study. If countries are to achieve the U.N. sustainable development goals, it is particularly important to track the living conditions in poor nations around the world where the …

The environment holds the key: study Scientists have uncovered why the venom of some snakes makes them so much deadlier than others. Some species, such as cobras, boomslangs and rattlesnakes, have far more venom than they apparently need. Why venoms vary so much in their ability to kill or incapacitate …

2,000 assessments showed that her gaze is not straight but to the viewer’s right German researchers say they have finally cracked the intriguing question of whether the Mona Lisa ’s eyes follow viewers around the room. The answer is a disappointing ‘no’. In science, the “Mona Lisa Effect” refers to …

Many believe that a historic Jesus statue, paraded every year, brings good fortune Throngs of believers flung themselves at a historic statue of Jesus Christ as it was paraded through the Philippine capital on Wednesday in an annual festival that is one of the world’s biggest shows of Catholic zeal. …

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) made some changes in the Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS) by including charitable institutions and the Central government, among others. Apart from individual and joint depositors, the scheme could now be availed by charitable institutions, the Central government, the State government or any other entity …

Upswing in consumption and investment to drive growth India’s GDP is expected to grow at 7.3% in the fiscal year 2018-19, and 7.5% in the following two years, the World Bank has forecast, attributing it to an upswing in consumption and investment. The bank said India will continue to be …

Rate cut for under construction properties, composition scheme for small service providers on cards Some of the key issues likely to be discussed during the 32nd GST Council meeting on Thursday include increasing the Rs. 20-lakh threshold for GST eligibility, reducing tax rate on under-construction properties in a bid to …