NEXT Monday (February 23, 2015), the budget session of the parliament begins.  Naturally, all attention will be focused on this Modi government’s first full budget presentation.

SO goes an old English saying. Statistics are prone to manipulation by the powers that be. Such manipulation is often used to portray a normally bad economic situation, particularly those aspects that concern the livelihood health of our people, in a rosy light. The recent change in the base year, the point of reference to measure changes in economic parameters, to calculate India’s GDP and other indicators is a case in point.

THERE is predictable hype being built over US President Barrack Obama’s presence at the 2015 Republic Day parade as the chief guest. This is the first time, since independence, that a serving president of the USA would be the chief guest at our annual Republic Day parade where the president of India as the `supreme commander of the armed forces’ will take the “salute”. When the supreme commander takes the salute, it is the signal for all the wings of the armed forces to move into, what is called in military parlance, “war mode”.

SECTION V of our Constitution, Article 51A on `Fundamental Duties’ begins by saying: “It shall be the duty of every citizen of India…”. In the enumeration of such duties, sub-clause (h) says: “To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform”.

THE results of the elections to the state assemblies have been declared. The BJP has failed to reach its declared target towards achieving which it was furiously campaigning: forming its own government in both the states. Its much advertised `Operation 44 +’ in Jammu & Kashmir did not evoke the enthusiasm amongst the voters that it had worked for. It drew a blank in the Kashmir valley.