Remembering Lenin: Electricity, Logic and Science

THIS year is Comrade Lenin's death centenary year. For those who are socialists and communists, the Soviet Union was the hope of founding a new society in which the working people, and not the capitalist or the feudal classes, would own the means of production. For many, the Soviet Union gave hope for a different social order and the possibility of national liberation from the clutches of the colonial rulers.

Kerala: Thumping Victory for SFI in Students' Union elections

THE Students’ Federation of India (SFI) secured a significant victory in the Kannur University college union elections, winning 45 out of the 65 college unions spread across Kasaragod, Kannur and Wayanad districts. In the second phase of the election held in Kannur University, SFI achieved complete victory in all the five departmental centres where the elections were held.SFI also won has a landslide victory in the college union elections in Calicut University. SFI won in 102 out of the 171 colleges where elections were held on an organisational basis.

Indian Civil Society Demands Democratic Financial System, Calls for World Bank/IMF Shutdown

On the 80th anniversary of the Bretton Woods institutions, World Bank and IMF, Indian civil society groups call for creation of a ‘new, democratic, decentralised’ global financial system.Close to 200 individuals and civil society groups have called for the creation of a new democratic and decentralised financial system that prioritises sustainability and equality.Representing a wide range of social movements, campaigns, and grassroots organisations and campaigns, a statement endorsed by close to 200 signatories has demanded the shutdown of the two Bretton Woods institu

Assam: CPI(M) Welcomes SC Verdict Upholding Section 6(A) of Citizenship Act

THE Assam state committee of the CPI(M) welcomed the verdict by a five-member constitution bench of the Supreme Court, which, after a long judicial process, declared Section 6(A) of the Citizenship Act, 1955 as constitutionally valid.Clause 6(A) was inserted into the Citizenship Act, 1955 by the parliament after the Assam Accord was signed on August 15, 1985. This clause set March 25, 1971, as the cut-off date for detecting illegal foreigners in Assam. Opposing this, some organisations from Assam filed petitions in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of Clause 6(A).

An Important Step to Normalise India-China Relations

THE Indian government announced on October 21 that an agreement was reached between India and China on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). This is a welcome development that hopefully would lead to the normalisation of relations between the two neighbouring countries.The bilateral relations between India and China had deteriorated after the border clashes in Galwan valley in 2020. Both countries acted to ensure that these clashes do not lead to a full blown war. Since 2020, 31 rounds of talks were held at the military and diplomatic levels.

The European People Turn Slowly Against a World of War

IN February 2024, two years into the war in Ukraine and five months into the Israeli genocide in Palestine, the European Union released data on the mood of the European public. In terms of Ukraine, large majorities continued to support the provision of humanitarian aid to Ukraine and to welcome Ukrainian refugees. But increasingly, there was growing scepticism about the enormous tranches of funds going toward the Ukrainian armed forces to prolong the war and about the increased military spending in their own countries due to pressure from the United States.

Smart Electricity Meter Project: Why is there so much commotion?

IN South Mumbai, BEST (electricity distribution company) has postponed the work of installing smart electricity meters. This company has 10.8 lakh residential and commercial consumers and it has already installed 3 lakh smart meters. All the houses and shops where these meters have been installed complain that they are getting double or triple electricity bills than before. The opposition of consumers is so strong that BEST has had to postpone this project of installing smart electricity meters.

Tripura: The Surrender of Extremists Raises Some Genuine Questions

ANY insurgent group, even one with a secessionist agenda, cannot be completely defeated through military means alone; a peace agreement between the state and the leadership of the insurgent outfit is essential. In this regard, the tripartite Peace Accord signed on September 4, 2024, between the ministry of home affairs, the government of Tripura, and the leaders of the NLFT-ATTF is a significant step forward.

WB: Rape Culture: A Terrifying Surge amidst Government Inaction and Public Outrage

AS public outrage intensifies over the tragic rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar hospital, Bengal is grappling with a disturbing rise in rape cases, revealing a troubling culture that has developed under the TMC rule. These incidents reveal a stark reality: women of all ages are increasingly at risk, reflecting a concerning trend of lawlessness and violence against women in the state.

Nobel Prize for Non-Profit Open Science: MicroRNAs

ON October 7, US scientists Victor Ambros of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Gary Ruvkun of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of microRNAs, or miRNAs, as key regulators of gene expression, which is a novel physiological mechanism. So far no confirmed applications have emerged from this discovery, despite considerable potential and research.Every cell contains DNA molecules that house genetic information in the chromosomes.

Search form

Peoples Democracy newsletter