BY G V JOSHI Whenever someone in India switches on his television set and listens to the news from Doordarshan, makes an STD call or withdraws money from an ATM, there is an element of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s satellite centre (ISAC) behind it.
The Rs 7.50 hike in petrol prices came as a shock. There had been talk that the central government would raise prices, but few expected to be so high. This means a litre of petrol would cost between Rs 73 and Rs 78 in the major metros.
The decision of the state government to keep its policy on removal of illegal places of worship open for suggestions is an attempt in the right direction.
Govt Must Exit Air India The nation’s aviation sector is witnessing turbulent times, thanks to the woes of KingFisher Airlines, the government’s slow policy-making with regard to the sector and now the Air India pilots’ strike.
BY PRAFUL BIDWAI It is profoundly distressing that India’s political parties unanimously condemned an inoffensive 1949 cartoon about Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar’s pivotal role in the making of the Constitution.
THREE years are up and UPA-2 has two left to either perk up its performance or say goodbye. Congress president, Ms Sonia Gandhi did not mince words when issuing a warning to the government to get its act together if it wanted to renew its mandate in 2014.
A note of congratulations would not be out of place for the 11,421 students who cleared the XII board exams. The fact that the pass percentage has gone up from 81.71 in 2010-11 to over 83 per cent this year also gladdens the heart. It means students are working harder and the high pass percentage will make them more confident of tackling the future.
Poor Choice of Candidate This has reference to the article ‘Raymond withdrew candidature in order to protect his illegal dry dock: Mauvin’ (NT May 22). If what the MLA, Mr Mauvin Godinho alleges is true, it does not augur well for democracy.
BY KULDIP NAYAR EVEN the most optimist cannot escape the inference that India is destined to be a coalition-run country for many years to come. Its political landscape is so jig-jagged that no party can make a simple majority in the 543-member Lok Sabha, the Lower House.
Ms Alina Saldanha has been spared a grueling election campaign, thanks to the surprise decisions of Mr Raymond D’Sa of the Congress and Mr Ramakant Borkar, independent to pull out from the contest.
