New prohibition placed on any writing/discussions that touches upon the domain of the orgnisation, and expertise or knowledge gained by virtue of working in that organization, is so broad and vague that some retired officials from the security and intelligence establishment, who comment on public affairs, see this as an attempt to browbeat critics of the government into silence. It is viewed that the government is on aggression to control the overall narrative.

Till 2020, Nalanda University got a cumulative budgetary gran of Rs.904 crore from the Union Government in the Ministry of External Affairs. It also got a little over rupees 18 crore endowment funds from foreign countries, which seem to have lost further interests in the affairs of the University. From 2014 when the courses of studies commenced to 2020, Nalanda University enrolled 710 regular students, 97 per cent of whom completed successfully their courses. Currently, the University has 172 regular students, 24 teaching staff, 18 visiting or guest faculty and 40 non-teaching staff. This in itself speaks volume of how the University has become victim of the neglect and apathy of the current NDA Union Government, which has been reducing educational budget in general consecutively during the last seven years of it being in power.

Parliamentary report took cognizance of rise in domestic violence against women during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and stated this was mainly due to disruption in economic activities, work from home and family spending more time at home during lockdown. It said female migrant workers were trafficked and had gone missing.

IR’s productivity has sunk to its lowest since 2014-15 because of growing privatization, low morale of work force, increasing contractual employees, privatization of passenger and freight services on remunerative arterial routes, sale of its assets and ever increasing debt trap through market borrowing as well as multi-lateral foreign debts, besides the present NDA Union Government’s apathy to make the railways a meaningful national public services. 

होली के मौके पर गाये जाने और बजने वाले गीतों को याद कर लें. सारी मर्यादा और महान संस्कृति की धज्जी उड़ाते और स्त्री-पुरुष के बीच के नैसर्गिक संबंधों को फूहड़ ढंग से उजागर करते ये गीत क्या मर्दों के अंदर छिपी गलीज और मूलतः स्त्री विरोधी मानसिकता का प्रदर्शन नहीं हैं? एक नमूना- ‘..भर फागुन बुढऊ देवर लगिहैं..’ यह कथन लगता तो किसी स्त्री का है, लेकिन दरअसल यह मर्दों का ऐलान है, जो अपने लिए तो सारी छूट चाहता है, पर उसमें स्त्री की इच्छा के प्रति कोई सम्मान नहीं है. महिला या अविवाहित युवती के लिए तो बस देवर या जीजा के साथ कुछ ठिठोली या थोड़ा बहुत स्पर्श-सुख लेने भर की छूट है; मगर मर्द किसी उम्र का हो, खुद को हर युवती या किशोरी का भी देवर बन कर ‘कुछ भी’ कर गुजरने का अधिकार (या कम से कम चाह) रखता है! 

Added to the above, government in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has placed all websites of print, electronic and web based media within the ambit of Section 69A of the IT Act. This is an effort to curb liberty of the people to communicate and express themselves. Contexts are different for different application. Ultimately, there will be a big brother, a Joint Secretary in the I& B Ministry, to remove content, making a bonfire of the Constitutional mechanism of fairness of adjudication. 

Number of internet users, mobile apps, new evolving technology, practice of collection of personal data by such apps and websites is also increasing phenomally which is incursive of the privacy of citizens. In this context, the Personal Data Privacy Bill, 2019, moved in Parliament is pending consideration of a Joint Committee undergoing consultations and consensus before it is considered and enacted. The Bill provides for safeguards of privacy and interests of the people. This follows a nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court of India’s unanimous rulings making privacy fundamental rights of the people.

Process of monetization of public assets was initiated first in 1993 following the globalization of Indian economy having been set in motion by Narasimha Rao Government in July 1991, where Ministries of Defence, Railways, Surface Transport since redesignated Highways, Transport and Shipping, Communications and Urban Affairs had undertaken exercise for monetization of parts of their unutilized, non-utilised and surplus landassets. But it came a cropper following resistance of the State Governments in view of the fact that Land is a State Subject in the Constitution of India and the Union Government and its public sector undertakings (PSUs) buy land from the State Governments for which after the sales deeds the Centre pays rentals to the States.

Fanatical ideas can lead to real, even deadly, harm. We all need to do some soul searching of our own. Government of India needs to address the crises in all its complexity and breadth, hold technology platforms accountable, prosecuting all those who break our laws, make public more intelligence and analysis about domestic rebel rousing and terrorism. So how do we move forward as a country?