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The tragic death of Prakriti Lamsal, a Nepali B.Tech student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), a private engineering college in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, in February 2025, exposed serious problems of institutional incompetence and poor management. Prakriti’s death was followed by protests by Nepali students who claimed that the university administration had not adequately responded to their harassment. The administration’s decision to compel all Nepali students to leave the university in response to their protest, resulted in heightened tensions as the Nepalese government intervened diplomatically.

Withdrawal of Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2025 within 8 days after putting it on the Union Ministry of Law’s website for public consultation, after facing a threat of protest by lawyer’s bodies, is a strategic move, since PM Narendra Modi led government has not dropped its intention to amend the law. Union Ministry of Law has said that the “revised Advocate (Amendment) Bill, 2025 to be processed afresh for public consultation.”

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: That the ‘Invest Kerala Global Summit’ was a runaway success is clear from the fact that proposals continue to come even after the end of the two-day conclave.

KOLKATA: A surprise announcement by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on February 5 at the plenary session of Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS)about higher cap on use of tea plantation land for non-tea, commercial purposes has prompted trade unions to make it an issue for protests in north Bengal.

Congress Party’s Thiruvananthapuram Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor isn’t at his diplomatic best. He is enmeshed in an unforced dilemma, his mind is wandering and he's suffering from a bad case of neglect. The Congress high-command is not ready to give him the time of the day!

US President Donald Trump has raked up a hornets’ nest in New Delhi by claiming that $21 million in US aid to India—from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), an independent US government agency responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance, approved earlier by Joe Biden, was used to influence India’s last Lok Sabha election. His statement has led to accusations from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) about foreign interference in the country’s politics.

Even though Union Ministry of Finance has recognised the contribution of gig workers of online platforms in the new-age services economy, they will have to wait for their jobs to be decent, since Union Budget 2025-26 has not given them social security coverage beyond one identity card, registration on e-Shram portal, and a little healthcare facility under PM Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY). There will be no provident fund or complete health coverage facilities for now.

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati recognizes the predator at the gates — Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who allegedly wants to alienate Mayawati from her Dalit vote-bank and appropriate it for his own aggrandization. Makes sound politics except that Rahul Gandhi was facing a veteran in the game in which he's still in the kindergarten.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: February 21 will go down in the annals of Kerala’s history as a Red Letter Day. That is for sure. The day saw God’s Own Country riding the development roller-coaster at the Invest Kerala Global Summit, which got off to a rollicking start.

BJP led government is now in power in the National Capital Territory Delhi, that has come with too many poll-promises to keep, and a very alert and strong opposition to challenge. It was obvious in the very first cabinet decision of the government led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, that officially took charge on February 20, and the reaction of the opposition AAP leader and former chief minister Atishi.