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An impression had gained ground that Uttar Pradesh is the stronghold of the rightist forces led by RSS and BJP and the saffron ecosystem intends to turn it into the Hindutva laboratory. While the results of the Lok Sabha have shattered this belief, the latest developments underline that the inability of the secular and socialist forces to fight for the cause of the Dalits and poor and their inability to take on the rightist forces head on have been primarily responsible for strengthening of the BJP in the state.

The twin bills introduced in the Lok Sabah on December 17 seeking ‘one nation and one election’ – ie simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas of the States and Union Territories –contains provisions of too much centralization of the governance in India that has potential risks of making irreparable damage to the federal structure of the country and ultimately to democracy.

The Reserve Bank of India has accounted for nearly half of all gold purchases by central bank in October this year. According to the World Gold Council, RBI bought 48 percent of all the gold that the central banks bought that month, adding a whopping 27 tonne to its gold reserves, taking the total tonnage to 882. That gold buying by all central banks totalled only 60 tonne in October shows a certain strategy by the Indian central bank.

KOLKATA: A fountainhead of criticism and opposition to Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo, Mamata Banerjee leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari is on a backfoot. And to make matters worse, it is in his own backyard Contai where the state's ruling dispensation’s most trenchant critic finds himself with his back to the wall.

One of the rationales brought forward by the Union Government of India for its pro-gold policy measures in the Budget 2024-25 was to address the vulnerabilities of the Indian Rupee, but today on December 17, 2024 it fell to a record low of Rs 84.93 per dollar in the morning trade. Another reason given that the gold would become more affordable, but its rate reached a record high of Rs 77,600 per 10 gram. Moreover, import of gold soared over four times widening the trade deficit to a record high at $37.9 billion in November.

“Like Grandfather Nehru…” posted a Pakistani politician who was a minister in the Imran Khan regime. Fawad Hussain, clearly in awe of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, whose Palestine Tote bag and black & white check sari made an emphatic if controversial political statement, and will likely launch a fashion trend, too, if not anywhere else, at least in her parliamentary constituency Wayanad and places nearby where “All eyes On Rafa” has been trending for months since Hamas terrorists fled to Rafa and the Israel Defence Forces followed in hot pursuit.

China’s sudden change of mind to uphold peace and tranquility with India at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and work for early resolution of outstanding issues should not be read beyond these words as framed at the joint declaration at the end of the 30th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs in Delhi, earlier this month. China seems to be willing to make a careful compromise on the border issue after a gap of almost four-and-a-half years, when the Chinese troops tried to aggressively change the status quo on the LAC in eastern Ladakh without much success.

What does the crystal ball reveal about the upcoming year 2025? The predictions are a mixed bag. Nostradamus, the famous French astrologer and seer, has made significant predictions regarding global affairs and India's future for 2025.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address in the Lok Sabha during special discussion on the 75th anniversary of adoption of the Constitution of India is magnanimous glorification of the past as a sort of veil behind which he tried to conceal the present misdeeds under his rule for over a decade. His speech and his actions, his political clan’s and his government’s words and actions, all are just utter mismatch, that is an indication of impending danger.

Pre-poll ablutions for the Delhi assembly elections are in full swing with the Aam Aadmi Party first off the block along with Delhi's YouTubers and social media influencers who aren't consuming the aftermath of the Maharashtra assembly elections, the Winter Session of Parliament and the brouhaha over the Constitution and Soros-Adani, giving AAP convener and ousted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal a clear field to showcase his election-winning prowess and fight from being reduced to an also-ran after spending time behind bars in Delhi’s high-security Tihar Jail.