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It is wrong to construe that Narendra Modi is for reforms. Though certainly not an alien word, it nonetheless occupies the lowest slot on the doormat of his agenda. His May 30 visit to Rohtas and Bikramganj in the western Bihar is the second in last twenty days with four more visits in the pipeline during the next two months.

There is hardly any opening left for employment creation. Touching the bottom level, it shows massive decline in the job availability in rural areas in last two months, indicating fresh economic strain and worsening level of deprivation. As per a report published recently in “Mint”, a surge in the demand for unskilled work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) was witnessed in April and May this year.

The leaders and top officials of the ruling establishment led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have just boasted of India replacing Japan as fourth largest economy of the world, falsely giving an impression that economy is performing well. The data speak otherwise. There has been rise in indebtedness among the poor, and the poor borrowers are increasingly unable to return their loans. Microfinance loan delinquencies have jumped 163 per cent in 2024-25, financial institutions are applying break on providing them loan, after warning issued by the Reserve Bank of India. It is resulting in the poor people falling in the hands of private money lenders extracting exorbitant interest rates making their lives more miserable. It is a serious issue that needs urgent attention of the Government.

KOLKATA: A recent assessment of the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) shows that in 2024-25 only seven per cent of households could complete 100 days of work as provided in the Act passed by Parliament in September 2005 at the instance of the first UPA government. In 2023-24, households which were able to complete 100 days had steel marginally higher at 7.6 per cent.

Pakistan is back in the business of pushing Jihadists into India. It is the same old story. Last week, barely 12 days after the announcement of a ceasefire on 10 May, Pakistani terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir’s Kishtwar district killed an Indian soldier in an encounter with the security forces. When were those Pakistani Jihadists pushed to J&K – before, or after the May 10th ceasefire? Has the Pakistani deep state taken seriously India’s warning that the country may resume military attacks on Pakistan if the latter fails to keep a tight rein on its Islamist terror outfits to prevent attacks on India?

India has surpassed Japan to become the World’s fourth-largest economy, announced NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam on May 25, and said the country is now poised to displace Germany from the third rank in the next 2.5 to 3 years. The ruling establishment beating drums over it creating such a tumultuous sound that drowns another fact that their wrong strategy of wealth creation for a few in the country has been increasingly making India ever more unhappy in the world. The World Happiness Report 2025 says that India ranked 118th in the world, fallen one rank below compared to 2014, when Narendra Modi became Prime Minister of India.

The Modi government has launched a significant international diplomacy effort to seek support from the global community in the fight against Pak-sponsored terrorism. Seven all-party delegations have been sent to major international capitals this week.

Lt. Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry is Pakistan Army’s 22nd Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). He belonged to the Pakistan Army Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering before taking on the DG-ISPR role. Nowadays he addresses press conferences disparaging India's military prowess. Of late, Lt Gen. Chaudhary keeps threatening India with dire consequences if India crosses the line.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is a classic case of the hunter becoming the hunted. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which has been weaponised by the Union Government to harass and browbeat political rivals, for a change, finds itself at the receiving end, in Kerala.

KOLKATA: Far from provoking a trade war against India, Bangladesh business circles feel that bilateral official level talks should begin immediately to work out a solution to some of the niggling problems that have arisen of late. They would convey their concern to Dhaka-based authorities soon, arguing with Dhaka that Bangladeshis would lose far more than India in any such confrontation.