‘Desi’ Boy in London hot seat; Arif on warpath in Kerala; Heavy lift for ISRO
Opinion Watch
‘Desi’ Boy in London hot seat
Rishi Sunak’s appointment as the British Prime Minister has taken India by storm, with expressions of jubilations strongly resonating. The British imperialism had made Indians a trans-continental community.
But jubilation may be short-lived, for Sunak is the third Prime Minister in three months amid imploding political space in the UK, wrecked by inflation and the aftermath of Brexit. The Times of India cautions that Sunak may be a mute spectator to the anti-immigration voices in his government, which may make India hesitant to sign the Free Trade Agreement.
The Economic Times noted that Sunak’s rise affirms a post-atavistic British society. The UK is a multi-cultural and multi-racial society. The daily quoted Conservative MP Enoch Powell’s 1968 statement – “watching a nation busily engaged in heaping up its own funeral pyre” – on immigrations to stress on turnaround in the British society.
The Indian Express has underlined that the networth of Sunak, because of his wife Akshata Murthy, who is still an Indian, is estimated to be more than King Charles and his Queen Consort. The Noida-based daily also reminded that Sunak was a staunch supporter of Brexit, which was all about anti-immigration.
The Pioneer has also advised that the jubilation for ‘reverse colonialism’ should be trashed, stressing that there’s no suggestion that Sunak’s Hindu faith will change the course of India-UK ties for better.
In fact, the UK is hardly a significant trade partner of India. Also, the UK economy is floundering, because it cannot create an Infosys and wants to stop those who can do the job for them. The UK would love to gain Indian market for their goods, but will develop cold feet on the Indian strength in the services – migration mobility.
Arif on warpath in Kerala
Arif Mohammad Khan, Governor of Kerala, with his demands for the resignation of the vice chancellors in the state has brought spotlight on the state of education. State universities are in shabby conditions, and there may not be even one of them who could rise to equal the Central varsity in educational outcomes.
The Pioneer has accused Khan of blatant abuse of power, calling his order for sacking of vice chancellors autocratic. Yet, the daily has underlined that Kerala has flouted all norms in the appointment of the vice chancellors which had also been flagged by the Supreme Court. The Times of India too stated that appointment of vice chancellors is an act of political rehabilitation of loyalists, with search panel forwarding just one name against the UGC norm of three.
Even if Khan is autocratic in actions, his spat with the Kerala government is a blessing in disguise, for it exposes bankruptcy in the education system on account of political ownership of the varsities.
Heavy lift for ISRO
The Russian invasion of Ukraine may bring windfall to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to help India achieve a market size of $13 billion by 2025. The ISRO by successful placing of a bunch of 36 satellites has demonstrated that India could march ahead of Russia, France and China soon in commercial space launches.
The Economic Times has lauded the launch of the One Web mission, while stating that the fast expanding Indian telecom market could offer huge opportunities for the commercial space services. It added that India is entering the market as a transporter of low Earth orbit satellites. Also, important is the fact that space and navy are the two areas of keen strategic interests for India amid the rise of a rogue regime in China.
About The Author
