Primary priority of new Jharkhand government should be to fix dilapidated public education, health systems

Counterview Desk

Government formation should be followed with action on Jharkhandi issues: Statement by Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan*:

***

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan extends advance congratulations to the INDIA alliance government being formed today under the leadership of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. In this election, the people of Jharkhand have rejected the communal, divisive, and anti-Jharkhand politics of the BJP. This victory is a result of struggle of the Jharkhandis. Now, the INDIA alliance government, formed with a full majority, should begin working on its promises and state’s burning issues of the state, in accordance with Jhakhandi expectations, without hesitation. On the day of government formation, Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan is reminding it of some important promises and issues on which action should begin within six months. The government should start with an initiative to strengthen Jharkhandi unity and secularism against the BJP and RSS's attempts to divide society in the name of religion.

The primary priority of the government should be to fix the dilapidated public education and health systems of the state. For this, all vacant positions in the education and health systems should be filled within six months. A comprehensive campaign should be launched to establish quality education and health services. In the previous term, the Hemant Soren government passed the 1932 Khatiyan-based domicile policy in the assembly and sent it to the Center for inclusion in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution. However, during those five years, the anti-Jharkhand domicile and recruitment policies of the Raghubar Das government remained in effect. As soon as the INDIA government is formed, this policy should be repealed, and the policy based on the 1932 Khatiyan and the last survey settlement (with special provisions for the landless) should be implemented without waiting for its inclusion in the 9th Schedule. One of the key announcements of the INDIA alliance is to simplify the process of issuing caste/residential certificates to landless Dalits and displaced persons and to distribute these certificates within six months. Immediate action is expected on this.

Hemant Soren had given the right slogan in the election campaign that not NRC, but CNT-SPT law and PESA Act will prevail in Jharkhand. The government should notify PESA rules as per the suggestions of the society to strengthen tribal autonomy. A judicial inquiry commission should be constituted against the land grab that took place in violation of the CNT-SPT Act. A time-bound campaign should be launched, as per the electoral promise, to rectify the land scams that occurred in the online land records program, and action should be taken against the culprits.

Additionally, the INDIA coalition had announced that as soon as the government is formed, the Land Acquisition Act (Jharkhand) Amendment 2017 and the Land Bank Policy would be repealed. It is hoped that this will be the first decision after the formation of the government. Furthermore, within three months of the formation of the government, the promise to distribute all pending individual and community forest land claims without any reductions should be fulfilled. A Displacement and Rehabilitation Commission should be established, and the process of providing land to the landless, Dalits, and poor farmers should begin.

According to government data from a year ago, there are approximately 15,000 undertrial prisoners in the state, the majority of whom are Adivasis, Dalits, backward classes, and Muslims. Many of these cases are false. As per the electoral promise made by JMM, undertrial prisoners who have been in jail for a long time should be released. A high-level judicial inquiry commission should be constituted to free Adivasis, indigenous people, and marginalized individuals trapped in false cases.

To eliminate widespread malnutrition in the state, it should immediately be ensured that all children are given an egg daily in Anganwadis and mid-day meals in schools, and the centralized kitchen system for mid-day meals should be abolished. Additionally, the government's priority should also be to eliminate ground-level corruption. For this, the contracting system should be curbed immediately, and an active decentralized grievance redressal system should be established. Appointments should be made in all commissions—such as the Women's Commission, Human Rights Commission, Information Commission, etc.—and they should be made active.

Additionally, there are many public issues in the state that require serious action. Chief Minister Hemant Soren should establish a regular dialogue process with people's organizations and social activists to discuss ground-level issues and needs so that, together, everyone can move towards *Abua Raj* in the next five years.

---

*On behalf of the campaign:

Afzal Anis, Ajay Ekka, Ambika Yadav, Amrita Bodra, Ambita Kisku, Aloka Kujur, Arvind Anjum, Basing Hassa, Bharat Bhushan Choudhary, Bhashan Manmi, Binsay Munda, Charles Murmu, Dinesh Murmu, Elina Horo, Emilia Hansda, Hari Kumar Bhagat, Jean Dreze, Jyoti Kujur, Kumar Chandra Mardy, Kiran, Leena, Lal Mohan Singh Kherwar, Manasingh Munda, Meri Nisha Hansda, Manthan, Munni Devi, Nandita Bhattacharya, Praveer Peter, Paku Tudu, Ramchandra Manjhi, Raja Bharti, Ramesh Jerai, Reshmi Devi, Roz Khakha, Roz Madhu Tirki, Riya Tulika Pingua, Shashi Kumar, Sandeep Pradhan, Siraj Dutta, Sushil Marandi, Sebastian Marandi, Santosh Pahadia, Tom Kawla, Vinod Kumar

Comments

When growth shrinks people: Capitalism and the biological decline of the U.S. population

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* Critically acclaimed Hungarian-American economic historian and distinguished scholar of economic anthropometric history, Prof. John Komlos (Professor Emeritus, University of Munich), who pioneered the study of the history of human height and weight, has published an article titled “The Decline in the Physical Stature of the U.S. Population Parallels the Diminution in the Rate of Increase in Life Expectancy” on October 31, 2025, in the forthcoming issue of Social Science & Medicine (SSM) – Population Health, Volume 32, December 2025. The findings of the article present a damning critique of the barbaric nature of capitalism and its detrimental impact on human health, highlighting that the average height of Americans began to decline during the era of free-market capitalism. The study draws on an analysis of 17 surveys from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (...

US-China truce temporary, larger trade war between two economies to continue

By Prabir Purkayastha The Trump-Xi meeting in Busan, South Korea on 30 October 2025 may have brought about a temporary relief in the US-China trade war. But unless we see the fine print of the agreement, it is difficult to assess whether this is a temporary truce or the beginning of a real rapprochement between the two nations. The jury is still out on that one and we will wait for a better understanding of what has really been achieved in Busan.

Is vaccine the Voldemort of modern medicine to be left undiscussed, unscrutinised?

By Deepika* Sridhar Vembu of Zoho stirred up an internet storm by tweeting about the possible link of autism to the growing number of vaccines given to children in India . He had only asked the parents to analyse the connection but doctors, so called public health experts vehemently started opposing Vembu's claims, labeling them "dangerous misinformation" that could erode “vaccine trust”!

Justice for Zubeen Garg: Fans persist as investigations continue in India and Singapore

By Nava Thakuria* Even a month after the death of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg in Singapore under mysterious circumstances, thousands of his fans and admirers across eastern India continue their campaign for “ JusticeForZubeenGarg .” A large digital campaign has gained momentum, with over two million social media users from around the world demanding legal action against those allegedly responsible. Although the Assam government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has arrested seven people, and a judicial commission headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati High Court to oversee the probe, public pressure for justice remains strong.

Govt claims about 'revolutionary' rice varieties raise eyebrows: SC order reserved since Jan '24

By Rosamma Thomas * In a matter of grave importance for agriculture, public health awaits Supreme Court ruling, even as top Government of India bureaucrats stand accused of “willful and deliberate disobedience” of the top court. While a contempt petition filed by Aruna Rodrigues , lead petitioner in the Genetic Modification (GM) of crops matter remains pending in the Supreme Court since July 2025, the Union ministry of agriculture asserts that two home-grown gene edited rice varieties are of superior quality, and hold potential for “revolutionary changes in higher production, climate adaptability, and water conservation.” In May 2025, the Press Information Bureau released a press release stating that a “historic milestone” had been reached, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ; the new varieties, DRR Rice 100 (Kamla) and Pusa DST Rice 1 , the press release stated, offer both benefits – increased production and environmental conservation.

Banks, investors pour $52 billion into metallurgical coal expansion despite global climate pledges

By A Representative A new report by the German environmental and human rights NGO Urgewald has revealed that banks and institutional investors have poured nearly $52 billion into the expansion of metallurgical coal, or “met coal,” despite global commitments to phase out coal financing. Between 2022 and 2024, banks provided $21.96 billion in loans and underwriting to met coal developers, while investors held $30.23 billion in securities of companies expanding coal mining operations. The report, Still Burning: How Banks and Investors Fuel Met Coal Expansion, warns that loopholes in coal exit policies have allowed continued support for coal used in steelmaking — a sector responsible for about 11% of global CO₂ emissions.

Gujarat civil society to move Supreme Court against controversial electoral roll revision

By Rajiv Shah A recent, well-attended meeting of Gujarat civil society activists in Ahmedabad , held to discuss the impact of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, has decided to file a petition in the Supreme Court against the controversial exercise initiated by the Election Commission of India (ECI) across the country. Announcing this, senior High Court advocate Anand Yagnik , who heads the Gujarat chapter of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), said that a committee has already been formed to examine the pros and cons of SIR. “While the SIR exercise began in Gujarat on November 4 and is scheduled to continue for a month, we will file a supporting petition in the case against SIR in the Gujarat High Court or the Supreme Court after observing how it proceeds in the state,” he said. Yagnik’s announcement followed senior advocate Shahrukh Alam —who is arguing the SIR case in the Supreme Court—urging Gujarat’s civil society to also file ...

Trump escalates threats of war against Venezuela, as millions in US set to lose essential benefits

By Manolo De Los Santos The United States government is in the grips of one of its longest-running funding gaps in history. The ongoing government shutdown has already stretched beyond 30 days and now, the food security of millions of Americans is at risk as the funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is drying up and Trump officials have refused to tap into contingency funds . Approximately 42 million individuals per month rely on SNAP benefits and are set to lose them beginning on November 1.

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Search This Blog