opinion

Nothing is cast in stone

Ascribing caste to an individual is a tricky exercise which will inevitably be mired in controversy. The decision to enumerate caste in the decennial Census for the first time after Independence is politically expedient for BJP and pushes Congress into a trap it laid for itself. Also, political consensus on caste enumeration reflects polity’s failure, not progress

States are beneficiaries of softening interest rates

With 50 bps of rate cuts underway, we now expect another 50 bps of monetary easing over the next two-three policy reviews. With this, the WAC of SGS could come down to 6.3-6.5% over the course of the year, maintaining a spread in a range of 30-50 bps over G-sec, over the course of the year

Has digital abundance created human scarcity?

This piece explores how digital platforms have evolved by redefining scarcity, from information to human connection, and argues that the next frontier lies in fostering genuine relationships through community-building and technology that enhances real-world interactions

Dredge Wular Lake to maximise the positive spinoff of holding IWT in abeyance

The size of this massive freshwater lake needs to be increased from 29 to 100 square kilometres. Dredging’s in line with the even the treaty provisions and something Pakistan has tried to prevent through a terror strike. Dredging will allow to India to reduce the flow of Jhelum into Pakistan

China's thorium reactor is a wake-up call for India 

India should pursue direct thorium utilisation in parallel to the three-stage nuclear power programme as it’s only the first stage which has been mastered so far. Also, there’s a need to diversify reactor designs to complement the current set of pressurised heavy water reactors

Tareekh Pe Justice: A book on lower judiciary, the challenges it faces and the road ahead

This book examines systemic issues plaguing India’s district courts, highlighting judicial delays, lack of independence, and flawed oversight, while advocating structural reforms and accountability of higher judiciary to improve justice delivery

Why are stocks and bonds moving in the same direction?

Plus agriculture and diversification

How will an India-Pakistan conflict impact the market?

With the spectre of conflict looming, investors are bracing for impact. But history suggests markets may be more resilient during times of war than they seem.

Martin Wolf: Why the US will lose against China

Trump’s unreliable America is throwing away the assets it needs

Murshidabad Unrest and SSC Scandal: Mamata battles twin crises ahead of 2026 Bengal polls

Murshidabad’s violent protests and annullment of over 25,000 teacher appointments linked to the SSC scam intensified scrutiny of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's governance, with the BJP accusing her administration of corruption and appeasement politics. Despite challenges, Mamata maintains strong support among Muslim and women voters

Go East, To India, to see healthcare innovation’s future

India has three critical advantages, unmatched patient data, an expanding base of deep tech enterprise and a pool of entrepreneurs to deliver cutting edge healthcare solutions at a fraction of the cost incurred in the West. More importantly, these advances are not limited to a small pool of patients. They are affordable even in some of the poorest countries

What makes the case for silver to shine?

Silver’s unique 'dual nature' as both a precious and industrial metal is central to its investment appeal

Utah Pays Vendors in Gold: Toward a gold standard?

As Utah moves to let vendors accept gold and silver as payment, some see the glint of a gold standard revival. But beneath the shine lies a system still deeply rooted in fiat currency realities

Can global firms navigate the age of economic weaponisation?

Multinational firms are facing a new era of complexity that could reshape how, and where, they invest

Clearing non-tariff hurdles key to clinching trade deals

Negotiating countries are now using NTBs or NTMs to drive hard bargains in commercial negotiations

Bajaj Finance shows art of setting expectations serves well

The lender has set the guidance for FY26 on various metrics that it aims to achieve.

Chart of the Day | RBI’s liquidity push under Sanjay Malhotra: Fuelling credit growth or falling short?

Liquidity is available but that’s not enough to push up credit growth.

AI and Competition: CCI weighs risks of algorithmic collusion

As AI tools reshape pricing and competition dynamics, regulators like the CCI are scrutinising their potential to enable collusion. A nuanced, case-by-case approach is essential to balance innovation with market fairness and accountability

Indus Waters Treaty: No immediate impact, but Pakistan will hurt later from data paucity

Keeping the Treaty in abeyance will not stop any water from flowing to lower riparian Pakistan. Leave aside the waters from the Western Rivers, even the water from Ravi which goes into Pakistan, and which is India’s share under the Treaty, will continue to flow unhindered. What can happen is a breakdown in data sharing mechanism, which will hurt Pakistan during monsoon and winter 

India justice report calls for reforms in judiciary through honest assessment

The India Justice Report 2025 highlights major challenges in India’s judiciary, including judge shortages, high caseloads, poor infrastructure, and inadequate legal aid, urging urgent reforms to improve access to justice and system efficiency

As Maoists make their last stand, what lies ahead for tribals?

Karegutta Hills in Chhattisgarh is where thousands of security personnel have converged to finish off the Maoist leadership. The ongoing battle is likely to close the chapter on a movement that waged war on the State for over 50 years. That will be a good development but questions on the nature of engagement in future between tribals and others are still up in the air

‘Core’ GDP is the signal among all the noise

Against an uncertain policy outlook, we need to utilise durable economic statistics that tell the real story

Rajiv Bajaj on what they don’t teach you at Harvard Business School

The MD&CEO of Bajaj Auto is the only one in his family who hasn’t gone to business school. His management insights have evolved on the job and from eclectic sources such as Charles Darwin’s concept of “survival of the fittest”. He shares his ideas on how to seamlessly blend the accumulated wisdom of a legacy business with the disruptive potential of a startup.

What’s dragging down industrial production?

Industrial production growth in the Jan-March 2025 quarter was lower than in the preceding quarter, suggesting that industrial growth has already lost momentum, even before the impact of any tariffs and disruption in world trade