Feb 02 – Feb 08
CBDT Chairman Rules Out Sunset Date for Old Tax Regime, Says 95% Refunds Disbursed
CBDT Chairman Ravi Agrawal confirmed that the Income Tax Department has no 'sunset date' in mind for discontinuing the old tax regime, even ...
16th Finance Commission: Poll-Bound States See Divergent Tax Share Outcomes
The 16th Finance Commission (16th FC) report for 2026-31 revealed divergent outcomes for poll-bound states in their share of central tax dev...
51 Maoists Surrender in Sukma and Bijapur as March 2026 Deadline Approaches
A total of 51 Maoists, carrying a collective bounty of Rs 1.61 crore, surrendered before police in Chhattisgarh's Bastar division on 7 Febru...
Tamil Nadu Slows Land Acquisition for Hosur Airport but Keeps Project Alive
The Tamil Nadu government has slowed the land acquisition process for the proposed Hosur greenfield airport in Krishnagiri district, though ...
CCMB Scientists Discover Metabolic Trigger That Drives Deadly Fungal Infections
Scientists at CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, led by Dr. Sriram Varahan, discovered that a metabolic link ...
Meghalaya Orders Massive Crackdown on Illegal Rat-Hole Mines After 27 Deaths
Following the explosion that killed 27 miners in an illegal rat-hole mine at Mynsyngat village, East Jaintia Hills, on 5 February 2026, the ...
CPI (Maoist) Reduced to 'Near Skeleton': Cadre Strength at One-Tenth of Peak
The Communist Party of India (Maoist), or CPI (Maoist), has been reduced to approximately one-tenth of its operational strength compared to ...
PM Modi's Call for Zero Tolerance on Terrorism During Malaysia Visit
During his visit to Malaysia on February 8, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India's position on terrorism as 'no double standard...
Karnataka to Get New Vande Bharat Express on Bengaluru-Mangaluru Route
Indian Railways is planning to launch a new Vande Bharat Express service connecting Bengaluru and Mangaluru, with extension to Karwar along ...
Karnataka Demands Third Bullet Train Corridor on Bengaluru-Pune Route
Karnataka's political leaders, including Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy, have urged the Centre to approve a thi...
India-Canada Security Information Channel Reopens After NSA Doval's Ottawa Visit
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval visited Canada and held talks with Nathalie Drouin, Deputy Clerk and National Security and Intelligence...
Election Commission Clarifies: Only ERO, Not Micro Observers, Can Decide Elector Eligibility
The Election Commission of India (ECI) clarified that only the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), and not micro observers, has the author...
India and Malaysia Sign 11 Agreements Spanning Semiconductors, Defence, and Digital Economy
During PM Modi's visit to Putrajaya on February 8, 2026, India and Malaysia signed 11 MoUs and cooperation documents across semiconductors, ...
Bombay HC Challenge to Sahyog Portal and Amended IT Rules on Content Blocking
Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra and senior advocate Haresh Jagtiani filed separate writ petitions in the Bombay High Court challenging the con...
Rat-Hole Mining in Meghalaya: Process, Legal Status, and Why It Persists Despite Ban
At least 27 miners were killed and 9 injured in an explosion at an illegal rat-hole coal mine in Mynsyngat village, Thangsko area, East Jain...
Andhra Pradesh Launches Amaravati Quantum Valley, India's First Quantum Technology Hub
On February 7, 2026, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh laid the ...
Trump-Xi Phone Call and US Allegations of Secret Chinese Nuclear Testing
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call on February 4, 2026, which Trump described as 'excellent.' The cal...
Pakistan-Afghanistan Terror Tensions and China's Deepening Engagement with Kabul
Pakistan accused Afghanistan of harbouring terror groups following the February 6, 2026 suicide attack on the Khadija Tul Kubra Mosque in Is...
Why the Thwaites Glacier Matters: The 'Doomsday Glacier' and Global Sea-Level Rise
Scientists from the UK and South Korea reached the most inaccessible part of Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica in early February 2026 to d...
Zydus Receives USFDA Orphan Drug Designation for Sickle Cell Disease Drug Desidustat
Zydus Lifesciences received Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for Desidustat, an oral drug for ...
Myanmar's Military-Scripted Elections and India's Strategic Dilemma
Myanmar's military junta conducted elections in three phases between December 2025 and January 2026, with the military-aligned Union Solidar...
FPIs Turn Net Buyers in February, Invest Rs 8,100 Crore in First Week
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) turned net buyers in the first week of February 2026, investing Rs 8,129 crore in Indian equities after t...
India-US Trade Deal: Debate Over Edible Oil Imports and Historical Trade Pacts
Former Commerce Minister Anand Sharma challenged the current Commerce Minister's narrative on the India-US trade deal, citing historical dat...
Major Indian Refiners Halt Russian Crude Oil Purchases for March-April Deliveries
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) have stopped accepting offers f...
India Targets Self-Reliance in Fruits, Vegetables, and Flowers
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan declared that India will stop importing fruits, vegetables, and fl...
Gig Hiring Set to Surge in 2026 as Quick Commerce and E-Commerce Expand Beyond Metros
E-commerce and quick commerce platforms are projected to add nearly 1 million gig workers in 2026, driven by last-mile delivery demand and r...
India-US Trade Deal: Government Assures Agricultural Interests Protected Under 18% Tariff
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal addressed concerns about the India-US interim trade deal's impact on agriculture, asserting that the agreemen...
Cybersecurity, Geopolitics, and Climate Change Emerge as Top Risks for Indian Businesses
The FICCI-EY Risk Survey 2026 found that 51% of Indian businesses rank cybersecurity breaches as the top risk to organisational performance,...
India and Malaysia Push for Bilateral Trade Settlement in Local Currencies
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim held official talks in Putrajaya on February 8, 2026, and agreed to ...
16th Finance Commission Flags Heavy Losses of State Public Sector Enterprises
The 16th Finance Commission (16th FC) report (Volume 1) identified Tamil Nadu as one of the top three states suffering heavy losses from pub...
India-US Trade Deal and Its Implications for Strategic Autonomy
The India-US interim trade agreement framework announced on February 7, 2026 has triggered a debate about India's strategic autonomy, with a...
Indian Refiners Scale Back Russian Crude Oil Purchases Amid US Trade Deal
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and Reliance Industries have reportedly stopped accepting offers ...
Netanyahu-Trump Meeting Over Scope of US-Iran Nuclear Diplomacy
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington on February 11, 2026 to discuss the scope of US-Iran nuclear diplomacy with Pre...
High-Dose Inhaled Nitric Oxide Shows Promise Against Drug-Resistant Pneumonia
A study published in Science Translational Medicine (January 2026) by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital demonstrated that inhale...
India-US Interim Trade Deal: Agricultural Tariff Implications for Edible Oil and Feed Sectors
India and the US announced an interim bilateral trade agreement framework on February 7, 2026, under which the US will reduce reciprocal tar...
RBI Proposes Rs 25,000 Compensation for Digital Fraud Victims, Even If OTP Was Shared
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, during the Monetary Policy Committee meeting on February 6, 2026, announced a proposed framework to compensate...
Vidarbha Holds 75% of Maharashtra's Minerals; Gadkari Targets Green Steel Cheaper Than China
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, inaugurating the Advantage Vidarbha 2026 summit in Nagpur, stated that nearly 75% of Maharashtra's mineral res...
India-US Interim Trade Deal: Sensitive Sectors Safeguarded, Piyush Goyal Assures Parliament
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal informed the Lok Sabha that India's sensitive sectors including agriculture, dairy, poultry, and...
Maharashtra CM Fadnavis Assures Soybean and Cotton Farmers on India-US Trade Deal
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured farmers that soybean and cotton interests are fully protected under the India-US interi...
India-US Interim Trade Deal: Tariff Cuts on Soybean Oil, Fruits, and Wine
Under the India-US interim bilateral trade framework announced on 7 February 2026, India agreed to reduce or eliminate import duties on seve...
India-US Interim Trade Deal: What India Conceded on Agriculture
India and the United States announced an interim bilateral trade agreement (BTA) framework on 7 February 2026, the most significant reset in...
India's GPU Capacity to Triple to 1,00,000 by End of 2026 Under IndiaAI Mission
IndiaAI Mission CEO Abhishek Singh announced that India's GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) capacity is expected to triple from the current app...
Kuki-Zo MLAs Join Manipur Government Amid Ethnic Tensions and Community Backlash
Three Kuki-Zo BJP MLAs -- Nemcha Kipgen, L.M. Khaute, and Ngursanglur Sanate -- joined the new Manipur state government, with Kipgen sworn i...
Kerala Rail Infrastructure Debate: Sreedharan Criticises LDF Government's RRTS Plan as Stunt to Derail High-Speed Rail
E. Sreedharan, known as 'Metro Man,' accused the Kerala LDF government of proposing a Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) as a deliberate p...
Darbhanga Clash Leads to FIR Against 70 Brahmins Under SC/ST Act, Bihar Minister Warns Against Misuse
Darbhanga police in Bihar lodged a case under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against 70 people from ...
Bihar Spends Rs 2.5 Lakh Crore on Gender Budget Over Five Years, Anchoring Women as Key Electoral Constituency
Bihar has spent Rs 2.5 lakh crore, or approximately 20% of its total budget, on women-centric schemes over the last five financial years thr...
India-US Trade Deal: 25% Russia-Related Penalty Tariff Removed, Russian Oil Import Monitoring Begins
The US removed the 25% additional tariff that had been imposed on India in August 2025 specifically as a penalty for India's continued purch...
Kerala Issues Order to Block National Population Register Implementation
The Kerala government issued a formal order blocking the implementation of the National Population Register (NPR) in the state, reaffirming ...
PM Modi's Malaysia Visit Deepens Defence, Economic, and Semiconductor Ties
PM Modi embarked on a two-day official visit to Malaysia (7-8 February 2026) at the invitation of PM Anwar Ibrahim, aiming to deepen defence...
Seven Maoists Including Top Leader L Prabhakar Rao Killed in Gadchiroli Encounter
Seven Maoists, including top leader L Prabhakar Rao (alias Ravi/Swamy/Chander), were killed in encounters with Maharashtra's C-60 commando f...
Indian Railways Mandates ID Verification on Reserved Trains in Nepal and Bangladesh Border Areas
The Railway Board issued a circular on February 4, 2026, making identity verification compulsory for all passengers travelling on reserved t...
Namibian Cheetah Aasha Gives Birth to Five Cubs at Kuno, India's Cheetah Population Rises to 35
Namibian cheetah Aasha gave birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park on February 7, 2026, raising India's total cheetah population to 35. Th...
India and Malaysia Sign 11 Agreements During PM Modi's Visit to Deepen Strategic Ties
PM Modi and Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim held extensive bilateral talks in Kuala Lumpur on Day 1 of Modi's official visit (7 February 2026), c...
Cardinal Poola Anthony Becomes First Dalit to Head Catholic Bishops' Conference of India
Cardinal Poola Anthony, the 64-year-old Archbishop of Hyderabad, was elected as the new President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Ind...
Namibian Cheetah Aasha Gives Birth to Five Cubs at Kuno, India's Cheetah Population Rises to 35
Aasha, a Namibian cheetah translocated to India under Project Cheetah, gave birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on Fe...
Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Flag Concerns Over Parliamentary Disruptions
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressed anguish over the declining dignity and decorum in legislatures across India, describing planned disrupt...
Elephant Attacks Kill Eight in Bokaro Since January as Human-Elephant Conflict Escalates in Jharkhand
A herd of five elephants attacked Gangpur village in Bokaro district's Mahuatand police station area on February 7, 2026, killing Somar Saw ...
PM Modi Addresses Indian Diaspora in Malaysia, Calls Trust India's Strongest Currency
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Indian diaspora in Kuala Lumpur during his two-day official visit to Malaysia (7-8 February 2026)...
Agriculture Reforms in Budget 2026-27: Balancing Crop Diversification with Farmer Income Security
The Union Budget 2026-27 prioritized high-value crops such as coconut, cocoa, and cashew, allocating Rs 350 crore to boost farmer incomes th...
Anthropic Opens India Office in Bengaluru: AI Giants Expand Into India
US-based AI company Anthropic (maker of Claude AI) is opening its first India office in Bengaluru in early 2026, its second office in the As...
Supreme Court Remands Flipkart Market Dominance Case to NCLAT for Fresh Review
The Supreme Court set aside a 2020 NCLAT order that had directed the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to investigate Flipkart for alleg...
India-US Trade Pact Opens GPU Access and Data Centre Investment Opportunities
The India-US interim trade framework includes a provision to 'significantly increase trade in technology products, including GPUs and other ...
Anti-Suit Injunctions in Matrimonial Cases: Can Indian Courts Stop Divorce Proceedings Abroad?
An Indian woman from Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district filed a petition under Article 32 of the Constitution before the Supreme Court seekin...
Trump Executive Order Rolls Back 25% Additional Tariffs on India: What India Has Committed To
President Trump signed an Executive Order on 6 February 2026 suspending Executive Order 14329, which had imposed an additional 25% tariff on...
AI Impact Summit 2026: India Hosts the Largest Global AI Governance Meeting
India is set to host the AI Impact Summit 2026 from February 16-20 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi — the fourth in a series of global AI gover...
Two Tigers from Tadoba Traverse Over 600 km into Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Raising Human-Wildlife Conflict Concerns
An adult Royal Bengal Tiger that travelled over 650 km from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra was spotted on National Highway 16 n...
Harley-Davidson Poised for India Comeback After US Trade Deal Eliminates Duties
The India-US interim trade framework announced on 7 February 2026 grants zero-duty access for US motorcycles in the 800cc to 1,600cc segment...
BPCL in Talks with Azerbaijan's SOCAR for LPG Procurement, Also Eyes US Supplies
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) is in talks with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) for LPG procurement, confi...
India-US Trade Deal Opens $118 Billion American Textile Market to Indian Exporters
The India-US interim trade framework opens access to the $118 billion US textile and apparel import market for Indian exporters by reducing ...
Pakistan Faces Escalating Baloch Insurgency After Coordinated Attacks Across Balochistan
On 31 January 2026, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) launched 'Operation Herof 2.0' — coordinated attacks across at least nine district...
Meghalaya Rat-Hole Mine Explosion Kills at Least 18, Exposes Persistent Illegal Mining Crisis
An explosion in an illegal rat-hole coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya on February 5, 2026, killed at least 18 workers (w...
India-EU Free Trade Agreement: A Strategic and Economic Turning Point
India and the European Union concluded negotiations on a historic Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on 27 January 2026, the largest trade deal ever...
Netanyahu to Meet Trump as US-Iran Nuclear Talks Continue
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would travel to Washington to meet President Donald Trump to discuss the ongoing US-I...
Qualcomm Completes 2nm Chip Tape-Out From India Design Centres
Qualcomm announced the completion of tape-out for a 2-nanometre (2nm) semiconductor chip design, with the design work carried out entirely a...
India-US Trade Deal Excludes Sensitive Agricultural Items to Protect Farmers, Says Commerce Minister
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stated that all sensitive agricultural items have been kept out of the India-US interim trade deal, asserting...
Odisha CM Launches BCPPER Economic Region Plan Targeting $500 Billion Economy by 2047
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi launched the economic development plan for the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri-Paradip Economic Region (BC...
Global Firms Entrust India With End-to-End Advanced Semiconductor Design
Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that global firms now trust India for their most advanced semiconductor work, ...
India Secures Zero-Duty Access for $44 Billion of Exports to the US in First Phase of Trade Deal
Indian exports worth approximately $44 billion will enter the US market with zero reciprocal tariffs under the first phase of the bilateral ...
India-US Trade Deal: Complete List of US Goods Receiving Zero or Reduced Tariffs in India
Under the interim trade framework, India agreed to eliminate or reduce tariffs on a wide range of US industrial goods and selected agricultu...
India Prioritises Energy Security, Signals Diversification of Import Sources
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that ensuring energy security for 1.4 billion Indians remains the government's 'supreme priori...
Income Tax Department Releases Draft Rules and Forms with Old-to-New Mapping Navigators
The Income Tax Department released draft rules and forms for the new Income Tax Act 2025, along with two navigators that map old rules and f...
CBDT Releases Draft Income Tax Rules Under New Income Tax Act 2025, Seeks Public Feedback by February 22
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) released draft Income Tax Rules and Forms under the new Income Tax Act, 2025, seeking public feedba...
India-US Trade Deal: Gains for Seafood Exports, Risks for Domestic Corn and Soya from DDGS Imports
The India-US interim trade framework reduces reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods entering the US from 50% to 18%, significantly benefiting In...
RBI Keeps Repo Rate Unchanged at 5.25%, Maintains Neutral Policy Stance
The RBI retained the policy repo rate at 5.25% and maintained a 'neutral' stance at its February 2026 MPC meeting, the first monetary policy...
RBI Proposes Customer Compensation Framework for Small-Value Digital Banking Fraud
The RBI released draft directions proposing that victims of small-value digital banking fraud receive compensation of up to ₹25,000, or 85% ...
RBI Doubles Collateral-Free Loan Limit for MSMEs to Rs. 20 Lakh Under CGTMSE
The Reserve Bank of India announced that the collateral-free loan limit for micro and small enterprises (MSEs) will be doubled from Rs. 10 l...
RBI MPC February 2026: Repo Rate at 5.25%, GDP and Inflation Projections
The RBI's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) concluded its February 2026 bi-monthly meeting by keeping the repo rate steady at 5.25% with a una...
Kuki-Zo Protests Test Manipur's Fragile Peace as New Government Takes Charge
Fresh protests erupted within the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur following the swearing-in of a new state government, with community members a...
RBI Monetary Policy February 2026: Repo Rate Held at 5.25%, Fraud Compensation Framework Announced
The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), meeting from February 4–6, 2026, unanimously voted to keep the policy repo rate...
Manipur Government Passes Floor Test; Kuki-Zo MLAs Absent, Churachandpur Sees Protests
On February 6, 2026, the newly formed Manipur government led by Chief Minister Y. Khemchand Singh successfully passed a floor test in the st...
J&K Has Tapped Less Than a Quarter of Its Hydropower Potential: Economic Survey
According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, Jammu and Kashmir has harnessed only 3,540 MW — approximately 24% — of its identified hydropower p...
NBWL Panel Approves Irrigation Project in Durgavati Tiger Reserve: Three Years After Panna Deforestation Offset
The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) approved an irrigation project covering 272 hectares of forest land inside ...
Meghalaya Rat-Hole Mine Deaths Expose Persistence of Illegal Coal Mining Despite Decade-Long Ban
A dynamite explosion in an illegal coal mine at Mynsyngat in the Thangkso area of East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, killed at least 25 labourer...
Tamil Nadu Issues State-Wide Alert After H5N1 Bird Flu Confirmed in Mass Crow Deaths
Over 1,000–1,500 crows died across Chennai between late January and early February 2026, with mass die-offs reported in Adyar, Velachery, Th...
India-Russia: Balancing Decades of Strategic Partnership Against Shifting Geopolitical Pressures
Despite sustained US pressure and tariff threats, India has continued purchasing Russian crude oil in 2026, with Russia remaining India's si...
RBI Monetary Policy Committee Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% in February 2026
The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) unanimously voted to keep the policy repo rate unchanged at 5.25% during its Feb...
India's Russian Oil Dilemma: Why Trump's Push for a Venezuela Switch Is Easier Said Than Done
US President Donald Trump publicly claimed India had agreed to stop purchasing Russian crude oil and would shift to Venezuelan and American ...
IIT Bombay Develops Gentler Method to Recover Lab-Grown T Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy
Researchers at IIT Bombay, led by Professor Prakriti Tayalia from the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, in collaboration with Mo...
Should the Governor's Address Be Scrapped?: Constitutional Provisions and the Federal Tension
An opinion piece in The Hindu examines whether the Governor's address to state legislatures — mandated under Articles 175 and 176 of the Con...
India's Climate Budget 2026-27: Ambition vs. Allocation
India's Union Budget 2026-27 has been critiqued for a mismatch between its stated climate ambitions and actual financial allocations — with ...
RBI Rationalises Voluntary Retention Route: FPI Debt Limits Merged with General Route
The Reserve Bank of India issued a circular (RBI/2025-26/205, A.P. DIR Series Circular No.21, dated February 19, 2026) rationalising the Vol...
India-US Interim Trade Framework: Tariff Architecture, Sectoral Implications, and Strategic Context
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal announced in early February 2026 that a joint statement on India-US trade would be issued within days, with t...
India's Customs Duty Cuts: Supporting Local Manufacturing, Not Protectionism
The government defended its customs duty reductions in the Union Budget 2026-27, clarifying they are aimed at supporting domestic manufactur...
India-GCC FTA: Terms of Reference Signed, Formal Trade Negotiations Launched
India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signed Terms of Reference (ToR) for an India-GCC Free Trade Agreement on February 5, 2026, at V...
Allow the Leader of Opposition to Speak: Parliamentary Accountability and the Rights of the LoP
An editorial argued for stronger protection of the Leader of the Opposition's right to speak in Parliament, highlighting recent instances of...
Moral Duty Becomes Legal Obligation: Delhi HC on Granddaughter's Right to Maintenance From Grandfather
The Delhi High Court ruled on a petition filed by a granddaughter seeking maintenance from her grandfather, holding that a moral obligation ...
The Munda Ulgulan: Birsa Munda's Uprising and the Politics of Tribal Commemoration in Contemporary Jharkhand
The 19th-century Adivasi uprising in Jharkhand — the Munda Ulgulan (1899-1900), led by Birsa Munda — has become the subject of contested com...
Last US-Russia Nuclear Arms Control Treaty Expires, Raising Fears of Unconstrained Arms Race
The New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) — the last remaining bilateral nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Rus...
India-US Interim Trade Deal: What Economic Diplomacy Achieved and What Remains
An analytical assessment of the India-US interim trade deal — announced February 6, 2026 following PM Modi's call with President Trump — exa...
Tejas MK 1A Delivery to IAF Delayed to June–July 2026: Engine, Radar, and Software Hurdles
The first batch of Tejas MK 1A fighter jets — originally scheduled for delivery to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in March 2024 — is now expecte...
Lok Sabha Passes Motion of Thanks Without a Single Vote Against: First Since 2004
The Lok Sabha passed the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address without a single vote cast against it — the first time this has happene...
India-US Defence Procurement Advances: P-8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft
Following the finalisation of an India-US bilateral trade framework, both countries moved to advance pending defence procurement agreements....
HAL Reports Nine LCA Tejas Mk1A Aircraft Await GE Engines; Five Are Ready for IAF Delivery
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) disclosed that nine LCA Tejas Mk1A aircraft are fully assembled but cannot be delivered because they are...
Trump Calls Diego Garcia Deal 'Best UK Could Do' as US Signals Continued Commitment to Indian Ocean Base
US President Donald Trump described the UK-Mauritius agreement on the Chagos Islands — which includes the Diego Garcia military base — as th...
India-US Trade Deal Expected to Accelerate Capital Formation: SEBI Chairman
SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey stated that the India-US trade deal framework is expected to accelerate capital formation in India by impro...
CCI Orders Probe into IndiGo Over December 2024 Mass Cancellations: Abuse of Dominant Position Alleged
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has ordered an in-depth antitrust investigation into IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation Ltd), India's lar...
India to Achieve 100% Self-Reliance in Bullet Train Manufacturing with Seven New High-Speed Rail Corridors
Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that with seven new high-speed rail (HSR) corridors planned, India will achieve 100% sel...
Farmer Bodies Raise Alarm Over India-US Trade Deal's Agricultural Provisions
Major Indian farmer organisations have come out in opposition to the India-US interim trade deal, demanding the release of the full text of ...
Supreme Court Menstrual Hygiene Ruling: Gender, Dignity, and the Constitutional Framework
The Supreme Court's January 30, 2026 ruling in Dr. Jaya Thakur v. Government of India & Ors. (2026 INSC 97) invites a broader reckoning with...
Rupee, GDP Growth, Interest Rates: What the India-US Trade Deal Means for India's Economy
The India-US interim trade deal signed in February 2026 is projected to have wide macroeconomic consequences beyond the direct tariff change...
RBI MPC February 2026: Repo Rate Held at 5.25% as Committee Prioritises Stability
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India, meeting from February 4-6, 2026, unanimously decided to keep the policy re...
India's Rs 20,000 Crore Carbon Capture Push: Budget 2026-27 Allocation and Climate Implications
Union Budget 2026-27 allocated Rs 20,000 crore (approximately $2.2 billion) over five years to scale up Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Sto...
India-EU Free Trade Agreement: Tariff Provisions and What It Means for Consumers and Industry
The India-European Union Free Trade Agreement was formally concluded on January 27, 2026, ending nearly two decades of negotiations that beg...
End in Sight: Examining the U.S.-India Trade Deal and America's Tariff Policy
The United States and India announced a landmark interim bilateral trade deal in February 2026, the first substantive trade agreement betwee...
President's Rule Revoked in Manipur After a Year; Yumnam Khemchand Singh Sworn in as Chief Minister
President's Rule imposed in Manipur on 13 February 2025 — following the resignation of N. Biren Singh as Chief Minister amid widespread crit...
MPLADS Funds: The Case Against Scrapping and the Ongoing Debate
A commentary in The Hindu argues that there is no persuasive case for scrapping the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPL...
Rechin La Operation, August 2020: How Indian Army Seized the Kailash Range and Forced PLA to Back Down
Detailed accounts have emerged of how the Indian Army conducted a high-risk surprise operation on the intervening night of 29-30 August 2020...
How India Quietly Built the Case with Trump for a Bilateral Trade Deal
A detailed account of India's back-channel diplomatic campaign with the Trump administration reveals a sustained effort spanning several mon...
India's AMCA Fifth-Generation Fighter Shifts to Private Sector as HAL is Sidelined
The government has excluded Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) from the contract to build five prototypes of India's Advanced Medium Combat...
President's Rule Revoked in Manipur; Y. Khemchand Singh Sworn In as Chief Minister
President Droupadi Murmu revoked President's Rule in Manipur on February 4, 2026, with immediate effect under Article 356(2) of the Constitu...
India-US Trade Deal: Chief Economic Adviser Says China+1 Strategy is Back in Play
Following the announcement of the India-US interim trade deal, India's Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V. Anantha Nageswaran declared that 'unc...
Cash Transfers at 20% of State Subsidies: Finance Commission Raises Fiscal Alarm
The 16th Finance Commission's report flagged that large-group unconditional cash transfers now constitute 20.2% of total state subsidy expen...
From "Tariff King" to 18%: How Trump's India Tariff Trajectory Played Out
An analytical account traces the arc of Trump's tariff posture toward India: from publicly calling India a 'tariff king' and threatening pun...
16th Finance Commission Recommends DISCOM Privatisation and SPV Debt Clean-Up
The 16th Finance Commission, chaired by Arvind Panagariya, has recommended that states actively pursue privatisation of electricity distribu...
Jumping Hurdles: How India Managed to Diversify Exports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Despite facing a 25% U.S. reciprocal tariff since mid-2025 — which caused US-bound Indian exports to fall 28.5% between May and October 2025...
US Agriculture Push into India: Farmer Concerns and Agricultural Trade Policy
Following the India-US interim trade deal, the US Agriculture Secretary stated that American farm products have gained fresh market access i...
India-US Trade Deal: Agriculture and Dairy Interests Protected, Says Commerce Minister
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stated in Parliament and at public events that India's agriculture and dairy sectors have been fully protecte...
Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project Achieves Second Mountain Tunnel Breakthrough
On February 3, 2026, National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) achieved a breakthrough in the second mountain tunnel (MT-6) on t...
India's $500 Billion US Import Commitment: Energy, Aircraft, and Technology
As part of the India-US interim trade framework announced on February 6, 2026, India expressed intent to purchase approximately $500 billion...
RTI at 20: From 'Dawn of a New Era' to Fears of Institutional Twilight
A long-form political analysis examined the trajectory of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 — two decades after its enactment — chart...
Manipur Moves Back to Elected Government: President's Rule Ends After a Year
On February 4, 2026, Manipur ended nearly a year under President's Rule with the swearing-in of BJP leader Yumnam Khemchand Singh as Chief M...
16th Finance Commission: Balancing Southern States' Concerns With Inter-State Equity
The 16th Finance Commission released its report (covering 2026-31), introducing a revised horizontal devolution formula that addresses the l...
India-US Interim Trade Deal: Tariff Cuts and the Road to Bilateral Trade Agreement
India and the United States announced a framework for an Interim Trade Agreement on February 3, 2026, following Prime Minister Modi's visit ...
Delhi Declaration 2026: India's Strategic Approach to Arab Trade and Free Trade Policy
The Second India-Arab Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held on January 31, 2026, co-chaired by India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar...
India-US Trade: How Indian Exports Diversified in the Face of US Tariffs
Faced with escalating US tariffs — rising to 25% under the Trump administration's 'reciprocal tariff' framework and as high as 50% on some I...
India-US Trade Deal: Historical Tensions, Political Pitfalls, and What's at Stake
India and the United States have been locked in protracted trade negotiations, with a framework for an interim Bilateral Trade Agreement (BT...
India-US Trade Deal Opens $100 Billion Electronics Export Opportunity
India and the United States agreed on a trade framework announced in February 2026 following a telephonic conversation between PM Modi and U...
India-US Trade Deal: Macroeconomic Implications for India
The India-US interim trade framework announced in February 2026 has significant implications for India's broader macroeconomic picture, part...
US Farm Exports to India Have Been Surging Even Without a Trade Deal
US agricultural exports to India surged significantly in the period leading up to and during the India-US trade negotiations of 2025–26, eve...
16th Finance Commission: A Cautious Nudge Toward Fiscal Federalism Reform
The 16th Finance Commission, chaired by Dr. Arvind Panagariya, submitted its report on February 1, 2026, covering the period 2026-27 to 2030...
Supreme Court Declares Menstrual Health a Fundamental Right Under Article 21
On January 30, 2026, the Supreme Court of India held that the right to menstrual health and hygiene is an integral part of the right to life...
India-US Interim Trade Deal: Industry Welcome, Experts Urge Caution
The United States and India announced a framework for an interim trade agreement on February 6, 2026, following PM Modi's visit to Washingto...
Adani Defence Partners with Italy's Leonardo for Helicopter Manufacturing in India
Adani Defence & Aerospace signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Italy's Leonardo on February 3, 2026, establishing a strategic par...
Punjab & Haryana HC Slams Haryana for 'Environmental Plunder' at Aravalli Hillock
A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court severely criticised the Haryana government over the destruction of a hillock due to al...
India's SHANTI Act: Unlocking the Promise of the India-US Civil Nuclear Agreement
The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act received Presidential assent in December 20...
India's Defence Budget 2026-27: Record Allocation and the Long View Since 1999
The Union Budget 2026-27 allocated Rs 7.85 lakh crore to the Ministry of Defence — the highest-ever allocation, representing a 15.19% jump o...
Budget 2026-27: Rare Earth Mineral Corridor, High-Speed Rail, and Freight Corridor Announced
Union Budget 2026-27 announced a Dedicated Rare Earth Mineral Corridor linking four coastal mineral-rich states — Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pra...
Budget 2026 Rationalises Income Tax Penalty and Prosecution Framework to Cut Litigation
Union Budget 2026-27 proposed a comprehensive rationalisation of penalty and prosecution provisions under the Income Tax Act, with the objec...
Union Budget 2026-27: Customs Duty Cuts Provide Manufacturing Boost Across Key Sectors
The Union Budget 2026-27, presented on February 1, 2026 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, announced significant customs duty reduction...
Budget 2026 Nearly Doubles Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme Outlay to ₹40,000 Crore
Union Budget 2026-27 raised the outlay of the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) to ₹40,000 crore — nearly doubling the orig...
Rs 10,000-Crore SME Growth Fund and MSME Liquidity Reforms: Credit Access and Formalisation
The Union Budget 2026-27 announced a dedicated ₹10,000-crore SME Growth Fund to provide equity support to high-potential small and medium en...
Budget 2026 Cuts TCS to 2% on Overseas Education Remittances Under LRS
Union Budget 2026-27 reduced Tax Collected at Source (TCS) on overseas remittances for education and medical purposes from 5% to 2% under th...
Budget 2026 Sets Up Expert Panel to Assess AI's Impact on Jobs and Services Sector
Union Budget 2026-27 announced the establishment of a high-powered 'Education to Employment and Enterprises Standing Committee' to assess th...
Budget 2026 Launches ₹10,000 Crore Container Manufacturing Scheme to Break China Dependence
Union Budget 2026-27 announced a ₹10,000 crore Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme, directly targeting India's near-total dependence o...
Budget 2026-27: Reducing China's Grip: India's Critical Minerals and Rare Earths Strategy
Union Budget 2026-27 announced several measures targeting India's significant dependence on China for rare earth elements and critical miner...
Budget 2026: Safe Harbour Reforms Bring Tax Certainty to India's IT Sector
Budget 2026-27 introduces a comprehensive overhaul of India's Safe Harbour Rules for transfer pricing — specifically targeting IT/ITeS, data...
US Lowers Tariffs on India to 18% Under Trade Deal: Global Tariff Comparisons
The United States agreed to lower tariffs on Indian goods from 50% to 18% as part of the India-US interim bilateral trade framework announce...
Trump Claims India Will Stop Buying Russian Crude: Energy, Sanctions, and Strategic Autonomy
US President Donald Trump claimed on February 2, 2026 that Prime Minister Modi had agreed to stop purchasing Russian crude oil and instead b...
FM Sitharaman: Growth Remains Priority; PSU Disinvestment to Continue Selectively
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated in post-budget interactions that economic growth remains the government's primary objective, and ...
Gen Naravane's Memoir Reveals Civil-Military Dynamics During 2020 Ladakh Face-Off with China
Former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane's unpublished memoir, titled 'Four Stars of Destiny,' reveals significant details about how ...
Budget 2026-27 Addresses US Tariff Pressure: Strategic Sectors Backed, Vulnerable Industries Shielded
The Union Budget 2026-27 (presented February 1, 2026) was shaped in part by the shadow of Trump's tariff threats — Finance Minister Sitharam...
Making Sense of Budget 2026-27: What It Means for India's Economy
The Union Budget 2026-27 balances three simultaneous objectives: fiscal consolidation (deficit 4.3% of GDP), growth acceleration (capex ₹12....
Proposal to Bar Non-Hindus from Char Dham: Constitutional Questions on Religious Freedom and Temple Entry
The managing committees of the four Char Dham shrines in Uttarakhand — Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri — proposed barring entr...
Budget 2026: Shift from Revenue Collection to Institutional Reform in Direct Taxation
Budget 2026-27, in conjunction with the new Income Tax Act, 2025 (coming into force April 1, 2026), signals a deliberate shift in India's di...
Budget 2026-27: Development of 15 Archaeological Sites as Heritage Tourism Destinations
Union Budget 2026-27 announced plans to develop 15 archaeological sites across India into immersive cultural tourism destinations, with a fo...
How Trump's Tariff Pressure Shaped India's Trade Policy Ahead of Budget 2026-27
US President Donald Trump imposed a 25% punitive tariff on Indian imports in August 2025, explicitly linked to India's continued purchase of...
India-US Trade Deal: Reaffirming Strategic Partnership in a Shifting World Order
India and the United States announced a framework for an interim bilateral trade agreement on February 2, 2026, with the US agreeing to lowe...
The New Fiscal Rule in Budget 2026-27: Debt Anchor Replaces Deficit Targeting
Budget 2026-27 introduces a new fiscal framework that replaces deficit-targeting with debt-to-GDP ratio as the primary fiscal anchor, markin...
Budget 2026-27 and Fiscal Federalism: Pushing Welfare Delivery Towards States
The Union Budget 2026-27, tabled alongside the 16th Finance Commission Report (for 2026-31 chaired by Arvind Panagariya), signals a structur...
Agnipath Scheme Allocation Jumps 58%, Army Receives Largest Share in Union Budget 2026-27
The Union Budget 2026-27 allocated ₹15,173.68 crore for the Agnipath scheme, representing an approximately 58% jump over the previous financ...
CDS Gen Chauhan's Armenia Visit: India's Growing Defence Footprint in the South Caucasus
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan led a high-level defence delegation on a four-day official visit to Armenia from February ...