ANNOUNCEMENT AFTER CABINET MEETING

Caste census to be held with national Census, Shah calls it historic

THE CENTRE Wednesday announced that the forthcoming population Census will include a caste census with Union Home Minister Amit Shah describing the move as a "historic decision" by a government "committed to social justice".

Delhi responds to Islamabad move, closes airspace to all Pak aircraft

INDIA HAS closed its airspace for Pakistani aircraft, days after a similar move by the neighbouring country in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Sugar production set to decline, Govt hikes fair price of sugarcane by 4.41%

AMID A drop in sugar production during the current season (October 2024 to September 2025), the Centre on Wednesday increased the fair and remunerative price (FRP) of sugarcane by *15 (or 4.41%) to 355 per quintal for the sugar season 2025-26,

The new FRP-it is the minimum price mandated by the Government that sugar mills are obligated to pay farmers for their produce-will come into effect October 1, 2025.

Appellate courts can modify arbitral awards: Supreme Court

IN A 4:1 decision, the Supreme Court on Wednesday held that appellate courts can modify arbitral awards while exercising powers under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The majority ruling by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justices B R Gavai, Sanjay Kumar and AG Masih held that courts have "limited power" un-der Section 34 and 37 of the Act to modify arbitral awards. Justice KV Viswanathan delivered a dissenting opinion, dis-agreeing with the majority on certain aspects.

Thunderstorms, rain, strong winds to ease temperature in May, says IMD

THE INDIA Meteorological Department (IMD) Wednesday said the maxi-mum temperatures and the heatwave intensity experienced over many parts of India could be marginally lower than usual during some days of May.

WELL BEGUN

THE MINISTRY OF Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) has released the first ever "Forward-Looking Survey on Private Sector CAPEX Investment Intentions". Capex refers to capital expenditure, which means money spent towards the creation of long-term productive assets in the economy. As the survey underscores, "capex is fundamental to expanding production capacity, thereby serving as a catalyst for accelerated economic growth. This growth, in turn, supports job creation and enhances labour productivity." For a developing economy such as India, a high growth rate in capex is central to achieving the ambition of be-coming a prosperous nation and transitioning into a developed country. The survey was conducted between November 2024 and January 2025. The primary objective of this survey is to estimate the capex trends of private corporate sector enterprises for five years: From the past three financial years (2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24, in the current in-stance) along with anticipated capital expenditure for the current year (2024-25, in this instance) and the upcoming financial year (2025-26).

Tariff warrior diplomacy

"IF WAR IS what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we're ready to fight till the end." So declared a Chinese Foreign Ministry tweet in March when the Donald Trump administration raised tariffs over China's lack of cooperation in stemming the illegal flow of the opioid fentanyl into the US.

The strong language coming out of Beijing, coupled with the general perception of American policy being unstable or reversible, has allowed a narrative to quickly gain ground-not least in India - that American President Donald Trump is the one most likely to blink first.

However, while China certainly has the state capacity to not only weather the storm but to exploit it to its advantage, its frailties are no less significant.

READY, STEADY, ESPORTS

ASGLOBAL MEDIA and entertainment leaders convene at the WAVES Summit in Mumbai, few topics unite us like the rise of games and esports. WAVES is more than a gathering-it is a platform to forge new partnerships, ex-change ideas, and unlock the potential of emerging economies, including India. In Saudi Arabia, we have seen how games can bridge cultures and create opportunities, Guided by HRH the Crown Prince's Vision 2030, we are fostering a unified, nationwide gaming strategy. It is apparent from the scale and thematic expanse of WAVES that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a similar vision. As such, the summit marks a timely opportunity to deepen ties between our countries and shape a future led by new voices and alliances.

Kingmaker to casualty: eclipse of Jagmeet Singh in Canada

JAGMEET SINGH, the Canadian Sikh politician who made history in 2017 by becoming the first non-White leader of a major federal party in Canada, stepped down from his post after suffering a humiliating defeat in Monday's election.

The caste census

THE CABINET Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the enumeration of castes in the upcoming Census, bowing to a several decades-old demand and reversing the position that it formally articulated in Parliament four years ago.

"(The caste census) will strengthen the social and economic structure of our society while the nation continues to progress." Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while announcing the decision on Wednesday.

STORY OF RAGHUJI BHONSLE, WHOSE SWORD IS SET TO RETURN TO INDIA

THE MAHARASHTRA government on Tuesday reclaimed the iconic sword of Maratha warrior Raghuji Bhonsle I at an auction in London for Rs 47.15 lakh.

In a post on X, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "[T]he state government has purchased the historic sword of Raje Raghuji Bhonsle, the founder of the Bhonsle family of Nagpur, which was auctioned in London."