US away, India says: Worked with China to preserve G20

External Affairs Minister and his Chinese counterpart discussed "management of peace and tranquility in border areas", resumption of the Kailash Man Sarovar Yatra, flight connectivity and transborder rivers. 

A SAFE CAMPUS: Addressing ragging calls for unlearning prejudices, breaking the cycle between today's victim and tomorrow's perpetrator

A First generation goer from Assam whose IIT dream ended in an unresolved tragedy on campus; a young doctor from n the Bhil Tadvi community who died by suicide following alleged caste-based harassment by seniors in her hostel room.

In 2009, setting up guidelines to combat ragging in educational institutions, the supreme court had called for strict monitoring of cases of bullying on campuses, the creation of anti-ragging committees, and institutional mechanisms to investigate grievances and deal with offenders. 

PULSES NEED PRIORITY: Tur, urad cultivators require financial and scientific support like that given to their counterparts who grow chana, moong 

Food and consumer affair minister has said that the Centre may stop duty-free imports of yellow peas (matar) after February. This comes even as Finance Minister in her latest budget speech, announced a six-year Mission for Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in pulses with a special focus on tur (pigeon-pea), urad (black gram) and masoor (red lentil). It also comes at a time when India's pulses imports, at $3.28 billion during November 2024, were 56,6 per cent higher than for the corresponding period of the previous year, and are set to cross a record $5 billion in the 2024-25 fiscal. The domestic crop was poor last year because of drought in Maharashtra and Karnataka.

A LAW, WEAPONISED: The no-objection provision defeats the purpose of the Special Marriage Act

In the landmark judgment of Justice K S Puttaswamy vs Union of India', the SC had ordained the right to privacy as inalienable to human existence. It stated, 'Privacy recognises the ability of individuals to control vital aspects of their lives and safeguards the autonomy exercised by them in decisions of personal intimacies, matters of home and marriage, the sanctity of family life and sexual orientation, all of which are at the core of privacy.'

The missing growth strategy: India development challenge is to ensure that western and southern states aren't caught in middle-income trap, poorer states grow rapidly

In 2007, India joined the ranks of middle-income countries, classified, to be precise, as a lower middle-income economy. Almost 18 years later, it remains in that category.

Over these years, the country per capita income has risen from $1,022 to about $2,700, Some have argued that if a country remains a lower middle-income economy for 28 years in India's case that would mean a decade more then it is caught in a lower middle-income trap. The per capita income now required to join the ranks of up-per-middle-income countries is $4,516. Moving up to this category does seem possible in a decade, though not by the end of this decade, The IMF expects India's per capita income to touch $4,195 by 2029. 

Food inflation outlook pressures likely to witness significant easing: RBI Guv 

Robust Kharif harvest arrivals, correction in vegetable prices in winter season and good prospects for rabi crop are likely to ease pressure on food inflation going ahead, RBI Governor said in the minutes of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held during February 5-7.

India's composite flash PMI rises for first time after three quarters

AFTER SOFTENING After softening for three quarters in a row, the Composite flash Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose at a faster pace in February, showing an uptick in the growth of the private sec-tor in the current quarter, says an HSBC report.

Composite flash PMI came in at strong 60.6, higher than last month's reading of 57.7, led by a sharp acceleration in the business activity of the services sector 

Why LNG is central to the future expansion of India-Qatar trade

The recent state visit of Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani saw New Delhi and Doha setting a target to double bilateral trade to around $28 billion a year by 2030, apart from elevating the bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), "trade, investment, and energy" were among the major topics discussed between Prime Minister and Al-Thani. 

How the government spends

The RBI has used data since 1991 to create the 'Quality of Public Expenditure' index, which assesses how well the government is spending public money. The latest report makes for a positive picture