India’s factory output performance measured monthly by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and released by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI) slowed to an eight-month low of 2.7% in April, at the start of fiscal 2026. It also marked a steep decline, almost halving from last April’s 5.2% growth. This correlates with … Read more
Jammu and Kashmir bore the brunt of Pakistan’s response to Operation Sindoor, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah rightly focused on both security and development during his visit to Poonch, where residential areas were hit by shelling from across the border. A comprehensive relief package is planned alongside the construction of more underground shelters for … Read more
Actor Kamal Haasan and director Mani Ratnam during a press conference for their upcoming film ‘Thug Life’, in Chennai. | Photo Credit: ANI I met Kamal Haasan for an interview last Friday in Chennai for his much-awaited movie, Thug Life. The next day, he was at Sri Sai Ram College along with the entire team … Read more
On May 20, the Supreme Court restored a minimum of three years of legal practice as a mandatory condition to apply for entry-level judicial service. The ruling reverses the Court’s 2002 decision that had removed the practice requirement, originally mandated by a 1993 judgment. Is the three-year practice requirement a welcome move? Prashant Reddy T. … Read more
‘There are many precedents for politically driven, discretionary special packages’ | Photo Credit: Getty Images Andhra Pradesh is in deep financial distress and there is a strong case for the Finance Commission to make a special dispensation for the State. When Telangana was carved out of the larger State of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, the … Read more
It has been a little over three months since President’s Rule was declared in Manipur, after a disastrous spell when the State government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s N. Biren Singh, failed to de-escalate tensions in the ongoing ethnic conflict. By all accounts, there has been a significant reduction in gun violence and arson, … Read more
Manipur situation The intent by some in the National Democratic Alliance “to form a ‘popular’ government in Manipur” is strange (Page 1, May 29). That these people are unaware of the ground reality is cause for concern. The consensus of all stakeholders and a proper settlement of the ethnic conflict is what will pave the … Read more
‘The thoughtful optimisation of resources for early childhood education remains a challenge’ | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto “Some kids win the lottery at birth; far too many don’t — and most people struggle to catch up,” said the Nobel Laureate Prof. James Heckman. This holds true for India as well where its employment problem is … Read more
On the afternoon of May 24, MSC Elsa 3, carrying more than 640 containers, started tilting off the coast of Kochi, apparently due to an operational problem. The nearly three-decade-old ship was said to be structurally safe. The crew abandoned the ship after unsuccessfully trying to right her. Now, Elsa 3 is lying at the … Read more
The United States President, Donald Trump, made headlines when he announced a U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with its focus primarily on cost reduction. Yet it is a move that opens a broader discussion on streamlining government operations in developing economies through dedicated efforts to drive efficiency in governance. Going beyond the narrow, cost-focused … Read more