The Finance Commission’s advice is recommendatory in nature and is not binding on the government, as mentioned in a Reuters report, “Centre seeks to reduce the share of States in federal tax revenues” (Business page, February 28, 2025). Published – March 01, 2025 12:32 am IST
‘Indian IT services and consultancies held back by AI regulations run the risk of losing their hold of the global market’ | Photo Credit: REUTERS In the heart of Bengaluru, software developers find themselves racing against time to outbid Chinese rivals for major Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven projects with international clients. Despite being part of a … Read more
As the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire comes to an end on Saturday, there are growing signs that the already fragile truce is under enormous strain. When the deal was reached in mid-January, the understanding was that it would be implemented in three phases. In the first, Israel was required to reposition some of … Read more
In a country praised for its technological ability, a vital arm is silently under crisis: government-funded colleges. Once the cornerstone of India’s intellectual scene, these institutions — burdened by antiquated infrastructure, antiquated curricula, and a chronic shortage of resources — are failing to keep pace with the demands of the digital age. Experts and stakeholders … Read more
‘By leveraging diverse communication channels and tailoring messages to different audiences, science communicators can ensure that scientific knowledge reaches every corner of the nation’ | Photo Credit: Getty Images Many of us have heard the story of Sir Isaac Newton discovering the laws of gravity and motion, which are almost a part of global folklore. … Read more
Microsoft’s Majorana 1 quantum computing chip is pictured on February 19, 2025. Photo: Microsoft via Reuters On February 19, 2025, Microsoft unveiled a new quantum computing chip that it said had topological qubits. The announcement spurred news organisations worldwide, which used words such as “superconductor” and “fermion” in their ledes. My colleagues had many questions … Read more
On February 18, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Riyadh. This was a dramatic reversal of the previous U.S. administration’s policy of not having peace talks with Russia since the beginning of Russia’s war with Ukraine in February 2022. The reversal took place because of Donald Trump’s election … Read more
An F-35 fighter jet, at the Aero India 2025 air show | Photo Credit: Reuters Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s brief and official working visit on February 13, 2025 to the United States has, rightfully, got a lot of attention. Among other things, it managed to give a push to the U.S.-India bilateral defence engagement. Defence … Read more
President Donald Trump has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Washington to sign a deal that would give Washington access to Ukraine’s rare earth mineral deposits, in exchange for the White House’s support in ending the three-year war there since the Russia invasion. While Mr. Trump has — to his domestic constituents — positioned the … Read more
‘The selection of the CEC and other ECs has a vital bearing on the conduct of free and fair elections and in maintaining the purity of the electoral process, which is a part of the basic structure of the Constitution’ | Photo Credit: THE HINDU/RITU RAJ KONWAR The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners … Read more