Opinion

Parliamentary committees on insurance must expand scope, sharpen focus

As India's insurance sector evolves, experts call for a dedicated parliamentary panel to address emerging risks, consumer protection and regulatory gaps

Consumer protection: Flat buyers' rights must not be scuttled by financiers

Seldom do courts take cognizance of Section 9 of the Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act, which says that if a mortgage is created, it shall not affect the buyer's rights

Fixing fertiliser subsidy: Pricing reform, targeted farmer support needed

Rising fertiliser subsidy exposes distortions in urea pricing, fuelling overuse and fiscal strain, highlighting need for direct farmer support and subsidy reform

Bill of contention: Failure highlights lack of consensus-building

Women's quota Bill defeat exposes political mistrust and flaws in linking reservation to delimitation, raising questions over consensus and timing

Market euphoria vs geopolitical reality: The fragile peace in West Asia

Markets rally on hopes of peace and lower oil prices, but fragile ground realities in West Asia and Hormuz disruptions suggest optimism may be premature

Straits and narrows: The high cost of closing global chokepoints

Paying tolls to use the Strait of Hormuz is a dark omen for the future of global trade

Exports: Services grow, goods stall, jobs lag, denting growth outlook

India's export growth is driven by services while merchandise stagnates, raising concerns over jobs, competitiveness, and long-term trade strategy

Forex curbs cannot last as rupee internationalisation is RBI's top agenda

India's forex reserves, at $700.9 billion, though lower than their late-February peak, are adequate. Selling dollars to arrest currency depreciation cannot be a never-ending process

Assassination and statecraft: US objectives unmet, Iran grows tougher

American objectives are unmet. They neither have the muscle nor motivation to resume the war. As for Iran, the regime hasn't just survived, it's now led by more radical individuals

Best of BS Opinion: From dollar doubts to democratic strain at home

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The West Asia conflict and prospects for a multipolar monetary order

India must take a proactive stance on any alternative currency initiative, rather than remain on the sidelines

The delimitation dilemma: Democratic status may see further slide in India

There are no easy solutions to the conundrum. The US system favours small Alaska over Texas. The former has a fraction of Texas's population, but both have the same number of Senators

Predicting a leadership 'crash': Key to averting governance crashes

Rising anti-empathy leadership and unchecked power may trigger governance failures, as boards struggle to identify early warning signs of behavioural derailment

An open letter from Pluto: A compelling geophysical case for planethood

A witty open letter from Pluto questions its 'dwarf planet' tag, reviving debate on planetary definitions and whether science-or simplicity-drove its demotion

Best of BS Opinion: Global debt and local stress redraw India's path

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Currency policy is costing India: Managing rupee harder in open economy

India is no longer the closed, simple economy of the 1970s. When the RBI attempts to fix the price of the rupee, it must contend with the incentives of millions of rational actors

Labour market friction: India needs more jobs with better work conditions

Workers allege irregular wage payments and exploitative practices

Fiscal demands: Rising global public debt poses risk to growth outlook

As the IMF data shows, governments refinancing debt at higher interest rates have seen interest payments rise sharply over the past few years, from 2 per cent to about 3 per cent of global GDP

Monetisation is the new PPP: A side door for private capital in infra

The private sector traditionally finds its competitive advantage in operations, not in development or high-risk projects constrained by state capacity and politics

Best of BS Opinion: Disputed voter rolls and India's road to resilience

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