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A Finance Commission that questions states but spares the Union government

The Commission appreciates the Union government's fiscal restraint during the pandemic and the subsequent reduction in deficits and debt following the sharp spike seen in the pandemic year

Illustration: Binay Sinha

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Local job quotas expose a dangerous new wave of nativist politics in India

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Getting to the AI frontier: India must move from access to leadership

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A Finance Commission that questions states but spares the Union government

The Commission appreciates the Union government's fiscal restraint during the pandemic and the subsequent reduction in deficits and debt following the sharp spike seen in the pandemic year

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Updated On : 11 Mar 2026 | 10:46 PM IST

Labour Codes and India's continuing search for regulatory clarity

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Labour Codes and India's continuing search for regulatory clarity
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Birth incentives and bad economics: The flaws in Andhra's demographic plan

The policy runs the risk of creating adverse outcomes. First concerns the quality of human capital. Given that India's and Andhra Pradesh's falling TFR is the result of improved education and incomes

Birth incentives and bad economics: The flaws in Andhra's demographic plan
Updated On : 11 Mar 2026 | 10:40 PM IST

Best of BS Opinion: Policy gaps across farms loans, jobs, and banking

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Best of BS Opinion: Policy gaps across farms loans, jobs, and banking
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Employment for growth: India needs a vibrant apprenticeship ecosystem

A NITI Aayog report calls for major reforms to India's apprenticeship system, urging stronger industry participation and better integration with education to support job-led growth

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Waiver danger: Repeated agricultural loan bailouts must be avoided

Maharashtra's new farm loan waiver may fulfil a poll promise, but repeated debt relief risks weakening credit discipline and straining the state's fiscal balance

Waiver danger: Repeated agricultural loan bailouts must be avoided
Updated On : 10 Mar 2026 | 10:38 PM IST

Bank fraud: The blind spots of risk control and the culture behind failures

Sophisticated systems track risk, but culture - shaped by incentives and frontline pressures - remains the real control

Bank fraud: The blind spots of risk control and the culture behind failures
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Govt must improve its ability to plan and execute hiring programmes

Despite a push to fill vacancies through Rozgar Melas and recruitment drives, India's Union government workforce has barely grown in a decade, highlighting limits in hiring capacity

Govt must improve its ability to plan and execute hiring programmes
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Best of BS Opinion: Oil turmoil and India's looming economic risks

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Why India needs Russian oil: Energy security outweighs US pressure

Oil prices have already risen 23.6 per cent, from about $72 per barrel a day before the war began on February 28 to around $89 per barrel now

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A clear derating: Markets risk underperformance without growth revival

Absolute foreign ownership of the Indian market is at a 15-year low, and we see foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) selling on a daily basis

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A broken model: China is unwilling to implement the reforms needed

China's growth model has lasted longer than expected but is now losing momentum, as the government runs out of fiscal space to sustain investment-driven expansion

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Rising external uncertainties: Iran war can complicate economic management

Economists expect a CAD of about 1 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) this financial year. This could increase to about 1.5 per cent in 2026-27

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India's urban reset: What 16th FC report, Budget 2026-27 mean for cities

Record Finance Commission grants promise greater fiscal autonomy for cities, but sharp cuts in central schemes shift the burden of urban transformation to states and municipalities

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Best of BS Opinion: Broader ecosystem response needed to check cyber fraud

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EXIM Matters: Deferred duty payment scheme extended to eligible importers

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