Shikha Chaturvedi

High spenders continue to struggle with poor outcomes, while top performers pull ahead with lower resource allocations

Per-capita deficit and infrastructure gaps mean increased budgetary allocations are failing to deliver development targets

Gap between lifespan and health span presents a critical challenge for a rapidly ageing population

The debate over eggs in PM Poshan meals highlights a deeper issue: cereals remain India's primary protein source, with states having diversified diets showing better child nutrition

Declining birth rates have not guaranteed widespread improvements in living standards

Official assessments suggest that many states continue to operate with significant gaps in both infrastructure and manpower

Venezuela's return as a top crude supplier highlights how oil alone has shaped India-Venezuela trade, from a $14-billion peak to near-collapse and revival

A majority of species live in natural ecosystems and India has a rich variety of them

As the Modi government completes 12 years, India has grown into a larger economy with lower inflation and unemployment, though external vulnerabilities persist

India's GDP rose to ₹346.36 trillion in FY26, but rupee depreciation against the US dollar kept the country behind the UK and Japan in global economic rankings

Tamil Nadu is prosperous but it cannot afford to be profligate with spending

As D.K. Shivakumar takes charge, Karnataka hands over a high-growth economy marked by rising incomes, expanding national share and investment-led fiscal management

India's widening fertility divide is set to influence politics, labour markets and economic growth

Concerns about jobs, employability and economic uncertainty have shaped youth conversations in India and abroad

The rupee's slide past 95 per dollar reflects renewed stress on India's external accounts amid rising trade deficits and forex outflows

Supreme Court strength raised to 37 judges as pendency crosses critical levels

ASUSE data shows informal sector earnings remain below minimum wage levels, with own-account and mobile enterprises continuing to dominate

Welfare promises dominate politics even as several states face rising fiscal stress and uneven economic capacity

Progress for women in leadership is visible-but slow, uneven, and still constrained by gaps in pay and participation

The BJP's commitments are expansive, ranging from ₹3,000 monthly transfers for women and unemployed youth to implementing the 7th Pay Commission and raising dearness allowance