 "Best of BS Opinion: Data rules, housing fights, and economic signals")
Some days, the news cycle feels like a set of mismatched pieces that still manage to snap into place. Telecom stress, data rights, housing protections and the future of inflation policy may seem unrelated, but together they paint the uneasy balance India is trying to maintain between ambition and accountability. Let’s dive in.
Vodafone Idea’s lingering struggle with legacy dues returned to focus after the Supreme Court allowed reassessment of AGR liabilities up to FY17. As our first editorial notes, this opens the door to correcting past calculation errors but only matters if extended across the sector. With the Centre already holding 49 per cent after converting over Rs 43,000 crore into equity, policymakers remain wary of inching toward majority control even as the company still carries roughly Rs 2 trillion in liabilities. The government’s real task lies in structural reforms, not repeated lifelines.
Meanwhile, the digital sphere is being reshaped through the new DPDP Rules, which, as our second editorial lays out, clarify how consent, breaches, minors’ data and cross-border transfers must be handled. The amendments to the RTI Act have drawn criticism for narrowing the scope of public-interest disclosures, while the Data Protection Board will oversee compliance through digital hearings and filings. The Rules mark a significant strengthening of user rights but leave wide exemptions for government agencies.
Housing rights take centre-stage in the piece by Raghav Pandey and M S Sahoo, who underline how Part III of the IBC, meant to shield a person’s only home, remains unnotified. With the Supreme Court reaffirming the centrality of shelter in Mansi Brar Fernandes and Kerala passing its own single-dwelling protection law, the gap between legislative promise and lived reality is widening for vulnerable debtors.
Looking ahead to 2026, Rajeswari Sengupta and Vaishali Garga lay out a detailed case for retaining India’s inflation-targeting framework. They note that despite global shocks between 2022 and 2024, inflation stayed largely within the band. For them, the real gains lie in anchored expectations among households and forecasters, which have become less sensitive to food and oil swings. Their argument is about strengthening data systems, improving surveys and enhancing communication so credibility is not diluted.
Finally, Aditi Phadnis reviews Voice of the People by Smita Gupta, an anthology that captures Parliament not as a static institution but as a living arena of contest, clarity and occasional chaos. The book gathers debates on identity, reform, federal tensions and landmark economic choices, bringing back voices ranging from Piloo Modi’s wit to Omar Abdullah’s defining assertion of faith and nationality.
Stay tuned!