People celebrate ceasefire in Tehran  (Photo: Reuters)

From US-Iran tensions and AI-led drug trials to urban inequality and regulatory norms, today's Best of BS Opinion curates key editorials and columns shaping the discourse

Best of BS Opinion: West Asia ceasefire welcome, but road ahead unclear

Business Standard

Strait of Hormuz

If, as reported, the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is actively sidelining the political authorities, it is difficult to see scope for common ground

Ground realities: Ceasefire extended, but path ahead remains unclear

Artificial Intelligence, AI Technology, IT Sector

Health data remains in silos across hospitals, insurers, and geographies, often locked behind incompatible systems

AI can compress drug discovery timelines, unlock real-world health gains

Illustration: Binay Sinha

The fit-and-proper test is neither novel nor uniquely Indian

Gatekeeping professions: Fit-and-proper tests must be principled and fair

Low Income

Urban India's income distribution deserves to be looked at distinctly from rural India's

Urban incomes rise fast, but inequality widens within and beyond cities

Strait of Hormuz, vessels

Against this backdrop, the latest IMF's April 2026 World Economic Outlook still marks India out as an outlier of strength. India's FY27 growth forecast has been revised upward to 6.5 per cent

Riding out the West Asia storm: Testing India's economic resilience

From West Asia tensions and RBI policy signals to AI in drug trials, fiscal risks, GDP debates and India-China strategy, today's BS Opinion offers a wide-ranging view of key economic and geopolitical

Best of BS Opinion: West Asia risks, RBI stance, AI, GDP debate

Modi, Narendra Modi, Lee Jae Myung, South Korean President, Korean President

Lee Jae-Myung's India visit highlights untapped potential in India-South Korea ties, from semiconductors to shipbuilding, amid a shared push for a stable Indo-Pacific

Chips to ships: South Korea, India must collaborate in additional sectors

Crisis response: Things could get tough if the conflict continues

Fragile West Asia ceasefire and oil risks test India's economy, as the RBI balances rupee stability, inflation control, and growth amid rising global uncertainty

economy, west asia

West Asia tensions threaten India's fiscal balance, growth outlook, and external stability, forcing a rethink of macroeconomic assumptions

The West Asia Challenge: Govt must revisit its macroeconomic assumptions

(Photo: Reuters)

As the economy becomes more regionally differentiated, national and state averages are no longer enough to track growth

India's data collection needs to go local to capture finer details

Cyber security

From AI-driven cybersecurity risks and JNU's quota policy to India's macroeconomic challenges and the rupee debate, here is a concise roundup of Business Standard's key opinion pieces of the day

Best of BS Opinion: Threat from Claude calls for stronger governance of AI

illustration: BINAY SINHA

India's buffers can manage markets for now, but hard policy choices still lie ahead

India's buffers can steady markets, but hard policy choices lie ahead

Rs, Rupee, Cash, Credit, Economy, Saving, Payment, Indian Currency

Attempts by the central bank to hold back the rupee risk doing more harm than good

Let the rupee move freely: RBI intervention risks more harm than good

Cyber Security

When Anthropic realised the capability of the new model, it acknowledged CMP was too dangerous for general release

The world of Mythos: Need for structures to ensure governance, regulation

Higher Education

It may be argued that the quota acts as a perk of sorts for faculty in the absence of other key benefits

Reservations about quotas: Universities must eliminate faculty ward quotas

Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

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

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

Women attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Nari Shakti Vandan Abhinandan' programme, at Barasat in North 24 Parganas district (PTI Photo)

NDA MPs protest after the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill failed to get a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha, on Friday. (Photo: PTI)

From the setback to the women's quota Bill and rising fertiliser subsidies to tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, here is a curated selection of Business Standard's top Opinion pieces today

Best of BS Opinion: Govt must build consensus for Constitutional amendments

d20-insurance

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

Parliamentary committees on insurance must expand scope, sharpen focus

realty sector, real estate

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

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

urea, farmer, fertiliser

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

Fixing fertiliser subsidy: Pricing reform, targeted farmer support needed

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