Page 12 - Business Standard Editorial Comment

Low visibility: AAIB report on Air India crash needs technical clarity

The problem with the AAIB's 15-page report is that it has sparked damaging speculation about "pilot error" or, worse, pilot suicide

Gaps in data gathering understate actual levels of inequality in India

According to the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2022-23, inequality in consumption did decline

India must deepen ties with Asean nations, not abandon its trade agreement

Some within the government, as well as prominent voices in industry, have complained that the FTA with Asean allows for the dumping of Chinese goods in India via Southeast Asia

Nutrition transition: Focus should now be on diet quality, protein shifts

More importantly, the wide disparities in calorie consumption between the poorest and the wealthiest have narrowed significantly, signalling a welcome reduction in nutritional inequality

Letters and the spirit: Trump pushes global trade into uncharted territory

With the end of the 90-day pause on the imposition of the so-called reciprocal tariffs and the US sending letters, a few things are now clear

Making Brics count: Summit highlighted diminishing global relevance

The lengthy, nearly 16,000-word Rio de Janeiro Declaration, which followed the summit, made all the right noises about "inclusive and sustainable" governance

Presidential promises: Donald Trump swiftly implements his budget agenda

Mr Musk, and other critics of the Budget Bill, are concerned in particular about the risk of rising debt levels in the US

Off the road: Vehicle pollution needs structured solutions, policy action

The proposed CAFE norms also show that addressing the problem needs a better approach

Waiting for India-US deal: The trade outlook remains uncertain amid delays

Nearly half of India's population depend directly or indirectly on agriculture for livelihood. There are also concerns in India about genetically modified food items that the US wants to push

Focus on development: Don't divert state capacity to curb free speech

Karnataka government has produced a draft Bill that allows for jail terms of up to seven years for the production of fake news and other problematic content

Govt must go beyond RDI, fund bluesky research at the university level

The RDI scheme may address some of the concerns about private-sector R&D, though it will be critically important to support the right sort of projects

US' approach to Pak terror raises questions on Quad's effectiveness

The fact that a Quad foreign ministers' meeting was held a day after Mr Trump was sworn in for a second term and talks began for a New Delhi summit later this year is seen as a sign of hope

Employment push: New job scheme must be supported by structural reforms

The widespread skill mismatch and the low penetration of technical and vocational education have further compounded the problem

Speeding up trade: Operational gaps in cargo clearance need attention

The study flags delays in duty payment, frequent amendments to shipping and entry documents, and inefficient query resolution as key contributors to higher clearance times

External risks: Trade and capital flows to impact economic growth

The developments in the US can affect the Indian economy through different channels. It will not only be critical to watch the kind of trade deal offered to India

Strategic opportunity: Mazagon-CDPLC deal boosts India's maritime influence

This strategic deal between MDSL and CDPLC was the outcome of extensive discussion between Indian and Sri Lankan officials

Scaling up garment production: Incentives alone won't fix structural gaps

Aimed at boosting the production of manmade fibre (MMF) apparel and MMF fabric, it was launched in 2021 with a budgetary outlay of ₹10,683 crore for five years

Fare track: Latest hike in railway tariff seems a modest proposal

The fare increase is expected to generate revenue of ₹700 crore in FY26 over a Budget estimate of ₹92,800 crore

Ending a right: Challenging birthright citizenship won't end well for US

If Mr Trump indeed succeeds in rolling back birthright citizenship then it will stand as an epochal shift in American identity and in its role in the world

Household income survey to gauge earnings welcome, but challenging

The World Inequality Lab has estimated inequality declined in India between 1947 and the early 1980s, before reversing course and widening dramatically over the last 25 years