Editorial Comment

Failed tests: National Testing Agency needs better preparation for exams

Neet determines admission to roughly 120,000 MBBS (bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery) seats, with over 2 million students competing for them

Stability and growth: India needs to accelerate its pace of reforms

It is worth recognising that the global business environment has changed over the past few years, and a country like India has to improve its business environment more proactively

Managing fiscal fallout: Govt must make the necessary adjustments

Higher fuel prices and limited gas availability are affecting economic activities, which could result in lower overall tax collection and add further pressure on the Budget

Learning deficit: India's education must focus on quality of outcomes

In many private schools, children struggle with reading comprehension and arithmetic despite parents paying higher fees in the hope of better outcomes

Judicial roadblocks for trade tariffs won't change Donald Trump's mind

For many countries around the world, including India, the possibility of Section 301 tariffs is even more concerning than the arbitrary IEEPA levies the President introduced last year

Beyond appeals: Prices are the best way to change consumer behaviour

If the government allows prices to adjust swiftly in response to the changed supply situation, then people will automatically follow suit

The next IT state: New govt can make West Bengal an upscale tech hub

The focus on MSMEs has not translated into meaningful capital formation, which sustains industrial growth and employment

Manufacturing ambition: India needs a coherent strategy to boost industry

In a fast-changing global environment, India needs a coherent strategy and a set of reforms to attract investment and meaningfully increase manufacturing output

Lost cause: Mamata Banerjee's defiance risks stoking lawlessness in Bengal

Ms Banerjee's contention is that the election has not been conducted fairly and that central forces were misused to capture booths and influence the outcome

Hope for Vodafone Idea: The telco must quickly raise capital

The government has supported Vi in many ways so that the sector does not slip into a duopoly

Digital governance: Administrative reforms can boost productivity

India's push for ease of doing business over the past decade, particularly the 98-point action plan launched in 2015 by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade and the World Bank,

Liquidity support: Credit guarantee scheme will help small businesses

Given the credit guarantee, banks will be less reluctant to lend, particularly to MSMEs

Empty chairs: Government should not delay board appointments at PSBs

Over the years, the government has made significant intervention in institutionalising the appointment processes. But of late, action seems to have lagged

Watching the earth: Drishti signals India's push for sovereign space power

GalaxEye claims it has signed distribution partnerships across over 20 countries, even before full commissioning

Strengthening preparedness: New disaster warning system will protect lives

While India's high mobile penetration provides strong foundations for a nationwide alert system, connectivity is uneven, particularly in remote and rural regions, device compatibility varies widely

Promise and delivery: Record turnout at polls reflected demand for change

The most humbling lessons of anti-incumbency, however, came from West Bengal, where the BJP finally fulfilled its ambition of ousting Mamata Banerjee's TMC after the latter's 15 years in power

Next digital leap: DPI 2.0 can drive innovation and economic growth

India's local innovation capacity remains uneven, particularly outside major urban centres. Data systems are fragmented, raising challenges for interoperability and trust

Policy adjustments: A sustained West Asia crisis will force tough decisions

Given that the shortage of gas has affected economic activities, tax collection too will be impacted

Measuring services: New index for formal sector will fill a critical gap

India's ISP proposal broadly aligns with these international practices, particularly in its reliance on administrative data and value-based indicators

Policy prescription: MoF's economic review presents a realistic assessment

One clear message from the West Asia conflict is the need to build buffers of key inputs, and this should not be limited to oil and gas