Bs Opinion

Jal Jeevan 2.0 must deliver water, not just more tap connections

Learning from its first phase, the mission must now move beyond intent to honest execution

An unreasonable Bill: Tariffs on Russian oil importers make no sense

A proposed US Bill targeting buyers of Russian oil could disrupt India's energy security and trade, even as West Asia tensions threaten global oil supplies

New urea policy tackles imports, but ignores fertiliser subsidy distortions

India's new urea policy boosts domestic production, but leaves unresolved the subsidy imbalance driving overuse, soil degradation and rising fertiliser costs

India's regulators need more independent voices, less insider control

Complex markets require independent voices and diverse expertise. India's regulatory architecture is missing both

Making India attractive to foreign capital: Beyond the RBI's June measures

The RBI's June measures have bought India some time. The challenge now is to use that time wisely

Farmer-led cooperatives can drive the next phase of agricultural growth

The role of the producer- and cooperative-controlled sector may be relevant for an emerging option that could be a substantial source of income for farmers

India's million-plus cities reveal stark differences in jobs and pay

In building the first city-level portrait of urban work, the National Statistics Office has taken a step towards the evidence-based view that sound urban policy depends on

Vivo-Dixon venture signals a pragmatic shift in China investment policy

The initial move in 2020 to shut off all Chinese investment followed the clashes on the Line of Actual Control in the Himalayas

Monitoring measures: New services index will help gauge activity over time

Earlier attempts to construct a services production index were constrained by the absence of reliable monthly data

The learning curve: Interventions must move beyond expanding school access

UDISE+ shows gains in enrolment and retention, but weak learning outcomes and the shift from government to private schools underline the need to prioritise education quality

Oil prices and monsoon uncertainty will shape RBI's inflation outlook

June inflation rose above the RBI's 4% target, with food, oil prices and monsoon risks clouding the outlook, making a status quo on rates the likely policy choice

Chinese mercantilism has dealt the global economy the mother of all shocks

Chinese mercantilism has been more globally consequential than any other economic shock or policy choice in reshaping the world this millennium

AI threatens low-end jobs, making skilling an urgent national priority

Govt needs to focus more on low-end work, which will be impacted more by technology and artificial intelligence

Best of BS Opinion: Competitiveness is built by openness and clarity

Whether in retail, football, industry, capital flows or public finance, the systems that win are those willing to open up, disclose more, compete harder and adapt faster

Can India innovate? The innovation gap starts with its largest companies

India has the talent and startup momentum, but unless its largest companies invest boldly in R&D, the country risks falling behind in global innovation

Off-field divide: European football teams racially diverse but Europe isn't

White Europeans may be happy to watch foreign players from the distance of a football stadium win sporting laurels for their nations but are unlikely to welcome them elsewhere

Retail rulebook: India needs a clear policy framework for growth

With ecommerce emerging as the biggest disruptor, international marquee brands entered this space and, more recently, the quick-commerce segment

Best of BS Opinion: The missing links beyond visible progress

Visible progress matters, as these pieces show, but missing links decide how far it can go

The missing human growth factor: Bridging India's human-capital deficit

Human capital - not geography, culture or natural resources - now explains why some nations become wealthy while others remain stagnant

The poor's savings: The next frontier for NPCI and RBI Innovation Hub

For savings, the risk of default or malfeasance is borne by the vulnerable customer and, therefore, the regulator is cautious in allowing any latitude in experiments with savings products