Editorial Comment

Passengers must pay: Rail freight revenue can increase, but so must fares

A parliamentary panel has urged Indian Railways to diversify freight beyond coal, revisit tariffs and confront passenger fare subsidies to keep the system financially viable

FDI for growth: Foreign participation in insurance should raise competition

Even as the sector opens up to greater competition and foreign investment, long-standing challenges continue to constrain its reach and credibility

Trade possibilities: Latest numbers should not distract policymakers

Strong November export growth offers relief, but trade uncertainty persists as India races to seal a deal with the US amid tariffs, capital outflows and rupee pressure

Regulating higher education: Focus should be on improving outcomes

The UGC oversees non-technical universities, the AICTE is concerned with technical education, while the NCTE is the regulatory body for teachers' education

Harnessing nuclear energy: Bill seeks to address key investor concerns

Changes in the provision on operator liabilities can be expected to encourage investment

The label wears Prada: How global deals can galvanise India's handicraft

As the Prada-Kolhapuri deal demonstrated, IP protection lies at the core of any dynamic collaborative arrangement between domestic artisans and global marketers

Copyright protection: Better framework is needed for AI training

A central government-appointed body will collect and distribute these royalties while a separate committee will set rates, subject to judicial review

Nuclear energy for growth: Sustaining a vibrant enabling environment is key

India's goal is to boost its installed nuclear-power capacity to 100 Gw from the current 8.8 Gw by 2047

A binding national plan is urgently needed to tackle air pollution

The key message from this 10-year study is that despite policy intervention and technological improvement, India's major cities continue to suffer major air-quality challenges

Beating expectations: Recent reforms will improve the business environment

India's GDP surged 8% in the first half, defying global headwinds, but weak nominal growth and slowing tax revenues raise fresh questions ahead of the MPC's policy review

A timely course correction: The rollback of QCOs must be sustained

A long-overdue course correction begins as the government moves to roll back QCOs that hurt small firms, consumers, and exports - but momentum must continue to prevent regulatory overreach

Bihar voters have spoken, the new government must now keep its promises

As things stand, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to lead the government again and, having been mostly at the helm since 2005, is well aware of where the state stands

The learning curve: QS rankings reflect gaps in education governance

India's slipping university ranks signal deep cracks in higher education quality - reforms must focus on academic freedom, research excellence, and teaching standards to stay globally competitive

Prioritise safety: Weaknesses in railways must be addressed quickly

The Bilaspur collision is a stark reminder that India's railway expansion must be matched by a stronger, technology-driven safety culture focused on prevention, not reaction

Zohran Mamdani's NYC win signals a turn towards the Left in US politics

Progressive Zohran Mamdani's stunning NYC win and key Democratic victories in Virginia, New Jersey, and California signal headwinds for Trump ahead of next year's US mid-term polls

Thin ice: States are drowning in debt and politics keeps adding weight

Cash transfers to women need a wider debate

Amazon's automation drive could reshape global logistics and workforce

The company has responded to the news report with a statement that these are projections made by only one division (its robotics division) and they are not necessarily correct

A real burden: Tax disputes worth trillions are choking India's growth

With ₹16 trillion locked in unresolved tax disputes, India must urgently reform its judicial and tax systems to clear backlogs and restore investor confidence in a rule-based economy

Labour reform 2.0: India's digital blueprint for jobs and inclusion

To harness this shift, the Shram Shakti Niti draft outlines a series of interventions to bridge the divide between skill and opportunity

COP30 in Brazil faces world at its hottest and most divided on climate

As COP30 opens in Brazil, record CO₂ levels and faltering global leadership leave climate goals in peril, testing the world's resolve to act on its promises