Page 8 - Editorial Comment

Road to decentralisation: Rural local bodies need to be strengthened

Overall, devolution to rural local bodies increased from 39.9 per cent in 2013-14 to 43.9 per cent in 2021-22, said the govt report

Unprecedented visit: A whole-of-govt approach needed for India-EU ties

Resetting relations between two large, complex, and heavily regulated economies needs to be read from a much broader perspective

Fixing India's soil crisis: Farmer awareness, tech can arrest degradation

Excessive nitrogen application at the cost of micronutrients and manure not only reduces soil productivity over time but also contributes to nutrient runoffs and groundwater contamination

Safe haven: With economic weaknesses, gold prices are likely to go up

The global economy is weak and supply-chain issues that started with the pandemic have been exacerbated by the Ukraine war and turmoil in West Asia. As a result, there's been inflation

A level playing field: Tackling spam calls needs collective action

In the past, Trai had come up with many regulations to curb unsolicited calls and messages but they have largely remained ineffective

Now, to governance: Delhi's new govt has opportunity to deliver seamlessly

The received wisdom is that Delhi's administrators must address two sets of constituents: The middle class and the poor

India must boost AI research to retain top talent and stay competitive

With a large chunk of the tech world's capital and talent being deployed towards monetising AI, competition among countries in this arena will be fiercer than ever

Trump's outreach to Putin disrupts US-Ukraine policy and Nato ties

The key element of Mr Trump's deal appears to centre on veiled threats to withdraw US military aid to Ukraine to persuade Kyiv to cede to Russia territory

The growth path: Economic Survey 2025 presents a realistic assessment

It discussed the medium- to long-term challenges in detail, which should guide policymaking

Durable foundation: The Constitution reflects India's founding values

Constitution remains a guarantor of Indian democracy despite the efforts of those who seek to undermine it

Fiscal health check: NITI Aayog's initiative will inform policymaking

The FHI covers 18 large states and has been developed with a focus on five sub-indices: The quality of expenditure, revenue mobilisation, fiscal prudence, debt index, and debt sustainability

No grey areas: Regulated trading before listing will increase transparency

Transaction prices on the grey market are opaque and impossible to verify

Withdrawal symptoms: US is ceding global leadership where it matters most

Both decisions represent expressions of Mr Trump's "America First" agenda

Blending dilemma: Conflicting priorities on flex-fuel need clear policy

Ethanol in India is derived primarily from sugarcane, a crop that is not only water-intensive but is also being increasingly diverted to ethanol production

Back to a Maga future: Mr Trump's second coming signals more disruption

Mr Trump earned the loudest and longest cheer for his intention, backed by an executive order, to declare a national emergency on the southern border

Threat or opportunity: India needs to be prepared for AI-driven changes

A recent study by Bloomberg Intelligence indicates that jobs in banking and finance are among the most vulnerable to AI induction

Widening net: New US sanctions to affect supply of Russian energy

Two large producers and exporters have been brought into the sanctions net: Surgutneftegas and Gazprom Neft

Amplifying misinformation: Meta's decision will harm public interest

Fact checking was initiated after the 2016 US elections and the Brexit referendum, which were both influenced by rampant disinformation on Facebook

Local, not global: Indian brands are rare in foreign marketplaces

Haldiram's, in contrast, is one of the handful of Indian-owned and -developed brands that not only grew but held its own against the snack foods flood from multinationals

Risk appetite: How Indians are diversifying their savings portfolios

Expectedly, urban households display a greater inclination to adapt their investment choices to dynamic economic conditions