Page 9 - Editorial Comment

Road map for efficiency: India must rethink its transport strategy

Proper transport planning can address infrastructure bottlenecks by facilitating larger-scale, pan-Indian connectivity

Developing disorder: China's step set to shake up supplies of rare earths

It has been known since at least 2010 that China has been seeking a monopoly on certain critical minerals, and that it would also be willing to use this monopoly for the purposes of economic coercion

Navigating the era of high US tariffs: How India can limit the damage

These "reciprocal" tariffs have created uncertainty and disruption in world trade, violating established norms and principles of international trade

Beyond valuations: India needs to invest more in R&D for sustained growth

India's startup ecosystem still falls short of structures that support deep tech

US tariff turmoil: RBI MPC needs to gauge the effect of uncertainty

The challenge for the MPC is to gauge how this heightened level of uncertainty will affect growth and inflation dynamics in India, which will form the basis of its policy decision

Bloc development: Bimstec needs faster progress; India's role is key

This sixth summit, hosted by Thailand under its chairmanship, saw some energetic interventions by India as part of the "PRO" agenda

Spiralling downwards: Govt must make careful moves on trade talks

Beijing can perhaps take the risk of a strong line because it is now less dependent on direct exports to the US than it has been in the past

Maintaining law and order: Police forces urgently need legal training

The disturbing point about the findings of this study is that these extreme approaches to law and order persist more than seven decades since Independence

External risks: US trade policy may affect economic growth in FY26

According to the National Statistics Office's second advance estimates, the Indian economy is estimated to have grown 6.5 per cent in FY25

Accounting for performance: MPs need better pay to deliver results

When MPs' salaries were raised in 2018, then finance minister Arun Jaitley introduced a proposal for automatic revision every five years

Size and scale: Regulation should enable companies to scale up faster

However, gaining access to technology is not the only problem small and medium-sized businesses are facing

Learning to grow: Strengthening education can drive economic growth

Increased access to higher-education facilitates more workers to take up high-skill jobs

All above board: Sebi's move on disclosures a step in the right direction

Sebi board has decided to constitute a high-level panel, which will comprehensively review "the provisions relating to conflict of interest, disclosures pertaining to property, investments, etc

Fare play: Are DGCA's information demands on airfares excessive?

The DGCA does monitor airfares randomly every month to ensure that they do not exceed the price range set by airlines

Climate concerns: Changing rainfall patterns threaten agriculture

In 2024, India experienced extreme weather events on 322 days, up from 318 in 2023, affecting around 4.07 million hectares of crop area

Trade uncertainty: US trade policy can complicate the Fed's choices

The administration's policies on immigration, for instance, will have longer-term consequences for the US economy

A new innings for IPL: This premier cricket tournament needs to evolve

As a "charitable organisation", the riches that the BCCI earns from the IPL are tax-free so long as the money is used to further the objective of promoting cricket

Customer first: Banks must focus on customer service across the system

Given that India has seen a significant adoption of digital payments, the quality of service in the banking and financial sector has become extremely important

Power planning: Proactive management key to preventing shortages

The Grid Controller of India, the NLDC's parent organisation, has predicted a one-in-three chance of a shortfall in May alone

Improved outlook: Higher food grain output will help in managing inflation

Food grain production in the kharif season is estimated to have increased by 7.9 per cent relative to the previous year, while estimated rabi production is set to increase by 6 per cent