Reforms

Britain's Farage quits parliament in protest, will stand for re-election

Nigel Farage quits as a UK lawmaker to trigger a by-election, saying he will seek a fresh mandate and continue Reform UK's political campaign

Datanomics: GST turns 9, collections see slower growth in recent years

GST enters its 10th year with slab reforms underway, but key sectors remain outside the tax net as revenue growth and tax-GDP gains trail expectations

Best of BS Opinion: India must push ahead on reforms agenda

Today's BS Opinion examines India's regulatory hurdles, the NEET-UG crisis, rising fiscal stress from welfare promises, corporate governance failures, and China under Xi Jinping

Reforms in India: From ease of doing business to ease of trusting systems

Trust is no longer just a matter of perception; it is a hard economic and governance variable

Streamline regulations: Jan Vishwas Bill is a step in the right direction

Notably, the Bill is not a standalone reform. It is part of a broader and consistent policy intervention over the past decade and is aimed at improving the business environment

India riding on reform express, reforms happening with clarity: Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said India is riding on the reform express and reforms are happening with conviction and clarity. Replying to the debate on Finance Bill 2026 in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said, "Reform is not happening out of compulsion, but out of conviction, with clarity, confidence and commitment. India is riding on the reform express under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi." She further said there is a trust-based tax administration that is being improved by reducing unnecessary hardship for honest taxpayers. The government has taken various steps to empower MSMEs, farmers, and cooperatives because they are at the heart of creation of employment for production and for the overall development of India, she said. This Finance bill aims to support them with very many measures that improve liquidity but also reduce the compliance burden and give them the opportunity to have greater contribution towards the larger economy, she ...

Cuba emerges from another blackout and tries to woo exile investors

The precariousness of the island of 10 million people was on full display earlier, when it suffered another national blackout, at least the sixth such outage in the span of a year

Govt sets up 17-member committee for larger reforms in SEZ policy

The government has set up a 17-member committee to suggest larger reforms in the policy for special economic zones (SEZs), an official said. It will submit a concept paper recommending a roadmap for broad-based and comprehensive reforms to formulate a SEZ 2.0 policy. It will undertake a background study focused on the harmonisation of various prevalent export promotion schemes, including SEZs, export-oriented units (EoUs), MOOWR (Manufacturing and Other Operations in Warehouse), Advance Authorisation, EPCG (export promotion for capital goods), and Duty Free Import Authorisation (DFIA). The committee's composition includes representatives from commerce, customs, Niti Aayog, DPIIT, and CBIC. The terms of reference include examining the existing Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Act, 2005, with a view to assessing their effectiveness in the current global trade, investment environment and macro-economic landscape and harmonisation with other export promotion schemes so that policy distorti

PM Modi directs ministers to prepare roadmap for next set of reforms

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid out an ambitious agenda for reforms and asked his Cabinet colleagues to prepare a detailed note about the initiatives to be taken in their respective ministries in the coming years. The exercise is part of the Modi government's renewed thrust on simplifying processes, improve ease of doing business and expanding technology-led governance under its 'Reform Express' agenda, official sources said. The ministers were told to prepare the note themselves so that they can present it in the meeting of the Union Cabinet and brief about various activities of the respective ministries and the reform outlook. It is learnt that the Cabinet Secretariat has circulated a specific form, laying out the format in which each ministry will write its future reform initiatives as well as achievements of the last few years. The ministers will have to clearly convey the key points of the reform of their respective ministries, when it was implemented or when it could be

PM Modi pays tribute to Swami Dayanand Saraswati on 202nd birth anniversary

To Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati ji, who remained dedicated throughout his life to the service of Mother Bharati, heartfelt and respectful tributes on his birth anniversary, PM Modi wrote on X

Why hospitality needs policy reforms to achieve India’s tourism goals

In this session of Guru gyaan, M P Bezbaruah provided his rich insights on the Indian tourism sector that includes the current situation, reforms and other aspects.

Eyeing a growth pill: Pharma Inc calls for easier regulatory prescription

Industry says approval delays, weak clinical trial infra holding back sector

Indirect Taxes: Growth engine for India charged up for an uncertain world

The Budget meets industry expectations by simplifying tariff structures, boosting domestic manufacturing through duty corrections, and leveraging AI to automate trade processes for high-growth economy

Union Budget 2026-27: Centre lowers funding for major export schemes

Export incentive allocations have been pared back in Budget 2026-27, with sharp cuts to RoDTEP and RoSCTL even as exporters face geopolitical risks and higher US tariffs

Union Budget 2026-27: Reform over rhetoric, growth with guardrails

From medical hubs to incentives for seaplane manufacturing, the Budget broadens demand creation beyond brick-and-mortar

We are a reforms express govt: FM Sitharaman in Budget speech | Union Budget 2026

Watch the full Union Budget speech by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 at 11 AM. This will be Nirmala Sitharaman's ninth consecutive Budget speech

Govt on 'reforms express' path; GST 2.0 saved ₹1 trillion: President Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said the government is moving on the path of 'Reforms Express', benefitting the poor and middle class, and the historic next-gen GST reform rolled out last year has ensured savings of Rs 1 lakh crore for citizens. In her address to both Houses of Parliament, Murmu also said the government has revamped the Income Tax law and taken a "historic decision" to exempt income of up to Rs 12 lakh from taxation. "These reforms are providing unprecedented benefits to poor and middle-class families. It has also given a new impetus to the country's economy," Murmu said. The new and simplified Income Tax Act 2025 has been enacted and will be implemented from April 1, 2026. In the 2025-26 Budget presented on February 1, last year, the government had increased the income tax exemption threshold to Rs 12 lakh from Rs 7 lakh earlier. "Today, my government is moving forward on the path of 'Reforms Express'. Old rules and provisions are being updated continuously

Personnel Ministry in 2025: Citizen-centric reforms, waste-to-wealth push

The year 2025 saw significant strides by the Personnel Ministry in further strengthening governance through citizen-centric reforms, nationwide employment generation and a special cleanliness campaign that resulted in a revenue earning of over Rs 800 crore by the Centre. The ministry -- entrusted with responsibilities of managing the central government's workforce and formulating policies on personnel matters -- also relocated to the new 'Kartavya Bhavan-3' office from the 'North Block' this year -- a step aimed at further improving inter-division coordination, reducing turnaround time for inter-departmental consultation and enhancing the overall quality of office work through improved infrastructure. Speaking to PTI on the ministry's achievements during the year and roadmap for 2026, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said that citizen-centricity would remain a key thrust area of its work to ensure ease of governance for one and all. "The Personnel Ministry has be

Centre's district-level playbook to steer business reforms in states

The DPIIT has told states to conduct a training need assessment (TNA) every year for officers and staff involved in investment promotion and facilitation

Centre to notify Labour Code rules before winter session of Parliament

The four Codes that are part of the Centres's attempts to enact labour reforms have remained stuck, with neither the Centre nor the states moving to notify them yet