Netanyahu Faces Backlash After Israeli Strike on Hamas Leaders in Doha
This time around, the Qataris—and by extension, other Arab and Islamic countries—are showing exceptional unity in confronting Israel directly, and, by implication, the US as well
Category Thematic Areas
GST Exemptions and NIL Rates: Policy Gains Versus Consumer Realities
Health insurance for individuals has been made exempt from Goods and Services Tax. GST has been removed from life insurance premium payments for individuals, as well. Both used to be charged GST at 18%. So, this represents major relief for individuals, this lowering of the cost of buying insurance by nearly a fifth, right? That magnitude of reduction in the cost of either life or health insurance is merely an illusion. The cost of insurance might come down somewhat, but definitely not by 18%.
Embracing Opportunity with Caution: India’s Strategic Engagement with America
India embraces its need for American intelligence and weapons to keep China at bay. At the same time, India does not want to be obliged to the US so much that it comes under its thumb. India is better off with a multipolar world, with multiple power centres.
Bridging Gaps in Education: The Post-Matric Scholarship for SC Students
Education has never been a critical step towards ending the chain of inherited social inequality in India. For SCs, formal education has long been precluded by discrimination as well as financial struggles.
Making GST Work: Transparency, Simplicity, and One Tax for One Nation
According to GoI’s response to a question in Parliament, there have been 42,673 instances of input tax credit fraud, worth ₹1,66,241 cr, cumulatively over FY21 and FY25 (up to January for the last fiscal).
India-Iran: Chabahar Port and Multimodal Trade Corridors
India and Iran have historically enjoyed cultural, economic, and historical connections. Their relations have also gained new strategic importance in the last few decades with the re-emergence of Chabahar Port as a hub for India's regional connectivity policy.
Strengthening Farmers’ Security: Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), 2016
In India, where over half the population depends on agriculture for their livelihood, and more than 70% of farmers are small and marginal, they remain extremely vulnerable to climate variability and crop failures (NITI Aayog, 2019). The growing threat of global warming has intensified the frequency and severity of erratic weather patterns, worsened agricultural risks, and deepened the cycle of income insecurity and indebtedness among farmers. Recognizing this urgent challenge, the Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in 2016. It is a large-scale crop subsidy insurance scheme that aims to safeguard farmers. This scheme is being administered by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.