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Tuesday, February 3, 2026
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Opinion

Budget 2026 didn’t address a critical issue—promoting MSME exports & keeping input costs high

Administrative efficiency and targeted schemes can ease frictions, but they cannot offset the competitiveness loss from expensive imported intermediates.

Xi’s military shake-up — stripping power from China’s central military command

The latest purging campaign blurs the line between anti-graft drive and political consolidation under Xi’s rule.

China’s Motuo dam is coming. Assam has no buffer and no real-time data

China, which harbours ambitions to control the Yarlung Tsangpo, as the Brahmaputra is known in Tibet, is moving ahead with its mega hydropower project at Motuo.

India needs derivatives for high economic growth. STT hike is a bad move

A sound tax system is one based on the ability to pay or economic surplus. But the STT taxes the circulation of capital and not its returns, making it deeply distortionary.

India-EU FTA gives template for shared governance. It will rewire a market worth €27 trillion

The most obvious impact will be trade liberalisation, but the architecture of the agreement goes far beyond tariffs.

Budget 2026 signals a business-as-usual approach to farm financing

The Budget does not speak of agriculture as a standalone sector. Instead, it embeds agriculture across seven priorities.

India spooks investors instead of calming them

Union Budget brings home to markets the unpleasant reality of fiscal dominance where RBI ends up prioritising deficit financing over its primary function of inflation control.

India’s love-hate relationship with foreign capital holds it back. What Budget 2026 hints at

Reviewing Foreign Exchange Management rules is fine, but India needs to stop being so suspicious of foreign money to hit 10 per cent growth.

Indian-Americans are leaving Hinduism. We must reimagine faith

We need to give space to American Hindus to challenge, reform, and even get rid of practices that perpetuate harm.

From populism to productivity—why the Budget 2026 makes a structural turn

The Budget proposals seek to balance sustained high economic growth with fiscal discipline and structural transformation.

On Camera

Don’t ask what to do with boys who rape. Ask what turned them into assaulters in the first place

Young boys who should be sweating about schoolwork are learning how to corner women. Are we now supposed to add children to the list of people we need to protect ourselves from?

Floundering PM Internship Scheme has seen 44% drop out since 2024 launch. Budget deals drastic blow

Only 21 percent of interns complete programme as Centre slashes budget by over 50% after poor joining and high attrition.

CDS Gen Chauhan in Armenia, focus on deeper defence ties including new deals

Armenia has procured significant defence equipment from India, including artillery guns, multi-barrel rocket launchers, air defence system, sniper rifles, weapons locating radars, anti-drone weapons.

Swiss report should now close Op Sindoor debate. Knowing when to stop the fight is key too

The key to fighting a war successfully, or even launching it, is a clear objective. That’s an entirely political call. It isn’t emotional or purely military.