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Tuesday, February 17, 2026
TopicEssential services

Topic: essential services

Unions say Essential Defence Services Bill against right to strike but even ILO sets limits

While introducing the Bill, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that its provisions will not prevent ordnance factory workers from expressing their grievances.

Covid talent contests and Didi kitchens — how Dumka relied on community to survive lockdown

Dumka’s Deputy Commissioner writes on how connecting with people allowed her to be an accessible leader during the Jharkhand district’s Covid fight.

In Covid battle, this ‘army’ of volunteers is helping senior citizens, others stuck at home

A simple message on Facebook offering help has mushroomed into a pan-India community that answers distress calls, requests to check in on ageing parents, and so on.

Indians in lockdown find new passion in baking bread, and it’s helping them beat the blues

Be it supply-chain issues or the need to channel anxious energy, quarantined Indians are turning to the culture of baking bread in a big way.

How smokers are getting by without cigarettes in Covid-19 lockdown (it’s helping many quit)

Many smokers are struggling to get their daily dose of nicotine amid the lockdown. While some are grappling with withdrawal, others are using the chance to kick the butt.

A look inside Rajasthan’s closed highway dhabas when lockdown leaves no one to feed

Speaking to ThePrint, owners of several dhabas along Kota-Chittorgarh-Udaipur highway in Rajasthan said they're out of business. Many didn't know they could reopen from 20 April.

Agriculture, manufacturing units will drive GDP but more relief needed, say industry bodies

The govt Wednesday issued fresh guidelines for phase 2 of the lockdown, allowing hospitals, agricultural, manufacturing sectors, among others, to function.

Gopalkrishna Gandhi on Mahatma Gandhi during crises, Manu Joseph unhappy with essential goods

Today’s political, economic & strategic punditry from Aruna Sundararajan, Suyash Rai, Rahul Verma and many more.

In coronavirus lockdown, add the arts to essential services list

Be it our return to the arts or our reliance on the people who do the jobs we don't want, Covid-19 is making us re-examine our views on these important realities.

On Camera

Imagine if Epstein files named Rahul Gandhi or MK Stalin. What would BJP and TV media do?

The questions are not going to go away. But future generations will know who refused to ask the tough questions and who didn’t.

Tamil Nadu FM presents interim budget, attacks Centre for ‘artificially inflating’ state’s debt

DMK govt accuses Centre of withholding funds, tightening borrowing, unilateral deductions from state accounts. Says Centre's accounting & funding decisions have 'artificially inflated' debt burden.

US military commander, envoy Sergio Gor visit Indian Army Western Command, Bengaluru next

At the Western Army Command, the American delegation was briefed on the capabilities of the formation, past operations and the path ahead.

The new Great Game—Trump’s playing for time, China for leverage & India for wiggle room

This is the game every nation is now learning to play. Some are finding new allies or seeing value among nations where they’d seen marginal interest. The starkest example is India & Europe.