Iran's Araghchi, Russia's Lavrov to be in Delhi for BRICS huddle

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have confirmed that they will be attending the meeting of BRICS Foreign Ministers in New Delhi on May 14-15.

However, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will not be at the meeting since he has to be in Beijing for the high-stakes talks between visiting US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. China's Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, is likely to represent his country at the BRICS meeting.

5% reservation in govt housing for people with disabilities in Karnataka

People With disabilities in Karnataka will now be able to avail 5% reservation in allotment of sites across all urban development authorities in the state. Besides, they will get 25% concession on the allotment value.

The state government recently informed the Karnataka High Court that it has amended the Urban Development Authority (Allotment of Sites) Rules to enhance affordability and housing security, aligning state law with Section 37 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. This mandate requires local authorities to provide land at concessional rates for housing, business, and recreation for those with benchmark disabilities.

Unchanged since 2012, old age pension of Rs 200 eroded due to inflation: Study

With The Centre's contribution to monthly old age pensions unchanged at Rs 200-500 per beneficiary since 2012 under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), the real value of these fixed cash transfers has "significantly eroded" due to inflation, an evaluation commissioned by the Union Ministry of Rural Development has found.

According to the report, inflation has reduced the real value of these cash transfers by around 45% and adjusted to the current Consumer Price Index (CPI); a pension of Rs 200 would now need to be about Rs 353 to retain its original purchasing power.

In a shifting world order, five principles should guide India's diplomacy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brief stop in the United Arab Emirates an route to Europe this week comes amid growing uncertainty over the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran and the danger of an intensifying regional war. Modi's presence in Abu Dhabi underlines an enduring principle of sound diplomacy: Stand by your partners when they need you.

West Asia crisis is nudge for fertiliser reform

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to Indian farmers to cut chemical fertiliser consumption by ha half and move towards "natural farming" may not be practical or desirable. The underlying intent, though, may only be to curtail demand and push farmers to use fertilisers judiciously which is sensible and necessary. Fertilisers supply essential nutrients to crops like nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and sulphur (S) for them to yield harvestable produce.

PM's appeal for gold restraint could mark a powerful inflection point

Record gold imports hitting nearly $72 billion in FY 2025-26, widening the trade deficit, and fresh pressures from West Asia tensions pushing up oil prices. India's forex reserves face strain from multiple fronts.

Moody's slashes India's growth forecast for 2026 to 6%

Moody's Ratings on Tuesday downgraded its gross domestic product (GDP) growth projection for India to 6% from a previous estimate of 6.8% for 2026, citing the economic fallout from the ongoing West Asia conflict.

The revision highlights risks from elevated energy prices, subdued private consumption, softer industrial activity, and potential supply chain disruptions.

April inflation at 3.48%, dining out gets dearer

Retail Prices rose 3.48% year-on-year in April, slightly higher than the 3.4% increase recorded in March, as the government's efforts to shield consumers from the West Asia energy shock continued to bear fruits. However, certain categories are increasingly seeing prices rising at a faster pace, with eating out in particular becoming more expensive, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) on Tuesday.

States' capex loans to be linked to renewable energy adoption

The Government is set to link the adoption of renewable energy to the long-term, interest-free loans states get from the Centre for capital expenditure in its push for greater clean energy adoption.