To attract foreign investors, Govt considers cut in withholding tax 

After Hiking import duty on gold, the government and the Reserve Bank of India are learnt to be considering multiple measures to attract foreign investment inflows including a cut in the withholding tax rate on government bonds, if not completely eliminating it.

Iran listening, India says safe Hormuz key to economic health

Underlining that "stability cannot be selective, and peace cannot be piecemeal", External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told visiting Foreign Ministers of the BRICS countries Thursday that "safe and unimpeded maritime flows through international waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea, remain vital for global economic well-being".

Why minister, why not a neutral person in panel to pick ECs: SC

Stating That the Election Commission of India must not only be independent but also appear to be so, the Supreme Court Thursday wondered why there can't be an "independent member" in the three-member panel that picks the Election Commissioners (ECs) when even the committee for selecting the CBI Director has the Chief Justice of India in it.

EC announces schedule for Phase 3 of SIR in 16 states, 3 UTs; process begins on May 30

The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday announced the schedule for the third phase of the SIR exercise, covering 16 states and three Union Territories. The new phase starts from May 30 in Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim and Manipur.

India needs to win back foreign investors. Three things to do

India could evaluate a shift to a residence-based capital gains tax system, exempting foreign investors from long-term capital gains tax. This would remove a major irritant that currently deters foreign portfolio investors.

Court shows the way, law must follow

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971, which was most recently amended in 2021, expanded the permissibility of abortions from 20 weeks up to 24 weeks of gestation. Beyond this limit, petitioners have approached the courts for permission and in many instances medical boards and doctors have opposed the requests. In two notable cases this year, the Supreme Court (SC) has permitted abortion beyond 24 weeks with explicit observations upholding women's reproductive autonomy. With the repeated necessity of court intervention, it is time that legislative guarantees towards the right to reproductive autonomy were expanded for late-term abortions.

PM's Europe trip: New alliances for new uncertainties

India-Nordic Summit, Oslo (May 19)

The first India-Nordic summit was held in Stockholm (2018) and the second in Copenhagen (2022), bringing together leaders of India, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. Only the US holds an equivalent summit-level engagement with the Nordics.

The trade and investment logic is important, as India-Nordic trade in goods and services touched $19 billion in 2024 (exports $9.4 billion, imports $9.6 billion). Over 700 Nordic companies operate in India, while 150 Indian companies are present in the Nordic region.

The summit is expected to boost Make in India investment flows and attract Nordic capital, reinforced by the India-EU FTA, and the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland), which came into force on October 1, 2025.

Behind govt ban on sugar exports: Iran war, El Niño

Sugarcane requires high doses of fertilisers and plenty of water.

The Iran war has choked fertiliser supply through the Strait of Hormuz. And the El Niño ocean warming phenomenon will affect the monsoon.

What is PCOS and why does renaming it to PMOS matter?

Experts estimate a PMOS prevalence of around 16 to 18% in India.

The new name may aid awareness that the condition includes important metabolic and hormonal aspects, beyond the ovaries.

It could encourage earlier screening for obesity, diabetes, hypertension and other metabolic complications.

April wholesale prices jump 8.3%, most in 42 months amid war

Wholesale Prices in India jumped 8.3% year-on-year (y-o-y) in April as against an increase of 3.88% in March as the impact of the West Asia war mounted sharply, with producers bearing the brunt of the cost.

As per the data released by the commerce ministry on Thursday, inflation based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) in April was the highest in 42 months, with energy related items seeing an unprecedented rise in prices and contributing almost three-fourth of the increase in inflation from March.

How Al-focused GCCs are challenging traditional IT services

India's Global Capability Centre (GCC) ecosystem is undergoing a rapid transformation, with multinational firms increasingly using their India centres not just for back-office operations but for Al development, engineering, research and global business functions.

A recent report estimates that India now hosts 2,117 GCCS employing 2.36 million professionals and generating nearly $98.4 billion in revenue in FY26.