SIR in Manipur: Data shows disproportionately high deletions in tribal constituencies

Voters show their identity cards as they wait in queues to cast their votes at a polling station during assembly polls at Kangpokpi in Senapati district in the 2022 Assembly elections | Photo Credit: Maneesh T _11795@Chennai An analysis of constituency-wise deletions during the enumeration phase of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls … Read more

Ranking the favourites in the FIFA World Cup

The business end of the FIFA World Cup is well underway with the Round of 16 concluding and the Round of 8 (quarterfinals being finalised). While some of the all-time favourites such as Brazil, Germany and the Netherlands are out of the reckoning, a few of the usual suspects – defending champion Argentina, last World … Read more

India’s EV transition cannot afford to ignore retrofitment

The conflict in West Asia has once again reminded the world of an uncomfortable truth — severe energy dependency is a structural vulnerability, not a temporary inconvenience. For emerging economies such as India, which imports more than 85% of its crude oil requirements, such events can quickly test energy security and economic resilience. Over the past … Read more

Questions surrounding the Quad partnership’s future

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar arrive to attend a joint press conference in New Delhi, India, May 26, 2026 | Photo Credit: ADNAN ABIDI Last week, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was in New Delhi for the 16th … Read more

How El Niño could damage India’s economy | Explained

After the first month of this year’s monsoon ended in a massive 40% deficit, the India Meteorological Department has forecast that rainfall in July will also be “below normal” or less than 94% of what is usual for the month.  “Below-normal rainfall can pose significant challenges for agriculture, water resources, hydropower generation, ecosystem sustainability, and drinking water … Read more

Questioning the hype around Uttar Pradesh’s “revenue surplus” in 10 charts

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who spoke emphatically about the State’s economic growth at his government’s Industry Leaders Roadshow in Bengaluru on June 24, highlighted how the State has become “revenue surplus in the last six years,” while shedding its image of being a “BIMARU” State — an uncomplimentary term used to refer to … Read more

How El Niño could damage India’s economy | Explained

A migrant Agricultural worker prepares paddy seedlings for transplantation in a field at Thenkurussi in Palakkad on Thursday, July 2, 2026. The erratic progress of the Southwest monsoon across Kerala has heightened concerns over agricultural operations in Palakkad district. | Photo Credit: K K Mustafah After the first month of this year’s monsoon ended in … Read more

Watch: What explains the rise of women-owned businesses in Afghanistan?

This analysis explores that apparent contradiction by examining the collapse in women’s education and labour-force participation, the rise of women-led enterprises, and the financial and structural challenges these businesses continue to face. Presentation and editing: Devyanshi Bihani Camera: Thamodharan B. Published – July 03, 2026 04:45 pm IST

VB-G RAM G vs MGNREGA: States May Face 600% Rise in Rural Employment Costs

Labourers working under MNREGA near Farhatabad in Kalaburagi district in Karnataka | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G), which completely overhauls the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), came into force on July 1, despite serious concerns raised by many States. One … Read more

Rise in food poisoning cases highlight lapses in food safety | Data

In the wake of the milk adulteration incident in Rajahmundry, Food Safety officials conducted inspections across various milk booths, collecting milk samples to check whether quality and safety standards are being maintained, in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 | Photo Credit: RAJU V Two suspected cases of food poisoning reported this month, one at … Read more

Afghan women are increasingly turning to entrepreneurship

The Taliban’s draconian restrictions over the past five years have led to Afghan women facing an unprecedented rollback of rights and freedoms. As universities and many formal workplaces become inaccessible, growing numbers of women are turning to small-scale entrepreneurship as one of the few remaining avenues to earn a livelihood and retain a measure of … Read more

Kerala tables State budget, Operation Tiger, U.S and Iran sign peace agreement and more: The week in 5 charts

(1) Ammonia leaks from factory, kills at least eight Ammonia gas leaked from a seafood processing plant in Tiruvallur district on Sunday last week (June 21, 2026), killing at least eight people and over 60 being admitted for treatment. According to a bulletin, 77 individuals were affected by the leak. Routine industrial operations exposed workers … Read more

Kerala Budget 2026: Despite white paper warning, no plan to cut committed expenditure

After releasing the “Kerala’s Fiscal Health — A Status Report” (white paper), which raised serious concerns over the State’s rising debt burden while strongly criticising the previous Left government for alleged fiscal mismanagement, the new United Democratic Front (UDF) government on Thursday presented its maiden budget. The budget estimates the debt-to-GSDP ratio to come down … Read more

U.S.-Iran war: Maps, timelines and graphics tracking the war

A drone view shows members of military engineering teams working at the site where, according to local authorities, an Iranian missile fell in the countryside near Damascus, Syria, on June 9, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters The U.S. and Israel sent a barrage of missiles towards Iran on February 28, 2026 after disagreements over Iran’s … Read more

India’s childbirth divide is about more than public vs. private: what lies behind the NFHS 6 numbers

According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2024, 95.4% of all live births in India now take place in a medical institution, whereas in 2019, the figure was 82.8%. The National Health Mission, Janani Suraksha Yojana, and other public health programmes and incentives have evidently delivered results. In India, deliveries take place in … Read more

How lopsided was the SpaceX IPO that raised $85.7 billion?

Technopreneur Elon Musk’s affinity for superlatives is well-known, particularly when it comes to selling his business ideas. It was therefore not a coincidence that his company SpaceX’s stock market debut on June 12, 2026 was laden with superlatives. Mr. Musk, who already holds the record for being the planet’s richest person, became the first trillionaire … Read more

FIFA 2026 | A World Cup like no other

Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup 2026 – Panama City, Panama – May 26, 2026 People pose for a picture with a giant replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy on the Cinta Costera REUTERS/Enea Lebrun TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY | Photo Credit: Enea Lebrun On June 11, the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City … Read more

India’s pension scheme lags in terms of coverage, contribution

A woman Banking Business Correspondent handing over the payments under Old Age Pension (OAP) in Tiruchi District in 2017 | Photo Credit: SRINATH M The Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) — the Government of India’s flagship cash assistance scheme for the elderly under its National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) — is in … Read more

One in every 3 faculty posts vacant in top technical institutes | RTI data

Of the 20 IITs, nine reported staff vacancies exceeding 35%. | Photo Credit: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA Over 15 lakh students appeared for the high-stakes Joint Entrance Examination this year to secure a seat in the country’s premier technical institutions. The competition has always been gruelling, particularly for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), with roughly … Read more

CJP holds protest at Jantar Mantar, White Paper puts Kerala’s liabilities at ₹5.07 lakh crore, and more: The Week in Five Charts

(1) Cockroach Janta Party calls for Education Minister’s resignation The Cockroach Janta Party, an online movement that gained pace earlier this year, held a protest in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Saturday last week (June 6, 2026) calling for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for lapses in examinations and recruitment tests. Activist Sonam … Read more

How India scaled its startup industry from 2016 to 2025

Vector illustration – Startup | Photo Credit: akindo The Indian startup economy has truly come of age in the 10 years since Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the clarion call during his Independence Day address on August 15, 2015, to make India the “Number 1” country in startups, and thereby sowed the seeds of significant … Read more

Remittances anchor the rupee, India’s external balances

Picture for representation | Photo Credit: Freepik The Indian rupee has lost nearly 12% of its value against the U.S. dollar since May 2025. Several analysts have noted the consistent decline in net Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and net Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) flows as a cause. The ebbing of net FDI and FPI flows … Read more

D.K. Shivakumar set to take over as Karnataka CM, RCB retains IPL title, and more: The Week in Five Charts

1) D.K. Shivakumar to be new Karnataka Chief Minister After months of speculation and uncertainty, Karnataka is set for a leadership transition on June 3, when D.K. Shivakumar will be sworn in as the State’s new Chief Minister. The eight-time MLA, popularly known as “DKShi”, is regarded as one of the Congress party’s most resourceful … Read more