India out of US-led coalition on critical minerals supply chain

A new US-led strategic initiative, Pax Silica, which aims to build a secure supply chain ranging from critical minerals and energy inputs to advanced manufacturing and semiconductors, does not include India.

This comes at a time when an India-US trade deal remains elusive despite several high-level talks and rounds of technical negotiations.

100 to 125 days: MNREGA scheme to get name change

The Government may finalise a revamp of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Act and increase the number of guaranteed employment days to eligible rural households from 100 now to 125.

The Union Cabinet discussed the proposal to expand the scheme and also to change the name of the law itself to Pujya Bapu Rural Employment Guarantee Act, sources in the government said.

Cabinet clears Bill to set up single higher education regulator

A bill to set up a higher education regulator, which will replace bodies such as the UGC and AICTE, was approved by the Union Cabinet Friday, officials said. The proposed legislation, which was earlier christened the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, has now been named as Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill.

Govt sanctions Rs 11,718 cr for two-phase Census 2027

The Government has approved Rs 11,718 crore for conducting the Census 2027, the first digital exercise of its kind, Union Information & Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Friday. Earlier, the Union Cabinet approved the proposal to conduct the Census at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Novo Nordisk launches Ozempic to manage Type 2 diabetes in India

Danish Pharma major Novo Nordisk has announced the launch of Ozempic (injectable semaglutide) in India. The once-a-week injection to help manage Type 2 diabetes will be available in three variants, starting dose of 0.25 mg priced at Rs 2,200 per week.

On climate talks, the US shadow

Issued every five to seven years, the UN's Global Environment Outlook(GEO) is a significant report card on the world's ecological health. Its recommendations inform national policies and feed into assessments such as those of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Nov retail inflation rises to 0.71%; food remains in deflation zone

India's Headline retail inflation rate based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inched up to 0.71 per cent in November from October's record low of 0.25 per cent, data released on Friday by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) showed.

India, Oman FTA gets Cabinet nod; may be signed soon

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the India-Oman free trade agreement (FTA) that is expected to be signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to that country from December 17-18. The draft of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was approved by the lower house of Parliament of Oman on Wednesday.

Cabinet clears private participation in nuclear sector, 100% FDI in insurance

Close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that the country is in full-fledged "reform express" phase, the Union Cabinet on Friday approved a host of legislative and administrative measures to give a push to different sectors of the economy, including civil nuclear energy and the insurance sector.

Thailand's Parliament dissolved, new polls to be held next year

Thailand's Parliament was dissolved Friday for new elections early next year as the country engaged in deadly fighting with Cambodia.

The link between inequality and public education

The World Inequality Report for 2026, released this week, yet again underscored the widening inequalities not just within a country but also in the world as a whole. Data shows that the top 10% of the global population's income-earners earn more than the remaining 90%, while the poorest half of the global population captures less than 10% of the total global income. Wealth is even more concentrated: the top 10% own three-quarters of global wealth, while the bottom half holds only 2%. 

India is focusing on PM10, but PM2.5 is the real threat

As Delhi continues to struggle to improve air quality levels, a new report by Sustainable Futures Collaborative (SFC), a New Delhi-based research organisation, has provided detailed pathways to tackle pollution in India, including the national capital, by examining how other countries have dealt with the issue.

A new report looks at regulatory regimes in countries with similar metrics as India, calls for establishing health-based air quality standards.

Look at Mexico City, whose geography (it is located on a plateau, sur-rounded by mountains) and atmospheric conditions played a role in worsening the air quality. In the 1950s, strong winds would bring dust from a dry lake bed, where the city's sewage would go. As a result, the city would often witness sewage particles floating in the air, which would drop on food, making people sick.