PM in Oman, to sign free trade agreement today

Oman is the third-largest export destination for India among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, with bilateral trade reaching US$ 10.61 billion in FY 2024-25. The relationship is important for Delhi as the Gulf nation gives access to key trade routes in a volatile region. India is also Oman's fourth largest source of non-oil imports.

India, Ethiopia natural partners in peace: PM

Modi, who addressed the Ethiopian parliament on Wednesday, said, "Ethiopia sits at a crossroads of Africa. India stands at the heart of the Indian Ocean. We are natural partners in regional peace, security, and connectivity...our commitment to mutual security became stronger with signing of the Defence Cooperation Agreement earlier this year.

Parliament clears Bill to allow 100% FDI in insurance

The Rajya Sabha Wednesday passed by a voice vote the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025, increasing the FDI in the insurance sector to 100%, a day after the Lok Sabha cleared it.

The legislation would lead to amendments in the Insurance Act, 1938, the Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956, and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999.

'Dilution of right to work': Activists, economists slam VB-GRAM G Bill

The VB-G RAM G Bill proposes to raise the number of guaranteed wage employment days in a financial year from 100 to 125 and proposes division of work into four categories -water security, rural infrastructure, livelihood infrastructure and disaster resilience. It also proposes states to bear 40% of the financial burden, a deviation from the existing arrangement when the Centre takes care of the 100% of the labour cost and 75% of the material cost. For the first time, the Bill proposes a 60-day pause during the peak agricultural seasons of sowing and harvesting, a move said to be aimed at ensuring farm labour availability.

A nuclear step towards energy security

The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Trans-forming India Bill, 2025 (SHANTI), tabled in Parliament on Monday, attempts to do that. It allows up to 49 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in certain nuclear activities. The Bill does away with a contentious clause in the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLNDA), which held suppliers liable for accidents and was a deterrent for foreign vendors - it was among the reasons for the country's inability to leverage the full commercial potential of its nuclear deal with the US, nearly two decades after it was inked. The lack of clarity about the term "supplier" in CLNDA was a cause for worry for Indian sub-vendors as well.

On quality control orders, a welcome regulatory reset

Regulation that raises costs without raising safety standards undermines the very manufacturing strategy India is trying to build.

The marital rape exception in criminal law is a colonial relic. It needs to go

The urgency of this is validated by alarming national data. The National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) reveals that 83 per cent of women aged 18 to 49 years who faced sexual violence named their current husband as the perpetrator.

The pervasive nature of sexual violence within marriages highlights the inadequacy of our legal system.

Resistance often stems from a deeply ingrained, old-fashioned patriarchal attitude-the notion that a woman's identity, especially within the confines of marriage, is secondary to that of her husband and the sanctity of the family unit.

Labour codes are rollback of key workers' protections

According to the ILO, most countries restrict fixed-term contracts to genuinely temporary activities. India's expansive approach is therefore likely to further erode permanent employment. Fixed-term workers may also be dissuaded from unionising or participating in strikes due to the threat of non-renewal, weakening unions and the labour movement.

Over Taiwan, China and Japan are playing a risky game

Beyond Taiwan, longstanding territorial disputes with Japan have once again become theatres for Chinese displays of strength.

Nov exports to US surge, but a trade deal is still key

Despite US tariffs, November was one of India's strongest months for exports to the country. The boost may not be sustainable.

Debt reduction central to fiscal policy from FY27, says Finance Minister

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday made it clear that reducing the debt-to-GDP ratio will be the central pillar of the government's fiscal policy from the next financial year, with the fiscal deficit continuing as an important marker to operationalise the architecture.