As India prepares for the Union Budget of 2025-26, the finance ministry has highlighted the need for flexibility in fiscal policy, given the ongoing global economic and geopolitical challenges. While the fiscal deficit for FY26 is expected to be below 4.5% of GDP, there are concerns over the ability to accurately project receipts and expenditures in the current uncertain environment. The global situation has worsened, with escalating conflicts, further complicating fiscal planning.

In a significant change to school education, the Centre has scrapped the 'no-detention policy' for classes 5 and 8 in schools under its control. This means that students who fail the year-end exams will no longer automatically be promoted. Instead, they will have the chance to retake the exam after additional coaching within two months of the results. If they still fail, they will be held back in the same grade. This move follows amendments to the Right to Education Act (RTE

The Delhi High Court has denied anticipatory bail to former IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar, who is facing serious charges of forgery, cheating, and attempting to deceive authorities in order to secure benefits for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam. Khedkar is accused of falsely claiming physical and mental disabilities, altering her name and surname, and forging an OBC certificate to qualify for the examination. The court observed that her actions were part of a larger conspir

On Sunday, US President-elect Donald Trump announced the appointment of Sriram Krishnan, an Indian American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author, as the Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Krishnan, who has held leadership roles at major tech companies such as Microsoft, Twitter, Yahoo!, Facebook, and Snap, will work alongside David O. Sacks, who will serve as the White House AI & Crypto Czar. Krishnan's role will involve ensuring that

A fire broke out at the Udaan Bhawan office complex, located near Safdarjung airport in South Delhi, on Wednesday. The incident, which occurred at around 12:54 pm, was reported from the building's basement, specifically from the battery room in the second basement. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported so far. The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) responded swiftly, deploying five fire tenders to control the blaze. The fire has now been brought under control, and a police team was

China, the world's second-largest economy, is working to recover from the effects of its three years of pandemic isolation. In a bid to attract more international visitors and boost its economy, China recently announced an expansion of its visa-free transit policy. The new policy, which is effective immediately, allows travelers from 54 countries, including the US, Canada, and several European and Asian nations, to stay in parts of China for up to 10 days. Previously, the visa-f

The Telangana Assembly was adjourned on Monday after BRS MLAs raised slogans and disrupted the debate on the Telangana State Tourism Policy. The debate, which resumed after a tea break, was halted when opposition members continued to protest against the Congress government. In response to the disruption, Legislative Affairs Minister D. Sridhar Babu criticized the BRS legislators for not adhering to the rules and traditions of the House. Speaker G. Prasad Kumar intervened, directing

The Indian rupee opened at 84.83 against the US dollar on Monday, a depreciation of 4 paise compared to the previous close of 84.79. The decline in the rupee is largely attributed to the uncertainty following the announcement of a leadership transition at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Shaktikanta Das will be succeeded by Sanjay Malhotra, sparking initial concerns in the market. However, markets quickly adjusted to the news, with experts noting that the RBI is closely monitoring banking sys

Elon Musk’s Tesla has become one of the top employers of H-1B workers, with over 1,700 H-1B visas approved for Tesla employees in 2020. This marks a significant reliance on skilled foreign workers as Tesla continues to grow. Musk’s early career began with illegal work on a student visa in the U.S., but now Tesla’s future is intertwined with the availability of H-1B workers, a visa program that is crucial for attracting talent to the tech industry. The Trump adminis

On Friday, at least six schools in Delhi, including Delhi Public School in East of Kailash, Salwan School, Modern School, and Cambridge School, received bomb threats via email. This marks the second such incident this week, following a similar scare on December 9 when over 40 schools in the city received similar threats. The emails claimed that explosives had been planted within the school premises, warning of potential bomb blasts on December 13 and 14, particularly targeting schools with sc

Delhi has recorded its coldest morning of the season today, with the temperature dropping to 4.9 degrees Celsius, significantly lower than the season's average by five notches, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The relative humidity was recorded at 64% at 8.30 am, and the temperature is expected to rise to around 23 degrees Celsius by afternoon. As temperatures remain in single digits, homeless individuals in the national capital have sought refuge in night

On Monday morning, around 40 schools in Delhi, including prominent institutions such as DPS RK Puram, GD Goenka, and Modern School, received a bomb threat email. The sender demanded $30,000, warning that bombs were planted inside the buildings. The email prompted a swift response, with bomb detection teams, fire officials, police, and dog squads conducting thorough checks at the affected schools. Fortunately, no suspicious items were discovered at any of the locations. The bomb thre

Delhi’s former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia will be contesting the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections from Jangpura, as announced by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Alongside Sisodia, civil services teacher Avadh Ojha has been named as the party's candidate for the Patparganj seat in East Delhi. This announcement comes with AAP’s release of its second list of 20 candidates for the Delhi Assembly polls, which are expected early next year. Last month, AAP had already released

The Indian rupee ended the trading session stronger after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to keep the benchmark interest rates unchanged, while unveiling measures aimed at improving liquidity in the banking system. The domestic currency gained 3 paise, closing at 84.70 against the US dollar, compared to 84.73 in the previous session. As part of the monetary policy changes, the RBI raised the interest rate ceiling on one-year Foreign Currency Non-Resident (FCNR) deposits by 200 basis p

In response to improved air quality in the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has eased pollution curbs. The CAQM announced the revocation of Stage-4 and Stage-3 measures of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the entire NCR, effective immediately. This decision comes after the Supreme Court allowed the relaxation, following consistent improvement in the air quality index (AQI) since November 29, with AQI levels falling below 300. Howev

The Supreme Court of India has reprimanded senior bureaucrats in Delhi, including the Chief Secretary, for the delayed payment of dues to construction workers impacted by the city's construction ban aimed at reducing pollution. The court had ordered that workers should be compensated during the ban, which was imposed on November 18, but only partial payment had been made. The government had promised ₹8,000 to over 90,000 workers, but many had only received ₹2,000 as an immediate relie

Oil prices have shown remarkable stability, remaining in a narrow range since mid-October, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fluctuating around $70 per barrel. This rangebound trend has been characterized by a significant drop in volatility, with recent levels at their lowest since August. Despite ongoing geopolitical risks, such as the tensions between Iran and Israel and the potential impacts of a second Donald Trump presidency, traders have remained cautious. The market's curren

In response to growing concerns over liquor shops charging more than the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) for bottled liquor, the Andhra Pradesh government has introduced strict corrective measures. A new Government Order (G.O.) has been released, which imposes a fine of Rs 5 lakh for the first offense if liquor stores are found violating MRP regulations. The government aims to ensure that consumers are not charged unfair prices and that liquor sales are conducted with transparency. The n

The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is expected to maintain the status quo on the benchmark repo rate at 6.5% in its upcoming meeting from December 4 to 6. Despite India's GDP growth slowing to 5.4% in the July-September quarter, economists suggest that inflation concerns will likely take precedence, making a rate cut unlikely in December. Retail inflation rose to 6.2% in October, exceeding the RBI’s target range of 2-6%. Though a repo rate cu

Traffic in parts of Delhi and Noida has been significantly affected as farmers march toward the Parliament complex on Monday to demand key changes in land acquisition policies. The farmers, representing at least 20 districts, will be gathering at 12 pm to press for five major demands related to land compensation, employment for landless farmers, and proper settlement of acquired areas. Reports show long traffic queues at the Chilla border and Delhi-Noida direct flyover, with heavy s