SC flags 'stress and strain' by SIR to Bengal's people

The Supreme Court on Monday urged the Election Commission to avert causing "stress and strain" through its ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) exercise to the ordinary people of West Bengal, where approximately 1.36 crore people, almost 20% of the population, have received notices from the poll body to explain "logical discrepancies in their names and family backgrounds". 

Include digital currency link on BRICS agenda: RBI to govt.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recommended to the Centre that a proposal connecting the central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) of BRICS countries be included on the agenda for the 2026 summit of the grouping, two sources have said. They requested anonymity as they were not authorised to speak publicly.

The proposal seeks to make cross-border payments easier, in a move that could reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar as geopolitical tensions rise. The RBI'S recommendation builds on a 2025 declaration at the BRICS summit in Brazil, which pushed for interoperability between members' payment systems to make crossborder transactions more efficient.

Calling out the ED's actions, the media trials

The Directorate of Enforcement's status as a central agency does not make it infallible, with instances of its overreach, poor investigation and even an outright abuse of power. 

In a changing world, it is 'small tables, big dividends'

With bilateral diplomacy remaining demanding, India's best chances lie in diplomatic white spaces

The AI Impact Summit in Delhi (February 2026) is India's chance to get governments, companies and researchers together to bridge differences where interests overlap. 

In a divided world, it is rarely the biggest table that shapes the future. It is the smaller tables where things actually get done. In 2026, India's advantage will lie in making the tables that it chooses work. 

A Centrist lens on 'illegal immigration'

The Opposition's denial of undocumented immigrants in the face of evidence alienates people 

What is T.N.s new hybrid pension model?

The Tamil Nadu government has unveiled the Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme (TAPS) for government employees, combining features of the Old and Unified Pension Schemes, amid growing demands from staff for better pension security

On January 3, Mr. Stalin announced that his government would implement the Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme (TAPS). 

India signs Letter of Intent to elevate defence ties with UAE

Against the backdrop of growing military tension in on the Gulf region, the United Arab Emirates and India signed a "Letter of Intent for a Bilateral Strategic Defence Partnership" Monday. The Letter of In-tent was sealed during the three-hour visit by the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, when the two sides set a goal of doubling bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032. 

Infighting kills third Kaziranga tiger within a fortnight

A third tiger was found dead in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve within a fortnight, as forest personnel recovered the carcass of a female tiger on Sunday, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for an 86-km elevated wildlife corridor at Kaliabor, close to the park. 

China's population drops for fourth year; births at historic low

China's population shrank for the fourth consecutive year as birth rates in 2025 fell by about 10 million from a decade earlier, a trend widely blamed on the long-term effects of the former one-child policy.

According to the data released by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday, only 7.92 million babies were born in 2025 compared to 9.54 million in 2024, a decline of 17%.