Farmers' body terms NCDC (Amendment) Act an onslaught' on federal rights of States

The Samyukt Kisan Mor-cha (SKM) on Monday said the National Cooperative Development Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2026 is an "onslaught" on the federal rights of States. In an official statement, the umbrella organisation of farmer groups alleged that the new law would div-ert resources from the priority sector of agriculture and agriculture-based rural industrial and infrastructure development.

Labour rights beyond the shadow of BWSSB

The top court's treatment of BWSSB highlights the enduring anxiety over the scope of labour protection

The fact is youth unemployment has a household cost

India's youth unemployment crisis is usually told through a single statistic: how many young people cannot find work. The latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS 2025) reports an unemployment rate of 14.8% among 18-29 year-olds, rising to 29.4% among those who are tertiary educated (with a diploma, graduate or post-graduate levels). The broader picture is larger than the unemployment rate alone suggests.

How the SC ruling redefined 'industry'

• A nine-member Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court recently held that the nearly half-century-old interpretation of the term 'industry' will not automatically apply to the Industrial Relations Code, 2020.

• A 1978 ruling had introduced the triple test, which classified organised operations based on employer-employee cooperation to provide goods or services for consumers as an industry. This judgment had enabled workers across diverse sectors to enforce labour rights.

Did Press Note 3 relaxations help attract more FDI?

The story so far

The Union government on Friday said that India had received foreign direct investment (FDI) worth ₹4,895 over just the last few months, from companies that have benefitted from recent relaxations made to India's FDI rules. The aim of the relaxations was precisely to ease the flow of investments that had earlier been locked out of India. 

Doval set to hold border talks with China's Wang today

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval arrived in Beijing on Monday ahead of the 25th round of talks between the Special Representatives (SRs) of India and China on the boundary question.

Jaishankar meets Putin in Moscow, hands over PM's personal message

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday said that he plans to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the upcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to be held at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Simultaneous polls possible in 2029, says panel chief

Holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies in 2029 under "One Nation, One Election" is possible if the Constitution is amended and State governments support the move, accord-ing to P.P. Chaudhary, the Chairman of the panel exa-mining the related Bills.

Centre moves to simplify medical device regulations

The Union Health Ministry has proposed amend-ments to the Medical Devices Rules, 2017, to promote ease of doing business. The amend-ments seek to simplify regulatory requirements, standardise testing fees and facilitate faster market access for eligible medical devices.

In-principle nod for airports' privatisation

The government's Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) has given in-principle approval to the Ministry of Civil Aviation's proposal for the third round of airport privatisation, covering 11 airports across five bundles, according to a government document.

UPI turns a decade-old, sees 13,000-fold surge in transaction volume

The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), launched on August 25, 2016 by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has completed 10 years of transforming digital payments in India.

Mannar locals fear ecological fallout amid Sri Lanka's green energy push

For about a decade now, successive governments in Sri Lanka have sought to tap Mannar's strong winds to power the island's transition to green energy. But renewable energy projects - existing and proposed -have left local communities increasingly fearful about the possible impact on their environment and livelihoods.

U.K. forecasts 'biggest' El Niño yet will break heat records

This year's El Niño weather pattern will be the biggest in over a century and could make 2027 the hottest year globally, Britain's national weather agency predicted Friday.

An El Niño weather event happens when warming sea surface temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific trigger worldwide changes in winds, atmospheric pressure and rainfall, as well as higher global temperatures overall.