India-New Zealand trade ties set to scale new heights

In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, the Nepalese-Indian Sherpa mountaineer made history by becoming the first ever to climb Mount Everest. This extraordinary partnership showed what co-operation, trust and determination could achieve, and we are once again set to see the India-New Zealand partnership scale to new heights with the entry into force of the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Is GRAP enough to curb pollution?

What is GRAP?

The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is a set of short-term emergency measures to reduce air pollution and is divided into four stages. The CAQM announces the different stages, depending on the level of pollution recorded or forecast for the near future.

Whenever the CAQM announces GRAP, it directs State governments to implement the restrictions with "immediate effect" in entire Delhi and also in the NCR districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. The restrictions will come into effect on the ground when the respective State governments pass orders to implement them.

DPDP Act does not infringe on press freedom: Vaishnaw

Union Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act did not infringe on press freedom, asserting that the Constitution guaranteed journalistic independence.

Japan-northeast India link to be strengthened: Centre

India has a "very strong partnership" with Japan, and bilateral projects involving the northeastern States will be "further strengthened", Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry, said on Wednesday.

Union Cabinet gives nod to ₹7,396-croгe panchayat scheme

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana (PM-VGSY), a 7,395.55-crore scheme aimed at strengthening the planning and governance capacities of gram panchayats over the next five years.

SC agrees to hear AITUC challenge to definition of 'industry' in new law

The Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to hear a petition filed by the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) Tamil Nadu chal-lenging the definition of 'industry' under the Industrial Relations Code (IRC) 2020 as "deliciously vague", especially when the new law exempts a wide array of institutions from charitable to sovereign functions of the government.

Industrial growth eases to 4-month low of 6.7% in Sept.

Growth in industrial production slowed to a four-month low of 6.7% in September 2026, with nearly every sector slowing as compared to the previous month, the latest official data shows.

India and Mexico to start trade deal talks

India and Mexico on Wednesday signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) to start negotiations on a trade deal between the two countries, the government announced following the signing in Mexico.

'India requires $220 billion for green power transition by FY30'

India's renewable energy sector will need $220 bil-lion in investment between FY27 and FY30, spanning generation, transmission, manufacturing and emerging green technologies, Santosh Sarangi, Secretary, Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, said.

How the humble salt marsh softens the ocean's fury

Gujarat is home to India's largest coastal salt marshes, with smaller areas in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra, among some other places. One 2020 study in Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science estimated they covered around 290 sq. km in all, and supported wildlife and stabilised coastal sediments. Unfortunately they also face significant threats from expanding aquaculture and coastal development.