Editorial Analysis

According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report and NFHS-5, India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has fallen below the replacement level of 2.1, reaching around 2.0 and subsequently 1.9 signals that India may age and eventually shrink faster than previously anticipated.

Amid rising geopolitical tensions, deglobalisation, supply-chain fragmentation, and debates on India's growth model, economists are reassessing whether the 1991 liberalisation framework remains adequate for India's development aspirations.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecast a high probability of El Niño in 2026, while IMD projects a below-normal monsoon, raising concerns over agriculture, inflation and livelihoods.

The Mountbatten Plan was announced on June 3, 1947 (June 3 Declaration) and became the blueprint for the Partition of British India into the independent dominions of India and Pakistan.

NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub recently released the report titled Future of India’s Semiconductor Industry, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges in building a domestic semiconductor ecosystem in India.

The ongoing Iran conflict and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have revived global concerns over energy security, maritime choke points and the strategic relevance of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

A recent National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) study on nearly 1.2 million ward members found that increasing elected representatives in panchayats alone has not significantly improved governance outcomes or welfare delivery.

Recently, Indian states imposed restrictions on the sale of several non-subsidised speciality fertilisers, raising questions about policy coherence in India’s fertiliser sector, as Prime Minister of India has repeatedly emphasised the need to reduce chemical fertiliser consumption to promote sustainable agriculture and reduce import dependence.

After more than a decade, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CES) for 2022-23 and 2023-24, reviving debates on poverty estimation, poverty line methodology and the actual extent of deprivation in India.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s visit to India for the QUAD Foreign Ministers’ meeting has revived discussions on a comprehensive India-Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).