Centre’s note to Supreme Court silent on PMO role in Rafale deal

The government note in the Supreme Court does not contain a word about the “parallel parleys” conducted by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) with the Diplomatic Advisor to the French Defence Minister on the 36 Rafale aircraft deal even as the Indian Negotiating Team (INT) was undertaking formal negotiations with the French side.

T.N. Budget opts for fiscal prudence over populism

Staring at a fiscal deficit of ₹44,176 crore, Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam has shied away from unveiling a populist Budget in an election year. He told the Assembly that the fiscal consolidation would be achieved by limiting borrowings to a level below the ceiling fixed by the Central government and an expected increase in the State’s Own Tax Revenues (SOTR), thereby bringing down the revenue deficit.

Karnataka gets ‘welfare’ budget

The coalition government’s second State Budget, presented by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy amid political uncertainty, is largely agro-centric with a slew of measures for drought-hit farmers, besides schemes for workers in the unorganised sector. The budget made a whopping outlay of ₹46,853 crore for agriculture and allied sectors, nearly 20% of the total budget expenditure.

Ground Zero | A Himalayan travesty: A trafficking survivor’s fight for justice in Nepal

Survivors of sex trafficking in Nepal were shocked when a local politician convicted of selling young Nepali girls to brothels in India was released by the Supreme Court of Nepal last year.  Read the report on the victims' fight for justice.

A day after Reserve Bank of India reduced the policy rates, State Bank of India, the country's largest lender, said it may reduce home loan rates though there may not a reduction in the benchmark loan rates.

Sania Mirza announces making of biopic on her

Tennis star Sania Mirza on Friday announced that a biopic on her will be made by Bollywood film-maker Ronnie Screwvala. Sania said she has signed a contract for the biopic and the initial work has already begun. “It’s great. The talks have been going on for a while. The contract was signed. We are just looking forward to it,” Sania said on the sidelines of an event.

U.S. seeking peace agreement in Afghanistan: Khalilzad

Weeks after initiating direct talks with the Taliban, wherein the two agreed on a framework of peace agreement, Trump Administration’s point person on Friday told a Washington audience that these were just a few steps in the direction of peaceful resolution of the conflict in Afghanistan and that they have a long way to go.

Chess| Gukesh shoots for the stars

Gukesh has always been ambitious. His father says Gukesh had told his school’s vice-principal that he would become a Grandmaster before he got to Class X. “I thought he was being over-ambitious. Now, he’s achieved it much earlier [Class VII],”

Startups to be listed for angel tax exemption

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on Friday agreed to compile a list of startups eligible for angel tax exemption, based on their audited financial statements and income tax returns of the previous year. The notification is likely be issued in a couple of days.

Comment | Surveying India’s unemployment numbers

The Government of India does not produce any measure of monthly unemployment rate, nor does it have any plans to do so. Official plans to measure unemployment at an annual and quarterly frequency is in a shambles. This does not befit India’s claims to be the fastest growing economy and as the biggest beneficiary of a famed demographic dividend.

Editorial | Nigerian renewal: On presidential polls

As Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari seeks re-election, his mixed record on the economy and security fronts has made for a close contest. In the prevailing atmosphere of rampant institutional corruption dating back decades, Mr. Buhari’s image as a morally incorruptible leader held sway with a disillusioned electorate during the 2015 polls. That reputation is still intact. But the former army general now seems politically vulnerable following electoral reverses in the provinces last year.