Rupee nears 92/$, RBI helps cap fall

Mumbai: The rupee ended Thursday at 91.96 to the dollar, down 18 paise from its previous close of 91.78, after slipping to a record low near the 92 level before recovering marginally on dollar sales by public sector banks on behalf of RBI. The dollar index edged up about 0.12% to around 96.27, adding to…

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Brent tops $71/barrel, approaches Aug high

London: Brent oil futures prices jumped on Thursday, hitting a near six-month high on rising concerns about a possible US military attack on Iran, Opec‘s fourth-largest producer with output of 3.2 million barrels per day.“The immediate concern … is the collateral damage done if Iran takes a swing at its neighbours or possibly even more…

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Hybrid, not home: IT cos’ quiet shift back to office

Bengaluru: One size doesn’t fit all in the return-to-office push. Work-from-home, once the defining perk of the pandemic era, is quietly being phased out across India’s IT sector as companies tighten hybrid work norms and make in-office presence the new default.TCS has mandated five days of office attendance and linking compliance to variable pay and…

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Ease of doing biz calls for regulatory, process reforms

Against the backdrop of global challenges and heightened uncertainty, the Survey has backed reforms, including regulatory entities, and called for “creating a cadre of professionals”, who are adept in regulatory design and implementation, to improve the ease of doing business.“Policy reforms do matter. Process reforms arguably more so. Processes define the interaction between govt and…

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Amend law to reduce PSU stake below 51%

Govt may consider reducing its stakes in PSUs from the currently mandatory 51% to 26% and yet keep effective control of management of the company, says the Survey. This could be done through an amendment to the Companies Act, which stipulates that to mark a company as a ‘govt company’, govt must have a 51%…

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To cut traffic load, targeted ‘congestion pricing’ mooted

New Delhi: Targeted ‘congestion pricing’ in dense business districts, combined with demand-based parking management, can reduce traffic volume, raise speeds and cut emissions, as seen internationally, according to Economic Survey 2025-26. It has highlighted how such steps have helped authorities in Singapore and London address congestion.Though efforts have been made since 2009 to propose charging…

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Digital addiction a major health worry, curb kids’ access: Survey

New Delhi: Online platfo-rms must be held accountable for enforcing age verification, while children should be nudged towards simpler, education-focused devices to curb rising digital addiction, Economic Survey has suggested.Alongside digital addiction, the survey flagged ultra-processed foods (UPF) as a parallel lifestyle threat, calli-ng for stricter controls on UPF marketing to children – including a…

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Red flags over sustainability of unconditional cash transfers

Make Up 50% Of Rural Monthly Consumption New Delhi: Unconditional cash transfers (UCT) by state govts now account for nearly half of the monthly per capita consumption expenditure among the rural population, raising concerns about fiscal sustainability and medium-term growth, especially when there is no complementary investment skilling and human capital, Economic Survey said.It said…

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World will move from ‘thinking about buying Indian’ to ‘buying Indian without thinking’: Sitharaman

World will move from “thinking about buying Indian” to “buying Indian without thinking”: Sitharaman Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday highlighted the Economic Survey and said the survey mentions that a progression from ‘Swadeshi’ to ‘Strategic Resilience’ to ‘Strategic Indispensability’ will ensure the world moves from “thinking about buying Indian” to “buying Indian without…

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