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There is no room left for speculation now about significance of the new BJP president Nitin Nabin as he spent the first day in office on January 20, 2025. In his maiden speech after taking over as BJP National President, he himself gave clear message and asked party workers to mount a fight to “protect” the centres and legacy of Sanatan faith, and attacked the rival political parties opposing this ideology should have no space in politics.

For years, trade talks between India and the European Union had lingered on the periphery. When it all began, EU had posed high and mighty and refused to back down on India’s issues be it for protection of India’s small and marginal farmer against onslaught of cheap European farm products; or India’s right to call its own home produced whiskies in that name even.

KOLKATA: Founded by Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis way back in 1931, Indian Statistical Institute has grown over the years into a part and parcel of economic planning of the country. Now its autonomy is under threat after decades of unfettered existence during which it has made invaluable contribution to research, economic planning and education on statistics to the young.

LUCKNOW: BSP supremo Mayawati has made it clear to all political parties as well as her voters that she is very keen to revive her party to stake claim to power in 2027 assembly polls. Fed up being sidelined and dubbed as B team of BJP for past many years, Mayawati now wants to play major role in forthcoming assembly polls.

Governor R N Ravi on Tuesday January 20 has once again created controversy by walking out of Tamil Nadu Vidhan Sabha, third year in a row, alleging disrespect of the National Anthem of India, while his conduct itself is a disrespect of the tradition of the House where the state anthem “Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu” is sung when the House meets and the National Anthem is sung at the end. He walked out without reading the customary address prepared by the state government and cited not playing of the National Anthem along with the State Anthem and 12 other reasons for doing so. It prompted Chief Minister M K Stalin to assert that he will work with “like-mined” parties to amend the Constitution of India to do away with the practice of customary address by the Governor at the beginning of the first session of Legislative Assemblies every year.

FICCI's latest manufacturing survey continues to reflect sustained growth and increasing optimism for India's manufacturing sector. For the third quarter of 2025-26, the index has touched all-time high with 91 per cent of respondents reported either higher or same production levels as compared to 87 per cent for Q2 FY 2025-26. This optimism is also evident in domestic demand, as 86 per cent of respondents anticipated higher or same orders in Q3 FY 2026 compared to the previous quarter and more so after the latest GST rate cuts announced.

It may sound odd, but China has become India’s biggest job snatcher. Massively growing imports from China are standing in the way of India’s manufacturing growth and creation of stable jobs for millions of unemployed. Stable-job-starved India is rapidly transforming into a gig economy. With the permanent nature of industrial job opportunities shrinking, the country is banking more on the growth of low-paid gig workers for employment generation. The gig workforce is projected to grow from 7.7 million (2020-21) to potentially 23.5 million by 2030, posing big challenges like income volatility and social security.

A closer look at the Maharashtra election results for the 29 municipal corporations across the state shows that the BJP is politically stagnating in Mumbai after its meteoric rise in the 2017 election winning 82 seats increasing its tally by 51. This time its tally increased by only 7, the same number the Congress has lost. Thackeray’s lost Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation almost after three decades which made headlines, but they are still a force by winning 65 + 6 seats out of 227 only next to BJP’s 89, and hence still a significant political force in the finance capital of India. Congress, by and large, remains the chief opposition across the state.

Karnataka's political crisis is rooted in an intensifying power struggle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. The unresolved question of a rotating chief minister system has deepened the crisis, making it critical for the Congress High Command to act decisively to stabilize the state.

December 2025 registered a rise in unemployment rate in India to 4.8 per cent from 4.7 per cent in November despite the seasonal increase in agricultural and allied activity in rural India. Additionally, it should be a matter of concern that unemployment rate in rural India failed to improve in November and December which remained at 3.9 per cent, in spite of the general trend of rise in rural employment every year during sowing of Rabi or winter crops during October-December. Urban unemployment on the other hand rose to 6.7 per cent in December as against 6.5 per cent in November 2025. These should be a matter of serious concern for the Union government.