RBI moves to shield customers from small fraud, caps compensation at Rs 25,000
The RBI released draft directions proposing that victims of small-value digital banking fraud receive compensation of up to ₹25,000, or 85% of the fraudulent...
RBI doubles collateral-free loans to MSMEs to Rs 20 lakh
The Reserve Bank of India announced that the collateral-free loan limit for micro and small enterprises (MSEs) will be doubled from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 20 lak...
Monetary Policy Meet: Repo rate steady at 5.25%; FY26 GDP, inflation projections raised
The RBI's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) concluded its February 2026 bi-monthly meeting by keeping the repo rate steady at 5.25% with a unanimous vote. The ...
Internal Security
Polity & Governance
5 min
Kuki protests test fragile peace in Manipur as new govt takes over, but why Centre isn’t unduly worried
Fresh protests erupted within the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur following the swearing-in of a new state government, with community members angered by the app...
RBI Monetary Policy Meet 2026 LIVE: Fraud-hit customers will be compensated up to Rs 25,000, or 85% of amount
The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), meeting from February 4–6, 2026, unanimously voted to keep the policy repo rate unchanged at 5.2...
Polity & Governance
Internal Security
6 min
No Kuki-Zo MLAs physically in House, Manipur govt passes floor test; Churachandpur sees violent protests
On February 6, 2026, the newly formed Manipur government led by Chief Minister Y. Khemchand Singh successfully passed a floor test in the state Legislative A...
Economics
Geography
4 min
J-K has tapped less than a quarter of its hydropower potential: Economic Survey
According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, Jammu and Kashmir has harnessed only 3,540 MW — approximately 24% — of its identified hydropower potential of 14,86...
Environment & Ecology
Polity & Governance
5 min
3 year after it was notified to offset Panna deforestation, NBWL panel approves irrigation project on 272 ha in Durgavati tiger reserve
The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) approved an irrigation project covering 272 hectares of forest land inside the Veerangana Du...
Environment & Ecology
Social Issues
Polity & Governance
5 min
Inside Meghalaya’s rat-hole mines: 25 dead, a race against time, and a disaster long foretold
A dynamite explosion in an illegal coal mine at Mynsyngat in the Thangkso area of East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, killed at least 25 labourers in early Februa...
Environment & Ecology
Social Issues
4 min
Tamil Nadu sounds state-wide alert after mass crow deaths: What you need to know about the bird flu scare
Over 1,000–1,500 crows died across Chennai between late January and early February 2026, with mass die-offs reported in Adyar, Velachery, Thiruvanmiyur, Pall...
International Relations
Economics
4 min
Oil and beyond: With Russia, India has to balance old ties, new realities
Despite sustained US pressure and tariff threats, India has continued purchasing Russian crude oil in 2026, with Russia remaining India's single largest crud...
RBI holds interest rates steady: What drove the decision?
The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) unanimously voted to keep the policy repo rate unchanged at 5.25% during its February 4–6, 2026 m...
International Relations
Economics
4 min
Trump says India will stop buying Russian oil. That is easier said than done
US President Donald Trump publicly claimed India had agreed to stop purchasing Russian crude oil and would shift to Venezuelan and American supplies instead,...
Science & Technology
5 min
For cancer immunotherapy, gently recovering lab-grown cells is key. Indian researchers may have just found a way
Researchers at IIT Bombay, led by Professor Prakriti Tayalia from the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, in collaboration with Monash University (...
Polity & Governance
6 min
Should the Governor’s address be scrapped?
An opinion piece in The Hindu examines whether the Governor's address to state legislatures — mandated under Articles 175 and 176 of the Constitution — shoul...
Environment & Ecology
Economics
5 min
Intent and outcome: On India’s climate budget for 2026-27
India's Union Budget 2026-27 has been critiqued for a mismatch between its stated climate ambitions and actual financial allocations — with significant headl...
Voluntary Retention Route – Imparting predictability and increasing ease of doing business
The Reserve Bank of India issued a circular (RBI/2025-26/205, A.P. DIR Series Circular No.21, dated February 19, 2026) rationalising the Voluntary Retention ...