Has the 16th Finance Commission sidelined the States and prioritised the Centre’s needs?

The 16th Finance Commission (FC)’s vertical devolution recommendations prioritise the needs of the Centre over the realities of States. By merely acknowledging, rather than heeding, States’ fiscal pressures, the FC has taken a distinctly conservative stance. To grasp the underlying tensions, we must first look deeper into the structural issues. The 16th FC has maintained…

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The U.S. trade deal, gains from economic diplomacy

India’s trade playbook is working strongly, steadily and at scale. Its new trade architecture resembles a newly built expressway, anchored in strategic trade agreements that will enable faster, more predictable movement for trade. After concluding a major free trade agreement with the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom and other partners, India has now secured…

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Stock market advances after India-US trade deal

Traders react after fluctuations in stock market, in Kolkata. Image for representational purposes only. File | Photo Credit: PTI Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty were trading higher in early trade on Wednesday (February 4, 2026), building on previous day’s sharp rally, amid fresh foreign fund inflows and positive sentiment following the India-U.S. trade deal. A…

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India-U.S. trade deal: Agri, seafood exporters relieved, farmers agitated over possible import of U.S. crops

Image used for representational purposes only. | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar Exporters of agricultural products, fisheries, and seafood were relieved after the announcement of the trade deal between India and the United States, but farmers expressed concern about the possible import of crops such as soybean, cotton, maize, and wheat, and trade unions warned…

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