Economy Current Affairs for UPSC
The latest 120 Economy current affairs notes for UPSC Prelims and Mains, newest first.
October 2026 · 49
New Audit Order Mandated for Multi-State Cooperative Societies
The Ministry of Cooperation has notified the Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Auditor's Report) Order, 2026 (MSCARO). It used powers under Section 73(6) of the Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Act…
15 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Government Launches BHAVYA Scheme for Industrial Parks
BHAVYA (Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna) is a central scheme, approved with an outlay of ₹33,660 crore, to build 'plug-and-play' industrial parks across India over six years (FY2026-27 to FY2031-32). It gives financial…
15 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Government Approves Sale of IDBI Bank to Strategic Buyer
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the sale of a 60.72% stake in IDBI Bank to 10955230 Canada Inc., a unit of Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd, for about Rs 52,878 crore. The stake being sold comprises…
15 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Retail Inflation Spreads Across Items, Pressuring RBI on Rates
Retail inflation rose to 5.54% in September. This is its highest level in nearly two years. The RBI itself acknowledged evidence of inflation generalisation. This means price pressures are spreading from food and fuel…
14 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Unapproved GM Cotton Traits Spread Despite Regulatory Ban
A large share of India's cotton area now carries genetically modified traits. These include herbicide tolerance and the next-generation Bt gene Vip3A. These traits have never received regulatory approval from the…
14 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
A Decade of India's Mandatory Corporate Social Responsibility Spending
India's CSR law, under Section 135 of the Companies Act 2013, requires companies crossing specific net worth, turnover or profit thresholds to spend 2% of average net profit on social development activities. Over a…
14 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
IMF Urges Developing Nations to Cut Spending Amid Oil Shock
The IMF has warned that low-income, oil-importing developing countries have little choice but to cut spending. The Iran war has driven up global energy and fertiliser prices. These countries already have high debt from…
14 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Maritime Council Becomes Statutory Body, Sets Port Reform Deadlines
The 21st meeting of the Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) was held in Mumbai. It was the first meeting since the Council gained statutory status under the Indian Ports Act, 2025. The MSDC was originally set up…
14 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Robert E. Hall, Michael Woodford Win 2026 Economics Nobel
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded to Robert E. Hall of Stanford University and Michael Woodford of Columbia University. They received the prize for building microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic…
13 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Agri-Photovoltaics Proposed to Raise Farmer Incomes Sharply
India's agriculture has grown since 2014, but farmers' real incomes have grown much slower than needed. The Ashok Dalwai Committee estimated that agricultural GDP must grow at 10.4% per year to double farmers' incomes.…
13 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Why India's Public Wi-Fi Rollout Under PM-WANI Has Lagged
Public Wi-Fi in India has lagged far behind other countries. This is despite the country's leadership in mobile data and digital payments. The idea for an open, interoperable Wi-Fi access system was first proposed in…
13 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
PM GatiShakti Completes Five Years of Infrastructure Planning
The PM GatiShakti National Master Plan was launched on 13 October 2021. It is a GIS-based digital platform. It integrates infrastructure planning across ministries and states to cut delays and costs from uncoordinated…
13 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Government Reviews One Year of Pulses Self-Reliance Mission
The Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses was launched on 11 October 2025 with a ₹11,440 crore outlay till 2030-31. It aims to make India self-sufficient in pulses. The target is 350 lakh tonnes production and 1,130…
12 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Why RBI's GDP Growth Forecasts Keep Being Revised
The Reserve Bank of India raised its growth forecast for the current financial year by 40 basis points to 7.1%, continuing a pattern of frequent revisions seen through the year. India's national accounts are compiled by…
11 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
US Probes EU Carbon Border Tax; India Could Gain
The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) charges importers for the carbon dioxide embedded in goods like steel, aluminium and cement, and is expected to raise the effective cost of exporting these goods to the…
11 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
AI Data Centres Strain India's Power Grid, Raise Upgrade Costs
AI-driven data centres are placing new strains on India's power grid, raising both reliability concerns and infrastructure upgrade costs. India's grid is coordinated by Grid-India and five Regional Power Committees…
11 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
GST Council Approves Registration, Refund and Litigation Reforms
The GST Council is a constitutional body under Article 279A. It held its 57th meeting after an earlier meeting had rationalised GST into two main slabs of 5% and 18% with a special 40% rate. This latest meeting shifted…
10 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
US Green Card Curbs May Push Tech Work to India
A recent US Department of Labour decision suspended new and pending Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) applications for eight major technology employers. These include Microsoft, Adobe and Indian IT majors. PERM is…
10 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
India's Greenfield Investment Share Outpaces China's, UNCTAD Report Shows
A greenfield investment is money a foreign firm spends to build a brand-new plant, unit or venture abroad. This is different from buying into an existing firm. A UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report…
10 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
India's Trade Squeezed Between US Tariffs and China Deficit
India's trade position is caught between two opposite forces. India has a trade surplus with the United States and a structural trade deficit with China. The deficit with China is difficult to reverse because many…
9 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
GST Council Approves Reforms to Ease Compliance and Litigation
The 57th GST Council meeting approved a set of process reforms covering registration, refunds, returns, cancellation, and adjudication. The GST Council is a constitutional body under Article 279A, inserted by the 101st…
9 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
RBI Hikes Repo Rate, Shifts Stance to Calibrated Tightening
India's monetary policy operates under a formal inflation-targeting framework established by amending the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 in 2016. Section 45ZA empowers the central government to set a CPI inflation…
9 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
India's Rising FDI Inflows Expose Persistent Reform Gaps
India's gross inward FDI reached a record $94.8 billion in FY26. UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2026 ranks India 11th among global FDI destinations after a 44% rise in inflows. Yet India lags peers like the US, France…
9 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Union Cabinet approves ₹10,000-cr SME growth fund to boost manufacturing
The Union Cabinet has approved the SME Growth Fund (SGF). It commits ₹10,000 crore under Para 28 of the Union Budget 2026-27 to provide equity capital to small and medium enterprises. Unlike existing debt-based…
8 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
RBI Raises Rates Citing Inflation Risks from Supply Shocks
India's monetary policy operates under flexible inflation targeting, established by Section 45ZA of the RBI Act, 1934. The government sets a 4% CPI inflation target every five years, with a tolerance band of 2% to 6%.…
8 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Rising US Bond Yields Test India's Macroeconomic Resilience
Global bond markets are under pressure. The 10-year US Treasury yield has risen past 5%. It is at its highest level since 2007. The US Federal Reserve keeps rates elevated to tame inflation. This narrows the India-US…
7 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Government Approves Apex Body for Transport and Logistics Planning
India's logistics costs stand at 13-14% of GDP, nearly double the global benchmark of 8%, largely because transport planning has been fragmented across separate ministries for roads, railways, ports, civil aviation, and…
7 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Ministry Notifies 375 Permissible Works Under New Rural Employment Scheme
The Ministry of Rural Development has notified a new Schedule of Permissible Works under the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, VB-G RAM G. This law replaced the older rural employment…
7 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
New Trade Deals and India's Dependence on US Exports
The US House has passed a bill allowing tariffs of up to 100% on countries buying Russian oil. This is a fresh threat to India, which sourced over 51% of its crude oil from Russia in July, an all-time high. This follows…
6 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
India-New Zealand FTA ratified, to come into effect on October 20
The India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA), ratified recently, enters into force on October 20 and aims to double bilateral trade to about ₹35,000 crore within four to five years, from roughly $1.3 billion in…
6 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Rising Global Bond Yields Signal Costlier Capital for India
Ten-year government bond yields in the US, France and Japan have risen to their highest levels in two to three decades. India's 10-year G-Sec yield has risen by roughly half as much. This is unusual because it no longer…
6 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
India's First Blue Bond Launched Under Sagarmala Programme
Sagarmala Finance Corporation Ltd (SMFCL) is preparing India's first blue bond, aiming to raise up to ₹1,000 crore for maritime projects under the Sagarmala Programme, launched in 2015 under the PM GatiShakti framework.…
6 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Make in India at 12 Years: Manufacturing's Share Still Flat
Twelve years after its September 2014 launch, an assessment of the Make in India initiative across twelve metrics was completed. These metrics covered growth, investment, employment, and exports. The assessment shows…
6 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
RBI Weighs First Rate Hike in Years as Inflation Rises
The RBI's Monetary Policy Committee appears set to raise the repo rate for the first time since early 2023, ending nearly two years of monetary accommodation. The anticipated move reflects converging pressures: domestic…
5 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Government Readies Revised Model Bilateral Investment Treaty
India's Model Bilateral Investment Treaty, adopted in 2015 after a series of costly arbitration losses including the White Industries award of 2011, is now under revision following an announcement in the Union Budget…
3 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Green Energy Corridor Phase-III Targets Renewable Transmission Bottlenecks
India's renewable energy capacity has crossed 300 GW, the third largest in the world, but transmission constraints and grid-security concerns have forced operators to curtail solar power during peak generation months.…
3 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
To cash in on next tech boom, India needs the right chips
India's semiconductor strategy, built around the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme, and the IndiaAI Mission, has delivered a dozen approved projects and large committed…
3 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Manufacturing Output Rises but Employment Lags Behind
India's registered manufacturing sector continues to post healthy growth in output and employment, but this masks a deeper structural problem. Annual Survey of Industries data for 2024-25 shows wages growing slower than…
3 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
GOBARdhan Scheme Launched to Scale Up Compressed Biogas Production
The GOBARdhan Scheme, launched as a restructured Central Sector Scheme with a ₹23,731 crore outlay for FY2026-27 to FY2035-36, consolidates India's fragmented Compressed Biogas (CBG) policy under a single nodal…
2 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
US Treasury Yields Hit 25-Year High: What It Means
US Treasury yields, the effective interest rates the US government pays to borrow money, have risen to their highest levels in about 25 years across short and long durations alike. A bond's yield moves inversely to its…
2 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
India-EFTA Trade Pact Completes First Year
The India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), involving Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, completed its first year after entering into force on October 1, 2025. EFTA offered tariff…
1 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
India's Industrial Output Growth Accelerates Ahead of Festive Season
India's industrial growth has strengthened through the current financial year, with the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) rising 8% in August, its second-fastest pace since a revised series began in April 2024, and…
1 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Moving Beyond Production Credit to Finance Agri Value Chains
India's agricultural credit system was historically built to finance production, through Regional Rural Banks, cooperative institutions, and the Kisan Credit Card scheme, and this delivered food security over six…
1 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
India's Rising Household Debt and Falling Savings Buffer
India's household debt has risen steadily, from 39.2% of GDP in March 2021 to 45.5% by September 2025, driven by credit cards, personal loans, digital lending, and buy-now-pay-later schemes alongside traditional housing…
1 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Cabinet Approves Rabi Crop MSP for 2027-28 Season
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the Minimum Support Price for six Rabi crops for the 2027-28 season: wheat, barley, gram, masur, rapeseed and mustard, and safflower. MSP is recommended by the…
1 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Cabinet Clears Green Energy Corridor Phase-III Transmission Scheme
India's Green Energy Corridor (GEC) scheme funds intra-state transmission infrastructure to evacuate renewable power from generation-rich states to demand centres. GEC-I (2015-16) targeted 24 GW evacuation and GEC-II…
1 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Study Pegs India's Ayush Services Economy at US$36.92 Billion
A study by the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) has produced the first nationally scaled, establishment-level estimate of India's Ayush services economy, valuing it at US$36.92 billion in…
1 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Debate Over Percentage-Based Pricing for UPI Merchant Fee
UPI, launched in 2016 by NPCI, was kept free for merchants from 2020 through a taxpayer-funded bank incentive scheme that grew rapidly, prompting a new 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate, capped at Rs 300, on merchant UPI…
1 Oct 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Judicial Reforms and India's Intellectual Property Ecosystem
India's intellectual property regime was substantially reshaped by the 2005 amendment to the Patents Act, 1970, which reintroduced product patents for chemical and pharmaceutical substances to meet TRIPS obligations…
1 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
September 2026 · 71
India Warns of Global Food Crisis Amid Fertiliser Shortages
India's External Affairs Ministry has warned of a possible major food crisis in the coming months, linking it to the Ukraine war and the Iran-Gulf conflict disrupting fertiliser supplies and grain shipments. The FAO…
30 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
State Cash Allowances for Unemployed Graduates Face Scrutiny
Over ten Indian state governments have introduced cash allowances for unemployed youth, mostly timed near state elections, making India an outlier in responding to graduate joblessness through direct cash rather than…
30 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Indian Firms Ramp Up US Investment as Tariff Pressure Grows
Indian companies including Essar, JSW Steel, and a leading pharma major are announcing large investments in the United States, driven by US tariff policy that doubled steel, aluminium and copper duties to 50% under…
30 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
India's Post-Harvest Food Loss and Waste Challenge Explained
India faces significant food loss and waste across its agrifood value chain despite producing enough to feed its population. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries has conducted three national Post-Harvest Loss…
29 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Revisiting the National Commission on Farmers on Its Chair's Centenary
The National Commission on Farmers (NCF), chaired by M. S. Swaminathan and constituted in 2004, submitted five reports between 2004 and 2006 arguing that agrarian distress is fundamentally an income and livelihood…
29 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Debate Grows Over Farmers' Share in India's Solar Expansion
India's installed solar capacity has grown sixtyfold since 2014, reaching 168.04 GW by August 2026, but this expansion has mostly benefited utility-scale developers and, through PM Surya Ghar, rooftop households.…
29 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Beyond Cash Transfers: Designing Livelihood-Linked Welfare Schemes
Direct cash transfers have become central to Indian welfare policy, with 17 states and one Union Territory sending monthly sums to citizens, largely women, using the JAM trinity infrastructure. Global evidence shows…
29 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Does the OSH Code Deliver a Worker-Centred Safety Right?
The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 consolidates 13 central labour laws and is one of four Labour Codes meant to simplify India's fragmented labour law framework. It inverts the older…
29 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Firms Struggle to Replicate China's Manufacturing Ecosystem Abroad
Global manufacturing is being restructured as firms try to reduce dependence on China, but the challenge goes beyond relocating factories: it involves untangling deeply embedded supplier ecosystems built over decades.…
28 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Maharashtra's 1972 Drought and Its Employment Guarantee Legacy
Maharashtra faces a possible severe drought this year, driven by an El Niño-linked rainfall deficit concentrated in the rain-shadow regions of Marathwada and Vidarbha, prompting comparisons with the catastrophic 1972…
28 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Government Launches Sovereign-Backed Maritime Insurance Pool
The Bharat Maritime Insurance Pool (BMIP) is India's first domestic maritime insurance pool, created to reduce dependence on foreign Protection and Indemnity (P&I) clubs that have long dominated marine insurance for…
28 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Should India Export Wheat Before Next Harvest Is Certain
India moved wheat exports from 'prohibited' to 'free' in August 2026 after a record harvest left Central Pool stocks at nearly 48 MMT, well above the 20.5 MMT buffer norm. This comfort, however, comes from wheat already…
27 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
India's Growth Outlook Improves as Inflation Risks Rise
International agencies have raised India's growth forecasts for the year, citing strong industrial output, government capital spending and exports, but they simultaneously flag building inflation and expect the RBI to…
27 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Union Government Launches 'She-Mart' Scheme for Women Cooperatives
The Union Government launched 'She-Mart', a cooperative-sector retail initiative connecting women self-help groups and rural women entrepreneurs directly with consumers, at an event in Kerala. Built on the existing…
27 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
India Marks World Tourism Day With New Digital Initiatives
World Tourism Day 2026, observed on 27 September under the theme of digital agenda and Artificial Intelligence, prompted India to launch new tourism initiatives including the National Digital Tourism Stack and Dekho…
27 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Economy
PLI Schemes Boost Pharma, Bulk Drugs, Medical Device Manufacturing
The PLI scheme, launched in 2020 under the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India strategy, links financial incentives to incremental sales or investment rather than blanket subsidies. In the pharma and medtech space…
26 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Credit Guarantee Now Extended to MSME Invoice Discounting Platforms
The Ministry of MSME has integrated the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) with the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS), operationalising a Union Budget 2026-27 announcement.…
26 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Can the Chinese Yuan Ever Replace the US Dollar?
The article examines whether China's yuan can challenge the US dollar's dominance as the world's reserve currency. The dollar's 'exorbitant privilege' lets the US finance imports by printing money that others willingly…
26 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Crude Oil Surge Widens Losses at Oil Marketing Companies
A sharp rise in global crude prices, driven by renewed conflict in West Asia, a shutdown of Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, and Houthi threats near the Bab el-Mandeb, has widened financial losses at India's…
25 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Make in India Completes 12 Years, Manufacturing Data Reviewed
Make in India, launched on 25 September 2014, aimed to make India a global hub for manufacturing, design and innovation, building on earlier measures like National Investment and Manufacturing Zones and single-window…
25 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Coal India Shifts Distribution from Nomination to Auction Model
Coal India Limited's coal distribution system has evolved over the past decade from a discretionary, nomination-based approach to a transparent, multi-channel framework. Long-term power-sector supply is now governed by…
25 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Rural Skilling Scheme DDU-GKY Gets Upgraded 2.0 Framework
DDU-GKY, launched in 2014 under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission, provides placement-linked skill training to rural youth aged 15-35 from poor households, with mandatory coverage of 50% SC/ST, 33% women, and 5%…
25 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Quality Control Orders' Impact on India's Manufacturing Growth
India's Quality Control Orders (QCOs), issued under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016, expanded from 88 products in 2019 to 765 by end-2024, mandating BIS certification for notified goods. This rapid expansion…
24 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
India-EU Free Trade Agreement Signing Set for December 16
The India-EU Free Trade Agreement, whose negotiations date back to 2007 under the name Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement, is now scheduled for signing in Brussels, after resuming in 2022 and being concluded in…
24 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement to Take Effect Soon
The India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, concluded in April 2025, is set to come into force on October 20, 2026. Although bilateral goods trade between the two countries is currently small, the deal is significant…
24 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
How the EU's Carbon Border Tax Affects Indian Steel Exports
The European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) charges importers of six carbon-intensive goods, iron and steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen, and electricity, for the carbon dioxide embedded…
24 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Five Lesser-Known Methodological Changes in India's New GDP Series
India's new GDP series, with base year 2022-23, introduces several under-discussed methodological refinements beyond the widely reported base-year shift and double deflation. Enterprises engaged in multiple activities…
24 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
New Study Estimates Farmers' Share of Consumer Food Spending
A new IFPRI-led study applies the 'Food Dollar series' method, using supply-use tables, to estimate how much of a rupee spent on food in India actually reaches farmers. For food consumed at home, farmers received about…
24 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Refinery Attacks Shift Global Energy Crisis to Fuel and Sulphur Shortages
The prolonged Russia-Ukraine war and the widening West Asia conflict have pushed the global energy crisis beyond crude oil scarcity into a refinery crisis. Long-range strikes on refineries in Russia and Iran are cutting…
23 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
New Scheme Aims to Build an Indian-Owned Global Smartphone Brand
India's new mobile phone manufacturing scheme tries to fix a long-standing weakness in its electronics sector: strong manufacturing capacity but very little Indian ownership of smartphone brands, design, and…
23 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
India's Trade Treaties Could Strengthen Domestic Arbitration Framework
India has recently signed several Bilateral Investment Treaties (with the UAE, Israel, and Uzbekistan) and Free Trade Agreements (with the UK, EFTA, Oman, and New Zealand). Most of these avoid an Investor-State Dispute…
23 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Coal India's CSR Spending Evolves Into Sector-Wide Framework
Coal India Limited's CSR journey moved from a voluntary Community Development Policy in 2005 to a statutory obligation under Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013, which mandates a minimum 2% of average net profit be…
23 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
India-China Trade Gap Exposes Limits of Self-Reliance Push
India's Atmanirbhar Bharat mission aimed to reduce dependence on foreign, especially Chinese, supply chains, but bilateral trade data shows the opposite trend. Imports from China rose sharply while exports stayed…
22 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Why Summer Power Cuts Persist Despite Adequate National Supply
India's power distribution system, governed by the Electricity Act, 2003, separates the state government's role in deciding subsidies from an independent regulator's role in fixing tariffs. Discoms provide last-mile…
22 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Maize, Rice or Sugarcane: The Ethanol Feedstock Dilemma
India's push toward higher ethanol blending under the E20 mandate has reopened questions about which crop should supply the fuel. Ethanol can be made from maize, rice, or sugarcane, each with different yield, cost, and…
22 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
MoSPI Releases Methodology Document for New GDP Series
MoSPI has released the 'Sources and Methods for Compilation of National Accounts Statistics', documenting the methodology behind India's new GDP series with base year 2022-23, the eighth such base-year revision…
22 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement to Take Effect October 2026
The India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, signed on 27 April 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, will enter into force on 20 October 2026, coinciding with Vijay Dashami. It follows the Prime Minister's July 2026 visit…
22 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
RBI Faces Real Interest Rate Dilemma Amid Rising Inflation
India's monetary policy is approaching a point where the real, inflation-adjusted repo rate risks falling to zero even without any change in the nominal rate, because inflation is climbing towards the policy rate…
21 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
India Lacks a Framework to Map Rare-Earth Magnet Dependence
Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB) magnets are critical inputs for electric vehicles, wind turbines and precision manufacturing, and India has responded to import dependence through the National Critical Mineral Mission, the…
21 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Coal India Expands Into Gasification, Renewables and Critical Minerals
Coal India Limited is diversifying beyond coal mining into five platforms: coal gasification and coal-to-chemicals, thermal power, renewable energy and storage, critical minerals and advanced materials, and diversified…
21 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
State Coal PSU Expands Mining, Renewables and Critical Minerals
NLC India Limited (NLCIL), a Navratna PSU under the Ministry of Coal, is repositioning itself from a coal-and-lignite miner into a diversified energy company. It plans to nearly double its mining capacity by 2030 while…
20 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Study Explains How India Cut Diabetes Drug Prices
A study by Chennai-based diabetologists, published in the journal Diabetes Care, explains how India has kept prices of newer diabetes medicines relatively low and what lessons this holds for other low- and middle-income…
20 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
SWIFT Alternatives and De-dollarization Efforts Gain Momentum
Rising use of financial sanctions, particularly the exclusion of Russian banks from SWIFT since 2022, has pushed several countries to build alternative payment and messaging systems. China's CIPS, launched in 2015…
20 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
New UPI Merchant Fee Raises Cost Pass-Through Concerns
India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI), launched in 2016 by the National Payments Corporation of India, grew rapidly after the government made it free for merchants through a zero-Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) policy…
19 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Farmers Receive India's First Soil Carbon Payments for Regenerative Farming
Soil-carbon payments remunerate farmers for verifiable increases in soil organic carbon achieved through regenerative practices such as Direct Seeded Rice, reduced tillage and residue retention. Operationalising…
18 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
New Zealand Enacts Legislation to Implement India-New Zealand FTA
The India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement is a comprehensive bilateral pact covering goods, services, investment and mobility. Signed on April 27, 2026, and moved closer to entry into force after New Zealand’s…
18 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Call to Release 2017–18 Consumption Survey to Restore Credibility
India’s national accounting has shifted from proxy-based projection of the informal sector to survey-anchored estimation using ASUSE and PLFS, and to price measurement improvements through double deflation using an…
18 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
PMKKKY Channels DMF Funds to Mining-Affected Districts
District Mineral Foundations (DMFs) and the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) are the statutory and programme mechanisms that return a share of mineral rents to mining-affected districts. Established…
18 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Complex UPI MDR structure raises inclusion and compliance concerns
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has announced a plan to introduce a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI Person-to-Merchant transactions above Rs 2,000, ending the zero-MDR policy in place since 2020.…
18 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
UPI Increased Informal Workers' Visibility but Not Their Security
India’s UPI-enabled payments revolution dramatically expanded the visibility of informal and platform workers by providing instant settlement and digital transaction trails. That visibility improved market access and…
18 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Scheme to strengthen domestic electronics component manufacturing
The Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) is a central government initiative to deepen domestic electronics value chains by incentivising production of components, sub-assemblies and capital goods. Notified…
18 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Global central bank rate hikes underscore persistent inflation risks
India's inflation-targeting framework, established under the RBI Act, 2016, tasks the Monetary Policy Committee with keeping CPI inflation at 4 per cent within a ±2 percentage point band, using the repo rate as the…
18 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Rising US Bond Yields Threaten Global Economies Including India
A government bond is a sovereign debt instrument whose yield (effective interest rate) moves inversely to its price. US Treasury bonds serve as the global risk-free benchmark, backed solely by the full faith and credit…
17 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
PMAY-U 2.0 Targets One Crore Urban Families with Affordable Housing
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U), launched in June 2015 under MoHUA, addresses India's urban housing deficit for EWS, LIG, and MIG families under the 'Housing for All' vision. Its successor, PMAY-U 2.0…
17 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
New Zealand Parliament Ratifies Free Trade Agreement with India
New Zealand's parliament ratified the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement by a wide cross-party majority, completing the country's domestic legislative process. The agreement eliminates or significantly reduces…
17 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Cabinet Raises EPFO Mandatory Wage Ceiling to ₹25,000 After Twelve Years
The Union Cabinet raised the EPFO mandatory wage ceiling from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 per month in September 2026, the first revision in twelve years. This brings workers earning in the ₹15,000–₹25,000 band into mandatory…
17 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
NPCI Reintroduces UPI Merchant Discount Rate on Transactions Above Rs 2,000
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has reintroduced a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions, effective October 15, 2026. A 0.4 per cent MDR will apply to person-to-merchant UPI payments above…
17 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
India's Smallholder Agriculture Model Offers Global Rural Development Lessons
India's smallholder farmers — with average landholdings of under one hectare — face structural challenges of fragmentation, market exclusion, and climate stress. Post-independence policy evolved from land ceiling laws…
16 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
India's GDP Base Year Revised to 2022-23, Nominal Estimates Revised Down
India's GDP base year has been revised from 2011-12 to 2022-23, with the new series released in February 2026. The revision reduced India's nominal GDP by approximately 2.7% to 3.8% across the three overlap years. The…
16 Sept 2026 · GS3 · Economy
Government Announces MDR Regime for High-Value UPI Transactions
The government announced a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) regime for UPI transactions, ending the zero-MDR policy in place since January 2020. The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 amended Section 10A of the…
16 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Government Announces Tiered MDR Framework for UPI Merchant Transactions
India's government has announced a tiered Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) framework for UPI transactions, effective October 15. All person-to-person UPI payments remain free regardless of amount. Person-to-merchant…
16 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
India's 7.8% GDP Growth Masks Weak Wages, Savings, and Private Investment
India's Q1 real GDP growth of 7.8 per cent is a strong headline figure, but several structural indicators suggest the gains are not broadly shared. Net household financial savings have fallen to 6.2 per cent of GDP, the…
16 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
RBI Rejects Holding Company Bid to Escape Mandatory Stock Listing
The Reserve Bank of India's rejection of Tata Sons' application to surrender its Core Investment Company registration has confirmed that India's largest conglomerate holding company must list on a stock exchange under…
16 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Government Clarifies New UPI MDR Framework: 96% Merchant Transactions Remain Free
India's UPI MDR framework, introduced under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, preserves free transactions for all person-to-person payments (70% of UPI transaction value) and for person-to-merchant payments…
16 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
DoRD-PFRDA MoU Launches Pension Sakhis for Rural Retirement Outreach
The Department of Rural Development and PFRDA have signed an MoU to create 'Pension Sakhis' — trained women from the DAY-NRLM Self-Help Group network who will act as community-level facilitators for pension awareness…
16 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Oil Price Surge and Fed Rate Hike Pose Twin Risks for India
India faces a twin external shock: Brent crude oil prices surging above $100 per barrel due to Houthi militia activity threatening the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the US Federal Reserve raising interest rates with 10-year…
15 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Tiruppur Knitwear Cluster Offers Model for India's Manufacturing Employment Challenge
India's employment challenge is structural: 43% of the workforce remains in low-productivity agriculture, while manufacturing accounts for only 12.1% of employment. The headline unemployment rate of around 3% conceals…
15 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Monsoon Deficit and El Niño Push India's September Power Demand to Record Levels
India recorded its highest-ever September peak power demand of 269 GW, nearly matching the summer peak of 270 GW recorded in May. The surge is driven by three converging factors: persistent heat keeping cooling demand…
14 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Economy
GDP Growth Numbers Questioned Amid Unemployment, Wage, and Manufacturing Concerns
India's GDP is measured by MoSPI using the expenditure approach (C+I+G+net exports) and the GVA production approach, with real GDP calculated at 2011-12 constant prices to strip out inflation. Q1 2026-27 data shows 7.8…
14 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Government Amends E-Commerce Rules to Curb Dark Patterns and Fake Discounts
The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, gazetted in September 2026 and effective from January 1, 2027, amend the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 under the Consumer Protection Act…
14 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy
Unconditional Cash Transfers Rise Globally, Raising Fiscal Sustainability Questions
The global spread of unconditional cash transfers — from Indian state governments to a proposed $5,000 dividend in the United States — reflects a common political economy logic: low-income households value immediate…
14 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Economy