Policy & Government

The Bombay High Court has ordered the Central Government to decide by May 4 on awarding a posthumous Padma Vibhushan to Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, India's first individual Olympic medalist. The ruling forces a formal government response to a PIL filed by his son's foundation, moving a long-pending recognition bid

A federal refund system for businesses that paid tariffs ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court is set to launch Monday. The program opens a formal claims pathway for affected companies seeking reimbursement, with the government's total fiscal exposure dependent on claim volume and eligible tariff scope.

A statue of B.R. Ambedkar in Ghaziabad was vandalized, drawing public outrage and a SWAT team deployment. DCP Rural Ghaziabad Surendra Nath Tiwari confirmed CCTV footage is being reviewed and pledged strict action against those responsible.

India's CBI arrested a senior executive of a major corporate group over alleged bribery involving DGCA approvals for drone imports. A DGCA public servant purportedly demanded payments from private persons in exchange for clearing pending applications for a private aerospace company. The case adds compliance and

India's Supreme Court issued nationwide road safety directions, centering on expressways and national highways after noting that the latter represent 2% of total road length but generate nearly 30% of all road fatalities. The binding pan-India scope removes jurisdictional escape routes for state and highway authorities

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he was unaware that Peter Mandelson failed security clearance, raising questions about vetting accountability at the top of government. The disclosure puts pressure on Starmer's political standing and the integrity of senior appointment processes. No formal resignation move has

A federal appeals court ruled that construction on Trump's White House ballroom can fully resume, overturning a prior halt. The decision keeps work active until at least a June hearing, where the legal challenge will be reconsidered.

PM Narendra Modi accused opposition parties of blocking women's empowerment legislation, calling it an act of selfish politics in a national address. The charge intensifies the political standoff over a women's reservation bill that has repeatedly failed to advance through parliament.

India's BJP-led government failed to pass a Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, securing 298 votes in favor against 230 opposed, short of the two-thirds supermajority required. The defeat represents a rare and consequential legislative failure for the ruling coalition. PM Modi is scheduled to address the

The federal 'no tax on tips' policy, designed as a wage benefit for service workers, may inadvertently boost mortgage eligibility for roughly 4 million tipped employees. By raising effective qualifying income without changing gross wages, the provision could lower debt-to-income ratios and expand homeownership access.

The Medical Counselling Committee has officially designated April 10, 2026, as the commencement date for the NEET Super Speciality 2025-26 academic session. The date is tied to the SS Counselling 2025 schedule, setting a formal administrative reference for seat allocation and institutional intake. Candidates and

The Union Cabinet has extended the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-III deadline to March 2028 for plain areas and March 2029 for mountainous regions, raising the total outlay to Rs 83,977 crore. The revised program targets improved rural market access and lower transport costs, with direct implications for

India's Cabinet has approved a Rs 13,800-crore sovereign maritime fund to provide insurance cover for Indian-flagged vessels. The fund creates a state-backed risk pool, reducing reliance on foreign commercial underwriters whose terms can tighten during geopolitical disruptions. Coverage scope and deployment timelines

India's Cabinet cleared a 2% Dearness Allowance hike for central government employees and pensioners, raising take-home pay amid elevated living costs. The adjustment increases the government's wage outlay and puts more disposable income in the hands of a large federal workforce.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demanded the government apply the Women's Reservation Act of 2023 to the current Lok Sabha strength, without waiting for delimitation. The move challenges the law's built-in activation condition and pressures the ruling coalition on women's representation ahead of future elections.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's plan to build a Space City and satellite launch facility on Hope Island, Kakinada Bay, faces pushback over risks to conserved bird species and residents. The island carries a Moderate Damage Risk Zone-III (MSK VII) classification under India's National Centre for Sustainable Coastal

The 131st Constitution Amendment Bill failed in the Lok Sabha, leaving women's 33 percent political reservation tied to the completion of a Census and delimitation process under the 2023 Women's Reservation Act. The defeat removes the government's proposed shortcut and restores the original sequencing with no confirmed

President Trump signed an executive order directing the FDA to expedite psychedelic drug access through breakthrough designation and right-to-try pathways. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said three priority review vouchers for serotonin 2a agonists will be issued next week, with broader agency decisions expected this

Irdai has held the mandatory reinsurance cession rate at 4% for FY27, requiring all general insurers to channel that share of premiums to GIC Re. The decision protects GIC Re's guaranteed premium base despite the entry of new domestic rivals Jio-Allianz Re and Valueattics Re, who must compete for discretionary business

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge declared the United Opposition defeated a bid to harm the Constitution, with CPI's D. Raja calling it a setback for the Modi government's political map redrawing under women's reservation. The opposition framing targets mechanism and timing rather than the reservation principle