Himanshi Bhardwaj

CAG bets on AI, cyber audits and sovereign LLM to enhance public scrutiny

CAG officials said the institution has adopted a formal AI strategy framework making the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of India one of the few globally with a published AI roadmap

India's unemployment rate hit three-month high of 5% in January

India's unemployment rate climbed to 5% in January, a three-month high, as rural seasonal factors and post-harvest slack pushed joblessness up, even as labour force participation softened

India's wholesale inflation climbs to 10-month high of 1.8 % in January

Wholesale inflation rose to a 10-month high of 1.81% in January, driven by higher food and core prices, with vegetable inflation turning positive and manufactured goods showing renewed price pressures

Phase out universal subsidies, target benefits better: ADB-PwC study

ADB-PwC study urges India to phase out universal subsidies, tighten Aadhaar-linked targeting and audits, and improve fiscal efficiency without hurting stability

New CPI series triggers shakeup in state-level inflation rankings

Revised 2024 base year, fresh consumption weights and expanded market basket recast state inflation rankings; Telangana tops January list under new series

New consumer inflation data to bolster policy responses: CEA Nageswaran

At 2.75%, January price rise well below RBI's target of 4%

All about the Consumer Price Index: How India tracks retail inflation

CPI tracks retail price changes across India; January 2026 inflation data shifts to a new 2024 base year reflecting updated spending patterns

Retail inflation: A brief history before new data series launch on Thursday

India's retail inflation gauge has evolved from fragmented worker-specific indices to a unified CPI framework that now anchors monetary policy and welfare decisions

India's joblessness falls to three-quarter low of 4.8% in Q3 FY26

India's unemployment rate eased to a three-quarter low of 4.8% in Q3FY26, helped by higher labour force participation and a decline in youth joblessness, latest PLFS data showed

January retail inflation likely to hit 2.4-3%: Business Standard poll

The old-weight estimates place January CPI inflation at 2.5 per cent- 2.6 per cent, while the new-weight estimates span 2.45 per cent to 3.2 per cent

NITI Aayog charts 'development-first' road map to Net Zero 2070 goal

Plans to ensure progressive decoupling of economic growth and emission

Punjab needs a fiscal reset to avert debt spiral: Study to 16th FC

An ISB evaluation submitted to the 16th Finance Commission flags rising debt, subsidy pressures and weak revenues in Punjab, warning that the debt-to-GSDP ratio could cross 60 per cent by 2030-31

Karnataka PSU borrowing model a template for states: World Bank

Karnataka's move to include PSU and SPV debt in state liabilities offers a template to curb off-budget borrowings and improve fiscal transparency, a World Bank report says

Two decades of FRLs fail to rein in debt in several states: World Bank

A World Bank report to the 16th Finance Commission says state fiscal rules improved headline deficits, but debt levels remain high and uneven across several large states

Scrapping revenue deficit grants may strain fragile states: Economists

Economists warn that removal of revenue deficit grants could hurt fiscally weak and hill states, forcing them to seek alternative support from the Centre

Trade deal sweetens FY27 growth arithmetic as exports lift outlook

Economists say the India-US trade deal could lift FY27 GDP growth by 20-40 basis points by boosting exports and reducing uncertainty, though risks from imports remain

16th FC charts Union's fiscal path: Falling deficit, rising capex

The Sixteenth Finance Commission has proposed a consolidation roadmap that balances development needs with fiscal prudence

NSO to launch year-long nationwide migration survey from July 2026

The National Statistics Office will roll out a comprehensive migration survey from July 2026 to June 2027 to capture patterns, drivers, and labour profiles of migrants across India

16th FC moots CSS overhaul, discom privatisation, subsidy bill pruning

To create incentives for privatisation, the panel said private investors need to be shielded from the accumulated debt burden after discom takeover

16th Finance Commission retains 41% devolution, introduces GDP criterion

the 16th Finance Commission kept tax devolution at 41%, added GDP contribution as a new criterion, dropped revenue deficit grants, and pushed states towards stronger fiscal discipline