October 2, 2026

Kautilya

Economy Infrastructure

AERB Clears Restart of Tarapur Unit-2 After Major Refurbishment and Safety Upgrade

Tarapur Unit-2 is part of the historic TAPS Units 1 and 2, India’s first nuclear power reactors based on the Boiling Water Reactor design. Both units began commercial operation in 1969, making them among the oldest operating commercial nuclear power units in Asia. The restart clearance is therefore significant not only as a technical achievement, but also as a demonstration of India’s ability to extend the life of legacy nuclear assets through modern safety upgrades and strict regulatory review.

By Kautilya / May 13, 2026
Economy

India’s Mineral Sector Crosses Major Milestone With 101 Auctioned Blocks Becoming Operational

The milestone also points to the impact of mining-sector reforms introduced over the past decade. Since 2015, India has shifted towards a more transparent and competitive auction-based system for allocating mineral resources. The Ministry said that FY 2025–26 recorded the highest-ever annual performance under the auction regime, with 212 mineral blocks auctioned in a single financial year, showing growing momentum in the country’s mineral allocation framework.

By Kautilya / May 13, 2026
Economy Infrastructure

India Pushes Nationwide EV Charging Rollout Under PM E-DRIVE Scheme at Bengaluru Conference

The PM E-DRIVE Scheme, formally known as the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement Scheme, has a total outlay of ₹10,900 crore and is aimed at accelerating EV adoption, creating charging infrastructure and strengthening India’s electric vehicle manufacturing ecosystem. The scheme covers demand incentives and infrastructure support for electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, buses, trucks, ambulances and other emerging EV segments.

By Kautilya / May 13, 2026
Health Intervention

CDSCO Tightens Drug Safety Reporting Rules, Asks Firms to File PSURs From Actual Launch Date

The issue arose because CDSCO observed cases where companies received approval for a new drug but launched it commercially much later. In some such cases, firms were submitting PSUR data from the original approval date instead of the actual market launch date. According to the regulator, this practice could lead to the loss of important post-launch safety information, especially adverse effects that may only become visible after wider use among patients.

By Kautilya / May 13, 2026
Economy

National Jute Board Expands ISRO-Backed Crop Monitoring System to Make India’s ‘Golden Fibre’ More Data-Driven

Two key digital tools have been developed under the initiative. The first is BHUVAN JUMP, a mobile application used for on-field jute monitoring. The second is PATSAN, or Prospective Assessment of Jute Using Mobile App-Based Field Observations, a web-based platform that provides near-real-time jute surveillance and analytics for officials and stakeholders. These tools help connect satellite observations with ground-level data, making crop estimates more reliable and actionable.

By Kautilya / May 13, 2026
Economy

RBI and European Central Bank Sign MoU to Strengthen Central Banking Cooperation

The new MoU updates the earlier agreement signed between the two central banks in 2015. According to the ECB, the renewed arrangement creates a framework for regular exchange of information, policy dialogue and technical cooperation between the two institutions. Technical cooperation may include joint seminars and workshops in areas of mutual interest, helping both central banks share experience on evolving monetary, regulatory and financial-sector challenges.

By Kautilya / May 13, 2026
Diplomacy

India to Host BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on May 14–15 Under Its Chairship

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the visiting delegates are also scheduled to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their stay in India. The two-day meeting is expected to focus on global and regional issues of common interest, with discussions likely to reflect the priorities of emerging economies at a time of shifting geopolitical alignments, economic uncertainty and continuing debate over the future of multilateral institutions.

By Kautilya / May 12, 2026
Governance Intervention

India Launches AI-Enabled Weather Forecasting Systems to Deliver Hyper-Local Monsoon and Rainfall Alerts

The newly introduced products include an AI-enabled “Forecast of Monsoon Advance over Different Parts of the Country” and a “High Spatial Resolution Rainfall Forecast for Uttar Pradesh” as a pilot service. These systems have been jointly developed by the India Meteorological Department, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting.

By Kautilya / May 12, 2026