October 2, 2026

Kautilya

Economy Governance

Centre Notifies New VB-G RAM G Rural Employment Law, MGNREGA to Be Replaced from July 1, 2026

The new Act enhances the statutory employment guarantee from 100 days to 125 days in every financial year for every rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work. The government has positioned the law as a shift from a standalone wage-support programme to a broader rural development framework that combines employment generation, durable asset creation, livelihood security, climate resilience and technology-enabled governance.

By Kautilya / May 11, 2026
Diplomacy

Quad’s Critical Minerals Strategy — Why India, US, Japan and Australia Are Quietly Building a China Alternative

The fear is not merely economic dependence. It is strategic vulnerability. In recent years, geopolitical tensions have repeatedly demonstrated how supply chains can become instruments of coercion. Countries dependent on a single supplier for critical technologies or industrial inputs risk economic disruption, industrial paralysis, price manipulation, and national-security vulnerabilities during periods of conflict or diplomatic confrontation.

By Kautilya / May 11, 2026
Economy

India Exports First ODOP Honey Consignment from Assam to the United States

The export consignment was undertaken by Assam-based APEDA-registered exporter Salt Range Foods Private Limited. Officials said the honey was processed and packed at the company’s facility in Guwahati before being dispatched for the US market. The initiative is being viewed as a significant breakthrough for Assam’s beekeeping sector and the government’s broader efforts to integrate local agricultural products into global value chains.

By Kautilya / May 11, 2026
Diplomacy Vidya

Jaishankar Hands Over Made-in-India Laptops to Trinidad and Tobago Schoolchildren

The ceremony was held during Jaishankar’s official visit to Trinidad and Tobago from May 8 to 9, 2026. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the first set of 2,000 laptops was handed over to selected schoolchildren in the presence of Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar. The initiative was presented as a message of learning, awareness and opportunity, showing how India’s development cooperation is increasingly extending into education and digital access.

By Kautilya / May 11, 2026
Economy

India’s Private Capex Surges 67% to ₹7.7 Lakh Crore, Signals Strong Revival in Investment Cycle

The industry body’s assessment was based on an analysis of nearly 1,200 companies from the CMIE Prowess database. The data showed that manufacturing led the private capex recovery, accounting for around ₹3.8 lakh crore, nearly half of total private investment. Metals, automobiles and chemicals were among the major sectors driving the manufacturing-led expansion.

By Kautilya / May 11, 2026
Defense

DRDO’s 1,200-Second Scramjet Test Marks Major Step in India’s Hypersonic Missile Programme

A scramjet, or supersonic combustion ramjet, is an air-breathing engine designed for flight at hypersonic speeds, generally above Mach 5. Unlike conventional rocket motors that carry both fuel and oxidiser, a scramjet uses oxygen from the atmosphere, allowing sustained high-speed flight in the atmosphere. This makes the technology highly valuable for long-range hypersonic cruise missiles, where speed, manoeuvrability and reduced reaction time for enemy air-defence systems are crucial.

By Kautilya / May 11, 2026
Ayurveda Food and Frolic Health

Asafoetida in Ayurveda: The Fierce Little Pinch That Turns Food Into Medicine

In Ayurveda, Hingu is valued mainly as a Deepana-Pachana dravya — a substance that kindles digestive fire and helps the body process food properly. This is why Indian cooking traditionally adds a tiny pinch of hing to dals, sambar, rasam, kadhi, chana, rajma, yam, colocasia, leafy vegetables and other foods that may otherwise produce heaviness, bloating or gas. The idea is simple but profound: digestion is not an afterthought in Indian food; digestion is built into the recipe itself.

By Kautilya / May 11, 2026