Mint Primer

GM’s autonomous vehicle startup Cruise has slammed the brakes on its driverless cars, as US regulators investigate alleged safety breaches. Will this move put a spoke in the wheel of driverless cars globally? Or is this a step in the right direction?

The yield on 10-year US treasury bonds crossed 5% on Monday—the first time since 2007. It closed at 4.95% on Wednesday. This bond yield is important in influencing the direction of interest rates not just in the US but all across the world

Demand for IT services has slumped amid a global slowdown. India’s IT companies have, therefore, clamped down on their hiring plans. In fact, FY24 could turn out to be the worst year for IT sector hiring in a long time.

Data released last week by the agriculture ministry shows food production touched record highs in 2022-23. The robust numbers are at variance with India’s decision to curb exports of wheat and rice, and the trajectory of food inflation across multiple crops.

At the recently concluded International Monetary Fund (IMF)-World Bank meetings in Marrakesh, officials fretted over the new trend of interest rates remaining high for a long period. Mint looks at how it will impact the world at large and India in particular.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday confirmed that India will formally bid for hosting the 2036 Olympic Games. How much does it cost to host the 16-day event and is it worth the effort? Mint evaluates the economic implications of a successful bid.

Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram are headed for assembly elections amid varying retail inflation numbers. Rajasthan’s at 6.53% is above the RBI’s upper tolerance band. Mint explains the relevance of inflation to the elections.

Earlier this month, carmaker Hyundai announced plans to offer advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) across its entire product range in India. Why has it become fashionable to talk about ADAS and what is spurring its growth? Tune in Now.

Southern states are on a borrowing spree. In the second quarter of 2023-24, all of them—barring Karnataka—have gone way beyond their planned borrowing limits. Why is this so? And how have the other states fared?

Israel is at war with Hamas, the latest chapter in an enervating cycle of violence. Why has the Palestine question remained unresolved for so long? Mint takes a look at the past, present, and future of this festering conflict and its implications for the world and Indian economy.

Claudia Goldin, an economic historian and professor at Harvard University bagged this year’s Nobel prize in economics for her pioneering research that advances our understanding of labour market outcomes for women.

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) is automating its compliance system with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools. But decisions such as serving notices on companies will be left to (human) officials to make.

The Chungthang dam in Sikkim, the source for a hydropower plant, collapsed last week, killing 30 people. Recently, other states have also witnessed catastrophes involving large dams leading to floods and landslides. Just how safe are these mega-projects? Mint explains.

The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) monetary policy committee (MPC) is set to deliver its decision on the policy repo rate today, with the market expecting a status quo despite the surge in prices amid a hardening of bond yields. A pause, nevertheless, would be a challenge.

A malaria vaccine developed by Oxford University and Serum Institute of India (SII) has been recommended for large-scale use by the World Health Organization (WHO). The R21/Matrix-M—only the second malaria jab—has shown up to 75% efficacy.

Andhra Pradesh’s new Guaranteed Pension System (GPS) is a hybrid of the old and new pension schemes. It offers the best of both worlds—a guaranteed pension without burdening the state significantly. Mint looks at its potential to salvage India’s hard-fought pension reforms.

The European Union’s (EU’s) carbon tax—the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)—came into effect on 1 October, causing a wedge between developing and developed countries. Interestingly, it is facing resistance from even within Europe. Tune in now for the breakdown

The latest tranche of sovereign gold bonds (SGBs) saw investors subscribing to a record number of units. Mint looks at the reasons for this high interest in SGBs, gold’s clout as a hedge against inflation and the outlook for the yellow metal.

The central government on Tuesday announced that it will borrow ₹6.55 trillion during the second half of the ongoing fiscal year, keeping its borrowing plans unchanged. Mint explains the relevance of this for the Indian economy.

In todays primer we take a look in the world of Gambling firms and the stance of the DGGI levying taxes on these firms in regards to a lot of under the table tax evasion and discrepancies, The gaming industry criticizes these claims, considering them disproportionate, and questions the legal basis for such retrospective claims, which were not recommended by the finance minister in the GST Council...

in today's primer we take a look at how recent data indicates a notable reduction in delays associated with the completion of real estate projects. This positive trend can be largely attributed to the pivotal role played by the implementation of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, commonly known as RERA. Tune in now

Taxes on oil make up a chunk of government revenue. Surging interest in electric vehicles, however, puts this under threat. Distance tax is touted as one way to offset any loss in revenue. What is it, how effective will it be, and how does it work? Sumant Banerji explains the reasons behind it. This episode is being hosted by Alisha Sachdev.

In a surprise move, the government last week reintroduced licensing and ended free imports of IT hardware. Many reasons have been cited for this step. Mint explains the possible rationale and the potential impact of the measure going forward. This episode is being hosted by Alisha Sachdev.

After five years and multiple iterations, the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill was tabled in Parliament on Thursday. Featuring a number of changes from the 2022 draft, the bill is a mixed bag. Shouvik Das, Gulveen Aulakh gives you the top five takeaways. This episode is being hosted by Alisha Sachdev.

India’s foreign exchange reserves, which peaked at $642 billion in October 2021, declined for most part of last year. The trend reversed this year with forex reserves touching a 15-month high of $609 billion as of 14 July. Mint explains the reasons behind this rise.