Mint Primer

The landslide in Wayanad in Kerala that has killed over 200 people is one of the biggest natural disasters to have struck the country in recent times. Mint looks at the spate of landslides in recent times, why they are on the rise and how, if at all, they can be mitigated.

In a landmark judgment last week, the Supreme Court upheld states’ right to tax land-bearing minerals. This decision will impact industry but bolster states’ ability to raise resources. Mint looks at the judgment, its significance and how it will affect consumers

Google became one of the world’s largest companies by building the world’s most popular internet search engine. But the advent of AI has spawned an army of rivals ready to upstage its monopoly. Now, with OpenAI showcasing SearchGPT, should Google be scared?

This summer saw the inauguration of new governments in New Delhi and London. With the business of national polls completed, the two countries are expected to resume talks on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). lets looks at the prospects for a speedy conclusion to the talks.

The economic survey, the government’s most comprehensive annual analysis of the economy, is critical to shaping policy. Looking through the survey’s prism, Mint pieces together what the Union budget 2024-25 may have in store from a focus on jobs to pushing green growth.

Once-feted, edtech firm Byju’s is now facing legal showdowns. Earlier this week, the company was admitted to insolvency by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). What does this mean for the edtech sector, employees and investors?

The Karnataka government has pressed the brakes on a bill aimed at quotas for “locals” in the private sector. The pause comes when the state is facing labour shortages. Besides, the bill would have deterred firms, delayed projects and impacted investments. 

Food prices rose sharply in June after a searing heat wave. The hope now rests on ample monsoon rains to soften the blow. But excess rains can play a spoilsport. Weather shocks become the new normal, and predicting food prices is a fool’s errand.

Donald Trump, the former US President and presumptive Republican candidate for the November 2024 presidential polls, was injured in an assassination attempt over the weekend. What are the implications for US politics and the world?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi closed a two-day visit to Russia on 9 July. Mint looks at the key outcomes from the visit that came amid the Ukraine war and a growing divide between Western countries on the one hand, and China and Russia on the other.

The EV industry in India is in need of a push, with growth beginning to taper. At least part of it is due to a cut in subsidies earlier this year. As a result, hopes are now pinned on the third instalment of FAME scheme expected to be announced in the budget on 23 July.

On 8 July, a Supreme Court bench will hear petitions challenging alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG). With the future of 2.4 million medical students at stake, lets takes a look at how things could be improved.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has skipped the 2024 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit meet in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Is India’s interest in this grouping fading? Mint examines this question and more.

Property markets in tier-II cities, where sales and price growth have long been subdued, saw a turnaround in both home sales and prices last year. While the sales volume is much lower than in tier-I markets, the pace of growth is faster. What’s the future of small-town homes?

The idea of getting internet connectivity beamed from satellites is gaining popularity. But, as the technology matures, satellite communications (satcom)-based internet service has moved away from being a user-centric technology. Is it viable for users in India?

AI now allows us to build and communicate with digital avatars of the dead. These so-called ‘deadbots’, ‘ghostbots’, ‘postmortem avatars’ or ‘griefbots’ may provide comfort to some (including those doing legacy planning), but they raise difficult ethical questions

Last week, India’s leading telecom companies Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea raised tariffs across voice and data plans. This is the third hike since 2019 and was not entirely unexpected.

While India may be lifting a lot of people out of poverty, the way it goes about counting those living below the poverty line is imprecise. After calls for an overhaul last week, Mint looks at issues surrounding poverty measurement and the need for having a more modern model.

In FY24, China overtook the US to become India’s largest trading partner after a gap of two years. Tune in to know how trade between the two Asian giants has evolved and why it is proving to be so difficult for India to decouple itself from its neighbour.

India accounts for 10% of the 7 billion people using smartphones globally. These, however, may be gradually replaced by extended reality (XR) glasses, gesture-based screens and even brain-computer interface (BCI) devices like Neuralinks in the next 10-15 years.

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) president Sanjiv Puri wants a substantial hike in the already-high government capital expenditure. However, experts suggest it’s time India Inc did some heavy lifting and invested to support economic growth.

Centrally administered Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has seen a sharp rise in terrorist attacks with four incidents last week. The strikes have prompted New Delhi to take a second look at its security strategy. Mint looks at the possible reasons for the spike in terrorist activity

An Indian avatar is in the world’s first AI beauty pageant shortlist, where two of the four judges are also AI-powered. Mint explores the pros and cons of AI’s growing influence, from AI CEOs and assistants to realistic AI deepfakes and voice clones.

N. Chandrababu Naidu’s fourth term as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh could be his most difficult yet as he inherits a financially broke and industrially ignored state. Mint delves into the challenges the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader faces this time around

We all love shopping online. The fallout? Many malls, beyond the top graded ones, have closed. However, developers continue to be bullish on retail spaces, numbers released this month by JLL India, a property advisory, show.