Pioneer In Short

2026 inflection point for economy: CEA

Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran on Thursday described 2026 as an inflection point for the Indian economy, drawing parallels with 1991 as external pressures and structural constraints challenge the country’s growth trajectory. Speaking at the ISID-IDRA national conference, Nageswaran clarified that the comparison did not imply a balance of payments crisis like that of 1991. Instead, he said, the current moment calls for a fundamental reassessment of India’s economic strategy, particularly in manufacturing, energy, agriculture and technology. He stressed the need to build domestic capabilities and reduce dependence on supplies vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions, warning that access to critical resources would increasingly shape global economic competition. China’s export licensing curbs on tunnel boring machines and other infrastructure goods illustrated these risks, he said. Nageswaran noted that the next two to three decades would differ significantly from the pre-pandemic era, when economic shocks were largely addressed through monetary easing and fiscal stimulus. Supply shortages, by contrast, constrain production and complicate efforts to contain inflation and sustain growth. The conflict in the Middle East has exposed India’s vulnerabilities in crude oil, natural gas, fertilisers and cooking gas, he said. He also called for an industrial strategy that prioritises export competitiveness and the ability to compete with imports on comparable prices, while flagging the growing demands of artificial intelligence on capital, water and power.

Gujarat court cites Manusmriti in ruling

A court in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district has sentenced three men to life imprisonment and fined them Rs 3 lakh each in a cow slaughter case involving 277 kg of beef, citing Hindu scriptures to highlight the cow’s religious significance. Additional Sessions Judge BR Rajput delivered the verdict on Monday, convicting Vasim Qureshi, Mohammad Rafiq Qureshi and Asfaq Bahelim. In his judgment, the judge referred to the Manusmriti, the Vedas and other Hindu scriptures, describing the cow as a symbol of prosperity and righteousness. According to the prosecution, six persons were arrested after a raid on a house in Jamla village on August 22, 2024. Police allegedly seized 277 kg of beef, weapons used for slaughter and a vehicle intended to transport the meat.

The prosecution presented 54 witnesses and 18 documentary exhibits during the trial. Three of the six accused were convicted. Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi welcomed the verdict, saying it sent a clear message that those involved in cow slaughter would not be spared under the law. Under a 2017 amendment to the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act, 1954, cow slaughter attracts life imprisonment. The state had earlier amended the law in 2011 to impose a complete ban on cow slaughter and the transportation and sale of cow meat.