Four global agencies raise India’s growth forecasts ::::: India has spent decades telling its children: study hard, acquire qualifications

The Indian economy had demonstrated resilience despite the shock from the US-Iran war and a significant deterioration in terms of trade during the first half of 2026. 

India has spent decades telling its children: study hard, acquire qualifications and build a better life.
Millions have done exactly that.

India is growing. Companies are investing. Technology is advancing.

However, agency Fitch expects growth to moderate in the remainder of FY27, citing a slower pace of expansion in manufacturing and services, below-normal monsoon rainfall and rising inflation.  Fitch Ratings, S&P Global Ratings, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) — have raised their growth projections for India for the current financial year, citing stronger-than-expected economic activity, resilient consumption and robust investment. The revisions follow India's better-than-expected GDP growth in the first quarter of FY27.

Fitch raised its FY27 growth forecast for India to 6.9% from 6.4%, while S&P Global Ratings increased its estimate to 7% from 6.6%. The OECD raised its projection by 80 basis points to 7.1%, while the ADB expects the Indian economy to grow 7% in FY27, reflecting stronger investment demand and resilient services exports.

Despite the upward revisions, Fitch and S&P expect growth to moderate in the second half of FY27 as the impact of GST rationalisation and income tax cuts fades. Weather-related risks, including below-normal rainfall, and rising inflation could also weigh on economic activity. 

The OECD projected India's growth to decline from 7.8% in FY26 to 7.1% in FY27 and 6.5% in FY28. It revised down its inflation forecast for FY26 to 5% from 5.2%, citing the expected limited pass-through of higher global energy prices following tax cuts.

The ADB projected India's economy to grow 7% in FY27, supported by resilient consumption, healthy investment and strong services exports, which are expected to offset the impact of higher energy costs and a weaker monsoon. The forecast was higher than its July 2026 projection by 40 bps.

However, the ADB downgraded its FY28 growth forecast to 7.1% from its July projection, citing base effects from faster growth in FY27. It retained its FY28 inflation forecast at 4% and lowered the FY27 projection to 5%.

India’s economic indicators are impressive. The economy reportedly grew by 7.8 percent in the April–June 2026 quarter, faster than many economists expected. Private investment has also strengthened. 

Yet the relationship between economic growth and employment is becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Even economists supportive of India’s growth story have asked why strong GDP numbers have not translated more clearly into job creation.

Official data offer some encouragement. India’s unemployment rate fell to 5.1 percent in July, down from 5.5 percent in June. Rural unemployment also declined. But urban unemployment stood higher, at 6.7 percent.

These aggregate figures, however, do not capture the anxiety experienced by educated young people.  

Companies have legitimate reasons to restructure. Businesses cannot preserve every job forever. Technologies change, markets shift and organizations must remain competitive. The problem begins when efficiency becomes the only value by which corporate decisions are judged.

A company may save money by eliminating 200 positions. Investors may welcome lower costs. Analysts may reward higher margins. Technology may perform the same task faster.

But what happens to the displaced worker rarely appears in the same spreadsheet. Modern capitalism has become extremely good at calculating the cost of labor.

ends

Amit Shah seeks to put an end to 'speculation' ::::: “Mafia ruled Uttar Pradesh, Yogi govt eliminated it” -- Amit Shah highlights political stability and improvement in law and order

 “Mafia ruled UP, Yogi govt eliminated it”: Amit Shah highlights political stability, policy implementation under BJP govt  

"Ek zamaney mein ...  “There was a time when the mafia ruled UP," Home Minister Amit Shah said and even applauded chief minister Yogi Adityanath's performance.  

Addressing the UP International Trade Show 2026, Shah recalled the situation in the state before the BJP came to power in 2017 and said the Yogi Adityanath government had taken steps to eliminate mafia elements.

“There was a time when the mafia ruled UP. In 2017, the BJP formed the government here, with Yogi Adityanath assuming the role of Chief Minister. 

The Yogi government has successfully eliminated the mafia across the state, and this has created a conducive atmosphere for investment...” Shah said.

He also highlighted political stability under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said policy continuity and implementation had helped transform India into a global manufacturing hub.

“Political stability has become a hallmark of our leader, PM Modi. By earning the public's trust over 3 consecutive terms as Prime Minister, he has not only formulated policies but also ensured their consistent implementation on the ground, he said.  

The Union home minister recalled that in 2013, the Uttar Pradesh government had organised a conference to attract industrial investment to the state, but the event had to be held in Delhi due to the law-and-order situation in Lucknow.

“In 2013, UP govt organised a conference to attract industrial investment to the state... At that time, it had to be held in Delhi. When the media raised questions about this, UP officials frankly admitted that the law-and-order situation in Lucknow was such that no investor was willing to come there. 

That is why they had to move the event to Delhi,” Shah said.

He contrasted the situation with the present and credited the change to the “double-engine” government.

“But look at the situation today: That very same Uttar Pradesh has become free from fear, a hub for investment, and an engine of national growth. This transformation is the magic of the 'double-engine' government,” he said.

Shah said the transformation had enabled Uttar Pradesh to set an ambitious target of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy. 

Amit  Shah and Yogi  toured in same vehicle, spoke at length on stage 

"Rifles made in Amethi have already kept Naxalites and terrorists awake. During the SP-BSP rule, there was an industry of crime. A cottage industry of country-made pistols and guns had flourished. Today, the defence corridor has been built in place of the country-made arms industry," the Home Minister said. 

Shah reached the expo with CM Yogi in a golf cart at around 11:30 am. 

The two leaders visited stalls and took information about the products. 

Both leaders also spoke for a long time on the stage.

Election Commissioners unanimously approved SIR orders on Form 6 declaration ::::: Students eligible for registration will be encouraged to fill Form-6 in Delhi

 Election Commissioners unanimously approved SIR orders on Form 6 declaration: Sources

Former Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat and former election commissioner Ashok Lavasa supported the objections raised by two incumbent election commissioners. 

On the CEC row, BJP MP Tarun Chugh says, "Rahul Gandhi is in depression. After 100 defeats, with a frustrated mindset, engaging in hate-filled politics, he is making statements, and Rahul Gandhi has no agenda. 

Whatever agenda George Soros sends, that is the agenda he is running. Anti-India, anti-Sanatan, anti-India's institutions. He could not present any facts in yesterday's press conference. 

He is making factless allegations... Rahul Gandhi, why are Congress's BLOs sitting on 10 lakh booths? Did they raise no objection? Rahul Gandhi, sitting in an AC room, is making statements with a frustrated mindset... I have one request to Sonia Gandhi: please get him (Rahul Gandhi) treated by a good psychiatrist..."

*****

The Election Commission said Form 6 remains unchanged, with an additional Annexure D declaration required under SIR orders. 

The clarification came amid a reported disagreement over incorporating the declaration into the online Form 6, with EC sources saying all three commissioners had approved the relevant SIR orders.

The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Delhi, has directed all District Election Officers to organise special voter-enrolment camps at colleges, universities and other educational institutions across Delhi on September 29 and 30 as part of the Special Intensive Revision 2026. 

The camps, aimed at enrolling young voters aged 18-25 years, will operate from 9 am to 3 pm on both days. 

Students eligible for registration will be encouraged to fill Form-6 for inclusion in the electoral rolls. 

The CEO has also directed officials to ensure adequate forms and materials, maintain records of applications, transfer forms relating to other districts/Assembly Constituencies to the concerned authorities, and publicise the camps widely.

****

A day after the Election Commission clarified that there was “no change” to Form 6, sources within the poll body said that both Election Commissioners, along with the Chief Election Commissioner, had unanimously approved the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) for Bihar.

Similarly, the EC had unanimously approved the Summary Revision (SR) for Assam, the SIR orders for 12 States/UTs and the SIR orders for 19 States/UTs.

The sources pointed out that the approved SIR orders include a Declaration Form to be submitted along with Form 6 for new voters. 

They said the requirement is in line with Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and has also been upheld by the Supreme Court. 

The ECI has said the declaration is an additional requirement and does not alter the existing Form 6.  

According to 'The Indian Express' report, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected to the SIR declaration being incorporated into the online Form 6, arguing that the statutory form could not be altered without amending the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 through the prescribed process.

The report then states that Joshi and Sandhu had raised objections in May to changes made to Form 6 during the SIR rollout. 

Joshi had warned that Form 6 could not be changed unless the government amended the 1960 rules, while Sandhu backed the objection, calling the move “unauthorised and illegal” and saying it “must be removed immediately.”  

The Election Commission, however, clarified that there had been no change to Form 6 itself and said the additional requirement was introduced through a separate declaration, or Annexure D, alongside the existing form.

The poll panel drew a distinction between the approved Form 6 and the added declaration linked to SIR.

"There has been no change to Form 6. The requirement relating to linkage with parents/grandparents has been introduced as an additional declaration alongside the existing and approved Form 6," the Election Commission told India Today.

The ECI also referred to its SIR instructions issued on June 24, 2025, before the exercise in Bihar.

It said, "In case of application for registration as a new elector... it is also directed that henceforth, along with Form 6/Form 8, an additional declaration form (Annexure D) shall also be required to be filled by the applicant to support the declaration made therein."

Form 8 is required to be filled by voters who move to a new constituency.

As a result, Form 6 remains unchanged on paper, but Annexure D continues as an additional requirement under the SIR rules.

Blogger 

ends 

Ajit Lal is 'advisor', not interlocutor as claimed: He is "just A K Mishra-2.0" ::::: Nagaland's "Cock", its sponsors - overt and covert --- and their Cock and Bull story ::: If new NPF chief Rio is a strict anti-thesis to Vizol's honesty and Vamuzo's political acumen; Chalie Kevichusa can never have a suitable political inheritor

'Antony and Cleopatra' by William Shakespeare is unique in more ways than one.

A military counterpart to Horatio, Enobarbus serves as Mark Antony’s realist counselor and moral anchor. He speaks harsh truths to his leader and watches the inevitable tragedy unfold. 

Prince Hamlet in another play follows a ghost into the dark. Marcellus and Horatio worry about the ghost and try to stop Hamlet.  

Reading those classics closely can make one wonder -- 'People of Nagaland state' must not represent Marcellus and Horatio. Before we progress further - there is a one-liner from 'Hamlet' :

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” . 

Nagaland has a chief minister and a once upon a time 'ideologically-rich' NPF's Naga regional politics. Today, the party and the symbol Cock are amongst gold currencies -- but both ideologically dead. It's secretary general has learnt a new trick of abusing elders. Once upon a time - someone called Chalie Kevichusa was secretary general of that party. 

Late Chalie, assassinated in broad daylight by NSCN-IM in 1992 - would have never approved this rot in Naga politics and social implications.

There is despair and disillusionment - alongside come 'overlapping disasters' fuelled by politics of illogical sense. 

Someone displays Superiority complex and on ground is Extortion --- going for 29 years. Are these possibly a few steps behind 'some genocide and revolution' ? 

Like Rahul Gandhi has an ecosystem; Neiphiu Rio has his too !  The RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's meeting with S C Jamir has frustrated the stakeholders.  The ecosystem got busy for a while.

They betrayed their 'personal dislike' for former chief minister and ex Governor. But the nervousness is leading Rio, his Cock and 'cock and bull' story tellers commit mistakes and indirectly admit past lapses too.

 

Even at the age of 95, S C Jamir has shown what politics could be. By meeting RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, he has unnerved the entire Status quo club.

However, the 'Personal attack' - and that too bordering hypocrisy and unexpected language was not expected. 

Logic is simple - "If S C Jamir has no authority .... who else has it?". 

Not only Rio remained silent as his one time mentor was being targeted; the party secretary general used the phrase 'an old man in hurry' for the 95-year-old politician. Normally, a self-respecting Naga would not do that for an enemy. But we cannot help; at times even younger people are in hurry and on absolutely wrong track.

Does it bother someone in Kohima? Shame or no shame --- 'my favourite chief minister' :

Where is that old Northern Angami spirit ... with which a times -- you (then NIDC chairman)  used to attack Vamuzo with the phrase --- "You cannot frame me like this".

Now I am convinced - Power is real poison. When Jamir was chief minister; and we were young -- we have criticised him; but we knew how to do it.

Former 'emissary' A K Mishra and Muivah 

Next Cock and Bull story is of much higher scale. 

After  7 months since Ajit Lal has been made Advisor (North East) - a status enjoined by his predecessor A K Mishra --- Neiphiu Rio's permanent well wishers have 'welcomed' the appointment. 

Real story is something else. Devil is in the details ... between lines.

Rio's hyped drama about 'Minister of State' led panel has come a cropper. 

His August 15 speech remains another 'historic' blunder in the list -- that is growing bigger by the day. He and his Manishankar Aiyars may not like to face the truth. This is what Rahul Gandhi is doing -- running away from truth that his party candidates are easily defeated. 

In the meantime,  S C Jamir's 'Mohan Bhagwat' card has also irked those who matter and who handle North East and Naga peace talks in Delhi. 

All of a sudden 'out' of the Rip Van Winkle slumber and 'welcoming' Lal shows the utter desperation.

Sept 10 : A date with political destiny 

Nagaland's "Cock", the chief minister, NPF party and its sponsors - overt and covert --- and their Cock and Bull story tellers have got it on their nose. 

Moreover, the Eastern Flank has already cornered Hebron. Hence, the headline in a section of local newspapers should re-run --  

"Cornered by Eastern Flank's outburst and irked by Jamir-Bhagwat meet; Rio's friends have welcomed Ajit Lal".  

 

Real Politics will start when BJP in Nagaland goes for expansion. Several sitting MLAs are keen for 'merger' with the BJP. Meghalaya UDP MLAs have shown the way with the nod from Amit Shah.  

Himanta Biswa Sarma and Ram Madhav will not matter anymore --- supposedly.  

The 'Cock' will have no takers before 2028 and who knows even Rio's ministers will be compelled to look for options to turn Saffronite. 

Chief Minister Rio and others had pledged that the State Government would step aside to facilitate an honourable, acceptable, and inclusive Naga political solution. 

Since the two Naga negotiating groups have now signed political agreements, the State Govt is morally bound to honour that commitment and make way for the new dispensation. 

"Should the State fail to do so, it would be obstructing the path to a solution, thereby obligating the Government of India to impose President's Rule and deliver the long-awaited solution to the people," - stated by the Concerned Naga Forum of Nagaland.  

S C Jamir has also put the ball in the right court. 

ends 

BJP will make determined efforts to come to power in Punjab in 2027 and in Tamil Nadu in 2031.

 

BJP president Nitin Nabin has assigned senior leaders key state responsibilities ahead of the 2027 Assembly election cycle. 

For now, the message from the BJP headquarters is clear: the organisational groundwork for the 2027 Assembly cycle has begun well before the formal election calendar arrives.

Ram Madhav gets Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand, Satish Poonia gets Punjab and J&K, while Vinod Tawde takes charge of Uttar Pradesh

New Delhi, September 23, 2026 — BJP president Nitin Nabin has moved into a new phase of organisational consolidation with the appointment of in-charges and co-in-charges for all 28 states and eight Union Territories, putting an extensive organisational network in place ahead of the 2027 Assembly election cycle.

The appointments suggest that the BJP is placing experienced organisational operators in several politically significant states, with multiple senior leaders being given responsibilities beyond a single state.

The most closely watched appointment is that of BJP vice-president Ram Madhav, who has been assigned both Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand. Madhav’s Tamil Nadu responsibility assumes particular significance following the emergence of actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which has altered the state’s political configuration.

The BJP’s organisational challenge in Tamil Nadu now includes understanding a political field in which TVK has emerged as a major player.

BJP will make determined efforts to come to power in Punjab in 2027 and in Tamil Nadu in 2031..

Uttarakhand, meanwhile, is among the states scheduled for Assembly elections in the first part of 2027. Madhav will work with co-in-charges Arvind Menon and Bansuri Swaraj.

Satish Poonia has been given charge of Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, with Virendra Sachdeva and Alka Gurjar as co-in-charges in Punjab. The Punjab assignment comes as the BJP seeks to expand its organisational footprint in a state where it is preparing for the 2027 Assembly election.

Poonia, an old Rajasthan hand, is emerging as a trusted lieutenant of Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah.

In Uttar Pradesh, arguably the biggest organisational assignment in the new structure, Vinod Tawde has been retained as in-charge, with Jagdish Patel, Medha Kulkarni, Pradeep Verma and Anant Ojha as co-in-charges.

Tarun Chugh will oversee Gujarat, with Ajay Mahawar and Gomti Sai as co-in-charges. Chugh’s appointment follows his earlier designation for Gujarat in August. 

Chugh is widely known to work closely with Shah. He had recently been elected to the Rajya Sabha, showing growing confidence of Shah in his organisational acumen.

The reshuffle also places Smriti Irani in charge of Haryana and Chhattisgarh, while Harish Dwivedi gets Bihar and Karnataka. Sunil Bansal has been assigned West Bengal and Telangana, and Sanjay Bhatia Rajasthan.

The significance of the exercise lies less in any single appointment than in the BJP’s attempt to create a coordinated organisational chain across states.

For Nabin, who took charge as BJP president earlier this year, the appointments also provide an early test of his organisational style. The coming months will show whether these assignments translate into stronger state-level coordination, campaign preparation and cadre mobilisation.

Courtesy - The Raisina Hills

nirendradev

Nirendra Dev is Roving Editor of The Raisina Hills. He brings over three decades of political journalism with past in PTI and The Statesman. He is an author of several books.

India will be one of the strategic backdrops to the meeting between Xi and Trump

New Delhi will be one of the strategic backdrops to the meeting between Xi and Trump, say experts.

 For China, improving ties with India also means stabilising relations with a country that has simultaneously deepened its strategic relationship with the US. For New Delhi, the Modi-Xi thaw opens another diplomatic channel with Beijing even as India maintains defence and security ties with the US. And for Washington, India's position matters because the US-China contest is increasingly playing out across the wider Indo-Pacific.

The newly passed Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 would also be a talking point among the major issues shaping the meeting between the leaders of the world's two superpowers. China faces the risk of 100% US tariffs.

 Chinese President Xi Jinping is on a three-day visit to the US, as Washington and Beijing seek to manage their ties amid growing vulnerabilities. But Xi's India visit just two weeks earlier adds another layer to the Trump-Xi talks, bringing New Delhi's growing strategic relevance into focus.

Xi is meeting Trump for the second time this year. Earlier in May, the two Presidents had met in Beijing. According to Reuters, Xi and Trump are expected to discuss major bilateral issues, while Trump's earlier visit to Beijing in May had established the reciprocal nature of their summitry.

Taiwan is likely to be among the most sensitive subjects.

Xi is expected to press Trump to halt US arms sales to Taiwan, invoking the 1982 US-China joint communique. Beijing regards Taiwan as its territory and has repeatedly described the issue as a core diplomatic concern.

The meetings also come against a wider economic and technological contest involving tariffs, rare earths, artificial intelligence (AI) and trade. The UK-based Financial Times (FT) newspaper reported that extending the existing trade truce is among Xi's key objectives, alongside discussions on AI, the Iran war and major US agricultural and aviation purchases.

 Xi Jinping has called for extensive cooperation with Washington to avoid the “Thucydides trap” that could put the US and China on a military collision course amid rising tensions over artificial intelligence, trade and Taiwan.

At the start of his summit meeting with Donald Trump in the White House, the Chinese president laid out terms for a mutual understanding that he said could steer the two competing superpowers away from future military conflict and on to a road of mutual gain.

Rather than confrontation, conditions for “achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again go hand in hand” should be the goal Xi said, citing Trump’s political catchphrase.

Xi said, “the Thucydides trap can be overcome”, refering to the phenomenon, defined by the Greek historian, of tensions that arise when an emerging power challenges the dominance of an established power.

Xi invoked the phrase in his meeting with Trump in Beijing in May, asking the US president how he planned to avoid it.

His proposals for lessening tensions – which also included the invitation of 100,000 young Americans to visit China on student exchanges – come amid a period of intense competition between the two powers over artificial intelligence and trade, with each side imposing tariffs on the other.

Trump said that he had forged “a truly great friendship” with Xi. “President Xi and I have made tremendous strides on the issues facing our two countries,” he said. “Our teams have been working to encourage a more balances trading relationship, including the new market access for American farmers and ranchers.”

He said the current visit would include discussion overs security, technology and AI – which he called “super intelligence”, a term he introduced in his speech to the United Nations general assembly on Tuesday.

Xi also extolled his personal relationship with his American counterpart, saying: “President Trump and I have respect for each other. We have built personal rapport and stayed in touch.”

Ends

Rahul Gandhi blasts BJP and Election Commission, says all laws passed since 2014 including GST are illegal

 Reacting to Indian Express report on 2 ECs objecting to discrepancies in SIR process, LoP Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi says, 

"... On 21st December 2023, a strange law was passed. A law was passed that makes the election commissioner immune to investigation. He is immune to the Indian legal system. On 7th February, we held our press conference on Maharashtra. 

RAHUL Gandhi drew parallael with North Korea and Iraq under Saddam Huussein.

Rahul said, “anti-incumbency does not happen in Saddam Hussein's Iraq and Kim Jong Un's North Korea.

 The former Congress president also made a sweeping claim, saying “all elections are being rigged.”

"Gyanesh Kumar was chosen by PM, Amit Shah and now two ECs are saying he's responsible for chaos, damage to our voting system," Rahul said.

 The Election Commission has rejected the allegations, saying its decisions on SIR were unanimous and that written notes, observations and differing views were part of its internal deliberations

"We are not going to let democracy in India be destroyed and remain silent," Gandhi said.

"Indira Gandhi was at the height of her popularity after she won the Bangladesh war (in 1971) and then faced massive anti-incumbency and pressure within a year or two. The same thing happens to leader after leader, to Congress leaders and to regional parties. But, for some reason, it does not happen to PM Modi, Amit Shah and the BJP," LoP said.

We made it very clear that vote-chory is going on, and we put proof on the table. After that, I gave a dissent note to the Prime Minister of India, where I said that the most fundamental aspect of an independent election commission, free from executive interference, is the process of choosing the election commissioners and the chief election commissioner. 

My view is thrown aside, and the gentleman is appointed by the Prime Minister of India. We then show Mahadevapura vote chori. The pressure is slowly building because we are getting more and more information.

 Information is leaking from inside, and we are getting it. Pressure is building up on the institution, and they are understanding that a problem is coming now. 

Then we do vote-chori adhikar yatra on 16th August, 1st September. On 18th September, we do Aland vote-chori. Here, we show a certain methodology that is taking place. These letters that start, start after our Aland vote-chori and at approximately the same time as our Haryana vote-chori. The ECs knew this. 

They understood what was going on. But then they decided that something needed to be done. That is when these letters start... We do Haryana vote-chori, which frankly is the most devastating presentation because of the level of discrepancies that have taken place there. Now, the two gentlemen make it public."

Zzzzz

The EC row is linked to opposition frustration. Desperation to discredit all elections and governance and judicial system in India. 

Are defeat of jehadi forces especially in West Bengal linked to these ?