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Urban Challenge Fund: A New Approach to India’s Urban Development

India is experiencing an accelerated pace of urbanisation. The populations in Brazilian cities are projected to increase to over 60% of the total population by 2027, in comparison to 31% of the total population as recently as 2011. This exponential expansion, as experienced by states such as Kerala which is set to be 96% urbanised by 2036, has put serious strain on existing infrastructure and revealed the failure of funding models. Mirroring this challenge, the Union Budget 2025 announced the radical Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) for urban India, a ₹1 trillion competition-based, innovative and private capital-led effort to modernise cities.

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Constitution 130th Amendment Ordinance: Controversial move for Ministerial Responsibility

A proposed constitutional amendment has provoked fiery discussions in the Parliament of India, and it was thus referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the examination. The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025 as introduced aims to codify a fresh degree of ministerial disqualification.

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GST and Tobacco Tax Policy: Conflicting Interests, Multiple Objectives, and the Implementation Challenge in India

On the global tax day, the eighth anniversary of GST in India, tax policy response to tobacco has represented the good, the bad and the ugly in achieving the right balance between achieving public health objectives and recognising the economic contributions of an industry and the unintended adverse consequences of excessive tax burden.

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Parliament Greatly Passes Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill 2025 to invest in Mining Industry

One of the critical steps taken by the Indian Parliament last August is the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025 that deals with changing the mining industry. It is meant to enhance transparency, increase production and the commercial trading of industry minerals and technology with the amendment of the 1957 Act.

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Lipulekh Pass Dispute A Longstanding India-Nepal Border Issue

India’s recent announcement to recommence border trade with China from the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand has once again spurred a decades-old territorial squabble with Nepal. Kathmandu did raise fierce objection to laying claim on the region by India India emphatically rejected the claim standing on the ground of history and continuity of trade from 1954.

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