India Holds Oil Reserves for Only 9.5 Days of Demand Amid Gulf Supply Risks
NB, News Briefings, March 2026 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, March 2026 Vishal Arora

India Holds Oil Reserves for Only 9.5 Days of Demand Amid Gulf Supply Risks

India’s strategic petroleum reserves can cover only about 9.5 days of national crude oil demand if the reserves are filled to their maximum capacity, according to a government response obtained through the Right to Information law. The disclosure places India at the lower end of energy preparedness at a time of heightened supply risks linked to the ongoing Iran war.

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Your Happiness Depends on How Good Your Government Is, a Report Suggests
NB, News Briefings, March 2026 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, March 2026 Vishal Arora

Your Happiness Depends on How Good Your Government Is, a Report Suggests

Finland stands first again in the World Happiness Report 2026, while Afghanistan sits at the bottom of the ranking. India is placed 116th among the 147 countries included in the report. The countries at the top and bottom of the report, based on how people rate their own lives, help explain why people in some societies report greater satisfaction with their lives than those in others.

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Behind the Growing Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh
NB, News Briefings, January 2026 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, January 2026 Vishal Arora

Behind the Growing Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh

A Hindu businessman was attacked by a mob in Bangladesh’s Shariatpur district on 31 December 2025. He was beaten with sharp weapons, doused in petrol and set on fire. This was the third such attack in a month, part of a larger pattern of violence against religious minorities since the fall of the previous government. The incident shows that the interim administration has failed to enforce the rule of law in cases involving political or communal violence. That failure has left the country’s transition in a dangerously exposed state.

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Why Delhi’s Deadly Air Suits Big Business
NB, News Briefings, December 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, December 2025 Vishal Arora

Why Delhi’s Deadly Air Suits Big Business

As pollution levels in Delhi trigger emergency measures once again this December, the public is told the usual causes: crop burning, vehicle emissions and weather. But a far more persistent source of pollution continues throughout the year, worsens the crisis each winter, and is enabled by government policy. It comes from coal power plants operating within 300 kilometres of the city.

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Bhutan’s Rising Debt Crisis Tied to India-Funded Hydropower Projects

Bhutan’s Rising Debt Crisis Tied to India-Funded Hydropower Projects

At the 70th birth anniversary of Bhutan’s Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Ngultrum 40-billion (roughly $450 million) line of credit for infrastructure and energy development. While the move signalled strong bilateral ties, an uncomfortable truth lies behind the public warmth. Bhutan’s dependence on Indian-funded hydropower has locked it into an escalating debt trap.

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