The news that matters from across Bharat, good and bad
Welcome to Today’s Bharat. Here is what you need to know this week, in five minutes.
1. Delhi wakes up to “very poor” air after Diwali, with 15 stations severe
Delhi’s air quality index stood at 368 at 7 am on Monday, 9 November, according to CPCB data reported by Business Standard. Of 54 monitoring stations, 15 were in the “severe” range above 400, led by Burari Crossing and Sonia Vihar at 441 each. PM2.5 at Akshardham touched about 761 micrograms per cubic metre at 11 pm on Sunday.
Stage III of GRAP has been in force across Delhi-NCR since 6 November, banning non-essential construction and restricting some diesel vehicles. The Supreme Court had allowed only certified green crackers in two short windows on 7 and 8 November, but crackers were reported well past the 10 pm deadline. The early warning system expects “severe” air for the next few days.
2. Retail inflation climbs to 5.54%, its highest this year
Retail inflation rose to 5.54% in September from 4.83% in August, the highest reading of 2026, per provisional MoSPI data. It has risen every month since January. Food inflation jumped to 7.74% from 5.97%. October numbers are due on 12 November.
India’s forex reserves also fell by $2.691 billion to $717.056 billion in the week ended 30 October, and bank deposit growth slowed to 16.7% in the fortnight ended 16 October.
3. Centre orders weekly rice stock disclosure to check prices
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has told all traders, wholesalers, big-chain retailers and processors to declare their rice and paddy stocks every Friday on the Food Stock Portal. Entities that do not register or that break stock limits face action under the Essential Commodities Act.
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana may impose their own stock limits until 31 January 2027. The Centre has also doubled its 2026-27 open market rice sale target from 25 to 50 lakh tonnes, saying it is closely monitoring food grain prices.
A kirana owner cannot decide what rice will cost next month. What a small business can shape is how easily new customers find it, whether that is a corner shop, a tuition class or a neighbourhood gym.
OpenMap gives local businesses, tutors, coaches and trainers their own page and AI agent, so people (and the AI assistants they use) can find them and send them requests. It is launching in London first.
If you know shopkeepers, tutors, coaches or trainers who could use more local customers, in London or wherever your circle reaches, please help us reach them. Become an OpenMap partner
4. Cyclone Murasu, the second severe storm in a week, hits Andhra’s coast
Severe cyclonic storm Murasu crossed the south Andhra Pradesh coast near Ongole early on 3 November, according to an IMD bulletin cited by Down To Earth. It came less than a week after Cyclone Arnab made landfall on 28 October.
Bapatla and Prakasam districts reported uprooted trees, damaged houses and flooded standing crops, and storm surges were reported in Bapatla, Prakasam and Krishna districts. Residents of Ongole Mandal reported sea water moving inland.
5. India set to join the EU’s 93.5 billion euro Horizon Europe programme
India and the European Union have concluded negotiations on India’s association with Horizon Europe, a 93.5 billion euro research and innovation programme, PTI reported on 6 November. Association is described as the closest form of cooperation the EU offers non-EU countries.
It would open the programme’s “Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness” pillar to Indian researchers and organisations. The two sides are likely to sign the formal agreement in January.
If this helped you catch up, forward it to a friend or family member who likes to stay informed. See you in the next edition.
Team Today’s Bharat