Archive · 17 Nov 2025
India Pushes WTO Reforms, Targets TB Elimination, Internationalizes Rupee, Navigates Crypto and Rankings
Imagine a global club that tries to keep track of how healthy everyone is, called the World Health Organization.
They released a report saying that while India is getting better at fighting a sickness called Tuberculosis (TB), it's not quite winning the fight yet by its goal date.
Also, India is trying to make its own money, the rupee, more important in world trade, like using it more when buying and selling things with other countries.
Some schools around the world are a bit upset with how they are ranked, saying the people who rank them aren't showing all their work.
India is also looking at how to handle digital money, like Bitcoin, but it's a bit tricky because there aren't many rules yet, which can be risky.
The government is also changing some rules about product quality to help businesses, and banks are raising money to make sure they are strong.
These are all different pieces of news about what's happening in India and the world.
India faces challenges in meeting its 2025 TB elimination target, with over 2.7 million cases and 300,000 deaths in 2024, though treatment coverage has improved.
Global university rankings are facing scrutiny over transparency, leading some institutions, including Indian ones, to withdraw from participation.
India is actively promoting the internationalization of the rupee through expanded trade invoicing, settlement, and linking payment systems like UPI.
Cryptocurrency in India operates in an unregulated market with high taxes, leaving millions of investors exposed to financial risks.
The government is revising Quality Control Orders (QCOs) on industrial inputs and banks are raising capital via Tier II bonds to bolster their financial health.
- Who
- Indian government, Union Health Ministry, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), various institutions and companies, global organizations (WHO, WTO, THE, QS).
- What
- Discussions and reports on India's progress in TB elimination, internationalization of the rupee, challenges in higher education rankings, regulatory landscape of cryptocurrencies, overhaul of Quality Control Orders (QCOs), and banks raising capital through Tier II bonds.
- When
- Global TB Report 2025 released on November 12; discussions and policy developments ongoing, with references to 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2015-2024 periods.
- Where
- India (national policy and economic activities), Global (WTO, TB report, university rankings).
- Why
- To assess progress, address challenges, boost economic growth, reduce dependencies, improve transparency, and strengthen financial systems.
- Global TB Report 2025
- India recorded 27.1 lakh TB cases and over 3 lakh deaths in 2024; TB remains the deadliest infectious killer globally.
- TB Elimination Target
- India's 2025 target for TB elimination is unlikely to be met; WHO End TB strategy aims for 80% reduction in new cases and 90% in deaths by 2030.
- Higher Education Rankings
- Sorbonne University withdraws from THE rankings citing lack of transparency; IITs have also expressed concerns.
- Rupee Internationalization
- India is expanding rupee invoicing and settlement in foreign trade, linking UPI with UAE's payment platform.
- Cryptocurrency in India
- 30% tax on VDA income and 1% TDS on transactions; nearly 120 million investors exposed to risks in an unregulated market.
- Quality Control Orders (QCOs)
- Overhaul of standards framework, with a significant increase in products under mandatory QCO coverage, impacting MSMEs.
- Bank Capital Raising
- Banks are raising approximately Rs 25,000 crore through Tier II bonds to strengthen capital bases.