Daily Briefing: NTA overhaul, Tata succession battle, Nalanda meal scare

On that note, let’s get to the rest of today’s edition. 👇

🚨 Big Story

India’s buffalo meat exports crossed the $5-billion mark for the first time, rising 25.6 per cent to $5.1 billion in 2025-26. The growth has continued this year, with exports jumping 66.6 per cent year-on-year to nearly $1.5 billion between April and June. A Commerce Ministry official said exports could cross $6 billion in 2026-27. Vietnam remains the biggest buyer, but India is increasingly selling to markets such as Egypt, Malaysia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan. India is also pushing smaller, retail-ready packs instead of only exporting meat in bulk, which could help increase earnings. The trade is also important for dairy farmers, as selling old or low-yielding buffaloes gives them money to buy younger, more productive animals. India does not export cattle beef; the meat being exported is from buffaloes. With demand and export earnings rising, the industry is now seeking greater policy stability to sustain this growth, particularly after five approved meat-processing plants in Uttar Pradesh were shut down.

⚡ Only in Express

The next big Tata succession story may not be about who gets the corner office, but rather about who gets to decide who occupies it. At the centre of it is Noel Tata, Ratan Tata’s half-brother, who was once in the running for the Tata Sons chair before Cyrus Mistry got the job in 2012. Today, Noel sits in a far more consequential position as chairman of Tata Trusts, which control roughly two-thirds of Tata Sons. With N Chandrasekaran set to leave in February 2027, Noel’s opposition to his reappointment has brought an old question back into focus: how much say should the Tata family trusts have over the conglomerate’s professional management? And given what happened in the Mistry episode, the next succession may be about much more than simply finding a new chairman.

📰 From the Front Page

NTA overhaul: The National Testing Agency (NTA) is being overhauled following criticism over the NEET-UG paper leak and errors in UGC-NET exams. As part of the changes, a four-tier system will be introduced to check question papers for factual, typographical and translation errors before exams. Around 600 experts have been removed from the examination team, while the agency plans to induct 20–25 officials in the next two to three weeks. The NTA will also move its offices to new premises, with CISF security being deployed to strengthen physical security. The overhaul comes after the NTA decided to re-conduct the UGC-NET June 2026 exams in English, Commerce and Sociology following errors in the question papers.

Rethinking ethanol: India has achieved its target of blending 20 per cent ethanol with petrol, but concerns over E20’s impact on older vehicles have prompted the government to explore whether an E10 option could also be made available. Talks on the feasibility of producing and supplying petrol with 10 per cent ethanol are still at an early stage. An E10 option could give consumers, particularly those with older vehicles, greater choice. The government’s ethanol-blending programme is aimed at reducing crude oil imports, cutting emissions and supporting farmers, while the E20 rollout has significantly increased demand for ethanol. Any move to offer E10, however, will have to take into account ethanol availability, production capacity, pricing, logistics and the impact on the existing E20 programme.

📌 Must Read

Fadnavis veto power

The Mahayuti government in Maharashtra has introduced new Rules of Business, 2026, empowering Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to override a minister’s decision in the public interest, provided he records the reasons in writing. The rules replace the 1975 framework and come three years after the Bombay High Court ruled that the CM lacked such powers. Fadnavis can also seek documents from any department and direct matters to the Cabinet. The rules strengthen the Chief Secretary’s role in reviewing decisions and the Finance Department’s oversight of matters involving government spending. They also list 22 categories of matters that must be placed before the Governor before orders are issued. While the government calls the changes administrative, they have triggered political discussion amid reported differences within the Mahayuti, particularly between Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde.

Midday meal mix-up

At least 34 children fell ill after allegedly consuming a midday meal mixed with detergent at a government school in Bihar’s Nalanda district on Tuesday. The incident took place at a school in the Noorsarai block, where the cook reportedly mistook detergent for salt after students asked for extra salt with their meal. The children were taken to a hospital after they complained of feeling unwell. Authorities are investigating the incident and examining how the detergent was kept and why it was mistakenly added to the food. The incident has raised concerns over food safety and supervision in schools providing midday meals.

⏳ And Finally…

Bandra loses ground

The BMC general body has approved changing the reservation of Bandra’s Neville D’Souza football ground from a sports facility to a convention and exhibition centre. The 8,000-8,450 sq m ground, opened in 2018, is one of Mumbai’s few dedicated football venues. The move has drawn opposition from footballers, residents and Opposition parties, who say the city is already losing open spaces. MHADA owns the land, while the Mumbai Football Association uses it for football activities.

🎧 In today’s 3 Things podcast, we discuss the FCRA Bill, which has faced objections from the Opposition and Church groups. Next, we look at NASA’s invitation to ISRO to join its Moon Base Programme. Finally, we discuss the Jharkhand CM’s decision to cancel the JSSC-CGL examination and all exams conducted by testing agency TSR Data Processing Private Limited.

That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, 

Anupama