Primer
Primer is Mint's signature mode of explaining a complex issue by breaking into five simple questions and answers. We bring you our roster of expert writers across subjects, resulting in explanatory journalism at its very best, published every weekday.
Mint Explainer | What drove China’s trillion-dollar trade surplus—and why it matters
Despite a deepening domestic slowdown, Beijing’s factories are flooding world markets with ultra-cheap goods, pushing its trade surplus past $1 trillion and intensifying pressure on India and other economies.
2 min read11 Dec 2025Mint Explainer | India, Russia to deepen nuclear ties: What it means for India’s 100 GW goal
Following President Vladimir Putin’s visit, India and Russia agreed to deepen cooperation at Kudankulam, advance work on a second nuclear site, and step up joint development and localization of nuclear technology.
3 min read7 Dec 2025Mint Explainer | What was behind the now-on, now-off Sanchar Saathi decisions
The Centre's order last week to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app on mobile devices triggered pushback from various quarters. Then, on Wednesday, DoT withdrew the mandatory condition. The core question remains: could the app effectively crack down on digital scams?
5 min read3 Dec 2025Mint Explainer | Job offers at IITs are getting creative, but can bonuses and clawbacks help firms retain talent?
Companies are offering deferred pay, joining bonuses, clawbacks, and stock options to attract IIT graduates—but will it be enough to keep them?
2 min read2 Dec 2025Mint Explainer | GDP at 8.2%, fiscal deficit rising: What it means for the Indian economy
India’s latest data shows a sharp growth surprise alongside mounting fiscal pressures, offering a mixed picture of the economy’s underlying momentum.
2 min read1 Dec 2025Mint Explainer | Does SC relief for Sterling Biotech promoters open exit routes for fugitives like Mallya, Nirav Modi?
The Supreme Court’s rare decision to close all criminal and enforcement cases against the fugitive promoters of Sterling Biotech raises a key question: whether similar relief could be sought by high-profile offenders such as Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi
5 min read25 Nov 2025Mint Explainer | How do new labour codes impact your gratuity and PF?
The new labour codes have overhauled how wages, gratuity, provident fund, pension and other social security benefits are calculated. Mint explains who benefits and if your take-home salary is affected.
4 min read23 Nov 2025Mint Explainer | How are betting ads still buzzing? India trains its lens offshore
Real money gaming is banned in India under the newly-passed Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, but the law does not cover offshore betting apps such as 1xBet, 1xWin, Stake and Parimatch
3 min read12 Nov 2025Mint Explainer | The Maldives’ generational smoking ban: Do such policies really work?
The Maldives has become the world’s first country to enforce a generational smoking ban. Other nations have also attempted to ban smoking among children. But do these bans really work?
3 min read6 Nov 2025Mint Explainer | Why India’s tariff-hit exporters need urgent help
Despite a 50% tariff by the US, India’s merchandise exports have stayed resilient on the surface. But under the hood, falling shipments to America, rising working capital needs, and credit curbs are testing exporters’ limits.
2 min read5 Nov 2025Popular Topics
Budget
The Union Budget contains details about the estimated receipts and the expenditure of the government for a particular fiscal year. The Budget is allotted for the upcoming fiscal year, which runs from 1st April to 31st March of the next year. Here is a quick guide on how the Union Budget is prepared
Byju's
Ever since Byju Raveendran founded the eponymous edtech company in 2011, Byju's has been the subject of much discussion. The Indian education sector seemed ripe for disruption, and by 2019, the company was an investor favourite. The onset of the pandemic brought the real riches for Byju's: with kids attending school through their laptops, phones, and tablets, Byju's was immediately seen as being at the forefront of facilitating this institutional method of learning — all the way to a $22 billion valuation. But with the accolades, came the woes. As Covid-19 slipped into the rear-view mirror, ugly stories about the edtech's policies came to light. Impossible targets, poor management, and a slew of senior-level exits dominated the headlines. Finally, came the last straw — investors and regulators started asking the tough questions about the company failing to comply with statutory requirements. Growth, it seemed, had come at the cost of governance, like in so many messy startups. Here’s a curation of original reportage and analysis about Byjus, once India’s most valuable startup.
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