Search results for ' Pandemic'

Brand ambassador, cricket...: How Maldives aims to attract 3L Indians in 2025

Brand ambassador, cricket...: How Maldives aims to attract 3L Indians in 2025

Rediff.com4 Feb 2025

The Maldives government has set a target of attracting 300,000 Indian tourists in 2025, aiming to regain its position as a top destination for Indian travelers. The country's tourism sector has been impacted by strained relations between Male and New Delhi, which led to a decline in Indian tourist arrivals in 2024. To revive the Indian tourist market, the Maldives is planning a major campaign, including a brand ambassador, cricket summer camps, and expanded flight routes from more Indian cities.

No unusual HMPV surge in India but precautions must: Experts

No unusual HMPV surge in India but precautions must: Experts

Rediff.com12 Jan 2025

Amid growing concerns over the detection of human metapneumovirus cases in India, health experts have emphasised the virus is not new, and advised people to stay calm and take basic precautions.

Shaktikanta Das appointed principal secretary to PM

Shaktikanta Das appointed principal secretary to PM

Rediff.com22 Feb 2025

P K Mishra, a retired IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, is currently serving as the principal secretary to the prime minister.

India's domestic air tariff up 43% in 5 yrs, just behind Vietnam

India's domestic air tariff up 43% in 5 yrs, just behind Vietnam

Rediff.com6 Nov 2024

India has recorded the second-highest increase in domestic airfares in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and West Asian regions, climbing by 43 per cent in the first half of 2024 compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, second only to Vietnam (63 per cent). India ranks third in fare increases during the same period in international skies, behind the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Malaysia. The airfare study conducted by Airports Council International (ACI), which represents 617 airports in this region, was done in partnership with Flare Aviation Consulting.

Indian pharma improves compliance with USFDA; fewer OAI cases in 2024

Indian pharma improves compliance with USFDA; fewer OAI cases in 2024

Rediff.com30 Dec 2024

Indian pharmaceutical companies have made major strides in adhering to stringent US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) norms in 2024, with data suggesting a decline in the number of adverse classification outcomes of inspections across biologics, drugs, and devices. In 2023, the USFDA conducted 225 inspections, which led to 18 cases of Official Action Indicated (OAI) and 117 cases of Voluntary Action Indicated (VAI).

The Harsh Reality For Wayanad Survivors

The Harsh Reality For Wayanad Survivors

Rediff.com27 Mar 2025

In Kerala's society, known for its high material standard of living, plunging into a state of having nothing overnight can be terrible for one's social standing and sense of self-esteem. Rehabilitation entails piecing a community back together after a disturbance and while its aim is noble, the act of reassembling will bring alive disparities and inequalities, explains Shyam G Menon.

WHO declares coronavirus outbreak as pandemic

WHO declares coronavirus outbreak as pandemic

Rediff.com11 Mar 2020

"We have made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterised as a pandemic," WHO DG Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. "WHO's mandate is public health. But we are working with many partners across all sectors to mitigate the social and economic consequences of this COVID-19 pandemic," he added.

Indians Work More Than Chinese!

Indians Work More Than Chinese!

Rediff.com14 Feb 2025

The average Indian works 46.7 hours per week, surpassing even China's 46.1 hours. In some sectors, the numbers are even more staggering.

HEX20 Elevates India With Nila Launch

HEX20 Elevates India With Nila Launch

Rediff.com7 Apr 2025

'The launch of Nila, our very first satellite was very emotional as well as nerve wracking. We tried to calm ourselves by cracking some poor jokes!'

Cong leaders' remarks on Prez Murmu unfortunate: Rashtrapati Bhavan

Cong leaders' remarks on Prez Murmu unfortunate: Rashtrapati Bhavan

Rediff.com31 Jan 2025

The President's office has condemned comments made by Congress leaders regarding President Droupadi Murmu's address to Parliament, stating that they hurt the dignity of the high office. The statement clarified that the President was not tired during her speech and that the comments were in "poor taste" and "unacceptable." The Congress leaders had reportedly discussed the speech, with Sonia Gandhi commenting on the President's alleged tiredness. The statement suggested that the leaders may have misunderstood the President's speech due to their unfamiliarity with Indian languages.

Pvt corporate sector posts 8% on-year sales growth in Q3

Pvt corporate sector posts 8% on-year sales growth in Q3

Rediff.com25 Feb 2025

The private corporate sector showed improvements across various segments in the third quarter of the current financial year (Q3FY25), with the operating profit margin of listed non-financial companies increasing sequentially by 50 basis points (bps) to 16.2 per cent, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data released on Monday. Sales of listed private non-financial companies increased by 8.0 per cent during Q3FY25, compared to 5.5 per cent in the corresponding quarter a year ago. It was, however, 5.4 per cent in Q2FY25.

Why I Worry About Savings, Investment

Why I Worry About Savings, Investment

Rediff.com23 Dec 2024

Whether nominal or real, India's investment rate needs to increase by 3 to 4 percentage points of GDP to support 8 per cent real growth, recommends Nikhil Gupta.

IPL 2025: Cricket carnival returns as KKR face RCB in opener

IPL 2025: Cricket carnival returns as KKR face RCB in opener

Rediff.com21 Mar 2025

New rules, new captains, but same excitement as two months of cricket extravaganza kicks off in Kolkata.

Budget: Can Nirmalaji End The Economic Slowdown?

Budget: Can Nirmalaji End The Economic Slowdown?

Rediff.com29 Jan 2025

The time is ideal for a 'Dream Budget' akin to the 1991 reforms that sparked high growth and unlocked significant gains in productivity, points out Rajeswari Sengupta.

Pandemic: Reskilling is the buzzword at Infosys

Pandemic: Reskilling is the buzzword at Infosys

Rediff.com13 Sep 2021

For Krish Shankar, executive vice-president & group head of human resource (HR) development at Infosys, the defining moment of the pandemic on the HR department has been the importance that reskilling and learning have managed to get. For Infosys, the focus on reskilling started three to four years back as business saw a shift towards digital, and the pandemic has really brought the importance of reskilling to the fore. "In the past, certification courses or taking up an e-learning course was just a way towards promotion, and was not taken too seriously.

Firecrackers Capital Sivakasi Faces Uncertain Future

Firecrackers Capital Sivakasi Faces Uncertain Future

Rediff.com24 Oct 2024

Sivakasi is fighting for survival, thanks to the ban on firecrackers in Delhi, regulations in several other cities, pandemic-imposed sales dips, the ban on the use of barium nitrate...

Aamir's Toughest Role That You Haven't Seen

Aamir's Toughest Role That You Haven't Seen

Rediff.com18 Mar 2025

'It was the toughest of roles because he had to change quickly behind the sofa and come out in the next dress!'

'Omicron is not the end of the pandemic'

'Omicron is not the end of the pandemic'

Rediff.com1 Feb 2022

'The pandemic ends only when 70 per cent of the world is vaccinated with two doses.'

Trinamool MP submits written apology for remarks against Scindia

Trinamool MP submits written apology for remarks against Scindia

Rediff.com12 Dec 2024

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said that Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee has submitted a written apology for his remarks against Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia besides apologising in the House.

'We Have Been Validated Yet Again'

'We Have Been Validated Yet Again'

Rediff.com4 Mar 2025

'The country that does most of the visual effects, more than any other country, is India.' 'There are more Indians working on VFX in any major Hollywood film than there are in Indian films.'

India saw remarkable transformation in 10 yrs: UNGA chief

India saw remarkable transformation in 10 yrs: UNGA chief

Rediff.com2 Feb 2025

UN General Assembly President Philemon Yang will visit India from February 4 to 8, his first official trip as President of the 79th session. Yang highlighted India's "remarkable transformation" over the past decade, particularly in digital and technological innovation, and plans to see how these advancements have reached the grassroots level during his visit. He also praised India's contributions to peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, and its voice for the Global South.

Pandemic did not impact my Olympic preparation: Sindhu

Pandemic did not impact my Olympic preparation: Sindhu

Rediff.com15 Jul 2021

Sindhu is the lone Indian to have qualified for the women's singles in Tokyo Olympics a

Bangladesh moves closer to Islamabad, eases visa process for Pakistanis

Bangladesh moves closer to Islamabad, eases visa process for Pakistanis

Rediff.com12 Jan 2025

The present government had removed the need for clearance from Dhaka for Pakistani heads of missions while issuing visas, Bangladesh high commissioner to Pakistan Iqbal Hussain told the business community here at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Saturday.

Djokovic still traumatised at Melbourne airport

Djokovic still traumatised at Melbourne airport

Rediff.com6 Jan 2025

Djokovic, who is ranked seventh in the world, will be on the hunt for a record 25th major title when the 2025 Australian Open begins next Sunday.

Will Modi Opt For More Energy Imports From US?

Will Modi Opt For More Energy Imports From US?

Rediff.com11 Feb 2025

US shale oil would act as an alternative to India's heavy dependency on Russian crude, which is currently facing sanctions.

Home truths about Indian real estate in the pandemic

Home truths about Indian real estate in the pandemic

Rediff.com6 Oct 2021

There's no place like home, but even for the affluent buying one in India is difficult. On top of that, the coronavirus pandemic-now in its eighteenth month-has made life uncertain. A hopeful thing is buying a house looks alluring as loan interest rates fall below 7 per cent, their multi-decadal lows. The slow decline in GDP growth after demonetisation, followed by the economic shock caused by Covid-19 waves, has hurt us unevenly.

Can India bring home gold at Asia Mixed Team C'ships?

Can India bring home gold at Asia Mixed Team C'ships?

Rediff.com10 Feb 2025

While India have never won the gold at the Asia Mixed Team Championships, they did secure mixed team gold and silver at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and 2022.

Scientists identify ways of preventing next pandemic

Scientists identify ways of preventing next pandemic

Rediff.com4 Jan 2021

There can be no one answer to the question at the centre of an anxious debate across a world coping with COVID-19 and wondering what will happen if another one comes, but the global scientific community has been working on multiple tracks to ensure that humankind is better prepared.

Pandemic Effect? Indians Spent Less Than Rs 10 Lakhs On Weddings

Pandemic Effect? Indians Spent Less Than Rs 10 Lakhs On Weddings

Rediff.com11 Mar 2022

During the pandemic, millennial couples took charge, planning their wedding, due to which the wedding budget drastically changed.

I-T minister fact-checks Zuckerberg on Lok Sabha poll results

I-T minister fact-checks Zuckerberg on Lok Sabha poll results

Rediff.com13 Jan 2025

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw countered Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Monday on his claim that after the COVID-19 pandemic, most incumbent governments, including the one in India, lost elections in 2024, asserting that his statement was 'factually incorrect'.

USAID Funding To India Declines Amid Trump's Freeze

USAID Funding To India Declines Amid Trump's Freeze

Rediff.com13 Feb 2025

'If the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation cuts funds, there could be more impact.'

CWC attacks Centre on Covid pandemic handling

CWC attacks Centre on Covid pandemic handling

Rediff.com17 Apr 2021

In her opening remarks, while chairing the meeting of the Congress Working Committee, Gandhi also accused the Centre of giving preferential treatment to some states while maintaining "thundering silence" on requests of states ruled by the Congress and opposition parties.

Growth in India slowed more than expected: IMF

Growth in India slowed more than expected: IMF

Rediff.com17 Jan 2025

Led by a sharper-than-expected deceleration in industrial activity, economic growth in India slowed more than anticipated and is projected to remain at 6.5 per cent till 2026, the International Monetary Fund said on Friday. "Growth in India slowed more than expected, led by a sharper-than-expected deceleration in industrial activity," the IMF said in its latest update of the World Economic Outlook, according to which the global economy is holding steady. In 2023, India's growth rate was 8.2 per cent, which dropped to 6.5 per cent in 2024.

Mutual Funds Emerge As Financiers For M&A Deals

Mutual Funds Emerge As Financiers For M&A Deals

Rediff.com6 Feb 2025

'Growth for some companies has been hard to come by and this is a smart way to get there.'

What Tech Risks Will the World Face in 2025?

What Tech Risks Will the World Face in 2025?

Rediff.com12 Feb 2025

While advancements in biotechnology hold immense promise for health and innovation, they also come with significant risks if misused.

Asset quality of NBFCs worsens in H1 amid pandemic

Asset quality of NBFCs worsens in H1 amid pandemic

Rediff.com29 Dec 2021

The asset quality of non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) deteriorated in April-September 2021 (H1FY22) owing to the second wave of the pandemic. Their gross non-performing assets (NPAs) rose to 6.8 per cent in September 2021 from 6 per cent in March 2021. The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) annual Trend and Progress report (FY21) said the sector might have to grapple with higher delinquencies as and when policy measures unwound. The pandemic posed significant challenges to NBFCs during the first wave (2020) also.

'For The First Time I'm Enthusiastic About India'

'For The First Time I'm Enthusiastic About India'

Rediff.com25 Feb 2025

'I am more optimistic about India than before.'

How Modi Has Changed Babus

How Modi Has Changed Babus

Rediff.com4 Mar 2025

At the PMO, policies are framed by factoring in analytical perspectives, implications, sustainability, and other dimensions.

Impact of Trump's presidency to be short-lived on Indian rupee: SBI

Impact of Trump's presidency to be short-lived on Indian rupee: SBI

Rediff.com15 Jan 2025

The Indian rupee may experience some volatility in the early days of Donald Trump's presidency, but it is likely to stabilise soon after, a report by the State Bank of India (SBI) said on Tuesday, terming this short term phenomenon as "Trump Tantrum".

Parliamentary panel to summon Zuckerberg over poll claim

Parliamentary panel to summon Zuckerberg over poll claim

Rediff.com14 Jan 2025

Seeking an apology from social media giant Meta for 'tarnishing' India's image, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey, who heads the Parliament's Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, said on Tuesday that the panel will summon the firm following its chairman's comments that India's ruling dispensation lost the Lok Sabha election last year.