News for '-quantum'

SC seeks OROP payment plan from Centre within a week

SC seeks OROP payment plan from Centre within a week

Rediff.com13 Mar 2023

The Supreme Court on Monday said the ministry of defence cannot take law in its own hands by issuing communication on payment of One Rank-One Pension (OROP) arrears in four instalments.

Budget Good 1st Act. RBI's Monetary Policy 2nd

Budget Good 1st Act. RBI's Monetary Policy 2nd

Rediff.com4 Feb 2023

Let's wait for the monetary policy on February 8 -- to see how it complements the fiscal commitments, points out Tamal Bandyopadhyay.

NSA Ajit Doval leads A-team to US for crucial talks on emerging tech

NSA Ajit Doval leads A-team to US for crucial talks on emerging tech

Rediff.com30 Jan 2023

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will hold crucial talks with the top US leadership, including his counterpart Jake Sullivan, on the first high-level dialogue on Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET).

Do FTAs boost manufacturing, exports? Not always

Do FTAs boost manufacturing, exports? Not always

Rediff.com20 Nov 2022

Countries negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs) need to keep in mind eight "myths" which surround these pacts, like they lead to accelerated increase in exports and promote domestic manufacturing, according to a report by think-tank GTRI. The report by Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) claims to dispel these 'myths', including that FTAs weaken the WTO (World Trade Organisation), countries are rushing to do FTAs, and these pacts promote investment and lower prices. It is "erroneously" believed that most world trade happens through the FTA route, but in reality, it is less than 20 per cent, said the report titled 'FTAs: Fabulous, Futile, or Flawed?'.

Will Financial Stress Break The Global Economy?

Will Financial Stress Break The Global Economy?

Rediff.com4 Apr 2023

What's different this time is that global financial stress -- which has its genesis in four policy choices made in recent years -- is juxtaposed with a more resilient real economy, observes Sajjid Z Chinoy, chief India economist at J P Morgan.

2006 Varanasi blasts convict Waliullah Khan sentenced to death

2006 Varanasi blasts convict Waliullah Khan sentenced to death

Rediff.com6 Jun 2022

A local court in Ghaziabad on Monday sentenced terror convict Waliullah Khan to death for the serial blasts in Varanasi that killed at least 20 people 16 years back.

Is India ready for Pak superiority in drone warfare?

Is India ready for Pak superiority in drone warfare?

Rediff.com15 Nov 2022

While Pakistan enjoys rough parity with India in legacy weapon systems, it is beginning to enjoy superiority in drone warfare, thanks to the RPVs supplied by China, explains Ajai Shukla.

'India needs insurers catering to niche sectors like NBFCs, MFIs'

'India needs insurers catering to niche sectors like NBFCs, MFIs'

Rediff.com23 Dec 2022

India has a huge untapped population which doesn't have facilities for financial aid and insurance, and it is perhaps plausible to look at the option of having niche players catering to smaller sectors akin to non-banks and microfinance institutions in lending, said Rakesh Joshi, member (Finance & Investment), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai). Speaking at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit, Joshi said, "Today, most of our insurance companies operate at a national level. There is arguably a case for having differentiated operations, which cater to niche sectors the same way we have non-banking financial companies (NBFC) and microfinance institutions in lending." "The capital requirement for niche players may not be as large as those having national ambitions. "Enabling these niche players, which require lower capital, will enhance the penetration in areas which hitherto had not seen traction from large players," he said.

Full Text: PM Modi's address to US Congress

Full Text: PM Modi's address to US Congress

Rediff.com23 Jun 2023

Here's the full text of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to a joint session of the United States Congress, delivered on Thursday.

Disproportionate assets case slapped on yet another AIADMK leader

Disproportionate assets case slapped on yet another AIADMK leader

Rediff.com9 Jul 2022

Disproportionate assets of Kamaraj stood at Rs 58.44 crore and he has been booked for criminal conspiracy and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, according to the FIR.

GST evasion: Taxmen get more teeth

GST evasion: Taxmen get more teeth

Rediff.com2 Sep 2022

GST officers can now launch prosecution against offenders in cases where the amount of evasion or misuse of input tax credit is more than Rs 5 crore, the finance ministry has said. However, this monetary threshold will not be applicable in the case of habitual evaders or in cases where arrests have been made at the time of investigation. "One of the important considerations for deciding whether prosecution should be launched is the availability of adequate evidence," the GST investigation wing under the finance ministry said, while issuing instructions for launching prosecution.

Jet Air to cut salaries, send many staff on leave without pay

Jet Air to cut salaries, send many staff on leave without pay

Rediff.com18 Nov 2022

Jet Airways, which is yet to resume operations under its new owner, will reduce salaries for various staff and send many employees on leave without pay, amid uncertainty over resumption of its operations. The measures, which will be effective from December 1, were revealed hours after the winning bidder Jalan-Kalrock Consortium (JKC) said it might take "difficult" near-term decisions to manage cashflows. The once-storied airline shuttered operations in April 2019 and JKC's resolution plan was approved under the insolvency process by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in June last year.

SIP account redemptions rise to 11-mth high as investors dip into savings

SIP account redemptions rise to 11-mth high as investors dip into savings

Rediff.com27 Oct 2022

Retail investors seem to have dipped into their mutual fund savings to meet pre-festival spending. According to data released by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi), investors pulled out Rs 6,578 crore from their systematic investment plan (SIP) accounts in September, the highest in the last 11 months. The redemptions were on the higher side during the previous festive season as well.

Why Are Banks Wooing You?

Why Are Banks Wooing You?

Rediff.com15 Mar 2023

When he didn't respond (Mr Saver has lost count of how many relationship managers he has had in the past few years!), the gentleman landed up at his doorstep and started pleading with him to open fixed deposits with the bank, observes Tamal Bandyopadhyay.

Irrational poll freebies a serious issue, says SC, urges govt to take a stand

Irrational poll freebies a serious issue, says SC, urges govt to take a stand

Rediff.com26 Jul 2022

Terming as "serious" the promise of "irrational freebies" made by political parties during elections, the Supreme Court on Tuesday wondered why the Centre was hesitant about taking a stand on the issue.

Shahbaz, Shreyas in T20I squad for SA series

Shahbaz, Shreyas in T20I squad for SA series

Rediff.com27 Sep 2022

Recovering Shami not included

It's official, govt will divest stake in LIC

It's official, govt will divest stake in LIC

Rediff.com12 Jul 2021

The Union Cabinet has cleared disinvestment of the country's largest insurer LIC and a panel headed by the finance minister will now decide on the quantum of stake dilution, a senior official said on Monday. The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) had in January appointed actuarial firm Milliman Advisors LLP India to assess the embedded value of LIC ahead of the IPO (initial public offering), which is touted to be the biggest public issue in Indian corporate history. The Budget amendments to the LIC Act has been notified and the actuarial firm is expected to finalise the embedded value of the life insurer. Under the embedded value method, the insurance company's present value of future profit is also included in its present net asset value.

Rahul Gandhi to appeal jail term, punished for speaking truth: Cong

Rahul Gandhi to appeal jail term, punished for speaking truth: Cong

Rediff.com23 Mar 2023

The Congress on Thursday said former party chief Rahul Gandhi will file an appeal against a Gujarat court verdict holding him guilty in a 2019 criminal defamation case, and alleged that the government was after him for speaking the truth and bringing to light its 'misdeeds'.

Right Time To Invest In Govt Bonds

Right Time To Invest In Govt Bonds

Rediff.com4 Nov 2022

Investors not comfortable investing directly may take the mutual fund route, where they get exposure to a diversified portfolio of bonds.

Student gets 5-yr jail for 'celebrating' Pulwama attack

Student gets 5-yr jail for 'celebrating' Pulwama attack

Rediff.com1 Nov 2022

The accused, Faiz Rasheed, was 19 and a college student at the time of the crime and has been in custody for three-and-a-half years.

Ukraine War: Invest In Multi-Asset Funds

Ukraine War: Invest In Multi-Asset Funds

Rediff.com14 Mar 2022

Multi-asset funds offer exposure to gold, which tends to do well in times of geopolitical tensions and inflationary pressures, suggests Sanjay Kumar Singh.

MPC to start 3-day meet on Wed, another rate hike likely

MPC to start 3-day meet on Wed, another rate hike likely

Rediff.com27 Sep 2022

The Reserve Bank's rate-setting panel will start its 3-day deliberations on Wednesday amid expectations of yet another rate hike of 50 basis points to check high inflation, in line with similar actions taken by other major central banks, including the US Fed. Based on the recommendations of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), the RBI had effected 50 basis points increase in repo rate each in June and August after raising the short-term lending rate by 40 basis points in an off-cycle decision in May. The MPC, headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, is scheduled to meet during September 28-30.

Modi leaves for Tokyo to attend Abe Shinzo's state funeral

Modi leaves for Tokyo to attend Abe Shinzo's state funeral

Rediff.com26 Sep 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join several global leaders to pay tributes to Japan's slain former prime minister Shinzo Abe at his state funeral in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Army maintains strong defence posture along LAC: Gen Manoj Pande

Army maintains strong defence posture along LAC: Gen Manoj Pande

Rediff.com15 Jan 2023

General Pande said the northern border region has been peaceful and steps have been taken to maintain peace through established protocol and existing mechanism.

India to face export shocks from global recession

India to face export shocks from global recession

Rediff.com22 Dec 2022

India has been relatively insulated from the severe headwinds in the West. However, with a third of the global economy expected to slip into recession in calendar year 2023, the impact will strongly be felt on India's exports and trade economy, leading economists said in a panel discussion at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit in Mumbai on Wednesday. The panel comprised former Reserve Bank of India executive director and former Monetary Policy Committee member Mridul Saggar, State Bank of India Chief Economic Advisor Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Citibank India Chief Economist Samiran Chakraborty, ICRA Chief Economist Aditi Nayar, and IndusInd Bank Chief Economist Gaurav Kapoor. The topic of the panel discussion was No recession in sight: Is India decoupled from developed economies?

16 'suspected entities' searched in Axis MF front-running case

16 'suspected entities' searched in Axis MF front-running case

Rediff.com28 May 2022

According to sources, the two fund managers allegedly made illicit gains worth Rs 150 crore to Rs 200 crore through front-running.

Modi pays tribute to Abe Shinzo at state funeral, meets Kishida

Modi pays tribute to Abe Shinzo at state funeral, meets Kishida

Rediff.com27 Sep 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday offered a floral tribute to former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe at his state funeral in Tokyo.

'India's gold demand may cross China's'

'India's gold demand may cross China's'

Rediff.com12 Oct 2022

'When the gold price rises rapidly, India's physical gold market remains on standby.'

Elections not a factor for monetary policy: RBI Guv

Elections not a factor for monetary policy: RBI Guv

Rediff.com22 Dec 2022

The Lok Sabha elections in 2024 are not a consideration when it comes to monetary policymaking, said Reserve Bank of India governor Shaktikanta Das to underscore the central bank's commitment to controlling inflation. "It's not possible for me to comment what we do in the next MPC (Monetary Policy Committee), but one thing I can tell and I would like to make it very clear-that the fact of elections coming up in 2024 is not a factor at all so far as monetary policymaking is concerned. "Monetary policymaking is for checking (and) controlling inflation," Das said at the Business Standard, BFSI Insight Summit.

Victim's family thanks God after SC jails Sidhu in 1988 case

Victim's family thanks God after SC jails Sidhu in 1988 case

Rediff.com19 May 2022

Asked about her reaction on the verdict, Gurnam Singh's daughter-in-law Parveen Kaur said, "We thank Baba Ji (Almighty). We had left it to Baba ji. Whatever Baba Ji has done is right."

Unicorns feel funding winter chill; see fall in numbers

Unicorns feel funding winter chill; see fall in numbers

Rediff.com10 Oct 2022

The drying up of funds for a number of start-ups is affecting the firms' unicorn status across the globe. The past six months have seen the valuations of 147 unicorns drop, of which 71 were from the US and 29 from China, according to the latest Hurun Global Unicorn Index 2022. Eighty-one unicorns from across the globe saw their valuations drop below $1 billion-the threshold for a start-up to be labelled unicorn-from last year.

Govt readies plan to bolster PSU bank boards

Govt readies plan to bolster PSU bank boards

Rediff.com25 Jul 2022

The central government is looking to strengthen the boards of public sector banks (PSBs) by specifying terms of office and conditions of service for whole-time directors, and also seeking disclosures from all directors about interests in other companies. Through the Banking Laws Amendment Bill, the government is likely to introduce conditions for disqualification of whole-time and independent directors which are not specified in the current legislation. The Centre is seeking to introduce fresh changes that are aimed at strengthening the boards of PSBs, and holding their directors accountable, an official said.

AUKUS And The Militarization Of Indo Pacific

AUKUS And The Militarization Of Indo Pacific

Rediff.com20 Mar 2023

Although the pact would focus mainly on the Pacific and the South China Sea region, any action designed to deter China with or without New Delhi's active participation is a welcome move, notes Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).

10 Safe Stocks To Bet In Volatile Market

10 Safe Stocks To Bet In Volatile Market

Rediff.com20 Mar 2023

10 high dividend paying stocks across sectors that are expected to maintain or even increase their pay-outs in FY23 thanks to faster earnings growth in the last four quarters.

Zverev fined $40,000 for outburst at Acapulco event

Zverev fined $40,000 for outburst at Acapulco event

Rediff.com25 Feb 2022

Zverev deserved to be thrown out for umpire abuse, says Nadal

10 convicted, 1 acquitted for serial blasts at Modi's 2013 Patna rally

10 convicted, 1 acquitted for serial blasts at Modi's 2013 Patna rally

Rediff.com27 Oct 2021

A special NIA court on Wednesday convicted 10 persons in connection with the serial blasts that took place in 2013 at the venue in Patna of a political rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was then the chief minister of Gujarat.

LPG price hiked by Rs 50; rates up by Rs 244 in one year

LPG price hiked by Rs 50; rates up by Rs 244 in one year

Rediff.com6 Jul 2022

Cooking gas LPG price on Wednesday was hiked by Rs 50 per cylinder, the third increase in rates since May on firming international energy prices. Non-subsidised LPG now costs Rs 1,053 per 14.2-kg cylinder in the national capital, up from Rs 1,003 previously, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers. Common households pay non-subsidised rates for the cooking gas they buy, after the government restricted subsidy to just poor beneficiaries who got connections under the Ujjwala scheme.

IIT alumni are opening their wallets wide to give back despite Covid-19

IIT alumni are opening their wallets wide to give back despite Covid-19

Rediff.com18 Apr 2022

While the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur may have attracted among the highest donations by an individual (former student and IndiGo Airlines co-founder Rakesh Gangwal) at Rs 100 crore last week, IITs have largely seen such contributions rise over recent years, despite the Covid pandemic. According to Mahesh Panchagnula, dean, Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras, in the last five years, the premier institute has raised more than Rs 135 crore under the endowment category of education alone. Despite the pandemic, there has been an increasing trend in endowment funding received at IIT Madras, with an average increase of about 20 per cent year-on-year across the last five years.

Indians' funds in Swiss banks soars by 50% to over Rs 30,000 cr

Indians' funds in Swiss banks soars by 50% to over Rs 30,000 cr

Rediff.com17 Jun 2022

Funds parked by Indian individuals and firms in Swiss banks, including through India-based branches and other financial institutions, jumped to a 14-year-high of 3.83 billion Swiss francs (over Rs 30,500 crore) in 2021 on a sharp surge in holdings via securities and similar instruments while customer deposits rose as well, annual data from Switzerland's central bank showed on Thursday.

Aligarh Muslim University Needs Urgent Reforms!

Aligarh Muslim University Needs Urgent Reforms!

Rediff.com7 Mar 2023

Is it a divine, sacrosanct university, a holy cow, prohibiting human intervention?