News for '-usag'

FMCG companies' stand against paper straws fizzles out

FMCG companies' stand against paper straws fizzles out

Rediff.com12 May 2022

The six billion plastic straws sold with every small tetra pack of juice, milk, lassi, coffee and other drinks can be replaced by paper straws to protect the environment but it will have to be done in phases. That was the message of the presentation made by FMCG companies using small tetra packs last week by their body, the Action Alliance for Recycling Beverage Cartons. The association told the Environment Ministry that companies need 18 months from the ministry's deadline of July 1 - when the ban on the use of single plastics for straws, plates and spoons comes into effect - to make the transition.

Recipe to rescue India's telecom sector, specially Vodafone Idea

Recipe to rescue India's telecom sector, specially Vodafone Idea

Rediff.com13 Sep 2021

Measures reportedly being mulled by the government to ease telecom industry's stress and fundraising may give Vodafone Idea the much-needed breather, but structural issue undermining the sector can be fixed only with "sizable" tariff hike for 4G prepaid customers, according to a note by Edelweiss. It further observed that as Voda Idea's large liabilities are falling due, and given the impending launch of JioPhone Next (whose rollout timeline has now been pushed to before Diwali), "the sooner the government measures as well as tariff hikes are rolled out, the better it is". It is pertinent to mention here that the telecom sector has been keenly watching out for the relief package, which could include redefinition of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) to exclude non-telecom items, cut in levies such as Spectrum Usage Charges and easier terms and conditions for surrendering radiowaves to the government.

'We are in no mood to celebrate Har Ghar Tiranga'

'We are in no mood to celebrate Har Ghar Tiranga'

Rediff.com15 Aug 2022

'We will celebrate Independence Day as usual, but not this celebration from August 15 to 22 (as sought by the Modi government).'

No religious procession in UP without permission: Yogi

No religious procession in UP without permission: Yogi

Rediff.com19 Apr 2022

With Eid festival and Akshaya Tritiya likely to fall on the same day next month and many other festivals lined up in the coming days, Adityanath said the police needs to be extra cautious.

Airspace coordination in India helps airlines save big

Airspace coordination in India helps airlines save big

Rediff.com6 May 2022

Coordination between defence and civilian authorities has freed up airspace for commercial airlines in India, resulting in routes becoming shorter and costs coming down, apart from mitigating pollution. "Due to various restrictions of the military, only about 58 per cent of the Indian airspace was being utilised. It is close to 70 per cent now," said an official of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Officials of the AAI said to date 119 routes had been shortened. Sources said since December 2020 the cumulative savings of airlines had been close to Rs 200 crore while there was a reduction in emission of around 45,000 tonnes of carbon.

National Hydrogen Policy unveiled. Here are the details

National Hydrogen Policy unveiled. Here are the details

Rediff.com17 Feb 2022

The government on Thursday allowed free inter-state wheeling of renewable energy used in the production of green hydrogen and ammonia as it seeks to boost usage of the carbon-free fuel and make India an export hub. Unveiling the first part of the much-awaited National Hydrogen Policy, Power and New and Renewable Energy Minister Raj Kumar Singh said the government is targeting production of 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030. Oil refineries to steel plants require hydrogen to produce finished products.

Reliance Jio's purchase of 700 MHz likely to give it edge over rivals

Reliance Jio's purchase of 700 MHz likely to give it edge over rivals

Rediff.com10 Aug 2022

Reliance Jio's decision to acquire 700 MHz in combination with the possible use of an advanced standalone (SA) 5G network could give it an edge over its rivals, according to most analysts. The dissenters argue that the stiff price tag touching Rs 40,000 crore to grab 10 MHz of spectrum in 700 to provide coverage for its SA 5G network which offers ultra-low latency (unlike non-standalone or NSA), has a long way to go in India in terms of finding use cases that can be monetised. Globally, 700 MHz is a pivotal band which provides huge coverage, indoor penetration (especially useful in India where walls are thick) and is already considered by the European Union to be the 'pioneer band' for 5G, with 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz, both of which were auctioned in India recently.

Bharti Airtel Q3 net profit dips 2.8% to Rs 830 cr

Bharti Airtel Q3 net profit dips 2.8% to Rs 830 cr

Rediff.com8 Feb 2022

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Tuesday reported a 2.8 per cent decline in its consolidated net profit to Rs 830 crore for the third quarter ended December 2021. The company had recorded a net profit of Rs 854 crore in the same period a year ago. Consolidated revenue increased by 12.6 per cent to Rs 29,867 crore, from Rs 26,518 crore in the December 2020 quarter.

Indrani's Will, Rahul's Reshma And A Trap

Indrani's Will, Rahul's Reshma And A Trap

Rediff.com15 Nov 2022

Rahul Mukerjea's two-day cross examination in early November left many questions unanswered even as new ones came to the fore in the Sheena Bora Murder Trial, reports Prasanna D Zore.

Bulldozer action on 'BJP leader' seen assaulting woman in viral video

Bulldozer action on 'BJP leader' seen assaulting woman in viral video

Rediff.com8 Aug 2022

Uttar Pradesh government officials on Monday morning used a bulldozer to remove encroachment done by absconding politician Shrikant Tyagi outside his Noida residence.

'People are realising his 'Pappu' image has no truth'

'People are realising his 'Pappu' image has no truth'

Rediff.com29 Nov 2022

'Rahul Gandhi has shown courage to heal the heart of democracy.'

Use of masks declining amid Omicron concerns, warns govt

Use of masks declining amid Omicron concerns, warns govt

Rediff.com10 Dec 2021

The government on Friday warned about the declining compliance to mask usage in the country amid concerns over the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and urged people to follow COVID-appropriate behaviour and get vaccinated to prevent surge in cases.

SC panel urges citizens to give details if they were Pegasus targets

SC panel urges citizens to give details if they were Pegasus targets

Rediff.com2 Jan 2022

The public notice, issued in leading dailies on Sunday, said "such person who suspects her/his device is infected" should send an email to the technical committee "before noon of January 7, 2022".

9 WARNING Signs Your Teen Is Suicidal

9 WARNING Signs Your Teen Is Suicidal

Rediff.com2 Nov 2021

Quite often, you'd see teens not taking a bath for days or ignoring self-care prior to their self-harm attempts.

Why Tamil Nadu Governor Ravi Has Got It Wrong

Why Tamil Nadu Governor Ravi Has Got It Wrong

Rediff.com9 Jan 2023

Words and actions like those of R N Ravi and a vocal section of the state BJP have only added to Tamil fears and suspicions, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.

SC upholds ED's power to arrest, attach property under money-laundering law

SC upholds ED's power to arrest, attach property under money-laundering law

Rediff.com27 Jul 2022

The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday upheld the validity of certain provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and said it is not mandatory to give an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in every case to the person concerned.

Infosys admits to continuing tax portal glitches, says work is on

Infosys admits to continuing tax portal glitches, says work is on

Rediff.com23 Sep 2021

IT major Infosys on Thursday acknowledged that some users continue to experience difficulties in accessing the income tax portal and assured that it is working expeditiously, in collaboration with the income tax department to further streamline end-user experience.

5G spectrum auction underway; 4 cos in fray for airwaves worth Rs 4.3 lakh cr

5G spectrum auction underway; 4 cos in fray for airwaves worth Rs 4.3 lakh cr

Rediff.com26 Jul 2022

India's first auction of 5G spectrum, that powers ultra-high data speeds, is currently underway with a total of 72 GHz (gigahertz) of radiowaves worth at least Rs 4.3 lakh crore up for bidding. Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio, Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and a unit of billionaire Gautam Adani's flagship Adani Enterprises are in the race to bid for 5G spectrum, that offers speeds about 10 times faster than 4G, lag-free connectivity, and can enable billions of connected devices to share data in real-time. In addition to powering ultra-low latency connections, which allow downloading full-length high-quality video or movie to a mobile device in a matter of seconds (even in crowded areas), Fifth Generation or 5G would enable solutions such as e-health, connected vehicles, more-immersive augmented reality and metaverse experiences, life-saving use cases, and advanced mobile cloud gaming among others.

Cryptos are not even worth a tulip: RBI Guv

Cryptos are not even worth a tulip: RBI Guv

Rediff.com10 Feb 2022

Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday said cryptocurrencies are a "threat to macroeconomic and financial stability" and cautioned investors against punting on them, days after the Union government's move to tax the gains made from cryptocurrency trades. In the Union Budget for 2022-23 presented in Parliament on February 1, the government proposed levying a 30 per cent tax on gains made on cryptocurrency trades by investors and the announcement was welcomed by cryptocurrency industry players, saying it legitimises their trades. Das invoked the 17th century 'tulip mania', widely considered to be the first financial bubble, to caution investors, saying the cryptocurrencies do not even possess the value of the exotic flower.

Telcos will be able to invest fearlessly: Sunil Mittal

Telcos will be able to invest fearlessly: Sunil Mittal

Rediff.com15 Sep 2021

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Mittal on Wednesday said the telecom sector reforms approved by the Cabinet will ensure that the industry is able to invest fearlessly, and the company will respond to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to invest and accelerate the country's growth. Among a series of breathers for the stressed telecom sector, the Cabinet has approved the inclusion of revenues earned only from telecom services in the adjusted gross revenue (AGR), and the removal of penalty on dues to be paid to the government prospectively. Mittal congratulated and thanked the government for undertaking these seminal reforms to lift an industry that is at the core of his Digital India vision.

Govt invites tender for delivery of Covid jabs by drones

Govt invites tender for delivery of Covid jabs by drones

Rediff.com14 Jun 2021

However, the tender criteria demands that an entity must be eligible to conduct Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations in order to become eligible. Currently, no drone companies are eligible to do BVLOS operations, reports Arindam Majumder.

Cricketers will have to live with COVID-19: Gambhir

Cricketers will have to live with COVID-19: Gambhir

Rediff.com10 May 2020

'I don't think a lot of rules and regulations will be changed, you can probably have an alternate for the usage of saliva -- apart from that I don't think so many changes will happen'

Onboarding of e-commerce giants crucial to ensure success of ONDC

Onboarding of e-commerce giants crucial to ensure success of ONDC

Rediff.com15 Sep 2022

When Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) was conceived last December, the idea was to reduce the dominance of e-commerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart. It was also to bring in a level-playing field for small merchants in India's fragmented but fast-growing $1-trillion retail market. However, those goals have changed now as large e-commerce players such as Flipkart, Amazon and Ecom Express are in various levels of talks with the ONDC team. They want to form partnerships like integrating with the network as well as providing their expertise to build it, according to the industry sources.

Mumbai-ites may be fined for excess power usage

Mumbai-ites may be fined for excess power usage

Rediff.com26 Feb 2006

In its decision over a tariff revision proposal submitted by the BEST, the MERC has given this direction.

'Wah Modiji, Wah': Oppn slams ban on words critical of govt in Parliament

'Wah Modiji, Wah': Oppn slams ban on words critical of govt in Parliament

Rediff.com14 Jul 2022

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala also said, "Saheb knows his qualities very well". He also shared a copy of the news report.

RSS chief seeks population control policy applicable to all

RSS chief seeks population control policy applicable to all

Rediff.com5 Oct 2022

Speaking at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's Dussehra rally in Nagpur, Bhagwat said community-based population imbalance is an important subject and should not be ignored.

Sam Pitroda suggests optimum usage of ICT for key sectors

Sam Pitroda suggests optimum usage of ICT for key sectors

Rediff.com27 Aug 2009

Applications of information and communication technology in the field of education, health, environment and agriculture will bring in a generational change among the Indian masses acording to Sam Pitroda.

India sees sharp rise in cyber attacks as internet base continues to widen

India sees sharp rise in cyber attacks as internet base continues to widen

Rediff.com15 Aug 2022

Even as India's internet base continues to widen, with the country set to have over 900 internet users by 2025, a parallel rise in cyber threats has become a matter of huge concern. Experts say that the sudden surge in digital adoption left little time to develop a cybersecurity backbone for the country. This has put large amounts of data at risk.

'158 would've been enough if dew hadn't played a part'

'158 would've been enough if dew hadn't played a part'

Rediff.com1 May 2022

The target of 159 would have been enough for Rajasthan Royals if dew hadn't played a major role, opined premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin after his team's five-wicket loss to Mumbai Indians in the IPL match, at the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, on Saturday.

Planning to Invest in Silver? Read This

Planning to Invest in Silver? Read This

Rediff.com22 Jan 2022

Treat silver as part of the procyclical or growth assets in your portfolio, advises Sanjay Kumar Singh.

Suzuki to invest Rs 10,445 cr for manufacturing EVs, batteries in Gujarat

Suzuki to invest Rs 10,445 cr for manufacturing EVs, batteries in Gujarat

Rediff.com20 Mar 2022

Speaking at the forum, Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) representative director and president Toshihiro Suzuki said, "Suzuki's future mission is to achieve carbon neutrality with small cars. "We will continue active investment in India to realise Self-reliant India (Atma-nirbhar Bharat)." Under the MoU, the company's wholly-owned arm Suzuki Motor Gujarat Pvt Ltd (SMG) will invest Rs 7,300 crore for the construction of a plant for BEV batteries at a land neighboring to SMG's existing plant by 2026.

Major PSU banks to go live on account aggregator system by July-end

Major PSU banks to go live on account aggregator system by July-end

Rediff.com21 Jul 2022

After the finance minister directed public sector banks to join the account aggregator (AA) ecosystem, 5-6 major ones, including State Bank of India (SBI) and Bank of Baroda are expected to go live by July-end. Sahmati, an industry alliance for the AA ecosystem, has been working with PSU banks to get them onboarded for quite some time now. So far, Union Bank of India and Punjab National Bank (PNB) have gone live on the AA ecosystem. While Union Bank has been live for a while, PNB went live earlier this month.

'My boss doesn't think I deserve a raise'

'My boss doesn't think I deserve a raise'

Rediff.com22 Sep 2022

HR Guru Mayank Rautela tells you what you can do when you face such a situation.

WELLNESS GURU: What Is The Right Way To Meditate?

WELLNESS GURU: What Is The Right Way To Meditate?

Rediff.com19 Apr 2022

Wellness expert Roopashree Sharma answers your health queries.

Warner reckons Mankading is 'spirit of cricket issue'

Warner reckons Mankading is 'spirit of cricket issue'

Rediff.com10 Mar 2022

England fast bowler Stuart Broad has also endorsed Warner's views.

How Eveready is trying to regain its mojo

How Eveready is trying to regain its mojo

Rediff.com8 May 2022

Over the past decade, a change in consumer choice swept through the battery industry - the walkman lost its mojo, smartphones took over cameras and batteries were tucked away in remotes and wall clocks that hardly needed frequent call-ups. The result: Brand Eveready lost mind space. And the company's attempt to stick to the on-ground marketing activities didn't quite help. But Eveready, now at the cusp of change, is putting things right - a new Give Me Red television commercial has been launched after a gap of 7 years featuring an empowered bride ski-diving to her wedding venue. The creative, according to Eveready sources, is in sync with the brand doctrine.

'Saibaba Hovers Between Life And Death'

'Saibaba Hovers Between Life And Death'

Rediff.com17 Oct 2022

His spine, his heart, his pancreas -- one by one, all his organs have weakened, given the lack of medical treatment in jail, where he is kept in the notorious Anda cell. Continuous pain, frequent fainting spells, urinary problems, have all become part of his life.

Govt okays mega 5G spectrum sale, enables 10 times faster speed than 4G

Govt okays mega 5G spectrum sale, enables 10 times faster speed than 4G

Rediff.com15 Jun 2022

The Union Cabinet has approved the modalities for holding 5G spectrum auctions, and 72097.85 MHz of radio waves will be put on the block by July-end, an official release said on Wednesday.

PM's photo, national flag, emblem can be used for PM CARES: PMO tells HC

PM's photo, national flag, emblem can be used for PM CARES: PMO tells HC

Rediff.com18 Jan 2022

In an affidavit submitted before a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M S Karnik, PMO Under Secretary Pradeep Srivastava said the PM's photograph, name and national emblem were also used in the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

Jio announces free domestic voice calls from Jan 1 as IUC regime ends

Jio announces free domestic voice calls from Jan 1 as IUC regime ends

Rediff.com31 Dec 2020

With the interconnect usage charges (IUC) regime for domestic voice calls coming to an end, Reliance Jio on Thursday said that all calls from its network to other networks anywhere in India will be free from January 1, 2021. As per the telecom regulator's directions, 'Bill and Keep' regime is being implemented in the country from January 1, 2021, thereby ending IUC charges for all domestic voice calls, it said in a statement.