News for 'Citizens for Accountable Governance'

Should YOU Invest In Retirement Funds?

Should YOU Invest In Retirement Funds?

Rediff.com21 Apr 2023

You can build your own retirement savings portfolio by investing in equity, hybrid and/or debt funds. Alternatively, you can also invest in retirement funds which provide asset allocation solutions for different investment needs and risk appetites, says Dwaipayan Bose

Elderly man declared dead in Shanghai, found alive in morgue

Elderly man declared dead in Shanghai, found alive in morgue

Rediff.com2 May 2022

A senior citizen was mistaken for dead at an elderly care centre in Shanghai and sent to a morgue where he was found alive, prompting authorities to launch an investigation into the shocking incident that triggered a new wave of anguish in the locked down city.

10 STUNNING Films I Watched In Cannes

10 STUNNING Films I Watched In Cannes

Rediff.com6 Jun 2023

Twelve days of movie madness and 36 films later, Aseem Chhabra lists his top 10 favourite films from this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Why Prashant Kishor Is Eyeing Bihar

Why Prashant Kishor Is Eyeing Bihar

Rediff.com21 May 2022

The JD-U, may be the BJP's partner for now. But it is a party at all only because of Nitish Kumar. The day Nitish Kumar exits, the JD-U will split into hundreds of pieces. Obviously, Prashant Kishor is setting himself up as the vessel that will collect all the pieces and put them together in some sort of political instrument, explains Aditi Phadnis.

New India ready to take risks, innovate: Modi to diaspora in Germany

New India ready to take risks, innovate: Modi to diaspora in Germany

Rediff.com3 May 2022

Modi said the young and aspirational India understood the need for political stability to achieve faster development and had ended three decades of instability by mere touch of a button.

Over Rs 20,000 crore lying unclaimed with LIC

Over Rs 20,000 crore lying unclaimed with LIC

Rediff.com15 Feb 2022

The amount of money lying unclaimed with the Life Insurance Corporation of India dwarfs the budgets of many ministries. There was Rs 21,539.5 crore which lay unclaimed with India's largest insurance company, according to details in the initial public offer (IPO) document it filed over the weekend. The regulatory documentation is ahead of LIC selling shares to the public through the stock exchange for the first time this financial year. This will be India's largest ever public listing.

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.

30 yrs on, US urges China to give details of those killed in Tiananmen square

30 yrs on, US urges China to give details of those killed in Tiananmen square

Rediff.com4 Jun 2019

The massive square became famous all over the world with an iconic picture of a young man standing before a row of battle tanks in a bid to stop them.

Did Climate Change Matter In Gujarat Elections?

Did Climate Change Matter In Gujarat Elections?

Rediff.com8 Dec 2022

Better living conditions must be an integral part of all political campaigns. But this will only happen if the public pressures the political class to understand the irreversibility of climate change and make the environment a crucial part of their manifestos.

'Democratic functioning, parliamentary scrutiny, being undermined'

'Democratic functioning, parliamentary scrutiny, being undermined'

Rediff.com19 Aug 2019

"What the RTI Act did was to make available to citizens any information that could be provided, that the government was obliged to provide to a Member of Parliament (MP). In theory, that channel remains open to us," says prominent economist and RTI activist Reetika Khera about how Indian citizens could still have access to information that they want

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.

No end in sight to price India pays for imported coal

No end in sight to price India pays for imported coal

Rediff.com6 Jul 2022

India always faces a Hobson's choice as far as feeding coal-fired generators goes - even if the government is reluctant to admit it. The country cannot do without shipping in the world's most polluting fuel from overseas. And it will continue to do so unless it decides to reduce demand by forcing citizens, farmers and businesses to live without electricity for part of the day, or use diesel generators to fire facilities.

Registration for next phase of Covid vaccination opens on March 1

Registration for next phase of Covid vaccination opens on March 1

Rediff.com28 Feb 2021

The next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination drive for people above 60 years and those aged 45 and above with comorbidities will begin from March 1 and registration on the Co-WIN2.0 portal will open at 9 am on Monday.

BJP members disrupted Parl panel meet on Pegasus: Tharoor

BJP members disrupted Parl panel meet on Pegasus: Tharoor

Rediff.com8 Aug 2021

Tharoor put the blame for the logjam in Parliament on BJP and accused the saffron party of reducing the "temple of democracy to a rubber stamp for its agenda or worse, a notice board to announce its unilateral decisions".

Want to invest in Corporate FDs? Read this

Want to invest in Corporate FDs? Read this

Rediff.com5 Nov 2020

When looking for alternatives, consider several parameters -- your investment horizon and liquidity requirement, post-tax returns, and risk.

HC to hear bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam together after SC sedition hearing

HC to hear bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam together after SC sedition hearing

Rediff.com29 Apr 2022

The court further observed that Imam, also a former JNU student, and Khalid were stated to be 'co-conspirators' in the case and it would thus hear both the two bail applications together.

No factor to show PM CARES Fund is private: HC told

No factor to show PM CARES Fund is private: HC told

Rediff.com7 Oct 2021

Opposing the Centre's stand that the PM CARES Fund was not a government fund, a lawyer told the Delhi High Court Wednesday that there was no factor to show that the fund was private in nature.

PFI, 8 other outfits banned under UAPA for 5 years for terror links

PFI, 8 other outfits banned under UAPA for 5 years for terror links

Rediff.com28 Sep 2022

The Centre has imposed a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) and several of its associates for their alleged terror activities.

ABG's auditor failed to red-flag fund diversion

ABG's auditor failed to red-flag fund diversion

Rediff.com1 Mar 2022

The auditor of ABG Shipyard, which is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the Rs 23,000-crore default to banks, had settled an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) by paying a small settlement fee in 2019. The regulator had initiated an investigation into the fund diversion from ABG Shipyard and had asked the auditor to explain why it failed to detect fund diversion in time. In his settlement application, auditor MN Ahmed, partner of Nisar & Kumar, a chartered accountant firm, said he ceased to be an Indian citizen and has retired from the profession.

Citing 'oversight', Sitharaman rolls back cut in interest rates

Citing 'oversight', Sitharaman rolls back cut in interest rates

Rediff.com1 Apr 2021

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said the government will roll back a steep interest rate cut on small saving schemes such as PPF and NSC -- saying it was an oversight, a move being seen as an attempt by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to contain the fallout of a decision hitting the common man in the ongoing elections in West Bengal, Assam and three other states.

Parliamentary panel to Twitter: 'Law of land supreme, not your policy'

Parliamentary panel to Twitter: 'Law of land supreme, not your policy'

Rediff.com19 Jun 2021

Amid a tussle between the Union government and Twitter over the new IT rules, officials of the microblogging site on Friday deposed before a parliamentary panel chaired by Congress's Shashi Tharoor over preventing misuse of social media.

PM CARES Fund corpus triples to Rs 10,990 cr in FY 2020-21

PM CARES Fund corpus triples to Rs 10,990 cr in FY 2020-21

Rediff.com7 Feb 2022

The disbursal included Rs 1,000 crore for migrant welfare and over Rs 1,392 crore for procurement of Covid vaccine doses.

'A bad situation, but I don't despair'

'A bad situation, but I don't despair'

Rediff.com13 Jan 2022

'India is a founding and permanent member of this 'club of shame': Journalists are murdered on account of what they write or intend to write, but nobody is finally brought to justice in such cases.'

Why is Modi angry with Twitter?

Why is Modi angry with Twitter?

Rediff.com27 May 2021

Social media is reflecting a reality that the BJP does not want communicated. More people are saying things on social media that are upsetting the government, asserts Aakar Patel.

Adani Group cos under Sebi lens for non-compliance of rules

Adani Group cos under Sebi lens for non-compliance of rules

Rediff.com19 Jul 2021

Markets regulator Sebi and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) are probing some Adani Group companies for alleged non-compliance with rules, the government told Lok Sabha on Monday. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary in a written reply to a question said accounts of three of the six Mauritius-based funds, that have invested most of their money in Adani Group firms, were frozen in 2016 over the issuance of Global Depository Receipt (GDR) by certain listed firms. No freeze was ordered for their holding in other firms.

Congress lost political focus before 2014 polls: Pranab in memoir

Congress lost political focus before 2014 polls: Pranab in memoir

Rediff.com12 Dec 2020

"I believe that the moral authority to govern vests with the PM. The overall state of the nation is reflective of the functioning of the PM and his administration. While Dr Singh was preoccupied with saving the coalition, which took a toll on governance, (Narendra) Modi seemed to have employed a rather autocratic style of governance during his first term, as seen by the bitter relationship among the government, the legislature and the judiciary.

Modi, CJI bat for use of local languages in courts

Modi, CJI bat for use of local languages in courts

Rediff.com30 Apr 2022

Modi asserted that judicial reform is not merely a policy matter.

Karnataka lifts weekend curfew, night curbs to continue

Karnataka lifts weekend curfew, night curbs to continue

Rediff.com21 Jan 2022

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai held a meeting with experts, and senior ministers and officials of his government to assess the COVID-19 situation in the state and curbs that were put in place to control its spread.

Omicron: Concerns mount as South African Covid rate doubles

Omicron: Concerns mount as South African Covid rate doubles

Rediff.com2 Dec 2021

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced last Sunday that there would be no change to the current lowest Level One of the country's five-level lockdown strategy.

Manufacturers using banned articles in green firecrackers, says SC

Manufacturers using banned articles in green firecrackers, says SC

Rediff.com6 Oct 2021

The Supreme Court Wednesday said that under the guise of green crackers, banned articles are being used by firecracker manufacturers and reiterated that its earlier order banning joint crackers must be complied with by every state.

Court bars 'ISIS bride' from returning to UK to fight for citizenship

Court bars 'ISIS bride' from returning to UK to fight for citizenship

Rediff.com26 Feb 2021

The United Kingdom government on Friday won a major legal battle as the Supreme Court ruled against allowing a London-born 21-year-old woman of Bangladeshi descent, who ran away to Syria as a teenager to join the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group, to return and fight her citizenship case.

India targeted by 5 Chinese hackers charged in US

India targeted by 5 Chinese hackers charged in US

Rediff.com17 Sep 2020

Deputy US Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen on Wednesday announced that three indictments have been unsealed in the matter that collectively charge five Chinese nationals with computer hacking and charge two Malaysian nationals with helping some of those hackers target victims and sell the fruits of their crime.

Communal rioting cases nearly doubled in 2020: NCRB

Communal rioting cases nearly doubled in 2020: NCRB

Rediff.com16 Sep 2021

The NCRB report stated that a total of 71,107 cases of 'offences against public tranquillity' were lodged across the country in 2020, an increase of 12.4 per cent over 63,262 such cases in 2019.

Smog chokes Delhi; worst post-Diwali AQI in 5 yrs

Smog chokes Delhi; worst post-Diwali AQI in 5 yrs

Rediff.com5 Nov 2021

The neighbouring cities of Faridabad (469), Greater Noida (464), Ghaziabad (470), Gurgaon (472) also recorded 'severe' air pollution levels.

Aam Aadmi Party stakes claim to form government in Delhi

Aam Aadmi Party stakes claim to form government in Delhi

Rediff.com23 Dec 2013

Ending the fortnight-long deadlock, the Aam Aadmi Party on Monday staked claim to form the government in the national capital with outside support from the Congress which it had trounced in the December 4 assembly polls.

'Government's first responsibility is to feed its people'

'Government's first responsibility is to feed its people'

Rediff.com20 May 2015

'It is a national shame that the only country that enacted a food security act is now better known as the land of farmer suicides. Indian farming can change only if national irrigation policy is implemented in totality,' Dr M S Swaminathan tells Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com

India, The Electoral Autocracy

India, The Electoral Autocracy

Rediff.com25 Oct 2022

'The most important priority for the next 25 years should be to strengthen our democracy so that it is supportive of social harmony, and to not just respect but to take pride in the diversity of Indian society in terms of the variety of languages, religion and religious practices and social norms,' explains Nitin Desai.

SC likely to set up a body to look into 'serious issue' of freebies

SC likely to set up a body to look into 'serious issue' of freebies

Rediff.com3 Aug 2022

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked stakeholders like the Centre, Niti Aayog, Finance Commission and the Reserve Bank of India, to brainstorm on the 'serious' issue of freebies announced during elections and put forth 'constructive suggestions' to tackle it, saying no political party will oppose such handouts or like to debate it in Parliament.

IRDAI mulls linking insurance frauds with individuals' credit score

IRDAI mulls linking insurance frauds with individuals' credit score

Rediff.com27 Jun 2022

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is considering a proposal to make insurance frauds a parameter for calculating credit scores in an attempt to put a lid on the increase in such activity. The proposal, which is a part of the recommendations made by a working group formed by Irdai and the General Insurance Council, suggests that insurance frauds should feature when the risk profiles of individuals are evaluated and should be used to calculate their credit scores. A poor credit score can deprive a person of financial services such as loans and credit cards, and deter him from indulging in fraud.