News for 'Consumers Union'

Labourer killed, 9 trapped as under-construction tunnel collapses in J-K

Labourer killed, 9 trapped as under-construction tunnel collapses in J-K

Rediff.com21 May 2022

A labourer was killed and three rescued after a part of an under-construction tunnel collapsed on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in the union territory's Ramban district, officials said.

State funeral for Paswan, flag to fly at half mast today

State funeral for Paswan, flag to fly at half mast today

Rediff.com9 Oct 2020

"The national flag will be flown at half mast on October 9 in Delhi and capitals of all states and UTs where it is regularly flown, and also on the day of the funeral at the place where the funeral takes place," a home ministry spokesperson said.

Capex tops India Inc's 2023 to-do list

Capex tops India Inc's 2023 to-do list

Rediff.com9 Jan 2023

Indian companies are planning to increase investments in the new year to expand capacity, acquire companies, and go on a hiring spree, a survey of top executives showed. They, however, cited rising costs, weak consumer demand, and increasing interest rates as major concerns for 2023 which may impact their plans.

'The women loved Elaben'

'The women loved Elaben'

Rediff.com4 Nov 2022

'Who would think of making a bank of poor women? She had vision and boldness.'

Reserve Bank's MPC to discuss inflation report on Nov 3

Reserve Bank's MPC to discuss inflation report on Nov 3

Rediff.com27 Oct 2022

The Reserve Bank will hold a special meeting of its rate-setting committee on November 3 to prepare a report for the government on why it failed to keep retail inflation below the target of 6 per cent for three consecutive quarters since January. The six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das will prepare the report on reasons for failure to meet the inflation target as well as the remedial measures the central bank is taking to bring down prices in the country. "Under the provisions of Section 45ZN of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act 1934... an additional meeting of the MPC is being scheduled on November 3, 2022," RBI said in a statement on Thursday.

Companies see slowdown in growth of temporary, contract and casual jobs

Companies see slowdown in growth of temporary, contract and casual jobs

Rediff.com27 Oct 2022

Some of India's largest companies have seen a slowdown in the growth of temporary, contract and casual jobs, as compared to the increase in their total workforce. The absolute number of such jobs is up 30 per cent between financial year 2017-18 and 2021-22 (FY18-22), shows an analysis of data collated from the annual reports of S&P BSE 100 companies. Forty-eight firms were considered for the final analysis based on the availability of uniform data across the last five years. In comparison, the total workforce numbers are up 36 per cent in the same period.

Farmer leader Gurnam Chaduni floats political outfit to fight Punjab polls

Farmer leader Gurnam Chaduni floats political outfit to fight Punjab polls

Rediff.com18 Dec 2021

Chaduni is a member of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 40 farm unions that led an over a year-long farmers' agitation against three central agri laws, which have been repealed.

Petrol doped with 20% ethanol starts retailing in 11 states/UTs

Petrol doped with 20% ethanol starts retailing in 11 states/UTs

Rediff.com6 Feb 2023

Petrol doped with 20 per cent ethanol was rolled out on Monday at select petrol pumps in 11 states and union territories as part of a programme to increase use of biofuels to cut emissions as well as dependence on foreign exchange-draining imports. At present, 10 per cent ethanol is blended in petrol (10 per cent ethanol, 90 per cent petrol) and the government is looking to double this quantity by 2025. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the higher 20 per cent ethanol blended petrol two months ahead of the planned rollout in April, at the India Energy Week (IEW) 2023 in Bengaluru.

'We think about him and it moistens our eyes'

'We think about him and it moistens our eyes'

Rediff.com5 Dec 2022

'The fact that all the charges against my son are baseless and concocted, in itself, gives me all the hope.'

Why Was TN's Finance Minister Removed?

Why Was TN's Finance Minister Removed?

Rediff.com11 May 2023

Palanivel Thiaga Rajan was on the hit-list, not because the chief minister was unhappy with his performance, but because there were constant complaints from other ministers that he was sitting on their files far too long, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.

IRCTC moves to monetise passenger data

IRCTC moves to monetise passenger data

Rediff.com26 Aug 2022

In a first of its kind move, the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the ticket booking arm of the Indian Railways, is looking to monetise its bank of passenger data while conducting business with private and government companies. IRCTC has a large bank of data related to every online railway ticket ever generated as it is the country's only railway ticketing platform, an IRCTC official told Business Standard. The public sector undertaking, which has sought the services of a consultant to assist with the monetisation process, plans to raise Rs 1,000 crore through this exercise.

Why Tirupur Missed The World Cup Bus

Why Tirupur Missed The World Cup Bus

Rediff.com3 Jan 2023

'A change we have seen after the Russia-Ukraine war is the energy crisis in Europe.' 'Earlier, in Europe, people used to change their clothes after 5 washes, now they are using it till 15-20 washes.' 'They used to change their entire wardrobe after 2 months or so, but because of the economic conditions, it has changed.' 'It has affected exports as 40% of our exports is to Europe, 30% to the US and 10% to the UK.' 'The war has to end for better days to come.'

CWC: No election, permanent seat for Sonia and Rahul, more members added

CWC: No election, permanent seat for Sonia and Rahul, more members added

Rediff.com24 Feb 2023

The Congress steering committee on Friday approved several amendments to the party constitution, one of which is to give permanent membership to former prime ministers and former party presidents in the all-powerful working committee.

'Nirmalaji has taken a huge gamble on growth'

'Nirmalaji has taken a huge gamble on growth'

Rediff.com6 Feb 2023

'Nirmalaji must consider herself a very lucky finance minister, partly because of the government's response to covid and partly because we as a nation have done very well as an economy, post pandemic.'

Highlights of the Union Budget

Highlights of the Union Budget

Rediff.com28 Feb 2015

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the Union Budget.

Consumers paying Rs 80-90 per LED bulb, not Rs 50 as claimed by PM

Consumers paying Rs 80-90 per LED bulb, not Rs 50 as claimed by PM

Rediff.com29 Aug 2016

The use of these bulbs is estimated to save 3,900 Mw of power, leading to an annual saving of Rs 7,990 crore

PMO gets involved, seeks to defuse power crisis

PMO gets involved, seeks to defuse power crisis

Rediff.com12 Oct 2021

The Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday reviewed the coal supply and power generation scenario as the government looks at ways to defuse the energy crisis being faced by several states.

KCR parades party MLAs, says BJP offering Rs 100 crore each

KCR parades party MLAs, says BJP offering Rs 100 crore each

Rediff.com30 Oct 2022

Addressing a poll rally at bypoll-bound Munugode Rao segment, Rao referred to the TRS MLAs case and said 'brokers' from Delhi came and attempted to bribe the MLAs by offering Rs 100 crore each.

Investors lose Rs 10.36 lakh cr in 4 days

Investors lose Rs 10.36 lakh cr in 4 days

Rediff.com21 Jan 2022

Investors have become poorer by over Rs 10.36 lakh crore in the last four trading sessions as the domestic equity benchmarks extended their losses amid weak global trends. The Sensex and Nifty closed in the red for the fourth straight session on Friday amid continued selling by foreign institutional investors. The BSE Sensex ended 427.44 points or 0.72 per cent lower at 59,037.18.

Andhra BJP promises booze at Rs 50 per bottle if voted to power

Andhra BJP promises booze at Rs 50 per bottle if voted to power

Rediff.com29 Dec 2021

"I am telling you that one crore people are drinking ( alcohol) in the state. All of you people vote for BJP, we will offer you cheap liquor at Rs 75. If the revenues are good we will even supply at just Rs 50, (not bad liquor), definitely a good one," Veerraju said indirectly pointing to high prices of liquor in the state.

BJP meet: Yogi moves resolution heaping praises on Modi

BJP meet: Yogi moves resolution heaping praises on Modi

Rediff.com7 Nov 2021

The resolution praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and accused the opposition of 'opportunism' and a mindset of 'extreme hate'.

Nothing To Not Like In The Budget

Nothing To Not Like In The Budget

Rediff.com8 Feb 2023

Could it have been more reformist? Of course, but this is an election year Budget, observes Akash Prakash.

Big Tech in financial system poses concentration risk: Shaktikanta Das

Big Tech in financial system poses concentration risk: Shaktikanta Das

Rediff.com21 Sep 2022

The increasing involvement of Big Tech in the financial system could give rise to concentration risk and there are potential spillovers, which call for closer attention, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Tuesday. "...enormous amounts of consumer data is being generated and leveraged upon by a few entities (the so-called Big Tech) by virtue of their huge customer base. "Such developments raise concerns on concentration risk and potential spillovers as their level of engagement with the financial system strengthens in the years to come," Das said at the Global Fintech Fest 2022.

PM holds meetings with ministers to review their work

PM holds meetings with ministers to review their work

Rediff.com11 Jun 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been holding in-person meetings with Union ministers in different groups apparently to take stock of the work done by them in the past two years, sources said.

Amazon to shut down distribution unit in India, focus on core businesses

Amazon to shut down distribution unit in India, focus on core businesses

Rediff.com28 Nov 2022

Amazon India has decided to shut down 'Amazon Distribution', according to sources. This follows its recent decision to shut its food delivery and edtech offerings. The moves are part of the annual operating planning review process amid global macroeconomic uncertainty. The e-commerce giant is looking to focus on its core businesses, sources said.

KCR leads protests in Delhi; gives 24-hr deadline to Centre

KCR leads protests in Delhi; gives 24-hr deadline to Centre

Rediff.com11 Apr 2022

Stepping up protest against the Centre's paddy procurement policy, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Monday led a dharna in the national capital organised by his party, and warned the Modi government to respond within 24 hours if it will buy the grain from the state.

Online fraud attempts drop 29% during unlock

Online fraud attempts drop 29% during unlock

Rediff.com21 Oct 2020

Such attempts had risen sharply right before pandemic and early part of pandemic by 121 per cent.

Punjab farmer ends life during protest against new farm Bills

Punjab farmer ends life during protest against new farm Bills

Rediff.com19 Sep 2020

Pritam Singh, a resident of Akkanwali village of Mansa district, consumed the poisonous substance Friday morning and died at a hospital later in the day, they said.

Bengal: Babul Supriyo among 9 new ministers sworn in

Bengal: Babul Supriyo among 9 new ministers sworn in

Rediff.com3 Aug 2022

Nine MLAs, including Babul Supriyo, took oath as ministers in West Bengal on Wednesday, in a major reshuffle of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's cabinet.

Households must prepare for hefty rise in LPG prices

Households must prepare for hefty rise in LPG prices

Rediff.com22 Feb 2022

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman cut fuel subsidies while slapping additional fuel taxes on unblended transport fuels in the latest Union Budget. The former will hit the rural poor, households that secured a subsidised LPG connection under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), a programme that was partly instrumental in helping the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win the 2019 general elections. The latter will pretty much hurt the entire population after it kicks in from October. That's what it looks like. Or, perhaps, it's not as it appears to be, at least on the subsidy front.

Meet those who led the farmers' movement

Meet those who led the farmers' movement

Rediff.com19 Nov 2021

Here are some of the key farmer leaders who fronted the protests.

India, fastest-growing major economy, likely to grow 6.4% in 2022: UN

India, fastest-growing major economy, likely to grow 6.4% in 2022: UN

Rediff.com19 May 2022

As the Ukraine conflict impacts the global GDP, India is projected to grow by 6.4 per cent in 2022, slower than the last year's 8.8 per cent but still the fastest-growing major economy, with higher inflationary pressures and uneven recovery of the labour market curbing private consumption and investment, according to a UN report. The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs said in its World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report released on Wednesday that the war in Ukraine has upended the fragile economic recovery from the pandemic, triggering a devastating humanitarian crisis in Europe, increasing food and commodity prices and globally exacerbating inflationary pressures. The global economy is now projected to grow by only 3.1 per cent in 2022, down from the 4.0 per cent growth forecast released in January 2022.

Census unlikely to take place before 2024 Lok Sabha elections

Census unlikely to take place before 2024 Lok Sabha elections

Rediff.com16 Dec 2022

Although the Disaster Management Act for Covid containment measures, considered a hindrance in conducting the census, was withdrawn in March this year the Centre has not taken any further action on conducting the much-delayed population enumeration.

Jewellers to go on token strike on Aug 23 against gold hallmarking

Jewellers to go on token strike on Aug 23 against gold hallmarking

Rediff.com20 Aug 2021

Jewellers across the country will go on a 'token strike' on August 23 against the "arbitrary implementation" of mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery, All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC) said on Friday. The strike will be supported by 350 associations and federations from all four zones of the entire gems and jewellery industry, the GJC claimed. Mandatory gold hallmarking has come into force from June 16 in a phased manner. The government has identified 256 districts from 28 states and union territories for the phase-1 implementation.

E-portal for business approvals off to a brisk start

E-portal for business approvals off to a brisk start

Rediff.com17 Feb 2022

Nearly five months after its soft launch, the government's e-portal, the National Single Window System (NSWS), is seeing a significant increase in the number of investors using it to get a bunch of approvals for their ventures. The first clearance was granted on 18 January. Since then, the progress has been good. Out of the 1,258 registered users on the portal, 378 were registered in the last one week.

Why households are unhappy with the Budget

Why households are unhappy with the Budget

Rediff.com23 Feb 2021

The finance minister did very well for equity market investors but not so with families, reveals Mahesh Vyas.

'Sense of fear' prevents district judges from granting bail: CJI

'Sense of fear' prevents district judges from granting bail: CJI

Rediff.com20 Nov 2022

The CJI said the higher judiciary is getting 'flooded' with bail matters because of the reluctance at the grassroots level to grant bail.

Urgent need to keep adequate oxygen stock ready: Centre to states

Urgent need to keep adequate oxygen stock ready: Centre to states

Rediff.com12 Jan 2022

The Union health ministry said the emerging scenario calls for immediate measures by states and UTs to ensure optimal availability of medical oxygen at all health facilities.

You should be ashamed: Israeli envoy to IFFI jury head

You should be ashamed: Israeli envoy to IFFI jury head

Rediff.com29 Nov 2022

The Israeli envoy said Nadav Lapid has abused the Indian invitation to chair the panel of judges at IFFI Goa, as well as, the trust bestowed on him.

Stock limits on pulses imposed till Oct to prevent hoarding

Stock limits on pulses imposed till Oct to prevent hoarding

Rediff.com2 Jul 2021

To prevent hoarding and check price rise, the Centre on Friday imposed stock limits on all pulses, except moong, held by wholesalers, retailers, importers and millers till October. The stock limits are imposed with immediate effect. An order in this regard has been issued by the Union food and consumer affairs ministry. Retail prices of pulses rose by more than 20 per cent during the January-June period of this year, according to the ministry's data.