Kishore Biyani-led Future Retail Ltd (FRL) on Thursday told the Delhi high court that Amazon was opposing the Rs 24,713 crore deal with Reliance as the Mukesh Ambani company was a competitor, a contention denied by the US-based e-commerce giant which said it was interested in salvaging FRL. FRL contended before a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh that Amazon was not concerned if the deal falls through then all the shops of the Indian company would be closed down and it's more than 25,000 employees would be without any livelihood. Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for FRL, told the court that the US-based e-commerce giant was only concerned that the Mukesh Ambani group company should not get the shops as they are a competitor of Amazon.
Drones are being used for carrying out a host of tasks like surveillance to ensure that people are maintaining social distancing, spreading awareness about COVID-19 in densely populated areas, spraying disinfectants and checking people's temperature
Despite a go-ahead from the Centre, the state government will not resort to culling of the pigs immediately and will adopt an alternate mechanism to prevent the spread of the highly contagious disease, Assam Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Atul Bora said at a press conference.
100,000 cabs and 45,000 autorickshaws would be plying on the Delhi-NCR routes to handle the rush.
Until June 2018, the ICICI Bank board had given a clean chit to Kochhar with full backing and had said there was no question of favouritism, nepotism or conflict of interest on her part in granting loans to Videocon Industries or any other company. However, the stance changed soon after the regulatory and probe agencies initiated enquiry in the matter.
The court impleaded the civic authorities and directed them to produce details on the action taken against violators who had failed to comply with the conditions stipulated for digging borewells and tubewells.
Post elections, the company has been making frequent visits to various ministries, including the IT ministry, commerce ministry, as well as different agencies to get the hang of things in the administration.
'If people are not cooperating and do not follow policies laid down by the government or follow scientific infection control management, then all will be lost.'
'As his close associate Som Pal told me, "Mandal was never V P Singh's brainchild. It was a Janata Party commitment he inherited".' 'He would have done it anyway at some point, but the specific timing of his decision was dictated entirely by political exigency -- his government was threatened.' 'It also turned out to be a game changer in Indian politics.'
Rajan said it is hard to offer an objective self-assessment but the RBI should probably have raised more flags about the quality of lending in the early days of banking exuberance.
Opposition parties in Lakshadweep and Kerala are up in arms against various measures initiated by the Administrator of the group of islands, terming them as 'anti-people' and have sought his recall.
'I was shocked by the kidnapping episode. I could have lost my life.'
India did not create the problem. But if it had a better functioning government system, it would have been able to deal with it at lower cost to its citizens, explains T N Ninan.
The crisis at the bank is attributed to loans made to realty player Housing Development Infrastructure Ltd, which were allegedly hidden from regulators' scrutiny, turning non-performing assets.
As we get used to a long haul of isolation to curb the spread of COVID-19, the police's new avatar in many places is a far cry from that of the high-handed enforcer of law and order.
'Counter-insurgency operations cannot be conducted by following inflexible SOPs.' 'It is unwise to enter jungles with a large body of troops without precise intelligence,' asserts counter-insurgency expert Brigadier Narender Kumar (retd).
Modi is seen as exceptional not only on account of his acts but also owing to his style. He appears to sacrifice his life for the people -- like a fakir, a figure he came to epitomize even more in 2020 by growing a long white beard. Charisma is above accountability, and Modi has grasped these dynamics.
Mishra alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party received money from a company of Delhi based lawyer Rohit Tandon, whose assets worth crores have been attached by the Enforcement Directorate over alleged money laundering after demonetisation.
We knew from the moment the pandemic took hold that this would be a long haul -- at least 12 to 18 months. Nothing should have changed that assessment, says Mihir S Sharma.
In a communication to all states and union territories, the NDMA said due to several weeks of lockdown and the closure of industrial units, it is possible that some of the operators might not have followed the established standard operating procedures.
'We have often heard the mythical argument that patents block access to life-saving drugs, but only 5% of medicines from multinational companies are under patent protection in India.' 'Where these patented products are beyond the reach of Indian patients, the companies have programmes to facilitate access to their drugs, for free or for a fraction of the price,' points out Ranjana Smetacek, former director general, Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India.
Can Modi enthuse BJP workers to pursue the end of single-use plastic with the same vigour and enthusiasm as they celebrated the attack on a neighbour, asks Aditi Phadnis.
'The BJP's solo aim in Mumbai and Maharashtra is to finish off the Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar's NCP.'
December 3, 2021 marks 50 years since the beginning of the 1971 War which ended in a decisive military victory for India and the liberation of Bangladesh. Most analysts of the 1971 War agree that the IV Corps dash across the mighty Meghna river led by the brilliant General Sagat Singh was the turning point in the war, recalls military historian Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Enforcement Directorate alleged that he was not cooperating and sought his custodial interrogation.
Expressing anguish over "vile views" about women aired by people well placed in society and rape victims preferring to suffer silently than report to the police, Delhi high court on Monday warned that "the buck should stop here" as women have continued to suffer gender bias even six decades after Independence.
'Individuals have been found providing money to major terrorist groups, Hurriyat leaders, separatists and stone-pelters in Jammu and Kashmir.'
The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to expand the eight-hour night-time ban period on bursting of crackers and voiced unhappiness over the government's failure to run a campaign to create public awareness during Diwali time on the ill-effects of fireworks.
'The impact of economic shocks on the labour markets is usually on the young who delay their entry in response to a fall in job opportunities,' says Mahesh Vyas.
'We are already exhausted, but we can't give up.' 'The battle is still on.' 'We will see some respite by December 2021.'
It looks as if competing political parties in Tamil Nadu have not grasped the full impact and import of a sizable section of voters possibly staying away from voting -- voters, supposedly with a predictable polling pattern -- owing to the Covid second wave and more so, how it could affect the outcome in individual constituencies and even booths, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
Prasad said the probe by the CBI will determine whether Cambridge Analytica violated the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Indian Penal Code.
Pence and Trump will challenge Democratic Patry's presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris in the November election.
Indian roads continue to be among the most dangerous in the world. Few people are even aware that the Good Samaritan Law exists. Getting a licence to drive is still far too easy.
Nitin Menon, the youngest member in the ICC elite panel of umpires, considers the Ashes series as the ultimate test for any umpire but he says the biggest challenge in prevailing circumstances is to ensure that the players, knowingly or unknowingly, don't apply saliva on the ball. Besides ensuring that players don't use saliva, umpires will have to monitor that they adhere to social distancing and that their hands are sanitised regularly after they come in contact with the ball.
The apex court had last week turned the alleged contemptuous letters written by Justice Karnan against the Madras HC Chief Justice, which were addressed to the CJI, prime minister and others, into contempt proceedings against him.
'It is never easy to run a campaign as a woman, particularly a minority woman, especially when you are bucking the establishment.' 'My entire campaign is an act of resistance.'
Deane De Menezes hopes to reduce the awkwardness and stigma around menstruation.
General T N Raina was an iconic Indian military leader whose contributions to the nation should be more widely known, notes Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd).
'Even though the film focuses on caste discriminations in rural India, it is first of all a riveting police procedural, and one of the best made in India,' says Aseem Chhabra.
