'Health and motor insurance will continue to be our two most important segments'
Outgoing Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has expressed concerns about long-pending cases questioning electoral processes, arguing they fuel distrust and should be scheduled with consideration for election periods. He also advocated for enhanced transparency in political promises, with clear disclosures on financial viability and impact on state finances. Kumar further stressed the need for a totaliser system to maintain polling station-wise voting confidentiality and urged the empowerment of NRIs to vote remotely. He highlighted the potential of biometric authentication and technology to address issues like impersonation and multiple voting.
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
'Everybody knows when I hear Indian music, I start dancing'
'When so many young Baloch men and women are willingly volunteering as fighters and even suicide bombers.'
Delhi Water Minister Atishi ended her indefinite fast over the water scarcity in the national capital after she was hospitalised early Tuesday, Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said.
'Justice may or may not happen, but who are those people who did this to her?' 'If the hospital authorities had helped us that day, or the police, then the real culprits would have been caught.' 'Getting justice for my daughter is my goal now and I want the CM to remember that.'
The AAP chief stressed the need for an increase in healthcare spending, suggesting a rise to 10 percent of the GDP, along with the removal of taxes on health insurance premiums.
If you are overweight, you will gradually complain of excruciating knee and joint pain while walking, running, squatting, sitting down and taking the stairs, warns Dr Anup Khatri.
Voting for the Delhi Assembly elections began on Wednesday, with prominent leaders like President Droupadi Murmu, Union ministers S Jaishankar and Hardeep Singh Puri, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and Delhi Chief Minister Atishi casting their ballots early in the day. Other notable figures who participated in the electoral process included Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, AAP leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, and Delhi Chief Electoral Officer R Alice Vaz. The election is a triangular contest between the ruling AAP, BJP, and Congress, with the AAP aiming for a third consecutive term. Polling is underway at 13,766 stations across Delhi's 70 assembly constituencies to decide the fate of 699 candidates. The results will be announced on February 8.
I have never forgotten the lesson that Guruji served up with the tea that morning: Be kind encouraging and patient with fresh starters. Subhash K Jha mourns the passing of Pritish Nandy.
'I insisted only Jaideep could play Inspector Haathiram Chaudhary.' 'Yes, Jaideep is a really good actor but this was not just about the performance.' 'Even that tired walk of him reflects the mood and theme of the show.'
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Milind Vadjikar your insurance, stocks, mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Rishabh Pant has been nominated for the prestigious Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award.
In India, the drug is not licensed for weight loss. but as anti-diabetic medication, warns Dr Chandrakant Lahariya.
The monthly Rs 2500 payment for poor women is expected to cost Rs 11,000 crore while the pension scheme of Rs 2000 for every senior citizen will cost around Rs 4100 crore. The Yamuna clean up will cost over Rs 10,000 crore while a similar amount is required to upgrade Delhi's hospitals. Ultimately, the new BJP government will have no choice but to ask the centre for financial support, notes Rashme Sehgal.
The GST Council on Saturday postponed a decision on cutting tax rate on life and health insurance premiums, officials said. The 55th meeting of the GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and comprising state counterparts, decided that some more technicalities needed to be ironed out and tasked the GoM for further deliberations.
'This is the Bengal story, where businesses are nurtured, dreams are realised, and legacies are built.'
Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a respiratory virus that causes illnesses ranging from mild respiratory discomfort to severe complications. It spreads through respiratory droplets, similar to other respiratory viruses such as RSV and influenza. This article provides an overview of HMPV including its symptoms, transmission, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and how it differs from COVID-19.
Both new and completed project values as of December 2024 remain below pre-pandemic levels seen in 2019.
Recent documents by NITI Aayog and periodic labour force surveys on employment show that the importance of agriculture is rising in the Indian economy.
US President Donald Trump has called on Jordan and Egypt to take in more Palestinian refugees from Gaza, advocating for a "clean out" of the area ravaged by the Israel-Hamas war. Trump spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan on this matter and plans to discuss it with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. He suggested housing for the refugees at a different location, potentially temporary or long-term, to enable a fresh start for the region. Trump also lifted the hold on sending 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, a decision made by the previous Biden administration.
In Kerala's society, known for its high material standard of living, plunging into a state of having nothing overnight can be terrible for one's social standing and sense of self-esteem. Rehabilitation entails piecing a community back together after a disturbance and while its aim is noble, the act of reassembling will bring alive disparities and inequalities, explains Shyam G Menon.
'Modiji remaining healthy and happy is something I pray for all the time.'
It will be interesting to see what shifts have been recorded in the last decade-and-a-half -- from the effects of demonetisation and Covid's second wave to the drop in fertility and increase in farm workers -- but we will only know this if and when the Census is conducted, points out Aakar Patel.
Homegrown fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) major Dabur India is set to record low single-digit growth in consolidated revenue in the December quarter, it said in an update on Friday. The maker of Hajmola candy and Real fruit juice said rural consumption continued to be resilient and grow faster than urban in the third quarter.
'Mental and physical health is very important as far as new mothers are concerned. You cannot ignore it.'
During a gala performance of his new musical The Devil Wears Prada in London, Elton John revealed physically unable to see the show, due to ongoing problems with his eyesight.
Don't be afraid to prioritise your sexual well-being and nurture a positive relationship with sex, suggests Maitri Trivedi.
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
With its age-old fascination for education, southern states have done better than the North. Start-ups, IT hubs, and industry majors setting up shop have changed the face of the South. Nearly 79% of global offices set up by international conglomerates in India are in the South. Almost 46% of tech unicorns are from the South. The GDP per person in the South is 4.2 times higher than the North. None of these indicators can be ignored by any central government, whatever the political compulsions, notes Ramesh Menon.
For diabetics those who prefer milk tea, rediffGURU Komal Jethmalani has a few suggestions.
While eight bodies were brought to the state-run North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) after the accident on Monday morning, two persons died during treatment, he said.
'Binary fission will happen -- startups will lead to more startups.'
Entertainers can be good politicians if they treat the citizens as the audience, and treat their job like a live show, and work hard to make sure the audience likes them, asserts Sandeep Goyal.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her 8th straight Budget and all eyes will be on the much-expected tax relief for the middle class. Sitharaman had in her first Budget in 2019 replaced the leather briefcase -- which had been in use for decades for carrying Budget documents -- with a traditional 'bahi-khata' wrapped in red cloth.
Sally Holkar left America and made India her home nearly 60 years ago. She went on a mission to revive a dying craft and changed the lives of rural weavers.
'The scrapping of import duty would help Indian companies compete in international markets, thus paving the way for India becoming a space manufacturing hub for the world.'
The Delhi government has ordered half of its staff to work from home, urging private organizations to follow suit as the national capital faces an alarmingly high level of air pollution. The move comes as Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 426 in the "severe" category, with residents reporting health issues. Essential services will continue to operate at full capacity. The government has also advised companies to provide shuttle bus services for employees and suggested that private entities consider shifting office hours to reduce traffic congestion.
Portugal's shortage of health staff, especially those specialising in gynaecology and obstetrics, has led to the government considering hiring from abroad.
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