The Supreme Court has ruled that a bank's one-time settlement (OTS) scheme cannot be invoked as a matter of right and that borrowers must strictly comply with its mandatory conditions, including upfront payment of a specified portion of dues, to avail themselves of the benefits of the scheme.
Uttam Ghosh offers his take on the ultimate sacrifice by then soldiers of the Madras Regiment on the Siachen glacier, the world's highest battlefield.
Uttam Ghosh offers his take on the events of August 5, 2020.
surveys the scene in Jammu and Kashmir following separatist leader Masarat Alam's release.
Some of the leading life insurance companies have reported a sharp decline in the number of lives covered in FY25, largely due to a slowdown in credit-linked life insurance policies. Stress in the microfinance segment has reduced loan disbursements and, in turn, the flow of new customers to insurers.
The rate of unemployment in the country declined to 5.2 per cent in July from 5.6 per cent in June, a government survey said on Monday. The unemployment rate (UR) in May was also 5.6 per cent, said the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
Uttam Ghosh outlins the festive madness
State-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB) on Sunday said it has cut its benchmark lending rate linked to repo rate by 50 basis points in line with the RBI's rate reduction. Meanwhile, private sector HDFC Bank reduced its Marginal Cost of Funds-based Lending Rates (MCLR) by 10 basis points across tenure, which will benefit borrowers whose loans are linked to this benchmark.
The Election Commission, the ultimate symbol of Indian democracy, has flagged off the great Election Race. Rediff.com's Uttam Ghosh offers his quirky take on the mind-boggling electoral exercise.
Private equity and venture capital investments dropped to $4.7 billion in April this year on heightened uncertainty and high valuation expectations of sellers, a report said on Monday. The overall amount invested is 6 per cent lower than the $4.9 billion recorded in April 2024, and 20 per cent lower than the $5.9 billion in March 2025, the report by industry body IVCA and consultancy firm EY, said.
The Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India (Irdai) on Wednesday proposed setting up an internal insurance ombudsman for insurance companies -- except reinsurers-- with over three years of operation, to address unresolved complaints. The ombudsman will have power to hear complaints for claims up to Rs 50 lakhs.
Public sector banks (PSBs) have seen a sharp drop in household deposits from 70.6 per cent to 63 per cent in contrast with private banks, which witnessed a surge from 27.1 per cent to 34.1 per cent.
From the 30 blue-chip stocks, Titan, Asian Paints, Nestle, Tech Mahindra, Reliance Industries, Zomato, Larsen & Toubro and Bajaj Finserv were among the laggards. Adani Ports, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti, Sun Pharma, Bharti Airtel and Tata Motors were among the gainers.
The number of companies with promoters whose demat accounts were frozen by the stock exchanges due to non-compliance increased over the past year. The BSE froze promoter demat accounts in 457 companies, according to data from the Securities and Exchange Board of India's (Sebi's) 2024-25 annual report released on August 12.
India's BFSI sector is set for robust growth, with hiring projected to rise 8.7 per cent in 2025-26 and touch 10 per cent by 2030, creating nearly 2.5 lakh permanent jobs, a report said on Thursday. This growth in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector is being driven by rising demand in tier II and III cities, marking a clear shift from metro-centric recruitment.
Commercial banks in India reported 26 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth in slippages at Rs 63,000 crore during the first quarter ended June 2025 (Q1FY26). This was predominantly due to stress in microfinance and unsecured retail portfolios of select lenders.
Uttam Ghosh offers his take on Union Minister Anurag Thakur's incendiary slogan.
Disha Ravi is yet another addition to a growing list of young activists who the Delhi police have arrested since last year on various charges that have yet to be proved in a court of law.
The election campaign in Uttar Pradesh -- the most important election of the year -- is on.
A parliamentary panel has sought details from two key government ministries on actions planned against social media platforms and influencers who "seem to be working against national interest" following a recent terror attack in Pahalgam. The panel, headed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, has asked the ministries of Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology to provide details of any contemplated action to ban such platforms under the IT Act 2000 and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. However, a member of the panel, Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale, has denied receiving any communication related to the issue and claims that the chairperson cannot issue a statement without the approval of the committee.
Uttam Ghosh offers his take on the shocking media treatment of a young woman whose only crime appears to be loving a young man who decided to take his life
'From every point of view, they have faced an extremely difficult couple of years, and the setback they have suffered is irreversible.' 'This reality has begun to set in even amongst the top-level cadres. That is why, in recent times, we have witnessed a huge number of senior-level cadres emerging from the jungle and deciding to renounce violence and join the mainstream.'
Uttam's take on AAP's landslide victory in Delhi.
Uttam Ghosh pays tribute to V Gangadhar, the long-time Rediff.com columnist who passed into the ages on Monday, October 10, 2023.
Uttam Ghosh offers his take on the capital's smog and deteriorating air quality at a time when the Delhi government and the Centre bicker daily on other issues.
Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com offers his take on the outrage triggered by Goa's minister Ramesh Tawadkar who called homosexuality a 'problem that needed treatment.'
Equity investors are up for an eventful trading week ahead as the 90-day suspension period of the reciprocal tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump ends on July 9, analysts said, adding that a positive outcome from the trade negotiations could further lift market sentiment, particularly benefiting trade-sensitive sectors.
Uttam Ghosh offer his take on the Pragya Thakur controversy.
India's 18 largest states, accounting for over 90 per cent of the country's gross state domestic product (GSDP), are likely to record a marginal uptick in revenue growth to 7-9 per cent this year, from 6.6 per cent clocked in 2024-25 (FY25), rating agency Crisil said in a report on Tuesday. This growth, slower than the decadal average of about 10 per cent, would lift these states' cumulative revenue to around Rs 40 trillion in FY26 from Rs 37.26 trillion in FY25.
Following the return of senior Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan's stolen buffaloes, Rediff.com's Uttam Ghosh offers his perspective.
Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com offers his unique perspective on the media overkill around the Sheena Bora case.
Indian corporate are increasingly shifting away from bank funding towards alternative sources, such as equity and bond markets, as their deleveraged balance sheets have improved their ability to raise equity at better valuations. Moreover, the 100 basis points (bps) rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has enabled them to access long-term funds from the debt capital market at cheaper rates.
The factor fund launch spree by mutual funds (MFs) is moving from the passive to the active space. Two new fund offerings (NFOs) - ICICI Pru Active Momentum Fund and Bandhan Multi-Factor Fund - are currently open for subscription. Sundaram MF's multi-factor fund NFO closed this Wednesday.
'Techies who did a master's there and moved to US companies look down on Indian companies who they consider as just doing body shopping.'
With the BJP expected to win about 100 seats -- just eight more than a simple majority in the 182-member Gujarat assembly and a steep decline from its 2012 tally of 115 seats -- Uttam Ghosh wonders whatever happened to Narendra D Modi and Amit A Shah's loud boast of winning 150 plus seats in the 2017 election?
From the Sensex pack, Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Finance, Sun Pharma, Zomato, Tata Steel and Nestle were the biggest gainers. UltraTech Cement, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tech Mahindra and State Bank of India were among the major laggards.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday met the long-standing demand of banks by allowing them to finance acquisitions by Indian companies, a move that also expands banks' capital market lending in the country.
As Trade Minister Anand Sharma resists the WTO's attempts to nix India's food security initiative, Rediff.com's Uttam Ghosh offers his perspective.
