Daily News

Image

National Youth Day | 12 January

Swami Vivekananda Jayanti, celebrated as National Youth Day, is a tribute to one of India's greatest spiritual leaders. This occasion honours Vivekananda's timeless ideals, inspiring youth to embrace values of self-belief, perseverance, and service to humanity while reflecting on their potential to shape a better future.

Did you Know

Image

National Youth Day | 12 January

Swami Vivekananda Jayanti, celebrated annually on January 12, 2025, marks the birth anniversary of one of India's most influential spiritual leaders.

This day is not only a tribute to Swami Vivekananda but also recognised as National Youth Day, emphasising the importance of youth in shaping the nation’s future.

Did you Know

Image

SECL Launches Post-Retirement Benefit (PRB) Cell.

In a people-centric initiative, South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), a Chhattisgarh-based subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), has achieved a significant milestone by launching a dedicated Post-Retirement Benefit (PRB) Cell. This initiative underscores SECL’s commitment to ensuring the welfare and convenience of its retired employees.

Did you Know

Image

SECL Launches Post-Retirement Benefit (PRB) Cell.

The PRB Cell, acting as a single window, consolidates various post-retirement services under one roof, streamlining the process for retired employees. Previously, retirees were required to liaise with multiple departments—such as Personnel, Finance, and Medical—to address matters related to pensions, provident funds, medical facilities, and other benefits.

Did you Know

Image

SECL Launches Post-Retirement Benefit (PRB) Cell.

This fragmented approach often resulted in delays, miscommunication, and undue stress for the retirees.

The newly launched PRB Cell resolves these issues by offering a centralized platform where retired employees can access all their post-retirement benefits and services seamlessly.

Did you Know

Image

SECL Launches Post-Retirement Benefit (PRB) Cell.

With officers from key departments—including Personnel, Finance, and Medical—stationed in the cell, retirees are assured of quick and efficient resolution of their concerns.

Dr. Prem Sagar Mishra- Chairman-cum-Managing Director of SECL.

Did you Know

Image

PM Modi inaugurates Z-Morh tunnel in Kashmir, connecting Sonamarg year-round.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 6.5 km Z-Morh tunnel in Central Kashmir's Ganderbal district, making the Sonamarg tourist resort accessible year-round.

The 6.5 km long two-lane tunnel connecting Gagangir and Sonamarg in Ganderbal district was constructed at an expenditure exceeding Rs. 2,700 crore.

Did you Know

Image

PM Modi inaugurates Z-Morh tunnel in Kashmir, connecting Sonamarg year-round.

Located at an altitude of more than 8,650 feet above sea level, the Z-Morh tunnel will significantly improve year-round connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg, facilitating the route to Leh while bypassing the landslide-prone and avalanche-affected areas.

Did you Know

Image

PM Modi inaugurates Z-Morh tunnel in Kashmir, connecting Sonamarg year-round.

The Z-Morh tunnel, which began construction in May 2015 and was completed in 2024, is now fully operational after its soft opening in February 2024.

Along with the ongoing Zojila tunnel project, the Z-Morh tunnel will provide uninterrupted connectivity to both the Baltal and Ladakh regions, supporting both civilian and military traffic.

Did you Know

Image

C-DOT and IIT Mandi signs agreement for “Developing Semiconductor Chip of Wideband Spectrum Sensor for Dynamic Spectrum Access”.

The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier Telecom R&D centre of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India has signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (IIT Mandi) in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology Jammu (IIT Jammu), for the development of "Wideband Spectrum-Sensor ASIC-Chip,

Did you Know

Image

C-DOT and IIT Mandi signs agreement for “Developing Semiconductor Chip of Wideband Spectrum Sensor for Dynamic Spectrum Access”.

for Enhancing the Spectrum Utilization".

The agreement is signed under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme of the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India. This scheme, designed to fund Indian startups, academia, and R&D institutions, is a crucial enabler for designing, developing, and commercializing telecommunication products and solutions.

Did you Know

Image

C-DOT and IIT Mandi signs agreement for “Developing Semiconductor Chip of Wideband Spectrum Sensor for Dynamic Spectrum Access”.

It aims to enable affordable broadband and mobile services, playing a significant role in bridging the digital divide across India.

The project aims to develop a reliable and implementation-friendly wideband spectrum sensing (WSS) algorithm to improve spectrum efficiency by leveraging spectrum holes to deliver broadband services in rural India.

Did you Know

Image

C-DOT and IIT Mandi signs agreement for “Developing Semiconductor Chip of Wideband Spectrum Sensor for Dynamic Spectrum Access”.

Spectrum sensing enables cognitive Radio users to adapt to the environment by detecting spectrum holes without causing interference to the primary network.

The project will also lead to creation of intellectual properties (IPs) for the wideband spectrum sensing technology which is the key component for the dynamic spectrum access.

Did you Know

Image

Gautam Adani announces mega investment of Rs 65,000 crore in Chhattisgarh’s energy, cement industries.

Industrialist Gautam Adani announced a major investment of Rs 65,000 crore for the state. This investment, aimed at expanding the Adani Group’s energy and cement projects, is expected to drive significant growth in the region.

Adani outlined plans to invest Rs 60,000 crore to expand the Group’s power plants in Raipur, Korba, and Raigarh.

Did you Know

Image

Gautam Adani announces mega investment of Rs 65,000 crore in Chhattisgarh’s energy, cement industries.

This expansion will boost Chhattisgarh’s total power generation capacity by an additional 6,120 MW. Furthermore, Adani committed Rs 5,000 crore for the development and expansion of the Group’s cement plants in the state, aiming to enhance the cement manufacturing capabilities.

Did you Know

Image

Gautam Adani announces mega investment of Rs 65,000 crore in Chhattisgarh’s energy, cement industries.

In addition to the energy and cement projects, Gautam Adani assured the state government of a Rs 10,000 crore investment over the next four years for corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. These initiatives will focus on sectors such as education, healthcare, skill development, and tourism, which are expected to benefit under the Adani Foundation’s support.

Did you Know

Image

Gautam Adani announces mega investment of Rs 65,000 crore in Chhattisgarh’s energy, cement industries.

The total planned investment by the Adani Group in Chhattisgarh, including the energy, cement, CSR, and other sectors, is expected to reach Rs 75,000 crore, creating new job opportunities and spurring economic growth in the state. This announcement is seen as a significant step towards Chhattisgarh’s continued development.

Did you Know

Image

Devajit Saikia elected as BCCI secretary, Prabhtej Singh Bhatia is treasurer.

Former first-class cricketer Devajit Saikia has been announced as the replacement of Jay Shah who took over the role of ICC Chairman last year as the new secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India during the Special General Meeting.

On the other hand, Prabhtej Singh Bhatia was elected as the Treasurer of the Indian Cricket Board.

Did you Know

Image

Devajit Saikia elected as BCCI secretary, Prabhtej Singh Bhatia is treasurer.

Saikia is a former first-class cricketer, having represented Assam in the 1990-91 season, scoring 53 runs in four matches. He brings with him experience in cricket administration, having been the BCCI joint secretary and secretary of the Assam Cricket Association . After the election of the former BCCI secretary to the position of International Cricket Council,

Did you Know

Image

Devajit Saikia elected as BCCI secretary, Prabhtej Singh Bhatia is treasurer.

he was the acting interim secretary of BCCI.

Ashish Shelar, the previous BCCI treasurer was recently elected as the Member of Legislative Assembly after the recently concluded Maharashtra elections.

Notably, Jay Shah, the previous BCCI secretary, took over as the chairman of the International Cricket Council from December 1 onwards.

Did you Know

Image

Bank of India seeks its first dollar loan of $400 million in over a decade.

Bank of India is marketing its first dollar syndicated loan since 2012 of as much as $400 million.

The Indian lender is raising the loan — split into three- and five-year tranches — via its branch located in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, India’s newest financial hub.

Did you Know

Image

Bank of India seeks its first dollar loan of $400 million in over a decade.

Bank of India joins a slew of other Indian borrowers seeking to raise foreign currency debt this year. Reliance Industries Ltd. is looking to borrow as much as $3 billion, in what could be the largest loan from the country since 2023, while Shriram Finance Ltd. is planning to syndicate part of a $1.28 billion multi-currency social financing, the biggest ever offshore deal,

Did you Know

Image

Bank of India seeks its first dollar loan of $400 million in over a decade.

from an Indian shadow lender.

Meanwhile, State Bank of India is marketing a ¥30 billion ($191 million) syndicated facility and is planning to raise another borrowing of as much as $1.25 billion, in what could be the country’s biggest dollar loan from the banking sector this year. All this adds to the already busy deal pipeline from Asia Pacific,

Did you Know

Image

Bank of India seeks its first dollar loan of $400 million in over a decade.

setting the stage for a likely rebound in loan volumes after three years of decline.

Bank of India last tapped the offshore loan markets in 2012, when it raised a $200 million two-year facility, according to Bloomberg-compiled data. That deal paid an interest margin of 175 basis points over the then-prevailing London Interbank Offered Rate benchmark, the data shows.

Did you Know

Image

Bank of Baroda to provide AI-driven support, forex facility, ATMs, and coin vending machines for Maha Kumbh 2025.

As the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 sets the stage for the world's largest public gathering, Bank of Baroda (BoB) has announced setting up AI-driven customer support, full-fledged branches with forex transaction facilities in Prayagraj to facilitate the visitors.

As the convenor of the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC), Uttar Pradesh,

Did you Know

Image

Bank of Baroda to provide AI-driven support, forex facility, ATMs, and coin vending machines for Maha Kumbh 2025.

BoB is leveraging Maha Kumbh to promote digital payments, offer AI-driven customer support, and provide robust banking infrastructure.

BoB is establishing two full-fledged branches with forex transaction facilities. It is setting up onsite and mobile ATMs, along with coin vending machines, to cater to diverse banking needs.

Did you Know

Image

Bank of Baroda to provide AI-driven support, forex facility, ATMs, and coin vending machines for Maha Kumbh 2025.

The bank is extensively promoting its newly launched UPI payment PSP app, BoB e-Pay, offering a complete suite of payment features.

Customers and merchants will get incentives to adopt seamless digital payment solutions.

The bank has also provided hundreds of merchant carts through Mela authorities and reflector jackets for volunteers and merchants.

Did you Know

Image

Zepto gets NCLT approval to shift domicile back to India ahead of 2025 IPO.

Kiranakart Technologies Private Limited, the Indian entity operating Zepto, has received approval from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to become the holding company of the quick commerce unicorn. The company was previously a subsidiary of KiranaKart Pte Ltd in Singapore.

Did you Know

Image

Zepto gets NCLT approval to shift domicile back to India ahead of 2025 IPO.

Zepto will not require a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Reserve Bank of India, the order read.

Zepto is likely to go public in the second half of 2025.

The move will simplify the holding structure, address competition, and streamline business operations.

Did you Know

Image

Zepto gets NCLT approval to shift domicile back to India ahead of 2025 IPO.

In addition to reducing managerial expenditure, the reverse-flipping exercise will assist the company in the “rationalisation of the group structure by reducing the number of legal entities in order to optimise the legal entity structure to be more aligned with the business objective to achieve more business synergies, assist in faster decision-making,

Did you Know

Image

Zepto gets NCLT approval to shift domicile back to India ahead of 2025 IPO.

ensure significant cost savings, creation of a focused platform for future growth, and simplify the holding structure from the perspective of flexibility in enabling future fund-raising from Indian as well as overseas investors.

Reverse flipping refers to the process where companies that initially headquartered overseas shift domicile back to their home country.

Did you Know

Image

India's retail inflation eases to 4-month low of 5.22% in December.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based retail inflation cooled slightly to a 4-month low of 5.22 per cent in December, down from 5.48 per cent in November, indicating persistent high price pressures faced by consumers, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).

Did you Know

Image

India's retail inflation eases to 4-month low of 5.22% in December.

The data shows higher inflation in rural areas at 5.76 percent compared to 4.58 percent in urban regions.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) aims to keep inflation within a range of 2–6 percent, with a medium-term target of 4 percent.

Food inflation remained high in December, albeit slowing during the month, with the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) standing at 8.39 percent,

Did you Know

Image

India's retail inflation eases to 4-month low of 5.22% in December.

compared to 9.04 per cent in November. This was largely driven by high prices of vegetables, fruits, edible oils, eggs, and cereals.

Rural areas experienced higher food inflation at 8.65 per cent, while urban regions saw a slightly lower rate of 7.9 per cent during the month.

Did you Know

Image

Odisha becomes the 34th state to implement Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana scheme.

Odisha became the 34th state to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) after the National Health Authority (NHA) of the Union Ministry of Health entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Odisha.

Did you Know

Image

Odisha becomes the 34th state to implement Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana scheme.

The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) will be implemented in convergence with the existing Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (GJAY) in Odisha. It will provide a cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per annum with additional Rs 5 lakh for women members.

Did you Know

Image

Odisha becomes the 34th state to implement Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana scheme.

A total of approximately 1.03 crore families will come under the converged scheme with 67.8 lakh families supported by the Union Government.

The agreement was signed at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, between Smt. LS Changsan, Addl. Secretary, MoHFW and Chief Executive Officer of NHA and Smt. Aswathy S, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Department of Health and Family Welfare.

Did you Know

Image

India signs Haj agreement with Saudi Arabia, quota set at 175,025 pilgrims.

India signed a Haj agreement with Saudi Arabia, finalising a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims for itself.

Ministry of Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju signed the agreement with Saudi Arabia's Minister for Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah in Jeddah.

Did you Know

Image

India signs Haj agreement with Saudi Arabia, quota set at 175,025 pilgrims.

For Haj 2025, the quota of Haj pilgrims allotted to HGOs is 30 per cent of India's total of 1,75,025, i.e. 52,507, he had said. The minister had also said that in the last five years, the quota distribution between HCoI and HGOs has varied between 70:30 and 80:20.

Did you Know

Image

IDBI Bank unveils Chiranjeevi Super Senior Citizen FD, offers 8.5% interest.

IDBI Bank has introduced a new specialised fixed deposit scheme, 'IDBI Chiranjeevi-Super Senior Citizen FD,' targeting customers aged 80 years and above. The premium offering provides enhanced interest rates, with an additional 65 basis points above standard fixed deposit rates and 15 basis points over existing senior citizen rates.

Did you Know

Image

IDBI Bank unveils Chiranjeevi Super Senior Citizen FD, offers 8.5% interest.

The 555-day tenure under this scheme offers an interest rate of 8.05 per cent per annum, making it one of the most competitive options in the market for super senior citizens. The bank has also introduced appealing rates for other tenure options, including 7.90 per cent per annum for 375 days, 8.00 per cent per annum for 444 days, and 7.85 per cent per annum for 700 days.

Did you Know

Image

Mutual fund investors in India can now name up to 10 nominees.

Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has announced significant changes to the nomination rules for mutual funds and demat accounts aimed at reducing unclaimed assets and ensuring better management of investments, particularly in cases of illness or the death of an investor.

Did you Know

Image

Mutual fund investors in India can now name up to 10 nominees.

Sebi has revises mutual fund nomination rules, effective March 1, 2025. Sebi said that an investor can declare up to 10 persons as nominees in the demat account or mutual fund folio. However, the investor will need to declare the nominee. It cannot be done by the Power of Attorney (PoA) holder(s) of the investor.

Did you Know

Image

Mutual fund investors in India can now name up to 10 nominees.

The nominees can either continue as joint holders with other nominees or open separate single accounts/folios for their respective portions.

Under the new guidelines, investors are now required to provide comprehensive information about their nominees. This includes essential identification details, such as the nominee's Permanent Account Number (PAN),

Did you Know

Image

Mutual fund investors in India can now name up to 10 nominees.

driving license number, or the last four digits of their Aadhaar number. Additionally, investors must specify the nominee’s contact details and their relationship to the investor.

Investors can now nominate up to 10 individuals in a mutual fund account, enhancing flexibility in asset allocation among family members or close associates.

Did you Know

Image

Mutual fund investors in India can now name up to 10 nominees.

Sebi has mandated that regulated entities—such as mutual fund houses and depositories—offer investors the option to submit nomination forms both online and offline.

Sebi has also tasked depositories and the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) with developing a standard operating procedure (SOP) to further support incapacitated investors.

Did you Know