The intimidatory power of the mob made itself felt once again when the Ajmer Literature Festival abruptly cancelled veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah’s keynote address. This followed the torrent of abuse heaped on Mr. Shah by a loose coalition of persons, ranging from anonymous trolls on social media to functionaries of …

The opening of the first office of Indian Ports Global Limited at Iran’s Chabahar and the takeover of operations of the Shahid Beheshti port is a milestone in India’s regional connectivity and trade game plan. Chabahar port opens up a permanent alternative route for trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia, …

The Union Home Secretary, last week, promulgated an order authorising 10 Central agencies to monitor, intercept and decrypt information which is transmitted, generated, stored in or received by any computer. Under the order, an individual who fails to assist these government agencies with technical assistance or extend all facilities can …

To understand why, a quick recap of pivotal moments of the past is unavoidable. The BNP won the first democratic polls in 1991, but refused to step down when their tenure ended in 1996. The Awami League led a mass movement to topple the BNP government and won the ensuing …

The Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh on tackling Maoism, the Congress party’s revival in the State, and his government’s strategy to strengthen the rural economy Bhupesh Baghel, the new Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, is considered one of the architects of the Congress’s victory in the recent Assembly election. In a free-wheeling …

Buoyed by over 36% of its procurement coming from micro and small enterprises (MSEs), power giant NTPC has pitched for their universal registration for supplies to all CPSUs. “To promote ease of doing business for MSEs, NTPC chairman Gurdeep Singh has proposed a single window registration for MSEs across CPSUs,” …

Tasked with helping recover unpaid corporate loans, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has helped resolve insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings involving more than Rs. 80,000 crore in 2018. The kitty is expected to swell beyond Rs. 1 lakh crore in 2019 with several big-ticket default cases pending. Plans are afoot …

Gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continue to lose steam, with investors pulling out Rs. 280 crore during the April-November period of the current fiscal, preferring to invest in equities despite volatile markets. In comparison, 14 gold-linked ETFs had witnessed a withdrawal of Rs. 511 crore in the first eight months of …

The year 2018 has been one of disruption for the banking industry. A tough loan default classification rule by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the out-of-the-blue IL&FS (Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services) imbroglio and the spat between the government and the central bank have combined to make 2018 a …

For the Indian equity markets, year 2018 will end as the worst in terms of foreign money outflows since 2008 when markets across the globe were reeling under the sub-prime crisis and Lehman Brothers filed for the largest bankruptcy in history. In the Indian context, 2018 would also be only …

Commercial banks, under the prompt corrective action (PCA) framework of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), are sitting on a pile of cash as they don’t have too many options to lend, even as the banking system is scrambling for liquidity. The 11 public sector banks under the PCA, enjoying …

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday held a meeting with his party’s electoral organisers, fuelling speculation that he may be hoping for a possible presidential re-run in 2019. Sirisena could call a snap presidential election after January 8 next year. Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/lanka-prez-sirisena-meets-party-organisers-hints-2019-may-be-election-year/article25829731.ece

Terror strikeSuicide attackers stormed the Libyan Foreign Ministry in Tripoli on Tuesday, killing at least three people, including a senior civil servant, and wounding 10 others. A special forces spokesman accused the Islamic State of being behind the bombing.AFPMAHMUD TURKIA Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/under-siege/article25829649.ece

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s foreign policy adviser speaks on the upcoming election, the China factor and the unresolved river-sharing issue Gowher Rizvi, foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, discusses a plethora of issues, including those connecting Bangladesh and India, days before the country’ general election on December 30. …

The zoo here was closed on Tuesday “until further orders” after strains of avian influenza virus were found in six dead peacocks, forest officials said. Joggers and Christmas revellers were in for disappointment as they found the gates of the ‘Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan’ shut with notices affixed on the …

The Congress on Tuesday denied reports that Finance Ministers from Opposition-ruled States at the GST Council had objected to recently announced reduction in tax rates of several items. “An impression has been sought to be conveyed that the BJP was trying to reduce the taxes while the Congress or Opposition …

Senior Superintendent of Police, Noida, Ajay Pal said on Tuesday that the notice to private firms in Noida Sector 58 was issued by the SHO of the area police station, Pankaj Rai. The SHO told the media that the notice was issued to 23 companies as over the past few …

An estimated 30 million newborns require specialised care in hospital every year without which many either die or develop preventable health conditions and disabilities that affect them for life, according to a recent study by a global coalition that includes UNICEF and WHO. The report urges countries to invest in …

The Enforcement Directorate, which is now questioning AgustaWestland accused Christian Michel, has so far been able to unearth the money trail allegedly establishing a link between the other two alleged middlemen in the deal and cousins of former Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi. However, all those who are suspected to …

India is not ruling out retaliatory measures in response to the Pakistan government’s delays in sanctioning gas connections to the residential complex at its High Commission in Islamabad. The delay, officials said, were part of a series of measures aimed at “making life difficult” for Indian diplomats in Pakistan. This …