The boards of Bank of Baroda (BoB), Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank, on Wednesday approved the share swap ratio for the proposed merger. Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank shareholders will get 402 and 110 shares of BoB, respectively, for every 1,000 shares held. The Union Cabinet approved the amalgamation of …

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has rejected Vedanta Ltd.’s request for renewal of consent to operate the Sterlite Copper smelter at Thoothukudi. Citing an appeal filed by it and the State government in the Supreme Court on Wednesday against the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) order in the matter, …

The fast-growing species can tolerate a wide variety of environmental conditions From clambering lantana plants to karimeen -like red-bellied paku, invasive species come in all sizes. The latest addition to Kerala’s invasives list is only around a centimetre or two long: scientists have confirmed the presence of the invasive black-striped …

The government on Wednesday introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha that will allow individuals to voluntarily offer biometric ID Aadhaar as a means of identity verification for obtaining services like opening a bank account and getting a mobile phone connection. The Bill, which seeks to amend three separate laws …

Two young women entered the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala under police cover in the early hours of Wednesday, triggering anti-government protests across the State. The women in their 40s — Bindu from Kozhikode and Kanakadurga from Malappuram — reached the foothills around 1.30 a.m. at Pampa, from where they …

The Madras Park Fair, opened much against popular wishes and in the teeth of united opposition of the City Fathers and a section of the Press, came to an unhappy termination last night (January 1). Fireworks were widely advertised all through the City. People assembled in large numbers at 8 …

Israel last night [January 1] virtually rejected the Security Council’s unanimous resolution censuring it for last Saturday’s [December 28] attack on Beirut airport. It described the resolution as a reflection of the ‘moral, political and juridical bankruptcy of the world body’. The Israeli delegate’s response was also seen as an …

Elizabeth Warren makes the first move towards a U.S. presidential bid Elizabeth Warren, Democratic Senator of Massachusetts, has announced her likely candidacy for the 2020 U.S. presidential race. In her statement she put racial and gender-based inequality front and centre in her campaign agenda, as much as income inequality faced …

Regulatory vigil should not ease after thehalf-yearly decline in banks’ gross NPA ratio The fog of bad loans shrouding the banking sector appears to be lifting after a long period of sustained stress. The Reserve Bank of India’s Financial Stability Report reveals the first half-yearly decline in the ratio of …

More countries are adopting the tough measure in order to curb tobacco consumption This year, Thailand and Saudi Arabia will join a growing club of nations introducing plain packaging of tobacco products. They are the first in the Asian and Arab regions, respectively, to adopt the tough measure in order …