GS-III

The government wants greater involvement in the RBI’s decision-making as it feels the current practice leaves it out on many critical issues such as single-day default turning a loan into an NPA, sources said ahead of the crucial board meeting of the central bank.The Centre feels that as the representative …

India faces a potential sharp slowdown in credit availability as non-bank financial institutions face a possible credit squeeze even as the asset quality is stabilising, Moody’s said in its 2019 Global Emerging Market Outlook.“In India, an ample foreign exchange reserves buffer and very low external debt levels help provide greater …

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday directed automajor Volkswagen to deposit an interim amount of Rs. 100 crore with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), following a plea that alleged that the company used “cheat devices” in emission tests in its diesel vehicles.A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice …

One important reason for the delay in releasing the back series of the GDP data is the fact that the government took so long in appointing a new Chief Statistician of India, a former government official told The Hindu .The NITI Aayog, earlier this week, said that it would hold …

More than Rs. 400 crore worth of electoral bonds were sold by the State Bank of India (SBI) in the 10-day window of October, a sharp rise from the Rs. 32 crore worth of bonds sold in the July tranche, according to data the bank released under the Right to …

Crop sowing in the ongoing winter (rabi) season is lagging behind this year, with the acreage sown of most major crops lower than usual for this time of year. Overall, 21% less acreage has so far been sown, according to the data released by the Agriculture Ministry on Friday. Wheat, …

In a bid to encourage employers, especially in the private sector, to implement the extended 26-week maternity leave law, the Labour Ministry plans to refund them for seven weeks’ worth of wages for women workers with a wage ceiling up to Rs. 15,000 per month. The Ministry is in the …

Even before the cyclone made landfall, Ministers M.C. Sampath (Industries), R. Kamaraj (Food), O.S. Manian (Textiles), C. Vijaya Baskar (Health), R. Doraikkannu (Agriculture) and M. Manikandan (Information Technology), who are natives of these districts, have been camping there.Senior IPS officers Shakeel Akhtar, Thamaraikannan, Ravi and C. Sylendra Babu have been …

The Indian Railways is planning to establish medical colleges to offer postgraduate courses for doctors at 10 of its existing hospitals across India.The official said that the proposal has been cleared by the Railway Board and now, the Railways is in the process of getting permissions from the Medical Council …

If the civic body has its way, property owners who have violated building bylaws may have to pay a hefty tax. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has proposed to double the property tax for owners who have deviated from the approved plan. Civic officials who turned a blind eye …

The Sabarimala temple opened on Friday for the annual 62-day pilgrimage season amid unprecedented security arrangements following protests against the entry of women to the temple even as the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) decided to move the Supreme Court seeking more time to implement its order allowing entry to women …

Cyclonic storm kills at least 13 in seven districts81,000 people take shelter in 471 relief camps Another low pressure area may form on Sunday At least 13 persons died and public infrastructure and private properties in seven districts were damaged as cyclone ‘Gaja’ wreaked havoc in Tamil Nadu on Friday. …

Sometimes my greatest challenge was just getting out of bed; compared to that, winning a gold medal was pretty easy, says Olympic swimming champion From winning 23 gold medals and setting 39 world records to battling a strong urge to end his life, Olympic champion Michael Phelps has come a …

Buried beneath a kilometre of snow and ice in northern Greenland, scientists have uncovered an asteroid impact crater, bigger than the area of Paris. This is the first time that a crater of any size has been found under one of Earth’s continental ice sheets, said researchers from the University …

Astronomers have discovered a frozen planet with a mass over three times that of the Earth, orbiting the closest solitary star to the Sun. The potentially rocky planet, known as Barnard’s star b, is a ‘super-Earth’ and orbits around its host star once every 233 days, said researchers from Queen …

Denmark said on Thursday it would create an international research centre focused on the fight against resistance to antibiotics, a scourge affecting almost half a million people worldwide. Danish Health Minister Ellen Trane Norby signed a memorandum of understanding in Seattle, in the United States, with the international network of …

In a bid to reduce global air pollution, Swedish home furnishing company IKEA on Thursday announced its plan to turn rice straw into a new renewable material source for its products. The project, part of the company’s ‘Better Air Now’ initiative, will begin from India and is focussed on New …

The Dalmia Bharat Group has moved the Supreme Court challenging the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) order approving UltraTech Cements Rs. 7,950-crore bid for Binani Cement. Confirming the development, Mahendra Singhi, MD and CEO, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited told The Hindu , “We have filed an appeal in the …

The Union Steel Ministry is concerned over the low level of per capita steel consumption in India, according to Steel Secretary Binoy Kumar. “Per capita steel consumption of steel in India at 69 kg [according to Joint Plant Committee data] is still low compared to the world average of 214 …

The Department of Telecom has instructed State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) and Bharat Broadband Network Ltd. (BBNL) to submit reports every day on the progress made in the Bharat Net project that seeks to connect 2.5 lakh gram panchayats in the country through high-speed broadband by March 2019. “Despite …