Top headlines: Nov retail inflation rises to 4.9%; Paytm GMV doubles

Business Standard brings you the top headlines on Monday

Retail inflation rises to 4.91% in Nov due to surge in vegetable prices

India's retail inflation in the month of November marginally rose to 4.91%, accelerating towards the upper limit of Reserve Bank of India's target range as fruit and vegetable prices climbed, the government data showed on Monday. It was 4.48% in October and 6.93% in November 2020.

The RBI has been mandated by the government to keep retail inflation at 4% with a margin of 2% on either side. However, November data has been within the central bank's target for a fifth consecutive month. Read more

Paytm GMV more than doubles to Rs 1.66 trn in Oct-Nov 2021 period

Digital payments and financial services firm Paytm on Monday reported over two-fold rise in its gross merchandise value to about Rs 1,66,600 crore in the first two months of the third quarter of this fiscal, driven by sharp uptick in loan disbursals.

One97 Communications Ltd, the parent company which owns and operates brand Paytm, had recorded GMV (gross merchandise value) of Rs 72,800 crore in the corresponding period a year ago. Read more

Omicron could cause up to 75,000 deaths in UK by April end, study warns

The Omicron variant of coronavirus could cause between 25,000 and 75,000 COVID-19 related deaths in the UK by April next year, if additional control measures were not taken, according to a modelling study.

The yet-to-be peer-reviewed study suggests that Omicron has the potential to cause a wave of transmission in England that could lead to higher levels of cases and hospitalisations than those seen during January 2021. Read more

CBSE drops controversial passage from Class 10 English exam amid outrage

The CBSE on Monday dropped a comprehension passage and the accompanying questions from the Class-10 English exam and decided to award full marks for it to students, following an outrage over the board allegedly promoting "gender stereotyping" and supporting "regressive notions".

The Central Board of Secondary Education (SBSE) had referred the matter to subject experts on Sunday and sought their feedback. Read more