LIVE: Cabinet approves Rs 520-cr package for Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh

Supreme Court will today hear a batch of petitions that have raised issues concerning the six-month moratorium on loan payments. Stay tuned for Latest LIVE news

9:49 PM

Farm reforms will bring ease of agricultural entrepreneurship for youngsters: Union minister

9:45 PM

Have written to Union Power Minister for closure of polluting thermal power stations around Delhi: Satyendar Jain

9:19 PM

Jaishankar held a virtual meeting with his Portuguese counterpart Augusto S Silva

Both leaders undertook a detailed review of bilateral ties incl extensive cooperation between the two countries during Covid & possibilities of cooperation in post-Covid scenario: MEA 

9:15 PM

UP CM Adityanath announces exemption of licence fee of multiplexes and cinema halls for period from April 1 to September 30

9:15 PM

Nation stands united with people of Telangana in this hour of crisis: President Ram Nath Kovind on heavy rainfall in state

8:57 PM

Nation stands united with Telangana in this hour of crisis: President Kovind on heavy rainfall in state

President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday said the nation stands united with the people of Telangana, parts of which witnessed heavy rain, in this hour of crisis.

The president also spoke to Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, and expressed concern over the loss of lives and destruction caused by the incessant rain.

8:52 PM

Tax refunds worth over Rs 1.23 trillion issued to 3.81 million taxpayers till Oct 13: CBDT

The income tax department on Wednesday said it has issued refunds of over Rs 1.23 trillion to more than 38 lakh taxpayers between April 1 to October 13.

This includes personal income tax (PIT) refunds amounting to Rs 33,442 crore issued to 36.21 lakh taxpayers and corporate tax refunds worth Rs 90,032 crore to over 189,000 taxpayers, according to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).

"CBDT issues refunds of over Rs. 1,23,474 crore to more than 3.81 million taxpayers between April 1, 2020 to October 13, 2020.

8:42 PM

Bank credit grows 5.7% in June quarter: RBI data

Bank credit growth decelerated on a year-on-year basis for the sixth successive quarter and stood at 5.7 per cent in the three months to June 2020, according to the Reserve Bank data.

During the quarter, moderation in advances was witnessed across all bank groups.

Industrial credit contracted by 0.6 per cent y-o-y in June and its share in overall advances declined to 30.8 per cent from 32.8 per cent a year ago, according to the data on Outstanding Credit of Scheduled Commercial Banks for June 2020, released by the RBI.

8:23 PM

AYUSH sector set to add momentum to Jan Andolan campaign against Covid-19: Ministry

The AYUSH ministry has urged the Central Council of Indian Medicine and the Central Council Of Homoeopathy to activate the network of about 750 AYUSH medical colleges for promoting Covid appropriate behaviour, adding momentum to the Jan Andolan campaign against the infectious disease.

In a statement, the ministry said on Wednesday that it has started the Jan Andolan campaign on Covid-19.

"This campaign is regarding the Public Health Response to Covid-19: Campaign for COVID-Appropriate Behaviour' which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi this month to encourage people across the country to adopt COVID appropriate behaviour in view of the upcoming festivals and winter season.

8:11 PM

Govt buys 5.56 million tonnes kharif paddy at MSP in last 18 days

The Centre on Sunday said about 5.56 million tonnes of kharif paddy worth Rs 10,500 crore has been purchased at minimum support price (MSP) from 4.80 lakh farmers in the last 18 days.

Paddy procurement commenced in Punjab and Haryana from September 26 due to early arrival of the crop, while in other states it began on October 1.

More than 80 per cent of the country's paddy crop is grown in the kharif season. The government through Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies undertakes procurement of paddy at MSP.

7:34 PM

India to have 60,000 start-ups, 100 unicorns by 2025: TiE

India is expected to have 60,000 start-ups and 100 companies with valuation of over $1 billion by 2025, a TiE Global report, in association with Zinnov, released on Wednesday said.

The report observed that business recovery of start-ups is back on track after the lockdown. However, 12-15 per cent of start-ups are facing risk of survival and a similar percentage of start-ups have closed their business.

"Despite being in the biggest pandemic we have had, India is going to create same numbers of unicorn in 2020 as we did in 2018 and 2019, which is a testament of our strong ecosystem," TiE Delhi-NCR president Rajan Anandan said while sharing the findings of the report.

7:23 PM

Tamil Nadu, 20 other states to borrow additional Rs 78,452 cr to meet revenue shortfall

A day after granting permission to 20 states for mobilising Rs 68,825 crore, the government on Wednesday allowed Tamil Nadu to raise an additional Rs 9,627 crore through open market borrowings to bridge the revenue shortfall caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

These 21 states will cumulatively borrow an additional amount of Rs 78,452 crore.

"The permission was issued after the State (Tamil Nadu) formally communicated its acceptance for Option-1 to meet the shortfall arising out of GST implementation. 21 States and 2 Union Territories, Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir, have so far requested Option-1," an official statement said.

The borrowing permission issued to the 21 states is over and above the borrowing permission of around Rs 1.10 lakh crore to be issued to enable states to meet the revenue shortfall arising out of GST implementation, it said, adding a special window is being created by the Ministry of Finance to facilitate this borrowing.

6:58 PM

All 4 labour codes likely to be implemented from Apr 1 next year: Labour Secy

All four labour codes are likely to be implemented in one go from April 1, the beginning of the next fiscal year, Labour Secretary Apurva Chandra said on Wednesday.

Parliament in its just concluded session passed three labour code bills: the Industrial Relations (IR) Code, the Social Security Code, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code (OSH).

The Wage Code Bill, 2019 was passed by Parliament last year.

Last month, Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar had said that efforts would be made to complete the labour reforms by implementing the all four labour codes by December this year.

6:42 PM

Loan moratorium: Implement interest waiver as soon as possible, says SC

The Supreme Court Wednesday said the centre should implement "as soon as possible" interest waiver on loans of up to Rs 2 crore under the RBI moratorium scheme in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, saying the common man's Diwali is in the government's hands.

The apex court sought know from the Centre as to whether the benefit of loan interest waiver for borrowers of up to Rs 2 crore during the moratorium period has percolated to the common man.

The court, which observed that it is concerned about how benefit of interest waiver would be given to borrowers, said the Centre has taken a welcome decision by taking note of plight of common man but authorities have not issued any order in this regard.

Something concrete has to be done, a bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said, adding, Benefits of waivers to borrowers up to Rs 2 crore must be implemented as soon as possible.

6:40 PM

Cabinet nod to Rs 3,874 cr spending on stocking oil

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave approval to Rs 3,874 crore spending on stocking low priced oil in India's three strategic underground crude oil storages.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) also allowed Abu Dhabi National Oil Co, which has hired a part of the strategic storage, to trade the stocked oil, union Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.

India saved over Rs 5,000 crore when the country in April-May used two-decade low international oil prices to fill up its three strategic underground crude oil storages.