LIVE: Uttar Pradesh CM Adityanath oversees preparations in Ayodhya

The official religious ceremonies at Ayodhya Ram temple leading up to the 'bhoomi pujan' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 5 started from today. Stay tuned for latest news live updates

2:44 PM

Uttar Pradesh CM Adityanath takes stock of preparations ahead of foundation stone laying ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya

2:40 PM

Rupee slips below 75/USD mark; settles 20 paise down against US dollar

The rupee plunged 20 paise and settled below the 75 per US dollar level on Monday tracking negative domestic equities and strengthening American currency, according to a PTI report.

 

The rupee opened on a weak note at 74.91 at the interbank forex market, and closed for the day at 75.01 (provisional) against the US dollar, registering a decline of 20 paise over its previous close of 74.81 against the greenback.

 

During the session, the local unit witnessed an intra-day high of 74.88 and a low of 75.03 against US dollar. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.11 per cent to 93.45. Forex traders said foreign fund outflow, strong dollar, muted domestic equities and rising COVID-19 cases dragged the local unit down.

2:35 PM

Sebi extends deadline to apply for 147 senior-level posts till Oct 31

Markets regulator Sebi has again extended the deadline to apply for 147 senior level posts by three months till October 31 due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation.

 

On March 7, the regulator had invited applications for these positions as part of its plan to beef up the headcount for faster and more effective execution of its job. The deadline for applying for the said posts was March 23. It was later extended to April 30,thereafter till May 31 and again till July 31. READ MORE...

2:26 PM

No politician's name came up during the investigation in Sushant Singh Rajput case: Mumbai Police Commissioner

2:15 PM

Bank accounts opened under Jan Dhan Yojana crosses 40-crore mark

More than 40 crore bank accounts have been opened under the government's flagship financial inclusion drive Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), launched about six years ago by the Modi-government. As per the latest figure, there are 40.05 crore beneficiaries of this scheme and deposits in Jan Dhan bank accounts are in excess of Rs 1.30 lakh crore, according to a PTI report.

 

"Another milestone achieved under world's largest financial inclusion initiative, PMJDY: Total accounts opened under the scheme crosses 40 Cr. mark. Committed to take financial inclusion to the last mile!," Department of Financial Services said in a tweet.

 

The achievement comes just ahead of the sixth anniversary of PMJDY launch. The scheme was launched on August 28, 2014 with an aim to provide universal access to banking facilities to the people in the country.

2:01 PM

Haji Ansari, who fought in courts for Babri, invited to Ram Temple event

Haji Iqbal Ansari, the man who fought a decades-long legal battle for the title suit of Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, got the first invitation for the foundation laying ceremony of Ram Mandir on August 5. The Ram Janam Bhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has invited Ansari for the occasion. The chairman of the trust Mahant Nritya Gopal Das has sent this invitation.

 

According to a member of the trust politicians, Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and are among the 175 guests invited over telephone due to the paucity of time. Half the guests are seers related to the temple movement. The Shankracharyas of all Mutts and Mahant Dharmadas, who had moved to apex court seeking order to perform Puja in the Ram Mandir, have been invited for the foundation laying ceremony. READ MORE...

 

1:45 PM

Re-devleopment and beautification of Ayodhya Junction Railway station underway

1:26 PM

Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh cremated at Delhi's Chhatarpur crematorium in the presence of family members and relatives

Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh cremated at Delhi's Chhatarpur crematorium in the presence of family members and relatives, two days after he died in a Singapore hospital

12:55 PM

Sushant was murdered, says cousin in Bihar Assembly

12:48 PM

Uma Bharti to skip Ayodhya Bhoomi Poojan event over corona scare

11:57 AM

Mumbai Police investigation is progressing in the right direction, in a professional manner: Maharashtra Home Minister

Mumbai Police investigation is progressing in the right direction, in a professional manner: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Sushant Singh Rajput case

11:20 AM

"Won't allow 3-language formula": Tamil Nadu National Education Policy

The three-language formula in the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is "painful and saddening", said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, as he vowed not to implement the new policy.

Palaniswami listed the consistent stand by late Chief Ministers Anna Durai, MGR and Jayalalithaa to express against imposition of Hindi and urged Prime Minister Modi to "reconsider" the three language policy.

 

"Three-language formula in NEP is painful and saddening. I appeal to Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) to reconsider. Let the states implement as per the policy," Palaniswami said in a statement.

 

The minister also referred to the anti-Hindi agitation by Tamil Nadu students in 1965 when attempts were made by the Congress government to make Hindi the official language.

10:49 AM

Fuel demand recovery stalled in July amid Covid lockdown, prices: Report

Fuel prices rose but demand recovery stalled in July as people remained indoors owing to the coronavirus induced lockdown in several states. While demand for diesel in July dropped 12.5 per cent over June, Petrol sales in July also fell 1 per cent, Economic Times reported.

 

Meanwhile, the sale of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) rose 3.8 per cent in July from a month earlier but is down 65 per cent from the July of 2019 due to the absence of international flights and limited domestic operations. ATF price on Saturday was hiked by 3 per cent, the fifth straight increase in two months, by Rs 1,304.25? per kilolitre in the national capital to Rs 43,932.53 per kl.

10:41 AM

Rupee slips 12 paise to 74.93 against US dollar in early trade

10:34 AM

Whatever happened to Bihar copy not right, says Nitish Kumar on Patna superintendent of police Binay Tiwari quarantined in Mumbai

Whatever happened to him is not right. It is not political, Bihar Police is carrying out its duty. Our DGP will speak to them: Nitish Kumar, Bihar chief minister on Patna superintendent of police Binay Tiwari quarantined in Mumba