LIVE updates: Govt launches 24X7 helpline to provide psychological support

Large amount of arms and ammunition were recovered from two terrorists of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI): Delhi Police Special Cell. Stay tuned for Latest LIVE news

7:29 PM

UK court rejects plea seeking partial reporting ban in Nirav Modi case

A UK judge, presiding over fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's extradition case over the estimated USD 2-billion PNB fraud and money laundering charges brought by India, rejected an application seeking a partial reporting ban at the start of a five-day trial here on Monday.

 

District Judge Samuel Goozee dismissed the application after hearing representations in what he called a high profile case in India, including from members of the press present at Westminster Magistrates' Court who stressed the importance of free and fair reporting of the proceedings.

7:17 PM

Banks sanction loans of Rs 1.61 trn to MSMEs under credit guarantee scheme

The Finance Ministry on Monday said banks have sanctioned loans of about Rs 1,61,017 crore under the Rs 3-lakh crore Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) for the MSME sector reeling under the slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

 

However, disbursements against this stood at Rs 1,13,713 lakh crore till September 3.

 

The scheme is the biggest fiscal component of the Rs 20-lakh crore Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in May to mitigate the distress caused by lockdown due to COVID-19 by providing credit to different sectors, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

7:08 PM

RJP files petition seeking postponement of Bihar Elections

6:55 PM

Govt launches 24X7 toll free helpline to provide psychological support

The Centre on Monday launched a 24X7 toll free mental rehabilitation helpline for providing psychological support to people.

 

The helpline KIRAN' (1800-599-0019) was launched by Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot.

 

The helpline will offer mental health rehabilitation services with the objective of early screening, first aid, psychological support, distress management, mental wellbeing, promoting positive behaviour and psychological crisis management, the minister said.

6:43 PM

Rupee skids 21 paise to end at 73.35 against US dollar

The rupee slid 21 paise to settle at 73.35 against the US dollar on Monday, tracking subdued equities and stronger greenback against its key rival currencies.

 

At the interbank forex market, the Indian unit opened at 73.17 and lost further ground as the trade progressed.

 

During the session, the local unit witnessed an intra-day high of 73.03 and a low of 73.44 against the greenback. It finally closed at 73.35, down 21 paise over its previous close.

 

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.15 per cent to 92.85.

 

On the domestic equity market front, the BSE Sensex settled 60.05 points or 0.16 per cent higher at 38,417.23; while the NSE Nifty advanced 21.20 points or 0.19 per cent to close at 11,355.05.

6:31 PM

EAM S Jaishankar holds telephonic talks with Bangladesh counterpart

6:18 PM

Most TMC MPs aged over 65 years likely to skip Parliament session

A majority of TMC MPs above the age of 65 years are likely to skip the upcoming monsoon session of the Parliament to avoid the risk of contracting Covid-19, party sources said.

 

Although there has been no official communication by the party leadership in this regard, the sources said MPs over 65 years of age have been advised not to attend the session. Sudip Bandopadhyay, the 67-year-old Lok Sabha MP from Kolkata Uttar, said he would coordinate from here with his party colleagues in the Lower House.

6:07 PM

Encounter underway at J&K's Budgam

5:57 PM

Happiest Minds IPO subscribed nearly 3 times on first day of issue

The Rs 700-crore initial public offering (IPO) of Happiest Mind Technologies was subscribed nearly three times on Monday, the first day of the issue.

 

Bulk of the bids came from individual investors with the retail investor portion getting subscribed 14.6 times. Qualified investor and wealthy investor portion was subscribed 8 per cent and 62 per cent respectively. Most of the bids for an IPO typically come on the last day of the issue. This was the highest day-one subscription for an IPO this year. Read more

5:43 PM

HomeLane earmarks Rs 100 cr for marketing, to expand to 25 cities by 2021

Home interiors company HomeLane on Monday said it is planning to spend Rs 100 crore for marketing initiatives as it looks to expand its operational footprint to over 25 cities by 2021-end.

 

HomeLane, which raised Rs 60 crore recently from Stride Ventures and others, has also unveiled a new brand identity as part of its overall strategy to steer its business into the next phase of growth. The new brand identity gives HomeLane a sharper brand persona aimed at creating greater relatability with its home-buying customers, a statement said. Read more

5:34 PM

Monthly collections from securitised retail loans up to 50% in June: Crisil

The monthly collection ratio for securitised retail loans like microfinance, commercial vehicles and mortgages have risen to above 50 per cent after falling to near-zero in many pools in April 2020, according to Crisil.

 

The median monthly collection ratio represents all collections excluding prepayments as a percentage of estimated pre-moratorium billing for the month. Collections for pools of microfinance and commercial vehicle loan receivables, which had seen the sharpest drop after the lockdown, clawed back above 50 per cent in June. Read more

5:23 PM

World economy unlikely to attain pre-Covid output level before 2022: Report

With Covid-19 still dominating major developments globally, the world economy is not likely to re-attain pre-pandemic output levels before 2022, says a report.

 

According to Dun & Bradstreet Country Risk and the Global Outlook, "nothing about the pandemic can be classified as over, despite recoveries in activity levels in some economies in Q3, as evident in PMIs (Purchasing Managers Indices), Google Mobility data and monthly economic data".

 

Unemployment will keep rising above the pre-pandemic baseline as government programmes are phased out and cease to protect workers, while the pace of what recovery there is may yet weaken in Q4, said Arun Singh, Global Chief Economist, Dun & Bradstreet.

5:18 PM

Govt launches app to monitor air quality in 122 cities

"Centre changed the fuel standards to BS-VI in a bid to fight against pollution. I use an electric vehicle, urge others too to opt for it, in order to curb air pollution," says Prakash Javadekar on International Day of Clean Air For Blue Skies.

Govt also launched "Sameer app" to monitor the air of 122 cities.

5:09 PM

Rhea Chakraborty files police complaint against Sushant's sister over bogus prescription

Actress Rhea Chakraborty has filed a police complaint against Priyanka Singh, sister of her late boyfriend and actor Sushant Singh Rajput, including others for sharing bogus medical prescription for the late actor. Rhea's lawyer Satish Maneshinde confirmed the news on Monday.

 

"Rhea Chakraborty has filed a police complaint before the Mumbai Police against Priyanka Singh, Dr Tarun Kumar of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and others for offences of forgery, NDPS Act and Tele Medicine Practice Guidelines 2020, for having sent a bogus medical prescription depicting SSR as an Out Patient Department person," said lawyer Maneshinde.

5:03 PM

Fire breaks out at a chemical factory in Sikandra area of Agra