LIVE: Modi to inaugurate 'Maitri Setu' between India & Bangladesh tomorrow

Live Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the celebrations for India's 75 years of independence should reflect the spirit of the country's freedom movement

3:29 PM

Today, India is doing things that couldn't be imagined some years ago: PM Modi

3:27 PM

Latest News: Meghan Markle reveals suicidal thoughts, alleges royal racism in explosive interview

Meghan Markle contemplated taking her own life after marrying Prince Harry, the Duchess of Sussex said in a bombshell interview during which she raised allegations of racism in the monarchy and explained the rift in the royal family.

 

In the tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey aired on Sunday, Meghan and Harry explained their dramatic exit from royal life in 2020. Harry said, like his wife Meghan, he had been trapped within an image-obsessed Buckingham Palace, asserting that his brother and father were also trapped.

 

"My father and my brother, they are trapped. They don't get to leave. And I have compassion for that," 36-year-old Harry said.

 

Winfrey reportedly sold the two-hour-long special to US broadcaster CBS for $7-9 million and retained the international rights to the interview.

3:19 PM

WB Assembly Polls: Suvendu Adhikari to file his nomination on March 12

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari will file his nomination on March 12 for contesting West Bengal Assembly elections from Nandigram constituency, informed the party's media cell on Monday.

 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who has been representing Bhawanipur, had earlier announced that she will file her nomination from the same constituency on March 10.

 

BJP on Saturday released its first list of 57 candidates for the polls and fielded Adhikari from Nandigram against Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, setting the stage for a high-profile contest from the seat in the state Assembly elections.

3:15 PM

Oil prices surge after attack on Saudi oil site

Oil prices pressed higher Monday after strikes on major oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, shook energy markets already rattled by a decision by oil producers last week to not lift output.

 

Brent crude, the international standard, surpassed $70 per barrel for the first time in over a year, gaining $1.14 to $70.47 a barrel. It surged $2.62 on Friday.

 

Benchmark U.S. crude oil added $1.10 to $67.19 per barrel, up 1.7%, falling back from bigger gains earlier in the day. It jumped $2.26 to $66.09 per barrel on Friday.

3:14 PM

Delhi's economy estimated to contract by 3.92 pc in FY'21: Survey

The economy of Delhi is estimated to contract by 3.92 per cent in the current financial year, according to Delhi Economic Survey 2020-21.

 

In real terms, the contraction in Delhi's gross state domestic product (GSDP) is expected at 5.68 per cent in 2020-21 compared to contraction of 8 per cent at national level, said the report.

 

The per capita income also went down from Rs 3.76 lakh in 2019-20 to Rs 3.54 lakh in the current fiscal year.

3:12 PM

VS Parthasarathy resigns from Mahindra Group, to pursue personal interests

Mahindra & Mahindra on Monday said VS Parthasarathy, the President of its Mobility Services Sector and Member of the Group Executive Board, has decided to leave the group effective close of April 1, 2021 to pursue personal interests.

 

Parthasarathy, who joined the Mahindra group in 2000 and began with an HR stint, has expressed desire to leverage his rich professional experience to consult, mentor, build and scale businesses and initiatives across business, education and society in the next phase of his career, M&M said in a regulatory filing.

3:03 PM

Women farmers take centre stage at protest sites

Thousands of women farmers held protest marches and delivered speeches at the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur protest sites at Delhi's borders on International Women's Day.

 

Noting that women contribute significantly to the country's farming sector, the organisers have laid out elaborate plans to let women farmers manage the stage, arrange food and security and share tales of their struggles on the occasion.

 

"The stage is being managed by women, the speakers are all women and the issues that are being discussed are of both farming and women farmers more specifically," farmer leader Kavitha Kuruganti told PTI on Monday.

2:49 PM

Bomb scare near Antilia: Mansukh Hiren death case transferred to NIA

Investigation of Mansukh Hiren death case has been transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday.

 

NIA will investigate the case relating to the recovery of explosives from a car parked near Mukesh Ambani's residence in Mumbai.

 

NIA is in the process of re-registering the case, the probe agency said.

2:45 PM

28% of retail borrowers women; indebtedness growing at 21% since 2014: Report

Indicating the increasing indebtedness of women as well as their financial inclusion, 28 per cent of retail borrowers are women whose dependence on external finance in comparison to men have been growing at 21 per cent since 2014, shows industry data.

 

According to the data from the largest credit bureau Transunion Cibil released on Monday, women borrowers today number 47 million in the retail credit market and over the past six years, the share of women borrowers has grown to 28 per cent as of September 2020, up from 23 per cent in September 2014, indicating the increasing inclusion of women in the credit market.

 

This is an annual growth rate of 21 per cent, while the same by male borrowers have grown at 16 per cent during the same period, says th report.

 

In terms of sanctioned loan amount, women borrowers account for Rs 15.1 lakh crore of retail loans today, a growth of 12 per cent annually over the last six years.

2:39 PM

LIVE: Madhya Pradesh Assembly passes anti-conversion bill

Madhya Pradesh Assembly passes Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021

2:37 PM

UN seeks leading role for Afghan women in peace

The UN said on Monday that it sought a leading role for Afghan women in the country's peace process that is expected to enter a new phase in the coming weeks or months.

 

In a statement marking International Women's Day, the UN said that to give Afghan women a leading role in peace, support was required from all sectors of society as well as from the government and the international community, reports Xnhua news agency.

 

This is also an opportunity to showcase the strengths of Afghanistan's women leaders in all their diversity, the world body said, adding that when today's women leaders are respected and supported and more girls will be encouraged to follow their path.

2:36 PM

Delhi Court convicts Ariz Khan in Batla House encounter case

2:31 PM

SBI Card plans to raise up to Rs 2,000 cr through issuance of debt securities

SBI Cards and Payment Services Ltd (SBI Card) on Monday said it plans to raise up to Rs 2,000 crore through the issuance of debt securities in one or more tranches.

 

A meeting of the board of directors of the company is scheduled to be held on Friday (March 12) to consider and approve raising of funds by way of issuance of non-convertible debentures, aggregating to Rs 2,000 crore, SBI Card said in a regulatory filing.

 

The funds will be raised in one or more tranches over a period of time, it said.

2:29 PM

Budget session may conclude before first phase of assembly polls: Report

The Budget session of Parliament is likely to be cut short and may conclude before the first phase of elections on March 27, while the two Houses will resume their normal timing of 11 am onwards from Tuesday, sources said.

 

Several parties had requested that the session, which was originally scheduled to continue till April 8, be curtailed due to the five assembly elections being held in eight phases till April 29.

2:10 PM

COGOS Technologies to employ, train 500 women drivers in its EV fleet

Logistics services startup COGOS Technologies plans to employ and train 500 women drivers in its electric vehicle fleet by the end of this year.

 

Announcing the plan on the International Women's Day on Monday, the company said it has already trained and inducted as many as 50 women on a pilot basis as part of the initiative.

 

The company will provide training and support in order to build entrepreneurial skill-sets in women drivers under its full-stack platform, it said in a release.