The UPA's claim that its flagship rural employment scheme has eradicated an age-old scourge is hard to believe

Bonded labour: The truth is out there

Business Standard

Indian Railways, in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation, has undertaken a project to elevate railway tracks to remove level crossings before next year's Maha Kumbh, officials said on Sunday.
The initiative is set to ease traffic congestion, save travel time, and provide significant relief to city residents, they added.
Celebrated in a cycle of 12 years, the Maha Kumbh will be held in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26.
Rail under bridges (RUBs) and rail over bridges (ROBs) are ready on almost all the level crossings in Prayagraj where movement will start fully before the mega event, officials said.
Alongside the spiritual festivities, the Maha Kumbh has accelerated industrial growth and commercial development across the region. A major highlight of this transformation is the removal of level crossings, made possible through the collaborative efforts of Indian Railways and the State Bridge Corporation.
Amit Malviya, senior public relations officer, .

Indian Railways has completed electrification of 96.68 per cent of its broad gauge network, as it moved swiftly to become fully-electrified by 2024-25. Six more states now have 100 per cent electrified networks, taking the number of such states to 20

Indian Rare Earth Limited (IREL) has signed an agreement with a Kazakhstan-based company to develop the titanium value chain in India by harnessing the potential of rare-earth minerals in the coastal parts of the country.
The joint venture between IREL (India) Limited and Ust-Kamenogorsk Titanium and Magnesium Plant JSC (UKTMP JSC) proposes to convert low titanium oxide (TiO2) ilmenite produced in Odisha to titanium slag, which is in great demand in the aerospace and defence sectors.
"The setting up of this JV plant is expected to catalyse the establishment of chloride pigment/Ti Slag/sponge manufacturing industry, which has been hindered by non-availability of high TiO2 feedstock," Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply to a question.
Titanium is highly corrosion-resistant and remains unaffected by most acids, bases, environmental conditions, and has a low density paired with high strength. These qualities make 

Indian Rare Earths, IREL

Allu Arjun-starrer "Pushpa 2: The Rule" has amassed Rs 1,292 crore at the box office in just 10 days of its release, the makers said on Sunday.
Directed by Sukumar, the Telugu movie released on December 5 worldwide with dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali and Malayalam.
Also starring Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil, "Pushpa 2" is a sequel to 2021's blockbuster film "Pushpa: The Rise".
Production banner Mythri Movie Makers shared the latest box office update on its official X handle along with the poster of the film which read, "Highest Grosser of Indian Cinema in 2024. Rs 1292 crore gross worldwide 10 days."
The caption of the post stated: "#Pushpa2TheRule crosses Massive 1292 CRORES GROSS in 10 days. The HIGHEST GROSSER OF INDIAN CINEMA IN 2024. #2024HighestGrosserPushpa2 #Pushpa2 #WildFirePushpa.
"Icon Star @alluarjun @iamRashmika @aryasukku #FahadhFaasil @ThisIsDSP @resulp @NavinNooli @SukumarWritings @MythriOfficial @AAFilmsIndia @Ags_production @E4Emovies ..

Pushpa 2: The Rule

RCap subsidiaries to get listed by mid-2026, 2027

reliance capital

Indian uncapped player Simran Shaikh was the most expensive player, with a final bid of Rs 1.90 crore from Gujarat Giants, while Deandra Dottin was the most expensive overseas player

WPL 2025 auction

The Bengaluru police arrested Nikita Singhania from Gurugram while her mother and brother were arrested from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh

Nikita Singhania arrest

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday proposed 11 resolutions which include upholding existing reservations for marginalised sections but  strongly opposing any religion-based quota.
Replying to a two-day debate in Lok Sabha on the 'Glorious Journey of 75 Years of  the Constitution of India', Modi said the Constituent Assembly had decided against religion-based reservations after a thorough discussion, and alleged the Congress is now promising it to appease its vote bank.
The 11 resolutions proposed by Modi towards the end of his over 110-minute speech also included a call for an end to dynastic politics, promoting meritocracy over nepotism in governance and a pledge for having zero tolerance to corruption.
The prime minister said these resolutions are aimed at shaping India's future.
But Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav termed the 11 resolutions "hollow and fake promises."
"Today, we heard resolution of 11 'jumlas'. Doubling the .

Modi, Narendra Modi

India's import of Russian crude oil dropped in November to its lowest level since June 2022 but the Kremlin continues to be the biggest source of oil for India, according to a monthly tracker report of a European think tank.
India became the second biggest buyer of Russian crude oil since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, with purchases rising from less than one per cent of the total oil imported to almost 40 per cent of the country's total oil purchases.
The rise was primarily because the Russian crude oil was available at a discount to other internationally traded oil due to the price cap and the European nations shunning purchases from Moscow.
"India's imports of Russian crude oil dropped by a massive 55 per cent in November - the lowest figure since June 2022," the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) said its latest report.
Russia remained India's top oil supplier, followed by Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
"China has bought 47 per cent of Russia's crude exports,

Russia’s state-owned oil firm Rosneft has agreed to supply up to 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil to Indian upstream oil and gas major Reliance Industries (RIL) in the largest-ever energy deal between the two countries, Reuters reported on

Russia's state-owned oil firm Rosneft has agreed to supply up to 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil to Indian upstream oil and gas major Reliance Industries (RIL) in the largest-ever energy deal between the two countries, Reuters reported on

Five of the 10 most valued firms added Rs 1,13,117.17 crore to their total market valuation last week with Bharti Airtel stealing the show.
While Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank and Infosys were the gainers, Reliance Industries, State Bank of India, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), ITC and Hindustan Unilever took a hit in their valuations.
Last week, the BSE benchmark gained 623.07 points or 0.76 per cent and the Nifty advanced 90.5 points or 0.36 per cent.
The market valuation of Bharti Airtel surged by Rs 47,836.6 crore to Rs 9,57,842.40 crore.
Infosys added Rs 31,826.97 crore to its valuation at Rs 8,30,387.10 crore.
HDFC Bank's valuation rose by Rs 11,887.78 crore to Rs 14,31,158.06 crore and that of ICICI Bank increased by Rs 11,760.8 crore to Rs 9,49,306.37 crore.
The market capitalisation (mcap) of TCS climbed Rs 9,805.02 crore to Rs 16,18,587.63 crore.
However, the mcap of Reliance Industries declined by Rs 52,031.98 crore 

Airtel

The US Fed interest rate decision, inflation data and FIIs are the key factors that are expected to drive stock markets this week,  analysts said.
Also, global trends will also be tracked by investors for further cues, they added.
"The Indian stock market's future trajectory will be influenced by a blend of global and domestic factors. Global trends, particularly the performance of US markets and the Fed's monetary policy decision, will play a significant role. Additionally, domestic economic indicators like inflation, will shape the market sentiment," Pravesh Gour, Senior Technical Analyst, Swastika Investmart Ltd, said.
The flow of foreign and domestic institutional investments will also be a key driver, he said.
Gour further said the rupee's exchange rate and crude oil prices will be critical determinants of market direction.
From the domestic macroeconomic data announcement, WPI inflation will be in focus on Monday.
"The key focus will be on the US Federal Reserve meeting, wh

Market, Stock market, NSE, National Stock Exchange

Passengers report paying up to 200% more for food and beverages at Indian airports, with samosas priced at Rs 200 and thalis at Rs 500, sparking calls for affordable options and pricing reforms

Travelers, travelling, Airport, Plane

The Rs 8,000-crore IPO of Vishal Mega Mart will end on December 13

Vishal Mega Mart

The outage also raised broader concerns about the dependency on a few large tech companies controlling critical platforms

OpenAI, ChatGPT, AI

India and the UK are expected to hold the next round of talks for a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) in January to resolve the pending issues and close the negotiations, a senior official said on Thursday.
The talks for the proposed FTA began in January 2022. The 14th round of talks stalled as the two nations stepped into their general election cycles.
In November, an official statement said that the dates for the FTA talks in early 2025 would be finalised through diplomatic channels.
The negotiations would resume the discussions from the progress achieved previously and seek to bridge the gaps for expeditiously closing the trade deal.
The next round of talks is likely to start at January-end, the official said.
The Indian industry is demanding greater access for its skilled professionals from sectors like IT and healthcare in the UK market, besides market access for several goods at nil customs duty.
On the other hand, the UK is seeking a significant cut in import duties on g

India UK, FTA

The industrial and warehousing segment accounted for almost half of total institutional investments in real estate during H1CY24

warehouse

At just 18 years old, Gukesh's triumph marks a historic milestone in chess, making him the youngest player to ever claim the World Chess Championship title.

Manoj Varghese

Manoj Varghese

Manoj Varghese

Bonded labour: The truth is out there

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Indian Railways to elevate tracks for smooth traffic during Maha Kumbh 2025

IREL, Kazakh firm to form JV to harness India's titanium potential

Pushpa 2: Allu Arjun's movie collects Rs 1,292 cr at box office in 10 days

IIHL's takeover of Reliance Capital set to complete by January end

WPL 2025 auction: Full list of players bought by all five teams with price

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Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash's wife, in-laws arrested in suicide case

Zero corruption, no to religion-based quota: PM outlines 11 resolutions

India's import of Russian oil drops in Nov to lowest level since June 2022

Mcap of 5 of top-10 most valued firms climb to Rs 1.13 trn; Airtel shines

Mkts to be guided by US Fed rate decision, WPI inflation, trends: Analysts