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RBI has changed the public holiday under Negotiable Instrument Act, settlement of financial market transactions on September 29, 2023 from September 28, 2023. The RBI bank holiday list now shows September 29 as bank holiday instead of September 28, 2023. Also read: September Bank holiday 2023: Banks to remain closed for 16 days across various states, check full list here According to the RBI notification, “To ensure smooth functioning of the financial markets and non-disruptive settlement of transactions especially in view of the quarter / half year end, it has been decided, in public interest, to keep the Government securities market, foreign exchange market, money market and rupee interest rate derivatives market operational on September 29, 2023 in addition to being operational on September 28, 2023.” The RBI also stated, “The settlement of secondary market transactions in Government securities, foreign exchange market, money market and rupee interest rate derivatives market which were due on September 29, 2023 will continue to be on the same day i.e., September 29, 2023.” Banks closed on September 28 Banks are closed in Gujarat, Mizoram, Karnataka, Tanil Nadu, Uttara Khand, Telangana, Manipur, Uttara Pradesh, New Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand. Banks closed on 29 Banks are closed in Sikkim, Jammu and Srinagar on the occasion of Indrajatra, Friday following Eid-i-Milad-ul-Nabi and Eid-E-Milad. Also read: Bank holidays in October 2023: Banks will be closed for up to 18 days in October; check state-wise bank holiday list Are banks closed on Saturday 30th Banks are not closed on September 30th as it is the fifth Saturday which is a working Saturday, according to the RBI guidelines.

Maldives votes in a presidential runoff on Saturday that could drastically rebalance its relations with India and China, two regional giants competing for influence in the geopolitical hotspot. The atoll nation of nearly 1,200 coral islets is a prestige tourism hotspot and favourite beach holiday destination for the world's rich and famous. It also sits in a strategically vital position in the middle of the Indian Ocean, astride one of the world's busiest east-west shipping lanes. Frontrunner Mohamed Muizzu's party moved into Beijing's orbit while last in office and was an eager recipient of financial largesse from China's Belt and Road infrastructure programme. Muizzu, the 45-year-old mayor of Male, spearheaded the $200 million China-backed bridge linking the capital to the country's main airport while in the last government. He won just over 46 percent of the first round earlier this month while incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who presided over the restoration of ties with traditional benefactor India, trailed at 39 percent. But with only 283,000 eligible voters, and barely 15,000 votes between the pair, former foreign minister Ahmed Shaheed told AFP the contest was on a knife's edge. «The mood in the Maldives suggests that the two candidates are narrowing their gap,» Shaheed said. «This is going to be a very, very close race.» Solih won office in 2018 on the back of discontent with his autocratic predecessor Abdullah Yameen, an ally of Muizzu's who is now serving an 11-year prison sentence for corruption. He had accused Yameen of pushing the country into a Chinese debt trap by borrowing heavily for infrastructure. Yameen's turn towards Beijing had alarmed New Delhi, which shares Western concern at China's

lentils from Canada despite the worsening of diplomatic ties between the two nations as New Delhi seeks to build buffer stocks to arrest the high price of pulses, said people familiar with the matter. The two central government agencies — National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd (NCCF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) – have recently issued tenders to procure red lentils (masoor whole) from the local market as well as through imports to stabilise prices. “The two agencies have floated tenders for domestic as well as imported lentils. They have, however, not mentioned any restriction on the country of origin,” one of the persons cited above said, adding lentils that will be procured have to comply with specifications of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The two agencies, together, began issuing tenders four times every week to procure lentils earlier this month. Erratic monsoons this year in key growing states have caused a drop in acreage, leading to a rally in prices of the protein-rich staple.

National Tourism Awards 2023 by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. This remarkable recognition was bestowed upon Kongthong by the Government of India, at a glittering ceremony held at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Speaking on the achievement Conrad K Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya, said “I am immensely proud to announce that Kongthong, our enchanting whistling village, has been honoured with the prestigious 'Best Tourism Village (Bronze)' award for 2023 by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. This recognition is a testament to the rich cultural heritage and natural beauty that Meghalaya has to offer. Kongthong's melodious whistles echo the harmony of our diverse traditions and the serenity of our landscapes.

NEW DELHI : The central government on Tuesday announced that it will borrow ₹6.55 trillion during the second half of the ongoing fiscal year, keeping its borrowing plans unchanged. Mint explains the relevance of this for the Indian economy. The central government will borrow ₹6.55 trillion during the second half of the ongoing fiscal year, which comprises 42.45% of its gross market borrowing of ₹15.43 trillion for the full year.

NEW DELHI : Public lynchings in India may be isolated cases, but each instance tarnishes the country’s rule-of-law credentials. This week, a man suspected of theft died after he was tied to a pole in northeast Delhi and beaten with sticks, a ghastly violation of his legal rights that was captured by a video clip in circulation on social media.

NEW DELHI : Markets regulator the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Wednesday imposed a fine of ₹5 lakh on brokerage Yes Securities for irregularities pertaining to settlement of client funds, shortage in collection of margin and for not adhering to leverage and exposure limits. Sebi along with the stock exchanges, inspected the accounts of Yes Securities in 2022 during which the regulator discovered several discrepancies in reporting.

NEW DELHI : The health ministry plans to bring two flu drugs, Oseltamivir and Zanamivir, under schedule H1 of the drugs and cosmetic law to ensure they are not sold without a doctor’s prescription because of the potential of misuse. The move also makes it mandatory for chemists to maintain a record of sale and purchase of these drugs. The government has sought comments from stakeholders within one month to move ahead with this decision.

NEW DELHI : India may allow exports of another 50,000 tonnes of non-basmati white rice to Singapore under humanitarian operations, making an exception for one of its key diplomatic partners, two government officials said. India recently permitted limited exports of the rice variety, which is currently under the prohibited category, to the UAE and last month to Bhutan, Mauritius and Singapore. These countries appealed to New Delhi to resume rice exports following India’s decision to suspend non-basmati shipments on 20 July to keep prices in check.

NEW DELHI : The finance ministry will hold a series of meetings with various ministries and departments starting early October to finalize the revised budget estimates for FY24 and the FY25 budget numbers with a pre-election focus on balancing a possible rise in subsidy requirements with the need to maintain fiscal prudence. As many as 65 meetings will be held within a span of a month, a person informed about the official schedule of consultations said.

NEW DELHI : A push by India and the Philippines to renegotiate their investment agreement is moving slowly, according to persons aware of the matter. The agreement, which was signed in 2000 and came into force in 2001, expired in 2011. New Delhi has called for the agreement to be terminated and replaced by a new Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT).

NEW DELHI : India is working with Russia to sort out lingering problems with the rupee trade mechanism, including challenges with the exchange rate mechanism and fund repatriation, two government officials said. “Though issues with the special Rupee Vostro account system haven’t yet been resolved, both sides are working on the teething issues," one of the officials said. A Vostro account is a bank account, generally in a foreign currency, which is held by one bank on behalf of another.

Siddaramaiah on Wednesday took a swipe at the former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-headed JD (S), saying it should not call itself a secular party after forging an electoral alliance with the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. JD(S) on Friday decided to ally with the BJP following a meeting of its leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy (Gowda's son) with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national President J P Nadda in New Delhi.

The protesters had called a state-wide bandh on September 26. Siddaramaiah, while speaking to reporters in Chamrajnagar, said the state's legal team has recommended that the government should move to the apex court to challenge the Cauvery regulation panel's latest directive.

Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) to explore feasibility of harnessing geothermal potentials that the state’s numerous hot springs offer. The intention of this MoU is to provide a facilitating mechanism for the two parties to work together on mutually agreed, progressive and supportive activities; aiming for further development in the field of Geotechnics and Rock Engineering by dealing with complex sub-surface geological and geotechnical issues faced by the state. To begin with, NGI will carry out geological, geochemical and geothermal investigation of few selected geothermal sites in Tawang and West Kameng districts that will include MT Survey to decipher the deeper geoelectrical configuration of geothermal springs (hot-springs) and feasibility to utilize the Geothermal Energy resources for further use. The MoU was signed by Repo Ronya, Secretary, Science and Technology, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, and Dr Rajinder Bhasin, Technical Expert, NGI, Norway, in presence of Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Science and Technology Minister Honchun Ngandam, Chief Secretary Dharmendra and Dr Vivek Kumar, Senior Advisor, Norwegian Embassy, New Delhi. Congratulating NGI and the department of science and technology, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that it’s a right step towards green and clean energy production especially in the light of global warming concerns. “It’s a great coincidence that this MoU is being signed on World Tourism Day as its theme this year is ‘Tourism & Green Investment’ that perfectly goes in tandem with this new initiative,” Khandu pointed. He expressed optimism that the study will lead to development of renewable geothermal sources in Arunachal Pradesh and increase energy supply to meet present and

India's diplomatic relations, noted Pakistani author Ayesha Siddiqa suggests that the ongoing tensions with Canada over the Khalistani issue could be akin to India's «Israel moment.» Siddiqa's insights, shared in an article published on the UK-based website The Middle East Eye, shed light on the current state of affairs between the two nations. India's response to Canada's accusations of New Delhi's involvement in the murder of a Khalistani extremist on Canadian soil appears to be one of relative composure. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations, although serious, have not rattled India to an excessive degree.

Hindustan Times, adding that a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been finalised after negotiations between the two sides. Taipei is looking towards New Delhi to address the manpower shortage in key sectors such as manufacturing, including factories, construction projects, household workers, and agriculture and fisheries, the sources claimed.

Also read: Nijjar killing row: ‘Canada has seen a lot of organized crime’, says Jaishankar She added, "We are also requesting a briefing on whether there are similar operations in the United States". Following Omar's remark MP Chaturvedi urged India's foreign ministry to start an enquiry into how an elected representative in the USA is interfering in the peace of Jammu & Kashmir via a Pakistan-funded PoK visit. Omar reportedly visited to Pakistan-occupied part of the disputed region of Kashmir or PoK in 2022.

A proposed early-stage trade deal is in jeopardy, potentially hurting India’s efforts to woo the West and serve as a supply-chain alternative to China. India’s access to Canadian potash, a key nutrient for crops, may get affected. Indian students may start avoiding Canada for higher education after New Delhi issued a safety advisory on the country for “anti-India” activities.

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, said on Tuesday that India has told Canada it was open to looking into any «specific» or «relevant» information it provides on the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week that Ottawa had credible intelligence linking Indian agents to the murder, prompting an angry initial reaction from New Delhi, which denies the allegation. Asked about the allegations at a Council on Foreign Relations event in New York, Jaishankar detailed India's response in diplomatic engagements. «One, we told the Canadians that this is not the government of India's policy,» he said. «Two, we told the Canadians saying that look, if you have something specific, if you have something relevant, you know, let us know — we are open to looking at it.» India last week suspended new visas for Canadians and asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence in the country, citing what it called a deteriorating security environment. India had been «badgering the Canadians» about its claims that organized criminals are based there, a reference to separatists like Nijjar, he said, adding that India had made «a large number of extradition requests.» «The picture is not complete without the context,» he added.

S Jaishankar raised concern over the «steady increase in Chinese naval presence» in the Indian Ocean and called «to prepare for a far greater presence of Beijing than seen ever before.» Speaking at the 'Discussion at Council on Foreign Relations' in New York, Jaishankar said, «Last 20 -25 years, there has been a steady increase in the Chinese naval presence and activity in the Indian Ocean, but there has been a very sharp increase in the size of Chinese naval. When you have a very much bigger navy, that navy is going to be visible in terms of its deployment somewhere.» The EAM further said that New Delhi does watch these developments «very carefully» for any security implications. «In our own case, we have seen Chinese port activity, and buildings, you mentioned Gwadar, there is a port called Hambantota in Sri Lanka.