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Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema presented the state’s FY26 budget on Wednesday, pegged at Rs 2.36 lakh crore with measures to address critical issues like drug abuse, defence, and agriculture. One of the standout proposals is the first-ever «drug census» in Punjab in an effort to gauge the scale of drug usage across the state and evaluating the effectiveness of de-addiction centres. The budget also focuses on providing universal healthcare coverage, improving border security, and addressing environmental concerns such as stubble burning.

NCC shares will be in focus on Wednesday after the infrastructure company secured two advance work orders worth Rs 10,804.56 crore (excluding GST) from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for the design, supply, construction, installation, upgradation, operation, and maintenance of the middle-mile network of BharatNet. «The company has received two advance work orders dated 25th March 2025 from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for the design, supply, construction, installation, upgradation, operation, and maintenance of the middle-mile network of BharatNet in the Uttarakhand Telecom Circle (Package No. 05) and Madhya Pradesh, DNH & DD Telecom Circles (Package No. 01),» NCC said in an exchange filing.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Changes to the benchmark Nifty50 index will be effective from 28 March. Jio Financial Services Ltd and Zomato Ltd will replace Bharat Petroleum Corp.

March 29 Solar Eclipse 2025. Weather, however, is still an essential condition that will determine whether enthusiasts in the entire northeastern United States and eastern Canada will view the partial eclipse without impediments.

Punjab Kings and their new skipper Shreyas Iyer, who anchored the team's batting and and missed his maiden IPL ton by just three runs against Gujarat Titans. Giving a dream start to the franchise in red in their IPL 2025 opener, Iyer smashed 97 runs to set 244 as target for the Shubman Gill-led team to chase. Iyer, the champion captain of IPL 2024, who led Kolkata Knight Riders to their second title win, hit five FOURs and nine SIXES, covering the Narendra Modi stadium 360 degrees. His knock is a carry-forward of his brilliant form he has carried right from domestic cricket to Champions Trophy. Shashank Singh's cameo knock of 44 runs added valued runs to the scorecard and the batsman smashed five boundaries in the final over, keeping the Kings' skipper on the non-striker's end. In an interview post his innings, Singh revealed that Iyer was clear that he doesn't want any batsman to care about his possible century but simply make runs for the team.

Ayushman Bharat and will get health coverage of Rs 5 lakh. Preparations to provide the benefits of Ayushman Bharat to gig and platform workers are almost complete, Sumita Dawra, Secretary, Labour and Employment Ministry, told in an exclusive interview. India's gig and platform economy is expanding, offering new jobs in sectors like ridesharing, delivery, logistics, and professional services. NITI Aayog has projected that the gig economy in India will employ over one crore workers in 2024-25, subsequently reaching 2.35 crore by 2029-30. Recognizing the contribution of the gig and platform workers to the nation's economy, Union Budget 2025-26 announcements had provision for registration of online platform workers on e-Shram portal, issue of identity cards, and and healthcare coverage under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). Dawra said schemes for gig and platform workers will be started soon.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The U.S. is entrusting its most expensive jet-fighter program in history to a company that hasn’t successfully launched a commercial or military aircraft in a decade.

Strategic Defense Initiative, was mocked as «Star Wars» and ultimately shelved. Now, under President Donald Trump’s directive, that idea has been reborn as the «Golden Dome.» Announced in a congressional address, Trump positioned the initiative as a critical step in bolstering national security. “As a first step, I’m asking Congress to fund a state-of-the-art ‘Golden Dome’ missile defence shield to protect our homeland. All made in the USA,” he declared. Unlike Israel’s Iron Dome, which focuses on short-range threats, the Golden Dome is designed to counter a wide range of missile attacks, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and hypersonic weapons. The challenge? The sheer size of the US means covering the entire country is a vastly more complex undertaking.

Income Tax Department has also released the FAQs on the same.

income taxpayers, the government has amended the provisions dealing with income tax search cases, as per a supplementary frequently asked question (FAQ) released by the Income Tax Department. In the amended Section 158BA (Assessment of undisclosed income as a result of search), the word ‘total income’ has been replaced with ‘total undisclosed income’.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. NEW DELHI : The Centre’s revenue deficit grants to states have sharply declined in recent years, reducing the funds states receive under the 15th Finance Commission’s recommendations. The grants, meant to cover post-devolution revenue shortfalls, fell from ₹1,18,452 crore in 2021-22 to ₹24,483 crore in 2024-25, with a further drop to ₹13,705 crore expected in 2025-26, budget documents show.

consumption sector, traditionally seen as a defensive haven during market volatility, is in the midst of a rare and sharp underperformance — with the Nifty FMCG and Nifty Consumption indices down about 20% and 17% from their September 2024 peaks, respectively. While the sector has lagged the broader market in recent months, Motilal Oswal sees this slump as a selective buying opportunity, driven by an expected demand recovery and easing inflation that could set the stage for a rebound. The consumption sector's underperformance— nearly 900-600 basis points below the Nifty100 — creates compelling entry points in select names, Motilal Oswal said, highlighting Page Industries, Devyani International, Metro Brands, V-Mart, Lemon Tree Hotels, LT Foods, and Cello World as key stock picks with strong fundamentals and growth potential.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Dear reader, Last week, I wrote that the average retail trader appeared exhausted. I also advocated that the end of March was likely to be dominated by institutional players.

NPS and he buys health insurance for himself and his parents.

Trump administration, the biggest concern for many journalists was labels. Would they, or their news outlet, be called «fake news» or an «enemy of the people» by a president and his supporters? They now face a more assertive President Donald Trump. In two months, a blitz of action by the nation's new administration — Trump, chapter two — has journalists on their heels. Lawsuits. A newly aggressive Federal Communications Commission. An effort to control the press corps that covers the president, prompting legal action by The Associated Press. A gutted Voice of America. Public data stripped from websites. And attacks, amplified anew. «It's very clear what's happening. The Trump administration is on a campaign to do everything it can to diminish and obstruct journalism in the United States,» said Bill Grueskin, a journalism professor at Columbia University. «It's really nothing like we saw in 2017,» he said. «Not that there weren't efforts to discredit the press, and not that there weren't things that the press did to discredit themselves.»

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India slipped by three ranks to the sixth position in the Mint’s Emerging Markets Tracker in February as stock market rout, sharp depreciation in rupee and a slump in exports overshadowed strong GDP growth and Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI). On the other hand, Brazil claimed the top rank for the first time since November 2023, as it outshone all other emerging markets in its currency performance and performed second-best in stock market capitalization.

Saurabh Rajput, was allegedly murdered by his wife, Muskan Rastogi, and her lover, Sahil. Police investigations revealed that Sahil directed Muskan to stab her unconscious husband three times in the heart, promising her a new life after the crime.

Indian Premier League season opener may take a back seat as a relentless drizzle upon Kolkata on Friday evening, brought an abrupt halt to the practice sessions of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Just a day before their highly anticipated IPL 2025 opener at the iconic Eden Gardens, the weather turned gloomy with gusty winds, likely to affect the big clash. The teams had kicked off their training at 5 PM, but by 6 PM, the rain forced grounds staff into action to cover the field, while players quickly wrapped up their drills.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. BRYAN JOHNSON wants to live for ever. The American businessman pops a hundred pills a day, never eats after 11am, and obsessively monitors dozens of his body’s “biomarkers".