Department Financial News

Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has launched the 'Sangam: Digital Twin' initiative, which will help in infrastructure planning by utilising artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and internet of things (IoT). The digital twin technology offers a solution by creating virtual replicas of physical assets, allowing for real-time monitoring, simulation and analysis for experimental iterations. It aims to demonstrate practical implementation of innovative infrastructure planning solutions. The DoT has invited industry pioneers, startups, MSMEs, academia, innovators and forward-thinkers to participate in Sangam's outreach programmes. Interested stakeholders can apply till March 15.

Cybersecurity experts are warning that hospitals around the United States are at risk for attacks such as the one that's crippling operations at a premier Midwestern children’s hospital

Chief economic advisor V Anantha Nageswaran on Thursday voiced concerns against the imposition of tariffs by select advanced economies on high-carbon goods coming from other sources, arguing that developing countries must not be penalised in such a manner when they also contribute to the economic activities in the developed world. He also stressed that the developing countries that are progressing towards renewable energy have become more vulnerable now than before when they were consuming fossil fuels, especially in the wake of geopolitical tension. The CEA highlighted that in a globalised world, developing countries also help preserve the lives and businesses in developed nations.

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted moderate to heavy rainfall in several parts of the country till 21 February. The weather department has predicted isolated/scattered light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning activity in isolated places over West Bengal & Sikkim, Bihar, Jharkhand on 15th February. Additionally, IMD has issued a yellow alert for heavy rainfall in Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh on 18th February. «Widespread light/moderate rainfall/snowfall with Isolated Heavy Rainfall/Snowfall very likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh on 18th February, 2024,» the weather department said. In Delhi, RWFC Delhi has predicted mainly clear sky with shallow to moderate fog in the morning. The minimum temperature in the city today is likely to be 9 degrees Celsius and maximum temperature at 25 degrees Celsius. At 6.30 am, the overall air quality in the national capital is recorded at 300 which is in ‘poor' category, the Central Pollution Control Board data states.

Demand for spirits across segments slowed to 4% in the last calendar year, a sharp fall from 12% in 2022, after increased taxes, a high base and tipplers seemingly cut back on drinking. Whiskey, which accounts for two-thirds of the segment, grew 5.3% in volume, followed by brandy (2.7%) and rum (1.1%), industry executives said, citing the latest excise department data. Vodka and gin grew 18.8% and 15.3%, respectively, on a lower base. «The demand environment has remained subdued — people are still experimenting,» United Spirits managing director Hina Nagarajan said on an investor call recently. «They are drinking more out of home and out-of-home prices are higher than sort of buying from off-trade and drinking at home. So, there is a little bit of impact on volume there.» United Spirits expects the environment to persist over the next few quarters. «I think the real pressure on the wallet is on the lower side, where we do see upgrades are not happening from country liquor to popular or popular to the lower end of prestige,» she had said.

WestJet passenger says she was kicked off a flight for using the airplane’s bathroom too much before takeoff.Joanna Chiu, a B.C. author, revealed in a series of posts to X (formerly Twitter) that she was forced to leave the aircraft departing Mexico before takeoff after making frequent trips to the washroom, caused by an “upset stomach.”“Just got kicked off a @WestJet flight from Mexico because I had an upset stomach and was going to the washroom too much before takeoff.

Raymond James is bolstering its presence in the wealth management space as it brings on board a seasoned financial advisor previously with Morgan Stanley.

By Leah Douglas

Vedanta's Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. This comes in response to Vedanta's appeal against the closure of the plant by the Tamil Nadu government. The three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice D.Y.

By Nivedita Balu and Niket Nishant

domestic steel sector under the PLI scheme for specialty steel, an official statement said on Wednesday. In March 2023, 57 memorandum of understandings (MoUs) were signed for generating an investment of about Rs 29,500 crore in the sector by FY28. Besides, the scheme envisaged addition of 25 MT capacity for producing specialty steel grades and generating about 17,000 employment opportunities, Ministry of Steel said in an statement. On the status of the scheme, the ministry said «as of December 2023, the selected companies have already invested about Rs 12,900 crore against an investment commitment of Rs 21,000 crore up to the current financial year.»

Gujarat police have seized Rs 5,956 crore drugs and arrested 48 foreign nationals involved in drug trafficking during the last two years, the state government informed in the assembly on Wednesday. During a heated debate in the assembly over the issue of drugs, Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi asked the opposition Congress to stop doing politics on the matter. The minister also questioned Congress' intention to only mention the Adani Group-run Mundra port in Kutch where central agencies in 2021 seized 3,000 kilograms of heroin valued at Rs 20,000 crore from two containers imported from Afghanistan. During the question hour, Congress MLA Geniben Thakor sought to know if the state government wants to arrest those handling operations at the Mundra port in view of the seizure of large quantities of drugs in 2021.

health insurance scheme at the AIIMS here since September 2018, with a majority of the patients seeking treatment in the departments of medical oncology followed by ophthalmology, general medicine, orthopaedics and neurosurgery. As far as complex surgeries are concerned, 730 procedures for congenital heart diseases have been performed followed by 557 total hip replacements and 148 total knee replacements under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). According to data provided by the AIIMS, 5,179 beneficiaries availed benefits of the scheme under medical oncology followed by 4,275 under the department of ophthalmology, 3,169 under general medicine, 2,260 under orthopaedics and 2,223 under neurosurgery till January 24. «The AIIMS, Delhi proudly announces the successful and effective implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPMJAY) scheme. AIIMS has a centralised Ayushman Bharat Kendra located near gate no 1 which runs 24x7 for the smooth implementation of the scheme,» the hospital said in a statement.

Wall Street braced for a chilly reality as hotter-than-expected inflation data sent major indexes tumbling on Tuesday. The Labor Department report revealed US consumer prices surged in January, exceeding forecasts and fueled by rising shelter costs. This unexpected heatwave extinguished investors’ hopes for imminent interest rate cuts.

UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2024: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is expected to release notification and start the registration process for the Civil Services Preliminary examination (UPSC CSE Prelims 2024) on Wednesday (February 14). The notification will be available on UPSC websites - upsc.gov.in and upsconline.nic.in. The registrations for Indian Forest Services (IFS) Preliminary exam through Civil Services examination (CSE) will also start today.

Two fired top executives of FirstEnergy Corp. and Ohio’s former top utility regulator have pleaded not guilty in connection with a $60 million bribery scheme

Firefighters in Sweden are struggling for the second day to put out a blaze at a water park that's under construction at one of the country’s biggest amusement centers

CSX says a cargo train derailed in rural West Virginia, but no injuries were reported and no cars with hazardous materials spilled

West Virginia legislation that limits counties from regulating agricultural operations is stoking fears that a logging company could resurrect plans to build a toxic-spewing facility

A nasty storm with 60 mph winds is raking parts of the Northeast creating dangerous conditions on the road and it's leading to a lot of cancelled flights

The Biden administration is rolling out new recordkeeping rules for U.S. investment advisers in its continued effort to clamp down on money laundering, illicit finance and fraud in the American financial system