Equality Financial News

AFTER A FORTNIGHT featuring 329 competitions, the battle for Olympic supremacy came down to the last event on the final day of the Paris games. When America’s women’s basketball team beat France’s in the final on August 11th, they also helped their country equal China’s tally of 40 golds at these games. As a result, America retained its position at the summit of the official medal table—which ranks countries based on the number of golds they win—thanks to a greater haul of silvers (44 compared with China’s 27).

Sex ratio in India is expected to improve to 952 women per 1000 men by 2036 from 943 in 2011, according to a report 'Women and Men in India 2023' released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on Monday. The report highlights that India's population in 2036 is expected to be more feminine compared to the 2011 population, as reflected in the sex ratio which is projected to increase from 943 in 2011 to 952 by 2036, highlighting a positive trend in gender equality. By 2036, the population of India is expected to reach 152.2 crore, with a slightly improved female percentage of 48.8 per cent compared to 48.5 per cent in 2011, the report stated. The proportion of individuals under 15 years is projected to decrease from 2011 to 2036, likely due to declining fertility, it stated.

Gurucharan Singh, best known for his role as Roshan Singh Sodhi in the hit comedy series ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’, has recently spoken about his financial struggles and debts. His sudden disappearance earlier this year had alarmed fans. In April, reports surfaced that Gurucharan was missing, but after 26 days, he returned to his home in Delhi, explaining that he had gone away to follow a spiritual path. In a conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Gurucharan mentioned that he is currently seeking work. He believes that people still appreciate him and want to see him, and he needs to earn money to cover his expenses, support his mother, and pay off his debts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to deliver his eleventh consecutive Independence Day address on Thursday, marking his first speech since securing a record-equalling third consecutive term in office. With his oath-taking on June 9, Modi matched Jawaharlal Nehru's record of three terms as prime minister. He is now poised to become the third prime minister, after Nehru and Indira Gandhi, to address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on eleven consecutive August 15 occasions. Nehru, a leading figure of the Congress party, delivered 17 straight Independence Day speeches, while Indira Gandhi, who served as prime minister from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 to October 1984, addressed the nation 16 times, with 11 of those speeches being consecutive.

Jayatri Dasgupta, Program Director, Digital Naari, PayNearby. It is paramount that the country ensure there are women influencers in small towns and villages to bring awareness, technology, financial access and gender equality to the grassroots. This is necessary to realise true inclusivity, Dasgupta says. Digital financial services provider PayNearby launched a women skilling and livelihood programme, Digital Naari, in February to give the women a self-sustainable earning opportunity. “In line with the government’s Lakhpati Didi programme, we want to enable livelihood for at least 1 million women and upgrade them into ‘Lakhpati Didis’ in the next 5 years by making them the preferred banking and digital point in their areas,” Dasgupta says.

Rural-focused fintech startup Jai Kisan has obtained a non-banking finance company (NBFC) licence following its acquisition of a majority stake in Kushal Finnovation Capital, an NBFC specialising in supply chain financing. Arjun Ahluwalia, cofounder and chief executive officer of Jai Kisan is a non-executive director of Kushal Finnovation Capital. With this new NBFC licence, Jai Kisan can now offer customised financial products including loans from its own portfolio. The company will also be able to enter into co-lending partnerships with financial institutions, including public sector banks in India.

Compassion is a sublime virtue and meditative practice. Compassion distinguishes itself from loving kindness because it extends beyond feelings of warmheartedness and goodwill toward others. It is the process of permitting ourselves to be profoundly affected by the pain and vulnerability that all living things share.

Uttar Pradesh took out a protest march on Sunday over attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. People in Varanasi took out a protest march in the city. In Ayodhya, Mahants and Hindu organisations took out a protest march in the city. Former BJP leader Pandit Sunil Bharala said, «The Hindu minority in Bangladesh is under threat at the moment. The temples and mutts are not secured and at night they are guarding it. Our daughters are also not safe. I condemn these attacks and appeal to the Bangladesh interim government to protect them. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a strong stand on it. There is anger in the country. India should take a strong decision on this issue if this continues.»

economy back on track so that it does not come to a standstill, finance and planning adviser Salehuddin Ahmed has said. Former Bangladesh Bank governor Ahmed was entrusted with the charge of the finance and planning ministries by interim leader Muhammad Yunus, who announced the portfolios of his 16-member council of advisors on Friday. The interim government was formed after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5 following widespread protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs. Talking to reporters on Saturday for the first time after assuming office, Ahmed said the government's priority is to restore the trust of common people in the banks while resuming the operations of the central bank.

Paris 2024 Olympics, India's Reetika Hooda faced off against the top-seeded Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan in the women’s 76kg freestyle wrestling event. The match ended in a narrow defeat for Hooda, with the score tied at 1-1. However, Medet Kyzy advanced due to scoring the last equalizing point, as per wrestling rules.

Reetika Hooda today lost to top seed Aiperi Medet Kyzy, the Asian Games champion and World Championship silver medallist, in the women's 76kg quarterfinal bout. Reetika lost the match on points. Interestingly, the final score showed 1-1. So why Reetika Hooda lost the match? As per the rules of Olympics for wrestling, if the two wrestlers end with the same score, the one who scores the last point is declared winner.

Barclays’ released its second quarter results today. They don’t look bad. Profits rose 27% on last year and the business is now generating a passable 9.6% return on equity, which is better than the 7.7% it generated in Q2 last year or the 5.6% it mustered in Q2 2022.

Working in private equity is notoriouslylucrative, but as governments globally look for ways of raising additional tax, it stands to become less so in the future.

TDP) and Jana Sena Party — have demanded a rollback of the goods and services tax (GST) levied on health and life insurance and handlooms. The demand was raised by BJP's two allies during the discussion in the Lok Sabha on the Budget. Speaking on the budget, TDP's Narasaraopet MP, Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu, demanded that long-term capital gains tax be reduced and indexation be brought back. «A lot of members have raised a point with regard to the reduction in long-term capital gains tax from 20% to 12%. They also mentioned about indexation… There is also a lot of talk outside. So, I hope the finance minister will look into it. There should be a relook at indexation because middle-class people think that real estate is one thing that they can safely invest in. We feel that it should be protected» Devarayalu also made a strong case for the rollback of GST on health and life insurance. «There is 18% GST on health insurance policies. „If 75% people have life insurance, only 25% of them will have health or medical insurance. These are uneven numbers. It should be the opposite way. More people should have health or medical insurance and less people should have life insurance or the number should be equal, at least. But somehow it is skewed in one direction. It can be addressed only if GST is reduced so that more people can have access to health insurance,“ said Devarayalu.

Opposition Congress party on Wednesday raised in Rajya Sabha the issue of dropping of Preamble to the Constitution from certain NCERT textbooks saying this was an attempt to impose communal ideology on the country — a claim which Union Minister J P Nadda countered saying the government was committed to protecting the constitution. Raising the issue, Leader of the Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said Preamble, which is the soul and foundation of the Indian Constitution, used to be published in NCERT textbooks. The objectives stated by the Preamble are to secure justice, liberty, equality to all citizens and promote fraternity to maintain unity and integrity of the nation, he said and went on to read the debate in Constituent Assembly in November 1948, where it was argued that political democracy in the country should also be made a social democracy. «Political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it social democracy. What does social democracy mean? It means a way of life which recognizes liberty, equality and fraternity as the principles of life,» he quoted from the debate.

Zomato Ltd is known for its quick delivery, but investors in its shares seem equally fast or even faster in rewarding the online food delivery company’s financial performance. At least, that’s the impression one gets going by the 12% surge in the stock on Friday reacting to the positive surprises in the June quarter results (Q1FY25). This time around, the strong customer addition of the food delivery segment, which is already profitable at the adjusted Ebitda (excluding Esop) level, is commendable.

BSP chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati on Sunday said her party doesn't agree with the recent Supreme Court's verdict allowing sub-classification within Scheduled Castes. «The sub-classification of people within Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) has been permitted, our party doesn't agree with it at all,» Mayawati said while addressing a press conference here.

Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the Tata Group, made a strategic choice in the 1890s to shut down the Tata Shipping Line, demonstrating his willingness to exit from unviable ventures. This tough decision was driven by his effort to break the monopoly of the English P.&O. shipping line that dominated exports from India during the 1880s and 1890s, charging high freight rates and favoring British and Jewish firms. Jamsetji Tata's textile business suffered due to P.&O.'s exorbitant freight rates and discriminatory practices. Determined to challenge this, he traveled to Japan to collaborate with Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK), the largest shipping line in Japan. NYK agreed to partner with Jamsetji, provided he took equal risks and managed the ships himself. To launch the 'Tata Line,' he chartered an English ship named 'Annie Barrow' at a fixed rate of 1,050 pounds per month, marking the first venture bearing the Tata name. Believing the Tata Line would lower freight rates for the entire Indian textile industry, Jamsetji set the rates at Rs 12 per tonne, compared to P.&O.'s Rs 19 per tonne. Soon after, he chartered a second ship, 'Lindisfarne.' His efforts received praise, with The Tribune newspaper commenting in October 1894 that it had «been the subject of general praise in the industrial centre of India.»

Manu Bhaker missed the third medal in the Olympics. She finished at the fourth spot at the 25m sports pistol event with 28 points at the Chateauroux shooting range. The 22-year-old, already the first Indian athlete to win two bronze medals in a single edition of the Olympics, secured a spot in the final by placing second in the qualification rounds on Friday. Bhaker dominated both the 'precision' and 'rapid' rounds in the qualification phase, achieving an aggregate score of 590. This performance placed her just behind Hungary's Veronika Major, who equaled the Olympic record with a score of 592. In the medal event Manu Bhaker was eliminated by Veronika Major, who secured the Bronze medal with 31 points. Bhaker's resurgence in form can be credited to her reunion with former shooter-turned-coach Jaspal Rana. She has already earned two bronze medals at these Games: one in the 10m women's air pistol and another in the 10m air pistol mixed team event alongside Sarabjot Singh.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has signed into law a bill requiring businesses with 25 or more employees to disclose a salary range when posting a job

Hollywood’s video game performers are picketing at the Warner Bros