RAI Financial News

AIMPLB appeared before the parliamentary panel of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, and opposed the bill. During the deliberation members of the Joint Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill were also engaged in a verbal duel, sources said. The verbal duel started when BJP member Medha Kulkarni was asking questions on the composition of the Waqf Governing Council to legal expert Faizan Mustafa who appeared before the committee on Thursday.

West Bengal minister and senior TMC leader Swapan Debnath has stirred a controversy by saying that parents should monitor what their daughters do during the 'Reclaim the night' movement held after midnight, while citing an alleged incident of a protestor consuming liquor with men during one such agitation. The Animal Resources Development Minister said that any untoward incident makes the state government responsible but the safety of women is the responsibility of everyone. The ruling Trinamool Congress, however, sought to distance itself from the remarks made by the minister. In a purported video, Debnath was seen telling a gathering in Purba Bardhaman district on Wednesday that during a recent 'Reclaim the night' movement in his area Purbasthali, a woman and two men were seen sipping beer at a hotel.

conditional bail to BJP MLA N Munirathna, who has been arrested on various charges, including using casteist slurs. The court, after hearing arguments on his bail plea, allowed his application on the condition of furnishing a Rs two lakh bond and two sureties, and issued specific instructions prohibiting him from tampering with evidence or obstructing the investigation. The 60-year-old has also been directed to fully cooperate with the ongoing inquiry. Munirathna's legal team argued that the charges were politically-motivated and that there was no substantial evidence to support the charges against him.

Congress on Thursday slammed the NDA government in Bihar over the incident of setting ablaze of houses in Nawada, saying it is another proof of the "jungle raj" prevailing in the state and exposes «the horrifying picture of injustice against the Bahujans» there. While Congress leaders pegged the number of houses set ablaze at over 80, police said about 21 houses were set on fire in Nawada district. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said, «Burning down the entire Mahadalit colony in Nawada and destroying the houses of more than 80 families is exposing the horrifying picture of injustice against the Bahujans in Bihar.»

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal will join the party's campaign in poll-bound Haryana with a roadshow in the Jagadhri constituency on September 20, AAP national general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak said on Thursday. He will also participate in 13 events across 11 districts, covering the Dabwali, Rania, Bhiwani, Meham, Kalayat, Assandh and Ballabhgarh constituencies, among others, in the coming days, Pathak said at a press conference. «AAP national convenor Kejriwal has come out of jail after defeating the BJP's conspiracy. Now he is fully prepared for the election campaign in Haryana and will start on September 20,» he said. His further campaign schedule will be announced later, he added.

Kolkata: Vodafone Idea's (Vi) talks with lenders and vendors are on track and the failure of the curative petition in the Supreme Court on the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) issue would not affect those because the case was not factored into the company's business plan or discussions, people familiar with the matter said. A person familiar with the matter said the curative petition was not factored into any business plan given to the lenders. Even the techno-economic assessment that the lenders have done is favourable and does not talk about the curative ruling at all. «We are in active discussions with multiple banks. A key milestone in this process was the updating of the independent techno-economic evaluation initiated by the banks, which was completed recently,» a Vodafone Idea (Vi) spokesperson said in response to ET's queries.

tactile pleasure of selecting an album. Each record sleeve, often adorned with eye-grabbing artwork, tells its own story and sets the stage for the auditory journey ahead. Once the record is placed — gingerly — on the turntable, the gentle crackle as the needle touches down like a plane on a tarmac is a prelude to the rich, warm sound that follows. Unlike the sterile perfection of digital music, vinyl offers a depth and texture that feels more organic and alive. The music breathes, with every pop and hiss adding character to the listening experience.

Jal Shakti minister C R Paatil said on Thursday that significant progress on a major river-linking initiative would take place within the next couple of months. At the valedictory session of India Water Week 2024, Paatil highlighted the government's efforts to address India's water crisis through river-linking projects and sustainable local water management. He announced that significant progress on a major river-linking initiative would take place within the next couple of months. Though he didn't divulge details. «In just 1-2 months, we will advance a major river-linking project, ensuring water is available where it's needed,» Paatil said, adding it will also prevent floods by redirecting water from where it's in excess.

West Bengal government on Thursday issued a list of directives on the safety, security and efficient functioning of healthcare professionals, saying those orders need to be implemented immediately. The directives came a day after the government held a meeting with agitating junior doctors over the same issues. In a two-page communication, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to Principal Secretary (health) NS Nigam, the directions mentioned the need for «adequate availability of on-duty rooms, washrooms, CCTVs, drinking water facilities in the healthcare facilities.» Works in this connection must be completed as early as possible, it mentioned in one of the 10 directives issued.

Amaravati: Amid the controversy over the alleged use of substandard ingredients and animal fat in the preparation of the world renowned Tirupati laddu, the ruling Telugu Desam Party on Thursday claimed that the adulteration has been confirmed by a Gujarat-based livestock laboratory. TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy in a press conference displayed the purported lab report which apparently confirmed the presence of "beef tallow" in the given ghee sample. The purported lab report also claimed the presence of «lard» (relating to pig fat) and fish oil in the samples. The sample receipt date was July 9, 2024 and the lab report was dated July 16. However, there was no official confirmation on the lab report from either the Andhra Pradesh government or the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has lifted the restrictions imposed on the gold loan business of IIFL Finance with immediate effect, the company informed in a short stock exchange notice. RBI had prohibited the company from sanctioning, disbursing, or selling any of its gold loans in March this year citing certain supervisory concerns. The central bank had cited deviations in assaying and certifying purity and net weight of the gold at the time of sanction of loans and at the time of auction upon default, breaches in loan-to-value ratio (LTV), significant disbursal and collection of loan amount in cash far in excess of the statutory limit among others, while announcing the ban. IIFL said that the lifting of the ban with immediate effect, allows the company to resume the its gold loans business in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.

Infosys on Thursday said it will invest up to Rs 17 crore in space tech startup GalaxEye Space Solutions as part of Infosys Innovation Fund. The investment will be made in equity and series A compulsory convertible preference shares allotment, a regulatory filing said. «Infosys Ltd has agreed to invest in SpaceTech startup, GalaxEye up to INR 17 Crores (approximately USD 2 million) as part of Infosys Innovation Fund,» it said. The all-cash deal is expected to be completed on or before September 30, 2024.

The phenomenon, called a mini moon, will last for approximately two months, from September 29 to November 25, 2024, according to scientists, as per a report by Live Science. Although this celestial event is intriguing, the mini moon will be difficult to spot for most skywatchers.

AGR front is «crucial» for Vodafone Idea and in its absence, the telco could be staring at financial crisis in coming years once the annual spectrum and AGR payments of USD 4-5 billion per annum fall due, CLSA said on Thursday. The brokerage's views come at a time when the Supreme Court has dismissed a batch of pleas filed by companies, including Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel, seeking correction of alleged computational errors in the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR). «AGR relief is crucial for VIdea (VIL) and we await industry's next steps. In absence of AGR relief, VIdea could face financial crisis in 2HFY26/FY27CL, when annual spectrum and AGR payments to government of USD 4-5 billion per annum become due,» CLSA said in a note on Thursday. Macquarie's report titled «No AGR waivers; VI needs waivers and a white knight?» observed that Vodafone-Idea's net debt was USD 28 billion in 1QFY25, including AGR liability of USD 8.5 billion (of which about 20 per cent is principal and the rest represents interest and penalties).

SJVN generated 8,489 million units (MUs) of green energy from its operational hydro, solar and wind power stations in 2023-24, a top company official said. SJVN CMD Sushil Sharma made the remarks at the company's 36th Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the 2023-24 financial year. «Despite facing challenging hydrological conditions due to climate change, SJVN demonstrated resilience in its operations. In FY24, the company generated 8,489 MUs from its operational hydro, solar and wind power stations,» a company statement quoted Sharma as saying. The power stations set new records, including highest-ever daily generation of 39.570 million units (MU) and 10.971 MU by 1,500 MW NJHPS (Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station) and 412 MW Rampur HPS, respectively, in July 2023.

oil market has changed in a year and will influence the way India negotiates its annual crude purchase deals for next year as the country is witnessing fuel consumption growth while global demand is forecast to be weakening, a petroleum ministry official said. “When we sit down with them (suppliers) in December or January, for both sides the negotiating positions would be very different from what they were last year,” said the official, who didn't want to be named. “The market of December 2024 is not the market of December 2023.” “What has changed in the market is that whether it’s IEA or OPEC, they are bringing down their estimates for world demand,” he said, adding that India was in a different position as it is experiencing a demand increase.

Plant growth on the marble wall of the Taj Mahal's central dome has raised concerns about the monument's maintenance after a tourist shared a photo on social media. The plant, sprouting between the marble stones on the northern side of the dome, appeared just days after rainwater seeped through the ivory-white structure, causing droplets to reach the tomb below. Tour operators and organizations are questioning the conservation efforts in place. Shakeel Chauhan, national general secretary of the Tourist Guide Federation of India, commented, «The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) spends Rs 4 crore annually on the Taj Mahal's preservation. Such images tarnish the monument's reputation.» He urged for immediate conservation work following the rainy season. Rajkumar Patel, superintending archaeologist, stated that all plants on the mausoleum's walls were removed in August. «This plant has appeared in the last 15 days and will be promptly removed,» he assured. A tourist guide noted that displaced inlay stones near the plant could lead to further damage if not addressed quickly.