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On the BSE, Punjab Sind Bank(down 12.23 per cent), Sainik Finance(down 11.33 per cent), Central Bank(down 10.87 per cent), Franklin Leasing & Finance(down 10.00 per cent) and Mediaone Global Entertainment(down 9.98 per cent) stood among the top losers in today's trade.

Equity benchmark Sensex ended the session up 592.93 points at 76617.44.

Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) handled 82.62 MT of cargo during 2024-25, its highest ever, it said on Tuesday. The VPA termed it a “milestone unlocked” as it witnessed increased volumes across key cargo segments including crude oil, manganese ore, bauxite, rice and general cargo despite global trade fluctuations and logistical challenges. Visakhapatnam port also ranks among the world’s Top 20 container ports.

IDFC FIRST Bank on Wednesday said it has been authorised by Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO) to disburse pensions on its behalf. This allows the bank to disburse pensions to central government pensioners including, All India Service Officers, former Members of Parliament, retired Judges of High Courts and Supreme Court, former Presidents and Vice Presidents of India, and officials of Civil Ministries and Departments (other than Railways, Posts, Telecom and Defence), the lender said in a release. «Pensioners can now receive their pension directly in their IDFC FIRST Bank savings account,» it said. From a technical point of view, the integration between the CPAO, GoI and IDFC FIRST Bank is complete and is ready for such pension disbursements, IDFC FIRST Bank said.

Bharatiya Janata Party over the Waqf Amendment Bill, calling it a «part of the party's agenda of polarization.» Speaking with ANI, Rawat said, «Earlier also when amendments were made in the bill, questions were raised and we resolved them through discussions but you (government) are not resolving them...It seems that this is also a part of the BJP's agenda of polarization.» Additionally, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram urged the government not to pass the law, noting the «sensitivities» of people associated with the waqf board. «This is a matter of faith and it is a matter of practising religion and it is a property donated voluntarily for a religious purpose. The government should be aware of the sensitivities, respect the sensitivities and take people along and not pass the law just because they have a majority in the House,» Chidambaram said. He also added that the BJP is bringing the bill to «send a signal» to their core voters.

Zerodha cofounder Nithin Kamath on Wednesday flagged the rise of digital arrest frauds in India over the past year, and the vast amounts of money being lost to scamsters. In a post on X, Kamath said, «Indians have lost over Rs 2000 crores to digital arrest frauds this year. These scams work by creating fear in people. They take advantage of people's tendency to make mistakes when they are afraid.»

Waqf Amendment Bill by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju led to a showdown between the NDA and the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The bill seeks to improve the administration of Waqf properties, introduce technology-driven management, address complexities and ensure transparency. Introducing the bill, Rijiju said the consultation process of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was the largest ever exercise carried out by a parliamentary panel in India's democratic history.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday strongly defended the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, in the Lok Sabha, and said that the legislation was necessary to ensure the proper use of Waqf properties for the benefit of the poor and disadvantaged sections of the Muslim community. Rijiju, who tabled the Bill in the Lower House, took aim at the opposition, accusing them of misleading Muslims for the last 70 years for «vote bank politics.» «How long do you want to mislead them?» Rijiju asked MPs of the Opposition bloc, particularly those affiliated with the Congress. “The Muslims are strongly supporting this Bill. They have been asking to pass it quickly,” he said.

Waqf Amendment Bill is set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha today, sparking mixed reactions from opposition parties and BJP ally JD(U). JD(U) Member of Parliament Sanjay Jha expressed his party's concern, stating that the bill should not be retrospective. He mentioned that if their concerns were addressed in the bill, they would support it. «Our concern is that it (Bill) should not be retrospective. Let the bill come if our concerns are accommodated in it, we will definitely support the Bill,» Jha told ANI. JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said, «As far as JD (U) is concerned, most of the suggestions made during the JPC meetings regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill have been reported to be included. Therefore, a whip has been issued to the MPs by the party to remain in the House during the proceedings of Parliament and vote in favor of the government.» «We will tell make our stand clear in Parliament. JD(U) and CM Nitish Kumar does not need to learn the definition of secularism from Congress,» he added. RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha criticized the Waqf Bill, saying It violates the Constitution.

Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath highlighted the issue in a recent post on social media platform X, warning that these scams exploit fear to deceive people.

Cybermate Info(up 18.11%), VMV Holidays Ltd.(up 17.90%), Radhe Developers(up 17.76%), Josts Engineering (up 17.05%), Sharp Investments(up 15.78%) and Keynote Financial(up 15.20%) were among the stocks that surged over 15%.

The troops of the Nangi Tekri Battalion, under the aegis of the Krishna Ghati Brigade of the Indian Army, retaliated strongly. Further details are awaited. Earlier, the security forces intensified search and cordon operations following the exchange of fire with terrorists in the Panjtirthi area of Kathua.

Tech Mahindra Ltd.(up 1.97 per cent), Infosys Ltd.(up 1.22 per cent), Persistent Systems Ltd.(up 1.07 per cent), MphasiS Ltd.(up 0.96 per cent) and L&T Technology Services Ltd.(up 0.57 per cent) were among the top gainers.

On the BSE, Ramgopal Poly(down 12.11 per cent), Hittco Tools(down 11.11 per cent), Adeshwar Meditex(down 10.71 per cent), Olympic Oil(down 9.97 per cent) and Kay Power & Paper(down 9.96 per cent) were among the stocks that plunged over 5 per cent during the session.

HDFC Bank Ltd.(up 1.31 per cent), ICICI Bank Ltd.(up 1.25 per cent), Axis Bank Ltd.(up 0.78 per cent), Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.(up 0.29 per cent) and IndusInd Bank Ltd.(up 0.23 per cent) were among the top gainers.

Among these top gainers were N G Industries(up 10.00%), Jhaveri Credits(up 9.99%), NACL Industries (up 9.96%), Intellivate Cap(up 9.90%), Suryaamba Spin(up 9.76%), Step Two Corp(up 9.64%), Gallops Enterprise(up 9.56%), Narendra Prop(up 9.32%), Radhe Developers(up 9.21%) and Mitsu Chem Plast(up 9.18%).

Banaskantha Collector Mihir Pravinkumar Patel said that most of the deceased workers were residents from the Dewas and Harda districts in Madhya Pradesh. The Collector confirmed that the identification process of the victims has been completed, and their bodies are being sent back to their native places with the support of local administrations. Speaking to the media here, Patel said, «Majority of the deceased workers were from Dewas and Harda district of MP. The minister (Chouhan Nagar Singh), senior officers, and local administration officers from MP arrived here last night. The families of the deceased were also present at Deesa Civil Hospital yesterday.» «After completing the identification process of the 10 people from the Dewas district in the presence of their family members, the deceased were sent to their native land in ambulances. A local administration team from the Harda district has also reached Deesa Civil Hospital. After the identification process, the eight deceased from the Harda district will also be sent to their native place,» he said.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has decided to propose that state governments be allowed to decide on non-Muslim members in State Waqf Boards as the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill comes for introduction and passage in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The party has decided to take a nuanced stand on the floor of the House after detailed meetings at Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s residence late on Tuesday night. According to sources, Naidu consulted legal experts and decided that the party will support the bill but the Lok Sabha MPs will propose the change in their speeches.

Pushkar Singh Dhami appointed Saira Bano, a resident of Kashipur in Udham Singh Nagar, as the Vice President of the Uttarakhand Women's Commission. Bano, a resident of Kashipur, came into limelight when she filed a writ in the Supreme Court against triple talaq in 2017. The verdict by the Supreme Court was given in her favor in 2017 after which in 2018 the Modi government made a law on triple talaq and made a provision to send the accused to jail. Earlier on April 1, CM Dhami expressed heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of three years of good governance of the state government. Taking to social media X, the CM in post wrote that it was due to PM Modi's leadership, guidance and special attachment towards Uttarakhand that the state could create new dimensions of development.

Indian markets witness heightened volatility amid global uncertainty and tariff-related concerns, upcoming corporate earnings are expected to play a decisive role in charting the next course of direction, according to market expert Neeraj Dewan. In a conversation with ETNow, Dewan emphasized that after the recent rally—where the market surged nearly 1,500 points from mid-February lows—investors should now turn their focus toward earnings and sector-specific developments. “So, this is what will be most important for us to watch, that is, what happens to the numbers,” he said, referring to the upcoming corporate results.