India's power consumption rose 19 pc in first fortnight of May compared to 2020
New Delhi/IBNS: India's power consumption rose by nearly 19 per cent in the first fortnight of May to 51.67 billion units (BU) compared to the same period previous year, reflecting recovery in industrial and commercial demand of electricity, power ministry data showed.
Reliance Jio announces 2 initiatives for pandemic period
Mumbai/UNI: Mukesh Ambani-led Jio has announced two special initiatives for the pandemic period.
Honda India earmarks Rs 6.5 cr for COVID-19 relief measures
New Delhi/UNI: Honda India Foundation on Monday announced to earmark a sum of Rs 6.5 cr towards COVID-19 support and relief measures.
New Delhi/IBNS: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has emphasised that a minimum 5 per cent tax on vaccines and 12 per cent tax on medicines and oxygen concentrators is necessary to keep their prices low while replying to West Bengal Chief Minister.
Revised Indian proposal on patent waiver at WTO to access Covid-19 medicine later this month
New Delhi/UNI: The World Trade Organization will consider in the second half of this month a revised text of the proposal India and South Africa are going to submit for a temporary waiver of certain patent-related obligations to access essential COVID-19 medicines and medical equipment.
Covid-19: Govt slashes IGST rate on oxygen concentrator imports for personal use
New Delhi/IBNS: As India combats Covid-19, the demand for oxygen concentrators and other medical supplies has risen exponentially as the government uses all resources to increase oxygen supply. To ease this fight, the Union Finance Ministry Saturday reduced IGST (Integrated Goods and Services Tax) rate for imports of concentrators, an official statement said.
Covid-19 peak likely by mid-May: SBI report
Mumbai/IBNS: The second wave of coronavirus in India may touch the peak around mid-May, analysts of country's biggest lender State Bank of India (SBI) have predicted.
Covid fallout: Banks cut public business hours in Jammu and Kashmir
Srinagar: In view of steep rise in the COVID19 cases, the banks operating in J&K have curtailed working hours and staff presence at the branches.
Covid-19: IRDAI asks insurers to settle policyholders' claims on cashless basis
New Delhi/IBNS: Insurance regulator IRDAI on Friday asked the insurers to settle the claims of policyholders on cashless basis after reports emerged that some hospitals demanded cash payments from Covid-19 patients.
Pandemic boosts digital India, J&K tops list of digitally inclusive states and UTs say study
Mumbai/IBNS: According to a recent study, digital payment transactions in India have gone up by 76 per cent in the January-March period this year compared to what it was in the same period last year.
Supreme Court refuses to interfere in Centre's decision on extension of loan moratorium
New Delhi/IBNS: The Supreme Court has refused to extend the six-month loan moratorium period given by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), saying it cannot interfere in the 'policy decision' of the Centre and the RBI.
New Delhi/IBNS: Amid the pandemic and riding on the call for a self-reliant (Atmanirbhar) India, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented a budget with substantial focus on healthcare and vaccine, while exempting pensioners above 75 years from filing Income Tax, keeping the personal IT unchanged and announcing infrastructural funds for poll-bound states Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Assam.
COVID’s led to ‘massive’ income and productivity losses, UN labour estimates show
New York: Job losses or reduced working hours due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic cost the world the equivalent of 255 million jobs in 2020, the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) said on Monday, noting that the “massive impact” was nearly four times the number lost during the 2009 global financial crisis.
Covid-19 vaccines approval spikes Sensex to new high
Mumbai/UNI: The benchmark Sensex rallied 307.82 points on Monday and closed at an all time high 48,176.80 as the investors' sentiments were lifted over emergency approval of two Covid-19 vaccines in India.
Google extends 'work from home' to September, CEO Sundar Pichai tells employees in email
Oakland (California)/IBNS: Google has extended the period of work from home for its employees by a few more months to September 2021 as the Covid-19 pandemic is far from subsiding and the anti-coronavirus vaccine is yet to hit the shelves.