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Tue, 31 January 2023

Adani port causing noise pollution: Plea in HC

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Representational image/Reuters

A Maoist belonging to the banned Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad outfit surrendered before the police in Palamu district on Tuesday.

Anil Bhuiyan alias Prakash ji alias Jai Prakash ji alias Omprakash, a self-styled sub-zonal commander of the outfit, laid down his country-made pistol and two cartridges before superintendent of police Chandan Kumar Sinha and CRPF commandants.

Bhuiyan, a resident of Dokra village in Chainpur area, was wanted in three criminal cases.

He was involved in extortion, firing on a police team and torching vehicles besides possessing firearms illegal, the SP said, adding he had joined the outfit six years ago. -- PTI

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22:54 Russian tourist arrested in Goa for using banned satellite phone

The Goa police on Tuesday arrested a 38-year-old female Russian tourist for using a banned satellite phone, a senior official said.

The Colva police in South Goa booked Aleksei Kamynin for possessing and using a satellite phone of make huraya' with a SIM card which is banned for usage in India, said the official.

The woman was taken into custody from a resort where she was staying, he said.

She has been booked under the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act and Section 20 of the Indian Telegraph Act, while the device has been seized, he said. -- PTI

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22:32 Adani port causing noise pollution: Plea in HC

A plea in the Kerala high court has claimed that the Vizhinjam sea port construction work was causing noise pollution in the area.

Refuting the allegation in the plea, moved by a Thiruvananthapuram-based resort, the Vizhinjam International Sea Port Ltd and Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd claimed the sound generated by the construction activity, during day and night, was below the noise standards contained in the environmental, health, and safety guidelines.

In view of the claim by the two companies, the high court on Tuesday directed them to produce the EHS guidelines on noise standards.

The court also directed them to place before it the National Green Tribunal order appointing a monitoring body to oversee the construction activities, including the issue of noise pollution.

The direction was issued as the two companies contended that the NGT has issued an order appointing a monitoring agency to keep watch over all the sea port construction-related activities, including the issue of noise pollution.

The court also recorded the submission of the two companies that they were adhering to the sound limit fixed as per the schedule attached to the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, during the sea port construction. -- PTI

Representational image/PTI

22:15 8 charred to death in massive fire at multi-storey building in Jharkhand

At least eight people were charred to death and several others injured, after a major fire broke out in a multi-storey building in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Tuesday, a senior official said.

The blaze erupted at 6 pm at Ashirwad Tower in Dhanbad's Joraphatak area, around 160 km from state capital Ranchi.

"At least eight persons were charred to death in the incident of fire. Several others are injured. Rescue operation is underway," Dhanbad deputy commissioner Sandeep Singh told PTI.

Singh, who is monitoring the operation on the spot along with senior police officers, said the exact number of people who died and suffered injuries is yet to be ascertained. -- PTI

The resto-bar in Mapusa where blast occurred/ANI

21:40 Two arrested over cylinder blast at resto-bar in Goa

The Goa police on Tuesday arrested a man and a woman in connection with a cylinder blast at a resto-bar in Mapusa on January 22, said an official.

Deputy superintendent of police (Mapusa) Jivba Dalvi said the arrested persons managed the eatery situated in a residential complex in Dangui Colony, some 9 km from Panaji.

"After conducting a detailed inquiry, the fire services have informed that the incident happened due to the use of a damaged hose pipe of the LPG cylinder which must have come in contact with some ignition or spark," he said.

He said that the police have already written to the excise department to cancel the joint's excise licence and to the municipality to revoke the trade licence of the premises.

No one was injured in the cylinder blast that occurred around 5 am on January 22.

The police booked the two under Indian Penal Code sections 336 (negligence to endanger human life), 285 (negligence with respect to fire), and 427 (mischief causing damage). -- PTI

21:05 Senior advocate Shanti Bhushan passes away

Former Union law minister and eminent jurist Shanti Bhushan died on Tuesday at his home in Delhi following a brief illness, a source close to his family said. He was 97.

Bhushan, who was also a senior advocate, served as the law minister from 1977 to 1979 in the Morarji Desai cabinet.

Bhushan, whose sons Jayant and Prashant Bhushan are leading lawyers, was active in the legal profession till recently and had argued on a PIL in the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored probe into the Rafale fighter jets deal.

Shanti Bhushan appeared in several cases of public importance.

He represented petitioner Raj Narain in the Allahabad high court in the famous case in which the election of then prime minister Indira Gandhi was annulled for committing electoral malpractices.

He was quite vocal on the issue of corruption which led him to his brief association with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Uttarakhand minister Ganesh Joshi/ANI

21:04 Indira, Rajiv assassinations 'accidents': U'khand min

Uttarakhand minister Ganesh Joshi on Tuesday said martyrdom is not the monopoly of the Gandhi family and the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were "accidents".

"I pity Rahul Gandhi's intelligence. Martyrdom is not Gandhi family's monopoly. India's struggle for Independence saw the martyrdoms of Bhagat Singh, Sawarkar and Chandra Shekhar Azad. What happened with the members of the Gandhi family were accidents. There is a difference between accidents and martyrdom," Joshi said.

"But one can speak only according to the level of one's intelligence," he told reporters in reply to a question about the Congress leader's concluding speech at the end of his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Srinagar.

Joshi, who is the state's minister for agriculture, farmers welfare, rural development and sainik kalyan, also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the smooth conclusion of Rahul Gandhi's Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The credit goes to the Prime Minister. If the Article 370 had not been abolished under his leadership and normalcy had not returned to Jammu and Kashmir, Rahul Gandhi would not have been able to unfurl the national flag at Lal Chawk. BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi had unfurled the tricolour at Lal Chawk when violence was at its peak in J&K," Joshi said. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi/PIB

20:48 President's address gave in-depth picture of transformative changes taking place: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday lauded President Droupadi Murmu's address to both houses of Parliament, saying it covered a wide range of topics and gave an in-depth picture of the transformative changes taking place across sectors.

"Rashtrapati ji's address to both Houses of Parliament covered a wide range of topics, giving an in-depth picture of the transformative changes taking place across sectors. She highlighted how common citizens have been empowered and 'Ease of Living' furthered," he tweeted.

Murmu on Tuesday said the country has a government that is "stable, fearless, decisive", giving thrust to 'virasat' (heritage) as well as 'vikas' (development), and working for all classes without any discrimination.

In her first address to the joint sitting of Parliament on the first day of the Budget session, Murmu spoke of the government's relentless fight against corruption -- the "biggest enemy of democracy and social justice". -- PTI

20:24 BJP plans 12-day Budget awareness campaign

The Bharatiya Janata Party will start a 12-day nationwide campaign on Wednesday to make people aware of the "pro-people" measures announced in the Union Budget, party leaders said.

The campaign that will begin the day the budget is presented in Parliament will be coordinated by senior BJP leader Sushil Modi and it will conclude on February 12, they said.

BJP president JP Nadda has formed a task-force comprising nine members, including party general secretary Sunil Bansal and heads of its farmer and youth wings, to organise discussions, press conferences or seminars on the Union Budget in all districts of the country, they said.

On Wednesday, a day after the Union Budget is presented in Parliament, chief ministers of all BJP-ruled states, as part of the campaign, will hold press conferences, party leaders said, adding that in states where the party is not in power, BJP unit heads and leaders of opposition in the assembly will hold press conferences.

In 50 major cities of the country, ministers of the Narendra Modi government will hold press conferences to highlight the "pro-people" measures announced in the Union Budget, they said. -- PTI

Nidhi Razdan/Twitter

19:54 Journalist Nidhi Razdan quits NDTV

NDTV journalist Nidhi Razdan has on Tuesday said that she has resigned from the news channel.

She made the announcement through a tweet.

"After more than 22 years, it is time to move on from NDTV. It has been a wonderful, roller coaster ride but you have to know when to get off. The next couple of weeks are my last. Thank you for the love and support all these years," Nidhi said in a tweet.

Atul Debbarma/BJP Tripura/Twitter

19:43 Denied ticket, Tripura BJP MLA quits party, files nomination as independent

Tripura BJP MLA Atul Debbarma on Tuesday said he has resigned from the saffron party after being denied a ticket for the upcoming polls.

He submitted his nomination papers as an independent candidate for his home constituency Krishnapur in Khowai district.

"I have already sent my resignation letter to the Speaker of the Tripura assembly and also quit the BJP," he said.

"I had left my lucrative job in Delhi. I could have continued service had I not contested the last assembly elections. I have been working for people of Tripura, staying away from my family who lives in Delhi,' Debbarma, a renowned doctor, said.

The BJP fielded Bikash Debbarma, a local tribal leader, for the Krishnapur assembly constituency.

Expressing anger, the doctor-turned-politician also claimed that the party has not "shown any courtesy' to him and it did not say "why I was not considered' for the seat.

"That's why I filed my nomination paper to contest from Krishnapur constituency as an independent candidate," he said.

BJP's Doctors' Cell in-charge Tamojit Nath from North Tripura's Dharmanagar, and many leaders have quit the party after they did not find their names on the list of nominees for the February 16 assembly elections. -- PTI

The rupee depreciated by 41 paise to close at 81.93 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday after the Economic Survey 2022-23 said the domestic unit may remain under pressure on account of plateauing of exports and subsequent widening of current account deficit.

Forex traders said significant foreign fund outflows and a muted trend in domestic equities also dented investor sentiment.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened weak at 81.61 against the dollar, and lost further ground to fall below the 82 per US dollar level.

The rupee finally ended at 81.93, registering a decline of 41 paise over its last close.

During the session, the local unit witnessed an intra-day high of 81.58 and a low of 82.07 against the US dollar.

In the previous session on Monday, the rupee settled at 81.52 against the American currency. -- PTI

Uber has accused one of its former employees of embezzling over Rs 1 crore by sneaking in fake driver profiles in the company's list of drivers, police said on Tuesday.

The company alleged that the employee, Vinay Gera, tampered with the list of drivers associated with them in the company's server and added 388 fake drivers, who were not associated with the company.

These profiles were linked to 18 bank accounts in which the money was transferred.

The Economic Offences Wing found the allegations prima facie true, and at its recommendation an FIR was registered against Gera at Sushant Lok police station on Monday.

According to the complaint filed by Prabhanjan Kumar, the authorised signatory of Uber India Systems Private Limited in April last year, Gera worked in the firm's driver operations team from August to December 2021 at its Sector-44 office.

He was employed by the vendor company TeamLease Services Limited India and had resigned from Uber on December 19, 2021.

Gera was responsible for the driver arrears function.

"To avoid inconveniencing driver partners, a spreadsheet is automatically uploaded regularly. A large number of transactions were processed by this automated spreadsheet and Viney Gera was responsible for updating the details of the driver partner accounts to be paid. Viney Gera created and placed a number of non-genuine driver partner accounts in the spreadsheet," the app-based taxi firm said in its complaint. -- PTI

18:48 Economic Survey 2022-23 at a glance

The Economic Survey 2022-23 tabled in Parliament today said India's economy is projected to slow to 6.5 per cent in the fiscal year starting April but will remain the fastest growing major economy in the world as it fared better in dealing with the extraordinary set of challenges the globe has faced.

Alongside is a snapshot of what the Survey said.

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18:33 Tax dept conducts survey action against Cipla

The Income Tax Department has carried out a survey action against drug major Cipla, sources said on Tuesday.

The department is conducting the surprise action to check the balance sheets and other business documents of the Mumbai-headquartered company as part of an alleged tax evasion investigation, they said.

A reaction from the company is awaited. As part of a survey, the Income Tax Department only covers the business premises of a company and does not raid the residences and other locations of its promoters or directors.

The company had last week reported, in a regulatory filing, a seven per cent increase in its consolidated net profit at Rs 808 crore in the third quarter ending December 2022, aided by robust sales in the US market.

Cipla is one of the leading pharmaceutical firms in the country.

It has more than 1,500 products in 65 therapeutic categories available in over 50 dosage forms.

For the third quarter ended December 31, 2022, the company reported total revenue from operations at Rs 5,810 crore compared to Rs 5,479 crore in the year-ago period. -- PTI

Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh was recently conferred a Lifetime Achievement Honour by the India-UK Achievers Honours in London for his contribution to economic and political life.

The honour, announced at an awards ceremony last week, will be handed over to Dr Singh in New Delhi by the National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK at a later date. -- Aditi Khanna/PTI

The India-UK Achievers Honours by NISAU UK, in partnership with the British Council in India and the UK's department for international trade, celebrate the achievements of Indian students who studied at British universities and the Lifetime Achievement Honour is a nod to Dr Singh's academic achievements at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

"I am very touched by this gesture, which is especially meaningful coming from young people who are the future of our country and of the ties between our two countries," Dr Singh said in a written message.

"The India-UK relationship is indeed especially defined by our educational partnership. The founding fathers of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Sardar Patel and many others studied in the UK and went on to become great leaders, leaving a legacy which continues to inspire India and the world. Over the years countless Indian students have had the opportunity to study in the UK," said the 90-year-old economist, who served as prime minister from 2004-2014. --

Renowned filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan on Tuesday announced his resignation as chairman of the KR Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts, days after its director -- Shankar Mohan -- quit following complaints of caste discrimination against him by a section of students and staff.

Gopalakrishnan -- a Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner -- while announcing his resignation, at a press conference here -- from the institute, also threw his weight behind Mohan by saying the latter was a well respected and distinguished professional who has been at the helm of various government-run film institutions in the last four decades.

The filmmaker further said Mohan had diligently worked with him during the last three years to bring the institution back from the edge of ruin and turn it into one of the best film institutes in the country.

"It is such a professional whom we invited here and then forced him to leave by levelling baseless, false and derogatory allegations against him and insulting him," Gopalakrishnan said while speaking to the media in Thiruvananthapuram.

The filmmaker also raised doubts regarding the findings of an initial enquiry committee, constituted by the higher education department, and the subsequent inquiry commission, appointed on his request by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, to look into the matter.

Gopalakrishnan contended that the committee never included him or Mohan in their enquiry and the commission too did not appear to have carried out a proper investigation into the issue.

He also said those who thought that curtains would fall on the issue with the resignation of Mohan, were wrong. In the wake of his announcement, state higher education minister R Bindu said she saw no reason for Gopalakrishnan to resign from his post in protest against the government as it was with his consent that the inquiry commission was appointed. -- PTI

17:44 Gainers and losers in today's Sensex pack

Fag-end buying on Tuesday helped the 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex settle with a gain of 49.49 points or 0.08 per cent at 59,549.90.

During the day, it hit a high of 59,787.63 and a low of 59,104.59.

The broader NSE Nifty inched up 13.20 points or 0.07 per cent to close at 17,662.15.

Mahindra & Mahindra topped the Sensex gainers' chart with a jump of 3.53 per cent, followed by UltraTech Cement, Power Grid, SBI, ITC, Tata Motors, Titan and NTPC.

On the other hand, Tata Consultancy Services, Bajaj Finance, Tech Mahindra, Sun Pharma, Asian Paints, HCL Tech and HDFC were among the major laggards.

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday recognised Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha as the state song.

The song will be adopted on February 19, the birth anniversary of the founder of the Maratha empire Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The decision was taken by the Maharashtra cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

One of the iconic songs in Marathi, Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha, Garja Maharashtra Majha, which means Glory to Maharashtra, was penned by Raja Badhe and sung by balladeer Krishnarao Sable, popularly known as Shaheer Sable. -- PTI

Shankar Mishra

17:31 Air India peeing incident accused gets bail

A sessions court on Tuesday granted bail to Shankar Mishra, accused of urinating on a woman on board an Air India flight from New York to New Delhi on November 26 last year.

He was arrested by the Delhi police on January 6, 2023.

On Monday, the Patiala House court had reserved its order on Mishra's bail petition. Additional sessions judge Harjyot Singh Bhalla on Monday decided to reserve the order and said it will be passed on Tuesday.

Mishra, while in an intoxicated condition, had allegedly urinated on a 70-year-old woman in the business class of an Air India flight on November 26 last year.

The Delhi police registered an FIR against him on January 4 on a complaint given by the woman to Air India.

The police registered an FIR under sections 354, 509, and 510 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 23 of the Indian Aircraft Act. Both the accused and the victim are from outside Delhi.

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17:29 TN govt to appeal against HC order quashing ban on sale of gutkha

The Tamil Nadu government will appeal against the Madras high court order quashing the ban on the sale, manufacture and transport of tobacco-based products, including gutkha, state health minister M Subramanian said on Tuesday.

Subramanian told reporters in Coimbatore that the traders' body should understand the ill effect of consuming such products, including threat to lives and also livelihood.

He was replying to a specific question on the demand by the traders to sell products in stores now.

The state government has decided to go for an appeal in the Supreme Court after taking legal opinion and consulting experts.

If necessary, an amendment will be brought to the legislation in the assembly session, Subramanian, who was here to participate in a college function, said.

The Madras high court had last week quashed the 2018 notification issued by the state government, prohibiting the sale and manufacture of gutkha and pan masala in Tamil Nadu.

Chief Minister M K Stalin will issue appointment orders to 130 doctors in Siddha, Ayurveda and Homeopathy departments, 16 compassionate appointments in health department, regularisation of 520 timescale staff nurses on February 3, he said.

Of the Rs.2.76 crore medical equipment meant for various hospitals in the State, as announced in the last budget, Rs. 56 lakh worth devices were given to the ESI Hospital in Coimbatore on Tuesday, he added. -- PTI

Indian economy is poised to do better and is expected to grow 6.5-7 per cent in the remainder of the decade, chief economic advisor V Anantha Nageswaran said on Tuesday.

Addressing reporters in New Delhi after the tabling of the Economic Survey in Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Nageswaran said that by and large, inflation is likely to be "well behaved" in FY2023-24 barring headwinds.

The Economic Survey, which has been prepared by the CEA, stated that RBI's projection of retail inflation at 6.8 per cent in the current fiscal is neither too high to deter private consumption, nor so low as to weaken inducement to invest.

India's economy is projected to slow to 6.5 per cent in the fiscal year starting April but will remain the fastest-growing major economy in the world as it fared better in dealing with the extraordinary set of challenges the globe has faced, the Economic Survey 2022-23 said.

Nageswaran said as long as oil prices remain below $100 per barrel, the projected growth rate would remain undisturbed.

Nageswaran pointed out that the quality of public expenditure has gone up and the government has become more transparent with budget deficit numbers.

There is increased transparency in public procurement, he added. -- PTI

16:25 How the stock markets performed in January

Here's an infographic showing how the tussle between bulls and bears went in January 2023.

16:18 'Desh', 'bindaas' added to Oxford Dictionary

Pronunciation transcriptions and audio for more than 800 entries associated with Indian English, including words like 'desh' (country) and 'bindaas' (bold), are now available in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).

According to Oxford University press, Indian English brings the total number of global varieties covered in the OED's pronunciations to 16 and the recent addition to the world English pronunciation audio archive fills a large gap for the 130 million Indian English speakers in the country.

"Ever since we started work to expand and include audio in our coverage of pronunciations for varieties of English besides British and US English, Indian English has been one of our biggest priorities and also one of our biggest challenges," said Dr Catherine Sangster, Pronunciations Editor for the OED.

"I am delighted that we have developed a transcription model to capture its complexity and can now offer pronunciations for this extremely important variety of English in the OED," Sangster said.

The other Indian words for which pronounciation transcriptions have been added in the dictionary include -- 'diya' (a cup-shaped oil lamp, typically made of baked clay, often used on religious occasions such as Diwali festival), 'bachcha' (a child; also a young animal) and almirah (a free-standing cupboard, wardrobe, or other storage unit).

Since 2016, the OED has been expanding its pronunciation coverage for numerous global varieties of English.

For those words which show region-specific usage or meanings (New Zealand, Scottish, or Caribbean English, for example) the dictionary has added a region-specific pronunciation, alongside the British and American pronunciations given as standard across the entire dictionary.

The audio for each region-specific word has been recorded by a speaker from the relevant region, following a pronunciation model based on recent phonetic research, pronunciation models and the expertise of native speakers.

Danica Salazar, World English Editor for the Oxford English Dictionary said, "The addition of Indian English pronunciations to the OED is an important step forward in documenting the lexicon of a variety spoken by such a large section of the world's English-speaking population. It makes the OED an even more useful tool for those wishing to do research on world varieties of English". -- PTI

Leaders of different political parties on Tuesday urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the first half of the Budget session on February 10 instead of February 13, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said.

The demand was made during a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the Lok Sabha.

The Speaker has said he will consider the demand, the minister said.

The Budget session of Parliament started on Tuesday and is scheduled to go on a break on February 13. However, with February 11-12 being a weekend, a demand was made to conclude the first half of the session on February 10.

The session as per schedule will resume on March 13 and conclude on April 6. -- PTI

A court in Gandhinagar on Tuesday sentenced self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, convicted in a rape case filed by a former woman disciple in 2013, to life imprisonment.

The 81-year-old is currently lodged in a Jodhpur jail, where he is serving life sentence in another case of raping a minor girl at his ashram in Rajasthan in 2013.

Sessions court judge D K Soni pronounced the ruling after hearing the arguments on the quantum of sentence.

The court on Monday convicted Asaram in a case registered in 2013 for raping a woman disciple, who hailed from Surat, on several occasions from 2001 to 2006 when she was living at his ashram at Motera near Ahmedabad.

The court convicted Asaram under Indian Penal Code Sections 376 2 (C) (rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 342 (wrongful detention), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 357 (assault) and 506 (criminal intimidation), in the case lodged by his former woman disciple in 2013.

The court had acquitted six other accused, including Asaram's wife Laxmiben, their daughter, and four disciples who were accused of aiding and abetting the crime, for want of evidence, the prosecution said. -- PTI

Oreva Group Managing Director Jaysukh Patel on Tuesday surrendered before a court in Morbi in connection with last year's suspension bridge collapse tragedy in which 135 people were killed.

Patel was named as an accused in the chargesheet filed by police on January 27.

He surrendered before the court of chief judicial magistrate which had issued an arrest warrant against him.

Ajanta Manufacturing Limited (Oreva Group) was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the British-era suspension bridge on the Machchhu river in Morbi that collapsed on October 30 last year, days after its repairs.

"Jaysukh Patel surrendered before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) M J Khan which had issued an arrest warrant against him," said Dilip Agechaniya, a lawyer representing victims in the case.

In the chargesheet comprising more than 1,200 pages filed by Deputy Superintendent of Police P S Zala in the CJM's court, Patel was shown as the tenth accused.

He had also moved an anticipatory bail plea fearing arrest. -- PTI

Group CEO Gautam Adani

15:32 Adani's Rs 20,000 cr FPO fully subscribed despite row

The Rs 20,000 crore share sale of Adani group's flagship firm was fully subscribed on Tuesday after non-retail investors bid in big volumes, according to stock exchange data.

As many as 4.62 crore shares were sought as against an offer of 4.55 crore.

Non-institutional investors put in bids for over three times the 96.16 lakh shares reserved for them, while the 1.28 crore shares reserved for qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) was almost fully subscribed, according to BSE data.

There was, however, muted response from retail investors and company employees.

Retail investors, for whom roughly half of the issue was reserved, bid for just 11 per cent of the 2.29 crore shares earmarked for them. Employees sought 52 per cent of the 1.6 lakh shares reserved for them.

15:22 SRK's Pathaan' nears Rs 600 cr mark on day 6

Production house Yash Raj Films (YRF) on Tuesday said its latest offering Pathaan, headlined by Shah Rukh Khan, has raised Rs 591 crore gross worldwide in six days.

According to YRF, on its sixth day, the film registered Rs 26.50 crore nett in India (Hindi Rs 25.50 crore, Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions Rs 1 crore), taking the domestic gross to Rs 32 crore.

The studio said that the overseas gross on day six stood at Rs 16 crore.

Since its January 25 release, Pathaan has recorded Rs 224.6 crore in the overseas territories alone, while nett collection in India stand at Rs 307.25 crore (Hindi - Rs 296.50 crore, dubbed - Rs 10.75 crore).

The Siddharth Anand-directed actioner, also starring Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, collected Rs 106 crore globally on its opening day, followed by Rs 113.6 crore on day two, Rs 90 crore on day three, Rs 116 crore on day four, and Rs 112 crore on day five.

Pathaan, a globetrotting espionage thriller, follows the titular spy (Shah Rukh) who comes out of exile to stop terrorist group Outfit X, led by Jim (John), from launching a debilitating attack on India.

Former Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said today that he will contest the next presidential elections with the support of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Daily Mirror reported.

Sirisena served as Sri Lanka's president from 2015-2019.

The presidential elections in Sri Lanka are due to take place in September 2024, Lanka Xpress reported.

Maithripala Sirisena made the announcement while speaking at a media briefing at the SLFP headquarters.

The former Sri Lankan president said that he is not afraid of any conspiracy against him.

"I will not back down from anything. I'm not afraid of any conspiracy. I respect the law and the court. I will contest for the next presidential election with the support of the SLFP no matter what troubles were given," Daily Mirror quoted Maithripala Sirisena as saying.

Meanwhile, on January 12, the country's Supreme Court ordered Sirisena to pay a sum of Sri Lankan Rupees 100 million as damages to the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks that took place in 2019, as per the Daily Mirror report.

15:03 Centre confusing people in name of CAA: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that the Bharatiya janata Party-led central government is "confusing people" in the name of implementing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Banerjee also claimed that she and her party Trinamool Congress have been taking care of the Matua community people, whose roots are in Bangladesh, and blamed the BJP for trying to approach them as a "friend" in the name of the CAA.

"In the name of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, they (Centre) are confusing people. We have been taking care of the Matuas for a long time, but when polls approach, the BJP goes to them, claiming to be their friends... screaming CAA," Banerjee said at a government programme here.

The Matuas, originally hailing from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), started migrating to West Bengal in the 1950s, mostly due to religious persecution there.

The CAA facilitates the grant of citizenship to migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

But as the rules under the Act have not been framed by the government yet, no one so far could be granted citizenship under it.

Banerjee also accused the BJP-led central government of "not releasing" the state's dues.

"You (Centre) owe over Rs 1 lakh crore to Bengal, give us our dues," she said without elaborating.

Banerjee had earlier alleged that the Centre was not releasing funds for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme.

Referring to river erosion mostly in the districts of Malda and Murshidabad of West Bengal, Banerjee said that the central government has "stopped looking into the matter".

"Our biggest challenge now is to arrest river erosion; the Centre is not taking care of it anymore. We are supposed to get Rs 700 crore from them," she said. -- PTI

14:57 Covid remains 'global health emergency': WHO

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to be a global health emergency and the deadly virus will remain a permanently established pathogen in humans and animals for the foreseeable future, according to the World Health Organisation.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that as the world enters the fourth year of the pandemic, there is no doubt that "we are in a far better situation now" than a year ago when the Omicron wave was at its peak. He said Covid-19 continues to be a health emergency.

"Three years ago today, I declared a public health emergency of international concern over the global spread of COVID-19 the highest level of alarm under the International Health Regulations, and for the moment, the only level of alarm," Ghebreyesus said

He said he has been advised by the Emergency Committee for coronavirus disease that "COVID-19 remains a global health emergency".

The Committee acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic may be approaching an "inflexion point".

"Achieving higher levels of population immunity globally, either through infection and/or vaccination, may limit the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on morbidity and mortality, but there is little doubt that this virus will remain a permanently established pathogen in humans and animals for the foreseeable future," it said.

It noted that while eliminating the virus from human and animal reservoirs is highly unlikely, mitigation of its devastating impact on morbidity and mortality is achievable and should continue to be a "prioritised goal".

Ghebreyesus cautioned that since the beginning of December, weekly reported deaths have been rising and in the past eight weeks, more than 170,000 people have lost their lives to COVID-19.

"We can't control the virus, but we can do more to address the vulnerabilities in populations and health systems," he said, adding that this means vaccinating 100 per cent of the most at-risk groups.

It also means increasing access to testing and early antiviral use; taking context-specific measures when there is a surge in cases; and maintaining and expanding laboratory networks. -- PTI

Surendra Gadling. Pic: PTI Photo

14:38 HC refuses bail to Gadling in 2016 arson case

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court on Tuesday refused bail to advocate Surendra Gadling in connection with a 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case.

On December 25, 2016, Maoists allegedly set ablaze at least 80 vehicles engaged in transporting iron ore from Surjagarh mines in Etapalli tehsil of Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district.

Gadling is accused of being involved in Maoist activities.

A division bench of Justices Vinay Joshi and Valmiki Menezes on Tuesday dismissed the appeal filed by Gadling seeking bail.

Gadling filed the appeal after the trial court rejected his bail application.

His advocate Firdos Mirza had argued that there was no evidence against Gadling.

Gadling is also an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, pertaining to alleged inflammatory speeches delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which the police claimed triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial in Pune district.

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court on Tuesday refused bail to advocate Surendra Gadling in connection with a 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case.

On December 25, 2016, Maoists allegedly set ablaze at least 80 vehicles engaged in transporting iron ore from Surjagarh mines in Etapalli tehsil of Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district.

Gadling is accused of being involved in Maoist activities.

A division bench of Justices Vinay Joshi and Valmiki Menezes on Tuesday dismissed the appeal filed by Gadling seeking bail.

Gadling filed the appeal after the trial court rejected his bail application.

His advocate Firdos Mirza had argued that there was no evidence against Gadling.

Gadling is also an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, pertaining to alleged inflammatory speeches delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which police claimed triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial in Pune district. -- PTI

Visakhapatnam will be Andhra Pradesh's new capital, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy announced today.

"Here I am to invite you to Visakhapatnam which will be our capital in the days to come. I will also be shifting to Visakhapatnam in the months to come," said Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at International Diplomatic Alliance meet in Delhi.

The announcement of a new capital for Andhra comes nine years after the state of Telangana was carved out of its territory and given Hyderabad as its capital.

13:39 What Economic Survey says about India economy

Following are the highlights of the Economic Survey 2022-23 tabled in Parliament on Tuesday:

* India's economy to grow 6.5 pc in 2023-24, compared to 7 pc this fiscal and 8.7 pc in 2021-22

* India to remain the fastest growing major economy in the world

* GDP in nominal terms to be 11 pc in next fiscal

* Growth driven by private consumption, higher capex, strengthening corporate balance sheet, credit growth to small businesses and return of migrant workers to cities

* India third largest economy in PPP (purchasing power parity) terms, fifth largest in terms of exchange rate

* Economy has nearly "recouped" what was lost, "renewed" what had paused, and "renerengised" what had slowed during the pandemic and since the conflict in Europe

* Real GDP growth to be in the range of 6-6.8 pc next fiscal depending on global economic, political developments

* India's recovery from the pandemic was relatively quick, growth next fiscal to be supported by solid domestic demand, pick up in capital investment

* RBI projection of 6.8 pc inflation this fiscal outside the upper target limit, not high enough to deter private consumption, also not too low to weaken inducement to invest

* Borrowing cost may remain 'higher for longer', entrenched inflation may prolong tightening cycle

* Challenge to rupee depreciation persists with the likelihood of further interest rate hikes by the US Fed

* CAD may continue to widen as global commodity prices remain elevated, economic growth momentum stays strong

* If CAD widens further, rupee may come under depreciation pressure

* Overall external situation to remain manageable

* India has sufficient forex reserves to finance CAD and intervene in forex market to manage rupee volatility

* Elevated downside risks to global economic outlook as inflation persisting in advanced economies and hints of further rate hikes by central banks

* Inflation did not "creep too far above" tolerance range compared to several advanced nations

* The growth in exports has moderated in second half of current fiscal; the surge in growth rate in 2021-22 and first half of current fiscal led to production processes shifting gears from 'mild acceleration' to 'cruise mode'

* Slowing world growth, shrinking global trade led to loss of export stimulus in the second half of current year

* Schemes like PM KISAN, PM Garib Kalyan Yojana significantly contributed to lessening impoverishment

* Credit disbursal, capital investment cycle, expansion of public digital platform and schemes like PLI, National Logitics Policy and PM Gati Shakti to drive economic growth

* Bank credit growth likely to be brisk in FY24 on back of benign inflation, moderate credit cost

* Credit growth to small businesses remarkably high at over 30.5 pc in January-November, 2022

* Housing prices firming up after release of pent-up demand, decline in inventories

* Central govt capex grew 63.4 pc in April-November of current fiscal

* India's economic resilience has helped it withstand the challenge of mitigating external imbalances caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict without losing growth momentum

* Stock market gave positive retruns in calendar year 2022 unfazed by FPI withdrawal

* India withstood extraordinary set of challenges better than most economies

* After a dip in FY21, GST paid by small businesses has been rising and now crossed pre-pandemic levels reflecting the effectiveness of targeted government intervention

* Private consumption, capital formation led economic growth in current fiscal has helped generate employment; urban employment rate declined, while Employee Provident Fund registration rose.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

FM Nirmala Sitharaman tables Economic Survey

13:18 Economy regained what was lost to Covid: Survey

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday tabled the Economic Survey 2022-23 in the Lok Sabha.

Economy has nearly recouped what was lost, renewed what had paused; re-energised what had slowed during the pandemic, says the Economic Survey.

India is third-largest economy in the world in PPP (purchasing power parity) terms; 5th largest in terms of exchange rate, and will remain the fastest growing major economy in the world, says the pre-Budget Economic Survey.

India's economy to grow 6.5 pc in 2023-24 compared to 7 pc in current fiscal, 8.7 pc in 2021-22, says the economic document.

The Centre on Tuesday sought from the Supreme Court an open court hearing on its plea seeking review of the judgement by which several provisions of the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016 were struck down.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha was urged by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, that the review plea be heard in open court keeping in mind the importance of the issue.

"This is an unusual request. We seek an open court hearing of the review. Due to this judgement, a lot of orders are being passed even though some of the provisions of the Benami Act was not even under challenge. Like the retrospectivity could not have been looked into (by the SC bench)," the top law officer said.

"We will consider it," the CJI said.

The top court, on August 23 last year, had struck down some provisions of the Benami law.

One of the struck down provisions provided for the punishment of a maximum jail term of three years or a fine or both for those indulging in benami' transactions.

The apex court had termed the provision as unconstitutional on the ground of being manifestly arbitrary.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the revered shrine of Kheer Bhawani in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, officials said.

The Gandhi siblings drove to the shrine nestled among mighty chinars in Tullamula area of the central Kashmir district, 28 kilometres from Srinagar, they said.

The officials said the duo, who was accompanied by some Congress leaders, paid obeisance at the shrine of Ragnya Devi popularly known as Mata Kheer Bhawani.

The temple is a revered shrine for the Kashmiri Pandits who believe the colour of the sacred spring water, which flows below the temple, indicates to the situation in the valley.

While most of the colours don't have any particular significance, black or dark colour of the water is believed to be an indication of inauspicious times for Kashmir. -- PTI

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said that the government is striving to get rid of every sign of slavery and cited the example of change of name from Rajpath to Kartavya Path.

In her first address to the joint sitting of Parliament as the Budget session began, she said, today, the world understands the tough stand taken against terrorism by India. This is the reason why today India's being heard seriously by the world on the issue of terrorism.

"India holds the presidency of the G20 this year. Along with all member states of G20, India aims to find solutions to world problems," she said.

Murmur further said," Today, on one hand, India is taking its ancient knowledge of Yoga and Ayurveda to the world. On the other hand, it is enhancing its new identity as 'pharmacy of the world'."

"On one hand, we are developing our pilgrimage centres and historic heritage, while on the other hand, India is becoming a major space power in the world. India has launched first private satellite too," she added.

President Droupadi Murmu today said the 'Garibi hatao' is not just a slogan anymore under the NDA government and the government is working to have a permanent solution to the problems of the poor and empowering them.

"With complete transparency, more than Rs 27 lakh crores have been provided to crores of people. A World Bank report states that with such schemes and systems India was able to save crores of people from dropping below the poverty line during Covid," she said.

Addressing the joint sitting of Parliament ahead of the Budget Session, the President highlighted government's achievements.

Murmur said that the 'Aspirational districts' program is now being repeated at the block level, for which, 500 blocks have been identified in the country. The 'Vibrant villages' program to develop villages in border areas has also been introduced. she said.

Listing out the Modi government's achievements and policy priorities, Murmu said, " From abrogating Article 370 in J&K to abolishing Triple Talaq, my government has taken major decisions. From surgical strike to strict action against terrorism, giving befitting response on LoC and LAC, to abrogating Article 370 in J&K and abolishing Triple Talaq, this government's identity has been that of a decisive one."

President Droupadi Murmu is addressing members of both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha in a joint session, marking the beginning of Parliament's budget session.

This is President Murmu's first budget session speech since assuming office in July last year.

Here are some huighlights of the speech:

- We will have to make an India which is self reliant. The 25-year period of Amrit Kaal is golden era of independence and time to build a developed India

- In nearly nine years of my government, people of India have witnessed many positive changes for first time

- Biggest change that has happened today is confidence of every Indian is on top and world's view towards India has changed

- My government has awakened the aspirations of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. Now that basic facilities are reaching them, these people are able to see new dreams

- My government is of the clear opinion that corruption is the biggest enemy of democracy and social justice. To seize the property of fugitive economic offenders, my government passed the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act

- Earlier, there was a long wait for tax refund. Today, refund is received within a few days of filing Income Tax Return

- Today, along with transparency, dignity of taxpayers is also being ensured through GST

- The government has worked for every class without any discrimination. It has always kept country's interest paramount, showed will to completely change policy and strategy.

11:26 Most of Adani Group stocks trade lower

Shares of most of the Adani Group firms were trading in the negative territory on Tuesday morning, falling for the fourth day running, amid concerns over US-based short seller Hindenburg Research's report.

Hindenburg released the report on January 24 -- the day on which Adani Enterprises' Rs 20,000-crore follow-on share sale opened for investors.

Adani Group stocks have taken a beating on the bourses after Hindenburg in a report made a litany of allegations, including fraudulent transactions and share price manipulation, at the Gautam Adani-led group. The allegations have been rejected by the group.

For the fourth day running, shares of Adani Total Gas tanked 10 per cent, Adani Green Energy tumbled 9.60 per cent, Adani Transmission declined 8.62 per cent, Adani Wilmar (5 per cent), Adani Power (4.98 per cent), NDTV (4.98 per cent) and Adani Ports (1.45 per cent) on the BSE.

However, Adani Enterprises jumped 5.26 per cent, Ambuja Cements climbed 5.25 per cent and ACC gained 2.91 per cent.

Shares of most of the Adani Group firms had ended lower on Monday as well.

On Friday, Adani Group stocks fell up to 20 per cent after Hindenburg made damaging allegations.

Stock markets were closed on Thursday on account of Republic Day.

Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) issued a statement saying its investments in the group are safe.

"Our total holding in the Adani Group companies under equity and debt on date is Rs 36,474.78 crore. This was Rs 35,917.31 crore as of December 31, 2022. Total purchase value of these equities of the group companies, bought over the past many years, is Rs 30,127 crore and the market value for the same at close of market hours on January 27, 2023 was Rs 56,142 crore," LIC said.

Punjab National Bank (PNB), which has about Rs 7,000 crore exposure in Adani Group entities, however, said it is keeping a close watch on the developing situation.

LIC stock fell 0.82 per cent on Tuesday morning, while PNB climbed 3.74 per cent.

"Markets will keep an eye on Adani Enterprises' Rs 20,000 crore follow-on share sale and traders will be keen to know if it will sail through," said Prashanth Tapse - Research Analyst, Senior VP (Research), Mehta Equities Ltd.

The Mumbai Police has arrested an Italian woman passenger for allegedly creating a ruckus mid-air on a Vistara Airline flight soon after taking off from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai on January 30.

The passenger identified as Paola Perruccio was arrested by Sahar police early on Monday morning after the flight landed at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

She was later given bail by a court in Mumbai.

According to the Mumbai police the woman who was reportedly in an inebriated condition created a ruckus insisting that she be seated in business class despite being booked in economy.

She also took off some of her clothes and walked up and down the aisle in a partially naked state hurling abuses and assaulting crew members.

The incident, which took place on Monday, was reported to the relevant authorities as per the standard operating procedures, while the security agencies on-ground were informed to take immediate action upon arrival, Vistara said in a statement.

"We confirm that there was an unruly passenger on Vistara flight UK-256 operating from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai on January 30. In view of the continued unruly conduct and violent behaviour, the captain issued a warning card and made a decision to restrain the customer," the full service carrier said.

The pilot made regular announcements to assure the other passengers onboard of their safety and security, Vistara said.

After registering a case against the passenger, the Mumbai Police filed a charge-sheet within a day.

"Mumbai Police has filed a charge-sheet in record time in a case of misbehaviour by an airline passenger mid-air," police said.

A medical examination was also conducted on the woman before booking her under several sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The police said they have completed all formalities of recording statements of co-passengers and crew and others.

Ahead of India's Test series against Australia, cricketer Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma embarked on a spiritual trip to Rishikesh.

The couple paid a visit to Swami Dayanand Giri Ashram. Several pictures went viral in which Anushka and Virat are seen worshipping at the ashram.

Virat also obliged other devotees with selfie requests at the ashram.

A 38-year-old mentally challenged man allegedly threatened to kill Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, police said on Tuesday.

The police allegedly received a call about the threat around 12.05 am.

No arrest has been made as the man is mentally challenged, the police said. -- PTI

Several Congress MPs, including Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, will not be able to attend the President's address to a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday due to delayed flights from Srinagar on account of inclement weather.

Party leader Jairam Ramesh said several Congress leaders and MPs are in Srinagar for the concluding events of the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Monday.

Congress leaders could not attend the meeting of various political parties convened by the government on Monday ahead of the budget session of Parliament.

Senior party MP Naseer Hussain was to attend the meeting but failed to do so as all flights from Srinagar were cancelled due to heavy snowfall.

"Due to delayed flights from Srinagar airport on account of inclement weather conditions, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, @kharge ji & many other Congress MPs will be unable to attend the President's address to both Houses of Parliament at 11am today," Ramesh said in a tweet on Tuesday.

The President addresses members of both Houses in the Parliament's Central Hall on the first day of budget session every year. This is President Droupadi Murmu's maiden address to a joint sitting of both Houses.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra ended on Monday with leaders of several parties joining Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as he capped his ambitious 136-day journey that covered over 3,000 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. -- PTI

A prominent Hindu temple in Brampton in Canada has been targeted with anti-India graffiti, causing outrage among the Indian community.

Condemning the act of vandalism at Gauri Shankar Mandir, the Indian Consulate General in Toronto said the defacing of the temple has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada.

"The hateful act of vandalism has deeply hurt sentiments of the Indian community in Canada. We have raised our concerns on the matter with Canadian authorities," the consulate office said in a statement on Tuesday.

The temple, which is a symbol of Indian heritage, has been left vandalised with hate-filled messages directed towards India.

The Canadian authorities are currently investigating the incident.

The defacing of the Hindu temple in Brampton is not an isolated incident, with at least three similar acts of vandalism recorded in Canada since last July.

Last September, the Indian Foreign Ministry has issued a strongly worded statement, saying there has been a sharp increase in hate crimes against Indians and other anti-India activities in Canada. New Delhi had urged the Canadian government to properly investigate the incidents.

Statistics Canada, the country's national statistical office, has reported a 72 percent increase in hate crimes targeting religion, sexual orientation and race in Canada between 2019 and 2021.

This has led to increased fears among minority communities, particularly the Indian community, which is the fastest-growing demographic group in Canada, accounting for almost four percent of the population.

Indian officials have repeatedly raised the issue of attacks on the Indian community by pro-Khalistani elements in Canada. -- PTI

Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Keshava Rao has said his party will boycott the President's address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament to protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre's "failure on all fronts of governance".

The Aam Aadmi Party too said it will boycott the address.

The President addresses members of both Houses in the Parliament's Central Hall on the first day of a session.

Rao, who is also the Bharat Rashtra Samithi's floor leader in Rajya Sabha, said his party is "boycotting in protest against the failure of BJP-led NDA government at the Centre on all fronts of governance".

He said the AAP will also join the BRS in the boycott.

BRS supremo and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, is eyeing a role for himself in national politics and has been working on cobbling an alliance of opposition parties.

AAP leader and MP Sanjay Singh said, "With all due respect to President Droupadi Murmu, we are boycotting the joint sitting of Parliament as the government has failed on all fronts and has not fulfilled its promises".

Both Rao and Singh clarified that they and their parties respect the President and the President's chair but they are boycotting the address to protest against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. -- PTI

The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday said it is expecting some slowdown in the Indian economy next fiscal year and projected the growth to 6.1 percent from 6.8 percent during the current fiscal ending March 31.

The IMF on Tuesday released the January update of its World Economic Outlook, according to which the global growth is projected to fall from an estimated 3.4 percent in 2022 to 2.9 percent in 2023, then rise to 3.1 percent in 2024.

"Our growth projections actually for India are unchanged from our October Outlook. We have 6.8 percent growth for this current fiscal year, which runs until March, and then we're expecting some slowdown to 6.1 percent in fiscal year 2023. And that is largely driven by external factors," Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Chief Economist and Director, Research Department of the IMF told reporters Washington, DC.

"Growth in India is set to decline from 6.8 percent in 2022 to 6.1 percent in 2023 before picking up to 6.8 percent in 2024, with resilient domestic demand despite external headwinds," said the IMF's World Economic Outlook update.

According to the report, growth in emerging and developing Asia is expected to rise in 2023 and 2024 to 5.3 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively, after the deeper-than-expected slowdown in 2022 to 4.3 percent attributable to China's economy.

China's real GDP slowdown in the fourth quarter of 2022 implies a 0.2 percentage point downgrade for 2022 growth to 3.0 percen -- the first time in more than 40 years with China's growth below the global average. Growth in China is projected to rise to 5.2 percent in 2023, reflecting rapidly improving mobility, and to fall to 4.5 percent in 2024 before settling at below 4 percent over the medium term amid declining business dynamism and slow progress on structural reforms.

"Overall, I want to point out that emerging market economies on the whole and developing economies seem to be already on their way up. We have a slight increase in growth for the region from 3.9 percent in 2022 to 4 percent in 2023," Gourinchas said.

"Another relevant point here is that if we look at both China and India together, they account for about 50 percent of world growth in 2023. So a very significant contribution, he said.

"I want to say, we had a positive view on India in our October forecast. That positive view is largely unchanged," Gourinchas said in response to a question.

In a blog post he wrote that India remains a bright spot. Together with China, it will account for half of global growth this year, versus just a 10th for the US and euro area combined, he added.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum/Reuters

01:06 UAE Vice President renames Al Minhad district as Hind City

The Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum renamed the Al Minhad district and its surrounding areas as 'Hind City' on Sunday, the official news agency of Emirates, WAM reported.

The city is divided into four zones and contains homes for UAE residents.

"The city includes four zones--Hind 1, Hind 2, Hind 3, and Hind 4--and spans an area of 83.9km," WAM reported.

The city is connected by key roadways such as Emirates Road, Dubai-Al Ain Road, and Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road.

The Al Minhad region and its neighbouring territories have been renamed 'Hind City' in accordance with Dubai Ruler's directions.

Notably, this isn't the first time something has been renamed in Dubai.

Earlier in 2010, Burj Dubai was renamed as Burj Khalifa after Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi then. -- PTI

Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde (right)

00:43 Rival Shiv Sena factions make written submissions before EC

The Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions of the Shiv Sena on Monday made their final submissions before the Election Commission, asserting their claim to the party organisation and the poll symbol.

The written submissions were filed through their respective lawyers on Monday, which was the last day for presenting the documents .

"We are hopeful for an early verdict by the Election Commission," Rahul Shewale, the Leader of the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) in the Lok Sabha said.

On January 20, the rival factions had concluded their arguments before the Election Commission.

Both sides had submitted thousands of documents to the poll panel over the past few months to support their claim and argued their respective cases before the Commission on three occasions.

Shinde walked out of the Shiv Sena in June last year to become the chief minister of Maharashtra with support from the Bharatiya Janata Party, after toppling the Uddhav Thackeray-led coalition government.

The Shinde and Thackeray factions of the Sena have been locked in a battle for the control of the organisation since then. In November last year, the Election Commission had asked the Sena factions to submit fresh documents to back their claim to the party's name and poll symbol.

The Commission had also asked them to exchange the documents submitted to it with each other. In an interim order in October, the poll panel had barred the two factions from using the party name or its "bow-and-arrow" symbol. -- PTI

File image/ANI

00:33 NIA quizzes 6 Kerala scribes over terror group ties

The Hyderabad team of the National Investigation Agency questioned at least six journalists on suspected ties with terror organisations.

As per the NIA sources, a group of journalists was maintaining a close association with the terror outfits.

At least six journalists were questioned who were allegedly the mastermind behind recruiting youngsters from Northern Kerala for terror outfits.

NIA has also retrieved digital evidence from the journalists to substantiate their claim.

The journalists are likely to be questioned in Kochi again, the sources added.

Further investigations are underway in the case. -- ANI

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