China denies seeking additional guarantees for USD 6 billion loan for rail project in Pakistan
By K J M Varma BEIJING: China on Monday termed as baseless the reports that it has sought additional guarantees from Pakistan for sanctioning a whopping USD 6-billion loan for a railway line project and backing away from its initial financial commitments to the multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor due to weakening financial position of […]
NHAI updates FASTag app to provide balance status to users
NEW DELHI: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Monday said it has updated the FASTag app to add a new feature to provide balance status to users. “With FASTag becoming mandatory on toll plazas from 1st January 2021 and to ensure its smooth implementation, NHAI has updated its Mobile App My FASTag App’ […]
2021 will witness lot of regulatory efforts channelled towards virtual assets: SBI official
NEW DELHI: The use of crowdfunding websites create additional risk and the year 2021 will see a lot of regulatory effort channelled towards virtual assets, a senior SBI official said on Monday. Addressing a virtual ‘AML/CFT Conference 2020′, Sujit Kumar Varma, SBI’s Deputy Managing Director (Corporate Accounts Group) said that the trade-based money laundering remains […]
Donald Trump signs Tibet policy to preempt Chinese move on Dalai Lama’s succession; China firmly opposes
By Lalit K Jha and K J M Varma WASHINGTON/BEIJING: US President Donald Trump has signed into law a bill that reaffirms the right of Tibetans to choose a successor to the Dalai Lama and calls for establishing an American consulate in Tibet, prompting China to warn that the act will seriously disrupt and hurt […]
MHA issues fresh COVID-19 guidelines, says need to be vigilant as new variant emerging in UK
NEW DELHI: The government of India (Centre) or on Monday said there has been a continuous decline in the number of active COVID-19 cases in the country but there is a need to maintain surveillance, containment and caution, keeping in view the surge in the number of cases globally and the emergence of a new […]
L&T plans to hire 1,100 engineers across business verticals in 2021
NEW DELHI: Engineering and construction conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is looking to recruit close to 1,100 graduate and post graduate engineer trainees in 2021 and deploy them across various business verticals, a top company official has said. The company, through its ongoing virtual hiring process, has already made around 250 offers in the recent […]
Donald Trump signs $900 billion Covid-19 pandemic relief package
WEST PALM BEACH:President Donald Trump has signed a $900 billion pandemic relief package, ending days of drama over his refusal to accept the bipartisan deal that will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown. The massive bill includes $1.4 trillion to fund government agencies through September and contains other […]
Disruption of telecom services in Punjab violation of Supreme Court order
NEW DELHI: The disruption of telecom services in Punjab is in violation of the Supreme Court order, is causing inconvenience to the residents and is likely to lead a breakdown of law and order machinery. According to experts, the disruption of telecom services in Punjab is not only in clear violation of the order issued […]
Amit Shah launched several development projects in Assam
NEW DELHI: India’s Home Minister Amit Shah today launched several development projects in Assam.Shah laid the foundation stone of New Medical College in Guwahati. To be built at a cost of around Rs 850 crore, this will be the second medical college in Guwahati city. Shah also laid the foundation stone of nine law colleges to […]
Narendra Modi launches Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY SEHAT to extend coverage to all residents of Jammu & Kashmir
NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi launched Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY SEHAT to extend coverage to all residents of Jammu & Kashmir today through video conference. Union Ministers, Amit Shah, Dr Harsh Vardhan, Dr Jitendra Singh and Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir,Manoj Sinha were present on the occasion. The Prime Minister also interacted with […]
Bihar Cabinet approves proposal to create 103 new nagar
NEW DELHI: The Bihar Cabinet on Saturday gave its nod for creation of 103 new nagar panchayats, eight new nagar parishads, and upgrading five municipal councils to municipal corporations, an official release said. The decision was taken to boost urbanisation and increase the states share in central resources, the release said. The Cabinet meeting, chaired […]
Modi government plans product specific warehouses around ports, waterways
NEW DELHI: In a major step towards strengthening port infrastructure, the Narendra Modi government proposes to create product specific warehouses at various major and non-major ports across the country. The proposed warehouses will cater to a host of products such as cement, electronic products, pharmaceuticals, auto spares parts and components. They will also be equipped […]
Adani’s deal to buy stake in Odisha Power Generation Corp cancelled
NEW DELHI: Adani Power’s agreement with AES OPGC Holding and AES India for acquisition of 49 per cent stake in the Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC) has been cancelled as the Odisha government, which holds 52 per cent stake in OPGC has exercised the right of first refusal. In June, Adani Power Ltd had entered […]
Volkswagen India to raise Polo, Vento prices from January 2021
NEW DELHI: Automobile manufacturer Volkswagen India will raise prices of Polo and Vento models by up to 2.5 per cent from January 2021. According to the company, the move will be initiated in lieu of the rising input costs. “Effective January 2021, Volkswagen India announces a price revision of up to 2.5 per cent across […]
ANS Commerce plans to expand internationally in 2021
NEW DELHI: E-commerce startup ANS Commerce plans to foray into the international market in 2021 with the expansion of its operations in Middle East, South Asia and North America. In a statement, the company said that it aims to expand its warehousing capacity by four times and shift its primary focus to the FMCG and […]
SJVN gets 3 hydroelectric projects in Chenab basin from Himachal Pradesh
NEW DELHI: State-owned power producer SJVN Ltd has been awarded three hydroelectric power projects totaling 501 megawatts (MW) by the Himachal Pradesh government. The three projects are to be developed in the Chenab river basin in Himachal Pradesh, SJVN said in a statement. ‘The Cabinet meeting chaired by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur […]