Track the big headlines and top national and international stories of the day.
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Govt invites bids for privatisation of NMDC's Nagarnar Steel Plant
The government invited preliminary bids for strategic sale of NMDC's Nagarnar Steel Plant.
The last date for submitting bids for NMDC Steel Ltd is January 27, 2023, while the last date for submitting queries is December 29, 2022, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) said.
First phase polling: Gujarat Congress complains of booth capturing, bogus voting
The opposition Congress submitted six different complaints, one of them related to "booth capturing" in Surendranagar district, to election authorities after the first phase of voting on 89 Assembly seats ended in Gujarat.
In one of the complaints, the Congress alleged a polling booth situated in Samla village falling under the Limbdi Assembly seat of Surendranagar district was captured by some anti-social elements.
Other complaints included bogus voting by anti-social elements on some booths in Botad district, deliberately slowing down polling process by officials in Jamnagar and authorities allowing party symbols inside a booth in the Palsana area of Surat city.
Russia not bothered by oil price cap; will negotiate directly with partner countries: Lavrov
Russia said it was not bothered at a possible price cap on its crude oil proposed by the West, saying Moscow will negotiate directly with its partners like India and China as the price should be decided between the producers and consumers, and "not someone who just decided to punish someone."
Osama Bin Laden tested chemical weapons on my dogs, claims son
One of the sons of slain al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden has claimed that his father was training him to follow in his footsteps, making him fire guns as a child in Afghanistan and using his dogs to test chemical weapons.
In an interview with 'The Sun'newspaper while on a visit to Qatar, Bin Laden's fourth eldest son Omar claims he was a "victim" and has tried to forget the "bad times" with his father.
"I said goodbye and he said goodbye. I'd had enough of that world. He wasn't happy that I was leaving,"he tells the newspaper. (PTI)
Mehrauli killing: Accused Aaftab Poonawala's narco test successful, officials say
Shraddha Walkar murder accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala underwent a narco analysis test for almost two hours at a hospital in Rohini on Thursday as part of the ongoing investigation in the case, officials said.
They said Poonawala's narco test was completely successful and his health condition absolutely fine. (PTI)
IndiGo launches digital e-logbook for pilots
IndiGo has launched digital e-logbook for pilots and the facility will allow transfer of pilots' flight data directly to aviation regulator DGCA.
In a release, IndiGo said it has become the first Indian airline to launch digital e-logbook for the pilots.
IndiGo launches digital e-logbook for pilots
IndiGo has launched digital e-logbook for pilots and the facility will allow transfer of pilots' flight data directly to aviation regulator DGCA.
In a release, IndiGo said it has become the first Indian airline to launch digital e-logbook for the pilots.
991 players sign up for for IPL 2023 auction
A total of 991 cricketers including 714 Indians have registered for the IPL 2023 Players' Auction to be held in Kochi on December 23.
Among the 14 overseas countries, Australia with 57 players have the most in the auction pool, followed by South Africa (52).
West Indies (33), England (31), New Zealand (27), Sri Lanka (23), Afghanistan (14) Ireland (8), Netherlands (7), Bangladesh (6), UAE (6), Zimbabwe (6), Namibia (5) and Scotland (2) are the other countries. "If every franchise were to have a maximum of 25 players in their squad, 87 players are available to be bought in the auction (of which up to 30 players can be overseas players)," said the statement issued by BCCI secretary Jay Shah. (PTI)
Anti-terrorist operations will not stop till last terrorist is eliminated: J&K LG
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha asserted that anti-terrorist operations will not be stopped until the last terrorist is eliminated in the Union Territory.
Sinha also said Jammu and Kashmir has marched a great distance in the last three years in ensuring that no section of society is left behind.
'Have courage to listen too': Congress to PM Modi over Kharge's 'Ravan' jibe
The Congress hit back at the BJP for attacking party chief Mallikarjun Kharge over his 'Ravan' remark and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "have the courage to listen too" as it cited several instances in the past when PM Modi had "insulted" Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.
Independent valuers give Rs 13,000 crore liquidation value for Reliance Capital
Independent valuers have given a liquidation value of up to Rs 13,000 crore for Reliance Capital, sources said.
The Reliance Capital administrator, in the Committee of Creditors (CoC) meeting held on Wednesday, presented the valuation reports of the independent valuers - Duff & Phelps and RBSA, to the lenders.
According to sources, Independent Valuers Dufff & Phelps and RBSA have given a liquidation value of around Rs 13,000 crore for Reliance Capital (RCAP).
In comparison, four bidders have quoted merely 30 to 40 per cent of the liquidation value in their bids. (PTI)
Essar Capital to invest Rs 52,000 cr to set up various projects in Odisha: Director Prashant Ruia
Essar Capital will make an investment of about Rs 52,000 crore in Odisha to set up various projects which include a 14 MT pellet plant and a 7.5 MT crude to petrochemical unit, the company's Director Prashant Ruia said.
"Essar plans to set up several projects in Odisha. A 14 MTPA pelletizing complex at an investment of Rs 12,000 crore, comprising an iron ore fines beneficiation plant, a pellet plant and 250 km slurry pipeline. Also proposes a 7.5 MTPA crude to petrochemical complex (CTC) involving about Rs 40,000 crore investment," Ruia said at 'Make in Odisha Conclave 2022' in Bhubaneswar. (PTI)
New anti-conversion law was necessary, will be enforced strictly: U'khand CM Dhami
A day after the Uttarakhand Assembly passed a more stringent anti-conversion Bill, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the new law will be enforced strictly in the state.
He said a stricter anti-conversion law was necessary as Uttarakhand is the land of gods and practices like religious conversion are "detrimental to us".
German foreign minister to visit India on Dec 5
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will be on a two-day visit to India beginning December 5 as the two countries seek to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
How 'Jallikattu' necessary for preserving native breed of bulls? SC asks Tamil Nadu
The Supreme Court, which is hearing a challenge to a Tamil Nadu law allowing "jallikattu",asked the state government how is the bull-taming sport necessary for preserving the native breed of bulls.
A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice K M Joseph also asked the state whether an animal can be used, as in "jallikattu", for the entertainment of humans.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Tamil Nadu, told the top court that "jallikattu" is not per se entertainment and the person who showcases his bull treats the animal with great care and compassion. (PTI)
Orchid Pharma board gives go-ahead to raise Rs 500 crore
Drug firm Orchid Pharma said its board has approved to raise Rs 500 crore from institutional investors.
The company's board has approved a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) programme to raise Rs 500 crore, it said in a regulatory filing.
With this QIP, the Dhanuka group, which took over the company in 2018, is also meeting its mandatory obligation to dilute 15 per cent stake in it by March 2023. (PTI)
India needs to focus on apparel manufacturing: Arvind Ltd official
India needs to focus on apparel manufacturing and diversification of products in the textiles sector, an official of leading textile firm Arvind Ltd said.
The government also needs to incentivise apparel manufacturing by way of extending the PLI scheme which has been given to some other sectors, the company's executive director Kulin Lalbhai said.
Speaking virtually at a session organised by MCCIin Kolkata, Lalbhai said, "India is good at making fabrics but not in apparel manufacturing. The country needs to focus on apparel manufacturing to move up in the value chain for which it has to be incentivised," he said.(PTI)
ASI sites lit up as India assumes G20 presidency
Several centrally-protected monuments, including UNESCO world heritage sites spread across the country, were lit up as India assumed the presidency of G20, officials said.
The Archaelogical Survey of India on Wednesday had said 100 ASI sites will be lit up from December 1-7, and that all illuminated heritage structures shall "highlight the G-20 logo over the monument".
"Illumination of monuments have begun to mark India assuming the presidency of G20 today. All 100 sites will be lit up eventually today," a senior ASI official said on Thursday. (PTI)
Mumbai airport servers restored after two hours of chaos and confusion
A technical snag at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on December 1, which lasted nearly two hours, caused huge chaos and confusion. Airport authorities explained: “There was a network interruption resulting from a cable cut during some construction work in the city. This interrupted the various ticketing systems. All systems are now restored and working.”
SJVN Green Energy signs MoU with Grid Corporation of Odisha
The company is developing 1000 MW Hydro Electric Projects & 2000 MW Solar Power Project.These projects will attract an investment of Rs 20,000 cr
Cosmo First announces Rs 108-crore buyback offer
Packaging solutions provider Cosmo First on Thursday announced a Rs 108-crore buyback of its shares from existing shareholders. The company will buy back 10.09 lakh shares having a face value of Rs 10 each representing 3.70 per cent of the total paid-up equity share capital of the company as of March 31, 2022.
Oil buoyed by OPEC+ output speculation and easing China COVID curbs
Oil rose about $1 a barrel on Thursday, supported by the potential for OPEC+ to cut supply further and as easing COVID curbs in China raised the likelihood of higher demand from the world's top crude importer.
Tomato, onion growers in tears following price crash in Karnataka
According to sources in the Yeshwanthpur Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Yard, onion prices had dropped to somewhere between Rs 2 per kg and Rs 10, a few days ago. However, it has now stabilised in the range of Rs 12 to Rs 18 per kg depending on the quality of the produce.
Govt rolls out facial recognition system DigiYatra at Delhi, Bengaluru and Varanasi airports
The Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia launched the service at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. The service will enable passengers to travel paperless through biometric facial recognition technology (FRT), he said.
Server down at Mumbai International Airport, check-ins for all airlines impacted
"The crowd is being managed well and there is no chaos as manual passes are being issued"CISF at Mumbai International Airport
Railways' freight loading surpasses FY22 levels in November; earnings up by 16%
On a cumulative basis during April-November 2022, freight loading of 978.72 MT was achieved against last year's loading of 903.16 MT during the same period, registering an improvement of 8 per cent, the Railways said in a statement.
Idukki airstrip getting ready; trial landing of aircraft carried out successfully
The National Cadet Corps' (NCC) first and only airstrip in the country is getting ready to receive small aircrafts for the training purpose of its air wing cadets. A successful trial landing of a two-seater Virus SW-80 aircraft was carried out at the airstrip built in this hill district on Thursday, officials said.
Wipro to acquire Pune-based industrial IoT product startup Linecraft.ai
The industrial automation business of Wipro Infrastructure Engineering announced on Thursday it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Linecraft.ai, a Pune based industrial Internet of Things (IoT) product startup in the manufacturing sector.
Pakistan hands over BSF jawan who accidentally crossed India-Pak border
A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan, who inadvertently crossed over to the Pakistani side on Thursday morning in the Punjab sector, has been handed over to the Indian authorities, a force spokesperson said. The jawan was undertaking zero line checking along the India-Pakistan international border (IB) near BSF post G G Base in Abohar sector.
GST mop up grows 11% to Rs 1.46 lakh crore in November
The collections from Goods and Services Tax (GST) grew by 11 per cent to about Rs 1.46 lakh crore in November on increased consumer spending and better compliance. This is the ninth month in a row that the revenues have remained above the Rs 1.4 lakh crore mark. However, the collection in November was the lowest since August.
Gujarat Assembly elections: Voting ends in first phase
While the final voting figures were awaited, 48.48 per cent turn-out was recorded till 3 pm, the Election Commission said. Barring a few minor incidents and some reports of problems in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the voting process, which commenced at 8 am, remained largely peaceful.
Centre's air quality panel directs UP, Haryana, Rajasthan to ensure registration of only CNG and e-autos from Jan 1 in NCR.
Centre asks FM radio channels not to play songs glorifying drugs
In an advisory to FM radio channels, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has asked them to strictly adhere to the terms and conditions prescribed in grant of permission agreement (GOPA) and migration grant of permission agreement (MGOPA) and not air any content in violation thereof.
Former India players Ashok Malhotra and Jatin Paranjape named in BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) to select new selection panel.
Sebi permits brokers to extend margin trading facility to equity ETFs
Capital markets regulator Sebi has allowed brokers to extend the margin trading facility (MTF) to equity exchange traded funds (ETFs) and such funds can be used as collateral as well. Currently, only select stocks that come under Group 1 securities are offered the MTF facility by brokers.
German Ambassador Dr Philipp Ackermann meets External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar
-"Welcome his enthusiasm for expanding India-Germany relations," says EAM.
(ANI)
India's example is of increasing relevance to others: S Jaishankar at G20 University Connect event
-Addressing the youth at G20 University Connect-Engaging Young Minds event held at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi, to push forward India's G-20 presidency agenda, S Jaishankar said, "India's example is of increasing relevance to others. Whether it is responding to Covid or indeed the transformation in green and clean energy.
(ANI)
Russia is ready to listen if anyone wants Ukraine talks - foreign minister
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Moscow was ready to listen if anyone wanted to hold talks on Ukraine. Lavrov, speaking at a news conference in the 10th month of the war, said Ukrainian allegations that Russia wanted talks in order to win time to regroup and rebuild its armed forces were absurd.
TVS Motor sales rise to 2,77,123 units in November
TVS Motor Company on Thursday said its sales increased by 2 per cent to 2,77,123 units in November. The company had dispatched 2,72,693 units in the year-ago period.
Shri M V Murali Krishna Appointed as Executive Director of Central Bank Of India
Central Bank of India announced the appointment of Malladi Venkat Murali Krishna, Chief General Manager, Bank of Baroda, as Executive Director on the Board of the Bank, for a period of three years, with effect from the date of assumption of office on or after 01 December 2022, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Our 'Jan Aakrosh Yatra' will cover 200 assembly seats & will have Jan Sampark Abhiyan with nearly 2 Cr people: BJP chief
-Our 'Jan Aakrosh Yatra' will cover 200 assembly seats &will have Jan Sampark Abhiyan with nearly 2 Cr people. Gehlot-led Rajasthan govt has only changed names of schemes. CM Gehlot cares less for the people of state but more for his party& its leaders: BJP chief JP Nadda
(ANI)
Investigation & process of narco is underway, we'll submit the report soon: Asst Dir, Forensic Science Lab
-Narco test is conducted when all parameters are met, all parameters were met. If needed, a post-narco test is done. Investigation & process of narco is underway, we'll submit the report soon. Case has been taken up on priority: Asst Dir, Forensic Science Lab, Rohini, Sanjeev Gupta
(ANI)
FSL team & team from Ambedkar Hospital conducted the Aftab Poonawalla's narco test, went on for over 2 hrs
-FSL team & team from Ambedkar Hospital conducted the narco test (of Aftab Poonawala) & it went on for over 2 hrs. Team had psychologist from forensic lab Rohini, photo expert & doctors from Ambedkar Hospital: Asst Dir, Forensic Science Lab, Rohini, S Gupta
(ANI)
G20 Presidency an opportunity to share India's story: S Jaishankar
-"G20 presidency offer an opportunity to share our story with others, particularly those who may transpose some of our experiences on their performance or challenges," he said attended by high level delegates.
(ANI)
34.48% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in the first phase of Gujarat Elections 2022
Gujarat Assembly Elections 2022 - PM Narendra Modi in Kalol, Panchmahal
"If they believed in democracy, they would have never gone to this level. They believe in one family and not democracy. They can do anything to please that one family and that family is everything to them, not democracy.
I respect Kharge ji. He will say what he has been told to say. Congress party doesn't know that this is Ram Bhakts' Gujarat. On this land of "Rambhakts", they were asked to say, "Modi ji 100 maatha wala raavan".
I respect Kharge ji. He will say what he has been told to say: PM Modi
Congress party doesn't know that this is Ram Bhakts' Gujarat. On this land of "Rambhakts", they were asked to say, "Modi ji 100 maatha wala raavan": PM Narendra Modi in Kalol, Panchmahal
Gujarat Assembly Elections 2022 | People are voting very enthusiastically: Rajkot Collector Arun Mahesh
In Rajkot district, 26 per cent polling has been recorded till 12 noon. No untoward incident has been reported so far. We are monitoring sensitive polling stations through webcasting, saidArun Mahesh.
EAM Dr S Jaishankar at G20 University Connect in Delhi
World is very polarised. Even having everybody in the room was a real challenge in last G20 meeting in Bali. Country-like India which is independent-minded has a middle-ground to bring different parties to the table: EAM Dr S Jaishankar
