LIVE: 'No curb on travel, but think before going to Mizoram,' says Assam CM

Latest news live updates: Only eight bills passed yet in monsoon session as Opposition protests Pegasus spyware controversy.

11:08 PM

Britannia net profit drops 29 pc to Rs 387 cr in Q1

Home-grown food company Britannia Industries on Friday reported a 29 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 387 crore for the quarter ended June 30. The company had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 543 crore for the April-June period of previous fiscal. Total income during the first quarter stood at Rs 3,464 crore, compared to Rs 3,514 crore in the same period of last fiscal.

 

Britannia MD Varun Berry said, "Second wave of Covid-19 struck the country hard followed by lockdowns imposed by various state governments. We witnessed the evolving nature of the pandemic as well as consumer sentiment and behaviour."

10:24 PM

Water level at Jharkhand's Patratu dam touches danger mark

The water level of Jharkhand's Patratu dam touched the danger mark on Friday due to heavy rainfall, an official said. In the wake of continuous rains in the upstream of the Nalkari river that meets the Damodar river, the Patratu Thermal Power Station (PTPS) Estate Department announced that its one of the eight gates would be opened on Saturday to maintain a safe water level, the official said.

 

"Safe water level of Patratu dam is RL 1,327 feet and breach of the safe level is treated as an alert to open the dam gates," the official said.

 

Md Javed Hussain, the Sub-Divisional Officer of Ramgarh, said that block development officers have been directed to be on alert in the wake of the opening of the dam gate that may bring flood in the Damodar river.

9:47 PM

Delhi Assembly passes resolution to repeal three farm laws

The Delhi Assembly on its last day of the monsoon session on Friday passed a resolution to repeal the three farm laws and suggested the central government to talk to farmers and resolve their grievances.

 

Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain alleged that farm laws are aimed at benefiting big companies not farmers.

 

The doubling of farmers' income is a jumla (false promise). These farm laws are passed to benefit some big companies and the farmers will turn from owners to labourers. The Centre should withdraw these farm laws immediately without any condition, Jain said.

 

Farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at Delhi's borders since November last year against three agri laws, which were enacted in September that year.

9:14 PM

JK Paper Q1 profit jumps manifold to Rs 104 cr

JK Paper on Friday reported a multi-fold jump in consolidated net profit at Rs 104.22 crore for the first quarter ended June 30 on the back of higher sales and better realisation.

 

The company, which had posted a net profit of Rs 2.66 crore in the year-ago period, said its board has approved an investment of Rs 150 crore for setting up a corrugated packaging plant.

 

Revenue from operations stood at Rs 660.75 crore as against Rs 469.24 crore in the year-ago period, JK Paper said in a regulatory filing.

 

"Higher volume with better realisations across all segments resulted in improved performance during the quarter despite the impact of the 2nd wave of the COVID-19 pandemic," JK Paper Vice Chairman and Managing Director Harsh Pati Singhania said.

8:49 PM

Govt releases guidelines to provide framework for sharing of biological data

Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh on Friday released a set of guidelines to provide a well-defined framework and guiding principle to facilitate sharing of biological information and data generated by research groups in the country. "The Biotech-PRIDE (Promotion of Research and Innovation through Data Exchange) Guidelines will facilitate this and enable exchange of information to promote research and innovation in different research groups across the country, a statement said.

8:35 PM

EU regulators fine Amazon $886 million

European regulators have fined Amazon 746 million euros ($886 million) for data protection violations. Amazon said in a regulatory filing on Friday that the Luxembourg National Commission for Data Protection issued a decision against the company earlier this month, claiming that its processing of personal data did not comply with the European Union general data protection regulation. Amazon said that it believes the decision is without merit and that it will defend itself vigorously. (AP)

7:36 PM

Marico Q1 net profit dips 6% to Rs 365 cr

FMCG firm Marico Ltd on Friday reported a 5.92 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 365 crore for the quarter ended June 2021. The company had posted a net profit of Rs 388 crore in the April-June period a year ago, Marico said in a BSE filing. However, revenue from operations of the Mumbai-based firm rose 31.16 per cent to Rs 2,525 crore, as against Rs 1,925 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Read here

6:57 PM

State-owned BHEL first quarter loss narrows to Rs 448 crore

State-owned BHEL on Friday reported narrowing of consolidated net loss to Rs 448.20 crore for June quarter 2021-22 mainly due to higher revenues. The company had reported a net loss of Rs 893.14 crore for the year-ago period, a BSE statement said. Total income in the quarter rose to Rs 2,966.77 crore from Rs 2,086.43 crore.

6:38 PM

EVs to account for 25% of Tata Motors' PV sales: N Chandrasekaran

A fourth of Tata Motors total passenger vehicle sales will be accounted for by electric vehicles, as the company seeks to ride on the electrification trend in the country. The Tata Group flagship will announce fundraising plans to support the EV business, N Chandrasekaran, chairman Tata Motors told the shareholders at the company's 76th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Friday. Read here

6:21 PM

Latest News LIVE updates: PM Modi meets new Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai

5:39 PM

LIVE: Core sector output rises 8.9% in June over last year

India's infrastructure output in June rose 8.9% year-on-year, compared with 16.8% in the previous month and -12.4% in June 2020, government data on Friday showed. Read here

5:27 PM

IOC to tie up with Malaysia's Petronas for gas, fuel retailing

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the nation's biggest oil firm, on Friday said it will partner with Malaysia's Petronas for natural gas and transportation fuel retailing business. IOC and Petronas have a 50:50 joint venture, IndianOil Petronas Pvt Ltd (IPPL) for import of LPG. It sells LPG to commercial customers who are not allowed to use subsidised cooking gas sold to households by state energy firms. This joint venture will "diversify into natural gas and transportation fuel retailing business," IOC Chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidya said. (PTI)

5:11 PM

'Each of you a powerhouse of talent': PM to students after Class 12 results

Congratulating the students who passed their Class XII CBSE exams, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said the batch that appeared for the boards this year did so under unprecedented circumstances caused by the Covid pandemic. The education world witnessed many changes through the year gone by, yet these students adapted to the new normal and gave their best, he said, adding that he was proud of them. Read here

5:09 PM

India's Apr-June fiscal deficit narrows to Rs 2.7 trn as tax receipts rise

India's federal fiscal deficit for the April-June quarter narrowed to Rs 2.74 trillion ($36.83 billion), down more than 58% from the same period in the previous fiscal year, government data released on Friday showed, amid a pick up in tax receipts. Read here

4:49 PM

LIVE: India, China to hold 12th round of military level talks at 10:30 am tomorrow

LIVE: India, China to hold military level talks on LAC at 10:30 am tomorrow

4:15 PM

Democracy must go on, says Mamata after meeting Sharad Pawar

3:59 PM

India records highest number of forest-fire alerts in three years: Govt

India recorded 3,45,989 forest-fire alerts between November 2020 and June 2021, highest in the last three years and almost triple the number of alerts generated during the same period the previous year, the Centre told Parliament on Friday.

 

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Ashwini Choubey said 3,45,989 forest-fire alerts were sent by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) using SNPP-VIIRS sensors (including large, continuous and repeated forest fires) between November 2020 and June 2021.

 

According to the details shared by the minister, the number of forest-fire alerts between November 2019 and June 2020 was 1,24,473 and between November 2018 and June 2019, the country recorded 2,10,286 such alerts. (PTI)

3:26 PM

European economy rebounds into growth, ending double-dip recession

Europe's economy rebounded into growth in the second quarter, official figures showed Friday, but lagged pre-pandemic levels and trailed the faster recoveries in the US and China, with the delta variant continuing to cast a shadow of uncertainty over the upturn. Read here

2:42 PM

CBSE Class 12 result: Results weren't what we were expecting, says a Delhi student

2:34 PM

CBSE Class 12 results LIVE: Over 70,000 score above 95%; girls outshine boys

CBSE Class 12 results LIVE: Over 70,000 students have scored above 95%; girls outshine boys

1:08 PM

Dont exhaust patience: Venkaiah Naidu tells Oppn MPs

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said on Friday he was "very much concerned" by the conduct of Opposition MPs protesting against the government in the House. "There is a limit to patience and we should not exhaust the patience of the House," said Naidu, according to PTI.

 

12:43 PM

Govt willing to discuss 'directly related to people: Minister

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said Friday government is ready to discuss in Parliament issues "directly related" to the people. The Opposition’s protests on the Pegasus spyware controversy are over a "non-issue, non-serious issue", said the parliamentary affairs minister. He said Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has already made a detailed statement on the spyware.

12:33 PM

No death has reported due to manual scavenging: Govt tells Parliament

No death has been reported due to manual scavenging, the government told Parliament on Friday, drawing criticism by activists. Ramdas Athawale, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, told Rajya Sabha the government has identified 66,692 manual scavengers, PTI reported. The government does not identify deaths due to manual scavenging and instead calls them deaths due to hazardous cleaning of septic tanks and sewers.

11:45 AM

Lok Sabha adjourned till noon

Lok Sabha adjourned till noon following as Opposition MPs continue.

11:40 AM

Rajya Sabha adjourned for an hour

Rajya Sabha adjourned for an hour as Opposition members shout slogans about Pegasus snooping controversy, farm laws and other issues

11:34 AM

SC to hear next week N Ram's plea on Pegasus

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear next week a plea by journalist N Ram seeking an independent probe by a sitting or a retired judge into the Pegasus spyware controversy. The plea alleges the spyware’s use represented an attempt by agencies and organisations to muzzle and chill the exercise of free speech and expression of dissent in India, PTI reported.

10:59 AM

Delhi on flood alert

Delhi on Friday sounded an “alert” as the Yamuna rose to 205.22 metres and closed in to the "danger mark" of 205.33 metres, PTI reported. The irrigation and flood control department has deployed 13 boats and put 21 others on standby for evacuations.

10:25 AM

CBSE Class 12 board exam results at 2pm

CBSE Class 12 board exam results will be announced at 2 pm: NDTV. Exams were not held due the pandemic and CBSE had to make an alternative method to mark students' performance

8:56 AM

BJP leaders meet Congress leader Kharge

Pralhad Joshi, the parliamentary affairs minister, and Piyush Goyal, BJP’s floor leader in Rajya Sabha, met with Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday to discuss the impasse in Parliament, media reports say.

8:41 AM

India stands by double-digit growth forecast

Global organisations have slashed their economic growth forecasts for India to single digits, but the country's finance ministry is confident of achieving double-digit growth this fiscal year. "We stand by the February Budget estimates of a 10.5 per cent GDP growth rate," Principal Economic Advisor Sanjeev Sanyal told Business Standard. More here