Polycab India IPO, BSNL employees' rally & more: Top news of today

Before you start the day, let's take a quick look at some of the major events in the country that are likely to make headlines today. From BSNL employees' 3-day day rally to Polycab IPO, here are some of the most important news events scheduled for today that will be keenly watched.

1. BSNL employees' union to stage a three-day rally starting today

The Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) employees’ union will stage a three-day rally starting today, demanding implementation of the Third Pay Revision with 15 per cent fitment, among other things. This comes at a time when talks of lay-offs (to the tune of 35,000 people) are doing the rounds, amid a revival plan for the telco. Read on...

2. Polycab India IPO to open today

India’s largest manufacturer of electric wires and cables plans to raise nearly Rs 1,345 crore from its three-day initial public offering, which opens today. Polycab India Ltd. is offering nearly 2.5 crore equity shares at a price band of Rs 533-538. Some of its promoters, including the World Bank’s lending arm International Finance Corporation, will sell stake in the IPO—which will be a combination of offer-for-sale and fresh issue—while the company will use the funds raised for debt repayment and working capital requirements.

3. Modi will address 2 rallies in UP today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address two election rallies in Uttar Pradesh on Friday. In a statement, the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit said Modi will address the rallies in Amroha and Saharanpur parliamentary constituencies in support of party candidates. Read on...

4. Opposition shutdown in TN today over Cauvery

Condemning the Modi government and the Tamil Nadu government for "betraying" the state on the Cauvery river issue, major opposition parties on Sunday decided to hold a statewide shutdown protest today.

The DMK said in a statement issued here that the Central government had failed to set up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) within six weeks of the apex court's order of February 16. Read on...

5. Samsung 5G phone to hit the market today

Samsung will release its first 5G smartphone in the first week of April in South Korea, making it the world's first mobile device with the next-generation network capability. The South Korean tech giant said Galaxy S10's 5G model will go on sale on April 5, without a pre-order programme, Yonhap news agency reported. Though Samsung did not disclose the price, it is expected to cost around 1.5 million won ($1,332) in the domestic market. Read on...

6. Congress to launch publicity campaign today

In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party is slated to launch its political campaign and official theme of the campaign on April 5. A member of the publicity committee informed that multiple national and international advertising and PR firms have been shortlisted for the Congress campaign. Read on...

7. SC to hear pleas challenging issuance of electoral bonds today

The Supreme Court will hear the pleas challenging the validity of the Centre's decision on issuance of electoral bonds for political funding today.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi told advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for one of the petitioners, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an NGO, that the matter would be heard by an appropriate bench today. Read on...

8. RBI to introduce new seven-year and 20-year bonds on April 5

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will introduce a new seven-year and a new 20-year bonds in the first auction of the fiscal to be held on Friday. The total auction would be of Rs 17,000 crore in which five bonds of different tenure will be issued. Read on...

9. 'No Fathers in Kashmir' to release today

After an eight-month battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Ashvin Kumar's directorial "No Fathers in Kashmir" will hit the screens today.

"It is a film made for young people all over India to connect with young people all over Kashmir, about the euphoria and hopefulness of being young - an A certificate would keep both these audiences away from each other. Now I am confident that kids will come out with their hearts beating for Kashmir," Kumar said in a statement. Read on...