Top headlines: Sensex closes in on 50,000; 1st batch of Covishield released

From Sensex closing in on 50,000 milestone to banks' gross NPAs likely to rise to 13.5% by Sept, here are top headlines this morning

Sensex closes in on 50,000 milestone, Nifty ends at 14,484; IT stocks gain

Stocks on Monday cheered the scheduled roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines in the country by the end of this week and the strong start to the quarterly earnings season. The benchmark Sensex crossed the 49,000 mark for the first time, and is now within striking distance of the 50,000 milestone. The Sensex rose 487 points, or 1 per cent, to end the session at 49,269, while the Nifty closed at 14,484, a gain of 137 points, or 0.9 per cent. IT stocks were the top gainers and contributed