Page 14 - Bs Reads

Russian oil output cuts loom as Ukraine's strikes hit export infrastructure

A cut in output in Russia would add to the strain on global supplies when oil markets have already been jolted by unprecedented supply disruption because of the conflict in the Middle East

Centre, RBI aligned on curbing currency speculation amid rupee fall

State-run banks should refrain from speculative positions in offshore markets when the rupee is under pressure, a person familiar with the matter said

Early mill closures push India toward second year of sugar deficit

Lower output, coupled with rising exports, is likely to reduce domestic stockpiles and support local prices, which had been under pressure due to surplus supplies

RS to be adjourned today, to meet soon for 'important bill': Rijiju

Amid indications that the government may bring a bill to increase seats in the Lok Sabha to implement reservation for women in the legislature, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that the House will be adjourned and would meet again soon for a "very important" bill. In the Upper House, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh asked about the government's plan. Rijiju, in a response, said that the Upper House would take up the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill and the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill for passing on Thursday, which was scheduled to be the last day of the Budget session of Parliament. He added, "We have certain important issues, we haveshared this with the Opposition also. We are going to have a very important bill in next 2-3 weeks". "Today, government will propose for the House to be adjourned, and we will meet very soon; purpose is known to the members," he said. The government has been holding back channel

Parliament passes bill to recognise Amaravati as Andhra's permanent capital

Parliament on Thursday passed a bill seeking to recognise Amaravati as the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh with the Rajya Sabha giving its nod to it with a voice vote. The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which will scuttle any future bid to alter the decision of making Amaravati the capital of the southern state was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Replying to the debate on the bill in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said Andhra Pradesh is getting a new capital in Amaravati and gave his best wishes to the state. "We hope that Andhra Pradesh touches new heights of development and plays a meaningful role in fulfilling the dream and resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in achieving 'Viksit Bharat'," said the minister while terming it a historic occasion. Supporting the bill, Masthan Rao Yadav Beedha of TDP said after a lot of planning, Amaravati was chosen for its history, location and potential. Several oth

SAIL chief Amarendu Prakash resigns; Krishna Kumar Singh gets interim role

Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) Chairman and Managing Director Amarendu Prakash has resigned from his post, effective April 2, following approval from the steel ministry, a regulatory filing said. In the interim, company's Director (Personnel) Krishna Kumar Singh has been given additional charge of Chairman and Managing Director for three months from April 2 to July 1, 2026 or until a regular incumbent joins or until further orders, whichever is earlier, as per a steel ministry order. In a filing to the BSE, SAIL said that Prakash tendered his resignation notice to the ministry on January 2. "The Competent Authority has approved his resignation from the post of Chairman and Managing Director, SAIL w.e.f. 1 April 2026. Accordingly, Amarendu Prakash, Chairman and Managing Director, SAIL has ceased to be a member of the SAIL Board, w.e.f. 1 April, 2026," the filing said. In his resignation letter to the government, he said, "I request for an early release and commensurate notice

Apple celebrates 50th anniversary: From garage dream to global powerhouse

Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, Apple has profoundly shaped both the technology industry and daily life

Cash, liquor, narcotics worth over ₹274 cr seized in Bengal ahead of polls

Police have seized cash, liquor, narcotics and other items worth over Rs 274 crore in West Bengal, as part of intensified enforcement measures ahead of the assembly elections, officials said on Wednesday. The cumulative value of seizures since February 26 stands at Rs 274.12 crore, reflecting heightened vigilance across the state, a statement issued by the office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said. "Cumulative seizures of cash, liquor, narcotics, precious metals, and other freebies have been executed to curb illegal inducements/misuse of money power in elections," it said. The seizures include cash worth Rs 6.56 crore, liquor valued at Rs 43.37 crore, and drugs and narcotics amounting to Rs 58.13 crore. In addition, precious metals worth Rs 25.46 crore and freebies valued at Rs 140.58 crore have also been confiscated, it said. As part of broader security measures, authorities have also seized illegal arms and explosives, with 151 weapons recovered, the release .

Delhi govt rolls out 'Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana' to support girls' education

The Delhi government has rolled out the 'Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana', aimed at supporting the education and long-term financial security of the girl child through phased financial assistance from birth till higher education. In a gazette notification issued on March 30, the Department of Women and Child Development detailed the 'Delhi Lakhpati Bitiya Scheme Rules', which came into force from Wednesday. The new scheme replaces the Ladli Scheme. Under the scheme, financial assistance of up to Rs 61,000 will be provided to eligible beneficiaries in instalments linked to key educational and age-related milestones, and it will mature to Rs 1.20 lakh with interest. The financial assistance will be deposited at various stages beginning at birth and continuing through school and higher education, including diploma and graduation courses. The amount will be released in instalments but will be encashable only after the girl attains 18 or 21 years of age, depending on the milestone, it ...

Centre cracks down on fertiliser black-marketing, reviews MSP procurement

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday chaired a virtual meeting with state agriculture ministers, flagging gaps in farmer registration, fertiliser distribution, and pulse procurement under PM-AASHA. With 9.25 crore farmer IDs created across 19 states so far, Chouhan directed state governments to mount a joint campaign between agriculture and revenue departments to hit 100 per cent coverage of the scheme within six months. He stressed that registration must go beyond PM-Kisan beneficiaries to include all eligible farmers, an official statement said. On fertilisers, the minister came down hard on hoarding and black-marketing, asking states to enforce strict checks -- particularly in border areas, where he flagged illegal movement of inputs as a pressing concern. He called for a technology-based distribution system to ensure equitable access and nudged states towards promoting organic and natural farming to curb imbalanced fertiliser use. Haryana's 'Meri Fasal

Claude Code leak: Anthropic cites human error, works to limit damage

Thousands of copies of the code were removed from GitHub in response to copyright takedown requests from Anthropic, according to a notice on the popular developer platform

Zoramthanga's memoir traces Mizoram's political transformation from chaos

Zoramthanga describes the IAF bombing and its aftermath

Russia's GDP falls 1.5% year-on-year in February amid weak growth outlook

In the first two months of the year, GDP fell by 1.8 per cent

India's telecom imports from China rose to $6.37 billion in FY24: Govt

India's imports of telecom instruments from China climbed to USD 6,371 million (about Rs 59,500 crore) in 2023-24, up from USD 5,553 million in 2019-20, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. Minister of State for Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, in a written reply to Lok Sabha, said that total imports in the telecom instruments category rose from USD 13,333 million in 2019-20 to USD 17,010 million in 2023-24. "The imports under the principal commodity 'telecom instruments' have increased from USD 13,333 million in 2019-20 to 17,010 million in 2023-24. Further, the import from China during the period has increased from USD 5,553 million to 6,371 million," the minister said. To boost domestic manufacturing of telecom instruments, he said the government has introduced the Public Procurement order to give preference in government procurement for goods and services which meet the minimum domestic value addition criteria. He also noted the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme

Iran's 'new regime' seeks ceasefire, 'will consider if Hormuz opens': Trump

Trump claimed that an Iranian leader had sought a ceasefire. He added that the United States would consider it only when the Strait of Hormuz was open, free, and clear

In a first, Trump attends US Supreme Court arguments on citizenship

Trump was driven by motorcade from the White House and arrived before the arguments, wearing a red tie and dark suit

FCRA amendment bill unlikely to be taken up in Lok Sabha amid protests

A bill to amend the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) is unlikely to come up before the Lok Sabha in the ongoing Budget session for consideration amid opposition's concerns over some of its provisions, sources said on Wednesday. In the Lok Sabha, the FCRA (Amendment) Bill was listed for consideration and passage. But as soon as the Question Hour began at 11 am, opposition members, mainly from Kerala, started raising slogans against the provisions of the Bill. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Bill, introduced in the House last month, seeks to protect national security and interest and asserted that it was not aimed against any religion or organisation. It was aimed at preventing misuse of foreign contributions, Rijiju said to placate the opposition. The minister accused the Congress and Left parties of misleading people of Kerala, the state which faces assembly polls on April 9. He said that though the Bill had been listed in Wednesday's official agenda

Indigo to raise ticket prices again starting April 2 as ATF costs surge

For domestic routes, the airline said it has adjusted fuel charges based on distance bands after the government allowed only a partial pass-through of rising costs

Circulate Capital raises $220 million in first close of Asia-focused fund

Circulate Capital on Wednesday said it has raised USD 220 million (approximately Rs 2,000 crore) in the first close of its second Asia-focused fund to scale circular supply chains across South and Southeast Asia. The fund has drawn backing from investors, such as Builders Vision and Emerging Market Climate Action Fund (EMCAF). "The fund will now deploy growth capital to scale circular supply chains and recycling businesses across South and Southeast Asia, with a focus on plastic solutions and packaging, as well as electronics and apparel," Circulate Capital said in a statement. It will execute high-growth investments in key markets, such as India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The fundraising comes amid growing recognition of circular supply chains as a strategic priority, driven by tighter regulations, volatile raw material markets and increasing sustainability commitments by global companies. Industry estimates suggest that while the global economy

Meghalaya signs pact with Starlink to expand digital connectivity: CM

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday said the state government is taking major steps to enhance digital connectivity through its collaboration with Elon Musk-owned Starlink. Meghalaya has seen credible transformation through technology, and "we are hopeful that this collaboration will help us reach the remotest corners of our state and make a real difference in people's lives", Sangma said in a post on X. The CM said he was glad to witness the MoU signing between the Meghalaya government and Starlink India. "Over the past 8 years, we have strengthened infrastructure, embraced technology, and improved governance, reducing processes that once took 30 days to just 3 days. Yet, connecting our remotest schools, health centres, and communities remains a challenge. "Our partnership to introduce advanced satellite connectivity technology marks an important step toward bridging this gap. This initiative will help save lives through better healthcare access, improve learning