India's economic engine is revving up, but navigating the global headwinds requires sharp strategy. The rupee's recent volatility against the dollar underscores the complexities facing Indian businesses, impacting everything from import-export trade to domestic inflation. This week alone, we've seen significant shifts in the IT sector, with major players announcing restructuring and a renewed focus on AI-driven solutions. Meanwhile, the burgeoning startup ecosystem continues to attract substantial funding, despite a cautious global investor sentiment. The government's recent policy announcements on infrastructure development and digitalization are poised to further shape the business landscape, creating both opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs and established corporations alike. Understanding these market dynamics is crucial for success in today's rapidly evolving Indian economy. Stay informed with Abtak.com for the latest insights and analysis on key sectors including finance, manufacturing, and technology – empowering your business decisions in a dynamic market. Explore the complete business news section now to stay ahead of the curve.
Guwahati: The Delhi High Court has issued comprehensive directions to ensure the effective implementation of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing the felling and transplantation of trees in the national capital. Justice Jasmeet Singh, while hearing a contempt plea, emphasized that the SOP must not remain a mere formality but must be enforced in spirit to achieve its intended environmental objectives. The Court underlined the constitutional right of citizens under Article 21 -- the right to live in a clean and pollution-free environment. Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge! As part of the newly issued guidelines, the Court directed that the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) or Tree Officer must be involved from the very beginning of any project planning stage that involves the cutting or transplantation of trees. The Court also mandated stringent conditions for compensatory plantations. Trees planted in lieu of felled ones must be at least six feet tall, have a minimum five-year nursery life, and a collar girth of at least 10 cm. Furthermore, the project proponent will be required to submit an affidavit undertaking the care, watering, maintenance, and upkeep of these planted trees for a period of five years. Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge! In a bid to curb poor transplantation practices, the Court prohibited heavy pruning of trees intended for transplantation. Additionally, the Tree Officer must evaluate several environmental factors before granting permission for tree removal. These include: Total number of tree felling applications made for the project, Overall environmental footprint of the project, Availability of alternative sites, Impact on the green cover in surrounding areas, Age of the trees and their ecological importance, Likelihood of the trees surviving transplantation. Justice Singh clarified that the SOP must operate in line with the Delhi Preservation of Trees (DPT) Act, 1994, with the DCF responsible for monitoring post-approval implementation. The directions come in response to a contempt petition which alleged that Tree Officers were not complying with previous court rulings, particularly those requiring justification for permitting tree felling. Earlier, the Delhi High Court had ruled that any permission to cut 50 or more trees must be reviewed and approved by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), as directed by the Supreme Court in December 2024. For felling fewer than 50 trees, existing permissions may continue until full SOP implementation by the authorities. The Supreme Court had stated that permissions under Sections 8 and 9 of the DPT Act must not be enforced unless cleared by the CEC, which is tasked with assessing all environmental and legal considerations tied to such decisions.
Lucknow, Jun 28 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath chaired a high-level review meeting here on Saturday and directed officials to transform the plantation campaign into a statewide people's movement. The chief minister's remarks come ahead of the upcoming Van Mahotsav in July. Launching the logo of 'Vriksharopan Maha Abhiyan 2025', Adityanath announced an ambitious goal of planting more saplings on a single day than the total population of Uttar Pradesh, the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement. "The campaign, themed 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam', represents a collective push ...Read More >
The Delhi high court on Thursday asked the Centre to clarify the rationale behind excluding unmarried and same sex couples from giving consent on their partner's behalf for medical treatment/emergencies, saying that it saw no valid justification for such exclusion. A bench of justice Sachin Datta sought justification while dealing with a plea filed by Arshiya Takkar, a queer individual, seeking directions to the Centre to frame guidelines allowing same-sex partners to give consent in medical sit ...Read More >
Gurgaon: National Green Tribunal (NGT) took note of the illegal felling of heritage peepal trees by Faridabad Animal Husbandry department on its office premises, which violated tree-cutting conditions that required transplantation.In a hearing on July 16, the principal bench, headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava, noted that while felling permission was granted with conditions, the department cut down at least eight ficus trees -- including five peepal trees -- without fulfilling the requirement to transplant them. The order came in response to a petition filed by Viyana Berwal and others, who ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Lakshadweep administration plans to acquire Bitra Island of the Union Territory for transfer to relevant defence and strategic agencies of the Government of India. "The initiative is necessitated by the strategic location of the island, its national security relevance, and the inherent logistical and administrative challenges associated with civilian habitation," a notification issued by Lakshadweep's department of revenue on July 11 said. Bitra is an island covering around 91,700 sq m (0.091 sq km) and has a population of around 350. Residents have pointed out that the move c ...Read More >
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (November 26, 2024), indicated a level of hypocrisy attached to criticism about Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), saying ""EVMs are tampered when you lose and fine if you win". The oral remark was made by Justice Vikram Nath before dismissing a petition filed by evangelist K.A. Paul, who urged for a judicial order to return to paper ballots. Also read:EVM-VVPAT case | Cannot disclose 'source code' of EVMs, will result in misuse: Supreme Court Justice Nath, during the hearing, asked Mr. Paul whether he wanted to turn the court into a political arena. Mr. Paul sa ...Read More >
New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to hear a plea against the nomination of AAP candidate and Delhi minister Mukesh Kumar Ahlawat in the February 5 assembly elections. Justice Subramonium Prasad observed the petition was not maintainable. "How is this petition even maintainable in law? Either you challenge (his previous) election on whatever grounds ... this is not maintainable," said the court. The plea was then withdrawn by the petitioner. The petitioner, who lives in Sultan Puri, said Ahlawat contested previous elections by concealing and withholding certain f ...Read More >
New Delhi: Delhi govt's standard operating procedure (SOP) on felling or transplantation of trees will need to be revised, as Delhi High Court has incorporated additional requirements to make the process more effective.In a recent order, HC underlined it is dealing with "the rights of the citizens of Delhi and the rights protected under Article 21 of the Constitution to live in a clean and pollution-free environment" and passed a slew of directions designating the forest department's tree officer to account for the overall impact on the green cover in the neighbourhood, the age of trees, and t ...Read More >
Bengaluru, July 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Karnataka government has formulated the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for crowd management at events and mass gatherings against the backdrop of the June 4 stampede tragedy, which claimed 11 lives during the victory celebration of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru team. The office of the Director General M. A. Saleem issued the new SOP guidelines on Tuesday, specifying pre-event planning and preparation, coordination, on-ground deployment and access control, emergency preparedness, arrest procedures and crowd dispersal orders, use of force, and othe ...Read More >
New Delhi: An underaged teenage survivor of rape seeking to immediately end her unwanted pregnancy of 27 weeks will have to wait until the fetus reaches the gestational period of 34 weeks so that the child can be born, Delhi High Court ordered on Thursday."Don't ask us to be a part of foeticide. Every endeavour must be made by the state to protect life," the bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal told the counsel for the survivor, after AIIMS highlighted that aborting the 16-year-old girl's pregnancy at 27 weeks may harm her reproductive health permanently and amount to fo ...Read More >
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday ruled prison authorities can decide a plea of parole and furlough even when the matter was pending in the Supreme Court. A bench of Justices Pratibha M Singh and Amit Sharma observed the Delhi Prison Rules did not bar consideration of parole and furlough if a convict's appeal against the conviction was pending in the Supreme Court. The bench, however, noted whether the relief could be granted or not was a different issue altogether and depended on the facts of ea ...Read More >
On the occasion of World Environment Day, Delhi Minister of Development and Tourism Kapil Mishra visited Shri Krishna Gaushala in Sultanpur Dabas, Bawana, in the Northwest District. The minister, who was accompanied by Model Town MLA Ashok Goyal, environmentalists and gaushala caretakers, took part in a tree plantation drive at the cow shelter, one of the largest gaushalas in the Delhi-NCR region. During the visit, Mishra reviewed the arrangements at the cow shelter. He held extensive discussio ...Read More >
New Delhi: Three Indian citizens vanished mysteriously in Tehran. Darkness closed in as hope seemed lost. A ruthless Pakistani gang with potential links to ISI snatched them away, casting a shadow of fear. But relentless Indian diplomats refused to back down. Against all odds, a daring rescue mission ignited. Now, the captives are free, and a chilling game of espionage comes to light. The Punjab-based trio - Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar and Hushnapreet Singh from Sangrur - had landed in Iran on May 1. Promised a clandestine route to Australia via Dubai and Tehra ...Read More >
Kolkata, July 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The West Bengal unit of BJP, under the leadership of its new State party President Samik Bhattacharya is making all efforts to ensure a political rally in the state, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing it, before Trinamool Congress's annual Martyrs' day rally in Kolkata on July 21. An insider from the state committee of BJP said that the week before July 21, the Prime Minister is scheduled to go for an election campaign in Bihar where the Assembly polls are scheduled later this year. "We are trying hard so that the Prime Minister can spare some time ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) The Centre has informed the Delhi High Court it has no plans to introduce Rs 50 coin as people prefer banknotes. The submissions came in response to a PIL seeking directions to produce currency notes and coins, particularly Rs 50 and below, which would be easily identifiable by blind persons. A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal on Wednesday noted though the counter affidavit was filed with the registry, it was not on record. "Let necessary steps be taken for bringing the same on record," the bench said and adjourned the matter. The ...Read More >
Panaji: Scientists have mapped the troubling forest structure dynamics in Goa, revealing a steep decline in forest health in a study. They have called for an urgent need for ecological safeguards. The study used over five decades (1973-2022) of satellite data and spatial modelling to quantify forest cover loss, fragmentation, and its cascading impacts on ecosystem services in the central Western Ghats region -- an ecological treasure trove that includes Goa. "Total forest cover declined by 3.75 per cent during the post-1990s due to market forces associated with globalisation," the report has ...Read More >
Medak: Telangana State BJP President N. Ramchander Rao on Friday appealed to the people to give the committed party an opportunity to meet the aspirations of the poor and downtrodden. Addressing a large gathering of party workers in Medak, the BJP chief remarked that citizens have experienced the rule of the BRS and the Congress party and have had bitter experiences with the deceitful practices of both. He urged people to support the BJP wholeheartedly in the upcoming local body elections as a way to teach the ruling Congress party a lesson for its unfulfilled promises. Rao emphasized that t ...Read More >
Patna, July 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a major action against corruption, the State Vigilance Unit (SVU) on Saturday arrested Sub-Inspector Putul Kumari, the SHO of the Women's Police Station in Samastipur, for accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000. Her driver was also arrested in the case. The arrest has created a stir within the police department. According to an official, Putul Kumari was caught red-handed while taking the bribe from Rajiv Ranjan, a resident of Chhatauna village under Mufassil police station limits, in connection with an assault case. Rajiv Ranjan had filed a written complaint with ...Read More >
New Delhi: Alleging "blatant misuse" of agencies to defame its leaders, AAP on Thursday questioned why the first information report filed against former Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain was being kept under wraps and "selective" press notes were being leaked to the media.Bharadwaj, who is Delhi AAP convener, alleged that only two former ministers were named in the case without any reasonable cause while all the officers of the health and public works departments, who were actually responsible for executing the hospital projects, were spared. "Is the FIR so baseless that BJP ...Read More >
Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Monday directed the Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC) to develop a comprehensive statewide policy for tree cutting and compensatory afforestation. This directive came after reports revealed violations of the Maharashtra Urban Areas Protection and Preservation of Trees Act during infrastructure projects.A division bench comprising justices Nitin Sambre and Sachin Deshmukh granted MSIDC four weeks to submit a detailed affidavit outlining its policy, compliance measures, and monitoring mechanisms. The order emerged fr ...Read More >
Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday announced to plant over 37 crore saplings on July 9 to bolster PM Modi's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative, stressing that "a sapling we nurture today will sustain our lives tomorrow"."If we plant flowering trees on the roads' median and give the responsibility of protecting them to NGOs or other organisations, it will give out a good message. We have to do it on expressways, highways, interstate connectivity or municipality roads... I appeal to everyone to join the campaign on July 9 from 7 am to 7 pm, and take a selfie after planting a tree," t ...Read More >
Agartala (Tripura) [India], June 5 (ANI): Tripura Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu on Thursday urged people to plant trees in their homes and avoid the use of plastic on the occasion of World Environment Day. Governor of Tripura Indrasena Reddy Nallu said, 'Today is World Environment Day. Tripura is a green land, a green state. We must always strive to maintain this greenery and take the state even further on the path of environmental progress. I would like to tell the people of the state to avoid the use of plastic. I urge everyone to plant trees in their own homes.' Tripura joined the global ...Read More >
New Delhi [India] June 6 (ANI): The Delhi High Court has granted an interim order of status quo on a property in Batla House, Okhla, that was facing demolition. The property belongs to Ishrat Jahan, a widow who has lived in the area for over 25 years. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) issued a notice on May 26, proposing the demolition of various properties in the area, including Jahan's. Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar passed the order for status quo till the next date, listing the matter before the roster bench on July 10, where Jahan's petition challenging the demolition notice wi ...Read More >
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the Enforcement Directorate's response on a plea by AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal challenging a sessions court order upholding the summons issued to him in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam in the capital. Justice Ravinder Dudeja issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the petition and asked it to file the counter affidavit within six weeks. At the outset, the ED's counsel raised a preliminary objection over th ...Read More >
Kolkata: The Kolkata Traffic Police is facing a new challenge in managing vehicle parking for the upcoming Shahid Diwas rally on Monday, as persistent rainfall threatens to render designated parking fields unusable. The fresh spell of rain on Friday, with more occasional rain predicted even on Saturday, has left cops worried as they believe the Maidan area can be filled with slush.The traffic department, which initially planned to utilise various fields across the city for parking buses and cars of parade attendees, is now frantically searching for alternative solutions on the main roads, stre ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Delhi Public School, Dwarka, has decided to revoke the suspension of 32 students over a fee dispute, the Delhi High Court was informed on Thursday. The development came as Justice Sachin Datta was set to pronounce his verdict on a petition filed by the parents of the students, who were suspended over alleged non-payment of increased fees. "We have withdrawn the suspension order striking off students and also filed an affidavit to that effect on Monday," the counsel for the schoo ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 1 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Tuesday set aside the decision refusing the premature release of the convict serving life term for the rape and murder of law student Priyadarshini Mattoo in 1996, saying the convict's reformative conduct was not considered. The high court said it found an element of reformation in convict Santosh Kumar Singh and referred the matter back to the sentence review board (SRB) to consider afresh his plea for premature release. "No effort was made to evaluate the petitioner's (Singh) demonstrable reformative progress, including advanced educational qu ...Read More >
Lucknow, July 13 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh government has launched an initiative to revive 75 small rivers and tributaries across the state through a well-coordinated and technology-driven campaign, an official statement said on Sunday. Acting on the directives of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a strategic plan has been implemented with the collaboration of 10 key departments and leading technical institutions to ensure effective and sustainable river rejuvenation, it said. Also Read | Assam Shocker: Man Posts Morphed, Pornographic Pictures, Videos of Woman Online; Arrested. A divisional-lev ...Read More >
New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Tuesday clarified that prison authorities are empowered to decide pleas for parole and furlough of inmates even if their appeal is pending in the Supreme Court. It answered a reference received from a single judge that emerged from a challenge to the Delhi Prison Rules filed by several former policemen serving jail terms in the notorious Hashimpura massacre case of Uttar Pradesh."Thus, the Delhi Prison Rules do not bar consideration of parole and furlough if the matter is pending before the Supreme Court. It is an altogether different question as to whether, in t ...Read More >
Agartala (Tripura) [India], June 5 (ANI): Tripura Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu on Thursday urged people to plant trees in their homes and avoid the use of plastic on the occasion of World Environment Day. Governor of Tripura Indrasena Reddy Nallu said, 'Today is World Environment Day. Tripura is a green land, a green state. We must always strive to maintain this greenery and take the state even further on the path of environmental progress. I would like to tell the people of the state to avoid the use of plastic. I urge everyone to plant trees in their own homes.' Tripura joined the global ...Read More >
Nagpur: Development without ecology is not development it is devastation in disguise, remarked, environmentalist and member of the State Board for Wildlife Shrikant Tekade while addressing a World Environment Day programme organised by RTO Nagpur in collaboration with the Institute of Environment, Ecology, Health & Management (IEEHM).Speaking on this year's theme 'Beat Plastic Pollution and Deforestation', Tekade painted a grim picture of plastic misuse and its growing impact on both urban and forest ecosystems. He pointed out that Nagpur generates over 1,100 tonnes of municipal waste daily, o ...Read More >