Biocon Q3 net dips 7% to Rs. 203 crore
Biotechnology major Biocon has reported a 6.62 per cent fall in consolidated net profit at Rs 202.8 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2019 on account of higher expenses. The company had posted a net profit of Rs 217.2 crore for the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.
However, the company’s revenue from operations rose to Rs 1,748.1 crore for the quarter as against Rs 1,540.8 crore during the same period a year ago.Expenses rose to Rs 1,465.6 crore for December quarter as against Rs 1,295.4 crore in the year-ago period.
Bose award for disaster mitigation to U’khand org, ex-IPS officer
The Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre in Uttarakhand and former IPS officer K M Singh have been selected for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar for their commendable work in disaster management.The Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre in Uttarakhand discharges the functions of the State Disaster Management Authority under the government of Uttarakhand.
This award is given in order to recognise the excellent work done by individuals and institutions in the country in the field of disaster management.The award is announced every year on January 23, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Coffee Day to sell Way2Wealth Securities to Shriram Group
The Coffee Day Group has signed up with the Chennai-based Shriram Group to sell one of its financial services units, Way2Wealth Securities, for an undisclosed sum as part of its efforts to dispose of non-core assets to cut debt and shore up resources for working capital. The transaction may fetch Coffee Day Enterprises about Rs 30 crore
Shriram Ownership Trust is the promoter of Shriram Capital, which is the holding company for its non-banking financial company (NBFC) and insurance businesses.
DHFL’s net loss widens to Rs. 6,705 crore
Troubled mortgage lender Dewan Housing Finance Corporation has reported a net loss of Rs. 6,705 crore for the July-September quarter, as compared to Rs. 206 crore loss in the previous quarter. It had posted consolidated net profit of Rs 439.51 crore in the year-ago period.
The consolidated total revenue from operations of DHFL in July-September period dropped to Rs 2,106.71 crore over Rs 3,483.32 crore in the year-ago period.
Four countries to qualify for T20 World Cup 2021 from 16-team ICC Qualifier
International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that four among 16 countries will qualify for the tournament proper of ICC World T20 scheduled to be held in India in 2021. The event replaces the eight-team Champions Trophy ODI tournament that was last held in 2017 in England.
11 regional qualification tournaments will take place across the five ICC regions (Africa, Americas, Asia, East-Asia Pacific and Europe) with eight teams progressing to one of two global qualifying events
The 12 teams, which make round two of the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia will gain automatic entry into the event the following year.
ICJ orders Myanmar to take emergency measures to prevent genocide of Rohingyas
The Hague-based International Court of Justice has ordered Myanmar to take emergency measures to prevent the genocide of the Rohingyas. The court also ordered Myanmar to report to them in four months on what measures the country has taken to comply with the order.
According to the ICJ, the court has the power to order provisional measures when irreparable prejudice could be caused to rights which are the subject of judicial proceedings. The court found that the condition of urgency had been met in this case.The ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) came days after a Myanmar commission concluded that some soldiers likely committed war crimes against the minority group but that the military was not guilty of genocide.
In November, Gambia filed a suit against Myanmar alleging it was committing ongoing genocide against its minority Rohingyas population and violating the 1948 Genocide Convention.
India climbs eight places to rank 72 among 132 countries in global talent index
India has climbed eight places to 72nd rank in the 2020 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI), which was topped by Switzerland, the US and Singapore.
Sweden (4th), Denmark (5th), the Netherlands (6th), Finland (7th), Luxembourg (8th), Norway (9th) and Australia (10th) complete the top 10 league table.
The GTCI report compiled by INSEAD in collaboration with human resource firm Addeco and Google was released in Davos, Switzerland.
India delivers 30k doses of MR vaccine to Maldives within 72 hours
India supplied 30,000 doses of Measles and Rubella (MR) vaccine to the Maldives responding swiftly to an emergency request to contain the measles outbreak in the Maldives. The vaccine supply was quickly procured and delivered to Maldives Health Ministry within 72 hours of the request.
Four people were tested positive for Measles in last one week even though it has been eliminated from the country. Maldives Government had suspected an outbreak and requested emergency supplies of vaccine, which could not be made possible by a few international organizations.
India slips two places on corruption index
India’s ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI-2019) has slipped from 78 to 80 compared to the previous year, said Transparency International, while questioning the “unfair and opaque political financing” in the country. Its score of 41 out of 100 remains the same.
India’s last year ranking on the index stood at 78, compared to 80 this year. With a score of 87 each, New Zealand and Denmark were found to be the least corrupt countries.
Somalia, South Sudan and Syria, with scores of 9, 12 and 13, respectively, were found to be the most corrupt of the lot.
Nepal invites Narendra Modi, Imran Khan for Sagarmatha dialogue
Nepal has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the first Sagarmatha Sambaad forum to be held in April to deliberate on the most prominent issues of global, regional and national significance.
The first edition of the ‘Sagarmatha Sambaad’ is scheduled to be held from April 2 to 4 on the theme ‘Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity’.
The Sambaad (dialogue) is named after the world’s tallest mountain Sagarmatha (Mt Everest) which is also a symbol of friendship.
North Korea to attend Munich Security Conference for first time
North Korea will send a delegation to the Munich Security Conference for the first time in the 56-year history of the top diplomatic gathering. North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong would attend next month’s event.
The announcement comes a month after Pyongyang declared it was abandoning moratoriums on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests
Founded in 1963, the Munich Security Conference hosts hundreds of high-ranking officials and dozens of world leaders each year to discuss security challenges. The 2020 edition will be held from February 14 to 16.
RBI doubles FPIs’ debt investment limit
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to reopen allotment of the investment limit under the revised Voluntary Retention Route (VRR) for debt investments by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) from January 24.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has doubled the investment limit for FPIs (foreign portfolio investors) in government and corporate bonds to Rs 1.5 lakh crore, via the Voluntary Retention Route and allowed them to invest in exchange-traded funds (ETF) that invest only in debt instruments.
The minimum retention period for these investments is three years. This move comes at a time when the economy has slowed with increasing possibility of the fiscal deficit widening; this, in turn, can push up government borrowing
The government also plans to launch the second tranche of its Bharat Bond ETF having mopped up Rs 12,400 crore in December 2019 from the first tranche.
Russian parliament approves Putin’s amendments in first vote
Russian Parliament has approved a package of constitutional amendments in a first reading. The Duma unanimously voted for the amendments after discussing them for two hours. President Putin submitted the amendments to the State Duma, Russia’s Lower House of Parliament. The second reading of the bill is scheduled for the 11th of February.
President Putin suggested that lawmakers could name Prime Ministers and Cabinet members, proposed a greater role for the State Council. He argued the proposed changes would bolster democracy.
The draft modifies the constitution to limit a President to two terms altogether, unlike the current version containing a limit of two consecutive terms.
SEBI eyes AI, machine learning to fix market manipulation
SEBI is acquiring capabilities to monitor and analyse social media posts to keep a tab on possible market manipulations, its Chairman Ajay Tyagi said. He said the capabilities will involve use of artificial intelligence, machine learning , big data analytics and natural language processing tools to spot market manipulation.
In efforts to curb possible manipulations in the securities market, Sebi has been keeping a watch on social media and there have been cases where social media posts have helped in acting against manipulative activities.
Shiva Thapa, Sonia Lather, Hussamuddin assure medals at Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament
Former world Boxing medallists Shiva Thapa (63kg) and Sonia Lather (57kg) assured themselves of medals at the 71st Strandja Memorial Tournament by advancing to the semifinals in Sofia, Bulgaria. Joining them was Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist Mohammed Hussamuddin (57kg). He out punched Ireland’s Kurt Walker 5-0 to make the medal rounds.
Six of India’s 10 most polluted cities in UP, Jharkhand’s Jharia tops list
Six of India’s 10 most polluted cities are in Uttar Pradesh, according to Greenpeace India’s fourth Airpocalypse report. Noida, Ghaziabad, Bareilly, Allahabad, Moradabad and Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh figure in list of 10 most polluted cities topped by Jharia in Jharkhand and closely followed by Dhanbad in the same state.
Jharia and Dhanbad are twin cities in the coal mining belt of Jharkhand. PM-10 level was recorded at 322 ug/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter) in Jharia, which was the highest in the country. In Dhanbad, PM-10 level was recorded at 264 un/m3 in Dhanbad, which is the second highest in the country.
Lunglei in Mizoram is the least polluted followed by Meghalaya’s Dawki. Lunglei is also the only Indian city with PM levels under the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) prescribed level of 20/ug/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter)
WHO: virus not a global health emergency
The head of the UN health agency, WHO (World Health Organization), declared that the respiratory disease Novel Coronavirus, is not yet an official Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), but warned that is an emergency in China.
The disease has spread rapidly to several countries including Japan, Singapore and the USA, and Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, said that the outbreak poses a “very high risk” in China, as well as regionally and globally.
World Archery lifts suspension on India enabling Indian archers to represent country
The World Archery has conditionally lifted the suspension on India, less than a week after the embattled national federation held its elections. A statement from the World Archery said the federation needs to comply with good governance and activity portions of the World Archery constitution and rules. Must report every three months.
The Indian archers, who had to compete as neutral athletes at the Asian Championships because of the suspension, can now represent the country under the Tricolour.
