KFON

With an estimated cost of Rs 1,611 crore, KFON aims to ensure internet connectivity for approximately 2 million BPL households

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha

He further mentioned that the opportunity of leading G20 came at a time when the world was dealing with multiple challenges

Gujarat polls, elections, voting

Catch all the latest news and updates from around the world here

jobs

The pandemic has witnessed rapid adoption of digital technology as a means of overcoming unprecedented economic shocks, like the ongoing Covid-19

digital payments

Despite the many crises of the past two years, e-government strategies have been advanced although many countries and municipalities have fallen short in providing adequate online services

Narendra Modi

Asserting that the digital connectivity is what kept the education system running in this time of global pandemic, Modi noted that the digital divide is rapidly shrinking in India

PM Modi

With the call for having innovation for ensuring 'inclusion', the Prime Minister mentioned that the budget will help in implementing National Education Policy

WhatsApp

WhatsApp and KaiOS have worked closely together to ensure that even underserved populations have access to the technology needed to communicate in a simple and cost-effective way.

Minister for Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad

The Covid-19 pandemic has laid bare the issue of the digital divide and recast the world's view of digital access as a critical component to an equitable society, according to Ravi Shankar Prasad

Coronavirus

A slowing spread of the virus, measures to ensure safety in vaccine development, an expanding digital divide, and more-news relevant to India's fight against Covid-19

In poorest nations, a third fewer women than men online with gap widening

In 2016, the internet usage rate among women is 12 percent lower than that among men

Overseas institutions are also a better bet for Adani. Tapping Indian banks, especially state-run lenders, would be a tad cheaper, but might invite greater political scrutiny ahead of general election

Adani, Adani Group

Adani Group on Thursday bagged two contracts worth Rs 13,888 crore from a state-owned discom to install smart meters.
A total of six tenders were awarded by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) to install smart meters, of which two have been bagged by the Adani Group, according to an official communiqu from the discom seen by PTI.
The diversified group, which has a sizeable presence in the power sector and had recently won a Rs 1,000 crore contract to install smart meters in the area serviced by BEST Undertaking in Mumbai, will act as an advanced metering infrastructure service provider for smart prepaid metering in MSEDCL, it said.
The two zones awarded to Adani include Bhandup, Kalyan and Konkan having 63.44 lakh meters, and Baramati and Pune having 52.45 lakh meters, it said.
Letter of Awards have been issued to the successful firms, as per the communiqu.
Officials from Adani Group were not immediately available for comment.
The group's transmiss

Closing Bell on Thursday, September 21: The broad-based selling was led by public sector banks with the Nifty PSU Bank index sliding 2.3 per cent

bear market, sensex, nifty, loss, growth, investment

Tensions have been high since Canadian PM Trudeau on Monday alleged that the Indian government was behind the fatal shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar

visa, Canada

Catch all the latest updates from across the globe here

Manipur

Canada said it was expelling a top Indian diplomat Monday as it investigates what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called credible allegations that India's government may have had links to the assassination in Canada of a Sikh activist.
Trudeau said in Parliament that Canadian intelligence agencies have been looking into the allegations after Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a strong supporter of an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, was gunned down on June 18 outside a Sikh cultural centre in Surrey, British Columbia.
Trudeau told Parliament that he brought up the slaying with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G-20 last week, that he told Modi that any Indian government involvement would be unacceptable and that he asked for cooperation in the investigation.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mlanie Joly said the head of Indian intelligence in Canada has been expelled as a consequence. "If proven true this would be a great violation of our sovereignty and of the most basic

Hardeep Singh Nijjar

No injury or loss of life was reported in the incident, Srinagar Police informed further, adding that the terrorist fled the spot after opening fire at the CRPF vehicle

Gun shooting, mass shooting

Delhi government has targeted to raise the number of registered construction workers in the city to 15 lakh this year and increase spending on various welfare schemes for them by 20 times, officials said on Monday.
The move comes in the wake of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal earlier this year expressing dissatisfaction over less number of registration of workers and emphasising to increase it further.
As per official data, the number of registered workers was 13 lakh by end of 2022-23.
The Delhi government will also raise spending on welfare schemes meant for construction workers to Rs 246 crore this year, up from 12.66 crore last year, officials said.
Last year over 4,500 applications were received from registered construction workers for various welfare schemes run by Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board.
Out of which, just over 2,000 were processed for benefits of different schemes with an expenditure of Rs 12.66 crore, a labour department officer said.


Highway labourer at par with construction worker after new wage norms

Nijjar, who was wanted in India, was gunned down outside a gurdwara, in a parking area in Canada's Surrey, BC on June 18

Justin Trudeau

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Monday with China's vice president on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly as the Biden administration and Beijing step up high-level contacts ahead of what could be a leader-level summit this fall.
Blinken and Vice President Han Zheng held talks Monday at the Chinese mission to the United Nations. Their discussion came as China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi was in Moscow meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov after wrapping up two days of talks with US national security adviser Jake Sullivan in Malta.
The quick succession of US-China contacts is fueling speculation that President Joe Biden may meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in November at an Asia-Pacific Economic conference in San Francisco.
"I think it's a good thing that we have this opportunity to build on the recent high-level engagements that our countries have had to make sure that we're maintaining open communications and demonstrate that we are responsibly managing the

Blinken, Antony Blinken

The fiscal burden of states will increase over time

pensions, funds, retirement, investments, investors, savings

The government introduced the Women's Reservation Bill in the Parliament almost three decades after it was first drafted

Parliament

Former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan said it is better if the person's expertise is considered than whether he/she is a bureaucrat or a private sector executive

TRAI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins Whatsapp Channel following conclusion of the first day in the new parliament building

PM Modi on Whatsapp Channels (Photo: Whatsapp)

Canada identifies expelled Indian diplomat as RAW station chief in Ottawa, sources say Canadian diplomat expelled from Delhi is intelligence officer

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

MSMEs

More than 10 people were injured when Manipur security forces fired tear gas shells on protesters for trying to storm police stations and court arrest demanding the unconditional release of the five arrested youths on Thursday.
As a precautionary measure, the state government cancelled curfew relaxations in the twin districts of Imphal from 5pm, officials said.
Responding to a call by six local clubs and Meira Paibis demanding the release of the five village volunteers, hundreds of protesters holding placards and shouting slogans tried to enter the Porompat police station in Imphal East and Singjamei police station and Kwakeithel police outpost in Imphal West district.
However, police and RAF personnel deployed at strategic positions fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
A protester, identified as Th Bimola at Porompat said, "We were left with no option but to court arrest as the government failed to release the five village volunteers. If such village ...

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry on Thursday advised TV news channels to refrain from giving platform to those belonging to proscribed organisations or facing charges of terrorism and serious crimes.
In an advisory to all private satellite TV channels, the ministry said it has come to its notice that "a person" in a foreign country who faces serious cases of crime including terrorism was invited for a discussion on a television channel.
During the discussion, the person made several remarks detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India, its security and friendly relations with a foreign state, the ministry said, without naming the person or the news channel.
The remarks of the person also had the potential of disturbing public order in the country, the ministry added.
While the government upholds media freedom and respects its rights under the Constitution, the content telecast by the TV channels must adhere to the provisions of the Cable Television Networks ...

TRP, tv news channels, viewership, media, entertainment, OTT

In a step towards enhancing last-mile connectivity with public transportation, Delhi govt has invited proposals for the deployment of 3,000 high-speed e-scooters, low-speed e-scooters, and e-cycles

Fire-safety norms for Li-ion battery could push up e-scooter prices by 10%

electric scooters, e-scooters, EV, Electric vehicles

DLF's rental arm DCCDL has raised Rs 1,100 crore through issuance of non-convertible debentures on a private placement basis.
In a regulatory filing on Thursday, DLF informed that the DLF Cyber City Developers Ltd (DCCDL) board has approved the allotment of debentures.
DCCDL said that the securities allotment committee of the Board of Directors has approved the allotment of 1,10,000 senior, listed, rated, secured, redeemable, transferable, rupee-denominated NCDs (Non Convertible Debentures) of the face value of 1 lakh each on a private placement basis to eligible investor(s).
The size of the issue is Rs 1,100 crore. These NCDs will be listed on the BSE. The coupon rate is 8.25 per cent per annum. The maturity is August 17, 2033.
DCCDL is a joint venture between DLF and Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC.
DLF holds a 66.67 per cent stake while the GIC has a 33.33 per cent stake in the DCCDL.
DLF holds the bulk of its rental assets (offices and shopping malls) through DCCDL.  DCCD

Heatmap

Digital divide

Kerala launches KFON to bridge digital divide with affordable internet

Challenges of digital divide, infra still persist: J-K LG Manoj Sinha

Latest news LIVE: Exit polls predict BJP to win Gujarat, Himachal

Female entrepreneurship and the digital divide

Online govt services improved globally; digital divide remains: UN survey

Budget will be of great help in implementing National Education Policy: PM

Digital divide is rapidly shrinking in India, says PM Narendra Modi

WhatsApp announces VoIP support for KaiOS devices

Covid-19 pandemic laid bare issue of digital divide: Ravi Shankar Prasad

India Coronavirus Dispatch: 90 infections 'missed' for one detected

In poorest nations, a third fewer women than men online with gap widening