India

New Delhi, Oct 31: India improved its ranking on the World Bank's 'ease of doing business' report for the second straight year, jumping 23 places to the 77th position on the back of reforms related to insolvency, taxation and other areas. India was ranked 100th in the World Bank's Doing Business report last year. The ranking comes as a shot in the arm for the Narendra Modi government which faces

New Delhi, Oct 31: After Supreme Court’s landmark judgement on Sabarimala which allowed women below 55 years to enter the hill shrine, a PIL has been filed before Delhi High Court seeking orders to allow women of all ages to enter all temples, mosques, churches and pray along with men. The plea also calls for opening up of 'women only' Attukal temple and Kamakhya temple for entry of men. The plea

News Delhi, Oct 31: On the 143rd birth anniversary of freedom fighter Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Congress party said that Patel, the first Home Minister of independent India, strongly opposed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The Congress wrote on its official twitter handle, "Had Sardar Patel been alive today, he would have taken another strong decision for the welfare of the country." In

New Delhi, Oct 31: Former Union minister M J Akbar on Wednesday appeared before a Delhi court to record his statement in a criminal defamation case filed by him against journalist Priya Ramani. Ramani has accused Akbar of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago. Akbar appeared before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal and the recording of the statement is underway. Akbar's name

Kevadiya, Oct 31: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday dedicated to the nation the much- awaited 182-metre high Statue of Unity in honour of coutry's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Mr Modi urged critics not to dismiss his government's efforts to pay tributes to icons like Patel with 'political prism'. Paying rich tributes to Sardar Patel, the Prime Minister said the towering

New Delhi, Oct 31: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused the government of "treason", saying there was a "systematic destruction" of institutions that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had helped build. His remarks came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the 'Statue of Unity' of Patel in Gujarat. The 182-metre statue, the world's tallest, has been built on an islet near the Sardar

Mumbai, Oct 31: The rupee dropped by 43 paise to 74.11 against the US dollar in early trade Wednesday, amid increased demand of the American currencies from importers and sustained foreign fund outflows. Forex traders said, the US dollar's strength against some currencies overseas and concerns around the rift between the government and the RBI also weighed on the local unit. At the interbank

New Delhi, Oct 31: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre for pricing details of the 36 Rafale fighter jets India is buying from France in a sealed cover within 10 days but agreed that "strategic and confidential" information need not be disclosed. In its order, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, gave some more leeway to the government which has been arguing that

Bengaluru, Oct 31: Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel may consider resigning from his post given a breakdown in relations with the government, TV channels reported on Wednesday, sparking a sell-off in the rupee and bonds. Indian television channels CNBC-TV18 and ET Now cited sources as saying that Patel could quit. The RBI and the finance ministry declined to comment. The government has

Indore, Oct 31: Asserting that he does not need the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ‘certificate’ to visit temples, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday he understands the Hindu religion better than the saffron party does and he is a ‘nationalist leader’ who respects every religion. “I am not a ‘Hinduwadi’ leader, but a nationalist leader. I am a leader of ev-ery religion, every caste, every