India's economic growth is expected to improve in the latter half of FY25, driven by festive activity, rural demand, and agricultural growth. The RBI report highlights potential moderation in food prices, government capital expenditure challenges, and broader economic trends affecting GDP and inflation projections.
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IIT Madras, supported by Indian Railways, has developed a 422m hyperloop test track and plans to create a 50km commercial transport corridor. This initiative, potentially the world's longest hyperloop track, aims to transform travel with speeds of up to 1,200 kmph. Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed further grants for IIT Madras and future commercial projects to assess the viability of this innovative technology.
Starting April 1, 2025, various regulatory and financial changes, including revised income tax slabs, updated UPI regulations, and the introduction of the Unified Pension Scheme, will impact taxpayers, digital payment users, and pensioners. These changes aim to lower tax burdens, offer TDS relief, and adjust tolls, medicine, and gas prices.
Russia and Ukraine agree to halt strikes on energy facilities for 30 days as part of a temporary moratorium. The deal, mediated by the US, aims to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea amidst ongoing conflicts, with potential to be extended mutually.
Parliament has passed the Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill to establish the Institute of Rural Management Anand as a university dedicated to the cooperative sector. The new university in Gujarat's Anand aims to train an estimated 8 lakh people annually and meet the demand for 17 lakh trained professionals in the next five years.
Infosys has filed fresh charges against Cognizant in a US court, accusing it of anti-competitive practices to maintain dominance in the healthcare software market. The legal battle, which began with Cognizant's allegations of trade secret theft, has now intensified with claims of monopolistic behavior and obstruction of fair competition.
Actor Allu Arjun expressed condolences and offered personal assistance to the family of a woman who died in a stampede outside a Hyderabad theatre. Arjun, released from prison earlier that day, clarified his presence inside the theatre during the incident, emphasizing it was unrelated to him and purely accidental.
A 24-year-old Bengaluru woman lost nearly Rs 5.9 lakh to a fraudster posing as an astrologer on Instagram. The scammer convinced her to pay for multiple 'special pujas' to fix supposed issues in her horoscope. The woman eventually realized the deceit, demanded her money back, and approached the police. An investigation is underway.
Retail inflation has eased to a four-month low of 5.2% in December, largely due to softer food prices, especially vegetables. However, it remains above 5%, complicating conditions for the RBI to lower interest rates. Rural inflation, at 5.8%, outpaces the urban rate of 4.6%.
Two more victims of the LPG tanker fire incident in Jaipur have died, increasing the death toll to 17. The fire occurred due to a collision on December 20. Sixteen others are still hospitalized, with three in critical condition. SMS Hospital confirmed the latest deaths, a male and a female, on Wednesday morning.
India's health ministry is closely monitoring a new variant of the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) amid a rise in respiratory illnesses in China. The surge aligns with seasonal flu patterns and involves common pathogens like HMPV, Influenza, and RSV. India is prepared, and the public is advised to follow standard health precautions.