Scepticism dogs India’s covid-19 vaccination push

Many people across the country who have been selected to be inoculated with a priority covid jab have been a no-show. This must not come as a surprise as vaccine introductions are usually met with scepticism. Mint explains this reluctance among vaccine recipients.

Revenge of the lambs at the Gabbatoir

• A day of unbelievable cricket at Brisbane can make you, albeit momentarily, forget even the most deeply-felt griefs
• In no other field of endeavour do you take such selfless delight in the accomplishment of others, in achievements that in actuality make no particular difference to your own lives

Fake GST invoice cases on rise, over 2,500 cases booked since mid-November

• The last CA to have been arrested was taken into custody in Jaipur on Saturday along with his four business accomplices for running 25 fake firms
• The authorities have recovered more than ₹820 crore from the accused in all these cases

A Shakespearean take on the Indian economy

A report put out by RBI sees our winter of discontent yielding to a glorious summer, but we need reforms if our ambition is not to overleap ability after a V-shaped recovery from covid

Budget 2021: Govt may introduce coronavirus cess this year

• To push growth and the economy ahead, the centre is likely to bring some policies to raise revenues
• A COVID cess may be levied only on the higher income groups

US surpasses 25 million coronavirus cases: Johns Hopkins data

• The milestone was reached only five days after the US, the world's wealthiest and hardest-hit nation, recorded 400,000 deaths from the disease
• President Joe Biden warned that deaths may reach 600,000 before vaccines begin to create immunity on a large scale

UP govt announces free coaching classes for NEET, JEE, UPSC and other exams

• The classes will be held physically as well as virtually and guidance will be given for various examinations be it the NEET, IITJEE, NDA, CDS or UPSC examinations, UP chief minister said

Vaccinated people must follow Covid rules as they may still transmit coronavirus

• The warning comes even as vaccination drive across the globe has started to gather pace
• India has administered the first dose of the vaccine to over 1 million people in six days

Reliance spins off oil-to-chemical unit

Reliance for the first time reported integrated earnings of the O2C business in its third quarter financial results

Reliance’s Q3 numbers fall short as  investors await fresh triggers

• RIL’s standalone Ebitda fell as much as 33% y-o-y; drop in consolidated profit was contained at 5%
• The company’s gross refining margin continued to be substantially lower on a y-o-y basis

President Kovind to address nation on the eve of 72nd Republic Day

• Due to nationwide COVID-19 outbreak, the Republic Day celebrations will be different this year
• The spectator size too has been reduced to 25,000, officials said

Railways  seeks 50%  hike  in  safety  fund

• It urged the finance ministry to approve ₹30,000 crore every year for five years
• Over ₹54,000 crore has been spent between 2017-18 and 2019-20 on railways

Vaccinated Anganwadi teacher in Telangana dies following chest pain: Doctors

She is the second person, who had taken COVID-19 vaccination, to have died in the state after complaining of chest pain

Apple reveals impact of iPhone 12 MagSafe chargers on pacemakers, defibrillators

Devices such as implanted pacemakers and defibrillators. These devices might contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when in close contact

India sees 19 IPOs worth $1.84 billion in 2020 December quarter: Report

Reflecting strong momentum, India witnessed 19 initial public offers worth $1.84 billion in the fourth quarter of 2020 and market sentiment remains positive in what could be a stellar 2021, according to a report.

Demand for flexi workspaces rises with Covid-19 vaccine rollout

• Physical occupancy remains low at offices and co-working centres compared to pre-Covid levels
• However, as a future strategy, most companies are expected to adopt the hybrid model comprising flexible and upgradable workspaces

Oman bars expats from certain jobs amid economic downturn

• A number of jobs in the private sector will be nationalised, Omani labour ministry said
• Various jobs in insurance companies, shops and car dealerships, including finance, commercial and administrative positions, will be 'limited to Omanis only', the ministry added

New auto insurance scheme lets you pay premiums only when you drive. Know more

• Unlike traditional auto insurance policy, the policyholders will be able to customise their premiums
• Here are two 'pay as you drive' motor insurance policies — Edelweiss SWITCH and Tata AIG Auto Safe

Covid vaccination: Over 16 lakh healthcare workers inoculated so far, says govt

• India administered over 1 million vaccine doses within six days of roll out of the nationwide covid-19 inoculation program
• More than 31,000 healthcare workers have been vaccinated in five states on the ninth day of the massive countrywide covid-19 vaccination program

Mega tractor rally on Republic Day to protest against farm laws. Details here

• The Delhi police estimated that about 15,000 tractors are present at Delhi border points now
• The Delhi Police has approved total routes spanning up to about 170 km, of which over 100 km will fall in Delhi

You will soon be able to download your voter ID card: Details here

The e-version of the voter ID card is non-editable and it can be saved in facilities such as digital locker and can be printed in the PDF format

Find WhatsApp new privacy policy confusing? Here is everything you need to know

• WhatsApp earlier this month decided to delay the new policy launch to May from February
• However, the new update has led to a lot of commotion among users, especially regarding the data-sharing on cross platforms

Volkswagen looks to claim damages from suppliers over chip shortage: Report

Automakers around the world are shutting assembly lines due to problems in the delivery of semiconductors, which in some cases have been exacerbated by the former Trump administration's actions against key Chinese chip factories

Tata Power Solar wins ₹1,200 cr order to set up 320 MW project

Tata Power Solar announced that it has bagged an order worth ₹1,200 crore from state-run power giant NTPC for setting up of 320 MW ground-mounted solar project

Trump administration had no coronavirus vaccine distribution plan: White House

There was no distribution plan for the coronavirus vaccine set up by the Trump administration as the virus raged in the their last months in office, new President Joe Biden's chief of staff, Ron Klain, said

Markets may witness profit-taking after 50K peak; all eyes on Budget 2021

• From witnessing gigantic losses to record-shattering gains, investors witnessed a wide array of emotions in 2020
• The record-breaking run has been continuing, with the benchmark reaching the momentous 50,000-mark on January 21

'No WhatsApp, FB messenger': Terror groups in Pak switch to new messaging apps

• Terrorist groups and their handlers from Pakistan are switching to new applications which include one developed by a Turkish company
• The new applications have the ability to work with the slowest internet connections where Enhanced Data for Global Evolution (EDGE), used in the late 2000s, or 2G is in operation

India, China to hold round 9 of military talks amid border row: What to expect?

• The military commanders of India and China will meet in Moldo, opposite the Chushul sector in Eastern Ladakh

Nepal PM Oli expelled from Communist Party amid political unrest

Tens of thousands of people protested in Nepal’s capital on Friday against the prime minister for dissolving Parliament and ordering new elections

India records 14,849 new covid-19 cases, more than 15 lakh people vaccinated

• There are 1,84,408 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country currently, which accounts for only 1.74% of the total caseload

Mcap of 4 of top-10 valued firms jumps over ₹1.15 lakh cr; RIL biggest gainer

• Last week, the 30-share BSE benchmark dipped 156.13 points or 0.31%

Johnson presses Biden for new trade deal in post-Brexit era

• White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that the administration had no timeline for forging a new trade deal
• The UK regained control over its national trade policy at the start of the month following the end of a post-Brexit transition period

Budget 2021: Here's a strong reason to enhance limit u/s 80C to ₹2.50 lakh

Experts ask to declutter the section by taking out certain investments or expenses in a different Section.

Nithin Kamath's take on Indian capital market size and why it's 'flawed'

• Zerodha founder Nithin Kamath says looking at trading turnover to estimate capital market size is misleading. That's because most trades are leveraged
• The best way to estimate the size of the Indian capital markets is by checking the revenue pool

We are testing training, fitness apparel: Bata’s Sandeep Kataria

• 'We need to take advantage of our global scale but continue to stay locally relevant because we are seeing changes in consumer preferences. We need to make sure we are able to pivot in line with customer expectations'