Market outlook: Inflation data, stagflation concerns to steer equity indices

• Concerns over stagflation, macro-economic wholesale inflation data, global liquidity flows will determine the key equity market moves during the upcoming week, experts said
• The Indian rupee is expected to range from 70.50-71.20, next week from its previous close of 71.8150

Tata Motors not to reduce workforce amid slowdown

• The company is now in the midst of new product launches over the next few months and there is also the transition to BS-VI norms
• The automobile major currently employs about 83,000 persons

Vegetables stay hot, selling at 50% higher rates against last winter

• Rains in Oct in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and elsewhere have affected onion, tomato and other vegetables, as well as oilseeds and pulses crops
• Prices of onions rose from ₹15.87 a kg in March to ₹81.90 a kg on December 3, 2019, the data showed

Citizenship Act protest: Internet suspended in 5 districts of West Bengal

Internet services in Malda, Murshidabad, Howrah, North 24 Parganas and parts of South 24 Parganas to has been temporarily suspend to prevent rumour-mongering and fake news, said a senior govt official

Six of top-10 firms add ₹65,060 crore in m-cap; RIL, HDFC leads the chart

• Market cap of Reliance Industries, the country's most valued firm, jumped ₹17,439.74 crore to ₹10,03,147.26 crore
• HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and SBI were the other winners in the top-10 list

Citizenship bill protest: Curfew relaxed in Guwahati, parts of Dibrugarh

• Curfew has been relaxed from 9 am to 6 pm in Guwahati
• Special trains have been arranged by the Assam tourism department in association with the railways to ferry passengers stranded in various parts of the state

More free-float stocks needed to reduce volatility, NSE CEO

• Lower free-float often results in higher volatility and distorted price discovery which does not bodes well for minority shareholders, NSE CEO Vikram Limaye said
• In market parlance, free-float stock levels indicate the overall public ownership of a listed company

Can Ayushman Bharat help tackle cancer burden in India?

• As on 15 December, 2019 a total of 470,133 cancer cases have been treated under AB-PMJAY
• The govt is exploring options to provide quality diagnostic services from certified laboratories for screening of diseases to beneficiaries of the scheme under a PPP model

Government examining foreign fund flows in infra at strategic locations

• Keeping in view the strategic importance, the sources said, the government decided against closure of BSNL
• Many departments and agencies, including the RBI, have been involved in the exercise

PNB under-reported bad loans by ₹2,617 crore in FY19, shows RBI report

• The divergence in provisioning for bad loans in FY19 was to the tune of ₹2,091 crore
• PNB reported gross NPAs of ₹78,472.70 crore, while as per RBI's assessment the figure was ₹81,089.70 crore

Citizenship Act: Arson intensifies in Bengal, no internet in Assam until Monday

• The curfew in Guwahati was relaxed from 9 am to 4 pm by the administration on Saturday
• While internet blockage was extended by 48 hours in Assam, Delhi saw a massive protest against the amended law for the second day

Up to 25% of FASTag lanes to be converted to hybrid lanes at NH toll plazas

• Govt earlier had announced rollout of mandatory FASTag under electronic toll collection from 1 Dec, which was later extended to 15 Dec
• Govt clarified that it is a temporary measure to be adopted for 30 days only to facilitate smooth flow of traffic so that no inconvenience is caused to the citizens

Modi risks losing focus on Indian economy as protests build over citizenship law

• Unemployment is at a more than four-decade high, a drag on consumer confidence and spending in an economy where consumption makes up about 60% of GDP
• 'The more you have disruptions to normal life, the more the impact on economy and production,' said a JNU professor

After Mother Dairy, Amul too hikes milk rates with effect from Sunday

• The Mother Dairy has also announced an increase in prices of its milk in the Delhi-NCR area by up to ₹3 per litre, with effect from 15 Dec
• According to an official statement, in Ahmedabad, the price of Amul Gold will be ₹28 per 500 ml, and Amul Taaza will be ₹22 per 500 ml

Fresh steps to revive the economy on 1 February

• Finance minister Sitharaman will present the Union budget on a Saturday
• The finance minister said that budget consultations with the industry will start on Monday

Mercedes delays electric debut after Jaguar and Audi SUVs flop

• Daimler AG’s luxury brand will start sales of the EQC crossover in 2021 rather than early next year
• Daimler has at least 10 purely battery-powered cars planned through 2022

Citizenship Amendment Act 2019: All you need to know

• The Act does not apply to tribal areas of Tripura, Mizoram, Assam and Meghalaya because of being included in the 6th Schedule of the Constitution.
• Also areas that fall under the Inner Limit notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, will also be outside the Act's purview

More healthcare services may come under GST net

• Govt is likely to recommend bringing premium healthcare services under the GST net with rates of either 12 or 18%
• These could include high value implants, medicines given to patients who are taking premium services, premium rooms from a healthcare service provider (hospitals, nursing homes)

Government renews push for organic farming in Ganga basin

• The idea is part of a larger agenda to promote sustainable agriculture in the Indo-Gangetic plains
• The council, formed in 2016, is constituted by chief ministers of the five river basin states

Mobile handset import duty may be kept at 20% in budget

• The import of mobile phones (push button types) decreased to $400 million in 2018-19 from $935 million in 2019-18
• Smartphone imports have also fallen from $2,602 million in 2017-18 to $1,216 million in 2018-19

Godrej Fund Management buys stake in Bengaluru office project for ₹850 crore

• The company has a project development pipeline of around 7 million sq ft over the next 4-5 years
• The investment has been made from Godrej Fund Management’s $450 million office investment and development platform

GST council meet: Public health groups demand higher cess on tobacco products

• The groups have urged the GST council to further increase compensation cess on all tobacco products
• 'Tobacco products at 28% rate and additional compensation cess will not only bring in additional revenue but also reduce tobacco consumption,' the proposal said

US, China reach 'phase one' deal to halt trade war. What's in agreement?

• As part of the deal, the US will halve its 15% tariff on about $120 billion in Chinese goods
• Lighthizer and his counterpart Vice Premier Liu He will likely do the signing in Washington

AirAsia India appoints ex-IndiGo official Ankur Garg as chief commercial officer

• He was earlier the vice-president for revenue management, ancillary revenue and distribution for IndiGo
• Garg takes over the role of CCO from Sanjay Kumar, who stepped down earlier this month citing personal reasons

Suez to invest ₹1,700 crore on 2 water management projects in India

• A waste water treatment plant is being set up in Okhla at a cost of £145 million and will be operational within three years, said Ana Giros Calpe of Suez
• Besides this, a £72 million water distribution project in Mangalore will kick off within a month, Calpe added

Bengaluru’s silent night

• With a ban on live and recorded music, Bengaluru pub owners predict a dire future
• Complex and often contradictory rules governing ‘public places of entertainment’, along with lax building and zoning norms, may silence the city’s once-famous nightlife

Sebi refuses any relief to lenders of Karvy

• Sebi observed that all the pledged shares came from client accounts and the lenders did not exercise proper ‘due-diligence’
• The market regulator also found the lenders lapsing as they merely relied on Karvy’s assertions that the pledged shares belonged to the broking firm

EaseMyTrip files ₹510-crore IPO papers with Sebi

• Through the IPO, company's founders will each sell shares to the tune of ₹255 crore through offer-for-sale mechanism
• The object of the public issue is to achieve the benefits of listing the equity shares on stock exchanges

Zomato plans to scale offline events in India

• In 2020, the company will sign up colleges for hosting a version of Zomaland in college campuses and schools
• The company has a strong pipeline of more such small events lined up for the year 2020

New research paves way for potential drug for deadly Nipah virus

• In May 2018, the outbreak claimed lives of 21 of the 23 infected people in Kerala
• As of now, its outbreaks are limited to Asia and the death toll during each outbreak has remained around 100

Without FASTag you will be charged double toll fee from today. 5 things to know

• If you pay toll charges by cash, you pay a penalty and if you pay by FASTag you get a cashback of 2.5%
• Here's how to buy FASTag, activate and recharge it online

Netflix may launch new cheaper subscription plans in India. Here's a sneak-peek

• Netflix currently offers four monthly subscription plans in India starting from ₹299 and going up to ₹799
• Netflix is now hoping to attract more users with new long-term yearly subscription plans in India

Mobile number portability rules are changing from tomorrow. Are you eligible?

• Trai will decide whether a customer is eligible for mobile number portability or not
• You will have to use an active connection of any mobile operator for at least 90 days

Health insurance policy new rules: Now you can choose a TPA of your choice

• Irdai has allowed policyholders to choose a TPA of their choice while buying or renewing a health insurance coverage plan
• TPA plays an important role in processing health insurance claims

RBI will provide new intra-day liquidity window to make NEFT 24x7 from next week

• RBI has decided to provide an additional collateralised intra-day liquidity facility for smooth operation of NEFT on a 24x7 basis
• 'The LS facility will operate as per the same terms and conditions as the Intra-Day Liquidity (IDL) facility,' said RBI

FASTag compulsory from tomorrow: How to buy FASTags from SBI, HDFC Bank, ICICI

• The government has made it mandatory for all vehicle owners to adopt electronic toll payment using FASTags
• FASTags can be bought from SBI, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank, to name a few

J&K admin extends Farooq Abdullah's detention by 3 mths under Public Safety Act

• His house, located at Srinagar's Gupkar Road, has been declared a sub-jail by the the union territory's Home Department
• Abdullah was among a host of leaders and activists who were detained on 5 Aug when the centre abrogated Article 370

15 Indian-origin candidates register strong result in UK general election

• Indian-origin candidates across both the ruling Conservative and Opposition Labour parties registered equally strong results of seven wins each
• The other Tories to return to the Commons with comfortable wins include Priti Patel, the former UK home secretary who is likely to remain in Johnson’s top team in new Cabinet as well

Productive winter session ends on controversial note

• Lok Sabha registers productivity of 116%, Rajya Sabha at 99%; 15 bills cleared by both
• Lok Sabha chairman Om Birla’s concluding remarks was cut short by protesting members

Film review: ‘Mardaani 2’ does its best to unsettle

• The sequel to ‘Mardaani’ has Rani Mukerji’s supercop on the trail of a serial rapist in Kota
• Gopi Puthran’s film aims to unsettle the audience from the start

Petrol price slashed for fourth day today. Check latest petrol, diesel rates

• In New Delhi, a litre of petrol costs ₹74.84 a litre and diesel is priced at ₹66.04
• Fuel prices have been on a hike since November 9

SBI home loans get cheaper. Check here for latest interest rates

• Different banks and institutions offer different housing loan interest rates
• SBI's one-year marginal cost-based lending rates (MCLR) has come down to 7.9% per annum

RBI central board discusses policy structure for cooperative banks, NBFCs

• The board's discussions focussed on issues related to urban cooperative banks, extension of enforcement policy and framework to cooperative banks, said RBI
• RBI central board also reviewed the current economic situation and domestic and global challenges

Life insurance policy rules will change from next year. All you need to know

• In case of unit-linked products, the revival period has been increased to three year
• The mandatory guarantee on pension Ulip segment will become optional from February 1

Union Budget likely on 1 Feb, Economic Survey on 31 Jan: Report

• 'Tradition will continue,' Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi said on Friday when asked about whether govt would continue with tradition of presenting budget on first day of February
• This will be the first time after 2015-16 when the budget will be presented on Saturday

ICICI Bank launches new car loan scheme Smart EMI. Know its unique features

• ICICI Bank has joined hands with automobile leasing company TranzLease to provide this unique car loan facility
• ICICI Bank will be the first in the industry to offer this innovative scheme

Banks offering 9% interest on fixed deposits. Check FD rates here

• Bank fixed deposit (FD) is safer as compared to investments in mutual funds or SIPs
• Bank FD rates: State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank offer higher interest rate to senior citizens

IRCTC train ticket booking: Now you can book tickets and pay later

• Now you can book tickets on IRCTC website and pay later
• This new facility for payment of e-tickets is available through ePay Later

WhatsApp latest updates: Dark mode, major bug fixes, fresh emoji skins and more

• In the latest Android Beta version 2.19.366, there seems to be certain Dark Mode improvements
• WhatsApp is also rolling out some major bug fixes that were present in the earlier version

Jio, Airtel, Vodafone new recharge plans: Who offers the cheapest data, talktime

• Jio, Airtel and Vodafone Idea have increased the price of their recharge plans by 15-47%
• Here is a comparison of Jio, Airtel and Vodafone's plans, data offers and talktime

After 50% returns, 2020 may be even better for Indian IPOs

• The S&P BSE IPO Index, a gauge of shares in their first two years of trading, has climbed 36% in 2019
• The outperformance of recent debutantes is notable given the sluggish performance of smaller Indian shares in general

Low risk a draw for investors in Bharat Bond ETF

• Bharat Bond is a target maturity ETF unlike other ETFs and mutual fund (MF) schemes that are open-ended products
• The three-year ETF will only invest in bonds with similar tenures and likewise the 10-year ETF