India’s gold reserves reached $65.76 billion as of October 4, up from $21.15 billion on December 7, 2018, according to RBI data. Since Shaktikanta Das took office as RBI Governor in December 2018, foreign exchange reserves have also surged by 78%, rising to $701.18 billion as of October 4, compared to $393.74 billion in December 2018.
Updated On – 17 October 2024, 02:52 PM
New Delhi: As India’s foreign exchange reserves surpassed $700 billion, the share of gold in the country’s forex has also surged more than 209 per cent since 2018.
India’s gold reserves stands at $65.76 billion (as on October 4), compared to $21.15 billion as on December 7, 2018, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data. Shaktikanta Das assumed the RBI office in December 2018.
Under his tenure, forex also went up 78 per cent. The total foreign exchange reserves of India stood at $701.176 billion (as on October 4) compared to $393.735 billion on December 7, 2018.
The central bank’s gold holding increased by 27.46 metric tonnes to 822.10 metric tonnes in FY24, according to its “Half Yearly Report on Management of Foreign Exchange Reserves”.
The RBI also brought home more than 100 tonnes of gold from the UK this year.
In value terms (USD), the share of gold in the total foreign exchange reserves increased to about 8.15 per cent as at end-March 2024 from about 7.81 per cent as at end-March 2023.
Of the total gold holdings, 408.31 metric tonnes were held domestically while 387.26 metric tonnes were kept in safe custody with the Bank of England and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
According to industry experts, gold prices stayed elevated on Wednesday with gains of Rs 350 in MCX, while Comex gold traded above $2,675, up 0.55 per cent.
Traders continue to position themselves on expectations that the Federal Reserve will maintain its path of interest rate cuts. This has sustained bullish sentiment around the yellow metal, which reached record highs in September.
Since then, gold has been consolidating in the low-to-mid $2,600 per ounce range, as traders anticipate a slower pace of rate cuts from the Fed.
The geopolitical situation in the Middle East has further bolstered safe-haven demand for gold, adding to its upward momentum. D
As long as the Federal Reserve’s dovish tone and geopolitical risks remain, gold is likely to continue trading with a positive bias, said Jateen Trivedi from LKP Securities.
A Revenue official caught red handed while accepting bribe in Huzurabad RDO office, breaks down and his video goes viral
Published Date – 22 December 2024, 08:33 AM
ACB offials nab RDO’s CC while accepting bribe in Huzuarabad
Karimnagar: A revenue official broke down after being caught red-handed while accepting a bribe in Huzurabad town, The video of the apparently terrified official has gone viral on social media platforms.
The video shows the official, Sandeep, camp clerk to the Revenue Divisional Officer in Huzurabad being held by plainclothes officers advising him to dip his hands in two glasses of water to perform the ‘phenolphthalein test’, after he accepted the tainted currency wad laced with a chemical substance.
On touching water with traces of the chemical on hands, the water turns pink and is used as a conclusive proof of the bribe money being accepted. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) usually hands over the demanded bribe amount to the complainant after applying a thick coat of the invisible chemical to the currency notes.
After the complainant hands over the bribe money to the official, the ACB officials, who lay in wait in plainclothes swoop down on him, on receiving a signal from the complainant about the ‘tainted’ money being accepted. The wads of currency is recovered and the bribe seeker official is made to dip his hands in water in two glasses.
The pink colour water is then sealed along with the wads of currency notes, whose numbers are noted down and submitted to the court as an ‘irrefutable’ and conclusive evidence of the bribe being accepted.
In the currenet case, the RDO’s camp clerk (or assistant) Sandeep was accused of having demanded and accepted Rs 75,000 bribe from a farmer for doing an official favour of ‘nala conversion’. The arrested official is being produced before a court.
The actress took to the Stories section of her Instagram, and shared a video from BCCI, and wrote, “A lasting legacy”.
Published Date – 19 December 2024, 03:32 PM
Mumbai: Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, who has been on an acting sabbatical owing to her motherhood duties, has lauded cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin after he announced his retirement from international cricket.
The actress took to the Stories section of her Instagram, and shared a video from BCCI, and wrote, “A lasting legacy”.
Ravichandran Ashwin was one the formidable forces of the Indian squad during his tenure in international cricket, and is considered to be one of the greatest spinners of all time. He was a part of the 2011 ODI World Cup winning squad and also the 2013 Champions Trophy, where in the 2013 final, he bowled the final over which led to India’s win.
Ravichandran Ashwin also contributed to Indian cricket with his bat as he gave a strong support in the batting department in the lower order.
Ashwin also played the 2nd pink ball test in the ongoing BGT. He was kept out of the team in the 3rd test of the series where India struggled in the 1st innings. However, as the managed to salvage the match following the rain delay, and the match was drawn, Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket, and left for India the same day he made the announcement.
With this move, he contradicted skipper Rohit Sharma, who said that the legendary spinner would leave a day after announcing his retirement.
Ashwin has taken more than 700 wickets in international cricket and more than 500 wickets in Tests, placing him amongst the top ten wicket takers in Tests. He has scored more than 4000 runs in international cricket with 6 centuries and 14 half-centuries in Tests.
He stands next to India’s legendary spinner Anil Kumble. With Ashwin’s departure, team India now has Ravindra Jadeja as a bankable player in that position and the spin department. The 2 upcoming matches will decide the fate of team India and its qualification for WTC.
Four people died when a helicopter crashed into a hospital in southwestern Turkey on Sunday, the provincial governor said, blaming the accident on thick fog.
“The helicopter fell to the ground after having struck the fourth storey of a hospital during take-off,” killing two pilots, a doctor and an employee on board the vehicle, Mugla provincial governor Idris Akbiyik said.
“There was intense fog,” Akbiyik said, adding that the authorities were investigating the accident’s cause.
The helicopter took off in conditions with poor visibility from the roof of the city of Mugla’s hospital en route to the city of Antalya, as seen in images broadcast by the NTV television channel.
The chopper can then be seen drifting in the fog several minutes after take-off, before crashing into an empty field next to the hospital it hit, Turkish media reported.
The accident comes just under two weeks after six soldiers were killed when two helicopters collided during an army training exercise in Turkey’s southwestern Isparta province.
At the time the defence ministry did not specify what caused that crash.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman condemned the violent car ramming attack at a market in the German city of Magdeburg, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of a number of German citizens.
Expressing condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and the people of Germany, Baghaei wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the incident.
At least five people died in the Magdeburg Christmas market attack. According to the Western media, local officials said that the suspect was a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia who worked in the city and has lived in Germany since 2006.
The Moneyview survey revealed that over 85% of the 3,000 respondents regard gold as a valuable asset for wealth preservation, citing its intrinsic value and historical performance as key factors influencing consumer confidence.
Published Date – 17 October 2024, 05:00 PM
New Delhi: Seven out of 10 (70 per cent) Indians consider gold as a safe asset that positively influences their savings habits, a survey report said.
According to the Moneyview survey, “over 85 per cent of the 3,000 respondents consider gold a valuable asset for wealth preservation, with its intrinsic value and historical performance continuing to drive consumer confidence”.
The survey further said that investors particularly in the age group of 25-40 years, invest in gold via both the physical and digital way, as part of their regular financial strategy to build wealth for retirement and other long-term goals.
“70 per cent of respondents reported that their perception of gold as a safe asset positively influences their savings habits,” the survey said.
In the digital era, the appeal for gold is increasingly driving investors towards digital tech platforms that offer easier access to gold.
The survey further said: “Assured purity, insured storage, affordable investment due to availability of Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) options, and safety among others are some of the key drivers for digital gold investments across India.”
According to the survey data, “over 75 per cent of respondents under the age of 35 prefer digital gold to physical gold, citing its liquidity and convenience as major factors”. More than 50 per cent of the respondents believe that the ability to purchase gold in fractional amounts through digital platforms is one of the most lucrative features driving them towards changing their investment habits. Nearly 65 per cent of millennials surveyed expressed a preference for digital gold due to its ease of access and convenience.
Sushma Abburi, Chief Business Officer at Moneyview, said: “Digital gold is revolutionising the way people invest in this timeless asset.”
“The lower entry barriers, ease of access and enhanced security make digital gold a highly convenient and valuable option for today’s investors,” she added.
According to employees, during the Assembly elections, Reddy had promised to regularize the services of 19,000 Samagra Shiksha employees within 100 days of the Congress party coming to power in the state. However, one year into the government, this promise has yet to be fulfilled.
Published Date – 22 December 2024, 02:21 PM
Hyderabad: The Samagra Shiksha employees’ protest demanding regularisation of their services entered the 13th day on Sunday with several employees, particularly women, organizing a unique rally from Hyderabad DEO office in Basheerbagh with Bonams, a meal offered to the goddess.
The protesting employees prayed to the goddess, wanting to change Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s stance on their issue and resolve it at the earliest.
According to employees, during the Assembly elections, Reddy had assured to regularise services of 19,000 Samagra Shiksha employees within 100 days into Congress party coming to the power in the State. However, one year into the government, the assurance was to be implemented.
Earlier, the School Education department held talks with the protesting employees. However, the talks remained inconclusive. The employees have also been demanding a minimum time pay scale.
Neeraj Chopra’s silver at the Paris Olympics highlighted his dominance, despite injuries and near-misses. However, India’s athletics still battles doping issues, even as global events bring new opportunities.
Published Date – 19 December 2024, 03:53 PM
New Delhi: Gold eluded him and so did the 90m mark but Neeraj Chopra was the undisputed star of Indian athletics for yet another year even as the sport itself continued a long-standing battle with dope cheats while trying to assert itself internationally by bringing big-ticket events to the country.
The 26-year-old javelin throw superstar failed to defend his Olympic gold but became the most successful Indian athlete across disciplines in individual sports with his silver medal in the Paris Games.
He also finished second in the prestigious Diamond League Finale. Creditably, he achieved both the accolades while carrying an injury.
A nagging adductor niggle (a problem related to thigh muscles) troubled him in the run-up to Paris Olympics and a fracture in his left hand hit him ahead of DL Finale. Chopra later said that his injury is fine.
He was beaten for the Olympic gold by Pakistani Arshad Nadeem, who surprised the world with a Games record throw of 92.97m.
In the DL Finale, Anderson Peters of Grenada, who was struggling after back-to-back world crowns in 2019 and 2022, completed his comeback by winning the title.
Lessons for Chopra
Chopra and those who have followed his growth have been obsessed with the 90m mark. There is never an interaction where the Panipat-based lad is not asked when and how he would breach it.
He came reasonably close twice this year, one occasion being the Olympic finals, but it was not to be. India’s golden boy, whose personal best is 89.94m, has gone for a new coach keeping in mind the World Championships next year.
Steering him the coming season would be none other than world record holder and three-time Olympic gold-medallist Jan Zelezny, without doubt the greatest javelin thrower in history.
This was after Chopra parted ways with 75-year-old German biomechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz with whom he was associated for five years, winning a gold and a silver each in the Olympics and the World Championships.
His season still some months away, Chopra is resting and recuperating for now but he is well aware that every move he makes after this break would be closely tracked.
Hall of Shame The menace of doping did not leave Indian athletics and the country’s credibility of its continued to dwindle internationally.
The World Anti-Doping Agency named India as the second worst after Russia in a 10-year global study of positive doping cases by minors.
Among the stars to let the country down was 2016 Rio Olympian quarter-miler Nirmala Sheoran, who copped an eight-year ban for a second dope offence.
Hammer thrower Rachna Kumari was banned for 12 years for failing multiple dope tests conducted by the international federation’s Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
Distance runner G Lakshmanan (for whereabouts failure) and sprinter Himani Chandel were handed handed two and four-year bans respectively.
Rising javelin thrower DP Manu failed a dope test ahead of Paris Olympics., while former national record holding race walker Bhawna Jat was handed a 16-month ban for ‘whereabouts failure’.
‘Middle distance runner Parvej Khan, who made headlines with his exploits at the NCAA circuit in the USA, also failed a dope test along with Asian Games 4x400m relay gold-winning quarter-miler VK Vismaya.
National Record Breakers
There were some national records broken too. Sable continued to be his own competitor in men’s 3000m steeplechase, clocking 8:09.91sec during the Paris Diamond League for a new national mark.
Akshdeep Singh (men’s 20km race walk), Gulveer Singh (men’s 5,000m and 10000m), KM Deeksha (women’s 1500m), and Abha Khatua (women’s shot put) were also among those who bettered national records in their respective events.
Global events come to India
India will host the World Athletics Continental Tour bronze level meet in Bhubaneswar on August 10, 2025.
The Continental Tour is an annual series of international track and field competitions, which forms the second tier of one-day meetings after the prestigious Diamond League.
This will be the first global athletics meet to be hosted by India after the international permit meets in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and the World Half Marathon Championships in 2004.
India has also submitted its bid for the 2028 World U20 Championships.
The country last year expressed its interest to host the 2029 World Championships, and the bidding process is likely to start early 2025. But with issues like doping still a massive problem with no firm solution in sight, it remains to be seen whether the Indian athletics story manages to find success beyond Chopra’s individual brilliance.
Close to 500 people registered themselves today as members as the Telugu Desam Party or TDP, a BJP ally, launched its first-ever membership drive in Delhi, drawing an enthusiastic response.
Held at the Masonic Center of India, the membership drive marks a pivotal moment for the TDP as it expands beyond Andhra Pradesh.
The membership drive was led by the Krishna Mohan Alapati, TDP’s Delhi leader. He addressed the members about the party’s vision of progress and development. Mr Alapati also praised the leadership of N Chandrababu Naidu, party chief and the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
“It is not just a TDP drive, it is a drive to strengthen the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and TDP…The drive is very good. A large number of people are arriving to participate in this drive…The party is doing well under the leadership of Nara Lokesh and Chandrababu Naidu…Andhra Pradesh is also growing fast…,” Mr Alapati said.
The alliance of TDP, BJP and Janasena won a landslide victory in the state, bagging 21 parliamentary and 164 assembly seats. The TDP won 16 Lok Sabha seats, BJP three and Janasena two, decimating the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). Out of 25 Lok Sabha seats, NDA won 21 seats while the YSRCP managed to win only four seats.
Six years after severing ties, the TDP joined the BJP-led NDA alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Andhra Pradesh also played a crucial role in Lok Sabha elections with its 25 parliamentary seats, making the TDP’s influence pivotal in the NDA’s overall strength.
The party’s alliance with the BJP in the NDA adds diversity and depth to the coalition, ensuring that Southern India has a strong voice at the center. This nationwide membership drive sends a strong message about the party’s inclusivity and its intent to represent regional interests on a national platform.
At the time of the attack, there were protests in many Muslim countries and calls online for violence targeting France and the satirical French newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
Published Date – 21 December 2024, 06:03 AM
Samuel Paty, who was beheaded. Source: X
Paris: France’s anti-terrorism court on Friday convicted eight people of involvement in the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty outside his school near Paris four years ago, a horrific death that shocked the country.
Paty, 47, was killed by an Islamic extremist outside his school on October 16, 2020, days after showing his class cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a debate on free expression. The assailant, an 18-year-old Russian of Chechen origin, was shot to death by police.
Those who have been on trial on terrorism charges at a special court in Paris since the end of November were accused, in some cases, of providing assistance to the perpetrator and, in others, of organising a hate campaign online before the murder took place.
The 540-seat courtroom was packed for the verdict, which marked the final chapter of the Paty trial. Heavy surveillance was in place, with more than 50 police officers guarding the proceedings.
Seated in the front row was Samuel Paty’s nine-year-old son, accompanied by family members. As the lead judge delivered sentences one after the other, emotions in the room ran high.
“I am moved, and I am relieved,” said Gaëlle Paty, Samuel Paty’s sister, as she addressed a crowd of reporters after the verdict. “Hearing the word ‘guilty’ — that’s what I needed.”
“I spent this week listening to a lot of rewriting of what happened, and it was hard to hear, but now the judge has stated what really happened, and it feels good,” she added, her voice breaking as tears filled her eyes.
Families of the accused reacted with gasps, cries, shouts and ironic clapping, prompting the judge to pause multiple times and call for silence.
“They lied about my brother,” shouted one relative. Another woman, sobbing, exclaimed, “They took my baby from me,” before being escorted out by police officers.
The judge met or went above most of the terms requested by prosecutors, citing “the exceptional gravity of the facts”.
Naïm Boudaoud, 22, and Azim Epsirkhanov, 23, friends of the attacker, were convicted of complicity in murder and sentenced to 16 years in prison each. Boudaoud was accused of driving the attacker to the school, while Epsirkhanov helped him procure weapons.
Brahim Chnina, 52, the Muslim father of the schoolgirl whose lies sparked the events leading to Paty’s death, was sentenced to 13 years for association with a terrorist enterprise. Prosecutors had sought 10 years for him.
Abdelhakim Sefrioui, a Muslim preacher, was given 15 years for organising a hate campaign online against Paty.
The shocking death of the 47-year-old teacher left an indelible mark on France, with several schools now named after him.
At the time of the attack, there were protests in many Muslim countries and calls online for violence targeting France and the satirical French newspaper Charlie Hebdo. The newspaper had republished its caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad a few weeks before Paty’s death to mark the opening of the trial over deadly 2015 attacks on its newsroom by Islamic extremists.
The cartoon images deeply offended many Muslims, who saw them as sacrilegious. But the fallout from Paty’s killing reinforced the French state’s commitment to freedom of expression and its firm attachment to secularism in public life.
Chnina’s daughter, who was 13 at the time, claimed that she had been excluded from Paty’s class when he showed the caricatures on October 5, 2020.
Chnina sent a series of messages to his contacts denouncing Paty, saying that “this sick man” needed to be fired, along with the address of the school in the Paris suburb of Conflans Saint-Honorine. In reality, Chnina’s daughter had lied to him and had never attended the lesson in question.
Paty was teaching a class mandated by the National Education Ministry on freedom of expression. He discussed the caricatures in this context, saying students who did not wish to see them could temporarily leave the classroom.
An online campaign against Paty snowballed, and 11 days after the lesson, Anzorov attacked the teacher with a knife as he walked home, and displayed the teacher’s head in a post on social media. Police later fatally shot Anzorov as he advanced toward them, armed.
Chnina’s daughter was tried last year in a juvenile court and given an 18-month suspended sentence. Four other students at Paty’s school were found guilty of involvement and given suspended sentences; a fifth, who pointed out Paty to Anzorov in exchange for money, was given a six-month term with an electronic bracelet.
Sefrioui, the preacher on trial, had presented himself as a spokesperson for Imams of France although he had been dismissed from that role. He had filmed a video in front of the school with the father of the student. He referred to the teacher as a “thug” multiple times and sought to pressure the school administration via social media.
Some of the defendants expressed regrets and claimed their innocence on the eve of the verdict. They did not convince Paty’s family.
“It’s something that really shocks the family,” lawyer Virginie Le Roy said. “You get the feeling that those in the box are absolutely unwilling to admit any responsibility whatsoever.”
“Apologies are pointless, they won’t bring Samuel back, but explanations are precious to us,” Le Roy said. “We haven’t had many explanations of the facts.”
