-Livemint.com Localized lockdowns and rising covid cases among collection agents hamper loan recoveries Small finance banks are beginning to feel the heat of localized lockdowns and the advancing pandemic wave, as the virus spreads to India’s small towns and hinterland. However, they are better prepared this time, after last year’s severe setback. “The disease is spreading much faster, especially in smaller towns. Rural customers are, however, less impacted. There have been some delays...

-The Hindu Labourers from West Bengal, Assam have gone home to exercise their franchise Kochi: Kabir Ahmad (name changed), a migrant worker in Perumbavoor, had to spend a small fortune on a flight ticket to return home to Hojai district of Assam last month following his parents’ anguished plea to get back in time for voting. Their desperation was borne out of the perceived danger posed to the community by the National...

-The Indian Express Maharashtra government’s move to regulate fees is laudable. But it must also address larger issues of transparency, accountability and inequality related to private schools In February, Maharashtra Minister of State for Education Bacchu Kadu directed the state education department to create a “plan” to take action against private schools allegedly charging excessive fees and repeatedly violating state regulations on school education. Kadu has been at the forefront of hearing...

-The Hindu Decision taken “in the context of the onslaught of the government”, it says The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) affiliated to the RSS has announced a phase-wide agitation from March 15 to November 11 against the proposed disinvestment programme of the public sector units (PSUs) by the Union government. The decision was taken at a two-day meeting of the BMS’ PSUs Coordination Committee in Hyderabad that ended on Friday. The meeting came...

-Business Standard Executives with NTPC Limited said the under construction Lata Tapovan hydro power project (520 Mw) has faced some damages in the mishap New Delhi:  Flash flood following a glacier break and an avalanche on the Alaknanda river in Chamoli, Uttarakhand is likely to damage four hydro power projects. Executives with NTPC Limited said the under construction Lata Tapovan hydro power project (520 MW) has faced some damages in the mishap. Statements from...