Gandhinagar: Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), India’s emerging international financial hub, has jumped nine places in the latest Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI 40) to rank 37th globally. Mumbai, the country’s financial capital, also improved, rising three places to 49th. The latest GFCI report placed GIFT City among 15 financial centres worldwide expected to gain significant importance over the next two to three years, highlighting its growing role in the global f...Read More

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved an increase in the wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 per month, a move expected to bring more than 51 lakh additional employees under the social security framework. The proposal, put forward by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, will extend mandatory provident fund coverage to a large section of employees earning betwee...Read More

New Delhi: The government on Tuesday set a 0.4 per cent charge on UPI payments above ₹2,000 to merchants, with the fee capped at ₹300 for payments of ₹75,000 and above, as it rolled out a framework for large digital merchant payments. The new UPI framework, however, has no impact on person-to-person transactions. UPI will continue to remain completely free for all person-to-person (P2P) transactions, irrespective of the amount transferred. The Ministry of Finance, in a release, state...Read More

New Delhi: The new UPI framework has clarified that person-to-person (P2P) transactions will continue to remain completely free, irrespective of the amount transferred. Payments made to merchants up to ₹2,000, as well as transactions covered under the zero-MDR framework for small merchants, will also remain free. As a result, around 96% of all person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions are expected to remain unaffected. MDR will apply only to specified merchant transactions above ₹2,000. Im...Read More

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government has earmarked Rs 301 crore for preparations to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, including Rs 200 crore towards the host fee, the state Assembly was informed on Thursday. Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, who also oversees the Sports and Youth Services portfolio, shared the details in a written response during Question Hour on the second day of the Gujarat Assembly’s monsoon session. Congress MLA Amit Chavda had sought information on the government’...Read More

Mumbai: In an age of mass production and digital design, the value of something made by hand lies not only in its beauty, but the knowledge behind it. Every weave, stitch, carving, and embellishment carries a history, techniques refined over generations, shaped by local materials and sustained by the communities that practise them. At the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, Swadesh brings these living craft traditions into a contemporary setting, offering visitors an opportunity to see the skill...Read More

Ahmedabad: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast widespread rain and thunderstorms across Gujarat over the next seven days, with heavy to very heavy rainfall likely at isolated places in several districts from September 12 to 15. According to the IMD's weather bulletin, a low-pressure area has formed over the north Bay of Bengal and its neighbourhood. An upper-air cyclonic circulation over Saurashtra and adjoining areas is also persisting, influencing weather conditions over ...Read More

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government has completed DNA sample collection from relatives of 29 of the 30 people from the state, including Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRGs), who remain missing or uncontactable following the flash floods in Nepal, particularly along the Nepal-Tibet border and the Bhote Koshi River corridor, a press release said. The samples are being processed for DNA profiling to help identify bodies and human remains recovered after the disaster. The process for the remaining case ...Read More

Luang Prabang: Mandalao Elephant Conservation and Vantara, a global wildlife conservation organisation based in Gujarat, India, today announced a new programme to strengthen elephant welfare, veterinary care, and conservation in Laos, under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two organisations, a press release said. Supporting Laos’ Elephants Laos, once known as Lan Xang, the “Land of a Million Elephants”, is now home to approximately 400 wild elephants and more than 4...Read More

Paris: The Eiffel Tower was closed on Monday after staff staged a walkout over the treatment of female employees during a visit by a delegation from BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha). The protest followed a visit on Saturday by around 100 BAPS delegates, who were in France for the inauguration of a major Hindu temple near Paris. Employees alleged that female workers were moved away from their workstations and, in some instances, replaced by male colleagues as the ...Read More