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

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

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

Ahmedabad: As many as 2,212 medical and dental seats across Gujarat are vacant after the first round of counselling conducted by the Admission Committee for Professional Undergraduate and Postgraduate Medical Educational Courses (ACPMEC). The committee has now opened the second round of counselling, with 16,196 candidates eligible to participate. The eligible candidates include 234 newly registered students whose names have been added to the provisional merit list for MBBS and BDS admissions ...Read More

Ekta Nagar: In a first time for Gujarat, the 72nd  National Film Awards will be presented by the President of India on 22 September 2026 at Ekta Nagar (Kevadia). The ceremony will bring together filmmakers, actors, technicians and other artists from across the country to celebrate outstanding achievements in Indian cinema for the year 2024. Instituted in 1954, the National Film Awards are country’s most prestigious honours for excellence in cinema. Over seven decades, the Awards have recog...Read More

Panaji: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Monday chaired the 28th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Panaji, Goa. The meeting was attended by Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Praful K. Patel. Senior officials from the Centre, the States and the Union Territory also participated in the meeting. Addressing the gat...Read More