Adani News

Tag: india

  • Falling female labor force participation in India

    Falling female labor force participation in India

    New Delhi: Despite rapid economic growth, declining fertility and an increase in education of women over the past 30 years, the female workforce participation rate – proportion of women who are working – in India continues to remain low. In fact, it has shown a precipitous and persistent decline since 1987.

    Women form only 19 percent of the workforce in India as of 2021, falling from over 40 percent in the early 90s, according to World Bank and International Labor Organization statistics. In contrast, women constitute more than 50 percent of the workforce globally.

    Female participation in India’s labour force — the proportion of the population over the age of 15 that is economically active -– has been steadily declining and hit a low of 19 percent in 2021. Between 2004–05 and 2011–12, about 19.6 million women dropped out of the workforce.

    Participation declined from 42.6 percent during 1993–94 to 31.2 percent in 2011–12, as per a World Bank survey. Approximately 53 percent of this drop occurred in rural India, among those between the ages of 15 and 24 years. Female participation rates declined from 34.1 percent in 1999-2000 to 27.2 percent in 2011-12, and wide gender differences in participation rate also persist, according to the International Labour Organization. The percentage of women in the workforce dropped from 33 percent in 2012 to 25 percent in 2020, it said. This may have further nosedived during the pandemic, which had a near-immediate effect on women’s employment. One in four women was considering leaving the workforce or downshifting their careers compared to one in five men, according to a McKinsey survey.

    The number of women in the workforce in India dropped to a dire 9 percent by 2022 due to Covid-19 and other reasons, according to a Bloomberg survey.

    The reasons

    Experts say work-life balance issues, gender role expectations and socio-economic imbalances in India are leading to the exodus. They claim that microaggressions and biases have made women drop out as they feel it’s not worth their time. “It’s a multi-pronged problem. The mindset that women hold larger responsibility for homes has to change. Due to their mindset, they are not able to reach their full potential,” say the experts.

    In earlier days people thought it was not worthy to even talk about the percentage of women in the workforce. But changes have been visible, starting from the law itself.

  • India Appoints Seasoned Diplomat Vipul As Its New Ambassador To Qatar

    India Appoints Seasoned Diplomat Vipul As Its New Ambassador To Qatar

    Seasoned diplomat Vipul has been appointed India’s new ambassador to Qatar, an influential country in the Gulf region. Vipul, a 1998-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, is presently serving as the joint secretary in the Gulf division at the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in Delhi.

    “He (Vipul) is expected to take up the assignment shortly,” the MEA said in a brief statement.

    In his current position, Vipul has been handling India’s diplomatic engagement with the Gulf region. India’s overall ties with the region has witnessed significant upswing in the last few years.

    Senior IFS official Deepak Mittal, who was serving as the Indian envoy to Doha, returned a few months ago and joined as a joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office.

    Separately, Shilpak N Ambule, an IFS officer from 2002 batch, has been appointed India’s next high commissioner to Singapore.

    Ambule is presently serving as the joint secretary in the East Asia division in the MEA.

    The East Asia division handles India’s ties with China, Republic of Korea, Japan and Mongolia. The MEA said Ambule is expected to take up his new assignment shortly.

  • Dharmendra Pradhan gives assurance on new railway line in Odisha

    Dharmendra Pradhan gives assurance on new railway line in Odisha

    SAMBALPUR: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday assured the people of Deogarh that he would hold talks with the Railway Ministry over the proposal for a new line connecting Barkote in the district with Jharsuguda and Kuchinda sub-division in Sambalpur.

    Attending the Garib Kalyan Samavesh at Bad Bagicha in Deogarh, Pradhan said, “People of Deogarh gave me proposal for a railway line from Barkote to Jharsuguda through Deogarh town and Kuchinda sub-division. I humbly accept the proposal. The issue was raised in the Lok Sabha by Sambalpur MP Nitesh Ganga Deb. I will personally go to the Rail Bhawan and remind the officials about the aspiration of the people here.”

    If the state government provides land, the Centre will also accelerate the release of fund for the railway line from Barkote to Rourkela, he said. Highlighting the pro-people schemes of the Centre, the union minister said at least 73, 617 families of Deogarh district have received Rs 2,184 crore under different schemes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the last nine years. The schemes include subsidised rice, PMAY, Ujjwala, Mudra loan and assistance to SHGs. “In these nine years, Odisha has been considered as a laboratory for the welfare of poor by PM Modi.”

    Pradhan further said the MSP of paddy was Rs 1,360 in 2014-15. To make farmers self-reliant, the paddy MSP has been increased to Rs 2,183. It has almost doubled under the tenure of Narendra Modi. Taking a dig at the state government, Pradhan said the Centre has provided nine lakh houses to urban and rural areas of Odisha under Pradhan Mantri Away Yojana (PMAY).

    However, the state government is not ready to allot those to beneficiaries. The fund released by the Centre is also being claimed by Odisha government as its own. “Since welfare of people is not the priority of the state government, a huge amount of the funds is being embezzled by the BJD,” he added. On the day, the union minister also addressed meetings at Fasimal and Tamparkela in Sambalpur district.

  • Threat of sea erosion looms over Dakshina Kannada coast

    Threat of sea erosion looms over Dakshina Kannada coast

    MANGALURU: With sea erosion slowly intensifying at Subhashnagar, Battampady, Uchila, Kaiko at Ullal and Sasihitlu at Mukka near Mangaluru, the Dakshina Kannada district administration is monitoring the situation closely.

    Over two dozen houses are facing danger at Ullal and the local administration has urged residents to shift to safe places or relief centres. A relief centre has been opened at Ombathukere in Ullal and special teams will keep a vigil round the clock, Ullal CMC Commissioner Vani Alva said.

    Meanwhile, a road connecting Meenakaliya with Panambur has been damaged due to sea erosion. “Though the authorities have visited the area several times and promised a permanent solution to sea erosion, nothing has been done so far.

    Many houses may get washed away by the raging waves at Sasihithlu and Meenakaliya,” according to a resident. KS Jayappa, professor and chairman, the Department of Marine Geology, Mangalore University, said Kotepura, Someshwar, Sasihitlu and parts of Mukka are some of the areas worst affected by sea erosion.

    Ullal beach losing 1 km of shorelines every year

    “Ullal beach is losing more than 1m of shoreline every year and sea erosion has affected 40% of 30 beaches in the coastal region of Karnataka. The source of sediment has drastically reduced because of construction of vented dams. A large quantity of sediment is dredged for various development activities, including concrete roads, multi-storied apartments, etc., for which sand is used.

    We have not only stored water, but also withheld sediment which otherwise would have reached the near shore and come back to the beaches through wave activity. Human interference such as the construction of seawalls, ports, harbours and encroachments are some of the reasons.

    Beaches act as cushions and they are the playgrounds for waves. We need to retreat as much as possible and we need to go for green walls instead of sea walls using Casuarina trees or Ipomoea biloba, a creeper or salt tolerant plants,” he said.

    Deputy Commissioner Ravi Kumar MR said the special teams along with Coast Guard personnel are on standby in the affected areas. “The situation is calm now except for the raging waves. The tides are not so high now but we have sounded alerts at Someshwar and Uchila beaches in Ullal.

    Fishermen and tourists have been warned not to visit the affected beaches. Our major concern is Ullal which usually witnesses large scale damage. We are expecting heavy rains from Sunday morning. We are monitoring the situation along our coastline closely,” he added.

  • RBI to levy penalties on banks that lose property papers of borrowers

    RBI to levy penalties on banks that lose property papers of borrowers

    Banks may have to compensate borrowers and also pay a penalty if they lose the original property documents of loan seekers.

    This could soon become a possibility if the RBI accepts the recommendations of a high level committee, which it had formed in May last year to review customer service standards in banks and other lending institutions.

    The panel led by former deputy RBI governor B P Kanungo, presented its report to the central bank in April this year, and this suggestion is a part of a slew of recommendations made in it.

    The RBI has invited comments from stakeholders by July 7 on the committee’s recommendations.

    The panel has suggested that the RBI may consider stipulating a time limit for banks to return the property documents to the borrower from the date of closure of the loan account, failing
    which a penalty or a compensation linked to the extent of delay should automatically be paid by the banks to the borrower.

    “In case of loss of property documents, the bank should not only be obligated to assist in obtaining certified registered copies of documents at their cost but also compensate the customer adequately, keeping in view the time taken to arrange the alternate copies of the documents,” the panel has suggested.

    Normally banks request for original property documents and keep them until the loans are fully repaid.

    However these recommendations have come as the RBI has received several complaints that banks take a lot of time to return property documents even when the loan has been repaid on time.

    Original property documents are essential, as they help in establishing ownership and preventing disputes.

  • No stoppage at Bahanaga railway station: Railway Officials

    No stoppage at Bahanaga railway station: Railway Officials

    Balasore: Trains will not stop at Bahanaga railway station in Balasore district of Odisha till further orders informed the Railways officials on Saturday.

    It is worth mentioning that, the trains will not make stoppages at Bahanaga bazar railway station till further orders.

    The information on the same was provided by the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of South-Eastern Railway.

    The decision was taken after the tragic triple train accident in Odisha on June 2, 2023 in which as many as 288 people lost their lives, 1000 plus were injured.

    It is worth mentioning that the CBI is presently investigating reasons behind the major train disaster that took place on the ill-fated Friday evening.

  • Son and mother die due to electrocution in Soro of Odisha

    Son and mother die due to electrocution in Soro of Odisha

    Soro: In a tragic incident, a mother and son duo allegedly lost their lives due to electric shock in Soro under Balasore district in Odisha said reports on Saturday.

    The incident took place under Khaira limits in Kantapada Nahul village.

    The mother died on the spot whereas, the son was in a critical condition and was rushed to the nearby hospital. He was admitted to the medical center in a critical condition but there he breathed his last while under going treatment.

    Reports say that the duo were in the garden and somehow came in contact with a live wire while watering the plants. The woman died on the spot.

    Detailed report awaited in this matter.

  • Low pressure area over Bay of Bengal, rain likely in Odisha!

    Low pressure area over Bay of Bengal, rain likely in Odisha!

    Bhubaneswar: The well-marked low-pressure area over the northeast Bay of Bengal persisted over the same region at 0230 hours IST of today, the 10th June, 2023.

    It is worth mentioning that due to this area, Odisha is likely to experience rain and thundershowers soon.

    A Wind warning has been issued by the IMD:

    Squally weather with wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely to prevail

    The sea conditions in the Bay of Bengal:

    Sea condition are likely to be rough over northeast Bay of Bengal on 10th June said the latest bulletin of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

    Warning to the fishermen venturing into the sea:

    The fishermen have been advised by the MeT Department not to venture into northeast Bay of Bengal on 10th June, 2023.

    The systems are under continuous surveillance by the IMD and the next update will be issued today that is on the 10th June, 2023.


    over northeast Bay of Bengal on 10th June.

  • Mobile thief caught in Bhubaneswar, beaten up

    Mobile thief caught in Bhubaneswar, beaten up

    Bhubaneswar: A man has been caught in Bhubaneswar on Saturday for stealing mobile phones late at night from various houses, said reliable reports.

    He used to steal mobile phone on a regular basis sometimes through windows and sometimes through the terrace.

    The local people overpowered a young man who was trying to rob a mobile phone. They tied him to an electric pole an beat him black and blue.

    The incident took place in Nayapalli area in Bhubaneswar.

    It is worth mentioning that as many as six mobiles have been seized from him at the scene of the incident. He confessed that he stole 20 mobiles and sold them elsewhere.

    The locals immediately informed the Nayapalli police. The police arrived and took the accused to the police station.

    The Nayapalli police further informed that that he was not the member of a gang, but a solo operating robber.

  • Bhubaneswar records 30 Degrees at 5:30 am

    Bhubaneswar records 30 Degrees at 5:30 am

    Bhubaneswar: Unbearable heat has affected normal life in the capital city of Odisha. On Saturday, Bhubaneswar recorded 30.2 degrees Celsius at 5.30 am. The humidity touched 96%  at the same time.

    On the other hand, the regional center of the Indian Meteorological Department in Bhubaneswar has issued a heatwave alert for nine districts of Odisha.The nine districts including Balangir, Boudh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Sonepur, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, and Sundargarh will experience a peak in mercury levels. The temperature in these districts is likely to go above 40 degrees Celcius.

    Southwest Monsoon has set in over Kerala on June 8, 2023, likely to reach Odisha by June 12, 2023, informed the MeT Department.

    Southwest Monsoon has advanced into the remaining parts of the south Arabian Sea and some parts of the central Arabian Sea, the entire Lakshadweep area, most parts of Kerala, most parts of south Tamil Nadu, the remaining parts of Comorin area, Gulf of Mannar and some more parts of southwest, central and northeast Bay of Bengal on that is June 8, 2023.

    Thus, Southwest Monsoon has set in over Kerala today, June 8, 2023, against the normal date of  June 1. During the past 24 hours, clouding has increased over the Southeast Arabian Sea. The depth of westerly winds over the Southeast Arabian Sea extends up to middle tropospheric levels. The strength of Westerly winds in the lower levels has increased and is about 19 knots.