Domestic air travel crossed 500,000 passengers for the first time on Sunday, driven by affordable fares, a long weekend, and the wedding season. A total of 5,05,412 passengers flew on 3,173 flights that day. Passenger numbers have stayed high, consistently reaching over 4.9 lakh daily. Airlines have benefitted from cheaper fares and more flights, which helped boost demand after the Diwali season.
Diljit Dosanjh reacted to Telangana's ban on songs about alcohol and violence ahead of his concert in Hyderabad. He raised concerns about the unfair treatment, saying foreign artists get more freedom than Indian performers.
Narayana Murthy, founder of Infosys, emphasizes putting employee welfare before high executive salaries. He calls for "compassionate capitalism," where business leaders focus on meeting the basic needs of their lowest-paid workers first. Murthy also warns about uncontrolled tech growth, advocates for job creation in rural areas, and promotes responsible use of AI.
Lenders are finding that women are less likely to default on loans than men. In FY23, women had a loan default rate of just 1.9%, while men’s rate was 2.5%. The number of women taking out loans and the size of their loans both grew in 2023. Government programs and better access to e-commerce have helped more women become part of the financial system. Banks are focusing more on offering loans to women, especially in self-help groups and joint liability groups, where women’s involvement in deposits and credit is rising.
The US has returned over 1,400 stolen antiquities worth $10 million to India, including sculptures taken from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The items, seized from New York’s Metropolitan Museum, were recovered as part of investigations into criminal trafficking networks. Around 600 more antiquities are expected to be returned soon.
The Punjab Police, working with authorities in Maharashtra, have arrested Akash Gill, a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, in connection with the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique. Gill, from Fazilka, Punjab, is accused of helping the shooters involved in the October 12 killing. He is now in Mumbai Police custody for further investigation.
Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis from Wyoming has introduced a bill that would sell part of the Federal Reserve’s gold to buy 1 million Bitcoin, aiming to reduce the national debt. The purchase would cost about $90 billion. Lummis argues that the plan wouldn’t impact the U.S. balance sheet since gold certificates could be swapped for Bitcoin. Despite support from Trump and some crypto-friendly lawmakers, critics are concerned about Bitcoin's volatility and whether the bill will pass in Congress.
Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy expresses disappointment over India's shift to a five-day workweek, which happened in 1986. He believes hard work is key to the country's growth, pointing to Prime Minister Modi’s strong work ethic as an example. Murthy, who worked long hours throughout his career, argues that Indians need to work hard to help the nation move forward, even though some people criticize his views on work-life balance.
India needs 2,500 universities to get 50% of students enrolled in higher education, says NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam. Right now, the country has 1,200 universities, but only 29% of eligible students are enrolled. He also highlighted India’s growing digital and financial infrastructure, with plans to turn the country into a USD 30 trillion economy by 2047.
Two Democratic US senators are calling for an investigation into Elon Musk’s connections with Russian officials and his role in SpaceX contracts. They are worried about national security risks linked to Musk’s communication with Russia and the potential impact on government contracts. The senators have asked the Departments of Defense and Justice to look into whether Musk’s ties with Russia should affect his ability to continue working with the government.