Topic: Diwali
Reader View: Let people not drop their ‘Covid guard’ by making idols wear masks
YourTurn is our weekly feature in which ThePrint's readers share their views or opinions in response to the question of the week.
Dussehra, Diwali and diesel — why Indian oil refiners are hoping for a festival bonanza
Dussehra and Diwali festivals typically increase demand for consumer goods, with more diesel-powered trucks hitting the road to deliver everything from clothes to refrigerators.
With festive season ahead, govt plans big awareness push to urge ‘Covid-appropriate’ behaviour
Information & Broadcasting Secretary Amit Khare, who is in charge of the awareness campaign, has written to all states & UTs to draft ‘action plans’ for implementation.
Celebrate Diwali before Diwali — BJP’s grand plans for Ram Mandir bhoomi pujan day
The BJP plans to felicitate kar sevaks who had taken part in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement between 1989 and 1992.
‘Aasha ka diya’, ‘distant yet together’ — how prime time news marked 9 mins, 9 pm
A quick take on what prime time TV news talked about.
Diwali failed to revive the sullen animal spirits of Indian economy
Poor economic activity during Diwali signals a protracted slowdown & may influence RBI to cut interest rates for a sixth time this year in December.
The big Diwali festive shopping season wasn’t all that big, report says
More than 90% storekeepers in Mumbai indicated footfalls were lower than last year’s festival period, Bank of America Merrill Lynch report says.
Delhi’s air pollution masks a class war that nobody is willing to talk about
Patakha over Parali appears to be the choice that many Delhi residents have made in the war between bursting crackers and farmers burning stubble.
Rs 1.33 cr, not 133 cr — how UP’s Ayodhya Diwali got bad press due to misreporting by media
Traditional and social media said UP govt was going to spend Rs 133 crore on Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya. The actual figure was Rs 1.33 crore.
After-Diwali respiratory illnesses see a dip this year, numbers could go up in coming days
Doctors say cases related to worsening of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder have reduced by half this year compared to last Diwali.
How France-Turkey’s probable but unlikely conflict has been shaped by Erdogan’s politics
In episode 604 of #CutTheClutter, Shekhar Gupta explains the recent France-Turkey conflict and the deeper implications of this row.
Banks have not a signed a single agreement for RBI’s debt recast scheme for high value loans
Tepid response to the debt recast scheme is being seen because there is lack of awareness and reluctance by banks, say bankers.
Defence
Army develops WhatsApp-like app for personnel to dodge risk of communication leaks
The Secure Application for Internet supports secure voice, text and video-calling services for Android platforms over the internet. It is end-to-end encrypted.
Trump or Biden? Doesn’t matter to India-US ties as they’re in a full, strategic embrace
Pompeo & Esper’s visit to India for the 2+2 talks is proof that old hypocrisies are history, and supreme national interest has again driven a strategic choice.