Times of India is India’s top newspaper and is a must read for all the latest news. With the launch of a new website, Times of India has become more popular in recent years. Its latest news articles offer a glimpse into the life of India. Whether it is a new policy on e-waste or a fight over the positioning of the Taj and Orient-Express hotels, there is a lot to keep you entertained in the news section.
Inflation hovers around 8% in India
India’s inflation rate jumped to eight years high of 7.79 per cent in April, driven by the spike in food prices. The central bank has sounded cautious on its forecast for the rest of the fiscal year.
Earlier this week, the government’s finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that monetary and fiscal policies should work hand in hand to control rising inflation. She said that the country was not in a hurry to push inflation back to four per cent. However, the government is comfortable with the central bank taking two more years to bring the rate down.
Inflation in India has reached a nine-month high of 6.38% in February, and is expected to rise to around 8% in the coming months. The Reserve Bank of India has taken steps to curb rising prices
Revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status
Indian authorities have announced that they will revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. The move came in response to an insurgency that has claimed more than 70,000 lives over the past three decades. It also has ramifications for the country’s politics, and its relationship with Pakistan.
The revocation is the biggest change to Kashmir’s status since the subcontinent was partitioned in 1947. Article 370 of the Constitution guarantees a special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. But the revocation has left some critics confused about the legality of the move, and others arguing it could lead to an insurgency in the region.
During the 2019 general elections, India’s ruling party, the BJP, made revoking the article a central part of its manifesto. However, opposition parties and other political forces complained that the move was a unilateral act that went against the wishes of the people of the Kashmir Valley.
Paid news in India
Paid news in India is a thriving phenomenon, with over a thousand cases reported to the Election Commission of India during elections in seventeen states in the past five years. However, it is still not an electoral offence, and the Election Commission of India has urged the law ministry to amend the Representation of People Act (RPA) to make paid news illegal.
Paid news is the practice of charging a fee for favourable or neutral news items. This includes advertising, criticism and analysis. The phenomenon is a financial boon to media organizations and journalists.
It is not surprising to see that corporate conglomerates have been using the concept of paid news to maximize their reach. They are primarily interested in maximising their profits.
Brand positioning war between Taj and Orient-Express hotels
Taj and Orient-Express Hotels are engaged in a war of words. The Indian Hotels Company is a subsidiary of Tata Group, and runs the Taj chain of hotels.
During the last two years, the Tata group had tried to buy Orient-Express. But the bid fell through. Earlier this year, the Orient-Express board turned down the company’s acquisition offer.
However, Indian Hotels Company has revived its interest in acquiring Orient-Express. It is still exploring all options. Meanwhile, the Tata Group plans to bring non-Indian hotels under its wing.
Taj and Orient-Express Hotels engaged in a spat last year. The two companies were fighting over the branding strategy that sported the most significant number.
Orient-Express is a luxury hospitality group. It operates 46 luxury hotels, a dining property, and river cruises in 23 countries. Among its notable accomplishments, Orient-Express has won the Wine Spectator’s Best Award of Excellence.
Samantha Akkineni has the best time of her career
Samantha Akkineni, an actress and model, has been in the spotlight lately. She has been receiving positive reviews from the audiences and has received several awards for her acting talents.
Samantha’s first film was Ya Ya Maya Chesave in 2010. At the age of 18, she won a Filmfare award for her role in the same film. Since then, she has been a part of several films in the Telugu and Tamil cinema industries.
As a young actress, Samantha has worked in many commercial and experimental films. She has also been featured in several Hollywood films. In 2010, she was cast in the promotional song for the Classical Tamil Conference.
Samantha also anchored the special edition of Bigg Boss 4. Her most recent movie is a remake of Miss Granny. The movie was released in South Korea in 2014. It was hailed as one of the best performances by Samantha.
