Ugadi, also spelled as Yugadi, marks the beginning of the New Year as per the Luni-Solar calendar. It is one of the most significant festivals celebrated in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka. The festival not only signals the onset of a new year but is also observed as a harvest festival, celebrating abundance, renewal, and spiritual prosperity. In 2025, Ugadi falls on March 30. According to Hindu Panchang, the Prati

Holika Dahan, also known as Holika Deepak or Chhoti Holi, is a revered Hindu festival celebrated on the eve of Holi. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, symbolized by the burning of an effigy representing the mythical demoness Holika. It is observed on the full moon night of the Phalgun month as per the Hindu calendar. This year, Holika Dahan falls on Thursday, March 13, 2025, with the auspicious Holika Dahan Muhurta scheduled between 11:26 PM and 12:31 AM (March 14).

The central government is expected to announce a 2% hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) this week, according to several media reports. This anticipated hike is set to benefit over 12 million central government employees and retirees under the guidelines of the 7th Pay Commission. If implemented, this increase will raise the existing DA from 53% to 55% of the basic pay. The increase is designed to help employees and pensioners manage inflation by adjusting their income to

Governor Greg Abbott has ordered all Texas state employees to return to the office full-time, marking a significant shift away from the remote work arrangements many have relied on since the pandemic. While Abbott has not set a strict statewide deadline, individual agencies are implementing their own return-to-office timelines, with some requiring employees to be back at their desks by March 31, 2025. This move has sparked mixed reactions among state employ

Choosing the right tax regime is an important decision for taxpayers in India. The old and new tax regimes offer different benefits, and individuals must carefully analyze their financial situation before selecting the most suitable option. While salaried employees have the flexibility to switch every year, business professionals have a more restricted choice.The decision between the two regimes depends on factors such as tax-saving investments, exemptions, and deductions. Understanding these

Mumbai, India – February 21, 2025: India’s Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 has become the largest congregation in human history for a religious, cultural, and social event, attracting more than 550 million devotees in just six weeks. Hosted in the northern city of Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, this grand Hindu festival has surpassed all previous records, making it one of the most significant religious gatherings ever witnessed.The Kumbh Mela, held every 12 years, carries deep spiritual meaning f

The Supreme Court of India has issued a landmark ruling on February 17, 2025, stating that an employee’s gratuity can be forfeited on the grounds of moral turpitude, even in the absence of a criminal conviction. This ruling expands the interpretation of the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, allowing employers to withhold gratuity from employees dismissed for unethical or fraudulent actions.Previously, in a 2018 Supreme Court ruling in the Union of India vs. Ajay Babu case, the court had st

 The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Board, under the leadership of Chairman B.R. Naidu, has initiated a major personnel overhaul by transferring 18 non-Hindu employees. This action follows concerns raised by Hindu devotees about the promotion of non-Hindu activities, such as the availability of non-vegetarian food, alcohol, and drugs on the sacred Tirumala Hills, which some employees allegedly abetted.The decision has sparked mixed reactions, with many devotees expressing satisfact

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has recently issued 21,885 pension payment orders as part of its ongoing efforts to implement higher pensions under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS) 1995. As per Minister of State for Labour & Employment Shobha Karandlaje's written response in Lok Sabha, a total of 17.48 lakh applications were submitted by pensioners and members seeking to increase their pension by making higher contributions.   The EPF

Republican Congressman Andy Biggs has reintroduced a bill in the US House of Representatives that seeks to revoke Pakistan’s designation as a major non-NATO ally. The bill stipulates that the U.S. president should not certify this status unless Pakistan continues to take significant military action against the Haqqani Network, a militant group that has long used Pakistan as a safe haven. The bill&

Bangladesh summoned India's High Commissioner to Dhaka after the closure of its visa and consular services in Tripura, India, due to a security incident involving a protest in Agartala. The protest, which occurred against the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, led to about 50 people entering the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission's premises. The Bangladeshi government expressed concerns over the lack of local police action to contain the situation, which left mission staff fe

Sheikh Hasina, the ousted prime minister of Bangladesh, has strongly condemned the arrest of a Hindu priest and the violence in the country that followed. She demanded the immediate release of the arrested Hindu priest, describing the action as unjust. Hasina also spoke out about the death of a lawyer in Chittagong, who was killed during clashes related to the protest over the priest’s arrest. She condemned the rise in religious and communal violence, pointing out that temples, mosques,

On Tuesday, India condemned the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a prominent Hindu priest and leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Bangladesh, calling for the protection of religious minorities in the country. Chandan Kumar Dhar, also known as Chinmoy Krishna Das, was arrested on Monday afternoon at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. A Dh

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced a Diwali bonus of Rs 29,000 for its officers and employees in 2024, as reported by NDTV. This decision was made following discussions between Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the Municipal Commissioner, responding to demands from various worker and employee unions within the BMC. The new bonus amount represents an increase from last year’s Rs 26,000, reflecting the BMC's commitment to support its workforce during t

The recent death of Ernst & Young (EY) employee Anna Sebastian Perayil, allegedly due to severe overwork, has reignited discussions around toxic work cultures, particularly after a video of BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover went viral. In the clip, Grover recounted his own experience of quitting EY on his very first day, despite being offered a lucrative ₹1 crore package. Grover humorously described his exit, saying, “I walked into the office, looked around and pretende

The SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission is poised to achieve a historic milestone with the first-ever spacewalk by non-professional astronauts. Launched from the Kennedy Space Center early Tuesday, the mission led by fintech billionaire Jared Isaacman has reached an unprecedented altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) — over three times higher than the International Space Station. This ambitious mission ventures into the inner Van Allen radiation belt, a zone known for its high-energy particl

In response to the devastating floods in Telangana, the Telangana Government Employees Joint Action Committee (JAC) has made a significant contribution to relief efforts. The JAC has announced that all categories of government employees, including ordinary employees, gazetted officers, teachers, workers, pensioners, and contract staff, will donate one day of their basic salary to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. This collective gesture is expected to contribute around Rs 100 crore to a