NEW DELHI: IndiGo on Monday said it has partnered with Stemz Healthcare to offer passengers pre-flight COVID-19 tests in India and few other countries.
“Customers can opt for a home visit or choose a lab visit with over 200+ collection centres in India. The (testing) service is also available in other countries including UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia,” IndiGo said.
To book a test, passengers can take appointments online on IndiGo website through a co-branded URL page based on their travel date.
Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer, IndiGo, said, “As per travel guidelines, several states and countries require a COVID-19 RT-PCR test to be undertaken within a stipulated time frame before a customer boards a flight.” (AGENCIES)
IndiGo partners with Stemz Healthcare to offer pre-flight COVID-19 tests to passengers
Union Minister Puri, nine others elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from UP
LUCKNOW: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and nine others were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh on Monday.
Eight of them belonged to the BJP while one each are from the Samajwadi Party and the BSP.
Ten candidates were declared elected to the Rajya Sabha and were also given their certificates, Assistant Returning Officer Mohd Mushahid said.
Besides Puri, those elected to the upper house of Parliament are BJP’s Neeraj Shekhar, Arun Singh, Geeta Shakya, Haridwar Dubey, Brijlal, B L Varma and Seema Dwivedi; Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav; and BSP’s Ramji Gautam, he added. (AGENCIES)
Ex-RBI Governors warn of NPAs delaying recovery
MUMBAI: Domestic banks, which have the highest bad loan pile in the world, pose a huge risk to the recovery of the pandemic-ravaged economy unless the Government rescues them, four former Reserve Bank Governors warn in a soon-to-be-released book.
While Raghuram Rajan blames excessive investments by companies and the exuberance of bankers, coupled with inability to act fast as the prime causes for NPAs (Non-Performing Assets), Yaga Venugopal Reddy opines that the bad loans are not only a problem but a consequence of other problems.
Duvvuri Subbarao sees NPAs as a big and real problem that needs to be contained, and Chakravarthy Rangarajan blames the lingering real sector problems, partly policy-driven most recently seen with demonetisation, aggravated the crisis. (AGENCIES)
Govt prepared to make any law, create infrastructure to ensure women safety: MoS Reddy
NEW DELHI: Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Monday said the Central Government is prepared to make any law and create infrastructure to ensure the safety of women.
Reddy also said that the Government has amended criminal laws from time-to-time and enacted the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, to prescribe more stringent penal provisions to those convicted in offences against women.
“For the present Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and for Union Home Minister Amit Shah, nothing is more important than the safety and security of women. The track record of the Government during the last six years is the evidence about its conviction on women safety,” he said while addressing a conference on women safety organised by the ‘Anandi Foundation’ here. (AGENCIES)
Was sexually abused when I was 14: Aamir Khan’s daughter Ira
MUMBAI: Superstar Aamir Khan’s daughter Ira Khan has revealed she was sexually abused as a teenager by a person whom she “sort of knew”.
The revelation comes a month after Ira Khan had revealed that she has been clinically depressed for more than four years.
In a 10-minute video posted on Instagram, the theatre director said it took her about a year to understand to make sense of it, following which she confided in her father and mother Reena Dutta.
“When I was 14, I was sexually abused. That was a slightly odd situation in the sense that I didn’t know whether the person knew what they were doing, I sort of knew them. It wasn’t happening every day.
“It took me about a year to be sure that they knew what they were doing and that’s what they were doing. I immediately wrote my parents an email and got myself out of that situation,” Ira Khan said in a clip on Sunday.
The 23-year-old said once she was out of that situation, she didn’t feel bad anymore, but she would often beat herself up and feel “silly” that she let the abuse happen.
“I wasn’t scared. I felt like this wasn’t happening to me anymore and it is over. I moved on and let go. But it was again not something that has scarred me for life and something that could be making me feel as bad as I was feeling when I was 18-20 years old,” she added. (AGENCIES)
It will be impossible to perform if Dhoni decides on playing IPL to IPL: Kapil
NEW DELHI: The legendary Kapil Dev feels that it will be “impossible” for Mahendra Singh Dhoni to perform well if he decides on playing in the IPL without getting any match practice, which was the case this year.
Chennai Super Kings were out of IPL play-offs for the first time in 11 appearances and Dhoni, who played competitive cricket for the first time since last year’s World Cup semi-final, scored only 200 runs in 14 games with no half-centuries and a poor strike rate of 116.
Kapil, who recently underwent an angioplasty after suffering a heart attack, wants the former India captain to play a lot more in the domestic circuit to get his form back.
“If Dhoni decides on playing only IPL every year, then it’s impossible for him to perform. It’s not a good thing to talk about age but at his age (39 years), the more he plays, the more his body will be tuned,” Kapil told ‘ABP News’.
“If you don’t play any cricket for 10 months a year and suddenly play IPL, you can see what happened. You can always have a season up or down if you have played so much cricket. It has happened to someone like Chris Gayle also,” the World Cup winning former skipper said.
Kapil feels that it’s high time that Dhoni plays some domestic cricket this season.
“He should go back to first-class cricket (domestic List A and T20) and play there.”
The straight-talking former all-rounder made it clear that it will be a challenge for Dhoni given that he has already indicated that he is “definitely not” retiring from the IPL.
“If someone has achieved so much, the dip in form does affect and it becomes a challenge. Let’s see how he comes out of it,” Kapil said. (AGENCIES)
SKIMS, MCH Bemina resumes online Non-COVID OPD services
SRINAGAR: Following the rise in demand for resumption of non-COVID OPD services, resolve of Government of J&K to provide healthcare facilities with benefit of Centrally Sponsored Schemes in the health and in the interest of clinical teaching of PGs and UGs, the OPD Services in the discipline of Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, Psychiatry & Dermatology have been resumed today here at SKIMS, MCH Bemina.
The online registration from the official website of SKIMS Medical College Hospital, Bemina (www.skimsmc.edu.in) for non- COVID related services have also been started.
The online registration is the first of its kind in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. This will not only ensure social distancing, non assembly of a large number of patients at one time and it will be helpful in preventing spread of COVID, besides saving time and will also provide facility to the patients to select his specific requirement of doctor and time schedule.
The services shall be extended for other disciplines as well as Non-COVID emergency services in a phased manner while ensuring continuity of services to the COVID patients in the COVID designated Hospital.
All SOPs are being followed to prevent any mix up of COVID and Non COVID patients after putting in separate areas and modification of the existing infrastructure. Besides this, this Medical College resumed physical teaching of the Medical students undergoing training.
To ensure safety and all SOPs, the public is requested to attend the OPD for consultation only after registering online at the website (www.skimsmc.edu.in) and desist from reporting to Hospital without prior appointment. Besides this, everyone reporting for consultation or any assistance should wear a mask and minimize the number of attendants accompanying the patient.
Attention aspirants of Constable in BSF, CISF
KUPWARA: According to the Deputy Inspector General, Sector Headquarter, BSF Kupwara, the written examination for the post of Constable (GD) and CISF which was earlier held on October 18, 2020 and was subsequently cancelled due to unavoidable circumstances is now rescheduled on November 08, 2020.
As per the statement issued here it has been informed that the examination is scheduled to be held from 11am to 1pm at Government Degree College Kupwara.
The candidates are further being informed that no mobile phones/electronic gadgets will be allowed inside the Examination centre; however, writing material that is pen/clipboard shall be allowed.
Govt extends Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme for MSME by 1 month
NEW DELHI: The Government on Monday extended the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) for MSMEs by one month till November 30, as the scheme has so far failed to meet the target of Rs 3 lakh crore.
The scheme was valid till October-end. It was launched as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in May to mitigate the distress caused by coronavirus-induced lockdown, by providing credit to different sectors, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The scheme has been extended till November 30 or till such time that an amount of Rs 3 lakh crore is sanctioned under the scheme, whichever is earlier, the Finance Ministry said in a statement said. The step has been taken in view of the opening up of various sectors in the economy and the expected increase in demand during the ongoing festive season.
“This extension will provide a further opportunity to such borrowers who have not availed of the scheme so far, to obtain credit under the scheme,” it said.
According to data uploaded by member lending institutions on the ECLGS portal, an amount of Rs 2.03 lakh crore has been sanctioned under the scheme to 60.67 lakh borrowers so far, while an amount of Rs 1.48 lakh crore has been disbursed.
Under the scheme, fully guaranteed and collateral-free additional credit to MSMEs, business enterprises, individual loans for business purposes, and MUDRA borrowers is provided to the extent of 20 per cent of their credit outstanding as on February 29, 2020.
Borrowers with a credit outstanding up to Rs 50 crore as on February 29, and with an annual turnover of up to Rs 250 crore are eligible under the scheme.
Interest rates under the scheme are capped at 9.25 per cent for banks and financial institutions (FIs), and 14 per cent for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).
Tenor of loans provided under the scheme is four years, including a moratorium of one year on principle repayment.
A Rs 30,000-crore special liquidity scheme was closed on the due date as even less than a quarter of funds were disbursed to stressed NBFCs.
About Rs 7,227 crore were disbursed to NBFCs from the approved applications worth Rs 11,120 crore — received from 39 proposals — of non-bank lenders by the special entity set up for the purpose. The scheme kicked off from July 1, and closed on September 30, 2020.
Of the approved applications seeking Rs 11,120 crore, Rs 3,707 crore lapsed as the scheme ended on September 30.
On August 1, the government widened the scope of the Rs 3 lakh crore-ECLGS scheme by doubling the upper ceiling of loans outstanding and including certain loans given to professionals like doctors, lawyers and chartered accountants for business purposes under its ambit.
To ensure that more companies benefit from the scheme, it was decided to increase the upper ceiling of loans outstanding as on February 29 for being eligible under the scheme from Rs 25 crore to Rs 50 crore.
The maximum amount of Guaranteed Emergency Credit Line (GECL) funding under the scheme was correspondingly increased from Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore.
Announced as part of the government’s Rs 20-lakh crore economic package in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the scheme was later tweaked to be made applicable for companies with an annual turnover of Rs 250 crore as against the earlier threshold of Rs 100 crore.
Banks and NBFCs have approved loans worth about Rs 1,87,579 lakh crore, while disbursement stood at Rs 1,36,140 crore as on October 5.
On May 20, the Cabinet approved an additional funding of up to Rs 3 lakh crore at a concessional rate of 9.25 per cent through ECLGS for the MSME sector.
Under the scheme, 100 per cent guarantee coverage will be provided by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) for additional funding of up to Rs 3 lakh crore to eligible MSMEs and interested Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA) borrowers in the form of GECL facility.
The scheme will be applicable to all loans sanctioned under the GECL facility during the period from the date of announcement of the scheme to October 31 or till the amount of Rs 3 lakh crore is sanctioned under GECL, whichever is earlier. (AGENCIES)
7 Overlooked Areas that Business can Improve to be More Efficient and More Successful
A business needs to focus on all types of management aspects to ensure streamlined and successful operations.From staff recruitment to parking management systems, there are many systems, processes and policies that businesses need to implement. Strong and effective systems can help your business to be more successful, while ignoring or mishandling certain areas can have detrimental results.
In order to boost your business’ efficiency and productivity, you must pay special attention to not just the most obvious areas, but the often-overlooked ones too. Sure, each business tries to keep up with the latest technology trends to survive their competition. However, there are certain areas that can have a devastating impact on your company if neglected, and can even contribute to business failure.
In this post, we will walk you through 7 commonly-overlooked areas that can make or break the success of any business.
1.Automated Business Operations
Gone are the days when all management activities needed manual maintenance. Today, you can automate a plethora of management and marketing activities with the help of high-quality ERP software solutions. Automated software apps do wonders when it comes to administrative tasks. With effective software in place, your employees do not need to spend time on repetitive and hectic manual activities, making everything more efficient.
For instance, HR software can streamline the entire recruiting process. The human resource department of your company doesn’t have to sift through a large volume of applications. You can use the built-in HR modules to recruit the qualified and deserving candidate for any vacancy.
2.Data Management
Any kind of business deals with a great deal of data and it is important to organize it properly. Misplaced files and lost data can result in delayed projects. You don’t want your employees to spend hours searching for particular customers’ information from a large bundle of files.
It is important to implement effective and efficient data management solutions, such as cloud storage. The best option is an automated software solution that can store a large volume of data in a centralized system.
3.Regular Feedback to Employees
Another overlooked area that businesses can improve is how they give feedback to their team members. Employees lose interest when their work is not appreciated. For instance, a salesman will not even try to exceed your expectations if they feel like their work isn’t valued.
Typically, employee performance is reviewed annually. If you want to boost employees’ productivity, you should give them regular feedback on their performance through more frequent formal reviews (say once every three months) and casual feedback in between. Whether you want to appreciate their work or suggest chances, it is important to do this frequently. Employees are most likely to work harder and achieve their objectives sooner if you appreciate and value their efforts.
4.ExcessiveMeetings
Staff and managers typically spend hours on conference calls and in meetings. While regular meetings are important, they don’t necessarily to go for hours. Even if you need to organize meetings every day, you can opt for smart solutions to keep them short. For instance, emails and slack can be used for most communication, allowing you to keep meetings to a minimum and spend more time on focused work.
5.Customer Retention
Ask any entrepreneur or manager and they will tell you one of their biggest difficulties they face isbringing in new customers. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should stop looking for new customers, but don’t overlook the value ofpayingattention to your existing customers. Retaining your existing clients is easier than getting new customers to do business with you. You can improve your customer retention processes by offering loyalty programs to your customers, awarding them with reward points, offering discounts and promo offers, and similar initiatives.
6.Personalized Service
If you still rely on a one-size-fits-all approach, you are probably losing a large number of your prospects to your competitors. To attract your audience, you need personalized and effective solutions. You don’t have to shell thousands of dollars out for personalized services, but rather invest in a smart software solution that could track your customers’ browsing history. Based on these insights, you canrecommend the best products to your customers.
7.New Employees Onboarding
Many companies take the employee onboarding process lightly and too often overlook the importance of this process. In fact, many employers think that employees can understand the rules and get familiar with the new work environment on the fly.
However, neglecting the employee onboarding process is one of the main reasons for a high employee turnover rate. New hires won’t stick around if they fail to understand their roles. Onboarding new employees can be time-consuming and costly, but it brings long-term benefits, helping companies achieve employee retention, which will save them greatly on new hiring and training in the long term.