HDFC Bank’s newly appointed interim chairman Keki Mistry on Thursday sought to reassure investors and stakeholders that the bank remains stable and that there are no material concerns following the sudden resignation of part-time chairman Atanu Chakraborty over differences on “values and ethics”.. Keki Mistry has been appointed as the HDFC Bank interim chairman (Mint). In his first remarks after taking charge, Mistry said the board remains committed to maintaining confidence in the country’s largest private-sector lender.. “The board remains committed to safeguarding investor confidence,” Mistry said, adding that the bank wanted to assure all stakeholders that there were “no material matters at this point of time”.. HDFC Bank’s chief executive also emphasised continuity in the lender’s operations. “We will continue to ensure that trust in the bank is maintained,” the CEO said.. The reassurance came after Atanu Chakraborty stepped down with immediate effect, citing ethical concerns in a resignation letter dated March 17.. “Certain happenings and practices within the bank, that I have observed over last two years, are not in congruence with my personal values and ethics,” Chakraborty wrote in the letter to the board, without elaborating on the issues.. In a regulatory filing late Wednesday night, HDFC Bank said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had approved the appointment of board member and HDFC group veteran Mistry as interim part-time chairman for three months starting March 19.. Atanu Chakraborty, a former bureaucrat, had served as the bank’s part-time chairman since April 2021 and was reappointed in May 2024 for a term running until May 2027. During his tenure, HDFC Bank completed its landmark merger with Housing Development Finance Corp. (HDFC Ltd), creating one of the world’s largest financial services groups.. In his resignation letter, Chakraborty described the merger as a “momentous event” for the institution but noted that the full benefits of the integration were yet to be realised.. The unexpected departure rattled investors, with HDFC Bank’s US-listed shares falling about 8 per cent after the announcement. Its Mumbai-listed shares had earlier closed marginally lower before the news was disclosed. 

 New Delhi: A parliamentary panel on Wednesday recommended the central government to take “concrete, time-bound steps” to ensure that by 2030, public expenditure on education increases to 6% of the Gross Domestic Products (GDP), a target set by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, while noting that the current spending, both by the Centre and states, stands at 4.06% of the GDP.. A parliamentary panel on Wednesday recommended the central government to take “concrete, time-bound steps” to ensure that by 2030, public expenditure on education increases to 6% of the Gross Domestic Products (GDP), (Sansad TV). The panel also recommended that the Centre more than double research and development (R&D) spending from 0.64% to 1.5% of GDP. It added that the expenditure on education was lower than key Brics countries like Brazil (5.62%) and South Africa (6.16%).. The 31-member parliamentary standing committee on education, women, children, youth and sports is headed by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh. In its ‘demands for grants of the department of higher education, ministry of education for 2026-27’ presented to Parliament on Wednesday, the panel expressed its concerns over “alarming” 73.9% cut in the capital head (amount dedicated to long-term, non-recurring investments that create assets or reduce liabilities) of the department in its allocated budget from ₹10.27 crore in budget estimate (BE) 2025-26 to ₹2.68 crore in BE 2026-27, and recommended a five-year capital investment plan with direct capital allocation from BE 2027-28.. The panel flagged 67.6% staff shortages at the University Grants Commission, “severely” impacting the commission’s capacity to discharge its functions. It has also expressed concerns over 63.6% vacancies at All India Council for Technical Education.. The panel has flagged poor global outcomes under the Institutions of Eminence (IoE) scheme as no Indian university is in QS top 100. It has recommended annual accountability reports, strict monitoring (including for private IoEs), time-bound global benchmarks, and linking future funding to measurable gains in research, faculty quality and internationalisation.. Flagging zero spending under the National Digital University (NDU) despite allocations of ₹100 crore in 2024-25 and ₹25 crore in 2025-26, the panel has sought a time-bound rollout plan and clarity on mandate, while recommending its complement — to not compete with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) by focusing on credit-based online degrees and micro-credentials.. The panel welcomed the announcement in the Union budget 2026-27 for a girls’ STEM hostel in every district and asked the ministry to finalise a detailed rollout plan with funding model, timelines and eligibility norms, while prioritising low female Gross Enrolment Rate (GER), aspirational, Naxal-affected and tribal districts, and ensuring high-speed internet access in all hostels.. The panel backed entry of foreign univers 

 The Supreme Court has held that the percentage of disability cannot be treated as determinative of a candidate’s capability or suitability for public employment, underlining that the State carries a positive obligation to ensure equal opportunity and provide reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities.. Disability percentage can’t determine capability for public employment: Supreme Court. A bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta made the observation while ordering the Himachal Pradesh government to appoint a lawyer with 90% permanent locomotor disability as an assistant district attorney (ADA), setting aside the state’s decision to deny him the post despite his success in the selection process.. The court also imposed costs of ₹5 lakh on the state, noting that the candidate, Prabhu Kumar, had been “unjustly denied appointment” despite being meritorious and was forced to undergo prolonged litigation.. “The percentage of disability, by itself, cannot be treated as determinative of a candidate’s capability or suitability for public employment,” held the bench in a judgment released on Tuesday, emphasising that the statutory framework under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 mandates the State to ensure equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation.. Kumar, a practising advocate since 2015, had applied for the ADA post pursuant to a 2018 advertisement issued by the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission. While he cleared the written examination and interview, and was recommended for appointment, the state refused to appoint him on the ground that his disability — assessed at 90% — exceeded the prescribed upper limit of 60% mentioned in the recruitment notification.. The Supreme Court found this stipulation fundamentally flawed. It held that while the RPwD Act defines a minimum threshold of 40% disability for availing reservation benefits, it does not permit the State to impose an upper ceiling that excludes candidates with higher degrees of disability. By prescribing a 60% cap, the state had effectively “rewritten the statutory definition” to the detriment of those the law seeks to protect, the court observed.. The bench was categorical that such a restriction had no rational nexus with the duties of an assistant district attorney, which primarily require legal acumen, analytical ability and mental agility rather than physical capacity. It also noted that Kumar had been practising law for nearly a decade without impediment, demonstrating that a higher degree of disability did not compromise professional competence.. In a significant reiteration of disability rights jurisprudence, the court stressed that the principle of “reasonable accommodation” lies at the heart of the 2016 law and cannot be ignored by administrative authorities. It held that the State must make “necessary and appropriate modifications” to ensure that persons with disabilities can enjoy their rights on an 

 The Kerala High Court in Kochi has ruled that defaming a woman’s character without basis amounts to a “pernicious form of social violence.” It further noted that a society’s greater emphasis on a woman’s image over her accomplishments “reveals its own intellectual poverty.” These remarks by Justice C S Dias were made while dismissing an FIR against Malayalam actor Shwetha Menon, accused of sharing or broadcasting obscene content from her previous films and ads. The court endorsed the actor’s argument that the complaint was lodged solely to prevent her candidacy for President of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, right before nomination withdrawals. “The complaint’s timing clearly points to its malicious and harassing intent,” the court stated, granting her request to quash the FIR. It concluded that, after reviewing the complaint, FIR, evidence, and applicable laws, no offenses were established, and the claims were driven by a hidden agenda to damage Menon’s reputation. “Defaming a woman’s character without foundation is a destructive type of social violence, as the words are easily spoken, but the lasting stigma is often irreversible. It is commonly observed that when a woman achieves prominence in public life, rivals may resort to attacks beyond reason, logic, or merit to undermine her.” The court, in its March 11 order, described social shaming as a commonly used weapon. It added that advanced societies judge individuals by their deeds and contributions, whereas backward ones rely on defamation, character attacks, and moral vigilantism. “A society that prioritizes a woman’s reputation over her accomplishments reveals its own intellectual deficiency,” the court observed. It clarified that women’s empowerment does not require portraying them as flawless saints, but rather honoring their unique identities, ambitions, and achievements with respect and equity. “Any society that permits the defamation of a woman driven by jealousy or spite is inherently unjust,” the High Court stated. In August of the previous year, the High Court had halted proceedings related to the FIR, noting initial merit in the actor’s argument that authorities should have obtained a police report and conducted an inquiry before launching an investigation. The FIR, filed under Section 67 of the IT Act and sections of the Immoral Traffic Act, targeted the actor. The court ruled that the complaint’s “broad and baseless claims, lacking evidence or initial proof,” failed to substantiate the charged offenses. The actor, Menon, was competing for the president’s role in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) when the FIR was registered; she was subsequently elected president. In her petition, Menon asserted that the accusations were malicious, the alleged crimes did not apply, and the complaint surfaced right after her nomination for AMMA president. Complainant Martin Menachery claimed that Menon’s participation in a condom ad years earlier and roles in films lik 

 Chhattisgarh’s State Investigation Agency (SIA) has submitted a charge sheet in a Bilaspur special court against nine people accused of ties to a Maoist “urban network,” a public prosecutor stated on Wednesday. The suspects hail from Bijapur, Narayanpur, and elsewhere, according to public prosecutor Dauram Chandravanshi. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images/iStockphoto). The charge sheet was filed on Tuesday in the court of Principal District and Sessions Judge (NIA court) Sirajuddin Qureshi. Public prosecutor Dauram Chandravanshi stated that nine people have been named as accused in the case. The matter is set for a hearing on March 20. The case stems from a crackdown that started on September 25 last year, when the SIA arrested Jaggu Kursam, a Maoist divisional committee member, and his wife Kamla Kursam, an area committee member, in Raipur. The interrogation resulted in the arrest of seven additional suspects from different regions of the state, including Korba, Bilaspur, Narayanpur, and Bijapur. The other accused have been identified as Ram Incham, Pawan (alias Akash/Pushkar), Dhansingh Gavde, Sandev Podiyami, Girdhar Nag, Sukaru Ram, and Shankar Korsa. The majority hail from Bijapur, Narayanpur, and nearby areas. Investigators state that the inquiry began after intelligence reports indicated that several people, masquerading as city laborers, were secretly relaying sensitive data to Maoists via electronic gadgets. The probe uncovered that the suspects were living and employed in urban centers for the outlawed group. They were reportedly involved in spreading Maoist ideology and providing logistical aid, such as food, medical help, and transport. An FIR was filed in connection with this matter in September 2025 at the DD Nagar police station in Raipur. In the course of the investigation and arrests, the agency confiscated gold biscuits, cash, laptops, mobile phones, and multiple pen drives. Officials indicated that the accused have been charged under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).