Delhi

New Delhi, Nov 29 (PTI) The combined market valuation of five of top-10 most valued firms declined by Rs 91,699 crore last week, with heavyweight Reliance Industries emerging as the worst hit.

While Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), Infosys, HDFC, ICICI Bank and Bharti Airtel suffered losses in their market valuation, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), HDFC Bank, Hindustan Unilever Limited, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Bajaj Finance were the gainers.

New Delhi, Nov 30 (PTI) The ongoing protests by thousands of farmers against the Centre's new farm laws entered the fifth day on Monday, with the protestors threatening to block all five entry points to the national capital.

Rejecting the Centre's offer to hold talks once they move to the Burari ground, the farmers said they will not accept any conditional dialogue and have called a meeting to discuss their next course of action later in the day.

Farmers, who had reached Nirankarai Samagam Ground in Burari on Saturday, continued their protest there.

New Delhi, Nov 29 (PTI) The BJP is busy campaigning for Hyderabad civic polls which is why the date for talks with farmers protesting the Central agri laws have been pushed to December, showing that farmers are not a priority for the BJP and only elections matter to it, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) alleged on Sunday.

Launching a scathing attack against the government over the ongoing protest by farmers, RLD president Jayant Chaudhary accused the BJP dispensation at the Centre of wanting to suppress the voice of the farmers with "brute force".

Chandigarh, Nov 29 (PTI) Farmers protesting against the Centre's three farm laws on Sunday decided not to shift to the Burari ground in the national capital and stay put at the Delhi borders.

Thousands of farmers continued to protest at the Singhu and Tikri borders on the fourth consecutive day on Sunday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had on Saturday appealed to the farmers to shift to the Sant Nirankari ground in Burari that was offered to them for peaceful protests and said the Centre was ready to hold discussions with them as soon as they move to the designated place.

New Delhi, Nov 28 (PTI) Amid massive protests by farmers for the third consecutive day, the government on Saturday said it is ready for talks with them anytime and urged them to call off their agitation.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that while a meeting with 32 protesting farmer unions has already been scheduled on December 3 to address their concerns, the government is ready to engage the unions' leaders before that if they wish to.

Dehradun, Nov 27 (PTI) National coordinator of Kisan Congress Rakesh Kumar Singh on Friday accused BJP-ruled states of using repressive measures against farmers and warned that attempts to quell their protests will only further intensify them.

Referring to Thursday's incident in Haryana where farmers marching to Delhi had to face water cannons and teargas shells, Singh said coercive methods to silence farmers would only worsen the situation.

New Delhi, Nov 27 (PTI) The Indian economy contracted by 7.5 per cent in the July-September quarter of this fiscal amid the COVID-19 crisis, official data showed on Friday.

The gross domestic product (GDP) had expanded by 4.4 per cent in the corresponding July-September period of 2019-20, according to data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO).

The economy had shrunk by an unprecedented 23.9 per cent in the first quarter of this fiscal due to the coronavirus pandemic and resultant lockdowns.

New Delhi, Nov 27 (PTI) The Union government's fiscal deficit further widened to Rs 9.53 lakh crore, which is nearly 120 per cent of the annual budget estimate, at the end of October of the current financial year, according to official data released on Friday.

The deficit widened mainly on account of poor revenue realisation. The lockdown imposed to curb spreading of coronavirus infections had significantly impacted business activities and in turn contributed to sluggish revenue realisation.

New Delhi, Nov 27 (PTI) Contracting for the eighth consecutive month, the output of eight core infrastructure sectors dropped by 2.5 per cent in October, mainly due to decline in production of crude oil, natural gas, refinery products and steel.

The production of eight core sectors had contracted 5.5 per cent in October 2019, data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry showed on Friday.

New Delhi, Nov 27 (PTI) Appealing to protesting farmers to end their agitation, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday said the government is ready to discuss all issues with them.

After braving water cannons and clashing with security personnel, thousands of farmers started entering the national capital on Friday as part of their 'Delhi Chalo' march against the Centre's new farm laws.

Earlier in the day, Tomar said the new farm laws will bring a tremendous improvement in farmers' lives.