India

NEW DELHI, May 3 (Reuters) - India registered about 475,000 more total deaths in 2020 than the previous year, government data released months ahead of schedule on Tuesday showed, as the World Health Organization readies its estimates of excess COVID-19 deaths whose methodology New Delhi has opposed.

Some experts estimate India's actual COVID death toll is as high as 4 million, about eight times the official figure, especially as a record wave driven by the Delta variant killed many people in April and May of last year. The WHO's estimate will be published on Thursday.

Mumbai, May 4 (PTI) Equity markets fell sharply in late afternoon trade on Wednesday, with the Sensex and Nifty diving over 2 per cent each after the RBI in a surprise move hiked the benchmark lending rate to 4.40 per cent to contain inflation.

The 30-share BSE benchmark tumbled 1,306.96 points or 2.29 per cent to settle at 55,669.03. During the day, it plummeted 1,474.39 points or 2.58 per cent to 55,501.60.

The NSE Nifty tanked 391.50 points or 2.29 per cent to finish at 16,677.60.

New Delhi, May 4 (PTI) In a relief to construction workers in Delhi, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said Wednesday the Kejriwal government has decided to provide free bus passes to them for their daily commute.

Sisodia distributed free passes to some construction workers at a function held at the Delhi Secretariat.

Patna, May 4 (PTI) RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday upped the ante on the issue of headcount of Other Backward Classes by declaring that he will not allow any census in Bihar unless the Centre acceded to the demand for coming out with the numbers of OBCs, besides the SCs and the STs.

New Delhi, May 3 (PTI) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday claimed that the BJP-led Central government has initiated a move to demolish four temples in the Delhi's Sarojini Nagar area, accusing the saffron party of playing "bulldozer politics" in the national capital.

Addressing a press conference at party headquarters here, AAP leader Atishi said that the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has sent "demolition notices" to these four temples, warning that people of Delhi would not "tolerate" such "goondagardi (hooliganism)" of the BJP.

Gurugram, May 3 (PTI) A 24-year-old woman was allegedly raped and stabbed by two men in the DLF Phase 3 area here, police said on Tuesday, adding one of the accused was arrested.

Mumbai, May 4 (PTI) The Reserve Bank on Wednesday announced a hike in cash reserve ratio (CRR) by 50 basis points to 4.5 per cent, effective May 21, which will take out Rs 87,000 crore liquidity from the system.

The decision was announced by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das after an off-cycle meeting of the rate-setting panel -- Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).

CRR is a percentage of a bank's total deposits that it needs to maintain as liquid cash.

The MPC also decided to raise the repo rate or the short-term lending rate by 40 basis points to 4.4 per cent.

Jaipur, May 4 (PTI) As many as 141 people have been arrested so far in connection with communal clashes over the hoisting of a flag before Eid in Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's constituency Jodhpur where a curfew continued for the second consecutive day on Wednesday.

The situation is under control and no fresh incident of violence has been reported, police said.

Nearly 1,000 police personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order.

Mumbai, May 4 (PTI) The RBI on Wednesday cautioned that while the Indian economy appears capable of weathering the deterioration in geopolitical conditions amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, it faces headwinds from global spillovers from geopolitical tensions, elevated commodity prices and moderating external demand.

The RBI, however, did not tinker with the GDP growth projection made in April. It had slashed the GDP growth projection for the fiscal 2022-23 to 7.2 per cent from its earlier forecast of 7.8 per cent.

Mumbai, May 4 (PTI) The adverse effects of the unprecedented high global food prices due to the ongoing geopolitical situation is reflecting in the domestic market as well, and going forward inflationary pressures are likely to continue, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Wednesday.

In an off-cycle Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting during May 2-4, the Reserve Bank on Wednesday announced a hike in the key repo rate -- at which it lends short term money to banks -- by 0.40 per cent to 4.40 per cent with immediate effect.