#MintCharts | A new report on “city systems” by Janaagraha, a Bengaluru-based non-profit, has shed light on the systemic gaps in India’s urban governance that make reforms sluggish and quality of life substandard.

One of the issues it raises is that of staffing: Indian cities run on staffing that's way less than global ones.

The #Maharashtra government has raised the Value Added Tax (VAT) on liquor served in various establishments, causing a slight increase in prices, as per reports.

Specifically, the VAT for permit room liquor service has been hiked by 5%, resulting in a new total rate of 10%, as per a GR issued on October 20, it added.

Read here: https://www.read.ht/QjWB

According to estimates from the industry, after the introduction of the #VandeBharat train, there has been a sharp decline of 10–20% in air traffic and a reduction of 20–30% in airfare, said Shivraj Manaspure, chief PRO of Central Railway.

Read here: https://www.read.ht/Qk4w

#ParagDesai, the Executive Director of the Wagh Bakri Tea Group has passed away aged 49, as per multiple reports. He is survived by wife Vidisha and daughter Parisha.

Desai suffered a brain haemorrhage after reportedly falling while trying to escape chasing street dogs outside his house on October 15, the Ahmedabad Mirror reported.

Read here: https://www.read.ht/Qk51

#PersonalFinance | Sebi banned investment advisers & research analysts from showing their past performance. On the other hand, Smallcase is not hiding their performance.

Some advisers & analysts have left the platform due to this reason while others are plain confused.

Read here: https://read.ht/Qk5p

#PersonalFinance | A #HomeLoan 🏡 is called a ‘good loan’ because it helps you acquire a tangible asset that can appreciate over the long term. It makes sense to buy a house if you plan to live in it.

Here's a look at the lowest home loan interest rates of some leading banks.

Israel has sharply criticized Swedish climate activist #GretaThunberg for her post voicing support for #Gaza.

#Israel noted that the victims of #Hamas' attacks could have been Thunberg's friends and asked her to speak up on the violence perpetrated by the terrorist organization.

Read here: https://www.read.ht/Qk89

#Disney is said to finalise a multibillion dollar India deal with Ambani group, reported Bloomberg on Monday.

According to media reports, the US based media house was mulling over to sell its India assets. A month ago, Gautam Adani appeared as the frontrunner to grab the multi billion dollar entertainment deal. However, the deal was grabbed by #MukeshAmbani, according to the Bloomberg's report.

Read here: https://www.read.ht/Qkc4

#BishanSinghBedi, a former Indian cricket team captain and one of the most renowned spinners to have featured in the national team, died on October 23. He was aged 77.

The legendary Indian spinner had played 67 Test matches between 1967 and 1979, and has 266 wickets to his name. At the time of his retirement, he was India's leading wicket-taker in Test cricket.

Read here: https://www.read.ht/QkcO

#ViratKohli’s 95 against New Zealand during the ongoing #ICCCricketWorldCup at Dharamshala on Sunday helped Disney+ Hotstar clock a record 4.3 crore concurrent viewers during the last few overs of the game.

Read here: https://www.read.ht/Qkcr

The air quality in the #Delhi-NCR region was recorded to be in 'very Poor' category, according to SAFAR-India.

A data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) released on 22 October 4 at 4 pm showed that areas like Greater Noida, Faridabad, Delhi toped the list of cities with worst air quality all in ‘very poor’ category.

Read here: https://www.read.ht/QkdU

The air quality in the Delhi-NCR region was on Monday morning recorded to be in 'very Poor' category, according to SAFAR-India.

A data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) released on 22 October 4 at 4 pm showed that areas like Greater Noida, Faridabad, Delhi toped the list of cities with worst air quality all in ‘very poor’ category.

Read here: https://www.read.ht/QkdU

#MintCharts | The Reserve Bank of India’s October Monetary Policy Report indicated that transmission on savings deposit rates is not yet complete.

Still, transmission during the current rate hiking cycle has been far better than past cycles thanks to the external benchmark regime.

This time, #reporate rose by 250 basis points (bps) versus 233 bps rise in interest rates on fresh deposits.

#SriLanka Cabinet approves issuing of free visas to India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand with immediate effect as a pilot project till 31 March, tweets Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Ali Sabry.

Read here: https://www.read.ht/QlY4

India's #Vedanta said Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sonal Shrivastava has resigned amid a major structural overhaul announced last month.

Ajay Goel, incumbent CFO at Indian edtech startup #Byju's, will return as Vedanta's finance chief effective Oct. 30.

Read here: https://www.read.ht/Ql0f

#PersonalFinance | Mint’s research shows that staying in an #Airbnb in most of the popular travel destinations in India and abroad can save you about 10-30% of the costs compared to booking a 3-star hotel offering similar amenities.

Read here: https://www.read.ht/Ql1x

#PersonalFinance | Building a portfolio is a complex exercise, & it has to be maintained too. One must keep in mind the volatility risk of the asset class, liquidity, lock-in rules & taxation.

Here's a look at how four commonly used asset types - equity, cash, gold & fixed income - have done in different periods.

#India, currently the world's fifth-largest economy, is on track to surpass Japan & become the third-largest global economy, with a projected GDP of $7.3 trillion by 2030, as per the latest report from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Read here: https://www.read.ht/Ql3f

#MintCharts | As temperatures plummet and the air gets dense, poor air quality is back on everyone’s mind. Delhi has now got used to welcoming the winter with dystopian smoggy scenes, and an episode of slow wind conditions has triggered a decline in air quality over the past week. However, historical data suggests the air quality has largely been better this year in the national capital.

#MintEmergingMarketsTracker | Launched in Sept 2019, Mint's Emerging Markets Tracker provides a summary of economic activity across 10 large emerging markets based on seven high-frequency indicators. With a composite score of 79, India topped the EM league table in Sept

#PersonalFinance | Bank fixed deposits (FDs) continue to be popular investment products not just among senior citizens who are looking for guaranteed income, but also among investors who can't stomach risks.

Here is a list of banks that offer the highest #FD rates for deposits up to ₹1 crore over various tenures.