Launching another attack on the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the centre, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday criticised its handling of the COVID-19 crisis and said that even Pakistan and Afghanistan did a better job than India.

Another solid achievement by the BJP government. Even Pakistan and Afghanistan handled Covid better than India, he tweeted along with a graph of GDP projection for 2020-2021.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release a commemorative coin of Rs 75 denomination on the occasion of 75th Anniversary of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on 16 October to mark the long-standing relation of India with Food and Agriculture Organisation.

Issuing a statement, the Prime Minister's Office said that PM Modi will also dedicate to the nation 17 recently developed bio-fortified varieties of eight crops.

A charter staffer who was on board Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's campaign plane has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the former Vice President's campaign announced.

The staffer flew with Biden to the state of Ohio on Monday and Florida on Tuesday, but they were always over 50 feet away from each other and wore masks, Xinhua news agency quoted the campaign as saying in a statement on Thursday.

Gold prices today climbed to Rs 53,740 from Rs 53,730 per 10 gm, while silver was trending at Rs 61,000 per kg, according to the Good Returns website.

Gold jewellery prices vary across India, the second-largest consumer of the metal, due to excise duty, state taxes, and making charges.

The rupee depreciated 6 paise to 73.42 against the US dollar in opening trade on Friday as forex market sentiment remained subdued amid concerns over resurgence in coronavirus cases in many parts globally.

Analysts said rising COVID-19 cases in eurozone and fresh round of lockdown in many countries weighed on investors sentiment.

IT firm HCL Technologies on Friday posted 18.5 per cent rise in September quarter net profit at Rs 3,142 crore.

The IT major had registered a net profit of Rs 2,651 crore in the July-September 2019 quarter (as per US GAAP), HCL Technologies said in a regulatory filing.

An Indian buyer of liquefied petroleum gas is once again attempting to ease its dependence on Middle East shipments after some supply shocks last year stemming from drone attacks and even a trade war.

Bharat Petroleum Corp. is seeking bids from global suppliers for a fifth of its typical LPG needs in 2021, according to a tender seen by Bloomberg. Bidding is still open to Middle East producers, which already provide BPCL with the majority of its contracted needs.

With a spike of 63,371 new cases and 895 deaths in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 count reached 73,70,469 on Friday, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

As per the MoHFW, the COVID-19 count includes 8,04,528 active cases, and 64,53,780 cured and discharged or migrated cases.

People in Delhi and adjoining National Capital Region (NCR) are breathing poisonous air and now being 'forced to smoke' as the air quality in the region has reached 'very poor' category.

On Friday morning, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi was recorded at 326 while it was 348 in Noida and 305 in Gurugram. It may also be noted that the AQI in Delhi on Thursday morning was 315.

Shares of Tata Elxsi rallied 5 per cent and hit a record high of Rs 1,533.55 on the BSE on Thursday after reporting 56 per cent year on year (YoY) growth in profit before tax (PBT) at Rs 110 crore in the July-September quarter (Q2FY21). The company's operational revenues grew 11.5 per cent YoY at Rs 430 crore. On sequential basis, revenues and PBT jumped 7.4 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively.

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