The country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) on Monday announced reduction in its external benchmark-based rate by 25 basis points to 7.80 per cent from 8.05 per cent.

The new rates will be applicable from January 1, 2020, the bank said in a statement.

The economic slowdown may have clipped sales of cars and biscuits in 2019, but smartphones bucked the trend as urban and rural users continued to buy, and even upgrade to, expensive handsets - a trend likely to pick up pace in the coming year.

The growth in smartphone adoption was further fuelled by the government's push to position the country as a global hub for manufacturing and coax Apple and other leading brands to produce and export more phones from India.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday accused Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of trying to save his chair by doing “injustice” to Muslims in the garb of action taken against people protesting the contentious citizenship law and the NRC. A number of Bharatiya Janata Party legislators had staged a sit-in during the recent assembly session after a ruling party lawmaker accused the present regime of harassing him.

Shares of cinema theatre operators were in focus on Monnday with PVR (Rs 1,925) and Inox Leisure (Rs 399) hitting their respective all-time highs on expectation of strong earnings growth in October-December quarter (Q3FY20).

Shares of Inox Leisure rallied 6 per cent to Rs 399 after the company said it has commenced the commercial operations of four additional screens (with seating capacity of 378 seats) in the-existing multiplex cinema theatre in Indore.

To strengthen its underwater fleet, the Indian Navy plans to build 24 submarines, including six nuclear attack submarines, a parliamentary panel was told.

The Navy also told the panel that Medium Refit Life Certification (MRLC) of submarine Sindhuraj has been held up since the Russian side has not been able to submit bank guarantees and integrity pact due to sanctions imposed by the US.

A month after the NCP-Congress-Shiv Sena coalition formed government in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's cabinet expansion is set to take place on Monday. A total of 36 ministers, including Cabinet Minister and Minister of State ranks, are expected to take oath today. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari will administer the oath to the new ministers at 1 PM in the Maharashtra Legislature precinct.

The development was confirmed by Maharashtra Minister and Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat who said that 12 ministers from his party will take oath on Monday. He added that out of 12, 10 will take oath as cabinet ministers.

The youth wing of the Congress on Sunday staged a demonstration near the Uttar Pradesh Bhawan in New Delhi against police manhandling party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Lucknow and demanded resignation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. UP Police, however, has termed the allegations false.

Six people died in a car crash in Greater Noida Monday morning when a thick fog surrounded Delhi and places nearby shivering at 5 degrees Celsius.

Three morning flights were diverted at Delhi airport, an official said. "Normal operations have been suspended at Delhi airport due to poor visibility, only CAT III B (instrument landing system) compliant pilots can land.

Shares of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (SEZ) gained nearly 2 per cent in the early trade on the BSE on Monday after Adani Logistics, a subsidiary of the company, announced on Friday it had signed an agreement to acquire a 40.25 per cent stake in Snowman Logistics from Gateway Distriparks for Rs 296 crore.

The purchase price of Rs 44 per share is a 3.2 per cent premium to the market price of December 27, and a 12 per cent premium to the 60-day volume weighted average price (VWAP), said a company release.

A public notice issued by the government announced that it is mandatory for Indian Expats to link their Aadhaar card with PAN by December 31. Failure to do so will render their PAN card inoperative.

Although Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) are not required to have an Aadhaar card or a PAN card, it is mandatory to link them if one possesses them. The previous deadline for the linkage was September 30 which was later extended to December 31.

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