India said to likely block Chinese investment in LIC
The Hindu
Govt. views insurer as strategic asset, ‘trust deficit’ weighs
New Delhi wants to block Chinese investors from buying shares in Life Insurance Corp. (LIC) which is due to go public, four senior government officials and a banker told Reuters, underscoring tensions between the two nations.
State-owned LIC is considered a strategic asset, commanding more than 60% of India’s life insurance market with assets of more than $500 billion. While the government is planning to allow foreign investors to participate in what is likely to be the country’s biggest-ever IPO, worth a potential $12.2 billion, it is leery of Chinese ownership, the sources said.
Tensions between the countries rocketed last year after their soldiers clashed on the disputed Himalayan border and since then, India has sought to limit Chinese investment in sensitive companies and sectors, banned a raft of Chinese mobile apps and subjected imports from China to extra scrutiny.

Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat has rolled out digital mode of water bill generation and collection in 23 gram panchayats on a pilot basis for the first time in Karnataka. This is set to be extended to the remaining 200 panchayats shortly, according to the Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Narwade Vinayak Karbhari.

Microplastics, especially nylon fibres, are present in Chennai’s beach sediments in relatively low abundance, but low overall microplastic abundance does not necessarily imply low ecological risk. Even small particles can cause long-term ecological damage by affecting marine life, moving up the food chain, and eventually impacting human health through contaminated seafood.











