The Reserve Bank has announced that it will transfer an interim surplus of 28,000 crore rupees to the central government for the half-year ended 31st December 2018.

In a statement, the RBI said the decision has been based on a limited audit review and after applying the extant economic capital framework.

The decision follows the RBI Board meeting held in New Delhi, yesterday. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley addressed the board. Apart from RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, all the four deputy governors and others attended the meeting.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil several development projects in Varanasi today.

The Prime Minister will flag off the first ever Diesel to Electric Converted Locomotive at Diesel Locomotive Works in the city. He will also inaugurate the newly constructed Madan Mohan Malviya Cancer Centre of Banaras Hindu University.

The hospital will provide affordable cancer care to patients in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttarakhand and even neighbouring countries like Nepal. Mr Modi will also inaugurate Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital, Lehartara.

With the inauguration of both cancer hospitals, Varanasi is set to become an important centre for quality treatment and care in Cancer-related ailments.

The Prime Minister will also interact with the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana - Ayushman Bharat at Banaras Hindu University.

The government's disinvestment proceeds have touched Rs 53,558 crore so far in the current fiscal, as against the full year budget target of Rs 80,000 crore.

Last week, as much as Rs 10,000 crore came in from Bharat-22 ETF and, another Rs 5,379 crore from the sale of Specified Undertaking of Unit Trust of India (SUUTI) stake in Axis Bank.

The government has sold as much as 3 per cent stake in Axis Bank held via SUUTI through an offer for sale (OFS) and raised about Rs 5,300 crore.

Besides, the additional offering or Bharat-22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) garnered about Rs 10,000 crore to the exchequer.

The issue got bids worth Rs 49,528 crore, with foreign investors pouring in Rs 38,000 crore and retail buyers Rs 2,000 crore.

Share buyback by Indian Oil corporation (IOC) fetched Rs 2,647 crore to the disinvestment kitty, while BHEL, NHPC and Cochin Shipyard garnered Rs 992 crore, Rs 398 crore and Rs 137 crore, respectively.

Veteran West Indies batsman Chris Gayle will retire from One-Day International cricket after this year's World Cup in England and Wales, Windies Cricket announced on Sunday (February 17).

The 39-year-old opener is set to play his first international since last July against England on Wednesday.

Post the 2015 World Cup, the big-hitting southpaw has played only 15 ODIs including the World Cup Qualifiers last year in Zimbabwe.

Gayle is second on the highest run-scorers for the Windies in ODIs after Brian Lara, having scored 9,727 runs in 284 matches. He holds the record for the most ODI hundreds by a Windies batsman, having registered 23 hundreds along with 49 half-centuries.

In the previous edition of the World Cup, he became the first Windies batsman to strike a double century, smashing 215 against Zimbabwe in the group game.

In cricket, Ranji champions Vidarbha beat Rest of India in Nagpur yesterday to retain the Irani Cup. Vidarbha has now become the third team after Mumbai and Karnataka to clinch two Irani Cup titles in a row. 

Set to chase a target of 280, Vidarbha were well on course at 269 for five, needing only 11 runs for an outright victory. However, the two teams decided to shake hands and settle for a draw.

And in a touching gesture, Vidarbha captain Faiz Fazal announced that the entire prize money will be donated to the families of the CRPF personnel martyred in Pulwama terror attack. He said this was a small gesture from their team. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share his thoughts with the people in India and abroad in his Mann Ki Baat programme of All India Radio on 24th of this month. It will be the 53rd episode of the monthly radio programme. 

In a tweet, Mr Modi today urged people to share their ideas and suggestions on the Narendra Modi App and MyGov Open Forum. People can also dial the toll-free number 1800-11-7800 and record their message for the Prime Minister in either Hindi or English. 

Some of the recorded messages may become part of the broadcast. People can also give a missed call on 1922 and follow the link received in SMS to directly give their suggestions to the Prime Minister.

As the protests continued for the third day on Sunday, police enhanced security in the national capital with special deployments in the protest areas.

Hundreds of people from all walks of life gathered at India Gate and Jantar Mantar on Sunday to hold candlelight marches to express solidarity with the families of the CRPF jawans killed in the Pulwama terror attack.

As the protests continued for the third day on Sunday, police enhanced security in the national capital with special deployments in the protest areas.

President Ram Nath Kovind Sunday praised the farmers of Haryana for adopting new methods to manage stubble and crop residue as he honoured some of them with 'Kisaan Ratna' and 'Krishi Ratna' awards.

Stubble burning by farmers in many states has been one of the major causes for air pollution for years, prompting the governments to ban the practice and encourage the growers to adopt alternative ways to manage crop residue.

President Kovind, addressing the closing ceremony of the 4th Agri Leadership Summit organised by the Haryana government in Sonipat's Ganaur, condemned the Pulwama terrorist attack in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed.

"Three days ago, some of our brave jawans lost their lives in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Along with every Indian, I condemn this heinous crime. The entire country is in mourning with the bereaved families. On behalf of the country, I express gratitude towards our brave soldiers and security personnel," he said.

In Boxing, Indian pugilists have assured themselves of five medals in the 70th Strandja Memorial tournament at Sofia in Bulgaria. In the 49 kg category, Asian Games gold medallist Amit Panghal defeated Ukraine's Nazar Kurotchyn, 3-2 to enter the semifinals and assure a Bronze medal.

Earlier in the day, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Gaurav Solanki in 52 kgs and Naman Tanwar in 91 kgs both advanced to the quarter-finals. Besides Panghal, four medals were guaranteed by Indian women pugilists at the end of the third day yesterday.

Lovlina Borgohain in 69 kgs, Manju Rani in 48 kgs, Nikhat Zareen in 51 kgs and Neeraj in 60 kgs stormed into the semi-finals with superb victories. However, 2016 World Championship silver winner Sonia Lather lost to American Ramirez Yarisel, 1-4 in the 57 kgs quarterfinals. India's best medal haul at this European event was last year. It had bagged a total of 11 medals, including two Gold.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has decided to add new security features to its convoy movement in Jammu and Kashmir making its passage more safe and secured. 

Talking to reporters in New Delhi, CRPF Director General RR Bhatnagar said, the new features in the Standard Operative Procedure for the movement of the Force will soon be added. He said, apart from traffic control, the timing of the convoy movement and their midway halts and other procedures will be added and some of them will be recalibrated. 

Mr Bhatnagar said, the movement of civilian vehicles during the movement of the force has been totally stopped in the state. The decision follows a terror attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama on Thursday that claimed the lives of 40 personnel.