As 2025 draws to a close, several critical financial deadlines are fast approaching. Key tasks include filing delayed income tax returns (ITR), linking PAN with Aadhaar, and taking action on National Pension System (NPS) investments. Missing these deadlines could lead to penalties, loss of benefits, and complications in financial transactions. 1. NPS Alert: Scheme A to Merge Many NPS investors forget to manage their accounts, prompting the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) to issue a notice. Scheme A, which had a small corpus and limited investment options including REITs, InvITs, AIFs, and structured debt instruments, will now be merged into Scheme C (Corporate Debt) and Scheme E (Equity). This consolidation aims to offer higher returns with lower risk. In...

Odisha’s Himanshu Sekhar Panda started an edtech venture with just ₹30,000 and has transformed it into a company generating ₹10 crore in annual revenue. Founded in 2018, Skyy Skill Academy aims to bridge the skill gap among Indian youth and has trained over 2 lakh students in modern fields such as EV technology, AI, and robotics. Leaving a Corporate Career Behind Hailing from Mayurbhanj, Odisha, Himanshu grew up in a family of a government employee father and a teacher mother. Bright and academically inclined, his passion lay in mentoring and training. After completing college, he joined a corporate job with a lucrative package earning ₹7–8 lakh annually. However, the entrepreneurial dream kept calling him. To leave his contractual corporate job, Himanshu had to pay ₹3 lakh as bon...

Market Overview:Dalal Street witnessed a pause in its recent bullish momentum on Tuesday. Both key indices closed largely unchanged amid a volatile session. The BSE Sensex slipped 42.64 points (0.05%) to close at 85,524.84, while the NSE Nifty 50 edged higher by 4.75 points (0.02%) to end at 26,177.15. Profit-booking in IT and pharmaceutical stocks contributed to the mild slowdown. During the session, Sensex hit an intraday high of 85,704.93 and a low of 85,342.99. The Nifty 50 saw marginal gains despite fluctuations, reflecting cautious investor sentiment. Top Movers – Sensex Stocks:On the losing side, Infosys, Bharti Airtel, Adani Ports, Sun Pharma, Tech Mahindra, ITC, Axis Bank, and Maruti witnessed declines. Meanwhile, gainers included ITC, UltraTech Cement, Tata Steel, and HDFC ...

India’s trade unions have called for a nationwide strike on 12th February 2026, demanding the repeal of labor codes and opposing recent government policies they say threaten workers’ rights. The unions cite changes in the SHANTI Act, MGNREGA, FDI in the insurance sector, and bills related to education and seeds as attacks on the livelihoods and rights of workers. Strike Against Labor Reforms In a statement released on Tuesday, the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions (CTUs) said the strike decision followed a joint meeting of CTUs and various sectoral federations on 22nd December 2025. The strike will receive formal approval at the National Workers’ Convention on 9th January 2026 in New Delhi, where detailed action plans will also be discussed. Key Issues Highlighted by Unions ...

The deadline to link your PAN (Permanent Account Number) with Aadhaar is fast approaching. According to the Income Tax Department, all PAN cards must be linked with Aadhaar by 31st December 2025. Missing this deadline will render your PAN inoperative from 1st January 2026, causing severe disruptions in banking, investments, and income tax filing. A late fee of ₹1,000 is applicable for completing the process now. Time is Running Out If you haven’t linked your PAN with Aadhaar yet, this is your last chance. The Income Tax Department has emphasized that those who were allotted PAN cards based on Aadhaar before 1st October 2024 must complete the linking process by the end of this year. Failing to do so will make your PAN inactive starting 1st January 2026. Since the initial deadline has ...