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Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
'The ROI of a sibling': Shaadi.com's Anupam Mittal's message for couples who don't want kids or stick to one for convenience
Shark Tank India judge and founder Anupam Mittal has a heartfelt message for those who believe one child is enough. In a recent LinkedIn post, Mittal wrote, 'Interesting to see people optimizing parenthood for convenience — 'No kids… one kid is enough… tuition is insane… we want to travel… raising kids is tough.' All true. All valid. All a matter of personal choice. But in the Excel sheet of life, there are two columns that made all the difference for me — my two sisters.' Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program For him, siblings are not just playmates but 'lifetime infrastructure' — the only people who remind you who you were before LinkedIn turned you into a 'professional.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like These Famous Faces Once Walked Campus Halls—Guess What They Majored In Learn More Citing the ongoing 80-year Harvard Study of Adult Development, Mittal noted that the biggest predictor of happiness isn't money, kale, or meditation, but positive relationships. 'Siblings are the longest subscription plan for that. No renewals needed,' he said. Recalling personal experiences, Mittal shared how his sisters, Vandana and Shilpa, helped care for their father during an illness. 'We rotated duties. No burnout. No 'career vs conscience' decisions. Without them, I'd have had to choose — and either way, I'd lose something irreplaceable.' Live Events He added that while his parents built a life for the family, his sisters were building him — offering love, support, and standing by him through every high and heartbreak. 'Maybe that's why Anchal and I feel bad Alyssa doesn't have a sibling. So, we're manufacturing that anchor with her army of cousins, because I know exactly what it's worth,' he wrote. Posting this ahead of Raksha Bandhan , Mittal also shared a picture with his sisters. The post struck a chord with many. One commenter wrote, 'Truth bomb. In a world chasing solo success, we forget that life's real compound interest is built in relationships. Siblings aren't just family — they're your emergency backup system, your unfiltered reality check, and your lifelong safety net. Money fades. Looks fade. Titles fade. But a brother or sister? That ROI never expires.' Another added, 'In the ROI of life, emotional equity beats financial equity every single time. We optimise for school fees, travel plans, and convenience… but forget that siblings are not just childhood memories — they're lifelong backup systems. When life throws curveballs, it's rarely your LinkedIn network that shows up at 2 AM. It's the ones who've seen you at your messiest and still stayed.'
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Centre to release Rs 3,200 crore Crop Insurance to 30 lakh farmers affected by natural disasters
The Central government will release Rs 3,200 crore installment of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana on Monday. This is the first installment given to farmers, with Rs 8,000 crore to be released later, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Monday. Announcing the package in a post on X, the union minister said that insurance companies that do not deposit the amount to disaster-affected farmers on time will face a 12 per cent interest penalty, which will be directly given to farmers. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program "Today, approximately 30 lakh farmers affected by natural disasters will have ₹3200 crore deposited into their accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. This is the first installment, so farmers whose accounts do not receive funds today should not worry. Approximately ₹8000 crore will be released later," the union minister's X post read in Hindi. "In natural disasters, crops get destroyed, and when that happens then it is not just the crops which get destroyed but the lives of farmers too, so for that the Prime Minister made Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Joyana, which became a boon for all the affected farmers," the union minister said in the video posted on X. Expressing his commitment to farmers' welfare, Minister Chouhan called on the farmers to address any complaints about the scheme to him. Live Events "Farmer brothers and sisters, serving you is my worship of God. If you have any complaints regarding the crop insurance scheme, please inform me. We always stand with you," he added. Talking about the interest payments the insurance companies will have to pay on delayed payment, he added, "This scheme has become a boon for disaster-affected farmers. To ensure farmers receive funds on time, we have decided that if an insurance company fails to deposit the money within the stipulated time frame after a claim, it will have to pay 12% interest, which will go directly to the farmer's account." Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, marked its nine-year anniversary on February 18, 2025, celebrating close to a decade of empowering the farmers of India, according to an official statement from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The scheme, launched in 2016, offers a comprehensive shield against crop losses caused by unpredictable natural hazards. This protection not only stabilises farmers' income but also encourages them to adopt innovative practices. "Crop insurance is an important risk mitigation tool to protect farmers from natural calamities. It aims at providing financial support to farmers suffering crop loss/damage arising out of natural calamities like hailstorm, drought, floods, cyclones, heavy and unseasonal rains, attack of disease and pests etc," the statement added. The Union Cabinet in January 2025 approved the continuation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme till 2025-26 with a total budget of ₹69,515.71 crore. Though the scheme is voluntary for farmers, non-loanee farmers' coverage has increased to 55% of the total coverage under the scheme during 2023-24, which shows the voluntary acceptability/popularity of the scheme. (ANI)
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
LIC neutral on composite licenses, prioritizing strength in life insurance: R Doraiswamy
R Doraiswamy , CEO & MD, LIC , indicates a neutral stance on composite licenses, reaffirming the company's commitment to its core strength in life insurance. The insurer plans to maintain its pan-India presence and focus on life insurance and pension services. They will cautiously evaluate statutory changes before considering diversification, aiming to consolidate their market leadership position. LIC profit is up by 5%, VNB margin is up by 150 basis point to 15.4%. So, what really worked this quarter and are you targeting more than 20% VNB margin as compared to other listed companies? R Doraiswamy : We have declared the quarterly results for the first quarter of this current financial year. We have been consistently maintaining our directional change towards an increased proportion of non-par business as well as policies that meet the needs of the customers. So, we have been managing a mix of both and the directional change that we brought by introducing newer plans which are meeting the demands of the market as well as increasing the ticket size. These are the two major areas that we have taken. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Thanks to that, our AP has grown both in non-par individual as well as in group premium, so that is the first step that we have been taking. When it comes to VNB margin, we have been clearly communicating that we are focusing towards a regular but gradual buildup of our VNB margins so that we are not behind anybody and we are looking at building up in a continuous and consistent manner. Last year, we reached around 17.8%. As the year progresses, there will be progress in our VNB margin this year also. So, you are confident about more than 20% VNB margin this year? R Doraiswamy: I do not want to exactly pinpoint on a number, but one thing we can assure is that VNB margin will keep improving. We will be coming up with products which take care of the customer's needs as well as having a good VNB margin so that there will be improvement over the last year. The non-PAR share in APE is now 30%, with a jump of 32% in individual APE. What is LIC's target for non-PAR? Can we see that your focus will be on non-PAR only going ahead because the growth we are seeing is more than 30%? R Doraiswamy : When we became public, when the IPO came, we were an organisation which was very heavy on PAR products. Slowly the market's focus has also been changing. The people's preference is also turning towards guaranteed products and there is a good flare for non-PAR products. We also took a directional change in 2022 itself that we will be slowly improving the non-PAR component so that we are able to balance both, we will have PAR as well as non-PAR. Live Events You Might Also Like: LIC profit grows 5% despite lower equity gains in a volatile Q1 Towards that, in the last three years, we have been bringing up a lot of new products which are on the non-PAR side. Today, we have a very big bouquet of 51 products, out of which a substantial number are from non-PAR and the non-PAR is also getting the attraction of the customers. So, as you have said, the non-PAR AP has grown at a rate higher than the par. We have as of now reached 30% share of non-PAR APE; there may be some more increase to the non-PAR share in the near future but we will now also have par products added to the portfolio, by which we will have something around 40-60 or 45-55 kind of a proportion, that we will be able to reach, that is what we are looking at. 45% non-PAR, 55%-PAR? R Doraiswamy: We are a very strong company in PAR and the customers have been reposing trust on us on the PAR products for a quite long time…. But before listing I guess you were in single digit in non-PAR? R Doraiswamy: Yes, 7%. It has now…. We have been consistently improving on this… You Might Also Like: LIC Q1 Results: PAT rises 5% YoY to Rs 10,987 crore, NPI up 5% as well So, it is a long way from 7% to 30% and now you are targeting 45 also. R Doraiswamy: No, it can. See, the young population today are very comfortable with guaranteed products. There is a section of the population which is comfortable with LIC's traditional PAR products as well. So, we have to have a balance of both. We have to meet the needs of the customers. So, whatever is the flare, whatever customers feel better, that is what we have to offer. We are here to take care of the interest of the customers as our prime focus. So, we will keep a balance. There can be some more increase in non-PAR share, that is what we are looking at. So, one question that everybody wants to know from LIC, the policy holder, investor is about your plan of buying a stake in a standalone health insurance company. So, the previous timeline was 31st of March. Can we say that under your leadership, the timeline has increased? R Doraiswamy: I do not say I have changed any plan as of now. See, the situation keeps changing. We originally were contemplating taking a strategic stake in a standalone health insurance. With the current regulatory practices in place, we started looking at various options available before us. We did some due diligence also. But as we went forward, we found that we had to do something more than what was done by then. The board also felt that we need to increase our options and look at them on a more closer basis, one. Two, there has been change in the environment as well. Health insurance companies are starting to face some kind of a difficulty in the cost escalation and in those areas. So, we had to have a relook at it. We are still examining our options. We are expanding our options of looking at the companies where we can have a stake. In the meantime, there is talk of the statute changing and the regulatory changes that are expected from the regulator as well. So, we are also awaiting the changes that are going to happen. Based on the changes that are going to come up, we will be taking further steps in this direction. It is not completely ruled out. By regulatory changes you mean insurance act amendment which will have a provision of composite license ? R Doraiswamy: Yes, the insurance act amendment has been talked about for some time now and some parts of it were discussed. There were public discussions on that as well. One of the features that was mentioned was a composite licence. There was also talk about 100% FDI and other areas where there are changes to be brought. Last year, after October, the master circular on policy holder regulations, the master circular brought in some changes. We had to respond to that. We had to modify all our plans, start new plans as well and we had to tweak the conditions of the policy with the surrender value having been introduced in the first year. You Might Also Like: LIC shares rally 5% after Q1 results; here's what analysts recommend now So, certain things that have become urgent, and that is why we are considering these options on a long-term basis and not on an immediate basis. You just spoke about composite license. LIC has a reach in every village, every part of the country. You have around 15 lakh agents. When we talk about insurance, people understand LIC only. So, will you be interested in a composite license and if you go for it, will health be your preference or the other line of businesses also? R Doraiswamy: No, we are currently neutral to this idea. Our core strength is in life insurance. We are primarily a life insurer pan-India, completely covering the geographical area of the country and that will continue to be our focus. Most likely we will be taking very calculated steps as and when the statute changes. We are not planning to jump into either becoming a composite insurer or starting what you call distributing any other lines of business to start with. We will be evaluating how the situation emerges and based on that, we will take a call on these areas. We will remain focused as a life insurer. We are a major life insurer. We are a major pension provider. This segment will be our focus. That is why we would like to consolidate and improve our position. We are a market leader and we would like to remain that by a good margin.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Van Gogh's Starry Night inspires Quantum breakthrough; scientists capture exotic vortices in ultra-cold fluids
For over a century, Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night has captivated art lovers with its swirling skies and glowing crescent moon. It might sound unrealistic even to imagine that van Gogh created this dream-like visual masterpiece scene from memory and imagination, not by direct observation, as he wasn't allowed to paint outside his room. He described seeing a 'very big' morning star before sunrise and brought that vision to life with bold, thick strokes and vivid colors. With real elements like distant mountains, and imagined ones like the church steeple. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Now, nearly 130 years later, physicists have found a surprising echo of those swirling patterns not on canvas, but at the quantum level. Researchers from Japan and South Korea have, for the first time, captured a rare quantum phenomenon called the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Europe Travel Hack That Saves You Hundreds on Trips! Undo This turbulent dance between two quantum fluids produces crescent-shaped vortices that strikingly resemble the glowing moon in van Gogh's masterpiece, revealing an extraordinary connection between art and the hidden world of quantum physics. What is Kelvin–Helmholtz Instability (KHI)? KHI is a common effect in everyday life. For example, you can see it in the ripples of a river, ocean waves, or streaky clouds in the sky. Live Events KHI happens when two fluids move past each other at different speeds, creating waves and vortices. It is common in clouds, oceans, and rivers. But until now, it had never been seen in quantum fluids. How did scientists study KHI in Quantum fluids? Quantum fluids are very special. They behave according to the strange rules of quantum mechanics rather than normal physics. They flow without resistance and are very hard to control. To study KHI in a quantum fluid, researchers cooled lithium gas to near absolute zero, turning it into a multi-component Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC). In this state, atoms move together as one quantum wave. The team made two parts of this condensate flow past each other at different speeds. At the boundary, they saw wave patterns just like classical KHI. But then something new appeared, strange vortices with a crescent shape known as Eccentric Fractional Skyrmions (EFSs). Eccentric Fractional Skyrmions (EFSs) and Van Gogh's painting Unlike normal skyrmions, which are usually symmetrical and centered, EFSs are offset and have special points called singularities where the usual spin pattern breaks down. These EFSs even carry half the normal quantum charge, making them very different from previously known skyrmions. Hiromitsu Takeuchi, the lead researcher, said the crescent shapes look just like the glowing moon in The Starry Night. As quoted by Asia Research News, 'To me, the large crescent moon in the upper right corner of 'The Starry Night' looks exactly like an EFS,' Takeuchi said. Why is this discovery important? Skyrmions are being studied for new technology in spintronics , which could help create faster and more efficient computers by using the spins of particles. Finding a new type of skyrmion in quantum fluids could lead to new ways to build and control these tiny structures. This discovery also shows that our understanding of quantum topological structures is not complete and needs to be updated.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bodoland polls: BJP in dilemma between allies UPPL and BPF
In the Sixth Schedule area of Bodoland, the BJP is caught in a dilemma. The party has declared that it will contest the upcoming council polls in September on its own. However, the BJP is currently a partner in the council, where the regional party United Peoples' Party-Liberal ( UPPL ) is leading. Another party - the Bodoland Peoples' Front ( BPF ), which is in Opposition in the council - is supporting the NDA government in Assam. There is also a move underway to unite both UPPL and BPF. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program The Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), which has 40 council seats, is expected to go to polls in September this year. BTR falls under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. This election assumes significance as it will be the last before next year's assembly polls in Assam. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Embakasi: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo Though elections have not been officially announced, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been addressing public rallies in Bodoland almost every day for the past few weeks. He has maintained that he is gauging the pulse of the people in the region. In his campaign, Sarma has stated that bringing peace to BTR is the single biggest achievement of the BJP government. "Ever since there has been a BJP government in Delhi and Dispur, not a single person has died due to firing of bullets," he said. The 2020 election to the 40-member council resulted in a fractured mandate, with the BPF emerging as the single largest party with 17 seats. However, the BJP and UPPL, supported by the Gana Suraksha Party, formed the council government. The lone Congress member later left the party and joined the BJP. Live Events The BJP won nine seats, and UPPL secured 12. Later, a BPF member also joined the BJP. Political analysts noted that while there are 12 assembly seats in Bodoland, there are over three other seats outside BTR where Bodo votes form the majority. The BJP is keeping post-poll options open with both UPPL and BPF.
