DH Evening Brief: October 19, 2021

Here are the top headlines this evening.

Incessant rain claims 11 more lives in Uttarakhand; Nainital cut off from rest of state

Eleven more deaths were reported in Uttarakhand on Tuesday as incessant rains continued to lash various parts of the state, especially Kumaon region, razing houses to the ground and leaving many trapped in the debris. Read more

Congress sounds poll bugle in UP: 40% tickets to women, announces Priyanka Gandhi

In an apparent bid to portray itself as the voice of the women to counter BJP, Congress on Tuesday announced that it would reserve 40 per cent tickets for the women in the forthcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, which are barely five months away. Read more

Hindi-Tamil row: Zomato reinstates employee it sacked, founder bats for 'higher tolerance and chill'

Within hours of food delivery company Zomato sacking a customer care executive for telling a customer from Tamil Nadu that Hindi is the country’s “national language,” the company founder Deepinder Goyal tweeted saying they are reinstating the employee, underlining that the "level of tolerance and chill in our country needs to be way higher than it is nowadays". Read more

'Rahul Gandhi a drug addict and peddler': Nalin Kateel stokes controversy; Congress demands apology

Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar, who retracted an "uncivil" tweet made by his party on Monday, has demanded an apology from his BJP counterpart Nalin Kumar Kateel for calling former AICC chief Rahul Gandhi a "drug addict and peddler". Read more

Why Kerala experiences floods and landslides every year

Since 2018, Kerala has been experiencing severe rainfall resulting in floods and landslides every year. Is this a sign of the changing climate or environmental degradation?

Two top executives exit SoftBank-backed Ola ahead of Rs 7,500-crore IPO

SoftBank-backed Indian ride-hailing firm Ola's Chief Financial Officer Swayam Saurabh and Chief Operating Officer Gaurav Porwal are leaving the company, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters. Read more

Slammed for Jashn-e-Riwaaz, FabIndia withdraws campaign

Popular ethnic-wear clothing brand FabIndia is facing backlash after their new ad campaign showcasing designs for the ongoing festive season in India "hurt Hindu sentiments." Readmore

Reliance Retail to buy 52% stake in Ritu Kumar's company

Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL), the retail arm of Reliance Industries, is set to buy 52 per cent stake in iconic Indian fashion designer Ritu Kumar's company Ritika Private Limited. Read more

Labour rights: Are IT employees ‘workers’?

This seemingly inane question is loaded with great implications for the six million-strong IT industry workforce in terms of their access to labour rights. Therefore, it is a question that deserves the attention of and examination by all concerned. Read more

Challenges abound as Tata fuels for Air India take-off

Tata Sons' $2.4 billion purchase of debt-ridden, government-owned Air India will give the conglomerate immediate access to valuable flying rights and landing slots that will help it claw back market share from foreign rivals. Read more

India’s 100 crore Covid-19 vaccination milestone hides a worrying divide

India will soon have administered 100 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses, but the milestone masks a yawning gap between the number of people who have been fully inoculated and those that have had just one shot. Read more