On the sacred occasion of Maha Shivratri, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann paid obeisance at the revered Sri Rankeshwar Mahadev Temple and performed Pooja at the historic Siddh Peeth, seeking blessings for peace, prosperity and continued progress for Punjab and the nation. Greeting people at the festival, the AAP Chief described Mahashivratri as a civilizational celebration rooted in India’s ancient spiritual tradition and prayed that Lord Bholenath’s grace always remain upon every citizen.

India’s retail market is set for massive expansion over the next decade, with its size expected to more than double to Rs 210–215 trillion by 2035 from around Rs 90–95 trillion in 2025, according to a new joint report released on Monday.

The report, unveiled by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the Retailers Association of India (RAI) at the Retail Leadership Summit 2026 here underline the strong consumption momentum in the country and highlight how technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI), will play a defining role in shaping the next phase of retail growth.

Gold and silver prices declined on Monday, as the US dollar strengthened tracking in-line US inflation data.

MCX gold April futures dipped 0.56 per cent to Rs 1,55,023 per 10 grams around 12.30 am on an intra-day basis. Meanwhile MCX silver March futures declined 1.99 per cent to Rs 2,39,501 per kg.

India’s annual rate of inflation based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) was estimated at 1.81 per cent for January this year compared to the same month of the previous year, according to figures released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Monday.

Positive rate of inflation in January is primarily due to an increase in prices of the manufacture of basic metals, other manufacturing, non-food articles, food articles and textiles, the official statement said.

A devastating fire at a chemical manufacturing unit in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, claimed the lives of seven workers on Monday morning, while two others were feared trapped inside the premises, officials said.

Authorities confirmed that approximately 25 workers were present at the time of the incident. The fire broke out at around 9.30 a.m. at plot number G-1-118 B in the Khuskheda Karauli Industrial Area.

The overall residential market in India continues to exhibit underlying resilience, supported by a stable macroeconomic backdrop and recent repo rate cuts, a report showed on Monday.

Premium segments (homes priced Rs 1 crore and above) now constitute 50 per cent of total annual sales in the country.

At least 13 schools across Ahmedabad and Vadodara were evacuated on Monday after receiving a series of bomb threat emails, leading to extensive security checks.

Officials said seven schools in Ahmedabad and six in Vadodara had so far been confirmed as recipients of the threatening emails.

Authorities are also verifying reports that two to three additional schools may have received similar messages.

Bollywood star Alia Bhatt shared that she’s “obsessed” with reading about motherhood, posting a picture of a book that offers ancient advice for modern parents.

Alia took to her Instagram stories, where she shared a glimpse of the book she’s currently “obsessed” with, “The Parent’s Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents” by William Martin.

Veteran actor Jackie Shroff marked 25 years of his crime drama film ‘Grahan’, reminiscing about the project and his co-star Manisha Koirala.

Celebrating the milestone, the actor took to his Instagram stories and reflected on the memories associated with the film, expressing gratitude for the journey it has had over the years.

Currency in circulation (CiC) in India reached an all‑time high of about Rs 40 lakh crore by January 2026 end, with year‑on‑year growth accelerating to 11.1 per cent from 5.3 per cent last year, a report said on Monday.

The report from SBI Research said on an incremental basis (YTD), the currency with public (CWP), accounting for 97.6 per cent of the circulated currency, reached an all time high of around Rs 39 lakh crore. Meanwhile, CiC surged Rs 2.76 lakh crore or 3.11 times in the same period.

Residents of Delhi-NCR will continue to face poor air quality, as slow wind speeds have once again pushed pollution levels into the ‘poor’ category. The Air Quality Index (AQI) on Monday stood at 214 around 7 a.m., according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

On Sunday, the air quality in the national capital had slipped to the ‘poor’ category as well, with the AQI recorded at 221 around 7 a.m. This was marginally worse than the AQI of 197 recorded on Saturday.

North Korea has built new homes in Pyongyang for the bereaved family members of North Korean soldiers who died during the Russia-Ukraine war, its state media said on Monday.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended the opening ceremony of the new street called Saeppyol Street on Sunday, accompanied by his daughter Ju-ae and other officials.

Arsenal powered into the FA Cup last 16 with a comfortable 4-0 home win over League One side Wigan Athletic.

The clubs last met in the competition 12 years ago in a semifinal decided on penalties, but this time Arsenal's superior quality told early. Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and an own goal had the tie effectively wrapped up inside the opening half hour, allowing the hosts to ease off after the break.

Ed Sheeran has shared the reason he ditched his mobile phone and how the decision went on to inspire one of his songs. The Grammy-winning singer also revealed that he has switched to sending emails to communicate instead of texts.

During his recent Loop Tour stop at Sydney’s Accor Stadium, the 34-year-old singer opened up to fans about the fallout from his 2015 Marvin Gaye copyright lawsuit, which ended in his favour as the court ruled he did not copy Let’s Get It On, stating that the legal battle changed the way he communicates forever.

Actress Tamannaah Bhatia shared a glimpse of her ‘fun night’ as she was seen dancing joyfully to devotional tunes dedicated to Lord Shiva on the occasion of Maha Shivratri.

Tamannaah attended the grand Mahashivratri celebrations at Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore. She shared videos on her Instagram stories capturing candid moments of her grooving to the spiritual beats, blending celebration with devotion.

The Election Commission of India had directed the office of the West Bengal Chief Secretary, Nandini Chakraborty, to immediately suspend seven more assistant electoral registration officers engaged in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision in the state on charges of dereliction of duty.

To recall, earlier in August last year, the ECI had directed the state government to suspend and register FIRs against two electoral registration officers and two AEROs against whom charges of being involved in electoral rolls preparation malpractices were proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann may miss the “anti-drug” mega rally in Moga as he has been undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Mohali after experiencing exhaustion on Sunday evening.

The “anti-drug rally” under the government’s ‘Yuddh Nasheyan Viruddh’ campaign will see the presence of AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Mann’s Cabinet colleagues.

The Indian equity markets opened the week almost flat with a mild negative bias on Monday, due to a weaker-than-expected earnings season and AI-led pressure on technology stocks.

As of 9.25 am, Sensex lost 22 points, or 0.02 per cent, to reach 83,604, and Nifty lost 6 points, or 0.03 per cent, at 25,464.

Main broad-cap indices posted stronger losses than benchmark indices, as the Nifty Midcap 100 declined 0.34 per cent, and the Nifty Smallcap 100 dipped 0.47 per cent.