DLF, Reliance Energy power Sensex up 350 pts

MUMBAI: A mix of infrastructure, IT companies and the HDFC twins led the market higher mid-way through the session. Among sectors, metals steeled a march over others with the BSE Metal Index crossing the 17k mark at 17,655.62, up 783.30 points or 4.64 per cent. Realty and oil & gas indices followed with gains of 2.85 per cent and 2.77 per cent, respectively.

At 1:22 pm, the Sensex was at 19,353.62, higher by 350.36 points or 1.84 per cent from Thursday’s close. The 30-share index touched a high of 19,378.23.

Fresh RBI norms to rein in recovery agents

MUMBAI: Taking cognizance of a surge in complaints against agents employed by banks to recover outstanding loans, RBI on Friday issued a set of draft guidelines that articulate how such agents ought to be governed. To start with, RBI has advised banks to go easy on recovery targets assigned to their agents. It also wants banks to desist from offering high incentives for meeting targets. Both of these practices, RBI reckons, are incentives for agents to employ intimidatory tactics to recover dues.

Uttar Pradesh bans Aaja Nachle over casteist remarks

LUCKNOW: UP Chief Minister Mayawati late on Friday evening banned Madhuri Dixit's comeback film Aaja Nachle in Uttar Pradesh, leaving countless fans of the Bollywood actress in the state disappointed. The ban has been issued following complaints that the title song of the film contains certain casteist remarks. The CM has also written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding a countrywide ban on the film saying it hurts the sentiments of Dalits. Principal secretary of the CM Shailesh Krishna told TOI , "Certain words in the title song are derogatory to a particular Scheduled Caste community." However, he added that the producers could run the film if they remove the "objectionable" song.