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Ladakh clashes: 50 detained, curfew imposed

3 weeks 2 days ago
Sept 25 At least 50 people were detained as police and paramilitary forces strictly implemented curfew on Thursday in the violence-hit Leh, where four people were killed and over 80 others were injured when widespread clashes broke out a day before.A shutdown called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) -- to advance talks with the Centre on demand for statehood and extension of Sixth Schedule to Ladakh -- had descended into violence, arson and street clashes on Wednesday.Strict prohibitory restrictions banning assembly of five or more persons have been placed in other major towns as well, including Kargil where a shutdown was called by the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in support of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was leading a hunger strike.Wangchuk's fortnight-long hunger strike was called off after intense clashes broke out in Leh town. The protesters had set ablaze the BJP office and several vehicles, besides vandalising the Hill Council headquarters, prompting promulgation of an indefinite curfew in the town."The situation in the curfew-bound areas is well under control. There are no untoward incidents reported from anywhere," a police official told PTI.He said around 50 people were detained overnight for their involvement in the violence.The official said three among the injured were citizens of Nepal and police are probing if there are foreign hands behind the violence.The LAB and KDA have been spearheading an agitation in the last four years pressing for their demands on statehood and extension of Sixth Schedule. They have held several rounds of talks with the Central government in the past. The next round of talks is scheduled on October 6.Officials said heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel in riot gear was made in Kargil, Zanskar, Nubra, Padam, Changtang, Drass and Lamayuru.Kargil District Magistrate Rakesh Kumar issued prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita in the entire district, banning assembly of five or more persons, taking out processions or holding demonstrations without prior written permission of the competent authority.Restrictions were also imposed on the use of loudspeakers, sound amplifying devices, or vehicle-mounted public address systems without authorisation. Besides, no person shall make any public statement, speech, or declaration -- whether verbal, written, or through electronic means -- which is likely to disturb public peace, provoke enmity, or cause a breach of law and order in the district, the official order said.Trouble began brewing in Leh when two out of 15 people, who were on a 35-day hunger strike since September 10, were shifted to hospital after their condition deteriorated on Tuesday evening, and the LAB youth wing gave a call for protest.The Centre had alleged that the mob violence was guided by the "provocative statements" of activist Wangchuk. It said certain "politically motivated" individuals were not happy with the progress made in the ongoing talks between the representatives of the government and Ladakhi groups."The government stands committed to aspirations of the people of Ladakh by providing adequate constitutional safeguards," the home ministry said in a statement on Wednesday night.Terming the events heart-wrenching, Lt Gov Kavinder Gupta had said everyone has the right to speak up in a peaceful manner in a democratic system, but what happened was not spontaneous and was the result of a conspiracy."Curfew has been imposed as a precautionary measure to prevent more casualties," Gupta said.In an online press conference, Wangchuk said the fact that Tsering Angchuk (72) and Tashi Dolma (60) hospitalised was most likely the immediate trigger for the protest.With the situation worsening rapidly, he stepped in with an appeal and an announcement that he was cutting short the fast."I request the youth of Ladakh to stop the violence forthwith as it only causes harm to our cause and further deteriorates the situation. We do not want instability in Ladakh and the country," he told his supporters."This is the saddest day for Ladakh and for myself personally because the path we are treading for the last five years was peaceful... We held hunger strikes on five occasions and walked from Leh to Delhi, but today we are seeing our message of peace failing because of the incidents of violence and arson," Wangchuk said.

Ivalue Infosolutions shares list at 5% discount to IPO price on exchanges

3 weeks 2 days ago
Bengaluru-headquartered enterprise technology services provider Ivalue Infosolutions listed at a discount on the bourses on Thursday. Ivalue Infosolutions shares debuted at Rs 284.95 apiece on the NSE against the IPO price of Rs 299. On the BSE, the stock listed at Rs 285.The Rs 560-crore issue, which was entirely an offer-for-sale (OFS), received bids for 2.38 crore shares against 1.31 crore on offer, getting subscribed 1.82 times overall.While institutional demand gave the issue a healthy close, activity in the unofficial market remained tepid. The grey market premium (GMP) on the stock hovered around 0% ahead of the listing, indicating the stock was expected to list close to its issue price of Rs 299 per share. However, the actual listing was lower than GMP expectations.IPO subscription snapshotThe IPO ran from September 18 to September 22 with a price band of Rs 284–299 per share and a lot size of 50 shares. At the top end, the company commands a market cap of Rs 1,600 crore.Anchor investors had already put in Rs 168 crore on September 17, taking up 30% of the issue.Business and financialsFounded in 2008, Ivalue Infosolutions specialises in enterprise digital transformation, providing solutions in cybersecurity, data lifecycle management, cloud, and IT infrastructure. The company operates not just across India but also in Singapore, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, UAE, Cambodia, and Kenya.Its client base primarily comprises large enterprises, supported by strong OEM partnerships and a network of system integrators.Financially, the company has shown steady growth. For FY25, revenue stood at Rs 942 crore, up 19% year-on-year, while net profit rose 21% to Rs 85.3 crore. Margins have remained stable with PAT margin at 8.9% and ROE above 21%.What the market is sayingDespite the stable financial performance and global footprint, the lack of listing buzz in the grey market is noteworthy. Analysts say this is partly because the IPO was a pure OFS, with no fresh capital infusion into the company. That means proceeds will go entirely to existing shareholders, not into business expansion.Valuations also leave limited headroom for immediate upside. At the issue price, the stock is valued at 18.7x earnings, which they consider fair given the steady but not spectacular growth trajectory.Ivalue’s leadership in its niche and its role in enterprise digital transformation may support long-term interest.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)
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