New Delhi, Oct 3: India and China have agreed to resume direct air services by the end of this month, marking a step towards the gradual normalisation of bilateral ties.

According to an official announcement, civil aviation authorities of the two countries have been engaged in technical-level talks since early this year.

These discussions focused on restoring direct connectivity and revising the Air Services Agreement. Under the agreement, flights between designated cities in India and China will restart with the onset of the winter schedule in late October 2025. The resumption will depend on the commercial decisions of designated carriers and the completion of operational requirements. Officials said the move is expected to boost people-to-people contact and ease travel, further contributing to the ongoing efforts to normalise exchanges between the two Asian neighbours.

New Delhi, Oct 03: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 5 lakh on Drishti IAS (VDK Eduventures Pvt. Ltd.) for publishing misleading advertisements about its role in the success of candidates in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination 2022. In its promotional campaign, the coaching institute prominently claimed “216+ selections in UPSC CSE 2022,” displaying names and photographs of successful candidates. However, CCPA’s inquiry found that the advertisement concealed critical details about the type and duration of courses undertaken by these candidates.

According to the investigation, of the 216 candidates highlighted by Drishti IAS, 162—around 75%—had only participated in the free Interview Guidance Programme (IGP) offered by the institute after clearing both the Preliminary and Mains examinations independently. Only 54 students had enrolled in the IGP alongside other paid courses. The authority concluded that the omission of such facts misled aspirants and parents into believing that the institute was responsible for the candidates’ success in all stages of the UPSC exam. Such conduct falls under “misleading advertisement” as defined in Section 2(28) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Repeat Offence

This is the second penalty against Drishti IAS for similar practices. In September 2024, CCPA had fined the institute ₹3 lakh for claiming “150+ selections in UPSC CSE 2021.” In that case, the majority of the students cited had only taken the interview programme. The authority had then directed Drishti IAS to discontinue misleading promotions. Despite earlier warnings, the institute repeated the practice with an even larger claim in 2022, reflecting what the CCPA described as “non-compliance and disregard for consumer protection norms.”

Wider Crackdown on Coaching Ads

So far, the CCPA has issued 54 notices to coaching institutes across the country for similar practices. Penalties worth over ₹90.6 lakh have been levied on 26 institutions for publishing exaggerated or incomplete claims about student results. The regulator stressed that coaching centres must ensure transparency in advertisements so that students and parents are not deprived of their right to make informed academic choices under Section 2(9) of the Act.

New Delhi, Oct 03: Gold prices fell by Rs 500 to Rs 1,20,600 per 10 grams in the national capital on Friday, ending a five-day record-extending rally, as investors booked profits and a slight recovery in the US dollar weighed on sentiment.

According to the All India Sarafa Association, the yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity had rallied Rs 1,100 to hit an all-time high of Rs 1,21,100 per 10 grams on Wednesday.

Gold of 99.5 per cent purity also retreated from its peak, slipping Rs 500 to Rs 1,20,000 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes). It had closed at Rs 1,20,500 per 10 grams in the previous trading session.

Local bullion markets were closed on Thursday on account of Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra.

In tandem with gold, silver prices also eased by Rs 500 to Rs 1,50,000 per kilogram (inclusive of all taxes). The white metal had traded flat at Rs 1,50,500 per kilogram on Wednesday, the association said.

“Bullion pulled back from its record high and traded lower on Friday, weighed down by a slight recovery in the US dollar and profit-taking by traders following a five-day rally that set new records,” said Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst of Commodities at HDFC Securities.

In the international market, spot gold also witnessed a pullback and slipped to USD 3,863.51 per ounce after scaling a record high of USD 3,897.20 per ounce on Thursday.

On a weekly basis, gold remains poised for seven consecutive weeks of gains, its longest winning streak since February 2025, Gandhi noted.

“This rally is supported by persistent demand for safe-haven assets, fuelled by worries about a US government shutdown and ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainties.

“Inflows into exchange-traded funds and active central bank purchases have also lent support to the uptrend,” he added.

Meanwhile, spot silver in the overseas markets rose nearly 1 per cent to USD 47.34 per ounce after hitting a high of USD 48.10 per ounce on Thursday.

Gandhi said due to the ongoing US government shutdown, market participants are expected to rely more on private sector reports for cues on the labour market and the broader economy. “The shutdown will delay the release of non-farm payroll data scheduled later in the day,” he added.

Renisha Chainani, Head – Research at Augmont, said, “Increased US tariffs raise concerns about international commerce, which increases demand for gold as a hedge against uncertainty, while persistent geopolitical tensions continue to support gold’s attractiveness as a go-to safe-haven asset.”