The stock of Reliance Group companies saw a significant decline on Monday, eroding more than Rs 40,000 crore from their market capitalisation.

The total market-cap of these companies dropped by Rs 40,511.91 crore, bringing it down to Rs 17.46 lakh crore.

The sharp losses were part of a broader weakness in the market, with all stocks within the group registering losses.

Sterling & Wilson Renewable Energy Limited led the fall, followed by Just Dial Limited and Balaji Telefilms Limited, which were among the biggest losers.

Reliance Industries Limited, the flagship company of the Reliance Group, was the third biggest loser in the Nifty 50.

Stock market-oriented online platforms like Angel One and Motilal Oswal Financial services extended their losses on Monday as broader markets continued to see downturn.

Shares of brokerage platform Angel One hit an intra-day low of Rs 1,952.25, down 10 per cent. However, it recovered later and closed at Rs 1,979, down by 8.77 per cent. Angel One's shares declined more than 11 per cent in the last one week.

Shares of other brokerage house, Motilal Oswal Financial Services, also witnessed a sharp decline. At closing, the financial services company shares were down 1.83 per cent at Rs 577. This stock declined about 6 per cent in the last one week.

Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) shares also witnessed a sharp fall. At closing, the stock was down 5.78 per cent at Rs 4,366. BSE shares declined by more than 21 per cent in the last one week.

Australia's New South Wales (NSW) has shifted the method of managing the number of wild horses at Kosciuszko National Park following the culling of thousands of brumbies through aerial shooting.

The use of aerial shooting is no longer necessary, NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe told a budget estimates hearing on Monday. The wild horse population is being controlled due to fears that they are endangering certain rare and native species.

Launched in late 2021, the wild horse management initiative seeks to lower the brumbies population in the area to 3,000 by mid-2027 to safeguard the delicate mountain ecosystem and the heritage value of the brumby.

In late 2023, aerial shooting was introduced as an additional strategy to help reduce the feral horse population. Reliable estimates suggested that more than 17,000 horses remained there. Early findings from the 2024 survey, however, indicated a significant decline in horse numbers, which is currently in the range of 3,000 to 4,000.

Sri Lanka Railways announced on Monday that it will implement new speed limits and revised night train schedules in areas prone to elephant crossings to prevent frequent train-elephant collisions.

The Department of Railways said the revised schedule will take effect on March 7, 2025, adding that trains will now operate outside peak elephant movement hours to minimise risks, with speed limits enforced in high-risk zones.

Officials acknowledged that the new restrictions may cause potential delays, but emphasised that reducing train speeds is necessary to protect Sri Lanka's wildlife.

Train collisions with elephants occur frequently in certain areas of the country. On February 20, a train accident in Gal Oya killed seven wild elephants.

Benchmark Indian equity indices ended almost flat on Monday in a volatile trading session amid mixed global cues.

The 30-share Sensex closed at 73,085.94, down by 112.16 points or 0.15 per cent. The index fluctuated between a high of 73,649.72 and a low of 72,784.54 during the intra-day session.

The Nifty finished at 22,119.30, down just 5.40 points or 0.02 per cent from its previous close. The index reached a high of 22,261 during the session and dipped to a low of around 22,004.

The markets started the session in the positive, but momentum quickly shifted to the downside, with both frontline indices losing half a per cent by noon.

However, strong buying in metals, realty, and IT stocks helped fuel a recovery in the second half of the session.

The Indian telecom industry is experiencing remarkable growth, both domestically and internationally, and there remains immense potential for expansion, according to the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).

Lt Gen Dr SP Kochhar, Director General, COAI, said with approximately 1,187 million subscribers, urban tele-density has reached 131.01 per cent, while rural areas lag at 58.31 per cent.

“Despite this disparity, there remains immense potential for expansion across both sectors. The roll-out of 5G is progressing rapidly, facilitated by artificial intelligence (AI), indigenous data sets, and the establishment of localised data centres,” according to Kochhar.

The Indian government has implemented financial measures such as goods and services tax refunds and the removal of bank guarantees.

Additionally, significant research is underway to develop cost-effective 5G handsets priced between Rs 6,000 and Rs 7,000.

Civilian casualties in terror attacks have shown an alarming increase in Pakistan during the month of February, the latest data revealed on Monday shows.

Even though the authorities claim that terror attacks in Pakistan during February 2025 saw a marginal decline, the number of civilians who lost their lives in comparison to security personnel has been significantly higher.

As per the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), there have been at least 79 terrorist attacks in Pakistan during February, resulting in deaths of 55 civilians and 47 security personnel, while 81 security personnel and 45 civilians got injured.

"February 2025 marked the first month since August 2024 in which civilian fatalities surpassed those of security forces. Civilian deaths rose by 175 per cent while deaths of security personnel declined by at least 18 per cent when compared to January 2025," read a report issued by PICSS.

PICSS also stated that, in comparison to January 2025 - when at least 20 civilians were killed and 57 security personnel martyred - "security forces intensified their counter-militancy operations, killing at least 156 militants, injuring 20 and arresting 66".

As a token of some relief to commoners, the Chhattisgarh government slashed Value Added Tax (VAT) on Petrol by Rs 1 per litre. State Finance Minister O.P. Choudhary made the announcement while presenting the state Budget 2025-26 in the Assembly on Monday.

The cut in petrol prices will be effective from April in the state.

The Finance Minister also announced the creation of 3200 Bastar fighters' posts. Bastar fighters combat with Maoists in the state.

Among other announcements, the Finance Minister said that for the first time, a provision has been made in the budget for the procurement of pulses and oil seeds under the PSS Scheme of the Government of India.

The Minister said his government is aiming to provide proper support to tribal art and craft through a proper platform in Chhattisgarh. And the government will establish a National Institute of Fashion Technology in the state.

Two days after Youth Congress activist Himani Narwal's body was found in a suitcase on a highway in Haryana’s Rohtak, the arrested man, Sachin, on Monday confessed that he knew the deceased and accused her of blackmail and extortion.

Haryana Police arrested the accused, a resident of Bahadurgarh, who was in an alleged relationship with Himani.

The suspect confessed to the crime during interrogation, saying they had been in a relationship for some time, a police official said.

During his arrest in Delhi, Sachin was found in possession of Himani Narwal's mobile phone. The crime hogged the limelight after images of her walking with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi during his Bharat Jodo Yatra went viral.

The victim’s family, who has been demanding justice, suspected that some party leaders jealous of her swift rise in party ranks were behind the murder.