Tech
Contractual workers protest at Meta HQ against layoffs

As Meta (formerly Facebook) begins to steadily reduce headcount growth, hundreds of contractual workers organised a protest at the company’s headquarters in the US, asking for responsible, fair contracts from the Mark Zuckerberg-led company.
Over 100 service workers from various unions marched on the Meta campus amid layoffs of contractual employees, reports Almanac News.
“The demonstration brought together cafeteria workers, janitors, shuttle drivers and more to fight for the rights of workers deemed essential in a post-pandemic environment,” the report mentioned.
In the march on the campus last week that went largely unnoticed, workers demanded fair contracts from Meta and its subcontractor, Canon Business. The alleged Canon Business had pushed back against workers unionising.
“Over the last several years, and let’s be true about this, forever, tech has been thriving on the backs of all of us,” Maria Noel Fernandez, campaign director of Silicon Valley Rising, was quoted as saying.
As Big Tech companies lay off employees and freeze new hirings, Meta Founder and CEO Zuckerberg has said that the company’s plan is to steadily reduce headcount growth over the next year.
Admitting that the social network has entered an economic downturn that will have a broad impact on the digital advertising business, Zuckerberg said that many “teams are going to shrink so we can shift energy to other areas inside the company”.
“I want to give our leaders the ability to decide within their teams where to double down, where to backfill attrition and where to restructure teams while minimising thrash to the long-term initiatives,” he during the company’s latest quarterly earnings call.
South Bay Labor Council Executive Officer Jean Cohen said that what Facebook can do the least is to “make sure that they come to the table to bargain fairly, to make sure that everybody is treated with respect and dignity and has a voice on the job”.
A Meta spokesperson said that it fully recognises the right of employees to organise and encourage vendors to continue to work collaboratively.
“Many of our vendors’ employees are represented by organised labour. We’re proud that we’ve partnered with vendors to create and maintain thousands of good-paying, union jobs with industry-leading compensation packages and will continue to do so,” the company spokesperson added.
Facebook reported a 1 per cent drop in revenue to $28.8 billion in the June quarter (Q2). Overall, Meta’s profit fell 36 per cent to $6.7 billion in the quarter.
Several Big Tech firms like Microsoft, Google, Snap, Twitter, Spotify and others have either shrunk their workforce or reduced/frozen hiring for the rest of the year.
Business
Indian stock market shrugs off midweek volatility, ends week on robust note

Mumbai, June 21: The Indian equity benchmarks wrapped up the session on a robust note last week, decisively breaking through critical resistance level, propelled by sustained institutional accumulation, analysts said on Saturday.
The Nifty 50 convincingly closed above the psychologically significant 25,000 mark on Friday, underscoring bullish momentum. At the closing bell, the Sensex rallied 1,046.30 points, or 1.29 per cent, to settle at a fresh high of 82,408.17, while the Nifty 50 advanced 319.15 points, or 1.29 per cent, to end at 25,112.40.
“Relentless inflows from institutional investors — both Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) and Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs)—acted as key tailwinds, offsetting headwinds from prevailing geopolitical uncertainties and reinforcing positive sentiment across the street,” according to a note by Bajaj Broking Research.
Nifty Index formed a sizable bull candle with a higher high and higher low signaling resumption of up move after recent corrective consolidation. The index in the process closed firmly above the 25,000 levels signalling strength.
“Going forward, we anticipate the index to retest the upper boundary of the recent five-week consolidation zone, currently pegged near the 25,200 mark. A decisive breakout above this resistance band could open the door for an upward extension towards the 25,500 zone in the near term,” said the note.
The Indian stock market shrugged off midweek volatility triggered by escalating tensions in the Middle East and a sharp spike in crude oil prices.
The Reserve Bank of India’s relaxation of project financing norms provided a boost to financial stocks.
“The RBI’s continued dovish tone — signalling potential rate cuts on validating subdued inflation — further reinforced market confidence, positioning monetary policy as a key stabilizing force amid global uncertainty,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Ltd.
Crude prices surged early in the week due to geopolitical unrest, sparking concerns over inflation. However, the pace of growth in oil prices tapered significantly after the initial spike, helping to ease fears of a sustained inflationary rebound.
Investor sentiment toward the pharmaceutical sector has turned cautious following the proposed imposition of new tariffs, said analysts.
With the deadline for a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs approaching, markets are closely tracking trade negotiations and deal-making activity expected to unfold over the next two weeks.
“Meanwhile, geopolitical uncertainty continues to loom, as statements from world leaders regarding possible military involvement in the Middle East keep markets on edge. Investors will also keep a close eye on upcoming U.S. GDP and PCE data, along with India’s PMI figures, for cues on the strength and direction of economic recovery at home and abroad,” Nair noted.
Business
Stock market exhibits resilience, RBI’s rate cut icing on the cake

Mumbai, June 7: After starting the week with consolidation, the domestic market exhibited resilience amid concerns over tariff wars and geopolitical escalations, analysts said on Saturday.
Markets consolidated for the third consecutive week but managed to end higher by nearly a per cent, buoyed by favourable domestic cues.
After remaining range-bound for most of the week, benchmark indices surged sharply on Friday and settled near the week’s high, with the Nifty closing at 25,003 and the Sensex at 82,118.99.
“The highlight of the week was the RBI’s policy announcement, which took the market by surprise. The central bank implemented a sharper-than-expected 50 bps repo rate cut and a 100 bps CRR reduction, signalling a strong pro-growth stance. Notably, the policy stance was also shifted from ‘accommodative’ to ‘neutral’ — a move that came sooner than expected,” said Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd.
By front-loading its easing measures, the RBI has underscored its commitment to reviving domestic growth amid global uncertainties. While such a bold approach was expected to unfold gradually, this decisive action reinforces confidence in the central bank’s intent to support economic recovery while managing inflation risks.
This week, sectoral performance was broadly positive, with rate-sensitive sectors witnessing strong buying interest. Realty, auto, and banking stocks led the rally, reflecting improved outlooks for credit growth and consumer sentiment. Financials and NBFCs also gained, as lower interest rates are expected to enhance borrowing conditions.
Conversely, IT stocks underperformed due to persistent global uncertainties, particularly in the U.S. and European markets. In the broader markets, both midcap and smallcap indices outperformed the benchmarks, reflecting a risk-on sentiment among investors, with gains ranging between 2.8 per cent and 4 per cent.
According to Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Ltd, bolstered by supportive macro indicators such as strong Q4 GDP, GST collection and a favourable monsoon, investors focused on domestically oriented and interest-sensitive sectors such as financials, real estate, retail and FMCG, which saw strength, supported by strong institutional inflows.
Profit booking was visible during the week on account of the ongoing global uncertainty. Mid and small caps generally outperformed large caps, driven by better earnings and valuations.
“While China’s rare earth restrictions pose long-term risks and investors await the inflation print in the US, the aggressive RBI rate cut, backed by cooling inflation and a steady GDP outlook, is likely to support investor confidence amidst the ongoing global uncertainties,” Nair noted.
Going forward, market participants will focus on key macroeconomic data for further cues. High-frequency indicators such as CPI inflation will be closely tracked to gauge demand trends and the central bank’s next steps, said experts.
health
India takes lead in extreme heat risk management under PM Modi’s leadership

New Delhi, June 7: India has taken a proactive and forward-thinking approach to extreme heat risk management under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said Dr PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.
Delivering the keynote address during the Special Session on Extreme Heat Risk Governance in Geneva, he underlined that rising temperatures posing a systemic risk to public health, economic stability, and ecological resilience.
“India welcomes the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s (UNDRR) initiative to advance the Common Framework for Extreme Heat Risk Governance as a platform for shared learning, guidance, and collaboration,” he told the gathering, according to a Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) statement on Saturday.
Dr Mishra pointed out that India has moved beyond disaster response toward integrated preparedness and mitigation strategies. Since 2016, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has developed comprehensive national guidelines on heatwave management, revised in 2019, which laid the foundation for decentralised Heat Action Plans (HAPs).
He acknowledged the pioneering ‘Ahmedabad Heat Action Plan’, which demonstrated how early warnings, inter-agency coordination, and community outreach can save lives.
“Over 250 cities and districts across 23 heat-prone states have operational Heat Action Plans, supported by NDMA’s advisory, technical, and institutional mechanisms”, said the Principal Secretary, underscoring that strengthened surveillance, hospital readiness, and awareness campaigns have significantly reduced heatwave-related mortality.
India’s approach is whole-of-government and whole-of-society, engaging ministries from health, agriculture, urban development, labour, power, water, education, and infrastructure.
“Extreme heat deeply impacts communities, and India has actively incorporated traditional wisdom and local experiences into its response”, said Dr Mishra.
He noted that schools have become catalysts for behavioural change, educating children about climate resilience. He also emphasised that hospitals and primary health centres must be strengthened to ensure swift and effective emergency responses.
Outlining India’s transition from a preparedness-only approach to long-term heatwave mitigation, including cool roof technologies, passive cooling centres, urban greening, and the revival of traditional water bodies, Mishra affirmed that India is integrating Urban Heat Island (UHI) assessments into city planning.
He called for a global focus on developing a localised heat-humidity index based on real-time data to enhance early warning systems, advancing building technologies and passive cooling innovations that are affordable and culturally appropriate and addressing equity concerns, as extreme heat disproportionately affects women, outdoor workers, the elderly, and children.
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