Noida, Dec 19: Panic gripped Noida in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddha Nagar district, as several prominent educational institutions received threatening emails warning of bomb blasts in their premises.

The e-mail bomb threat, received by the Step by Step School in Sector-126, triggered an alarm in the school administration, leading to the evacuation of children and teachers, followed by heightened security checks.

The police teams rushed to the campus after they were informed about a bomb threat by the school administration. Police reached the spot, cordoned off the school premises and carried out a thorough search operation; however, nothing suspicious was found. Bomb disposal squad and dog squad were brought in to scan the classrooms, corridors, basement, playgrounds and other sensitive areas.

As no mysterious objects or explosive materials were recovered during the search, the police eventually declared it to be a hoax call.

The latest episode of bomb threats in Noida and other NCR schools marks a continuation of the disturbing trend of hoax threats, seen in the past few months, targeting educational institutions – primarily schools.

Apart from the Step by Step School, the two other schools that are reported to have received hoax threat calls include Amity School and Shiv Nadar School. The simultaneous threats via email to the city’s three prestigious schools created an atmosphere of fear and trepidation among the administration as well as parents.

Meanwhile, the police have launched a detailed probe into the incident, activating its cyber cell to identify the source and sender of the hoax email. An investigation is underway to locate the IP address from which the threatening email was sent, and also to determine whether it was an act of mischief or an organised conspiracy.

The Noida Police have also appealed to the school authorities and the public at large, not to take any suspicious information lightly, but also not to pay attention to rumours and hearsay. Parents as well as the general public have been urged to immediately report any visible threat or suspicious activity to the police.

Mumbai: Advocate Vivekanand Gupta, a secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Mumbai unit, has flagged concerns over alleged nepotism in ticket distribution ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, urging the party leadership to ensure that the civic polls do not turn into a ‘family business.’ The letter comes amid an internal unease that is brewing within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

In his letter, Gupta expressed strong reservations about the practice of issuing civic election tickets to family members of party office bearers, MLAs, and other public representatives. He pointed out that relatives such as wives, sons, daughters, and even grandchildren of influential leaders are often favoured during ticket distribution, sidelining grassroots workers who have served the party for years.

Gupta stressed that candidates for the BMC polls should be selected purely on merit and dedication, and not on the basis of family connections. He argued that the BJP, which prides itself on being a cadre-based organisation, must give priority to loyal karyakartas who have worked consistently at the ground level and contributed to the party’s growth in Mumbai.

The BJP leader also flagged concerns over the alleged misuse of changes in seat reservations. According to Gupta, when wards are converted from general seats to women, OBC, or other reserved categories, the opportunity is often used to accommodate family members of influential leaders rather than deserving party workers. He warned that such practices demoralise long-serving workers who patiently wait for a fair chance to contest elections.

Emphasising that the BJP has been built by the dedication and sacrifices of its workers, Gupta urged the party leadership to resist internal pressure while finalising candidates. He called for transparency, fairness, and a clear commitment to merit-based ticket allocation, adding that loyalty and hard work should be the sole criteria for contesting the civic polls.

Meanwhile, BJP Mumbai president Ameet Satam announced that the party will release its manifesto for the BMC elections in the first week of January 2026. However, it is yet to be decided whether the BJP will unveil a joint manifesto with its ally Shiv Sena. Voting for the much-anticipated BMC elections is scheduled to take place on January 15, with counting of votes slated for January 16.

New Delhi, Dec 19: India’s benchmark index Nifty is expected to touch 29,094 in one year based on long‑term valuation averages and earnings durability, a report said on Friday.

Wealth management firm PL Wealth said in the report that India enters the end of 2025 from a position of relative macro strength with record‑low inflation, a dovish monetary stance, resilient domestic demand and improved corporate earnings visibility.

“In the near term, large-cap stocks remain preferred due to their earnings stability and strong balance sheets, while selective exposure to high-quality mid-cap names is being added as visibility improves,” the wealth management firm cited its strategy.

Over the next 6 to 24 months, the earnings cycle is expected to broaden across consumption, financials, capex-linked sectors and select industrials, supported by benign inflation, lower interest rates and sustained domestic liquidity.

“India’s current macro configuration is among the most constructive we have seen in over a decade,” said Inderbir Singh Jolly, CEO, PL Wealth Management.

While global uncertainties will continue to create short-term volatility, India’s structural strengths—policy reform, financialisaton of savings and improving corporate balance sheets—position it well for sustained long-term growth, Inderbir added.

RBI’s 25 basis‑point cut to a 5.25 per cent policy repo rate lowered its CPI inflation projections and upgraded GDP growth estimates, signalling confidence in the sustainability of domestic demand, the report said.

The firm also noted FY26 GDP growth projection of 7.3 per cent underpinned by robust infrastructure spending, resilient consumption and key policy measures such as GST rationalisation and income-tax cuts.

The FY26 September quarter earnings season delivered broad-based strength, with several sectors—including hospitals, capital goods, cement, electronics manufacturing services, ports, NBFCs and telecom—reporting double-digit growth in EBITDA and profits.

The firm noted that Nifty earnings per share estimates for FY26–FY28 imply an earnings CAGR of nearly 14 per cent. Domestic institutional investors have anchored markets with record net inflows of over Rs 6.8 trillion year‑to‑date.