Mumbai, Nov 29: The Indian equity benchmarks made marginal gains for the third consecutive week, supported by positive global cues, robust domestic inflows and strong Q2 earnings.

Benchmark indices Nifty and Sensex edged higher 0.34 and 0.52 per cent this week to close at 26,202 and 85,706, respectively.

Analysts said that global cues remained supportive, aided by softer US yields, renewed expectations of a Fed rate cut, and benign crude prices that helped temper inflation concerns.

Broader indices underperformed, with the Nifty Midcap100 and Smallcap100 ending the week down 0.11 per cent and 0.10 per cent respectively.

Gains during the week were led by pharma, PSU banks, media, and IT, while realty, consumer durables, and oil & gas lagged behind.

Indian equities navigated a highly eventful week characterised by alternating phases of volatility, resilience and profit booking, finally closing the week on a positive note.

Nifty reached an intra-day low of 25,842 before bouncing back and making a high of 26,310 on the last day of trading week.

Bharat K Gala, President, Technical Head, Ventura, said that key corrective zones traders should watch out for is the support zone at 25,851–25,566. A breach of this level can take the index to 25,337 and further to 25,107–24,780 zone.

Domestically, the stronger-than-expected Q2 GDP print, driven by resilient manufacturing, solid construction activity, and healthy private consumption, is set to support sentiment in the near term, market watchers said.

With robust GDP momentum and improving credit growth providing a solid backdrop for earnings acceleration in H2, the medium-term outlook remains positive, they added.

Investors look for cues next week from a critical lineup of macro data, including India and US PMI releases, US core PCE inflation and the RBI’s policy decision.

New Delhi, Nov 28: The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses from the Centre and the Haryana government on a petition highlighting the alleged humiliation of three female sanitation workers at Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) in Rohtak, who were reportedly forced to furnish photographic proof of menstruation to their supervisors.

A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan issued notice on the writ petition filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) under Article 32 of the Constitution.

The matter, now scheduled for hearing on December 15, raises concerns about protecting women’s rights to health, dignity, privacy, and bodily autonomy in workplaces and educational institutions during menstruation or related gynaecological issues.

The plea stems from an incident reported on October 26, when the three sanitation workers — called in on a Sunday due to the visit of the Haryana Governor — were allegedly “verbally abused, humiliated and pressured” by supervisors hired through the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam Limited.

According to the petition, the supervisors “demanded photographic proof from the workers by asking them to send photos of their sanitary pads”.

During the hearing, Justice Nagarathna-led Bench remarked that the episode reflected “a mindset” that was deeply troubling.

“In Karnataka, they are giving period leave. After reading this, I thought — will they ask for proof for giving the leave?” observed Justice Nagarathna.

“This shows the mentality of the person. If some heavy work could not be done because of their absence, somebody else could have been deployed,” the apex court added, expressing hope that “something good will happen in this petition”.

Following the incident, the MDU had suspended the two supervisors and initiated an internal inquiry. The Haryana State Commission for Women also took suo motu cognisance and sought reports from the varsity administration and the Rohtak police.

The Assistant Registrar and the two supervisors were subsequently booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to assault and outraging the modesty of a woman.

Calling the episode “disturbing”, the SCBA in its petition said such acts amounted to a violation of the women’s fundamental right to life, dignity, privacy and bodily integrity under Article 21.

The plea also referred to similar instances of “period-shaming” and invasive checks in schools and workplaces over the years, including a 2017 case where 70 girls in Uttar Pradesh were allegedly stripped naked to check for menstrual blood, and a 2020 incident in Gujarat where 68 college students were asked to remove their underwear for inspection.

Filed through advocate Pragya Baghel, the petition has sought directions to the Centre and the Haryana government to conduct a detailed inquiry into the Rohtak incident and issue nationwide guidelines “to ensure that the right to health, dignity, bodily autonomy and privacy of women and girls is not violated when they are going through menstruation and related gynaecological issues at workplaces and educational institutions”.

New Delhi, Nov 28: The Supreme Court on Friday restrained the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) from notifying reservations beyond 50 per cent in local bodies where elections are yet to be announced.

While allowing the already-notified polls to proceed as scheduled, a Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said that the results in local bodies where the quota exceeds the 50 per cent ceiling will remain subject to the outcome of the petitions challenging OBC reservation in Maharashtra.

“The elections of municipal councils and nagar panchayats may take place as per the notified schedule. However, the results of local bodies where reservation exceeds 50 per cent will be subject to the result of the writ petition,” the CJI Surya Kant-led Bench ordered.

Directing the SEC to notify elections to zila parishads, municipal corporations, and panchayat samitis, the apex court added: “So far as other bodies, the state government and the SEC will be at liberty to initiate the election process. However, it is directed that reservation in all these institutions shall not exceed 50 per cent. This condition is also subject to the final outcome of the present proceedings.”

The bench referred the matter to a three-judge Bench and posted it for hearing on January 21.

After senior advocate Vikas Singh urged the court to issue a positive direction to ensure elections are not stalled further, the Bench ordered: “In Zila Parishads and Panchayat Samitis, wherever reservation does not exceed 50 per cent, let the elections be held in terms of the previous directions.”

Senior advocate Balbir Singh, appearing for the SEC, informed the top court that elections to 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats have already been notified for December 2, and that in 57 local bodies going to polls, the reservation limit of 50 per cent has been crossed.

In May this year, the Supreme Court had directed that local body elections be completed within four months, with OBC reservation restored in accordance with the pre-2022 J.K. Banthia Commission legal framework. It clarified that the polls shall be subject to the outcome of the petitions challenging the recommendations of the Banthia commission.

In a subsequent hearing held on September 16, the apex court pulled up the state authorities for failing to comply with its earlier direction to complete the election process by August this year, and again ordered the SEC to conduct local body polls in the state by January 31, 2026.

The apex court directed that the delimitation exercise be completed by October 31, adding that any delay in delimitation will not be a ground to defer the local body elections.