The emergence of new coronavirus variant has sparked concerns that the economic recovery might get derailed. This triggered a sell-off in equities on Friday. Nifty50 closed at 17026.45, down 2.91 percent and Sensex ended 2.87 percent lower at 57107.15.

Jai Bala of Cashthechaos.com is of the view that the Nifty should not have gone below 17,250 and a break of 17,250 signals that the market could drop even as deep as 15,500.

Any preferential issue allotment resulting in change in control should be done following a reasoned recommendation from a committee of independent directors, according to Sebi. The regulator also suggested that securities allotted to promoter or promoter group entities under preferential issue and which are under lock-in should be permitted to be pledged

While cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have gained popularity, thanks to the meteoric rise in prices, the significance, and scope of blockchain, the underlying technology, is yet to be fully explored. Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das recently pointed out that while cryptocurrencies can be a 'serious concern', the decade-old blockchain technology can grow without the currency. The Indian government, which is contemplating a ban on all private cryptocurrencies, has also noted it wants to 'promote the underlying technology of cryptocurrency and its uses'. Blockchain, a decentralised system of storing data, has multiple uses other than cryptocurrency transactions. Here are some real-world uses of blockchain technology