A Parliamentary panel has called for sweeping improvements to India’s insolvency framework, including a new advance ruling mechanism that would give stakeholders clarity even before a case is admitted under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). The proposal is aimed at reducing avoidable litigation and safeguarding the time-bound nature of the resolution process, according to PTI.The recommendations were made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, which tabled its report in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The panel also backed integrating mediation as an alternative dispute resolution tool to ease the pressure on adjudicating authorities handling stressed assets under the IBC.Panel backs advance ruling, mediation and clean-slate clearancesThe committee said the advance ruling mechanism should address key legal or factual issues at the pre-admission stage, enabling faster movement of cases. It also proposed the integration of mediation to help cut the volume of disputes reaching the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).In addition, the panel urged the creation of a transparent online system for issuing ‘no dues’ certificates and statutory clearances immediately after a resolution plan is completed. Such a mechanism, it said, would ensure that revitalised companies genuinely begin operations with a clean slate.Since the IBC came into force in 2016, a total of 1,194 companies have been resolved, with creditors realising Rs 3.89 lakh crore — more than 170% of liquidation value and over 93% of fair value assessed at the time of admission. These figures are as of March 31 this year.Stronger NCLT capacity, stricter deterrents for frivolous appealsThe panel said the government should expedite the rollout of additional NCLT benches and fast-track the operationalisation of the proposed Integrated Technology Platform (iPIE) to improve centralised case management at both the NCLT and the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).To curb vexatious litigation, the committee recommended that the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) mandate an upfront threshold deposit for unsuccessful resolution applicants filing appeals. It also called for substantially higher penalties for frivolous applications.Other suggestions included revisiting homebuyer eligibility criteria, revising the waterfall mechanism governing priority of claims during liquidation, and simplifying procedures for distressed MSMEs. The panel said early intervention must continue to be prioritised to preserve enterprise value and stressed that once the NCLT approves a resolution plan, implementation should be prompt and monitored, with provisions to penalise non-compliance to maximise stakeholder recovery.

Mohammed Abdul Shoaib (centre), the lone survivor of the bus accident in Saudi Arabia’s Madina, with his family at his residence, in Hyderabad. (Picture credit: PTI)

NEW DELHI: The only survivor of the November 17 Umrah bus accident in Saudi Arabia returned to India on Tuesday and described the moments before the vehicle went up in flames, killing 45 other passengers. Mohammed Abdul Shoaib said the bus was travelling towards Madinah when a passenger asked the driver to stop for a toilet break. “As the driver stopped the bus, it was struck from behind by a tanker,” he said, as per ANI.Shoaib recalled that the driver escaped through a window immediately after the crash and “didn’t try to help any of the passengers”. As the fire spread rapidly, Shoaib managed to climb out of the same window, but his clothes had already caught fire. “There were 46 passengers on the bus, including me. Everyone else died,” he said, adding that his father, mother and maternal grandfather were among the victims.“I have no support left now. That is why I request the Telangana government to give me a government job,” he appealed.The group was part of a 54-member team that had flown from Hyderabad on November 9. Eighteen members of one extended family were among the dead. Shoaib survived only because he was seated beside the driver when the bus collided with the fuel tanker and burst into flames around 1.30 am.His brother, Mohammed Sameer, had said that he survived only because a visa delay kept him from travelling with the rest of the family. Sameer, who later reached Saudi Arabia and spoke to his injured brother in hospital, said Shoaib had “seen our parents being charred to death right in front of him”.The Telangana government has announced Rs 5 lakh ex gratia for the families of the dead and will send a team led by Minorities Welfare Minister Mohammed Azharuddin to coordinate relief.Saudi authorities have begun investigating the crash, which happened about 25 km short of the group’s destination.

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) will create a dedicated NPS fund-of-funds platform to route pension money into selected alternative investment funds (AIFs), chairman S Ramann said on Tuesday, outlining a broader push to position pension assets as a stable source of long-term capital for India’s private markets. Speaking at IVCA DII & Exits 2025, he said the regulator has spent recent years building clearer classifications and stronger governance for alternate assets, according to PTI.Ramann said PFRDA has now classified all alternate investment instruments into equity and debt, following Sebi’s decision to categorise Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) as equity. “Over the last few years, we have worked to classify alternate assets more clearly, strengthen governance structures, and build a centralised and transparent NPS fund-of-funds platform that can select AIFs with rigour and credibility,” he said.He added that such a framework will allow every pension fund — “large or small” — to deploy capital confidently without compromising prudence.Emphasising the role of domestic long-term pools, Ramann said, “India’s next phase of capital formation must be built on strong domestic pools of patient capital. Pension assets, by design, are long-term and stable, and our effort at PFRDA is to create a framework that allows these funds to participate meaningfully in India’s private market growth.”He noted that risk capital is cyclical but argued that a well-diversified AIF portfolio, backed by strong oversight and long horizons, can still deliver beneficial outcomes for NPS subscribers.Ramann said India cannot rely solely on seven- to ten-year fund structures and needs to adopt longer-tenor and perpetual vehicles that reflect the true nature of retirement savings. “If India is to unlock the full power of domestic institutional investors, we must align incentives, deepen trust through process excellence, and enable wider participation from pension, insurance, and retirement assets. The opportunity is immense, and with the right guardrails, domestic capital can become a powerful anchor for India’s long-term growth story,” he said.

NEW DELHI: Indian batter Virat Kohli on Tuesday confirmed that he will be available to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy starting December 24, news agency PTI reported, quoting DDCA president Rohan Jaitley.Kohli, who now plays only ODIs for India, is currently part of the ongoing series against South Africa. He is set to appear in the Hazare Trophy for the first time since February 2010, when he played against Services.The 37-year-old scored his 52nd ODI hundred in the series opener in Ranchi, showing he remains in rhythm despite featuring in only one format. Earlier this year, he retired from Test cricket. He had also stepped away from T20Is after India won the 2024 World Cup in Barbados.“He has confirmed his availability to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. How many games he will feature in, that is not clear yet. Obviously, him being around will be a massive boost to the Delhi dressing room,” Jaitley was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.Delhi will begin their campaign against Andhra in Bengaluru on December 24. They will play six matches in total.Large crowds are expected when Kohli features in domestic cricket. Earlier this year, more than 12,000 spectators attended a Ranji Trophy match when Kohli played his first first-class game in more than 12 years. He used the Ranji game to prepare for international cricket. Later, in a surprise call, he announced his retirement from Tests ahead of the England tour.The BCCI has made domestic participation compulsory for contracted players unless they are injured or on national duty.Rohit Sharma, who also retired from Tests ahead of the England tour, is set to play for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.Both Rohit and Kohli scored runs in the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi. The match was their first international appearance in months after the tour of Australia. Kohli did not score in the first two games of that series in Australia, but hit a half-century in the final ODI. Rohit had scored a hundred in the same match in Sydney.

Silver’s blistering ascent in 2025 has pushed it into uncharted territory, with the white metal crossing Rs 1.8 lakh per kg on Monday and delivering 103% returns — a surge that now places it alongside just 20 multibagger stocks, according to an ET analysis. Once regarded primarily as a hedging asset, silver has eclipsed not only gold but also most shares on the BSE and NSE this year.Analysts say the momentum shows little sign of cooling. Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, expects domestic prices to test Rs 1,81,000–Rs 1,85,000 in the near term, noting that March futures are hovering near a key hurdle at Rs 1,79,000–Rs 1,80,000. A breakout above this band, he said, could drive the next leg of the rally.Anuj Gupta, Director at Ya Wealth Global Research, also projects silver ending the year near Rs 1,82,000. On Monday, MCX silver futures settled at Rs 1,81,461 after scaling a fresh lifetime high of Rs 1,82,998.The outperformance comes against a backdrop of broader market churn. ET screening of stocks with a market capitalisation above Rs 1,000 crore shows a handful of names delivering exceptional gains this year. Leading the list is Elitecon International, an FMCG major with interests in tobacco and food & beverages, which has surged 746%. It is followed by Kothari Industrial Corporation with 561%, and the group’s fertiliser arm with 376%.A long roster of smallcaps — Cupid, Indo Thai Securities, NACL Industries, Force Motors, ASM Technologies, Lumax Industries, Lumax Auto Technologies, GRM Overseas, Apollo Micro Systems, Axiscades Technologies, Tourism Finance Corporation of India (TFCI), Gabriel India, SML Mahindra, AB Infrabuild and CarTrade Technologies — have clocked returns ranging from 108% to 334%.Two midcaps, L&T Finance and Aditya Birla Capital, have gained 130% and 101%, respectively, in 2025. For perspective, the BSE saw 4,455 stocks trade on Monday.Silver’s stellar run has been supported by hopes of a US Federal Reserve rate cut and a weakening Dollar Index (DXY). The DXY has fallen 0.82% over the past five sessions as of December 1 and is down 8.5% this year against a basket of six major currencies. A Reuters report quoted BofA Global Research forecasting a 25-basis-point Fed cut in December, citing soft labour market data and dovish signalling from policymakers. Two more cuts are expected in 2026.A rate cut typically aids non-yielding assets such as gold and silver. Expectations of stronger industrial demand have added to silver’s appeal, while domestic prices have been bolstered by the weakening rupee. Gupta of Ya Wealth said the INR has depreciated 4.6% against the US dollar, keeping import prices elevated and supporting local bullion rates.Historically, silver last posted standout returns of 46% in 2020, with 2019 delivering 20%. Between 2022 and 2024, the metal gained 11%–17%, while 2021 was an exception, logging an 8% decline.Gupta believes silver will continue to outpace gold and sees prices touching Rs 1,90,000 ($80) by March 2026 and Rs 2 lakh ($100) by Diwali 2026.On the charts, Apurva Sheth, Head of Market Perspectives and Research at SAMCO Securities, said silver has broken out of a consolidation phase between $46 and $54, with the broader uptrend remaining intact. He believes conditions now point to the possibility of another leg higher.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

India holds a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against South Africa after a thrilling 17-run victory in the Ranchi opener, where Virat Kohli’s masterful 135 propelled them to 349/8 before the bowlers held firm. The second ODI at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Wednesday (December 3) promises another high-stakes clash, with the hosts aiming to seal the series and the Proteas desperate to level it.

India, led by KL Rahul, may retain their winning XI from Ranchi or swap Washington Sundar for Rishabh Pant to bolster batting depth, with Rohit Sharma, Kohli, and Yashasvi Jaiswal setting the tone up top.

Key performers like Harshit Rana (early breakthroughs) and Kuldeep Yadav (middle-overs control) will target South Africa’s resilient lower order. South Africa, captained by Temba Bavuma, relies on Quinton de Kock’s explosiveness and Marco Jansen’s all-round threat after his 70 in the first game, potentially persisting with their lineup featuring Aiden Markram and Keshav Maharaj.

IND vs SA, 2nd ODI: Match Details

• Date and Time: December 3; 01:30 pm IST / 08:00 am GMT
• Venue: Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur

IND vs SA, Head-to-Head Record in ODIs

Matches Played: 95 | India won: 41 | South Africa won: 51 | No results: 03

Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium Pitch Report

The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur offers a balanced pitch for the India vs South Africa 2nd ODI, blending opportunities for batters and bowlers. It provides good bounce and carry from the outset, aiding fast bowlers like Krishna and Jansen with early seam movement and swing under day-night conditions starting at 1:30 PM local. As the game progresses, the surface eases for strokeplay, allowing middle-order stars like Kohli and Markram to dominate, though spinners such as Kuldeep and Maharaj can find grip and turn in the middle overs. The sole prior ODI here in 2023 saw New Zealand bowled out for 108 before India chased 111/2, hinting at chasing advantage, especially with potential dew. Expect competitive scores around 250-300, making toss crucial.

Squads

India: KL Rahul (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Quinton de Kock, Marco Jansen, Tony de Zorzi, Rubin Hermann, Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton, Prenelan Subrayen.

Also READ: “I’d be lying if…”: KL Rahul on India’s nervy win over South Africa in Ranchi ODI

IND vs SA, 2nd ODI: Match Prediction

Case 1:

• India wins the toss and bowls first
• South Africa’s powerplay score: 60-70
• South Africa’s total score: 300-310

Case 2:

• South Africa wins the toss and bowls first
• India’s powerplay score: 70-80
• India’s total score: 330-340

Match result: Team bowling first to win the game.

Also WATCH: Virat Kohli’s passionate celebration lights up Ranchi after Kuldeep Yadav’s crucial wicket during 1st ODI