Last Updated:November 14, 2025, 09:16 IST

Indian equity benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, are poised for a weak start on Friday, mirroring the sharp sell-off seen in global markets

Indian equity benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty, are poised for a weak start on Friday, mirroring the sharp sell-off seen in global markets. Investor sentiment remains cautious ahead of the Bihar assembly election results, which will be announced today. At 8:45 AM, GIFT Nifty Futures were trading at 25,899.5, down 23.5 points.

Global Cues

Across Asia, markets slipped in early trade after Wall Street closed sharply lower, with technology stocks facing renewed pressure amid uncertainty over potential Federal Reserve rate cuts. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was down 1.5 per cent, South Korea’s KOSPI dropped 2.03 per cent and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 1.23 per cent.

In the US, major indices tumbled on Thursday as AI-linked stocks dragged the broader market amid ongoing valuation concerns. The S&P 500 fell 1.7 per cent, the Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.3 per cent and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1.7 per cent.

Aparna Deb

Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a…Read More

Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a… Read More

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Last Updated:November 14, 2025, 07:00 IST

Children’s Day 2025 highlights rising education costs and urges parents to invest early via Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, PPF, NSC, ULIPs, and etc.

Children’s Day 2025: Top Plans to Build and Secure Your Child’s Financial Future

Children’s Day 2025: A great concern for every parent/guardian is to provide a good education to their children, so they can stand on their own. Rising costs and inflation are making it difficult to afford a quality education for their children. Thus, it makes sense for parents to begin investing/saving from the early days when the child is small in order to build a good corpus, which will help pay the child’s expenditures when they grow up.

Every scheme comes with its own structure, features, and way of working. So, understanding how each one functions is key to investing wisely and helping you meet long-term goals.

Mutual Fund Investment For Your Child

Parents can help child open demat account to invest in mutual fund schemes. The guardian can set up Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) and manage mutual fund investments on behalf of their children. However, payments for mutual fund investments must be made from the child’s bank account.

Income earned by a minor from investments, such as capital gains and dividends, is generally clubbed with the income of the higher-earning parent. The parent is responsible for paying taxes on this combined income.

Once the child attains the age of maturity (18-year-old), the account must be converted to an individual account with fresh KYC documentation.

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY)

It is a government-sponsored savings scheme for small deposits that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched in 2015. As part of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign, this scheme helps parents or guardians pay for their girl child’s expenditures. SSY’s main objectives are to support girls’ interests in study and lessen the financial strain of marriage.

Public Provident Fund (PPF)

If you already have a PPF account in your name, you can open another one in your child’s name. The maximum amount that can be deposited into both the parent and minor accounts in a single year is Rs 1.5 lakh. In addition to your account, open a PPF child account in your child’s name and continue to make contributions to both.

National Savings Certificate (NSC)

The NSC is a fixed-income plan that is easy to open with any post office and saves income tax. It is an initiative of the Government of India. An NSC account must be opened with a minimum investment of Rs 1,000 and a monthly contribution in multiples of Rs 100. NSC accounts do not have a maximum investment limit. Anyone can choose to invest in an NSC, including children ages 10 and up. Parents or legal guardians may also make investments on a minor’s behalf.

ULIPs for Children

Child ULIPs, also known as unit-linked insurance plans, are specifically acquired for children. In addition to insurance coverage, these plans include investment opportunities to help accumulate money for the child’s future needs. There may be five-year lock-in periods for child ULIPs. Before choosing a term length, think about how long you’ll need the coverage. Popular terms are 20 or 30 years. Based on the chosen fund type, the funds are distributed across debt and equity securities.

Varun Yadav

Varun Yadav is a Sub Editor at News18 Business Digital. He writes articles on markets, personal finance, technology, and more. He completed his post-graduation diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Inst…Read More

Varun Yadav is a Sub Editor at News18 Business Digital. He writes articles on markets, personal finance, technology, and more. He completed his post-graduation diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Inst… Read More

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The Government-backed NS&I is facing a bill of £3 billion and a four-year delay for its major digital revamp, having “underestimated” the scale of the challenge, the pubic spending watchdog has said.

The savings giant does not have a realistic plan in place and lacks the capability to deliver on its programme, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).

NS&I, which has more than 24 million customers and is backed by the Treasury, kickstarted a digital transformation programme in 2020.

It was hoping to reduce its running costs and modernise its IT systems as part of the plans.

The programme aims to replace its outsourcing arrangement with external supplier Atos, which it has had since 1999.

The arrangement covers most of its operations, including engagement with customers and processing payments.

NS&I said it expects the programme to end when the Atos contract expires in March 2028 – four years later than its original schedule of 2024, the NAO found in its report.

It is also set to go over budget with total costs expected to be £3 billion – up from the £1.7 billion estimated budget in 2020.

Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: “NS&I faced complex, long-term technology challenges and saw the ending of the contract with its external supplier as an opportunity to resolve these and transform its business.

“But it underestimated the scale of this challenge and overestimated its ability to deliver its digital transformation programme, which led to significant cost and time increases.”

The NAO said NS&I reset its programme in 2024 and has “made progress by identifying the key issues to address”.

“It must now develop a realistic integrated plan to deliver its new operating model and achieve intended benefits for the business, customers and the taxpayer,” Mr Davies concluded.

NS&I is backed by the Treasury, so money held with it has 100% security.

It raises funds for government by borrowing from individual savers, who invest in products such as premium bonds and ISAs.

A spokesman for NS&I said: “We welcome the NAO’s report and accept its recommendations.

“We are on track to raise £12 billion this year to help support public services across the UK, while maintaining our operational performance and customer satisfaction for 24 million customers.

“Our business transformation programme is key to continuing to deliver cost-effective finance for government, and the services customers want.”