TRADITIONS UNDER THREAT

Earlier in September, the Indian government, which is going through a severe revenue crunch,sent out a missive to its ministries, departments, public sector undertakings and public sector banks barring themfrom physical printing of calendars, diaries and greeting cards, bringing down the curtains on the decades-long year-end ritual. Across the border, many corporates are opting for similar belt-tightening measures amid the pandemic, placing fewer orders or none at all, much to the dismay of the printing presses that look forward to this time of the year to log in good business. Pictured are scenes at a press in the capital’s Fakirapool area last week. The press got a decent order to print calendars for Mercantile Bank, which would be sending those out to its business associates.