Business news today mixed market nerves with deeper regulatory and structural signals. Indian equities softened in a holiday-shortened week, wiping Rs 1.54 lakh crore off seven of the country’s 10 most-valued firms, with Reliance, HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel and TCS among the biggest drags as benchmark indices slipped. Beyond the market, institutions were focused on risk and accountability: the Supreme Court delivered a significant ruling that the POCSO Act applies when minors are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation, underscoring that a child’s consent is legally irrelevant and widening the prosecutorial framework against traffickers. In education technology, CBSE said vulnerabilities in its OnMark portal have been contained, with security experts now probing for any wider weaknesses and insisting student data remains safe. And abroad, Australia’s property market appears to be cooling sharply, with Sydney and Melbourne price falls halting national growth and potentially opening the door for more first-time buyers.