Author: sureshzmc07

After successful editions in Gorakhpur, Lucknow and Varanasi, TOI Dialogues travels to Kanpur to continue its mission to explore the rise of Uttar Pradesh. Renowned for being a leading producer and exporter of leather and textile goods, Kanpur has emerged as a thriving economic hub in recent years.

In addition to its financial prowess, the city has made significant contributions to art, literature and cinema, helping shape the cultural landscape of Uttar Pradesh.

Kanpur’s blend of tradition and modernity makes it an ideal destination for TOI Dialogues. The event will bring together thought leaders and experts to decode how the city is playing a pivotal role in the state’s progress and India’s growth story.

Tablets are must-haves in today’s tech-oriented atmosphere. Tablets come in handy in work settings and also as a tool for children. But it is often difficult to choose the right tablet that suits your budget and also performance expectations. Budget-friendly tablets are the best as they give a reasonable cost and high functionality. These affordable tablets are excellent for streaming, gaming, study purposes, and general use. They give a reliable performance without the high price. These tablets have vibrant screens, fairly fast performance, and sufficient storage space.
Budget-friendly tablets have a large screen to offer a better user experience. For students, kids, or those who need a secondary tablet, these are good-quality tablets that are affordable and will keep you connected and entertained without having to spend too much money. On the Big Billion Day sales on Flipkart, discover the most attractive offers on budget-friendly tablets that do not compromise performance. It has never been better to get a high-end tablet at such low prices. Do not miss these greatest offers for the grabbing the right tablet!

Our Top Picks for the Best Budget-Friendly Tablets available on discount

Maximum Screen Size: OnePlus Pad Go 8/128 LTE
Longest Battery Life: realme Pad 2 Lite 4/128 4G
Best Budget Pick: Samsung A9 4/64 Wi-Fi, Lenovo M10 4/64 4G
Durable Pick: Infinix XPad 8/256 4G, Redmi Pad SE 8/128 Wi-Fi

An Overview of Budget-Friendly Tablets Mentioned Below:

This budget-friendly tablet from realme really enhances your digital experience. The tablet has a display that measures 11 inches across. It features an excellent 2K Eye Comfort Display for bright visuals. The tablet runs on Android 13. It gives a plunging audio feel with a Dolby Atmos Quad Speaker setup that delivers rich sound quality. The battery has a huge 8360mAh capacity. Additionally, it flaunts an amazing 2K Eye Comfort Display designed for bold visuals. This tab features the Mediatek Helio G99 Chipset for trouble-free multitasking.
Key Features

This Redmi Pad SE is a feature-packed tablet. It is built explicitly for performance and entertainment. Possessing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 Octa-Core processor, this tab becomes ultra-fast. It also provides multitasking without a lag. It is fitted with an 11-inch FHD+ display. It has an end-user 90Hz AdaptiveSync refresh rate. It is also TÜV Rheinland eye care certified. The device has additive support for Dolby Atmos. The battery of this tab has an 8000 mAh capacity. It arrives with a 5 MP front-facing camera as well as an 8 MP rear camera.
Key Features

This Lenovo Tab is suitable for those who want to have a portable tablet for business purposes study and entertainment uses. It comes with multiple features. It has an 11-inch FHD IPS panel. It has a super high refresh rate of 90Hz. This version is more efficient and it is powered by the Mediatek Helio G88 processor. It runs on Android 13 operating system. It includes a 13 MP camera at the back and an 8 MP camera at the front. The tablet has four speakers that are partnered with Dolby Atmos sound tuning.
Key Features

This XPAD LTE from Infinix is a tough tablet. It has a 7.6 mm metal body. It includes an 11-inch FHD+ screen. It comes with a high 90Hz refresh rate. It is also compatible with 96% of the RGB gamut. Its structure is based on the 6nm process technology. What drives the tab is the MediaTek Helio G99 octa-core processor. For people who game and multitask, this Helio G99 processor provides excellent, high-powered performance. The XPAD’s power and optimality guarantees a stunning user experience.
Key Features

This tablet is suitable for plunging entertainment and work. Its blazing-fast Unisoc T610 Octa-core processor makes it simple to navigate between multiple programmes. The tab comes with 4 GB of RAM. You are able to easily keep your favourite apps, photos, and videos on this tab, as its 64 GB ROM is expandable to 128 GB. It has a 5100mAh battery. This Lenovo tab comes with Dolby Atmos speakers. It gives a faultless visual experience. It is exceptionally bright and clear. It captures pictures with the 8 MP rear and 5 MP front cameras.
Key Features

This Galaxy Tab includes a RAM of 4 GB with an internal memory of 64 GB. it has a display of 8.7 inches with WQXGA, that is superb for media, gaming, reading, and browsing activities. The rear camera is of 8MP and the front camera is of 2 MP. It is equipped with Android 12 operating system. This tab has a 5100mAh battery. It comes with a MediaTek MT8781 (G99) processor that offers efficiency in many activities. It is suitable for children as well as business people. It has no voice call feature, however, if your needs involve Wi-Fi and general uses, then this one is perfect.
Key Features

This budget friendly tablet form OnePlus comes with an outstanding 2.4K Ultra-High resolution display. It has an 11.35-inch LED massive touch screen. The OnePlus tablet has Dolby Atmos Quad Speakers for that rich sound feel. It also shields your eyes through the Low Blue Light feature and controlled brightness setting. It is arrayed at the front and at the back of the tablet with 8 MP cameras. It operates the MediaTek Helio G99 processor. It operates on the Android Oxygen OS 13.2. This tablet has an 8000mAh battery.
Key Features

Alongside its 11-inch WUXGA resolution pixel display, there is also a TFT touchscreen on the Samsung tablet. It operates on the super-fast Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon processor. This tab has an 8 MP primary camera alongside a 5 MP front camera, which takes clear photos and videos. This Samsung tablet is a Wi-Fi and 5G enabled device. It is built with quad speakers to create a deep and impactful sound feel. The compatible technology of the Rine 7040 mAh battery provides enough capacity for constant use.
Key Features

Other related articles that you can read:
Top Performing Tablets Under 30000 For Work, Play, and Study
Best Tablets Under 15,000: Top Picks That You Can Buy Online
Best Tablet Under 10000: Affordable and High-Performance Choices
DISCLAIMER: At TOI, we keep you informed about the newest trends and products. The products listed have been well studied and researched, and are also in line with customer ratings. TOI is part of an affiliate partnership, meaning we may receive a portion of the revenue from your purchases. The product prices mentioned in the article are subject to change, as per retailers’ deals

In today’s ever-changing job market, professionals are on the quest for an ideal workplace. While perceptions of an ideal work environment can vary greatly, a thorough analysis can reveal companies that genuinely foster employee growth. A LinkedIn survey named Top Companies 2024: The 50 Best Large Workplaces to Grow Your Career in the U.S, conducted in April 2024, has unveiled the list of companies that have performed really well on multiple parameters as employers.
This report evaluates organizations based on eight critical factors that contribute to employees’ career development: Advancement potential, skill enhancement, company stability, external opportunities, workplace culture, gender diversity, educational background, and employee presence. To be eligible, companies must have at least 5,000 global employees, including a minimum of 500 in the US as of December 31, 2023, with an attrition rate below 10%. Additionally, firms that have implemented layoffs of 10% or more since January 1, 2023, are excluded from consideration. The rankings focus solely on parent companies, integrating data from their subsidiaries, and rely on aggregated and anonymized LinkedIn data collected throughout 2023. Here are a few companies that have fared well in the LinkedIn study.

J.P. Morgan Chase

J.P. Morgan Chase, an American multinational finance company, has clinched the first rank in the LinkedIn report. It is one of the world’s leading financial services firms, operates in over 100 countries with a workforce of more than 260,000 employees.
Top U.S. Locations: J.P. Morgan Chase has a strong presence in major U.S. cities, including New York City, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Columbus, Ohio. These locations provide a range of opportunities in finance, business development, and engineering roles.
Secrets to Workplace Joy: J.P. Morgan promotes flexibility, with a portion of its workforce working in hybrid environments. This flexibility allows employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance while driving success in their careers. It also offers employee-friendly programmes such as Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that provides support for personal challenges, emotional concerns, substance abuse, and workplace conflicts.

Amazon

Amazon has been ranked at the second position in LinkedIn’s report. It is a global leader in e-commerce, technology, and innovation.
Top US Locations: Seattle, New York City, and the San Francisco Bay Area
Secrets to Workplace Joy: Amazon offers overtime pay for hours beyond 40 per week, and employees also receive time-and-a-half for working on holidays, adding significant value to their compensation. It also offers a program named Anytime Pay, through which employees can choose their payday, a rare benefit. It gives them control over their finances. This flexibility allows workers to access their earnings when they need them, rather than waiting for the traditional pay cycle.
Amazon offers a robust 401K savings plan, a retirement plan that lets you contribute annually up to a certain limit and invest those funds for your future after you retire. Additional benefits like estate planning and financial counselling ensure that employees can make informed decisions about their long-term financial health.

Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo is a prominent financial services institution dedicated to meeting the needs of its clients specializing in commercial banking, capital markets, and debt collection. The company emphasizes skills-based hiring, with over 90% of its positions focussed on relevant skills rather than formal educational credentials. It has bagged the third rank in the LinkedIn survey.
Top US Locations: Charlotte, N.C., Minneapolis, New York City
Secrets to Workplace Joy: Along with providing a competitive remuneration structure, this global giant has several other attractive features. Wells Fargo provides tuition reimbursement of up to $5,000 each year and offers scholarships of up to $3,000 annually for dependent children of employees.

Alphabet

Alphabet Inc. is a multinational technology conglomerate based in Mountain View, California. Alphabet is the parent organization of several companies, including Google, YouTube, Fitbit, Verily, Waze, and more. It ranks as the second-largest technology company globally by revenue, following Apple, and is recognized as one of the most valuable companies in the world. The LinkedIn report has ranked it at the 10th position.
Top U.S. locations: San Francisco Bay Area; New York City, Seattle
Secrets to Workplace Joy: The company offers flexible work arrangements, allowing employees to balance their professional and personal lives effectively. There are also work opportunities available outside the United States, along with paid internships to gain valuable experience. Employees receive assistance in paying off their student loans and benefit from matching contributions to their 401(k) plans.

Bank of America

Bank of America serves as the parent organization for Merrill Lynch, U.S. Trust, and several other entities. It is the second-largest banking institution in the U.S. and ranks as the second-largest bank globally by market capitalization, following JPMorgan Chase. Bank of America is also recognized as one of the Big Four banks in the United States. The Bank of America has been ranked at the 12th position by LinkedIn.
Top U.S. locations: New York City; Charlotte, N.C.; Dallas-Fort Worth
Secrets to Workplace Joy: Eighty-five percent of Bank of America employees consider it a great workplace, significantly higher than the 57% average at typical U.S. companies according to a report issued by the Great Place to Work website. It fosters a positive work environment and numerous growth opportunities.

Isn’t it wonderful to imagine that Earth was utterly different 400 million years ago! Before the time, when trees, oaks, and bristlecone pines began covering the Earth, towering, tree-like masses named ‘Prototaxites’ dominated Earth. For the unversed, Prototaxites refers to an extinct genus of terrestrial fungi. These mushroom giants could reach as much as 8 meters in height.
The ancient world of Prototaxites
About 400 million years ago, in the Silurian and Devonian periods, Earth’s landscape was not remotely anything like we see today.The land was generally barren because only small plants and invertebrates were just starting to colonize it at that time. In this primitive landscape, Prototaxites dominated as the tallest and most impressive of all living organisms. According to the National Geographic, “The ancient organism boasted trunks up to 24 feet (8 meters) high and as wide as three feet (one meter),” were, quite literally, giants of their time.Ecological role and importance
Prototaxites provided essential components for highly early ecosystems. According to the Smithsonian, they were decomposers, capable of breaking down organic matter, and recycling nutrients from dead material back into the soil, thus enriching the soil to make it more fertile for other species of plants to eventually evolve and spread. Most probably, giant fungi formed microhabitats that nurtured a wide variety of early life forms.
Fossil evidence and scientific debate
Fossils of Prototaxites had surfaced around the world, casting some light into this earlier, fungal-dominated world. Fossil remains have revealed the incredible complexity of the fungi’s anatomy, interwoven tubes that composed their giant trunks. Though it is extremely well-represented in the fossil record, its very nature was the subject of much debate for many years. Some scientists originally thought they might be a kind of lichen or even some incredibly primitive tree.
It was only in 2007 when a study of the carbon isotopes in Prototaxites fossils gave conclusive proof that these structures were, indeed, fungi. This clarifies the role of these fossils in ancient ecosystems and highlights its importance in the history of life on Earth.
The first fossils of Prototaxites were discovered along the shores of Gaspé Bay in Canada by Charles Dawson, a Canadian paleontologist, in 1859. Since then, additional fossils have been found in various parts of the world. These fossils have also been found in Saudi Arabia, which helped scientists further understand the global distribution and significance of Prototaxites.

Archana Puran Singh recently gave fans a sneak peek into her fun travel experience with The Kapil Sharma Show team, including Kapil Sharma, Kiku Sharda, Krushna Abhishek, and Rajiv Thakur. In a lighthearted video, Archana shared that while Kapil was awake, the rest of the team was fast asleep.
She humorously captioned the video with a disclaimer: “Video posted with full permission from the team!” Archana’s son, Ayushmaan, joined the banter, playfully commenting, “Maybe I should record you sleeping next…”

The amusing clip has delighted fans, showcasing the camaraderie among the cast members of The Kapil Sharma Show, which premiered its latest season this past Saturday.The video not only highlights their behind-the-scenes bond but also adds to the excitement surrounding the much-awaited return of the beloved comedy show.

Archana Puran Singh openly discussed the fun banter between her and Kapil Sharma, especially the jokes he makes about her. During an exclusive conversation with ETimes TV, while promoting The Great Indian Kapil Show, Archana explained that it’s all in good humour and part of their on-screen dynamic, which fans have grown to love on the show.

She said, “A lot of people take it seriously but I always mention that I don’t take these jokes cracked on me seriously then why you all are getting affected? Personal life mein Kapil thodi Na mere upar jokes crack karta hai. In personal life he’s very respectful, loving and we have a lot of affection for each other.”

The first episode saw Alia Bhatt, Karan Johar, Vasan Bala and Vedang Raina. They came to promote their film Jigra. It was a fun-filled premiere episode of the second season. Sunil Grover impressed all as the jealous ex-lover of Ranbir Kapoor and impersonated Shah Rukh Khan from Dear Zindagi. On the other hand, Krushna Abhishek and Kiku Sharda played Alia’s roles as Safina and Gangubai from her films Gully Boy and Gangubai Kathiawadi.

The heinous rape-murder at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital that occurred on August 9 has enraged the mass of Bengal and pushed them to come out their comfort zone and take to the streets raising their voices demanding justice. Artists and technicians from the Bengali entertainment industry have come forward and joined in various protest rallies.However, that is not the end of it at all. The RG Kar rape-murder incident has opened a can of worms and artists and technicians from Tollywood have come forward with their encounter of harassment that have been brushed under the carpet for so long. A well-known hairdresser from Tollywood recently set herself on fire and attempted suicide after being deprived of work for months. She was saved by her daughter and was admitted to a hospital for medical attention. The hairdresser has sustained a number of serious burn injuries and is currently under recovery. She has been discharged from the hospital. However, National Award winning actor and acting coach Sudipta Chakraborty informed via social media that the hairdresser has been advised to go through regular counselling for her mental trauma.
Sudipta Chakraborty took to social media and revealed that the hairdresser poured kerosene all over herself in order to end her life. Sudipta wrote, “She wanted to kill herself by writing a suicide note and pouring kerosene oil on herself. Somehow it was prevented. She was saved. She had messaged me that evening and asked for my help. I was in class. I couldn’t answer in time. I’m unable to forgive myself.” Sudipta added, “The extent to which workplace harassment can go is a glaring example right before my eyes right now. I will see the end of this, I promise.”
Sudipta reminisced about her association with the sad hairdresser and wrote, “Year 2002… She started working in film/TV industry as my shooting attendant. Then learnt hairdressing, became a professional hairdresser with a hairdresser’s guild card. I’ve known her for 22 years. Her husband has been sick for a long time. She pulls the family alone by doing her job. I will be by her side, no matter what.” Sudipta also revealed that the hairdresser has been associated with her stage act ‘Binodini Opera’, which is slated for September 23. She wrote, “There is a show of Binodini Opera tomorrow (Sep 23). She is supposed to work there too. I don’t know if she can make it. Get well soon. I am still shivering thinking what could have happened. I will protest against this injustice. No one can stop me.”
Sudipta also shared an update regarding the recovery of the hairdresser, saying, “She has been discharged from the hospital. But I think it will take some time for her to recover from the trauma of the past three/four months and the trauma she suffered from the incident. The hospital also advised regular counselling for the trauma.” Keeping her financial situation in mind, the ‘Binodini Opera’ actress added, “Many have expressed their desire to help her financially. As far as I know her, she is not a girl who would take money just like that. However, I will try to talk to her about it when she is a bit better. Now I just wish her a speedy recovery and back to work. Let her earn by working and pay off all the debts gradually. We are all with her.”