The Delhi Police on Saturday released the photographs of 20 people who were allegedly involved in the violence that broke out at the Red Fort on Republic Day during the farmers' tractor parade, officials said.

Police said they are scanning the videos and releasing the pictures of people from them.

"We have released the pictures and the process of identification (of the people) has been started," a senior police officer said.

Earlier, police had released 200 photographs of people in connection with the Red Fort violence.

Thousands of protesters had clashed with the police during the tractor parade called by farmer unions on January 26 to highlight their demand for repeal of the Centre's three farm laws.

Many of the protesters, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort and entered the monument.

Some of them even hoisted religious flags on its domes and the flagstaff at the ramparts.

The farmers have been protesting since late November at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of the Centre's three new agri laws.   -- PTI

An Air India Express flight hit an electric pole while landing at Vijayawada International Airport in Gannavaram on Saturday.

As per an official statement, all passengers on the flight are safe.

The airline authorities have ordered an investigation.Airport director, G Madhusudan Rao told ANI: "An Air India flight coming from Doha met with a minor accident at Vijayawada International Airport in Gannavaram today. All passengers are safe.

"When the flight was about to land, its wing hit a light pole. The light pole broke and fell down. The flight wing is slightly damaged. This incident happened at 16.54 IST."

"There were 64 passengers in the flight excluding the crew. Nobody is injured in the incident and all are safe," Rao said.

Following landing, as the flight was taxiing on the runway towards bay number 5, it hit the electrical pole.

"AI Express flight IX-1676 that arrived from Doha at Vijayawada Airport at 16.50 hrs, today, while flight was proceeding from runway to Bay No. 5 the captain followed leading margin (yellow) line instead of central yellow line

"As a result the flight's right wing hit the high mask lights pole and the pole fell down. The flight's right wing got minor damage. Passengers and crew all are safe. Air India staff and technical personnel are attending," sources said.

The flight from Doha was headed to Vijaywada and then to Trichy.

Out of the 64 passengers, 19 passengers were headed to Vijaywada and the rest are now headed to Trichy.

"The airline authorities have ordered an investigation," the airport director Rao said.

Ramareddy, one of the passengers who had boarded from Doha said he felt a small jerk during landing.

"There was a small jerk and we passengers felt nothing except that jerk. The pilot was alert. Nothing happened to anybody," he said. -- ANI

Two days after Congress leader Nana Patole targeted Amitabh Bachchan for not speaking out against the fuel price rise, police on Saturday increased the security outside the actor's bungalow in Mumbai.

"It is a temporary measure, as a precaution," an official from the local police station said, without specifying what prompted them to deploy more personnel outside 'Jalsa', Bachchan's bungalow in Juhu.

Earlier this week, Patole, the Maharashtra Congress chief, had lashed out at Bollywood celebrities including Bachchan and Akshay Kumar, saying they used to tweet about the rise in petrol and diesel prices during the United Progressive Alliance regime, but now they are quiet.

If they did not take a stand on the issue of current fuel price hike, then screening of their films and shootings would not be allowed in Maharashtra, he had said on Thursday.

The Congress shares power in the state with the Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena.   -- PTI

Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Saturday said he is having a Ramtemple constructed inhis village, as he urged those involved in collection of donations for the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya to be accountable to the people of the country, as it is public money.

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of playing with the emotions of people in the name of god, the former chief minister said he too has faith in god, but for him beliefs are personal issues and should not be used as a political tool.

".. there is nothingthat only those who have given the money should ask for accounts. What I have said is, in the past too money and bricks were collected for Ram Mandir during Ayodhya agitation... did they account for it?" Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, he said, it is said that Rs 1,500 crore has been collected so far, an account should be given, all 135 crore people might not have given, but it is public money.

"I'm not mentioning about any corruption, but an account has to be given.. they are accountable... if they don't give an account, doesn't it give rise to suspicion about misuse?" he asked, adding that those collecting donations are accountable to the people of the country.

He was responding to a BJP leaders' statements questioning who Siddaramaiah was to seek an account, when he has not given any donations.

Siddaramaiah had earlier in the week said that he will not give a donation to build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya since it will be built in a disputed place.

The Leader of Opposition in the state assembly accused the BJP of trying to gain sympathy as part of its propaganda in the name of God.

People are giving money for Sri Rama and his temple, not for BJP, he said adding that 'there are Ram Mandirs everywhere, also in villages, not only in Ayodhya.. I also have a Ram temple constructed in my village..the public have contributed to it'.   -- PTI

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader, Rakesh Tikait was denied permission to hold a rally in Maharashtra amid rising COVID-19 cases in the state.

"Lockdown has been put into place in certain districts of Maharashtra. Also, Section 144 has been imposed in certain areas. All these steps have been taken because of a rise in COVID-19 cases. Hence, the authorities have denied permission to hold a rally in the state," Tikait said.

"Farmers will continue to protest at Delhi's borders," he asserted.

Karnataka government also issued a circular in view of rising cases of COVID-19 in neighbouring Maharashtra.

'A negative RT-PCR certificate that is not older than 72 hours shall be compulsory for those arriving by flights/ buses/trains/personal transport,' it reads.

Maharashtra reported 6,112 new COVID-19 cases, 2,159 discharges, and 44 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per State Health Department on Friday.

Following a rise in COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra's Amaravati, district collector Shailesh Naval on Thursday announced a lockdown in the district.

"Owing to rising cases, lockdown declared in Amravati District from Saturday 8 pm to Monday 7 am," Naval told reporters.

"I advise all the people of the district to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines failing which strict action will be taken by the concerned authorities," he added.

Following this information, the Yavatmal district also tightened its COVID-19 restrictions the same day.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. -- ANI

The flight operations to and from Jammu airport would be restricted to seven hours for 41 days from March 10 as the Indian Air Force withdrew its earlier order proposing complete closure of the airport for 15 days next month for resurfacing work of the runway, officials said on Saturday.     

The decision was reviewed and modified by the IAF in consultation with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) at a meeting on Friday following instructions from the Union Defence Ministry, the officials said.

A day earlier, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar chaired a joint meeting of IAF and AAI in Delhi and advised them to find a way out to avoid closure of the airport for civilian traffic after the Civil Aviation Ministry raised the issue with him at the request of Jammu and Kashmir administration.

The officials said the proposed complete closure of the Jammu airport from March 6 to March 20 has been withdrawn.

However, the flight operations at the airport would be restricted to seven hours daily from March 10 to April 19 to facilitate smooth work.

The Jammu airport would be available for the operations from 6 am to 1 pm with the last flight departure at 12.50 pm during March 10 to April 19, the officials said.

They said the Jammu airport would be available for operations as per earlier normal watch hours with effect from April 20.

In a communication addressed to Jammu Airport Director Pravat Ranjan Beuria, the Air Force Station Jammu had wanted complete closure of the airport for 15 days towards laying of the final two top DAC-II layers on the runway surface.

The order drew a strong resentment from the J-K administration and Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam lodged his protest with the civil aviation ministry and requested intervention of the Ministry of Defence in the matter to ensure that the resurfacing is carried out in such a manner that civilian air traffic is not affected during the day time.   -- PTI

Over a dozen MLAs and MPs from West Bengal, including those who recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party from the Trinamool Congress and other parties, have been given VIP security cover by the Centre, officials said on Saturday.

The security has been approved by the Union home ministry after analysing a 'threat assessment' report and recommendations prepared by the central security agencies, they said.

All the political leaders have been granted the lower categories of central VIP security cover like 'X' and 'Y' for their movement within West Bengal, they said.

They said the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been tasked with providing the cover.

The paramilitary force has a dedicated VIP security unit called the special security group (SSG) and it protects high-risk personalities like NSA Ajit Doval and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat among others.

Sources told PTI these latest VIP security arrangements are 'temporary keeping in mind the protection and well-being of the politicians during the forthcoming elections season and once the activities at the hustings are over, the cover will be reviewed'.

Elections to the 294-seat West Bengal assembly apart from that in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry are due in April-May.

Those provided the cover include Communist Party of India-Marxist MLA from Tamluk Ashok Dinda, TMC MLA from Kanthi Uttar seat Bansari Maity, Congress MLA from Purulia Sudeep Mukherjee, Gazole TMC MLA Dipali Biswas, TMC MLA from Bally (Howrah) and daughter of former cricket administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya - Baishali Dalmiya,  TMC MLA from Monteswar Saikat Panja, CPI-M MLA from Haldia Tapasi Mondal, TMC MLA from Kalna Biswajit Kundu and TMC MLA from Barrackpore assembly seat Shilabhadra Dutta.

Biswas had won the Gajole seat in 2016 on a CPI-M ticket but joined the TMC in 2018.

She, however, is stated to have not resigned as a CPI-M MLA.

All these MLAs have recently quit either the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC party, the CPI-M or the Congress and most of them have joined the BJP.

BJP Lok Sabha MPs Kunar Hembram (Jhargram), Subhas Sarkar (Bankura) and Jagannath Sarkar (Ranaghat) and party leader and state committee member Krishnendu Mukherjee have also been provided the central security cover, sources said.

There were specific threats analysed against the MPs and Mukherjee and hence protection under the central VIP cover were extended to them, sources said.

Under the lowest 'X' category central cover, two-three armed commandos accompany the protectee during travel while the 'Y' protection has a provision to include four-five security personnel, as per requirement.

The 'Z' and 'Z+' are the higher categories of the central VIP security cover. Similar protection is also provided by various state governments through their police units.    -- PTI

There is no evidence to show that the toolkit on farmers' protest is responsible for the violence on January 26, activist Disha Ravi's counsel told a Delhi court which reserved for Tuesday its order on her bail plea.

"If highlighting farmers' protest globally is sedition, I'm better in jail," Ravi said through her counsel on Saturday.

Ravi's counsel was submitting arguments after the Delhi Police opposed her bail plea, alleging she was preparing the toolkit with those advocating Khalistan and was part of a global conspiracy to defame India and create unrest in the country in the garb of farmers' protest.

"This was not just a toolkit. The real plan was to defame India and create unrest here," the police said before Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana.

It alleged that Ravi deleted WhatsApp chats, emails and other evidence and was aware of legal actions she could face.

Why did Disha Ravi cover her track and delete evidence if she did not commit wrong, the police said, alleging that his shows her guilty mind and sinister design.

Ravi 'was part of the Indian chapter of the global conspiracy to defame India and create unrest in the garb of farmers' protest', it alleged, adding she was in touch and preparing and sharing toolkit with those advocating Khalistan.

"It shows there was a sinister design behind this toolkit," the police told the court.

However, Ravi's lawyer rejected the allegations.

"There is no evidence to link me with Sikhs For Justice, a banned organisation. And even if I (Ravi) meet someone, there is no symbol on him that he is a secessionist," the defence counsel said.

"The Delhi police gave permission for the farmers' march, which they're claiming that I (Ravi) asked people to join, so how did I become seditious," the lawyer said in court.

There's nobody arrested in connection with violence at Red Fort who says he was inspired for same because of the toolkit, Ravi's counsel claimed, adding there is no evidence to show that the toolkit is responsible for violence during farmers' march.

The counsel also questioned the contents of the FIR and asserted that people can have a different point of view on a subject.

"There is an allegation in FIR that Yoga and Chai are being targeted. Is it an offence? We are now reducing the bar that somebody can't have a point of view different," Ravi's lawyer said.

"The talk about alleged genocide in Kashmir has been going on for years. How talking about it suddenly becomes sedition," the lawyer said.

A trial court had on Friday sent Ravi to judicial custodyfor three days after her five-day police custody expired.

The Delhi high court on Friday heard Ravi's plea to restrain police from leaking to the media any probe material concerning the FIR lodged against her.

The high court, in its order, asked media houses to ensure that no leaked investigation material is broadcast as it could affect the probe and directed Delhi Police to abide by its stand on affidavit that it has not leaked nor intends to leak any probe details to the press.

Ravi was arrested by a Cyber Cell team of the Delhi Police from Bengaluru on Saturday and brought to Delhi.

She was booked on sedition and other charges.   -- PTI

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 20 (ANI): The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday sealed a total of 1305 buildings after 2749 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Mumbai.

"A total of 1305 buildings sealed in Mumbai after 2749 COVID-19 cases reported. 71,838 households residing in these sealed buildings," BMC said.

According to the health department, Maharashtra reported 6,112 new COVID-19 cases, 2,159 discharges, and 44 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Total cases in the state stand at 20,87,632, including 19,89,963 recoveries, 44,765 active cases 51,713 deaths.

As Mumbai is witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases in the past few days the state government has deployed marshals to enforce mask-wearing and social distancing at public and religious places, said Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Friday. -- ANI

They held a meeting nearly a month after Rajinikanth announced his decision that he will not enter into active politics due to health concerns.

Notably, superstar Rajinikanth was admitted to Hyderabad's Apollo Hospital in December 2020 after severe blood pressure fluctuations. 

Opposing activist Disha Ravi's bail plea in the toolkit case, the Delhi Police on Saturday alleged in a court in New Delhi that she was preparing the toolkit with those advocating Khalistan and was part of a global conspiracy to defame India and create unrest in the country in the garb of farmers' protest.

"This was not just a toolkit. The real plan was to defame India and create unrest here," the police said before Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana.

It alleged that Ravi deleted WhatsApp chats, emails and other evidence and was aware of legal actions she could face.

Why did Disha Ravi cover her track and delete evidence if she did not commit wrong, the police said, alleging that his shows her guilty mind and sinister design.

Ravi 'was part of the Indian chapter of the global conspiracy to defame India and create unrest in the garb of farmers' protest', it alleged, adding she was in touch and preparing and sharing toolkit with those advocating Khalistan.

"It shows there was a sinister design behind this toolkit," the police told the court.

A trial court had on Friday sent Ravi to judicial custodyfor three days after her five-day police custody expired.

The Delhi high court on Friday heard Ravi's plea to restrain police from leaking to the media any probe material concerning the FIR lodged against her.

The high court, in its order, asked media houses to ensure that no leaked investigation material is broadcast as it could affect the probe and directed Delhi Police to abide by its stand on affidavit that it has not leaked nor intends to leak any probe details to the press.

Ravi was arrested by a Cyber Cell team of the Delhi Police from Bengaluru on Saturday and brought to Delhi.

She was booked on sedition and other charges.   -- PTI

After operating virtually for around a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Delhi high court on Saturday ordered all its benches to hold physical hearings on a daily basis from March 15.

The court stated, 'all the Courts of Joint Registrars (Judicial) shall continue to hold courts as per the existing arrangement up to 12.03.2021 and shall hold regular physical courts, on a daily basis, with effect from March 15, 2021'.

The court may, in exceptional cases, permit any of the parties and/or their Counsel to join the proceedings through video conferencing, subject to the availability of requisite infrastructure.

'It is expected that the Advocates, litigants and other visitors to this Court strictly adhere to the norms of social distancing and all other Covid-19 protocols, guidelines, directions, etc. issued by the Government of India, Government of NCT of Delhi and this court from time to time,' the court said.

Earlier, the Delhi high court in an official statement said that all the district courts of Delhi to hold hearing physically on an alternate day basis and continue to take up the matters through 'video conferencing' on non-physical days from January 18.

The official statement also said that 11 benches of Delhi high court will hold physical court while the rest will take matter via video-conferencing in view of the decline in the intensity of spread of Covid-19 pandemic in the national capital.

Earlier, Full Court has also ordered that 11 benches of Delhi HC, including two division benches, three single-benches of civil side, three single-benches of criminal side and three original jurisdiction of civil shall hold physical courts with effective from January 18, 2021, while the remaining benches shall continue to take up the matters through video conferencing as per the roster to be notified on the website of this court.

Last year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the high court on March 25 had restricted its functioning along with district courts till April 14 and then it shifted slowly to the video conferencing-based hearings. -- ANI

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi  K Palaniswami on Saturday announced a reduction in the maximum fare for travel in the Chennai Metro rail by Rs 20, thus bringing down the fare for full length travel to Rs 50 from the present Rs 70.

The new CMRL fare will come into effect from February 22. Though the commuters will have to pay Rs 10 for a distance of upto 2 kilometres, according to the new fare structure, the fare for a distance from 2 to 5 km will be Rs 20 while Rs 30 will be the fare to travel a distance of 5 to 12 km.

The commuters will have to pay Rs 40 for a distance between 12 and 21 km and beyond 21 km (upto 32 km), the fare has been fixed at Rs 50.

A further discount of 20 percent of the fare will be provided to those opting to book tickets using the QR code or CMRL smart cards, an official statement said.

'Accepting the demands of the people that the Metro Rail fares should be decreased in order to further enhance the patronage of CMRL service, the government has announced a cut in the fares for the benefit of the public,' Palaniswami said in the statement.

He informed that commuters who avail unlimited day passes at Rs 100 for the 45 km stretch of phase-1 of CMRL could now enjoy unlimited day passes at the same sum for additional 9 km to travel up to Wimco Nagar from Vannarpet.

Similarly, those utilising the monthly passes could travel till the newly extended line to Wimco Nagar at the current fare of Rs 2,500.

Further, he announced a 50 percent discount on the daily tickets (not for daily passes) for travellers on Sundays and public holidays.   -- PTI

The Trinamool Congress on Saturday launched its slogan for the upcoming assembly elections -- 'Bangla Nijer Meyekei Chaye', adding to the shrill insider vs outsider debate while portraying Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the daughter of Bengal.

The slogan, which translates to 'Bengal wants its own daughter', with Banerjee's photo was put up on hoardings across Kolkata as the state's ruling party officially launched it from its headquarters off EM Bypass.

"The people of the state want their own daughter who has been by their side for the last several years as their chief minister. We don't want outsiders to call the shots in Bengal," TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said.

The Trinamool Congress is engaged in a bitter political fight with the Bharatiya Janata Party, pitching the opposition party's leaders as outsiders who are on 'election tourism' to the state.   -- PTI

Petrol price on Saturday touched an all-time high of Rs 97 per litre in Mumbai while diesel rate crossed Rs 88 -mark.

Petrol price was hiked by record 39 paise per litre and diesel by 37 paise a litre, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers.

This the 12th straight day of price hike and the largest daily increase since oil companies started to revise rates on a daily basis in 2017.

The increase pushed the petrol price to Rs 90.58 a litre in Delhi and to Rs 97 in Mumbai.

Diesel now comes for Rs 80.97 a litre in the national capital and for Rs 88.06 in Mumbai.

The increase follows a spurt in oil prices in the international market, on which India is dependent to meet its 85 per cent of the needs.

Brent oil crossed $65 a barrel this week as a worsening US energy crisis took out almost 40 per cent of the nation's crude production.

In 12 days, retail petrol prices have risen by Rs 3.63 a litre, a record since the pricing was deregulated in 2010, and diesel rates have gone up by Rs 3.84.

Petrol price has already surged past the Rs 100-mark in some places in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, which levy the highest VAT on the fuel.

Retail pump prices differ from state to state depending on the local taxes (VAT) and freight.  -- PTI

A team of researchers arrived in Pang village on Saturday to inspect the artificial lake formed over Rishiganga after the recent avalanche and gauge how big a threat it poses to areas downstream.

The team led by USAC Director M P S Bisht and consisting of four scientists each from the Geological Survey of India and Uttarakhand Space Application Centre will try to reach the lake on foot by Saturday evening or Sunday.

With roads in the area around Raini Gram Panchayat washed out in the recent flash flood and vast stretches turned into swamps, the team is being accompanied by a mountaineer from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering and SDRF jawans to ensure their safe journey to the lake.

"We will inspect the lake formed over Rishiganga by the huge volume of sludge that came from Rauthi stream due to the avalanche," USAC Director Bisht told PTI.

"We hope to reach Udiyari by the evening which is located above the lake. By Sunday, we may reach the lake to inspect it and take its geographical measurements.

"How big a threat the lake can pose to the population living downstream of Rishiganga is something that can be measured only by how much water it contains," he said.

Sonographic equipment from the Indian Navy are being used to measure how much water is contained in the lake, he said.

Sonography experts from Hyderabad are also expected to measure the volume of water in the lake, Bisht said.

Bisht said his team will also incorporate the findings of a DRDO team which has visited the lake into its analysis.   -- PTI

At least 12 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) reached West Bengal on Saturday morning as the state prepares to go to elections, officials said.

Two companies of the central forces reached Durgapur by train, one company got down at Burdwan and five companies reached Dankuni in Howrah, they said.

Another four companies reached the Kolkata railway station in the Chitpore area by train, officials said.

"The forces were brought in from Jammu and Kashmir. They will be heading towards the areas where they have been assigned to," a poll panel official told PTI.

At the railway stations, senior officers of the CRPF and the West Bengal Police were present to welcome the forces.

The Election Commission has decided to deploy 125 companies of central forces in West Bengal by February 25 for the upcoming assembly elections.

Sixty companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 30 companies of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and five companies each of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) will reach the state in the next few days, officials said.

"The idea to deploy central forces now is to ensure that there is no problem when campaigning for the elections starts. This deployment is also to build the confidence of the voters. Stress will be on area domination by the forces, especially in the sensitive zones," the official said.

Apart from route march, the central forces will also be patrolling in the night, he added.

The Election Commission has decided to deploy three companies of SSB in Kolkata, four companies of CRPF in the neighbouring Howrah Police Commissionerate area, and two companies in Howrah's rural area for the time being, the official said.

A maximum of nine companies of CRPF each have been planned for Purulia and Jhargram districts.

The security personnel will send daily reports to the Chief Electoral Officer by 8 pm.

Elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly are likely in April-May.   -- PTI

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian has filed for divorce from rapper Kanye West after almost seven years of marriage.

According to People magazine, the duo parted ways on an amicable note.

Kardashian filed the papers at the Los Angeles County Superior Court's Stanley Mosk Courthouse on Friday.

The 40-year-old entrepreneur, and West, 43, have applied for joint custody of theirfour children -- daughters North (seven) and Chicago (two); and sons Saint (five) and Psalm (one).

The duo started dating in 2012 and had their first child in 2013.

Later that year, West proposed to Kardashian using the giant screen at the empty waterfront ballpark of the San Francisco Giants.

They tied the knot on May 24, 2014, in a ceremony at a Renaissance fortress in Florence, Italy.

It was the first marriage for the West and third for Kardashian.

The reality star was previously married to music producer Damon Thomas and to former NBA player Kris Humphries.   -- PTI

The Centre has released Rs 1 lakh crore to states and UTs in four months since October 2020, to meet GST compensation shortfall, the Finance Ministry said on Saturday.

The ministry on Friday released the 17th weekly instalment of Rs 5,000 crore to 23 states and 3 Union Territories (Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir & Puducherry), taking the total amount released so far under the special borrowing window set up in October last year to Rs 1 lakh crore. The remaining 5 states, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim, do not have a gap in revenue on account of Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation.

The Centre had set up a special borrowing window in October 2020 to meet the estimated shortfall of Rs 1.10 lakh crore in revenue arising on account of implementation of GST.

The borrowings are being done through this window by the Centre on behalf of states and UTs.

Under the special window, the Centre has been borrowing in government stock with tenor of 3 years and 5 years.

The borrowing made under each tenor is equally divided among all states as per their GST compensation shortfall.

With the current release, the proportionate pending GST shortfall with respect to borrowing under 5 years tenor has been concluded for 16 states and 2 UTs.

Till now, 91 per cent of the total estimated GST compensation shortfall has been released to states & UTs with Legislative Assembly (Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir & Puducherry), the statement said.

'An amount of Rs 1,00,000 crore has been borrowed by the Central Government through the special borrowing window at an average interest rate of 4.83 per cent....Out of this, an amount of Rs 91,460.34 crore has been released to states and an amount of Rs. 8,539.66 crore has been released to the 3 UTs with Legislative Assembly,' it said.

Total 17 rounds of borrowings have been completed so far starting from October 23, 2020.   -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made a strong case for repealing archaic laws and making it easier to do business in India stating that the centre and states need to work closely to boost economic growth.

Addressing the Governing Council meeting of Niti Aayog, the Prime Minister said that the private sector should be given full opportunity to become a part of government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat programme.

"Centre and states should work together for the nation's progress... Government has to respect and give due representation to the private sector for economic progress," Modi said.

He said that the positive response to the Union Budget 2021-22 indicates that the country wants to move forward on the path of development at greater speed.

Modi said that the initiatives taken by the government would provide opportunity to everyone to participate in nation building to its full potential.

Referring to the farm sector, the Prime Minister said that efforts should be made to produce agriculture items like edible oil and reduce their imports.

"This can be done by guiding farmers," he said, adding the money being spend on imports can go to the accounts of farmers.

The prime minister also underlined the need for reducing compliance burden on people and asked the states to form committees to reduce regulations which are no longer relevant in the wake of technology.   -- PTI

E Sreedharan, popularly known as the Metro Man of India said that he was opposed to the notion of love jihad because he has seen Hindu girls in Kerala being tricked into marriage.

His comments came a day after he is set to join BJP and contest as a candidate for the Kerala assembly elections scheduled to be held in April-May.

Love Jihad, yes, I see what is happened in Kerala. How Hindus are being tricked in a marriage and how they suffer... not only Hindus, Muslim, the Christian girls are being tricked in a marriage. Now that sort of a thing I certainly will oppose, Sreedharan told NDTV in response to a question on love jihad.

Sreedharan comments come when there is a debate around the love jihad law and BJP-led state governments of UP and Madhya Pradesh have outlawed the conversions by fraud, coercion or marriage.

The 88-year-old engineer, who set up the Delhi Metro and Konkan Railway, said that now he is going to focus on BJP centric activities and help the party come to power in Kerala. He also said that he was open to chief ministership and focus on infrastructure development if BJP wins the state election.

NCP leader Eknath Khadse claimed on Friday to have contracted coronavirus infection for a second time. Khadse, a former minister who is admitted to Bombay Hospital, announced the result of his COVID-19 test. 

"I was admitted in November last year for the same infection. I have tested positive again. I am feeling fine," he said. 

Minister of State for Water Resources Bacchu Kadu also made a similar announcement. He had tested positive for the infection in September. "I have tested COVID-19 positive for a second time. I am currently in isolation. Those who have come in contact with me, plese get tested," he tweeted. 

Meanwhile, a senior health official said a sudden drop in temperature last week in some parts of Maharashtra may have caused a spike in COVID-19 cases. 

India reports 13,993 new COVID-19 cases, 10,307 discharges, and 101 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per data provided by the government.

Total cases: 1,09,77,387

Total discharges: 1,06,78,048

Death toll: 1,56,212 

Active cases: 1,43,127

Total Vaccination: 1,07,15,204

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has extended support to 22-year-old Disha Ravi in India, who is in jail for alleged sedition and other charges for editing a "toolkit" that the police claim was used to conspire against the country over the protest by farmers against new agriculture laws.

Fridays for Future, a group founded Ms Thunberg in August 2018 when she was 15, also tweeted it would "raise our voices peacefully and respectfully for those at stake, to ensure justice for everyone."

"Freedom of speech and the right to peaceful protest and assembly are non-negotiable human rights. These must be a fundamental part of any democracy. #StandWithDishaRavi" Thunberg tweeted, liking to a thread posted by FFF Ravi's arrest.

The Delhi Police said two others, Nikita Jacob and Shantanu Muluk, along with Ravi edited the "toolkit" to plan how the farmer protests should be carried out. Such an act amounts to sedition, the police said, amid widespread criticism that such planning is common for any social media campaign.

The Google Docs file was tweeted by Thunberg earlier this month to back the farmer protests, and then deleted. A tractor rally by farmers in Delhi on January 26 had turned violent.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is unlikely to attend Saturday's meeting of the Niti Aayog's governing council to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said.

"Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh will not attend the NITI Aayog meeting today. He is indisposed, State Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal will attend the meeting instead," said the sources. 

The meeting will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conferencing.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, the agenda of the meeting includes deliberations on agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing, human resource development, service delivery at the grassroots level and health and nutrition.

The Governing Council presents a platform to discuss inter-sectoral, inter-departmental and federal issues.

It comprises PM Modi, Chief Ministers of States and Union Territories (UTs), with Legislators and Lieutenant Governors of other UTs, PMO said.

The sixth meeting will witness the entry of Ladakh for the first time, in addition to the participation of Jammu and Kashmir as Union Territory.

This time, other UTs headed by administrators have also been invited to join, read the release.

The meeting will also be attended by the ex-officio members of the Governing Council, Union Ministers, Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar, Members and CEO of NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant, and other senior officials of the Government of India.

After six years of marriage, Kim Kardashian West has filed for divorce from Kanye West.

Citing a source, E! News reported that this major development comes after their relationship had effectively reached its breaking point following months of private turmoil. 

"It's gotten to the point where they haven't spent time together as a married couple in months," an insider told E! News. 

"They've seen each other for the sake of the kids but have been living separately. Kim knows the marriage is over. She's known for a while."

Meanwhile, the celebrity couple, who made their relationship public in April 2012, has four children, North West, Saint West, Chicago West and Psalm West. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the sixth meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog on Saturday via video conferencing.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, the agenda of the meeting includes deliberations on agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing, human resource development, service delivery at grassroots level and health and nutrition. 

The Governing Council presents a platform to discuss inter-sectoral, inter-departmental and federal issues. It comprises PM Modi, Chief Ministers of States and Union Territories (UTs), with Legislators and Lieutenant Governors of other UTs, PMO said.

The sixth meeting will witness the entry of Ladakh for the first time, in addition to the participation of Jammu and Kashmir as a UT.

This time, other UTs headed by administrators have also been invited to join, read the release.

The meeting will also be attended by the ex-officio members of the Governing Council, Union Ministers, Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar, Members and CEO of NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant, and other senior officials of the Government of India.

A first information report was registered here against Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi on Friday for not using a mask after he shared a video of a ride on motorbike with his wife on Valentine's Day.

With coronavirus cases again rising in Maharashtra, the city administration had warned on Thursday to prosecute those who violate the mandatory mask rule.

The case was registered against the actor at Juhu Police Station, an official said.

The video shared by the actor on social media showed him riding a brand-new motorbike without wearing either helmet or face mask.

The FIR was registered against him under Indian Penal Code sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) alongwith provisions of the Maharashtra COVID -19 Precautionary Measures 2020 and the Motor Vehicles Act, the official said.

Besides, a fine of Rs 500 was also imposed on him for not wearing helmet, the official added.

Under both IPC sections 188 and 269, an offender can be punished with upto six months in jail or fine or both.   -- PTI