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Mon, 01 November 2021
Students oppose naming DU college after Savarkar
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23:41 Students oppose naming DU college after Savarkar
The National Students' Union of India and the Students' Federation of India on Monday opposed Delhi University's decision to name one of its upcoming colleges after Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar and said that it was "an attempt to distort history".
The Congress-affiliated NSUI threatened to "stop the working of the university" if the decision was not rolled back.
According to sources, the Delhi University vice-chancellor has decided to name upcoming colleges and centres after Savarkar and late BJP leader Sushma Swaraj.
The SFI, which is the student arm of the CPI(M), said, "Delhi University in a recent executive meeting discussed naming the upcoming colleges after Savarkar. This is an attempt to distort history."
"Sabotaging the independence movement of India" was Savarkar's contribution to the country, it said.
"SFI, DU strongly opposes this proposal of naming the college after Savarkar and will continue to expose the hypocrisy of RSS-BJP and their false rhetoric of nationalism to cover up their failures and betrayal in front of the student community," it added.
President of NSUI Delhi Kunal Sehrawat said the student body would not sit silently if the decision is not rolled back.
"I give an open warning to the Delhi University administration, if they do not take back the decision to open a college in the name of Mafiveer Savarkar, then NSUI will not sit silently," he said in the statement.
The Academic Council of DU, in its meeting held in August, had decided that upcoming colleges may be named after Savarkar, Swaraj, Swami Vivekananda and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The council also suggested names of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Savitri Bai Phule, Arun Jaitley, Choudhary Brahm Prakash and C D Deshmukh. It authorised the university vice-chancellor to finalise the names.
23:04 'Narcotic Jihad' Kerala Bishop to face police probe
A Magistrate Court has directed the police to investigate and report on the basis of a complaint that Catholic Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt, through his "love and narcotic jihad" remarks, committed the offence of promoting feelings of hatred between different groups on the grounds of religion.
The Court in Pala gave the direction while considering a plea filed by a leader of All India Imams Council that Kallarangatt, the Bishop of Pala diocese, tried to create a rift in the society through the "love and narcotic jihad" remarks, said CP Ajmal, counsel for the petitioner.
When contacted, police said they have received a court directive in this regard.
They, however, remained tight-lipped when asked whether an FIR has been launched against the Bishop following the court's directive.
The petition seeking to register a case against the Bishop was filed by Abdul Aziz Maulavi, the Kottayam district president of the council.
He moved the court after the police refused to register the case against the Bishop on the basis of his complaint.
The Bishop, at a function held in a church in Kuravilangad in Kottayam district on September 9, had stated that Christian girls were falling prey to "love and narcotic jihad" in Kerala and wherever arms cannot be used, extremists were using such methods to destroy the state's youth.
22:33 Lifestyle has major role in climate change: Modi
The world today admits that lifestyle has a major role in climate change. I propose one word movement before all of you. This word is LIFE which means Lifestyle for Environment. Today, it's needed that all of us come together and take forward LIFE as a movement: Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the world leaders' summit at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland on Monday.
"When I came to Paris for the first time for the Climate Summit, I had no intention to add my own promise to other promises across the world. I had come with concern for humanity, as a representative of a culture that gave message of Sarve Sukhinah Bhavantu,' Modi said.
"So for me, the Paris event wasn't a summit but a sentiment, a commitment and India wasn't making promises to the world, instead, 125 crore Indians were making promises to themselves. I am happy that a developing country like India is working to pull crores of people out of poverty," Modi told the summit.
22:30 Lifestyle has major role in climate change: Modi
The world today admits that lifestyle has a major role in climate change. I propose one word movement before all of you. This word is LIFE which means Lifestyle for Environment. Today, it's needed that all of us come together and take forward LIFE as a movement: Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the world leaders' summit at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland on Monday.
"When I came to Paris for the first time for the Climate Summit, I had no intention to add my own promise to other promises across the world. I had come with concern for humanity, as a representative of a culture that gave message of Sarve Sukhinah Bhavantu,' Modi said.
"So for me, the Paris event wasn't a summit but a sentiment, a commitment and India wasn't making promises to the world, instead, 125 crore Indians were making promises to themselves. I am happy that a developing country like India is working to pull crores of people out of poverty," Modi told the summit.
Representational pic
22:23 NEET-UG results: Three students share top rank scoring full marks
Three students have shared the top rank in medical entrance exam NEET-UG, results of which were announced on Monday, according to National Testing Agency.
Telangana's Mrinal Kutteri, Delhi's Tanmay Gupta and Maharashtra's Karthika G Nair shared the top rank scoring full marks.
A tie-breaking formula will be used at the counselling stage for these three candidates, an NTA official said.
Fifteen candidates were identified using unfair means during the exam and their result has been cancelled, the official added.
The NEET-UG exam was held on September 12 with over 95 per cent of the registered candidates appearing for the medical entrance exam.
A record 16.14 lakh candidates had registered for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) this year.
21:32 22 lakh Indian WhatsApp accounts banned in Sep
More than 2.2 million Indian accounts were banned by WhatsApp while 560 grievance reports were received by the messaging platform in September, according to its compliance report.
In its latest report released on Monday, WhatsApp said 2,209,000 Indian accounts on the platform were banned in September.
An Indian account is identified via a '+91' phone number, it added.
"WhatsApp is an industry leader in preventing abuse, among end-to-end encrypted messaging services. Over the years, we have consistently invested in Artificial Intelligence and other state of the art technology, data scientists and experts, and in processes, in order to keep our users safe on our platform," a WhatsApp spokesperson said.
In accordance with the IT Rules 2021, WhatsApp has published its fourth monthly report for the 30-day period of September 1-30.
"This user-safety report contains details of the user complaints received and the corresponding action taken by WhatsApp as well as WhatsApp's own preventive actions to combat abuse on our platform," the spokesperson said.
Previously, the Facebook-owned company had stated that more than 95 per cent of the ban was due to the unauthorised use of automated or bulk messaging (spam). The global average number of accounts that WhatsApp bans to prevent abuse on its platform is around 8 million accounts per month.
WhatsApp, in its latest report, said it received 560 user reports spanning across account support (121), ban appeal (309), other support and product support (49 each) and safety (32) during September.
During this period, 51 accounts were actioned based on the reports received.
WhatsApp explained that "Accounts Actioned" denotes remedial action taken based on the reports.
Taking action denotes either banning an account or a previously banned account being restored as a result of the complaint.
Also, reports may have been reviewed but not included as 'Actioned' for many reasons, including the user needing assistance to access their account or to use some features, user-requested restoration of a banned account and the request is denied, or if the reported account does not violate the laws of India or WhatsApp's Terms of Service.
About 2 million Indian accounts were banned by WhatsApp while 420 grievance reports were received by the messaging platform in August.
The new IT rules -- which came into effect in May -- require large digital platforms (with over 5 million users) to publish compliance reports every month, mentioning the details of complaints received and action taken.
Previously, WhatsApp had emphasised that being an end-to-end encrypted platform, it has no visibility into the content of any messages.
Besides the behavioural signals from accounts, it relies on available unencrypted information, including user reports, profile photos, group photos and descriptions as well as advanced AI tools and resources to detect and prevent abuse on its platform, it had said.
20:13 TN STF tracks Rs 2,000 cr that can be remitted back to govt: Minister
A Special Task Force (STF), constituted by the Tamil Nadu government to reconcile, identify and access funds of government departments kept outside the Treasury, has tracked nearly Rs 2,000 crore that can be remitted back to government account, State Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said on Monday.
The STF was set up in line with a budgetary announcement made earlier this year by him.
"The monies that have been shown as spent in the accounts of the State are actually in some other accounts...this has been mentioned in the past CAG reports as well... whether they are spent or not, we posted a special team (to find that out)," he told reporters here.
"Multiple data points indicate that government funds are often shifted to accounts outside the view of the Treasury system. Upon assuming office, this government initiated a dualtrack survey to identify such funds through government department and agencies and by banks holding such accounts. The initial assessment reveals substantial unutilised funds," he further said in a statement, quoting from his budget speech on the need for such a task force.
The "Special Task Force was constituted to reconcile, identify and access the funds of the government departments, government-run societies, statutory institutions (and) local bodies kept outside the Treasury, within a particular timeframe," he added.
The details of bank accounts wherein the government money was parked as on March 31,2021 were collected from multiple sources like banks, district collectors, government departments and other quasi-governmental entities.
Further, it conducted several meetings with government departments and State-level Bankers Committee so as to build a reliable database for the purpose, he said.
"The Special Task Force has collected and collated information broadly under the categories of 'Available balances', 'Liabilities' and 'to be remitted into Government account', separately under each of the closed schemes, ongoing Schemes and receipts of the department."
"By this process, from the data so far collected, the Special Task Force has tracked a sum of Rs 1,946.31 crore that can be immediately remitted back to the government account," he said.
Further, it is important to put in place a mechanism to prevent the recurrence of such instances of idle non-utilisation of funds in the future.
Towards this end, the direct disbursal of funds from the government treasury to the ultimate beneficiaries pensioners, government servants receiving salaries, old age pensioners, recipients of scholarships and of final payments for works and supply of goods and services through the Integrated Financial and Human Resources Management System (IFHRMS) will ensure that there is no idling of funds of a substantial portion of the budget, he added.
19:57 Parl panel on IT may call Facebook whistleblowers
Facebook whistleblowers may be called to India later this month to depose before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology, with the required permission being sought from the Lok Sabha speaker, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is the chairman of the panel, said on Monday.
Frances Haugen, a former Facebook data scientist-turned-whistleblower, has alleged that the social network giant's products harm children and fuel polarisation in the United States. She has testified before the US Senate Committee.
In a series of tweets responding to the allegation that neither Parliament nor the government has called the Facebook whistleblowers, Tharoor said the parliamentary panel did not exist between September 12 and October 12. It was officially reconstituted in the second week of October.
It had to then adopt its agenda, submit it to the speaker and have it bulletinised before it could convene any meeting, the Congress MP said.
"...the Committee will hold its first meetings of the new session on November 16 and November 17. Under our procedures video conferencing is not permitted. Testimony in person by witnesses from abroad requires the Speaker's consent. This is being sought," he said.
Top officials of the Indian arms of social media giants Facebook and Twitter and others have deposed before the parliamentary panel on various contentious issues.
Tharoor was earlier criticised by the BJP members of the panel, who sought his removal as its chairman.
19:08 Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal stakes claim for Panaji seat
Utpal Parrikar, the son of late Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, on Monday said he wanted to contest his maiden election from Panaji assembly seat, which was represented by his father, as a Bharatiya Janata Party nominee.
"I have already conveyed to the party about my desire to contest (polls) from Panaji" he told reporters.
When asked whether he would contest as an Independent candidate in the event of BJP denying him a ticket for the polls, due next February, Utpal said, "I am confident that the party will give me a ticket. I am holding talks with them. I am in constant touch with BJP."
Panaji constituency had been represented by the Parrikar senior multiple times in the past.
The BJP lost the Panaji seat to Congress candidate Atanasio Monserrate in the by-election held after the death of Manohar Parrikar in 2019.
Monserrate later joined BJP along with nine other MLAs of Congress. -- PTI
18:59 PM Modi arrives at COP26 climate summit venue
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived at the Scottish Exhibition Centre to attend the opening ceremony of the COP26 climate summit where he would deliver a national statement alongside other world leaders.
Modi, who arrived in Glasgow on Sunday night from Rome, was received by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres upon his arrival at the summit venue.
PM Modi was then seen interacting animatedly with Johnson and Guterres.
"Together for our planet! PM @narendramodi received by UK PM @BorisJohnson and UN Secretary General @antonioguterres as he arrives at the Scottish Exhibition Centre to attend the World Leaders Summit of @COP26," ministry of external affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.
During the high-profile segment of the World Leaders' Summit, Modi will be presenting the formal position on India's climate action agenda and lay out the best practices and achievements in the sector at the COP26 summit. -- PTI
18:35 Pawan Kapoor is envoy to Russia, Sunjay Sudhir to UAE
Senior diplomats Pawan Kapoor and Sunjay Sudhir (in pic) were on Monday appointed as India's ambassadors to Russia and United Arab Emirates respectively.
Kapur's appointment as new envoy to Russia is considered as a high-profile posting due to the strategic nature of ties between the two countries.
Kapoor, a 1990-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service, is presently Ambassador of India to the UAE.
He is expected to take up the assignment shortly, the ministry of external affairs said.
Kapoor succeeds diplomat D Bala Venkatesh Varma.
Sudhir, a 1993-batch officer of the IFS, succeeds Kapoor, who has been named India's envoy to Russia.
Sudhir is expected to take up the assignment shortly, the ministry of external affairs said.
In another diplomatic reshuffle, Dinesh K Patnaik, a 1990-batch IFS officer who is presently director general, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, was appointed as India's next ambassador to Spain.
He is also expected to take up the assignment shortly, the MEA said. -- PTI
18:20 Bankers get immunity up to Rs 50 cr loans
Seeking to protect honest bank employees, the government has come out with the 'staff accountability framework' under which officers concerned will not be hauled up in case bona fide decisions involving loans up to Rs 50 crore go wrong.
The framework will cover only genuine decisions and not those involving malfeasance or mala fide intentions, according to the norms issued by the finance ministry.
It specifies details and the procedures to be followed for scrutinising such acts of omission and commission on the part of bank officials concerned.
To save them from unnecessary hassle, the framework also provides for resolution of such cases against bankers.
"Banks must initiate and complete staff accountability exercise within six months from the date of classification of the account as non-performing asset," the ministry said.
The framework, dated October 29, gives detailed standard operating procedures to be followed for different category of NPAs, depending on the amount. --PTI
18:02 Yogi hits out at Akhilesh for 'comparing' Jinnah with Sardar Patel
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday attacked Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav for 'comparing' Muhammad Ali Jinnah with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, saying Talibani mentality believed in breaking the society.
Yadav on Sunday spoke of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru and Jinnah in the same breath as leaders who fought for India's independence, prompting a criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"I was listening to Akhilesh ji's statement yesterday. He was comparing Jinnah, who divided the country, with Sardar Patel, who brought the nation together. This is a shameful statement," Adityanath said in a programme in Moradabad.
He said, 'Talibani mentality' believes in breaking the society.
Sometimes it is in the name of caste... When they are not succeeding, they are raising fingers at 'mahapurush' (great personalities) and insulting the entire society," he said. The chief minister said this cannot be accepted and everyone should condemn it.
"Yadav should regret his statement as insulting Sardar Patel will not be accepted," he added.
"Sardar Patel is the basis of India's unity and integrity, and also is the nation's architect," he said, adding that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi the belief of ek Bharat, shresth Bharat is being taken forward.
The credit of keeping free India 'undivided' goes to Sardar Patel, Adityanath said. -- PTI
17:19 Mapped: The top gainers at the markets today
IndusInd Bank was the top gainer with the scrip going up by 7.46 per cent.
17:17 Freebie pilgrimages if AAP wins Goa: Kejriwal
Delhi chief minister and the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said both the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were corrupt and working in collusion.
Addressing a gathering in Goa where the AAP is looking to revive its fortunes in the next Assembly election, Kejriwal announced a number of freebies if voted to power, including free pilgrimage to Ayodhya for Hindus, similar trips to Velankanni for Christians, Ajmer Sharif for Muslims and Shirdi temple for Sai Baba devotees.
Kejriwal also said the Congress and BJP had an agreement wherein neither took action against each other when in power.
"Mil baant ke malai khate hain," Kejriwal said. He asked why no case had so far been filed against any Congress leader.
16:59 CM Channi's Diwali gift: Power tariff slashed
The Punjab Cabinet on Monday decided to slash the power tariff by Rs 3 per unit for domestic consumers, a move which comes just months ahead of the Assembly polls.
It will put a burden of Rs 3,316 crore per year on the exchequer.
The announcement was made by Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi after the Cabinet meeting.
"We are reducing power tariff by Rs 3 per unit for domestic consumers," said Channi addressing the media here. It is a "big Diwali gift" for people, he said, adding that the decision will come into effect immediately. He said according to a survey conducted by his government, people wanted quality and cheap power. Punjab is going to the Assembly polls early next year. PTI
16:47 I am angry at Tytler's appointment: Mrs Sidhu
The Congress party membership drive begins from the party's Delhi office. Party's Delhi in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil, Delhi chief Anil Chaudhary, permanent invitee to Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, Jagdish Tytler and others were present at the launch.
Tytlers name had earlier figured in connection with the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.
Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu in Amritsar says she is upset at Tytler's appointment. "Personally, I am angry. However, it is the party's decision. I can't comment on it. Everyone is hurt but they can't say it because of party protocol," she said.
In a statement issued on Saturday, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh said, "Tytler has been named as one of the key Congress leaders in Delhi, but he, Kamal Nath and Sajjan Kumar continue to be the blue-eyed boys of the party in spite of the fact that their role in the riots against Sikhs has been always highlighted by many witnesses."
16:20 Patna blasts: Four get death sentence
2013 Patna Gandhi Maidan serial blasts: The NIA Court in Patna pronounces the quantum of punishment for nine convicts. Four get capital punishment, two get life imprisonment, two get 10-years in jail and one gets a 7-year jail term.
The blasts had occurred at venue of then PM candidate Narendra Modi's rally.
A special NIA court on Wednesday held nine members of banned terror outfit Simi guilty of triggering the 2013 serial blasts that killed six people and injured 89 at then PM candidate Narendra Modi's "hunkar" rally in Patna's Gandhi Maidan.
One of the 10 accused in the case, Fakkruddin, got the benefit of doubt for lack of evidence.
16:16 Modi meets and greets in Scotland
Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets community leaders/Indologists in Glasgow, Scotland. And not a single mask among them.
16:07 Sensex soars 832 points to reclaim 60K-mark
Reclaiming the 60,000 level, equity benchmark Sensex rallied 832 points on Monday, led by gains in index majors Infosys, HDFC twins and TCS amid a largely positive trend in global markets.
The 30-share BSE index ended 831.53 points or 1.40 per cent higher at 60,138.46.
Similarly, the NSE Nifty rose 258 points or 1.46 per cent to 17,929.65. IndusInd Bank was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, soaring over 7 per cent, followed by Bharti Airtel, HCL Tech, Tata Steel, Tech Mahindra and Dr Reddy's.
On the other hand, M&M, Bajaj Finserv, Nestle India and Reliance Industries were the laggards.
15:57 Haj 2022 online application process starts
The online application process for Haj 2022 began on Monday with Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi announcing significant reforms and enhanced facilities for the pilgrimage.
While announcing Haj 2022 at Haj House in south Mumbai, Naqvi said the entire Haj process will be 100 per cent digital/online.
The last date of applying for Haj 2022 is January 31, 2022. People can also apply through the Haj mobile app, a statement quoting the minister said.
15:55 Centre to resume biometric attendance from Nov 8
The Union government has decided to resume biometric attendance for employees of all levels from November 8, the Personnel Ministry said on Monday.
It shall be the responsibility of heads of department to ensure that sanitisers are mandatorily placed beside biometric machines and all employees sanitize their hands before and after marking the attendance, it said.
The employees were previously exempted from biometric attendance due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
"Physical distancing of six feet must be maintained by all employees while marking their attendance. If required, additional biometric attendance machines may be installed to avoid overcrowding," the Personnel Ministry said in an order to all central government ministries and departments.
All employees shall be required to wear masks or face covers at all times, including while waiting to mark their attendance, it said.
"Meetings, as far as possible, shall continue to be conducted on video conferencing and personal meetings with visitors, unless necessary in public interest, are to be avoided," the order stated.
15:30 Manmohan Singh recovering from dengue at home
Some good news: Dr Manmohan Singh has come home from hospital.
The former PM's wife Gursharan Kaur said Dr Singh is recovering from Dengue.
"We'd like to convey our special thanks to all doctors, nurses and support staff of AIIMS and numerous well-wishers for their whole-hearted support and hard work for his speedy recovery," Gursharan Kaur said.
The former PM was undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. He was discharged on Sunday.
Singh was admitted to the hospital on October 13 after feeling weak following a fever.
The 89-year-old Congress leader was admitted in a private ward at the Cardio-Neuro Centre and was treated by a team of doctors led by Dr Nitish Naik, a well-known cardiologist.
14:41 Approach SC, says HC on Delhi firecracker ban
Sale of firecrackers is not permitted in the national capital as per the orders passed by the National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court said on Monday.
Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, while hearing a petition by several traders against the complete ban on the storage and sale of all kinds of firecrackers, said that the petitioners ought to approach the apex court or the NGT for any relief.
"Please go to the Supreme Court. Supreme Court is already looking into the issue today. Seek a clarification. (High court is the) Wrong forum. Inform NGT. They are a specialised body," the judge said.
In view of the court's opinion, the traders -- who were seeking permission to sell their stock here for use outside the city -- withdrew their petition.
"If someone were to come from an area 'A' having good air quality, the point of sale would be Delhi, which is in contravention of orders of the Supreme Court and NGT," the court said.
Prima facie, the NGT and Supreme Court orders come in the way of the petitioners. Alternatively, they can sell it outside Delhi (wherever legally permissible), it added.
Considering that Diwali is only three days away, the court permitted the petitioners to withdraw their plea while clarifying that the issues raised before it as well as the challenge to the legal validity of the ban, was still open.
The NGT on December 2, 2020, had directed that there would be a total ban on the sale and use of all kinds of firecrackers during COVID-19 pandemic in the NCR and all cities/towns in the country where the ambient air quality falls under the "poor" and above category.
India's horrific images during the 2nd Covid wave
14:35 Covid's global death toll tops 5 million
The global death toll from COVID-19 topped 5 million on Monday, less than two years into a crisis that has not only devastated poor countries but also humbled wealthy ones with first-rate health care systems.
Together, the United States, the European Union, Britain and Brazil all upper-middle- or high-income countries account for one-eighth of the world's population but nearly half of all reported deaths. The US alone has recorded over 740,000 lives lost, more than any other nation.
14:04 GST collection surges to Rs 1.30 lakh cr in Oct
Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection remained above Rs 1 lakh crore for the fourth month in a row at over Rs 1.30 lakh crore in October, indicating the impact of festive buying.
This is the second highest collection of GST since its implementation on July 1, 2017.
The tax collections last month on goods sold and services rendered was 24 per cent higher than in October 2020.
"The gross GST revenue collected in the month of October 2021 is Rs 1,30,127 crore of which CGST is Rs 23,861 crore, SGST is Rs 30,421 crore, IGST is Rs 67,361 crore (including Rs 32,998 crore collected on import of goods) and Cess is Rs 8,484 crore (including Rs 699 crore collected on import of goods)," the finance ministry said in a statement.
CGST refers to Central Goods and Services Tax, SGST (State Goods and Service Tax) and IGST (Integrated Goods and Services Tax).
"This is very much in line with the trend in economic recovery," it said, adding "this is also evident from the trend in the e-way bills generated every month since the second wave".
The revenues would have still been higher if the sales of cars and other products had not been affected on account of disruption in supply of semiconductors, it added. PTI
13:51 50% workforce likely to return to offices: Study
Both employees and employers are equally interested in making a comeback to the workplace in a hybrid setup with 50 per cent of the workforce likely to return to offices for up to 3 days a week starting next year, according to a report by Nasscom and Indeed.
Junior and senior management, workforce under the age of 25 and above 40 years, are eager to return to the workplace as compared to the middle management.
Female employees are also excited about returning to offices and adapting to newer working models, as per the 'NASSCOM Return to Workplace Survey'.
The report was developed on the basis of return to workplace surveys conducted by the IT industry body, focused on both tech employees and tech employers on their plans on return to offices.
The report aimed to understand the expectations, key considerations, and preparedness on both fronts (employers and employees) for return to the workplace and further analyse different future operating models emerging in a hybrid setup.
The survey stated that though over 81 per cent of organisations expressed that employee health and safety remains the key consideration for them while reopening the offices, 72 per cent of organisations said they are looking at operating at a maximum of 50 per cent employee capacity starting next year itself.
13:42 BJD protests fuel, LPG price hikes
Finally, protests over the fuel price hikes by the Biju Janata Dal. BJD workers hold protest over fuel, LPG price hikes in Bhubaneswar.
The petroleum companies have hiked the price of commercial Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders by Rs 266 from today onwards.
Petrol and diesel prices were hiked for the sixth consecutive day across the country on Monday.
13:26 All documents with SC Commission: Wankhede
Narcotic Control Bureau zonal head Sameer Wankhede's meeting with Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Castes in Delhi ends: "Whatever facts and documents asked by the Commission have been provided to them today. My complaint will be verified and soon Commission's Chairman will reply on it," Wankhede said.
Vijay Sampla, Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Castes said, "Documents provided by Sameer Wankhede will be verified with the Maharashtra government. If the documents found valid then no one can take action against him on the basis of his documents."
Rakesh Tikait
12:55 Farmers will strengthen protest from Nov 27, warns Tikait
Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday said that farmers will strengthen their agitation from November 27 at protest sites by reaching Delhi borders with tractors.
"Central Government has time till November 26, after that, from November 27, farmers from villages will reach Delhi borders from all around with tractors and strengthen the agitation at protest sites. #FarmersProtest," Tikait said in a tweet.
Earlier on Sunday, Tikait also warned that the Centre saying that if the administration pulls down farmers' tents at protest sites, they will set up tents at police stations and District Magistrate's offices.
"We have come to know that the administration is trying to pull down the tents here with the help of JCB. If they do that, the farmers will set up their tents at Police stations, DM offices," Tikait told ANI.
Delhi Police on Thursday night started removing barricades placed at the Tikri and Ghazipur borders where farmers were protesting against the Centre's three farm laws.
12:50 Akhilesh will not contest UP polls
Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said he will not be contesting the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls early next year.
He also said that an alliance between his party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) for the polls has been finalised.
"Our alliance with RLD is final. Seat sharing is to be finalised," he told PTI in an interview.
Yadav, who is also SP MP from Azamgarh and the chief minister face of his party, said he will "not be contesting the assembly polls".
On chances of taking uncle Shivpal Yadav's Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL) along in the polls, he said, "I dont have any problem in this. He and his men will be given due honour". PTI
12:31 Australia recognises Covaxin for travel
Australia today recognised India's Covaxin for the purpose of travel to the country as it eased curbs on international travel.
After more than 18 months of some of the world's strictest Coronavirus border policies, millions of Australians are now free to travel without a permit or the need to quarantine on arrival in the country.
"Covaxin (manufactured by Bharat Biotech, India) and BBIBP-CorV (manufactured by Sinopharm, China) vaccines would be 'recognised' for the purpose of establishing a traveller's vaccination status. This recognition is for travellers aged 12 and over who have been vaccinated with Covaxin, and those 18 to 60 who have been vaccinated with BBIBP-CorV," a media release from the Australian government said.
12:23 Covid booster dose effective in reducing severe disease: Lancet
A third dose of COVID-19 vaccine is effective in reducing severe disease outcomes compared to individuals who have received two doses at least five months ago, according to the largest real-world study of Pfizer booster shot published in The Lancet.
The study by researchers from The Clalit Research Institute and Harvard University was conducted in Israel, an early global leader in third-dose COVID-19 vaccination rates.
It is the first to estimate the effectiveness of a third dose of Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine against severe outcomes with adjustment for various possible confounders, including comorbidities and behavioural factors.
A recent clinical trial conducted by BioNTech included a smaller sample size and did not estimate the third-dose's effects for more severe outcomes.
The study took place from July 30 through September 23, 2021, coinciding with Israel's fourth wave of coronavirus infection and illness, during which the Delta variant was the dominant strain in the country for most new infections.
Researchers reviewed data from 728,321 individuals aged 12 or above who had received the third dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
These individuals were carefully matched 1:1 with 728,321 individuals who had received only two shots of the Pfizer vaccine at least five months prior. Individuals were assigned to each group dynamically based on their changing vaccination status.
The results show that, compared with individuals who received only two vaccine doses five months prior, those who got three doses had 93 per cent lower risk of COVID-19-related hospitalisation, 92 per cent lower risk of severe disease, and 81 per cent lower risk of death.
Vaccine effectiveness was found to be similar for different sexes, age groups and number of comorbidities, the researchers said.
The gorgeous islands
12:11 Theres are place called Ferrargunj and Wimberleygunj in India
And these quaintly named places are in the Andaman and Nicobar islands. And the reason they are in the news, is the roads there need repairs.
MP Kuldeep Rai Sharma on Monday urged the administration to repair the important road from Ferrargunj to Wimberlygunj.
In a letter to Chief Secretary Jitendra Narain, Sharma said residents of Bambooflat, Wimberlygunj, Hope Town, Stewartgunj and nearby areas are facing tremendous mental and physical agony because of the pathetic condition of the road.
The road has thousands of potholes and in several places, it developed a wave-like surface, he mentioned. The road condition is also damaging vehicles, he added.
12:05 Fuel prices hiked for 6th day, but no protests yet
Petrol and diesel prices were hiked for the sixth consecutive day across the country on Monday. The opposition has barely held a few protests against the rising prices while the public, known to make a government fall over rising onion prices, stays home. In 1998 the public wrath of onion price rise led to Sheila Dikshit coming to power in Delhi.
In the national capital, with a hike of 35 paise a litre, the price of petrol rose to Rs 109.69 per litre while the price of diesel was increased by the same amount to cost Rs 98.42.
In Mumbai, the prices of petrol and diesel increased to Rs 115.50 and Rs 106.62 per litre respectively.
As for Kolkata, petrol costs Rs 110.35 per litre and diesel costs Rs 101.56 per litre while petrol and diesel cost Rs 106.35 and Rs 102.59 per litre respectively in Chennai.
Meanwhile, the Central government is in talks with several oil-exporting countries on the issue of supply and demand of oils but there is no possibility of immediate relief in prices.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas recently raised concerns about the matter of pricing, supply and demand of oils to the major oil-producing countries.
11:56 The makeover of Nara Lokesh
With a stubble, slippers & weight loss, Chandrababu's son Nara Lokesh aims to lose 'Pappu' tag.
Lokesh is a Stanford University alum who held the IT ministry -- besides panchayati raj and rural development -- during his father's tenure as Andhra Pradesh CM.
Read the column here.
Sameer Wankhede (3rd from left) at the Scheduled Castes Commission
11:52 Castes' body to verify Wankhede's Dalit claim
NCB-Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede arrives at the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, Delhi.
Subhash Ramnath Pardhi, member, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, says, Wankhede has come here to present himself before the Commission. "We will see and verify his documents," Pardhi said.
Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Monday upped the ante against Sameer Wankhede and said he will approach President Ram Nath Kovind against the clean chit to the Narcotics Control Bureau official by the vice chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.
On October 27, Malik tweeted a copy of Wankhedes purported marriage certificate, on which his name is listed as "Sameer Dawood Wankhede". Malik alleged that Wankhede had produced a forged birth certificate to get his job under the Scheduled Caste category.
11:22 This, from an Afghan national
Fazal Afghan, an Afghani tweets this image saying, "Nothing is wrong with Anushka's husband, but we miss this Guy (Heart emoji)."
That's MS Dhoni with the T20 World Cup.
Another cute tweet from Fazal: "Cant forget an Afghan friends reply to one of my tweets, he said Pakistanis are so happy that Virat Kohli touched their player. (Face emoji with tears of joy).
So, in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan it's OK to say they miss an Indian cricket player. In democratic India, UAPA is slapped on those cheering the Pakistani team's win over India.
10:45 Cong's UP promise: Smart phone, Scooty for girls
Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that girl students will get two-wheelers and smartphones from the party.
Taking to Twitter, Vadra on Monday said, "Congress party will give 40 per cent tickets to women. Smartphones and Scooty will be given to girl students."
She further said in her tweet said that the party will fulfil its promises made to the state, "Congress will provide Rs 1,000 per month to the widows in Uttar Pradesh. Bus services will be free for women. Three gas cylinders will be provided free to cost to women."
Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls are scheduled to take place next year.
Oberoi Garden City
10:41 Oberoi Realty sells flats worth Rs 787 cr in new Mumbai tower
Things are looking up in the real estate business.
Oberoi Realty on Monday said it has sold properties worth Rs 787 crore in its newly launched residential tower in Mumbai.
In a regulatory filing, the Mumbai-based firm informed that it had launched a new tower in the Elysian project at Oberoi Garden City, Goregaon, on October 28, 2021.
The company has recorded gross booking value of around Rs 787 crore for about 3.90 lakh square feet till date, it said.
With this, the cumulative gross booking value from January 1, 2021, till date in Oberoi Garden City stood at around Rs 2,705 crore. Oberoi Garden City, spread over 80 acre land, is a flagship project of Oberoi Realty.
10:23 4,58,437. That's Covid deaths in India till today
With 12,514 people testing positive for coronavirus in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,42,85,814, while the active cases declined to 1,58,817, the lowest in 248 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.
The death toll climbed to 4,58,437 with 251 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infection has been below 20,000 for 24 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 127 consecutive days now.
The active cases comprise 0.46 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.20 per cent, the ministry said.
A decline of 455 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.
The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 106.31 crore.
09:54 Delhi opens schools for all classes from today
Delhi schools reopen for all classes with 50% capacity from today.
Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia visits Rajkiya Sarvodaya Bal/Kanya Vidyalaya for an inspection. "We are happy that schools have reopened today especially for nursery to 8th classes. We're following all COVID protocols," he says.
09:41 Nawab Malik links drugs biz to Fadnavis
NCP leader Nawab Malik continues his allegations on the drugs-on-cruise case two days after Aryan Khan's release from jail. Today, Malik targets former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis' wife.
"One Jaydeep Rana currently in jail in connection with a drug trafficking case has relations with former CM Devendra Fadnavis. He was financial head of the famous 'River' song by Amrita Fadnavis. Drugs business in the state grew under his tenure," Malik alleges.
He also continued his allegations against NCB officer Sameer Wankhede. "Yesterday, Chairman of the National Scheduled Castes Commission & BJP's, Arun Haldar, visited Sameer Wankhede's residence and gave him a clean chit. He should have conducted an investigation first and submitted a detailed report. We will complain about him to the President," Malik added.
Malik has claimed that Wankhede was a Muslim by birth and had produced a bogus certificate to get government job. Malik said he was not fighting a battle of caste or religion, but highlighting how a government job was obtained on a "bogus" caste certificate.
09:15 Modi arrives in UK for COP26 summit, bilateral talks with Johnson
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Glasgow on Sunday for the COP26 climate summit and bilateral talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the sidelines of the United Nations meet.
"Landed in Glasgow. Will be joining the COP26 Summit, where I look forward to working with other world leaders on mitigating climate change and articulating India's efforts in this regard," Modi said on Twitter.
The Prime Minister was received to the tune of Scottish bagpipes as he arrived at his hotel in Glasgow, where he was greeted by a large group of Indian diaspora representatives with chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai.
"Leaving for Glasgow after a fruitful G20 Summit in Rome. During the Summit, we were able to have elaborate deliberations on issues of global importance such as fighting the pandemic, improving health infrastructure, boosting economic cooperation and furthering innovation," Modi said in an earlier tweet.
The Prime Minister, who flew into Glasgow from the G20 Summit in Italy, is scheduled to begin the UK leg of his European tour with a meeting with community leaders and Indologists based in Scotland on Monday morning.
He will then proceed for the opening ceremony of the World Leaders' Summit at the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow, where he is set to address the summit plenary session.
Modi's bilateral meeting with Boris Johnson is expected to take place soon after Monday's opening ceremony, which will include cultural performances and a speech by the UK Prime Minister. Johnson has said the summit will be the "world's moment of truth" and has urged world leaders to make the most of it.
"The question everyone is asking is whether we seize this moment or let it slip away," he said, ahead of the two-week conference.
His talks with Modi are expected to focus on the UK-India climate partnership as well as a stock-take of the 2030 Roadmap for stronger UK-India Strategic Partnership signed by the two leaders during a virtual summit in May this year.
"Both governments remain committed to the implementation of the Roadmap, within prescribed timelines. Accordingly, we are looking to launch negotiations in November 2021 for an Interim Agreement to be signed in March 2022 and eventually a comprehensive agreement, if all goes according to schedule, by November 2022," India's High Commissioner to the UK, Gaitri Issar Kumar, said ahead of the prime ministerial talks the first in-person meeting between Modi and Johnson following the UK PM's twice cancelled visit to India earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sabyasachi Mukherjee
08:36 Sabyasachi withdraws Mangalsutra ad after warning
Fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee retracted his label's advertisement campaign of a Mangalsutra collection stating that he was "deeply saddened" that the advertisement campaign "offended" a section of the society.
This comes hours after Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra issued a "24-hour ultimatum" and threatened to send the police after him.
The popular Indian fashion designer took to Instagram on Sunday and issued a statement on behalf of the firm stating that they are "deeply saddened" that the advertisement campaign "offended" a section of the society.
"In the context of making heritage and culture a dynamic conversation, the Mangalsutra campaign aimed to talk about inclusivity and empowerment. The campaign was intended as a celebration and we are deeply saddened that it has instead offended a section of our society. So we at Sabyasachi have decided to withdraw the campaign," read the fashion label's statement.
Earlier, MP Home Minister Mishra had termed the campaign as "highly objectionable and hurtful" and demanded Sabyasachi to withdraw it.
"I have warned earlier as well. I am personally warning designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee and giving him a 24-hour ultimatum. If this objectionable and obscene advertisement is not withdrawn within 24 hours, then a case will be registered against him and legal action will be taken. The police force will be sent for the action," said Mishra in a video message that he posted on Twitter.
The label's advertisement campaign of Mangalsutra, a traditional necklace worn by married Hindu women, had featured intimate portraits of women and men.
08:19 If Taliban moves towards India, air strike is ready: Yogi
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that Pakistan and Afghanistan are "feeling disturbed" by the Taliban, but if the insurgent group moves towards India, "an air strike is ready".
He was addressing the Samajik Pratinidhi Sammelan in Lucknow during which he also launched an attack on his political opponents in the state.
"Today, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is powerful, and no country can dare to raise its eyes towards India. Today, Pakistan and Afghanistan are feeling disturbed because of the Taliban. But, the Taliban knows if it moves towards India, an air strike is ready," he said.
According to a statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh unit of the BJP, Adityanath, referring apparently to SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, said, "His (Rajbhar's) thought process is confined only to the development of his family."
"While the father wanted to become a minister, one son wanted to be an MP, and another an MLC. The shops of such people indulging in blackmailing must be shut," Adityanath said.
Without naming Rajbhar, Adityanath further said, "There were two ministers from the Rajbhar community in my cabinet. In the Cabinet meeting, one minister opposed the construction of a memorial in honour of Maharaja Suheldev in Bahraich, while Anil Rajbhar wanted a grand memorial should be built.
"Today, a grand memorial is being built in Bahraich. The BJP government has named the medical college in Bahraich, after Suheldev. What have the opposition parties done for Maharaja Suheldev?"
He said that the "followers of Muhammad Ghori and invader Ghazi fear that if a a Suheldev memorial is built, people will forget Ghazi, and trash those indulging in political blackmailing. This is why they indirectly oppose the memorial of Suheldev."
Sharpening his attack on other rivals, Adityanath said the SP, the BSP and the Congress have nothing to do with development.
Without naming the SP, Adityanath asked whether those "who murdered Ram devotees have the courage to seek apology from the people of the country?" -- PTI
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