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Tue, 23 November 2021
After warning, MoS Mishra removed from Kheri events
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23:46 After warning, MoS Mishra removed from Kheri events
Two sugar mills in Lakhimpur Kheri, which had invited Union minister Ajay Mishra to inaugurate sugarcane crushing season, made changes to their programme on Tuesday apparently after farmer leader Rakesh Tikait's warning that farmers would keep away from the mills if the MoS attended the function.
Mishra, the Minister of State for Home and an MP from Kheri, is in the eye of the storm over the killing of four farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri.
His son Ashish Misra is in jail in connection with the knocking down of the farmers when they were protesting against the visit of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to Ajay Mishra's native place on October 3.
Meanwhile, the sugar mills have invited District Magistrate Mahendra Bahadur to inaugurate their events.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Kisan Sahkari Chini Mills Ltd, Sampurna Nagar in Lakhimpur Kheri said, "The sugarcane crushing session of Kisan Sahakari Chini Mills Ltd, Sampurn Nagar in Lakhimpur Kheri will start on November 24 (Wednesday) by District Magistrate Mahendra Bahadur Singh at 11.00 am."
Similar statement was issued by Sarju Sahkari Chini Mill Ltd, Belrayan Kheri.
While addressing the "Kisan Mahapanchayat" in Lucknow on Monday, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Tikait had said, "If Teni (Ajay Mishra) comes to inaugurate the sugar mill, then no sugarcane will be taken to that sugar mill."
"Rather, the farmers will take the sugarcane to the office of the district magistrate, no matter how much losses they incur," he had said.
Removal of Mishra from the Union cabinet is among the six demands put forth by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions, to the government for ending the stir after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Friday announced that the government will repeal the three contentious farm laws.
Meanwhile, sources close to minister said he had some other engagements and would not be able to attend the events at the two mills on November 24. -- PTI
22:52 Over 118 crore Covid vaccine doses administered in India so far: Govt
The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 118 crore on Tuesday, the Union Health Ministry said.
Over 68 lakh vaccine doses have been administered on Tuesday till 7 pm, it said while underlining the tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by in the late night.
The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2.
The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.
Vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years was launched on April 1. The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1. -- PTI
22:34 Won't join hands with ex-ally BJP: Sukhbir Badal
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal Tuesday said his party has a firm alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party and it will not join hands with former partner Bharatiya Janata Party.
The SAD's future lies with the BSP, he said while talking to reporters at Chabbewal, about 36 km from Hoshiarpur.
"We have a firm alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)," he said while replying to a question and asserted that the SAD will not join hands with the BJP.
The old alliance between the BJP and the SAD broke last year when the Shiromani Akali Dal quit the National Democratic Alliance over the farm laws.
The elections for the 117-member Punjab assembly are expected to witness a multi-cornered contest among the ruling Congress, the SAD-BSP alliance, the Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP.
When asked to comment on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal making promises for various sections of the society ahead of Punjab polls, Badal said the AAP chief should implement these in Delhi first.
"First, he should give permanent jobs to teachers, who were on contract there, and then give guarantee of permanent jobs to them in Punjab. By giving false guarantees, Kejriwal cannot befool the people of the state," he said.
He alleged that former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh did not fulfill promises made to the people of the state before the last assembly elections and now present Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi was making tall promises.
Badal alleged that both Kejriwal and Channi were lying to the people of state and making false promises.
"Kejriwal must prove his sincerity by first implementing the promises he's making in Punjab in his own state, otherwise, Punjabis will not believe him. Why has he not given an allowance to women, 300 units of free power and also regularised jobs in Delhi," he questioned. -- PTI
22:00 MVA alliance to stay in power for 25 yrs: Raut
The Shiv Sena on Tuesday pooh-poohed the Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party's claim that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government will soon collapse and asserted the three-party ruling alliance in the state will remain in power for 25 years.
Talking to reporters after a meeting with Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut hit out at the BJP over the recent riots in Amravati and the ongoing strike by Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation employees.
The NCP is a key constituent of the Shiv Sena-led MVA government. The Congress is the third partner in the coalition.
Taking a dig at state BJP president Chandrakant Patil for his reported comments that the MVA dispensation will soon collapse, Raut said he should wake up from slumber as the government will complete its second anniversary on November 28.
The Sena MP said the MVA government will last for 25 years and its power centre is where he is standing, a reference to Pawar's residence.
"He (Patil) must be getting shocks after the early morning oath-taking ceremony. Chandrakant Patil has said this (predicting collapse of MVA) for nearly 28 times. The government will last for 25 years and I am standing near the power centre," Raut said.
In a dramatic turn of events on November 23, 2019, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis took oath as Maharashtra CM with NCP legislator Ajit Pawar as his deputy in the wee hours, but their government lasted just for around 80 hours.
The NCP president is considered the chief architect of the three-party alliance which assumed office on November 28, 2019.
Without naming the BJP, a former ally of the Sena, Raut hit out at the opposition party over the ongoing strike by MSRTC employees and the recent violence in Amravati in eastern Maharashtra.
"Everyone knows who is inciting the situation in Maharashtra and why it is being done, who is adding oil to the fire on the MSRTC issue, we have the information about this," the Rajya Sabha MP said.
Attempts are being made to set fire in Maharashtra, from Amravati (a reference to the recent riots in the city) to MSRTC workers strike, Raut alleged. -- PTI
21:00 Bill to ban private cryptos to be introduced in Parl
The government on Tuesday listed a new bill for the upcoming winter session of Parliament that seeks to ban all private cryptocurrencies in the country, while allowing an official digital currency to be issued by the Reserve Bank of India.
This bill on cryptocurrencies is among 26 bills listed for the session.
These also include a bill to repeal the three farm laws, a proposal for which is to be discussed by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday.
The winter session of the Parliament is scheduled to start from November 29 and conclude on December 23. -- PTI
20:55 Himachal BJP vice-prez resigns from post
The BJP on Tuesday suffered a setback in Himachal Pradesh after its state unit vice-president Kripal Parmar resigned from his post.
He posted his resignation letter addressed to state party president Suresh Kashyap on Facebook.
"I, Kripal Parmar, vice-president, Himachal BJP, am sending my resignation from the party post. Kindly accept it. I will explain the reason in separate letters," the letter stated.
Parmar said that for the last four years, he was continuously being ignored in the BJP and he could no longer bear it. He said he was a true worker of the party and continued to work for it.
The letter comes ahead of the BJP state working committee meeting.
In the recently held bypolls in Himachal Pradesh, the party had fielded Baldev Thakur in Parmar's place on the Fatehpur assembly seat in Kangra district. He did not contest as an independent after Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur persuaded him, but he stayed away from the campaigning.
Thakur lost the bypoll to the Congress's Bhawani Singh Pathania by more than 5,000 votes.
Parmar said that even when he was denied the ticket for Fatehpur seat, he kept mum.
20:44 BCCI in soup over 'Halal meat' mandate for Team India
A row involving the BCCI erupted on Tuesday after it emerged that only 'halal' meat has been recommended for the Indian cricketers during their stay in Kanpur for the series-opening Test against New Zealand.
The catering and menu document also mentions categorically that no pork or beef should be part of any food in any form or variety.
Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson and advocate Gaurav Goel demanded immediate withdrawal of the recommendation.
"The players can eat whatever they want but who has given BCCI the right to introduce 'halal' meat. This is illegal and we will not allow it," Goel said in a video posted from his twitter handle.
"This decision is not right. It should be withdrawn immediately."
None of the BCCI officials, contacted by the PTI, was ready to speak about the document, which is believed to be prepared by the support staff and medical team keeping the dietary requirements in mind.
Usually Hindus and Sikhs prefer 'jhatka' meat while Muslims largely prefer 'halaal'.
In the Halal form of slaughter, animals are killed with a cut to the jugular vein and are left till the blood drains out completely. In the jhatka method, the animal is killed instantaneously.
A former India cricketer said exclusion of beef and pork items is not surprising though it was never documented before.
"During my time in the team, I have never seen any beef or pork items being served on match days in the dressing room. At least, never in India. So I don't think apart from putting pen to paper, anything new has been done," the cricketer told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
"Before anyone tries to read between the lines, beef, with its excessive fat content just like goat meat isn't advisable for cricketers.
"We were always advised to have lean protein which is generally grilled chicken and fish," he said.
20:30 Central Vista: Jharkhand-based firm to construct Vice-President Enclave
Infrastructure firm Kamladityya Construction Pvt Ltd has been awarded the contract for constructing a Vice-President Enclave under the Central Vista redevelopment project, a senior Central Public Works Department official said on Tuesday.
According to the CPWD's bid documents, the Bokaro-based firm had quoted around Rs 206 crore in the bid, which is 3.52 per cent lower than the estimated cost.
The documents show that five other construction firms had quoted bid amounts 2.80 per cent to 25.57 per cent higher than the estimated cost.
"Kamladityya Construction Pvt Ltd has been awarded the contract for the construction and maintenance of the Vice President Enclave," the CPWD official told PTI.
According to the company's website, its head office is in Jharkhand's Bokaro Steel City.
The proposed Vice-President Enclave will come up next to the North Block and Rashtrapati Bhavan, for which the CPWD had estimated a cost of around Rs 214 crore. The project, which includes a residence for the Vice President and a secretariat, is expected to start next month and be over in 10 months.
Last month, infrastructure firm Larsen & Toubro Limited had won the tender work for the construction and maintenance of the first three buildings of the Common Central Secretariat under the Central Vista redevelopment project.
Tata Projects Limited is constructing a new parliament building while Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Limited is executing the redevelopment work of the Central Vista Avenue from Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate.
The redevelopment of the Central Vista, the nation's power corridor, envisages a new parliament building, a common central secretariat, revamping of the 3-km Rajpath from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate, new office and residence of the prime minister, and a new vice-president enclave.
19:59 Rupee closes flat at 74.42 against US dollar
The rupee recovered most of its initial losses to settle 3 paise down at 74.42 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday, tracking a positive trend in domestic equities and easing crude oil prices.
At the interbank forex market, the local unit opened weak at 74.48 against the greenback and witnessed an intra-day high of 74.38 and a low of 74.57.
It finally ended at 74.42 against the American currency, registering a fall of just 3 paise over its previous close of 74.39.
"Indian rupee recovered opening loss and ended on a flat note after a short-covering bounce in domestic equities. Strength in Asian currencies, lower crude oil price and steady dollar index supported the local unit," Dilip Parmar, Research Analyst, HDFC Securities, said.
Parmar further added that spot USD/INR is expected to consolidate in a narrow range of 74 to 74.70 amid mixed global and domestic signals.
"There were foreign fund outflows from the secondary market, dollar index heading higher, and at the same time, we could see the central bank selling dollars for month-end dollar demands," he said.
On the domestic equity market front, the BSE Sensex ended 198.44 points or 0.34 per cent higher at 58,664.33, while the broader NSE Nifty rose 86.80 points or 0.5 per cent to 17,503.35.
Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, fell 0.97 per cent to USD 78.93 per barrel.
The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, declined 0.14 to 96.41.
19:49 Constitution Day in Parl's Central Hall on Nov 26
As part of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', the Constitution Day will be celebrated in the Central Hall of Parliament on November 26 and President Ram Nath Kovind will preside over the event, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference about the event, Joshi said the main event will be attended by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and various other dignitaries.
The event is being organised by the Lok Sabha Secretariat and Speaker, the parliamentary affairs minister said.
According to Joshi, the preamble of the Constitution will be recited during the event. A call has been made to the public to read the preamble en masse along with the president through various modes such as radio, TV, and social media, he said.
He further said to make the celebrations a public campaign and ensure Jan Bhagidari, the ministry has developed two portals on -- online reading of the preamble to the Constitution in 23 languages and online quiz on Constitutional democracy.
Celebration of Constitution Day was started in 2015 by Modi. This time, the main function in the central hall will be organised by Lok Sabha Secretariat, Joshi said.
Asked about the bill to be tabled by the government in the upcoming winter session of Parliament for repealing the three agri laws, Joshi said the prime minister has already made the announcement and the agriculture ministry is deliberating on it.
Modi on Friday announced his government's decision to repeal the three farm laws over which the farmers have been protesting for almost a year at Delhi's borders.
Despite the climbdown by the government, farmer unions have said they will continue their agitation on other demands, including an MSP law and the dismissal of Union minister Ajay Mishra over last month's violence in Lakhimpur Kheri.
19:41 President Kovind on two-day UP visit from Wednesday
President Ram Nath Kovind will visit Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh from November 24 to 25, a statement issued on Tuesday by Rashtrapati Bhavan said.
The president will grace and address the birth centenary celebrations of Chaudhary Harmohan Singh Yadav on Wednesday, it said.
Kovind will grace and address the centenary celebrations of Harcourt Butler Technical University on Thursday, the statement said.
Representational pic
19:18 25% Indians face caste, religion bias in healthcare
A third of Muslims, over 20 per cent Dalits and Adivasis, and 30 per cent of the overall respondents reported being discriminated against on grounds of religion, caste or because of illness or health conditions in hospitals or by healthcare professionals, claims a report.
Sharing the results of its rapid survey on the challenges with the COVID-19 vaccination drive in India on Tuesday, Oxfam India in its report noted that 43 per cent of the respondents stated that they could not get vaccinated because the vaccination centres had run out of vaccines when they visited them and 12 per cent did not get inoculated because they could not afford "the high prices" of the vaccine.
Nine per cent of the respondents said they had to lose a day's wages to get themselves vaccinated, according to report 'Securing Rights of Patients in India'.
The NGO said the survey was conducted in two parts to cover the rights of patients against "some of the provisions" of the Union ministry for health and family welfare and India's vaccination drive.
The survey on the patients' rights charter of the health ministry was carried out between February and April and received 3890 responses, while the survey on India's vaccine drive was conducted between August and September covering 10,955 respondents in 28 states and 5 union territories, it added.
"One in four Indians faced discrimination while accessing health services due to their caste and religion," Oxfam India said, citing findings of the survey.
"A third of Muslim respondents, over 20 per cent Dalit and Adivasi respondents, and 30 per cent of overall respondents reported being discriminated against on the grounds of religion, caste or because of illness or health conditions in a hospital or by a healthcare professional," the report claimed.
Fifty per cent respondents said they were not provided with an estimated cost of treatment/procedure before the start of the treatment/procedure when they or their close relatives were hospitalised in the past 10 years, it claimed.
While 31 per cent respondents reported being denied case papers, patient records, investigation reports for treatment/procedure by the hospital even after requesting for the same, 35 per cent of women said they underwent physical examination by male attendant without a female present in the room, the report said.
"Nineteen per cent of the respondents whose close relatives were hospitalised said they were denied release of dead body by the hospital, it added.
"The surveys show that the basic rights of patients' in India are being routinely denied in healthcare facilities, for the poor and middle class alike. Skewed power dynamics with respect to class, caste, religion, and gender between the healthcare providers and patients deepen existing structural inequalities in the healthcare system," Oxfam India CEO Amitabh Behar said in a statement.
Underlining denial of patient's rights in the country, the report claimed that 74 per cent respondents said the doctor simply wrote the prescription or treatment or asked them to get tests/investigations done without explaining their disease, nature and/or cause of illness.
More than half of the respondents (57 per cent) who were themselves or their relatives had been hospitalised did not receive any information about investigations and tests being done, the report said.
Listing key findings from the survey on Covid-19 vaccination drive in India, the report noted that 29 per cent of the respondents said that they either had to make multiple visits to the vaccination centre or stand in long queues, while 22 per cent faced issues in booking the slot online or had to try for multiple days ahead to get a slot.
19:05 Uddhav Thackeray will soon resume work: Sanjay Raut
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is recovering "rapidly" after a spine surgery and will soon resume work, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said on Tuesday.
Thackeray (61) underwent the spine surgery at the HN Reliance Hospital here on November 12.
He is currently undergoing physiotherapy at the hospital, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) had said on Monday.
"The chief minister is recovering rapidly and he will resume work soon. He is following some instructions from doctors...the instructions have to be followed," Raut said.
Thackeray, who is also the Shiv Sena president, was admitted to the hospital on November 10 on the advice of doctors after his neck pain aggravated.
Earlier this month, he had attended an event wearing a cervical collar.
18:38 FIR against Kangana over remarks against Sikhs
Police on Tuesday registered an FIR against Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut in Mumbai for allegedly using derogatory language against the Sikh community in a social media post, an official said.
The FIR was lodged at the suburban Khar police station a day after the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) submitted a complaint against the actor.
Ranaut (34) was booked under section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and further investigation was underway, the official said.
According to the official, the complainant in the case is Amarjeet Singh Sandhu, a Mumbai-based businessman who was part of a DSGMC delegation that submitted the complaint on Monday.
In a statement, Sandhu accused the actor of making derogatory remarks against his community in a post on Instagram.
After submitting the complaint, the DSGMC delegation, led by Manjinder Singh Sirsa, a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader who is also president of the organisation, had met Maharashtra home minister Dilip Walse Patil and top officials of the Mumbai police, and demanded action against Ranaut.
In the complaint, the DSGMC mentioned that Ranaut had intentionally and deliberately portrayed the farmers' protest (Kisan Morcha) as a "Khalistani" movement and also dubbed the Sikh community as "Khalistani terrorists".
She also made references to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the then prime minister Indira Gandhi, it said.
In the post, the actor has used very derogatory and insulting language against the Sikh community, according to the complaint.
"This act on her part is most degrading, disrespectful and contemptuous, which has hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community settled all over the world," it added.
18:01 US to release 50 mn barrels of oil; India 5 mn
The White House on Tuesday said it had ordered 50 million barrels of oil released from the strategic reserve to bring down energy costs, in coordination with other countries. The move is an effort to bring down rising gas prices.
The release will be taken in parallel other nations including, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom, major energy consumers.
India plans to release about 5 million barrels of crude oil from its emergency stockpile in tandem with the US, Japan and other major economies to cool international oil prices, a top government official said on Tuesday.
This is the first time ever that India, which stores 5.33 million tonnes or about 38 million barrels of crude oil in underground caverns at three locations on the east and west coast, is releasing stocks for such purposes.
17:42 Elghar Parishad case: Anand Teltumbde seeks interim bail to visit mother
Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case accused and activist Anand Teltumbde on Tuesday sought 15-day interim bail to visit his 90-year-old mother in the wake of the death of his brother Milind Teltumbde, a top Naxal leader, in an encounter with security forces.
Anand Teltumbde, who is currently lodged in Taloja jail after his arrest in April last year, in his plea, said he had come to know of the death of his brother Milind in an encounter on November 13 in Gadchiroli.
His plea stated that his mother was 90 years old and that, at such a moment of bereavement, he being the eldest in the family, his presence by the side of this mother and siblings would act as moral support and give solace to kin.
The court asked National Investigation Agency to file its reply on Anand's plea on December 1. Milind Teltumbde was killed along with other Naxal ultras in an encounter with C-60 commandos of the Gadchiroli police.
17:40 Pavan Verma joins TMC
Congress leader Kirti Azad joins TMC in Delhi. "It makes me happy to say that under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, I'll work for the development of the nation. Today, a personality like her is needed in the country who can show the country the right direction," he says.
Former JD(U) Leader Pavan Verma joined the TMC a few hours ago.
Up next is former Congress MP and a once close aide of Rahul Gandhi, Ashok Tanwar.
17:12 Reliance credit quality not impacted: Moody's
The reevaluation of the decision to sell a 20 per cent stake in Reliance Industries Ltd's oil-to-chemical business to Saudi Aramco will not impact the firm's credit quality, Moody's Investors Service said Tuesday.
On November 19, the conglomerate announced that it will reevaluate the transfer of its oil-to-chemical (O2C) business - comprising its refining, marketing and petrochemical operations - to a wholly-owned subsidiary.
The proposed business reorganisation was intended to enable RIL to sell a stake in its O2C segment to strategic investors, including Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco).
"The sale would have strengthened the company's balance sheet and liquidity as it continues to incur capital spending for its digital services, and new energy and retail businesses," Moody's said in a note.
"The decision to reevaluate the transfer and the stake sale will not impact RIL's credit quality because the company already has a strong balance sheet to accommodate future investments required for its various businesses." RIL has a rating downgrade trigger of net debt/EBITDA of 3.0x, but the company reported a net cash position as of September 30, 2021.
In addition, it is expected to generate sufficient cash flows from operations each year to fund its capital spending.
16:57 Sensex rebounds 198 points; Nifty tops 17,500
Equity benchmark Sensex ended 198 points higher on Tuesday, tracking gains mainly in power, telecom and pharma stocks.
After plunging over 700 points in early trade, the 30-share index pared all losses to settle 198.44 points or 0.34 per cent higher at 58,664.33.
Similarly, the NSE Nifty rose 86.80 points or 0.50 per cent to 17,503.35.
PowerGrid was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising around 4 per cent, followed by NTPC, Tata Steel, Bharti Airtel, Sun Pharma and Bajaj Finserv.
On the other hand, IndusInd Bank, Asian Paints, Infosys, Bajaj Auto and Maruti fell up to 2.59 per cent.
16:42 Cong's advice to Manish Tewari: Focus on China
What Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Choudhary said on Manish Tewari's book where he writes that the UPA govt's response to 26/11 attack was restraint, which is not a sign of strength and that India should have taken kinetic action following the attack.
Choudhary reacted saying, "He (Manish Tewari) should be focusing more on China that has captured many of our areas in Ladakh and built villages in Arunachal Pradesh. He is regaining consciousness now. Why has he not talked about it that time."
The book gave ammunition to the BJP which said that the grand old party-led UPA government put the national security at stake by not responding strongly after the Mumbai terror attacks.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said this confirms that the UPA government was 'useless'.
16:32 After 2 yrs Mumbai Half Marathon to be held in Dec
After a coronavirus-enforced gap of two years, the Ageas Federal Life Insurance Mumbai Half Marathon will be held on December 19, the organisers said on Tuesday.
The event organisers NEB Sports said it will get all the permissions and clearances to recommence their various marathons across the country.
Several new protocols will be in place for the race this year, including mandatory vaccination or RT-PCR negative tests, staggered starts, packed breakfasts, sanitisers and disposable masks to make it safe for everybody, race director Nagaraj Adiga said in a release.
The organisers intend to limit the numbers based on permissions from the government.
"We are very close to reaching our target already. Registrations are, however, open till December 4," he added.
Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who is the brand ambassador of Ageas Federal Life Insurance, said that focus on fitness has increased manifold after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
"Since the pandemic began, the focus on fitness has increased manifold, and people have realised the importance of an active and healthy lifestyle," said Tendulkar. The half marathon has a new home this year in the form of Wings Sports Centre, at reclamation in suburban Bandra, and the event races include the biggie, the half-marathon (21.1 km), the 10K and the 5K. PTI
16:13 India to release 5 mn barrels of crude oil
India plans to release about 5 million barrels of crude oil from its emergency stockpile in tandem with the US, Japan and other major economies to cool international oil prices, a top government official said on Tuesday.
This is the first time ever that India, which stores 5.33 million tonnes or about 38 million barrels of crude oil in underground caverns at three locations on the east and west coast, is releasing stocks for such purposes.
Of this, about 5 million barrels will be released, starting as early as 7-10 days, the official, who wished not to be named said.
The stocks will be sold to refineries of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL), which are connected by pipeline to the strategic reserves.
"We may look at releasing more reserves later," the official said, adding a formal announcement was expected later in the day.
The US had last week made the unusual request to some of the world's largest oil-consuming nations, including China, India and Japan, to consider releasing crude stockpiles in a coordinated effort to lower global energy prices.
This after members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies rebuffed repeated requests to speed up their production increases.
India has been the most forceful about flexing its muscles as a major oil consumer, cutting shipments from Saudi Arabia by about a quarter after OPEC+ extended production cuts. Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri last week in Dubai had said high prices will undermine the global economic recovery. -- PTI
Representational image
16:02 Most Covid facilities in Bengal to turn into non-Covid units
The West Bengal Health Department has decided to turn most hospitals, which were made dedicated COVID-19 facilities, into non-Covid-units, after a decline in the number of fresh cases, a senior official said on Tuesday.
It has also decided to shut several safe homes that were set up during the peak phase of the pandemic to accommodate infected patients, he said.
The department has issued a notification to this effect, adding that two Covid hospitals will function in each district. There are at least 203 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in West Bengal - government and private - with 23,947 beds, the official said. The state has 200 safe homes with around 11,505 beds. -- PTI
15:54 JD-U's Pavan Varma joins TMC
Former JD(U) leader Pavan Varma joins Trinamool Congress in New Delhi.
Two more leaders, both from the Congress, will join Mamata Banerjee's party today: Former Congress MP and a once close aide of Rahul Gandhi, Ashok Tanwar and Congress leader Kirti Azad.
The horror of India's 2nd Covid wave
15:30 3rd Covid wave unlikely in India: Experts
Is the worst of the Covid crisis behind India?
As cases dip three weeks after Diwali, the answer is a possible yes, say several experts, attributing the downslide to a large section of the population already exposed to the virus during the second wave and a stepped up vaccination campaign.
Covid cases may rise, perhaps across late December-February, but the impact will be milder than what India experienced in the second wave when thousands died and many thousands more were hospitalised.
It may not take off in a coordinated manner across the country, provided no far more transmissible variant comes along, explained Gautam Menon, professor, Departments of Physics and Biology, Ashoka University, in Sonepat.
Several epidemiologists had predicted a third wave peaking in October and November because of large gatherings in the festive season, which includes Durga Puja and Diwali. But the much feared spike thankfully hasn't happened.
On Tuesday, India recorded 7,579 new coronavirus infections, the lowest in 543 days, taking the country's total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,45,26,480, while active cases were the lowest in 536 days, according to Union Health Ministry data.
The daily rise in new infections has been below 20,000 for 46 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 149 consecutive days. What it suggests is that the impact of the second wave, where a substantial fraction of Indians were infected, continues to manifest itself, Menon told PTI.
In addition, a stepped-up vaccination campaign has meant that more people are protected against severe disease, hospitalisation, and death, he added.
In his view, the substantial number of people infected during the second wave from March to July this year is the prime protective feature at the moment for India, while vaccines add to that protection.
A combination of a prior infection with a later vaccination may be even more protective than just the vaccination alone, said Menon.
Many scientific studies suggest that people who become naturally infected with Covid and recover before vaccination develop hybrid immunity, better immunity than those who only have antibodies from vaccination.
Virologist Anurag Agrawal agreed with Menon, saying the low number of cases can be attributed to a high fraction of the population being infected by the Delta variant during the second wave, followed by most adults having received at least one vaccine dose further boosting the immune response. Serosurveys have shown that the majority of the population is likely to have been infected, Agrawal, director of the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, told PTI.
It is a well-established fact that complete vaccination as well as previous exposure with SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19, lead to a significant decrease in the severity of the disease, added immunologist Vineeta Bal. -- PTI
14:52 Manish Tewari criticises UPA govt on 26/11 response
Congress leader Manish Tewari has in his latest book criticised the UPA government for its response to the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes, saying restraint is not a sign of strength and that India should have taken kinetic action following the attack.
In the book "10 Flashpoints: 20 years" that is set to be released on December 2, the former union minister has looked back at the security situations that have impacted India in the last two decades.
Tewari is a member of the 'Group of 23' leaders who had written to Sonia Gandhi seeking organisational overhaul and elections for every post in the Congress party.
"Happy to announce that my Fourth Book will be in the market shortly - '10 Flash Points; 20 Years - National Security Situations that Impacted India'. The book objectively delves into every salient National Security Challenge India has faced in the past two decades," Tewari said in a tweet while announcing the launch of his book.
He has dissected the responses both in terms of success and failures and examined the tools and processes of Indian statecraft in terms of both diplomacy and intelligence.
"For a state that has no compunctions in brutally slaughtering hundreds of innocent people, restraint is not a sign of strength; it is perceived as a symbol of weakness," he said in his book.
"There comes a time when actions must speak louder than words. 26/11 was one such time when it just should have been done. It, therefore, is my considered opinion that India should have actioned a kinetic response in the days following India's 9/11," he said.
The nation would observe the 13th anniversary of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks this week.
Citing excerpts of the book, the BJP on Tuesday alleged that the grand old party-led UPA government put the national security at stake by not responding strongly after the Mumbai terror attacks.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said this confirms that the UPA government was "useless".
Tewari has also hit out at the Modi government, alleging that the scrapping of the Mountain Strike Corps is the "greatest disservice" that this government did to India's national security.
The former minister said in July 2018, the defence and finance ministers of the subsequent Modi-led government shelved all the plans of raising the Mountain Strike Corps against China citing financial constraints.
Mounting pressure on the LAC leading to the Doklam crisis in 2017 could have been averted provided the mountain strike corps would have been raised, trained, resourced and efficaciously deployed, he said.
Group Capt Abhinandan Varthaman gets the Vir Chakra
14:15 Pak rejects Abhinandan shot down their F-16 plane
Pakistan on Tuesday rejected as "baseless" the Indian stand that a Pakistani F-16 aircraft was shot down by an Indian pilot during an aerial combat in February 2019.
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman (now Group Captain) shot down the Pakistani F-16 jet during an aerial combat before his MiG 21 Bison aircraft was hit on February 27, 2019.
He was captured by the Pakistani Army and later released on the night of March 1.
He was conferred with the Vir Chakra award by President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday for displaying an "exceptional sense of duty" in the dogfight. Vir Chakra is India's third-highest wartime gallantry award after Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra.
"Pakistan categorically rejects the entirely baseless Indian claims that a Pakistani F-16 aircraft was shot down by an Indian pilot" in February 2019, the Foreign Office said in a statement.
"The international experts and US officials have already confirmed that no Pakistani F-16 was shot down on the day, after taking stock of Pakistani F-16 aircraft, it claimed. The pilot's release "was a testimony of Pakistan's desire for peace despite India's hostility and ill-conceived aggressive action," it added.
In the early hours of February 26, 2019, the IAF jets bombed the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror camps in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan and avenged the Pulwama terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel.
An intense aerial confrontation ensued between both countries the next day, in which the Indian pilot was captured and later released by Pakistan. The strike by India's warplanes on a JeM terrorist training camp in Balakot and the Pakistan Air Force's subsequent retaliation the next day triggered fears of a war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. PTI
14:01 Man cooks up robbery tale after losing Rs 10 lakh in Bitcoin trade
A businessman in Maharashtra's Palghar district allegedly made up a fake story about being robbed after he lost Rs 10 lakh in Bitcoin trade, police said on Tuesday.
Sumant Ligayat, who was into supply of grocery and other essentials, had saved Rs 10 lakh for his daughter's wedding scheduled next month, an official from Vasai police station said.
However, he lost all the money in Bitcoin trade and was worried about facing his family, he said.
The man approached the Vasai police station and claimed that he had been robbed by an unidentified man, who had snatched his bag containing the money and escaped on a two-wheeler on Monday afternoon, he said.
A case of robbery was registered and during a probe, the police realised that there was no truth in the complaint, the official said, adding that the police had issued a warning to the businessman. PTI
13:47 25 Punjab Cong MLAs want to join AAP: Kejriwal
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in Amritsar: "Many people in Congress are in touch with us but we don't want to take their garbage. If we start doing it then I challenge you that 25 Congress MLAs (in Punjab) would join us by evening. Their 25 MLAs and 2-3 MPs are in touch and want to join us.
"We will improve Punjab govt schools just like we improved Delhi govt schools; only we know how to do it, no other party does.
"I guarantee to resolve multiple issues of teachers on an emergency basis," the Delhi CM said in poll-bound Punjab.
Priyanka and Nick Jonas during Diwali
13:24 Priyanka quashes break-up rumour with this post
Global star Priyanka Chopra, in a subtle manner, quashed all the rumours about her separation from husband and singer Nick Jonas.
Rumours of a split between the couple began circulating recently when fans and followers noticed that Priyanka, who goes by the surname Chopra-Jonas, dropped it from her social media handles.
The reason behind the name change is still unclear, but Priyanka seemed to put any breakup speculations to rest with a romantic comment on her husband's latest Instagram post.
On Monday night, Nick took to Instagram to share a video of himself performing some bicep curls during a workout session.
"Monday motivation. Let's get it," Nick captioned the post.
Priyanka commented on the post, "Damn! I just died in your arms." She also added an emoji with heart eyes, another sweating and a third simple red heart.
Priyanka and Nick had married each other in a Christian and a Hindu ceremony in Jodhpur's Umaid Bhawan Palace on December 1 and 2 in 2018. Later, the couple also hosted two receptions in Delhi and Mumbai.
Earlier this month, the couple celebrated Diwali and shared pictures from their celebration on Instagram. The couple will celebrate their third wedding anniversary in December 2021.
12:45 Aurangabad orders impounding of autos if drivers unvaccinated
In a bid to ramp up anti-COVID-19 vaccination coverage in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district, authorities have ordered impounding of autorickshaws if their drivers are found to have not taken even a single jab.
Simultaneously, tour and travel operators cannot sell tickets to passengers who are not inoculated, as per the orders issued late Monday night by district collector Sunil Chavan.
These orders will come into effect from November 25. Aurangabad district in the Marathwada region is one of the laggard districts in terms of vaccination coverage.
The district collector had virtually attended a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month of districts with low vaccination coverage.
As per official data, out of the 32,24,677 targeted population in the Aurangabad district, 64.36% of people have received the first dose and 27.78% the second dose till November 22. -- PTI
12:07 Rahul's former close aide to join TMC today
Former Congress MP and a once close aide of Rahul Gandhi, Ashok Tanwar to join TMC today in Delhi. In February, Tanwar Thursday launched his own outfit Apna Bharat Morcha. Once considered close to the Gandhi family, Tanwar had quit Congress ahead of the 2019 Haryana Assembly polls.
11:52 Air Force chief, Navy chief designate receive Param Vishisht Seva Medal
Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari and Navy chief designate Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar were awarded Param Vishisht Seva Medal from President Ram Nath Kovind in an investiture ceremony on Tuesday.
Ace fighter pilot Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari took charge as the Chief of Air Staff on September 30, while the Centre, earlier on November 9, announced that Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar will take charge as the Navy chief from November 30.
Kumar will take over Admiral KB Singh who is superannuating after a 30-month tenure.
11:34 Central Vista: SC dismisses plea on land use
The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea challenging the change in land use of a plot where the new official residence of the vice president will come up as part of the ambitious Central Vista project in Lutyens' Delhi.
A bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar said that sufficient explanation has been offered by authorities concerned which justify the change in land use of the plot.
"We find no reason to examine the matter further and therefore put a quietus to the entire controversy by dismissing this petition," the bench, also comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and C T Ravikumar, said.
The Central Vista revamp, announced in September 2019 envisages a new triangular Parliament building, with a seating capacity for 900 to 1,200 MPs, that is to be constructed by August, 2022 when the country will celebrate its 75th Independence Day.
The common Central Secretariat is to be built by 2024 under the project that covers a three-km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate in the national capital. The apex court was hearing a petition challenging the change in land use of plot number one from recreational area to residential. PTI
Col Santosh Babu will receive the Mahavir Chakra posthumously
10:57 Galwan martyrs to receive bravery awards today
Galwan braves to receive bravery awards from the President of India Ram Nath Kovind today.
Col Santosh Babu to receive the Mahavir Chakra posthumously today for resisting the Chinese Army attack while establishing an observation post in the face of the enemy in the Galwan valley in the Ladakh sector during the ongoing Operation Snow Leopard.
Naib Subedar Nuduram Soren, Havildar K Palani, Naik Deepak Singh, Sepoy Gurtej Singh to receive their Vir Chakras posthumously for their gallant actions against the vicious attack by the Chinese Army in the Galwan valley in June last year as part of the Operation Snow Leopard.
Subedar Sanjiv Kumar of 4 Para Special Forces to receive Kirti Chakra posthumously today for an operation in Keran sector in Jammu and Kashmir in which he killed one terrorist and injured two others.
10:52 Landslide near Shimla
A landslide near Theog in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla halted the traffic at the national highway 5 on Tuesday. Efforts are on to restore the road for traffic by clearing the debris. More details are awaited.
10:51 Congress leader Kirti Azad to join TMC
Congress leader Kirti Azad will join the Trinamool Congress in Delhi on Tuesday, sources in the Mamata Banerjee-led party said.
Banerjee, who is in Delhi, always meets Congress president Sonia Gandhi during her visits. However, the TMC sources indicated that the West Bengal chief minister may give it a miss this time.
A member of the 1983 cricket World Cup-winning squad, Azad was suspended from the BJP for openly targeting the then Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over alleged irregularities and corruption in the Delhi and District Cricket Association in December 2015.
He joined the Congress in 2018. Azad was elected to the Lok Sabha thrice from Darbhanga in Bihar. He had contested the 2014 general elections on a BJP ticket. -- PTI
Sushmita Sen in Aarya
10:41 International Emmys: No win for Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vir Das and 'Aarya'
Actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vir Das and series "Aarya", led by Sushmita Sen, could not register a win at the 2021 International Emmy Awards but the comedian said it was "an honour" to represent the country at the awards ceremony.
Siddiqui, who was nominated in the best performance by an actor category for his Netflix movie "Serious Men", lost out to Scottish actor David Tennant .
While Das' Netflix comedy special "Vir Das: For India" lost out to "Call My Agent" Season 4 from France in the comedy category.
The comedian, who has been in news back home for his "I Come From Two Indias" monologue, said he loved the French drama. "I was nominated for best comedy at the International Emmy Awards, for jokes. Call My Agent, a gigantic beautiful show I love won. But I got this medal, and ate this fantastic salad with a very interesting crispy cheese topping. It was an honour to represent my country. Thanks so much to the @iemmys For India. It's always for India. #VirDasForIndia," he wrote on Instagram.
Das has received praise as well as police complaints for his monologue in Washigton recently. Sen's "Aarya", a Disney+ Hotstar series directed by Ram Madhvani, was nominated in the best drama series category alongside Chile's "El Presidente", Israel's "Tehran" and the second season of "There She Goes" from the UK. Israel's "Tehran" topped the drama series category, ending India's run at the yearly awards.
Madhvani on Monday had hoped to bring the trophy home. "Here we are after taking a 16-hour flight, we are hoping when we go back, we will win but even if we don't it is a big big thing to be nominated," he said on Monday.
Last year, director Richie Mehta's "Delhi Crime", fronted by Shefali Shah, won the best drama series honours at the International Emmys.
10:23 Class 9 student kills self after missing his school bus
Apparently upset over missing his school bus, a class 9 student committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, police said on Tuesday.
This incident occurred on Monday at Aamdoh village under the Ghodadongri police post, located 40 km away from the Betul district headquarters.
"A 14-year-old boy, who was the student of class 9 in a private school, committed suicide by hanging on Monday," said Ghodadongri police post in charge Ravi Shakya. He said the boy had left him home for school but missed the bus.
"His family members told the police that he was very punctual about attending his school. He was upset after he missed the bus," the police officer said. According to his family members, he returned home crying on Monday. He was later found hanging from a tree in the backyard of his house, Shakya said. The deceased boy's uncle said he was very good in studies. -- PTI
10:05 Sensex tanks over 700 pts in early trade
Equity benchmark Sensex plunged over 700 points in early trade on Tuesday, tracking losses in index majors Infosys, ICICI Bank and Reliance Industries amid persistent foreign fund outflows.
After touching a low of 57,718.34 in the opening session, the 30-share index pared some losses to trade 264.20 points or 0.45 per cent lower at 58,201.69.
Similarly, the Nifty was trading 89.05 points or 0.51 per cent down at 17,327.50. It touched a low of 17,216.10 in initial deals.
Infosys, the top loser in the Sensex pack, shed around 2 per cent, followed by ICICI Bank, HUL, Bajaj Auto, Reliance Industries and TCS.
On the other hand, Tata Steel, PowerGrid, Bajaj Finance and ITC were among the gainers.
In the previous session, Sensex ended 1,170.12 points or 1.96 per cent lower at 58,465.89, and Nifty fell 348.25 points or 1.96 per cent to 17,416.55.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net sellers in the capital market, as they offloaded shares worth Rs 3,438.76 crore on Monday, as per exchange data.
"The market heavyweight RIL re-evaluating the Aramco deal, Paytm's disastrous listing, resurgence of COVID in parts of Europe, RBI's warning of stretched valuations, foreign brokerages downgrading India and the roll back of farm laws created the perfect storm that spooked the market," said V K Vijayakumar, Chief investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.
This is a much needed correction which will make the market healthy, he said, adding that Paytm's fiasco is a reality check on the froth in the primary market and will restrain the irrationally exuberant newbie investors.
"While Nifty has corrected 6.4 per cent from the peak, Nifty Bank has corrected 12.4 per cent from the peak indicating weakness in the banking sector even though valuations are not stretched in banking.
"Sustained selling by FIIs will continue to be a negative sentiment in the market. The retail investor response to the correction should be watched," he stated.
Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Hong Kong and Seoul were trading with losses in mid-session deals, while Shanghai and Tokyo were positive.
Stock exchanges in the US largely ended in the red in the overnight session.
Meanwhile, international oil benchmark Brent crude fell 0.45 per cent to $79.34 per barrel. -- PTI
09:15 India's daily Covid count lowest in 543 days
India reports 7,579 new cases (lowest in 543 days), 12,202 recoveries and 236 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per health ministry.
Active cases stand at 1,13,584 -- lowest in 536 days (account for less than 1 per cent of total cases, currently at 0.33 per cent -- lowest since March 2020). -- ANI
09:09 Delhi air improves slightly, still 'very poor'
The air quality in the national capital continues to remain in the 'very poor' category for the tenth consecutive day on Tuesday, however, strong winds can improve the situation marginally, as per the System of Air Quality & Weather Forecasting & Research (SAFAR).
The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) improved slightly and stood at 315 today in comparison to 352 on Monday.
As per the SAFAR, the PM 10 levels were recorded at 249 in the 'moderate' category and PM 2.5 levels were recorded at 139 in the 'very poor' category.
The share of stubble burning to Delhi's PM2.5 per cent is low and the effective fire count is 909, the SAFAR stated in its bulletin.
The air quality of Delhi is likely to improve to the 'poor' or 'lower end of very poor' category for the next two days.
'The AQI today indicates 'lower end of very poor' category, a significant improvement from yesterday due to low fire count and strong winds at transport level blowing from northwest direction dispersing pollutants.
'These winds are likely to continue tomorrow also leading to further improvement of air quality to 'poor' category (if no increase in fire count). Local surface winds are also relatively high today and tomorrow that increases dispersion. So air quality is likely to improve to 'poor' or 'lower end of very poor' category for the next two days,' it said.
Also, from November 24 onwards local as well as transport-level winds are likely to slow down resulting in slight deterioration of air quality but expected to be within the 'lower end of very poor' category range.
The pollution level in the National Capital Region (NCR), especially Noida and Gurugram, also showed a slight improvement.
The AQI of Noida and Gurugram was recorded in the 'Very Poor' category and stood at 349 and 321 respectively.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
With an aim to curb air pollution, the Arvind Kejriwal government on Sunday has extended the ban imposed on the entry of trucks in Delhi carrying non-essential items till November 26.
Delhi government has also asked its employees to continue working from home till Friday.
The government has also asked the private offices and institutions to let their employees work from home till November 26 to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. -- ANI
09:02 Param Bir was told to withdraw complaint against Deshmukh: Lawyer
Advocate Puneet Bali, who is representing former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh in the Supreme Court, alleged that his client was told to take back his complaint against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.
Bali also said that the former Police Commissioner had also appealed in Bombay high court over victimisation after he wrote to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Speaking to ANI, Bali said, "Former Mumbai CP Parambir Singh has appealed to the court that he is being victimised since he has written to CBI. Sanjay Pandey told him that if he takes back the complaint against the then home minister then things will settle for him."
"He was told if he did not do it, then he will face cases. So listening to our detailed arguments, Supreme Court has given notice to CBI and Maharashtra and provided interim protection to him from arrest," he said.
The apex court on Monday granted Singh interim protection from arrest and directed him to join the investigation.
A Bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul asked Singh to join the investigation and issued notices to the Maharashtra government and CBI on Singh's plea.
The apex court now posted the case for hearing on December 6.
Six cases of corruption and extortion were filed against Singh after he wrote a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray levelling corruption and misconduct against the then Home Minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Anil DeshmukhSingh, a 1988-batch Indian Police Service officer, was removed from the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner on March 17 and was made the General Commander of Maharashtra State Home Guard after he levelled allegations against Deshmukh. -- ANI
08:37 IMD predicts heavy rains in TN for next 5 days
The national weather forecasting agency, India Meteorological Department (IMD), has sounded a yellow alert for Tamil Nadu for November 23 and 24 and an orange alert for November 25 and 26.
'A cyclonic circulation lies over Southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood in lower tropospheric levels. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards towards Tamil Nadu coast during next 4-5 days,' said IMD in an official statement.
The weather forecasting agency further informed that a trough runs from the cyclonic circulation Southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood to the Tamil Nadu coast in lower tropospheric levels.
IMD has predicted light to moderate scattered/fairly widespread rainfall over Karnataka, Kerala and Mahe and Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during the next five days.
IMD further said, 'Isolated heavy rainfall very likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during next five days and over Kerala and Mahe on November 25 and 26. Isolated very heavy rainfall also very likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal on November 25 and 26.' -- ANI
01:11 Coast guards of India, Maldives, Lanka hold drills
The coast guards of India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka are currently conducting a five-day military exercise to enhance interoperability and cooperation, officials said on Monday.
The 15th edition of the trilateral exercise, Dosti, began in the Maldives on Saturday.
Indian Coast Guard vessels Vajra and Apoorva have been deployed for the exercise.
"The aim of the India-Maldives-Sri Lanka trilateral exercise is to further fortify the friendship and enhance the operational capability," said an official.
Exercise Dosti was initiated in 1991 between the Indian and the Maldives' coast guards. Sri Lanka joined the exercise for the first time in 2012. -- PTI
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