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Fri, 02 October 2020
No lack of police action in Baran: Raj DGP

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22:49   No lack of police action in Baran: Raj DGP
The Rajasthan director general of police (DGP) on Friday said there was no lack of police action in the alleged rape of two minor sisters in Baran district of the state.

DGP Bhupendra Singh said the police took legal action after receiving a complaint from the family members of the girls.

According to police, the minors went missing from their home in the district on September 19.

They were later found in Kota on September 22.

The girls were handed over to their families after recording their statements, police said, adding that the medical examination of the girls did not confirm rape.

The DGP said, "It is not our job as a police officer to comment on the politics behind the incident. It is our job that legal action should be taken on the incident, which has been registered as per rules. Legal action has been taken as stated by the superintendent of police."

"I do not see any deficiency in the work of the police. It is not possible for me to talk about the political purpose associated with the incident and it is not even fair," Singh told reporters.

Opposition BJP is targeting the state government over the incident.

The saffron party has been raising questions as to why Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra did not visit Baran.

On Thursday, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot hit out at a section of the opposition and media for misleading the public by comparing the incident in Baran to the gruesome gang-rape of a woman in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras. -- PTI
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21:12   Yogi suspends SP, DSP in Hathras case
Hathras update: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed to suspend the Superintendent of Police, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Inspector and some others officials, based on the preliminary investigation report, says the Chief Minister's Office.

The CMO said that narco polygraph tests of SP and DSP will also be conducted.   -- ANI
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20:38   Govt extends AFSPA in 3 districts, 4 police stations of Arunachal
The Centre has declared three districts and four police stations in three other districts in Arunachal Pradesh as 'disturbed area' under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act for six more months after review of insurgent activities and the law and order situation there.

The Union Home Ministry said in a notification that the order comes into effect from October 1.

'...Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts in Arunachal Pradesh and the areas falling within the jurisdiction of the following four police stations in other districts of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering the State of Assam, are declared as 'disturbed area' under Section 3 of the AFSPA, 1958 up to 31.03.2021 w.e.f. 01.10.2020, unless withdrawn earlier,' the notification said.

The four police stations are Namsai and Mahadevpur in Namsai district, Roing in Lower Dibang Valley and Sunpura in Lohit district.

The AFSPA is imposed in areas where armed forces are required to operate in aid to civil authorities.

For AFSPA to become valid, an area, however, needs to be declared disturbed either by the central or the state governments under section 3 of the 1958 Act.

Some parts of Arunachal Pradesh have presence of banned militant outfits like National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB), an official said.  -- PTI
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20:23   UP govt allows religious events outside containment zones from Oct 15
With the Uttar Pradesh government allowing programmes in the open outside containment zones in the next phase of coronavirus lockdown, decks have been cleared for holding Durga Puja and other religious events in the upcoming festival season.

Additional Chief Secretary (Information) Navneet Sehgal said the district administrations will permit such programmes with necessary availability of face masks, thermal scanners, hand sanitisers and social distancing.

The new guidelines will come into effect from October 15 while the festival season will kiCk off with Navratras from October 17.

The new guidelines have been issued under which the lockdown will be effective only in containment zones, which have been converted into micro containment areas, he said.

Sehgal said in closed halls, permission will be given with 50 per cent capacity but a maximum of 200 people.

Earlier this week, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had said all precautions must be taken during upcoming festivals in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When asked to comment on reports that Durga Puja events will not be allowed this year, an Uttar Pradesh government official had told PTI that no advisory had been issued so far.

"Public programmes, where there is a possibility of crowding, will not be permitted. There will be puja," he had said without elaborating on it but added that an advisory on dos and don'ts will be issued. -- PTI
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19:32   Hundreds gather to protest at Jantar Mantar
Security has been beefed up at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi where hundreds of civil society activists, students, Aam Aadmi Party and Left leaders gathered to protest against the Hathras gang-rape-and-murder case Besides ground force, senior police officers and paramilitary personnel have been deployed manage the crowd.

The protest site has been barricaded by the police to restrict the movement of protesters, an official said.

Senior lawyer Prashant Bhusan, actor Swara Bhasker, Communist Party of India-Marxist leaders Brinda Karat and Sitaram Yechury, and Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj are among those who gathered at the Jantar Mantar, demanding the justice for the Hathras victim.

The body of the 19-year-old Dalit woman, who died in Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital on Tuesday a fortnight after she was allegedly gang-raped, was cremated in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh in the early hours of Wednesday, with her family alleging that the police forced them to conduct the last rites in the dead of the night.

Local police officers, however, had said the cremation was carried out 'as per the wishes of the family'.   --  PTI
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18:55   Kovind wishes Trump, Melania speedy recovery
President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday wished United States President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump a speedy recovery after they tested positive for coronavirus.

'I wish President Donald Trump @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and First Lady Melania Trump @FLOTUS  a speedy recovery. Our prayers and best wishes are with you during this time,' Kovind tweeted.

Trump on Friday said he and Melania have tested positive for coronavirus. -- PTI
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17:46   Mobile phones likely to get costlier by 3%
Mobile phone prices are expected to rise about 3 per cent as the government has imposed 10 per cent duty on the import of displays, industry body India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) said on Friday.

The duty on display assembly and touch panel was proposed to be applied from October 1 under a phased manufacturing programme (PMP) announced in 2016 in consensus with the industry.

"There will be an impact on mobile phone prices between 1.5 and 3 per cent," industry body ICEA National Chairman Pankaj Mohindroo said in a statement.

ICEA members include Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo and Winstron.

The objective of the PMP was to facilitate manufacturing of components indigenously and discourage imports thereafter.

"In a rare miss, the industry could not ramp up display assembly production adequately because of COVID-19 and NGT embargo. We continue to be fully committed to domestic manufacturing of sub-assemblies and components. However, now, the focus is to take a lion's share of global markets and not just import substitution," Mohindroo said.

Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal-promoted Volcan Investments had proposed to set up the country's first LCD manufacturing unit in 2016 with investment of around Rs 68,000 crore in the name of Twinstar Display Technologies.

However, the proposal did not get the government's approval and the project could not take off.

Mohindroo said ICEA will soon come up with a report on the display ecosystem which would focus on not merely assembly but complete display fabs.  -- PTI
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17:46   Mobile phones likely to get costlier by 3%
Mobile phone prices are expected to rise about 3 per cent as the government has imposed 10 per cent duty on the import of displays, industry body India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) said on Friday.

The duty on display assembly and touch panel was proposed to be applied from October 1 under a phased manufacturing programme (PMP) announced in 2016 in consensus with the industry.

"There will be an impact on mobile phone prices between 1.5 and 3 per cent," industry body ICEA National Chairman Pankaj Mohindroo said in a statement.

ICEA members include Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo and Winstron.

The objective of the PMP was to facilitate manufacturing of components indigenously and discourage imports thereafter.

"In a rare miss, the industry could not ramp up display assembly production adequately because of COVID-19 and NGT embargo. We continue to be fully committed to domestic manufacturing of sub-assemblies and components. However, now, the focus is to take a lion's share of global markets and not just import substitution," Mohindroo said.

Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal-promoted Volcan Investments had proposed to set up the country's first LCD manufacturing unit in 2016 with investment of around Rs 68,000 crore in the name of Twinstar Display Technologies.

However, the proposal did not get the government's approval and the project could not take off.

Mohindroo said ICEA will soon come up with a report on the display ecosystem which would focus on not merely assembly but complete display fabs.  -- PTI
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16:54   Hathras protest: SP workers lathi-charged
Samajwadi Party workers were on Friday lathi charged by the police in Hazratganj area here while they were taking out a protest march against the Hathras gang rape and farm laws.

The march which started from the party office was supposed to end at the Gandhi statue in the city where the MLAs and senior party leaders were scheduled to begin a 'maun vrat' (vow of silence).

However, the protesters were stopped at Hazratganj crossing, where police had put up barricades.

As the SP workers insisted on being allowed to move ahead, a heated argument ensued between the two sides following which police personnel resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.

'Today, by arresting party MLAs and senior leaders, going to sit on 'Maun Vrat' and dharna for 'Hathras ki beti', government suppressed the voice of truth in a violent way on the birth anniversaries of Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri. This is condemnable,' the party's national president Akhliesh Yadav said.

We demand an FIR against the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police of Hathras, he said.

"Stopping of peaceful foot march of SP MLAs and leaders on the directives of the chief minister is murder of democracy," the party said.

However, the state police said that the action was taken to maintain the state's law and order.

"We have detained SP workers including some MLAs. They have been taken away from the spot (Hazratganj)," a senior police officer said.  -- PTI

IMAGE: Police personnel detain Samajwadi Party activists during a protest against the death of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras, in Lucknow. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo
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16:05   Rahul to now hold tractor rallies from Oct 4-6
In a slight change in his programme, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will now hold tractor rallies in Punjab and Haryana from October 4-6 to protest against the contentious new farm laws.

Earlier, Gandhi was scheduled to hold tractor rallies from October 3-5, the party had said.

However, the rest of his itinerary will remain the same.

'Change in @Rahul Gandhi tractor rallies programme; rescheduled to October 4, 5, 6. Rest (itinerary) remains the same,' Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's media advisor, Raveen Thukral, tweeted.

Singh, state Congress president Sunil Jakhar, party's Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat, and all state ministers and party MLAs will join the protests, 'to give voice to the angst and pain of the farmers, whose livelihood and future has been put at stake by the central legislations'.

A spokesperson of Punjab Congress had said on Thursday that the tractor rallies were expected to be supported by farmers' organisations and will cover more than 50 km over three days.

The rallies are scheduled to begin around 11 am on each of the three days and will be conducted amid strict COVID-19 protocols, the spokesperson had said.

Gandhi is likely to address rallies at Kaithal and Pipli in Kurukshetra district of Haryana on October 6 instead of October 5, following which he will return to Delhi.

Farmers have expressed apprehension that the Centre's farm reforms would pave a way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the 'mercy' of big companies.

Parliament had last week passed the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill; and the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill.  -- PTI
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15:50   BJP leader who quipped to hug Mamata if infected tests Covid positive
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Anupam Hazra, who had threatened to hug West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee if he got infected with COVID-19, has tested positive for the disease, health officials said.

Hazra, who has recently been appointed as a national secretary of the saffron party, was admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata on Friday, they said.

He had complained of uneasiness and his samples were tested for coronavirus, the report of which returned as positive on Thursday night, the officials said.

After his controversial statement, the Trinamool Congress had lodged a police complaint against Hazra for maligning a public figure, who is a woman, thus violating the Constitution.   -- PTI
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15:46   Kashyap denies 'reckless' rape allegations
Vehemently denying actor Payal Ghosh's allegations of rape against him, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap on Friday described them as false and reckless and said he was out of the country during the period she has mentioned in her first information report.

A statement issued by his lawyer a day after he was questioned in the case said Kashyap provided documentary proof to the police to establish the fact that he was in Sri Lanka shooting for a film in August 2013.

Versova police registered an FIR against Kashyap on September 22 after Ghosh alleged that he had raped her in August 2013.

'Mr Kashyap has denied all wrongdoing in the matter and has provided his statement to the police.

'The material provided by Mr Kashyap, in support of his statement, demonstrates that the complaint of Ms Ghosh is an outright lie,' said the statement by his lawyer Priyanka Khimani.

Kashyap, who was questioned by Mumbai Police for eight hours on Thursday, has said he will vigorously pursue legal remedies.

'Mr Kashyap has provided documentary proof of the fact that throughout August, 2013 he was away in Sri Lanka in connection with the shooting of one of his films.

'Mr Kashyap has categorically denied that any such alleged incident ever took place and has also denied all allegations levelled against him,' Khimani said in the statement.

She said the filmmaker believes the falsity of the complaint has been exposed by the ever-shifting versions of events shared by Ghosh. Khimani said the filmmaker is distressed with the false and reckless allegations made against him that have caused pain to him, his family and his fans.

Mr Kashyap vehemently denies any such incident, as has been alleged, and has sought for severe action against Ms Ghosh for misusing the criminal justice system and for hijacking the Me Too Movement for her ulterior motives.

Mr Kashyap is confident that justice will prevail, the statement read.

Last month, Ghosh took to Twitter to claim that Kashyap was sexually inappropriate towards her, an allegation the director had dismissed as baseless.

Police has invoked Indian Penal Code Sections 376 (I) (rape), 354 (assault on woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 342 (wrongful confinement) against the Gangs of Wasseypur filmmaker.

Earlier this week, Ghosh and Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale had met Maharashtra Governor B S Koshyari to seek action against Kashyap.   -- PTI
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14:43   Not allowed to meet media: Hathras victim's kin
A family member of Hathras gang-rape and murder victim has complained that they are being stopped from speaking to media from every angle as the administration has imposed Section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure in this village.

Today morning, a minor from the victim's family was sent by the family members to reach out to the media anyhow and ask to connect with them.

Moreover the minor revealed that they were asked to switch-off their mobiles have and some mobiles are being taken from them.

The family member crossed farmland to reach media waiting outside the entrance of the village following Section 144.

"They have taken the phone. My family have sent me here to call the media for speaking. I ducked down and came via the field. They are not letting us come out neither are they allowing the media to come in. They are threatening us as well," said the minor family member.

As he was speaking to the media, soon a police officer came and he fled from the spot.When the media asked the police officer why they are being stopped from interacting with the family, they remained silent.

After which a verbal spat broke out between security and the media.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister has banned the entry of media inside Hathras village as media has presented some important facts from the ground in front of the whole country, said Uttar Pradesh Congress.

'Today Yogi Ji (UP CM) has banned media's entry inside the village because the media presented some important facts from the ground to the whole country. They have also revealed things regarding Yogi Ji's jungle raj. So now the media has been banned,' Uttar Pradesh Congress tweeted (roughly translated from Hindi).

Hathras District Magistrate PK Laxkar on Thursday denied 'negative rumours' about the rift between him and the family of the gangrape victim.

While talking to ANI, Laxkar said that he has been regularly interacting with the family.

"I met with six family members of the victim yesterday and we spoke for about an hour and a half. I met with them again today to see their point of discontent. I deny the negative rumours which are rife about my interactions with them," the district magistrate said.

Hathras victim died in Delhi's Safdarjung hospital.

The post-mortem report reads that the victim suffered a fracture of 'C6 cervical vertebra' and there was 'extravasations of blood along the fracture line' and the underlying spinal cord was 'contused with ascending oedema'.

Also, the postmortem report denies rape charges. -- ANI
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13:47   HC summoning UP officials ray of hope: Priyanka
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday welcomed the Allahabad high court summoning top Uttar Pradesh officials to appear before it in connection with the alleged gang-rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras district, and said it is a ray of hope for the affected family.

'A strong and encouraging order from the Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court. The entire nation is demanding justice for the Hathras rape victim. The HC order shines a ray of hope amidst the dark, inhuman and unjust treatment meted out to her family by the UP Government,' she said on Twitter.

A senior Uttar Pradesh Police officer has said that the forensic examination on the woman who died at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital on Tuesday did not indicate rape.

Expressing shock at the alleged rape and murder of the woman and her forcible cremation subsequently, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Thursday summoned top government officials to the court.

A division bench of justices Rajan Roy and Jaspreet Singh ordered the Uttar Pradesh additional chief secretary, state police chief and an additional director general of police to appear before it on October 12 to explain the incident.

Taking suo moto cognisance of the case, which has triggered widespread outrage, the bench also ordered Hathras district magistrate and superintendent of police to appear with to apprise the court of various aspects of the case, including the ongoing probe into it.

'The incidents which took place after the death of the victim on September 29, 2020 leading up to her cremation, as alleged, have shocked our conscience. Therefore, we are taking suo moto cognizance of the same,' the bench said in its order.

The bench also asked the late teen's parents to come to the court to apprise it of their versions of the incident and ordered the Hathras district administration to arrange for their travel to the court and facilitate their appearance before it. -- PTI
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12:30   Modi wishes Trump, Melania quick recovery
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday wished United States President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump a quick recovery after both tested positive for the coronavirus.

Trump and the first lady have tested positive for the coronavirus, the US president tweeted on Friday, a development that is likely to bring to a standstill his hectic election campaign.

Modi tweeted, 'Wishing my friend @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS a quick recovery and good health.'   -- PTI
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11:57   Agitation by farmers, Cong will succeed: Sonia
Today when we are observing the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri, farmers are protesting against three 'anti-farmer' laws, said Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Friday.

"I believe that agitation by farmers and Congress will be successful and farmers will emerge victorious," Gandhi added.

"Today is the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest sympathiser of farmers, labourers and working people. Gandhiji used to say that the soul of India resides in India's villages, fields and barns," she added.

The Congress chief further stated that during the COVID-19 pandemic, we all demanded from the government that every needy countryman should get food grains for free.

"So is it possible that without our farmer brothers, we could manage two meals for crores of people? Today the Prime Minister of the country is doing injustice to our 'Annadata' farmers.

"The farmers were not even consulted before making laws for them. Ignoring their interests, three anti-farmer laws were enacted just by talking to a few friends," said Gandhi.

"Today, when the grain markets will be abolished, the lands of the peasant brothers will be handed over to the capitalists for farming, then who will protect crores of small farmers?

"Along with the farmers, the future of the farm-labourers and sharecroppers is connected. What will happen to the small shopkeepers and mandi labourers working in the grain markets? Who will protect their rights? Has Modi Government thought about it?" she added.

The Congress party has always made every law with public consent, Gandhi asserted.

"Before the enactment of the law, the interests of the people have been kept at the top, democracy also means that every decision of the country has the consent of the countrymen.

"But does the Modi government believe it? Congress party will continue to fight against three black laws. Today our workers are agitating in favour of farmers and labourers in every assembly constituency. I want to say with the claim that this agitation of the farmer and the Congress will be successful and the farmers will win," she added.

The three laws against which farmers are protesting are -- The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. -- ANI
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11:10   Pentagon okays $90mn support for Super Hercules to India
The Pentagon has approved India's request to buy USD 90 million worth of equipment, spare parts and logistical support for its fleet of C-130J Super Hercules cargo aircraft.
 
In its notification to the Congress, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency said the  proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the US by helping to strengthen the US-India strategic relationship and improve the security of a major defence partner, which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia region.
 
The items ordered by India are aircraft consumable spares and repair/return parts; ground support and equipment; Cartridge Actuated Devices/Propellant Actuated Devices (CAD/PAD) fire extinguisher cartridges; flare cartridges; BBU-35/B cartridge impulse squibs.
 
India has also ordered for one spare AN/ALR-56M Advanced Radar Warning Receiver shipset; spare AN/ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispenser System shipset; ten Lightweight Night Vision Binocular (F5032); ten AN/AVS-9 Night Vision Goggle (NVG)(F4949); GPS and Electronic Warfare.
 
It is also seeking instruments and lab equipment support; joint mission planning system; cryptographic device spares and loaders; software and software support; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training and training equipment; contractor engineering, technical and logistical support, and other related elements of programme support.
 
According to the notification, the proposed sale ensures that the previously procured aircraft operates effectively to serve the needs of the Indian Air Force, Army and Navy transport requirements, local and international humanitarian assistance and regional disaster relief.
 
This sale of spares and services will enable the Indian Air Force to sustain a higher mission-ready status fleet, it said.
 
India will have no difficulty absorbing this additional sustainment support, it said, adding that the proposed sale of this equipment and support worth USD 90 million will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
 
Notification of such major sales is mandatory under the Arms Export Control Act. Lawmakers have 30 days to review the proposed sale. The sale would be executed by defence major Lockheed-Martin.
 
India is one of the 17 countries to whom the US has sold its C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. The Indian Air Force currently operates a fleet of five C-130J-30s. India has placed order for additional six C-130J-30s Super Hercules aircraft.
 
From the highest landing strip in the world to austere runways almost destroyed by natural disasters, the C-130J goes where other airlifters can't, won't or don't go. It's a workhorse that's in operation around the world, flying in every environment and mission scenario required every day and everywhere, Lockheed says on its website.
 
In the summer of 2013, Indian Air Force performed the highest landing of a C-130J at the Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip in Ladakh at the height of 16,614 ft. The aircraft was used extensively by the US in Afghanistan and Iraq.  -- PTI
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11:06   ICMR develops potential treatment for COVID-19
The Indian Council of Medical Research in collaboration with a Hyderabad-based biopharmaceutical company has developed "highly purified antisera" prepared by injecting inactivated SARS-CoV2 in horses, which can be a potential treatment for COVID-19.
"The ICMR and Biological E Limited, Hyderabad, have developed highly purified antisera (raised in animals) for prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19," the apex health research body said on Thursday.
The 'antisera' is yet to undergo human clinical trials to establish its safety and efficacy and Drugs Controller General of India would be approached soon in this regard, Dr Samiran Panda, the head of epidemiology and communicable diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said.
Antisera are blood serum high in antibodies against specific antigens and are injected in humans to help kickstart the immune system to fight specific infections.  
The pre-print version of the study regarding the development of the equine antisera has been posted on Research Square platform.
"The study provides evidence of the potential of generating highly purified F(ab')2 from equines against SARS-CoV-2 that can demonstrate consistent and high neutralization activity. Further, in-vivo testing for efficacy of this indigenously developed, cost effective product will pave the way to clinical evaluation. Additionally, being a donor independent method, this may prove as an efficient alternative to convalescent plasma for treatment of COVID-19 patients," the study paper said.  
Earlier such measures were used for controlling several viral and bacterial infections.  
"Although, plasma recovered from patients experiencing COVID-19 could serve similar purpose, the profile of antibodies, their efficacy and concentration keep varying from one patient to another and therefore make it an unreliable clinical tool for patient management," the ICMR said in a tweet.
"Standardization achievable through equine sera based treatment modality thus stands out as yet another remarkable public health initiative supported by ICMR in the time of COVID-19," it said.
As part of the study, 10 healthy horses were immunized with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus and after 21 days of immunization, plasma samples were tested.
The results of the plasma samples indicated presence of indicated the presence of SARS-Co-V2 specific IgG antibodies as detected in ELISA with neutralizing capacity.

The study has not yet been peer-reviewed. -- PTI 
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10:34   Trump, Melania test positive for COVID-19
United States President Donald Trump has said that he and the first lady Melania have tested positive for coronavirus.

"Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!," Trump tweeted.

Earlier, the President and the first lady quarantined themselves after one of their close aides tested positive for the deadly infection.

Trump announced about putting himself in quarantine in a tweet late Thursday night after his close aide Hope Hicks was tested positive with COVID-19.
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10:25   Won't bow down: Rahul a day after UP protest
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday quoted Mahatma Gandhi in a tweet as he said he "won't bow down to any sort of injustice", a day after he was briefly detained while marching to Uttar Pradesh's Hathras.

"I won't be afraid of anyone in the world. I won't bow down to any sort of injustice. I will defeat lies with the power of truth, and will face all the struggles while fighting untruth... Heartiest greetings on Gandhi Jayanti," Rahul Gandhi tweeted in Hindi invoking Mahatma Gandhi on his 151st birth anniversary. 

On Thursday, Rahul and Priyanka were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police at Yamuna Expressway in New Delhi while they were on the way to meet the Hathras gangrape victim's family.

Later, a case was registered against Gandhis, and over 200 others under section 188, 269 and 270 of the Indian Penal Code and the Epidemic Act, according to the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police.
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10:16   Kerala imposes Sec 144 to curb Covid spread
The Kerala government has imposed section 144 of CrPC, prohibiting the assembly of more than five people to control the surge in coronavirus cases in the state. 
 
A late night order issued on Thursday by Chief Secretary Vishwas Mehta said gatherings pose an impending danger of a super spread of the infection and the order shall come into force from 9 am on October 3 and will remain in effect till October 31.
"In light of the surge in number of COVID-19 cases in the state, public congregations and gatherings pose an impending danger of a super spread of the infection. Hence, an assembly or gathering of more than five people at a time cannot be permitted. For the enforcement of social distancing, the provisions of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) of 1973 shall be effected...," the order said.
It also said the district magistrates are directed to assess the ground situation in their districts and use the relevant provisions and orders under section 144, CrPC to control the spread of the disease. 
"Strict restrictions shall be imposed in containment zones and in specific areas where the spread of the disease is apprehended. Existing relaxations for categories like weddings, funerals etc shall be continued and the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) concerned shall issue proceedings, considering the ground situation in their districts," it said.
Kerala's COVID-19 tally crossed the grim milestone of two lakh on Thursday as the state reported 8,135 fresh cases, while the death toll climbed to 771 with 29 more fatalities. 
The southern state, which has been witnessing a rapid spike in new cases in recent weeks, had crossed the one lakh mark on September 11, seven months after India's first case was
reported from the state, when a Wuhan returned medical student tested positive.
The total number of coronavirus cases touched 1.50 lakh in the state on September 24 with the pace of the spread further increasing, prompting the government to warn of strict action against those not
following preventive measures such as social distancing and wearing of masks.
Currently, at least 72,339 people are undergoing treatment for the infection, with over 2.43 lakh people under observation, including 30,258 in isolation wards of various hospitals in the state, officials said. -- PTI
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10:09   Over 6 % Indian-Americans living below poverty line: Report
An estimated 6.5 per cent of the 4.2 million Indian-Americans are living below the poverty line and the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to increase the poverty among members of the community, according to a latest research.
Results of the research A Study of Poverty in the Indian American Population, conducted by Devesh Kapur and Jashan Bajwaat of Johns Hopkins' Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, were released during the Indiaspora Philanthropy Summit 2020 on Thursday.
The incident of poverty is greater among Bengali and Punjabi speaking Indian Americans, Kapoor said.
About one-third are not in the labour force and about a fifth of them are not American citizens, Kapoor said.
"With this report, we wanted to draw attention to the plight of the most underprivileged Indian Americans," said MR Rangaswami, founder of Indiaspora.
"With COVID-19 wrecking health and economic havoc, this is an appropriate moment to raise awareness and discuss the issue of poverty that exists in our otherwise affluent community. We hope that the report will lead to an increased focus on this topic, followed by targeted measures to make a positive difference," Rangaswami said.
According to Kapoor, while the study provides a detailed analysis of the impoverished populations of the Indian American community, Indian Americans are still less likely to be living in poverty compared to white, Black and Hispanic Americans. -- PTI 
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09:40   India reports 81,484 new cases, toll nears 1 lakh
India's COVID-19 tally reaches 63,94,069 with a spike of 81,484 new cases, the Union health ministry data showed.

The death toll rises to 99,773 with 1,095 fatalities reported in the last 24 hours.

Total 53,52,078 people have been recovered so far from the deadly disease.

There are currently 9,42,217 active cases in the country.
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08:57   Trump in quarantine after aide tests Covid +ve
United States President Donald Trump said that he would go into quarantine after one of his close advisors tested positive for the coronavirus.

Hope Hicks, "who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid-19. Terrible!" Trump tweeted.

"The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!" he added.
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08:34   45% in Mumbai slums exposed to Covid: Survey
The presence of COVID-19 antibodies in samples from slums in Mumbai was found to have decreased by 12 per cent in the second sero survey, the Mumbai civic body said on Thursday.
It indicates that infection spread in slums in the city may have come down, it said in a release. 

Presence of anti-bodies in the blood indicates that the person has been exposed to the coronavirus.
The latest survey dislosed that "sero-prevalence" of COVID-19 infection in slums is 45 per cent, compared to 57 per cent in the first sero-survey in the city, a release by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said.
The sero-prevalence in buildings was around 18 per cent against 16 per cent in the first survey, it added.
The survey was carried out in wards R-north (Borivali), M-West (Mankhurd and Govandi) and F-North (Worli and Lower Parel) in the second half of August.
"Sero-positivity from the second round, taken together with the current number of reported cases from slum areas in these wards, indicates there could be a reduction in the spread of infection in slum areas," said the BMC.
The sero-prevalence of COVID-19 infection in women was marginally higher than men in both the rounds, it said.
In the second survey, sero-prevalence in the age group above 40 was slightly higher.
 
"Emerging scientific evidence hints at fall of antibody levels in recovered patients/asymptomatic patients over a period of time and this might have contributed to the trend between two rounds of sero-survey. The impact of this on immunity, if any, is still unknown," the release said.
 
Sero-prevalence among health care workers in both the rounds was approximately27 per cent.
The survey had been commissioned by the BMC, NITI- Aayog and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
Kasturba Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, A.T.E. Chandra Foundation and IDFC Institute had also partnered in the survey.
 
Mumbai is one of the worst-affected COVID-19 hotspots in the country with over two lakh cases and nearly 9,000 deaths so far. -- PTI   
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08:27   PM pays tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, Shastri
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversaries.

Remembering Gandhi on his 151th birth anniversary, Modi said there is much to learn from his life and thoughts. 
 
May Bapu's ideals keep guiding us in creating a prosperous and compassionate India, he said.
The prime minister also went to Raj Ghat, memorial to Gandhi, to pay his tributes.
"We bow to beloved Bapu on Gandhi Jayanti. There is much to learn from his life and noble thoughts. May Bapu's ideals keep guiding us in creating a prosperous and compassionate India," the prime minister tweeted. 
He also posted a short clip of his remarks on the father of the nation. 
Gandhi was born on this day in 1869 at Porbandar in Gujarat. 

The PM also went to Vijay Ghat, memorial of Shastri, to pay his tributes.

"Lal Bahadur Shastri Ji was humble and firm. He epitomised simplicity and lived for the welfare of our nation. We remember him on his Jayanti with a deep sense of gratitude for everything he has done for India," Modi tweeted.

Shastri, the second prime minister of India, was born in 1904 in Uttar Pradesh. 
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08:17   Large gatherings banned at India Gate
The Delhi police on Thursday said that no gathering is allowed around India Gate due to imposition of Section 144 CrPC.
 
They also said that gathering of up to 100 people is permissible at Jantar Mantar and that too with prior permission of the competent authority.
"The general public is hereby informed that in view of DDMA order dated 03.09.2020 a total gathering up to 100 persons is permissible at the designated place i.e. Jantar Mantar and that too with prior permission of the competent authority. 
"No gathering is permissible around India Gate due to imposition of Section 144 CrPC," New Delhi DCP Eish Singhal tweeted. -- PTI
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08:07   US judge blocks Trump's H-1B visa ban
A federal judge has blocked the enforcement of the H-1B visa ban issued by President Donald Trump in June this year, saying the president exceeded his constitutional authority.
The order was issued on Thursday by District Judge Jeffrey White of Northern District of California.
The lawsuit against the Department of Commerce and Department of Homeland Security was filed by companies represented by National Association of Manufacturers, US Chamber of Commerce, National Retail Federation and TechNet. 
The ruling places an immediate hold on a series of visa restrictions that prevent manufacturers from filling crucial, hard-to-fill jobs to support economic recovery, growth and innovation when most needed, the National Association of manufacturers said.
In June, Trump had issued an executive order that had put temporary bar on issuing of new H-1B and other foreign visas including H-2B, J and L visas, till the end of the year.
The president had argued that the United States needs to save and protect jobs for its domestic work force at a time when millions of them lost their jobs due to coronavirus pandemic.
A number of IT companies and other US firms, and those representing them had voiced their opposition to the temporary ban.
Manufacturers went to court to challenge the administration's ban on certain visas because the restrictions both undermined the industry at a critical time and conflicted with the law, said NAM senior vice president and general counsel Linda Kelly.
"We are competing with the rest of the world to find and develop top talent to support innovation in our industry. Today's decision is a temporary win for manufacturers committed to building that innovation in the United States," he said.
In his order the federal judge said the president exceeded his authority in this matter.
"Congress's delegation of authority in the immigration contextdoes not afford the president unbridled authority to set domestic policy regarding employment of nonimmigrant foreigners. Such a finding would render the president's Article II powers all but superfluous," Judge White wrote in his 25 pager order.
The judge noted that the text of Article I and more than two centuries of legislative practice and judicial precedent make clear, the Constitution vests Congress, not the President, with the power to set immigration policy.
If the fact that immigrants come from other countries inherently made their admission foreign relations subject to the President's Article II power, then all of this law would be superfluous, the judge said.
"Indeed, there must be some measure of constraint on the presidential authority in the domestic sphere in order not to render the executive an entirely monarchical power in the immigration context, an area within clear legislative prerogative.
Such unrestricted authority would be contrary to Congress' explicit delegation of powers in foreign affairs and national security," White said.
The ruling by Judge White is in difference with a order passed by District Judge Amit Mehta of the District of Columbia in August who ruled that he does not has the power to enjoin the ban while the litigation is under way. 

"The wisdom of the president's decision to address those changed circumstances by restricting the entry of certain classes of aliens is a policy decision the judiciary is not well equipped to evaluate," he had said. -- PTI
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00:44   Seat-sharing talks between RJD and Cong stuck
Even as the notfication for 71 seats going to polls in the first phase of Bihar assembly elections was issued Thursday, the seat-sharing agreement in Grand Alliance seems to have been stuck with its main constituents, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress, failing to reach an understanding on allotment of seats among partners.
       
Not only are the differences between the major partners getting wider but even an influential expected entrant to the opposition coalition -- the CPI-ML -- is peeved at Lalu Prasad's party not giving it "decent number" of
seats in which it has influence".
       
The opposition alliance has over the past few weeks lost two of its allies -- Hindustani Awam Morcha of former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and RLSP of former union minister Upendra Kushwaha.
        
Vikassheel Insaan Party remains with it and the coalition has pinned hopes on the Left parties -- CPI, CPI(M) and CPI-ML.
        
Sources in the RJD and the Congress said that the main impediment in the seat sharing is the lower number of seats Lalu Prasad's party, which is the major partner in the coalition, is offering to the grand old party.
        
The sources said that Congress has given a list of 75 seats to the RJD.
        
Two days ago the RJD made it clear that it will give the Congress 58 assembly seats and the Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha seat which will witness by-poll on November 7.
       
This was confirmed by RJD spokesman Mrityunjay Tiwari, who spoke to PTI.
       
Sources in the Congress said that this number is not acceptable to it.
       
The Congress screening committee held a meeting in the national capital which was attended by party general secretary Avinash Pandey, Bihar unit president Madan Mohan Jha and CLP leader Sadanand Singh.
       
RJD national spokesman Manoj Jha told media persons on Thursday that talks are on and "there is no chance of Congress going away from us."        

"Gathbandhan of parties means there will be some differenes on seats and indentification of constituencies among others," Jha said outside 10 Circular Road residence of former chief minister Rabri Devi.
       
Asked if the talks are struck due to the "ariyal" (stubborn) approach of RJD, Jha, a Rajya Sabha member of the party, flatly denied it saying "the RJD has never displayed such an attitude."
       
RJD MLA Bhola Yadav, known as an emissary of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, said "things will be clear in a day or two ... Have patience." -- PTI

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