LIVE
Wed, 07 October 2020
Attend work on all days: SOPs for govt employees
Timeline Refresh
23:34 Trump exhibiting no symptoms of coronavirus for 24 hours, no fever in 4 days: Doctor
US President Donald Trump has been free of Covid-19 symptoms for 24 hours and has not had a fever in four days, his doctor said Wednesday.
"The president this morning says 'I feel great,'" doctor Sean Conley said in a brief update on the status of the president.
Trump tested positive last week and returned to the White House Monday evening after spending three days at the Walter Reed military medical center.
23:05 Attend work on all days: SOPs for govt employees
All officers of the rank of Under Secretary and above will be attending offices on all working days, the personnel ministry said on Wednesday in its latest guidelines for central government employees.
Earlier, the officers of the level of Deputy Secretary and above were asked to attend the offices on all working days.
For government servants below the level of Under Secretary, at least 50 per cent attendance is to be ensured, it said.
The Heads of Department may mandate attendance of more than 50 per cent, if required in public interest, while strictly ensuring that social distancing is maintained under all circumstances, the guidelines said.
The government servants at the level of Under Secretary and above have to attend offices on all working days, the ministry said in its order issued to all central government departments saying that this directive shall be in force with immediate effect.
All officers and staff residing in the containment zone shall be exempted from coming to offices till the containment zone is denotified, it said.
Persons with Disabilities and pregnant women employees shall continue to work from home till further orders, the guidelines said.
Those officers/staff who are not attending office shall work from home and they should be available on telephone and electronic means of communication at all times, it said.
The officers/staff shall follow staggered timings to avoid over-crowding in offices/work places -- 9 am to 5.30 pm, and 10 am to 6.30 pm, the guidelines said.
Heads of Departments shall ensure that the national directives for the COVID-19 management, which include instructions issued for regular sanitization/cleaning of working places, maintenance of social distancing norms, wearing of masks etc. are strictly complied with. It may also be strictly ensured that there is no crowding in the corridors, it said.
Meetings, as far as possible, shall be conducted on video-conferencing and personal meetings with visitors, unless absolutely necessary in public interest, are to be avoided, the ministry said.
Biometric attendance shall continue to be suspended and physical attendance registers shall be maintained until further orders, it added.
-- PTI
22:44 Shaheen Bagh verdict exposes conspiracy of Cong, AAP, Left parties: BJP
The BJP on Wednesday said the Supreme Court verdict on the Shaheen Bagh protests vindicates the party's stand and also exposes the conspiracy of the Congress, AAP and other parties which, it claimed, instigated the demonstrations that culminated in riots in the national capital.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said occupying public places like Shaheen Bagh for protests is not acceptable and such a space cannot be occupied "indefinitely".
"Somebody's right to protest cannot override others' right to free passage," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.
"This not only vindicates the stand of BJP but also exposes the conspiracy of the Congress, AAP and the Left parties which instigated the Shaheen Bagh protests culminating in riots and brutal killing of more than 50 people in the national capital," Patra said.
-- PTI
22:15 EC reduces star campaigners for Bihar polls
Concerned over large gatherings during campaigning for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections and bypolls in several states amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Election Commission on Wednesday reduced the maximum number of 'star campaigners' for recognised national and state parties from 40 to 30.
For unrecognised registered political parties, the maximum number of star campaigners has been brought down to 15 in place of 20 "during the period of pandemic".
In a letter to all chief electoral officers, the Commission said the period of submission of the list of star campaigners has been extended from 7 days to 10 days from the date of notification for a particular phase of polling.
India has eight recognised national political parties -- BJP, Congress, BSP, NCP, Trinamool Congress, CPI, CPIM and NPP.
The Commission said it was informed during the visit to Bihar about the matter of large gatherings because of the presence of star campaigners.
-- PTI
21:37 Harris and Pence test negative before debate
Kamala Harris has again tested negative for the coronavirus.
The campaign reported her results on Wednesday, less than 12 hours before she is scheduled to debate US Vice President Mike Pence. She took the test Tuesday.
Pence also tested negative on Tuesday, according to the White House.
Harris and Pence will appear on stage at the University of Utah for a 90-minute debate.
Both candidates will have plexiglass around them as an additional precaution.
That was requested by the Biden-Harris campaign, and Pence's team objected.
Harris also tested negative for the virus on Monday.
21:15 Union Minister Pralhad Joshi tests positive for Covid-19
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi today said he has tested positive for the coronavirus infection and is in home quarantine as he is asymptomatic. Joshi is the Union minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, and an MP from Dharwad in Karnataka.
21:03 Former CBI chief Ashwani Kumar found dead
Former CBI director and Governor of Nagaland Ashwani Kumar on Wednesday died by suicide.
The former official allegedly hanged himself at his residence in Brockhorst in Shimla.
Shimla Superintendent of Police Mohit Chawla confirmed the incident, according to a report in The Tribune, describing it as a shocking development.
Kumar was DGP of Himachal Pradesh from August 2006 to July 2008 and then the Director of CBI from August 2008 to November 2010.
20:33 PM Modi to launch campaign for COVID behaviour
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a 'jan andolan' campaign for COVID appropriate behaviour on Thursday in view of upcoming festivals, winter season and opening up of the economy.
The prime minister will launch the campaign by way of a tweet, a release issued by the ministry of information and broadcasting said.
The campaign will be launched with the aim to encourage people's participation (Jan Andolan) and it endeavours to be a low-cost high-intensity campaign with the key message of 'wear mask, follow physical distancing, maintain hand hygiene'.
The campaign will be launched in view of the upcoming festivals and winter season as well as the opening up of the economy, the statement said.
A COVID-19 pledge will be taken by all and a concerted action plan will be implemented by central government ministries, departments, state governments and Union Territories.
The highlights of the campaign include region-specific targeted communication in high case-load districts, simple and easily understandable messages to reach every citizen, dissemination throughout the country using all media platforms, banners and posters at public places involving frontline workers, and targeting beneficiaries of government schemes.
The campaign also involves putting up of hoardings, wall paintings, electronic display boards in government premises, involvement of local and national influencers to drive home the message, running mobile vans for regular awareness generation, audio messages, pamphlets and brochures for awareness It would also involve seeking support of local cable operators for running COVID messages and coordinated media campaign across platforms for effective outreach and impact.
-- PTI
20:16 Delhi allows reopening of cinemas from Oct 15
The Delhi government on Wednesday permitted reopening of cinemas, theatres and multiplexes with up to 50 per cent of their seating capacity from October 15.
According to an order issued by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, such establishments will remain closed in COVID-19 containment zones in the city.
The DDMA also allowed all weekly markets to function with immediate effect.
Until now, only two such markets were being allowed in every municipal zone every day.
Taking to Twitter, Chief Minister Arvind Kejrjiwal said that cinema halls will be allowed to reopen from October 15 and they will have to follow all guidelines issued by the central government.
The coronavirus-induced countrywide lockdown was first announced from March 25 and it was extended in phases till May 31. The Unlock process in the country had begun on June 1 with the graded reopening of commercial, social, religious and other activities.
-- PTI
20:09 Bihar assembly polls: Congress releases first list of 21 candidates
The Congress on Wednesday released its first list of 21 candidates for the Bihar assembly elections.
The list was announced after the Congress Central Election Committee headed by party chief Sonia Gandhi cleared their names at a meeting held earlier this week.
The Congress has nominated Shubhanand Mukesh, the son of Congress Legislature Party leader in Bihar Sadanand Singh, for the Kahalgaon assembly seat.
The Congress fielded Akhauri Onkar Nath from Gaya Town instead of Mohan Shrivastava, who is facing charges of rape.
Sources said Shrivastava's name was earlier cleared, but following objections by some senior leaders, he was dropped and replaced by another candidate.
Tomorrow is the last date for filing of nominations for the first phase of Bihar assembly polls, which will be held on October 28.
Bihar assembly elections will be held in three phases on October 28, November 3 and 7, while the results will be out on November 10.
The Congress will be contesting on 70 seats as part of the RJD-led grand alliance in Bihar.
-- PTI
19:33 Maha eateries to remain open from 8 am to 10 pm
Restaurants and bars in Maharashtra have been allowed to remain open from 8 am to 10 pm or as directed by the municipal commissioners or district collectors, the state government said on Wednesday.
The government has conveyed this in a letter sent to the bodies representing hotels and restaurants.
Hotels, food courts, restaurants and bars in the state have been allowed to resume their operations from October 5 with capacity not exceeding 50 per cent or as prescribed by local authorities.
"It is hereby informed that the restaurants and bars will remain open from 8 am and close at 10 pm sharp, or as directed by the respective municipal commissioners or district collectors (depending on the prevalent situation of COVID-19 pandemic)," Dr Dhananjay Savalkar, joint director (tourism), said in the letter issued on Wednesday.
He also said that all the stakeholder restaurants and bars from the state need to follow the timings mandatorily.
-- PTI
19:15 Daily change in active COVID-19 cases in India
Here's a simple graphic explainining India's active Covid-19 caseload.
19:10 Trump returns to work in Oval Office
Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office on Tuesday with "extra precautions', according to White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow.
Kudlow told CNBC that "traffic was limited'.
When asked if the US president wore a mask, Kudlow said he couldn't "be specific' but that additional measures were taken that were much greater than simply wearing a mask.
18:48 Delhi's next sero-survey will start on Oct 15
The next round of the monthly sero-prevalance survey in the national capital, which got delayed, will now begin from October 15, sources said on Wednesday.
The last survey was held from September 1-7 to better assess the COVID-19 situation here and formulate combat strategies.
The exercise was slated to begin from October 1, but got delayed as the results of the survey done last month was presented to the Delhi High Court on September 30.
"This month's survey will now begin from October 15," an official source said.
The national capital recorded 39 COVID-19 fatalities on Tuesday, as the toll mounted to 5,581 while 2,676 fresh cases took the tally to over 2.95 lakh, authorities said.
The September survey had found that sero-prevalence of antibodies to COVID-19 had reduced to 25 per cent, from nearly 29 per cent recorded in the August exercise, among people in the national capital.
The September survey also found that nearly one-third of the participants with a past history of COVID-19 infection, "did not have detectable IgG antibodies".
"However, there is evidence that antibodies to COVID-19 may deplete over time," it added.
The sample size in the last month's exercise was about 17,000.
-- PTI
18:31 Amit Shah congratulates PM Modi on entering 20th year of public service
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the latter entered 20th consecutive year as the democratically elected head of a government.
PM Modi had taken over as the chief minister of Gujarat on October 7, 2001. "October 7 is a very important day in the country's history. In 2001, on this very same day PM Narendra Modi had taken oath as the Gujarat Chief Minister, and from that day the journey of daily setting new milestones in the interest of the nation and service of the people, without stopping, without relaxing started. 20th year of NaMO," Shah's tweet read (roughly translated from Hindi).
PM Modi had further returned to power in Gujarat thrice, in 2002, 2007 and 2012, respectively.
During the third term as the Gujarat CM, however, Modi fought the 2014 general elections. His popularity, which was going through the roof both inside and outside the State, led to the BJP declaring him as its prime ministerial candidate in 2013.
-- ANI
18:14 BJP wary of Rahul, Priyanka's grassroots protest
Hitting back at BJP for calling on-ground protests by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on issues like the Hathras case and new farm laws 'political tourism', senior Congress leader Rajiv Shukla on Wednesday said the ruling party is getting rattled by the public support for the two leaders and their efforts are creating an atmosphere of unity in the Opposition.
The former union minister wondered if the BJP leaders, who are criticising the Hathras visit of Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, would also use the 'political tourism' tag for the agitations done by the veteran leaders of the saffron party like late Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani in the past.
"It is clear from the reaction of BJP leaders that the ruling party is upset," Shulka told PTI-Bhasha in an interview.
Amid a furore over the alleged gangrape and murder of a Dalit woman in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, the two Congress leaders recently met the victim's family.
After returning from Hathras, Rahul Gandhi also took out 'Kheti Bachao Yatra' in Punjab and Haryana on the issue of new farm laws, which the opposition parties have alleged are aimed at benefitting corporates at the cost of farmers.
The government and the ruling party have, however, rejected these charges and have maintained these reforms will benefit the farmers. Shukla, who was recently appointed as Congress in-charge of Himachal Pradesh, also said that he is getting the support of all senior party leaders from the state, including Anand Sharma, and he will now unite all the leaders on one platform to work together to ensure the party's victory in assembly elections there after two years. -- PTI
17:45 After a month in jail, Rhea goes home
After a month at the Bycylla jail in Mumbai, actress Rhea Chakraborty, goes home.
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted bail to the actress arrested on September 8 on a drugs-related charges in actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case.
The HC, however, rejected the bail plea of her brother Showik Chakraborty, who is also an accused in the case.
The duo was arrested last month by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with its drugs probe related to the case of Rajput's death.
Rajput, 34, was found hanging at his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14 this year.
Payal Ghosh
17:23 HC asks if Payal Ghosh wishes to withdraw statement against Richa Chadha
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked actor Payal Ghosh whether she wished to withdraw her statement against actor Richa Chadha, over which a defamation suit was filed against Ghosh.
A single-judge bench of Justice AK Menon asked Payal Ghosh's lawyer Nitin Satpute if his client wished to withdraw her statements against Richa Chadha. Satpute was asked to take instructions from Payal Ghosh on the matter.
The matter is slated to be taken up again by the High Court later today.
The court was hearing a defamation suit filed by Chadha against Ghosh, Aamoda Broadcasting Company Pvt Ltd, critic Kamaal R Khan, and others for allegedly defaming her in the alleged rape case against filmmaker Anurag Kashyap by Ghosh.
Chadha has filed the suit over recording, displaying and sharing an interview by Ghosh in connection with her charges against the well-known filmmaker.
She has alleged that the acts have resulted in "tarninshing her reputation" and "subjected her to immense humiliation, ridicule, unwanted speculation, harassment, harsh public scrutiny and loss of business opportunities and goodwill thereby causing tremendous stress and mental agony.
"She is, therefore, seeking Rs 1.10 crores in damages collectively from the defendants."
Kashyap has vehemently denied any such incident as alleged by Payal Ghosh and sought severe action against the actress for "misusing" the criminal justice system, his lawyer had said last week.
Ghosh had last month filed an FIR against Anurag Kashyap accusing him of sexually assaulting her. Kashyap had later appeared before the Versova police station in Mumbai for questioning in the matter.
17:12 Sensex surges for 5th day on RIL boost
Markets ticked higher for the fifth straight session on Wednesday following gains in RIL, banking and IT stocks amid a mixed trend overseas after US President Donald Trump dashed hopes of a pre-election stimulus package. After opening on a weak note, the 30-share BSE Sensex gained ground to end 304.38 points or 0.77 per cent higher at 39,878.95.
Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty jumped 76.45 points or 0.66 per cent to close at 11,738.85. The Sensex has now gained 1,905.73 points in five sessions, while the Nifty has advanced 516.45 points. Titan was the top gainer in the Sensex pack on Wednesday, climbing 4.44 per cent, after the Tata group firm said its business has been returning to normalcy in the second quarter of this fiscal, led by the jewellery division.
Index heavyweight Reliance Industries spurted 2.13 per cent a day after its retail arm raised Rs 5,512.50 crore from Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) for a 1.20 per cent stake. Bajaj Auto, Maruti, UltraTech Cement, and ONGC were among the other promiment gainers. IT major TCS inched up 0.78 per cent ahead of its quarterly results.
On the other hand, Bajaj Finance, PowerGrid, Sun Pharma, Tata Steel, NTPC and Bajaj Finserv were among the laggards, skidding up to 4.12 per cent.
On the global front, Wall Street tumbled after US President Donald Trump said he was calling off negotiations with Democratic lawmakers for a fresh stimulus package until after the elections next month. However, Asian and European markets showed a mixed trend.
"Markets remained upbeat amid signs of stabilisation in India's services sector and optimism over earnings. Business updates have been strong for companies like HDFC, HDFC Bank, Titan. -- PTI
16:53 60% Indian CEOs took a pay cut in Covid times
Corporate leaders in India are less confident about economic growth and 6 out of 10 CEOs have taken salary cuts as part of the overall cost management measures amid the pandemic, according to a survey.
As per a survey carried out by KPMG India in August among 100 CEOs, only one-third of the respondents said they are confident of economic growth and 62 per cent of them have taken salary cuts as part of the overall cost management measures to sail through the pandemic.
Only 33 per cent of CEOs are confident of the economy and 42 per cent are optimistic about growth of their companies, as against 78 per cent and 84 per cent in the January survey, respectively.
Commenting on the findings, Arun Kumar, the chairman of KPMG India, says the significant shift in CEOs' priorities seen over the last six months reflect the agility with which they had to deal with the challenges of the pandemic. Looking forward, like their global counterparts, CEOs here are less confident about global and domestic economic growth than they were at the onset of the year. Their earnings outlook is clearly challenged, he says.
The respondents listed supply chain risks and digital disruption and enhancing Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) programmes as their top concerns.
As per the survey, a large number of respondents have identified "lack of skills and capabilities in the IT area" as one of the most significant challenges to growth. The CEOs have already seen accelerated progress in digital transformation during the pandemic and are likely to prioritise investments in new technologies to become future-ready, and 89 per cent of them plan to invest more on technology, the survey noted.
As per the survey findings, Indian corporate leaders are better positioned than their global counterparts in terms of growth in earnings as only 19 per cent of them expect earnings to either remain flat or decline, while 23 per cent globally foresee their companies' earnings to stagnate or fall.
British physicist and Physics Nobel winner Roger Penrose
16:22 Calcutta link to Nobel physicist
Amalkumar Raychaudhuri, a young teacher at Calcutta's Ashutosh College in 1955, had developed a mathematical formulation that served as an elegant basis for the research by British physicist Roger Penrose a decade later that brought him the Nobel Prize on Tuesday.
The Calcutta physicist's formulation, known as the Raychaudhuri equation, sought to quantify certain but tricky aspects of geometry with widespread use in Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, essentially a geometric description of distortions and bends in space and time.
Penrose teamed up with the celebrated late British physicist Stephen Hawking and used the Raychaudhuri equation for a mathematical description of black holes -- objects with such intense gravitational pulls that not even light escapes them -- and singularities, extreme situations where laws of nature break down. Read more
16:08 Pakistan navy to add over 50 vessels to its fleet
The Pakistan Navy will add more than 50 vessels, including 20 major ships, to its fleet as part of an ambitious modernisation plan to improve its capabilities, the country's outgoing Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) said on Wednesday. Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi said in his farewell address that the Navy will induct four Chinese frigates in the next few years and as many Turkish medium-class ships between 2023 and 2025.
He said the Hangor submarine project, which is being carried out in collaboration with China, was progressing according to the plan, and four submarines were being built each in Pakistan and China.
"This project will transform us from a submarine-operating Navy to a submarine-building one," Abbasi was quoted as saying by the state-run Radio Pakistan.
A fleet of more than 50 vessels, including 20 major ships, was envisioned to improve the capabilities of the Navy, the report quoted him as saying. Abbasi formally handed over the command of the Pakistan Navy to the new naval chief Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi who assumed charge as the country's 22nd CNS on Wednesday. A ceremony held for the change of command was held at PNS Zafar in Islamabad, the Pakistan Navy said in a statement. Admiral Abbasi said his primary focus had been on transforming the Pakistan Navy into a combat-ready force, with special emphasis on optimum battle preparedness and professional competence.
According to the Pakistan Navy, Admiral Niazi was commissioned in the Operations Branch of Pakistan Navy in 1985 and has served on various command and staff posts. -- PTI
Image: Pakistani naval servicemen pull the filling nose for a refuelling drill during the sea phase of Pakistan Navy's Multinational Exercise AMAN-19, in the North Arabian Sea, Karachi.
16:00 Govt will offer more fiscal stimulus soon: Sanyal
Principal Economic Adviser Sanjeev Sanyal on Wednesday said the government recognises the need for further stimulus at an appropriate time to perk up demand in the economy, hit by Covid-19. Addressing the 115th AGM of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he said there was space on the monetary and fiscal side to implement further stimulus.
With the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, the government announced Rs 1.70 lakh crore Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, followed by the unveiling of Rs 20.97 lakh crore Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package, which many analysts said fell short of addressing demand concern.
"However, we recognise that there is a need for providing further stimulus to the economy at some point in time as may be appropriate," he said. This is not something that is new, he said, adding that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently mentioned this.
Addressing the anxiety over low demand in the economy, Sanyal said unlike many countries which may have gone from very large upfront demand creation, the approach of India was basically focused on creating a safety net, both for the vulnerable sections of society and business sector given the fiscal constraints.
"If we tried to re-inflate consumption demand in April, May, June it would have been entirely a waste of resources for the simple reason we ourselves have locked down all the avenues for spending," he said.
With unlock taking place, he said, the manufacturing sector is gradually getting back to the pre-Covid levels and the services sector will gather momentum. "So as we open things up, clearly, we are in a better position to do so (announce further a stimulus package). In this context, let me say there is space both on the monetary side and on the fiscal side to do this, and a willingness to use this," he said.
15:45
Government-owned Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is all set to restart operation of Tejas Express trains (Lucknow to New Delhi and Ahmedabad to Mumbai) for catering to the growing passenger demand due upcoming festive season.
Both the trains are expected to restart operations from October 17, it said in a statement on Wednesday. The operation of these two Tejas trains was suspended from March 19 due to spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
IRCTC said it has got approval from the Ministry of Railways to again start the operation of these two popular corporate trains. Bookings will open shortly.
All-round preparations are underway to ensure that the trains match expectations of people in terms of service levels besides safety and health protocols. Every alternate seat will be kept vacant initially following the social distancing norms.
All passengers will be provided a COVID-19 protection kit which will contain a bottle of hand sanitiser, a face mask, a face shield and a pair of gloves. They will go through thermal screening and hand sanitisation process before entering a coach.
IRCTC said it has conducted an extensive training programme to train its team of employees which has been told to follow standard operating procedures to ensure passenger safety. -- ANI
15:33 BJP spares 11 seats to partner VIP for Bihar polls
The BJP on Wednesday allocated 11 seats to associate partner Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) from its quota of 121 seats in Bihar assembly polls. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced at a joint press conference Tuesday that while JD(U) will spare some seats to Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) of former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi from its share of 122 seats and the BJP will accommodate VIP from its quota of 121 seats in the 243-member assembly. JD(U) has provided seven seats to HAM.
The seat distribution to VIP was announced at a press conference addressed by Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, Bihar unit president Sanjay Jaiswal and VIP chief Mukesh Sahni. Jaiswal told reporters that VIP will also be provided one seat in Bihar legislative council in future. VIP floated a couple of years ago by former Bollywood set designer Mukesh Sahni, was with the opposition Grand Alliance till last week. -- PTI
15:28 2 women win Chemistry Nobel for genome editing
The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna "for the development of a method for genome editing". Charpentier and Doudna discovered one of gene technology's sharpest tools: the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors. Using these, researchers can change the DNA of animals, plants and microorganisms with extremely high precision.
15:19 HM on Modi's 20 years in power
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Narendra Modi completing 20 years in power. "Today Narendra Modi completes 20 yrs as a CM and the PM. When he became the CM of Gujarat, a coalition govt was in power at the centre. Since a long time, a single-party govt had not come to power. Even 10 yrs after that, there was a coalition govt in power.
"When he was given an opportunity by the party and was made a PM candidate, people of this nation stood with him and after 30 years a party was given the opportunity to form govt with absolute majority. For the first time a non-Congress leader became this nation's PM.
"It resulted in corruption, compromise with security, spineless foreign policies and economic policies which considered the poor only a vote bank. This had caused distrust in democracy, among people."
15:11 HC suggests Maha govt to increase frequency of local trains
Noting that railway services need to correspond with the partial lifting of the lockdown, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday suggested an increase in the frequency of local trains being run in Mumbai to check overcrowding.
A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni said currently the Maharashtra government has permitted several sectors to resume and hence, it is high time the frequency of trains is also increased.
"We are now in partial lockdown. Malls are open, hotels are allowed to remain open, government offices are working with 100 per cent staff and several other sectors are now working. Railway services need to correspond with this," the court said. "The frequency of local trains on all three lines (western, central and harbour lines) has to be increased to reduce overcrowding, the bench said. The court directed the state government to consider its suggestions and see if it can forward a proposal to the Railways for an increase in the frequency of trains.
The bench was hearing a bunch of petitions, seeking a direction to the Maharashtra government to include lawyers and their clerical staff under essential services and permit them to use the local trains to attend court and their office. Last month, the high court directed the state government to permit lawyers, who had to attend physical hearings in courts, to use the trains. The court on Wednesday said the number of trains should be increased to 600 on the central and harbour lines and up to 700 on the western line.
"We cannot direct the Railways or the state government to increase the frequency. But, we hope and trust that the state government responds favourably to our suggestions," the court said in its order. "Our suggestion is not just for lawyers and their staff, but for the general public too, it said.
14:59 Rahul's upper storey empty, says BJP's Naqvi
Claiming that the "upper storey" of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is empty, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday said that Rahul wouldn't even know the difference between different crops and when they are sown and harvested.
Speaking to ANI about Rahul Gandhi's offensive on the new farm laws, Naqvi said, "Someone should tell Pappu, that this is not the mummyji or Manmohanji government that when the Parliament passes a Bill, you tear it in front of the people and call it non-sense or nuisance".
He said that this is Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, which works for the benefit of the farmers, poor and the neglected sections of the society with conviction.
"Our decisions will not be changed for such political 'pakhand' (hypocrisy). Someone whose upper storey is empty will, of course, say such things. He can't understand what kind of issues we are dealing with. He wouldn't even know when the Rabi and Kharif crops are sown and harvested, and what they consist of," Naqvi said.
He said that PM Modi has stood in the fore-front and worked to resolve all the issues being faced by the people of this country amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Naqvi said that PM Modi's 20 years in public service are a lesson for the people working in the public interest. -- ANI
14:52 Why was Sushant's autopsy done at night: Family
Sushant Singh Rajput's family wrote to the CBI on Wednesday alleging "unprofessional conduct" by AIIMS director Sudhir Gupta in leaking a forensic report of the late actor and sought a new panel for fair and proper assessment of his death. The letter, sent through advocate Varun Singh, claimed that the leaked report, if correct, amounts to drawing a biased and boastful conclusion from insufficient evidence.
"I have been reading in the media about the report submitted by AIIMS to CBI with regard to the opinion expressed by CBI in the matter of the death of Sushant Singh Rajput on the June 14, 2020. I have also seen some doctors who were part of the AIIMS Team come on TV and make statements with regard to the forensic examination done by the team," Varun said.
The letter, settled by Rajput's family lawyer, senior advocate Vikas Singh, stated that in spite of repeated efforts to get a copy of the report, there has been no response by Gupta. The family has objected to the AIIMS report saying that the Gupta-headed forensic team was not submitting a post-mortem report but was only to expressing its opinion on the findings of Cooper Hospital in Mumbai.
"Gupta has been giving media interviews about the sensitive case right from day one, questioning the doctors of Cooper Hospital for dubious autopsy and Maharashtra Police for hurried post-mortem and contamination and non-preservation of scene of crime," the letter said, adding that there were several infirmities in the post-mortem report done at the Cooper Hospital.
Pointing to infirmities, the letter said the post-mortem was done at night without there being any order of the Magistrate and the protocol was not followed as opined by several experts of forensic departments from all over the world.
"The videography of the post-mortem was not done. Sufficient viscera was not retained for future examination. The time of the death was not mentioned in the post-mortem report. The injuries on the body were not specified and thus there was no opinion expressed of the cause of such injuries.
"The leg which was fractured was not mentioned in the report. There were several other infirmities which could be pointed out by a genuine forensic examination but somehow the same have been left out by the AIIMS team as expressed by one of the doctors in his interview telecast by a TV channel," the letter alleged.
It contended that Gupta recently got the incriminating content of the report, submitted to the CBI, leaked selectively to a couple of media houses, and irresponsibly commenting that the death of Sushant isconclusively a case of suicide and there is no foul play. "Clearly the said leak is aimed at creating doubts in the mind of people, bailing out agencies who have not done their job as per rules and standard protocols, benefitting the culprits and derailing the course of ongoing investigation.
"The conduct of Dr Sudhir Gupta is unethical, unprofessional, in contravention of government service conduct rules and MCI guidelines. This criminal misadventure on his part has undermined public trust in a premier institution like AIIMS. It has created doubts in the minds of millions of people about the fairness of investigation," the letter said. -- PTI
14:33 Ahead of Bihar polls, BJP leader joins LJP
Bihar Bharatiya Janata Party leader Usha Vidyarthi joined the Lok Janshakti Party on Wednesday after meeting its president Chirag Paswan in New Delhi, and is likely to be fielded from the Paliganj assembly seat where the Janata Dal-United will contest as well.
Vidyarthi, a former MLA, joined the LJP a day after another senior BJP leader from the state, Rajendra Singh, who was associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for a long time, joined Paswan's party.
Singh wanted to contest from Dinara but the seat has been allotted to the JD-U as part of its seat-sharing arrangement with the ally BJP for the Bihar assembly polls.
The LJP, which has announced that it will contest from seats given to the JD-U and not fight against the BJP, hopes that many more leaders from other parties will join it in the coming days.
Paswan has come out strongly against JD-U president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, and claimed that the next government in the state will be headed by the BJP with his party's support.
Without directly targeting Paswan, the BJP has been at pains to underscore its support for Kumar's leadership of the National Democratic Alliance and asserted time and again that he will again be chief minister if the alliance is voted to power in the polls.
The NDA on Tuesday announced its seat-sharing formula for Bihar assembly polls under which the JD-U will contest on 122 seats and BJP 121 out of a total of 243 seats.
The three-phase Bihar polls will start on October 28. -- PTI
14:22 Pak violates ceasefire in Uri sector
Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday by firing mortars.
The Indian Army gave a befitting response to the ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops.
"Pakistan initiated an unprovoked ceasefire violation along LoC in Uri Sector, Baramulla district today morning by firing mortars and other weapons," defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said.
No casualties have been reported in the incident so far. -- PTI
14:14 World Bank lauds efforts to control Covid in Dharavi
The World Bank on Wednesday praised the efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus in Mumbai's Dharavi, one of the world's largest slums, saying its success stemmed from a combination of "customised solutions", community involvement and perseverance.
Dharavi, which is located in India's commercial capital Mumbai, is spread over an area of 2.5 square kilometres and has a population of 650,000.
People live in shanties and dilapidated buildings with narrow lanes and open sewers.
The first COVID-19 patient in Dharavi was detected on April 1, nearly three weeks after Mumbai recorded its maiden positive case on March 11.
The Washington-based global lender, in its biennial Poverty and Shared Prosperity report, said that in the space of three months, by July 2020, reported cases in the area had been cut to 20 per cent of their peak in May.
Observing that effective approaches have tapped the skills and dedication of community members, the World Bank said that in Mumbai, city officials were able to stem the rapid spread of the coronavirus in Dharavi, one of the city's largest urban settlements, by mobilising community members and staff from private medical clinics for a strategy based on mass screening for fever and oxygen levels.
To help poor families during the lockdown, foundations, non-governmental organisations and volunteers provided thousands of households with ration kits.
Dharavi's success stemmed from a combination of "customised solutions, community involvement and perseverance", it said.
On Tuesday, a Mumbai civic body official said that the COVID-19 tally in Dharavi slum colony rose to 3,280 with the addition of 22 fresh cases.
Of the total 3,280 cases, 2,795 patients have been recovered from the infection, he said, adding that the slum now has 192 active patients.
In July, the World Health Organisation also praised the efforts taken to contain the spread of the COVID-19 in Dharavi, underscoring the need for community engagement along with national unity and global solidarity to turn the pandemic around.
According to the Union health ministry data, India's COVID-19 tally of cases climbed to 67.57 lakh with 72,049 new cases in a day, while 57,44,693 people have recuperated so far, pushing the national recovery rate to 85.02 per cent on Wednesday.
The total coronavirus cases mounted to 67,57,131, while the death toll climbed to 1,04,555 with the novel coronavirus virus claiming 986 lives in a span of 24 hours in the country, it said.
According to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, the contagion has infected over 35 million people and killed more than 1 million across the world.
The US is the worst affected country with over 7.5 million cases and more than 2,10,000 deaths.
The COVID-19, which originated in China's Wuhan city in December last year, has also battered the world economy with the International Monetary Fund saying that the global economy is bound to suffer a "severe recession". -- PTI
14:07 Covid recoveries exceed active cases by over 48 lakh
The number of people recovered from COVID-19 has exceeded those with active infection by more than 48 lakh as the recovery rate surpassed 85 per cent on Wednesday, the Union health ministry said.
Nearly 57.50 lakh people have recovered so far, which is 6.32 times the active cases, it said, adding the sustained high levels of recoveries have widened the gap between active and recovered cases.
"The national recovery rate has jumped past 85 per cent today with the continuous streak of high number of recovered cases being reported in the past few weeks. The recovered cases have exceeded the new confirmed again during the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement.
As many as 82,203 recoveries have been registered in the last 24 hours and the total recovered cases have exceeded the active cases by more than 48 lakh, it said.
The ministry said 75 per cent of the new recovered cases were reported from 10 states -- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Delhi.
"Maharashtra is topping the list with nearly 17,000 recoveries while Karnataka contribute more than 10,000 to the single-day recoveries," it said.
The ministry also said 10 states and UTs account for 78 per cent of the new confirmed cases.
"Maharashtra continues to lead this tally. It has contributed more than 12,000 followed by Karnataka with nearly 10,000 cases," it said.
India's COVID-19 caseload climbed to 67.57 lakh and the death toll to 1,04,555. The fatality rate has however declined to 1.55 per cent, according to the health ministry data updated at 8am Wednesday. -- PTI
12:42 Sushant's family says AIIMS report faulty
Sushant Singh Rajput's family lawyer Vikas Singh writes a letter to CBI Director, raising objections over forensic examination report submitted by AIIMS to CBI and calls it faulty. The letter reads, "Matter needs to be referred to another forensic team to be constituted by CBI."
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences' Forensic Medical Board, which was formed to look into Sushant Singh Rajput's death case ruled out murder as the cause of death of the actor in its report.
"We have concluded our conclusive report. It is a case of hanging and death by suicide," Dr Sudhir Gupta, AIIMS Forensic Head said on Saturday.
"There were no injuries over the body other than hanging. There were no marks of struggle/scuffle in the body and clothes of the deceased," said Dr Gupta who is chairman of the AIIMS Forensic Medical Board
comprising seven doctors.
12:35 Media bodies condemn arrest of Hathras-bound scribe by UP police
The Press Association and the Indian Women Press Corps on Wednesday described the arrest of a Hathras bound journalist as the Uttar Pradesh government's attempt to "silence" the media and demanded his immediate release. Siddique Kappan and three others were arrested in Mathura while they were on their way to Hathras, where a Dalit woman was assaulted and allegedly gangraped on September 14. She died a fortnight later in a Delhi hospital.
Uttar Pradesh police on Monday said the four people had links with the Popular Front of India and its affiliate in Mathura.
"The UP government claims that the journalist has links with some groups but has not offered any proof in this regard," the Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC) and the Press Association said in a statement.
Condemning the arrest of Kappan, a contributor for a Kerala-based website, they pointed out that he was on his way to Hathras to report on the story. His mobile phone and laptop were seized by the police, the statement said.
The state government had banned the entry of the media in Hathras for two days, denying journalists their right to report the story from Hathras, thereby violating the right of freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by the Constitution, the IWPC and Press Association said. Demanding Kappan's immediate release and return of his equipment, they decried the UP government's attempt to silence the media and create an atmosphere of fear by the arrest of the journalist". -- PTI
12:30 India is a poster child of what not to do: Nobel laureate economist
Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz made a strong case for spending money to combat the long-term economic damage of the pandemic, saying that India would be well advised to focus on containing the contagion as the economic aftermath cannot be tackled without tackling the pandemic.
Bracketing India with Brazil and the United States for its 'utter failure' to deal with Covid-19, Stiglitz described 'India as a poster child of what not to do', saying the lockdown failed to have any impact and the migrant labour crisis precipitated the contagion.
"It (India) picked up one idea that is important. Lockdown. Did not think about what it means in a poor country. How are people going to live, large number of people moving across the country. One could not have imagined anything worse for spreading the disease," said the professor of Columbia University in the US. Read more here
12:25 Dabbawalas, consulates' staff allowed to travel in local trains
Mumbai's dabbawalas and staff of foreign consulates and high commissions have been allowed to travel in local trains which are currently being run only for essential services staff, officials said on Wednesday.
Dabbawalas, the famous lunch-box carriers in Mumbai, last month said there was never a six-month break in the "130 -year-old history of the tiffin services", and demanded access to local trains to resume their services in full capacity.
Currently, in view of the COVID-19 restrictions, only the dabbawalas who could reach the south Mumbai area on their cycles were able to deliver food to office-goers. They have now expressed happiness on being allowed to board local trains with effect from Tuesday. Sumit Thakur, chief public relations officer of the Western Railway, said based on the unlock guidelines issued by the Maharashtra government on September 30, they have allowed the dabbawalas to travel in local trains.
"The staff of foreign consulates and high commissions have also been permitted to travel in local trains, as per the directives received from the Ministry of Railways," he said.
Over 5,000 dabbawalas run the tiffin delivery business in the metropolis. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, they used to deliver over two lakh tiffins to office-goers on normal working days. They use suburban trains to ensure lunch boxes are delivered at the destination on time.
Shivaji Sutar, chief public relations officer of the Central Railway, said QR-coded ID cards issued by the state government will be mandatory for them to travel in local trains, but dabbawalas have requested that they be allowed to travel on their identity cards. "If the Maharashtra government agrees to their demand, we will permit them to travel on their ID cards," he said.
Subhash Talekar, spokesperson of the Mumbai Dabbawala Association, expressed happiness on being allowed to travel in local trains. "Finally, after more than six months, we can resume our service," Talekar said, adding dabbawalas will now contact their customers and request them to resume the tiffin service. He was, however, skeptic about resumption of services in full capacity amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Before the pandemic, every dabbawala had on an average 20 to 22 customers, but I doubt all customers will resume the service immediately as many people are still working from home," he said. -- PTI
12:20 Modi govt's CEA exulting over -23% economic growth: Chidambaram
Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday took a jibe at current Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) Dr Krishnamurthy Subramanian for describing Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government as "lost decade".
Comparing the current CEA and his predecessor, Chidambaram said that while Dr Krishnamurthy had described the period of Congress-led UPA rule in the country as the "lost decade", while his predecessor, Dr Arvind Subramanian had termed it the "boom years" of the Indian economy.
"Dr Arvind Subramanian called 2004-2014 the 'boom years' of the Indian economy. He was CEA of the Modi government. Dr Krishnamurthy Subramanian describes 2004-2014 as the 'lost decade'. He is the current CEA of the Modi government," Chidambaram's tweet read.
"Now you know why economic growth in Q1 of 2020-21 has plunged to -23.9 per cent and the current CEA is exulting over it," he added, in a subsequent tweet over the state of economic affairs in the country.
The Congress leader had earlier hailed the states for opposing both the formulas extended by the Centre to bridge the gap between the Goods and Service Tax compensation cess. He had said the "liability to provide the GST compensation to the full extent falls on the central government, as reluctantly admitted by the FM yesterday." -- ANI
12:16 150mn people in extreme poverty by 2021: WB
The World Bank on Wednesday warned that by 2021, as many as 150 million people are likely to be in extreme poverty because of the coronavirus pandemic and countries will have to prepare for a "different economy" post-Covid by allowing capital, labour, skills and innovation to move into new businesses and sectors.
The Covid-19 pandemic is estimated to push an additional 88 million to 115 million people into extreme poverty this year, with the total rising to as many as 150 million by 2021, depending on the severity of the economic contraction, according to the Washington-based global lender.
This would represent a regression to the rate of 9.2 per cent in 2017, according to the biennial Poverty and Shared Prosperity Report. Had the pandemic not convulsed the globe, the poverty rate would have been expected to drop to 7.9 per cent in 2020, it said.
The pandemic and global recession may cause over 1.4 per cent of the world's population to fall into extreme poverty, World Bank Group President David Malpass said.
In order to reverse this serious setback to development progress and poverty reduction, countries will need to prepare for a different economy post-Covid, by allowing capital, labour, skills and innovation to move into new businesses and sectors, he said.
Noting that the new poor will be in countries that already have high poverty rates, the report said that a number of middle-income countries will see significant numbers of people slip below the extreme poverty line. About 82 per cent of the total will be in middle-income countries, the report estimates. -- PTI
12:06 Jaishankar holds talks with Oz EAM in Tokyo
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday held bilateral talks with his Australian counterpart Marise Payne in Tokyo, covering a range of bilateral, regional and global issues. Jaishankar and Payne travelled to Tokyo to attend a ministerial meeting of the Quad or Quadrilateral coalition comprising India, the US, Australia and Japan.
The 'Quad' foreign ministers' meeting took place on Tuesday. After his meeting with Payne, Jaishankar tweeted that the progress in bilateral ties following the virtual summit between prime ministers of the two countries was reviewed.
"Warm meeting with my good friend FM @MarisePayne of Australia. Reviewed the progress in our bilateral ties after the Virtual Summit between our PMs. Discussed expanding our cooperation in global affairs & regional issues. Will work together more closely in multilateral forums," he said. The meeting took place in the backdrop of frosty relations of India and Australia with China.
While India's ties with China nosedived over the five-month border standoff in eastern Ladakh, the relationship between Beijing and Canberra came under stress over trade related issues. It is understood that Jaishankar and Payne discussed key regional security challenges. -- PTI
12:02 UP: 14-yr-old Dalit girl killed by father, brother after she became pregnant
In a suspected case of honour killing, a 14-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly killed by her father with the help of her elder brother after she became pregnant and refused to tell them who was the father of the child.
"The matter came to light on Tuesday when villagers found the body of a girl with its head cut off in Dulhapur village in Sidhauli area and informed the police," Superintendent of Police S Anand told PTI on Wednesday.
"During the probe it was found that she was six months pregnant and they suspected that she had relationship with someone. Prima facie it appeared to be case of honour killing and the father of the girl was interrogated, the SP said.
The accused told police that the girl was killed on September 24 but family did not approach the police, they said. The SP said that according to victim's father his daughter was pregnant and when he asked her about the man responsible, "she did not disclose his name due to which he strangulated her".
The SP said the accused wanted to marry his daughter to the man with whom she was in a relationship. After killing his daughter, he disposed of the body near a 'nullah' (drain) after cutting its head, the SP added. Her brother fled from the spot after the incident, while her father was arrested.
"The girl's elder brother is also involved in the murder and we have booked both of them under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence)," a local police spokesman said. The police is also trying to identify the person responsible for the girl's pregnancy, he said, adding a probe is on in the matter. PTI
11:46 RIL shares jump over 4% after ADIA invests Rs 5,512.5 cr
Shares of Reliance Industries Ltd on Wednesday gained over 4 per cent after Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd raised Rs 5,512.50 crore from Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. The stock jumped 4.49 per cent to Rs 2,309.40 on the BSE. At the NSE, it rose by 4.46 per cent to Rs 2,309. Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd, run by India's richest man Mukesh Ambani, on Tuesday raised Rs 5,512.50 crore from Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), taking the total fundraise to Rs 37,710 crore in less than four weeks.
"ADIA's investment will translate into a 1.20 per cent equity stake," the Indian firm said in a statement. The investment values RRVL, the retail arm of Reliance Industries Ltd, at a pre-money equity value of Rs 4.285 lakh crore.
"With this investment, RRVL has raised Rs 37,710 crore from leading global investors including Silver Lake, KKR, General Atlantic, Mubadala, GIC, TPG and ADIA in less than four weeks," the statement said. -- PTI
11:37 Rhea gets bail on surety of Rs 1 lakh
Rhea Chakraborty gets bail on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh. Court says, "Rhea should mark her presence for 10 days in police station after release, deposit her passport, not travel abroad without court permission and inform investigating officer if she has to leave Greater Mumbai."
11:31 Rhea gets bail, brother stays in jail
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted bail to actress Rhea Chakraborty, arrested over drugs-related charges in actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case. The HC, however, rejected the bail plea of her brother Showik Chakraborty, who is also an accused in the case. The duo was arrested last month by the Narcotics Control Bureau in connection with its drugs probe related to the case of Rajput's death. Rajput, 34, was found hanging at his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14 this year. -- PTI
11:28 Democracy and dissent go hand-in-hand: SC
The Supreme Court on the Shaheen Bagh stir: The Delhi Police ought to have taken action to clear the Shaheen Bagh area, the SC on the stir." Authorities have to act on their own and cannot hide behind courts. Democracy and dissent go hand in hand," the SC observed.
11:10 Can't occupy Shaheen Bagh indefinitely: SC
Public places can't be occupied indefinitely: Supreme Court on the Shaheen Bagh protests. Occupying public places like Shaheen Bagh for protests is not acceptable, the court said.
Hearing petitions on the road blockade during Shaheen Bagh protests, the Supreme Court said that public places and roads cannot be occupied indefinitely and agitations should be permitted in designated areas only.
The Shaheen Bagh protest against the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act started on December 14, 2019 and ended on March 24, 2020 after a nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19 was imposed.
The protesters blocked a stretch of the road for several months.
11:00 AIADMK names Palaniswami as 2021 CM candidate
All is well in Tamil Nadu so far. Edappadi Palaniswami will be the ruling AIADMK's Chief ministerial candidate for the Tamil Nadu election next year, his deputy O Panneerselvam, announced today.
The announcement came after weeks of negotiation and speculation over intense rivalry between Chief Minister E Palaniswami or "EPS", and O Panneerselvam.
An 11-member steering committee of the party will look at "collective leadership", said Panneerselvam, recalling the leadership of J Jayalalithaa, the former AIADMK chief and Chief Minister who died in 2016.
Talks reportedly went on till 3.30 am this morning, in the hours leading up to the announcement that delivers, for now, a delicate balance of power between EPS and OPS.
10:59 New US H1B rules puts American workers first
The Trump administration has announced new restrictions on H-1B nonimmigrant visa programme which it said is aimed at protecting American workers, restoring integrity and to better guarantee that H-1B petitions are approved only for qualified beneficiaries and petitioners, a move which is likely to affect thousands of Indian IT professionals.
The interim final rule announced by the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday, less than four weeks ahead of the US presidential election, will narrow the definition of specialty occupation as Congress intended by closing the overbroad definition that allowed companies to game the system.
It will also require companies to make real offers to real employees, by closing loopholes and preventing the displacement of the American workers. And finally, the new rules would enhance the department's ability to enforce compliance through worksite inspections and monitor compliance before, during and after an H1-B petition is approved.
The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. Such a decision by the Trump administration is likely to have an adverse impact on thousands of Indian IT professionals.
Already a large number of Indians on the H-1B visas have lost their jobs and are headed back home during the coronavirus pandemic that has severely hit the US economy. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the interim final rule to be published in Federal Register will be effective in 60 days.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services is forgoing the regular notice and comment period to immediately ensure that employing H-1B workers will not worsen the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 and adversely affect wages and working conditions of similarly employed US workers, it said.
"The pandemic's economic impact is an obvious and compelling fact that justifies good cause to issue this interim final rule. We have entered an era in which economic security is an integral part of homeland security. Put simply, economic security is homeland security. In response, we must do everything we can within the bounds of the law to make sure the American worker is put first," said Acting Secretary Chad Wolf.
10:40 Break your silence and answer India: Rahul to PM
The Prime Minister should break his silence and come out to face the many questions being asked in the country, said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday.
Making a jibe at the recent visit of PM Modi to inaugurate the Atal Tunnel, Rohtang in Uttarakhand, the Congress leader said, "PM Ji, stop waving hands in the tunnel alone, break your silence. Face the questions, the country is asking many things from you," the tweet read (roughly translated from Hindi).
The Wayanad MP shared a clip from his yesterday's press conference in Punjab in which he had advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on several issues, ranging from COVID-19 management, to farm laws, and the Hathras incident.He had also said yesterday that PM Modi in order to "save his image had handed over 1,200 sq km of Indian territory to China."
He had also demanded the Prime Minister to speak to the media over the several issues which are currently gripping the nation.
Earlier yesterday, Gandhi had said that Congress' 'Kheti Bachao Yatra' is against the 'kaala kanoon' (dark laws), which will destroy the existing structure of agriculture in the country, affecting Punjab and Haryana most severely."Our yatra is against the three 'kaala kanoon' (laws which bring darkness) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These laws will destroy the existing structure of farming and food security in the country. Punjab and Haryana will be the most affected by it. If this structure breaks then in future Punjab will not be able to find a way out," Gandhi said at a press conference here. -- ANI
10:20 AIADMK to announce CM nominee for 2021 polls today
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam will announce its chief ministerial candidate for the Tamil Nadu 2021 Assembly polls today.
Either Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) or Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam (OPS) is likely to be fielded for the CM's post by the party.
The duo has reached the party office.
Meanwhile, party workers have started gathering at the AIADMK office in Chennai in anticipation of the announcement.
PM Narendra Modi
10:15 Union Cabinet, CCEA to meet today
The meetings of the Union Cabinet and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs will be held today via video conferencing, officials said.
These meetings come amid the ongoing farmers' protest against the new agriculture laws.
According to the Centre, these laws will help small and marginal farmers by allowing them to sell their produce outside 'mandis' and sign agreements with agri-business firms and by doing away with stock-holding limits on key commodities.
The three agriculture sector reform laws are -- Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
On September 21, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for all mandated rabi crops for the marketing season 2021-22.
-- ANI
09:55 India's COVID-19 tally rises to 67,57,131
With a single day spike of 72,049 COVID-19 cases, India's virus caseload rises to 67,57,131 on Wednesday, the Union health ministry data showed.
The death toll rises to 1,04,555 with 986 fatalaties in the last 24 hours.
The active COVID-19 cases in country now stand at 9,07,883, while 57,44,693 people have recovered so far.
09:32 Rock legend Eddie Van Halen passes away
Eddie Van Halen, the guitar virtuoso whose group is considered one of the greatest rock bands of all time, died on Tuesday following a long battle with cancer, his son announced.
"I can't believe I'm having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning," he wrote.
"He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I've shared with him on stage and off stage was a gift," Wolf continued. "My heart is broken and I don't think I'll ever fully recover from this loss."
"I love you so much, Pop," he concluded.
Van Halen was born on January 26, 1955, in the Netherlands.
His father, Jan Van Halen, was a classically trained clarinettist, saxophonist, and pianist.
"Music was a common thread throughout our lives ... ever since we were young," Van Halen said at the Smithsonian, adding, presciently, "We always liked things loud."
In 1962, the Van Halens moved to Pasadena, where Van Halen and his older brother Al took piano lessons and became contest-winning youth players - despite Eddie's inability to read music.
But enamoured by rock 'n' roll and, specifically, the Dave Clark Five's Glad All Over, the younger Van Halen took up drums. "I never wanted to play the guitar," he said at the Smithsonian. But hearing Alex play his drum kit and realizing his brother was better, "I said, 'Go ahead, take my drums and I'll play your damn guitar ...'"
Van Halen was famous for what became known as "finger tapping" -- playing the guitar with two hands, like a piano.
Van Halen was married twice -- to actor Valerie Bertinelli from 1981-2007, and to Jane Liszewski since 2008.
Wolfgang Van Halen, meanwhile, played bass in Van Halen from its 2006 reunion with original frontman David Lee Roth.
09:19 Hathras case: SIT gets 10 more days to submit report
The three-member special investigation team which was set up to probe into the alleged gang-rape of a 19-year-old Dalit woman was scheduled to submit its report on Wednesday.
But the government has extended the deadline by 10 more days.
"The SIT team probing the Hathras case has been given 10 days more time to submit their report. The team was supposed to submit the report to the chief minister today but the scope of investigation of the team has been extended on the order of the chief minister," said Awanish K Awasthi, state additional chief secretary, home department.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has also recommend a CBI probe into the Hathras case.
09:13 Biden against 2nd debate if Trump still suffers from Covid
Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday said he is against participating in his second debate with Donald Trump next week if the president still suffers from COVID-19.
"I think if he still has COVID, we shouldn't have a debate," Biden, a former US vice-president, told reporters on his return from Gettysburg.
The first of the three presidential debates between Biden, 77, and Trump, 74, was held on September 29.
The second debate is scheduled for October 15 in Miami and the final one on October 22 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Biden said they should follow very strict guidelines.
"Too many people have been infected. It's a very serious problem, so I will be guided by the guidelines of the Cleveland Clinic and what the docs say is the right thing to do," he said.
"I'm not sure what President Trump is all about now. I don't know what his status is. I'm looking forward to being able to debate him but I just hope all protocols are followed," Biden said.
Trump in a tweet on Tuesday said he is looking forward to the debate.
:I am looking forward to the debate on the evening of Thursday, October 15th in Miami. It will be great!" said the president.
The only vice-presidential debate between Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris and Vice-President Mike Pence in scheduled for Wednesday in Salt Lake City, Utah.
"I think what they're doing at the Harris debate, I've been told, I don't know this for fact, they're using plexiglass, and are following what the Cleveland Clinic says," Biden told reporters in response to a question. -- PTI
09:03 Trump orders declassification of documents related to 2016 polls
United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered 'total declassification' of all the documents related to the alleged interference of Russia in the 2016 presidential elections, which he described as a hoax.
"I have fully authorized the total Declassification of any & all documents pertaining to the single greatest political CRIME in American History, the Russia Hoax. Likewise, the Hillary Clinton Email Scandal. No redactions" Trump said in a tweet Tuesday night.
The announcement came hours after the Director of National Intelligence declassified some of the documents.
The handwritten documents revealed former CIA Director John Brennan briefed former President Barack Obama on the purported plan of Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, to tie Trump to Russia as "a means of distracting the public from her use of a private email server", Fox News said.
Tim Murtaugh, Trump 2020 communications director, in a statement said now it is known that Hillary Clinton hatched a plan to divert attention away from her use of a private email server by falsely tying then-candidate Donald Trump to Russia.
"We also know that former CIA Director John Brennan briefed President Obama on that plot. It is imperative that the American people now learn what then-Vice President Joe Biden knew about this conspiracy and when he knew it," Murtaugh said.
"What did Biden know about Clinton's plan to use the Russia hoax to try to smear her political opponent? Did Biden condone the plan? Did he express any misgivings about it or remain silent? Biden must give a full accounting of his knowledge and his conversations about Clinton's scheme, which was known to the highest reaches of his administration," he said.
Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe in a statement to Fox News said the declassified documents were transmitted to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees Tuesday afternoon.
These documents explained that Brennan's handwritten notes were taken after briefing Obama on the matter, the news channel said. -- PTI
08:49 HC to pronounce order on Rhea's bail plea today
The Bombay high court is likely to pronounce on Wednesday its order on the bail plea of actor Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, Abdul Basit Parihar, Samuel Miranda and Dipesh Sawant, who were arrested in a drugs case related to Sushant Singh Rajput's death.
On Tuesday, a Mumbai court extended the judicial custody of Rhea and Showik till October 20.
The NCB began its investigation after the Enforcement Directorate, which was probing money laundering charges linked to the case, shared some social media chats retrieved from Rhea Chakraborty's mobile phone, hinting at the alleged use of banned drugs.
Rajput, 34, was found hanging at his residence in suburban Bandra on June 14.
The Central Bureau of Investigation is separately probing a case against Rhea Chakraborty and others for allegedly abetting the actor's suicide.
08:22 Pak to purchase, preserve Dilip Kumar's home in Peshawar
A provincial government in Pakistan has decided to purchase house of Indian film legendary actor Dilip Kumar in Peshawar and will convert it into a museum to preserve it in its original shape.
In a video message, Kamran Bangash, the Special Assistant on Information to Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has said that the district administration Peshawar has imposed section IV today banning sale and purchase of the four Marla ancestral house of Dilip Kumar in Mohallah Khudadadad Qiassa Khwani Bazar.
Bangash said in the first phase the house will be purchased for which funds have been arranged.
In second phase the house will be renovated and rehab in its original shape.
He said under the Peshawar Revival plan the house of Dilip Kumar will be converted into a museum and preserved it.
"It will be open to general public to highlight the rich history of the historic Peshawar city and contribution of Dilip Kumar in showbiz in the India film industry," he said. -- PTI
08:07 Another Trump aide tests positive for COVID-19
Stephen Miller, a top aide to President Donald Trump, tested positive for COVID-19, taking the number of White House staffers infected by the deadly virus to at least 10.
"Over the last five days I have been working remotely and self-isolating, testing negative every day through yesterday. Today, I tested positive for COVID-19 and am in quarantine," Miller said in a statement.
President Trump, along with First Lady Melania Trump, tested positive for coronavirus last Thursday, soon after it was known that their close aide Hope Hicks contracted the infection.
Trump was admitted to a military hospital on Friday and was discharged on Monday.
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany and three of the staff from the press office also tested positive.
At least three journalists working at the White House tested positive for the infection.
On Tuesday, the White House issued an updated guideline on health and safety of the residence staff.
"With the recent positive results of the President and First Lady, staff wear full PPE and continue to take all necessary precautions, which include updated procedures to protect against cross contamination," it said.
The residence staff in direct contact with the Trump family are tested daily, with the support staff tested every 48 hours.
In addition to support from a medical unit, independent health consultants have been hired, who are available to check the staff and their families, facilitating ancillary testing as needed, it added.
As per another memorandum, Vice-President Mike Pence tested negative on Tuesday.
He is scheduled to have his vice-presidential debate with Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris at Salt Lake City in Utah on Wednesday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in another statement said from a public standpoint, it is safe for the vice-president to participate in the upcoming debate. -- PTI
03:17 48% Covid deaths concentrated in 25 districts
About 48 per cent of total COVID-19 deaths in the country are concentrated in 25 districts of eight states, out of which 15 districts are in Maharastra alone, the health ministry said on Tuesday.
Addressing a press briefing, Union Health Ministry Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said India has recorded the highest number of recoveries from COVID-19 at over 56 lakh and India has also conducted the second highest number of tests in the world at 8.10 crore.
"New recoveries have been more than new cases over the last two weeks. New cases being reported in last 14 days are below previous highs of 90,000 cases per day," Bhushan said.
Giving figures on COVID deaths, Bhushan said about 48 per cent of total COVID-19 deaths in the country are concentrated in 25 districts of 8 states.
"Out of these 25 districts, 15 districts are in one state alone that is Maharashtra. Two districts each are in Karnataka, West Bengal and Gujarat and one each in Tamil Nadu, Punjab, UP and Andhra Pradesh," Bhushan said.
He further said that the average daily COVID-19 positivity rate has declined from 9.21 per cent recorded between September 16-22 to 6.82 per cent registered from September 30 to October 6.
"Average daily new cases of COVID-19 have declined from 84,179 registered from September 2 to September 8 to 77,113 recorded between September 30 to October 6," he said.
"10 states including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh account for 77 per cent of the active cases in the country," he added.
Under the Rs 50 lakh insurance scheme for frontline healthcare workers engaged in COVID-19 duty, Bhushan said payments have been made in 95 cases, while 176 claims are under process.
"In 95 cases of death of frontline healthcare workers engaged in COVID-19 duty, insurance claim of Rs 50 lakh has been paid and 176 claims are being processed. In addition, 79 claims are yet to be received from different states," he said. -- PTI
TOP STORIES
© 2024 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances