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Wed, 07 April 2021
Night curfew imposed in Lucknow

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23:59   Night curfew imposed in Lucknow

Night curfew will be imposed under the Lucknow Municipal Corporation from Thursday till April 16, an official said, as the coronavirus cases continue to surge.
   
There will be exemption on ferrying essential items and there will be no ban on movement of goods vehicles, Lucknow District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash said in a statement on Wednesday.
 
The night curfew, starting from April 8, will be from 9 pm to 6 am till April 16, Prakash said. "From 6 am to 9 pm, work will be done with strict adherence to COVID-19 protocol."
 
The night curfew will be imposed in areas that come under the Lucknow Municipal Corporation and not in the rural areas, the official said.
 
Government/semi-government personnel working in night shift and those engaged in essential services in the private sector will get exemption. People moving in the railway station, bus station and airport can move by showing their tickets, the official said. -- PTI
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23:52   Do not fear exams, value free time: PM Modi's mantra to students
Prime Minister Narendra Modi told students on Wednesday not to fear exams but to see them as a test to improve themselves, and said social and family environment at times create pressure around students that is not desirable.
 
He also advised students to value free time as without it life will be like a "robot" and should leave tension outside the examination hall. He noted that the students may have lost a year of their lives during COVID-19 pandemic but they have learnt lots of lessons and true value of essential things.
Interacting with students virtually in his annual 'Parikasha Pe Charcha' programme, he said they sometime become over conscious regarding exams and asked them to take them as a small destination in their long lives.
 
"The fear is mainly due to the atmosphere that has made examination be all and end all of life, which makes students over conscious. Life is very long and these are just a stage of life. Parents, teachers and peers should not put pressure on students. Exams should be treated as merely a good occasion to test oneself and not be turned into a question of life and death. 
 
"Parents who are involved with their children know their strength and weaknesses. but they at times make children "instruments" of fulfilling their dreams and goals. If external pressure is not created, then students will not feel pressure of exams and their confidence will also grow," he said.
The interaction, which lasted for more than ninety minutes, saw students, teachers and parents seeking guidance on various issues of importance to them from the Prime Minister.
While acknowledging that one cannot be good in everything, Modi also asked students to not run away from any subject even if they find it difficult, and cited his own example of taking up more complex work in morning when he feels fresh and leaving easier parts to late night.
 
"My view on trying  easy questions first in the exams is slightly different. The most difficult part should be addressed with 'fresh mind' and this will make easy ones feel even easier. In my work as the Prime Minister and Chief Minister earlier, I preferred to tackle difficult issues in the morning with fresh mind. 
 
"It is not important to be master of all the subjects even those people are highly successful who have a firm grasp over one specific subject," he said.
Modi gave example of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar who has given her entire life to single minded pursuit of music. 
 
Finding a subject difficult is not a limitation and one should not run away from difficult subjects, he added.
 
The Prime Minister dwelled at length on the importance of free time. 
 
"Free time should be valued as without it life will be like a robot. One values free time more when it is earned. More importantly, we should be careful about avoiding things during the free time that have the danger of eating away all the time. These things will leave you exhausted instead of refreshed. Free time is the best opportunity to learn new skills. Free time should be used in the activities which bring out the uniqueness of an individual, " he said.
During the interaction, Modi emphasized the need of positive reinforcement and cautioned against negative motivation by scaring the child. 
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22:54   Centre's vaccination policy in 'total mess': Cong
The Congress in Maharashtra on Wednesday slammed the Centre for rejecting the demand to open COVID-19 vaccination for more age groups and accused it of adopting a non-co-operative attitude towards the state, which is the worst hit by the pandemic in the country.
State Congress president Nana Patole said the Centre and the BJP will have to face serious consequences if adequate doses of COVID-19 vaccines are not provided to Maharashtra, which is in the grip of a raging second wave of the pandemic.
Responding to the demand for opening up vaccination to everyone above the age of 18 or to lower the minimum age criteria, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan has said the current inoculation strategy has been drawn up after extensive deliberations.
At present, everyone above the age of 45 is eligible to get vaccine doses against COVID-19, which has seen a resurgence in the last few weeks, triggering demands to open the inoculation drive for all adults.
Vardhan, in a statement, said the current vaccination strategy has been drawn up after extensive deliberations and and consultations with all state governments.
Given a sharp spike in COVID-19 cases across the country, there is no option but to accelerate and expand the vaccination drive, Patole said.
He said due to the Centres indifferent attitude, only three states have completed vaccination of 5 per cent of their total population.
So far, only 8.30 crore people have been vaccinated (partially or fully) in the country.
Congress leader Anant Gadgil said Vardhan's comments criticising Maharashtra, a non-BJP-ruled state, over its handling of the pandemic and the vaccination drive was politically motivated.
He said the Centre's vaccination policy was in a "total mess".
Gadgil said Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope's statement, that only 3-day stock of the vaccineis left and the Centre has not yet supplied the required doses, clearly indicates a deliberate design to malign the state's image.
"Ideally, the Centre should have given more stocks to Maharashtra and permitted the state government to entirely vaccinate badly affected districts instead of insisting on 60 or 45-plus age group and people with co-morbidities," Gadgil said.
"The vaccine producing capacity of Bharat Biotech and and Serum Institute is 2.5 crore doses per year put together as per news reports. At this rate itwill take years for all Indians to get vaccinated," Gadgil said. -- PTI
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22:46   WHO chief appreciates PM Modi for spreading Covid awareness
World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message on the World Health Day in which he highlighted the importance of following precautions and taking care of one's own health to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
On the occasion of the World Health Day, Prime Minister Modi reiterated the country's commitment to supporting research and innovation in healthcare.
He urged people to focus on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by taking all precautions, including wearing a mask, regularly washing hands and following other protocols.
His appeal comes amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in India with over 1 lakh daily cases reported twice in the last three days.
He asked the people to take all possible steps to boost immunity and stay fit. 
World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros took to Twitter to comment on Modi's message on the World Health Day.
"Namaste, #India Prime Minister @narendramodi, for highlighting that each and every one of us has a role to play in stopping #COVID19 transmission, as well as the importance of taking care of our own health," Tedros tweeted.
"Happy #WorldHealthDay!" he wrote. 
More than 132,597,200 people have been infected by the virus across the world and over 2,876,500 have also died, according to Johns Hopkins University COVID tracker. -- PTI 
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22:39   Every Indian deserves safe life: Rahul on Covid vaccine access
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday batted for COVID-19 vaccine for all, saying every Indian "deserves the chance to a safe life".
The health ministry on Tuesday said the vaccine needs to be given to those who need it and not those who want it. The COVID-19 vaccine is currently available to all Indians above the age of 45 years.
"It's ridiculous to debate needs and wants. Every Indian deserves the chance to a safe life," Gandhi said on Twitter, using the hashtag "#CovidVaccine".
He later shared a video of a person being beaten up by police in Indore for alleged violation of COVID-19 norms.
"Such type of shameful, inhuman behaviour in the name of enforcing Corona guidelines is unacceptable to the country. Where should the public go when policemen who are supposed to protect people commit such atrocities," he said in a tweet in Hindi.
Gandhi also lauded the health warriors on World Health Day and shared a picture of his with them on Instagram. 
"Our healthcare workers are our warriors in this battle against the pandemic. I salute their commitment, bravery and dedication to protecting their fellow citizens. I also thank their families for their incredible sacrifice to the greater good," he said. 
"As citizens we need to do our part to control this virus the best we can, so mask up & follow all COVID safety protocols," he also said in his post on World Health Day. -- PTI 
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22:19   Maha records highest daily COVID-19 count
Maharashtra on Wednesday recorded the highest daily count of 59907 cases, taking the state tally to 3173261, a health official said.
With 322 deaths recorded in the day, Maharashtra's COVID-19 death toll rose to 56652, the official said.
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21:50   SC to hear Deshmukh's plea against HC order tomorrow
The Supreme Court will on Thursday hear the pleas filed by Maharashtra government and its former home minister Anil Deshmukh who have challenged the Bombay high court order directing a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the allegations of corruption and misconduct levelled against him by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh.
 
As per the cause list uploaded on the apex court website, both the pleas would come up for hearing on Thursday before a bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hemant Gupta.
In its plea filed in the top court, Maharashtra government has questioned the procedure adopted by high court saying the state was heard on question of maintainability of the pleas seeking CBI investigation against Deshmukh on allegation of corruption, and the order too was reserved on that issue, but the court finally ended up directing the probe.
After the high court order on April 5, Deshmukh, a veteran politician from Vidarbha, had resigned from the state government.
In his appeal filed in the apex court, Deshmukh has said the high court order raises issues of seminal importance which "impact not just the federal structure of the country, impact on our polity, but also the manner in which, and the institutions through which investigations are to be conducted".
He said that without lodging an FIR, the court could have directed that an application be filed before the magistrate for investigation under section 156(3) of the CrPC.
"The fact that the court did not direct the petitioners before the court to follow this procedure suggests that the court believed that entire state machinery was untrustworthy; that no investigation could have been made within the state by a state investigating agency, and reposed faith in an outside agency by referring to it as an 'independent investigating agency' knowing fully well that its credentials in the past are not such that the court can repose absolute faith in such an agency," Deshmukh said in his plea.
He said that in the annals of judicial history, there has hardly been an occasion when the court has taken the statements made against a sitting minister at face value and proceeded to direct an outside agency, without calling for a response from the minister, to conduct a preliminary inquiry.
"That presently, the CBI today is being headed by an interim director, the legality of which is also sub-judice before this court. This also is a factor that should have been taken into account, before the court passed the order that it did," the plea said.
He said the court must have been aware of the fact that the Maharashtra government had withdrawn its consent for the CBI to investigate matters in the territory of the state.
The former minister, who has sought ex-parte stay on the high court order said, that since now he has resigned from the post, the state machinery can freely conduct its investigations, and the apprehensions expressed by the high Ccourt contained in the impugned order no longer exist.
Dealing with the allegations levelled by Param Bir Singh, Deshmukh said there is not an iota of substantive evidence that is placed before the court to even prima facie establish that any of the allegations made have an element of truth and is "pure hearsay". -- PTI
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21:30   Actor-politician Nagma tests Covid positive days after vaccine
Actor-politician Nagma on Wednesday said she has tested positive for Covid-19 and is currently under home quarantine. 

The 50-year-old actor took to Twitter and wrote that she contracted the virus despite receiving the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on April 2. 

The Congress leader asked her fans to be cautious, even if they have been vaccinated. 

"Had taken my first dose of vaccine a few days ago. Tested for Covid-19, my test has come positive so quarantined myself at home. All please take care and take necessary precautions. 

"Even after taking the first dose of vaccine do not get complacent in anyway manner #staysafe," the actor wrote. 

Nagma, who made her big screen debut in 1990 with the Salman Khan-starrer actioner Baaghi, is known for her performances in movies like King Uncle, co-starring Shah Rukh Khan, Suhaag and Baashha

She also featured in Telugu, Tamil, Bhojpuri, Malayalam and Kannada films. 
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21:23   Actor-politician Sarath Kumar, wife sentenced in cheque bounce case
Actor-politician R Sarath Kumar and his wife Radhika and another person were on Wednesday sentenced to undergo one-year imprisonment in connection with a cheque bounce case. 

A special court constituted for hearing cases against MPs and MLAs, which passed the conviction order, however, kept it in abeyance for 30 days following an appeal from the accused. 

Both are actors while Kumar, head of the political party All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi, is also a former MP and ex-MLA. 

According to film financing firm Radiance Media Private Limited, Magic Frames company, in which Kumar, Radhika and Listin Stephen were partners, had borrowed Rs 1.50 crore. Later, Kumar had obtained a hand loan of Rs 50 lakh from the firm. In return, they had issued cheques. 

When the cheques were presented for realisation, they all bounced. 

Following a complaint from the firm, cases were filed against the accused. 

They had moved the Madras high court challenging the criminal proceedings pending against them before the Saidapet fast track court. However, the court had refused to quash it in May 2019. 

Instead, the judge had directed the Saidapet court to complete the trial within a stipulated period. 

In the meantime, the case was transferred to the special court for MP/MLAs in Chennai. 

When the matter came up on Wednesday, presiding officer N Alicia recorded the submissions of the counsel for the plaintiff and defendants and sentenced the three to one-year imprisonment for offences under Sections 138 and 141 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.
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21:05   Covid: Delhi sees this year's biggest 1-day jump
Delhi on Wednesday recorded 5,506 fresh COVID-19 cases, the sharpest daily spike this year, that pushed the infection tally to 6,90,568 while 20 more people succumbed to the disease, taking the death toll to 11,133, according to the health department.
 
This is the second consecutive day when Delhi has seen a rise of over 5,000 cases. 

The city had reported 5,100 fresh cases on Tuesday.
The positivity rate jumped to 6.1 per cent on Wednesday from 4.93 per cent the day before, according to the bulletin.
A total of 90,202 tests, including 52,477 RT-PCR tests and 37,724 rapid antigen tests, were conducted the previous day, the bulletin said.
So far, over 6.59 lakh patients have recovered from the virus.
Twenty more people died due to COVID-19, taking the toll to 11,133, the bulletin stated.
The number of active cases in Delhi stands at 19,455.
The number of people under home isolation increased to 10,048 on Wednesday from 8,871 on Tuesday, while the number of containment zones surged to 3,708 from 3,291 the day before. -- PTI 
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20:45   Deshmukh demanded Rs 2 crore from me: Waze
Suspended cop Sachin Waze on Wednesday claimed former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had demanded Rs 2 crore from him to continue his service in the Mumbai police and alleged another minister Anil
Parab asked him to collect money from contractors.
Transport Minister Parab rejected the allegations made by Waze, saying they were incorrect and aimed at maligning his image, and expressed readiness to face any probe.

Waze, who was reinstated in the police service last year, made the sensational claim in a letter which he tried to submit before a special NIA court in Mumbai.
However, special judge PR Sitre refused to take his letter on record and asked him to follow the required procedure.
Waze, an accused in the case of an explosives-laden car found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence in south Mumbai and the death of businessman Mansukh Hiran, is currently in the NIA custody.
Deshmukh, a senior Nationalist Congress Party leader, resigned as home minister on Monday after the Bombay high court ordered a Central Bureua of Investigation probe into corruption allegations levelled against him by
former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh.
The controversial assistant police inspector said NCP president Sharad Pawar, whose party is a key constituent in the MVA government, apparently wanted him to be placed under suspension again.
"I duly was reinstated in service on June 6, 2020. That soon after my reinstatement there were certain agitators (people, who wanted) to reverse the reinstatement.
"Apparently, then it was ordered by Sharad Pawar to again place me under suspension.
"That, at that time the then home minister sir (Deshmukh) also told me that he will convince Pawar saheb and for that purpose he (Deshmukh) asked me to pay Rs 2 crore," Waze claimed in the four-page handwritten letter.
Waze (49) said he expressed his inability to pay such a huge sum.
"I had expressed my inability to pay such an amount. On this, the home minister sir asked me to pay in later course," he added.
Waze claimed that ata meeting in the Sahyadri guest house in south Mumbai, Deshmukh had asked him to look into a complaint related to the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust which was under preliminary enquiry.
SBUT is a non-profit organisation tasked with carrying out a mega redevelopment project in the Bhendi Bazaar area of south Mumbai.
Deshmukh had asked him to bring the trustees of the SBUT to him for "negotiation" about the enquiry, Waze claimed.

"He also insisted to initiate primary talks to get Rs 50 crore from the SBUT in order to close the said enquiry. I had expressed my inability to do any such things as I do not know anyone from the SBUT and I also did not have any control over the enquiry," Waze added.
Waze's letter claimed that in January 2021, another state minister Anil Parab asked him to look into an inquiry against "fraudulent" contractors listed in the BMC and collectat least Rs 2 crore from about 50 such contractors.
The said inquiry was based on an anonymous complaint, Waze added.
Parab, a Shiv Sena leader, rejected Waze's claims and said he was ready to face any probe into the allegations.
Talking to reporters, Parab said, "I swear in the name of Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray and my two daughters that I haven't done anything wrong."
He said there was a BJP strategy to malign the image of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the MVA government.
"By targeting me, a close aide of the chief minister, they think they can put the government in trouble. BJP leaders have been saying for the last two days that another wicket will fall. This conspiracy was being hatched that time as they knew Waze will give such a letter," Parab said. -- PTI
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20:33   Mumbai reports 10,428 new COVID-19 cases
Mumbai reported 10,428 new COVID-19 cases, while 23 more patients died due to the disease, the city civic body said.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's updated data, 10,428 new cases took the tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,82,760, while the death toll jumped to 11,851.
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20:04   Mamata gets EC notice over appeal to Muslim voters
The Election Commission on Wednesday issued a notice to Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for "openly demanding votes on communal grounds" while campaigning in Tarakeshwar in Hooghly district on April 3, ahead of the third phase of elections.

Banerjee has been directed to explain her remarks within 48 hours of receipt of the notice.

According to the poll body, the complaint refers to the following section of Ms Banerjee's speech.

"... I am requesting my minority brothers and sisters with folded hands... don't divide the minority votes after listening to the devil... who had taken money from the BJP... He passes many communal statements and initiates clashes between Hindus and Muslims... comrades of the CPM and BIP is roaming around with money given by BJP to divide the minority votes," Mamata had said.
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19:54   Farooq Abdullah discharged from hospital
Veteran politician and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah was on Wednesday discharged from a Srinagar hospital, where he was admitted last week as a precautionary measure after testing positive for COVID-19, officials said.
 
Abdullah, a former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, was discharged as doctors were of the opinion that he could recover at home since all his parameters were fine, they said.
The NC president will, however, continue to remain in self-isolation at his residence for some time, the officials added.
"Five days after being admitted to SKIMS, Srinagar with COVID my father was discharged this evening. He will continue the rest of his recovery and recuperation at home. My father and the entire family are indebted and deeply grateful to the doctors, nursing staff & others at the institute," his son and NC vice-president Omar Abdullah wrote on twitter.
"My father has been instructed by his doctors to focus on his recovery & for the time being will not be allowed visitors. He looks forward to completing his recovery so he can resume a full schedule of work," Omar Abdullah said in another tweet.
The 85-year-old NC president tested positive for COVID-19 on March 30. He was kept in home-isolation initially, but doctors on Saturday decided to shift him to a hospital for better medical care.
Several leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wished him a speedy recovery.
Farooq Abdullah received his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on March 2.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had visited the SKIMS Hospital on Sunday to enquire about his health from Omar Abdullah.
"In Srinagar, I met Omar Abdullah at SKIMS Hospital, Soura. Enquired about Farooq Sahab's health and instructed the doctors to provide best treatment. I pray for his long and healthy life," the L-G's office had tweeted.
The L-G had also offered to shift the senior Abdullah to another facility or hospital for better monitoring and care. -- PTI
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19:53   'BJP's CRPF' harassing people in Bengal: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday alleged that "BJP's CRPF" was harassing and killing people besides obstructing voters from entering polling stations in the state at the behest of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
    
Addressing a rally in Cooch Behar's Baneswar, she accused a section of the central force of molesting women and beating people during the ongoing assembly elections.    

Launching a blistering attack on Shah, the TMC surpremo charged him with failing to protect lives of the security personnel in naxal ambush in Sukma and earlier in terrorists attack in Pulwama and instead seeking votes in other states for his party BJP.
    
Banerjee facing a stiff challenge from the saffron party in the ongoing Bengal elections appealed to the voters to ensure more than 200 seats for the TMC "or else the BJP will bribe the 'traitors' of my party to crossover to their side".
   
Polls are taking place for 294-member Bengal house.  

"The 'BJP's CRPF' is beating women, harassing and killing people. They are obstructing voters from entering polling booths and to cast their votes. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has instructed them to do so.
    
"I have never given such orders to the police being the home minister (of West Bengal)," Banerjee said at the rally.
    
Continuing with her tirade against the cental force, she said "I respect the CRPF. But, I do not have respect for those among them who are working at the behest of the BJP. The CRPF should not obstruct the public from casting their votes."
   
Referring to death of 22 security personnel in naxal attack in Chhattisgarh's Sukma-Bijapur three days back,she asked what steps have been taken for those who lost their lives?
    
She said that instead of doing anything for those killed in the attack, Shah was asking electors (in different states having elections) to vote for his party.
   
"You (Shah) failed to protect lives of your policemen in Pulwama and in Sukma. What has the government done for those killed in Sukna? On one side they are killing people and on another side you are asking voters to cast vote to your party...You should be ashamed of doing so," she said taking a swipe at the union home minister.
    
Claiming that more than 10 people have been killed in the state during the ongoing polls, Banerjee urged the Election Commission of India to ensure that the CRPF personnel play a responsible role and no such killing take place in the forthcoming five phases.
  
"More than 10 people have been murdered. This never happened during my time. We all want peaceful polling so that people can cast their vote.We want peaceful, free and fair elections.   

"The ECI is running the administration. Please see that nobody is murdered and I will also request you to please see that the CRPF, CISF, BSF or ITBP don't harass the people. Nobody is allowed to harass the people and women," she said. -- PTI
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19:51   Cong accuses govt of not taking adequate steps for COVID,
Stressing on COVID-19 vaccine for all in the country, the Congress on Wednesday accused the government of not taking adequate steps to contain the spread of the virus and called for engagement with all stakeholders, including convening an all-party meeting, to increase vaccination.
   
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera raised concern over the high wastage of vaccines in some states and asked the government why it is not allowing more vaccine trials in the country for enabling a diversified pool of vaccines that can help prevent this second wave of COVID-19 from turning into a tsunami.
 
He said in the first wave of COVID-19, India recorded 97,894 cases during its peak on September 17, 2020, but on Wednesday we surpassed that and reported a staggering 1,15,736 new cases.
 
The Congress leader said India has surpassed both the USA and Brazil to bag the number one position in terms of the highest number of daily new cases as one in every seven new cases across the world are from India. 
 
Calling for including more categories in the list of vaccine beneficiaries, he said people with respiratory infections, which get accentuated due to air pollution, need to be given early vaccination.
 
"Vaccine is the right of every Indian. Like polio vaccination was for everyone and the government ran a universal vaccination drive, this also has to be universal and for everyone. Today when there is shortage of health facilities and infrastructure and the virus is spreading fast, this vaccine has to be for one and for all," he told reporters.
 
Khera said the government needs to answer many critical questions. "If having cases in excess of what we saw during the peak of first wave in September 2020 is not a testimony to it, we wonder what else it would take for the government to accept this fact and re-strategise accordingly," he said. 
 
"The spike in COVID-19 cases is alarming, and the width (duration of the spike) of the cases needs to be curtailed now before this wave turns into a tsunami," Khera said.
 
Highlighting the drawbacks in the current vaccination protocol, he said the government has to curtail vaccine wastage which stands at 6.5 per cent and allow greater access to people willing to get vaccinated. 
 
He expressed concern over vaccine wastage of 17.6 per cent and 9.4 per cent in states like Telangana and Uttar Pradesh respectively that surpassed the national average.
 
Khera also asked why the government did not plan the nuances of vaccine logistics and supply chain in advance to ensure that there were no shortage of vaccines.
 
"There is dilly-dallying on vaccine approval and regulatory protocols that has held back many globally accepted and approved safe vaccines from entering the Indian market. This ensures overdependence on limited vaccines, therefore, delaying the nationwide vaccination program. Diversification of vaccines based on their globally proven track record must be looked at immediately. -- PTI
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19:34   US envoy for climate John Kerry calls on PM Modi
United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday and discussed issues relating to climate, including a forthcoming summit of 40 world leaders.
 
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the discussions focussed on the climate leaders' summit as well as issues in the context of the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).
Kerry is currently on a visit to India.
"US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry @ClimateEnvoy called on PM @narendramodi. Discussions centred on forthcoming Climate Leaders' Summit as well as climate issues in the context of the @COP26 to the @UNFCCC which is to be held later this year," Bagchi said in a tweet.
Kerry held separate meetings with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday with a focus on issues relating to global climate action.
Following the meetings, Kerry, in a tweet, described India as a "vital partner in our fight against the climate crisis. We must raise ambition together, or we will fail together".
Climate change has been a major area of focus for US President Joe Biden. After taking charge as the president, Biden, on January 20, announced the return of the United States to the Paris climate accord.
Biden has invited 40 world leaders, including Modi, to the virtual summit on climate crisis later this month.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are among the key leaders invited to the two-day conference beginning April 22. -- PTI 
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19:03   Mumbai allows ecomm, online food deliveries 24x7
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Wednesday relaxed the COVID-19 curbs to allow ecommerce and online food deliveries 24x7. 

However, during the weekend lockdown, while the takeaways in person from hotels are not allowed, home deliveries are allowed, the order said.

Roadside foodstalls, including fruit stalls are allowed to provide takeaway parcels; customers will not be allowed to stand there and consume food, the order said.

Movement of maids, drivers, cooks, house help and nurses and medical trainees providing services to senior citizens and those ill at home, is allowed between 7 am and 10 pm on all days of the week.

Students or candidates who have to take exams during the weekend lockdown will be allowed to move around on the basis of their hall ticket, and in the company of one guardian/parent.

Eye clinics and optician shops are allowed to open in the given time, the order said.
Dr Harsh Vardhan
Dr Harsh Vardhan
19:01   M'rashtra's vaccine shortage 'baseless': Dr Vardhan
Responding to Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope's statement that the state was running woefully short of Covid vaccines, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said, "Allegations of vaccine shortage are utterly baseless." 

"Throughout last year, as Union health minister, I've been witness to the misgovernance and casual approach of Maharashtra government in battling the virus. Their lackadaisical attitude singularly bogged down the country's efforts to fight the virus," Dr Vardhan said. 

"The performance of the Maharashtra government in terms of vaccinating healthcare and frontline workers isn't great," he said, adding that it was "shocking to see how the state government is putting Maharashtrians in danger by letting people escape institutional quarantine mandate for the sake of their personal vasuli." 

"Similarly, we've seen comments by leaders from Chhattisgarh that are intended to spread misinformation and panic on vaccination. It would be better if the state government focusses its energies on ramping up their health infrastructure rather than on petty politicking," Dr Vardhan said.
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18:13   Covid shots to be allowed at workplaces: Govt
The government will allow COVID-19 vaccination at public and private workplaces having about 100 eligible beneficiaries from April 11 across states and Union territories.
 
Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan in a letter to the chief secretaries said a substantial proportion of population aged 45 years and above is in the organised sector of the economy and is involved in formal occupation in offices (government and private) or manufacturing and services.
Iin order to increase the access of vaccine to these populations, COVID-19 vaccination sessions may be organised at work places (both public & private) which are having about 100 eligible and willing beneficiaries by tagging these work places with an existing COVID vaccination centre," Bhushan said in the letter .
He said the states can initiate due consultations with private/public sector employers and management to prepare for launch of work place vaccination. 
"Such work place vaccination centres may be launched across states/Union territories from April 11, 2021," he said. -- PTI 
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17:50   Major fire breaks out in Mumbai scrapyard
A major fire broke out on Wednesday in the spare parts market located in suburban Kurla, but no casualty is reported so far, a Mumbai civic official said. 

The blaze erupted in the congested market located on Kutub Mandali Road around 4.15 pm. It was declared as a major fire by the Fire Brigade around 4.30 pm, he said. Currently, the fire fighting operation is underway. 

"So far there is no report of any casualty," he said, adding that further details are awaited.
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17:26   Covid vaccine stock in Mumbai about to get over: Mayor
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Wednesday claimed the metropolis, which is witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases, is running out of vaccine doses and demanded that the Centre step up supplies immediately.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Pednekar said Mumbai had only 1.76 lakh doses of Covishield, the mainstay of the vaccination drive, till Tuesday afternoon and this figure could have gone down by now.
She said at present COVID-19 vaccines are being administered at 108 facilities in the city and at some sites, like jumbo care centres, around 2,000 doses are being given per day.
Pednekar said Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Health Minister Rajesh Tope and opposition leaders should vigorously pursue efforts to get adequate vaccine doses for the city and other parts of the state.
Earlier in the day, Tope had said many inoculation centres in Maharashtra are being shut due to a shortage of coronavirus vaccines and added the state now has 14 lakh doses which would last just three days.
"It is necessary that the Union government makes vaccines available for people," Pednekar said.
In case there is a shortage, people would not be able to set the second dose of the vaccine which is mandatory to develop a strong immunity against COVID-19, she said.
The Mayor said citizens are responding positively to the COVID-19 vaccination drive and a shortage will dent their enthusiasm.
Mumbai is one of India's worst COVID-19 hotspots and has witnessed an unprecedented surge in cases in the last few weeks.
On Tuesday, 10,030 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Mumbai and 31 more patients died due to the infection.
According to the BMC, 14,61,922 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the city till April 6. -- PTI
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17:02   Anil Ambani's son lashes out against lockdowns
Anmol Ambani, the eldest son of industrialist Anil Ambani, has lashed out against a new round of lockdowns being imposed amid the surge in COVID-19 cases, saying such restrictions do not concern health but control and that they destroy the very backbone of the society and economy.
   
The 29-year-old former executive director of Reliance Capital Ltd in a series of tweets lambasted the new semi-lockdown rules hurting small businesses and daily wage earners.
"Professional 'actors' can continue shooting their films. Professional 'cricketers' can play their sport late into the night. Professional 'politicians' can continue their rallies with masses of people. But YOUR business or work is not ESSENTIAL. Still don't get it?" he said in a tweet. He had in the past too voiced opposition to such restrictions and retweeted videos and comments denouncing them.
 
"What does essential even mean? EACH INDIVIDUALS WORK IS ESSENTIAL TO THEM," he said tweeting with hashtag #scamdemic.
 
Lockdowns, he said, are key in "continuing and enabling greatest wealth transfer in human history."
 
"The mistake is that the people think this is simply inefficient governance. it's not. It's a coordinated, thought out set of policies designed to enable a new world order to be brought in," he said.
 
For an economy that was seeking nascent recovery after the world's strictest lockdown last year pummelled business, a resurgence of the pandemic is posing a serious threat. States have announced partial lockdowns in response to infections rising by record levels.
 
While Maharashtra has shut all non-essential services through April, the national capital has started night curfew.
 
The specter of another lockdown is now the biggest headwind for local businesses.
 
"These lockdowns were never about and have nothing to do with health," Ambani tweeted. "They destroy the very backbone of our society and economy, from the daily wage workers, self-employed and SMEs to the restaurants and dhabas, fashions and clothing stores."
 
Lockdowns also destroy and diminish health by closing gyms, sports complexes and playgrounds, he said, adding that exercise, sunlight and fresh air are some of the strongest pillars of good health and strong immunity.
 
"And don't forget the psychological damage this is doing to children who are growing up through this madness and are being programmed to believe this is normal," he said.
 
Stating that lockdowns worsen inequality, he said shutting down of brick-and-mortar stores benefits digital and e-commerce companies, farmland is corporatised and colonised and data and privacy are sold to new-age empires.
 
"This is not about health. This is about control, and I would think most of us are unknowingly and unconsciously falling into the trap of a much larger and very sinister plan," he said. "To control every aspect of your life - A technocracy exactly like China - A totalitarian bio-surveillance fascist state-controlled from the outside."
 
Anmol, however, said he has faith in India and its people. "That we will resist this global coup d etat and not let our country get colonised even more. All we need to do is wake up to the truth. Stand for love, peace, unity and compassion."
 
Anil and his elder brother Mukesh Ambani, who in 2005 split business set up by their father Dhirubhai Ambani, have seen contrasting business fortunes.
 
While Mukesh rose to become Asia's richest expanding the oil and petrochemical business he inherited into retail and telecom, Anil slipped out of the billionaire list after the telecom, energy and capital business that he got did not perform so well.
 
Anmol tweeted about inequalities that lockdowns create.
 
"It's no coincidence that the losses of the common man are gains of the wealthiest," he said, adding that lockdowns accelerate this "wealth transfer."
 
He later retweeted one Jeremy R Hammond comment that "Note that by their own definition, #lockdown measures including stay-at-home orders and business closures are 'a crime against humanity' and 'an attack on the civilian population'." -- PTI
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16:26   Shah lunches at rickshawala's house in Bengal
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had lunch at the home of a 'rickshawala' in Domjur in Howrah district on Wednesday after winding up a road show at Domjur assembly constituency.
       
Sitting on the floor of the modest house, Shah had a simple fare of rice, dal, vegetables and salad made by the womenfolk of the house.
       
The Union Home Minister was accompanied by BJP candidate for Domjur Rajib Banerjee and other leaders.
       
During the lunch, the host sat in front of the guests taking care of them.
Earlier, Shah held a road show through the narrow roads of Domjur town with a large crowd in attendance.
        
Standing atop a lorry decorated with flowers, cutouts of Narendra Modi and BJP flags, Amit Shah, with BJP president J P Nadda, and party's candidate from Domjur Rajib Banerjee, waved at people who had queued up on both sides of the road.
        
With bands playing 'Sare jahan se accha', Shah threw flower petals at the crowd, which surged as the show proceeded from Jagdishpur Haat to Kona crossing. -- PTI 
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16:11   CBI allowed to grill Waze, NIA remand extended
Special National Investigation Agency court extends NIA custody remand of Sachin Waze till April 9.

The court also allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation to interrogate Waze in NIA custody and directed the CBI to coordinate the timings of the interrogation.

The CBI had approached the special NIA court in Mumbai seeking permission to question Waze in connection with its preliminary enquiry into the allegations of corruption against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

The NIA had also sought his custody for four more days.

Waze's lawyer said that he's not opposing the NIA's demand of remand, adding that he (Waze) is ready to cooperate with the CBI in their probe.

He, however, said that he wanted to register his objection on Waze being taken to CSMT station with handcuffs on.     -- ANI/PTI
A view of Amritsar. Photograph: PTI Photo
A view of Amritsar. Photograph: PTI Photo
15:36   Punjab CM extends night curfew to entire state
With Punjab witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday announced extension of night curfew to the entire state and ordered a ban on political gatherings.

Singh said those violating the ban on political gatherings, including leaders, will be booked under the Disaster Management Act and the Epidemics Diseases Act.

The chief minister said night curfew from 9 pm to 5 am, which was till now imposed in 12 districts, will be extended to all 22 districts of the state.

As part of the fresh curbs, the number of people who can attend funerals and weddings has been reduced to 50 people indoors and 100 for outdoors.

Wearing masks has been made mandatory for all government employees while in office, an official statement said here while detailing the fresh set of restrictions imposed as the number of COVID-19 cases continued to remain high in the state.

These restrictions, coupled with the ones imposed earlier, which include closure of schools and educational institutions, shall remain effective till April 30.

However, there was some respite for shop owners in malls, as the chief minister allowed entry of 10 people per shop at any given time, as against the earlier order of not allowing more than 100 people in the entire mall at one time.

This would imply that 200 people will be allowed in a mall with 20 shops at any given time, said the statement.

Punjab had on Tuesday reported 62 more fatalities due to COVID-19, pushing the toll to 7,216 while the state had witnessed 2,924 more coronavirus cases, taking the infection tally to 2,57,057.

The chief minister, in his weekly review of the COVID-19 situation, expressed concern at the high positivity and mortality rates in the state.

He said it was a matter of concern that over 85 percent of cases in Punjab are of the UK strain, which is more contagious and virulent.

He said he had no option but to go in for stricter measures to further control the ongoing surge, even though the number of positive cases had somewhat stabilised in the last few days due to curbs imposed earlier.   -- PTI
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15:16   CRPF harassing voters at Shah's behest: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister  and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday alleged that the Central Reserve Police Force personnel are harassing voters in thestate at the behest of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Addressing a rally in Baneswar in Cooch Behar district, sheaccused personnel of the central force of molesting women andbeating people during the ongoing assembly elections.

"They are obstructing electors to cast their votes.Union Home Minister Amit Shah has instructed them to do so," Banerjee alleged.

She claimed at least 10 people have been killed in thestate during the ongoing polls.

"The Election Commission is running theadministration. Please see that nobody is killed during thepolling process. I request you to monitor CRPF personnel whoare on duty now in the state. They should not be allowed toharass women. There are cases of girls being molested by thecentral force employees," she said.

Five candidates, including two women, were assaulted,while clashes between rival political groups erupted duringthe third phase of polling in the state on Tuesday.

Television grabs showed TMC nominee in Arambagh SujataMondal being chased in an open field by people wielding sticksand iron rods and then hitting her on the head with sticks.

Her security officer was also injured.

Other candidates who were allegedly attacked orheckled during the day were Papiya Adhikary and Swapan Dasgupta of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Dr Nirmal Maji and Najmul Karim of theTMC.   -- PTI
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15:13   Maharashtra: 8 bodies of Covid victims cremated on one pyre
Eight bodies of COVID-19 victims were cremated on one pyre due to shortage of space at a makeshift crematorium in Maharashtra's Beed district, a civic official said on Wednesday.

Since residents had opposed the cremation of bodies of COVID-19 patients at crematoriums in Ambajogai town, local authorities had to identify another place away from there to perform the victims' last rites and the space there was limited, he said.

"As residents objected to the cremation of COVID-19 victims in the crematoriums which we currently have, we identified a separate space on Mandwa road, nearly two km away from the town," Ambajogai Municipal Council's chief officer Ashok Sabale told PTI.

The new makeshift facility has limited space, he said.

"As a result, we had to set up one large pyre and cremate eight bodies on Tuesday. It was a big pyre and the bodies was kept at a certain distance from each other," the official said.

He said since the viral infection is growing and more deaths are likely, they are planning to expand the makeshift facility and make it waterproof before the monsoon season.

The official also said if people come forward to seek treatment at an early stage of the coronavirus infection, they can be saved.

On Tuesday, 716 new cases or coronavirus were reported in Beed district, raising its tally to 28,491.

The district has so far recorded 672 deaths due to the disease, as per official data.   -- PTI
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14:40   Is Maharashtra facing new Covid-19 strain?
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Wednesday hinted at the possibility of new strains of COVID-19 in the state as 'some patients are showing behaviours other than routine ones'.

"New Strains are suspected because we are seeing other behaviours in COVID-19 patients than routine behaviours. Patients are also showing non-routine behaviours after the infection," Tope said.

"National Institute of Virology (NIV) is doing genomic sequencing of our samples. It is sending its report to National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

"Now, NCDC will guide us about if any new protocol is to be followed for the treatment," he added.

Informing that as the state, currently, is consuming 50,000 doses of COVID-19 drug Remdesivir on a daily basis, Maharashtra needs a higher number of doses.

The price of Remdesivir will be capped between Rs 1,100-1,400 per dose.

Tope was addressing a press conference over the COVID-19 situation in the state on Wednesday.   -- ANI
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14:34   What if Mamata wins Bengal? What if BJP wins?
'In the current election season, even if one discounts BJP's high stakes campaign blitzkrieg, in West Bengal the incumbent Mamata Banerjee and her party Trinamool Congress are on the defensive. The BJP does seem tantalisingly close to unseating Banerjee, Bengal's strongest leader,' writes senior journalist Sheela Bhatt in Gulf Newshere.
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14:31   24-hour ecommerce/food deliveries to be allowed in Mumbai?
Journalist Shereen Bhan tweets: 'Bombay Municipal Corporation chief Iqbal Singh Chahal tells @CNBCTV18Live Issuing orders for allowing ROUND THE CLOCK e-commerce & home delivery of food. Deliveries to be allowed on weekends too. Orders by today evening.'
Pic: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com
Pic: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com
14:14   Virat Kohli is Vivo's brand ambassador
Chinese smartphone major Vivo on Wednesday said it has appointed cricketer Virat Kohli as its brand ambassador. 

With the association, Vivo aims to reach the millennials and technologically driven consumers, and a 360-degree marketing approach will characterise the company's association with Kohli, a statement said. 

Kohli will be seen spreading awareness and promoting the launch of Vivo's upcoming product series in the pipeline, it added. 

The association will include all ATL and BTL (above and below the line) activities, including the brand's forthcoming events, TV, print, outdoor and social media campaigns. 

"We are thrilled to have Virat Kohli on board. At Vivo, our focus is always on our consumer needs and preferences, and we are committed to bringing joy to our consumers' lives. Collaborating with someone as effervescent as Virat is a great way to better connect with our young consumers," Vivo India Director-Brand Strategy Nipun Marya said. 

Along with Aamir Khan and Sara Ali Khan, Vivo is looking at widening its brand reach, and expressed confidence that associating with a sports figure will help the company reach a wider audience, he added. 

"As a sportsperson, I understand the importance of consistency and commitment in the game. Vivo, as a brand, has established itself as one of the leading players in the Indian smartphone market with its consistency towards delivering innovative technology," Kohli said. 

Associating with such a brand that understands and delivers to the audience is quite exciting, he added. Vivo, which competes with players like Xiaomi and Samsung in the Indian market, is also the title sponsor of the Indian Premier League cricket tournament.
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14:04   BJP leader in UP quits over farm laws
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Priyamvada Tomar resigned from the party on Wednesday in support of the farmers agitation. 

She also resigned as member of the Uttar Pradesh Women's Commission ahead of the panchayat polls in the state. 

In her resignation letter to state BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh, she alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre and in the state had been neglecting the demands of the farmers regarding the new farm laws despite their protests, which have been going on for over four months. 

Tomar further said she took this decision due to BJP's "anti-farmer" policy. 

"The BJP has neglected women in Uttar Pradesh and failed to fulfil their wishes," she told PTI.
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13:58   journalist-RTI activist kidnapped, killed in Maharashtra
A 49-year-old journalist of a local weekly was allegedly kidnapped and killed in Rahuri town of Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, the police said on Wednesday. 

Rohidas Datir was allegedly abducted from the College Road area where he was travelling on his two-wheeler on Tuesday afternoon and his body bearing multiple injury marks was found in the same locality late at night, sub-inspector Ganesh Shelke of Rahuri police station said. 

The victim used to run a weekly in Rahuri and was also an RTI activist, the official said. 

Following the kidnapping, a case was registered and a search had been launched for Datir, he said. 

A suspect has been identified and the attack seems to be a fallout of an old rivalry, he said, adding that further probe is underway.
Mukhtar Ansari
Mukhtar Ansari
13:48   UP cops denied food, water to Mukhtar: Brother
Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari's brother alleged on Wednesday that inhuman treatment was given to him while being transferred to Banda jail from Punjab, saying it could have been better had he been shot dead at a road crossing.

The Uttar Pradesh government, however, said a team of doctors of the Banda Medical College examined Mukhtar Ansari at the jail and no 'immediate' health issues were found by it.

"Inhuman treatment was meted to Mukhtar while being shifted from Punjab to Banda jail. In over 15 hours journey, he was not given water and food on the way and was also denied medical aid. Due to this, he became unwell and reached Banda jail in a semi-unconscious state," Afzal Ansari, the Bahujan Samaj Party MP from Ghazipur, told PTI.

Afzal Ansari, however, did not elaborate on how did he get to know about the treatment meted out to his brother during his transfer to the Banda jail.

"The Yogi Adityanath government has left behind Britishers by such acts. Contrary to the jail manual, Mukhtar has been kept in isolation barrack. Those who have to protect laws are creating terror. It would have be better that he (Mukhtar) was made to stand at some road crossing and shot dead," he said.

The Uttar Pradesh government in an statement issued in Ballia said, 'Undertrial Ansari was brought from Punjab's Ropar jail at about 4.50 am to Banda prison gate by a special team and he finally got entry at 5 am. All his belongings were checked and no objectionable items were found. A team of Banda Medical college doctors did his check-up and found no immediate health issues.'

'Mukhtar Ansari would be tested for COVID-19 later in the day inside the jail. According to the Supreme Court orders, with the help of district administration and Chief Medical officer, Banda, his health arrangements are  being ensured,' the statement said.

ADG, Prison Anand Kumar has given strict instructions for round-the-clock security of Mukhtar Ansari, who is also BSP MLA from Mau.

Elaborate arrangements have been made inside the prison, where he will be kept in barrack number 16, which will be under 24-hour camera surveillance, the statement said, adding the entire Banda jail is covered with CCTV cameras and is being monitored by senior officers from jail headquarter command centre in Lucknow.

For outer security of the jail, additional force of PAC has been deployed and Banda city magistrate has been made incharge jail superintendent for administrative and security arrangements, it said.

Two new deputy jailors have been deputed and additional head jail warder and jail warder have been made available to the prison, the government statement said.

Afzal Ansari also claimed that the blood-sugar level and blood pressure of Mukhtar Ansari, who has diabetes, have increased and alleged that the jail administration is not accepting the request to provide him a doctor.

"Instead of treating him, he was being administered injection to put him to sleep," Afzal Ansari alleged.

He further claimed that his brother was kept in the ambulance for over one-and-half-hours even after reaching the Banda jail.

"At around 9 am, some persons known to Mukhtar reached the jail to meet him but were returned from the prison premises. Mukhtar is an undertrial and despite this he is getting treatment like a convict," he said, adding 'such a treatment was never given to any undertrial in the history of the country'.

After spending over two years in a Punjab prison, Mukhtar Ansari was brought back to Banda jail in the early hours of Wednesday.

He was ferried in an ambulance guarded by a strong posse of gun-toting security personnel throughout his 900-km journey from Rupnagar to the Uttar Pradesh town in the Bundelkhand region.

Mukhtar Ansari was lodged in Rupnagar jail in January 2019 in connection with an extortion case.

He is facing 52 cases in Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere, and 15 of them are in the trial stage.   -- PTI
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13:17   Tripura CM tests Covid postiive
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has tested positive for Covid-19.

Deb posted on Twitter: 'I have tested positive for Covid-19. I have isolated myself at home on the advice of doctors. I request everyone to please follow all the Covid appropriate behaviour and stay safe.'
Rajesh Tope
Rajesh Tope
13:05   Maharashtra has Covid vaccine stock for only 3 days
Maharashtra, which has the highest incidence of Covid-19 in the country as well the highest number of vaccines being administered to citizens, is headed for a crisis, with stocks of the Covid-19 vaccine running dry. 

"Currently, we have 14 lakh vaccine doses which will get over in 3 days. We've asked for 40 lakh more vaccine doses per week. I'm not saying that the Centre is not giving us vaccines but the speed of delivery of vaccines is slow,' said Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope. 

"We do not have enough vaccine doses at various vaccination centres, and people have to be sent back due to a shortage of doses. We have demanded from the Centre that people of age group 20-40 years must be vaccinated on priority,' Tope added. 

"We have a vaccine wastage rate of 3% in Maharashtra which is half of the national average vaccine wastage rate of 6%,' Tope said, discounting talk of wastage being a cause for shortage.
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12:55   Pak smuggler shot dead along IB in Amritsar; heroin, arms seized
A Pakistani smuggler who crossed over to India with around 22 kg of heroin was shot dead along the International Border (IB) in Amritsar in a joint operation of the Punjab police and the Border Security Force (BSF), officials said.

They said there was specific information about the movement of Pakistani smugglers towards the Indian territory with consignment of drugs.

Acting on the input, Punjab police team led by SSP Dhruv Dahiya along with BSF troops launched a joint operation at the Kakkar border outpost.   

During the operation, movement of a Pakistani smuggler was noticed.

The smuggler fired at the Indian troops and was shot dead when they returned the fire, a senior police official said.

A comprehensive search operation was launched on the spot at the Indo-Pak border of the Indian side, where troops seized 22 packets of heroin, weighing a total of about 22 kilogram, two AK 47 assault rifles, 4 magazines, one mobile phone with Pakistani SIM card, besides Rs 210 in Pakistani currency, police said.

During preliminary investigation, it was found that the smuggler was known to his two Indian counterparts who were residents of Gurdaspur district and were presently at Belgium and allegedly involved in anti-India activities at the behest of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency, the SSP said.

Police said through investigation is under progress to reveal exact purpose for which the seized consignment was being smuggled to India.  -- PTI
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12:40   Foundation laid for 'memorial' to farmers who died during protest
The Bharatiya Kisan Union has laid the foundation for a 'martyr memorial' at the agitation site on the Ghazipur-Ghaziabad (UP Gate) border to pay tributes to the farmers who died during the course of the protest against the Centre's three agri laws.

The BKU claimed that soil for the memorial was brought by social workers from the villages of '320 farmers who died during the protest against the farm laws'.

Soil collected from the martyrs of the freedom movement has also been brought to the protest site, where the foundation for the memorial was laid by BKU leader Rakesh Tikait and social activist Medha Patkar on Tuesday.

The memorial would later be constructed permanently, BKU media incharge Dharmendra Malik told PTI.

Ghaziabad District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey, however, said the foundation for the 'martyr memorial' is 'just symbolic and not permanent'.

A group of 50 social activists brought soil from all the states, and a 'Mitti Satyagrah Yatra' was also held, according to the BKU.

The soil from the villages of freedom fighters Bhagat singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqullah Khan was also brought to the agitation site, it said.   -- PTI
Representational image
Representational image
12:03   Mumbai police clarifies on curbs: Wine shops shut
The Mumbai police has tweeted a thread of updated lockdown guidelines in Mumbai. 

Public Places: Weekdays (7am-8pm) - movement of no more than 5 people allowed; Weekdays (8pm-7am) & 8pm Fri to 7am Mon - no movement except essential services 

Beaches - Closed till April 30 

Newspaper Printing & Circulation - Home delivery allowed from 7am-8pm 

Essential Services/Manufacturing Sector/Oxygen Producers/E-Commerce/Construction - To remain operational 

Wine Shop - Closed (No delivery allowed either) 

Barber Shops/Spa/Salon/Parlours - To remain closed 

Schools/Colleges/Pvt Coaching Classes - To remain closed (except 10-12 exams) 

Marriages - Max. 50 attendees 

Funeral - Max. 20 people allowed 

Restaurants/Bars - To stay closed (except those inside hotels) 
Take Away/Parcel/Home Delivery: Weekdays (7am-8pm); Weekends - Only Home Delivery 

Roadside Eatable Vendors - Only home delivery from 7am-8pm 

Religious places - To stay closed 

Film/TV Shooting - Allowed with conditions

Religious/Social/Cultural/Political Functions - Not allowed

Recreation/Entertainment Services (cinema/theatre/audi/arcade/water parks/clubs/swimming pool/gym/sports complexes) - To remain closed

Govt Offices: 50% capacity; No visitors allowed;   

Govt Offices Required For Response To COVID-19, Electricity, Water, Banking & Financial Services: 100% capacity 

Pvt Offices: To remain closed (except essential services, those exempted by Govt) 

Person Arriving/Departing By Train/Bus/Flight - Can travel at all times 

Industrial Workers Travelling By Pvt Buses/Vehicles- Can travel at all times using valid ID card 

Students Travelling To Attend Exam- Can travel with valid hall ticket

Public Transport: Auto rickshaw - Driver + 2; Taxi - Driver + 50% capacity; Bus - Full seating capacity, no standing; 

Private Vehicles: Weekdays (7am-8pm) -- Allowed; Weekdays (8pm-7am) & 8pm Fri to 7am Mon - Only for essential services 

Gardens/Public Grounds - Open from 7am-8pm on weekdays - no more than 5 people allowed 

Shops/Markets/Malls - To remain closed (except essential services) 

Essential Services - Allowed to operate at all times
Representational image
Representational image
11:35   Sensex thumbs up to RBI policy, soars 620 points
Equity benchmark Sensex surged over 620 points at press time in morning trade on Wednesday after the Reserve Bank left interest rates unchanged and maintained an accommodative stance to support economic growth. 

The 30-share BSE index climbed 620 points at 49,821.46, and the broader NSE Nifty advanced 177 points to 14,861.40. 

Nestle India was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising over 2 per cent, followed by Bharti Airtel, Reliance Industries, Asian Paints, SBI, IndusInd Bank and Dr Reddy's. 

On the other hand, TCS, HCL Tech, Tech Mahindra, Axis Bank and HDFC Bank were among the laggards. 

The central bank kept the benchmark repurchase rate unchanged at 4 per cent and maintained an accommodative policy stance to support growth. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept its estimate for economic growth unchanged at 10.5 per cent for the current fiscal. 

"The monetary policy announcement is on expected lines without changes in policy rates and stance," V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, said. 

However, reading between the lines, one can conclude that the stance is more dovish than expected with the governor reinforcing the central bank's commitment "to remain accommodative to support and nurture the recovery as long as necessary", he said. 

The bond market has taken the announcement positively with the 10-year yield moving to 6.12 per cent. "The governor's assurance to ensure an orderly evolution of the yield curve also is confidence-inspiring," he noted.
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11:21   Journalist and educationist Fatima Zakaria passes away
Fatima Zakaria, educationist and former journalist, passed away in Aurangabad of Covid-related complications on Tuesday. 

Wife of former Maharashtra minister Dr Rafiq Zakaria who passed away in 2005, Fatima worked in the Illustrated Weekly of India and the Times of India, where she was editor of the weekend magazine, Sunday Review

Their two sons, Arshad and Fareed, are based in the US. 

Farid Zakaria, well-known journalist, tweeted a picture of his mother (image alongside) and said: 'My mother, Fatma Zakaria, passed away last night at 85. She lived a long, rich, eventful life, with children and grandchildren whom she adored. She loved this photograph.'

RIP, Mrs Zakaria.
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11:00  
Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar takes the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine.  -- ANI
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10:53   Param Bir Singh appears before NIA
Former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh appeared before the National Investigation Agency in Mumbai on Wednesday to record his statement in connection with the case of an explosives-laden SUV found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence, an official said.

Singh reached the NIA office in south Mumbai in a car around 9.30 am, he said.

Singh, who is currently director general of the Home Guards, was removed from the Mumbai police chief's post last month, following the recovery of the vehicle with explosives near Ambani's house on February 25 and the subsequent murder of Thane businessman Manuskh Hiran.

According to sources, Singh was summoned by the NIA to record his statement in the case.

The NIA last month arrested assistant police inspector Sachin Waze for his alleged role in planting the vehicle with explosives near Ambani's house in south Mumbai.

It had also arrested suspended police constable Vinayak Shinde and cricket bookie Naresh Gor in connection with the murder of Mansukh Hiran, whose body was found in the Mumbra creek in neighbouring Thane on March 5.   -- PTI
PM Modi with King Abdullah II in 2018
PM Modi with King Abdullah II in 2018
10:35   The royal family of Jordan's connection with India
As India grapples with a new high of 1.5 lakh Covid cases, a much-needed breather from dark, dismal news. 
This is the story of the royal family of Jordan and the interesting connections they weave.

In distant Jordan, deep divisions within the royal family, between King Abdullah II and his half brother Prince Hamza led to a weekend crackdown on the monarch's opponents, speculation about a coup, and Hamza alleging that he is under house arrest.

Abdullah asked his uncle Prince Hassan -- who served as Jordan's crown prince between 1965 and 1999 and a much beloved figure in the Hashemite kingdom -- to intervene in the siblings' dispute. 

On Monday, Hamza -- who served as crown prince between 1999 and 2004 before Abdullah replaced him with his eldest son -- signed a letter where he asserted his loyalty to the king. Hopefully, the crisis has ebbed for now.

But did you know the Jordanian royal family has an Indian connection?

Princess Sarvath -- Prince Hassan's wife -- was born in Calcutta three weeks before Independence. 

Her father Mohammad Ikramullah was a member of the Indian Civil Service before he migrated to Pakistan and was appointed the new Islamic nation's foremost diplomat.
Ikramullah's younger brother Mohammad Hidayatullah was India's youngest Chief Justice, twice acting President and vice-president from 1979-1984. The erudite and learned Justice Hidayatullah married a Jain, Pushpa Shah, and their son Arshad Hidayatullah is a senior counsel at the Supreme Court of India.

Princess Sarvath's mother Shaista Suhrawady Ikramullah was a Bengali and one of Pakistan's first two woman MPs.  Shaista Ikramullah's first cousin was Hussain Suhrawady, prime minister of pre-Partition Bengal and later prime minister of Pakistan. 
One of Hussain Suhrawady's proteges was Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, the founder of Bangladesh and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's father.

Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath have had a fairy tale romance -- they first met in London when they were 11 and married in Karachi 10 years later. 

Speaking of romances, King Abdullah's mother Antoinette Avril Gardiner worked with David Lean when the famed director was filming Lawrence of Arabia in Jordan. One of the visitors to the set was the young King Hussein who fell in love with the young Englishwoman and made her his second wife, renamed Princess Muna al-Hussein.

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10:31   RBI retains economic growth for 2021-22 at 10.5%
Reserve Bank of India retains economic growth for 2021-22 fiscal at 10.5 per cent in 2021-22 fiscal's first monetary policy.

The projection for CPI inflation has been revised to 5% in Q4 of 2021, 5.2%, in Q1 of 2021-22, 5.2% also in Q2 of 2021-22, 4.4% in Q3, and 5.1% in Q4 with risks broadly balanced, said RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das.

On March 31, 2021, the government retained the inflation target at 4% with the lower and upper tolerance levels of 2% and 6%, respectively, for the next five years that is from April 2021 to March 2026, Das said.

He said that the recent surge in COVID-19 cases has added uncertainty to the domestic growth outlook amid tightening of restrictions by some state governments.

"Central Bank to ensure ample liquidity in system so that productive sector gets adequate credit," the RBI Governor assured.   -- ANI/PTI
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10:02   India reports over 1.15 lakh new Covid cases
India reports 1,15,736 new COVID-19 cases, 59,856 discharges, and 630 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Union health ministry.

Total cases: 1,28,01,785
Total recoveries: 1,17,92,135
Active cases: 8,43,473
Death toll: 1,66,177
Total vaccination: 8,70,77,474
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09:19   Search operation underway in outskirts of Srinagar
Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) underway since last night at Gulab Bagh area in the outskirts of Srinagar city as security forces suspect the presence of terrorists in the area.

Earlier on Saturday, two terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (Let) outfit were arrested in connection with a hand grenade attack on a Police Post Bus Stand in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore on December 12 last year.

Last week, one security personnel had lost his life when a cordon and search operation was launched in Shopian and the terrorists started firing indiscriminately on the search party.

Two terrorists were also eliminated in the operation.Meanwhile, three terrorists involved in the attack on Bharatiya Janata Party leader Anwar Khan's residence, in which one policeman died, were gunned down by the security forces in Pulwama this Friday.  -- ANI
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08:30   Covid care centre to be set up amid Kumbh Mela
In view of increasing COVID-19 cases in Uttrakhand, the Dehradun district administration has acquired Bharat Bhumi Tourist complex under Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam in Rishikesh to utilise it as a Covid care centre.

Speaking to ANI, District Magistrate, Dehradun Ashish Srivastava said, "Keeping in view of exercising COVID guidelines amid Kumbh Mela celebrations, Rishikesh's Bharat Bhoomi Tourist complex under Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited will be set up as COVID care centre."

The district authorities are preparing for the same, he said.

Uttarakhand reported 791 new Covid-19 positive cases including 303 cases in Dehradun and 185 cases in Haridwar on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases to 1,03,602.

Despite the spike in COVID-19 cases, Union health ministry has said there are no plan to cut short the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar prematurely and is hoping that standard operating procedures (SOPs) are being followed there.

On being asked if Kumbh Mela can be a super-spreader of COVID-19, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan yesterday said, "As the super spreader events are concerned, the union government almost a month ago issued an SOP, specifically for practices to be adopted in Kumbh and had a long meeting with the state government's officers."

"One fact that we usually lose sight of is that the duration of Kumbh has already been curtailed, Kumbh wherever it happens is usually for three and a half to four months, the present Kumbh has been curtailed to a month," he added.   -- ANI
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00:10   Oxford halts trial of COVID vaccine in children
The University of Oxford has paused a Covid vaccine trial for children and teens amid concerns over blood clotting.

Researchers say they are awaiting further information about the side-effect of the jab, developed alongside drug company AstraZeneca.

The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is investigating a potential link between the jab and a rare form of blood clot.

The university said in a statement that it has paused a trial into the effectiveness of the vaccine on children and teenagers until the MHRA reports back.

It said: "Whilst there are no safety concerns in the paediatric clinical trial, we await additional information from the MHRA on its review of rare cases of thrombosis/thrombocytopaenia that have been reported in adults, before giving any further vaccinations in the trial.

"Parents and children should continue to attend all scheduled visits and can contact the trial sites if they have any questions."

The agency has said it identified 30 cases of rare blood clot events out of 18.1 million doses of the jab administered up to and including March 24.

There have been seven deaths among the 30 cases.

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