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Tue, 03 August 2021
'Farmers will teach BJP a lesson in UP poll'
Timeline Refresh
23:24 Farmers will teach BJP a lesson in UP poll: Rashtriya Kisan Manch
Protesting farmers are seriously considering voting against the ruling Uttar Pradesh government in next year's assembly polls to teach the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre a lesson, the Rashtriya Kisan Manch said on Tuesday.
"Farmers will settle scores with the anti-farmer BJP party in the forthcoming assembly elections in UP," said Shekhar Dixit, National President, Rashtriya Kisan Manch, while talking to reporters in Mathura.
He said future course of action will be decided on Wednesday by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha at the ongoing 'Kisan Sansad'. On the basis of the next strategy, the agitation would be intensified, Dixit said.
He questioned the propriety of the Centre to impose a farm law on farmers, which in fact is "anti-farmer and pro-capitalist".
The government should make public data, if any, of its pro-farmer development that it touts in parallel with the corridors/expressways of the country.
Terming the PM Fasal Bima Yojana (crop insurance scheme) as a "photocopy of the farm laws", he said it has miserably failed since the scheme is being run to save the interests of industrialists.
The claim made by the government that it is working towards doubling the income of farmers by 2022 is nothing but a gimmick meant to misguide them, Dixit said.
The manner in which the Union agriculture minister invites farmers for a dialogue and the way it backtracks on it stands witness to how the government is beholden to large businesses, the farmer leader claimed.
Protesting farmers under the Rashtriya Kisan Manch will 'gherao' the UP Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow if the arrears of sugarcane growers is not paid in time, he said. -- PTI
22:52 Assam district declares Mizoram border no-drone zone
A few days after a violent clash between police forces of two North-eastern neighbours, Assam's Cachar district administration on Tuesday declared the Sonai revenue circle's border area with Mizoram a no-flying zone for drones.
According to an order issued by District Magistrate Keerthi Jalli, it was issued "in view of security threats posed due to recent drone attacks by various miscreants and anti-social elements which may endanger human life, property and public breach of tranquillity and peace."
The order issued under Section 144 of CrPC did not mention when the "drone attacks" took place, but official sources claimed that drones recently flew in from Kolasib district on the other side of the interstate boundary.
The order comes into force with immediate effect.
The authorities in Kolasib district of Mizoram also declared the interstate border a no-flying zone on July 30.
The clash between police forces of the two states on the disputed border area on July 26 left seven people - six Assam Police personnel and a civilian - dead and over 50 others injured, prompting the central government to intervene.
The Cachar district magistrate's order stated that flying drones and any other Unnamed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will be strictly prohibited in border areas under Sonai Revenue Circle.
Any activity of government, private or military with drones or UAVs in the airspace within the location is not allowed without special permission from the district magistrate of Cachar, it said.
Meanwhile, the situation along the Assam-Mizoram border remained peaceful with central forces patrolling the boundary while the police forces remained inside their respective states, officials said.
The economic blockade launched by a few organisations in the border areas in Assam was lifted but trucks carrying goods remain stranded along the National Highway 306 leading to the neighbouring state as the truckers feared lack of adequate security.
Meanwhile, two Assam cabinet ministers Atul Bora and Ashok Singhal were scheduled to visit Aizawl on August 5 to hold discussions on the ongoing boundary dispute between the two states.
The situation was set to improve with chief ministers of both states directing that the cases filed against officials of the other be withdrawn.
The FIR registered in Mizoram against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma would also be withdrawn, the authorities have said. -- PTI
22:21 Rs 45 lakh paid for Hiran killing: NIA to court
The National Investigation Agency on Tuesday told a special court here that Rs 45 lakh was paid by an accused for the murder of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran.
The central probe agency said this while seeking a 30-day extension to file a charge sheet in the Antilia bomb scare-Mansukh Hiran murder case.
An explosives-laden SUV was found near the south Mumbai home of industrialist Mukesh Ambani on February 25 and Hiran, who had claimed that he was earlier in possession of the vehicle, was found dead in a creek on March 5.
The special court had, on June 9, granted an extension of two months to the NIA to file a charge sheet.
On Tuesday, the NIA told court its probe had revealed that Rs 45 lakh was paid by an accused for the killing of Hiran and there was need to find out who had funded this accused.
It also told court the statements of 150 witnesses had been recorded while a team in Delhi was also recording statements as part of the probe.
Among those who have been arrested in the case are former police officials Pradeep Sharma and Sachin Waze.
The court will also hear arguments on the default bail plea of Waze, who has claimed that the NIA had not filed a charge sheet within the stipulated time. -- PTI
21:06 Pentagon on lockdown after gunshots fired near Metro
The Pentagon, headquarters of the United States department of defense in Arlington, Virginia state, went into lockdown on Tuesday morning local time after multiple gunshots were fired near the facility's Metro station.
A Pentagon announcement said the facility was in lockdown due to "police activity."
20:25 Parl panel to visit J-K and Ladakh from Aug 17
A parliamentary panel chaired by Congress leader Anand Sharma will be on a five-day visit to the Union territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir starting August 17 to examine the administration and development of the region and review the working conditions of central police forces, sources said on Tuesday.
The visit by the MPs comes nearly two months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met top leaders of Jammu and Kashmir on June 24. It was the first high-level interaction between the Centre and political leaders from J-K after August 5, 2019, when the Centre revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into two union territories.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs will visit Leh, Srinagar and Jammu from August 17-21, according to the communication shared by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat with the committee members.
The agenda of the visit will be to examine the subject 'Administration, Development and People's Welfare in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh'.
"The Committee will also review the working conditions of three Central Armed Police Forces namely Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Border Security Force (BSF)," the communication reads.
The majority of the members of the committee are from the ruling BJP.
As many as 14 leaders including Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad, National Conference's Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah; PDP's Mehbooba Mufti and J-K Apni Party's Altaf Bukhari attended the meeting with Prime Minister Modi.
Most of the leaders in the meeting had raised the issue of restoration of statehood. -- PTI
20:18 DCW initiates inquiry into death of minor Dalit girl
The Delhi Commission For Women has initiated an inquiry into the death of a minor Dalit girl under suspicious circumstances in southwest Delhi and has summoned the city police in the matter.
Police said the nine-year-old girl died under suspicious circumstances and her parents alleged she was raped and then cremated without their consent on Sunday. They said four people, including the priest, have been arrested.
The DCW has instituted an inquiry into the death of the girl in Delhi Cantonment, the panel said.
The commission had received a call on its 181 Women Helpline on August 1 at 12:35 am regarding the incident. It immediately sent a team to the police station and assisted the family in filing an FIR in the matter.
While stating that the case is "very serious" and merits "urgent attention', the panel summoned the deputy commissioner of southwest district to be present before it on August 5 and produce the complete case file along with a copy of the FIR.
It directed that the senior police officer also produce a copy of the statements of the family recorded under section 164 of the CrPC, details of the accused arrested and a detailed action taken report in the matter.
"If you fail to comply with this order without lawful excuse , you will be subjected to the consequences of non-attendance as provided in law," the summon said.
The police said the girl lived with her parents in Old Nangal village in a rented house in front of a crematorium. On Sunday around 5.30 pm, she went to get cold water from a water cooler at the crematorium after informing her mother.
At 6 pm, the crematorium's priest, Radhey Shyam, and two-three other people, known to the girl's mother, called her there and showed her daughter's body claiming that she got electrocuted while getting water from the cooler. There were burn marks between her left wrist and elbow and her lips were also blue, a senior police officer said.
The priest and the others dissuaded her mother from making a call to the police, saying they will make a case out of it and during post-mortem, doctors will steal the girl's organs, so it was better to cremate her, the officer said. -- PTI
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19:43 India setting up navy base in Mauritius: Al-Jazeera
'About 300 people on the Mauritian island of Agalga fear for their future as the island is likely to become home to an Indian naval facility,' reports an investigation by Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit (I-Unit), which 'reveals how over the last two years India has been building a 3km airstrip and two large jetties designed for military purposes'.
The publication says, 'Military analysts confirmed Al Jazeera's findings, saying the island will likely be used by the Indian navy for maritime intelligence and reconnaissance missions,' adding that 'rumours and media reports about the military base first surfaced in 2018 but both Mauritius and India have denied that the construction project is for military purposes and say the infrastructure is only for the benefit of the islanders.'
While the Mauritian government 'restated its position that "there is no agreement between Mauritius and India to set up a military base in Agalga,",' and that it 'has no intention of displacing people living on the island,' India's ministry of defence and ministry of external affairs did not respond to A-Jazeera's requests for comment, the publication writes, here.
19:35 Risk of heart attack in first 2 weeks of following Covid: Lancet
The risk of heart attack and stroke is increased three-fold in the first two weeks following COVID-19, according to a study published in The Lancet journal.
The study compared the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction or heart attack, and stroke in 86,742 COVID-19 patients with 348,481 control individuals in Sweden from February 1 to September 14, 2020.
"We found a three-fold increased risk of acute myocardial infarction and stroke in the first two weeks following COVID-19," said Osvaldo Fonseca Rodriguez from Umea University in Sweden, and co-first author of the study.
The risk was same even after the researchers adjusted for known risk factors for acute myocardial infarction and stroke such as comorbidities, age, gender and socio-economic factors.
"The results indicate that acute cardiovascular complications represent an important clinical manifestation of COVID-19," said Ioannis Katsoularis from Umea University, a co-author of the study.
"Our results also show how important it is to vaccinate against COVID-19, in particular the elderly who are at increased risk of acute cardiovascular events,� Katsoularis said.
The researchers used two statistical methods in the study: the matched cohort study and the self-controlled case series.
The self-controlled case series study is a method that was originally invented to determine the risk of complications following vaccines, they said.
"Both the methods suggest that COVID-19 is a risk factor for acute myocardial infarction and ischaemic stroke," the authors of the study said.
18:58 Delhi govt approves continuation of free Wi-Fi scheme
The Delhi cabinet on Tuesday approved the continuation of the free Wi-Fi scheme in the city.
According to an official statement, the Aam Aadmi Party government has so far set up Wi-Fi hotspots at 10,561 places in the national capital.
Delhi is the first city in the world where the government has provided free Wi-Fi for the entire city
"On Tuesday, the Delhi cabinet approved a proposal to implement free Wi-Fi scheme for providing quality internet services to the citizens of Delhi after a successful implementation in the first year.
"The Kejriwal government has so far set up hotspots at 10,561 places in the capital. Delhi is the first city in the world where the government has provided free Wi-Fi facility for the entire city," the statement said.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had launched the free Wi-Fi scheme from the ITO bus stop in December 2019.
The government had fixed a target of setting up 11,000 hotspots to provide free Wi-Fi across Delhi. So far, the hotspots have been installed at 10,561 places.
"Out of these, 2,208 hotspots have been installed at bus stops, while 8,353 have been installed at other places. People are getting free Wi-Fi facility every 500 metres. Now, more than 21 lakh people can avail the free Wi-Fi facility simultaneously," the statement said.
According to officials, under the scheme, every person will be given 15 GB of data every month for free. Maximum 1.5 GB data will be given per day for free.
"Each hotspot has a radius of 100 metres. On an average, Wi-Fi at the speed of 100 to 200 Mbps is being provided," the statement said. -- PTI
18:48 Sharad Pawar meets Amit Shah
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar met Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday and discussed issues related to pricing of sugar and ethanol blending in petrol.
Pawar was accompanied by National State Cooperative Sugar Factories Federation Chairman Jayprakash Dandegaonkar and NCP MP from Raigarh.
After meeting Shah, Pawar told reporters that they discussed the current selling price of sugar, which is even lower than the cost of production, and he requested the government to look into it.
Pawar, a former agriculture minister, said he also talked about the need to increase the blending of ethanol in petroleum products.
The NCP chief said Shah has assured him that he will look into all issues related to the sugar sector. -- PTI
18:15 Kundra's offence affects society's health: Court
The alleged offense for which businessman Raj Kundra and his associate Ryan Thorpe were arrested last month was "detrimental" to society's health, and society's interest in such cases can not be "overlooked", a magistrate's court in Mumbai has said.
While rejecting their bail pleas on July 28 in a case related to alleged production and streaming of pornographic content through apps, the court also said that the police had followed the legal procedure. The detailed order passed by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S B Bhajipale became available on Tuesday.
Kundra and Thorpe were arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch on July 19, and are presently in judicial custody. The alleged offense is "detrimental to the health of our society", and "societal interest in the prosecution of a crime which has a wider social dimension cannot be overlooked", the magistrate said.
The accused have also moved the Bombay High Court challenging their arrest, pleading that the police did not issue a notice as required under section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure before the arrest. The HC has reserved its order. But the magistrate noted that the investigating officer (IO) had recorded reason for the arrest, as required.
"This court on July 20 (during a remand hearing) came to the conclusion that the arrest of the accused is as per law," the judge said. "The IO has already mentioned the reasons for the arrest of both the accused. In such circumstances, it cannot be said that the accused are entitled to bail," the magistrate said. As per the IO's reply, Pradeep Bakshi, an accused who is a relative of Kundra, was absconding. Also, a huge amount of data was collected by the police and its analysis was still going on, the court said.
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17:52 Navy to deploy 4 warships in South China sea
A task force of four warships from the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet is scheduled to proceed on an over two-month overseas deployment to South East Asia, the South China Sea and Western Pacific, which will include exercises with Quad partners the United States, Japan and Australia, the Defence Ministry announced.
The deployment of the Indian Naval task force will begin early this month and includes guided-missile destroyer Ranvijay, guided-missile frigate Shivalik, anti-submarine corvette Kadmatt and guided-missile corvette Kora. The latter three ships are indigenously designed and are equipped with a versatile array of weapons and sensors, and are Made in India by Defence Shipyards, a Defence Ministry press release said.
The warships will participate in a series of exercises during the two-month deployment, including the Malabar 2021 naval exercises with US, Japanese and Australian forces.In other bilateral exercises during the deployment, the Indian warships will work with naval units from South China Sea littoral states, including Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, the Defence Ministry said.
During the deployment in the Indo Pacific, the ships are scheduled to participate in bilateral exercises with the Vietnamese Peoples' Navy, the Republic of Philippines Navy, Republic of Singapore Navy (SIMBEX), Indonesian Navy (Samudra Shakti) and Royal Australian Navy (AUS-INDEX).Further, they would also participate in multilateral exercise MALABAR-21 alongside the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force, Royal Australian Navy and the United States Navy in Western Pacific.
"These maritime initiatives enhance synergy and coordination between the Indian Navy and friendly countries, based on common maritime interests and commitment towards Freedom of Navigation at sea," the release said.
"The deployment of the Indian Navy ships seeks to underscore the operational reach, peaceful presence and solidarity with friendly countries towards ensuring good order in the maritime domain and to strengthen existing bonds between India and countries of the Indo Pacific," the defence ministry said. -- ANI
Sharad Pawar with Lalu Prasad Yadav last month
17:36 Lalu Prasad meets Sharad, backs Chirag Paswan
RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav met Sharad Yadav, who is recuperating from a long spell of illness, on Tuesday, and both leaders held talks for over an hour. The RJD leader told reporters later that the absence of socialists leaders like Sharad Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav and himself had resulted in neglect of people-related issues in Parliament.
He also backed LJP leader Chirag Paswan, who has been deserted by five MPs of his party led by his uncle Pashupati Kuma Paras, saying that the young parliamentarian has emerged as leader despite the feud.
People have rallied around him, the former Bihar chief minister said, while favouring an alliance between the LJP leader and his party which is being now led for all practical purposes by his son Tejashwi Yadav. The RJD chief was accompanied by party MPs Prem Chand Gupta and Misa Bharti. PTI
17:24 Sebi drops disclosure case against Shilpa, Raj
Market regulator Sebi has disposed of adjudication proceedings against actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra and her businessman husband Raj Kundra in a case related to alleged disclosure lapses. It was alleged that the couple had violated the provisions of Sebi (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations) or SAST rules in the matter of Viaan Industries.
"The change in the shareholding of the noticees (couple) did not require any disclosures to be made by them in terms of... SAST Regulations and the allegation levelled in the showcause notice (SCN) that noticees have violated the provisions of... SAST Regulations is not sustainable," Sebi said in an order dated July 30.
The regulator had conducted an investigation into the dealings in the scrip of Viaan Industries (formerly known as Hindustan Safety Glass Industries Ltd), during the period September, 2013 to December, 2015.
Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Ripu Sudan Kundra, who is also known as Raj Kundra, became the promoters of Viaan Industries pursuant to their individual acquisition of 25.75 per cent shareholding in the company during the period March 2015. It was further observed that, in October 2015, the company came out with a preferential allotment of 5 lakh equity shares. The shares were allotted to four persons including the couple who were allotted 1,28,800 shares each in the preferential allotment made by the company.
Pursuant to the allotment of the shares, it was alleged that the shareholding of the couple in the company had undergone change and therefore, they were required to make the necessary disclosures to the stock exchange, BSE, and to the company under the SAST norms. However, they had allegedly failed to make the necessary disclosures within the stipulated time period.
17:03 77% Indians prefer walk-in vaccinations
Of the 43.17 crore registrations on Co-WIN till July 30 for Covid vaccination, 62.54 per cent were done on-site and of the 45.10 crore jabs recorded, 77 per cent have been given through onsite or walk-in mode, the Rajya Sabha was told on Tuesday.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in a written reply said the Co-WIN system is an inclusive platform designed keeping in mind the limitations and challenges posed due to the extent of digital literacy and lack of access to digital devices in some areas.
All necessary features to ensure that every eligible individual has access to vaccination, regardless of physical, digital or socioeconomic barriers have been incorporated in Co-WIN, he said.
The minister said although registration of every vaccinated person on the Co-WIN platform is necessary and essential, self-registration through a mobile phone or any other Internet-enabled device is only an option available for convenience and is not mandatory. Apart from online self-registration and appointments, Co-WIN offers on-site registration/walk-in appointments for vaccination. Those who do not have access to the Internet can opt for walk-in registration.
"This has been the predominant mode of registration with 62.54 per cent registrations and 77 per cent vaccination in the on-site/walk-in mode," Mandaviya said. Co-WIN facilitated cohort registration wherein state governments mobilize beneficiaries for on-site registration and vaccination and assisted registration of individuals and groups of individuals through more than 3.5 lakh common service Centers and assisted registration through 1075 helpline/call centres in each state.
Special sessions are being held to vaccinate people who don't have any of the specified identity cards. A hundred per cent vaccination is done through on-site registration by the vaccinator. Up to four people can be registered through the same mobile number to address the issue of non-availability of mobile phones with certain people, the reply stated.
In areas without Internet connectivity, records are prepared manually by the vaccinator and are entered into the Co-WIN system for generation of vaccination certificates up to 5 pm on the day after the date of such session, Mandaviya said -- PTI
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16:51 Maha: 99.6% state board students pass Class 12
The highest-ever 99.63 students passed the class 12 `evaluation' of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), as per the results declared on Tuesday. No examination was conducted for the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the marks were calculated based on the internal assessment of students' performance, board chairman Dinkar Patil said.
"This year the evaluation was done on the basis of internal assessment marks which schools sent to the board....The board received internal assessment scores of 13,19,754 new students, of which 13,14,965 have passed," he said.
The passing percentage was 99.63 per cent, 8.97 percentage points higher than the last year, he added. Also, of 66,871 students who repeated Class 12, 63,063 or 94.31 per cent cleared the evaluation, Patil said. Of nine divisions in the state, Konkan recorded the highest 99.81 passing percentage, while Aurangabad registered the lowest 99.34.
The passing percentage of girls was 99.73, while 99.54 per cent of boys and 99.59 per cent of differently-abled students passed the evaluation.
The results will be available on the weblink https://mh-hsc.ac.in from 4 pm, the board said. PTI
16:46 'The Taliban is on the move'
"Several factors work against the Taliban that weren't in place in the 1990s. First, say what you will about the Afghan military, but it's a much stronger and united force today than it was back then."
"The air force, in particular, is much stronger. The armed forces are in a much better position to hold off the Taliban today than in the 1990s," says Dr Michael Kugelman, deputy director and senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC.
The Wilson Center is a non-partisan American policy forum tackling global issues through independent research and dialogue.
Dr Kugelman, one of America's leading experts on Afghanistan, discusses the return of the Taliban with Rediff.com's Archana Masih in the first of a multi-part interview. Read it here.
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16:42 India, China to disengage from LAC friction point
In the 12th round of talks between India and China, both countries have agreed to disengage troops from the patrolling point 17A, one of the friction points between the two countries in the eastern Ladakh region.
During the 12th round of talks, there was an agreement between both sides to disengage from PP-17A also known as Gogra, sources said here. The last disengagement agreed and acted upon both sides was in February this year when they disengaged from the banks of Pangong Lake.
The actions on the ground would be confirmed and are expected to be followed up soon, they said.
The two sides would continue their talks to resolve the issue on friction points including the PP-15 (Hot Springs) and the Depsang plains.
The talks were held on July 31 in Chushul-Moldo on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) after which they issued a joint statement on August 2.
As per the statement, "The two sides had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on resolution of remaining areas related to disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector of India-China border areas. The two sides noted that this round of meeting was constructive, which further enhanced mutual understanding."
It said that both sides agreed to resolve these remaining issues in an expeditious manner in accordance with the existing agreements and protocols and maintain the momentum of dialogue and negotiations.
16:30 Sensex soars 873 points to new high, Nifty tops 16,130 mark
Equity benchmark indices scaled record new peaks on Tuesday with heavy buying in IT, FMCG and financial stocks.Experts said fundamental support to the bulls has been coming from increasing GST collections, good corporate results and manufacturing sector gaining a boost amid easing of Covid-related restrictions.
The market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies jumped to a record high of Rs 240 lakh crore, according to reports.At the closing bell, the BSE S&P Sensex was up by 873 points or 1.65 per cent at 53,823 while the Nifty 50 jumped by 246 points or 1.55 per cent to 16,131.
16:23 Sindhu comes home
Olympic medallist PV Sindhu arrives at Delhi airport from Tokyo.
She clinched the women's singles badminton bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
"I am very happy and excited. I am thankful to everyone including the Badminton Association for supporting and encouraging me. This is a happy moment," Sindhu said.
16:10 Dial M for Yogi
The Prime Minister's endorsement of UP chief minister Adityanath could cut two ways. Read the column here.
16:08 No recommendation on mixing Covid vax: Govt to RS
No recommendation has been made so far on mixing anti-coronavirus vaccines, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Friday. COVID-19 vaccines have been developed recently. Therefore, scientific evidence about mix and match studies of different vaccines is still evolving, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply.
To a question on the issue, she said no recommendation has been made so far to mix the first and second doses of Covid vaccines by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization or the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19.
"There is no specific recommendation from the World Health Organization presently on mix and match of vaccines," the minister added.
She was responding to a question on whether one can mix first and second doses of COVID vaccines and administer them to people who need it and whether any studies have been carried out or is there any scientific evidence that such mixing would not have any adverse impact on people. PTI
15:44 Delhi MLAs pay hiked to Rs 30,000 after 9 years
The Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved a salary hike for the MLAs of Delhi as proposed by the Centre. With this, the MLAs will now get a salary of Rs 30,000 per month.
"The Delhi Cabinet today approved the Salaries and Allowances of Ministers of Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, (Amendment) Bill 2021 and MLAs/Speaker-Dy Speaker/Chief Whip/Leader of Opposition of Legislative Assembly of Delhi (Amendment) Bills 2021," the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a statement.
After the Cabinet approval, the proposal and draft bills will be sent for Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) approval before being placed in Delhi Assembly.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led cabinet approved the Centre's proposed salary for MLAs and added that Delhi's MLAs continue to be among the lowest-paid MLAs.
"The Ministry of Home Affairs of the BJP-led Central Government restricted the proposal of the Delhi Government and capped the salary of the MLAs to only Rs 30,000. Even as the cost of living in Delhi has risen substantially," the CMO said.
It further said that the salary of Delhi's MLAs hasn't increased since 2011 and the Delhi Government had requested the MHA that the salary of Delhi's MLAs be at par with MLAs of other states.A
15:21 Pak bans Kartarpur pilgrimage amid pandemic
The movement of pilgrims to Pakistan through the Kartarpur corridor has been suspended since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the neighbouring country banned all travel from India citing the surge in cases here in April this year, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
India signed the Kartarpur corridor agreement with Pakistan on October 24, 2019. Under the pact, Indian pilgrims of all faiths are allowed to undertake round-the-year visa-free travel through the Kartarpur corridor to Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib, one of the most revered shrines of Sikhs, in Pakistan. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the movement of pilgrims through the Kartarpur corridor was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Furthermore, Pakistan's National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) has banned all travel from India citing the surge in COVID-19 cases in India since April 2021," he said in a written reply. PTI
14:53 Sitharaman calls out Oppn for surrounding MPs in 'threatening fashion' in House
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday called out Opposition MPs for disrupting and surrounding members while they were making their speech.
FM Sitharaman, who presented the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in Rajya Sabha today, said: "Minister Bhupendra Yadav has raised a point that Parliamentary courtesy is very important. You may have disagreement, you may protest. However, to disrupt a member who is speaking and surround him in a threatening fashion is absolutely unacceptable."
14:32 PM invites Olympics contingent to Red Fort on I-Day
On 15th August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will invite the entire Indian Olympics contingent to the Red Fort as special guests. He will also personally meet and interact with all of them around that time.
The PM has been tweeting regularly in support of the Olympics contingent.
After the Indian men's hockey team lost to Belgium in the Olympics semi-final, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said wins and losses are a part of life and India is proud of its players.
The Indian men's hockey team's dream of entering the Olympics final after 41-years remained unfulfilled as it lost 2-5 to world champions Belgium in the last-four stage but the side is still in the hunt for a bronze in the Tokyo Games. "Wins and losses are a part of life. Our Men's Hockey Team at #Tokyo2020 gave their best and that is what counts," Modi tweeted. Wishing the Team the very best for the next match and their future endeavours, he said, adding that "India is proud of our players".
14:19 Only 6 ceasefire violations by Pak since Feb pact
Only six incidents of ceasefire violations have been reported ever since India and Pakistan agreed in February to observe all pacts related to cross-border firings along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said as many as 5,133 incidents of ceasefire violations were reported in 2020; 3,479 in 2019; and 2,140 in 2018.
In a written reply to a question, Rai said following scheduled talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan over hotline, a joint statement was issued on February 25, 2021 in which both India and Pakistan agreed to the strict observance of all agreements, understandings and ceasefire along the Line of Control and all other sectors with effect from the February 24-25 midnight 2021.
While there were 380 incidents of ceasefire violations in January and 278 in February, there was not a single incident of ceasefire violation in March, just one in April, three in May and two in June. The minister said immediate and effective retaliation by the Indian Army and the BSF personnel is carried out during instances of unprovoked firings and ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB).
Rai said the government's consistent position has been that India desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan and is committed to addressing issues, if any, bilaterally and peacefully in an atmosphere free of terror, hostility and violence. -- PTI
I spy
14:07 Editors Guild moves SC for SIT probe into Pegasus
Editors Guild of India approaches the Supreme Court seeking a direction for an SIT probe into the 'Pegasus Project' media report. Details awaited.
13:49 The top three states with highest Covid numbers are...
... Kerala, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Take a look alongside.
13:44 No one arrested for 2020 JNU violence: Govt in LS
The Delhi Police has not arrested anyone in connection with the 2020 violence at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) even though several people were examined, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the Delhi Police has reported that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Crime Branch has been constituted to investigate three cases registered at Vasant Kunj (North) police station with regard to the violence on the JNU campus in January, 2020.
"The investigation conducted includes examination of witnesses; collection and analysis of footages; and examination of identified suspects. As reported by the Delhi Police, no arrest has been made in these cases, he said, replying to a written question of DMK member Dayanidhi Maran. PTI
13:23 Sensex crosses record 53,000 mark
The market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies jumped to a record high of Rs 2,38,95,478.59 crore in morning trade on Tuesday, driven by a rally in stocks, where the benchmark index also hit its lifetime peak of 53,402.03.
Rallying for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, the 30-share BSE index was trading with a gain of 429.33 points or 0.80 per cent. In the previous session, the Sensex rallied 363.79 points or 0.69 per cent. Investors' wealth also gained by Rs 3,45,729.69 crore since Friday's close. From the 30-share frontline companies pack, Titan was the biggest gainer with a jump of nearly 4 per cent followed by Sun Pharma, Bharti Airtel, HDFC, IndusInd Bank and Asian Paints.
"Fundamental support to the bulls has been coming from good corporate results. Now the macros are turning very positive with the declining fiscal deficit, rising tax collections, and now the excellent performance in exports. The PMI at 55.3 indicates a potential sharp turnaround in economic activity," V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services. - PTI
Rahul Gandhi at the oppn power breakfast meet today
13:02 Rahul likely to visit Maharashtra soon: Raut
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has assured him that he will visit Maharashtra soon. Raut, whose party shares power with the NCP and Congress in Maharashtra, met Gandhi in New Delhi on Monday. He also attended a breakfast meeting of leaders of opposition parties hosted by the former Congress president at the Constitution Club in the national capital on Tuesday where stress was laid on opposition unity.
Taking to reporters in Delhi, Raut said, "A meeting between us was due since us some time. He (Gandhi) had some doubts which have been addressed now. He has assured to visit Maharashtra soon.
"I will brief my party chief (Uddhav Thackeray) about the discussion we had on a possible alliance ahead of next general elections, he said. The Rajya Sabha member also said Gandhi was curious about the Shiv Sena and its founder late Balasaheb Thackeray. "He enquired about it," Raut added. PTI
12:23 Chopper crashes in J-K, pilots safe
An Indian Army helicopter crashes near Ranjit Sagar Dam in Kathua, J-K. Both the pilots from the Army Aviation ALH Dhruv helicopter, which crashed in Ranjit Sagar Dam, are safe. The Weapon System Integrated helicopter had taken off from Pathankot (Punjab) and met with the accident during a routine sortie, Army Sources said.
12:22 After power parlay, a power breakfast
Shashi Tharoor on the opposition parties power breakfast meeting called by Rahul Gandhi this morning: "After a sumptuous breakfast, leaders of eleven Opposition parties spoke briefly about the importance of unity in Parliament and on the ground in the struggle against the anti-people policies & undemocratic actions of the BJP government. We are witnessing something special here. "
12:17 Mapped: GST revenue collection over the last 1 year
Here's how much GST the Centre collected from the states.
12:08 CBSE declares Class X results
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declares Class X results. The board exams were cancelled this year in view of the aggressive second wave of COVID-19. The result will be announced on the basis of an alternate assessment policy. PTI
12:06 LS proceedings adjourned till noon
Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till noon on Tuesday after continued opposition protest over Pegasus and farm law issues. As the Question Hour relating to agriculture and farmers' welfare was in progress, Speaker Om Birla asked protesting members to raise farmer related queries in the House. "I wanted you to question the Minister with regard to farmer welfare, but you are engaging in sloganeering which is not acceptable... You don't want to discuss farm issues...," Birla said.
However, members from opposition parties continued their sloganeering, following which Birla adjourned the House for about 20 minutes till 12 noon. The House proceedings have been marred since the beginning of the Monsoon session on July 19 as opposition members protest demanding discussion on Pegasus snooping issue and farm laws. PTI
11:48 Over 2.75 cr vaccine doses available with states: Centre
More than 2.75 crore balance and unutilised COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states, UTs and private hospitals to be administered, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday. Over 49.85 crore vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far through all sources and a further 20,94,890 doses are in the pipeline. Of this, the total consumption including wastage is 47,52,49,554 doses, the ministry said. The new phase of universalisation of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from June 21. PTI
11:42 PM lashes out at Oppn for conduct in Parliament
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday slammed opposition members for tearing papers in Parliament and making "derogatory" remarks on the way bills have been passed as he accused them of insulting the legislature and the Constitution with their conduct.
Briefing reporters on Modi's speech at the BJP parliamentary party meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the prime minister expressed anger at the conduct of some opposition members. While a TMC member in Rajya Sabha had torn the statement of IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on the Pegasus issue, several opposition members had torn papers in Lok Sabha and threw it in the air and towards the Chair.
A tweet of TMC leader Derek O'Brien criticising the manner of bills' passage in Parliament also drew Modi's ire, Joshi and another Union minister V Muraleedharan told reporters, without naming the TMC member. He had tweeted, "In the first 10 days, Modi-Shah rushed through and passed 12 Bills at an average time of UNDER SEVEN MINUTES per Bill. Passing legislation or making papri chaat!" Such comments are "derogatory" of parliamentary procedure and esteem of elected representatives," Muraleedharan said quoting Modi.
The conduct of the opposition is an "insult" to Parliament and the Constitution, Joshi said, quoting the prime minister. The opposition has stalled Parliament's proceedings demanding a discussion on the Pegasus snooping row, an issue dismissed as inconsequential by the government.
File pic
11:26 Two BSF personnel killed in Tripura ambush
Two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel were killed in an ambush by the NLFT militant group in the early hours of Tuesday in Tripura, officials said. They said the ambush took place in the Dhalai district of the state and those killed included a Sub-Inspector of the force. Details of the incident are awaited. The National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) is a banned organisation. PTI
11:02 Rahul leads Oppn's 'cycle protest' to Parliament
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi led a breakfast meeting of opposition leaders this morning - the second this week - amid disruptions and protests in Parliament over the Pegasus snooping row, the handling of the pandemic, and farmers' agitation, among other issues. The meeting was called to discuss the option of holding a "mock Parliament" outside.
Nearly a week after his surprise tractor ride to back the demonstrations against new farm laws, Gandhi, 51, rode a cycle to draw attention to fuel price hike, urging other leaders to join him. "One of the ways to draw the attention (of the government) to the issue of fuel price hike is by cycling to parliament. People of India are struggling..." Gandhi, 51, told the opposition leaders this morning.
While the monsoon session of Parliament began on July 19, parliament has functioned for only 18 hours out of possible 107 hours in the first two weeks. More than Rs 133 crore in taxpayer money has been lost because of disruptions, government sources said on Saturday.
10:57 CBSE class 10 results to be declared at 12 noon
The Central Board of Secondary Education will announce class 10 results on Tuesday, according to officials.
"The results will be announced at 12 noon today," a senior official said.
The board exams were cancelled this year in view of the aggressive second wave of COVID-19. The result will be announced on the basis of an alternate assessment policy.
-- PTI
10:45 Parl panel to visit J-K, Ladakh to review troops
A study visit of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs to the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir will take place from August 17 to August 21, 2021.
Sources told ANI that Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs will visit Leh, Srinagar and Jammu from August 17-21, 2021 in connection with the examination of the subject 'Administration, Development and People's Welfare in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh'.
"The Committee will also review the working conditions of three Central Armed Police Forces namely, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Border Security Force (BSF)," sources added.
10:39 Equity indices up despite weak Asian cues, Titan top gainer
Equity benchmark indices traded higher during early hours on Tuesday bucking weak Asian trends with FMCG stocks gaining ground.At 10:15 am, the BSE S&P Sensex was up by 312 points or 0.59 per cent at 53,263 while the Nifty 50 moved higher by 76 points or 0.48 per cent to 15,961.
Except for Nifty metal which dipped by 0.6 per cent, all sectoral indices were in the positive terrain with Nifty FMCG and realty gaining by 1 per cent each, pharma by 0.9 per cent and IT by 0.7 per cent.
Among stocks, Titan surged by 4 per cent to Rs 1,843.90 per share while Asian Paints was up by 2.2 per cent, Britannia and ITC by 1.5 per cent, and Nestle India by 0.9 per cent. -- PTI
10:31 The man who cries wolf
Whatever your views on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, you've got to credit his government for the consistency and predictability of its response when faced with a political crisis.
Whether it's criticism of its human rights record or a global investigation revealing the use of Israeli spyware against those it views as opponents, you know Modi's team will argue it's a conspiracy to defame the prime minister and -- since Modi to them is synonymous with India -- the country.
Read the column here.
10:29 Rahul meets oppn leaders for breakfast meet
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is all set to lead another meeting of opposition leaders this morning amid disruptions and protests in parliament over the Pegasus snooping row, the handling of the pandemic, farmers' agitation, among other issues. This is the second time in a week that Gandhi, 51, is holding such a meeting as several opposition parties unite against the government.
This morning, 18 political parties have been invited. They will discuss the option of holding a "mock parliament" outside.
Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena, RJD, SP, CPI(M), CPI, IUML, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Kerala Congress (M), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, National Conference, TMC and Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) are participating in the breakfast meeting of Opposition Floor leaders.
"All floor leaders and other MPs will join the meeting," the Congress's Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters on Monday.Union Minister Rajnath Singh had dialled up Kharge, the leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha, on Monday afternoon to seek his support amid protests, sources said.
The government should allow discussions in parliament, Kharge had told him. The Aam Aadmi Party is skipping the meeting.
09:36 Wuhan to test ALL residents as Covid re-emerges
Authorities in Wuhan on Tuesday said they would test its entire population for Covid-19 after the central Chinese city where the coronavirus emerged reported its first local infections in more than a year.
The city of 11 million is "swiftly launching comprehensive nucleic acid testing of all residents", senior Wuhan official Li Tao said at a press conference Tuesday, a day after seven cases were found.
09:02 Wins & losses part of life: PM on hockey loss
"Wins and losses are a part of life. Our Mens Hockey Team at #Tokyo2020 gave their best and that is what counts," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted after India's heartbreaking loss in the semi-finals of the Olympics in hockey.
India men's hockey team lost their semifinal match against the 2018 world champions Belgium on Tuesday at the Tokyo Olympics, thus missing out on a chance to make their first Olympic final in over four decades.
The last time India had played the men's hockey final at the Olympics was back in 1980 when the team had won the gold medal.
08:49 US hits 70% vaccination rate amid Covid surge
The United States has finally reached US President Joe Biden's goal of getting at least one COVID-19 shot into 70 per cent of American adults -- a month late and amid a fierce surge by the Delta variant that is swamping hospitals and leading to new mask rules and mandatory vaccinations around the country.
Biden had set a vaccination goal of 70 per cent by July 4. That figure was the low end of initial government estimates for what would be necessary to achieve herd immunity in the US But that has been rendered insufficient by the highly contagious delta variant, which has enabled the virus to come storming back.
The US still has not hit the administration's other goal of fully vaccinating 165 million American adults by July 4. It is about 8.5 million short.
New cases per day in the US have increased sixfold over the past month to an average of nearly 80,000, a level not seen since mid-February. And deaths per day have climbed over the past two weeks from an average of 259 to 360.
08:32 Proud of our team: PM as he watches hockey semis
Just like the entire country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also tuned in to watch the ongoing men's hockey semi-final clash between India and Belgium in the ongoing Tokyo Olympics.
As he watches the ongoing semi-final, PM Modi said that he is already proud of what the team has managed to achieve in the Olympics so far.
"I'm watching India vs Belgium Hockey Men's Semi-Final at #Tokyo2020. Proud of our team and their skills. Wishing them the very best," tweeted PM Modi on Tuesday.
Loick Luypaert gave Belgium an early lead in the match as he registered a goal in the starting minutes of the first quarter and as a result, India was put on the back foot straight away.
However, India struck back in the second half as Harmanpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh scored goals in quick succession, and as a result, India gained a 2-1 lead in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Belgium got the equaliser as Alexander Hendrickx successfully converted a penalty corner, and it brought the scoreline level to 2-2.
-- ANI
01:24 LeT, JeM behind dropping of arms in J-K: DGP
Asserting that Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad outfits are behind the dropping of arms, IEDs and narcotics by drones in Jammu and Kashmir, Director General of Police Dilbag Singh on Monday said counter measures are in place to defeat any conspiracy to disturb peace in the union territory.
Singh was speaking during a security review meeting after conducting an aerial survey of the flash flood-hit area at Hounzar Dachan, besides inaugurating a Covid care centre at district police lines in Kishtwar.
Pakistan-based LeT and JeM outfits are behind the dropping of arms, IEDs and narcotics by drones in Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
The DGP said counter measures are in place and these would be further strengthened to defeat any conspiracy against peace in the region.
He said stone-pelting in Kashmir has almost ended and added that this was not only by the efforts of law enforcement agencies but largely because the youth of Kashmir have understood the evil intentions behind it.
Singh directed the officers to strengthen the anti-terrorist measures to end terrorism in J-K.
He stressed for enhanced cooperation between police and other security forces on the ground to foil the ill intentions of terrorists and their masters.
The DGP also directed for setting up of surveillance teams equipped with the latest technology to monitor and smash the supply of money and arms to the terror groups.
He emphasised to adopt the latest techniques and standard practices to expedite probes into terror crime cases. Singh also impressed upon the officers to ensure the expeditious disposal of all pending terror crime cases and directed them to conduct investigations efficiently so that culprits do not go scot-free.
Stressing for increased patrolling, the DGP said all suspicious elements should be kept under check to foil their evil attempts. He directed the officers to keep CCTV network up to date and added that it is a very useful tool to monitor crimes.
He also emphasised upon the officers to involve the religious leaders in community policing. -- PTI
01:22 Central team may visit Pune which reported Zika virus
A team of experts from Delhi is expected to visit Pune district which recently reported the first case of Zika virus infection in Maharashtra, officials said on Monday.
A 50-year-old woman from Belsar village in Purandar tehsil was diagnosed with the Zika virus infection last Friday, the state health department had said. The patient has recovered completely, it said.
"We have received intimation that a multi-disciplinary team from Delhi will visit Maharashtra to assess the situation following the Zika virus case being reported from Pune district's Purandar tehsil," said Dr Pradip Awate, state surveillance officer.
He said the team may visit the area where the case was reported and review measures being taken by the state government. "The team can give its suggestions," he added.
Pune district health officer Dr Bhagwan Pawar said that surveillance has been increased in four to five villages within the radius of the Belsar village.
"Samples of suspected patients are being collected and sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune. The breeding spots of mosquitoes are being destroyed in villages," he said.
Zika virus spreads through the bite of the aedes aegypti mosquito and most patients do not have symptoms.
Meanwhile, Pune Zilla Parishad CEO Ayush Prasad said the district administration will work with the Central team to ensure that the Zika virus infection is contained.
The three-member Central team consists of a public health expert from the office of Regional Director, Pune, a gynaecologist from Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, and an entomologist from National Institute of Malaria Research, ICMR, an official said. -- PTI
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