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Mon, 28 June 2021
Sanjay Raut meets Maha CM, Sharad Pawar separately
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23:47 Sanjay Raut meets Maha CM, Sharad Pawar separately
Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Monday met the party president and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar separately, his second such meeting with the two leaders in the last three days.
Raut held discussions with the CM at the latter's official residence "Varsha" for nearly two hours before calling on Pawar at his residence, sources said.
When asked by reporters if he was carrying any message from the chief minister to Pawar, Raut said, "Why would I tell you if there was any message. I will convey it to Pawar saheb".
Responding to a query, Raut said Pawar had already said the Maha Vikas Aghadi government of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress is performing well and would last its full term under the leadership of Thackeray. -- PTI
23:42 Twitter removes map showing JK, Ladakh outside India
After drawing flak over displaying a distorted map of India that showed Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as separate country, Twitter has now removed the wrong map.
The glaring distortion, which appeared on the career section of Twitter website under the header 'Tweep Life', had triggered a heavy backlash from netizens on Monday as they demanded strict action against the microblogging platform that has flouted various rules on multiple occasions in the past.
#TwitterBan was trending on Twitter with almost 17,000 tweets.
This is not the first time that Twitter has misrepresented India's map.
Earlier, it had shown Leh as part of China.
The global map, which grossly misrepresented India's boundaries, was removed on late Monday evening by Twitter following social media outrage.
Sources said the government is seriously looking into the matter. In this case, since the wrong depiction is on Twitter's website, the case is not that of an 'intermediary' but of a publisher which is responsible for content.
When something is clearly wrong it has to be tackled, or consequential action will follow, they said.
Twitter -- which has an estimated 1.75 crore users in India -- has remained mum on the entire episode. Emails sent to the company did not elicit any response.
The United States digital giant has been at loggerheads with the Indian government over the new social media rules.
The government has confronted Twitter over deliberate defiance and failure to comply with the country's new IT rules, despite repeated reminders.
Notably, the microblogging platform has lost its legal shield as an intermediary in India, becoming liable for users posting any unlawful content.
In October last year, Twitter came under heavy criticism and faced backlash after its geotagging feature displayed "Jammu & Kashmir, People's Republic of China" in a live broadcast from Leh's Hall of Fame, a war memorial for fallen soldiers in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
India had issued a stern warning to Twitter that time, making it clear that any disrespect of the country's sovereignty and integrity is totally unacceptable.
23:28 FM delivering nothing but headlines: Cong
The Congress on Monday claimed the measures announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman deliver nothing but headlines and said the government should take steps to spur demand to revive the economy "which continues to be in the doldrums".
The opposition party was reacting after the government announced a series of measures to stimulate the economy battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Credit guarantee schemes have not guaranteed revival since India's economic downturn. FM Nirmala Sitharaman needs to realise that doing the same thing over and over again delivers headlines but little else," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter.
"First PM instructs. Then FM announces. Then PM applauds. Waah! Such 'jugalbandi' to keep the headlines going, while the economy remains in doldrums," he said.
Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said the finance minister has done nothing to revive the economy and spur demand, and has instead given a dose of fresh loans.
He said the government should have given direct cash benefits to put money in people's pockets that could propel demand in the economy instead of encouraging them to take loans.
Vallabh said the finance minister has not addressed the issue of low demand and declining GDP, and high inflation and unemployment.
"What is the answer for the consistent decline in GDP? How you are going to revive that?" he asked.
He said the unemployment rate is 12 percent against 2 percent in 2012 and asked, "How we are going to bring it down?"
"How we are going to create new employment? What is the answer in this regard? The answer is: 'No, there is no concrete plan'," he said.
Sitharaman on Monday announced Rs 1.5 lakh crore of additional credit for small and medium businesses, more funds for the healthcare sector, loans to tourism agencies and guides, and waiver of visa fee for foreign tourists as part of a package to support the pandemic-hit economy.
Together with previously announced Rs 93,869 crore spending on providing free foodgrains to the poor till November and additional Rs 14,775 crore fertiliser subsidy, the stimulus package -- mostly made up of government guarantee to banks and microfinance institutions for loans they extend to Covid-hit sectors -- totalled up to Rs 6.29 lakh crore. -- PTI
22:43 'Anti-Pak intel agency involved in blast outside Saeed's home'
Pakistan's Punjab government on Monday claimed to have unearthed the network of all 10 suspects, including women, involved in the powerful bomb blast outside the house of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind and chief of the banned Jamat-ud-Dawa Hafiz Saeed in Lahore.
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Punjab Inspector General of Police Inam Ghani at a joint press conference in Lahore also said that an "anti-Pakistan intelligence agency" was involved in the Johar Town bombing, but were short of naming it despite reporters' repeated insistence.
"We have told the federal government about its (anti-Pakistan agency's) role in the incident," Buzdar said.
"The Counter Terrorism Department of the Punjab Police has unearthed the network of all Pakistani and international suspects involved in the blast within 16 hours of the incident. We have arrested (10) local suspects, including women, he said.
IGP Ghani said the hostile agencies had provided financial support to the locals to carry out the terror attack.
"The mastermind of the blast has been identified. A Joint Investigation Team has been formed to further probe this incident," he said.
Ghani said the terrorist who planted explosives in the car and parked it near Saeed's house belongs to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, but he speaks fluent Punjabi that helped him carry out the operation in Lahore.
"Hostile agencies can have the services of local (Pakistani) agents for terror acts easily against money. Money is given to local (Pakistani) agents in the Middle East," the IGP said, and claimed that the "basic target of the Lahore blast was the FATF conference."
The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force, the global anti-money laundering and terror financing watchdog, at the end of its five-day virtual plenary meeting on Friday last retained Pakistan in its "grey list" for failing to adequately investigate and prosecute leaders of UN-designated terror groups.
Both the Chief Minister and IGP did not disclose the names of the arrested terrorists in the press conference. -- PTI
22:36 Indian Navy warship conducts military drill with S Korea in East China sea
An Indian Navy warship on Monday carried out a military drill with a South Korean vessel in the East China Sea amid China's growing assertiveness in the region, officials said.
They said the partnership exercise was aimed at enhancing interoperability and facilitating the exchange of best practices between the two navies.
"Indian Navy's indigenous ASW Corvette INS Kiltan deployed in the Far East undertook Navy Partnership Exercise in East China Sea with Republic of Korea's Ship ROKS Gyeongnam, a Daegu-class frigate, on Jun 28," a spokesperson of the Indian Navy said. -- PTI
22:23 Petrol price rise: Case filed against Dharmendra Pradhan at Bihar court
A case was on Monday lodged before a court in this north Bihar town against Union Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan in connection with the spiralling rise in petrol prices.
Local resident Tamanna Hashmi filed the case before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Muzaffarpur, alleging that it was a "conspiracy" to sell petrol at high rates across the country though the price of crude oil was quite low.
Hashmi, a serious litigant known for lodging cases against well-known personalities, has sought Pradhan's trial under IPC Sections 420 (fraud), 295 and 295 (A) pertaining to deliberate malicious acts and 511 (attempt to commit an offence).
Hashmi has further alleged that the prices of petrol have left the people of the country "terrorised" and "enraged".
The petition is expected to be taken up for hearing in due course. -- PTI
UK minister Matt Hancock
22:10 CCTV camera that caught UK health minister affair removed
The mysterious CCTV camera inside a United Kingdom government departmental office which caught Matt Hancock's affair with a close female aide and forced him to step down as health minister has been removed, his successor Sajid Javid said on Monday.
The new Health Secretary was asked about the device even as Cabinet ministers ordered a sweep of their departmental offices for hidden cameras.
The government had confirmed on Sunday that it will investigate how the camera came to be placed inside Hancock's office smoke alarm and also how the footage was leaked in an apparent security breach.
"I haven't disabled the camera that you are talking about, but it has been disabled by the department," Javid told reporters, as he began his new job at the Department of Health and Social Care.
"I think for security it is just common sense. I don't think, as a general rule, there should be cameras in the secretary of state's office. I've never known that in the other five departments that I've run and I am not really sure why there was one here. But I am sure there will be more to this as the whole incident is investigated," said the Pakistani-origin politician who has previously held UK Cabinet posts as Home Secretary and Chancellor.
Earlier, UK Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told Sky News he had asked for his office to be swept for "unauthorised devices" because ministers should have a "safe space" to work.
"I know there is CCTV in the building for obvious security reasons, but I am sure that many of my colleagues will be asking the same question and making sure that the offices are swept just in case there are unauthorised devices in there that could be a national security breach," the minister said.
The government is also set to be questioned further about "security arrangements relating to ministerial offices and communications" in the House of Commons.
It comes as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson continues to face questions over his refusal to remove Hancock, who admitted breaching COVID-19 social distancing rules by kissing a colleague outside his household bubble in early May. Johnson had initially accepted Hancock's apology and said he considered the matter closed.
"I read the story on Friday and we've got a new health secretary in post on Saturday, and I think that's about the right pace to proceed in a pandemic," said Johnson when pressed over the issue on Monday.
The Opposition Labour Party has insisted that Hancock should have been sacked immediately after the images of the minister in a compromising position with colleague Gina Coladangelo were published in The Sun newspaper on Friday.
The publication caused a storm within Hancock's own Conservative party, resulting in his Cabinet exit on Saturday.
21:58 CBI books its own DSP for amassing illicit assets
The Central Bureau of Investigation has booked one of its own DSPs, a recipient of the Union home minister's medal for excellence in investigation, for allegedly amassing illicit assets worth Rs 1.94 crore, three times more than his known sources of income, officials said.
In an FIR registered on Sunday evening, the CBI has named Deputy Superintendent of Police Brajesh Kumar, who was earlier posted in the agency's banking, frauds and securities cell unit, Bengaluru, his father Sheo Yogi Singh, who is a retired Patna high court employee, and mother Lalita Singh, as accused and booked them under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CBI has alleged that between 2018 and 2021, Kumar amassed assets worth Rs 2.09 crore in his and his parents' name.
Kumar, who was promoted to the rank of DSP in 2017, was one of the 15 Central Bureau of Investigation officers who received the Union home minister's medal for excellence in investigation in 2019.
The central agency received inputs from sources about the purchase of two apartments in Bengaluru's Prestige Royal Gardens in a span of nine months in 2020, totalling about Rs 1.91 crore, in the name of his parents for which no loan or financial assistance was taken by them, according to the FIR.
The CBI has said Kumar's father, a retired assistant registrar of the Patna High Court, receives a pension of Rs 65,000 per month, while his mother is a homemaker.
"Another property has been acquired in the name of his wife Sweety Singh at Subhodaya Laurel in Bengaluru," the officials said.
Kumar joined the CBI as a sub-inspector and was promoted to the rank of DSP in 2017 when he was posted at the banking, frauds and securities cell unit in Bengaluru, which handles high-profile banking fraud cases. He is presently serving in the same capacity at the CBI's Anti-Corruption Branch in Bengaluru.
After calculating the income and expenses of the accused, the CBI has alleged that Kumar and his parents were in possession of disproportionate assets worth Rs 1.94 crore, 302 per cent more than their known sources of income, for which they could not provide any satisfactory explanation. -- PTI
21:48 Mumbai reports 608 new COVID-19 cases, 18 deaths
Mumbai reported 608 new coronavirus infections and 18 fresh fatalities on Monday, while 714 patients recovered from the disease, the city civic body said.
With this, the tally of COVID-19 cases jumped to 7,20,964, while the death toll increased to 15,414, as per the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's updated data.
Mumbai has witnessed a decrease in new cases but a rise in fatalities as compared to Sunday, when the city had registered 746 cases and 13 deaths.
Presently, Mumbai has 8,453 active COVID-19 cases, the BMC said.
The BMC said with 714 patients getting discharged from hospitals during the day, the cumulative number of recovered cases rose to 6,94,796.
According to the civic body, so far 70,72,953 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in the city, including 28,295 tests in the last 24 hours.
Mumbai has a COVID-19 recovery rate of 96 per cent, while the average growth rate of cases between June 21 and June 27 was 0.9 per cent, it said.
The case doubling rate in the metropolis was 728 days, as per the data.
Mumbai has 12 active containment zones in slums and 'chawls' (old row tenements) and 82 sealed buildings (where a certain number of residents have tested coronavirus positive), the BMC said.
The financial capital of the county had reported the highest-ever 11,163 COVID-19 cases on April 4, while the most deaths in a day during the second wave -- at 90 -- were registered on May 1. -- PTI
21:45 Congress not in favour of maintaining relation with ISF: Adhir
West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said on Monday that he was not in favour of having any tie-up with the Indian Secular Front, noting that the Abbas Siddiqui-led party fielded candidates against the Congress in the assembly elections.
Speaking to reporters, Chowdhury said that he has not got any directive from the Congress's central leadership regarding maintaining any relation with the ISF.
"In the assembly elections, the ISF fielded candidates against Congress in the Murshidabad district. The Congress did not enter into any electoral understanding with ISF. It was the CPI-M that had joined hands with Siddiqui's party," he said.
Maintaining that he has no personal issues with any ISF leader, Chowdhury said that he was dictated by the political principles followed by the Congress. -- PTI
21:36 RDX used in explosives dropped on Jammu IAF base
Monday, with investigators yet to establish the flight path of the unmanned aerial vehicles.
The IAF station located at Jammu airport continued to remain out of bounds for everyone with probe teams, which included one from the National Investigation Agency, picking up every bit of evidence available on the ground.
The officials said the explosive material dropped by the drones might have been manufactured using a cocktail consisting of RDX but a final confirmation was still awaited.
They said an National Security Guard post-blast analysis team has been sent to the IAF station to study the material. This team will share its findings with the Jammu and Kashmir police and the NIA after completing the task.
In what is the first instance of Pakistan-based terrorists deploying drones to strike vital installations, two bombs were dropped at the IAF station in Jammu airport in the early hours of Sunday, causing minor injuries to two IAF personnel.
The explosions took place around 1.40 am within six minutes of each other.
The first blast ripped off the roof of a single-storey building at the technical area of the airport manned by the IAF in Satwari area on the outskirts of the city.
The second one was on the ground.
The investigations are going on but the teams are still clueless about the path taken by the drones before dropping the bombs, the sources said.
Various probe agencies and senior officers of the army, police and other security agencies visited the IAF station for the second day on Monday, while the Army's Quick Reaction Teams were seen patrolling the areas outside the base on regular intervals.
J&K Director General of Police Dilbag Singh has termed the incident a "terror act" and said the police and other agencies were working with IAF officials to unravel the plan behind the attack.
Investigators scanned CCTV footage, including from cameras installed on the boundary walls of the airport, in an effort to determine from where the drones came. However, all the CCTV cameras focused on the roadside, the officials said. -- PTI
20:50 People of Maha will ensure Fadnavis retires from politics: Patole
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Monday accused Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis of being a "lie machine " and claimed the people of the state would ensure his retirement from politics.
Patole was responding to questions from reporters on former CM Fadnavis's statement that he would take political 'sanyas' if he fails to restore OBC quota in local body elections in four months after his party comes to power.
"The people of the state understand his drama and they would retire him from politics," Patole said, hitting out at the leader of opposition in the assembly.
The Supreme Court recently struck down political reservation for OBCs in the local bodies in Maharashtra.
Patole blamed the previous government in Maharashtra led by Fadnavis, the Modi government and the BJP for OBCs losing their political quota in local body elections.
"The RSS's mindset is anti-reservation," he claimed, adding the central government has empirical data on OBCs but it did not share it with Maharashtra.
"If the Centre had given the OBC data to the Supreme Court, this situation wouldn't have arisen," said the former Lok Sabha MP, who had a stint in the BJP.
The state Congress president called Fadnavis a "lie machine" for not keeping promises when in power.
In 2014, Fadnavis promised reservations in jobs and education for the Dhangar (shpeherd) community in the first cabinet meeting of his government, Patole said.
"But he betrayed the Dhangar community when in power for 5 years. He also betrayed the Maratha community and the law (on Maratha quota) unanimously passed in the legislature was struck down (by the Supreme Court). The OBC quota also met the same fate," Patole said.
Due to the BJP, 55,000 elected representatives belonging to the OBC community in gram panchayats, panchayat samitis, zilla parishads, municipal councils and municipal corporations are under the threat of losing their seats, Patole said.
He demanded that polls to five zilla parishads announced recently by the State Election Commission be postponed since the government will seek legal remedy in the Supreme Court on the OBC quota issue. -- PTI
20:35 Situation at LAC with India generally stable: China
China on Monday said the situation along the Sino-India border is generally stable and both sides are trying to resolve the boundary issue through talks.
Asked about a Western media report that India has redirected at least 50,000 troops to its border with China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing here that "the situation at China-India border maintains general stability, and the two sides are resolving the boundary issue through negotiation".
"Against such background, the words and deeds of relevant important military and government officials and military deployments should be conducive to deescalating and cooling down the situation, and to enhancing mutual trust, rather than the opposite", the spokesman said.
Wang's remarks also came days after India and China on Friday agreed to hold the next round of military talks at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh amid fresh sparring between the two sides on the prolonged Line of Actual Control standoff.
At a virtual meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs, the two sides had a "frank exchange" of views and decided to maintain dialogue to reach a mutually acceptable solution for withdrawal of troops in all friction points to enable progress in the overall ties, according to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.
In a statement at the end of the talks, the MEA said both sides agreed on the need to find an early resolution to the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
India and China were locked in a military standoff at multiple friction points in eastern Ladakh since early May last year. However, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the North and South banks of the Pangong Lake in February following a series of military and diplomatic talks.
The two sides are now engaged in talks to extend the disengagement process to the remaining friction points. India has been particularly pressing for disengagement of troops in Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang.
According to military officials, each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the sensitive high altitude sector. -- PTI
19:58 'Extremely impressed' by train journey from Delhi to UP: Prez
President Ram Nath Kovind, who arrived here from Kanpur on a two-day visit on Monday by the Presidential Express Train, lauded the Indian Railways for providing easy transportation across the length and breadth of the country.
In a note he penned in the Indian Railways' visitors' book, the president also said he and his family were "extremely impressed" by the train journey.
Kovind, who is on a five-day visit to his home state Uttar Pradesh, arrived at the Charbagh railway station here around noon. He was received by Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, state ministers and a large number of senior officials and public representatives.
After his journey, the president wrote in the visitors' book of the Indian Railways, praising the national transporter, Chief PRO of North Central Railways Shivam Sharma told PTI.
"My good wishes to the Indian Railways, which provides easy and convenient transportation from the inaccessible mountain ranges of the Himalayas to the sea coast of Kanyakumari and from the green land of northeast India to the deserts in western Gujarat.
"By undertaking a happy and picturesque train journey after a long time from Delhi to Kanpur and then to Lucknow, I and my family are extremely impressed," Kovind wrote in the visitors' book.
"During this memorable journey, I had the pleasant experience of meeting my old friends and relatives in Rura and Jhijhak," he said.
"I am confident that the Indian Railways, as the preferred daily transport service for crores of Indians, will maintain its leading position in rail services across the world. My thanks and good wishes to the entire team involved in serving the Indian Railways," he said.
From the railway station, Kovind went straight to the Raj Bhavan.
Kovind embarked on a journey to Kanpur on the Presidential Express Train on June 25 from Delhi's Safdarjung railway station.
This is the first time in 15 years that a president has taken a train ride. Kovind has also become the first president not to travel on a presidential saloon car.
The last time a president travelled by train was in 2006 when Dr APJ Abdul Kalam boarded a special train from Delhi to Dehradun to attend a passing out parade of cadets at the Indian Military Academy. -- PTI
19:44 Jammu blast: Drones dropped explosives and returned
While investigating the Jammu airbase attack, it has emerged that the drones which were used to carry out the hit, dropped the explosives and were moved out from the area by their handlers, sources said on Monday.
In investigations at the attack site, the investigators have not yet been able to find parts of any drone, sources said.
This suggests that the drones used to carry out the attack dropped the explosives over the airbase and were navigated away from the area by their handlers, they said.
Multiple agencies including the National Investigation Agency, the National Security Guards along with the local police and Air Force authorities have been looking into the first of its kind terror attack in the country which has not caused any major damage to the equipment or personnel but had the potential of causing heavy damage to the infrastructure there.
The investigators are also probing the possibility of drones having been launched from nearby locations in Jammu even as drones were seen hovering close to the Army facilities in Jammu.
The Indian Air Force is taking all possible measures to ensure that such an incident is not repeated at other places and a high alert has been sounded at all stations. -- ANI
19:02
Covid vaccination in India.
18:56 Bengal Guv corrupt, should be removed: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday called Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar a 'corrupt man' and questioned the purpose of his recent tour of North Bengal, alleging that a conspiracy was being hatched to divide the northern part of the state.
"He is a corrupt man. He was named in the chargesheet in the 1996 Hawala Jain case. Why has the central government allowed a governor like this to continue?" she told reporters at the state secretariat, without elaborating. Banerjee said Dhankhar's visit to North Bengal was a political stunt as he only met MLAs and MPs of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"Why did he suddenly tour North Bengal? I can sense a conspiracy to divide North Bengal," the CM alleged.
The Trinamool Congress supremo also said she has written multiple letters to the Centre for the removal of Dhankhar.
"As per the Constitution, I will continue to meet him, talk to him. and follow all the courtesies... But, the union government should act based on my letters," she said. -- PTI
18:33 Gupkar meeting to discuss PM talks postponed
A meeting of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) -- an amalgam of six mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir seeking the restoration of the special status of the erstwhile state which was scheduled to take place on Tuesday in Srinagar has been postponed.
The meeting has been postponed because of some prior 'personal' engagement of the alliance's Vice-Chairperson and People's Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti.
"PAGD meeting which was scheduled for tomorrow is postponed because of personal engagement of Mtr Mehbooba Mufti," PAGD spokesperson M Y Tarigami said.
The meeting was scheduled to be held at the alliance's chairperson Farooq Abdullah's residence in Gupkar area of Srinagar at 11 am.
Earlier, the PAGD spokesperson had said the meeting will discuss the all-party meet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 24, and the way forward for the alliance. -- PTI
18:13 50%+ of Mumbai kids have Covid antibodies: BMC
A paediatric sero-survey conducted before the anticipated third wave of the pandemic has revealed that 51.18% of children between 1 to 18 years in Mumbai have developed antibodies against coronavirus, the city civic body said on Monday.
A total of 2,176 blood samples were tested for this study conducted between April and June, it said.
The survey conducted by the civic-run BYL Nair Hospital and Kasturba Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory (KMDL) also revealed that the proportion of the pediatric population having antibodies has increased compared to the earlier sero-survey, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a release.
A sero-survey involves testing of blood serum of a group of people and the findings are used to monitor trends in prevalence.
As a possible third wave of COVID-19 is anticipated to affect children disproportionately, the BMC had directed to conduct the sero-survey of the pediatric population during the second wave itself.
The BMC said this was the third sero -survey conducted since the beginning of the pandemic. This survey was conducted between April 1 to June 15 in which 2,176 blood samples were collected from pathology laboratories including 1,283 samples from Aapli Chikitsa Network and the Nair Hospital of BMC, and 893 from a network of two private laboratories across 24 municipal wards.
The key findings of this study suggest that more than 50 per cent of the children have already been exposed to SARS-COV-2. "The overall sero-positivity is 51.18 per cent including 54.36 per cent from the public sector and 47.03 per cent from the private sector," the release said, adding that sero-positivity is the highest in the age group 10-14 years at 53.43 per cent.
18:02 Rs 1.75L cr disinvestment target on track: CEA
The target of mopping up Rs 1.75 lakh crore from disinvestments of some of the public sector companies, including LIC and BPCL during the current fiscal, is on track and groundwork is being prepared for the goal, Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian said on Monday.
On the COVID-19 pandemic, Subramanian said the impact of the second wave is lesser than that of the first one.
In an interactive session, organised by Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the CEA said robust GST collections, over Rs one lakh crore per month for eight months in a row shows that consumption is picking up indicating positive signal for growth.
"There has to be a lot of work which is going on and this year there is actually a lot of emphasis on achieving these targets.
Remember that Rs 1.75 lakh crore, a good part of it will be from LIC's IPO (Initial Public Offering).Second is Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) privatisation.
And these two together itself can account for a large part of (disinvestment target)," he said.
The Centre budgeted Rs 1.75 lakh crore from stake sale in public sector companies and financial institutions, including 2 PSU banks and one insurance company, in the current fiscal year.
The disinvestment plan includes strategic sale of IDBI Bank, BPCL, Shipping Corp, Container Corporation, Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd, among others, and also legislative amendments required for LIC IPO would be brought in 2021-22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said in her budget speech.
17:50 Titan top loser in Sensex pack, IT stocks skid
Equity benchmark Sensex reversed early gains to close 189 points lower on Monday, pressured by Reliance Industries and IT stocks, as investors gave a lukewarm response to the government's fresh stimulus measures for COVID-hit sectors.
A lacklustre trend in global equities further weighed on sentiment, though robust buying in pharma and metal counters capped the losses, traders said.
After touching a lifetime high of 53,126.73 in opening session, the 30-share BSE index ended 189.45 points or 0.36 per cent lower at 52,735.59. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty settled 45.65 points or 0.29 per cent down at 15,814.70. It touched an intra-day record of 15,915.65.
Titan was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding 1.56 per cent, followed by TCS, HCL Tech, Bajaj Finserv, Reliance Industries, UltraTech Cement and Bharti Airtel. On the other hand, Dr Reddy's topped the gainers' chart with a leap of 1.75 per cent after the pharma major announced the commercial launch of its COVID-19 treatment drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG). Tata Steel, Tech Mahindra, Sun Pharma, HUL and PowerGrid were among the other winners, climbing up to 1.64 per cent.
17:38 The early years
TMC leader and India's former finance minister in the Chandrashekhar and Atal Bihari Vajpayee governments, looks back on India's economic reforms. Do read
17:32 Can't predict Covid 3rd wave: Govt
COVID Task Force chief V K Paul's presser:
-- It will not be fair to put a date for any COVID wave as virus behaviour is unpredictable. (Read what IIT Kanpur, which predicted Covid 2nd wave, says on the 3rd wave).
-- Process for getting World Health Organisation's emergency use approval for Covaxin proceeding very well; hope decision comes soon.
-- Govt discussing ways to approve Pfizer, Moderna's COVID vaccines for inoculation in India at the earliest.
-- No scientific data so far to establish Delta plus variant of coronavirus adversely impacts vaccine efficacy.
16:52 J-K Lt Guv at Amarnath shrine
J&K Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha today paid his obeisance at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath. The LG, who is also the Chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, was accompanied by senior officers from Army, Civil admin, Police & Shrine Board.
There will be no Amarnath Yatra this year as well due to the pandemic. The yatra was cancelled last year.
16:44 Emirates likely to resume Dubai-India flights from July 7
Dubai's flag carrier Emirates may resume its flights from India to Dubai from July 7, over two months after the UAE suspended its operations owing to the surge in coronavirus cases in India, according to a media report.
However, the airline is awaiting exact travel protocols and guidelines from the government regarding the resumption of the flight operations, the Khaleej Times reported on Sunday.
"We're expecting to resume our flights from India to Dubai from 7th of July 2021... We're waiting for the exact travel protocols and relevant permits from the government authorities. We hope to have more details soon," the report said, quoting the airline in response to a query from a passenger on its Twitter account. The airline's website shows seats are available for booking from July 7, the report said.
16:42 India may share Co-WIN software with 50 nations
About 50 countries, including Canada, Mexico, Nigeria and Panama, have shown interest in having a Co-WIN like system to run their vaccination drive, a senior official said Monday, adding India is ready to share the open source software free of cost.
Dr R S Sharma, the chairman of the empowered group for Covid-19 vaccine administration, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed officials to create an open source version of the platform and give it free of cost to any country that wants it.
"The Cowin platform has become so popular that as many as 50 countries from central Asia, Latin America, Africa all showed interest in having a Co-win like system," Sharma said at the second Public Health Summit 2021 on 'Emerging Imperatives in Strengthening Public Health for India' organised by Confederation of Indian Industry.
He also said a virtual global conclave of health and technology experts from across the world will be held on July 5 where India will share how this system works.
"We are telling the world how this system can work and how we are ready to share an open source software with any country free of cost.
There have been huge interests starting from Canada, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Nigeria, Uganda," he said. Sources said other countries such as Vietnam, Iraq, Dominican Republic, the United Arab Emirates have also expressed interest in knowing about the Co-WIN platform for implementing it in their own countries to run their own Covid programmes.
16:36 P Sainath wins prestigious prize from Japan
People's Archive of Rural India founder-editor P Sainath wins the Fukuoka Grand Prize, among Japan's most prestigious international awards. The award honours the outstanding work of individuals or organizations in preserving or creating Asian culture.
Sainath founded the PARI in 2014, an online platform that focuses on social and economic inequality, rural affairs, poverty, and the aftermath of globalization in India.
He is also the Ramon Magsaysay Award winner for 2007 and penned the must-read book, Everybody Loves a Good Drought.
16:31 Govt urges Covid safety as states begin unlock
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan has strongly reiterated the importance of COVID appropriate behaviour as states unlock in a calibrated manner after a significant decline in active coronavirus cases as well as a steady increasing recovery rate.
Addressing the 29th meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 situation in the country, which he chaired, Dr Vadhan on Monday gave a snapshot of India's efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic at the outset.
"In the last 24 hours we have had only 46,148 cases making the active caseload decline significantly to 5,72,994 in the country. The recovery rate has been steadily increasing and stands at 96.80 per cent today. 58,578 recoveries were registered in the last 24 hours," Vardhan said.
The Union minister pointed out that "Today is the 46th day in succession where our daily recoveries outnumbered new cases. Our case fatality rate has been 1.30 per cent, daily positivity rate at 2.94 per cent and weekly positivity rate also stands at 2.94 per cent which has been consistently below 5 per cent for 21 days now."
16:05 Employment scheme extended to March 2022
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman:
Tourism: To revive tourism, the new loan guarantee scheme will support 10,700 regional level tourist guides and Travel & Tourism stakeholders recognized by the Ministry of Tourism and the State governments.
Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana: The scheme has now been extended from June 30, 2021, to March 31, 2022. Over 21.4 lakh people of nearly 80,000 establishments have already benefited from the scheme
15:46 FM: No visa fees for 1st 5 lakh tourists
Overall cap of Emergency credit line guarantee scheme raised: The overall cap of Emergency credit line guarantee scheme is raised from 3 lakh crore to 4.5 lakh crore.
Rs 50,000 crore announced for health sector: Finance Minister announced 50,000 crore in the health sector for scaling up medical infrastructure.
Rs 1.5 lakh crore for emergency credit line guarantee scheme: Rs 1.5 lakh crore guarantee scheme emergency credit line guarantee was announced by the FM.
No tourist visa fees for Jaldi 5: Once international travel resumes, first 5 lakh tourists who come to India will not have to pay visa fees. Scheme applicable till March 31, 2022, or will be closed after distribution of first 5 lakh visas. One tourist can avail benefit only once.
15:35 Rs 1.25L loan to small borrowers
The new scheme is the Credit Guarantee Scheme. Under this scheme, 25 lakh people will be benefitted. Loans will be given to the smallest borrowers by microfinance Institutions. A maximum amount of Rs 1.25 lakh to be lent under the scheme. Focus will be on new lending and not on repayment of old loans
15:27 FM announces eight economic relief measures
Just in: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman: We are announcing about 8 economic relief measures, of which four are absolutely new and one is specific to health infrastructure. For Covid-affected areas, Rs 1.1 lakh crores credit guarantee scheme and Rs 50,000 crores for health sector.
14:58 Twitter shows J&K, Ladakh as separate country
Amid a stand-off with the Indian government over compliance with new IT rules, the Twitter website is displaying a wrong map of India, showing Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as a separate country.
The glaring distortion appears on the career section of Twitter website under the header 'Tweep Life'.
This is the second time Twitter has misrepresented India's map. Earlier it had shown Leh as part of China.
The US digital giant has been engaged in a tussle with the Indian government over the new social media rules.
The government has slammed Twitter for deliberate defiance and failure to comply with the country's new IT rules, which has led to the microblogging platform losing its legal shield as an intermediary in India, and becoming liable for users posting any unlawful content.
-- PTI
14:39 Popular Bengali singer Kabir Suman hospitalised
Popular Bengali singer and former Trinamool Congress MP Kabir Suman was rushed to a hospital on Monday after he complained of severe breathing problems, health department sources said.
The septuagenarian singer, who is having severe pain in his throat and high fever, is being treated and is on oxygen support at the SSKM Hospital's Woodburn Block, they said.
"He was having severe throat pain and breathing trouble for the last three days. It deteriorated last night and the singer was taken to the hospital early Monday morning," a senior official of the state-run hospital said.
"His oxygen level was at 90 and is currently on oxygen support," the official said. Though the rapid-antigen test conducted on him proved negative for COVID-19, doctors at the hospital also carried RT-PCR test, he added.
14:32 President's train reaches Lucknow
President Ram Nath Kovind doing more to popularise long-distance train travel in India than any other leader in recent times.
The President and the First Lady arrived at Lucknow railway station this afternoon. The Governor of Uttar Pradesh Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath received the President on his arrival at Lucknow Railway Station.
President Kovind on Friday had embarked on a train journey to visit his birthplace in Uttar Pradesh, where he will interact with his old acquaintances from school days and the early days of his social service.
It would be after a gap of 15 years that an incumbent president is travelling by train.
14:29 Kejriwal promises free electricity in Punjab if AAP wins
Capt Amarinder Singh's office refuses to give permission to Arvind Kejriwal's press conference which was scheduled to be held at Punjab Bhavan on Tuesday at 1 pm. "We will hold the press conferences no matter how hard Captain tries," says Aam Aadmi Party.
Ahead of assembly elections in Punjab next year, Delhi Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday promised free electricity in that state if his Aam Aadmi Party wins the polls. A day ahead of his visit to Chandigarh, the AAP leader also claimed that women in Punjab are very unhappy with inflation.
"...In Delhi we provide 200 units of free electricity to every family. The women are very happy. Women in Punjab are also very unhappy with inflation. The AAP government will also provide free electricity in Punjab. See you tomorrow in Chandigarh," Kejriwal tweeted in Punjabi. Assembly elections in Punjab are scheduled to be held in February or March next year. PTI
14:08 TN CM asks Centre for more Covid vaccines
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin writes to Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, requesting an increase in the allocation of vaccines to Tamil Nadu and also increase the sub-allocation of vaccines for government institutions to 90%.
The government has said that more than 1.15 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines are still available with states and union territories.
States and UTs currently have 1,15,22,543 vaccine doses. More than 31.69 crores (31,69,40,160) free vaccine doses have been provided by the Centre to states so far through the direct state procurement category.
Of this, the total consumption, including wastages is 30,54,17,617 doses, as of 8 am on Monday.
Indian soldiers in Kashmir
13:56 Holbrookes revenge: How Modi led the Americans back into Kashmir
The ending of autonomy in Kashmir reconstituted a conflict that was politically frozen in many ways for decades and has set it off in directions that can increase Washington's diplomatic costs in the region. Read the column here.
J-K leaders with PM on June 24
13:51 Gupkar alliance meeting to discuss all-party meet with PM
The People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) an amalgam of six mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir seeking the restoration of the special status of the erstwhile state will meet in Srinagar on Tuesday to discuss the recently held all-party meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This will be the first meeting of the alliance after the all-party meet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 24.
"The PAGD will meet tomorrow," the alliance's spokesperson M Y Tarigami said on Monday. He said the meeting will be held at the alliance's chairperson Farooq Abdullah's residence in Gupkar area of the city at 11 am. The PAGD spokesperson said the meeting will discuss the PM's all-party meet and the way forward for the alliance. -- PTI
File pic
13:44 Govt decides to give one year extension to Venugopal as A-G
The central government has decided to extend the tenure of K K Venugopal as the Attorney General by one year, sources said on Monday.
Though the attorney general usually has a tenure of three years, when his first term as A-G was to end last year, Venugopal had requested the government to give him a one-year tenure keeping in mind his advanced age. He is 90.
Keeping in mind the high profile cases he is handling in the Supreme Court and his experience at the Bar, the government has decided to extend his tenure for one more year, the sources said. Formal orders regarding his fresh extension would be issued soon, they said. Venugopal took over as the Attorney General on July 1, 2017. He succeeded Mukul Rohatgi as the top law officer of the Union government. PTI
13:40 Twitter appoints US-based grievance officer
Just in: appoints US employee as Grievance Officer. New rules require Indian resident for role. California based Jeremy Kessel now Twitter India grievance officer.
This comes a day after the social media giant's interim grievance redressal officer in India, appointed less than a month ago, resigned amid the company's bitter feud with the government.
13:16 HC refuses to stay new IT rules regulating digital news media
The Delhi High Court Monday refused to stay the new Information Technology rules which seek to regulate digital news media, saying it was not in agreement with the petitioners on passing such an order at this stage. Foundation for Independent Journalism, The Wire, Quint Digital Media Ltd and Pravda Media Foundation, parent company of Alt News, sought a stay on the Information technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, on the ground that a fresh notice has been issued to them to comply with the rules or else coercive action will be taken.
A vacation bench of Justices C Hari Shankar and Subramonium Prasad said the notice has been issued to them only for implementation of notification on which there was no stay.
"We are not in agreement with you. If you want we will pass a reasoned detailed order or if you want we can renotify it before the roster bench. You take instructions and let us know," the bench said.
After taking instructions, senior advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan, representing the news portals, urged the court to list the matter on reopening of courts after vacations. The court listed the applications for stay before the roster bench on July 7. According to amended IT rules, social media and streaming companies will be required to take down contentious content quicker, appoint grievance redressal officers and assist in investigations.
File pic
13:11 Army unsuccessfully fires at hovering drones
Alert Army troops fired at two drones found hovering over the Ratnuchak-Kaluchak military areas, a defence spokesperson said on Monday, a day after two drones dropped bombs at an IAF station. One drone was spotted at 11.45 pm on Sunday night and the other at 2.40 am, the officials said. Both drones "flew away" after alert sentries fired at them.
He said a high alert was sounded immediately and Quick Reaction Teams engaged the drones with firing, Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand said in a statement here.
"Both drones flew away. A major threat was thwarted by the alertness and proactive approach of troops," he said, adding the security forces are on high alert and a search operation is in progress.
Earlier, official sources said that the sentries had swiftly opened fire on noticing the drones to bring them down. They said the whole area outside the military station was cordoned off immediately and a massive search operation was going on when the last reports were received.
Nothing objectionable was found on the ground, the sources said. The latest incident comes barely a day after a drone, in a first-of-its kind strike, dropped two bombs at Indian Air Force (IAF) station here, causing minor injuries to two personnel. PTI
13:05 Mourners line up for SPOs funeral
SPO Fayaz Ahmad, his wife and daughter were at home when terrorists barged into their house and riddled them with bullets. The incident occurred at around 11pm on Sunday. The injured daughter died in this morning. Pic: Umar Ganie
12:52 IGP Kashmir visits slain cop's family
IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar visited the family of J&K Police SPO Fayaz Ahmad & prayed for the peace of the departed souls. He expressed sympathies with the family members & assured that the terrorists involved in this act will be neutralized soon.
Mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday condemned the killing of a special police officer (SPO), his wife and daughter in Pulwama district, calling it "dastardly and cowardly" and a "form of terrorism".
The Agni-Prime missile was test-fired successfully
12:34 India test fires high-tech Agni-Prime missile
India successfully test-fired the Agni-Prime missile today, off the coast of Odisha. It can hit targets up to a range of 2000 kms, and is very short & light in comparison with other missiles in this class. A lot of new technologies were incorporated in the new missile, DRDO officials said.
Various telemetry and radar stations were positioned along the eastern coast tracked and monitored the missile. It has followed textbook trajectory, meeting all mission objectives with a high level of accuracy.
A primary health care centre in Bihar
12:07 We must strengthen public health system: Guleria
AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria speaks at the CII Public health summit virtually, highlights:
-- India's Public health policy has been designed to provide a standard of care as a package to population up to the primary health level. The basic aim is to have equitable access to healthcare even in rural/remote areas of the country for everyone who needs it.
-- With changing times, we have to change our public health system. One of the steps was Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY which has made a huge difference as far as health care is concerned.
-- As we now prepare for the possibility of the third wave and new variants like Delta Plus, it's important to see what we can do. We need to look ahead and see how we can strengthen our public health system, focusing on lessons we've learnt from past.
-- This is important not because of the current pandemic situation but because of what last 15 years have shown us that for the future, we will have to be prepared for ongoing outbreaks and pandemic.
12:00 Over 1.15 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses still available with states: Centre
More than 1.15 crore balance and unutilised COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday.
Over 31.69 crore vaccine doses have been provided by the Centre to states and UTs so far through the Government of India free of cost channel and through direct state procurement category.
Of this, the total consumption, including wastage is 30,54,17,617 doses, the ministry said. "More than 1.15 crore (1,15,22,543) balance and unutilised COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered," the ministry said. The new phase of universalisation of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from June 21. PTI
11:56 Prashant Bhushan spreads misinformation on vaccination
Prashant Bhushan's irresponsible statement on vaccination.
If you follow him, don't follow his advice.
Bhushan, a respected Supreme Court lawyer and activist, an IIT Madras and Princeton College alumni, but not a medical professional, tweets, "The healthy young have hardly any chance of serious effects or dying due to covid. They have a higher chance of dying due to vaccines. The covid recovered have much better natural immunity, than the vaccine gives them. Vaccines may even compromise their acquired natural immunity. For the record, I have not taken, nor do I intend to take any Covid Vaccine."
This is what you should read on vaccination: Vaccination is the only long-term solution to Covid.
and
and
11:46 Indian successfully test fires Agni-Prime
India successfully carried out the test firing of a new missile of the Agni series known as Agni-Prime at 10.55 am today, off the coast of Odisha. The new nuclear-capable missile is fully made up of composite material and it was a textbook launch: Govt Sources
11:44 SC pays tribute to 77 lawyers of SCBA who died due to Covid
The Supreme Court on Monday paid tribute to 77 advocates of the apex court lawyers' body, who lost their lives due to COVID-19. At the start of the day's proceedings, a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana expressed condolence on behalf of the Supreme Court judges.
"We are informed by the Secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) that 77 advocates who were members of SCBA have lost their lives to COVID-19. We pay our deepest condolences. We will observe two-minute silence for the departed souls," Chief Justice Ramana said.
People queue up to get vaccinated
11:18 Adar to resolve EU's ban on Covishield recipients
Adar Poonawalla, SII on the European Union's ban for those who took Covishield. "I realise that a lot of Indians who've taken Covishield are facing issues with travel to the EU. I assure everyone, I've taken this up at highest levels & hope to resolve this matter soon, both with regulators and at the diplomatic level with countries."
Europe's new 'vaccine passport' programme, which recognises a few vaccines whose recipients will be able to travel in and out of Europe with fewer roadblocks than others, includes the AstraZeneca vaccine but not India's Covishield.
Serum Institute, Pune, which makes Covishield in India with a license from AstraZeneca, didnt apply to have the vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
10:50 Dr Reddy's launches drug to treat severe Covid
Dr Reddy's Laboratories has announced the commercial launch of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), a drug for moderate to severe Covid-19 patients administered as an adjunct therapy to the existing standard care.
The emergency use approval for anti-Covid-19 therapeutic application of the drug was granted on May 1, 2021.
Dr Reddy's will supply to major government as well as private hospitals across India. In the initial weeks, the company will make the drug available in hospitals across metros and Tier 1 cities, and subsequently expand coverage to the rest of India.
2-DG manufactured by Dr Reddy's has a purity of 99.5 per cent and is being sold commercially under the brand name 2DGTM. The maximum retail price (MRP) of each sachet has been fixed at 990, with a subsidised rate offered to government institutions.
10:39 Covid: Study shows Delta strain is a threat even after vaccination
Researchers have also found that the variant has spread fast through its high transmissibility and is able to dodge 20 to 55% of immune protection. Read the report here.
10:31 Huge rise in Delta variant cases in S Africa
South Africa has tightened the COVID-19 restrictions and moved to level 4 of lockdown procedures, including a longer curfew and ban on all gatherings, amid an exponential rise in infections and deaths attributed largely to the Delta variant of the coronavirus.
President Cyril Ramaphosa in a national broadcast on Sunday announced that the new measures would go into effect from midnight of June 27 for a fortnight, after which it will be reviewed.
Shortly before the president's address, the Health Ministry announced that in the preceding 24 hours, 15,036 new cases and 122 deaths were reported from complications caused by COVID-19.
The economic hub of Gauteng province will have additional restrictions as it is currently accounting for over 60 per cent of the infections. Travel in and out of the province is now prohibited except for business purposes or for returning home to and from the province.
The Delta variant of COVID-19, identified in at least 85 countries and first detected in India, is likely responsible for the exponentially rising daily number of virus cases in Gauteng.
The Level Four restrictions include a ban on all gatherings, whether indoors or outdoors, including for political, cultural, social and religious purposes. The only exceptions are funerals, which are restricted to 50 people subject to the health protocols of masks and social distancing. A longer curfew will be in place from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. -- PTI
10:03 India zooms past US in vaccine doses given
India has now administered more vaccine doses than the United States. As on June 28, India has given 32,36,63,297 doses while US has clocked 32,33,27,328.
Interestingly, vaccinations in India began on January 16 this year while US has been providing jabs from December 14 last year.
More than 17.21 lakh vaccine doses were administered in India on June 27, the Union health ninistrys latest provisional report suggested.
On the 163rd day of the vaccination drive on June 27, 13.9 lakh beneficiaries received their first shot and 3.3 lakh people were given their second dose.
09:54 PM Modi pays tributes to Rao
Paying rich tributes to former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao on his 100th birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that India remembers his extensive contributions to national development.
Rao, a veteran Congress leader who served a full five year term after taking over as prime minister in 1991, is credited with liberalising the Indian economy, effecting transformational changes.
Modi tweeted, "Tributes to former PM Shri PV Narasimha Rao Ji on his 100th birth anniversary. India remembers his extensive contributions to national development. He was blessed with remarkable knowledge and intellect."
The prime minister also shared a clip of his radio broadcast, Mann Ki Baat, of last year in which he had paid fond tributes to Rao.
09:28 India records 46,148 new Covid cases, 979 deaths
India on Monday recorded 46,148 new Covid-19 cases and 979 deaths in the last 24 hours, informed the Union Health Ministry.
A total of 58,578 patients recovered during the same time.
The top five states which registered the maximum cases are Kerala with 10,905 cases, followed by Maharashtra with 9,974 cases, Tamil Nadu with 5,127 cases, Andhra Pradesh with 4,250 cases and Karnataka with 3,604 cases.
09:12 J-K special police officer, wife shot at home
A Special Police Officer and his wife were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Sunday after terrorists entered their home and sprayed them with bullets.
Their daughter was also injured in the incident.
Fayaz Ahmad was a resident of Hariparigam in Awantipora, according to the police.
The terrorists forced their way into their home around 11 pm and started firing indiscriminately at the family, officials said.
They were rushed to the hospital, where the SPO and his wife Raja Begum died from their injuries, while their daughter Rafia is being treated.
Security forces said they have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to track down the terrorists.
The incident came on a day when terrorists struck an Air Force base in Jammu in what is believed to be the first drone strike on an Indian military installation.
08:32 Delhi: Fire breaks out at AIIMS, no casualty reported
A minor fire broke out in the storeroom of the All India Institute of Medical Science in the national capital on Monday morning.
According to the Delhi Fire Department, the fire broke out around 5 am.
It has been brought under control and no casualty has been reported. The cause of the fire is not known yet and the extent of damage has not been ascertained so far.
-- ANI
08:13 Jammu base strike: Pak terror groups under probe
In what is believed to be the first use of drones in a terror attack on an Indian military facility, two blasts took place at the Air Force base in Jammu Airport in the early hours of Sunday.
An FIR has been registered under the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act that allows the arrest of suspects and their detention for up to six months without evidence. The National Investigation Agency has taken over the probe.
Teams from the IAF, the National Bomb Data Centre, forensic experts and the Jammu and Kashmir police are also investigating the attack.
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