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Tue, 09 March 2021
India to give Pak 45L doses of Covid vaccine
Timeline Refresh
23:36 Where was Rahul when Scindia was in Congress: Chouhan
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan asked what did Rahul Gandhi do to ensure that Jyotiraditya Scindia did not leave the party.
Commenting on Gandhi's reported remark that had Scindia, now with the BJP, remained in the Congress, he would have certainly become chief minister, Chouhan said Gandhi
understands a situation a little late.
"Where was Rahul Gandhi when Jyotiraditya Scindia was in the Congress?" Chouhan asked, speaking to reporters.
"That's why I say that Rahul's tubelight glows late (he takes time to understand)," he quipped.
The Congress had done "injustice" to Jyotiraditya's father late Madhavrao Scindia too and did not allow him to become chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan claimed.
Earlier, reacting to Rahul Gandhi's remark, Scindia said, "I wish Rahul Gandhi was as concerned when I was in the Congress as he is now."
Scindia left the Congress along with several MLAs last March, bringing down the party's government in Madhya Pradesh.
-- PTI
23:08 India to give Pak 45L doses of Covid vaccine
Keeping up with its promise of helping the international community in the fight against coronavirus, India will be supplying COVID-19 vaccine doses to Pakistan.
The neighbouring country will get 45 million doses of coronavirus vaccine.
India has so far supplied COVID-19 vaccine to over 15 countries and around 25 are in the queue.
India has provided around 56 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccines under grants assistance countries, including Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles.
India has approved Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Oxford-AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine Covishield, manufactured by Serum Institute of India.
22:38 First Quad summit meeting to take place March 12
The United States, Japan, Australia and India will hold the first meeting of their leaders on March 12 under the so-called Quad framework.
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad will hold its first summit in a virtual format.
Last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken joined a virtual summit of Quad foreign ministers, including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. They offered a veiled criticism of China by pledging to strongly oppose unilateral and forceful attempts to change the status quo in the context of the East and South China Sea.
For the first time since the Quad mechanism was revived in 2017, India on February 18 used the term Quad in its official statement after the foreign ministers meeting, aligning its nomenclature to the one used by the US and Australia in the four-country grouping.
22:24 Flipkart to cover vaccination costs for employees
E-commerce major Flipkart will cover the vaccination cost for all Flipkart and Myntra employees and three dependents, joining the growing roster of enterprises in the country that are doing so.
In a communication to employees, Flipkart said it anticipates the next phase of the vaccination drive to cover all citizens, in addition to the current priority groups.
"While we wait for the Government's decision on the next phase, I am happy to share that Flipkart Group has decided to cover 100 per cent of the vaccination cost for all Flipkart and Myntra employees and three dependents. You can choose to be reimbursed for the costs of the vaccinations or get them free of charge at a partner hospital," the company said.
Alternatively, employees can choose to participate in any future vaccination drive organised on campus or facilities at major locations, it added.
Employees can avail of a day's leave to manage the vaccination process and will be allowed to take the COVID special care leave to manage any symptoms post-vaccination.
"Currently, the vaccine is one of the most effective tools that we have, to arrest the pandemic and its adverse consequences.
"However, opting for the vaccine is left completely to your discretion and we urge you to consider the benefits, read up about its effectiveness and make the right decision for yourself and your family," Flipkart Chief People Officer Krishna Raghavan said in the note.
-- PTI
22:09 The ties between US and India are an all time high
Here's the statement of Admiral Philip S Davidson, US Navy Commander, US Indo-Pacific Command before the Senate Armed Services Committee
"The current state of the USIndia relations presents a historic opportunity to deepen ties and solidify what I consider the "defining partnership of the 21st century." We concluded several agreements, including the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement in 2018, which has greatly enhanced information sharing and interoperability; the Industrial Security Annex, signed in December 2019 that allows for the transfer of technologies in support of defense production; the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement to share unclassified geospatial information; and the agreement on Navy-to-Navy Information Sharing in October 2020.
The US and Indian navies are now securely sharing information, and India has substantially increased its acquisition of US defense equipment. Defense sales are at an all-time high with India operating US-sourced platforms such as P-8s, C-130Js, C-17s, AH-64s, CH-47s, Precision Guided-Excalibur Munitions, and M777 howitzers.
In February, India agreed to acquire Apache and MH-60R multi-mission helicopters worth $3.1 billion and is considering other US systems.
The United States strongly supports India's establishment of an information fusion center focusing on maritime domain awareness, which will improve maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region and Bay of Bengal. USINDOPACOM defines the security relationship with India as a strategic imperative. We expect substantial progress on interoperability and information sharing, service-level and joint military-to-military cooperation and exercises like TIGER TRIUMPH and MALABAR, and an increase in quadrilateral collaboration between India, Australia, Japan, and the United States as the relationship continues to mature."
22:02 COVID vaccination in India crosses 2.4 crore
The nationwide COVID-19 vaccination has crossed 2.40 crores coverage, informed the ministry of health on Tuesday.
According to an official release, a total of 2,40,37,644 vaccine doses were administered in the country, as per the provisional report till 7 pm on Tuesday.
"These include 71,13,801 health care workers who have taken the first dose and 38,51,808 HCWs who have taken the second dose, 69,02,006 front line worker who have taken the first dose and 4,44,199 FLWs who have taken the second dose, 8,00,287 beneficiaries aged 45 and above with specific co-morbidities and 49,25,543 beneficiaries more than 60 years old," the release said.
It added that a total of 10,28,911 vaccine doses were given till 7 pm today, the 53rd day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination.
"Out of which 7,98,354 beneficiaries were vaccinated for 1st dose and 2,30,557 HCWs and FLWs received 2nd dose of vaccine as per the provisional report. Final reports would be completed for the day by late tonight," the ministry added.
-- ANI
21:42 Prince Charles stays mum on Oprah interview
Prince Charles did not speak about Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah Winfrey during a visit to a vaccine clinic in London on Tuesday.
Harry's father visited a church to see a temporary vaccine clinic in action and met with healthcare workers, church staff and people due to receive their shots. The visit was his first public appearance since the interview aired on Sunday, and came amid increasing pressure on Buckingham Palace to respond to the allegations made in the interview.
Maziya Marzook, a patient who was at the event, said "private matters didn't come up at all" during Charles' visit.
"He didn't bring up anything, he was more interested in how the vaccine was and how we feel," she said.
Charles, the heir apparent to the throne, was criticised by Harry who said in the interview that he felt "really let down" by his father and "there's a lot of hurt that's happened".
Harry said Charles stopped returning his calls when he was trying to discuss stepping down as a working royal.
21:34 EC removes West Bengal DGP Virendra
The Election Commission on Tuesday removed Virendra as the Director General of Police of poll-bound West Bengal with immediate effect, and appointed P Nirajnayan in his place.
In a directive to the state chief secretary, the EC said Virendra "should not be given any post which directly or indirectly relates to conduct of election."
The decision was taken after reviewing the poll preparedness in the state.
It said a compliance of the commission's order may be done immediately.
"Kindly inform the commission about the compliance latest by 10.00 am tomorrow (Wednesday)," the letter said.
The eight-phase assembly elections in West Bengal will begin on March 27 and will conclude on April 29.
-- PTI
21:01 Maha reports 9927 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hrs
The number of new Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra continues to rise with the state reporting 9,927 new Covid-19 cases and 56 deaths on Tuesday.
The state's case fatality rate stands at 2.35 per cent. Case fatality rate is the percentage of Covid-19 patients who have died in the state.
A total of 12,182 patients were discharged on Tuesday, taking the total number of recoveries to 20,89,294. As per the health department, the state's current recovery rate is 93.34 per cent.
Maharashtra has so far tested 1,70,22,315 samples for Covid-19, of which 22,38,398 have tested positive for the viral disease.
20:25 Adarsh Gourav earns best actor nod at BAFTAs
Indian actor Adarsh Gourav has bagged the leading actor BAFTA nod for his performance in the Netflix film "The White Tiger", the British Academy announced on Tuesday.
The movie, an adaptation of Aravind Adiga's Booker Prize winning novel of the same name, marks the first lead role for Gourav, known for his appearance in "My Name is Khan", "Mom" and Netflix series "Leila".
The English language film is directed by Ramin Bahrani.
Bahrani, known for "Fahrenheit 451" and "99 Homes", has also received a BAFTA nomination in the adapted screenplay category.
Gourav's Balram is the movie's protagonist, who works as a driver for Ashok, a wealthy businessman, played by Rajkummar Rao.
From being ridiculed by his employers for his underprivileged background and forcing him to take the fall for a crime he didn't commit, the film charts Balram's journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur.
The film also stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Mahesh Manjrekar and Vijay Maurya.
Gourav will compete against award season favourites Riz Ahmed for "Sound Of Metal" and late Chadwick Boseman for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" and Mads Mikkelsen for the Danish language film "Another Round".
Veteran British actor Anthony Hopkins ("The Father") and French actor Tahar Rahim ("The Mauritanian") are also nominated in the leading actor category.
The BAFTA awards ceremony will be held on April 11.
-- PTI
20:08 Election Commissioner Sunil Arora gets Covid jab
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Election Commissioners Sushil Chandra and Rajiv Kumar took their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, a spokesperson said.
The COVID-19 vaccination drive had stated at Nirvachan Sadan, the EC headquarters here, on March 4 for its officers and staff. Former chief election commissioner M S Gill was the first one to take the shot.
Arora had recently announced that all staff on poll duty for the upcoming assembly elections have been declared as 'frontline workers' and will be vaccinated before assuming their election duties.
19:36 Debate on farmers: India summons UK envoy
Foreign Secretary summoned British High Commissioner and conveyed strong opposition to 'unwarranted and tendentious' discussion on agricultural reforms in India in the British Parliament, said the Ministry of External Affairs.
The foreign secretary made clear that this represented a gross interference in politics of another democratic country. He advised that British MPs should refrain from practicing vote bank politics by misrepresentating events, especially in relation to another fellow democracy, the MEA said. -- ANI
19:29 Kolkata fire: 'Bldg lacked fire fighting system'
The multistoreyed building housing offices of Eastern and South Eastern Railway, where amassive fire broke out on Monday evening killing at least ninepeople, did not have an adequate fire fighting system, asenior official of the West Bengal government said.
The probable cause of the blaze which damaged theentire 13th and 12th floors and part of the 11th floor of theNew Koilaghat Building was an electrical short circuit on the13th floor.
The fire fighting system on the 13th floor was 'very basic' and it did not come to any help to firefighters aftersome time, the official of the state fire department told PTI on Tuesday.
"There was no adequate fire fighting system in the building. The one which was there did work initially but afterwards, it failed totally. We had to set up a supply line of water from downstairs. Had their system worked, lives could have been saved," he said.
There was none who could provide firefighters with theplan of the building, the official said.
"While fighting a major fire, we need the outlay of a building. A Railway official who lost his life yesterday was helping us by taking us to the spot where the fire broke out," he said.
Charred bodies of seven people were recovered from inside a lift on Monday night while badly burnt bodies of two others were found from another on early Tuesday.
The victimsincluded firefighters, a policeman, an RPF constable and two railway officials.
Asked why they used lifts instead of stairs, the official said that the standard operating procedure (SOP) is not to use elevators in case of a fire.
"They used one of the four lifts in the building as a fire lift to reach the 10th floor of the building to quicklymove near the spot where the fire broke out. But they reachedthe 13th floor by mistake. That floor was burning and theseven inside the lift died," he said.
A fire lift, unlike a normal passenger lift, is designed to operate so long as is practicable when there is a fire in parts of the building beyond the confines of its shaft, as it is used to transport firefighters and their equipment to a floor of their choice.
A forensic department official said, "Preliminary findings suggested that the blaze was caused by an electrical short-circuit on the 13th floor. Samples collected from the burnt floors were being sent for forensic examinations."
The police registered a suo motu case in connection with the incident and the fire department constituted a committee to probe it.
The Eastern Railway has also ordered a high-level inquiry, headed by principal chief safety officer Jaideep Gupta, officials said. -- PTI
19:19 RJD joins Congress-led Grand Alliance in Assam
The Rashtriya Janata Dal on Tuesday said that it has joined the opposition Congress-led 'Grand Alliance' in Assam and will contest one seat during the first phase of the assembly election.
With this, the number of constituents in the Grand Alliance has gone up to eight.
RJD Assam president Shonarul Shah Mustafa told PTI that the party has formally joined the opposition grouping and it will contest the Tinsukia constituency which will go to polls during the first phase on March 27.
"Now talks are on between central leaders of the RJD and the Congress to finalise the seat-sharing agreement for the second and third phase of polling," he said.
Mustafa said that the party has fielded Hira Devi Choudhury for Tinsukia, which has a large number of Hindi- speaking people.
State Congress spokesperson Bobbeeta Sharma confirmed that the RJD has joined the Grand Alliance.
Earlier, the Grand Alliance consisted of the Congress, All India United Democratic Front, Bodoland People's Front (BPF), Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India-Marxist, Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist and the Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM).
It was formed to fight the upcoming election for the 126-member assembly against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance.
Out of the 47 seats where voting will be held in the first phase, the Congress will contest 43 constituencies.
The AIUDF, CPI-ML, AGM and the RJD will fight in the four other seats, Sharma said.
Polling will be held in 47 on March 27 in the first phase, while 39 and 40 constituencies will go to polls on April 1 and April 6 respectively. -- PTI
18:49 No immediate lockdown in Mumbai: Officials
Despite the rise in COVID-19 cases, the situation in Mumbai is under control and there is no immediate need to impose a lockdown in the city, senior civic officials said on Tuesday.
Mumbai on Monday recorded 1,008 fresh infections that raised its tally to 3,34,572.
When asked about the possibility of imposing a lockdown, municipal commissioner Iqbal Chahal said there was no immediate need to do so.
According to civic officials, the surge in cases is a result of an increase in daily testing.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has ramped up testing significantly from 11,000 to 15,000 tests conducted in January to over 20,000 at present.
As many as 23,000 COVID-19 tests were conducted by the civic body on Monday.
The city has recorded a positivity rate of six per cent, which is quite less compared to other cities in Maharashtra, a civic official said.
Considering this, there is no immediate need to impose a lockdown in the metropolis, the official said.
Officials have, however, warned that if citizens do not follow the COVID-19 protocol, the civic body may be forced to take stringent steps.
Speaking to media persons, a senior BMC official said nearly 60 per cent beds are available for COVID-19 patients at city hospitals.
The civic body has undertaken the third sero survey in Mumbai and 12,000 samples have been collected under this, the official said, adding that a report is expected in two weeks.
The COVID-19 immunisation drive is underway at 67 centres, including 24 civic hospitals, four state-run hospitals and 38 private hospitals, the official said.
The civic body is planning to increase the number of the vaccination centres to 85, he said.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Guardian Minister Aslam Shaikh on Tuesday said if COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the city, the possibility of a night curfew or partial lockdown cannot be ruled out.
Shaikh said local authorities have been empowered to take a decision on lockdown as and when necessary. -- PTI
18:00 Congress united under Gandhis: Gehlot
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said the Congress is united and vibrant under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and called Rahul Gandhi the only national opposition leader raising a voice against the Narendra Modi government.
Gehlot's statement appears to have been triggered by the cover story and an editorial in a news magazine, which argued that the Gandhis are now "isolated".
The CM said some people have a "misconception" that the family has been isolated in public life, he said. People across society have faith in them and in their leadership qualities, he added. He said that because of this faith in the Gandhis the rank and file of the Congress across the country are standing firm with them, and the family will never be isolated.
Gehlot said the Congress under the leadership of party president Sonia Gandhi is united, vibrant and strong enough to take on any challenges. He said former party president Rahul Gandhi is the only national opposition leader who is raising a voice against the NDA government on issues related to common people.
"Demonstrated and continuous commitment is the defining hallmark of leadership. And there is no match for his commitment and dedication towards the nation. We have a vibrant opposition, what we need is a vibrant and free press," Gehlot said. PTI
17:56 Police remand of gangster Ravi Pujari extended till March 15
A special court in Mumbai on Tuesday extended the police remand of gangster Ravi Pujari till March 15 after the accused told the court he wanted to share certain information with the investigation officer. Earlier, the special Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) court had remanded Pujari to police custody till March 9 in a 2016 case of firing at a restaurant.
At the end of the remand period, police produced Pujari before special judge D E Kothalikar and sought further custody. Special Public Prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves submitted that the confessional statement of the accused was recorded by the competent authority and the accused needs to be confronted with the same. -- PTI
17:37 Mamata visits Nandigram
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visits Chandi Mandir in Nandigram. At a public rally at the constituency where she is pitted against BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, the CM also recited the 'Chandi path'.
17:30 Anand Teltumbde 'active member' of CPI (Maoist): NIA
Scholar-activist Anand Teltumbde, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, is an "active member" of CPI (Maoist) and "deeply involved" in furtherance of the outfit's agenda, the NIA has told a special court in Mumbai.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is conducting a probe into the case, made these submissions on February 26 in its written reply to the activist's bail plea. A copy of the reply was made available on Tuesday. In January this year, Teltumbde filed the bail plea in the special NIA court, claiming no evidence was found against him and the prosecution theory that he was abetting others to wage war against the government was all "humbug".
Opposing his bail, the probe agency said it is "absolutely false" to say there is no evidence against the accused.
"In fact, there is evidence against the accused that he is an active member of CPI (Maoist) and deeply involved in furtherance of the agenda of CPI (Maoist)," the NIA said in its submission.
Further, it is evident from the statement of a protected witness that the accused used to attend international conferences and bring their foreign Maoist literature in memory card, and the same was further used for training purpose after approval from central committee of the CPI (Maoist), the probe agency said.
It also claimed that Anand Teltumbde was in touch with his brother Milind Teltumbde, a wanted accused in the case, and had secret meeting with him.
17:18 Adhikari gives call to overthrow TMC
Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday gave a clarion call to oust the TMC from power in Bengal as he led a 'padayatra' in Jhargram district. Adhikari, sporting a saffron 'tilak' on his forehead, chanted 'Hare Krishna Hare Hare, BJP Ghore Ghore' (BJP in every household), as a battery of saffron party workers cheered for him.
Some of his supporters also raised the slogan 'TMC sarkar aar nei darkar' (we dont need the TMC government any longer), while holding high lotus symbol cutouts and saffron- coloured balloons.
Adhikari, who crossed over to the BJP from the TMC in December last year, has been pitted opposite his ex-party supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a do-or-die contest in Nandigram.
The former state cabinet minister, while talking to reporters, said he will campaign for saffron camp candidates of Paschim Medinipur and Jangalmahal every other day. Incidentally, Adhikari's former mentor and TMC boss Mamata Banerjee held a public meeting in Nandigram during the day, as he canvassed for BJP candidates in Jhargram. PTI
16:58 BJP MLAs to elect Rawat's successor tomorrow
Uattarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat speaks after stepping down:
"I have submitted my resignation as the CM to the Governor today. The party gave me a golden opportunity to serve this state for four years. I had never thought that I would get such an opportunity.
"The party has now decided that the opportunity to serve as CM should be given to someone else now.
"BJP legislature party meeting is scheduled to be held at 10 am tomorrow at the party office," Rawat said. -- ANI
16:29 Rawat resigns as Uttarakhand chief minister
Trivendra Singh Rawat on Tuesday resigned as Uttarakhand chief minister.
Rawat submitted his resignation to Uttarakhand governor Baby Rani Maurya at the Raj Bhavan.
Rawat was in Delhi on Monday for a meeting with the top Bharatiya Janata Party leadership amid reports that he may be replaced after being rated 'below average' by his own party MLAs.
He met with BJP president JP Nadda on Monday evening. Earlier in the day, Nadda met with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP general secretary organisation B L Santosh to discuss the situation in the northern state.
The central BJP leadership recently sent two observers, party vice president Raman Singh and general secretary Dushayant Kumar Gautam, to the state to get feedback from party's core group in the state amid report of discontent against the chief minister.
16:27 Uttarakhand CM at Raj Bhawan, likely to quit
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat arrives at Raj Bhawan in Dehradun to meet Governor Baby Rani Maurya. He is likely to step down.
"I can see a change in power happening. Even the Bharatiya Janata Party's central leadership has admitted that its present govt in the State could not do much. No matter who they bring now they will not come back to power in 2022," said former CM and Congress leader Harish Rawat. -- ANI
16:17 173 people still under custody in J-K: Govt
As many as 173 people, including separatists, over ground workers, stone pelters, who were detained when the Article 370 was abrogated in August 2019 in Jammu and Kashmir, continue to be under custody, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said the government of Jammu and Kashmir has reported that in view of the constitutional changes effected by the Parliament with regard to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, various measures were taken in the interest of security and public order which included preventive detention of certain persons.
"Since August 1, 2019, 627 people including separatists, over ground workers, stone pelters etc., were detained at various points of time. Out of these, based on regular review and ground situation, 454 persons have been released till date," he said in a written reply to a question.
Reddy also said the government of Jammu and Kashmir has further reported that no person is under home arrest under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act. -- PTI
16:14 Toolkit case: Nikita Jacob, Shantanu Muluk get relief till Mar 15
A court in Delhi on Tuesday extended protection from arrest till March 15 to Nikita Jacob and Shantanu Muluk, both accused along with young climate change activist Disha Ravi in a case of sharing a "toolkit" on social media related to the farmers' protest.
Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana granted the relief after the counsel appearing from both the accused persons said they needed time to go through the reply filed by the Delhi Police before advancing arguments in the matter.
The judge heard the submission and directed the police not to take any coercive action against both the accused till March 15, when court will further hear the matter.
Jacob, Muluk and Ravi were booked for sedition and other charges. -- PTI
16:08 Vijayakanth's DMDK quits AIADMK-led alliance in TN
Actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth-led Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam has quit the AIADMK-BJP alliance citing the non-allocation of expected seats or constituencies as the reason behind leaving the alliance.
In the 2016 elections the DMDK was at the head of the third front in Tamil Nadu but came a cropper.
15:46 42 terror outfits banned in India: Govt
A total of 42 terrorist organisations like the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed have been banned by the government for their involvement in various acts of terrorism, which is largely been sponsored from across the border, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy also said that 635 terrorists were killed by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir between 2018 and 2020, while 115 civilians lost their lives to terror violence in the Union Territory during the period.
Three civilians were also killed in the hinterland due to the terrorist violence in last three years, he said.
"The government has declared 42 organisations as terrorist organisations and listed their names in the First Schedule of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Terrorism in India has largely been sponsored from across the border," he said in a written reply to a question.
In response to a separate question, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said 61 cases of infiltration were reported along the Indo-Pakistan border in last two years, 1,045 infiltration along the Indo-Bangladesh border and 63 along the Indo-Nepal border. -- PTI
15:38 BJP to seek 8 more seats in TN from AIADMK
With the DMDK pulling out of the AIADMK led front in Tamil Nadu, the Bharatiya Janata Party plans to seek eight more seats from the ruling party in the state.
Clearly, the BJP is miffed that the DMK has been more generous with the Congress, giving it 25 seats, while the AIADMK has given the BJP only 20 seats.
14:59 Parliament proceedings washed out for 2nd day
The Opposition's persistent protest over rising fuel prices led to adjournment of both Houses of Parliament for the day.
Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day amid protests by opposition members over the rising fuel prices.
When the House reconvened at 2 pm, several opposition members demanded a rollback of the fuel price hikes.
As the protests continued, Rajendra Agrawal, who was in the Chair, adjourned the proceedings for the day.
The Rajya Sabha could not transact any substantial business as it first witnessed an adjournment at around 11.20 till noon and another one till 2 pm.
When the Upper House of Parliament reassembled again at 2 pm, the opposition continued to demand a discussion on the rising fuel prices even as Deputy Chairman Harivansh appealed to the protesting members, including those in the Well, to return to their seats.
14:39 Uttarakhand CM likely to resign at 4 pm
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat to hold a press conference at 3 pm following which he will submit his resignation to the governor at 4 pm, say reports.
Uttarakhand BJP MLA Munna Singh Chauhan told news agency ANI that the chief minister is consulting with the party leadership on the recent developments.
"He met many senior leaders including the party chief in Delhi yesterday. He has received a phone call from the party chief.
"The chief minister will hold a press conference at around 3 pm today and tell everyone his next course of action. All 57 BJP MLAs stand with the chief minister."
Rawat was in Delhi for a meeting with the BJP leadership amid reports that he may be replaced after being rated "below average" by his own party MLAs. He met with BJP President JP Nadda on Monday evening. Earlier in the day, Nadda met with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP general secretary organisation BL Santosh to discuss the situation in the northern state.
With the BJP mulling a change of leadership in Uttarakhand, state minister Dhan Singh Rawat has emerged as a frontrunner to replace Trivendra Singh Rawat as chief minister.
Sources said the party may also bring in a deputy chief minister, who will be from the Kumaon region. Pushkar Singh Dhami is likely to be deputy chief minister, the sources added.
The central BJP leadership recently sent two observers, party vice president Raman Singh and general secretary Dushayant Kumar Gautam, to the state to get feedback from party's core group in the state amid report of discontent against the chief minister.
Other names that are mentioned as possible replacements for the CM's post are state tourism minister Satpal Maharaj, Union education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, former state BJP president and Lok Sabha member Ajay Bhatt, former CM and Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Rajya Sabha member from Uttarakhand Anil Baluni and RSS state general secretary Suresh Bhatt.
13:36 Advani, Stalin get vaccinated
Senior BJP leader LK Advani took his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS Delhi today. The nationwide COVID-19 vaccination has crossed 2.3 crores coverage, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.
DMK president MK Stalin also took his first dose of the COVID19 vaccine at Kauvery hospital in Chennai today.
The ministry said more than 2 million vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours. According to health ministry data, as on Day-52 of the vaccination drive, 20,19,723 vaccine doses were given.
13:25 4th instalment of advance tax is due on March 15
Information: Kind courtesy CA (Dr) Raj Chawla
1. Advance tax: 4th installment of advance tax is due on 15th of March for AY 2021-22. arrange to pay your advance tax earlier.
2. GST E-invoice shall be implemented for taxpayers having aggregate turnover above Rs 50 crores and above (during any of the last four previous years) from 1st April 2021 Vide NN 5/2021 dated 8th March 2021.
3. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has come out with guidelines for provisional attachment of property under GST Act which tasks the commissioner to exercise due diligence and carefully examine all the facts of the case, including the nature of offence and amount of revenue involved, and also record on file the basis on which he/she has formed such an opinion to attach property of the taxpayer. It is reiterated that the power of provisional attachment must not be exercised in a routine/mechanical manner.
4. NCLT has jurisdiction to adjudicate contractual disputes which arise solely from or which relate to corporate debtor's insolvency: Supreme Court.
5. IEC details need to be confirmed every year to keep it remain active. In the recent Notification No. 28/2015-2020dated 12th February 2021, DGFT make it mandatory for all IEC holders to ensure that the details in its IEC is updated electronically every year, during April-June Period. In case where there are no changes in IEC details same are also needs to be confirmed online.
6. Sebi has put in place a procedure for change in controlling interest of asset management companies and issued guidelines for new sponsors of mutual funds. This comes after Sebi, in February, relaxed profitability criteria for becoming a mutual fund sponsor with a view to facilitating innovation and expansion in the mutual funds sector. Apart from procedure for change in control of AMCs (Asset Management Companies), the regulator has come out with additional benchmarks for standardisation of mutual fund schemes. Also, comments from the regulator are required for change in fundamental attribute of a scheme.
13:20 20L Covid-19 vaccinations in a day yesterday, says govt
More than 20 lakh people were inoculated against coronavirus on March 8, the highest in a day so far, taking the total number of vaccine doses administered in the country to over 2.3 crore, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
As on day-52 of the COVID-19 vaccination drive (March 8), 20,19,723 vaccine doses were given. Out of which, 17,15,380 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 28,884 sessions for 1st dose and 3,04,343 healthcare workers (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs) received 2nd dose of anti-coronavirus vaccine.
The 17,15,380 beneficiaries include 12,22,351 aged over 60 years and 2,21,148 aged 45 to 60 with specified comorbidities.
"India has recorded a significant achievement in its countrywide COVID-19 vaccination drive which was rolled out from January 16. More than 2 million vaccine doses were administered in a span of 24 hours," the ministry said.
A total of 2,30,08,733 vaccine doses have been administered through 4,05,517 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Karnataka continue to report a surge in the COVID-19 daily new cases.
They cumulatively account for 84.04 per cent of the new cases reported in a span of 24 hours. A total 15,388 new infections were registered in a span of 24 hours. Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 8,744. Showing the distribution of new cases in a span of 24 hours, the ministry said four states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura -- did not report any new COVID-19 case, while Maharashtra, Punjab and Kerala reported over 1,000 new cases. PTI
13:00 Partial lockdown may be imposed in Mumbai: Govt
Mumbai Guardian Minister Aslam Shaikh on Tuesday said if COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the city, the possibility of a night curfew or partial lockdown cannot be ruled out.
Talking to reporters in the Vidhan Bhavan complex, Shaikh saidlocal authorities have been empowered to take a decision on lockdown as and when necessary.
"If the spike in COVID-19 cases continues, there is a possibility of night clubs being closed down first in the city. We cannot rule out the possibility of a night curfew or partial lockdown," the minister said.
Shaikh noted that people not wearing masks are being penalised in the city. "We may have to shut places like beaches and the Gateway of India where people gather in the evenings," he said, while appealing to people to take all precautions.
Mumbai has been showing a daily spike of over 1,000 cases for last few days. The metropolis has so far reported 3,34,583 COVID-19 cases and 11,508 deaths due to the disease, as per official figures. -- PTI
12:36 Giriraj Singh takes dig at Rahul Gandhi over fisheries ministry remark
Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Tuesday said that he doesn't know if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's memory failed when he made a remark on the country having no separate fisheries ministry.
"I am hurt. Rahul Gandhi had asked a question on February 2. But in Puducherry and Kochi, he said that there is no fisheries department, I don't know if his memory failed him. 'I will form a separate ministry when we come to power', Gandhi had said. Whose question was this?" said Giriraj -- Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying of India -- while speaking in the Lok Sabha.
After Gandhi's gaffe in Puducherry on February 17 calling for the setting up of a separate ministry for fisheries, Giriraj had taken to Twitter to take a swipe at the Congress leader's "ignorance" and attempt to "spread misinformation".
"Caro Raul (@RahulGandhi), Non esiste un Ministero della pesca separato in Italia. Viene sotto Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali. politicheagricole.it" (There is no separate Ministry of Fisheries in Italy. It comes under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry)," Giriraj had tweeted.
Gandhi, who was in Puducherry that day to kickstart the Congress' election campaign, had addressed the fishing community and spoke about the ongoing farmers' protest.
"The government passed three bills against farmers, the backbone of a nation. You must be wondering why am I talking about farmers at the meeting of fishermen. I consider you to be farmers of the sea. If farmers of the land can have a ministry in Delhi, then why is that farmers of the sea don't have the same?" Gandhi had asked.
"The current government is attacking small and medium businesses because they want all businesses to be controlled by big corporations. Our view is different. We want to strengthen small and medium businesses because we believe that's the strength of this country," the Congress leader had said.
After this remark from Gandhi, Giriraj -- in a tweet in Hindi -- had also said, "Rahul ji! You should know that on May 31, 2019, Modi ji created a new ministry. And started the Rs 20050 cr Master Plan (PMMSY) which is several times more than the central government's expenditure from independence to 2014 (3682 cr)."
"Rahul Ji! I request you to come to the new fisheries ministry or call me where I come. Let me tell you about the schemes being run by the new Fisheries Ministry all over the country and Puducherry," he had said in another tweet.
12:18 SC upholds EC decision on 8-phase poll in WB
The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea challenging the Election Commission's (EC) decision to conduct the West Bengal Assembly polls over eight phases. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde rejected the plea, which had also sought to bar the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its leaders from using the "Jai Shri Ram" slogan during the poll campaign in the state.
The bench initially told advocate M L Sharma, the petitioner, to approach the Calcutta High Court. "I rely upon a judgment. This is not a matter of an election petition. One party is using a religious slogan. Why should I go to the high court," Sharma told the bench, which also comprised justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian.
When the petitioner said the matter be kept for hearing on Wednesday, the bench said, "Alright, we do not agree with you. Dismissed." The plea had sought the apex court's direction to prevent the EC from conducting eight-phase polls in West Bengal, alleging that it violates Articles 14 (right to equality) and 21 (right to life) of the Constitution. PTI
12:16 Ranbir Kapoor tests positive for Covid-19
Actor Ranbir Kapoor tests positive for COVID-19, says his mother Neetu Kapoor. He has been quarantined at home and is taking all the necessary precautions, says his mother Neetu Kapoor, on Instagram.
11:34 Delhi presents Rs 69,000-cr 'Deshbhakti' budget
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia presents Rs 69,000 Cr budget in Assembly for financial year 2021-22. "Today, I present this 'Deshbhakti Budget' in view of the Centre's celebrations of India's 75 years of independence with 75 weeks as 'Deshbhakti Mahotsav' starting on March 12. This Budget will focus on India's 75 as well as 100 years of independence," Sisodia said.
11:20 India records 15,388 fresh Covid cases, 77 more fatalities
With 15,388 fresh cases, India's COVID-19 tally has climbed to 1,12,44,786, while the number of recoveries has surged to 1,08,99,394, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday.
The death toll due to the viral disease has gone up to 1,57,930 in the country with 77 more fatalities, the ministry's data updated at 8 am showed.
After registering an increase for six consecutive days, the number of active COVID-19 cases has gone down to 1,87,462, accounting for only 1.67 per cent of the country's total caseload, while the case fatality rate has dropped to 1.40 per cent.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has gone up to 1,08,99,394, which translates to a national COVID-19 recovery rate of 96.93 per cent.
India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7 last year, the 30-lakh mark on August 23, the 40-lakh mark on September 5 and the 50-lakh mark on September 16.
It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and the one-crore mark on December 19.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, 22,27,16,796 samples have so far been tested in the country for the viral disease, including 7,48,525 on Monday. -- PTI
11:17 Kolkata Fire: PM approves Rs 2 lakh ex gratia for kin of deceased
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed sadness at the loss of lives due to the fire tragedy in Kolkata and approved an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the incident.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) also said Rs 50,000 would be given to the seriously injured persons.
"Saddened by the loss of lives due to the fire tragedy in Kolkata. In this hour of sadness, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest," Modi tweeted.
At least nine people were killed in an inferno in a multi-storeyed building in Kolkata, which houses zonal offices of Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway on Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.
"PM @narendramodi has approved an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from PMNRF (Prime Minister's National Relief Fund) for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the tragic fire in Kolkata. Rs. 50,000 would be given to those seriously injured," the PMO said in a tweet. -- PTI
Representational image
11:13 Undocumented Indian immigrants hold USD15.5 billion in spending power
Undocumented Indian immigrants to the United States, numbering over half a million, hold a collective spending power of USD15.5 billion and contribute USD2.8 billion to the federal, state and local tax revenue, says an American think-tank report.
Using the latest available American Community Survey data from 2019 in its latest research, the new American Economy think-tank said undocumented Indian immigrants are the top third contributor to the US economy among other undocumented immigrants.
There are 4.2 million immigrants from Mexico who lack documentation.
Together, they make up more than 40.8 percent of the 10.3 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.
In 2019 alone, they earned almost USD92 billion in household income and contributed almost USD9.8 billion in federal, state and local taxes.
Mexican undocumented immigrants held more than USD82.2 billion in spending power, money that often goes back into local economies as they spend on housing, consumer goods and services, the report said.
In terms of the number of undocumented immigrants, Mexico is followed by El Salvador (621,000, or 6.0 percent of all undocumented immigrants), India (587,000, or 5.7 percent), Guatemala (5.4 percent, or 5.4 percent), and Honduras (416,000, or 4.0 percent).
With its USD15.5 billion of spending power, India, however, holds the second position, followed by El Salvador (USD11.5 billion), Guatemala (US9.1 billion) and Honduras (USD6.4 billion).
They also make significant contributions to the federal, state and local tax revenue: India (USD2.8 billion), El Salvador (USD1.4 billion), Guatemala (USD1.1 billion) and Honduras (USD778 million), the report said. -- PTI
11:05 India must prepare for borderless war: Rahul
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the country must prepare for a borderless war as the past practice of a 2.5-front war has become obsolete.
"Indian forces are designed to fight a 2.5 front war. This is now obsolete. We must prepare for a borderless war," he wrote on Twitter.
"It's not about past practices and legacy systems. It's about transforming the way we think and act as a nation," the former Congress chief said.
Gandhi has been accusing the government of ceding territory to China even when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has clarified in Parliament that not an inch of Indian territory has been lost. -- PTI
Arrested BJP leader Pamela Goswami
10:30 BJP leader's aide arrested in Kolkata cocaine case
A woman was arrested from New Town near Kolkata in connection with the cocaine haul involving two Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, police said on Tuesday.
The woman, who is in her mid-20s, used to work for BJP leader Rakesh Singh, they said.
She used to allegedly purchase cocaine from drug peddlers, a senior officer of the Kolkata Police said.
"We have arrested a woman in the New Alipore drugs case. She was engaged by Rakesh Singh to procure cocaine from drug peddlers," he said.
"She purchased cocaine at the rate of Rs 9,500 per gram and handed it to Rakesh Singh. We are finding out whether she is associated with other drug peddlers. We arrested her on Monday night from her residence in New Town," the officer said.
The woman has been booked under the NDPS Act, he added.
So far, eight persons have been arrested in connection with the case.
BJP youth leader Pamela Goswami along with her friend Prabir Kumar Dey and private security guard Somnath Chatterjee were arrested last month from south Kolkata's New Alipore area with allegedly around 90gm of cocaine that was found in her car.
Based on her statement, BJP's state committee member Rakesh Singh and another person, who was accompanying him, were arrested from Galsi in Purba Bardhaman district.
Another close aide of Rakesh was arrested last week from the Orphanganj Road area. -- PTI
10:06 Indices trade higher with Nifty above 15,000
Equity benchmark Sensex surged over 500 points in opening trade on Tuesday tracking gains in index majors HDFC twins, ICICI Bank and Reliance Industries amid mixed cues from global markets.
The 30-share BSE index was trading 509.07 points or 1.01 per cent higher at 50,950.14, and the broader NSE Nifty was quoting 149.35 points or 1 per cent up at 15,105.55.
HDFC Bank was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising around 2 per cent, followed by UltraTech Cement, Bajaj Finance, HDFC, M&M, Tech Mahindra and Asian Paints.
On the other hand, ONGC and PowerGrid were the laggards.
In the previous session, Sensex settled 35.75 points or 0.07 per cent higher at 50,441.07, and Nifty ended higher by 18.10 points or 0.12 per cent at 14,956.20.
Foreign institutional investors were net sellers in the capital market as they offloaded shares worth Rs 1,494.49 crore on Monday, as per exchange data.
"Rising crude prices, surge in bond yields in the US and weakening INR could be a near-term risk for domestic equities, which has already resulted in FPIs' outflow in recent days.
"However, we continue to believe that the recent rise in bond yield is discounting a faster recovery in economic growth and this is unlikely to move northward beyond a point," said Binod Modi Head-Strategy at Reliance Securities.
In the US, equities ended on a mixed note in overnight trade on Monday. "Clearly, US markets are being driven by anticipations of faster economic recovery led by aggressive fiscal spending and faster reopening of the economy, which may also stoke inflation," Modi added.
Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Hong Kong and Tokyo were trading on a positive note in mid-session deals, while Shanghai and Seoul were in the red.
Meanwhile, the global oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 0.94 per cent higher at USD 68.88 per barrel. -- PTI
09:53 Both Houses of Parl to commence from 11 am today
Both Houses of the Parliament will commence their sitting from 11 am on Tuesday and will function as per usual timings existing before the COVID-19 situation.
The decision to revise the timing of both Houses was announced on Monday. Both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were operating under curtailed hours of timing and social distancing norms amid COVID-19 induced norms.
Member of Parliament, Vandana Chavan, in the Rajya Sabha Chair, informed members on Monday that the sitting of the Upper House will commence from 11 am and will continue till 6 pm from Tuesday.
"On the request from many members from various parties, the Chairman has decided that from Tuesday, the sitting of Rajya Sabha will commence from 11 am will continue till 6 pm as per usual timings of the House. Members will sit in Rajya Sabha and gallery," she said.
Lok Sabha will also function as per usual timings of the House existing before the COVID-19 situation from today.
The second part of the Budget session of Parliament commenced from Monday with all COVID-19 precautionary measures in place.
Earlier, the Rajya Sabha was scheduled to function from 9 am to 2 pm while Lok Sabha was scheduled to function between 4 pm to 10 pm. -- ANI
09:10 Lockdown at 16 hotspots in Thane till March 31
Amid the rise in COVID-19 cases, Thane Municipal Corporation on Tuesday imposed a lockdown at 16 hotspot areas from today till March 31.
Activities will be allowed in areas outside hotspots as per relaxation given under Mission Begin Again by the Maharashtra government.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra reported 8,744 new COVID-19 cases, 9,068 recoveries, and 22 deaths in the last 24 hours, the state health department informed on Monday.
08:36 Goyal orders probe into Eastern Railway office building fire in Kolkata
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has set up a high-level committee to ascertain the cause of the fire at an Eastern Railway office building in Kolkata in which nine people were killed on Monday.
The fire, which broke out on the 13th floor of the sprawling New Koilaghat building on Strand Road at around 6.10 pm on Monday, is now under control and the cooling process is on, officials said.
"Sincere condolences to the families of the nine brave deceased including the four firefighters, two Railways personnel and a police ASI who have been fighting the fire at the Eastern Railways Strand road office in Kolkata.
"Railway officials including the GM are at the site and are working in coordination with the state govt for rescue and relief efforts. We are committed to doing everything possible to ensure the safety of all concerned," Goyal said in a tweet late last night.
He said all possible assistance has been provided by the Railways to the state government during this �unfortunate� fire accident.
"A high-level inquiry consisting of four principal heads of Railway departments has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the fire," he said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who rushed to the spot in the city's central business district, announced that the state government will pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each and a government job to the kin of each victim. -- PTI
08:19 India condemns UK lawmakers' debate on farmers' stir
The High Commission of India in London has condemned a debate among some British lawmakers on an e-petition over the right of peaceful protests and freedom of the press in India amid the ongoing farmers' stir against three New Delhi laws on agricultural reform.
The commission damned the debate, held on Monday evening inside the British parliamentary premises, as "false assertions" in a "distinctly one-sided discussion".
"We deeply regret that rather than a balanced debate, false assertions -- without substantiation or facts -- were made, casting aspersions on the largest functioning democracy in the world and its institutions," the commission said in a statement after the Monday evening debate on an e-petition.
The debate was held in response to an e-petition which had crossed the 100,000-signature threshold, required for it to be approved by the House of Commons Petitions Committee.
The Indian High Commission made its displeasure known despite the British government earlier reiterating that the three New Delhi laws on agricultural reform were a "domestic matter".
The British government also underlined India's importance, saying "India and the UK together work as a force for good in the UN Security Council and bilateral cooperation between the two countries helps fix many global problems".
In its statement, the Indian mission also pointed out that foreign media, including British media, had been present and witnessed the events surrounding the farmers' protests in India first-hand and therefore any "question of lack of freedom of the media in India does not arise".
It lamented that a false narrative over farmers' protest was sought to be developed even though "the High Commission of India has been, over a period of time, taking care to inform all concerned about the issues raised in the petition."
The High Commission said it was compelled to react to the lawmakers' debate due to the apprehensions cast on India.
"The High Commission of India would normally refrain from commenting on an internal discussion involving a small group of Honourable Parliamentarians in a limited quorum," the statement said.
00:12 Notice sent to Mohua Moitra for privilege motion
A notice has been sent to Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on a privilege motion moved against her by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey. She has been asked to file her response to the notice by March 25. The Lok Sabha MP from Jharkhand had filed a privilege motion notice against Moitra on February 10.
In her speech during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents address, Moitra had lashed out at the government, judiciary and media. Moitras remarks were later expunged by the Lok Sabha.
The complaint by Dubey referred to, Article 121 of the constitution of India and rule 226, 227 to 80 of the rules of procedure and conduct of business in Lok Sabha which should be read along with 115 (I & II) direction of the Speaker against Mahua Moitra.
As per Article 121 of the Constitution, no Supreme Court or High Court judge who has discharged their duty or passed a judgement can be discussed in the Parliament. The Rules and Procedures 352(5) of the Parliament also dictate that the conduct of people in constitutional positions cannot be questioned. Despite the direction of the chair, Moitra continued to repeat her statements in violation of Rule 356 of Lok Sabha procedures.
The notice further added, The matter should be referred to the committee of privileges under rule 227 of the rules of procedure and conduct of business in Lok Sabha for examination investigation and report.
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