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Fri, 14 January 2022
Railways redesignates 'Guard' as 'Train Manager'
Timeline Refresh
23:02 Railways redesignates 'Guard' as 'Train Manager'
Indian Railways has decided to redesignate the post of 'Guard' as 'Train Manager', said a statement from the railways on Friday.
'The issue of change of designation of Trains Guard to 'Train Manager' is being demanded for quite some time,' reads the statement from Indian Railways.
The demand was raised as the designation 'Train guard' had become outdated and in society common man draw reference that he/she may be a guard in some private from etc, it said.
In the GSR, Trains Guard is virtually a Train In-charge of the respective train.
'It would, therefore, be quite appropriate that the existing designation of Trains Guard be changed to 'Train Manager', which would be a dignified designation for them without any financial implication, so that, they can also lead a respectful life in the society,' added the statement. -- ANI
22:36 Mosque loudspeaker reunites victim of Bengal train derailment with family
A man, injured in the train derailment in West Bengal, was reunited with his family in Assam on Friday with the help of the loudspeakers at a mosque that are used for namaz.
Safikul Ali, a resident of Dhula in Assam's Darrang district, was among those injured in the Bikaner-Guwahati Express train derailment in the neighbouring state's Jalpaiguri district on Thursday.
Having narrowly escaped the accident that claimed nine lives, Ali was undergoing treatment at the Super Specialty Hospital in Jalpaiguri, where Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited the injured on Friday.
"While enquiring about Ali's wellbeing, the minister learnt that he was unable to contact his family as neither does he nor his family members has a mobile phone," a Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) official told PTI.
Ali said he had the phone number of a neighbour, and Vaishnaw immediately got him connected with that person, the official said.
But, the neighbour could not find Ali's family at home, nor did a postman arranged by the minister could track them down, he added.
After efforts to contact the family failed, an announcement was made from the village mosque through the loudspeakers used for namaaz, the official said.
Following this, the family learnt about Ali's condition and got in touch with the railway authorities.
Ali's elder brother is now on the way to Jalpaiguri, he added.
At least nine people were killed and 36 others injured when 12 coaches of the train derailed near Domohani in Jalpaiguri district on Thursday. -- PTI
21:58 Ban on rallies: EC to take a call tomorrow
The Election Commission will meet on Saturday to take a call on whether to extend beyond January 15 the ban on public rallies, roadshows and corner meetings in five poll-bound states in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision will be taken based on inputs about the spread of the virus and its new variant Omicron, sources said.
Announcing the schedule of assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur on January 8, the panel had taken the unprecedented step of banning public rallies, roadshows and corner meetings till January 15 in view of the pandemic.
The Commission had also listed 16-point guidelines for campaigning as it banned 'nukkad sabhas' (corner meetings) on public roads and roundabouts, limited the number of persons allowed for the door-to-door campaign to five, including the candidate, and prohibited victory processions after the counting of votes.
In a press release on Friday, the EC said that considering the ongoing pandemic and enhanced relevance of non-contact-based campaign, it has, in consultation with Prasar Bharti Corporation, decided to double the broadcast/telecast time allotted to each national party and recognised state party of the five states.
Assembly polls in the five states will be held in seven phases between February 10 and March 7 and the counting of votes will be on March 10. -- PTI
21:52 EC relaxes norms for registration of new parties in poll-bound states
The Election Commission on Friday announced reducing the notice period for registration of new political parties in the five poll-going states from 30 days to 7 days, keeping in view difficulties caused by COVID-19-induced curbs.
In a statement, the EC explained that under the existing guidelines, a party seeking registration has to submit an application to it within 30 days following the date of its formation.
The applicant is asked to publish the party's proposed name in two national dailies and two local dailies on two days. Objections, if any, with regard to the proposed registration of the party have to be submitted within 30 days from the publication of the notice.
Noting that it had announced the schedule for assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur on January 8, the EC said, 'It has been brought to the notice of the Commission that in view of prevailing restrictions on account of COVID-19, there was dislocation and delay in moving applications for registration, which in turn led to delay in registration as a political party.'
After considering all aspects, the Commission has given a relaxation and has reduced the notice period from 30 days to seven days for the parties who have published their public notice on or before January 8.
'For all parties, including those parties which have already published the public notice in less than 7 days prior to January 8, objection, if any, can be submitted latest by 5.30 PM on January 21, or by the end of the originally provided 30 days period, whichever is earlier,' the statement said.
The statement noted that during the assembly elections in Bihar, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, the Commission had relaxed the notice period in view of the ongoing pandemic. -- PTI
21:10 Raza Murad dropped from MP cleanliness campaign
Noted film actor Raza Murad was removed as brand ambassador of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation's 'swachhata abhiyan' on Friday on the order of Madhya Pradesh Urban Development Minister Bhupendra Singh, a day after the announcement of his appointment was made.
In a letter to the Bhopal civic chief, Singh said Murad should be dropped as brand ambassador as his contribution in the field of cleanliness was not known.
'A brand ambassador should be such a person who has contributed in a major way in the field of cleanliness or who is well-versed with Bhopal's culture. Therefore, the order in this regard should be cancelled with immediate effect. Instead, nominate a prestigious person/institution who has made noted contributions in the field of cleanliness,' the minister's letter said.
However, Murad told PTI he was well-versed with Bhopal as he had kin hailing from the city and had also completed his schooling in the state capital.
"No one can be a bigger Bhopali than me as my mother, wife and many other members of the family belong to Bhopal. I did my schooling from the Cambridge School here. I am well versed with the city, its roads, its typical language, its tea, paan and gutkha, so the charge that I don't know the culture of the city holds no ground," Murad said.
"Secondly, the minister also said the brand ambassador should be such a person who has done commendable job in 'swachhata'. But, when you do not give me an opportunity to prove (my credentials in the field), then how can you decide I have not done anything," he asked.
Murad also said he had already started work on the subject on Thursday in the city's Chowk area by telling people to segregate solid and liquid waste, adding that 'if the minister doesn't want my services, so be it, as they (powers that be) are maalik (all powerful)'.
BMC public relations officer said the 100-150 people chosen as cleanliness ambassadors on Thursday were those had made a name in their respective fields.
Meanwhile, the Congress hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state and said Murad being dropped from the brand ambassador list was 'Sanghi thinking'.
In a tweet in Hindi, Congress spokesperson K K Mishra said Murad was removed as he was Muslim. -- PTI
20:25 Prima facie, malls don't have rights to collect parking fees: Kerala HC
The Kerala high court on Friday said prima facie, it was of the opinion that malls don't have the right to collect parking fees and asked Kalamassery municipality whether it had issued any license to the Lulu International shopping mall at Ernakulam for the same.
Justice PV Kunhikrishnan, while hearing a plea that the mall was illegally collecting parking fees from customers, however, did not ask the mall to stop the collection but said it would be at their risk.
"As per the building rules, sufficient area for parking space is necessary for constructing a building. Parking space is part of the building. The building permit is issued on condition that there will be parking space. Based on this undertaking the building is constructed. After constructing the building, whether the owner of the building can collect parking fee is the question. Prima facie I am of the opinion that it is not possible," the court said in its order.
The court has asked the municipality to file a statement about its stand regarding the issue and posted the matter for further hearing on January 28.
"Further collection of the parking fee by respondent (Lulu Mall) for parking vehicles in the area which is earmarked in the building permit for parking will be subject to the result of the final decision of this writ petition. But I make it clear that they can collect the parking fee at their risk," the court said.
Petitioner Pauly Vadakkan, a film director, has contended that the mall's management was responsible for providing free parking to customers. -- PTI
20:19 Court rejects Salman's plea for interim order in defamation suit
The Mumbai city civil court on Friday refused to pass any interim restraining order in favour of actor Salman Khan who has sued a neighbour for alleged defamation.
The Bollywood superstar has filed a civil suit alleging that Ketan Kakkad, who owns a plot of land near the actor's farmhouse in Panvel near Mumbai, defamed him during an interview with a YouTube channel.
Judge Anil H Laddhad directed Kakkad to file his reply and posted the matter for further hearing on January 21.
Lawyers from DSK Legal which represents Khan sought an interim injunction (order) restraining Kakkad from making any further defamatory statements during the pendency of the suit.
But Kakkad's lawyers Abha Singh and Aditya Pratap opposed the prayer, saying they received case papers only on Thursday evening and could not go through the entire suit.
Advocate Singh also said there was no urgency and if Khan had waited for a month to file the suit, then Kakkad should get some time to file a reply.
Judge Laddhad then adjourned the hearing.
Khan, who lives in suburban Bandra in Mumbai, owns a farmhouse in Panvel in neighbouring Raigad district. Kakkad, also a Mumbai resident, owns a plot on a hill next to Khan's farmhouse.
According to Khan's suit, Kakkad made slanderous comments against the actor while speaking to a YouTuber.
Two other people who participated in the show have also been named as respondents. -- PTI
20:07 Mumbai logs 11,317 new Covid cases, 9 deaths
Mumbai witnessed a drop in daily COVID infections on Friday with the city reporting 11,317 fresh cases and 9 deaths in the past 24 hours, said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
The city' active COVID cases stood at 84,352.
The city had recorded 13,702 COVID cases and six deaths on Thursday. -- ANI
19:43 More than one crore people performed surya namaskar globally: Govt
The ayush ministry observed surya mamaskar for vitality on Friday in which more than one crore people from across the world, including India, performed the yoga asanas to keep themselves safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, a statement said.
The programme was launched virtually by Union ayush minister Sarbananda Sonowal and MoS for ayush Munjapara Mahendrabhai as part of the Azadi ka amrit mahotsav celebrations.
In his inaugural address, the Union minister said that sun worship is done through surya namaskar to improve physical and mental well-being.
Under the leadership and guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, yoga and surya namaskar are being promoted for the health of mankind, the minister said, according to the statement.
Munjapara said that research on surya namaskar has demonstrated that the exercise builds immunity and keeps the body fit.
On this occasion, Baba Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev and many other notable personalities joined the programme. -- PTI
19:40 No sabotage in Gen Rawat chopper crash: Probe
The IAF chopper crash on December 8 that killed Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and 13 others was due to an unexpected change in weather that led to spatial disorientation of the pilot, stated the preliminary findings submitted by the tri-services court of inquiry.
"The tri-services court of inquiry into the Mi-17 V5 accident on December 8, 2021, has submitted its preliminary findings," the Indian Air Force's statement said on Friday.
The court of inquiry has ruled out mechanical failure, sabotage or negligence as a cause of the accident, it said.
"The accident was a result of entry into clouds due to unexpected change in weather conditions in the valley. This led to spatial disorientation of the pilot resulting in Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT)," it stated.
According to US aviation regulator FAA, CFIT is defined as an unintentional collision with terrain -- the ground, a mountain, a body of water, or an obstacle -- while an aircraft is under positive control.
Gen Rawat, his wife Madhulika, his defence advisor Brigadier LS Lidder, staff officer to the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt Col Harjinder Singh and decorated pilot Group Captain Varun Singh were among 13 others killed in the crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.
19:30 Delhi reports 24,383 new Covid cases, 34 deaths
Delhi reported 24,383 new COVID cases on Friday while 34 patients succumbed to the virus in the past 24 hours, said Delhi health department.
The city's positivity rate rose to 30.64 per cent as compared to the previous day's 29.21 per cent.
In Delhi as many as 26,236 patients recovered and there are 92,273 active cases in the national capital now.
Delhi on Thursday recorded 28,867 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day number since the outbreak of the pandemic about two years ago. -- Agencies
Rashpal Singh, AIG, STF, Amritsar
18:32 5 kg IED found in Punjab village near Indo-Pak border: Police
An improvised explosive device and some Indian currency notes were found on Friday concealed in a bag lying on the Attari-Bachiwind road in Punjab's Amritsar, close to the India-Pakistan border, a senior police official said.
The special task force of the Punjab police launched a search operation based an a specific input about drugs and explosives and recovered the bag, just a month before the assembly polls in Punjab.
It came on a day an IED stuffed with RDX and ammonium nitrate was found inside an unattended bag at the Ghazipur flower market in the national capital.
After the recovery of the IED in Amritsar, the police have cordoned off the area. "...the IED weighing 5 kg...was found concealed in a bag on Attari-Bachiwind Road. Some Indian currency notes were also found inside," assistant inspector general of STF Rashpal Singh, who was present at the site, said over phone.
He said experts and bomb-disposal squad members were called to the site and further investigation is underway.
On Thursday, close on the heels of busting a terror module backed by the International Sikh Youth Federation, the Punjab police had said it seized 2.5 kg of RDX, besides arms and ammunition, on the disclosure of the prime accused in two recent incidents of hurling of grenades in Pathankot. -- PTI
S Somanath (left)
18:13 Somanath assumes charge as department of space secretary
S Somanath on Friday assumed charge as secretary, department of space and chairman, space commission.
Prior to this, he had a four-year stint as the director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananathapuram.
Earlier, he also served as the director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, Valiamala, for two and half years, an Indian Space Research Organisation statement noted.
"His contributions in PSLV and GSLV MkIII were in their overall architecture, propulsion stages design, structural and structural dynamics designs, separation systems, vehicle integration, and integration procedures development", the statement said. -- PTI
17:57 Modi to interact with 150 startups on Saturday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with over 150 startups on Saturday to boost the startup ecosystem in the country, the Prime Minister's Office said on Friday.
Startups from various sectors including agriculture, health, enterprise systems, space, industry 4.0, security, fintech and environment will be part of this interaction.
The PMO in a statement said that more than 150 startups have been divided into six working groups based on themes including growing from roots; nudging the DNA; from local to global; technology of future; building champions in manufacturing and sustainable development.
Each group will make a presentation before the PM on the allotted theme in the interaction.
The aim of the interaction is to understand how startups can contribute to national needs by driving innovation in the country, the release said.
As a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, a week-long event, 'Celebrating innovation ecosystem,' is being hosted by DPIIT, ministry of commerce and industry, from 10 to 16 January 2022, the PMO said. -- ANI
17:22 Indian automobile industry performance
Passenger vehicle sales rose by 26 percent in from Jan to Dec 2021 over the last year.
17:20 India's merchandise trade
The country's exports in December 2021 surged 38.91 per cent on an annual basis to USD 37.81 billion due to healthy performance by sectors such as engineering, textiles and chemicals, even as the trade deficit widened to USD 21.68 billion during the month, government data showed on Friday.
17:10 Man pictured as baby on Nirvana's 'Nevermind' album cover refiles lawsuit
Spencer Elden, the man whose baby picture was used on the album cover for Nirvana's 'Nevermind', has refiled a lawsuit alleging the cover image was taken and used without his consent and the nudity amounts to child pornography.
According to Variety, a judge dismissed the lawsuit on January 3 due to missed deadlines, but Elden and his representation were given 10 days to amend the complaint and refile it.
The lawsuit was refiled on January 13 in Los Angeles federal court. The refiled lawsuit has once again named Nirvana band members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, as well as Kurt Cobain's widow Courtney Love (the executor of Cobain's estate), as defendants, along with photographer Kirk Weddle, Nirvana L.L.C., Universal Music Group, UMG Recordings, MCA Records and The David Geffen Company.
The lawsuit alleges that in the "10 years preceding the filing of this action each Defendant knowingly possessed, transported, reproduced, advertised, promoted, presented, distributed, provided and/or obtained child pornography depicting Spencer, who had not attained the age of 18 years when this image was printed on the cover of Nirvana's 'Nevermind' album."
17:04 Political, religious groups criticise J&K administration's order on 'surya namaskar'
Various political and religious groups on Friday criticised the Jammu and Kashmir administration's order directing college heads in the union territory to organise large-scale 'surya namaskar' on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.
The event was to be held online on Friday as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations and officials of the Higher Education department did not respond to queries about it.
The Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), an amalgam of several religious organisations, took strong exception to the order and said the authorities were well aware that Jammu and Kashmir is Muslim-majority and like people from other religions, Muslims will not participate in religious practices of other religions.
"To deliberately force them to do so by issuing directives is mischievous," it said. "The Muslims of J-K are respectful of all religions and believe in harmonious coexistence, but will never yield to any pressure, if and when there is any interference in matters related to their faith, it said in a statement.
"The recent open call to genocide of Muslims of India at a religious conference in Haridwar and the silence of the state in this regard is a shocking case of bigotry and discrimination against Muslims, which has become the order of the day," it alleged.
The amalgam asked the administration to desist from issuing such orders in the future. Former chief ministers -- Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti -- and various political parties also criticised the order.
"Why should Muslim students be forced to do anything, including yoga, to celebrate Makar Sankranti? Makar Sankranti is a festival & to celebrate it or not must be a personal choice. Would the BJP be happy if a similar order was issued to order non-Muslim students to celebrate Eid?" Abdullah, the National Conference vice president, wrote on Twitter.
Mehbooba, who is also the PDP president, said the Centre's misadventures aim to collectively humiliate Kashmiris.
16:37 Sensex, Nifty snap 5-day rally; TCS, Infosys rise
Snapping five days of rally, the Indian equities markets benchmark Sensex and Nifty closed in the red on Friday due to selling pressure in FMCG and some banking stocks.
The 30 stock S&P Sensex of the Bombay Stock Exchange closed at 61,223.03 points, which is 12.27 points or 0.02 per cent down from its previous day's close at 61,235.30 points.
The Sensex closed in the red after a volatile session. The benchmark Sensex opened sharply down at 61,040.32 points and slumped to a low of 60,757.03 points.
The benchmark Sensex briefly soared in the positive touching a high of 61,324.59 points in the intra-day. -- PTI
16:33 No Covid vaccine shortage in Maha: Centre
Refuting media reports on COVID-19 vaccine shortage in Maharashtra, the Health Ministry said the state had over 24 lakh unutilised doses of Covaxin and received an additional 6.35 lakh doses on Friday.
According to the media reports, the state government is unable to increase the pace of vaccination due to a shortage in vaccine availability.
"As per their weekly consumption data available on Co-WIN, the average consumption by Maharashtra for Covaxin to cover the eligible beneficiaries for 15-17 years and for precaution dose is almost 2.94 lakh doses per day. Therefore, the state has adequate vaccine doses for about 10 days to cover the eligible beneficiaries with Covaxin," the ministry said in a statement.
"Furthermore, for Covishield, the state has 1.24 crore unutilised and balance doses available as on date. With an average consumption of 3.57 lakhs per day, this will sustain for more than 30 days for the beneficiaries to be vaccinated using the vaccine," it said.
Hence, the media reports are not factually correct and do not reflect the correct picture of the available stock of balance and unutilised Covid vaccine doses with Maharashtra, the ministry said. PTI
Akhilesh with Swami Prasad Maurya
16:17 BJP will get 3-4 seats, not 3/4th, says Akhilesh
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday took a swipe at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saying by the "80 versus 20" assertion, he meant only 20 per cent of the population will back the BJP in the Uttar Pradesh elections, while the remaining 80 per cent will support his party.
But after the arrival of Swami Prasad Maurya and others in the SP, the saffron party would lose even this 20 per cent, Yadav said in his speech after giving party membership to Maurya and others.
"Baba mukhya mantri (Adityanath) should engage a math teacher," the SP president said, referring to the chief minister's "80 vs 20" remarks. Adityanath had recently said that in the Uttar Pradesh elections, while 80 per cent supporters will be on one side, 20 per cent will be on the other, which many thought was alluding to the 20 per cent Muslim population in the state.
Yadav also pooh-poohed the BJP's claim of winning three-fourth seats in the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly, saying, "they meant they will win three or four seats." PTI
16:14 Bulli Bai accused sent to 14 days jail
'Bulli Bai' app case: Court sends accused Shweta Singh and Mayank into 14-day judicial custody.
Jake Gyllenhaal with Anne Hathaway
15:47 Jake Gyllenhaal recalls awkward first meeting with Brad Pitt
,A break from Covid and the polls, this is about evergreen hotties and actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Brad Pitt.
Gyllenhaal says he accidentally hit the door while greeting Brad Pitt during his first meeting with the star. The actor said he was nervous but the Oscar-winning star was cool about the gaffe.
"I was working with Jennifer Aniston, who was his wife at the time, and there were a lot of very racy scenes. I remember putting my hand out to shake his and accidentally hitting the door," Gyllenhaal told W for its 2022 Best Performances Series, recalling the 2002 film "The Good Girl".
"He (Pitt) said, so confidently and kindly, 'Well, you have another one. It's all right'. He was very, very, very sweet to me, and it was actually a really lovely exchange," the actor recalled. PTI
15:30 Maha CM launches BMC's WhatsApp chatbot
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday virtually launched the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) 'WhatsApp chatbot' here for over 80 different services.
The BMC said that through the chatbot, information about more than 80 services and facilities provided by it will be easily available to citizens on their mobiles through WhatsApp number 8999228999.
Speaking on the occasion, Thackeray said that Mumbai is the first municipal corporation in the country to provide more than 80 services to people at their doorstep though Whatsapp chatbot.
"This day is written in golden letters. It can be described as a revolutionary day," he said at the launch. The chief minister said that this initiative has made the work-from-home facility even more efficient.
"As technology is advancing rapidly, we should consider how it can be used for giving more and more services to public...Mumbai is number one municipal corporation in the country, which has given more than 80 services to the citizens at their doorstep," he said.
Thackeray also praised the BMC for its work during the pandemic.
Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray, Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar, municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal and senior civic officials were present during the function.
Speaking on the occasion, Aaditya Thackeray, who is also the guardian minister of Mumbai suburban district, said the Mumbai civic body is providing more than 80 services to our citizens and it is the only example in the world.
"Today, we have set before the people a model of online, transparent and accountable municipal corporation," he said, adding that other civic bodies in the state should emulate.
Aslam Shaikh, who is guardian minister of Mumbai district, said that with this service, the citizens will not have to visit the BMC offices repeatedly and the tendering process will also become transparent. Chahal said that Mumbai municipal corporation is the first civic body in India to launch this kind of service. -- PTI
The brave sisters who stood by the rape survivor
15:18 Bishop acquittal: Case sabotaged, say nun's friends
The acquittal of Roman Catholic Bishop Franco Mulakkal of charges of raping a nun in a Kerala convent by a court in Kottayam triggered emotional reactions on Friday.
Nuns who supported the survivor expressed shock and dismay over the verdict and said they would continue the fight till justice prevails.
The jubilant bishop urged followers to 'praise the lord and be happy'.
A group of nuns of Kuravilangad Convent in Kottayam, who have been standing with the survivor in her fight, were on the verge of tears when they said they were yet to believe such a verdict came out from the court and they did not know what has happened.
The survivor and her supporters stay in the Kuravilangad convent in this south Kerala district.
Sister Anupama, who was the face of the nun's years-long fight for justice, said they will challenge the verdict in the higher court and take forward the fight of their hapless colleague.
"We will continue our stay in the convent and take forward our fight till our sister gets justice. Police and prosecution showed justice to us but we did not get the expected justice from the judiciary," the teary-eyed nun told reporters.
In a broken voice, she also said the verdict gives them a message that ordinary mortals like them should never break their silence against any injustice and fight a case whatever happened to them in the life.
"Those who are wealthy and influential can do anything in this society. That is what we see around us now. We have never felt anything strange till the time of argument of the case. We believe it was sabotaged after that," she said.
When asked whether they would be safe in the convent and they expect any ill-treatment from the church authorities in the wake of the verdict, she said they had never been safe there and they could not reveal many things happening inside the institution.
Sister Anupama also made it clear that they were even ready to die to get justice for the survivor.
14:42 More BSP, BJP, Cong leaders join SP
A busy day for Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
Former BSP MLAs Neeraj Kushawaha Maurya and Balram Saini, former BJP MLC and MLA Harpal Saini and Rajendra Pratap Singh respectively join the SP.
Former Minister of State Vidrohi Maurya, former Chief Security Officer Padam Singh and former Congress MLA Bansi Singh Pahadiya have also joined SP today.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath
14:22 Ten ministers may resign from UP govt soon: Raut
Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP and senior party leader Sanjay Raut on Friday slammed the Yogi Adityanath government and said that in the coming days, at least 10 ministers may resign from the Uttar Pradesh government.
The pre-poll churning in Uttar Pradesh has seen the BJP getting a jolt with six MLAs resigning from the party and three ministers quitting amid signals that they will join Samajwadi Party.
Dharam Singh Saini became the third minister on Thursday who has resigned from the Yogi Adiyanath government in the last four days.
Sanjay Raut, on Friday, in an exclusive interview to ANI said, "This figure will keep on increasing. Look at the way people were working under pressure for five years. No work has happened in BJP's rule. People of Uttar Pradesh are saying that event management does not mean running the government. Talking of 80:20 per cent political polarisation may work but state and country can not develop."
"Yesterday I met many unemployed people in the poll-bound state and they want change in Uttar Pradesh. When important ministers, OBC leaders are leaving, you can understand in which direction the wind is blowing," Raut told ANI.
Many leaders, who left the party over the past few days, accused the BJP government of not bothering about the rights of minorities and backward classes. Senior Shiv Sena leader reacted sharply on the number of ministers quitting the Uttar Pradesh government.
He said, "As per my knowledge, this is just the beginning. 10 more ministers may resign in the coming days." Raut reiterated that party will contest elections on 50-100 seats in Uttar Pradesh.
"I met Rakesh Tikait ji yesterday. It was not a political meeting. Uddhav Thackeray ji also spoke to him over the phone and told him that the fight for the cause of farmers is still very long and is not over yet. We will definitely fight assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh between 50 to 100 seats and we are preparing for it," he further told ANI.
The seven-phase Uttar Pradesh (UP) assembly polls to be held between February 10 and March 7. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.
Akhilesh welcomes Swami Prasad Maurya in SP
14:11 Two former Yogi govt ministers join SP
Former UP cabinet ministers Swami Prasad Maurya and Dharam Singh Saini, five other Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs and Apna Dal (Sonelal) MLA join the Samajwadi Party in the presence of its chief Akhilesh Yadav.
13:49 IED recovered from Delhi flower market
Delhi Police recovers an IED in Ghazipur Flower Market. "Based on the information received, an IED has been recovered," Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana says.
13:47 DCGI to review Covaxin, Covishield full market approval today
Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI)'s Subject Expert Committee will review applications of Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India (SII) for full market approval to Covaxin and Covishield respectively on Friday, sources said.
The SII of India had applied for market approval for the Covishield vaccine in December 2021 and Bharat biotech has also applied for the same 10 days ago.
Further, Bharat Biotech has informed that Covaxin is now a universal vaccine for adults and children. "Our goals of developing a global vaccine against COVID-19 have been achieved and all product development for licensure has been completed," it said.
However, both Covaxin and Covishield are currently authorized for emergency use only.
The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) met on January 1 and January 2, 2021, and made recommendations in respect of the proposal for Restricted Emergency Approval of COVID-19 virus vaccines of Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech.
The SEC consists of domain knowledge experts from the fields of pulmonology, immunology, microbiology, pharmacology, pediatrics, internal medicine, etc. -- PTI
13:31 Former editor of Free Press Journal dies
Vijayan Kannampilly, prolific artist and the former editor of "Free Press Journal", died Thursday after suffering a cardiac failure. He was 72.
Born to former Indian ambassador K M Kannampilly and Konath Madhavi Amma, he was a passionate Marxist during his student days, before turning to journalism in 1974, when he joined "The Economic Times".
Barely a year into his career, he took a brave stand against the Emergency in 1975, even as many Indian media houses buckled under political pressure. After the Emergency was lifted, he quickly rose through the ranks, becoming editor of FPJ in the mid-1980s.
He later left journalism to work for the Business India publishing group and stayed with the organization into his sixties.
He also rekindled his childhood passion for painting -- becoming a committed artist and the author of a best-selling cookbook on Kerala cuisine.
He retired to the coastal state in his final years where he spent his time painting.
He is survived by his wife, daughter and stepson.
Corona cases across states
13:27 New life insurance policy: Waiting period for people recovered from COVID
People who have recovered from coronavirus infection will have to wait for up to three months before they can take a new life insurance policy, with insurers making the waiting period requirement applicable for coronavirus cases like other ailments.
As a standard practice, all life and health insurance companies require people to wait for a specific period with respect to certain ailments and diseases to gauge the risk before selling a policy.
This condition of waiting period for people who have recovered from coronavirus infection will be applicable only for life insurance policies. Industry experts said the waiting period for individuals, who have recovered from coronavirus infection, in order to take a new insurance policy has been implemented against the backdrop of high mortality rate related to coronavirus infection.
Reinsurers have asked insurance companies to bring coronavirus infection cases also under the standard waiting period norms as high mortality rates have impacted the reinsurance business.
The waiting period is about one to three months, they added. Reinsurance players provide the cover for insurance policies issued by insurers.
The FM during pre-Budget consultations last month
12:56 Budget session of Parl from Jan 31 to April 8
Budget session of Parliament is set to commence on January 31 and will conclude on April 8.
The first half of the budget session will run from January 31 to February 11.
It will reassemble on March 14 to sit until April 8, subject to government exigencies.
The President will also address both Houses of Parliament assembled together on 11 am on January 31.
The government will present the Budget for the financial year 2022-23 on February 1.
"The 256th Session of Rajya Sabha (Budget Session - 2022) is summoned to meet on Monday, January 31, and subject to exigencies of Government Business, the Session may conclude on Friday, April 8.
During this period, Chairman may be moved to kindly adjourn the Rajya Sabha on Friday, February 11 to reassemble on Monday, March 14 to enable the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees to consider the 'Demands for Grants relating to Ministries/Departments and prepare their reports," a letter of Additional secretary-general of Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs Minister stated.
There will be no sitting on March 18 on account of Holi.
12:32 25K Covid cases expected today, says Delhi govt
Stating that over 85 per cent of beds are vacant in the city, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday said that around 25,000 new Covid-19 cases are expected today.
Speaking to reporters, Jain said, "Last night, Delhi reported 28,867 new Covid-19 cases, 31 fatalities, and 2424 hospitals were occupied. Over 13,000 beds were vacant. Just over 15 per cent of beds in the hospitals were occupied. We are expecting that the city would report around 25,000 new Covid-19 cases today."
On whether Delhi started witnessing flattening of cases, Jain said, "The hospital admissions in the city have become stagnant, which is a good sign. The positivity rate keeps on changing, but the main factor is hospital admissions."
He added, "Over 75 per cent of patients who died due to Covid-19 are unvaccinated and over 90 per cent of deaths are those who have co-morbid conditions. Even seven teenagers who died of Covid-19 were suffering from severe chronic disease."
Jain also added that the Delhi government does not intend to impose any new restrictions or curbs ahead of the weekend curfew. - ANI
That's Pahalgam at -10.3C
12:01 Kashmir valley in grip of severe cold wave
The minimum temperature dropped at most places in Kashmir on Friday as the intense cold wave conditions continued in the valley, officials said in Srinagar.
The night temperature settled several degrees below normal for this part of the season.
Gulmarg, the famous skiing resort in Baramulla district of north Kashmir, was the only place in the valley where the night temperature improved on Thursday night, the officials said.
The resort recorded a low of minus 10.5 degrees Celsius, slightly up from minus 11.0 degrees Celsius. It was for the sixth straight night that the minimum temperature has settled at minus 10 degrees Celsius or below, the officials said.
Pahalgam in south Kashmir Anantnag district, which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra, recorded a low of -10.3 degrees Celsius, a degree down from the previous night, they said.
The minimum temperature in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, settled at minus 3.4 degrees Celsius half-a-degree down from the previous night, the officials said.
They said Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, recorded the minimum of minus 7.8 degrees Celsius, while the nearby south Kashmir town of Kokernag recorded a low of minus 7.5 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Kupwara in north Kashmir settled at a low of minus 4.2 degrees Celsius.
The MET Office said the weather is likely to stay mainly dry over the next few days and the minimum temperature is likely to drop further. Kashmir valley is currently under the grip of the 40-day harshest winter period known as 'Chilla-i-Kalan' which began on December 21.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
11:48 Loco equipment failure cause of Bika-Guwa accident
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw who is at the site of the Bikaner-Guwahati Express train accident in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district said it the mishap occurred due to equipment failure.
"Preliminary inquiry shows there was a glitch in locomotive equipment. The Commission of Rail Safety is conducting an inquiry to find the root cause behind the accident," the minister said.
The death toll has gone up to nine.
Three of the deceased are yet to be identified, she added.
Twelve coaches of the Bikaner-Guwahati Express train had derailed and some of them capsized near Domohani in Jalpaiguri district on Thursday.
The disbursement of ex gratia amount to the families of the victims has begun. Family of each deceased will get Rs 5 lakhs, those who sustained grievous injuries will get Rs 1 lakh, & those with nonserious injuries will get Rs 25,000, the minister said.
11:28 Dip in the holy river
Devotees take a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam on the festival of Makar Sankranti in Prayagraj. Keeping the Covid situation in mind, police have been deployed near the ghats to ensure Covid appropriate behaviour is followed.
11:18 Nun rape case: Bishop Franco Mulakkal acquitted
Kerala's Kottayam court acquits accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal in the 2018 nun rape case.
The complaint by the nun in 2018 had send shockwaves across the state, and nuns even came out in support, and sat in protest demanding the arrest of Bishop Franco Mulakkal.
The nun had filed a complaint before the Kottayam SP in June, 2018 that she was raped 13 times by Mulakkal between 2014 and 2016.
The accused Bishop was arrested on September 21, after five nuns came out to publicly protest and demand for his arrest in Ernakulam.
The nuns had received huge support in their protest.
Franco Mulakkal has been charged under 7 IPC sections including rape, and is currently out on bail. The prosecution had examined 39 witnesses in the case.
11:11 Pongal, anyone?
MP and actress Hema Malini celebrates the festival of Pongal at home: "Celebrated Pongal with the family today. Here I am making the Pongal at home," she tweeted.
10:41 A dip in the Ganga on Sankranti in bone-chilling weather
Devotees take a holy dip in the Ganga on the occasion of Makar Sankranti at Gandhi Ghat in Patna. "On Makar Sankranti, a large number of people come here for a dip, but there are less number of devotees due to COVID this year," says a local priest.
Some semblance of social distancing can be observed thankfully.
Investors mask their worries
10:38 Sensex slumps over 400 pts in early trade; Nifty dips below 18,200
Equity benchmark Sensex tumbled over 400 points in opening trade on Friday, tracking heavy selling pressure across counters amid a negative trend in global markets.
The BSE index was trading 434.59 points or 0.71 per cent lower at 60,800.71 in early trade. Likewise, the Nifty declined 111.10 points or 0.61 per cent to 18,146.70.
HCL Tech was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding 2.49 per cent, followed by Asian Paints, HDFC, Axis Bank, Wipro, HUL and Tech Mahindra.
On the other hand, Reliance Industries, Maruti, Titan and Bajaj Finance were the only gainers in the pack. -- PTI
10:35 India's Covid cases HIGHEST in almost 8 months
India saw a single day jump of 2,64,202 new coronavirus infections, the highest in 239 days, taking the total tally of Coovid-19 cases to 3,65,82,129 which includes 5,753 cases of the Omicron variant.
According to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday, there has been a 4.83 per cent increase in Omicron cases since Thursday.
The active cases have increased to 12,72,073, the highest in 220 days, while the death toll has climbed to 4,85,350 with 315 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.
The active cases comprises 3.48 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has decreased to 95.20 per cent, the ministry said.
A total 2,76,110 coronavirus infections were reported in a single day on May 19. An increase of 1,54,542 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 14.78 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 11.83 per cent, according to the ministry.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,48,24,706, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.33 per cent.
The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 155.39 crore. -- PTI
10:30 Nine dead in train derailment near Jalpaiguri
Nine people lost their lives after 12 coaches of the Bikaner-Guwahati Express (15633) derailed in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district on Thursday: Chief Public Relations Officer, Northeast Frontier Railway.
Rescue operation is over. 36 injured were admitted to different hospitals. Passengers were sent to Guwahati by special train.
Incidentally, the picture is not blurred... that's fog.
10:20 You can't be a role model in this manner: Gambhir slams Kohli for stump mic reaction
Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir slammed India's Test skipper Virat Kohli for his reaction to the controversial DRS decision during the ongoing third Test against South Africa at Cape Town on Thursday.
Former Indian opening batter added that Kohli's reaction was "exaggerated" and "really immature".
Team India was visibly irked after a controversial Decision Review System (DRS) call helped South Africa skipper Dean Elgar get his LBW decision overturned in the ongoing fourth innings of the Cape Town Test.
The incident occurred in the 21st over of the innings which was bowled by Ashwin.
The spinner bowled a tossed-up delivery and it drifted in, beating Elgar on the inside edge and the ball struck him right in front of the stumps, and on-field umpire Marais Erasmus raised his finger.
However, Elgar reviewed the decision and replays showed that the ball was going over the stumps, and hence the decision was overturned.
The controversial call evoked different reactions from KL Rahul, skipper Virat Kohli, and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
First, the mic caught Ashwin as saying: "You should find better ways to win Supersport (South Africa broadcaster)."
Then Virat Kohli walked towards the stump mic and said: "Focus on your team as well and not just the opposition, trying to catch people all the time."
At last, KL Rahul said: "Whole country playing against XI guys."
After the end of the day's play, Gambhir in conversation with Star Sports said: "This is really bad. What Kohli did, going near the stump mic and reacting in that manner, that is really immature. This is not what you expect from an international captain, from an Indian captain. Then technology isn't in your hand. Then you have reacted in the same manner when there was a caught-behind appeal on the leg-side, neither did Dean Elgar react in that manner. During that Mayank Agarwal appeal, it looked OUT from the naked eye, but Elgar did not react in that manner," he said."
Children do need to stay masked
10:12 Omicron has only a mild effect on children: AIIMS
As India reports Covid-19 infection in children like other countries, considering the importance of the topic, an interactive webinar session on 'Managing Children with Covid-19' is being organised by the Union Health Ministry in collaboration with All India institute of medical sciences (AIIMS) Delhi.
Regional and state centresof excellence and the Indian Medical Association also participated.
AIIMS, New Delhi, Director Dr Randeep Guleria said, "It is important for us to understand that children are not like adults and we cannot translate what we are doing in adults to children. They need to be treated separately and that is why this webinar that we are having today is very, very important."
"There is also been a lot of concern about the severity of illness in children in this current wave with some reports from hospitals in the US claiming that they are seeing an increased number of children being admitted.
"So I think it is important to clarify, how is the current Omicron behaving as far as children are concerned? The concern has always been there as the younger children are not vaccinated and they are really getting more severe diseases.
"What is the management for children who are having COVID 19, what can we give, what should we not give and how should we treat these children depending on their age group and their presentation?" Dr Guleria said.
The purpose of the webinar was to re-emphasise all the important information and management of paediatric COVID.
"Omicron does affect the children but it is a mild disease. So we also need to keep in mind that the fear and the panic which is getting created among the families, we must be able to curtail it," said Dr Prof Ashok Deorari, AIIMS, Delhi.
Dr Rakesh Lodha, Head, Professor, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, AIIMS, Delhi, who was the speaker during the webinar, further explained by showing the data about the infection rate in children but more data is still required.
"Now what we see is that our children are more frequently affected. I think we need some data and I think that data is likely to be available soon. But apparently, there doesn't seem to be a dramatic increase in the proportion the absolute numbers are likely to go up as the cumulative or the total number of cases increase in the country."
He also explained the reason behind children getting affected by COVID in comparison to adults and the elderly population.
"Why are children less frequently less severely affected? They respond to the virus in a better way. In addition, if the lung gets involved, then the excellent regeneration capacity of the pediatric alveolar epitheliun would help in a more rapid and more complete recovery.
" And the absence of risk factors like various comorbidities that we see in adults and elderly like smoking and diabetes are obviously less seen in children. So all of these contribute to less severe disease in children."
09:25 India reports 2.64L new cases, Omicron tally at 5753
India reported 2,64,202 new coronavirus infections, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,65,82,129 which includes 5,753 cases of the Omicron variant, according to the Union health ministry data updated today.
The active cases have increased to 12,72,073, the data updated at 8 am stated.
08:22 Punjab polls: Channi may contest from 2 seats
A meeting of the Congress Central Election Committee for Punjab assembly elections took place on Thursday through video conferencing in which discussion was held to finalise candidates.
The first list of Congress candidates for Punjab polls will be out soon.
Interestingly, Chief Minister Charanjeeet Singh Channi, who is currently representing the Chamkaur Sahib seat in Punjab assembly, is likely to contest from two seats.
According to sources, Congress has finalised the list of more than 70 candidates which include a large number of sitting MLAs.
Another round of the CEC meeting will be held and the first list of Congress candidates is likely to be announced on Friday.
A top source in the Congress informed that the party is keen to field Channi from two seats in two different regions of Punjab.
"Apart from Chamkaur Sahib assembly seat which comes in Maajha region of Punjab, Congress is all set to field CM Channi from Adampur assembly constituency which falls in the Doaba Region where a large number of seats have a chunk of Dalit votes who are a deciding factor in the region. Along with that, it will not be a surprise to see sitting MPs as candidates for assembly polls," the source added.
Talking to ANI, Congress MP Jasbir Singh Gill said that he is keen to fight if the party wants to field him for assembly polls.
"We are keen to fight if the party wants us to field for assembly polls, but it can be decided by party interim president Sonia Gandhi. If she will ask me to contest the polls, I will definitely fight the polls," Gill said.
Another Congress MP on the condition of anonymity said, "Yes, there is a discussion on fielding MPs like Pratap Singh Bajwa whose tenure is ending in March from Rajya Sabha."
Apna Dal MLA Chaudhary Amar Singh
00:28 2 MLAs of BJP ally Apna Dal quit, to join SP
Amid a spate of resignations from the Bharatiya Janata Party, two MLAs of its ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) also quit their party Thursday in run-up to the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.
Chaudhary Amar Singh, the MLA from Shohratgarh seat of Siddharthnagar, told PTI that he has resigned from the party after a meeting with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow this evening.
Singh is likely to contest from Shohratgarh seat on an SP ticket.
Apna Dal (Sonelal) MLA R K Verma, who represents the Vishwanath Ganj seat of Pratapgarh, also announced that he is leaving the party.
He told PTI that he will formally resign on Friday and elaborate the reasons why he was quitting the party.
Apna Dal (Sonelal), led by Union minister Anupriya Patel, had contested the 2017 assembly elections in alliance with the BJP.
It had fielded candidates on 12 seats and won nine.
The development comes in the backdrop of a spate of resignations from the ruling BJP.
On Thursday, OBC leader Dharam Singh Saini became the third minister to resign from the Uttar Pradesh cabinet this week, giving yet another jolt to the ruling BJP in the run-up to the assembly polls.
Hours before Saini's resignation, Shikohabad MLA Mukesh Verma announced that he is leaving the BJP.
Most of the eight MLAs, including the ministers, who have declared they are quitting during the last three days are from the Other Backward Classes and appear to be headed towards Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party. -- PTI
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