National and World
Jammu, April 21: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday compared the central government's vaccine strategy with demonetisation, which according to him, helped industrialists flourish and made common people suffer.
The Congress has termed the COVID vaccine policy as "discriminatory and inequitable".
"The central government's vaccine strategy is no less than the demonetisation. The common
Jammu, April 21: Indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, neutralises multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 and effectively works against the double mutant strain as well, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Wednesday.
Bharat Biotech's Covaxin has received Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for COVID-19 treatment in India and in several countries across the globe with ano
In IPL Cricket, Delhi Capitals beat Mumbai Indians by 6 wickets in Chennai last night. Chasing 138 runs for victory on a sluggish track, Delhi Capitals fought hard to earn a six-wicket win against defending champions Mumbai Indians. Delhi Capitals achieved the target of 138 in 19.1 overs for the loss of 4 wickets with the help of 45 by Shikhar Dhawan and Steven Smith's 33. This win also broke Del
Jammu, April 21: Bharat Biotech has expanded its manufacturing capacity across multiple facilities in Hyderabad and Bangalore to produce 700 million doses of Covaxin annually. The government on Monday approved a payment of about 4,500 crore rupees as advance to vaccine makers including Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India (SII) that is producing AstraZeneca’s Covishield in India. The move
Jammu, April 21: Central government has extended the insurance scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package for health workers for a period of one year. Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Harshvardhan said that Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package has provided a safety net to the dependents of corona warriors who lost their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic.
New Delhi: As more states went for lockdown-like restrictions to battle the raging second COVID-19 wave, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday stressed that use of lockdown should be the "last resort" and that the focus should rather be on micro-containment zones.
Modi's remarks in his address to the nation where he also said the second wave has become a major crisis came on a day when India
New Delhi: Of the total new cases reported in the last 24 hours, 78 per cent were reported from 10 states while 62 per cent of the active cases are in just five states.
According to the Union Health Ministry data, a total of 2,59,170 cases were reported in the last 24 hours. This is for the sixth consecutive day that India reported over two lakh cases in a day.
According to the data, 10 st
Srinagar, Apr 20: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday prayed for speedy recovery and good health of former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh who had tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.
Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter former Chief Minister Mehbooba said “ I've had the privilege & honour to know Manmohan Singh ji. Always unassuming humble & erudite his con
Beijing, Apr 20: India has told China that the significance of the consensus reached between their leaders to maintain peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) cannot be "swept under the carpet" and called for the complete disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh to rebuild bilateral ties strained by the "serious incidents" which has strongly impacted the public opinion.
In a candid addre
New Delhi: Amid the pandemic, online payments, indoor entertainment and gaming witnessed over 100 per cent growth in India last year, a new report said on Tuesday.
As theatres and offline entertainment avenues remained shut consumers turned to indoor entertainment, the OTT segment witnessed an incredible 144 per cent increase in the number of transactions and a 139 per cent increase in expend
Jaipur, Apr 20: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said that the Centre should ensure adequate availability of Covid vaccine by May 1, when the people above 18 years of age get eligible for vaccination.
Now that the Centre has agreed to allow vaccination to all adults, he said, it should ensure that there is no shortage of it.
'We look forward to a rational and transparent str
New Delhi, Apr 20: India should have a strategic partnership with Japan on Hydrozen that would help the country in its plan to have clean and green energy, says Sanjay Kumar Verma, Ambassador of India to Japan.
Thirty-eight per cent of India’s total installed electricity generation is based on renewables. This is about 136 GW now, and it is expected to reach a target of 175 GW by next year and
APRIL 20: The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Tuesday itself the plea of the Uttar Pradesh government against the Allahabad High Court order directing it to impose strict restrictions till April 26 in five cities amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned the matter for urgent listing before a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde.
Mehta, while referring to t
Srinagar, Apr 20: Both the Kargil courier sorties to Jammu, which were planned on Tuesday have been cancelled due to bad weather.
Chief Coordinator Kargil Courier Service Er Aamir Ali said today that two sorties of AN 32 Kargil courier service between the border town of Kargil and Jammu were planned on Tuesday.
However, due to bad weather both the sorties were cancelled, Er Ali said.
In a fres
New Delhi, Apr 20: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday reminded the Centre of its responsibility towards the fleeing migrants saying it should extend financial assistance to them.
Taking to Twitter, Mr Gandhi said, 'Migrants are migrating once again. In such a situation, it is the responsibility of the central government to add money to their bank accounts'.
In another account he said,
NEW DELHI: With the government opening the COVID-19 vaccination drive to everyone above 18 years of age, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called a meeting with vaccine manufacturers on Tuesday, sources said.
During the meeting, scheduled to be held through video conference at 6 pm on Tuesday, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) will make a presentation and also coordinate with all the parti
Amaravati: "All students of classes I to IX in all schools under all managements shall be treated as pass and promoted to their next class, duly cancelling summative assessment - II examinations for the academic year 2020-21," ordered principal secretary B. Rajsekhar on Monday.
In the light of this development, summer vacation has been declared from Tuesday for these students.
However, cl
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said this time COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities as well.
Interacting with doctors across the country via video conferencing on the COVID-19 issue and vaccination progress, the Prime Minister noted that this time the pandemic is spreading rapidly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities as well.
Mr Modi called for accelerating eff
New Delhi: India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 1,53,21,089 with 2,59,170 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, while active cases surpassed the 20-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.
The death toll increased to 1,80,530 with a record 1,761 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Registering a steady increase fo
Jammu: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences here with a mild fever on Monday afternoon.
Singh, 88, has been admitted to the AIIMS trauma centre, which is a dedicated COVID facility, sources said, adding his condition is stable.
They said Singh had a mild fever in the morning and later tested positive for CO
New Delhi: India on Monday reiterated that maintenance of peace and tranquility in border areas is an essential basis for the development of Sino-India relations as it underlined the need for Beijing to respect mutual concerns, sensitivities and priorities.
Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri made the remarks during an interaction with Chinese scholars from various think-tanks and universit
New Delhi: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has deferred interviews for civil services examination 2020 due to a surge in coronavirus cases, according to an official statement issued on Monday.
The civil services examination is conducted annually by the UPSC in three stages -- preliminary, main and interview -- to select officers of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign S
New Delhi: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday called off his planned visit to India next week due to the coronavirus situation, in second such cancellation over the pandemic.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said both sides decided by "mutual agreement" that the prime minister of the United Kingdom will not visit India next week.
The UK government last
Chennai: With an increase in Covid patients, the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in Coimbatore are fast filling up. In Coimbatore Government Medical College, 50 per cent of the ICU beds are already filled up and in the ESI medical hospital, all the 14 ICU beds are filled.
Coimbatore has reported 727 positive cases on Sunday and with the surge in the cases, the health officials are facing tough tim
New Delhi, Apr 19: The Supreme Court on Monday postponed the Italian Marines case to next week and questioned the Centre about delay in submitting Rs 10 crore ex-gratia.
A bench headed by the Chief Justice of India S A Bobde was hearing the application filed by the Centre seeking closure of the criminal cases against the two Italian Marines in India, after accepting the Rs 10 crore compensatio
NEW DELHI: Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Harshvardhan has said that history will be kinder to Dr Manmohan Singh if his offer of constructive cooperation and valuable advice was followed by the Congress leader in such an extraordinary time. This was stated by the Health Minister in a letter written to former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had wr
NEW DELHI: Railways can set up three lakh isolation beds across the country on States' demand. In a tweet, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said that 50 COVID-19 isolation coaches with 800 beds ready at Shakur Basti Station and 25 coaches will be available at Anand Vihar Station in Delhi.
Earlier, Northern Railway, General Manager Ashutosh Gangal has said that 463 COVID isolation coaches across
Hyderabad, April 19: Dr Satyendra Mishra, a frontline doctor of Bundelkhand Medical College and Hospital in Madhya Pradesh, was on Monday airlifted to Hyderabad for treatment of Covid-19.
The air ambulance carrying Dr Mishra from Bhopal landed at Begumpet Airport in the city and from there he was shifted to Yashoda Hospital in Secunderabad.
Dr Mishra of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine
Srinagar: The Army in Jammu and Kashmir has replaced red flags on its vehicles with white-and-blue ones and road barriers in sensitive zones have been given a new look in a move to ease the feeling of alienation among people during security checks and drills, an Army official said.
"Nowadays, the Army vehicles in Kashmir are moving with white-and-blue flags. Earlier, the Army vehicles used to
Bhopal, Apr 19: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday assured the Madhya Pradesh government that services at Army hospitals in the state will be made available to civilians during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Chief Minister's Office said.
Singh's assurance came after Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan spoke to him over phone about opening the Army hospitals in the state for the gene
NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said she has taken inputs from various industry chambers on concerns of India Inc with regard to the management of COVID pandemic and the centre would continue to work with state governments to save lives and livelihood.
She sought feedback from businesses to deal with the impact of the second COVID-19 wave on the country's economy.
I
Chennai: Malls, commercial establishments, tea shops, restaurants, vegetable markets, retail shops and provisional shops will remain opened till 9 pm and only 50 per cent customers will be allowed at a time, the civic body said i a statement.
Besides, the GCC will also ensure that people wear face masks and maintain social distancing.
Several restaurants found overcrowded were also shut i
NEW DELHI: Government has said that Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package, PMGKP Insurance Policy claims of COVID Warriors will continue to be settled till 24th April this year. It said, thereafter a fresh Insurance Policy for COVID Warriors will become effective.
Union Health Ministry said, PMGKP was announced in March last year and it was extended thrice till 24th April. The policy was launch
New Delhi, Apr 19: The Delhi government has decided to impose a complete curfew from tonight to next Monday morning to break the transmission chain of Coronavirus in the national capital.
All private offices will Work From Home and only government offices and essential services will be open, official sources told media.
The decision follows a meeting of Chief Minister Kejriwal and Lieutenan
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair an important meeting on the COVID-19 situation at 11:30 am on Monday, officials said.
The meeting comes amid a massive surge in coronavirus cases across the country, with several chief ministers complaining of a shortage of essentials like oxygen supply and medicines like Remdesivir, and seeking the Centre's intervention.
Modi has been ho
New Delhi: Former Union minister and senior BJP leader Bachi Singh Rawat died at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences here on Sunday. He was 71.
Rawat was admitted to the hospital on Saturday after he complained of difficulty in breathing.
Medical Superintendent of AIIMS, BS Bastia, confirmed his death.
Rawat was brought in an air ambulance from Haldwani and was admitted to the em
New Delhi, Apr 19: Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on Monday left for France on an official visit. His visit from April 19-23 is aimed at enhancing potential avenues for strengthening the level of interaction between the two Air Forces, Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Bhadauria will hold meetings and discussions with the senior military leadership of France and visit operational faciliti
Jaipur, April 19: In view of the steep rise in Covid-19 cases, the Rajasthan government has announced a 15-day lockdown starting from Monday and will continue till May 3.
The home department, late on Sunday night, issued new guidelines, and the lockdown period has been named as 'Public Discipline Fortnight'. All offices except those connected with essential services shall remain closed.
Sho
NEW DELHI: In the highest one-day surge so far, India has reported 2,73,810 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, as per the health ministry.
With this surge, India’s Covid caseload has gone past the 1.5 crore mark. 1,619 people succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours, as per the data from the health ministry.
India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed 20 lakh on August 7, 30 lakh on Augu
New Delhi: Shah said on Sunday, "The production of Remdisivir is adequate. We have banned export as precautionary but in panic people are buying in bulk which is leading to a shortage."
"I appeal to the people to buy it when only the doctor prescribes," he added.
The response comes after many state governments,including Maharashtra have complained about the shortage of the injections .
New Delhi: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the COVID-19 crisis, stressing that ramping up vaccination was the key to battling the pandemic, and mooted steps to boost supply including invoking compulsory licensing provisions as in case of HIV/AIDS drugs.
In a letter to the prime minister, the veteran Congress leader said one must not look at
Jammu: Normal flight movement would resume at Jammu Airport from Tuesday after it witnessed restricted seven-hour operations daily since March 20 owing to resurfacing work of the runway being done by the Indian Air Force (IAF), officials said on Sunday.
Jammu Airport Director Pravat Ranjan Beuria issued a fresh flight schedule effective from April 20, marking the resumption of normal flight oper
Abu Dhabi: Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday welcomed "third-party mediation" to ease Indo-Pak tensions but denied an India-specific agenda behind his ongoing visit to the UAE.
"I am here for a bilateral visit and not an India-specific agenda. My agenda is UAE-Pakistan and not India-Pakistan," Qureshi, who is here on a three-day visit, told the local Khaleej Times newspa
New Delhi: The standoff between India and Chinese troops at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh is more than a year old now. After eleven rounds of military discussions, the issue is yet to be resolved as the Chinese are reluctant to return to the troop locations before the start of standoff.
During the last round of talks at the Corps Commander-level on April 9, China has refuse
Lucknow, Apr 18: Uttar Pradesh witnessed a complete lockdown on Sunday and the state government undertook a massive sanitization drive in all major cities.
The lockdown was near total and a few medicine shops and outlets selling essential items remained open.
Sunday lockdowns in the state will continue till May 15.
The government spokesman said that the lockdown had been enforced to brea
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reviewed the COVID-19 situation in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, and stressed the need for vaccination of everyone over 45 years of age.
He asked the local administration to help people with full sensitivity and asserted that the cooperation of society as well as the government is necessary to curb the pandemic.
According to a statem
NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has written a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with Corona pandemic.
In his letter Dr Singh has said that the key to our fight against COVID19 must be ramping up the vaccination effort. He said one must not look at absolute numbers but the total percentage of population vaccinated.
Dr Singh said, at this moment of p
NEW DELHI: The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in India is different from the first one in September 2020 as the rate of increase in new cases is significantly higher.
The Lancet Covid-19 Commission India Task Force said in a report that the increase from 10,000 to 80,000 new cases per day from February to April took place in less than 40 days.
Last September, this journey took 83 d
New Delhi, Apr 18 (IANS): With an unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases in the last few days, the national capital is facing shortage of beds and oxygen as daily positivity rate has jumped to 30 per cent, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said this in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday.
"Covid-19 situation is at a very critical stage. There is a shortage of beds and oxygen in
Mumbai, Apr 18: Three people were killed and eight others injured after a fire broke out in a chemical company in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district on Sunday morning, police said.
The incident took place around 9.30 am in the unit located in Lote MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation) area in Khed taluka, about 300 km from here, an official at Ratnagiri police control room said.
Chennai, April 18 — Trichy corporation has embarked on an ambitious project to retrieve its Rs 42 crore tax dues, including that of property tax and user charge arrears from top defaulters.
The Trichy corporation in a press release on Saturday said that there are top 100 defaulters and the corporation has already sent notices to them for immediate payment of the arrears and dues.
The releas
New Delhi: With the unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases, the national capital is facing shortage of beds as daily positivity rate has jumped to 30 per cent, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told the media after reviewing the Covid situation here on Sunday.
"There is a shortage of ICU beds in Delhi. At present less than one hundred ICU beds are available in Delhi. There is a shortage of o
NEW DELHI: Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal has said that Indian Railways is devoting all its resources for fighting COVID-19. He said, isolation coaches have started functioning at Nandurbar in Maharashtra with COVID-19 patients being admitted.
Ministry of Railways said, at present, over 4 thousand converted coaches are available with Railways in its 16 zones and can be made available for
Srinagar, Apr 18: About 3500 cases were settled amicably during National Lok Adalat held across Jammu and Kashmir, an official said here on Sunday.
“As the entire citizenry including the litigants are in deep mental stress due to ill surge in COVID-19 Pandemic, J&K Legal Services Authority under the stewardship of Chief Justice, High Court of J&K & Patron-in-Chief J&K & Ladakh Legal Services A
New Delhi: With a massive second wave of Covid-19 sweeping through India, one in five infections in the world is currently being reported from the country.
How is India’s second wave different from the first?
To start with, the second wave is spreading much, much faster than the first, as visible in this graphic.
Many experts believe the surge is partly fuelled by new strains of the corona
New Delhi, April 18: Recommending priority vaccination of teachers and school staff, a Covid task force has said that a safe opening for the education sector can be done by July.
The Lancet COVID-19 Commission India Task Force said in a report, "We strongly recommend that teachers and school staff are vaccinated on a priority basis."
"We recognize that in states with high rates of infection
New Delhi, Apr 18: India took only 92 days to reach the mark of 12-crore vaccinations, the fastest country to do so, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.
It is followed by the US which took 97 days and China which took 108 days.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 12 crore as part of the world's largest vaccination drive, it said.
New Delhi: Health Ministry today said that 162 Pressure Swing Adsorption, PSA oxygen plants have been sanctioned by Government of India for installation in public health facilities in all States and these will augment medical oxygen capacity by over 154 Metric Tonnes.
In a tweet, the Ministry said, out of 162 PSA plants sanctioned by the Centre, 33 have already been installed, five in Madhya P
NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has declared a reward of 7 lakh rupees for the arrest of Naxal leader Madvi Hidma. Hidma belongs to the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) of the Maoists. This group was also involved in the ambush that took place earlier this month at the Sukma-Bijapur border in Chhattisgarh in which 22 security personnel were martyred.
The reward ha
New Delhi, April 18: Amid massive Covid surge in the country, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has suspended all his political rallies in West Bengal and asked other political parties to think about the consequences of holding big rallies in the middle of the raging pandemic.
"In view of the Covid situation, I am suspending all my public rallies in West Bengal. I would advise all political leaders
New Delhi, Apr 18: Amid a steep rise in coronavirus cases, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare a national health emergency.
The former Union minister also called on the Election Commission to declare a moratorium on election rallies in view of the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases.
'COVID-19 infections faster than recoveries. Modiji: Declare
NEW DELHI: Twitter went down in the US and the micro-blogging platform said it was working on to fix an issue with its servers.
Twitter users, especially on the east coast of the US, reported problems with page loading and were unable to send tweets and direct messages (DMs).
“Tweets may not be loading for some of you. We’re working on fixing a problem and you’ll be back on the timeline soo
New Delhi, Apr 18: The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has directed all the residents of Delhi, who have participated in the ongoing Kumbh Mela at Haridwar in Uttarakhand or will attend it, to go for compulsory 14-day home quarantine and upload their details on the Delhi government portal.
All those residents of Delhi, who have visited or will visit Kumbh-2021 at Haridwar are requir
NEW DELHI: A record single-day rise of 2,61,500 Coronavirus infections has taken India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases to 1,47,88,109, while active cases have surpassed the 18-lakh mark, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.
The death toll increased to 1,77,150 with a record 1,501 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Registering a steady increase for the 39t
New Delhi: As the daily COVID-19 cases surged to a staggering record-high level, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reviewed the availability and supply of ventilators, oxygen and medicines to fight this pandemic and called for utilising the entire national capacity across private and public sectors to produce vaccines, amid concerns in various states about lack of these essentials.
Chairi
New Delhi: China’s military has stepped up efforts to recruit more Tibetans amid the dragging border standoff with India on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), holding special recruitment drives across Tibet Autonomous Region since the beginning of the year, people familiar with developments said.
People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officials have criss-crossed the Tibet Autonomous Region to hold recru
JAMMU: National Investigation Agency (NIA) Saturday filed a chargesheet against seven “narco smugglers” in RS Pura regarding narco-militancy case.
In a statement issued here, NIA said that today it filed charge-sheet against seven narco- smugglers associated with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) namely i) Gurpartap SIngh r/o Tarn Taran, Punjab, ii) Sham Lal r/o Jammu, J&K, iii) Ajeet Kumar a
Indian Railways has given in-principle approval to transport Liquid Medical Oxygen container trucks on Roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) basis. In a first of its kind operation approved by the Railway Ministry, the Indian Railways will soon carry cryogenic tanker trucks loaded with Liquid Medical Oxygen from one part of the country to another.
The decision has been taken by the Railway Ministry in view
Mumbai, Apr 17: NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Saturday alleged that the central government has asked export companies not to supply Remdesivir medicine to the state.
He also said that the BJP, which is in power at the Centre, was more interested in winning elections than tackling the coronavirus crisis.
The BJP hit back saying that Malik should either give proof or apol
Panaji, Apr 17: In light of the spike in COVID-19 cases, the Goa government on Saturday announced a ban on the export of oxygen cylinders and ordered that the stock of this life-saving gas meant for the industry be diverted to health services.
State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, who also holds the industries portfolio, issued the orders.
"In view of the rising coronavirus cases in Goa, t
Agra (UP), Apr 17: With monuments run by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) closed due to a spike in COVID-19 cases, the central government organisation will use the time to carry out conservation work at Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri premises in Agra.
The aim behind carrying out such work was to make the monuments more beautiful for the tourists when once they reopen, a senior
NEW DELHI: Interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said that Covid-19 pandemic is a national challenge that should be kept above party politics but after a year the government is caught off guard.
Sonia Gandhi was speaking during the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting that was called virtually to discuss the issue of pandemic.
In her opening remarks she said, “The Indian N
NEW DELHI: Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Harshvardhan has stressed on providing equity in access to Covid-19 vaccines to mitigate the impact of corona virus pandemic. He has urged the global community to collaborate in research and development and manufacturing of vaccines for speedy distribution to everyone across the world.
While virtually sharing his views at the Economic and Socia
NEW DELHI: Railway will impose a fine of upto 500 rupees for not wearing face mask in trains and stations premises. The decision has been taken in line with the preventive measures taken by the Centre against the coronavirus disease. Railway Ministry has written a letter to the General Managers of all the Zonal railway in this regard.
It said, Railways is taking various measures to contain the
Asansol, Apr 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said Mamata Banerjee will get the certificate of 'ex-chief minister' on May 2.
Addressing a public meeting here, Mr Modi alleged, Mamata Banerjee is against development of Bengal.
The Prime Minister alleged Mamata Banerjee has stood as a wall between West Bengal's people and central welfare schemes, depriving them of benefits.
“In
New Delhi, April 17: Amid unprecedented surge in Covid cases, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday attacked the government for exporting vaccine without having sufficient stock for the people of the country. She said the present dispensation has undone 70 years of efforts.
"Shocking that while COVID ravages India, from being a vaccine exporter, it has been compelled to
New Delhi: The Navy will resume its search and rescue operation on Saturday to find the remaining six missing fishermen.
"Indian Naval Ship Nireekshak recovers three bodies of missing fishermen from the IFB 'Rabah' ship, to enter Mangalore port on Friday midnight to hand over the bodies," the Indian Navy stated.
The Navy has deployed its surface and air assets for the Search and Rescue (S
NEW DELHI, APRIL 17 : Hours after the weekend curfew began in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday appealed to the citizens to follow the guidelines imposed by the state government to win the war against Covid-19.
The weekend lockdown came into force from 10 pm on Friday. This is for the first time this year the national capital will witness strict prohibition on weekend and is li
New Delhi, Apr 17: Amid the exponential rise in COVID-19 cases across the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged Sant Samaj to make ongoing Kumbh Mela in Haridwar symbolic, to strengthen the country's fight against COVID.
Mr Modi said that he spoke to Swami Avdheshanand Giri of Juna Akhara over the telephone and enquired about the well-being of all saints.
"Today, I spoke to
New Delhi, Apr 17: India registered 2,34,692 fresh cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the highest single-day spike since the outbreak of the pandemic, according to the Union Health Ministry data released on Saturday.
With this, the total number of those who tested positive for the disease has reached 1,45,26,609.
Besides, the country also recorded 1,341 deaths due to the virus, pushing
Jammu: Thanking everyone for the efforts, the family members of the abducted CoBRA commando from Jammu Friday said there is no end to their happiness on seeing him return after being released by the Naxals.
Rakeshwar Singh Manhas was released almost a week back by the Naxals after being abducted in Chattisgarh.
The CoBRA Commando of CRPF, Rakeshwar Singh said that he is very happy over the reun
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Haj Committee on Friday said that the intending pilgrims, who have applied for Haj 2021, should take the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine immediately so that they can be administered the second dose before undertaking the holy pilgrimage in June.
The development comes a day after the Haj Committee of India (HCI) said that no Indian Muslims shall be allowed to go for the
Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday again urged India to appoint a lawyer to represent death row convict Kulbhushan Jadhav to implement the verdict of the International Court of Justice.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC), while hearing the case on Thursday, asked the Foreign Office (FO) to approach India about appointing a counsel and clarifying the issue of jurisdiction of the case being heard by the co
Centre has approved over 50 crore rupees for developing all-weather ROPAX, Roll-on/Roll-off Passenger Jetty and allied infrastructure connecting Kaninali in Bhadrak district and Talachua in Kendrapara district, Odisha under the Sagarmala initiative. In a tweet, Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, 110 crore rupees ROPAX Jetty project will come up on river Dhamra in Odisha. This project will
NEW DELHI: Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on Friday launched World 1st affordable and long-lasting hygiene product DuroKea Series. This next generation DuroKea antimicrobial technology starts at 189 rupees, kills 99.99 per cent of germs instantly and leaves behind the long-lasting protective nanoscale coating up to 35 days till next wash. Researcher from Indian Institute of Technolog
New Delhi, Apr 16: Ministry of Tourism signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cleartrip and Ease My Trip to strengthen the Hospitality & Tourism Industry especially in the times of the pandemic.
The pact, signed on April 15, 2021, aimed at providing extensive visibility to accommodation units which have self-certified themselves on SAATHI (System for Assessment, Awareness & Training for
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a comprehensive review to ensure adequate medical grade oxygen supply in the country amid the surge in coronavirus infections.
According to Prime Minister's Officer (PMO), inputs from ministries like Health, DPIIT, Steel, Road and Transport were also shared with PM Modi. He stressed that it's important to ensure synergy across ministries a
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India adjourned the case pertaining to the BCCI and will hear it after two weeks leaving the Indian cricket board’s top office-bearers Sourav Ganguly, Jay Shah and Jayesh George with more time to stay in charge of affairs.
The tenures of all three, the BCCI president Ganguly, secretary Shah and joint secretary George had ended in 2020. However, the three have co
Lucknow, Apr 16: Could be termed as a lockdown in the state on every Sunday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered closure of everything on each Sunday in all the urban and rural areas of the state.
"Closure of OPDs in all government hospitals in the state to control crowd and has directed the officials to set up a 1000-bedeed makeshift Covid hospital in the state capital,
NEW DELHI: Over 11 crore 72 lakh 23 thousand doses of Covid vaccine have been administered to the beneficiaries in the country so far. Union Health Ministry said that more than 27 lakh 30 thousand doses were given to the beneficiaries in the last 24 hours.
The Health Ministry said 2 lakh 17 thousand 353 new cases have been reported in the country in the past 24 hours taking the cumulative po
New Delhi, Apr 16: No state has asked the railways to stop any train service yet, Railway Board Chairman Suneet Sharma said on Friday, adding that wherever the states have raised concerns about containment zones, passengers have undergone random tests and checks at the destinations.
Addressing a press conference, Sharma said the railways has highlighted that all protocols are being followed by
New Delhi, Apr 16: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was on Friday appointed the nodal minister for COVID-19 management in the national capital, according to an order.
Sisodia will be responsible for inter-ministerial coordination till further orders, it said.
As the number of COVID-19 cases and the positivity rate continue to rise in the city, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thu
New Delhi, Apr 16: Southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall from June to September over the country as a whole is most likely to be normal (96 to 104 % of Long Period Average (LPA), India Meteorological Department (IMD) said here on Friday.
In a statement, it said Quantitatively, the monsoon seasonal (June to September) rainfall is likely to
be 98% of the Long Period Average (LPA) with a model e
NEW DELHI: Centre has asked states and Union Territories to undertake publicity and awareness activity and sensitize the public at large to address their concerns to mitigate panic buying of essential supplies.
They have also been asked to set up a helpline for consumers to enable them to register for redressal by the public authorities on issues of maintaining essential supplies. In a letter
NEW DELHI: Union Health Ministry has said that 100 Hospitals in the country will have their own Oxygen plants under Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) Fund.
The decision was taken at a meeting of Empowered Group 2 (EG2) which was held yesterday to review the availability of essential medical equipment and oxygen during COVID. The Ministry said, P
April 16: In a major development, the Hajj Committee of India (HCI) has said that no Indian Muslims shall be allowed to go for the annual Hajj pilgrimage unless they have taken the two vaccine doses.
The HCI CEO Maqsood Ahmed Khan made the announcement late on Thursday following the latest directives from the Saudi Arabian Health Ministry and the Indian Consulate-General in Jeddah.
Accordin
NEW DELHI: A record single-day rise of 2,17,353 new coronavirus infections took India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases to 1,42,91,917, while active cases surpassed the 15-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
The death toll increased to 1,74,308 with 1,185 new fatalities, the highest since September 19, 2020, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Registering a
KARGIL: The closure of the Srinagar-Kargil highway due to heavy snow at Zojila has led to acute shortage of essentials in Ladakh region, particularly in Kargil.
According to the residents, there is shortage of milk, vegetables, eggs and fruits and other food items.
The shortage of essentials is adversely affecting life in the region.
The residents of Kargil district said that they were f
Srinagar: The agreement between India and Pakistan last month to strictly observe ceasefire from February 25 has brought succour in the lives of people living along the Line of Control (LOC) but it is too early to draw conclusions, Chinar Corps Commander Lieutenant General DP Pandey said on Thursday.
He said in an interview that terrorist incidents in Kashmir have been on the decline and are vi
Jammu: A man, who had inadvertently crossed the Line of Control into India, was on Thursday sent back to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on humanitarian grounds, officials said.
The Indian army handed over Ghulam Qadir to authorities in PoK at the Poonch-Rawalakote crossing point in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, they said.
The officials said the hand over of Qadir, a resident of Ghim vil
New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday complimented the Indian Air Force for ensuring a "timely and befitting" response to the "sudden" developments in eastern Ladakh, in a reference to the Sino-India border row in the mountainous region.
During an interaction with top commanders of the IAF, the defence minister also advised them to draw up long term plans and strategies to boost
New Delhi: India has stood firm against China, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat said on Thursday, adding that it will not get pushed.
“India has stood firm on the northern borders, and we have proven that we will not get pushed. In whatever we have been able to achieve in standing firm, in preventing a change of status quo, we have been able to gather world support,” CDS Rawat while s
New Delhi: As India continues to witness an unprecedented increase in the Coronavirus cases due to the second wave of the pandemic, the country has registered over 2 lakh new COVID-19 cases within a 24 hour period, taking the total case tally to 1,40,74,564, said the Union Health Ministry on Thursday. As per the latest reports from MoHFW, in the last 24 hours, 2,00,739 new cases, 93,528 fresh rec
New Delhi: As the country grapples with the second Covid-19 wave, the government has moved once again to shut all centrally-protected monuments and museums—including the Taj Mahal, Red Fort and Ajanta Caves—till May 15.
Sources in the Ministry of Culture said that if the situation doesn’t improve, the shutdown may extend beyond May 15. Last year, too, the monuments remained closed for more than
Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 15: Former ISRO Scientist Dr Nambi Narayanan on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court Order handing over to CBI for further action, the Justice DK Jain Committee report on the erring police officials who had implicated him in the 1994 ISRO Espionage case.
Talking to newspersons here, the 79-year-old former scientist said "I am happy. If there was any political conspiracy,
New Delhi, Apr 15: Looking at the misuse of internet by terrorists, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) organised a two-day BRICS seminar on the issue and discussed on engaging multiple stakeholders from both public and private sectors to tackle the misuse of internet and enhancing international co-operation to effectively tackle the exploitation of the internet by terrorists for their nefari
Chandigarh: Adding to the list of states that have postponed exams due to sharp rise in Covid cases, now Punjab has announced that all students of class 5, 8 and 10 will be promoted to next class without taking any examination.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh announced that all students of class 5, 8 & 10 be promoted to next class, without taking any examination. A decision on Cl
New Delhi, Apr 15: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday announced a weekend curfew in Delhi to contain the surge of COVID-19 infection.
According to the directives, essential activities, including weddings, will be allowed with curfew passes. Auditoriums, malls, gyms and spas will be shut down and cinema theatres will be allowed with a third of the capacity.
This announcement came aft
Amaravati, April 15: Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhushan Harichandan participated in the video conference convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the coronavirus pandemic situation, in which all the Governors have been asked to supplement the efforts of their respective states to tackle the virus.
"Governors can play an important role with the involvement of Red Cross volunteers,
NEW DELHI: Before the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan agreed to follow the 2003 ceasefire agreement on February 25, officials of the intelligence agencies of the two countries, India’s R&AW and Pakistan’s ISI held secret talks in Dubai the preceding month to calm down tensions on Kashmir, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
Quoting sources, the Reuters report
New Delhi, Apr 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted Bengalis in the country and across the world on Poyla Boishakh.
“The love of life and the fervor of celebration that one sees in the people of Bengal are truly heartening. My heartfelt wishes to Bengalis in India and across the world on Poyla Boishakh. May the New year bring prosperity, happiness and health to all,” the Prime
New Delhi, April 15: Amid surging Covid cases, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked the government on shortage of beds and ventilators in hospitals.
Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet, "There is no test, no bed in the hospital, no ventilators, no oxygen, no vaccine, bus utsav ka dhong hai (a festive pretence)... PM cares?"
Rahul Gandhi's comments came after India reported an unpreced
APRIL 15: US President Joe Biden has said India, Pakistan, Russia, China, and Turkey have a significant stake in the stable future of Afghanistan and these regional stakeholders should do more to bring peace in this war-torn country, from where he will withdraw all American troops by September 11.
“We will ask other countries in the region to do more to support Afghanistan, especially Pakistan
Jaipur, Apr 15: The Rajasthan government has announced curfew in all cities of the state from 6 pm to 6 am for 16th April to 30th April.
The state government on Wednesday issued a new guideline for 30th April in the state after the corona cases have increased.
The new guideline has decided to impose night curfew in all cities of the state from 6 pm to 6 am. Markets in urban areas will have
New Delhi, Apr 15: India has registered 2,00,739 new COVID-19 cases within the past 24 hours, marking the largest daily increase since the start of the outbreak, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.
The total number of those who tested positive for the coronavirus in India has reached 14,074,564, according to the ministry.
Within the same period of time, the death toll has risen by 1
Jammu: Asserting that the government is committed to ensuring adequate availability of COVID-19 vaccines, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called for harnessing the combined power of community groups, political parties and NGOs in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interacting with governors and lieutenant governors of all states and union territories through video conference,
Mogadishu, Apr 15: At least 17 people died as a result of a roadside bomb that hit a minibus not far from Somalia's capital of Mogadishu, media reported.
According to the Garowe Online media outlet, two people also sustained injuries in the explosion, which occurred as the bus was traveling from Mogadishu to the southern Middle Shabelle region.
The Al-Shabaab group (part of the Al-Qaeda ter
Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir had reported 614 terror incidents in 2018, while the number reduced to 244 in 2020. It’s a drop of more than 60 percent, data from the Home Ministry says.
The abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 has brought a significant reduction in the number of terror incidents witnessed in the region, the Home Ministry data suggests.
In 2021, up to February 28, the Union Terri
NEW DELHI : Board Exams for Class 10th have been cancelled and 12th exams have been postponed, said the Union Ministry of Education on Wednesday after a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Results of Class 10th will be prepared on the basis of an objective criterion to be developed by the Board. Class 12th exams will be held later, the situation will be reviewed on 1st
NEW DELHI: India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is more likely than in the past to respond with military force to perceived or real Pakistani provocations, the US intelligence community has told Congress in a report.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in its Annual Threat Assessment report to the US Congress, said although a general war between India and Pakistan
LONDON: United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reduced the length of his trip to India later this month because of the COVID-19 situation in the country, the British Prime Minister’s spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Johnson will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit.
According to Reuters, the spokesperson told reporters that the decision was made following discussions w