#BJP Chief Minister in UK

[currentmediasstuff]

Tamil Nadu BJP Chief Annamalai Plans UK Fellowship Sabbatical

In a surprising move, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai is set to take a three-month sabbatical to the UK for a fellowship programme, following the party’s recent electoral setback in the Lok Sabha elections. Despite not winning any seats, Annamalai’s decision to pursue the Chevening Gurukul Fellowship for Leadership and Excellence at the University of Oxford was reportedly made well before the election results were announced.

Fellowship Details and Annamalai’s Intentions

The prestigious Chevening Gurukul Fellowship is designed for young leaders and mid-career professionals with notable leadership potential. Running from mid-September to December, the fellowship offers an opportunity for participants to hone their leadership skills and gain international exposure. According to BJP sources, Annamalai had planned this sabbatical in advance and has approached the party high command for permission to accept the fellowship.

Annamalai’s Leadership and Electoral Campaign

Annamalai, an IPS officer-turned-politician, led a vigorous Lok Sabha campaign in Tamil Nadu with the backing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior BJP leaders. Although the party didn’t secure any seats, Annamalai’s efforts have been credited with laying a strong foundation for the BJP in the state. In 12 out of Tamil Nadu’s 39 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP-led NDA finished second, outperforming the AIADMK.

Reaction from Party Leaders

Party insiders stress that Annamalai’s sabbatical should not be seen as a consequence of the election results. Instead, it is viewed as a personal decision to recharge after an intense campaign and statewide foot-march, ‘Enn Mann, Enn Makkal’. “Annamalai wants to be different from the typical politician who spends all day in politics. He believes this break will be beneficial in the long run,” said an aide.

Internal Party Dynamics

Despite the sabbatical, Annamalai remains a crucial figure within the Tamil Nadu BJP. Some party leaders acknowledge his dissatisfaction with the lack of cooperation from senior members and the support for contesting the 2026 Assembly polls in alliance, which contrasts with Annamalai’s preference for the BJP to contest alone. His outspoken criticism of AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa also contributed to the AIADMK breaking ties with the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Looking Ahead

Annamalai’s application for the Chevening Gurukul Fellowship, which included an interview in Delhi in May, underscores his commitment to personal and professional growth. As he prepares for his fellowship at the University of Oxford, the Tamil Nadu BJP chief aims to return recharged and ready to lead his party with renewed vigor.

[atomxmedia]

CR Patil And Harsh Sanghavi To Grace IVY Growth’s 21BY72 Startup Summit In Surat On June 15–16

Surat Steps Up as a Startup Hub

Get ready, entrepreneurs! The 21BY72 Startup Summit, organized by IVY Growth Associates, will take place on June 15th and 16th in Surat, India. This big event intends to firmly establish Surat’s position on the global startup map. The conference will feature high-profile attendees, including Gujarat BJP President and Union Minister CR Patil as the chief guest and Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi as the guest of honor. Renowned business leaders such as Anupam Mittal (creator of shaadi.com) and Apurva Chamaria (Head of Venture Capital at Google India) will be there to provide useful insights to prospective entrepreneurs.

A Platform for Growth

This summit provides a unique opportunity for startups. Over 20,000 attendees are expected, including 300+ startup founders, 600+ investors, and 100+ venture capital firms. The event will feature:

Trailblazers Mine: A live pitching event where selected startups can showcase their ideas to potential investors and industry leaders.

Exhibits: Nearly 100 startups will exhibit their innovative products and services, connecting with potential investors and partners.

Panel Discussions, Keynotes, and Workshops: Gain valuable knowledge and network with industry experts through interactive sessions.

IVY Growth’s Mission

IVY Growth Associates is dedicated to fostering a thriving startup ecosystem in Surat. By hosting the 21BY72 Summit, they aim to:

Connect startups with investors from across the globe (India, UAE, UK, and US).

Drive angel investment in India.

Accelerate entrepreneurship and boost the local economy.

IVY Growth’s Track Record

In just three years, IVY Growth Associates has made a significant impact. They have:

Invested in over 100 startups across various sectors.

Launched Arigato Capital, a fund to raise Rs. 250 crores for further investment in promising startups.

Built a global network connecting startups with angel investors, particularly focusing on the Middle East, US, and Europe.

Read more: Marketing News, Advertising News, PR and Finance News, Digital News

[easterneyenews]

Narendra Modi: Everything About The PM Of India

Narendra Modi, the current Prime Minister of India, is a leader who has left an indelible mark on the nation's political, economic, and social landscape. Known for his dynamic leadership, visionary policies, and charismatic personality, Modi has transformed India in numerous ways. This comprehensive blog delves into everything about Narendra Modi, offering insights into his early life, political journey, significant achievements, and influence on India and the world.

Early Life and Background

Narendra Damodardas Modi was born on September 17, 1950, in Vadnagar, a small town in northern Gujarat, India. Coming from a humble background, Modi's early life was marked by hardship and determination. He helped his father sell tea at the local railway station, an experience that shaped his understanding of grassroots issues and the common man's struggles.

Education and Early Interests

As per the UK Newspapers News Modi completed his schooling in Vadnagar and later pursued a degree in political science, earning an M.A. from Gujarat University in Ahmedabad. His early interest in serving the nation led him to join the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organization, in the early 1970s. Modi set up a unit of the RSS’s students’ wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, in his area, where he honed his leadership skills and ideological beliefs.

Political Journey

Modi's political journey began with his active involvement in the RSS, which eventually led to his association with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1987. Within a year, he was made the general secretary of the Gujarat branch of the party. Modi played a pivotal role in strengthening the party’s presence in the state, contributing to the BJP's success in the 1995 state legislative assembly elections and the formation of the first-ever BJP-controlled government in India.

Chief Minister of Gujarat

In 2001, Narendra Modi was appointed the Chief Minister of Gujarat, following the poor response of the incumbent government to the Bhuj earthquake. He entered his first-ever electoral contest in a February 2002 by-election, winning a seat in the Gujarat state assembly.

Modi’s tenure as chief minister was marked by both achievements and controversies. His role during the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat drew international criticism, with allegations of condoning the violence or failing to act decisively to stop it. Despite these controversies, Modi’s political career in Gujarat was marked by repeated electoral successes in 2002, 2007, and 2012, establishing him as a formidable leader within the BJP.

Rise to National Leadership

Modi's success in Gujarat laid the foundation for his rise to national prominence. In June 2013, Modi was chosen as the leader of the BJP’s campaign for the 2014 elections to the Lok Sabha. His campaign focused on development, good governance, and anti-corruption, resonating with millions of Indians. In the 2014 elections, he led the BJP to a historic victory, securing a clear majority of seats in the Lok Sabha.

First Term as Prime Minister (2014-2019)

Modi was sworn in as Prime Minister on May 26, 2014. His first term was marked by several significant initiatives and reforms aimed at transforming India:

Goods and Services Tax (GST): Launched in 2017, GST is one of the most significant tax reforms in India's history, simplifying the indirect tax structure.

Demonetization: In 2016, Modi announced the demonetization of high-value currency notes to curb black money and counterfeit currency.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Launched in 2014, this nationwide cleanliness campaign aimed to eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management.

Digital India: An ambitious program to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

Make in India: Aimed at making India a global manufacturing hub, this initiative encourages companies to manufacture their products in India.

Modi's foreign policy achievements included hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping and making a highly successful visit to New York City, where he met with U.S. President Barack Obama.

Second Term as Prime Minister (2019-2024)

The Modi-led BJP won a majority again in the 2019 general election. His second term saw continued efforts to promote Hindu culture and implement economic reforms:

Revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's Special Status: In October 2019, Modi's government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, bringing it under the direct control of the union government.

COVID-19 Pandemic Response: Modi took decisive action to combat the COVID-19 outbreak, implementing strict nationwide restrictions and promoting vaccine development and distribution.

Despite facing protests and criticism for some policies, such as agricultural reforms, Modi's leadership remained influential. The BJP faced setbacks in state elections in late 2018, but Modi's charisma and a security crisis in Jammu and Kashmir boosted his image ahead of the 2019 elections.

Third Term as Prime Minister (2024-Present)

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 240 seats, and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 293 of the 543 seats, allowing Modi to become Prime Minister for a third consecutive term. Although the BJP did not secure a majority on its own, the NDA's coalition support ensured their continued governance.

Personal Life and Public Image

Narendra Modi is known for his disciplined lifestyle, early morning yoga sessions, and simple living. Despite his high-profile status, he remains deeply connected to his roots and continues to draw inspiration from his early life experiences.

Communication and Public Engagement

Modi's communication skills are unparalleled, often using social media and public addresses to connect with citizens. His monthly radio program, "Mann Ki Baat," has become a popular platform for sharing his thoughts and initiatives with the nation.

Conclusion

Narendra Modi's journey from a small-town boy to the Prime Minister of the world's largest democracy is a testament to his resilience, dedication, and visionary leadership. His impact on India's socio-economic fabric, governance, and international relations is profound and continues to shape the country's future.

Whether admired or criticized, Narendra Modi's influence on India and the global stage is undeniable. His story is not just about a political leader but also about the transformative power of determination and leadership.

Stay tuned to our blog for more updates and in-depth analyses of Narendra Modi's policies, initiatives, and their impact on India and the world.

[real-news-20]

British Ship Sinks After Missile Strike in Gulf of Aden; Houthi Involvement Suspected

A British-flagged cargo ship, the MV Britannia, sank in the Gulf of Aden after a suspected missile attack. Initial reports suggest Yemeni Houthi rebels may be responsible, marking a dramatic escalation of tensions in the volatile region.

Dramatic Footage Emerges

Grainy video circulating online appears to show the moment of impact. A streak of light slams into the Britannia’s hull, followed by a massive explosion and towering flames. Rescue efforts are underway, but the fate of the crew remains uncertain.

Geopolitical Implications

The attack, if confirmed as a Houthi strike, has far-reaching implications. It raises concerns about maritime safety in a crucial waterway and could disrupt global trade routes. The incident is likely to fuel condemnation of the Houthi group and may prompt military responses from Western allies.

History of Conflict

Yemen’s complex civil war, fueled by proxy conflicts between Iran and Saudi Arabia, has destabilized the region for years. The Houthis have previously targeted shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Statement from UK Government

The British government has issued a strongly worded statement promising a thorough investigation and pledging to hold those responsible accountable.

Important Notes:

Fictional Scenario: Emphasize that this is a hypothetical scenario. No such attack has been confirmed.

Responsibility: Avoid definitively blaming any group without verified evidence.

Sensitivity: Conflicts in Yemen are complex and involve loss of life. Maintain respectful language.

Read More News-

[wiseedition]

"Anil Antony Not The Only One, More Leaders To Join": BJP Kerala Chief

Anil Anthony, who left the Congress earlier, formally joined the BJP on Thursday, in the presence of Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and V Muraleedharan.

New Delhi: The BJP's Kerala chief K Surendran said more leaders will follow former Union minister and Congress leader AK Antony's son, Anil Antony, to the saffron camp.

Anil Anthony, who left the Congress earlier, formally joined the BJP on Thursday, in the presence of Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and V Muraleedharan.

K Surendran and senior party leaders Tarun Chugh and Anil Baluni were also present at his joining.

Speaking to ANI on Thursday, Mr Surendran, to a question on whether Anil Anthony's joining would boost the BJP's prospects in the southern state and boost its acceptability among Christian voters, said, "AK Antony is senior Congress leader, who held key positions in the party. Today, his son Anil Antony took membership of the BJP. More Congress leaders will be joining BJP soon."

"Anil Antony is one of many Opposition leaders to have joined the BJP. Even the erudite and highly educated leaders in the Opppsition camp are now joining the BJP. We are apprpoaching several other leaders in the Congress and the Left to join us," he added.

Hoping for a better vote share in the southern state where the saffron party hasn't yet managed to any significant electoral inroads, the BJP state chief said, "Our vote share in Kerala wasn't much the last time. However, this time we hope to bag a bigger share of Christian votes as the Christian community has demonstrated that it has full faith in Modi-ji's work."

"We are running several campaigns in the state. The 'Happy Easter Ghar Ghar Chalo' campaign will be conducted across the state from April 9. During this campaign, we will make an effort to connect Christians with the BJP, which will significantly impact our vote share," he added.

On the Congress stalwart's statement that he was pained at his son joining the BJP, Surendran added, "AK Antony has been with the Congress for six decades and it is only natural for him to feel bad if his son joins the BJP. Anil Antony thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his induction into the BJP."

Formerly the coordinator of the Congress' social media cell in Kerala, Anil resgined from all party posts in January, after coming out in support of Prime Minister Modi amid the row over the BBC documentary series.

Coming down hard on the BBC over the documentary series, Anil termed the British public broadcaster as "a state sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices" against India.

"Despite large differences with BJP, I think those in India placing views of BBC, a UK state-sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices, and of Jack Straw, the brain behind the Iraq war, over Indian institutions is setting a dangerous precedence, will undermine our sovereignty," Mr Anthony tweeted.

He later claimed to have received threat calls and hate messages "through the night".

While posting about his resignation on Twitter, Mr Antony mocked the Congress saying he received intolerant calls to retract a tweet by those "fighting for free speech".

"I have resigned from my roles in @incindia, @INCKerala. Intolerant calls to retract a tweet, by those fighting for free speech. I refused. @facebook wall of hate/abuses by ones supporting a trek to promote love! Hypocrisy thy name is! Life goes on," Anil K Antony said in a tweet.

The development is being seen as a big setback for the Congress in Kerala ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

[rsahany]

कौन है पुष्कर सिंह धामी | Pushkar Singh Dhami Biography in Hindi.

कौन है पुष्कर सिंह धामी | Pushkar Singh Dhami Biography in Hindi.

Pushkar Singh Dhami :  Age, Cast, Hight, Family, Girlfriend/ Wife, Political Career, Biography& More in Hindi तीरथ सिंह रावत के इस्तीफे के बाद भारतीय जनता पार्टी की तरफ से उत्तराखंड के 10वे मुख्यमंत्री के तौर पर राज्य की कमान सँभालने वाले Pushakr Singh Dhami Biography in Hindi में आज हम इनके जीवन चरित्र के बारे में जानेगे! पुष्कर सिंह धामी का जीवन परिचय | Pushkar Singh Dhami Biography…

[newsaajtak2021]

The Pandemic Will Be More Deadly This Year - Look At India

On Sunday alone, 261,500 new infections were recorded. That's as bad as the U.S. during all but the worst five days of the pandemic in December and early January.

Covid-19 is going to kill more people in 2021 than it did last year. If you want to see why, look at what's happening in India.

Cases have been surging in the country of 1.37 billion people. On Sunday alone, 261,500 new infections were recorded. That's as bad as the U.S. during all but the worst five days of the pandemic in December and early January. Case counts are rising far more quickly, too. Average infection numbers over the past seven days have run at nearly three times the level two weeks ago, a pace of growth that the U.S. last saw in the early days of the outbreak a year ago.

The real numbers may be yet higher. The city of Bhopal used Covid-19 protocols to cremate or bury 84 people last Tuesday, according to the Hindustan Times, while declaring only five Covid deaths. The B.1.617 variant, which isn't well understood yet, has features associated with higher infection rates and lower antibody resistance. It's turning up in more than half of viral samples taken in India.

As caseloads push medical facilities toward capacity, the health system itself is starting to crack. Vaccine stocks, hospital beds and even oxygen supplies are running short, leading to bitter arguments between the states and the federal government. In some places, the dead are being transported by truck because cities have run out of hearses. Elsewhere, crematoria have started to break down because of the sheer number of bodies being burned.

If things don't change soon, the country will be facing 3,000 deaths a day -- twice its current level, and 10 times what was being seen through most of this year -- Bhramar Mukherjee, a biostatistician at the University of Michigan, wrote last week.

As my colleague Mihir Sharma has written, arrogance, hyper-nationalism and incompetence helped foster a fatal sense of complacency amid India's apparent success against the outbreak earlier this year. Until a few weeks ago, lockdown restrictions had been progressively loosening for months. Cinemas were allowed to open to full capacity Feb. 1. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan declared the country "in the endgame of the Covid-19 pandemic" in early March, at almost precisely the point that cases started to surge again.

Worryingly, the clear signs of a second wave haven't prompted much course correction since. With elections underway in the states of Assam and West Bengal, the Twitter feed of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been interspersing updates about the virus with Trump-style footage of him, unmasked, addressing mass rallies:

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The other side isn't necessarily doing much better, either. West Bengal's chief minister, an opponent of Modi's BJP, only got around to canceling her campaign rallies Sunday.

Worse may be to come. The Kumbh Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage festival that's normally the largest mass gathering on earth, is now underway on the banks of the Ganges, attended by an estimated 3.5 million people. That's well down on the numbers in a normal year, and even Modi, far too late, urged over the weekend that the event be purely "symbolic" rather than physical. Still, it's far above the mere thousands allowed to other mass events like last year's Hajj in Saudi Arabia and Arbaeen pilgrimage in Iraq.

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Even held outdoors, such events carry a profound risk of spreading the most infectious variants to every corner of the country. Close to 10% of people returning to Gujarat's largest city, Ahmedabad, from the festival tested positive for Covid over the weekend, the Press Trust of India reported Monday. Hitherto, the coronavirus has mostly hit the relatively affluent, urbanized parts of the country that are best able to cope with it, such as the southern states of Kerala and Karnataka, the capital Delhi, and Maharashtra, home to Mumbai. If the Kumbh Mela seeds it in rural districts, where the majority of India's population lives, the death toll could be higher still.

There's a lesson in this for the world. The 1.2 million people who've died from Covid so far this year already represent about two-thirds of the 1.8 million fatalities in 2020. Yet people are behaving as if it's already over. That's removing the sense of unified urgency that led many nations to make such strides in turning around the pandemic last year.

Vaccine supplies for the richest (and, thanks to global initiatives, poorest) countries are relatively ample. Yet those for middle-income nations, where the majority of the planet's population lives, are grossly inadequate, blocked by restrictive patent rules. India, with one of the world's largest pharmaceutical industries, is far better placed than most midsize economies to cope, but even it is crumbling under the strain.

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The more people infected in emerging countries while the rest of the world looks away, the more opportunities Covid-19 will have to develop into fresh strains and prolong this death and misery. We must do better. The globe is still under attack, but our defenses are in disarray.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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[kalyan-gullapalli]

Post # 128

Bharat's Ratna...

If Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao were alive today, he would be 99 years old. On 28th June, 2021, he would have turned 100. So this year, the Telangana government is celebrating his birth centenary year. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao led the bandwagon of people demanding Bharat Ratna for PV (as he was fondly known), with BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy supporting this demand. Reports appear that Dr. Manmohan Singh wanted to give him a Bharat Ratna when he was Prime Minister.

Glowing tributes flew from all and sundry, even from Congress, whose party he belonged to, and who conveniently chose to ignore him since 1996, when he stepped down as PM.

No matter how significant PV Narasimha Rao's life was before 1996, it probably must have been hell since then, till 2004, when he died of a heart attack. First of all, he got no credit from his own Congress party for the path-breaking economic reforms he instituted and pulled the country out of the deep shit it had been pushed into by former governments and their policies. Dr. Manmohan Singh, instead, got all the credit.

Next, he was blamed for the party's 1996 electoral defeat, dumped and replaced by Sitaram Kesari. He was excluded from every Congress Working Committee meeting since.

To rub salt on wounds, he was charged with many corruption cases, some of them by his own party colleagues. He supposedly went through a very bad phase financially and had to sell his Banjara Hills house in Hyderabad to pay for his lawyers.

When he died, while undergoing treatment in AIIMS, his family requested that being a former PM, he should be cremated and his remains buried in Delhi. But Sonia Gandhi and her cronies didn't even allow his body to enter the AICC building in Delhi. That's when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy intervened, flew the body back to Hyderabad, and had it cremated with state honors.

But why was PV, a freedom fighter before Indian independence, a career Congress-man, an Indira Gandhi loyalist even in Emergency days, a State Chief Minister, a cabinet minister with Foreign and Home ministries and an ex-Prime Minister, treated with such disdain in his last few years? And now, why this drama about a Bharat Ratna? Therein lies a tale...

In 1991, PV Narasimha Rao had practically retired from politics. He had by then, seen it all, done it all. Renowned as a scholar - he was fluent in 17 languages - and known to be indecisive - a requisite for survival in the Indian National Congress in those Indira days - he was cooling his heels, when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, in the midst of electoral polling.

Congress emerged as the largest party in those elections, but didn't have majority. Sonia didn't want to enter politics just as yet. So PV was persuaded to head a minority government, simply because he was deemed harmless, and asked to lead a nation rocked by the worst economic crisis in its history - the country was bankrupt and had to pledge 68 tonnes of gold in return for aid from IMF, and was grappling with political uncertainty - this was the third government in as many years.

To put it mildly, to survive 5 years - 5 eventful years - and produce the results that he did, was nothing short of miraculous. If a Prime Minister's performance is to be measured by the difference he made to the country while in office, PV Narasimha Rao was probably the most significant Prime Minister India has ever had.

1. Economic reforms:

PV Narasimha Rao was the true father of Indian economic reforms. He brought in a technocrat - Dr. Manmohan Singh as the Finance Minister of India, and backed him 100% to implement necessary reforms. He himself headed the Commerce and Industries ministry to dismantle the socialist policies of the License Raj. His ability to steer unconventional, unpopular reforms through opposition, while heading a minotity government gave him the title Chanakya of Indian politics. Dr. Manmohan Singh says PV was "his friend, philosopher and guide".

2. Nuclear testing:

Today, the world credits Atal Bihari Vajpayee government for India's nuclear testing programme, which culminated in the Pokhran tests of 1998. However, the tests were actually planned in 1995, during PV's term in office. They were dropped under American pressure when the US intelligence got the whiff of it. In 1996, when PV stepped down and Vajpayee became PM, PV met Vajpayee and updated him on the progress of the nuclear programme. Vajpayee said later, "Rao told me that the bomb was ready. I only exploded it." APJ Abdul Kalam described PV Narasimha Rao as a "patriotic statesman who believed that the nation is bigger than the political system". 

3. Foreign policy:

He decided in 1992 to bring into the open India's relations with Israel, which had been kept covertly active for a few years during his tenure as a Foreign Minister, and permitted Israel to open an embassy in New Delhi. Today, Israel is one of India's best friends.

He ordered the intelligence community in 1992 to start a systematic drive to draw the international community's attention to Pakistan's sponsorship of terrorism in India and not to be discouraged by US efforts to undermine the exercise.

Rao launched the Look East foreign policy, which brought India closer to ASEAN. Subsequent governments have pursued this policy as well. Today, Narendra Modi is a strong advocate and practitioner of this policy.

He decided to maintain a distance from the Dalai Lama in order to placate Beijing, and made successful overtures to Tehran. These policies paid rich dividends for India in 1994, when Benazir Bhutto's efforts to have a resolution passed by the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva on the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir failed, with opposition by China and Iran.

4. Crisis management:

After the 1993 Bombay blasts, PV personally visited Bombay and after seeing evidence of Pakistani involvement in the blasts, invited the intelligence agencies of the US, UK and other West European countries to examine the facts for themselves.

It was during his term that terrorism in Punjab was finally defeated.

He also directed negotiations to secure the release of Doraiswamy, an Indian Oil executive, from Kashmiri terrorists who kidnapped him, and Liviu Radu, a Romanian diplomat posted in New Delhi in October 1991, who was kidnapped by Sikh terrorists.

He also brought the occupation of the Hazratbal holy shrine in Jammu and Kashmir by terrorists in October 1993 to an end without damage to the shrine.

In 1993, a strong earthquake in Latur, Maharashtra killed nearly 10,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. PV Narasimha Rao was applauded for using modern technology and resources to organise major relief operations.

Okay. By now, I am convinced he has done enough to have become a high-performance Prime Minister, despite his inaction during the Babri Masjid demolition and the pan-India rioting that happened after that. But why the disdain, especially from within his own party?

Some commentators say that his shabby treatment largely owed to the fact that, in the dusk of his career, he refused to serve as a seat-warmer to the next generation of Gandhis. Once he became the PM, this previously indecisive, harmless, grand old man acted like the buck stopped with him. He stopped visiting Sonia Gandhi regularly, which she resented. In him, the Gandhi family detected a rival power centre that could diminish their centrality to the party and its fortunes.

Some others say that Sonia Gandhi was unhappy with the pace at which Rajiv Gandhi's assassination case was progressing. A few others say that Congress ‘punished’ Rao for his failure to safeguard the Babri Masjid and jeopardise the party’s long-nurtured Muslim vote bank.

Whatever be the real inside story, I feel compelled to reproduce the most glowing tribute to PV Narasimha Rao I read in the past few days.

“Rao is to India what founding fathers Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson are to the United States; Friedrich List to Germany; Hayato Ikeda to Japan; Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Keng Swee and Albert Winsemius to Singapore; and Deng Xiaoping to China.”

In my book, Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao is 100% a Bharat Ratna - a Jewel of India.

[brajeshupadhyay]

23:25 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Odisha Latest Updates Toll climbs to 34 in Odisha   The COVID-19 death toll in Odisha climbed to 34 with five more patients succumbing to the disease, while the tally reached 8,601 after  495 fresh infections were detected, a health official told PTI  on Saturday. While Ganjam district reported three deaths, Bhubaneswar (Khurda district) recorded two fatalities, he said. 23:18 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in UK Latest Updates Toll in UK rises to 44,198  The United Kingdom’s toll from confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus has risen by 67 to 44,198 in the last day, the government said on Saturday, reports Reuters. 23:07 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Bihar Latest Updates Nitish Kumar tests negative for COVID-19   Bihar chief minister has tested negative for the novel coronavirus infection, reported ANI. The chief minister's swab samples were sent for testing as a BJP leader he had attended an event with on 1 July had tested posiitve for the infection, 22:58 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates Gautam Buddh Nagar reports five deaths, CMO tests positive   Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar on Saturday recorded five more deaths due to COVID-19, while 83 more people,including the chief medical officer, were found positive for the infection in the district, official data showed. The death toll due to the novel coronavirus has now reached 28, while the tally of positive cases rose to 2,646, the highest for any district in the state, according to the data released by UP Health Department. 22:48 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates Cabinet Secretary holds review meeting   Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Saturday held a meeting with top officials of 15 States and Union Territories on the COVID-19 situation and the way forward for graded reopening of activities in the 'Unlock 2' phase, officials told PTI. During the meeting with Chief Secretaries and Health Secretaries of the 15 States and UTs, the cabinet secretary is learnt to have stressed on the need for strict implementation of the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the 'Unlock 2' phase and strict vigil on the COVID-19 situation in their respective jurisdiction. The cabinet secretary is also learnt to have made it clear that economic activities as allowed under the guidelines should be expedited so that normal life could be resumed, an official privy to the meeting said. 22:28 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Odisha Latest Updates Father, brother of groom arrested for violating safety protocols   The father of a groom and his brother were arrested on Saturday in Odisha's Ganjam district, a COVID-19 hotspot, for violating safety protocols during the marriage function, police said.The district administration has also imposed a penalty of Rs 50,000 and registered FIR against other family members of the groom and bride in this connection, they said.   PTI 21:48 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates 1,180 new cases, 68 deaths recorded in Mumbai today 1,180 COVID-19 cases, 1071 recoveries and 68 deaths were reported in Mumbai today. Total number of cases in the city is now at 82,814, including 53,463 recovered/discharged, 24,524 active cases and 4,827 deaths, reports ANI quoting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). 21:35 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates Maharashtra records 7,074 new cases, toll mounts to 8,671 Maharashtra reported 7,074 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the total number of cases to 2,00,064, said a state health department bulletin. The toll rose to 8,671 with 124 deaths reported in the last 48 hours and 171 added from the previous period. Over 1.98 lakh patients have been discharged till date and the recovery rate stands at 54.02 percent, said the bulletin. Maharashtra reported 7,074 COVID-19 cases and 295 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking total number of cases to 2,00,064 and death toll to 8,671. Number of active cases stands at 83,295: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/1khzthSUgi — ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2020 21:17 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Goa Latest Updates Goa's active cases climb to 853 Goa recorded 108 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday, taking the number of active cases in the state to 853, reports ANI quoting the state health department. Goa recorded 108 fresh COVID-19 cases today, taking active cases to 853: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/akjPsJGZyk — ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2020 21:06 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates Amarnath Yatra to be conducted in 'restricted manner'   Asserting that the upcoming annual Amarnath Yatra would have to be undertaken in a "restricted manner" due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Saturday said only 500 pilgrims would be allowed per day by road from Jammu to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine. It also said the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for testing of persons entering the Union Territory would also be applicable to the intending Amarnath pilgrims.   PTI 20:51 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Gujarat Latest Updates Gujarat records 712 new cases, 21 deaths in 24 hours   712 fresh COVID-19 cases and 21 deaths were reported in Gujarat in the last 24 hours, taking total cases to 35,398 including 25,414 recoveries and 1,927 deaths, reports ANI quoting the State Health Department. 20:35 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Punjab Latest Updates College, University exams cancelled in Punjab   University and college examinations in Punjab have been cancelled in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Saturday.The students will be promoted on the basis of their previous years' results and will also have an option to take the exams later, Singh announced in his weekly 'AskCaptain' Facebook live. However, the online exams being conducted by some universities will continue uninterrupted. 20:32 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates Karnataka reports 1,839 new cases, 42 deaths today   Karnataka reported 1,839 new cases, taking total number of cases to 21,549. Of these, 11,966 cases are active while 9,244 people (including 439 people today) have been discharged. According to a bulletin issued by the state health department, 42 people succumbed to the disease on Saturday, taking the toll to 335 while four patients have died of non-COVID causes. Covid19 Bulletin: 4th July 2020 Total Confirmed Cases: 21549 Deceased: 335 Recovered: 9244 New Cases: 1839 Other information: Telemedicine facility, Corona Watch Application and Helpline details.#KarnatakaFightsCorona#Covid19Karnataka@BSYBJP pic.twitter.com/sUoAhmpEut — CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) July 4, 2020 20:01 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Bihar Latest Updates Nitish Kumar takes COVID-19 test, results expected tomorrow   Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday sent his swab sample for COVID-19 test after he shared the dais with Legislative Council Acting Chairman Awdesh Narayan Singh, who has been found to be infected with the contagious virus, officials told news agency PTI. The sample has been sent to Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), they said. Besides the chief minister, samples of 15 staffers of the Chief Minister's Office have been collected for COVID-19 test, the sources said, adding results are expected on Sunday. Kumar had shared the dais with the Council Acting Chairman during the oath ceremony of newly elected MLCs on 1 July. 19:44 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Mizoram Latest Updates Two BSF jawans test positive in Mizoram   Two Border Security Force (BSF) jawans posted in Mizoram's Lunglei district have tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, taking the northeast states tally to 164, an official said. The two jawans aged 50 and 53 have returned from Kerala recently, the official said.   PTI 19:30 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates Pune Mayor tests positive  Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol said he had tested positive for COVID-19 after feeling feverish. Taking to Twitter, Mohol said that his condition was stabel and he would continue to remain in touch with authorities while undergoing treatment.   थोडासा ताप आल्याने मी माझी #COVIDー19 टेस्ट केली असता, ती पॉझिटिव्ह आली आहे. माझी प्रकृती स्थिर असून लवकरच बरा होऊन पुन्हा तुमच्या सेवेत असेल. उपचारादरम्यान सर्व यंत्रणांच्या संपर्कात राहून परिस्थितीचा आढावा घेत राहील. आपला, मुरलीधर मोहोळ, महापौर — Murlidhar Mohol (@mohol_murlidhar) July 4, 2020 19:25 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates Delhi records 2,505 new cases   Delhi recorded 2,505 fresh coronavirus cases on Friday, taking the tally in the city to over 97,000, while the death toll from the disease mounted to 3,004, reports PTI. Fifty-five fatalities have been recorded in the last 24 hours, the Delhi health department said in a bulletin. It also said that 26 earlier deaths have been included in the cumulative figure. The bulletin said the death toll from coronavirus infection has risen to 3,004, and the total number of cases mounted to 97,200. 19:18 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates Only two new cases reported in Mumbai's Dharavi   Only two new coronavirus patients were found in Mumbai's Dharavi on Saturday, taking its case tally to 2,311, a senior Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official told news agency PTI. The area, known as Asia's largest slum cluster, has recorded such a small rise in COVID-19 cases for the first time since the first week of April. The BMC did not reveal if any fresh virus-related death has been reported in the area. The slum area now has 519 active COVID-19 cases with 1,704 patients having been discharged after recovery 19:03 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Kerala Latest Updates Kerala's case count up by 240 to 5,204   Kerala's COVID-19 case count went past 5,000 on Saturday with 240 fresh cases being reported, the highest single- day surge so far.Of the positive cases, 152 had come from abroad and 52 from other states, Health minister K K Shailaja said in a press release. The total case count has now touched 5,204. According to the release, there have been 209 recoveries today. The hotspots as of today have touched 135.   PTI 18:52 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates Tamil Nadu reports 4,280 new cases, 65 fatalities Tamil Nadu on Saturday reported 4,280 fresh COVID-19 cases and 65 deaths, taking total cases to 1,07,001 and the  toll to 1,450. Number of active cases stands at 44,956, reports ANI quoting the State Health Department. Tamil Nadu reported 4,280 fresh COVID-19 cases and 65 deaths today, taking total cases to 1,07,001 and death toll to 1,450. Number of active cases stands at 44,956: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/Tnpdev9fkk — ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2020 18:49 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Bihar Latest Updates Narendra Modi addresses Bihar BJP workers "Some believed that COVID-19 will spread more in east India due to high poverty but they have been proved wrong," said Narendra Modi while addressing Bihar BJP workers. "Several of our workers despite knowing the danger, kept working in the service of people and lost their lives. I pay my tributes to all of them and express condolences to their families," ANI quotes him as saying. 18:13 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates Tamil Nadu CM announces relaxations in Chennai from Monday Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced that relaxations in Chennai lockdown will come in effect from 6 July, reports ANI. Vegetable and grocery shops will be allowed to open from 6 am to 6 pm, textile and hardware shops from 10 am to 6 pm, and restaurants from 6 am to 9 pm for takeaway services, he said. Chennai and its suburbs have been under an intense lockdown from 19 June. 17:59 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates Mizoram postpones re-opening of schools indefinitely    The Mizoram government has postponed the opening of schools for the 2020-21 academic session for an indefinite period as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease, said state education minister Lalchhandama Ralte. The government had earlier decided to open educational institutions for the current academic session from 15 July.   PTI 17:44 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates COVID-19 patient kept in ambulance for one day for want of bed, alleges family   The family of a 64-year-old man who succumbed to the coronavirus infection in Navi Mumbai has alleged that he had to be kept in an ambulance for a whole day before he could be admitted to a hospital. They said that the man developed symptoms on 20 June but could not be admitted to Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation's (NMMC) COVID hospital at Vashi as there was no bed with with oxygen supply available. The man's son said he continued approaching private hospitals and in the meantime his father was kept in a cardiac ambulance as he required oxygen support. When he was finally admitted the next day, the family did not have the money to buy an injection that cost Rs 32,000. The man, who performed in a music band, died on 25 June. PTI 17:12 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates Lockdown extended in Madurai, surrounding areas till 12 July, announces CM The lockdown has been extended till 12 July in Madurai and area limits of adjoining rural civic bodies of Paravai and Thiruparankundram panchayats, ANI quotes Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami as saying. The lockdown imposed to control the spread of COVID-19 amid rising number of cases in Madurai was slated to end on 5 July. 17:03 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates Process for trials of COVID-19 vaccine being expedited in accordance with global norms, safety remains top priority: ICMR The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Saturday issued a release stating that the process to expedite the human trials for a potential COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Bharat BioTech, NIV and ICMR, were being carried out in accordance with global norms.  "In the larger public health interest, it is important for ICMR to expedite clinical trials with a promising indigenous vaccine. Faced with the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, all other vaccine candidates across the globe have been similarly fast-tracked," new agency ANI quotes the country's top medical research body as saying."The ICMR’s process is exactly in accordance with globally accepted norms to fast-track the vaccine development for diseases of pandemic potential wherein human and animal trials can continue in parallel," states the release while adding that ICMR remains committed to the safety and interest of the people of India.  The announcement that a vaccine would be made available by 15 August had come under criticism from many quarters, with political leaders alleging that the process was being expedited so that the announcement could be made on Independence Day. In the larger public health interest, it is important for ICMR to expedite clinical trials with a promising indigenous vaccine. Faced with the unprecedented nature of the #COVID19 pandemic, all other vaccine candidates across the globe have been similarly fast-tracked: ICMR https://t.co/gJiGKjZ2ku — ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2020 16:40 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Arunachal Pradesh Latest Updates Total lockdown in Arunachal Pradesh's Capital Complex from 6 to 12 July The Arunachal Pradesh government on Saturday announced that a week-long total lockdown will be imposed in the Capital Complex, comprising Itanagar and Nagarlagun, from 6 July in view of the rising number of COVID-19 cases, said Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar.  The total lockdown will be imposed at 5 am on 6 July and will be in place till 5 pm on 12 July,the official said.There will be certain exemptions which would be announced on 5 July, Kumar said.   Itanagar capital complex will be under lockdown from 6th July (Monday) till 12th July (Sunday). Detailed Guidelines and SOP for compliance will be issued shortly. #StayHomeStaySafe — Pema Khandu (@PemaKhanduBJP) July 4, 2020 16:15 (IST) 237 Maharashtra Police personnel test positive in 72 hours 237 personnel of Maharashtra Police were found COVID-19 positive in the last 72 hours, taking active number of cases in the force to 1,040. A total of 64 police personnel have succumbed to the infection: Maharashtra Police pic.twitter.com/jMVSbqKV7B — ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2020 16:05 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Kolkata Latest Updates Kolkata bans flights from coronavirus hotspots like Delhi, Mumbai Kolkata Airport announced on Saturday that no flights shall operate to Kolkata from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai and Ahmedabad from 6th to 19th July 2020 or till further orders are issued. The West Bengal government had been requesting Centre to susoend inbound flights to Bengal from COVID-19 hotspots.  15:37 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Bengaluru Latest Updates Bengaluru to go under lockdown over weekend "Complete lockdown to be imposed from 8pm today till 5am on Monday in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits, as per instructions by Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa in view of, COVID19," BBMP Commissioner Anil Kumar said.  He added that sale of essential items will be allowed during the lockdown, including meat shops. "Police action will be taken against people found roaming outside unnecessarily," he said,  15:22 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates Scientists strike note of caution  as govt plans to fast-track 'Made in India' vaccine, covaxin India's COVID-19 vaccine programme has gained sudden traction but it is imperative to strike a balance between giving it high priority and rushing into a process that takes months, even years, several scientists said on Saturday, a day after the ICMR announced it envisaged a preventive by next month. "Fast tracking a vaccine trial in four weeks for safety, immunogenicity and efficacy is just not possible if things are to be done correctly," Shahid Jameel, virologist and CEO of the Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance, a public charity that invests in building biomedical sciences and health research framework, told PTI. 15:07 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Himachal Pradesh Latest Updates Another COVID-19 death in Himachal Pradesh takes toll to nine With one more death reported in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday, the COVID-19 toll in the state rose to nine. However, no new positive cases were reported. With this, the total number of cases in the state now stands at 1,033 including 332 active cases.  So far, 677 patients have recovered, said the state health department.  14:48 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Bihar Latest Updates Bihar's COVID-19 toll climbs to 84 after six more die The COVID-19 toll in Bihar increased to 84 on Saturday after six more patients succumbed to the viral infection. While 197 fresh cases have pushed the state's total to 11,111, according to the state health department.  The state has 2,816 active coronavirus cases, while 8,211 patients have recovered from the disease. This takes the recovery rate to 73.89 percent.  14:28 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Andhra Pradesh Latest Updates 765 fresh COVID-19 infections in Andhra Pradesh  Andhra Pradesh registered 17,699 coronavirus cases on Saturday after 765 more people tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The COVID-19 toll reached 218, said the state health department.  Of the total positive cases, there are 9,473 active cases in the state.  13:52 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Gujarat Latest Updates Vijay Rupani visits Surat to assess COVID-19 situation  Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy chief minister Nitin Patel arrived at Surat on saturday to assess the COVID-19 situation, PTI reported. Surat has reported 5,461 COVID-19 cases, including 198 deaths, so far. 13:51 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in China Latest Updates WHO team to visit China next week to probe origin of COVID-19  Amid global concerns that China delayed giving information regarding the novel coronavirus outbreak, a team of World Health Organisation (WHO) will visit the country next week to investigate the origins of the virus and its spread to human beings. The visit will take place more than six months after the WHO's Country Office in China picked up a statement from the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission on cases of 'viral pneumonia'.  WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke in January about an agreement with China for sending a team of international experts "as soon as possible" to work on increasing the understanding of the outbreak. 13:36 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates Forcing development of COVID-19 vaccine fraught with horrendous human costs: Sitaram Yechury  CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Saturday alleged that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is trying to expedite the production of an indigenous COVID-19 vaccine so Prime Minister Narendra Modi can announce the cure for the infectious disease on Independence Day. "Scientific advances can never be 'made to order'. Forcing the development of an indigenous vaccine, bypassing all health and safety norms, to be announced by Narendra Modi on Independence Day is fraught with horrendous human costs," tweeted Yechury.  But...scientific advances can never be ‘made to order’. Forcing the development of an indegenous vaccine as a cure for Covid-19, bypassing all health & safety norms, to be announced by PM Modi on Independence Day is fraught with horrendous human costs. #Covid_19 #Vaccine #ICMR pic.twitter.com/x2xbPFvRyy — Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) July 4, 2020 13:19 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates Jama Majid reopens for public today  Jama Masjid reopens for the public from today. The mosque will remain open from 9 am to 10 pm and everyone will have to follow physical distancing norms, said Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the shahi imam of the mosque. Delhi: Jama Masjid reopens for the public from today. Syed Ahmed Bukhari, Shahi Imam of the mosque said that it will remain open from 9 am to 10 pm while following social distancing norms. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/hEtvux9GB5 — ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2020 13:16 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Jharkhand Latest Updates Six police personnel in Ranchi test COVID-19 positive Six personnel of Ranchi Police have tested COVID-19 positive on Saturday. "They have been quarantined and are receiving treatment. Their contact tracing within and outside the department is being done," said Surendra Kumar Jha, SSP Ranchi 12:13 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates I-T department further extends ITR filing deadline  The extension on income tax return filing date comes just a couple of days after the I-T department on Thursday extended the deadline for tax saving investments/payments for the financial year 2019-20 up to 31 July.  As a result, taxpayers will now be able to make investments for claiming deductions under the Income Tax Act for the financial year 2019-20 up to 31 July. 11:59 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates ITR filing deadline for FY 2019-20 extended till 30 Nov The Income Tax Department has announced a further extension to the deadline for filing income tax return (ITR) for the financial year (FY) 2019-20 to 30 November. The department, in a tweet, said that the move has been taken "understanding and keeping in mind the times that we are in" and hoped it will help taxpayers "plan things better." 11:32 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Mizoram Latest Updates Mizoram postpones opening of schools for 2020-21 academic session The Mizoram government has postponed the opening of schools for the 2020-21 academic session for an indefinite period as a part of the containment measures to curb the coronavirus outbreak, a minister said. The government had earlier decided to open educational institutions for the current academic session from 15 July. 11:30 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates No public transport to operate in Karnataka from 8 pm today  Public transport - buses, autos and cabs will not operate in Karnataka during the curfew, which will be enforced from Saturday at 8 pm. Places of worship, malls and dine-in service at hotels and restaurants, shops selling non-essential commodities, including liquor, will remain shut.  11:28 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates Karnataka to enforce curfew from 8 pm today  A curfew in Karnataka will be implemented from 8 pm on Saturday til 5 am on Monday. It will not be any different from the restrictions imposed during previous curfews and lockdowns, said BH Anil Kumar, Commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to The Hindu.  "The restrictions that were in place then will be imposed now also," said Kumar.  11:19 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Odisha Latest Updates Odisha reports 8,601 COVID-19 cases with 34 deaths After five more people die of the novel coronavirus in Odisha, the COVID-19 toll in the state climbed to 34 on Saturday. The total number of confirmed cases increased to 8,601 after 495 more individuals tested positive, said the health department.  10:58 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Rajasthan Latest Updates 204 new cases, three deaths in Rajasthan As per the Rajasthan health department, there were 204 new COVID-19 positive cases and three deaths reported till 10:30 am. The total number of cases stands at 19,256, including 3,461 active cases and 443 deaths, as per the health department 10:36 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates Over 95 lakh COVID-19 samples tested: ICMR At least 95,40,132 COVID-19 samples have been tested so far, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), adding that 2,42,383 samples were tested on Friday alone.  10:27 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates India's COVID-19 recovery rate at 60.80% Of the total 6,48,315 positive cases, as many as 3,94,227 COVID-19 patients have so far been cured of the virus, said the health ministry on Saturday. This takees the COVID-19 recovery rate to 60.80 percent.  10:22 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates India's COVID-19 mortality rate at 2.88% after 18,655 patients die With the death of 442 more individuals in the past 24 hours, the COVID-19 toll jumped to 18,655 on Saturday, according to the latest data released by the health ministry.  The COVID-19 mortality rate is now at 2.88 percent. 10:18 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates India records over 6.48 lakh COVID-19 infections India registered 22,771 new coronavirus cases for the first time in a single day, taking the total count to 6,48,315 on Saturday. As many as 442 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, said the health ministry.  Coronavirus Updates: Maharashtra reported 7,074 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the total number of cases to 2,00,064, said a state health department bulletin. The toll rose to 8,671 with 124 deaths reported in the last 48 hours and 171 added from the previous period. University and college examinations in Punjab have been cancelled in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Saturday. However, the online exams being conducted by some universities will continue uninterrupted. Delhi recorded 2,505 fresh coronavirus cases on Friday, taking the tally in the city to 97,200, while the death toll from the disease mounted to 3,004. Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced that relaxations in Chennai lockdown will come in effect from 6 July, reports ANI. Vegetable and grocery shops will be allowed to open from 6 am to 6 pm, textile and hardware shops from 10 am to 6 pm, and restaurants from 6 am to 9 pm for takeaway services, he said. Responding to criticism over its 15 August deadline for COVAXIN, which is being developed by Bharat Biotech, the ICMR said that all COVID-19 vaccine trials across the world are being similarly fast-tracked, while adding that the safety and interest of the people of India remain its topmost priority. Kolkata Airport announced on Saturday that no flights shall operate to Kolkata from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai and Ahmedabad for two weeks starting from Monday Bengaluru will go under complete lockdown from 8 pm today until 5 am on Monday, city's municipal commissioner told ANI. The COVID-19 toll in Bihar increased to 84 on Saturday after six more patients succumbed to the viral infection. While 197 fresh cases have pushed the state's total to 11,111, according to the state health department. The state has 2,816 active coronavirus cases, while 8,211 patients have recovered from the disease. This takes the recovery rate to 73.89 percent. Amid global concerns that China delayed giving information regarding the novel coronavirus outbreak, a team of World Health Organisation (WHO) will visit the country next week to investigate the origins of the virus and its spread to human beings. The visit will take place more than six months after the WHO's Country Office in China picked up a statement from the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission on cases of 'viral pneumonia'. The Jama Masjid will reopen for the public from Saturday. The mosque will remain open from 9 am to 10 pm. "Everyone will have to follow physical distancing norms," said Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the shahi imam of the mosque. A curfew in Karnataka will be implemented from 8 pm on Saturday til 5 am on Monday. It will not be any different from the restrictions imposed during previous curfews and lockdowns, said BH Anil Kumar, Commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to The Hindu. As per the Rajasthan health department, there were 204 new COVID-19 positive cases and three deaths reported in the state till 10:30 am. The total number of cases stands at 19,256, including 3,461 active cases and 443 deaths, as per the health department India registered 22,771 new coronavirus cases for the first time in a single day, taking the total count to 6,48,315 on Saturday. As many as 442 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, said the health ministry. At least 11,300 'Make In India' ventilators have been dispatched so far under Centre's 'Atma Nirbhar Bharat' mission, said the Union health minister on Saturday. Of the total ventilators, 6,154 have been delivered to hospitals. Ministry of Health is also supplying 1.02 lakh oxygen cylinders across India; 72,293 have been delivered, said Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. Telangana reported eight more COVID-19 deaths on Friday, taking the toll to 283. After 1,892 fresh cases were registered for the first time in a day, the state's tally was pushed to 20,462. Maharashtra registered 6,364 fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday for the first time in a single day taking the total number of positive cases to 1,92,990. The toll due to the pandemic rose to 8,376 with 198 new deaths reported in the past 24 hours, a health department statement said. Even as India's COVID-19 recovery rate crossed 60 percent on Friday, the number of confirmed cases soared by over 20,000 in a day for the first time, data from the Union Health Ministry showed. The contrasting figures emerged even as the country's apex medical body ICMR announced its plan to launch the world's first COVID-19 vaccine, the indigenously developed COVAXIN, by 15 August. Experts, however, said such a timeline may not be realistic. In the meantime, Union HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal aannounced that the JEE and NEET exams have been postponed to September in view of the coronavirus pandemic, while the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) decided to suspend all the international flight operations in the country till 31 July. Friday also saw Goa re-opening  its doors for domestic tourists and Himachal Pradesh said that it would allow entry of tourists with conditions such as a test report showing negative for COVID-19 and a prior hotel booking of at least five days. The hilly state had imposed a ban on tourism three-and-a-half-months ago to check the spread of the novel coronavirus. COVID-19 cases and deaths as of today India has confirmed 6,25,544 COVID-19 cases so far while 18,213 have lost their lives since the virus made its first appearance in Kerala's Thrissur in January. The number of recoveries stands at 3,79,891, while one patient has migrated. There are 2,27,439 active cases of coronavirus infections currently in the country. Most of the 20,903 coronavirus infections reported in a 24-hour span till Friday 8 am came from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Telangana and Karnataka, PTI said, adding that 379 people died during the same period. Tamil Nadu crossed one lakh COVID-19 cases with the state reporting 4,329 fresh infections and 64 fatalities, pushing the toll from the deadly virus to 1,385. Of the total 18,213 deaths reported so far, Maharashtra accounted for the highest 8,178 fatalities followed by Delhi with 2,864 deaths, Gujarat with 1,886, Tamil Nadu with 1,321, Uttar Pradesh with 735, West Bengal with 699, Madhya Pradesh with 589, Rajasthan with 430 and Telangana with 275 deaths. The COVID-19 death toll reached 272 in Karnataka, 251 in Haryana, 198 in Andhra Pradesh, 152 in Punjab, 115 in Jammu and Kashmir, 77 in Bihar, 42 in Uttarakhand, 27 in Odisha and 25 in Kerala. Jharkhand has registered 15 deaths, Chhattisgarh 14, Assam and Puducherry 12 each, Himachal Pradesh 10, Chandigarh six, Goa four and Meghalaya, Tripura, Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh have reported one fatality each, according to the ministry. More than 70 percent deaths took place due to comorbidities, it said. According to health ministry's 8 am data, Maharashtra has reported the highest number of cases at 1,86,626, followed by Tamil Nadu at 98,392, Delhi at 92,175, Gujarat at 33,913, Uttar Pradesh at 24,825, West Bengal at 19,819 and Rajasthan at 18,662. The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 18,570 in Telangana, 18,016 in Karnataka, 16,097 in Andhra Pradesh, 15,509 in Haryana, and 14,106 in Madhya Pradesh. It has risen to 10,471 in Bihar, 9,013 in Assam, 7,849 in Jammu and Kashmir and 7,545 in Odisha. Punjab has reported 5,784 novel coronavirus infections so far, while Kerala has 4,753 cases. A total of 3,013 have been infected by the virus in Chhattisgarh, 2,984 in Uttarakhand, 2,584 in Jharkhand, 1,435 in Tripura, 1,482 in Goa, 1,279 in Manipur, 1,014 in Himachal Pradesh and 990 in Ladakh. Puducherry has recorded 802 COVID-19 cases, Nagaland 501, Chandigarh 450 and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu together have reported 230 COVID-19 cases. Arunachal Pradesh reported 195 cases, Mizoram has 162 cases, Andaman and Nicobar Islands has 109, Sikkim has registered 102 infections so far, while Meghalaya has recorded 56 cases. The ICMR said that a total of 92,97,749 samples were tested for COVID-19 up to 2 July, with 2,41,576 of those tested on Thursday. Representational image. AP COVID-19 vaccine by 15 August, says ICMR India's apex medical body ICMR said Friday that it has identified 12 clinical trial sites, including medical institutions and hospitals, and has asked their principal investigators to ensure that the subject enrolment is initiated no later than 7 July. The trial sites included AIIMS, New Delhi, AIIMS, Patna and SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre in Tamil Nadu. In its letter to principal investigators of the 12 sites, ICMR Director General Dr Balram Bhargava noted that the clinical trial of Covaxin is one of the "top priority projects which is being monitored at the top-most level of the government". However, it is not clear how the clinical trials can be completed and the vaccine released on 15 August when the normal period for a vaccine to be approved is 12 to 18 months. Several experts have questioned the ICMR's timeline, asking if the efficacy of the vaccine is "pre-decided" and cautioned it from applying "excess pressure". Over seven vaccines are being researched in India and only Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN and Zydus' ZyCoV-D have got the go-ahead to start human clinical trials, just this week. Globally, over 100 candidates are being tested on humans but no vaccine has yet been approved. Speaking to Firstpost, Bharat Biotech chairman Dr Krishna Ella, said said that COVAXIN was reported to be safe and immunogenic in all animals. "We have now moved forward towards the clinical development of this vaccine," he added. Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials of Covaxin in COVID-19 patients will begin this month. According to PTI, Zydus said that is planning to initiate the clinical trials in July 2020 across multiple sites in India in over 1,000 subjects, however, the company did not say when the vaccine will be ready for commercial use, unlike Covaxin, which is targeting for release on 15 August. The vaccine candidate, ZyCoV-D, showed a "strong immune response" in animal studies, and the antibodies produced were able to completely neutralise the wild type virus, Zydus said. With inputs from agencies

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/07/coronavirus-updates-confirmed-cases-in.html

[technodabhi]

dhesi: BJP leader criticises Punjab CM over meeting with UK MP Dhesi | India News

dhesi: BJP leader criticises Punjab CM over meeting with UK MP Dhesi | India News

NEW DELHI: BJP leader and former Army chief J J Singh on Sunday lashed out at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over his meeting with UK MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and said the AAP should clarify if it endorses the “pro-separatist and anti-India” views of the British lawmaker. Dhesi, a Labour Party MP, met Mann along with AAP Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha last week and reportedly raised…

[e-skool]

Mulayam Singh’s Daughter-in-law Aparna, who joined BJP, has MA Degree From This UK University

Mulayam Singh’s Daughter-in-law Aparna, who joined BJP, has MA Degree From This UK University

Ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav’s daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday. In what is termed as a major blow for SP, Aparna joined the ruling party in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and BJP State president Swatantra Dev Singh at BJP headquarters in Delhi.…

[currentmediasstuff]

These 5 People Have Been Awarded Bharat Ratna This Year

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced that former prime ministers PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh and agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan will be conferred Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.

Usually, three Bharat Ratna awards are given in a year. However, this year, the government has named five people for Bharat Ratna, including veteran BJP leader LK Advani and former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur.

PV Narasimha Rao served as the prime minister from June 21, 1991 to May 16, 1996.

He was born in 1921 in Andhra Pradesh’s Karimnagar and studied at Osmania University in Hyderabad, Bombay University, and Nagpur University.

An agriculturist and an advocate, he also served as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.

These 5 People Have Been Awarded Bharat Ratna This Year PM Modi has announced that Narasimha Rao, Charan Singh and MS Swaminathan will be conferred Bharat Ratna

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced that former prime ministers PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh and agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan will be conferred Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.

Usually, three Bharat Ratna awards are given in a year. However, this year, the government has named five people for Bharat Ratna, including veteran BJP leader LK Advani and former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur.

PV Narasimha Rao PV Narasimha Rao served as the prime minister from June 21, 1991 to May 16, 1996.

He was born in 1921 in Andhra Pradesh’s Karimnagar and studied at Osmania University in Hyderabad, Bombay University, and Nagpur University.

An agriculturist and an advocate, he also served as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.

He was also the Minister for External Affairs from January 14, 1980, to July 18, 1984, the Minister of Home Affairs from July 1984 to December 1984, and the Minister of Defence from December 1984 to September 1985.

Charan Singh Born in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut in 1902, Charan Singh served as the prime minister from July 28, 1979 to January 14, 1980.

He was first elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1937 from Chhaprauli. He represented the constituency in 1946, 1952, 1962 and 1967.

MS Swaminathan Born in 1925, MS Swaminathan is popularly known as the father of the Green Revolution in India.

He obtained a BSc degree in Zoology from the Maharajas College in Thiruvananthapuram, and also in Agricultural Sciences from the Coimbatore Agricultural College.

He also got his MSc degree in Agricultural Sciences (specializing in genetics and plant breeding) from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), and PhD degree from Cambridge University, UK.

LK Advani BJP leader LK Advani had been the BJP national president from 1986–90, 1993–98, and 2004–05.

Capping a parliamentary career of nearly three decades, Mr Advani was first the Home Minister and later, the Deputy Prime Minister in the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cabinet from 1999 to 2004.

Karpoori Thakur Born in Bihar’s Samastipur District in 1924, Karpoori Thakur served as the chief minister of the state twice, first from December 1970 to June 1971 and then from December 1977 to April 1979.

He had been a mentor to many current generation leaders of the state, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Bharat Ratna was instituted in 1954 and any person without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex is eligible for these awards.It is awarded in recognition of exceptional service or performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour.

The recommendations for the award are made by the Prime Minister himself to the President. On conferment of Bharat Ratna, the recipient receives a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion.

[wafimedia]

Launch of Dr. Ambedkar and Nationalism, by Basant Kumar on the occasion of Parinirvana Day of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar today

On this exquisite occasion of Parinirvan Diwas of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, a book Dr. Ambedkar and Nationalism, written by the nationalist writer and thinker Basant Kumar and published Prabhat Prakashan. This launch was held in the Speaker Hall of Constituent Club, Delhi last evening. Many renowned faces were there to witness the evening along with Speaker of Lok Sabha - Hon'ble Om Birla Ji, Union Minister of Minority Affairs - Shri M. Abbas Naqvi, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Smt. Anupriya Patel, who was there as the Chief Guest in this inaugural program. Other dozen of notabilities together with National Service Scheme Government of India Director General - Kumar, Director of National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) - P. Uday Kumar, National General Secretary of BJP (Scheduled Front) - Sanjay Nirmal ji and from Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Dal in the role of an important ally - National Chief Spokesperson cum National General Secretary Shailesh Kumar Giri, National Spokesperson UK Tripathi, Uttar Pradesh Spokesperson, and Social Activist Shyam Prakash Pal, Journalist Rakesh Giri, Sanjeev Patel BJP Kisan Morcha Mandal President Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Mandal accord Dr. Ambedkar and the nation. written by senior columnist, author thinker Basant Kumar.

While giving their valuable reviews and thoughts Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Dal's National Chief Spokesperson cum National General Secretary Shailesh Kumar Giri, added that in the book Dr. Ambedkar and Nationalism, Basant Kumar, senior author, has given many inertial misconceptions about Dr. Ambedkar from the beginning till now and putting a complete stop to the suspected wrong concept, Dr. Ambedkar's nationalism from every point of view in the book. In the end, he concluded that Dr. Ambedkar has been described as the most successful author in establishing a deep connection with nationalism.

[navabharatnews]

, Charges framed against former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

, Charges framed against former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Nagpur. A court here has framed charges against former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for allegedly not disclosing criminal cases registered against him in his election affidavit in 2014. First Class Judicial Magistrate VM Deshmukh framed charges against Fadnavis on Saturday but the BJP leader has pleaded innocent. The court was hearing a plea filed by advocate Satish Uke, seeking…

[classyfoxdestiny]

Covid Live News Updates: US announces new protocol for international travelers from November

Covid Live News Updates: US announces new protocol for international travelers from November

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the United States has allowed fully vaccinated flyers from several countries, including India, to enter America from early November. The US announced that strict protocols will be in place from early November to curb the spread of COVID-19 from international passengers. According to a senior government official, once the protocol is in place, passengers from several countries, including the UK, India and Brazil and Europe would be allowed to enter the US with proof of vaccination.

!1 New UpdateClick here for latest updates

Schools reopen for classes 10 &12 in Srinagar after months of Covid-19 induced lockdown

Jammu and Kashmir: Explosive material was detected near Gogoo Gali at Humhama area of Airport road in Budgam district

Explosive material was detected near Gogoo Gali at Humhama area of Airport road in Budgam dist, by security forces,… https://t.co/Fq8XbIXXO5

— ANI (@ANI) 1632199829000

Major incident averted as IED detected in J&K

Security forces averted a major incident with the timely detection of an improvised explosive device in high security Gogo area of Budgam district in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Tuesday. The area is close to several sensitive defence and civilian installations, including Srinagar airport, Technical airport, headquarters of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry of the Army.

Mumbai Police Crime Branch has issued Look Out Circular against absconding accused (in a pornography case) Yash Thakur alias Arvind Srivastava and Pradeep Bakshi, an aide of businessman Raj Kundra, says the police.

National Investigation Agency today morning carried out searches at seven locations including Anantnag, Baramulla, Srinagar, Doda, Kishtwar in connection with June 27 case linked to IED recovery in Jammu: NIA sources

During the investigation (in a pornography case), police found 119 porn videos from businessman Raj Kundra’s mobile, laptop, and a hardrive disk. He was planning to sell these videos for Rs 9 crores: Mumbai Police Crime Branch

Muzaffarnagar riots: 20 acquitted due to lack of evidence

Twenty persons, accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, have been acquitted by a local court. Additional district and sessions judge, Baburam, acquitted them on Monday saying that the prosecution had failed to provide evidence against them.

Active COVID-19 cases in country decline to 3,09,575: Union Health Ministry

Manipur polls: BJP ready to field candidates in 60 seats

With the key target to win two-third majority in the assembly polls due early next year, the ruling BJP has completed the organisational ground work for fielding its candidates in all 60 seats.

President of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, Mahant Narendra Giri death case: FIR registered against his disciple Anand Giri under IPC Section 306 (Abetment of suicide). The FIR has been registered on the basis of the complaint filed by another disciple Amar Giri Pawan Maharaj.

The post mortem of Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad chief, Mahant Narendra Giri, will be done on Tuesday afternoon after which his mortal remains will be kept in the Baghambari Mutt to enable people to pay their last respect. According to Mutt sources, the saint will be given ‘samadhi’ within the Mutt complex in the evening.

Jaishankar raises COVID-19 quarantine issue during his meeting with UK counterpart

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar urged for an “early resolution” of the COVID-19 quarantine issue and discussed the situation in Afghanistan and the developments in the Indo-Pacific during his meeting with the newly appointed British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss.

ED arrests MD of Andheri firm for cheating banks, laundering Rs 916 crore

The Enforcement Directorate arrested Vinod Chaturvedi, managing director of Andheri-based company Usher Agro Ltd, in a Rs 916 crore money laundering case and produced him before a court on Saturday. The court remanded Chaturvedi in five days’ ED custody. The ED alleged Chaturvedi and director Manoj Pathak, along with others, conspired to cheat banks after taking loan and had siphoned off the money through fictitious transactions.

Joe Biden aims to enlist allies in tackling climate, COVID, more

President Joe Biden planned to use his first address before the U.N. General Assembly to reassure other nations of American leadership on the global stage and call on allies to move quickly and cooperatively to address the festering issues of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and human rights abuses.

Schools in Himachal Pradesh to be closed till September 25

The state executive committee on Monday ordered that all schools, except residential ones, in Himachal Pradesh will continue to remain closed until September 25. Teaching and non-teaching staff will continue to attend the school. All the residential schools are expected to follow the SOPs developed by the department of education to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Mumbai: 45+ can take only second dose of Covid-19 vaccines at public centres on Tuesday

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) vaccination centres on Tuesday will operate between 9 am and 5 pm. Only second dose of Covishield and Covaxin will be administered to those above 45 years of age at General Hospitals in Vashi, Nerul and Airoli. Each centre has been given only 500 doses. Frontline and healthcare workers, who wish to take their second dose, can take the jab at these Covid vaccination centres.

India reports 26,115 new Covid-19 cases, 252 deaths and 34,469 recoveries in last 24 hrs

India reports 26,115 new Covid-19 cases, 252 deaths and 34,469 recoveries in last 24 hrs, says Health Ministry

Total Cases: 3,35,04,534

Total Active cases: 3,09,575

Total Recoveries: 3,27,49,574

Total Death toll: 4,45,385

Total vaccination: 81,85,13,827 (96,46,778 in 24 hrs)

Indian shares open higher as tech, banking stocks gain

Indian shares bounced back on Tuesday, helped by gains in the technology and banking sectors, while increasing worries that Chinese property giant China Evergrande could default on its debt pile gripped global markets. The blue-chip NSE Nifty 50 index climbed 0.31% to 17,450.5 by 0340 GMT, and the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex rose 0.24% to 58,630.06.

Today, President Biden announced that beginning in early Nov, US will be putting in place strict protocols to prevent spread of COVID-19 from pax flying internationally into US by requiring that adult foreign nationals traveling here be fully vaccinated: Senior US admn official

BJP using ED, CBI to threaten Maharashtra govt: Shiv Sena

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is using the central agencies like Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to threaten the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, alleged Saamana editorial on Tuesday.

The Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece said that BJP leaders in Maharashtra think that central investigation agencies like ED, CBI are in their pockets and at their behest, they can threaten political opponents.

In Pics: Several areas in Kolkata partially submerged after heavy rain in the city

West Bengal | Several areas in Kolkata partially submerged after heavy rain in the city (Visuals from Golf Green) https://t.co/hHvK3lfpdr

— ANI (@ANI) 1632194473000

55,50,35,717 samples tested for COVID-19 up to 20th September 2021. Of these, 14,13,951 samples were tested yesterday

– Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

BJP doesn’t run on a single leadership, In BJP, it is the team that takes a decision, not an individual. Here also we’ll work as a team. We’ll perform better in upcoming elections, including panchayat, municipalities & Lok Sabha: West Bengal BJP’s new president, Sukanta Majumdar

Canadians re-elect Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party

Canadians gave Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party a victory in Monday’s parliamentary elections, but it was unclear whether his gamble to win a majority of seats paid off.

The Liberals were on track to win the most seats of any party. The 49-year-old Trudeau channeled the star power of his father, the Liberal icon and late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, when he first won election in 2015 and now appeared to have led his party to the top finish in two elections since.

The Liberals were leading in 148 ridings, the Conservatives in 103, the Quebec-based Bloc Quebecois in 28 and the leftist New Democratic Party in 22.

Afghanistan: 40 arrested in connection with Nangarhar explosions

At least 40 people have been arrested in connection with explosions that rocked Jalalabad city of eastern Nangarhar province on Saturday and Sunday.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s head of intelligence directorate in Nangarhar said on Monday that 40 people have been arrested in connection with explosions that rocked Jalalabad city on Saturday and Sunday,” reported Ariana News.

On Sunday, a child was killed and two people including a Taliban member injured in an explosion in Nangarhar province.

Meanwhile, on Saturday three persons were killed and 21 injured in three consecutive explosions targeting the Taliban in Police District 5 of Jalalabad city of eastern Nangarhar province.

Pakistan says no rush to recognize Taliban govt

Pakistan’s foreign minister says Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers should understand that if they want recognition and assistance in rebuilding the war-battered country “they have to be more sensitive and more receptive to international opinion and norms.”

Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Monday evening that countries are watching to see how things evolve in Afghanistan before considering recognition. He says, “I don’t think anyone is in a rush to recognize at this stage.”

The Pakistani minister says his country’s objective is peace and stability in Afghanistan and to achieve that “we would suggest to Afghans that they should have an inclusive government.” He says their initial statements indicate they aren’t averse to the idea, so “let’s see.”

Qureshi expresses hope the Taliban live up to their promise “that girls and women would be allowed to go to school, college and university.”

635,000 people displaced in Afghanistan this year, says UN

UN humanitarians said on Monday that 635,000 people in Afghanistan were routed from their homes this year because of violence, with more than 12,000 recently displaced to Kabul, mainly from Panjshir Province.

The world organization and its partners have reached 8 million people in the first half of 2021, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a release.

Some 1,300 displaced people in Kabul are about to receive aid.

The office said the UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration handed out relief to more than 9,300 people displaced by the violence in Kunar Province.

White House condemns border guard use of whip-like cord against Haitian migrants

The White House on Monday criticized the use of horse reins to threaten Haitian migrants after images circulated of a U.S. border guard on horseback charging at migrants near a riverside camp in Texas.

No Iran nuclear deal ministers’ meeting at U.N., says EU’s Borrell

Ministers from Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia will not meet with Iran on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations this week, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters on Monday.

Daesh not capable of posing threat to Afghanistan, says Taliban

The Taliban on Monday said that it can restrain Islamic State (Daesh) in Afghanistan and they are not capable of posing a threat to the country. Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Zabihullah Mujahid speaking to Tolo News said, “Daesh is not a threat, because the thought of Daesh is a hated thought among the people. No one supports them. Second, our combat against Daesh was effective in the past and we know how to neutralize their techniques.” Considering the last attacks in Nangarhar and Kabul, some political analysts said that the group seems to be present in Afghanistan.

EU ministers voice “solidarity” with France on submarine deal: Borrell

Reports AFP

Gujarat: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence arrested two persons over seizure of nearly 3,000 kgs of heroin at Kutch’s Mundra Port

US Vice-Prez Kamala Harris to meet PM Narendra Modi on September 23

US Vice-President Kamala Harris will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 23, a day ahead of the maiden bilateral meet between him and President Joe Biden and the Quad Summit at the White House, officials have said. Biden will host Modi for their first in-person bilateral meeting at the White House on September 24. Later on that day, Biden will host the first-ever in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit at the White House with Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Firefighters race to protect giant sequoias in California fires

Hundreds of firefighters were battling to protect several groves of giant sequoias in the United States on Monday, warning the enormous ancient trees were at risk from out-of-control blazes. A number of separate fires were converging on the California woodland that is home to the huge trees, highlighting the terrifying power of wildfires to consume everything in their path.

Assam CM apprises Amit Shah about progress on implementation of central schemes

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and apprised him of the progress in the implementation of various central schemes.

Modi-Biden bilateral meet will strengthen India-US relation, boost QUAD, says White House official

The maiden bilateral meet between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden on Thursday will allow taking the relationship between the two countries from strength to strength while helping in reinforcing and giving momentum to the Quad grouping, a White House official has said.

Assam reports 455 COVID-19 cases, 10 fatalities. Infection tally rises to 5,98,423, death toll 5,807. The state now has 3,637 active cases of the disease.

Income Tax Dept conducted searches &seizure operations at over 30 premises on Sept 17 in case of a prominent public figure in Nagpur&his family members. Group has wide business interest spanning in education, warehousing &agri-business areas, in Maharastra:Finance Ministry

Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi decided to launch pro-poor initiatives from October 2, 2021 in the state, to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi: Chief Minister’s Office, Punjab

. Source link

[bbcbreakingnews]

UK parliamentarians wrong on Kashmir: Ex-J&K deputy CM

JAMMU: Former J&K deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta, who is a BJP member, on Friday rejected claims by UK legislators about human rights violations in the Union Territory. In a statement, Gupta claimed the discussion in the House of Commons was based on unsubstantiated accusations by Pakistan. Blaming the ‘enemy’ country for misinformation, he claimed Pakistan is struggling to foment unrest in the country by hook or crook. Rather than raising concern about atrocities in Kashmir, the UK’s parliamentarians should ask Pakistan to vacate Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a region that was legally acceded to India but captured forcefully by the neighbouring country. “Ignoring authentic information available in public domain on the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and relying on malicious propaganda spread by Pakistan is not at all justifiable and needs to be condemned at all levels,” he claimed. Making it clear that Jammu and Kashmir would always remain an integral part of India, he said the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir should from the clutches of Pakistan needs to be discussed and people living in that part of Kashmir need to be helped to live a life of dignity.

source https://bbcbreakingnews.com/2021/01/15/uk-parliamentarians-wrong-on-kashmir-ex-jk-deputy-cm/