MGWire

Aug 01, 2020 ,  8:15AM Govt extends ban on international flights till August 31 @DGCAIndia The government has extended the ban on international flights till 31st of August amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, this restriction will not be applicable for international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by the DGCA. India had first suspended international flights on March 22, just before the national lockdown was announced. As part of allowing gradual movement of passenger traffic amid the pandemic situation, 'Transport Bubble' agreements have been signed with the US, France, and Germany. Such bilateral agreements allow operation of flights between the two countries subject to a set of regulations. International flight services to and from India remain suspended since March 23 due to the pandemic.

Aug 01, 2020 ,  8:13AM New guidelines for opening up more activities in areas outside Containment Zones come into force today File Pic The new guidelines for opening up of more activities in areas outside the Containment Zones will come into effect from today. The process of phased re-opening of activities has been extended further in Unlock 3. The new guidelines issued by the Home Ministry on Wednesday are based on feedback received from States and UTs, and extensive consultations held with related Central Ministries and Departments. Restrictions on movement of individuals during night have been removed. Yoga institutes and gymnasiums will be allowed to open from 5th of August. Independence Day functions will be allowed with social distancing and by following other health protocols. Schools, colleges and coaching institutions will remain closed till 31st August. International air travel of passengers has been permitted in a limited manner under the Vande Bharat miss...

Aug 01, 2020 ,  8:06AM Fifth phase of Vande Bharat Mission to repatriate Indians from 23 countries begins today File Pic The fifth phase of the Vande Bharat Mission begins today to rescue Indians stranded abroad. This phase will continue till 31st August 2020. In an interview to DD NEWS, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri said, that under various phases of Vande Bharat Mission, more than 8 lakh 45 thousand Indians have been repatriated. He said upto 1200 flights are likely to be added in Phase 5 of Vande Bharat Mission. In total, Air India and Air India Express have airlifted 2 lakh 67 thousand 436 stranded passengers and other charters have brought home 4 lakh 86 thousand 811 stranded passengers between 6th of May and 30th of July this year. The Ministry of External Affairs has said that a total of 792 flights (692 international and 100 domestic feeders) have been scheduled to repatriate Indians from 23 countries in Phase 5 of the Vande Bharat Mission. These in...

Aug 01, 2020 ,  8:05AM Eid-ul-Azha being celebrated across country today PTI The festival of sacrifice, Eid-ul-Azha or Bakrid is being celebrated with religious fervour and due reverence across the country today. There will be no mass congregations prayers in Eidgahs and Grand mosques in most of the places in view of the coronavirus pandemic. The faithfuls will offer Eid prayers in local mosques and in their homes in compliance with lockdown norms and guidelines issued to contain covid-19 Eid-ul-Azha is celebrated to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his only son in obedience of God's command. In Kerala, Eid- ul- Azha was celebrated yesterday.

Jul 31, 2020 ,  8:18PM Govt says total Kharif crops sown over total area of 882 lakh hectares FILE PIC Agriculture Ministry today said that the total Kharif crops has been sown on over 882 lakh hectare area against 774 lakh hectare area during the corresponding period of last year. The Ministry said, government is taking several measures to facilitate the farmers and farming activities at field level during COVID 19 pandemic. It said, over 266 lakh hectare area has been covered under the cultivation of rice, as compared to around 224 lakh hectares during the corresponding period of last year. The Ministry said, pulses have been sown in over 111 lakh hectare area as compared to around 94 lakh hectares during the corresponding period of last year. Coarse cereals have been sown in about 148 lakh hectare area, while about 51 lakh hectares have been brought under sugarcane.

Jul 31, 2020 ,  8:12PM PM Modi to address Smart India Hackathon tomorrow @narendramodi Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Smart India Hackathon of All India Council for Technical Education at 4:30 PM tomorrow. He will also interact with students on the occasion. The Smart India Hackathon is a nationwide initiative to provide students with a platform to solve some of the pressing problems we face in our daily lives. The Grand Finale will be organized online by connecting all the participants throughout the nation together over a specially-built advanced platform. Over ten thousand students will be competing to solve 243 problem statements from 37 Central Government departments, 17 State Governments and 20 industries during the online. On the occasion, the Prime Minister will also speak on the new National Education Policy 2020. Recently, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the National Education Policy 2020 making way fo...

Jul 31, 2020 ,  8:10PM Central Government to fund 112 startups to promote Agri Firms @nstomar The Central Government will spend nearly twelve crore rupees for funding 112 startups to promote agri firms in the current financial year.  Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said the funds will be given to the start-ups selected by different knowledge partners and agribusiness incubators in the area of agro-processing, food technology and value addition. He said, the funds will be provided under the Innovation and Agri-entrepreneurship Development Programme launched under the revamped Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. These start-ups were trained for two months at 29 agri-business incubation centres spread across the country.   The Minister said that the government is promoting start-ups in the field of agriculture for enhancing income of farmers and providing employment opportunities to youth. He said, Prime Minister...

Jul 31, 2020 ,  8:05PM Govt working with RBI to restructure loans due to impact of Corona virus, says FM @nsitharamanoffc Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government is working with RBI on the Industry’s need for the restructuring of loans due to the impact of COVID-19. The Minister was addressing the National Executive Committee Meeting (NECM) of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on Friday.   Ms. Sitharaman asserted that Banks cannot refuse credit to MSMEs covered under the emergency credit facility and any aberration in such cases must be brought to notice. She was responding to the concerns raised by the FICCI members on the difficulties faced by the MSMEs in taking loans under the Emergency Credit Guarantee Scheme.    On the suggestion for creating an institution to handle the emerging credit requirements of the industry, the Finance Minister informed that the government is working on the...

Phase Five of the Vande Bharat Mission is scheduled to start from the first of August. A total of 792 flights which include 692 international flights and 100 domestic flights have been scheduled under this phase to repatriate Indians from 23 countries.  These include GCC countries, US, Cananda, UK, Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Israel, and Kyrgyzstan. Briefing media last evening, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, these flights would cater to 21 different airports in India and repatriate a total of one lakh thirty thousand Indians stranded abroad. As many as 54180 passengers have been brought to country's financial capital Mumbai till date from different countries as part of the Centre's 'Vande Bharat Mission'.The Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office (CMO) statement said that that in addition to this, 18 more flights are expected to land in Mumbai today. ...

Jul 31, 2020 ,  2:23PM Union Environment Minister says, India could provide platform wherein all best practices in environmental management in BRICS countries could be showcased Tweeted by @AIR Environment Ministers of the five BRICS countries, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa participated in the 6th BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting yesterday through a video conference under the presidency of Russia. Representing India, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said,  India attaches great importance to the BRICS. Saying that the aspirations of the grouping are similar, the Minister called for sharing of best practices among the BRICS nations towards attainment of Sustainable Development Goals. Mr Javadekar also stressed upon the need to implement various initiatives under the BRICS and for the speedy implementation of the BRICS MoU.  He also offered that India could provide the platform wherein all the best practices in environmental ...

Jul 31, 2020 ,  2:20PM India achieves a remarkable feat by performing more than six lakh coronavirus tests in a single day PTI India achieved a remarkable feat today by performing more than six lakh tests of coronavirus samples in a single day. The Indian Council of Medical Research said that a record six lakh 42 thousand 588 tests were conducted by various laboratories in the last 24 hours. More than one crore 88 lakh tests have been conducted in the country so far. AIR correspondent reports that starting from less than 100 tests per day, a multiple fold increase in a few months was made possible by dedicated teams of research institutions, medical colleges, testing laboratories, Ministries, airlines and postal services. Government has created robust health infrastructure for effective management of Covid-19 pandemic within a short span. The Central government in collaboration with the States and Union Territories’ government adopted the strategy of aggressive tes...

Jul 31, 2020 ,  8:03AM J&K govt orders fast tracking of Environment Clearance Process in minor minerals mining operations AIR PICS The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered the fast tracking of Environment Clearance Process in minor minerals mining operations across the Union Territory. The order has been issued by the Industries and Commerce Department. The order said, in view of the acute and unprecedented shortage of key material for development works and challenging Covid-19 pandemic, the Terms of Reference,ToRs, Public Consultation and Environment Clearance, till whichever stage already obtained, completed in favour of the previous allottees of the minor mineral blocks, shall be deemed to have been transferred in favour of the new allottees of e-auction process.   The order said, the new allottees shall complete the remaining elements of the EC/CTO process and shall commence mining operation only after the completion of the due procedure. The ord...

Jul 31, 2020 ,  7:59AM Bihar govt extends lockdown in urban areas till 16 of next month PTI Bihar government has extended the lockdown in urban  areas till 16 of next month, in wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. According to the guidelines issued by the State Home Ministry, there will be additional restrictions, in state headquarters, district headquarters, sub-divisional headquarters, block headquarters and all municipal areas in the state from August 1 to 16. During this period, the government offices will work with 50 per cent strength. Commercial and private offices will also be opened with 50 per cent capacity. Rail and air services will remain functional. All educational institutions and religious places will remain closed. Shopping and Cinema hall will not open. Meanwhile, the number of positive cases of Coronavirus infection patients have mounted to over 48 thousand with reporting of 2,082 new cases. 31 thousand  673 patients have recovered so far...

Jul 31, 2020 ,  7:54AM Vice President says new National Education Policy 2020 a major step towards quality education to all children and youth @VPSecretariat Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has said that the new National Education Policy is a major step forward to enhance access to quality education to all the children and youth. In a series of tweets, Me Naidu expressed happiness that the new education policy has been approved by the government. He said, the Policy’s emphasis on mother tongue and multilingualism, for diversity and respect for the local context as well as a recognition of the importance of India’s classical languages. It will give learners a holistic world view. Mr Naidu said, the focus of education policy on ethics and human and Constitutional values will go a long way in the creation of an enlightened citizenship essential for deepening our democratic roots. The Vice President said, the vision of new education policy is truly global and essential...

Jul 31, 2020 ,  7:50AM PM Modi reiterates India's commitment towards its vision of participatory developmental works in Indian Ocean Screen Grab (PMO India) The Prime Minister hailed India's special friendship bond with Mauritius and termed it as one which is based on deep rooted cultural linkages. He said, India never commits into any relationship considering the financial implications or profitability. The Prime Minister was speaking  after jointly inaugurating the new Supreme Court building of Mauritius with his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth yesterday. Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Modi reiterated India's commitment to the vision SAGAR which was enunciated by him in 2015. SAGAR, which stands for security and growth for all in the region, is India’s high level articulation towards its vision of participatory developmental works in the Indian Ocean.   Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Government and people of Mauritius for effectiv...

Jul 30, 2020 ,  8:26PM New National Education Policy-2020 will establish India as superpower of knowledge at world stage: Ramesh Pokhriyal PTI Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank today said, the new National Education Policy-2020 will pave the way for the revolutionary change in school and higher education systems in the country. He said, this policy will establish India as a superpower of knowledge at the world stage.    In an exclusive interview with AIR News today, Mr. Nishank said, the aim of this new education policy is to open the door of opportunity for every child so that their holistic development can be ensured.   The Minister said, focus will be given to the extra-curricular activities and skill development of the children from the class 6th so that they attain skills by the end of class 12th. He said, interdisciplinary studies will be promoted in higher education by making it more flexible.   Mr. Nishank said, a Hig...

Jul 30, 2020 ,  8:26PM Nagaland govt extends lockdown in state till August 31 AIR Pics Nagaland Government has extended the lockdown in the state till 31st August. The decision was taken during a High Powered Committee, HPC on COVID-19 meeting held today. AIR correspondent reports, as Nagaland COVID-19 positive cases continue to surge, the Nagaland Government extended the ongoing lockdown till 31st August. Minister for Planning & Coordination, Neiba Kronu who is also the Government Spokesperson for COVID-19, informed that the High Powered Committee, on COVID-19 today, decided to continue the ongoing lockdown measures in Nagaland till August 31. The HPC also reiterated empowerment of the District Task Force on COVID-19 to take decisions on extension or imposition of total lockdown in the respective districts. Schools and colleges to remain closed during the lockdown.  Meanwhile, 48 fresh cases of COVID-19 has been reported today in Nagaland, taking the tot...

Jul 30, 2020 ,  8:22PM Disengagement process in India-China border along LAC not yet complete: MEA Screen Grab India today said the disengagement process along the LAC has not yet been completed although there has been some progress. Briefing media on Thursday evening, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the Senior Commanders of India and China will be meeting in the near future to work out steps in this regard. He said, the maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas is the basis of the bilateral relationship.   The spokesperson said India therefore expects that the Chinese side will sincerely work together for complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquility in the border areas at the earliest as agreed to by the Special Representatives. In the 17th meeting of the Working Mechanism, the two sides reviewed the situation in the India-China border areas along the Line of Act...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India’s relationship with partner countries is based on principles of mutual development and trust. He said, India never commits into any relationship considering the financial implications or profitability. Prime Minister Modi was speaking today after jointly inaugurating the new Supreme Court building of Mauritius with his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth. The inauguration took place through video conference in the presence of senior members of Judiciary from Mauritius and other dignitaries from both the countries. Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Modi reiterated India's commitment to the vision SAGAR which was enunciated by him in 2015. SAGAR, which stands for security and growth for all in the region, is India’s high level articulation towards its vision of participatory developmental works in the Indian Ocean. The Prime Minister underlined that India's developmental goals are human centric and the nation always strives to move along w...

Jul 30, 2020 ,  2:15PM Tamil Nadu government extends lockdown till August 31 PTI FILE PIC The lockdown has been extended in Tamil Nadu till the end of August. The state Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy has said in a statement in Chennai, there will be full lockdown on all the Sundays in the month of August as it happened in July. There is no change in the restrictions on public transport including air and rail services. However, there are a few relaxations from the existing lockdown as well. AIR correspondent reports, outside containment areas in Chennai, industries and offices are permitted to operate with 75 per cent of the staff which was earlier restricted to half the strength. Dine-in facilities in hotels remain barred. Places of worship can open only in rural areas with annual income of less than ten thousand rupees. Provision and vegetable shops have been given an additional one hour from 6 am to 7 pm to run their businesses. E-Pass is necessary to travel...

Jul 30, 2020 ,  2:15PM Country has been successfully fighting Covid-19 pandemic: Dr Harsh Vardhan File Pic Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan today said the country is effectively dealing with the Covid-19 situation and progressive increase in recovery rate and reduction in mortality rate is an example of this success. While launching the Compendium on ‘CSIR Technologies for COVID-19 Mitigation, the Minister said, the country has been successfully fighting a war with Covid-19 pandemic since the last 6 months. He said, the recovery rate has crossed the 64 per cent mark whereas the mortality rate is now 2.2 per cent in the country. The Minister said, more than 13 hundred laboratories are conducting Covid-19 tests across the country. He said, more than 13 to 14 thousand dedicated Covid health centres have been set up in the country and more than 14 lakh beds have been arranged to fight this pandemic. He said, India is one of the five countries in t...

India achieved a remarkable feat today by surpassing more than ten lakh recoveries from Covid-19. The Health and Family Welfare Ministry said, a total of 10 lakh 20 thousand 582 people have recovered in the country so far and 32 thousand 553 recoveries have been reported in the past 24 hours. With this, the recovery rate has improved to 64.43 per cent. The case fatality rate of corona virus has further declined to 2.20 per cent in the country. The Health Ministry today said, maximum number of 52 thousand 123 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the country in one day taking the total number of cases to 15 lakh 83 thousand 792. Presently, the total number of active corona cases in the country is five lakh 28 thousand 242. In a single day, 775 deaths have been reported taking the nationwide toll to 34 thousand 968. Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research said that a total of four lakh 46 thousand 642 tests were conducted by various laboratories in the last 24 hours. So...

Jul 30, 2020 ,  2:07PM India Mauritius special friendship based on deep rooted cultural linkages, says PM Modi Screen Grab Prime Minister Narendra Modi was speaking today after jointly inaugurating the new Supreme Court building of Mauritius with his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth.  Prime Minister Modi congratulated the Government and people of Mauritius for effective management of containment of the global pandemic in the island country. He hailed India's special friendship bond with Mauritius and termed it as one which is based on deep rooted cultural linkages.  Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Mr. Modi said, Humanity is placed at the core of India’s patriotic feeling. He said, India supports global friendship with tenets of mutual respect, care and sustainable development. He asserted, the country firmly believes in both human development and care for the environment.  The Prime Minister highlighted the major initiatives including the Internationa...

Jul 30, 2020 ,  8:32AM Rajasthan: Governor approves Cabinet proposal to convene State Assembly Session from Aug 14 PTI In Rajasthan, Governor Kalraj Mishra has given the approval of the proposal of Cabinet to convene the State Assembly Session. The Session will start from 14th of August. Before this, the Governor had returned three proposals of the State Cabinet for calling an Assembly Session. Meanwhile, Rajasthan High Court will hear today the petition related to the merger of six BSP MLAs in Congress. The court yesterday accepted the writ petition of BJP MLA Madan Dilawar. Bahujan Samaj Party also challenged the merger in the Rajasthan High Court, which has also been attached with the Mr. Dilawar’s petition.

Jul 30, 2020 ,  8:32AM PM Modi hails New Education Policy, says it will transform lives of millions of people in times to come PTI FILE PIC Prime Minister Narendra Modi wholeheartedly welcomed the approval of the National Education Policy, NEP 2020. In a series of tweets, he said, this was a long due and much awaited reform in the education sector, which will transform millions of lives in the times to come.  The Prime Minister said, NEP 2020 is based on the pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability. He said, in this era of knowledge, where learning, research and innovation are important, the National Education Policy will transform India into a vibrant knowledge hub.  The Prime Minister added, NEP 2020 gives utmost importance towards ensuring universal access to school education. There is emphasis on aspects such as better infrastructure, innovative education centres to bring back dropouts into the mainstream, facilitating multip...

Jul 30, 2020 ,  8:25AM Maharashtra extends lockdown till Aug 31 in view of rising Coronavirus cases FILE PIC Maharashtra Government has extended the lockdown in the entire state till 31st of August in view of rising Coronavirus cases. A notification issued by Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar said, the decision was taken as an emergency step to prevent and contain the spread of COVID-19. The notification said that as part of the State Government's Mission Begin Again initiative, malls and market complexes without theatres, food courts and restaurants will be operational between 9 AM and 7 PM from 5th of August. It said that large public gatherings and congregations will continue to remain prohibited and marriage-related gatherings will have only up to 50 guests. The maximum number of persons allowed at funerals will be 20. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray  directed officials  not to let their guard down and ramp up tracing COVID-19 patie...

Jul 29, 2020 ,  9:14PM Induction of Rafales to make IAF much stronger to deter any threat to country: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh @rajnathsingh Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the touch down of Rafale combat aircrafts in India marks the beginning of a new era in country's Military History.   In a series of tweets, Mr Singh said, these multirole aircrafts will revolutionise the capabilities of the Indian Air Force.   The Defence Minister congratulated the Indian Air Force on a professionally executed ferry. He expressed confidence that 17 Squadron, the Golden Arrows, will continue to live upto their motto of "Udayam Ajasram".   Mr Singh expressed happiness that Indian Air Force’s combat capability has got a timely boost. He said, the Rafale jets were purchased only because Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the right decision to get these aircrafts through an Inter-Governmental Agreement with France, after the long pending procurement ca...

Jul 29, 2020 ,  8:29PM Unlock 3: MHA issues new guidelines for opening up of more activities in areas outside Containment Zones AIR Pics Home Ministry today issued new guidelines for opening up of more activities in areas outside the Containment Zones. The process of phased re-opening of activities has been extended further in Unlock 3, which will come into effect from 1st of August.   The new guidelines are based on feedback received from States and UTs, and extensive consultations held with related Central Ministries and Departments.   Restrictions on movement of individuals during night have been removed. Yoga institutes and gymnasiums will be allowed to open from 5th of August. In this regard, Standard Operating Procedure will be issued by Health Ministry for ensuring social distancing.   Independence Day functions will be allowed with social distancing and by following other health protocols. Schools, colleges and coaching institutions will...

Jul 29, 2020 ,  8:26PM PM Modi welcomes arrival of Rafale fighter jets in India Screen Grab Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed the arrival of Rafale fighter jets in India. In a tweet in Sanskrit, Mr Modi said, there is no virtue like defence of the nation, there is no vow like defence of the nation and there is no yagna like defense of the nation. He said, touch the sky with glory, Welcome.  

Jul 29, 2020 ,  7:01PM Cabinet approves National Education Policy 2020 @PrakashJavdekar The Cabinet today approved National Education Policy 2020. Major reforms in higher education include target of 50 per cent gross enrollment ration by 2035 and provision for multiple entry or exit.   Other features include graded academic, administrative and financial autonomy of institutions and single regulator for all higher education working under a self-disclosure based transparent system for approvals in place of numerous inspections.   E-courses will be developed in regional languages and virtual labs will be developed and a National Educational Technology Forum, NETF is being created.    There will be a National mission to focus on basic literacy and basic numeracy. There has been major changes in the pedagogical structure of curriculum with no rigid separation between streams.   All separations between vocational and academic and curricula...

Jul 29, 2020 ,  1:55PM Earth Sciences Ministry announces National Awards for excellence in Earth System Science @moesgoi Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) National Awards for excellence in Earth System Science have been announced. This year the Life Time Excellence Award is being awarded to Professor Ashok Sahni for his significant contribution in the field of Geology, Vertebrate Paleontology and Biostratigraphy.   The National Award for Ocean Science and technology is being awarded to Dr. V. V. S. S. Sarma, Senior Principal Scientist, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Vishakapatnam and Dr. M. Ravichandran, Director, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Goa. The National Award for Atmospheric Science and technology will be presented to Dr. S. Suresh Babu.   The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is mandated to provide the nation with the best possible services for weather, climate, ocean, coastal and natural hazards, for the Public Safet...

Jul 29, 2020 ,  7:55AM International Tigers day being observed today Tweeted by @PrakashJavdekar International Tiger Day will be celebrated today. The Day is celebrated on 29th of July every year across the globe to create awareness about tiger conservation. Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar released All India Tiger Estimation Report-2018 yesterday. He also released a poster on small wild cats of India.   Mr Javadekar said, India is home to nearly 70 per cent of the global tiger population and it leads the world in showing effective conservation of the wild species. He said, tiger is a precious gem of nature and its presence signifies that the forest is in good condition. He said, in 1973 there were only 9 tiger reserves in the country, which has now gone up to 50. Mr Javadekar said that apart from tigers, India is also home to 30 thousand elephants, 3000 single-horned Rhinos and over 500 lions.   He said, the country is ready to provid...

Jul 29, 2020 ,  7:52AM Commerce Ministry allows export of PPE kits, masks with certain limitations FILE PIC (DD NEWS) Commerce Ministry has amended its export policy for Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and masks. Under the new policy, 2 and 3 ply surgical masks and medical goggles can be exported now with certain limitations. For 2 and 3 ply surgical masks a monthly export quota of 4 crore has been fixed by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Medical Goggles can be exported with a monthly cap of 20 lakh units. Government has also removed a prohibition on export of Face Shields from the country.

Jul 29, 2020 ,  7:42AM India conducts more than 5 lakh Covid-19 test in a single day over two consecutive days PTI India has conducted more than five lakh COVID-19 tests in a single day over two consecutive days. Union Health Ministry said, this is the outcome of the combined and focused efforts of Centre, State and Union Territories governments on aggressive testing. During last 24 hours, India tested a total of five lakh 15 thousand samples. Testing is the first important step in the early detection and isolation of COVID-19 positive cases. The graded and evolving response resulted in a testing strategy that steadily widened the testing network in the country, and the cumulative testing has crossed one crore 73 lakh. The Tests Per Million has further improved to 12 thousand 562. Health Ministry said, the testing capacity of India has received another boost with the induction of three high throughput testing facilities in Noida, Mumbai and Kolkata that were inaugu...

Jul 28, 2020 ,  8:07PM Veteran actor Kumkum passes away in Mumbai Tweeted by AIR Veteran actor Kumkum, who featured in over 100 Hindi films and popular songs such as ‘Kabhi aar, Kabhi paar’ and ‘Mere Mehboob Qayamat Hogi', passed away today. She was 86. Her sister-in-law Shenaz informed that Kumkum, whose real name was Zaibunnissa, died at around 11.30 am at her Bandra residence due to age-related issues. She said that actor Kumkum’s last rites took place at Mazgaon cemetery. Kumkum hailed from Hussainabad in Sheikhpura district, Bihar. Her most memorable film appearances include "Mr. X in Bombay", "Mother India", "Kohinoor", "Ujala", and "Naya Daur". She also starred in the first Bhojpuri film "Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo" in 1963. But her popularity rests mostly on the songs that were picturised on her be it "Madhuban Mein Radhika Nache Re" from "Kohinoor" (1960); "Kabh...

Jul 28, 2020 ,  8:07PM Govt notifies changes in FDI norms on civil aviation; permits NRIs to own 100% stake of Air India FILE PIC The government has notified changes in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) norms on civil aviation. It will permit non-resident Indian nationals to own 100 per cent stake of Air India. Last month, the government for the third time extended the deadline to bid for Air India. The deadline was extended by two months till August 31st. The divestment process for the national carrier was initiated on January 27th.

Jul 28, 2020 ,  8:07PM India all set to welcome first batch of five Rafale jets tomorrow Tweeted by AIR India is all ready to welcome the first batch of five Rafale jets tomorrow morning. The fighter jets, built by French aviation firm Dassault, took off from the Merignac airbase in southern France's Bordeaux. The fighter jets will officially be inducted and join the Indian Air Force fleet at Haryana's Ambala Air base.  The five aircraft batch is the first tranche of the 36 planes bought by India from France in a 59,000-crore rupees inter-governmental deal in 2016. The Rafale aircraft is covering a distance of nearly 7,000 km from France to India with mid-air refuelling and a single stop at a French airbase in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).   Indian Embassy in France in a statement said, Delivery of ten aircraft has been completed on schedule but Five will stay back in France for training Mission. The delivery of all thirty six aircraft will be com...

Jul 28, 2020 ,  8:06PM PM to discuss future strategies with stakeholders from Banks, NBFCs tomorrow FILE PIC Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join stakeholders from Banks and NBFCs to discuss and deliberate on vision and roadmap for the future tomorrow. The topics on agenda include credit products and efficient models for delivery, financial empowerment through technology, prudential practices for stability and sustainability of financial sector. Banking sector plays an important role in contributing to India’s economic growth through financing infrastructure, agriculture, local manufacturing including MSMEs. Financial inclusion can play a big role in financial empowerment through technology. Senior officers from Government will also be a part of the interaction.

Jul 28, 2020 ,  2:12PM Bihar: Incessant rain aggravates flood situation, Over 25 lakh people affected in 11 districts PTI FILE PIC In Bihar, incessant rain has further aggravated flood situation in different districts of the state. Over 25 lakh people in 11 districts are affected by the floods. The worst-affected districts are Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Supaul and West Champaran. The flood water has damaged 110 roads and vehicular traffic on 28 roads has been halted.   Rail traffic on Darbhang -Samastipur section of East Central Railway remains suspended on the fifth consecutive day, due to overtopping of rail tracks at several places. Rail traffic on Muzaffar - Narkatiyaganj has been restored. Standing crops spread over five lakh hectares have been  destroyed. Farmers across the state have suffered a loss of an estimated two thousand crores following damage of crops.   Agricultire Minister Prem Kumar said compensation will be given to the...

Jul 28, 2020 ,  2:12PM UN says levels of nitrogen dioxide fell by more than 70% in New Delhi during lockdown Screen Grab Levels of nitrogen dioxide fell by more than 70 per cent during the lockdown in New Delhi, a UN policy brief said today. According to the brief, the environmental gains could be temporary if the cities re-open without policies to prevent air pollution and promote de-carbonisation.   The UN Secretary-General's Policy Brief on 'COVID-19 in an Urban World' said that with an estimated 90 per cent of all reported COVID-19 cases, urban areas have become the epicentre of the pandemic. The size of their populations and their high level of global and local interconnectivity make them particularly vulnerable to the spread of the virus. It also pointed out that several new scientific studies suggest that poor air quality is correlated with higher COVID-19 mortality rates.   On COVID-19 outbreaks in informal settlements, the brief said that in M...

Jul 28, 2020 ,  2:06PM Total recoveries from Covid-19 in country cross 9.5 lakh mark; recovery rate improves to 64.23% PTI FILE PIC The Health and Family Welfare Ministry said total recoveries from Covid-19 today crossed 9.5 lakh mark. With this, the recovery rate improved to 64.23 per cent in the country. The case fatality rate has further declined to 2.25 per cent. A total of nine lakh 52 thousand 743 people have recovered in the country  so far and 35 thousand 175 recoveries have been reported in the last 24 hours.   The Health Ministry said, 47,703 new cases of Covid-19 have been registered in the country in one day taking the total number of cases to 14 lakh 83 thousand 156. Presently, the total number of active corona cases in the country is four lakh 96,988. In a single day, 654 deaths have also been reported taking the toll to 33,425.  Meanwhile, Indian Council of Medical Research said that a record five lakh 28 thousand 82 tests were condu...

Jul 28, 2020 ,  2:05PM Health Minister says, pre-emptive & proactive measures helped in controlling spread of COVID-19 pandemic in country @drharshvardhan Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that the pre-emptive and proactive measures have helped in controlling the spread of Covid-19 pandemic in the country. He said, the coronavirus fatality rate has reduced to 2.25 per cent and most cases are largely asymptomatic. While participating in the World Hepatitis Day, 2nd Empathy e-Conclave today, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said, it is important to create awareness about the higher risk of morbidity and mortality faced by people with co-morbidities like diabetes, obesity, fatty liver and chronic liver diseases.   He said, the theme of this year’s conclave is “Keep your Liver Safe in COVID times”, which is important in these testing times. Stressing on the mass awareness and community mobilisation, the Minister said, Hepatitis has become a global he...

Jul 28, 2020 ,  8:13AM Environment Minister to dedicate to people Guinness world record recognizing India's efforts in monitoring its wild tiger population Tweeted by AIR Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar will dedicate the Guinness world record to the people on the eve of Global Tiger Day, 2020 today. The record recognizes the country’s efforts in monitoring its wild tiger population as the world’s largest camera-trap survey of wildlife.   India now has nearly 70 per cent of the global tiger population. The event is expected to be joined by around 500 participants from across the country. The Minister is likely to launch the new website and Outreach Journal of the National Tiger Conservation Authority.   The Heads of the Governments of Tiger range countries had resolved to double the tiger population by the year 2022. In this regard, Saint Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation was signed by the countries in 2010. It was decided to cel...

Jul 28, 2020 ,  8:07AM Directorate General of GST Intelligence books 3 firms for tax evasion of over Rs 600 crore File Pic Directorate General of GST Intelligence, DGGI has booked three firms for tax evasion of over 600 crore rupees. An official statement said, a case was booked against M/s. Fortune Graphics Limited, M/s. Reema Polychem Private Limited and M/s. Ganpati Enterprises, who were found involved in issuance of invoices without any actual supply of goods.   It said, the case was detected and developed by the officers on further data analytics out of a case booked against one of the exporters, M/s Anannya Exim, covered in the all India joint operation, launched by DGGI and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in September last year against various exporters for fraudulently claiming IGST refund on the basis of ineligible input tax credit.   The statement said, during the investigations conducted by the DGGI Headquarters, it has emerged that the ...

Jul 28, 2020 ,  8:05AM Chhattisgarh govt extends lockdown in hotspot areas till 6th August PTI ( FILE PIC ) In Chhattisgarh, the state government has decided to extend the lockdown in hotspot areas till August 6 following surge in COVID-19 cases. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel yesterday.   Briefing the media after the meeting, Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey said that in view of the spurt in COVID-19 cases in several major cities like Raipur, Durg and Bilaspur, a decision has been taken to extend the week-long lockdown enforced in these areas till August 6th.   All the district collectors have been instructed to continue the lockdown after reviewing the situation. District collectors have been instructed to ensure strict compliance with lockdown rules in corona virus hotspots and take effective steps to check the spread of the infection. Lockdown has been imposed in most parts of Chhattisga...

Jul 28, 2020 ,  8:03AM PM stresses on developing new health infrastructure, boosting existing infrastructure in villages PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned the need to develop new health infrastructure and boost the already existing health infrastructure facilities in the villages during the launch of three high throughput COVID-19 testing facilities yesterday. Prime Minister said that apart from developing the physical infrastructure, the country has also managed to swiftly ramp up human resources including paramedics, ASHA workers, Anganwadis among others. He said, as health workers, they played a significant part in controlling the spread of the pandemic. He also spoke about the need to work on continuously attaching new and retired health professionals with the health system in order to prevent fatigue from setting in our Corona Warriors.   The Prime Minister forewarned people to be cautious during the celebrations of the festivals in order to ke...

Jul 28, 2020 ,  7:59AM PM Modi says, efforts underway to increase COVID-19 testing capacity to 10 lakh daily in coming weeks PTI Prime  Minister Narendra Modi has said that due to timely decisions taken by the government, India is better placed in comparison with many other countries in terms of deaths due to COVID. The recovery rate is also higher than other countries and is improving on a daily basis. He said, the total number of people who have recovered from the virus is about to reach 10 lakh.     The Prime Minister was speaking at the launch of three high throughput COVID-19 testing facilities via video conferencing yesterday. These facilities are located at the National Institutes of Indian Council of Medical Research, at Kolkata, Mumbai and Noida. He said that these hi-tech testing facilities will boost the testing capacity by almost 10,000 daily tests. He said, more number of tests will assist early detection and treatment which will bolst...

Jul 27, 2020 ,  8:31PM Govt plans to establish COVID testing facility in every district of the country: Health Minister @drharshvardhan Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has said that the high throughput testing facilities in Noida, Mumbai and Kolkata will be able to test more than test more than ten thousand COVID samples everyday.      Speaking at the launch ceremony, Dr. Vardhan said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India undertook a preemptive approach towards containment of COVID-19.   He informed that starting from just one testing facility in Pune, Maharashtra only six months ago, the country has now more than 1,300 such testing facilities.   The Health Minister said, 97 per cent of the country today has easy access to the testing facility. He said, government has planned to establish COVID testing facility in every district in the country.   Dr. Vardhan informed that ICMR started validation ce...

Jul 27, 2020 ,  8:28PM Centre releases GST Compensation of over Rs. 1.65 lakh crores for States, UTs for 2019-20 FILE PIC The Central Government has released GST Compensation of Rs. 13,806 crore to States for March, 2020.  Taking this amount into account, entire GST compensation for the previous financial year has been released to the states.   The total amount of compensation released for the year 2019-20 is Rs. 1,65,302 crore.   The amount of cess collected during the same time was Rs. 95,444 crore.   Government utilized the balance of cess amount collected during 2017-18 and 2018-19 in order to release the compensation for 2019-20.

Jul 27, 2020 ,  8:19PM India hands over 10 Broad Gauge diesel locomotives to Bangladesh to enhance bilateral trade &connectivity Tweeted by AIR External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Railways Minister Piyush Goyal flagged off virtually to Bangladesh ten Broad Gauge locomotives in a handing over ceremony held today.   From the Bangladesh side, Railway Minister Md. Nurul Islam Sujan and Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Abul Kalam Abdul Momen received the locomotives on behalf of their government.   The handing over of these locomotives, under grant assistance from India fulfills an important commitment made during the visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in October last year.   In keeping with the requirements of Bangladesh Railway, the locomotives have been suitably modified by the Indian side.   These locomotives will help handle the increasing volume of passenger and freight train operations in Banglades...