Budget 2018-19

The detente in South Asia shows all three countries responding to initiatives from the Biden administration After a year of some of the worst fighting on India’s frontiers with Pakistan and China, all three countries are suddenly talking peace as they wait to see how President Joe Biden will shift policy in the region India and China’s top diplomats on Thursday discussed plans to disengage troops from their Himalayan border, which last year saw the deadliest clashes since the 1970s. The phone call between Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, which stretched for more than an hour, came shortly after India and Pakistan released a rare joint statement by senior army officials announcing a halt in operations along their border. The moves reduce tensions in one of Asia’s top flashpoints, where three nuclear-armed countries regularly challenge each other’s territorial claims. While India and  Pakistan  have fought three wars since Britain left the subcontinen...

  The jail official said that once Nirav Modi is brought to Mumbai, he will be kept in one of the three cells of barrack number 12, which is a high security barrack With a UK court ruling in favour of extradition of fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering in Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case, Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail has kept a special cell ready to lodge him, an official said on Friday. The jail official said that once Nirav Modi is brought to Mumbai, he will be kept in one of the three cells of barrack number 12, which is a high security barrack. “Preparations for lodging  Nirav Modi  in the jail have been completed and the prison cell is ready for him, whenever he is extradited,” he said. In a comprehensive extradition win for the Indian authorities, a UK judge ruled on Thursday that fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi not only has a case to answer in the Indian courts but that there is no evidence to suggest ...

  Pfizer studying effects of 3rd vaccine dose against new Covid variants Health authorities say first-generation Covid-19 vaccines still protect against variants that are emerging in different parts of the world Pfizer announced on Thursday that it has begun studying a third dose of its Covid-19 vaccine, part of a strategy to guard against mutated versions of the coronavirus. Health authorities say first-generation Covid-19 vaccines still protect against variants that are emerging in different parts of the world. But manufacturers are starting to prepare now in case a more vaccine-resistant mutation comes along.Pfizer said it will offer a third dose to 144 volunteers, drawing from people who participated in the vaccine’s early-stage US testing last year. It wants to determine if an additional booster shot given six to 12 months after the first two doses would rev up the immune system enough to ward off a mutated virus. Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech, also are tweaking...

  The diamantaire, wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering in the estimated USD 2-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case, lost his legal battle against extradition The government will liaise with the UK authorities for early extradition of Nirav Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday, hours after a British court rejected the fugitive businessman’s plea against being extradited to India. The diamantaire, wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering in the estimated USD 2-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case, lost his legal battle against extradition on all grounds as District Judge Samuel Goozee also concluded that there are no human rights concerns that his medical needs would not be addressed as per several Indian government assurances. Replying to a query during an online media briefing, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that since the Westminster Magistrate’s Court has recommended to the UK Home Secretary fo...

  The police found 22 gunny bags containing gukta hidden beneath boxes of clothes kept in the vehicle, he said Police have seized banned gutka worth Rs 11.43 lakh from a truck in Virar area here in Maharashtra, an official said on Thursday. Acting on a tip-off, the police intercepted the truck on Wednesday on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway here while it was coming from Gujarat, he said. The police found 22 gunny bags containing gukta hidden beneath boxes of clothes kept in the vehicle, he said. A case was registered against the goods transporter under relevant sections, the official said, adding that no arrest has been made so far. The sale and consumption of gutka, scented and flavoured tobacco has been banned in Maharashtra since 2012. In 2018, the state government made sale of gutka a non-bailable offence and enhanced the punishment for it from six months to three years.

  New strains that are sparking concerns in Maharashtra, a bumpy ride ahead for ride-hailing firms, Paperwork needed to register for phase-2 of roll-out-news relevant to India’s fight against Covid-19 IN NUMBERS: Over 16,500 fresh cases reported India reported 16,738 fresh coronavirus infections on Thursday, taking the cumulative caseload to 11,046,914, according to a report in the Scroll. The daily cases are the highest since January 29. The country saw 138 deaths due to the pandemic, taking the death toll to 156,705, according to central health ministry data. The total recoveries have surged to 10,738,501, while the active caseload is at 151,708. As many as 12,671,163 healthcare and frontline workers have been inoculated since the nationwide inoculation programme kicked off on January 16. Read more here Coronil is only a supplement, no Covid cure: U’khand Ayush official According to a top AYUSH ministry official in Uttarakhand, Patanjali Ayurved’s Coronil drug can only be used as...

  The PM said the V Narayanasamy-led dispensation in Puducherry had ‘different priorities’ than public welfare Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attacked the Congress and its erstwhile government in Puducherry, saying the V Narayanasamy led dispensation had ‘different priorities’ than public welfare and flayed party leader Rahul Gandhi over his recent ‘north-south’ remarks. Hitting out at the “Congress culture,” at a public meeting in the poll-bound union territory, he said people were witness to it in the last five years. “Our colonial rulers had the policy of divide and rule. Congress has a policy of divide, lie and rule. Sometimes their leaders put region against region… community against community,” he said in an apparent reference to Gandhi’s recent ‘north-south’ remarks which the  BJP  opposed strongly. During his Kerala visit on Tuesday, Gandhi had said he was used to a “different type of politics” in north India and coming to the southern state was “very re...

  The centre and state governments likely to reduce taxes to bring down high fuel prices The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) did not compromise on its balance sheet while providing liquidity to the bond market through asset purchases, governor Shaktikanta Das said on Thursday. The central bank, so far, this fiscal, has purchased over Rs 3 trillion of central and state government bonds from the secondary market to provide liquidity to the system. Unlike many central banks, though, the RBI’s asset purchases “did not dilute its balance sheet and hence, did not compromise on core principles of central banking.” The purchases were risk-free government bonds only, he said. “The focus was to foster congenial financing conditions without jeopardising financial stability,” Das said in his keynote address at the foundation day of the Bombay Chamber of Commerce. In this period, forward guidance gained prominence in the Reserve Bank’s communication strategy to realise co-operative outcomes, he sai...

  Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said the coronavirus crisis is yet to be over and the laid down protocol should be followed to prevent it. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said the coronavirus crisis is yet to be over and the laid down protocol should be followed to prevent it. A UP government spokesperson said Adityanath, while reviewing the COVID-19 management and steps towards preventing its infection, said, “The corona crisis is yet to be over. Hence it should be ensured that every precaution is taken and the laid down protocol is adhered to.” He directed all the district magistrates to hold meetings at the integrated command and control centres and COVID hospitals in the mornings and evenings. Directions were also issued for operation of the COVID help desk. Adityanath also said the vaccination drive should be accelerated and the public should be made aware of its benefits…

  Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday attacked the BJP-led government over the new farm laws, saying they had been “imposed” and the farmers will break the “arrogance” of the government. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday attacked the BJP-led government over the new farm laws, saying they had been “imposed” and the farmers will break the “arrogance” of the government. Addressing a ‘Kisan mahapanchayat’ in Mathura here, she said it is the duty of the government and the Prime Minister to listen to farmers and make an effort to resolve their issues. She said Mathura breaks arrogance of people. “Today BJP government is imposing such laws on  farmers   Protest  in its arrogance which will not benefit them. The message from Kisan mahapanchayat in Mathura is clear that the farmers will rest after breaking the arrogance of this government,” she said “It is duty of government and Prime Minister to listen to them and make an effort to resolve their i...

  In Mumbai, petrol price stood at Rs 88.44 per litre–the same as yesterday. In Chennai, petrol remained unchanged to sell at Rs 92.90. Diesel was retailing at Rs 86.31 in the city Petrol price on Wednesday remained stable at Rs 90.93 per litre in the national capital and diesel price unchanged at Rs 81.32, according to a price notification from oil marketing companies. In Mumbai, petrol price stood at Rs 97.34 per litre–the same as yesterday. In Chennai, petrol remained unchanged to sell at Rs 92.90. Diesel was retailing at Rs 86.31 in the city. In Bengaluru, petrol and diesel prices stayed at Rs 93.98 and Rs 86.21 respectively. Last week, petrol prices breached the Rs 90-a-litre mark to touch an all-time high of Rs 90.19 in the national capital after the rate was hiked by 31 paise. Petrol and diesel prices are revised on a daily basis in line with benchmark international price and foreign exchange rates. This stability has comes amid an outcry over record high fuel prices. Fuel p...

  The government will fix the eligibility parameters to shortlist the students and has made a provision of Rs 20 crore in the Budget for the purchase of tablets After launching free coaching for aspirants appearing in the competitive exams on February 16 under the ‘Abhyuday’ scheme, the Yogi Adityanath government has announced that it would provide tablet computers to some students selected under the scheme so that they can use digital resources to prepare for the examinations. The government will fix the eligibility parameters to shortlist the students and has made a provision of Rs 20 crore in the Budget for the purchase of tablets. Divisional Commissioner Lucknow, Ranjan Kumar, a member of the state level committee constituted for the implementation of ‘Mukhya Mantri Abhyuday Yojana’ informed that the eligibility criteria for tablet distribution will be announced very soon. According to state finance minister, Suresh Khanna, “There is immense enthusiasm among the youth for the f...

  The priority for the Afghan government, Washington and NATO is a serious reduction in violence leading to a cease fire After more than a month of delays, escalating violence and a flurry of diplomatic activity, peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government have resumed in the Middle Eastern State of Qatar. Taliban spokesman Dr. Mohammad Naeem tweeted on Monday night that talks had resumed. There were no details other than the atmosphere was cordial, a commitment that negotiations should continue and an announcement that the first item of business will be setting the agenda. When talks ended abruptly in January, just days after beginning, both sides submitted their wish lists for agendas. The task now is for the two sides to sift through the respective wish lists, agree on items to negotiate and the order in which they will be tackled. The priority for the Afghan government, Washington and NATO is a serious reduction in violence leading to a cease fire. The Taliban hav...

  South Korea has been closely monitoring the aftermath of the eased social distancing scheme in place since last week South Korea’s daily new coronavirus cases stayed below 400 for the second straight day Tuesday on fewer tests over the weekend, but authorities are vigilant over the rising reproduction rate amid eased social distancing measures and an increase in the number of patients infected with Covid-19 variants. The country reported 357 more virus cases, including 330 local infections, raising the total caseload to 87,681, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Yonhap reported. On Monday, South Korea reported 332 cases, the lowest in a week. It marked a sharp decrease from more than 600 daily virus cases reported last week, before falling below 500 over the weekend. The country added 11 more deaths, raising the total to 1,573. The fatality rate came to 1.79 per cent. Despite a slowdown in virus cases, health authorities are still concerned over ...

  Coronavirus live updates: The US has lost over 500,000 people to coronavirus. India has recorded a steady rise in the Covid-19 active cases over the past few days Coronavirus live updates: India has recorded a steady rise in the Covid-19 active cases over the past few days. On Sunday, the country registered 14,199 fresh Covid-19 cases. Active cases in India have risen to 150,055, while the caseload tally has crossed the 11-million mark. The country continues to be second-most-affected globally, and ranks 14th among worst-hit nations by active cases. Till February 21, a total of 11,116,854 vaccine doses have been administered through 230,888 sessions. Maharashtra, which recorded 6,900 new cases, has announced a state-wide ban on social, political and religious gatherings, besides imposing fresh local lockdowns or curbs in districts like Pune and Amravati. The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (2,093,913), Kerala (1,034,657), Karnataka (948,149), Andhra Prade...

  Police has lodged a case against the employer and investigation is underway. Stay tuned for Latest LIVE news Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that whether the fire at the Serum Institute of India (SII) was an accident or sabotage will be known only after the probe gets over. Five men died in the fire that broke out in a five- storeyed under-construction building in the SII’s Manjari premises in Pune on Thursday. The Congress party will have an elected president by June 2021, with the party’s working committee on Friday approving holding the internal election after the assembly polls. The CWC passed three resolutions demanding a repeal of the three agriculture laws, a time-bound JPC probe into the alleged violations of national security and Official Secrets Act and another to ensure that the government ensures free time-bound Covid-19 vaccination for the poor and oppressed sections. An explosion of a truckload of explosives, suspected to be meant for mini...

  This comes as the prices of petrol and diesel are increasing continuously for several days and in some states, the price of petrol has even crossed Rs 100 mark As the prices of petrol and diesel in the country are on a constant rise, Yuva Sena, the youth wing of Shiv Sena has put up banners stating ‘Yahi hai acche din?’ at various petrol pumps and roadside in Mumbai, in a bid to register their protest against the BJP-led NDA government at the centre. This comes as the prices of petrol and diesel are increasing continuously for several days and in some states, the price of petrol has even crossed Rs 100 mark. Union Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday had termed “less fuel production by manufacturing countries to gain more profit”, as one of the reasons behind the price hike. “There are two main reasons behind the fuel price rise. The international market has reduced fuel production and manufacturing countries are producing less fuel to gain mo...

  Long queues of vehicles could be seen in the border areas since morning as Karnataka authorities sealed many roads With the Karnataka government reinstating stricter control of transit passengers from Kerala in view of increasing Covid-19 positive cases, people here bound to Mangaluru and other parts of Dakshina Kannada for various purposes including medical needs and studies are in a fix again. Long queues of vehicles could be seen in the border areas since morning as Karnataka authorities sealed many roads including national highways and restricted entry only for those with Covid-19 negative certificates. The Dakshina Kannada authorities sealed all borders from Monday except four to cross over, sources said. According to Karnataka officials at the borders, those who wish to enter have to produce  Covid-19  negative certificate through an RT-PCR test taken 72 hours prior to their cross over time. Health and police personnel are on duty at the four borders, viz.Talapady...

  India Coronavirus Dispatch: Yoga helped manage stress better in lockdown IN NUMBERS: Over 14,000 fresh cases reported India reported 14,199 fresh coronavirus infections on Monday, taking the cumulative caseload to 11,005,850, according to a report in the Scroll. The country saw 83 deaths due to the pandemic, taking the death toll to 156,385, according to central health ministry data. The total recoveries have surged to 10,699,410, while the national recovery rate is at 97.22 per cent. The active caseload is at 150,055, which makes up 1.36 per cent of the total caseload. About 11.1 million healthcare and frontline workers have been inoculated since the nationwide inoculation programme kicked off on January 16. Read more here 50% of Indians inherited Neanderthal DNA sequence that reduces risk of severe Covid: Study About half of India’s population has inherited a 75,000-character-long DNA sequence from Neanderthals, an extinct species of archaic humans, which is believed to lower t...

  Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday announced that in view of the rising COVID-19 cases, all political, religious and social gatherings will be prohibited in the state from Monday. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday announced that in view of the rising Covid-19 cases, all political, religious and social gatherings will be prohibited in the state from Monday. In his televised address, he also said that political agitations will not be allowed for the next few days as they attract crowd “The pandemic is raising its head in the state, but whether it is another wave will be known in eight to 15 days,” he said. “Lockdown may not be the solution to  Covid-19 , but it is the only option to break the cycle of the virus,” he addedThe chief minister said that Covid-appropriate behaviour is a must and those violating the rules will be punishedAccording to him, fask mask is the only “shield” in the war against coronavirus.”Wear mask, maintain discipl...

  Bitcoin traded at around $51,300 as of 1:30 pm on Friday in Hong Kong after quintupling in the past year Bitcoin is closing in on a market value of $1 trillion, a surge that’s helping cryptocurrency returns far outstrip the performance of more traditional assets like stocks and gold. The largest token has added more than $415 billion of value in 2021 to about $956 billion, data compiled by Bloomberg show. The Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index, which includes Bitcoin and four other coins, has more than doubled. Speculators, corporate treasurers and institutional investors are thought to have stoked Bitcoin’s volatile ascent. Crypto believers are dueling with skeptics for the dominant narrative around the climb: the former see an asset being embraced for its ability to hedge risks such as inflation, while the latter sense a precarious mania riding atop waves of monetary and fiscal stimulus. FOMO — fear of missing out — may be at play, said Shane Oliver, head of investment strategy with...

  The pandemic will have a lasting impact on labour markets, a report said on Friday COVID-19 will have a lasting impact on labour markets, and as much as 18 million Indian workers will be forced to switch to a newer occupation by 2030 because of the pandemic, a report said on Friday. The impact will be “disproportionately” felt on low-wage workers in retail, food services, hospitality, and office administration, the report by McKinsey Global Institute, a think-tank, said. The pandemic has disrupted labour markets because companies have been forced to respond to a new dimension of work – physical proximity, an official statement explained. The report identifies the lasting impact of  COVID-19  on labour demand, the mix of occupations, and workforce skills required in eight countries including India. Three broad changes in consumer behavior and business models will persist to varying degrees because of the pandemic which include the rise of remote work, the increased embra...

b Dr Reddy’s Laboratories said on Friday it has initiated the process with the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use authorisation of human adenoviral vector-based platform vaccine candidate Sputnik V. As part of the review process, Dr Reddy’s will present the safety profile of phase two study and interim data of phase three study which is expected to complete by February 21. “The efficacy of Sputnik V was reported to be 91.6 per cent by the Lancet, which is an impressive development in the fight against Covid-19,” said Co-chairman and Managing Director G V Prasad. “The initiation of the emergency use authorisation process will be a critical step forward for us in ensuring speedy access to the  Sputnik V vaccine  in India,” he said in a statement. In September 2020, Dr Reddy’s partnered with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to conduct clinical trials of Sputnik V and for its distribution rights in India. Sputnik V has demonstrated an efficacy rate...

  Activity in Bitcoin futures suggests traders don’t see a sudden end to the crypto rally, with spreads continuing to widen between the active contract and March futuresActivity in Bitcoin futures suggests traders don’t see a sudden end to the crypto rally, with spreads continuing to widen between the active contract and March futures Bitcoin’s incredible rally shows little sign of abating yet after the token jumped past $51,000 for the first time. The largest cryptocurrency rose almost 6% Wednesday to about $51,431 after a fivefold surge in the past year, according to a composite of prices compiled by Bloomberg. The Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index reached a record. Bitcoin’s rally for some is emblematic of speculative froth in financial markets awash with stimulus. The crypto faithful counter that the digital asset is grabbing more mainstream attention, especially after Tesla Inc.’s recent $1.5 billion purchase. MicroStrategy Inc. said Tuesday it would sell $600 million of convertib...