New Delhi, January 12 (IANS): With 12,584 new coronavirus infections reported in the last 24 hours on Tuesday, India recorded the lowest single-day figure in over seven months taking India's overall tally to 1,04,79,179. Before this, the lowest number was recorded on June 17 last year, when India reported 12,881 fresh Covid cases in a day. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said 167 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours taking the death toll to 1,51,327. Since t

New Delhi, January 11 (PTI): The Supreme Court Monday wondered how the Lokayukta of Nagaland would discharge his duties in the State while sitting in Delhi and said he was demeaning the office. The observation by a bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde came after the counsel for the State Government claimed that the Lokayukta was not discharging his work diligently and he wants to work from Delhi. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the Lokayukta, said the state wants to

Centre asks States not to curb poultry sales New Delhi, January 11 (PTI): With bird flu being confirmed in 10 states so far, the Centre on Monday urged state governments, including Delhi, not to shut poultry markets and restrict sales based on "public perception", asserting that there are no scientific reports of transmission of bird flu to humans. Currently, bird flu or avian influenza has been confirmed in 10 states -- Delhi, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Prades

New Delhi, January 11 (PTI): The Supreme Court Monday pulled up the Centre for its handling of the farmers protest against the new farm laws saying it is "extremely disappointed" with the way negotiations between them were going and it will constitute a committee headed by a former Chief Justice of India to resolve the impasse. Indicating amply that it may go to the extent of staying the implementation of the contentious farm laws, the apex court refused to grant extr

New Delhi, January 11 (PTI): Hundreds of birds were reported dead in different parts of the country on Monday as the raging bird flu spread to 10 states and Union Territories, prompting several control measures and a government assurance that there are no scientific reports of the virus' transmission to humans. Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked all state governments to remain alert and ensure a constant vigil near places such as water bodies, zoos and poultry farms. He expre

Thiruvananthapuram, January 11 (IANS): A whole village in Kerala is uniting to conduct a condolence meet for a stray dog, Beepathu, which was killed by an attack by street dogs, on Tuesday. The dog reached the residence of Shaji Oorali, a clerk with the panchayath department and a theatre artiste, in Naduvattam village in Palakkad district 13 years ago. It died after being attacked by street dogs on December 28. Shaji and his wife Smitha and few of their friends run an NGO-cum-th

Ranaghat (WB), January 11 (PTI): The country is staring at a food crisis because of the "adamant" approach of the BJP to the continued agitation by farmers for withdrawal of the three new farm laws, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday. She also called the BJP a "junk" party for inducting "rotten" leaders from other political outfits. "The country is staring at a food crisis. If the BJP continues to remain adamant on the far

New Delhi, January 11 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday emphasised that India is entering into a decisive battle against Covid-19, as the country prepares for the Made in India vaccination drive from January 16. Making the closing remarks at the meeting with the Chief Ministers on Covid vaccine roll-out, the Prime Minister said that the public representatives are not in the priority list and the first round of vaccines will be given to the frontline workers. He also sai

New Delhi, January 11 (PTI): The Indian Army on Monday handed back to China a soldier of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, three days after apprehending him at the southern bank of Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh, official sources said. The soldier was returned to China at the Chushul-Moldo border point in eastern Ladakh at 10.10 am, they added. The Chinese soldier was captured at the southern bank of Pangong lake in the early hours of Friday after he transgressed across th

New Delhi, January 11 (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Centre for its handling of the farmers protest against the new farm laws saying it is “extremely disappointed” with the way negotiations between them were going and it will constitute a committee headed by a former Chief Justice of India to resolve the impasse. Indicating amply that it may go to the extent of staying the implementation of the contentious farm laws, the apex court refused to grant extr

New Delhi, January 11 (IANS): The Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairies informed on Monday that avian influenza has been confirmed in 10 states of the country till date. CAR-NIHSAD has confirmed death of crows and migratory/wild birds in Tonk, Karauli and Bhilwara districts in Rajasthan, and Valsad, Vadodara and Surat districts in Gujarat. Further, death of crows has been confirmed in Kotdwar and Dehradun districts in Uttarakhand. In Delhi, crows and ducks were r

New Delhi, January 11 (IANS): The central government on Monday said that a total of 96 persons have been detected with the new 'more transmissible' UK coronavirus mutant strain. They are kept in physical isolation in health facilities. "The total number of persons found infected with the mutant UK strain of COVID-19 is 96," the Union Health Ministry said in a statement. According the Health Ministry, all persons have been kept in single room isolation in designa

New Delhi, January 11 (IANS): A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice S. A. Bobde on Monday toughened its stand on the farm laws and said the court has made up its mind to stay the implementation of the three farm laws, which have led to the protest by thousands of farmers at various Delhi borders. "We do not believe the Centre is handling the situation correctly. We do not believe your negotiations are effective. We are attempting to make the atmosphere conducive by keeping

New Delhi, January 11 (IANS): The Delhi Animal Husbandry Department on Monday confirmed that all the samples sent to a laboratory in Bhopal have tested positive for bird flu or the avian influenza. "Samples sent to Bhopal lab from Delhi test positive for bird flu," the Department's Director Rakesh Singh told IANS. The samples were sent to Bhopal's National Institute of High Security Animal Disease last week. Besides Delhi, the disease has been confirmed in Ke

New Delhi, January 11 (IANS): With 16,311 new coronavirus infections reported in the last 24 hours on Monday, India recorded the lowest one-day figure in over six months taking India's overall tally to 1,04,66,595. Before this, the lowest number was recorded on January 5 when 16,375 cases were reported in a day. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said 161 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours taking the death toll to 1,51,160, Since the last 17 days, less than 3

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 10 (IANS): Adopting the principle of 'Safety first, exams later' during the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to conduct the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) examination on January 31, and allot candidates examination centres located near their houses. The candidates across the country appearing for these exams would be issued admit cards next week. The CTET examination was to be held in July

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 10 (IANS): Ahead of the nationwide rollout of the immunisation programme against the Covid-19, alleged violations of protocol are coming to the fore in the clinical trials of one of the vaccines approved for inoculation in the country. Trial participants in Bhopal, who, incidentally, are also victims of the 1984 gas tragedy, told IANS of "severe violations" of the model code of conduct pertaining to trials including absence of consent and no follow-up on

New Delhi, January 10 (PTI): The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce on Monday its verdict on pleas seeking review of a verdict upholding the Centre's flagship Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid but striking down some of its provisions, including its linking with bank accounts, mobile phones and school admissions. A five-judge bench, comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan, S A Nazeer and B R Gavai, will take up in-chambers a batch of re

New Delhi, January 10 (IANS): With their next round of talks with the Centre fixed for January 15, leaders of different farmer organisations on Sunday discussed their strategy to intensify their protest further and other related issues. The protest by farmers on Singhu, Tikri and Gazipur entry points on Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh continued for the 46th day on Sunday. Punjab's farmer leader Sukhpal Singh, who is involved in the ongoing protest at Delhi&

Srinagar, January 10 (IANS): Jammu and Kashmir Police has charged an army captain of stage-managing the Amshipora (Shopian) encounter to get the reward money of Rs 20 lakh. The charge sheet presented by the local police in the court of chief judicial magistrate in Shopian district accuses Captain Bhupinder Singh, presently in custody of the army, of hatching a conspiracy with two locals to claim the reward money. The two civilians are Tabish Nazir and Bilal Ahmaf Lone. The latter