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Mon, 02 August 2021
Nitish working on secret plan against BJP: Chirag
Timeline Refresh
23:23 Nitish working on secret plan against BJP: Chirag
Lok Janshakti Party leader Chirag Paswan on Monday fired a fresh salvo at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his political bete noire, whom he charged with harbouring the "ambition" to "snatch" away the top post in the country from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Paswan, who has been cornered within his own party following a recent split, sought to warn the Bharatiya Janata Party of the Janata Dal-United de facto leader's alleged plan through a flurry of tweets in Hindi.
"A fresh surge in the ambition of PM material is apparent. If an alliance partner of the Prime Minister expresses such an ambition, it becomes obvious he is aiming to snatch away the post from the incumbent, he tweeted, avoiding mentioning Kumar by name.
His remarks came in the backdrop of an averment by Upendra Kushwaha, the JD-U's parliamentary board chairman, that the Bihar CM was a "Prime Minister" material.
Kumar, who was once seen as a "secular" alternative to Modi, has distanced himself from Kushwaha's remarks, saying he had no such aspirations and his only wish was to "keep serving Bihar as long as possible".
Chirag, who succeeded the late Ram Vilas Paswan as the LJP national president only to be sidelined upon his father's death, said in another sarcastic tweet, "Our PM comes up with Mann Ki Baat. Another Mann Ki Baat has come from PM material though the latter is driven by self-interests".
Seeking to twist the knife, Chirag, whose decision to pull out of the NDA cost the JD-U dearly in the assembly polls, added, "The PM material is busy striking at the roots of the BJP on the mercy of which he is enjoying his tenure as Chief Minister".
Kumar is serving his fourth term in office though his party had finished with a tally less than 45, far lower than that of the BJP, which bagged more than 70 seats.
The Jamui MP insisted that by having adopted a stance at variance with the BJP on various issues, Kumar was working on his gupt yojana (secret plan).
"The PM material is working on his secret plan against the BJP with the power he has come to enjoy owing to the party's support. By striking notes of discord on caste census, population control and CAA-NRC, the PM material has embarked on the journey to realise his ambitions. Beware!" tweeted Chirag.
He has been professing his loyalty to the saffron party and Modi, but left licking his wounds in the wake of the faction led by Paras getting recognition and his rebellious uncle's induction into the Union cabinet. -- PTI
23:08 Koregaon-Bhima panel resumes hearing after pandemic break
After a gap of nearly 14 months, the Koregaon Bhima Inquiry Commission probing the January 2018 violence near Koregaon Bhima in Maharashtra's Pune district, resumed hearing the case on Monday.
The proceedings of the panel, headed by Justice J N Patel (retired) and former IAS officer Sumeet Mullick, could not be held all these days after COVID-19 restrictions were imposed in the state.
On Monday, the proceedings resumed through a semi-virtual set-up with only witnesses and advocates concerned being allowed to present in person. Media persons and the general public were allowed to attend the proceeding virtually.
On the first day of the hearing, Rekha Shivle, the then sarpanch of Vadhu village where the alleged incident of vandalising a signboard at the samadhi of Govind Mahar had occurred on December 30, 2017, continued her deposition.
Another witness, Pralhad Gaikwad, one of the descendants of Govind Mahar, who claims to be the owner of the land where the samadhi is situated, was also deposed before the commission.
Violence had erupted near the Koregaon Bhima memorial on January 1, 2018, during the bicentennial celebration of the 1818 battle wherein the East India Company's forces, which included sepoys of the Mahar caste, a Dalit community, defeated the army of the Brahmin Peshwa ruler of Pune.
Dalits commemorate the victory as a symbol of the defeat of the old Brahmanical order. Pune Police had claimed that inflammatory statements made a day earlier at Elgar Parishad conclave in Pune on December 31, 2017, allegedly backed by Maoists, led to the violence.
The commission had been given multiple extensions by the state government to submit its report. -- PTI
22:39 TMC candidate Jawhar Sircar elected unopppsed to RS
Trinamool Congress candidate for Rajya Sabha by-election, Jawhar Sircar, was on Monday declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal, state assembly sources said.
After the scheduled period for withdrawal of candidature was over on Monday afternoon and there was no other nomination from the opposition BJP and the ISF, Sircar was declared elected unopposed and was handed over the certificate in the state assembly.
The BJP last week had announced that it would not field any candidate for the by-poll to the Upper House of Parliament, paving the way for Sircar, a former CEO of Prasar Bharati, to be elected without contest from the state.
The Rajya Sabha seat was vacated by former TMC leader Dinesh Trivedi earlier this year, necessitating the by-election which was supposed to be conducted on August 9.
The TMC last month announced his name as their name for the Rajya Sabha bypoll.
With Sircar occupying the seat vacated by Trivedi, the strength of TMC remains at 11 in Rajya Sabha, the third highest after BJP's 94 and 34 of Congress. -- PTI
22:26 BMC allows shops in Mumbai to open till 10 pm
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation issues notification allowing all shops in Mumbai to open till 10 pm and restaurants till 4 pm.
22:03 Border row: 2 Assam ministers to visit Mizoram
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday that two state ministers -- Atul Bora and Ashok Singhal -- will visit Aizawl on August 5 to hold a dialogue on the long-standing border dispute with Mizoram.
Sarma also said the police case filed against two senior Mizoram government officials - Deputy Commissioner of Kolasib district and Sub-divisional Police Officer of Vairengte - will be withdrawn.
"... In aid of an early amicable resolution, I am sending my cabinet colleagues, @ATULBORA2 and @TheAshokSinghal to Aizawl on 5 Aug, 21, for a meaningful dialogue. Assam stands committed to ensuring peace on its borders, paving the way for a peaceful and developed North-East," the CM tweeted.
"I learn that Honble CM @ZoramthangaCM has asked @mizorampolice to withdraw FIR dt 26.7.21 against our officers. I heartily reciprocate this positive gesture and ask @assampolice to withdraw cases against DC Kolasib and SDPO Vairengte," he added.
Earlier in the day, Sarma said he directed the police to withdraw the case against Mizoram MP K Vanlalvena, against whom an FIR was filed for his alleged role in the deadly gun battle between security forces of the two states.
He, however, said complaints filed against other Mizoram government officials will continue to be investigated in connection with the violence that had erupted along the interstate border at Lailapur in Cachar district.
At least six Assam Police personnel and one civilian were killed while defending the "constitutional boundary" of the state with Mizoram and more than 50 people injured, including Cachar SP, as the festering border dispute between the two northeastern states erupted into a bloody conflict on July 26. -- PTI
21:53 Will remain MP but quit politics: Babul Supriyo
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday managed to persuade Babul Supriyo against resigning as a Lok Sabha member even as the singer-turned-politician insisted that he will no longer be part of active politics.
Speaking to reporters after meeting BJP president J P Nadda, the Asansol MP said he will continue to discharge his constitutional responsibilities as a parliamentarian but withdraw from politics and leave his official residence in the national capital.
His decision will be a big relief to the BJP as it would not have liked to be forced to contest a bypoll against the Trinamool Congress, which is upbeat after handing a comprehensive defeat to the saffron party in the recent West Bengal assembly polls.
Upset at being dropped from the Union Council of Ministers by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two-term MP had announced that he will resign as MP and quit politics.
He told reporters on Monday that Home Minister Amit Shah and Nadda had spoken to him, and he has taken a final decision after thinking over their suggestions.
He asserted that whatever he had said recently, some of which was seen to be critical of the party's affairs in the state, was in the interest of the BJP and that he stood by that. -- PTI
21:46 Oppn wants debate on Pegasus in Parl in presence of PM, HM: TMC
The Trinamool Congress on Monday said that the entire opposition is in agreement that the issue of national security and Pegasus should be discussed in Parliament in the presence of both Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At a press briefing, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O' Brien also said that the farm laws should be repealed.
He said there was a need for immediate discussion on price rise, economy, jobs and inflation, and national security and Pegasus issue.
"They should start with the issue of national security and Pegasus with the prime minister and the home minister present. There is a complete agreement of all opposition parties on it. We are on the same page. So, the BJP with their dirty tricks should not make a mess of it," he said.
Accusing the government of hurriedly passing bills, O'Brien said that "seven bills were being passed per minute".
Taking to Twitter, the TMC MP said, #MASTERSTROKE #Parliament In the first 10 days, Modi-Shah rushed through and passed 12 Bills at an average time of UNDER SEVEN MINUTES per Bill (sic).
"Passing legislation or making papri chaat," he said.
Referring to the alleged attack on party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee's convoy in Tripura, O'Brien said that democracy was in trouble in the state.
Party leaders alleged that BJP workers tried to stop Banerjee's convoy multiple times on the way to the Tripureshwari temple from the Agartala airport in Tripura.
"What happened in Tripura shows that democracy is in trouble in the state. The videos are in public. You fight with us politically. We promise to the people of Tripura that we will bring back democracy to Tripura," O'Brien said. -- PTI
21:26 Unemployment rate rose to 13.3% in July-Sept 2020
Unemployment rate rose to 13.3 per cent in July-September 2020 as compared to 8.4 per cent in the year-ago period, according to a periodic labour force survey by the National Statistical Office.
Joblessness or unemployment rate (UR) is defined as the percentage of unemployed persons in the labour force.
The UR was 20.9 per cent in April-June 2020, the eighth Periodic Labour Force Survey showed.
As per the survey, labour force participation rate for all ages was 37 per cent in September quarter 2020, up from 36.8 per cent in the same period a year ago. It was 35.9 per cent in April-June 2020.
Labour force refers to the part of the population which supplies or offers to supply labour for pursuing economic activities for the production of goods and services and therefore, includes both 'employed' and 'unemployed' persons.
NSO launched PLFS in April 2017. On the basis of PLFS, a quarterly bulletin is brought out giving estimates of labour force indicators namely UR, Worker Population Ratio, Labour Force Participation Rate, distribution of workers by broad status in employment and industry of work in Current Weekly Status.
The estimates of unemployed persons in CWS give an average picture of unemployment in a short period of 7 days during the survey period.
In the CWS approach, a person is considered unemployed if he/she did not work even for 1 hour on any day during the week but sought or was available for work at least for 1 hour on any day during the period.
Labour force according to CWS is the number of persons either employed or unemployed on an average in a week preceding the date of survey. LFPR is defined as the percentage of population in the labour force.
WPR stood at 32.1 per cent in July-September 2020, down from 33.7 per cent in the same period a year ago. It was 28.4 per cent in April-June 2020.
Seven bulletins of PLFS corresponding to quarters ended December 2018, March 2019, June 2019, September 2019, December 2019, March 2020 and June 2020 have already been released. The latest bulletin is the eighth in the series. -- PTI
20:50 'I belong to both states': CJI Ramana recuses from hearing Andhra-Telangana water dispute
The bench of the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Monday recused from hearing on a petition filed by the Andhra Pradesh government on sharing of Krishna river water with Telangana.
A bench of the Apex Court, headed by CJI Ramana, said that he could not adjudicate the legal issues involved in the case, as belongs to both the states (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) and posted the matter for another bench for hearing to August 4.
The CJI said that he belongs to both states and he thereby does not want to adjudicate the legal issues involved in the case.
If the parties can resolve the matter through mediation, please do that. Otherwise, we will have to send this matter to another bench," the CJI told senior lawyer, Dushyant Dave, who appeared for the Andhra Pradesh government.
Dave also sought more time to take instructions in the case, citing the recent problem in North East and other incidents.
The Andhra Pradesh government had on July 14 approached the Supreme Court against Telangana and its officials, alleging denial of "legitimate share" of drinking, irrigation water to its people. -- ANI
20:43 IAF chief meets his UAE counterpart,
Indian Air Force chief RKS Bhadauria met his UAE counterpart Ibrahim Nasser M Al Alawi and held wide-ranging talks to identify avenues and measures for further strengthening the robust relationship between the two forces, according to an official statement on Monday.
Air Chief Marshal Bhadauri's visit to the UAE comes nearly eight months after Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane travelled to that country.
In December last year, Gen Naravane paid a six-day visit to the UAE and Saudi Arabia in a first-ever trip by a head of the Indian Army to the two important Gulf countries.
"Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), called on Major General Ibrahim Nasser M Al Alawi, Commander, UAE Air Force and Air Defence (UAE AF & AD), on August 1, 2021," the IAF tweeted.
"They noted the rapid progress made in bilateral engagements and had wide-ranging talks to identify avenues and measures for further strengthening the robust relationship between the two Air Forces. CAS also visited major UAE AF&AD units during the two-day goodwill visit," it added.
The IAF had said on Saturday that it and the UAE's Air Force have had significant professional interactions in the past few years and this visit by the IAF chief will further strengthen the defence cooperation and air force-level exchanges, as part of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides.
In the last few years, India's ties with the UAE have witnessed a major upswing.
The UAE Air Force had provided mid-air refuelling to a number of Rafale fighter jets on their journey from France to India. India is procuring 36 Rafale jets from France out of which 24 have already been delivered. -- PTI
20:06 Entire country to witness 'khela' in future: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said Trinamool Congress's poll slogan 'khela hobe' (there will be a game) has become immensely popular among people, and the entire country will be witness to a match that will be played in the days to come, apparently hinting at the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The TMC supremo also said that Bengal will take pride in showing India the way.
"You may or may not agree but it's a fact that the slogan has become very popular in the country. In Parliament and several states like UP and Rajasthan, too, the slogan was raised," she maintained after inaugurating here the 'Khela Hobe' scheme, under which footballs will be distributed among sports clubs.
Banerjee further said that a brief game has been played thus far, and more is in the offing.
"Bengal can take pride in showing people the way in this match. Remember, in the near future, the entire country will be witness to a game. There cannot be any life without khela (game)," she asserted.
The feisty TMC boss said she has heard people chanting the slogan everywhere she went during electioneering for the assembly polls, held earlier in the year.
The Mamata Banerjee government has decided to observe 'Khela Hobe Divas' on August 16, taking after its popular slogan, to commemorate the death of 16 football fans who had died in a stampede during a Derby match in the city in 1980.
Distributing 10 footballs each to 303 clubs affiliated to the Indian Football Association, she said over one lakh more will be handed over to players and coaches in the rural areas.
Noting that her government has provided financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to at least 25,000 clubs in the state, Banerjee said those taking part in matches organised on the occasion of the 'Khela Hobe' Divas would be given additional Rs 15,000. -- PTI
19:32 Maha eases Covid curbs, but not in Mumbai/Thane
The Maharashtra government on Monday announced easing of COVID-19 restrictions in all districts, except in Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban and Thane districts along with 11 other districts.
The decision regarding reducing the currently imposed restrictions in Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban and Thane districts to be taken by the Disaster Management Authorities of the said districts, the order issued by the Maharashtra governments public health department said.
Accordingly, in all other districts, all essential and non-essential shops (including shopping malls) to remain open on all weekdays till 8 pm and till 3 pm on Saturday.
Gymnasiums, yoga centres, hair cutting salons, beauty parlours and spas can remain open without the use of air-conditioners and with 50% capacity till 8 pm on weekdays and till 3 pm on Saturdays.
All restaurants will remain open with 50% seating capacity till 4 pm on weekdays subject to adherence to all COVID-19 protocols.
Parcel and takeaway to be allowed as is allowed currently.
Cinemas and multiplexes and places of worship will continue to remain closed.
All government and private offices can be operational with full capacity, with staggering of work hours to be done to avoid crowds while travelling.
Read the full guidelines HERE
19:22 Border clash: Mizoram CM orders FIR withdrawal
Mizoram CM Zoramthanga 'directs Mizoram Police to withdraw FIR dated July 26, filed at Vairengte, Kolasib District against all the accused persons', in Assam-Mizoram border clash issue.
Meanwhile, Mizoram Governor K Hari Babu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and said the Centre is trying to find a solution to the issue.
Later, Babu also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament and discussed the prevailing situation in the state.
He said the home minister will resolve the situation.
Talking to reporters in Parliament after meeting the prime minister, Babu said the incident was 'very unfortunate'.
"The home minister is trying to defuse the tension and he is trying to find a solution. Both chief ministers (of Assam and Mizoram) have committed that peace will be restored," he said.
At least six Assam Police personnel and one civilian were killed and more than 50 people injured, including the police chief of Cachar district, in a firefight between the police of the two states on a disputed stretch of their boundary near Dholai in Cachar on July 25.
Tensions along the border with Mizoram in Cachar and Hailakandi districts of Assam have been escalating since October 2020 with frequent incidents of burning of houses and encroachment of land.
The two states share a 164.6-km border along Assam's Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts and Mizoram's Kolasib, Mamit and Aizawl districts.
Both states have differing interpretations of their territorial border.
While Mizoram believes that its border lies along an 'inner line' drawn up in 1875 to protect tribals from outside influence, Assam goes by a district demarcation done in the 1930s. -- ANI/PTI
Rakesh Asthana
18:49 SC to hear contempt plea against PM, HM
Supreme Court will hear the contempt petition against the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Ministry of Home Affairs challenging the appointment of Rakesh Asthana as the Delhi Police Commissioner on August 5.
The contempt petition was filed by lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma on July 30.
Sharma in his plea argued that Asthana's appointment is in violation of a July 2018 judgment of the top court, which said the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) should consider those officers for such appointments who have two years of service left.
In an order by the Ministry of Home Affairs last week, Rakesh Asthana who was serving as the director-general of the Border Security Force (BSF) was appointed as the Delhi Police Commissioner with immediate effect for a tenure of one year.
Asthana, a 1984 batch IPS officer from Gujarat cadre had in August 2020 taken charge as the Director-General of BSF.
'Consequent upon appointment of Rakesh Asthana, IPS (GJ:84), Director General, BSF, as Commissioner of Police, Delhi, the competent authority has approved that SS Deswal, IPS (HY:84), Director General, ITBP shall hold additional charge of the post of DG, BSF vice Shri Asthana, till the appointment and joining of the regular incumbent or until further orders whichever is earlier,' the order from the Union home ministry said.
Asthana was set to retire on July 31. Meanwhile, SS Seswal, Director-General ITBP has been given additional charge of the post of DG, BSF after Rakesh Asthana.
In June this year, after the superannuation of SN Shrivastava, Delhi Commissioner of Police, Balaji Srivastav was given the additional charge of Commissioner of Police. -- ANI
18:39 Veteran film critic Rashid Irani found dead at home
Rashid Irani, 74, one of the country's foremost film critics and senior Mumbai Press Club member, passed away probably on 30 July night at home.
He was not seen for 2-3 days; a search by friends, Press Club officials, and police led to his house, where his mortal remains were found.
He was one of the Press Club Film Society pillars and a core member of the club, who didn't miss a day at the media centre writing his reviews and watching films.
Rashid Irani was a long-time movie reviewer for leading newspapers like The Times of India and the Hindustan Times among others.
He was living alone at his Marine Lines residence in Mumbai.
He was a voracious reader and would spend most of his time watching movies and reading books.
He has a library of more than 5,000 books at his house.
Last year in an interview to Mid-Day, he said the lockdown has turned him into an automaton.
"Like most people, I am disoriented and have become borderline depressive. While I live alone, I do not thrive on this loneliness; I need human contact," he had said.
17:54 India holds talks with China at Chushul-Moldo border
The 12th round of the India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side.
"They (India & China) agreed to resolve the remaining issues in an expeditious manner in accordance with the existing agreements and protocols and maintain the momentum of dialogue and negotiations.
" The two sides also agreed that in the interim they will continue their effective efforts in ensuring stability along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector and jointly maintain peace and tranquility," an army statement said.
File pic
17:49 Parl to discuss Pegasus, Covid on Wednesday
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has worked out a two-point compromise formula to get the stalled Monsoon session of Parliament going. Parliament has been disrupted from the word go, with the combined opposition seeking a discussion on the Pegasus spyware issue and the government in no mood to relent.
On Monday morning, Singh called the leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, and sought his cooperation in running the House.
The Opposition leader insisted that the government should discuss issues raised by them, in which case they are ready to cooperate in ensuring that Parliament runs smoothly.
As per the formula worked out, on Wednesday, Parliament will first take up the coronavirus pandemic for the discussion, which the government has been insisting on, followed by a discussion on Pegasus issue. With this, it is expected that the monsoon session will function smoothly.
17:41 Mizoram guv meets Amit Shah
Governor of Mizoram Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati met Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
17:06 Covaxin effective against Delta Plus variant of COVID-19: Study
Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin (BBV152) is effective against Delta Plus (AY.1) variant of the coronavirus, according to a study published in biorxivby the Indian Council of Medical and Research (ICMR).
"Here, we have evaluated the IgG antibody titer and neutralizing potential of sera of COVID-19 naive individuals full doses of BBV152 vaccine, COVID-19 recovered cases with full dose vaccines and breakthrough cases post-immunization BBV152 vaccines against Delta, Delta AY.1 and B.1.617.3.," the study said.
The recent emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Variant B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant with its high transmissibility has led to the second wave in India. Covaxin, a whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine used for mass immunization in the country, showed a 65.2 per cent protection against the Delta variant in a double-blind, randomized, multicentre, phase 3 clinical trial. Subsequently, Delta has further mutated to Delta AY.1, AY.2, and AY.3. Of these, AY.1 variant was first detected in India in April 2021 and subsequently from 20 other countries as well, the study said. The study is a pre-print and has not been peer reviewed.
Covaxin demonstrated 77.8 per cent effectiveness against symptomatic COVID-19 and 65.2per cent protection against the B.1.617.2 Delta variant, Bharat Biotech had said while concluding the final analysis of Covaxin efficacy from Phase3 trials on July 3. -- PTI
16:59 Former diplomat Venu Rajamony joins Jindal University as professor
Former diplomat Venu Rajamony has joined O P Jindal Global University as a Professor of Diplomatic Practice. A career diplomat with 34 years of experience and former journalist, Rajamony was Ambassador of India to the Netherlands from 2017 to 2020.
"I am delighted to join the O P Jindal Global University (JGU), which has been declared an institution of eminence by the government of India, he said. The university is based in Haryana's Sonipat.
"The JGU has a major role to play in nurturing talent that can take India into the ranks of leading nations of the world, and I intend to contribute my utmost to this effort, Rajamony told PTI. He was also Permanent Representative of India to the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in the Hague, and responsible for India's relations with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). Rajamony holds an LLB degree from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, MA in International Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and Certificate in Chinese Language from the University of Hong Kong.
He held the office of Press Secretary to the president from 2012 to 2017 when Pranab Mukherjee was in office. His other assignments included in the Indian Missions in Washington DC, Geneva, Beijing and Hong Kong as well as in the Ministry of External affairs, New Delhi. PTI
16:57 Sensex rallies 364 points; Titan top gainer
Equity benchmark Sensex rallied 364 points on Monday, driven by gains in index majors Reliance Industries, Infosys and TCS amid a positive trend in global equities. The 30-share index ended 363.79 points or 0.69 per cent higher at 52,950.63, while the broader NSE Nifty surged 122.10 points or 0.77 per cent to 15,885.15.
Titan was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising over 3 per cent, followed by M&M, Reliance Industries, Axis Bank, TCS, Maruti and Infosys. On the other hand, Tata Steel, Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Finance, Sun Pharma, Dr Reddy's and HDFC Bank were among the laggards.
16:33 Sena men vandalise Mum's 'Adani Airport' signage
A group of Shiv Sena workers allegedly ransacked a neon signboard with 'Adani Airport' written on it near the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj close to the airport in Mumbai on Monday afternoon, a police official said. They shouted slogans against the signboard when the airport is named after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Some of the workers later came on to the Western Express Highway located nearby due to which traffic movement on the city's arterial north-south road was disrupted for some time, the official said.
He said some of those involved in the incident were detained and the process of registering a case was underway.
The Adani Group last month said it has taken over the management of Mumbai international airport from the GVK group. Mumbai International Airport is the country's second busiest airport (after Delhi's IGIA) by both passenger and cargo traffic.
With the addition of Mumbai International Airport Limited, the Adani Airport Holdings Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adani Enterprises Ltd, will now control 33 per cent of India's air cargo traffic, the company had said in a statement. PTI
16:16 SC rules in favour of Paralympian shooter
The Supreme Court Monday ordered Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) to immediately include the name of five-time Paralympian shooter Naresh Kumar Sharma as an additional participant for the upcoming Tokyo games. In an urgent hearing, a bench comprising justices A M Khanwilkar, B R Gavai and Krishna Murari directed the PCI to sent the Arjuna awardee shooter to take part in the sporting event.
The bench took note of the submissions of senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the shooter, that August 2 was the last day for the selection and three shooters can be sent together.
The Central government said it had no objection to such orders as the team selection has to be done by the committee and the government would be happy if medals increase. Tokyo Paralympics is starting from August 24 and the shooter was aggrieved due to his non-selection. PTI
Screen grab of the clashes at Sangli
15:35 BJP workers try to stop Uddhav's convoy in Sangli
A clash breaks out between police and BJP workers in Sangli. Traders and BJP workers tried to stop Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray's convoy at Harbat Road as they wanted to make a statement to him following which the clash took place. The CM is visiting the flood-affected areas of Sangli today.
A total of 18,751 families in Mahad and Poladpur talukas in Raigad district were affected by flooding and other rain-related incidents on July 22 and 23, a district official said on Monday. As per the survey done by the state revenue department, 18,000 families belong to Mahad and 751 to Poladpur, while 562 farmers have also incurred losses due to flooding, he said.
15:19 Indian media falsely report Mirabai Chanu stands chance of upgrading to gold
India's Mirabai Chanu bagged a silver in the Women's 49kg weightlifting category at Tokyo Olympics. She came second to China's Zhihui Hou on July 24. Two days hence, ANI published a story claiming Hou will undergo an anti-doping test and Mirabai Chanu will be awarded the gold medal if Hou fails the test. "She has been asked to stay in Tokyo and the test will be done. The test is definitely happening,' ANI quoted a "source in the know of developments" in its report published at 1:18 pm on July 26.
The report was a lie.
Read the story here.
15:10 Police files charge sheet against Olympic wrestler Sushil Kumar
Delhi Police on Monday filed a 170-page charge sheet against Olympic medallist wrestler Sushil Kumar and 19 others in connection with the alleged murder of a former junior national wrestling champion at Chhatrasal Stadium in New Delhi.
The final report, which named Kumar as the main accused, has been filed before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Satvir Singh Lamba. Fifteen accused have been arrested in the case, while five are on the run. Sushil Kumar and his associates allegedly assaulted 23-year-old wrestler Sagar Dhankar and two of his friends Sonu and Amit Kumar on the intervening night of May 4 and 5.
Sagar succumbed to the injuries later. Police had earlier called Sushil the main culprit and mastermind of the murder and said that there is electronic evidence wherein he and his associates could be seen beating Dhankar with sticks. PTI
14:51 'Shah trying to find solution to Assam-Mizo row'
Mizoram Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati on Monday said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is trying to defuse the situation at the Assam-Mizoram border and find a solution to the dispute.
Earlier in the day, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the current border situation and how to diffuse the tensions between two states. "It is an unfortunate incident. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is trying to defuse the situation and find a solution. Both the CMs (Assam and Mizoram) reiterated that peace will be restored," said Governor of Mizoram on border tension with Assam.
According to the sources, he will meet the home minister in the evening.
Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Wednesday had met Assam chief secretary Jishnu Baruah and Mizoram chief secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo as part of the Centre's effort to de-escalate the border conflict.
On Monday, the border dispute between the two states peaked and a fierce gun battle between the forces of the two states resulted in the death of five Assam police personnel and one civilian. One injured policeman succumbed to his injuries later taking the total number of policemen killed to six.
At least 50 people were injured in the incident. A total of six companies of the Central Reserve Police Force have been deployed at the site where the policemen died.
-- ANI
14:32 BJP MPs from NE meet PM over Assam-Mizo row
BJP MPs from northeastern states on Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the recent tension between Assam and Mizoram on border row and accused the Congress of politicising the sensitive issue.
Talking to media after the meeting, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju alleged that foreign forces are fuelling fire in the region by making inciting statements and promoting manipulated contents.
The prime minister told the MPs that the northeast is very close to his heart and his love for the region is very natural. Quoting Modi, Rijiju saidthe PM asserted that he doesn't look at the region from the prism of politics. In a memorandum given to Modi, the BJP MPs said that they want to convey to all those elements who view the Assam-Mizoram issue as a means of "spreading chaos in India that their shenanigans will not work".
The MPs further said in the memorandum that they would like to unequivocally state that under the NDA government led by Modi "development work in the Northeast has been historic and unparalleled". There were 16 MPs in the meeting with the prime minister, 12 from Assam, two from Arunachal Pradesh and one each from Manipur and Tripura. PTI
An aerial view of waterlogged Ratnagiri
14:25 18,700+ families affected in Maharashtra floods
A total of 18,751 families in Mahad and Poladpur talukas in Raigad district were affected by flooding and other rain-related incidents on July 22 and 23, a district official said on Monday.
As per the survey done by the state revenue department, 18,000 families belong to Mahad and 751 to Poladpur, while 562 farmers have also incurred losses due to flooding, he said. "While 30 houses in Mahad and eight houses in Poladpur are fully damaged, the number of partially damaged homes stands at 8,121 in Mahad and 552 in Poladpur.
A total of 28 cattle shelters were destroyed. So far, 3,082 families have received relief from the state government by way of rice, wheat and kerosene" the official said. He informed that the number of survey teams of the revenue department in Mahad stood at 48, with 30 of them stationed in the non-town areas of the taluka.
A release from the Maharashtra State Electricity Board said 1,078 transformers in 345 villages were damaged during the heavy rains that the area witnessed recently, of which 261 had been repaired. PTI
14:16 The 'Kabir Khan' of women's hockey
Sjoerd Marijne, chief coach of the Indian women's hockey team shares this picture with the girls. The Indian women's hockey team stunned Australia in the quarter-finals of the Tokyo Olympics on Monday and immediately fans began comparing coach Sjoerd Marijne to the fictional character 'Kabir Khan', portrayed by Shahrukh Khan in the Bollywood movie Chak de India.
13:56 Javed-Shabana shared draft Oppn CMP with Mamata
On July 29, Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar flew to New Delhi to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was in the national capital in an effort to bring together a common Opposition front against the government. Naturally, speculation was rife behind the Bollywood power couple's meeting with the West Bengal CM.
However, the poet-lyricist himself told a media briefing later, "It was a courteous meeting. This is the history of Bengal that it had led revolutionary movements. The artists and intellectuals of Bengal support Mamataji. We congratulated her on her election victory. We are grateful to Mamataji for her support to the amendment in the royalty bill by which music composers, songwriters, lyricists can benefit from the royalty."
However, a source close to Akhtar and Azmi revealed to this writer the true agenda behind their meeting with Banerjee.
"Shabana and Javed are trying to meet as many Opposition leaders as they can in order to give them a draft common minimum programme put together by academics, economists, civil liberties activists, including Javed Saab, so they have substantial ground to come together as one strong, united opposition.
"This is the agenda that took them to New Delhi to meet Mamata. In coming weeks you will see them making several such trips to meet other politicians for a united Opposition front."
-- Subhash K Kha
PV Sindhu with coach Park Tae-sang
13:36 I was blank for few seconds: Sindhu on second Olympic medal
Reigning world champion P V Sindhu on Monday said she was completely blank after winning a second successive Olympic medal and it took her a while to realise the enormity of her historic achievement in the ongoing Games.
The 26-year-old Indian on Sunday etched her name among the all-time greats after winning badminton's women's singles bronze medal to add to the silver she won at Rio de Janeiro five years back. She became the first Indian woman and second overall from the country to achieve the feat.
"...I was blank, my coach was in tears, it was a big moment, I hugged him and thanked him. I didn't know what to do for 5-6 seconds, I shouted so all emotions came together at that moment," she said during a virtual press conference.
In the third-place play-off, Sindhu beat China's He Bing Jiao. The win came after a painful loss in the semifinals to world no 1 Tai Tzu Ying. Sindhu said coach Park Tae-sang's encouragement helped her to recover from the semifinal loss and claim the bronze for the country. "After semis, I was really sad, I was in tears but my coach said it is not over yet. There were mixed emotions, if I should be sad or happy but he told one thing.
He said 'there is a lot of difference between a fourth position and a bronze' and that really hit me," she said.
"I went with the mindset that I have to give my 100 percent." A lot of questions were raised when Sindhu decided to move out of the Pullela Gopichand Academy and train at the Gachibowli indoor stadium which had bigger halls similar to the venue here. Sindhu said it was one of the best decisions, especially since drift played a role during the Games at the Musashino Forest Plaza.
"Yeah, from the beginning there was no controversy ... We had this opportunity to play in conditions similar to Olympics, so from February we have been playing there, it has really helped us because drift played a big role and I learnt a lot in Gachibowli, I learnt to control the shuttle better. "It had international courts with air conditioners, which was important. So I feel it was the best decision...We got used to different players from Suchitra academy also. so it was important." PTI
13:25 Shilpa Shetty's full statement
Read the full statement by Shilpa Shetty on her husband Raj Kundra's arrest in the porn case here.
Raj Kundra will be in jail till August 7 after his bail plea was rejected today.
13:09 We don't deserve media trial: Shilpa Shetty
Shilpa Shetty issues a statement in connection with the pornography case in which her husband Raj Kundra is accused. The actress says, "I have not commented yet and will continue to refrain from doing so on this case as it is subjudice."
She says she has been subject to a lot of trolling and asks people to make false quotes on her behalf.
She added that she has faith in the Mumbai police, judiciary and will take legal recourse on the issue and does not deserve a media trial.
12:54 PM to meet Assam MPs today amid Mizo border row
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet Assam MPs today on the Assam-Mizoram border issue. This comes amid a de-escalation of tension on the Assam-Mizoram border today. For the first time since the clashes along the Assam-Mizoram border almost a week ago, Chief Ministers of the two states sought to dial down the tensions between their people and security personnel.
While the Mizoram government said it would withdraw the FIR filed against Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Assam CM tweeted on Monday that he has directed the Police to withdraw the FIR against K Vanlalvena, the Rajya Sabha MP from Mizoram who had allegedly made "threatening statements' about the border violence issue.
12:40 A lesson in civility
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor at the Parliament during the ongoing Monsoon session.
12:09 Maha vaccinated a record 8L a day: Uddhav
Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray announces that the state has set a record of vaccinating 8 lakh people in a day. "We can conduct 15 lakh vaccinations in a day. Our effort is to make the vaccines available to the people as soon as possible," Thackeray said.
India crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore COVID-19 cases on May 4, and 3 crore on June 23. The 422 new fatalities include 157 from Maharashtra, 64 from Odisha and 56 from Kerala. A total of 4,24,773 deaths linked to the disease have been reported so far in the country, including 1,32,948 from Maharashtra, 36,587 from Karnataka, 34,102 from Tamil Nadu, 25,054 from Delhi, 22,763 from Uttar Pradesh, 18,149 from West Bengal and 16,794 from Punjab.
File pic
11:57 Yamuna water level crosses the danger mark
The Delhi administration has expedited efforts to evacuate people living along the Yamuna bank as the water level of the Yamuna river crossed the danger mark due to heavy rains.
In the midst of the monsoon season, the national capital has been receiving spells of rain for the last few days which led to waterlogging in many areas of Delhi.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday has predicted that the thunderstorm with light to moderate intensity rain would take place over & adjoining areas of Delhi, Faridabad, Gurugram, Greater Noida, Noida, Dadri, Meerut, and Ghaziabad.
While speaking to ANI, Ashu, one of the residents of the Yamuna bank area said, " The water level in the Yamuna is above the dangerous level which has caused waterlogging in their houses and fields. As a precautionary measure, the govt has shifted them to the upper side".
Earlier the Old Yamuna Bridge - 'Loha Pul' was also closed for public use due to the increasing water level. -- ANI
File pic
11:55 Rajya Sabha adjourned till noon
Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned on Monday for almost an hour after opposition parties, including Congress and TMC, pressed for a discussion on the use of Israeli-made, military-grade Pegasus spyware, and farmers' agitation against farm reform laws.
While Congress MPs sought a discussion on the farm agitation, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Left parties sought a debate on the Pegasus snooping issue. No sooner had the House complimented shuttler P V Sindhu for winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and listed official papers laid on the table, the opposition MPs were up on their feet raising their demands. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he is willing to consider a discussion on farmers' problems provided members do not disturb proceedings and cooperate.
But as the Opposition MPs continued to raise the issues, he adjourned the proceedings till 1200 hours. Before adjourning the proceedings, Naidu said Ramgopal Yadav of Samajwadi Party, Sanjay Singh (AAP), Mallikarjun Kharge, Pratap Singh Bajwa and K C Venugopal (all Congress), Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (TMC), CPI(M)'s Elamaram Kareem and V Sivadasan and Binoy Viswam of CPI have given notices under rule 267 seeking suspension of business to take up discussion on issues they want to raise.
11:38 Modi ceded thousands of km of land to China: Rahul
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday slammed the Centre and alleged that the government had ceded thousands of kilometres of India's territory to China.In a tweet today, the Congress leader wrote, "Mr Modi and his minions have ceded thousands of km of Indian land to China. When exactly are we getting it back?"
The 12th round of Corps Commander level talks between India and China concluded at 7.30 pm in Moldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control, the Army sources informed on Saturday.
According to the sources, in the nine-hour-long meetings, both sides discussed issues to resolve the ongoing military standoff along with the Eastern Ladakh sector.
India and China have already disengaged from the banks of Pangong lake after extensive talks and the Gogra Heights and Hot Springs areas are left to be resolved as these friction points were created post-Chinese aggression last year.
The two sides had clashed in the Galwan valley last year which led to the deaths of several Chinese and Indian soldiers. Though India has declared that it lost 20 troops in the clash, the Chinese have not yet acknowledged the number of its dead soldiers.
India and China have held several rounds of talks but the outcome has not been much.
The Chinese have also been dragging their feet on resolving the issues at friction points and are reluctant to commit to resolving the longstanding pending issues. -- PTI
11:21 Covid cases to surge in mid August: Experts
India may see another rise in COVID-19 cases in mid of August with the third wave peaking, with less than 1,00,000 in the best cases scenario and nearly 1,50,000 infections a day in the worst scenario.
A study by a group of researchers led by Mathukumalli Vidyasagar and Manindra Agrawal at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Hyderabad and Kanpur have predicted that India is likely to witness another rise in COVID-19 cases in August.
However, they have also said that it is likely to be less brutal as the second wave where cases rose to 4 lakhs on a daily basis.
Earlier, Dr Samiran Panda, Head of Epidemiology and infectious diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Speaking to ANI said that if the third wave of COVID-19 occurs, it will hit sometime around August-end.
"There might be a third as it is not inevitable than the second wave. If the third wave happens, it will hit sometime around August end, it is not inevitable," said Dr Panda.
Dr Panda also said, "When will the third wave come and how severe it can be, all these questions are related to many factors which are not known to the full extent." -- ANI
11:17 Assam to withdraw FIR against Mizoram MP: CM Himanta
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said he has ordered the police to withdraw the FIR against Mizoram MP K Vanlalvena. Sarma, however, said that police cases filed against six Mizoram government officials will continue to be probed for their alleged role in the deadly gun battle along the inter-state border at Lailapur in Cachar district.
In a series of tweets, Sarma also lauded the efforts of Mizoram CM Zoramthanga to settle the border dispute between the two Northeastern states.
"I have noted statements in media by Honble CM @ZoramthangaCM wherein he has expressed his desire to settle the border dispute amicably. Assam always wants to keep the spirit of North East alive," Sarma said. He further said that Assam is also committed to ensuring peace along its borders. "To take this goodwill gesture ahead, I have directed @assampolice to withdraw FIR against K. Vanlalvena, Honble MP, Rajya Sabha from Mizoram. However cases against other accused police officers will be pursued," Sarma said.
An Assam Police team went to New Delhi last week and pasted a summon at the door of Vanlalvena's residence for interrogation after his alleged statement threatening to kill more personnel if they cross over to Mizoram. The Assam Police also on July 28 issued summons to six officials of the Mizoram government, including the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Kolasib district, and ordered them to appear at Dholai police station on Monday. -- PTI
Right now, only vaccination helps reduce the risk of contraction
10:59 Nasal spray that kills Covid virus in India soon
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals and Canadian biotech firm SaNOtize Research and Development Corp on Monday announced an exclusive long term strategic partnership to manufacture, market and distribute nitric oxide nasal spray (NONS) for Covid-19 treatment in India and other Asian markets.
The other Asian market include Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Nepal, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. In March, SaNOtize's clinical trials showed NONS was a safe and effective anti-viral treatment to prevent the transmission of Covid-19, shorten its course and reduce the severity of symptoms.
In the first 24 hours, NONS reduced the average viral load by around 95 per cent and then by more than 99 per cent within 72 hours. It has been tested in healthy volunteers and patients as part of UK and Canada clinical trials.
Available in the form of a simple nasal spray, it is designed to kill the virus in the upper airways, preventing it from incubating and spreading to the lungs. It is based on nitric oxide (NO), a natural nano-molecule with proven anti-microbial properties, and which has a direct effect on SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing Covid-19.
10:38 RS Floor leaders of like-minded Opposition parties to meet at Kharge's residence
Rajya Sabha Floor leaders of like-minded Opposition parties are scheduled to meet on Monday at 10.15 am at senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge's office to plan a strategy for the day's proceedings of the House.
Meanwhile, CPI-M Rajya Sabha MP Elamaram Kareem today gave a suspension of Business notice under Rule 267 and demanded a discussion on the Pegasus Project.
Earlier in the day, Congress MP Manish Tewari gave adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha to discuss the 'Pegasus Project' issue.
The Opposition has alleged that names of several Indian politicians, journalists, lawyers, and activists have appeared on the leaked list of potential targets for surveillance by an unidentified agency using Pegasus spyware. This comes following reports published in The Wire.
The business of both the Houses of the Parliament remained majorly disrupted due to the continuous ruckus created by the Opposition over the issues including farmers' protest, Pegasus spyware, COVID-19, and inflation.
Amidst the uproar by Opposition parties in the Parliament on Friday, the Lower House of the Parliament was adjourned till 11 am on August 2. Proceedings of Rajya Sabha were also adjourned for the day amid continued opposition protest over Pegasus snooping and other issues on Friday. The proceedings of Rajya Sabha would now begin at 11 am today. The Upper House was adjourned twice on Friday - first till 12 noon and then again till 2:30 pm. -- PTI
10:27 Equity indices gain, Sensex up 300+ points
Equity benchmark indices traded over half a per cent up during early hours on Monday tracking positive global cues as tensions around China's regulatory crackdown eased and the US showed progress on its infrastructure plan.
At 10:15 am, the BSE S&P Sensex was up by 307 points at 52,86493 while the Nifty 50 moved higher by 98 points to 15,860. All sectoral indices were in the positive terrain with Nifty realty gaining by 2.8 per cent, FMCG and pharma by 0.8 per cent each, and auto by 0.7 per cent.
Among stocks, Grasim surged by 3 per cent to Rs 1,598.25 per share while Adani Ports was up by 2.4 per cent.
The other prominent gainers were Britannia, Titan, Axis Bank, SBI Life, Tata Consumer Products and UltraTech Cement. However, UPL lost by 1.7 per cent, Tata Steel 0.6 per cent and Wipro by 0.3 per cent.
09:46 India sees 40,134 new Covid cases, 422 deaths
Indias cumulative tally of coronavirus cases reached 3,16,95,958 on Monday with 40,134 new infections recorded in the last 24 hours. At present, there are 4,13,718 active Covid-19 cases, which is 1.3 per cent of the total infections.
According to the latest bulletin of the Union ministry of health, 422 people lost their lives to the viral disease, while 36,946 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, pushing the total count of fatalities to 4,24,773 and discharges to 3,08,57,467. The fatality rate now stands at 1.34 per cent and recovery rate 97.36 per cent.
As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, 47,22,23,639 doses against the coronavirus have been administered so far with 17,06,598 beneficiaries receiving the jab on Sunday.
09:26 Mandaviya slams Rahul over vaccine shortage
The vaccination drive in the country is set to get a major boost this month, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya as he took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for questioning the government's vaccine delivery programme.
The minister asked Gandhi to join everyone in feeling proud about the work done by the country's health workers.
In a response Mr Gandhi's tweet questioning the availability of vaccines last month, Mandaviya said more than 13 crore doses were administered in July and the drive is going to accelerate this month.
"More than 13 crore doses were administered in India in the month of July. It is going to accelerate this month. We are proud of our healthcare workers for this achievement.
"Now you too should be proud of them and the country," Mandaviya said in a tweet in Hindi in response to Gandhi's post.
On Sunday, Gandhi had tweeted in Hindi saying, "July is gone, but the shortage of vaccine hasn't gone away." He used the hashtag #WhereAreVaccines.
The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 47 crore with 60,15,842 doses being administered in a span of 24 hours, the Health Ministry said Sunday morning.
08:44 Assam CM directs police to withdraw FIR against Mizoram MP K Vanlalvena
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said he had directed state police to withdraw the FIR against Mizoram Rajya Sabha MP K Vanlalvena as a "goodwill gesture" after his "Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga expressed his desire to settle the border dispute amicably".
However, Himanta Biswa Sarma said that cases against other police officers would be pursued over the July 26 border incident in which six Assam Police personnel were killed in firing and clashes.
"I have noted statements in media by Honble Mizoram CM Zoramthanga wherein he has expressed his desire to settle the border dispute amicably. Assam always wants to keep the spirit of North East alive. We are also committed to ensuring peace along our borders," Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted.
The development comes hours after the Mizoram government said it would relook at the FIR registered against Himant Biswa Sarma along with four senior Assam Police officers on charges of attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy over the clashes along the Assam-Mizoram border on July 26.
Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo said he and Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga were not aware of the FIR registered against Himanta Biswa Sarma. "CM (Zoramthanga) and I were unaware. CM has told me to relook," Lalnunmawia Chuaungo said.
08:08 Covid third wave likely this month: Report
India may see another rise in Covid-19 cases as soon as August with the third wave peaking with less than 100,000 infections a day in the best-case scenario or nearly 150,000 in the worst scenario, researchers have said.
Bloomberg reported citing researchers led by Mathukumalli Vidyasagar and Manindra Agrawal at the Indian Institute of Technology in Hyderabad and Kanpur respectively that the surge in Covid-19 cases will push the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, which may peak in October.
Vidyasagar said that states with high Covid-19 cases, such as Kerala and Maharashtra, could skew the picture.
The third wave of Covid-19 is unlikely to be as brutal as the second wave when India reported 400,000-plus daily cases and came down after that. The prediction by the researchers, who accurately forecast the lessening of the surge in Covid-19 cases earlier this year, is based on a mathematical model.
In May, Vidyasagar, a professor at IIT Hyderabad said Indias coronavirus outbreak could peak in the coming days based on the mathematical model. Our predictions are that the peak will come within a few days. As per current projections, we should hit 20,000 cases per day by the end of June. We will revise this as needed," Vidyasagar said.
However, in April, Vidyasagars team's prediction that the wave would peak by the middle of last month was incorrect. He wrote on Twitter at the time that it was because of incorrect parameters as the pandemic was changing rapidly, even wildly, until about a week ago."
He also told Reuters that the peak would be between May 3-5 and to India Today that it would come on May 7.
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