Month: January 2021

Renowned cardiologist Dr. Devi Shetty on Tuesday said that the heart of BCCI president Sourav Ganguly is now as strong as it was when the former India skipper was 20-years-old.

Dr. Shetty met the medical team of nine doctors attending to Ganguly at the Woodlands Hospital and a further course of action was decided by the hospital on Tuesday. Ganguly will be discharged on Wednesday and thereafter he will be monitored at home on a daily basis, said Dr. Rupali Basu MD and CEO of Woodlands Hospital. The 48-year-old Ganguly will be ready for the next course of procedures or medical intervention after about 2-3 weeks.

“Sourav didn’t have any major problem. This is the problem which most Indians experience at some point in time, which is a blockage in the coronary artery. Did he have heart damage? No. He had a blockage and he was getting some discomfort, but at the right time he landed in the right hospital and he had the right treatment.

“His heart is today as strong as it was when Sourav was 20-years-old. I want everyone to understand that he didn’t have a major cardiac event which has damaged his heart. He has a very, very strong heart,” ESPNCricinfo quoted Dr.Shetty as saying.

Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Ganguly and enquired about his health and wished him a speedy recovery. He also spoke to Ganguly’s wife Dona Ganguly.

Ganguly was hospitalised at 1 pm on January 2 with “chest discomfort, heaviness of head, vomiting and a spell of dizziness” while performing physical exercise in the home gymnasium at around 11 am. Following this, doctors had conducted angioplasty on him.

On January 2, 48-year-old Ganguly was tested for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which turned out to be negative. The family members were present during the board meeting and were explained about the disease process and further therapeutic plan. (ANI)

Chinese president, Xi Jinping on Monday ordered his country’s army to be ready to ‘act at any second’, stressing on ‘full-time combat readiness’.

He urged the armed forces to enhance training in real combat conditions to ensure readiness at all times, reported Xinhua.

“People’s Liberation Army (PLA) must be ready to ‘act at any second’ and should remain on ‘full-time combat readiness’,” Xi stressed while adding, “Frontline frictions must be used to polish troop capabilities and training exercises need to incorporate technology.”

In his first order of the Central Military Commission (CMC) in 2021 signed by Xi, he stressed strengthening military training in real combat conditions and the ability to win, reported Xinhua.

The PLA, as the military force of the Communist Party of China, must ‘resolutely implement’ the orders from the CMC and CPC, to mark the 100th anniversary of the party’s founding on July 1 with ‘excellent performances’, he said.

He also suggested a ‘substantial increase’ in the use of technology in its exercises and to keep up with the latest developments in military and hi-tech knowledge.

These included the use of computer simulations and online combat in drills, as well as the exploration of more opportunities to add hi-tech and the internet – known as tech+ and web+ – in training, reported South China Morning Post (SCMP).

“[The PLA must] increase the integration of new equipment, new forces and new combat realms into training and combat systems,” he said.

Last year, in June 2020, China had a bitter experience with India in the Galwan Valley where an undisclosed number of Chinese soldiers perished. A violent face-off took place between the Indian and Chinese soldiers when a sizeable number of Chinese Army transgressed into the Indian side.

Since taking over as president and head of the CMC in late 2012, Xi has consistently pushed the PLA to be prepared for war. He also initiated a massive overhaul of the PLA in 2015 to modernise the Chinese military, planned for completion in 2020, reported SCMP.

In order to checkmate the US in South China Sea PLA also stepped up exercises and air force fly-by operations targeting Taiwan during 2020. (ANI)

Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, India has reported the emergence of bird flu since last week. The presence of the virus is confirmed in the dead birds in Madhya Pradesh and Kerala while Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat, too, have a strong suspicion of avian influenza in dead birds.

Bird flu has been confirmed in two places in Kerala, said state’s Minister for Forest, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development K Raju on Monday.

Even on Tuesday in Jhalawar, Rajasthan 10 birds were found dead. But the report ascertaining the cause of death is yet to come. Till date, 138 birds died in Jhalawar since January 3.

The emergence of bird flu has alarmed the city of Indore and Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh as well. The presence of the virus has been confirmed in the dead crows. Around 100 crows died in Mandsaur between December 23 and January 3. As a precautionary measure, the veterinarians have started conducting investigations in poultry farms.

Meanwhile, animal husbandry department officials in every district have been put on alert and asked to follow standard operating procedures to check the spread of the virus.

In Himachal Pradesh, after hundreds of winter migratory birds were found dead in the Pong Dam Lake sanctuary recently, Kangra District Magistrate on Monday issued an order completely prohibiting the sale, purchase and export of any poultry products in Fatehpur, Dehra, Jawali and Indora areas of the district. The officials have a strong suspicion of Avian influenza in dead birds. However, the medical investigation of the cause is under process.

It also completely prohibited the slaughter of poultry/birds/fish of any breed/age and their related products (eggs, meat, chicken) in all slaughterhouses or in-home or in any place within the areas prohibited by the administration.

Rajasthan Animal Husbandry Minister Lalchand Kataria on Sunday called an emergency meeting of concerned officials over the flu.

Forest, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister of Kerala, K Raju said this virus is not transmissible to humans. (ANI)

The picture of the heart-warming incident wherein a father working in the Andhra Pradesh police force, saluted his daughter in Tirupati of Chittor district, has gone viral on social media.

During the Andhra Pradesh State Police Duty Meet titled ‘Ignite’ the Circle Inspector Y Shyam Sundar saluted his daughter, Yendluru Jessy Prasanthi, who is presently posted as the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Guntur district. Prasanthi also saluted Sundar.

Tirupati SP Ramesh Reddy saw this heart-warming incident and appreciated the father-daughter duo.

Andhra Pradesh Police in a tweet also appreciated the father-daughter duo.

“#APPolice1stDutyMeet brings a family together! Circle Inspector Shyam Sundar salutes his own daughter Jessi Prasanti who is a Deputy Superintendent of Police with pride and respect at #IGNITE which is being conducted at #Tirupati. A rare & heartwarming sight indeed! #DutyMeet,” the police said in a tweet.

The Andhra Pradesh State Police Duty Meet is being held in Tirupati from January 4 to 7. (ANI)

As the ‘Mastani’ of Bollywood, Deepika Padukone, turned 35 on Tuesday, several Bollywood actors, including Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif, extended warm wishes to her.

Bhatt posted a monochrome close-up shot of the ‘Om Shanti Om’ star and termed her an “inspiration”.

“Happy Birthday DP! You are, and you will always be an inspiration of beauty & strength inside out! & here’s to many many more random adventures together…..Love You,” she wrote along with the picture.

Katrina Kaif also hopped on to her Instagram stories and posted a stunning picture of the birthday girl.

“Happy happy happiest birthday to u @deepikapadukone Wishing u all the peace, love, and joy life has to offer,” Kaif wrote along with the picture.

Southern star Prabhas also extended birthday greetings to Padukone who will be starring opposite him for Nag Ashwin’s upcoming sci-fi flick, which also marks Prabhas’ 21st film.

“Happy Birthday to the Gorgeous Superstar @deepikapadukone,” he wrote along with a picture of Padukone that he shared on Instagram.

“Happy Birthday Deepika. Have a splendid one,” read Anushka Sharma’s wish for the ‘Piku’ actor.

Actor turned filmmaker Renuka Sahane took to Twitter to wish Padukone on her 35th birthday.

“Wish you a very happy birthday and a year full of abundant love, joy and success @deepikapadukone,” Sahane tweeted along with a picture of herself and the ‘Padmaavat’ actor.

Born to the renowned Badminton player Prakash Padukone, Deepika made her Bollywood debut with Farah Khan’s ‘Om Shanti Om’, which was a success.

The dimple queen has also delivered several other successful films like ‘Love Aaj Kal,’ ‘Cocktail,’ ‘Bajirao Mastani,’ ‘and Piku’. (ANI)

Aligarh Municipal Corporation seized the bank account of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) after the varsity failed to pay the property tax dues of over Rs 14 crores, an official said on Monday.

Vinay Kumar Rai, Chief Taxation Officer, Aligarh while talking to ANI said that the administration has given enough chances to AMU to pay the dues.

“There was property tax due of around Rs 14.83 lakh crore of Aligarh Municipal Corporation on AMU. The dues were pending for the last 8 to 10 years. In 2019 we have seized the accounts. We have given them enough chances and asked them to pay the dues but they did not do so. Hence we were forced to take the decision of seizing the bank account of Aligarh Muslim University,” Rai told ANI.

The official said that if within a week dues are not paid then “money from AMU’s account will be transferred to Municipal Corporation”.

“We will also think of obfuscating the properties if dues are not clear within a week,” he added. (ANI)

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president and former skipper Sourav Ganguly had an “uneventful last night” and the hospital is planning to discharge him on Wednesday, the Woodlands Hospital said in its most recent medical bulletin.

The bulletin issued on Monday at 11:30 pm also said that the doctors are keeping “constant vigil” on his health situation and appropriate measures are being taken from time to time.

The bulletin said that Ganguly’s Echocardiography (using sound waves to produce live images of the heart) done on Monday shows preserved left ventricular function with an ejection fraction of 56 per cent.

The medical board will meet on Tuesday (today) and discuss regarding his present health condition. He is currently under the care of Dr Saroj Mandal, Dr Soutik Panda, Dr Saptarshi Basu.

On Monday, Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur visited Woodlands Hospital in the city where Ganguly is admitted.

Further, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, Rajya Sabha Member Swapan Dasgupta and senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan also visited the hospital on Monday.

Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Ganguly and enquired about his health and wished him a speedy recovery. He also spoke to Ganguly’s wife Dona Ganguly.

Ganguly was hospitalised at 1 pm on January 2 with “chest discomfort, heaviness of head, vomiting and a spell of dizziness” while performing physical exercise in the home gymnasium at around 11 am. Following this, doctors had conducted angioplasty on him.

On January 2, 48-year-old Ganguly was tested for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which turned out to be negative.

The family members were present during the board meeting and were explained about the disease process and further therapeutic plan. (ANI)

As the agitation against the farm laws entered 40th day, farmer unions on Monday pressed for a complete rollback of the contentious laws at the eighth meeting with the Centre and said that the protests will continue if the acts are not withdrawn.

“Discussion took place on our demands — repeal of the three laws and MSP… Kannon wapasi nahi, to ghar wapasi nahi (We will not go home until the laws are withdrawn),” Rakesh Tikait, spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union told ANI after the meeting held at Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan this evening.

Hannan Mollah, General Secretary, All India Kisan Sabha said that they don’t want a discussion on any other topic except for rollback of farm laws.

“The government is under tremendous pressure. We all said that this is our demand (repeal of the laws). We don’t want a discussion on any other topic except for on repealing of the laws. Protests will not be withdrawn until laws are withdrawn,” Mollah said.

Yudhvir Singh, Bhartiya Kisan Union said that they rejected the government’s request to discuss laws point-wise.

“The minister wanted us to discuss the law point-wise. We rejected it and said that there is no point in discussing the laws because we want a complete rollback of the laws. The government intends to take us towards amendments but we will not accept it,” he said.

Farmer leader Darshan Pal, who also attended the meeting, told the reporters: “The government has now understood that farmer organisations do not want any discussion without repealing the agricultural laws. We told that the government we will accept these acts we will not accept.”

After the eighth round of talks, the Centre could not reach any “solution” as the farmer unions remained “adamant” over repealing of three farm laws, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said after the meeting on Monday.

“We wanted farmer unions to discuss three laws clause-wise. We could not reach any solution as farmer unions remained adamant on the repeal of the laws,” Tomar told reporters here this evening at Vigyan Bhawan.

However, the minister said he is “hopeful” that a conclusion will be found in the next round of talks which will be held on January 8 at 2 pm.

Union Ministers Tomar, Piyush Goyal and Som Parkash along with government officials and representatives of farmers also observed a two-minute silence for farmers who died during the ongoing protest.

Earlier, Tikait had claimed that 60 farmers have so far lost their lives during the ongoing agitation. He further said that one farmer is dying every 16 hours and it is the government’s responsibility to give an answer.Farmers have been protesting at the gates of Delhi since November 26 last year against the newly enacted farm laws — Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance, and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)

Supreme Court will on Tuesday pronounce its verdict on the petitions challenging the validity of the Centre’s plan to redevelop Central Vista project.

A bench of the Apex Court, headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar will pronounce the verdict at 10:30 am tomorrow.

There are a number of petitions challenging the construction of Central Vista project in the Lutyen’s zone, alleging certain violations, including change in land use and environmental compliances.

Earlier, the Supreme Court on December 7 had allowed the foundation stone laying ceremony for the new Parliament building on December 10 but directed that no construction should take place.

A bench of the apex court, headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar, had observed that the central government may lay down the foundation stone for the Central Vista project but no construction, demolition or felling of trees shall take place for the same.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone and performed ‘Bhumi Pujan’ for the construction of the new Parliament building, which is a part of the Rs 20,000 crores Central Vista project on December 10. (ANI)