Month: September 2021

Rajnath Singh will be holding a bilateral meeting with the Australian Minister for Defence Peter Dutton in New Delhi at 03:30 PM on Friday.

“Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh will hold a bilateral meeting with the Minister for Defence of Australia, Mr Peter Dutton at 3.30 PM today,” said the Office of the Defence Minister of India on Twitter.
The Australian ministers will also meet Union Minister Smriti Irani at the Shastri Bhawan here.

Australia’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said in a statement that the ministers will be visiting India, Indonesia, South Korea and the United States.

This visit is aimed at advancing Australia’s relationship with their close friends and strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific region, the statement had said. (ANI)

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Navjot Singh Sidhu along with other party leaders on Friday met representatives of farmer unions here, ahead of the state Assembly elections scheduled next year.

“Had a positive meeting with Samyukt Kisan Morcha … Discussed the way forward,” Sidhu tweeted.
Around 32 farmer organisations of Punjab have held meetings in Chandigarh with various political parties of the state, except the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The meetings were scheduled by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha to request political parties not to hold campaigns at various places in the state before the official declaration of the Punjab Assembly elections as it may disrupt their ongoing protest.

Farmers have been protesting since November 26 last year against the three 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.

Farmer leaders and the Centre have held several rounds of talks but the impasse remains. (ANI)

Actor Yami Gautam has expressed her disappointment after several media portals did not mention her and Jacqueline Fernandez in the headlines of the reviews of their new film ‘Bhoot Police’, which features Saif Ali Khan and Arjun Kapoor as male leads.

On Friday, Yami took to Twitter and called out a leading publication for using the names of only male actors in their article’s headline.

She wrote, “Thank you for the feedback but it’s high time for media portals to start acknowledging the fact that a film belongs to the female counterparts as well & to be respectfully mindful while penning their headlines.”

Several social media users also agreed with Yami and shared similar views.

“Agree with you. This patriarchy needs to stop,” a netizen tweeted.

“True mam…female actresses also have to be given credit in articles and everywhere when anyone is talking about the film,” another user wrote.

Speaking of ‘Bhoot Police’, the horror-comedy is directed by Pawan Kripalani. (ANI)

In what comes as a huge move, Chennai Super Kings is looking to get the Indian players who are part of the team to Dubai by Saturday. The boys will then undergo a six-day quarantine and join the rest of the squad members who are already in the IPL 2021 bubble.

Speaking to ANI, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan confirmed the development and said the team is keeping fingers crossed that the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur and Cheteshwar Pujara can fly into Dubai on Saturday.
“Now that the Test match is off, we are looking to get the CSK boys into Dubai tomorrow,” he said.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has offered to England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) a rescheduling of the cancelled 5th Test match which was scheduled to be played at Manchester from Friday. The BCCI and ECB held several rounds of discussion to find a way to play the Test match, however, the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Indian team contingent forced the decision of calling off the game.

The 14th season, which was postponed in May this year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, will resume on September 19 in Dubai with a blockbuster clash between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.

The action will then shift to Abu Dhabi where Kolkata Knight Riders will square off against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Sharjah will host its first game on September 24 when Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Chennai Super Kings. In all, 13 matches will be held in Dubai, 10 in Sharjah, and 8 in Abu Dhabi.

The BCCI has decided to do away with contact tracing devices for the UAE leg, starting on September 19. The Indian board decided that Bubble Integrity Officers will do the necessary contact tracing if any player tests positive for COVID-19 in UAE. The board has come up with a 46-page health advisory that lays down all the pointers that everyone associated with the IPL needs to follow in order to ensure the smooth functioning of the league. (ANI)

Like many others, actor Ananya Panday is also a huge fan of Netflix’s crime show ‘Money Heist’. And if she ever gets a chance to conduct a heist, she would like to do it in Goa and that too in ‘Dhoom’ style.

“I think I would conduct a heist in Goa. I go on my bike like in Dhoom and all, it would be kind of cool,” she said in a Netflix video.

For the unversed, a few days ago, the makers of the hit Spanish show ‘Money Heist’, originally titled ‘La Casa De Papel’, recently released part one of its fifth and final season.

While expressing her love for the show, Ananya spoke about her favourite characters and scenes from the show.

“My first favourite is Denver because he’s super hot, and I love his personality and I love his laugh. And I love Nairobi because I think she is so badass and a strong woman. Also, I think I’d be Tokyo because I would like to believe that I have some of her good qualities. I think we both are spontaneous. I’m a little bada**, and yeah, she knows what she wants,” she added.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Ananya will be seen sharing screen space with Deepika Padukone and Siddhant Chaturvedi in Shakun Batra’s new film. (ANI)

India on Friday reported 34,973 fresh COVID-19 cases, 37,681 recoveries and 260 deaths in the last 24 hours, said the Union Health Ministry. Of these, Kerala recorded 26,200 new cases and 114 deaths.

The Health Ministry said that India’s active caseload stands at 3,90,646, which accounts for 1.18 per cent of the total cases. The weekly positivity rate is at 2.31 per cent. It has been less than 3 per cent for the last 77 days. The daily positivity rate is 1.96 per cent. It has been less than 3 per cent for the last 11 days.

The cumulative number of cases registered across the country has climbed to 3,31,74,954 with new cases reported today.

Presently, the recovery rate is at 97.49 per cent. The total recoveries and deaths reported across the country now stand at 3,23,42,299 and 4,42,009 respectively. A total of 53.86 crore tests have been conducted so far since the onset of the pandemic last year.

In the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive, 72.37 crore vaccine doses have been administered to eligible beneficiaries till date.

“The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from 21st June 2021. The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to States and Union Territories for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain,” said the health ministry.

As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the Government of India has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them COVID vaccines free of cost. In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID19 vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs.

More than 71.94 crore (71,94,73,325) vaccine doses have been provided to States and UTs so far through the Government of India (free of cost channel) and through direct state procurement category. Further, more than 7 lakh doses are in the pipeline.

Over 5.72 crore (5,72,74,025) balance and unutilized COVID vaccine doses are still available with the States and UTs to be administered, said the ministry. (ANI)

Celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi have completely gone virtual this year at the popular Siddhivinayak Temple in Maharashtra’s Mumbai city in view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Priests performed morning aarti which was broadcast live on their official website and Facebook page. Devotees were urged to take an online glimpse of the festivities at the temple. Throughout the day, temple authorities would be keeping devotees updated on the festivities being carried out at the temple with the live session.
The grand celebrations were subdued across the city as Mumbai police imposed section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) from September 10-19 in order to curb the transmission of the virus. No processions of Ganpati will be allowed and more than five persons can’t gather at a place, the Mumbai Police Commissioner’s office had said.

“We are following all government orders and suggested Covid appropriate behaviour in our temple premises. Devotees are not allowed inside temple premises. only priests and necessary staff is inside the temple. But we have arranged online Darshan of Sri Siddhivinayak through our social media pages,” Adesh Bandekar, Chairman of Sri Siddhivinayak Temple Trust.

Before the pandemic, the festival used to be celebrated with much fanfare and pomp in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra with lakhs of devotees converging into mandals to seek blessing from Lord Ganesh.

However, in the live broadcast today, only some priests and temple authorities could be seen performing the aarti and could also be heard chanting religious hymns as they prayed to the lord seeking his blessings.

Last year as well, the celebrations of the festival were subdued due to the rampant surge in COVID-19 cases in the state.

Ganesh Chaturthi, a ten-day festival that starts on the fourth day of Hindu calendar month Bhadrapada, commenced today.

The Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi also known as Vinayak Chaturthi is dedicated to the Lord of new beginnings, Ganesha. (ANI)

Pune city police on Thursday issued a lookout circular against Union Minister Narayan Rane’s wife Neelam Rane and son Nitesh Rane in connection with cases related to unpaid loans taken from a financial institution.

Nitesh Rane and his mother Neelam Rane had availed a loan from a bank amounting to over Rs 61 crore in two different cases. Around Rs 27 crore amount is unpaid in the loan taken by Nitesh Rane while over Rs 34 crore amount is unpaid in the loan taken by Neelam Rane.

The said amount is not paid by both of them and their co-borrower companies have been classified as NPA.

The bank wrote a letter in this regard to the Centre after which the government issued direction to the Maharashtra government to take appropriate action in the matter.

Accordingly, the DG office of Maharashtra police has instructed Pune city police to issue a lookout circular against both. The look circular issued by the Crime Branch of Pune City Police mentions that both Nitesh Rane and Neelam Rane may leave the country to avoid any action in this matter. Police have directed the airport authority and other agencies to inform the police about the travel movement of Nitesh Rane and Neelam Rane in order to take appropriate action if they try to leave the country.

Speaking on this Dilip Walse Patil, Home Minister of Maharashtra said, “One of the organisations had some loan amount pending with them (Nitesh Rane and Neelima Rane) and the matter had reached central govt. A letter was received from the central govt to the state government and it was mentioned in the letter to take appropriate action. It was forwarded further and accordingly action has been taken.” (ANI)

Ford Motor Company will shut its car factories in India but will continue engine manufacturing for export markets.

Ford is the second US auto major after General Motors to shut plants in the value-conscious market.

“Ford restructures India operations, to cease vehicle manufacturing in Chennai and Sanand, progressively wind-down manufacturing of vehicles for export at Sanand plant by Q4 2021 and Chennai engine/vehicle assembly plants by Q2 2022,” the company tweeted on Thursday.

“To continue engine manufacturing for export. To grow Ford Business Solutions (FBS), focusing on engineering, technology and business operations centres of excellence. Remain home to Ford’s second-largest salaried workforce globally,” it added.

Reports said the decision to shut down both factories will impact over 4,000 employees. The sale of models including the Figo, EcoSport and Endeavour will cease once existing inventory at dealers is sold.

Ford was one of the first global car companies to enter India when the economy opened up in early 1990s.

In 2017, General Motors announced it will stop selling vehicles in India as there is no turnaround in its fortunes even after struggling for over two decades. (ANI)