Month: January 2022

The Central Government has convened an all-party meet likely at 3 pm on January 31 to discuss Budget Session.
The Budget Session will get underway on the same day with the Presidential address at 11 am followed by the laying of the Economic Survey. The Union Budget will be presented on February 1, 2022.

The all-party meeting has been called by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi to deliberate with the opposition on issues that they would like to discuss during the session while the government will also give them a close view of the agenda and Legislative business that they would likely follow in the next one year.

Sources also told ANI that the all-party meeting would be followed by a meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Executive Committee and then the NDA floor leaders meeting.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been attending these meetings and is often seen urging the opposition to allow smooth functioning of the House and that his government would allow debate on all issues.

The last two Sessions of Parliament were stormy as the Monsoon Session was completely washed out because of the opposition’s insistence on a discussion on Pegasus. On the other hand, Winter Session was completely washed out over the opposition’s insistence for the resignation of MOS of Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni, whose son is currently in jail for allegedly mowing down protesting farmers.

The Budget Session will be held from January 31 till February 11 and the second part of the Budget Session will get underway on March 14 and will continue till April 8.

March 18 will be a holiday on account of Holi. (ANI)

A grand granite statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will be installed at India Gate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday.

“At a time when the entire nation is marking the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, I am glad to share that his grand statue, made of granite, will be installed at India Gate. This would be a symbol of India’s indebtedness to him,” the Prime Minister said in a tweet today.
The Prime Minister said that till the time the grand statue of Netaji Bose is completed, a hologram statue of the freedom fighter would be inaugurated on January 23.

“Till the grand statue of Netaji Bose is completed, a hologram statue of his would be present at the same place. I will unveil the hologram statue on 23rd January, Netaji’s birth anniversary,” tweeted PM Modi.

In a major development, it is learnt from sources that from this year, R-Day celebrations will start on January 23 — birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose (125th year this time). It will end on January 30, the day Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated.

Official sources have informed that the dimensions of Netaji’s statue would be 28 feet in height and 6 feet in breadth.

Also, the flame at the India Gate will be extinguished after 50 years and will be merged with the flame at the adjoining National War Memorial (NWM) in the run-up for Republic Day.

Amar Jawan Jyoti has its own history. It is spread over 40 acres in the India Gate complex behind the canopy and is dedicated to soldiers killed during wars for India’s safety.

The Canopy earlier had a statue of Kind George 5th, which was removed in 1968. Canopy’s original top, with gilded Tudor Crown bearing Royal Cyphers of King George V were removed on August 12, 1958. In 1968, the statue of King George V was removed, kept in store briefly and then moved to Delhi’s Coronation Park.

Republic Day is celebrated annually on January 26 every year. (ANI)

Thwarting a possible terrorist attack ahead of Republic Day, Punjab Police on Friday have seized RDX, a grenade launcher, two compatible grenades, nine electrical detonators and two sets of timer devices for IEDs from Gurdaspur.

The police have also arrested one person.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Border Range Mohinish Chawla on Friday said that 40 mm Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) with two 40 mm compatible grenades, 3.79 Kg RDX, nine electrical detonators and two sets of timer devices for IEDs from Gurdaspur.

As per the information, UBGL is a short-range grenade launching area weapon with an effective range of 150 meters and It could be detrimental to the VVIP security as well.

The recovery was made on the disclosure of Malkeet Singh, a resident of village Gazikot in Gurdaspur, who was arrested by the Gurdaspur Police on Thursday, based on secret information.

The police have also booked co-conspirators of Malkeet, identified as Sukhpreet Singh alias Sukh Ghuman, Tharanjot Singh alias Thanna and Sukhmeetpal Singh alias Sukh Bikhariwal; all residents of Gurdaspur, besides, Pakistan-based International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) chief Lakhbir Singh Rode and fugitive gangster Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla.

IG Mohinish Chawla said that investigations hitherto, in this case, has revealed that the arrested accused Malkeet was in direct contact with Sukh Ghuman, who had further conspired with ISYF chief Lakhbir Rode, an individual designated terrorist under UA (P) Act and fugitive gangster Arsh Dalla, native of Moga and now based in Canada. The consignment of explosives were sent by Lakhbir Rode from Pakistan, he added.

SSP Gurdaspur Nanak Singh said that the role of Malkeet Singh in retrieval and delivery of firearms/explosive consignments intended for recently busted ISYF terror module busted by SBS Nagar Police, was revealed during investigation therein.

He said that the FIR No. 11 dated January 20, 2022 under sections 17 and 18 of UA(P) Act, sections 4 and 5 of Explosive Substances Act, section 120B of IPC and sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of Arms Act has been registered at Dinanagar Police Station.

“Investigations are on to identify remaining members of the busted terrorist modules, recover the remaining terrorist hardware received by them and unravel the entire conspiracy, hatched by ISI of Pakistan and Lakhbir Rode,” he added.

The role of Lakhbir Rode was also found in killing of Comrade Balwinder Singh at Bhikhiwind on October 16, 2020 besides in the recovery of tiffin IED, RDX, arms and ammunition from his relative Gurmukh Singh Rode from Jalandhar in August 2021.

Lakhbir Rode’s role was also prominently figured in the recently busted terror module at SBS Nagar. Sukhmeetpal Singh alias Sukh Bhikhariwal, who is presently lodged in Tihar Jail, Delhi was also involved in the killing of Comrade Balwinder Singh and in case of a murderous attack on Honey Mahajan at Dhariwal on February 10, 2020.

He was deported from Dubai in December, 2020. Sukh Bhikhariwal provided foot soldiers, arms and ammunition, logistics, funds, etc for execution of these crimes.

It is pertinent to mention that during November-December 2021, the Gurdaspur Police had busted two terrorist modules controlled by ISI of Pakistan and arrested four members of the modules besides recovered around 1 Kg RDX, six Hand Grenades, one Tiffin Box IED, three electrical detonators and two pistols. (ANI)

Delhi continues to register a dip in its daily COVID-19 cases, reporting 10,756 new cases of the disease during the last 24 hours, said the state government on Friday.

As per a bulletin provided by the health department, the positivity rate for the day currently stands at 18.04 per cent. A total of 59,629 samples were tested during the last 24 hours.
With this, the total count of cases of the disease in the national capital has gone up to 17,71,028.

During the last 24 hours, 17,494 people recovered from the infection, taking the total recoveries in Delhi to 16,83,533.

38 people died due to the deadly virus during the last 24 hours. The death toll in the national capital due to the virus currently stands at 25,541.

There are currently 61,954 active COVID-19 cases in the state out of which 48,356 are in home isolation. There are currently 42,239 active containment zones in the national capital.

As per the bulletin, there are currently 2,656 patients admitted to hospitals across Delhi. Out of this, 101 patients are suspected to be infected with COVID-19 while 2,555 are confirmed to have the disease.

Out of the 2,555 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 2,174 are from Delhi while 381 are from outside the national capital.

Of the confirmed COVID-19 cases, 925 patients are currently on Oxygen support, 855 on ICU support and 156 on ventilator support.

82.93 per cent of beds are vacant in COVID-19 dedicated hospitals across Delhi, with only 2,656 out of a total of 15,557 beds being occupied by patients, the bulletin said. Similarly, 94.1 per cent of beds are vacant in the COVID-19 care centres, with only 273 out of 4,626 beds being occupied by the patients. In the COVID-19 health centres, 92.86 per cent of beds are vacant, with 14 out of 196 beds being currently occupied by the patients.

During the last 24 hours, 91,869 COVID-19 vaccination doses were administered out of which 45,386 people were administered their first dose while 32,638 people received their second dose of vaccine.

During the last 24 hours, 23,084 beneficiaries aged 15-18 were administered their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, taking the total of children aged 15-18 having received their first dose to 7,07,876.

During the last 24 hours, 13,845 precaution doses of the vaccine were administered to healthcare workers, frontline workers and senior citizens above 60 years of age. With this, a total of 1,89,283 precaution doses have been administered in the national capital.

To date, a total of 2,90,26,901 vaccination doses have been administered out of which 1,67,62,535 people have received their first dose of the vaccine while 1,20,75,083 people have been administered their second dose. (ANI)

Actor and YouTube sensation Prajakta Koli has partnered with United Nations Development Programme India (UNDP) to spread awareness among people regarding climate issues.

As UNDP India Youth Climate Champion, Prajakta will be entrusted with the responsibility of interacting with young minds to create awareness on the adverse impacts of climate change, global warming and biodiversity loss that are being felt by all sections of the society, especially the poor and marginalised communities, impacting their lives and livelihoods, and also the economy as a whole.

She will address the need for collective action sharing inspirational stories of how governments, communities and individuals are taking definite steps to make a real difference.

Excited about the roles and responsibilities, Prajakta said, ” am extremely humbled and honoured to have been entitled with this unique responsibility to champion a cause that is close to my heart. As the very first UNDP India Youth Climate Champion, I would like to produce and participate in opportunities that propel conversations around climate action and the urgent measures we must take.”

She added, “The youth need to be the torchbearers of this revolution and foot soldiers who will work towards the common goal of an enriched and empowered future where the human species doesn’t become endangered. We have created this problem, but we can solve it too. With UNDP, I will strive to work with young minds across the globe to take appropriate measures for climate action.”

On the acting front, she will be seen sharing screen space with Anil Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and Kiara Advani in ‘Jug Jugg Jeeyo’. (ANI)

Fondly known for portraying diverse roles with perfection, actor Sushant Singh Rajput would have turned 36, if he were alive today.

Remembering the powerhouse of talent, Bollywood celebrities took to their social media handles to pay their tributes to the late actor on his birth anniversary.
Anushka Sharma shared a happy picture of her ‘PK’ co-star on her Instagram story and captioned it as “In remembrance,” alongside a heartbroken emoticon.

Bhumi Pednekar also shared a picture of the late actor in which he is seen smiling happily in a white shirt. She captioned the post by writing “In remembrance Sushant Singh Rajput” with a white heart emoji. The duo has worked together in the 2019 movie ‘Sonchiriya’.

Calling Sushant a “star in the sky”, Kangna Ranaut also paid her tributes to the late actor by sharing a fan-edited picture on her IG story.

Shraddha Kapoor who worked with the late actor in their 2019 blockbuster hit film ‘Chhichhore,’ took to her IG story and shared a smiling picture of Sushant with a purple heart emoticon.

Siddhant Chaturvedi, who is currently basking in the praises after the release of his upcoming movie ‘Gehraiyaan’s trailer; also remembered the late star on his Instagram. After sharing a slew of reactions from the Bollywood stars about the trailer, he shared a smiling picture of Sushant and wrote, “Just missing this one reaction. Happy birthday Bhai.”

Sanjana Sanghi also shared a still from ‘Dil Bechara’ featuring herself and Sushant dancing together. She captioned the picture as “Happy birthday, our shooting star” on her IG story.

Earlier in the day, actor Rhea Chakraborty, Vaani Kapoor, ‘Dil Bechara’ director Mukesh Chhabra and others also dedicated special social posts in remembrance of the late actor.

Sushant died by alleged suicide in his apartment on June 14, 2020. His passing away triggered a massive controversy, with his family alleging foul play and levelling several allegations on his girlfriend and actor Rhea Chakraborty.

Sushant was last seen on the silver screen in ‘Chhichhore’, co-starring Shraddha Kapoor. His last movie, ‘Dil Bechara’, was released digitally a month after his death. The actor has been a part of several hit films including ‘Kai Po Che!’, ‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!’, ‘M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story’, ‘Kedarnath’ and ‘Sonchiriya’. (ANI)

Sports Authority of India on Friday informed that 33 new COVID-19 have been reported at the SAI National Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru.

Out of the 128 test results, 33 cases have turned out to be positive among the players and the coaches.
“16 athletes and one coach from the Senior Men’s Hockey team, training at the centre ahead of the upcoming FIH Pro League in South Africa, have tested positive. They are all asymptomatic,” stated in an official statement.

“Among the Junior Women’s Hockey girls training for the junior Women World Cup on April, 15 have tested positive. While 3 are asymptomatic, 12 of them are symptomatic,” stated further.

Apart from these, two other positive members constitute a Senior Women Hockey team player, who is symptomatic and a masseuse from the Athletics team.

“SAI is taking all the necessary steps to treat the players in isolation and help them recover steadily,” stated further. (ANI)

In a historical move by the Centre ahead of the Republic Day celebrations, the Amar Jawan Jyoti or the “eternal flame” for soldiers at India Gate was merged with the torch at the National War Memorial in a ceremony on Friday.

A part of the flame was carried to the war memorial this afternoon in a ceremony that was presided by the Integrated Defence Staff chief Air Marshal Balabadhra Radha Krishna.
Krishna laid a wreath after which a torch was lit from the Amar Jawan Jyoti and the flame doused.

The torch was then taken to the national war memorial by a ceremonial guard from Guards Regiment of the Indian Army.

After travelling for around 150 metres, the torch was used to symbolically merge the flame from Amar Jawan Jyoti with the one at the National War Memorial.

Air Marshal Krishna presided over the ceremony at both the locations.

The India Gate memorial was built by the British government in memory of the British Indian Army soldiers who lost their lives between 1914-1921.

In a big revelation, for the first time, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Incharge of Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has said that she is the face of the party in the state for the upcoming Assembly elections.
During a press conference, answering a question that when other parties have Chief Ministers’ faces and they too are contesting polls, who is leading Congress, she replied, “I am the face of the party. Do you see any other face from the party in the State?”

Although, when asked that will she contest the Assembly polls, Priyanka said, “that will be decided at a right time.”

Priyanka Gandhi’s statement will have a political impact on the polls in Uttar Pradesh, as it is the first time she made a statement like this but she is still reluctant about the disclosure of her candidature in the state.

Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi released the youth manifesto in Delhi for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls in which 20 lakh jobs are promised, of which eight lakhs have been promised for women.

Uttar Pradesh assembly elections will be held in seven phases from February 10 to March 7. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7.

The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has ordered airports and airlines to strictly follow the ‘one handbag rule’ where the passengers travelling by flights will be allowed to carry only one bag inside the cabin of the aircraft.

CISF has asked the airlines and airports to implement the earlier Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) one-bag order.
“As per BCAS AVSEC Circular Nos. 06/2000 & 11/2000, no passenger should be permitted to carry more than one handbag other than those items already listed in the circular including a lady’s bag,” said the CISF order.

“However, it has been seen that passenger on average carries 02-03 No. of handbags to the screening point,” added the order.

The BCAS has further informed the airlines to put a message on boarding passes and tickets of the passengers to make them aware of the development.

“All airlines may be directed suitably to inform pax and to display ‘one handbag rule’ on their tickets, boarding passes very conspicuously,” said the order.

Airport Operators may be instructed to place hoarding/banner/board/standees display, the contents of the ‘One handbag Rule’ near the check-in counters, vantage locations before SHA at the airports, to that passengers get sensitized and if required, have an option to switch the extra handbags to registered baggage,” the order read. (ANI)