In Leh, Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi visited Kargil War Mahavir Chakra awardee Colonel (Retd) Sonam Wangchuk on Monday and felicitated him for his contribution to the country and Ladakh region.
Lt Gen Dwivedi was in Ladakh to review the security situation there.
Army veteran Sonam Wangchuk served with the Assam Regiment and the Ladakh Scouts. (ANI)
Dubai on Tuesday removed the requirements for Indian travellers to undergo rapid RTPCR at Indian airports before departing to UAE.
An advisory issued by the Dubai Airport updated the travel requirements for passengers from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The fresh advisory requires Indian nationals to produce a negative COVID-19 test certificate taken up to 48 hours before the scheduled departure of the flight, from an approved health service provider. The passengers will require to undergo a PCR test upon their arrival in Dubai.
For transit passengers, the rules governing entry at the final destination will be applicable.
The responsibility of ensuring that the conditions of travel are met will lie with the airline operators.
The revision in travel requirements will ease the situation for a large number of Indians who either reside in or travel frequently to the city.
India recorded 13,405 new COVID-19 cases and 235 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The country’s active cases currently stand at 1,81,075 and the total number of recoveries in the last 24 hours is 34,226.
The daily positivity rate stands at 1.24 per cent whereas the weekly positivity rate is 1.98 per cent.
As many as 175.83 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far in the country. (ANI)
India will send 50,000 metric tonnes (MT) of wheat to Afghanistan overland through Pakistan on Tuesday. The consignment will be flagged off by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
This comes a few days after India delivered 2.5 tons of medical assistance and clothing to Afghanistan as part of its fifth batch of medical assistance under humanitarian aid to the crisis-torn country.
“We have come from Afghanistan…I am very happy..,” said one of the Afghans who are in India for transporting the wheat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week met members of the Sikh-Hindu delegation from Afghanistan and assured the community of continuous support in the future to resolve all issues and difficulties.
Last month, the Ministry of External Affairs had said that the Indian government is committed to providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.
In a virtual weekly media briefing by the official spokesperson of MEA, Arindam Bagchi had said, “Government is committed to providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people comprising food grains, COVID vaccines, and essential life-saving drugs.”
He also informed that in the last few weeks, 3.6 tonnes of medical assistance and 5,00,000 doses of COVID vaccines have been supplied to Afghanistan. (ANI)
The Indian embassy in Kyiv on Tuesday again advised students to temporarily leave Ukraine rather than wait for an official confirmation from universities amid the growing tensions in the region.
This latest advisory comes against the backdrop of Russia’s decision to recognize the independence of breakaway regions Donetsk and Luhansk.
“Embassy of India is receiving a large number of calls asking about the confirmation of online classes by Medical Universities. In this regard, as informed earlier, Embassy is engaged with respective authorities for streamlining of education process for Indian students. Students are advised, in the interest of their safety, to leave Ukraine temporarily, rather than wait for an official confirmation from universities,” the Embassy said in a statement.
Last week, the Indian Embassy had advised its citizens to leave Ukraine temporarily in view of the continued high levels of tensions and uncertainties.
The advisory issued on Sunday further asked Indian students to contact the associated persons for flights back to India.
Amid escalating situation at the Russia-Ukraine border, the Indian embassy in Kyiv is organising additional flights out of Ukraine. “In view of the continued high level of tensions and uncertainties of the current situation in Ukraine, additional flights are being organised,” the Indian embassy said in an advisory.
During the UNSC briefing on developments in Ukraine on Tuesday, India strongly emphasized the need for all sides to exercise the utmost restraint and intensify diplomatic efforts to ensure a mutually amicable solution.
India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti reiterated that the safety and security of civilians are essential to India.
“More than twenty thousand Indian students and nationals live and study in different parts of Ukraine, including in its border areas. The well-being of Indian nationals is of priority to us,” he added.
Amid an intense spike in shelling in eastern Ukraine by opposing sides, the concentration of Russian troops reportedly continues to increase at the country’s borders.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged all relevant actors to focus their efforts on “ensuring an immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.” He asked all sides to prevent any actions and statements that may further escalate the dangerous situation in and around Ukraine. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the first sports university in Manipur will make the state an international hub for sports.
The Prime Minister talked about the sporting legends of the state in a rally in Imphal.
“In the last 5 years, the BJP has promoted the sports and start-ups culture in Manipur. Manipur is the land of legends such as Mirabai Chanu and Mary Kom. The first sports university in Manipur will make this state an international hub for sports,” said PM Modi.
Last year, Mirabai Chanu hailing from Imphal had won a silver medal in the weightlifting event at the Tokyo Olympics.
Mary Kom has also made a name for herself in boxing. She is the only woman to win the World Amateur Boxing Championship six times and she is the only female boxer to have won a medal in each one of the first seven World Championships.
Prime Minister Modi also said that the work done by the BJP’s double engine government has laid the foundation for the development of Manipur over the next 25 years.
Addressing an election rally in Manipur’s Heingang, the Prime Minister said that the BJP will again form government in the state.
“In the last 5 years, BJP’s double engine government worked towards the overall development of Manipur. You have seen BJP’s good governance and good intentions. Our work in the last 5 years has laid the foundation for the next 25 years. You have witnessed BJP’s good governance as well as a good intention,” said Modi. (ANI)
Karnataka government will ensure that there is no disparity in employment opportunities for those who have studied in open universities, said Dr CN Ashwatha Narayana, Minister for Higher Education.
In his inaugural address of the seminar on ‘Qualitative Reforms in Regulatory Framework to Promote Online Digital Learning (ODL) and OL (Online Learning) Education in the wake of Pandemic and NEP-2020′ in the All India Open Universities Vice-Chancellors’ Meet organized by the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), the minister said that the state government will not allow for any apartheid towards students who pursue in open universities.
He assured this while Prof Vidyashankar, Vice-Chancellor, KSOU, apprised the minister that in recent recruitment by Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), there was a clause mentioning ineligibility for candidates who had studied in open universities.
“There should be equal scope for degrees of UGC-recognized open universities similar to other universities. Any confusion regarding this will be resolved by discussing with the Chief Minister,” Narayana said.
He further opined that the UGC should make certain relaxations to allow open universities to offer online education. Further, Open Universities should introduce new courses in undergraduate and post-graduate courses in order to offer education to greater mass.
The minister emphasized that educational institutions should work in such a way to earn credibility in the public domain. It is necessary to promote online education if the goal of 50 per cent Gross Enrolment Ration needs to be realized in higher education.
It is a challenging task for open universities to update the syllabus on a regular basis and it involves a greater chunk of money to set up the needed infrastructure. Considering this, UGC should release the developmental grant for Open Varsities on yearly basis. Further, Open Varsities have not been able to fulfill NAAC criteria due to the pandemic since their activities are hampered for two to three years and UGS should look into this issue, he stated.
Dr Avichal Kapoor, Joint Secretary of UGC who was also present in the event informed that at present learning 40 per cent content of the syllabus through online learning is permitted as compared to the earlier 20 per cent. (ANI)
The Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL), Kasauli, has cleared almost 6.5 crore doses of Biological E’s COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax based on safety, quality and efficacy parameters, sources said on Tuesday.
The country’s central drug authority has already approved COVID-19 vaccine, Corbevax, for restricted use in emergency situations among adults on December 28, 2019. Biological E received the approval for the restricted use in an emergency situation for the 12-18 age group based on interim results (of the ongoing phase II/III clinical study).
Biological E said that Corbevax is administered through the intramuscular route with two doses scheduled 28 days apart and stored at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius temperature and presented as 0.5 ml (single dose) and 5 ml (10 doses) vial and 10 mL (20 doses) vial pack.
“Biological E conducted the phase I/II, II/III clinical trials of its Corbevax vaccine for adults in the country. In addition, it conducted a Phase III active comparison clinical trial to evaluate superiority over Covishield vaccine,” it said.
Earlier sources on condition of anonymity told ANI that the Central Government has placed an order for as many as five crores Biological E’s vaccine Corbevax.
The Central government had placed an order for as many as 30 crore Corbevax doses in August 2021.
The Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company Biological E on Monday received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) approval from Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for its COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax to be administered between the age group of 12 to 18 years.
It is India’s first indigenously developed Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) protein sub-unit vaccine against COVID-19.
The Corbevax will be the second vaccine after Covaxin which has received approval for those below 18 years of age.
Meanwhile, the health ministry said, “With the administration of more than 35.50 lakh doses (35,50,868) vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 175.83 crore (1,75,83,27,441) as per provisional reports till 7 am today.” (ANI)
The United States and Allies on Monday requested an urgent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Ukraine to be held on Monday, a source told ANI.
Earlier in the day, President Biden signed an Executive Order that will prohibit all new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the “so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics”
Notably, Putin on Monday signed a decree recognizing the independence of breakaway regions Donetsk and Luhansk. Putin made this announcement during a televised address to Russians.
After the announcement, the US said that it will soon impose sanctions on two Russia-backed separatist regions in Ukraine. The US strongly condemned Putin’s decision to recognize the “so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics” as “independent.”
US Ambassador to UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield supported Ukraine’s call for an Urgent Meeting of the UN Security Council.
“Today, Russia announced that it will recognize as “independent states” parts of the sovereign territory of Ukraine in its Donbas region, which is currently controlled by Russia’s proxies. This is an unprovoked violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” she said in a statement.
“We support Ukraine’s call for an urgent meeting of the U Security Council. The Security Council must demand that Russia respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, a UN Member State. The Kremlin’s actions today are a wholesale rejection of the Minsk agreements and a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2202 (2015),” she added.
She criticized Russia’s announcement and said that it is “nothing more than theatre, apparently designed to create a pretext for a further invasion of Ukraine.”
“Every UN Member State has a stake in what comes next. Russia’s actions threaten the international order that since World War I, has stood for the principle that one country cannot unilaterally redraw another country’s borders. This principle is enshrined in the U Charter which all Member States pledge to uphold. We must all stand with Ukraine in the face of this brazen attempt to usurp Ukraine’s sovereign territory. There can be no fence-sitters in this crisis,” her statement read.
Notably, Putin has also ordered the sending of the Russian Armed Forces to Ukraine breakaway regions after recognizing their independence in his Monday address to the nation.
“We are going to be looking very closely at what they do over the coming hours and days and our response will be measured according again to their actions,” a senior US administration official told ANI.
“Russian troops moving into Donbas would not itself be a new step,” the official said adding, “Russia has had forces in the Donbas for the past 8 years.” (ANI)
India recorded 13,405 new COVID-19 cases and 235 deaths in the last 24 hours, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.
According to the bulletin, the country’s active cases currently stand at 1,81,075 and the total number of recoveries in the last 24 hours is 34,226.
10,84,247 samples were collected in the last 24 hours.
The daily positivity rate stands at 1.24 per cent whereas the weekly positivity rate is 1.98 per cent.
As many as 175.83 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far in the country. (ANI)
The Central government on Monday approved the continuation of the Umbrella Scheme of “Border Infrastructure and Management” (BIM) over the 15th Finance Commission Cycle from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said it is committed to improving border infrastructure and management. This decision will strengthen the border infrastructure for improving border management, policing and guarding the borders.
The cost of the scheme from 2021-22 to 2025-26 will be Rs 13,020 crore.
MHA said the BIM scheme will help in the creation of infrastructures such as the construction of border fences, border floodlights, technological solutions, border roads and border outposts (BOPs) and company operating bases (COBs) to secure the Indo-Pakistan, Indo-Bangladesh, Indo-China, Indo-Nepal, Indo-Bhutan and Indo-Myanmar borders. (ANI)
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