Month: April 2023

India recorded 11,109 new cases of Covid-19 infection in the last 24 hours, a sharp jump from yesterday when 7,830 cases were reported, as per the daily health bulletin released by the Union Health Ministry on Friday.

The active caseload stood at 49,622, which is 0.11 per cent of the total cases, added the Union Health Ministry.
The country witnessed 6,456 recoveries in the last 24 hours increasing total recoveries to 4,42,16,583.

The daily positivity rate stood at 5.01 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was at 4.29 per cent.

The recovery rate currently stood at 98.70 per cent.

With 467 doses administered in the last 24 hours, a total of 220.66 cr total Vaccine doses (95.21 cr Second Dose and 22.87 cr Precaution Dose) have been administered so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive.

92.37 cr Total Tests conducted so far; With the 2,21,725 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, the total tests so far rose to 92.37 crores.

On Thursday, India recorded 10,158 new Covid-19 cases, 30 per cent more than Wednesday.

Amid the recent upsurge in the number of Covid cases, medical experts have warned that the new XBB1.16 variant is able to evade the immune system of the people and the upcoming four weeks are very crucial. (ANI)

While inspecting the route before the upcoming Char Dham Yatra, Uttarakhand Health Secretary Dr R Rajesh Kumar on Friday took stock of health services and arrangements as he reached Govindghat, the main stop of the Shri Hemkund Sahib Yatra which is going to start on May 20.

Notably, the Sikh Sangat coming from India and abroad start their journey to Hemkund Sahib Dham from here.

On Thursday, Dr Kumar inspected Health ATMs installed at sub-district hospital Srinagar and base hospital Srikot.

During his inspection, Kumar also gave necessary guidelines to the hospital administration for the smooth functioning of the Health ATMs and asked officials to keep a technical person posted at these ATMs for the convenience of the pilgrims.

The Health Secretary said, “I have asked Chief Medical Officer, Pauri, to work promptly with the paramedical staff in travel arrangements with complete preparations. 50 health ATMs have been set up by Hewlett Packard Enterprises under CSR in various medical units identified in the Garhwal division on the Yatra route for health screening pilgrims. Parameters like blood pressure, sugar level, body temperature, oxygen content, body fat, 70 free tests including index, dehydration, pulse rate will be done.”

“Health services are being improved on the Yatra route, and the number of Health ATMs will be increased in the coming time. The officer was directed to run an intensive checking campaign of food items in various hotels, dhabas and restaurants by forming a team on the travel route coming under the Pauri district,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the state government has made all arrangements to ensure a smooth and hassle-free Char Dham pilgrimage this year.

“All preparations for Char Dham Yatra have been completed. More than 12 lakh pilgrims have registered and we have made all arrangements to ensure that everyone has a smooth and hassle-free journey to the pilgrimage sites,” Dhami told ANI.

On Sunday, Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) president Ajendra Ajay visited the temple along with officials of various departments and inspected ongoing reconstruction works while also reviewing the travel arrangements for pilgrims.

The doors of Kedarnath Dham will open on April 25 and those of Badrinath Dham will be thrown open on April 27. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it a point to celebrate the country’s cultural diversity and festivals by participating in them and Friday is no exception, as he will be in Guwahati to witness the historic Bihu celebrations.

Assam will witness a historic moment on April 14 as more than 11,000 boys and girls will participate in the Bihu celebrations.
Known for his oraotirial skills and a deep understanding of the cultural heritage of India, PM Modi, has over the years, established his connect with the country’s diverse cultural roots through his participation in events.

On April 13, Prime Minister Modi participated in the Tamil New Year celebration at the residence of his cabinet colleague L Murugan, where not only did he talk about the rich cultural and traditional heritage of the southern state but also wore the traditional attire — veshti at the function. He also expressed what Tamil and Tamilians meant to him.

PM Modi said a large population of his assembly constituency, Maninagar in Gujarat, were Dravidians, who voted him to power as CM.

Earlier, on April 9, PM Modi visited the Sacred Heart Church in Delhi’s Connaught Place on the occasion of Easter.

Also, PM Modi used to be invited by former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu to his residence for the celebration of Ugadi, at the former attended every time with great enthusiasm.

In February 2023, PM Modi inaugurated the ‘Barisu Kannada Dim Dimava’ cultural festival at Talkatora Stadium in the national capital. He also took a walkthrough at the exhibition. The festival, held under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, celebrated Karnataka’s culture, traditions and history.

In November 2022, PM Modi participated in the celebrations of the birth anniversary of Sikh guru Shri Guru Nanak Dev at the residence of the National Commission for Minorities chairperson Iqbal Singh Lalpura.

PM Modi also addressed the Manipur Sangai Festival in November last year.

With signature enthusiasm and festive fervour, PM Modi, in October 2022, participated in the Kullu Dussehra celebrations at the Dhalpur Ground of Kullu, Himachal Pradesh.

It is believed that PM Modi is a devotee of Lord Durga because he also observes a fast for nine days during Navratri. In September 2022, he participated in the Navratri celebrations in Ahmedabad.

Earlier, PM Modi was also seen attending Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s residence in August 2022.

In May 2022, he offered prayers at the Mahaprinirvana Stupa at Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. He also made an official visit to Lumbini, Nepal (birthplace of Buddha), which coincided with the auspicious occasion.

In April 2022, PM Modi attended Bihu celebrations organised by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at his Delhi residence.

PM Modi also visited Sri Guru Ravidas Vishram Dham Temple in Delhi on Ravidas Jayanti in February 2022.

Earlier, on the occasion of Dev Deepawali, PM Modi participated in the Mahotsav in Varanasi, which is a revered place for Shiv Bhakts and also his Lok Sabha constituency.

Taking note of the religious significance of the place, the Central government under the leadership of PM Modi also established the Kashi Vishwanath corridor.

He also paid a visit and offered prayers at the Mahakal temple, in Bhopal, while unveiling the Mahakal corridor last year.

He also attended ‘Chuda Dahi Bhoj’ at former Union Minister Late Ram Vilas Paswan’s residence, on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. (ANI)

The United State’s Montana is one step closer to imposing a complete ban on the use of the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform ‘TikTok’ with the lower chamber passing the proposed restriction on the mobile application on Thursday (Local Time), The Montana Standard reported.

On Thursday, 69 people voted in the favour of the ban on TikTok while 39 are against it in the Republican-led Legislature in Montana’s parliament.
Senate Bill 419 would ban application stores from Apple and Google from offering TikTok within the state and envisions tens of thousands of dollars in fines for companies found violating its terms.

The Republican-led Legislature’s focus on the social media company appears to be as much about shadowboxing with China as it is about privacy concerns. In the lower chamber, Representative Brandon Ler has stated that they are facing the threat from the Chinese Communist Party, who are hiding behind TikTok.

“We know the Peoples’ Republic of China is one of our top adversaries, yet we allow them to freely gather information about Montanans, Montana’s companies and the intellectual property of its users,” he added.

Democrats argued the bill was too narrow, and if the actual concern is companies’ extraction of user data, it ought to ban any social media company that does so. Rep. Katie Sullivan, D-Missoula, also pointed to the state Constitution’s provision about local and special legislation, which states the Legislature shall not pass a special or local act when a general act can be made, according to The Montana Standard.

“I don’t believe that this bill as written is taking privacy seriously,” Sullivan said. “We know very well that social media companies are doing the same thing, other ones, they are selling and trading and using Montanans’ data, and they are sending it to servers located all over the world.”

During the floor debate Thursday, Sullivan proposed an amendment that would have broadened the bill’s prohibition to any social media company that shares user data with foreign adversaries. That amendment failed to pass on a 48-51 vote, The Montana Standard reported.

Earlier, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before US Congress amid growing security concerns and potential Chinese government influence over the company. He faced hostile questioning from the US House Energy and Commerce Committee.

US Lawmaker Debbie Lesko during her line of questioning quoted India and other countries that have recently banned TikTok in some form.

“This (TikTok) is a tool which is ultimately under the control of the Chinese government and screams out with national security concerns Mr Chew, how can all of these countries and our FBI director be wrong? asked Lesko.

In response, Shou Zi Chew said, “I think a lot of risks pointed out are hypothetical and theoretical risks. I have not seen any evidence.”

The Congresswoman once again reiterated and stressed India’s decision on banning TikTok.

“India banned TikTok in 2020. On March 21, a Forbes article revealed how data of Indian citizens who used TikTok remained accessible to employees at the company and its Beijing-based parent. A current TikTok employee told Forbes that nearly anyone with basic access to company tools can easily look up the closest contact and other sensitive information about any user,” Lesko informed her colleagues. (ANI)

The preparations for the upcoming Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand are in their final stages, with the registration of the pilgrims pending verification, officials said.

For verification, scanner machines will be installed at Barkot for Yamunotri, Hina for Gangotri, Sonprayag for Kedarnath and Pandukeshwar for Badrinath.
According to officials, there will be 3-way verification of registration of pilgrims for the Char Dham Yatra.

Passenger wrist band, and a copy of physical registration will be deemed valid and a pilgrim’s registration will be verified by scanning the QR code on mobile.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Uttarakhand Health Secretary Dr R Rajesh Kumar inspected Health ATMs installed at sub-district hospital Srinagar and base hospital Srikot, ahead of the annual prilgrimage.

During his inspection, Kumar also gave necessary guidelines to the hospital administration for the smooth functioning of the Health ATMs, asking officials to keep a technical person posted at these ATMs for the convenience of the Char Dham pilgrims.

The Health secretary said, “I asked the chief medical officer, Pauri, to work with the paramedical staff in making travel arrangements and ensuring other necessary preparations. As many as 50 health ATMs have been set up by Hewlett Packard Enterprises under (Corporate Social Responsibility) CSR in various medical units identified in the Garhwal division, on the Yatra route, for regular health check-up of pilgrims. Parameters like blood pressure, sugar level, body temperature, oxygen content, body fat, and 70 free tests, including index, dehydration, and pulse rate, will be done.”

“Healthcare services are being improved on the Yatra route, and the number of Health ATMs will be increased in the coming days. The health officer was also directed to run an intensive checking campaign of food items in various hotels, dhabas and restaurants by putting together a team on the prilgrimage route in the Pauri district,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the state government has made all arrangements to ensure a smooth and hassle-free Char Dham pilgrimage this year.

“All preparations for Char Dham Yatra have been completed. More than 12 lakh pilgrims have registered and we have made all arrangements to ensure that everyone has a smooth and hassle-free journey to the pilgrimage sites,” Dhami told ANI.

On Sunday, Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) president Ajendra Ajay visited the temple along with officials of various departments and inspected ongoing reconstruction works while also reviewing the travel arrangements for pilgrims.

The doors of Kedarnath Dham will open on April 25 and those of Badrinath Dham will be thrown open on April 27. (ANI)

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that there was a greater acceptance among Group of 20 (G20) member countries that any new regulations on the crypto assets need to be globally coordinated.

“I am glad to say that there is a greater acceptance among all G20 members, that any action on crypto assets will have to be global. “the G20, I think, has responded fairly with alacrity (on the crypto challenge),” Sitharaman told reporters at a news conference after a meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors.
“The G20 and its members agree that it’s not going to be possible to have an independent, standalone country dealing with the crypto assets,” the minister added.

Sitharaman told reporters that the group has willingly responded to the issue. A “synthesis paper” would be taken up on matters related to crypto assets during India’s G20 presidency.

India has maintained it wants a collective global effort to deal with problems posed by cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, and the finance ministry back in February said it had held a seminar for G20 member states to discuss how to come up with a common framework.

Earlier in February, Sitharaman had said, “We are going through the study process so that there can be informed discussion. International Monetary Fund (IMF) and also the Financial Stability Board (FSB) have been doing their own little work on the crypto matter and progressing on their own. We’ve now asked them to do the papers and give it to us and the rapidity with which these papers have been already from IMF given and from FSB which will be given in time for the July meeting. I feel that we are progressing in this direction. So something should develop.”

She made the remarks while responding to a question regarding a consensus among the G20 nations on crypto assets during India’s Presidency.

“Recognising the risks attached to the private virtual assets, G20 nations moved a step closer to developing a coordinated and comprehensive policy approach to deal with the crypto assets by considering macroeconomic and regulatory perspectives,” she said.

The Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has for several years debated drafting a law to regulate or even ban cryptocurrencies but has not made a final decision. The Reserve Bank of India has said that cryptocurrencies should be banned as they are akin to a Ponzi scheme. (ANI)

Soon after an appeals court judgement that limited an earlier ruling that would have revoked the abortion pill’s clearance for use, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) will move the Supreme Court to stop limits on the sale of mifepristone, Al Jazeera reported.

The ruling was made shortly after an appeals court upheld a number of access limitations on abortion pills.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently permitted the mailing and distribution of mifepristone to patients between seven and ten weeks of pregnancy, but that appeals court nevertheless placed various restrictions on its use.

According to Al Jazeera, following the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v Wade last June, which ended the US Constitution’s protection of the right to an abortion, the anti-abortion rights organisations have turned their attention to the availability of abortion drugs like mifepristone.

Since then, other states governed by Republicans have imposed extensive abortion restrictions.

Last Friday, a federal judge in Texas granted an order that would have momentarily halted the FDA’s approval of mifepristone while he reviewed legal arguments regarding the availability of the medication.

However, the judge postponed his decision for seven days to enable the federal government to file an appeal.

A federal court in Washington state issued its ruling less than two hours later, saying the FDA must maintain access to abortion medications in more than a dozen states with Democratic governors. Since the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade last year, the two verdicts represent the most important abortion-related precedents, CNN reported.

The overturning of Roe vs Wade demonstrates the tangible impacts that it has on patients seeking access to medical procedures. On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the US abolished abortion rights while overturning the constitutional right granted to women in a historical 1973 ruling called Roe vs Wade.

After the Texas judge issued the ruling, the US Food and Drug Administration issued the following statement Friday night saying that the drug is safe and effective for its indicated use.

The decision by the Texas judge on the abortion pill received widespread reactions.

US President Joe Biden declared that his government would challenge the Texas judge’s decision to block the FDA’s approval of an abortion drug.

“My Administration will fight this ruling. The Department of Justice has already filed an appeal and will seek an immediate stay of the decision. But let’s be clear – the only way to stop those who are committed to taking away women’s rights and freedoms in every state is to elect a Congress who will pass a law restoring Roe versus Wade,” Biden said in a written statement. (ANI)

In a marathon review meeting related to the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday advised strengthening the routine policing and asked all agencies to work in a coordinated manner for a successful conduct of G-20 meeting scheduled to be held in Srinagar next month.

The meeting started at 3 pm at the North Block office of the Ministry of Home Affairs and concluded around 7 pm.

In the high-level meeting attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla among other senior officials, Shah reviewed the functioning of the security grid and various aspects related to security.

He reiterated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India is “committed towards zero tolerance against terrorism.”

Shah also reviewed the Area Domination Plan, Zero Terror Plan, Law and Order situation, cases related to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and other security-related issues.

The Home Minister appreciated the efforts of the security agencies and administration of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for a substantial reduction in cross-border infiltration and improvement in law and order and also advised strengthening the routine policing.

The Home Minister also reviewed the preparation of the G-20 Meeting which is scheduled to be held in Srinagar in May 2023 and asked all agencies to work in a coordinated manner for the successful conduct of the event.

Director General of Police Jammu and Kashmir Dilbagh Singh and other senior officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Central Armed Police Forces attended the meeting.

Director Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, R&AW chief Samant Kumar Goel, National Investigation Agency DG Dinkar Gupta and Central Reserve Police Force Director General SL Thaosen also attended the meeting.

Similar meetings are chaired by the Home Minister from time to time to review the status of Jammu and Kashmir where several civilians and security force personnel are being targeted by militants over the years and several personnel have lost lives in such attacks.

Senior officials of the Government of India, including the Officers from Jammu and Kashmir also attend the meeting.

The Home Minister in his three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir in October last year had also reviewed the security situation in the Union Territory.

Shah also held a review meeting in New Delhi on December 28, 2022, over the security situation and development aspects of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) Ram Madhav on Thursday sent a legal notice to former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik, who claimed that he (Ram Madhav) was involved in corruption.

Madhav through legal notice stated, “Malik made untrue and defamatory statements to stay relevant in a political circle”

Ram Madhav, Rashtriya Karyakarini Sadasya of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in legal notice stated, “You the addressee are well known in the political circles, however, lately owing your fading popularity and relevance, and to stay relevant in the social life of this country, for the sake of gathering public attention through sensationalism you have made certain untrue, defamatory, and incriminating statements on the said YouTube channel in an interview on 08.04.2023 in conspiracy with the interviewer of a Youtube channel.”

Madhav seeks immediate issuance of an open and public apology from Malik within 48 hours of receipt of this Notice, for the mental agony and harassment faced by him.

A legal notice sent through Advocate Ayush Anand stated, “Malik deliberately and Maliciously conspired to defame my client Ram Madhav.”

It stated, “In a conspiracy to defame my client the editors and interviewer have deliberately and maliciously defamed my client by imputing his involvement in some health insurance scheme.”

Madhav stated that the claim made by Malik are baseless, disgraceful, and utter falsehood. This is nothing but an attempt to influence, albeit maliciously, an ongoing investigation into the matter related to Hydel Power Project that the CBI is conducting.

Ever since your interview was broadcasted, my client has been receiving phone calls and Twitter messages regarding the same. It is deeply disturbing for his regular work of nation-building of great importance. He is also receiving calls from many media groups and other organisations because of your act of gross misrepresentation of the facts and speaking untrue conjectures, stated the legal notice.

“Because of the baseless and unacceptable allegations made in the video interview his political image and credential among the masses are severely tainted, which may hurt him in future by creating negative prejudice,” stated the lawyer through legal notice.

Recently Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera targeted Ram Madhav in Satyapal Malik’s interview on a YouTube Channel and said, “Malik had claimed that a senior RSS functionary had offered him a bribe to clear two files related to ‘Ambani’ when he was the Jammu and Kashmir governor. Satyapal Malik in an interview had claimed the RSS functionary as Madhav.” (ANI)

Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) on Thursday issued an alert to all the States and the Union Territories (UTs) about a possible cyber attack from a suspected group from Indonesia allegedly targeting 12,000 government websites across the country, top sources said.

Ministry of Home Affairs’ I4C wing alerted the States and the UTs following their findings about the Indonesian cyber attack group hatching a conspiracy to implement their ill intentions.
The inputs shared with the States and the UTs clearly mentions a potential attack on government-run websites whether it is under state governments and the Central government.

Concerned officials have been asked to take necessary preventive measures to thwart the cyber attack which is expected soon.

In November last year, hackers from China managed a ransomware attack on Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) servers. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) then said that five physical servers were infiltrated by hackers from China.

The data in the five servers was successfully retrieved but the MoHF had said the damage could have been far worse.

Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar has also said that the ransomware attack on the servers of AIIMS Delhi was a conspiracy and that it was planned by forces that were pretty significant.

In a ransomware attack, cybercriminals lock access to data or a device and promise to unlock it after they are paid the desired ransom.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi allegedly faced a cyber attack on November 23, paralysing its servers. A case of extortion and cyber terrorism was registered by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Delhi Police on November 25.

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Delhi cybercrime special cell, Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, Intelligence Bureau, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Forensic Sciences University, National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre and among others which are investigating the cyber attack. (ANI)