Author: LokMarg

The downward trend in COVID infections continued in the country with India logging 795 new cases in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health informed on Tuesday.

Active cases in India have declined further to 12,054, and the active COVID caseload now constitutes 0.03 per cent of the country’s total positive cases.

There has been a sustained fall in the weekly and daily positivity rates too, said the Ministry.

In a press release, a Ministry said, “Weekly positivity rate in the country currently stands at 0.22 per cent and the daily positivity rate is also reported to be 0.17 per cent.”

The Ministry also informed that as many as 58 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative COVID death toll to 5,21,416.

With 1,208 recoveries from the virus at a recovery rate of 98.76 per cent, the cumulative tally of recovered COVID patients since the beginning of the pandemic stands at 4,24,96,369.

India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 184.87 crore (1,84,87,33,081) as per provisional reports till 7 am today. The Ministry said that this has been achieved through 2,22,15,213 sessions.

“COVID-19 vaccination for the age group 12-14 years was started on March 16, 2022. So far, more than 1.92 crore (1,92,18,099) adolescents have been administered with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine,” the release stated.

In the last 24 hours, a total of 4,66,332 COVID-19 tests were conducted across the country. India has so far conducted over 79.15 crore (79,15,46,038) COVID cumulative tests. (ANI)

President Ram Nath Kovind along with his wife Savita Kovind visited Keukenhof Tulip Garden in the Netherlands.

To mark 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and the Netherlands, a Tulip flower was named ‘Maitree’
President Kovind along with his wife and the First Lady Savita Kovind arrived in Amsterdam on a three-day official visit.

Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Henk Staghouwer, received President Kovind at Schiphol International Airport.

Earlier on Wednesday, MEA’s joint secretary Rudrendra Tandon said President Kovind, during the visit, will hold discussions with His Royal Majesties and PM Mark Rutte.

He will also host a cultural performance there to be graced by King Willem -Alexander and Queen Maxima, Tandon said. (ANI)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said in Lok Sabha that his high-pitched voice does not reflect anger and he does not get angry other than on Kashmir question.

Moving the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill 2022 for consideration and passage in the House, Amit Shah said that the bill was aimed at making the investigation of crime more efficient and expeditious and increasing the conviction rate.
He sought to allay the apprehension of opposition members about the bill including on the right to privacy.

As opposition benches made some comments, Amit Shah said he will respond to the point made by “Dada”. As a Trinamool Congress member quipped in a lighter vein that the minister responds to Dada in an angry tone, the minister made everyone smile with his reply.

“I never scold anyone. My voice is a little high-pitched. It is my manufacturing defect. I do not get angry, get so on Kashmir question,” he said.

Parliament had in August 2019 passed a bill to abrogate Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. During the passage of the bill, there was a heated exchange between Amit Shah and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Responding to Chowdhury, Amit Shah had then said “What do you think we are doing. We are ready to sacrifice our life for the country.”

The House later took up discussion the bill that provides for legal sanction for taking appropriate body measurements of persons who are required to give such measurements to “make the investigation of crime more efficient and expeditious”.

The bill seeks to define ”measurements” to include finger impressions, palm-print and foot-print impressions, photographs, iris and retina scan, physical, and biological samples and their analysis.

It seeks to empower the National Crime Records Bureau to collect, store and preserve the record of measurements and for sharing, dissemination, destruction and disposal of records.

The bill also seeks to empower a Magistrate to direct any person to give measurements and empower police or prison officer to take measurements of any person who resists or refuses to give measurements.

The bill was introduced in Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni. (ANI)

The Centre on Monday appointed senior Indian Foreign Service officer Vinay Mohan Kwatra as the new foreign secretary.

Kwatra, a 1988-batch IFS officer, is currently serving as Ambassador in Kathmandu since January 2020. He will replace incumbent Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, a 1984-batch IFS officer.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Kwatra to the post of Foreign Secretary upon the superannuation of Harsh Vardhan Shringla on April 30, a Ministry of Personnel order issued on Monday mentioned.

Born in 1965, Kwatra holds a degree of Master in Science (M.Sc.) He has previously served at the Ministry of External Affairs, and Prime Minister’s Office as Joint Secretary.

Kwatra has also served as Minister (Commerce) at the Embassy of India in Washington D.C. from May 2010 to July 2013. Between July 2013 and October 2015, Kwatra headed the Policy Planning & Research Division of the Ministry of External Affairs and later served as the head of the Americas Division in the Foreign Ministry where he dealt with India’s relations with the United States and Canada.

Kwatra has served in different positions in many of India’s missions abroad and in India. Kwatra holds an experience of nearly 32 years in a range of assignments. (ANI)

After undergoing a political crisis, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday nominated former chief justice, Gulzar Ahmed, as the caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan.

The announcement was made by the Pakistani Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry.

He said Imran Khan made this decision after approval from the PTI’s core committee, according to Dawn newspaper.

Gulzar Ahmed’s nomination follows a letter written earlier today by President Dr Arif Alvi to the prime minister and Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif to propose names of suitable persons for appointment as caretaker premier under Article 224-A(1 )of the Constitution, the Pakistani newspaper reported.

This comes a day after the National Assembly deputy speaker disallowed a no-trust confidence motion against Imran Khan. Also. President Arif Alvi dissolves National Assembly on Khan’s advice.

Ahmed, who was sworn in as the 27th chief justice of Pakistan on December 21, 2019, was born on February 2, 1957, in Karachi. He has served as the chief justice till February 2022, according to Dawn newspaper. (ANI)

Former Congress Haryana party chief Ashok Tanwar joined Aam Aadmi Party in the national capital on Monday in presence of party national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Tanwar extended greetings to Kejriwal for giving him the opportunity to join the party and said that AAP stands for honest politics and robust governance. His decision to join the AAP came as the Arvind Kejriwal-led party is expanding its footprints in the country buoyed by electoral success in Punjab Assembly elections recently.

“My commitment to serve people is sacrosanct! As a step forward in my pursuit of public service, I am glad to commit myself to Aam Aadmi Party, which has stood for honest politics and robust governance. My gratitude to Arvind Kejriwal for giving me this opportunity,” Tanwar tweeted.

“I call upon the youth, marginalized, peasants, poor, women to join this process of reawakening. Let’s join hands to make a Brighter Haryana, a Better Haryana, a Bold Haryana,” he added.

Tanwar, after quitting Congress in 2019, has been on a party-hopping spree while also launching his own party ‘Apna Bharat Morcha’ in February 2021. He had joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in November 2021.

He was once known to have been a close aide of the former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi when he was in-charge of the Indian National Youth Congress (INYC). Tanwar was the chief of INYC.

However, Tanwar after a prolonged turf war with the former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda quit Congress in October 2019 ahead of the state Assembly polls.

In the 2019 Haryana Assembly elections, Tanwar had extended his support to Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) and campaigned against Congress.

In 2009, he won the Lok Sabha elections from Sirsa in Haryana as a Congress candidate. However, he had lost the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. (ANI)

South Delhi Municipal Corporation on Monday ordered officers concerned to take action for the closure of meat shops during the nine-day period of the Navaratri festival that is being observed from April 2 to April 11.

In a letter written today by the Mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Mukkesh Suryaan, it read, “Keeping in view the sentiments and feelings of the general public necessary directions may be issued to the officers concerned to take necessary action for the closure of meat shops during the nine-day period of the Navaratri festival extending from April 2, 2022, to April 11, 2022.”

South Delhi Municipal Corporation notified that during the auspicious period of Navaratri, devotees to Goddess Durga observe fast for nine days with a strict vegetarian diet and abstain from the use of non-vegetarian food items, alcohol and also certain spices. The area in the city is also coloured in consonance with the festival, the official statement read.

“During Navaratri days, people visit temples to pay their respect to the Goddess and to seek blessings for themselves and their families. In these days, people forgo even use of onion and garlic in their diets and the sight of meat being sold in open or near temples makes them uncomfortable. Their religious belief and sentiments are also affected when they come across meat shops or when they have to bear with the foul smell of the meat on their way to offer their daily prayers to the Goddess. Moreover, some meat shops dump waste in gutters or beside the road, which the stray dogs feed on,” the letter read.

Suryaan added that it is not only unhygienic but also an appalling sight for passersby. “Such events can be restricted if the meat shops are closed down during the period of the Navaratri festival in the area under the jurisdiction of South Delhi Municipal Corporation and the closing of meat shops near temples is also necessary to maintain the cleanliness in and around temples.” (ANI)

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) of the Indian Air Force crashed on Monday during a sortie in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, informed a government official.

According to the official, the reason behind the crash is yet to be ascertained.

“The cause of the crash will be ascertained through an inquiry,” the Indian Air Force official said.

More details are awaited. (ANI)

Veteran actor Neetu Kapoor has posted a video of Nora and herself where they can be seen grooving to Nora Fatehi’s popular song, ‘Pyaar Do Pyaar Lo’.

She took to her Instagram handle and posted a behind-the-scenes video where she can be seen sitting on her seat and grooving along with Nora on the famous song, ‘Pyaar Do Pyaar Lo’. In the video, Neetu looked ravishing in a beautiful white dress paired with a floral print shrug, whereas, Nora looked stunning in a white short dress.

Along with the video, she wrote, “Little masti on @dancedeewanejuniors @norafatehi.”

As soon as she shared the video, Nora commented on the post, “How are we sooooo cute. Too much fun!

For those unlearned, Neetu will be making her television debut with the dance reality show ‘Dance Deewane Juniors’ as a judge. She will be joined by Nora and choreographer Marzi Pestonjee to judge the reality show. Karan Kundra will hosts the reality show. (ANI)

It’s a girl! Actors Debina Bonnerjee and Gurmeet Choudhary have welcomed their baby girl on Sunday.

The star couple shared the good news with their fans and followers through social media on Monday. In an Instagram Collab post, the new parents uploaded a beautiful clip featuring a glimpse of their baby girl’s little hand.

“With utmost gratitude we welcome our “BABY GIRL” into this world. 3.4.2022. Thank you for all your love and blessings. Love & Gratitude. Gurmeet & Debina,” the caption read.

The sweet post flooded with congratulatory messages in the comments section.

“Yaaaayyyyy !!!! OMGGG….. I loveeeee youuuuuuuu both and our little angel. Congratulationsssss,” Munmun Dutta wrote.

“Congratulations,” Arjun Bijlani added.

“Heartiest congratulations,” Rashami Desai chimed in.

For the unversed, Gurmeet and Debina tied the knot in 2011. The couple shared the pregnancy news in February 2022.

Earlier, on Sunday, comedian Bharti Singh announced on social media that she has welcomed a baby boy with her husband Haarsh Limbachiyaa. (ANI)