Breaking News March 2 | Highlights

Keeping in view the IMD forecast of possible hot weather across Odisha during the summer, the Odisha government revised the school
timings, an official notification issued by the School and Mass Education (S&ME) department said.

Elections to the 30-member Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) will be held on April 4, the State Election Commission said on
Tuesday. State Election Commissioner Manik Lal Dey said that the counting of votes will take place on April 8.

Congress constitutes a Screening Committee for upcoming elections in Kerala; HK Patil appointed Chairman of the committee

Haryana Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya has given assent to the Bill providing 75 per cent reservation in the private sector to job seekers from the state, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said his Facebook page was recently hacked but was restored within a few hours.

The national leadership of BJP and every worker of the party has come here to connect to the Bengali brothers and sisters to re-establish the identity of Bengal and carry forward a new change through this: UP CM Yogi Adityanath in Malda

West Bengal has always been a land of cultural nationalism in India. It has been the land of the revolution for India's freedom struggle. Today it hurts us, the entire country, when we see an environment of anarchy here: UP CM Yogi Adityanath in Malda

In a bid to maintain an eco-friendly environment, the Bihar government has commissioned 12 electric low-floor buses in the state. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar flagged off these buses on Monday. Besides, 70 more luxury and semi-luxury buses were also rolled out over the roads of Bihar.
 

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad receives the first dose of the COVID19 vaccine at AIIMS

Ravi Shankar Prasad receives COVID-19 vaccine

Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam President Kamal Haasan receives the first dose of COVID19 vaccine at Chennai

Kamal Haasan receives the first dose of COVID19 vaccine

The Budget Session of Delhi Assembly to be held from 8th to 16th March 2021

Flipkart on Tuesday said it has expanded its grocery services to more than 50 cities via Marketplace and aims to reach over 70 cities in the next six months. Flipkart's grocery business has witnessed 3 times growth in the last year and the expansion will boost market linkages for food processing industry and farmers, the company said in a statement.

Grocery continues to be one of the fastest-growing categories, with the increase in demand for quality food and household supplies from users.

"We have witnessed increased demand for groceries from tier 2 cities in the past year, fuelled by customers increasing preference for contactless shopping, from the comforts of their home. It is a trend that we think will continue and will set the course of e-grocery space in India," said Manish Kumar, Senior Vice President - Grocery, General Merchandise and Furniture, Flipkart.

The Special Task Force (STF) of the Kolkata Police has seized over five kg of heroin, worth Rs 25.09 crore in the international market, from West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman district and arrested a person in this connection, a senior officer said on Tuesday. Acting on a tip-off, the STF sleuths conducted a search operation at Rasulpur Bazar in Memari on Monday night and recovered the contraband from the drug peddler's vehicle, he said.

"We had information about the person that he would come to deliver the drugs to an agent. We recovered 5.08 kg of heroin from his possession and seized his vehicle," the officer said.

Union Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi receives the first shot of COVID-19 vaccine at Rampur, Uttar Pradesh

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi receives vaccination

BJP national president JP Nadda arrived here on Tuesday to address the party's state executive meeting. Party national general secretary and in-charge for Rajasthan Arun Singh, state BJP president Satish Poonia and other leaders received Nadda at the airport. A large number of party workers were present outside the airport who gave the BJP president a grand welcome.

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje and other leaders were present on the occasion.

Jammu and Kashmir: National Conference MP Farooq Abdullah takes his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science in Srinagar

Farooq Abdullah vaccinated 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the Maritime India Summit 2021. 

India has as many as 189 lighthouses across its vast coastline. We have drawn up a program for developing tourism in the land adjacent to 78 lighthouses, said Modi during Maritime India Summit 2021

The Indian cricket team's head coach Ravi Shastri on Tuesday received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a city hospital. Shastri, who is 58, thanked the staff at the Apollo Hospital for their co-operation and support. "Got the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Thank you to the amazing medical professionals & scientists for empowering India Flag of India against the pandemic, the former India cricketer tweeted.

Bombay High Court grants bail to former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta who is an accused in the TRP scam

Delhi Court says it will hear Nikita Jacob's plea, seeking anticipatory bail in the toolkit case, on March 9th. The Court grants time to Delhi Police to file a reply on her anticipatory bail plea

Mumbai: BJP MLAs protest at the State Assembly against Maharashtra Government

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan planted a sapling at Shymala Hills in Bhopal today

IndiGo flight 6E 1412 from Sharjah to Lucknow was diverted to Karachi due to a medical emergency. Unfortunately, the passenger could not be revived and was declared dead on arrival by the airport medical team:

Drug major Cipla on Tuesday said it has received final approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for Sumatriptan Nasal Spray, indicated for the treatment of migraine attacks. The newly approved product is a generic therapeutic equivalent version of GlaxoSmithKline's Imitrex Nasal Spray.

The company has received final approval for its abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) for Sumatriptan Nasal Spray, 20 mg from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), Cipla said in a regulatory filing.

Six persons were killed and about 20 seriously injured when a coal-laden truck overturned in the Bhognipur area on Tuesday morning. The truck was carrying labourers who were on their way to Firozabad. The labourers were seated on top of the coal-laden truck.

All of them belong to the Hamirpur district. As the truck approached Maukhas village, the driver apparently lost control and the vehicle overturned.

Normal life was affected in Kerala during the initial hours of Tuesday as a dawn-to-dusk motor strike, called by a joint committee of various trade unions to protest the spiralling fuel price in the country, began. State-run KSRTC buses did not operate while taxies, auto-rickshaws and private buses remained off the roads across the state since the agitation began by 6.00 am. Commercial vehicles including trucks and lorries were also not plying to express solidarity with the stir, called by Samyuktha Samara Samithi, an umbrella organisation of various trade unions.

The national capital recorded a minimum temperature of 15.3 degrees Celsius on Tuesday morning, two notches above the season's average, the India Meteorological Department said. According to MeT officials, the maximum temperature will be around 29 degrees Celsius. The relative humidity was recorded at 62 per cent.The weatherman predicted strong surface winds during the daytime.

The air quality in the national capital was recorded in the moderate category. The air quality index (AQI) was 175 at 8.05 am, real-time data of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed. 

The BSE gauge Sensex rose over 190 points to trade above the 50,000-mark in the opening session on Tuesday on account of broad-based buying by participants amid positive domestic and global cues. Analysts said investor sentiment remained upbeat due to encouraging GDP numbers for the third quarter as well as return of calmness in global bond markets after last week's turmoil.

The 30-share BSE index was trading higher by 191.45 points or 0.38 per cent at 50,041.21 in opening deals. The 50-share NSE Nifty advanced 65.10 points or 0.44 per cent to 14,826.65 in early trade. On the Sensex chart, 26 shares were trading with gains.

On Monday, the Sensex had risen by 749.85 points or 1.53 per cent; and the Nifty had gained 232.40 points or 1.60 per cent.

Two top Republican lawmakers have introduced a legislation in the House of Representatives calling for the US to resume formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan and end the outdated and counter-productive “one- China" policy. The US maintained normal diplomatic relations with the government in Taiwan until 1979 when then-President Jimmy Carter abruptly cut off formal ties with Taipei and recognised the Communist regime in Beijing. China views Taiwan as a rebel province that must be reunified with the mainland, even by force.

Introduced by congressmen Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry, the bill directs the Biden administration to support Taiwan’s membership in international organisations, and to initiate negotiations with Taipei on crafting a US-Taiwan Free Trade Agreement.

BJP MP from Khandwa, Nand Kumar Singh Chauhan passed away in Medanta Hospital, Delhi-NCR last night. He had tested positive for COVID-19 and was undergoing treatment 

Rajya Sabha TV and Lok Sabha TV merged into Sansad TV. Retired IAS officer Ravi Capoor appointed as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for a period of one year or until further orders, whichever is earlier

India reports 12,286 new COVID-19 cases, 12,464 discharges and 91 deaths in the last 24 hours

Indian skipper Virat Kohli became the first cricketer to hit 100 million followers on Facebook-owned photo and video-sharing social networking platform Instagram. Kohli has joined Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Argentine forward Lionel Messi, Hollywood actor and former pro-wrestler Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson, American singer-songwriter Beyonce, and Ariana Grande in the 100 million club.

Kohli is also the fourth most followed sportsperson on Instagram.

Pakistan may witness a resurgence in the number of COVID-19 cases that might lead to a third wave of coronavirus in the country as restrictions related to the virus have been relaxed, Dawn reported citing health experts. Moreover, there has been a lukewarm response of even health workers to the government-run vaccination campaign. As many as 1,176 COVID-19 cases were reported on Monday.

The country has reported over 5,81,00 COVID-19 cases and 12,896 deaths so far.

The first Covid-19 vaccination campaigns in Africa using doses provided by COVAX, a global initiative for equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines, began in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

The campaigns follow vaccine deliveries to both countries last week, with Ghana taking delivery of 600,000 doses on February 24 and Cote d'Ivoire 504,000 doses two days later, the WHO said in a press release on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Another 5,455 people in Britain have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,182,009, according to official figures released. The country also reported another 104 coronavirus-related deaths.

The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 122,953. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test, Xinhua news agency reported.

Farmers in a village destroyed crops in a four-acre area on Monday in protest against the contentious farm laws. The incident occurred at Umraya village of Chhata subdivision "With the consent of a majority of villagers, crops grown in the four-acre area was ploughed on Monday," RLD state vice president Kunwar Narendra Singh said.

He claimed that such acts by farmers would lead to an acute shortage of cereals, forcing the government to go for import. "Repeal the three farm laws without further delay to prevent such suicidal steps of the farmers," Singh demanded,

Odisha's COVID-19 caseload on Monday mounted to 3,37,277 after 86 more people tested positive for the infection, while the state government
launched the inoculation drive for senior citizens and comorbid people in the age group of 45-59 years, a health department officials said. The state during the day also registered the recovery of 76 patients which took the number of cured persons to 3,34,647, which is 99.22 per cent of the caseload.

The state's case fatality ratio (CFR) stands at 0.56 per cent while its positivity rate remains at 4.04 per cent, he said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's brother Baban Banerjee met with an accident on Monday night as a pickup truck hit his car near Chingrighata in Kolkata, police said. Nobody was injured in the accident that happened around 9.55 pm on the EM Bypass, they said.

The pickup truck was seized and its driver detained following the accident, a police officer said. 

A “serial rapist” wanted in multiple cases of crime against women was arrested following an encounter with the police in Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida on Monday, officials said. The accused, also involved in cases of loot and thefts, was held after he got injured in the gunfight that broke out in the Surajpur Police Station area at around 10 pm, the officials said.  

An illegal country-made pistol along with some ammunition was seized from the possession of the accused, who has been hospitalised for treatment.

Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday as the state government launched the third phase of the inoculation drive for senior citizens and people in the age group of 45-59 with comorbidities. The 52-year-old minister was administered the first dose of the vaccine at the Gauhati Medical College Hospital where several prominent people, including retired bureaucrats, also received their first dose.

Hitting back at former chief minister Farooq Abdullah over his veiled attack on the BJP terming its leadership "divisive forces", senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta on Monday said that divisive politics is the trademark of the National Conference (NC) and it has attained expertise in the field. Gupta, a former deputy chief minister, said terming the BJP divisive is an age-old tantrum of the NC patron to hide his party's "misdoings by virtue of which Jammu and Kashmir has been ruined".

Abdullah on Sunday said he wanted the Congress to remain united and strong to fight "divisive forces" in the country. 

India is sending a consignment of 1,000 metric tonnes of rice and 100,000 hydroxychloroquine tablets to Madagascar in response to the east African country's appeal for assistance to deal with a humanitarian crisis triggered by a severe drought, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday. The humanitarian assistance is being delivered onboard Indian Naval Ship Jalashwa, which will leave with the food and medical assistance on March 3 and is expected to reach the Port of Ehoala in Madagascar between March 21 and 24, 2021, the MEA said in a statement.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to beef up security in Kolkata and neighbouring districts of North and South 24 Parganas, considering that these areas are more sensitive than several others, an official said on Monday. The notification for the first phase of the Assembly
elections in West Bengal covering 30 constituencies will be issued on Tuesday.

The ECI has taken a decision to withdraw a section of the personnel of the Central Armed Police Force (CPAF) from other districts and deploy them in the city and the two districts, the official said.

Amid growing ties between India and the Arab world, six Indian Air Force (IAF) Su-30-MKI fighters will take off for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday to participate in the multinational exercise 'Desert Flag'.

The exercise comes soon after the Indian Rafale jets were provided mid-air refuelling support by the Emirate's Air Force tankers while they were coming to India from France.

Britain’s Prince Philip, the 99-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth, was transferred to a different hospital in central London to have tests for a pre-existing heart condition and receive treatment for an infection

An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 on the Richter scale hit Nicobar islands at 11.51 pm yesterday

An earthquake of magnitude 2.9 on the Richter scale hit Morigaon, Assam at 1.32 am today