Breaking News, March 16

A fire broke out in a slum in the Khadakpada area in suburban Goregaon on Tuesday evening.

The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professionals Bill, 2020 passed in Rajya Sabha.

IndiGo on Tuesday said it will launch flight services connecting Gujarat's Rajkot with Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad on March 28.

In a statement, the airline's chief strategy and revenue officer Sanjay Kumar said, "Rajkot, known for its casting and forging industries, is one of the prime industrial centres in Gujarat."

"Increased connectivity to Saurashtra's financial capital will boost trade, commerce and tourism in the region," he noted.

The Nagaland government has permitted re-opening of regular session for classes 1 to 5 in the schools across the state from March 22.

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 passed in Rajya Sabha.

Former Cabinet Secretary and Principal Advisor in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), P.K. Sinha, has resigned from his post on personal grounds.

Railways Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday asserted that Indian Railways will never be privatised but said private investment should be encouraged for more efficient functioning.

Gujarat govt has decided to implement night curfew in four metros-Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat & Rajkot from 10 pm to 6 am between March 17 and March 31. Pre-night curfew system will be maintained in these four metros till March 16 from 12 am to 6 am: State Government

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm

The anti-narcotic task force (ANTF) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police has seized 24 kg of contraband marijuana within the last 24 hours. Vinesh Sharma, SSP (ANTF) told reporters that four persons have been arrested during these raids so far, including two women from Uttar Pradesh. "30 Kgs of 'Hashish' (Marijuana) was recovered yesterday (Monday) from Mir Bazaar area of Kulgam district and 15 Kgs were recovered today from Narwal area of Jammu city. Four persons, including two women, have been arrested in this connection. Further investigations are going on," the SSP said.
 

Swapan Dasgupta tenders his resignation as a Rajya Sabha MP. His resignation has been sent to the Chairman of the House, it is yet to be accepted. BJP has fielded him as its candidate for Tarakeshwar seat in the upcoming West Bengal elections 

DMK changes its Aathur constituency candidate for Tamil Nadu elections 2021; Chinnadhurai replaces Jeeva Stalin

Congress releases its manifesto for Tamil Nadu elections 2021 at the party office in Chennai

An aircraft-shaped balloon with 'PIA' written on it, recovered by J&K Police in Bhalwal area of Jammu

Odisha: BJP and Congress MLAs create ruckus in Assembly over pending paddy procurement by the govt 

A major fire broke in an old fruit and vegetable market in Pune early Tuesday morning, destroying at least 25 shops, fire brigade officials said. There was no report of any casualty, they said. The fire broke out around 4 am in the Shivaji Market, a popular establishment in the Cantonment area in
Maharashtra, a fire official said. At least 25 shops were gutted in the blaze, he said.

"After receiving a call about the fire, we sent nine water tankers there and the blaze was doused in half-an-hour," Pune Municipal Corporation's fire department chief Prashant Ranpise said. No one was injured, the official said, adding that the cause of the blaze was yet to be ascertained.

Assam's COVID-19 caseload rose to 2,17,817 as 20 more people tested positive for the infection in the last 24 hours, while one fresh fatality pushed the death toll to 1,099, a bulletin issued by the National Health Mission (NHM) said. Of the 20 new cases, 10 were reported from Kamrup Metropolitan district, Nagaon (4) and Tinsukia (3), it said. Assam currently has 265 active COVID-19 cases, while 2,15,106 patients have recovered from the disease, the bulletin said.

The COVID-19 recovery rate in the state currently is 98.76 per cent.
 

More than 30 lakh people were inoculated against COVID-19 on March 15, the highest in a day so far, taking the total number of vaccine doses administered in the country to 3,29,47,432, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. The vaccination of beneficiaries aged over 60 has touched 1 crore within 15 days, the ministry said.

Of the total 30,39,394 doses given in a span of 24 hours on March 15, 26,27,099 beneficiaries have been administered the 1st dose and 4,12,295 individuals have been given the 2nd dose, according to the data compiled at 7 am.

Congress MP Shakti Sinh Gohil has given Zero Hour Notice in Rajya Sabha over the issue of "COVID-19 vaccines supply to foreign countries before completing the vaccination of citizens of the country."

Daman & Diu: Fire breaks out at a factory in Dabhel area

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has given Zero Hour notice in Rajya Sabha over "strike and agitation of bank employees against proposed privatisation"

Mizoram on Tuesday reported two new cases of COVID-19, pushing the coronavirus tally in the state to 4,439, an official said. The two patients aged 60 and 56 belong to the Aizawl district, he said. The state currently has 12 active COVID-19 cases, while 4,417 people have recovered from the disease. The COVID-19 recovery rate in Mizoram is 99.51 per cent and the infection rate is 1.83 per cent, he said.
 

With the addition of 983 new cases of coronavirus, the infection count in Maharashtra's Thane district has gone up to 2,77,569, an official said on Tuesday. These new cases were reported on Monday, he said. Six more people also died of the viral infection, raising the toll in the district to 6,343, he said, adding that the COVID-19 mortality rate in Thane is 2.29 per cent.
 

India reports 24,492 new COVID-19 cases, 20,191 recoveries and 131 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry.

Total cases: 1,14,09,831
Total recoveries: 1,10,27,543  
Active cases: 2,23,432
Death toll: 1,58,856
Total vaccination: 3,29,47,432

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Sensex up by 207.9 points, currently at 50,602.98; Nifty at 14,980.65

Ludhiana on Monday became the first city in India to extend Covid vaccination to the people beyond the priority group listed by the Centre. In a decision taken on late Monday evening, the district administration of Ludhiana allowed ongoing vaccination programme to all the employees of all government/private banks, government/private schools, the staff of food grain agencies, judicial officers/court staff/advocates, journalists, members of the Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) who have worked to check the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.

People gather at Dadar Market in Mumbai to purchase vegetables

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will visit India at the end of April in what will be his first major international trip after Britain’s exit from the European Union as part of efforts to boost UK opportunities in the region, his office said on Monday.

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Telangana: A seven-year-old boy, Virat Chandra, from Hyderabad has scaled Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa

The surge in COVID-19 cases continued in Tamil Nadu, with the state logging 836 fresh infections, including a returnee from Armenia, taking the caseload to 8.60 lakh, while four more fatalities took the toll to 12,551. The state has been reporting an increase in cases since March 5, with recoveries being on the lower side as against the earlier trend of outnumbering fresh infections. On Monday too, the number was lesser with 553 people getting discharged, taking the cumulative number to 8,42,862, leaving 5,149 active cases, a health department bulletin said.

A Pakistani paramilitary soldier was killed and 10 others were injured in an explosion claimed by the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army on Monday.
The terror attack in Karachi's congested Orangi town was carried out through a bomb planted on a parked motorcycle which was detonated when a Rangers vehicle passed through the area. The outlawed separatist militant group, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), claimed responsibility for the attack in which one soldier of the paramilitary Rangers was killed and 10 others, including two Rangers personnel, were injured.
 

 A 40-year-old woman allegedly hanged herself from the ceiling inside her house in southeast Delhi’s Kalkaji area on Monday evening, police said
The deceased has been identified as Shweta. She was divorced and living with her mother, they said.

"Information regarding the incident was received at 6:42 pm, following which police reached the spot where they found the body. No suicide note was recovered from the spot. The body has been shifted to AIIMS," Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) RP Meena said.

The Rajasthan government gives priority to the agriculture sector and a new “agriculture budget” will be introduced in the state from next year to fulfill the dreams of farmers, Agriculture Minister Lal Chand Kataria said on Monday. Efforts are being made to provide all facilities to the farmers online through innovations. Also, the department is working to provide agricultural equipment on rent, Kataria said. He was replying to the discussion on demand for grants in the state assembly following which the House passed over Rs 37.56 billion for agriculture and Rs 18.29 billion for animal husbandry departments by a voice vote.
 

A POCSO court awarded 10 years imprisonment to a man for raping a minor and also slapped a fine of Rs 1.80 lakh on him. Special public prosecutor Utakarsh Vats said that an FIR was lodged at Modinagar Police Station against Shushil for raping a minor in 2019. He was known to the victim’s family and visited her house often, Vats said.

Chief Special Judge of POCSO court Mahendra Srivastav pronounced the verdict. According to Vats, the convict had borrowed Rs 3 lakh from the victim’s father but refused to return the money when asked. 

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat Monday expressed disagreement with his successor Tirath Singh Rawat's decision to dilute some COVID-19 restrictions for those attending the ongoing Mahakumbh. Trivendra Singh Rawat said coronavirus cases are rising once again in the country and all precautions need to be taken again the virus.

His remarks came in the backdrop of Chief Minister Rawat's announcement that pilgrims need not produce negative COVID-19 reports 72 hours prior to their arrival in Haridwar for the Mahakumbh.