Breaking News, March 23

All educational institutions including schools and colleges have been ordered to shut in Telangana, amid a spike in COVID-19 cases. 

The only way by which Sharad Pawar Ji's credibility can be restored is by making Anil Deshmukh resign: Union Minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad

Who is running the show of Maharashtra? Is it the most confused govt in the history of Maharashtra? What is the political direction of this 'vasooli' Aghadi? Sharad Pawar enjoys political credibility but under what compulsion is he defending Anil Deshmukh: Ravi Shankar Prasad

 The car seized today from Daman is being analysed by FSL in Mumbai: Maharashtra ATS Chief

Mumbai ATS holds press conference over Mansukh Hiren death case

The guidelines, issued by chief secretary R.K. Tiwari on Tuesday, state that

• Permission will have to be taken for any public function or procession that is organized on Holi
• Even after obtaining permission, the organizers will have to maintain social distancing and follow other safety protocols
• People above 60 years, children below 10 years and those having comorbidities have been advised to remain indoors during the festival
• Persons coming from states that have a high virus load will have to undergo Covid tests
• Dedicated Covid hospitals will continue to remain operational in every district and tracking, testing and treatment will be aggressively pursued COVID help desk are also being revived
• People will be urged through the public address systems to continue following safety protocols
• Inmates of all jails in the state will be subjected to Covid tests if they have ventured out of the prison

A Lucknow-based doctor has become the first person in Uttar Pradesh to test positive for Covid even after completing the two-dose course of the vaccine.
Nitin Mishra, an emergency medical officer at the Civil hospital, had been vaccinated with Covaxin on February 15 and then on March 16. However, he developed a severe cough along with a mild fever on March 18 and got himself tested on March 20. The report on Sunday revealed he was Covid19 positive and has isolated himself at home because he has only mild symptoms and regularly monitors his blood pressure and blood oxygen levels.

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has seized a high-end car from Daman in connection with the Mansukh Hiran murder case, an official said on Tuesday. The Volvo car with the Maharashtra registration number was seized on Monday, the official said, adding there is no clarity so far on who owned this car. The seized car is kept at the ATS office in Thane neighbouring Mumbai, he said. After arresting two persons on Saturday night in connection with the murder case, the ATS detained a person from Gujarat who had allegedly provided them SIM cards, officials had said, adding they recovered many SIM cards from the person.

The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was closed for traffic on Tuesday due to a landslide and mudslide in Ramban district that left over 200 vehicles stranded, an official said. The 270-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was blocked by the landslide in Digdol area, they said. Work is underway to remove the debris but shooting stones are making the task difficult, they said.

Despite a steady inflow of tourists into Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Union Territory did not report any new COVID-19 case in the last 24 hours, a
health department official said on Tuesday. The coronavirus tally in the archipelago remained at 5,039, he said. "Despite the inflow of around 700-800 tourists every day, the overall coronavirus situation is under control," the official said.
 

Devendra Fadnavis addresses media on 100 crore scam case: Pointers -

1. Anil Deshmukh was not under home isolation from February 15 to 27
2. He had met several officials in between this time frame
3. Maharashtra home minister had arrived in Mumbai through private jet on February 15 and there are documents to prove the same 
4. Police documents have shown evidence for Deshmukh's presence at a Mumbai guest house on February 17
5. True and complete information was not provided to Sharad Pawar
6. Data have shown several call recordings 
7. The case should be handed over to the CBI for investigations 
8. Why is Uddhav Thackeray silent on the whole matter?
9. I will be meeting home secretary today evening to provide complete information

BJP national president JP Nadda releases party manifesto for Assam elections. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal and state Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma are also present.

• BJP MP Sushil Modi has given Zero hour Notice in Rajya Sabha over allegations of an IPS officer against Home Minister of Maharashtra
• YSR MP V Vijaysai Reddy has given Zero hour Notice in Rajya Sabha, "demand to stop disinvestment of Vizag steel plant and to revive Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL)."
• AAP MP Sanjay Singh has given Zero hour Notice in Rajya Sabha, "demand for a solution to growing unemployment in the country."
• AAP MP Sanjay Singh writes to Rajya Sabha chairman Venkiah Naidu," Notice for opposing the introduction of The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (AMENDMENT) Bill, 2021, in the House, since it violates the provisions of the Constitution of India."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday on the occasion of Martyrs' Day (Shaheed Diwas) paid tribute to Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru stating that the sacrifices of these great sons will remain an inspiration for every generation of the country.

India reports 40,715 new COVID-19 cases, 29,785 recoveries, and 199 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry

Total cases: 1,16,86,796
Total recoveries: 1,11,81,253 
Active cases: 3,45,377
Death toll: 1,60,166 
Total vaccination: 4,84,94,594

Sensex rises 203.43 pts to 49,974.72 in early trade; Nifty advances 60.95 pts to 14,797.35

The national capital on Tuesday recorded a minimum temperature of 21.5 degrees Celsius, four notches above the season's average, officials said.
The relative humidity at 8.30 am was 57 per cent, they said. According to MeT officials, the maximum temperature will settle at around 33 degrees Celsius. The weatherman has forecast a generally cloudy sky with light rain later in the day.
 

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) releases a list of 13 candidates for West Bengal elections 

A total of 23,54,13,233 samples tested for COVID-19 up to 22nd March 2021. Of these, 9,67,459 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research

Madhya Pradesh: 10 dead and 4 injured after a bus collided with an auto in Purani Chhawani area of Gwalior, earlier today

Varanasi: In the light of newly reported COVID-19 cases, offline classes have been suspended at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) until further notice. All classes will be held online as per the prior schedule

The number of cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Brazil has exceeded 12 million, the country's Health Ministry said in a statement. The country's case tally increased in the past day by 49,293 to 12,047,526, the ministry said. The country's COVID-19 death toll rose by 1,383 over the past 24 hours to 295,425.

A deputy tehsildar level officer who was deputed on election duty has been suspended for approving five voter IDs for a person in Kasargod, said State Chief Electoral Officer TR Meena on Monday. However, he said that the Commission has not been able to find any political motives behind it. "We have suspended one officer deputy Tehsildar when we found there is a lapse on her part. In Kasargod district one of the officers has approved five voter IDs and that has been detected. The officer has been suspended. We have ordered a detailed investigation in all 140 constituencies," the Chief Electoral Officer said in a press conference.

Spain's public health commission agreed to extend the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine for people up to 65 years old. Previously it had only been used for people younger than 55. The Spanish state TV network RTVE said the decision was taken in a meeting held to identify the groups of the population that should be administered the AstraZeneca vaccine after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said last Thursday that the vaccine was "safe and efficient" and that no links had been discovered between its use and an increased risk of blood clots, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.
 

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he planned to receive one of the country's three registered vaccines on Tuesday. "Vaccination is a voluntary choice for everyone, a personal decision," he said at a meeting on Russia's vaccine production on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported. To date, 6.3 million people in Russia have received the first dose of a domestic vaccine and 4.3 million have received two jabs, Putin said, adding that the vaccine rollout is playing a significant role in curbing the pandemic.

Annual financial assistance of Rs.6,000 for fishermen; crop loan at zero per cent; enactment of anti-conversion law and implementation of anti-cow slaughter law; free tablets for students, the revival of legislative council were some of the promises made by Tamil Nadu BJP in its manifesto. Releasing the manifesto, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises here on Monday Nitin Gadkari said the manifesto gives the highest priority for farmers.
 

Amid the ongoing political tussle in the state, the police on Monday increased the security at the residences of Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh as well as former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. It was a precautionary step, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Zone II Vinita S. Platoons of Riot Control Police (RCP) were deployed at Deshmukh's residence at GPO Square and Fadnavis' residence near Trikoni Park.
 

The 15-year-old daughter of a woman who was murdered in Ulhasnagar in Thane district has been detained while the former's friend has been arrested, police said on Monday. The 40-year-old woman was found dead in the early hours of Sunday and a probe zeroed in on her 15-year-old daughter and her boyfriend who works in a jeans factory in the vicinity, an official said.
 

Odisha's COVID-19 caseload went up to 3,38,963 on Monday after 146 people, including 24 students of a leading management institute tested positive
for the disease, an official said. The state which reported daily new COVID-19 cases below 100 for the last 45 days till March 19, suddenly witnessed a spike in cases and it is in a rising trend for the past four days, he said. While 98 fresh cases were detected on Sunday, the figure increased to 146 on Monday after 24 students including seven women of the B-school tested positive for the infection.