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Pensioners provided with multiple options by EPFO to submit digital life certificates

New Delhi (NVI): In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has facilitated multiple options for EPS pensioners to submit their DLC (Digital Life Certificate), close to their home or at their doorstep, the Ministry of Labour & Employment said today.

Since senior citizens are at a higher risk for severe illness from coronavirus, EPFO has been ensuring timely release of pension and bringing services at their doorstep.

All pensioners of Employees’ Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS’95) are required to submit Jeevan Pramaan Patra (JPP)/Digital Life certificate (DLC) each year to continue drawing pension. In the current pandemic situation, EPFO has provided pensioners multiple options to submit digital life certificates.

As per the ministry, these initiatives will benefit approximately 67 lakh EPS pensioners out of which about 21 lakh are widow/widower, children and orphan pensioners.

In addition to the 135 regional offices and 117 district offices of EPFO, EPS pensioners can now submit DLC at pension disbursing bank branch and nearest post offices. DLC can also be submitted at nation-wide network of over 3.65 lakh Common Services Centers (CSC). Apart from this, EPS pensioners can also submit DLC using the UMANG app, the Ministry said.

Recently, India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has launched the doorstep Digital Life Certificate (DLC) service for pensioners. EPS pensioners can now submit online request for availing doorstep DLC service on payment of a nominal fee. A postman from the nearest Post Office will visit a pensioner and complete the process of generating DLC at the home of the pensioner only.

As per fresh guidelines, EPS pensioners can now submit DLC at any time during the year, as per their convenience. The life certificate will remain valid for one year from date of submission of DLC. The pensioners who have been issued Pension Payment Order (PPO) in 2020 need not upload JPP till completion of one year. Earlier, all EPS pensioners were required to submit the DLC in the month of November.

This resulted in difficulties faced by pensioners due to long queues and generated rush for submission of Digital Life Certificate. This pro-pensioner step has been taken to provide hassle-free social security cover to EPS pensioners, the Ministry said.

-ARK

On National Press Day, PM lauds media for helping spread Covid-19 awareness

New Delhi (NVI): On the occasion of National Press Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the media has been doing exceptional service by spreading awareness against COVID-19 and has acted as a valuable stakeholder in helping the government in its initiatives.

The Prime Minister added in his written message on the day being celebrated virtually with a webinar organised by the Press Council of India, “Be it positive criticism or highlighting success stories, the media has been continuously adding strength to India’s democratic ethos.”

“From creating mass awareness about important issues to contributing to a behavioural change in society for the larger good, we have seen how the media as a valued stakeholder has furthered the efforts of the government and helped many initiatives like Swachh Bharat and water conservation grow into mass movements in the last few years,” he said.

In his message, Modi said he was heartened to learn that the Council was celebrating the day.

The webinar being held on the theme ‘Role of media during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the media’ with participants from several other countries also reflects the “enabling power of technology , he said.

The prime minister added that at a time the world is up against an unprecedented crisis in the form of COVID-19, the nation’s fight against the pandemic is powered by the restraint and resolve of its 130 crore citizens. In such a scenario, the media has been continuously doing exceptional service by spreading awareness against the COVID pandemic.

The Press Council of India (PCI) was instituted on November 16, 1966, to monitor the quality of reportage provided by the Indian press.

November 16 is observed to acknowledge and honor the Press Council of India, a statutory and quasi-judicial establishment.

PCI acts as a moral watchdog in ensuring that Indian journalists are not driven by any influence or external factors.

The First Press Commission 1956 envisioned a committee to protect the ethics of journalism and freedom of the press in India. It led to the formation of a Press Council 10 years later. Press Council of India monitors all journalistic activities to keep the credibility intact.

Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad is the present chairman of the Press Council of India. He has been appointed for a second term. He succeeded Justice Markandey Katju (2011 2014) to become the chairman of the council.

Home Minister Amit Shah also greeted journalists on the day. The Narendra Modi government is committed towards freedom of press and strongly opposes those who throttle it, he said.

-CHK

Nitish Kumar takes oath as Bihar CM

Nitish Kumar takes oath as Bihar CM
Nitish Kumar

New Delhi (NVI): Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar took oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the seventh time at Raj Bhavan in Patna. This will be his fourth consecutive term.

Kumar’s oath-taking ceremony came a day after he was unanimously chosen to be the chief minister by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The NDA won the state election last week with a thin majority and got 125 of Bihar’s 243 assembly seats. The results were declared on November 10 after counting of votes that went past midnight.

However, Kumar’s Janata Dal-United delivered a dismal performance, winning 43 seats compared to the 74 seats of the BJP, which has now become the big brother in the alliance.

He was first sworn in as Chief Minister in 2000, for a term that lasted a week as he failed to muster a majority and returned as a minister at the Centre in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

Along with Kumar, BJP leaders Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi also took oaths. They are expected to serve as his deputies.

The sworn-in ceremony at the Patna Raj Bhavan was attended by various top leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda.

-RJV

SpaceX successfully launches 4 astronauts into space for NASA

New Delhi (NVI): SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday on the first full-fledged taxi flight for NASA by a private company.

The Falcon rocket thundered into the night from Kennedy Space Center with three Americans and one Japanese, the second crew to be launched by SpaceX.

On board were NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, along with Japan’s Soichi Noguchi. All have flown before except Glover, who will be the first African-American to take part in a long-duration mission on the ISS.

The Dragon capsule on top — named Resilience by its crew in light of this year’s many challenges, most notably Covid-19 — is due to reach the space station late Monday and remain there until spring.

Sidelined by the virus himself, SpaceX founder and chief executive Elon Musk was forced to monitor the action from afar.

The flight to the space station — 27 1/2 hours door to door — was entirely automated, although the crew could take control if needed.

“Congratulations to NASA and SpaceX on today’s launch,” U.S. President-Elect Joe Biden said on Twitter.

Crew-1 is the first of six scheduled operational missions for NASA designed to take four astronauts at a time on long-duration stays to the space station.

Once the four astronauts on Crew-1 arrive at the ISS they will remain on board for about 180 days, performing experiments and research before returning to Earth in June 2021.

They will join a crew of three already onboard – NASA’s Kate Rubins and Russia’s Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov – raising the crew to seven and tripling the amount of science possible.

-CHK

PM Modi, Xi to come face to face at BRICS Summit tomorrow

PM Modi, Xi to come face to face at BRICS Summit tomorrow

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will come face to face at 12th BRICS Summit hosted by Russia tomorrow, this time sharing the virtual platform for the second time amidst the military stand-off between the two countries.

Before this, Xi and Modi were seen together at a virtual session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held on November 10. The two leaders had participated in the virtual interaction at the SCO which was also attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

PM Modi will also share a virtual platform with the Chinese Premier on November 21-22 for the G-20 summit.

Pertinent to mention here that the border tensions between the two countries since May this year, which further escalated after the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in Eastern Ladakh, have seen no respite despite a series of diplomatic and military level takes.

“At the invitation of President Putin, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will be attending the 12th BRICS Summit hosted by Russia, under the theme ‘Global Stability, Shared Security and Innovative Growth’ on 17 November 2020. The meeting will be held in a virtual format,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

“During the 12th Summit, held in the backdrop of the 75th Anniversary of UN and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders would be discussing intra-BRICS cooperation and key issues in the global context, including the reform of the multilateral system, measures to mitigate the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, cooperation in Counter Terrorism, trade, health, energy and people to people exchanges,” the External Affairs Ministry said.

​India will also be taking over the chairship of the BRICS, which would be the third BRICS Presidency for India since its inception (after 2012 and 2016) and will host the 13th BRICS Summit in 2021, MEA said in a release.

-ARK

Phase 2 of Malabar naval exercise to begin tomorrow

Malabar exercise to commence in Arabian Sea tmrw
(File photo)

New Delhi (NVI): The second phase of naval exercise – Malabar 2020, in which navies of four QAUD nations– India, US, Japan and Australia are participating– will be conducted in the Northern Arabian Sea from November 17 to 20, the Ministry of Defence said today.

The phase 2 of exercise MALABAR 2020 will witness joint operations centered around the Vikramaditya Carrier Battle Group of the Indian Navy and Nimitz Carrier Strike Group of the US Navy, the MoD said in a statement.

“Taking forward the synergy achieved in the recently concluded Phase 1 of exercise Malabar 2020, which was conducted in the Bay of Bengal from November 3 to 6. This phase will involve coordinated operations of increasing complexity between the navies of Australia, India, Japan and the United States,” the Ministry said.

In this second phase, the two carriers, along with other ships, submarine and aircraft of the participating navies, would be engaged in high intensity naval operations over four days.

“These exercises will include cross-deck flying operations and advanced air defence exercises by MIG 29K fighters of Vikramaditya and F-18 fighters and E2C Hawkeye from Nimitz, ” the statement noted.

In addition, advanced surface and anti-submarine warfare exercises, seamanship evolutions and weapon firings will also be undertaken to further enhance inter-operability and synergy between the four friendly navies.

Apart from Vikramaditya and its fighter, helicopter air-wings, indigenous destroyers Kolkata and Chennai, stealth frigate Talwar, Fleet Support Ship Deepak and integral helicopters will also participate in the exercise, led by Rear Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet.

“Indigenously built submarine Khanderi and P8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft of the Indian Navy will also showcase their capabilities during the exercise,” the statement further said.

US Navy’s strike carrier Nimitz will be accompanied by cruiser Princeton and destroyer Sterett, in addition to P8A maritime reconnaissance aircraft. The Royal Australian Navy will be represented by frigate Ballarat along with its integral helicopter. JMSDF will also participate in the exercise.

Furthermore, the ministry informed out that the Malabar series of exercises, which began as an annual bilateral naval exercise between India and the US in 1992, has seen increasing scope and complexity over the years.

The 24th edition of MALABAR will highlight enhanced convergence of views among the four vibrant democracies on maritime issues and showcases their commitment to an open, inclusive Indo-Pacific and a rules-based international order, it added.

-RJV/ARK

US remains top choice for Indian students pursuing higher education: Report

US remains top choice for Indian students pursuing higher education: Report

New Delhi (NVI): The United States remains a top choice for Indian students, as almost 2,00,000 students from India chose the US as their destination to pursue higher education in the 2019-20 academic year, despite the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Open Doors Report released today.

Indian students comprised nearly 20 percent of the over one million students from around the world and the United States has seen a steady increase in the number of undergraduate students from India, the report said.

On the launch of the report, Minister Counselor for Public Affairs, David Kennedy, said, “Over the last 10 years, the number of Indians studying in the United States has roughly doubled, and we know why: the United States is the gold standard for higher education, providing practical application and experience that gives our graduates an advantage in the global economy.”

To assist Indian students, the US Department of State offers advising services to prospective students through seven EducationUSA advising centers throughout India – in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai, as per a release.

Early next year, a second EducationUSA Center is opening in Hyderabad hosted by Y-Axis Foundation. All centers are staffed by EducationUSA advisors who offer accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date information about opportunities to study in the United States, helping Indian students find the best program and the right fit from among the 4,500 accredited higher-education institutions in the United States.

Students seeking additional facts about studying in the United States can download the EducationUSA India app, available for free on iOS and Android devices.  At the click of a button, the app provides the latest information about the college application process and is a quick and easy first step to planning higher education in the United States.

-ARK

Shimla, Manali get season’s first snow

Shimla district received season’s first snowfall

New Delhi (NVI): The popular tourist destinations of Shimla and Manali in Himachal Pradesh today experienced season’s first snowfall.

This brought cheer among the tourists and locals who were waiting for rains and snowfalls in the mountains.

Reportedly, a blanket of snow enveloped at tourist resort in Manali, Kufri, and Narkanda which are near Shimla.

These key tourist destinations Sangla, Narkanda, Khadrala, Kharaptthar and Shillaru and Kufri, were covered under 25 cm, 20 cm, 19 cm, 18 cm,15 cm, 12 cm and 10 cm of snowfall respectively.

Meanwhile, the roads of Narkanda, Kharapatthar near Jubbal and Khirki have been blocked due to snowfall. Also, telecommunication services are snapped in Jubbal area.

The other hill destinations of Dharamsala, Nahan, Chamba, Dalhousie and Mandi received fresh rainfall. Dalhousie received 33mm of rainfall, Solan 27mm, Shimla 21.6mm, Una 16mm, Palampur 15mm, Dharamshala 12.6mm and Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Mandi 11mm each, as per the reports.

Furthermore, the state meteorological department said that the minimum temperatures also dropped by one to two degrees in the past 24 hours in Himachal Pradesh.

-RJV

India records more COVID recoveries than daily new cases for 44th consecutive day

COVID cases

New Delhi (NVI): India has continued the unbroken trend of the daily new COVID-19 recoveries outnumbering the daily new additions for the 44th successive day, according to the Ministry of Health.

In a official statement, the Ministry said, “43,851 COVID-19 patients recovered in the last 24 hours and there were just 30,548 newly detected cases.”

This translates to a net reduction of 13,303 in the active caseload which now stands at 4,65,478, it added.

The ministry also pointed out that the number of daily new cases was at a historic low of 30,548. This was significant given that many countries in Europe and America are experiencing a continuous steep rise in daily new cases.

The government’s efforts to continue to maintain high levels of comprehensive testing have resulted in bringing down the net positivity to sustained low levels.

Moreover, the recovery rate has improved to 93.27 per cent today, with the total recovered cases standing at 82,49,579.

The ministry also said, Ten states and Union Territories reported 78.59 per cent of the recovered cases in the last 24 hours. “Delhi saw the greatest number of recoveries at 7,606, followed by Kerala which registered 6,684 daily recoveries and West Bengal reported 4,480 new recoveries,” it added.

According to ministry’s data, 76.63 per cent of the new cases have been reported from ten States and UTs.

“Out of these, Kerala recorded 4,581 new cases. Delhi, which has seen a surge in new cases over the last few days, reported only 3,235 new cases yesterday, followed closely by West Bengal which reported 3,053 new cases,” it said.

Meanwhile, the government is working in close co-ordination with States and Union Territories to improve their clinical care management of the critical patients in the ICU, the ministry said, adding that, “Multi-disciplinary central teams are also deputed to States and UTs to provide them support in COVID management.

Furthermore, the high level meetings are regularly conducted for review of the public health response measures against COVID-19 being taken by the State and UT governments, the statement added.

-RJV

J&K: National Conference worker Noor Mohammad resigns

Lubna Fayaz

Srinagar (NVI): Senior National Conference worker, Noor Mohammad, from Bandipora’s Sumbal area, resigned from the party here today.

Noor Mohammad announced his resignation on social media and said, “Good Bye to team JKNC. Today (Monday), I am resigning from the basic membership of the party.”

“This is not the end of my political era, I will continue to serve my people… Much more to come,” Mohammad said.

According to the party sources, Mohammad was unhappy because of not getting mandate for contesting the upcoming DDC elections.

This is the second resignation from the parties contesting elections. Earlier on Saturday, Senior Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Muzaffar Hussain Beigh decided to quit after he was sidelined by the party in its seat-sharing agreements with other parties within People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD).

PAGD, an amalgamation of seven mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, on November 7 decided to take part in the upcoming DDC polls. The Gupkar alliance was formed to fight for restoring Article 370 and the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Centre had on August 5 last year abrogated Article 370 that gave special status to J&K and bifurcated it into two Union Territories- Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

-CHK/ARK

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