Wednesday, September 9, 2026
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PM extends greetings on Teachers’ Day

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed his gratitude to teachers for their remarkable efforts in shaping minds and building the nation on the occasion of Teachers’ Day.

He also paid his tributes to Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, as Teacher’s Day is celebrated on the 5th of September to mark the birth anniversary of Radhakrishnan, the second President of India.

“We remain grateful to the hardworking teachers for their contributions towards shaping minds and building our nation. On Teachers Day, we express gratitude to our teachers for their remarkable efforts. We pay tributes to Dr. S. Radhakrishnan on his Jayanti. #OurTeachersOurHeroes,” the PM Modi tweeted.

He also shared a clip from his recent ‘Mann Ki Baat’ in which he has talked about how teachers deepen our connection with our nation’s history.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also paid tributes to an iconic thinker and erudite scholar, former President Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his Jayanti.

“On TeachersDay, Greetings to the entire teaching fraternity who has been playing an unparalleled role in shaping the nation by selflessly guiding millions of souls,” Shah tweeted.

The tradition to celebrate Teachers’ Day started in 1962 to honour S Radhakrishnan and all the teachers in the country.

Radhakrishnan, a philosopher-author who was born on September 5, 1888. His contributions to the field of education are honourable.

-RJV

LAC standoff: Rajnath meets Chinese counterpart in Moscow

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

New Delhi (NVI): Amid heightened tensions at LAC in Ladakh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghei in Moscow tonight, on the sidelines of Shanghai Corporation Organisation (SCO) meet.

The meeting between the two leaders was not on cards but they held talks amid mounting tensions between India and China over an escalating border row in the Ladakh region. As per reports, Gen. Wei Fenghei had requested the meeting with the Indian leader yesterday.

Earlier in the day, Rajnath who is on a three-day visit to Moscow, said that peace and security in SCO region demands a climate of trust and cooperation, non-aggression, respect for international rules and norms.

“Peaceful, stable and secure region of SCO member states – which is home to over 40 per cent of global population, demands a climate of trust and cooperation, non-aggression, respect for international rules and norms, sensitivity to each other’s interest and peaceful resolution of differences,” he said.

The Defence Minister made the remarks in the presence of his Chinese counterpart who he is meeting tonight. He was addressing the Combined Meeting of Defence Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Member States in Moscow.

“If I may borrow an idea articulated by our Prime Minister in a different context, our goal should be ‘Security and Growth for all in the Region’,” Rajnath added.

Both India and China are members of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO, an eight-nation regional grouping that primarily focuses on security and defence issues.

The meeting between the two leaders also takes place a day after the Indian government banned 118 Chinese mobile applications including PUBG.

India and China are engaged in a bitter stand-off over the past four months due to an escalating border row between the two countries. The tensions between the two countries flared up in June after 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives, including a Colonel rank officer, in a bloody face-off in Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh. An unconfirmed number of Chinese troops were also killed in the deadly clashes.

The ongoing military and diplomatic level dialogues to ease tensions at LAC again received a jolt over the last weekend as the Chinese troops made an attempt to change the status quo on the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso Lake along LAC but it was thwarted by the Indian Army. The incident took place on the intervening night of last Saturday and Sunday.

On top of that, the Chinese troops again engaged in “provocative action” along the LAC on Monday, even as the ground commanders of the two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation. That brazen attempt too was thwarted by the alert Indian troops.

Meanwhile, Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane today said that the situation along LAC in Eastern Ladakh is “slightly tense”, but the Indian Army has taken ample precautionary steps to thwart any further misadventure by Chinese troops and safeguard India’s territorial integrity in the region.

Gen. Naravane is on a two-day visit to Ladakh since yesterday to review the operational preparedness in the wake of fresh incursion attempts by the Chinese Army.

-ARK

J&K witnesses another single-day surge of over 1000 Covid positive cases

Jammu and Kashmir

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir today recorded another surge in Covid positive cases with 1,047 fresh infections, including 74 travelers, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the Union Territory to 40,990.

Of the total cases, 30,579 are from Kashmir and 10,411 from Jammu division.

The UT health officials said that among 1,047 new cases, 554 belong to Kashmir while 493 are from Jammu division, adding that the total number of positive cases in Kashmir division has reached 30,579 including 24,474 recoveries.

On the other hand, the total number of positive cases in Jammu division has reached 10,411 including 6,961 recoveries and 81 deaths.

The officials said that the total number of active cases in J&K is 8,800 including 5,431 from Kashmir division and 3,369 from Jammu division.

With 676 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in the UT has reached 31,435 which is 76.68 percent of the total cases.

Pertinently, Jammu division crossed 10,000 mark on Friday as it witnessed a huge spike of positive cases in the last two days.

“Cases tested positive in J&K include 175 from Srinagar, 61 from Baramulla, 34 from Pulwama, 78 from Budgam, 48 from Anantnag, 34 from Bandipora, 69 from Kupwara, 21 from Kulgam, 04 from Shopian and 30 from Ganderbal in Kashmir division while as 493 from Jammu division include 322 from Jammu, 18 from Rajouri, 40 from Kathua, 44 from Udhampur, 13 from Samba, 06 from Ramban, 07 from Doda, 11 from Poonch, 04 from Reasi and 28 from Kishtiwar,” as per the daily health bulletin.

Apart from that, 4,72,900 persons in J&K are under observation while 44,162 persons have been kept under home quarantine. Besides that, 8,800 persons are in isolation.

According to the bulletin, 3,71,147 persons have completed surveillance period and 48,036 persons are under home surveillance.

So far, results of 10,31,316 samples are available out of which 9,90,326 tested negative while 49,990 have tested positive. Among positive cases, 8,800 are active and 31,435 persons have recovered.

-ARK

FSSAI to soon come up with regulations to fortify processed foods

New Delhi (NVI): The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is soon coming up with regulations, whereby cereals, bakery products, etc can also be fortified.

FSSAI Director Inoshi Sharma, while speaking a webinar yesterday, asserted that an overview of the food safety is need of the hour.

“As of now, five staples-salt, oil, milk, flour and rice are being fortified. The FSSAI in the process of passing a regulation for processed foods and the industry would be happy to know that very soon we would be coming up with regulations, whereby cereals, bakery products, buns, breads, biscuits, pasta, noodles, etc., commodities consumed by the people for which wheat or rice is used as a base for creating, can also be fortified,” Sharma said.

She was speaking at the webinar on Tackling the Impact of COVID-19 on Micronutrient Deficiencies through Food Fortification, organized by FICCI in collaboration with World Food Programme (WFP) and DSM India.

“The need for research is very important and we need to figure out how we can adopt the process of fortification effectively,” she added.

She said that it is time for the industry to come forward and promote fortification with +F brand products and spread consumer awareness. “The only condition we have put for processed food is that they should not be HFSS- high in fat, salt and sugar. If they do not fall in this category, all other processed food can be fortified,” Sharma added.

The FSSAI director further added that said that while on one hand it is important that the government push forward the programme through PDS and other measures, it is also important that the industry adopts these fortification programmes and adds fortificants so that awareness for health benefits of fortified products is created among people.

“The regulations are very simple,” she said. “The amount of fortification, which is added, is restricted to 30-50 per cent of the RDA. So, if there is a concern that by consuming a lot of fortified products, it might lead to toxicity levels, we want to assure that all that has been taken care of. These regulations are passed only after a scientific pattern has gone through them.”

While emphasizing the need for fortification from a policy perspective, Sharma said that a proposal for mandatory fortification of oil and milk, encouraging processed food manufactures to undertake fortification, training of staff on food fortification, retail expansion for availability of fortified staples and checking and sampling of premix quality were some of the crucial key pointers and way forward.

“We are making sure that slowly the process of fortification becomes mandatory,” she added.

Also participating in the Webinar, Maaike Bruins, Lead Scientist F&B/NI NSA Global, DSM said that the COVID pandemic has been undermining nutrition across the world, especially in the low-income and middle-income countries and has aggravated malnutrition across these countries.

“This is an opportunity for fortified staple foods such as rice or wheat flour to be included in the food-based safety net as part of COVID-19 response. Integrating fortified foods as part of safety nets in COVID-19 response can support resilience among most vulnerable of population,” she added.

Purnima Menon, Senior Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute, said, “In India, the context for fortification is both what happens in the foods that go in the private markets also, very substantially, what happens to foods & products that go in the public programs. There is a need to invest in understanding the implementation research and factors affecting its impact and outcome.”

-ARK

J&K: 3 terrorists killed in Baramulla encounter; search Ops underway

Shopian encounter
File Photo

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Two more terrorists were gunned down in the encounter at Yadipora area of Pattan in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, taking the total number of slain militants to three, according to J&K Police.

“In total, three militants were killed in the day-long operation. Their identity is being ascertained and it seems one of them is a foreigner. The injured Army officer is stable and out of danger,” a police official told NVI, adding that search operation is being conducted in the area to rule out the possibility of the presence of more militants.

Joint teams of Police, Army’s 29 RR and CRPF launched a Cordon and Search Operation in Yadipora late last night on the basis of a specific lead about the presence of terrorists.

As the joint team of forces zeroed in towards the suspected spot, the hiding terrorists fired at them, triggering an encounter.

Defence sources said that an Army officer of the rank of Major sustained bullet injuries in the initial exchange of firing. He was shifted to Army’s 92 base hospital in Srinagar, they said.

-RJV/ARK

 

President Kovind to confer National Award to Teachers tomorrow

President Ram Nath Kovind

New Delhi (NVI): On the occasion of Teachers’ Day 2020, President Ram Nath Kovind will be conferring the National Award for Teachers tomorrow.

47 teachers have been selected by the Education Ministry for the National Award this year. The ceremony will be held in a virtual mode amid COVID-19 pandemic.

The national level awards are given to teachers on Teachers’ Day to celebrate the unique contribution of some of the finest teachers in the country and to honour those teachers who through their commitment have not only improved the quality of school education but also enriched the lives of their students.

Education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and minister of state (MoS) for education Sanjay Dhotre will also be present at the ceremony.

On August 21, the ministry released the list of 47 teachers selected for the national award. This also includes two teachers from the differently-abled category.

The teachers were selected by an independent jury at the national level after reviewing a list of 153 teachers as shortlisted by all the states and Union Territories.

Additionally, the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Ministry of Education will organise webinars on the recently adopted new National Education Policy, or NEP 2020.

The commission said that it will also run social media campaigns on September 5 as a part of Teachers’ Day celebrations.

-CHK

COVID-19 recoveries in India cross 3 million-mark

Covid-19 cases

New Delhi (NVI): India’s coronavirus disease recoveries have crossed the three-million mark, pushing the recovery rate to 77.15 per cent in the country, the Union Health Ministry said.

A continuous uptick in average daily recoveries has led to improvement in India’s recovery rate and a low case fatality rate (CFR) at 1.74 per cent.

At present, the number of active Covid-19 cases are less than 21.11 per cent of the total number of the viral infections reported since January 30.

The total number of recoveries currently stands at 30,37,151 in the country.

With the recovery of 66,659 in the last 24 hours, India has continued its trajectory of posting more than 60,000 recoveries for the 8th consecutive day.

The higher number of recoveries has also led to a steady enhancement in the difference between the recovered and active ones. This difference has crossed 22 lakh, as on date.

India has posted 22 more recoveries than the active cases currently at 8,31,124.

Not only is India’s Case Fatality Rate (CFR) lower than the global average and progressively declining (current figure is 1.74 per cent), but a very small proportion of the active cases, amounting to less than 0.5 per cent, are on ventilator support. Data also shows that 2 per cent cases are in ICUs and less than 3.5 per cent of the active cases occupy oxygen supported beds.

In an official statement, the ministry said that this has been made possible because of effective implementation of the policy of TESTING aggressively, TRACKING comprehensively and TREATING efficiently.

“Focus on standard of care protocol including use of non-invasive oxygen, better skilled doctors in the ICUs and hospitals, and improved ambulance services have culminated in yielding the desired results,” it added.

-CHK

Global food prices rise again in August on firm demand: FAO

food prices
Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): The global food prices rose for the third month in a row in August, driven by generally firmer demand and a weaker US dollar, according to a report by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

According to the Food Price Index report, averaged 96.1 points in August, up 2.0 percent from the previous month and reaching its highest level since February.

The report tracks international prices of the most commonly traded food commodities.

In the report, the FAO Cereal Price Index rose by 1.9 percent from July, averaging 7.0 percent above its value in August 2019, with coarse grains leading the rise.

“Sorghum prices rose 8.6 percent – and stood at 33.4 percent above their year-ago level, mostly on the back of strong import demand by China. Whereas, Maize prices rose 2.2 per cent amid concerns that recent crop damages in Iowa would impact supply, the FAO said.

Moreover, the report said the international rice prices also rose, underpinned by seasonally tight availabilities and increasing African demand.

The FAO Sugar Price Index rose by 6.7 percent from the previous month, due to unfavorable weather conditions in the EU and Thailand, the world’s second-largest sugar exporter, as well as strong import demand by China.

Similarly, the FAO vegetable oil price index increased by 5.9 percent, led by firmer values for palm oil especially, but also soy, sunflower and rapeseed oils.

“The moves mainly reflect prospective production slowdowns in leading palm oil producing countries amid firm global import demand,” it said.

The FAO dairy price index also remain unchanged from the previous month, with cheese and whole milk powder demand decreasing while butter’s demand increased.

Although down 8.9 percent from August 2019, the FAO meat price index for August 2020 also remained unchanged to the previous month, as the effect of increased pigmeat demand from China offset the lowered demand of bovine, poultry and ovine.

Furthermore, the FAO did lower its world cereal production forecast based on expected lower maize output from the United States. Despite the lowered forecast, the FAO anticipates global cereal output to total 2.765 billion tonnes in 2020, 58 million tonnes above 2019.

The organization expects global cereal stocks to rise 1.7 per cent to 895.5 million tonnes by the end of 2021 seasons.

“Translating to a world cereal stocks-to-use ratio of 31.8 per cent, slightly down from July but still relatively high from a historical perspective,” it added.

World trade in cereals for 2020-21 is forecast at 441.4 million tonnes, 1.6 per cent above 2019-21 due to anticipated larger shipments of rice and coarse grains, the FAO stated.

-RJV

Widespread COVID vaccination not expected until mid-2021: WHO

Argentina first in Latin America to approve Russian Sputnik V vaccine

New Delhi (NVI): The World Health Organization (WHO) spokeswoman Margaret Harris today said that the organisation does not expect widespread vaccinations against COVID-19 until the middle of next year.

Harris, stressing the importance of rigorous checks on their effectiveness and safety, said that none of the candidate vaccines in advanced clinical trials so far has demonstrated a “clear signal” of efficacy at the level of at least 50 per cent sought by the WHO.

“We are really not expecting to see widespread vaccination until the middle of next year,” Harris told a UN briefing in Geneva.

“This phase 3 must take longer because we need to see how truly protective the vaccine is and we also need to see how safe it is,” she added.

Phase 3 trial in vaccine research is referred to large clinical trials being conducted among people. However, Harris did not refer to any specific vaccine candidate.

All data from trials must be shared and compared, Harris said. “A lot of people have been vaccinated and what we don’t know is whether the vaccine works…at this stage we do not have the clear signal of whether or not it has the level of worthwhile efficacy and safety,” she added.

Meanwhile, WHO and GAVI vaccine alliance are leading a global vaccine allocation plan known as COVAX that aims to help buy and distribute shots fairly. The focus is on first vaccinating the most high-risk people in every country such as healthcare workers.

COVAX aims to procure and deliver 2 billion doses of approved vaccines by the end of 2021.

-CHK

Major ports to now use only Indian built tug boats: Shipping Min

New Delhi (NVI): To revive the Indian shipbuilding industry, the Ministry of Shipping today directed all major ports to procure or charter tug boats which are only made in India. All procurements being done by major ports would now need to be carried out as per the revised ‘Make in India’ order.

Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya termed it as a step towards ”Aatmanirbhar Shipping” under the ”Aatmanirbhar Bharat” drive.

He added, “The government is taking 360 degree actions to revive old shipyards and promote shipbuilding in India. It will try to create an ecosystem for shipbuilding, ship repair, ship recycling and flagging in India. AatmaNirbhar Shipping is going to be the order in the coming times.”

A tug boat is a boat which helps in mooring or berthing operation of a ship by either towing or pushing a vessel towards the port.

The Shipping Ministry is aiming to promote Indian shipbuilding industry and also have discussion with some leading countries for Make in India shipbuilding, a statement said.

It is proposed to set up a Standing Specifications Committee under Managing Director, Indian Ports Association, and comprising representatives from Cochin Ship Yard Limited (CSL), Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) and Director General of Shipping in this regard, it added.

Standing Specifications Committee would shortlist around five variants/types of tugs and prepare a “Approved Standardized Tug Design and Specifications (ASTDS)”.

This ASTDS would outline specifications, general arrangements, basic calculations, basic structural drawings, key system drawings and other construction standards, etc.

These standards would be vetted by the Standing Specifications Committee and, thereafter, certified in-principle by IRS and published by the Indian Ports Association on its website, it added.

The ministry will also provide some window to major ports so that construction time would be availed.

Recently, Government owned Cochin Shipyard Limited has been successful in grabbing the order for two automated vessels from Norwegian Government.

These will be the first of its kind unmanned vessels. Various decisions taken by the Ministry of Shipping will turn around Ship Building sector in the near future.

-CHK

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