Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Home Blog Page 1341

Intense rainfall over northern parts of India during next 4 days: IMD

Representational Image

New Delhi (NVI): Northern parts of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, and northeastern states are likely to receive heavy rainfall during July 9 to 12, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Isolated extremely heavy falls (≥ 20 cm) are also very likely over Uttarakhand on July 11th 12th; over East Uttar Pradesh during 10th to 12th; over Bihar on 10th & 11th; over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh during 09th to 11th July, 2020, according to IMD.

As per the weather department, the western end of monsoon trough lies to the south of its normal position and its eastern end lies near to its normal position. It is very likely to shift northwards towards the foothills of Himalayas from 9th July onwards.

In addition, moist southwesterly/southerly winds from Bay of Bengal at lower tropospheric levels very likely to converge over northeast & adjoining east India from today, the 8th July and southwesterly/southerly winds from Arabian sea very likely to converge over northwest India from 09th July, 2020 onwards.

“Under the influence of above synoptic conditions, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy falls very likely over Western Himalayan Region, northern parts of Punjab & Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim and northeastern states during 9th to 12th July 2020,” the IMD said in a statement.

-ARK

West Bengal to impose strict lockdown in containment zones for 7 days from tmrw

(Source: Twitter)

New Delhi (NVI): Amid the rising coronavirus cases in West Bengal, the State Government today decided to impose strict lockdown in the containment zones from tomorrow for seven days.

As per the government’s official notice in this regard, a stricter lockdown in containment will begin from 5 pm tomorrow (July 9) till July 16.

Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Alapan Bandyopadhyay, while announcing the decision, said that the state’s containment zones and buffer zones around them will be clubbed together and constitute a “broad-based” containment zone where total lockdown will be imposed.

The order has been issued on a day when the state reported 850 infections, and a record 25 deaths, which takes the overall fatalities in the state to 804. It was the fourth straight day of highest-single day spike in fatalities, and the third straight day of 800-plus jumps in the caseload. There are 7,243 active cases in the state now. The state has reported 23,837 confirmed cases so far.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that the lockdown may be extended if needed. Since 1 July, there have been 5,278 new cases and 136 deaths in the state.

Meanwhile, there have been 7,42,417 Covid confirmed cases in the country so far, with the death toll at 20,642. There are 2,64,944 active cases and 4,56,830 cured or discharged cases.

-ARK

Afghanistan’s COVID tally crosses 33,500; death toll at 937

New Delhi (NVI): The coronavirus cases in Afghanistan saw a rise of 210 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number to 33,594, according to Afghan media reports.

The Afghan Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said, in the past 24 hours, 591 suspicious COVID-19 cases were tested in the laboratories, in which, 210 cases were positive.

At the same time, 17 patients died from the virus. With this number of fatalities has reached 937 so far.

Among the new COVID-19 reported in last 24 hour cases, Kabul was on the top of the list with 141 new cases followed by Takhar with 14 cases and Paktia with 12.

The MoPH also said, 20,700 people have recovered from the deadly disease in Afghanistan.

The recoveries were reported in Kandahar (4), Balkh (10), Nangarhar (1), Baghlan (2), Logar (2), Kunduz (9), Nimruz (3), Badakhshan (7), Parwan (2), Kunar (1), Panjshir (1) and Kapisa (1).

So far, 75,501 people have been tested for coronavirus in the government’s testing centres in Afghanistan.

-RJV

Bangladesh COVID-19 tally surpasses 1.72 lakh; 2,197 dead

New Delhi (NVI): Coronavirus cases in Bangladesh exceeded 1.72 lakh after 3,489 new cases were detected in the last 24 hours.

In addition to this, 46 new deaths were reported during this period, taking the total number of Covid-19 fatalities in the country to 2,197, according to United News of Bangladesh.

The daily infection rate was today recorded at 22.26 percent in the country.

So far, 80,838 people have recovered in the country after 2,736 more patients were recovered during this period.

Against the total number of detected cases, the recovery rate is nearly 47 percent and the mortality rate is 1.28 percent in the country.

-CHK

Cabinet approves extension of PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana till Nov

New Delhi (NVI): The Union Cabinet today approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY), under which additional food grain will be provided to the poor, for further five months from July to November.

Under this scheme, five kilograms of wheat or rice will be given to every member of the beneficiary family for five more months from July-November. It will benefit more than 80 crore people covered under National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA).

However, keeping in view the need for continuous support to the poor and the needy, the PM-GKAY scheme has been extended further for a period of next 5 months, at a total estimated cost of Rs 6,849.24 crore.

About 19.4 crore households would be covered under the scheme while all expenses on the extended PM-GKAY are to be borne by the central government.

The scheme is in line with the commitments of the government not to allow anyone, especially any poor family, to suffer on account of non-availability of food grains due to disruption during the next five months.

Earlier, in the first phase of the PM-GKAY from April to June 2020, 4.63 lakh MTs of pulses have been distributed already, benefiting 18.2 crore households across the country.

On June 30, the Prime Minister announced the extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package till end of November, 2020 to ameliorate the hardship faced by the underprivileged or poor on the account of economic disruption caused by the pandemic.

-RJV

Coronavirus cases exceed 2.37 lakh in Pakistan; death toll nears 5,000

COVID-19: Pakistan imposes mini-lockdown in Islamabad

New Delhi (NVI): Pakistan reported 2,980 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 2,37,489.

Meanwhile, 83 people lost their lives due to the deadly contagion, taking the total number of fatalities to 4,922.

Looking at the breakdown of cases, Sindh province has reported 97,626 coronavirus cases, highest among all the provinces, while Punjab has 83,559 positive cases.

On the other hand, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has recorded 28,681 cases, Balochistan is at 10,919, Gilgit-Baltistan at 1,595, Islamabad at 13,650 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is at 1,419 cases so far, according to media reports.

A total of 1,40,965 patients have recovered from the disease so far, making it almost half of the total cases.

-CHK

Unmarried disabled sons eligible for ECHS facilities even after age of 25: MoD

New Delhi (NVI): The Ministry of Defence has extended medicare facilities of unmarried permanently disabled and financially dependent sons of Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) beneficiaries, even after attaining the age of 25 years.

In an official statement, the Defence Ministry said, “Till now, unmarried permanently disabled and financially dependent sons of ECHS beneficiaries, after attaining the age of 25 years, are not considered dependant and hence were not eligible under ECHS.”

This is as per the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) Rules which are followed by ECHS.

Since January 1, 2020, the CGHS has declared such sons of CGHS beneficiaries who have become disabled after attaining the age of 25 years, dependant and hence eligible for availing CGHS benefits subject to fulfillment of conditions laid down in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) Office Memorandum (OM).

It has now been decided by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW), to treat unmarried permanently disabled and financially dependent sons of ECHS beneficiaries who have become disabled after attaining the age of 25 years as a dependant and hence eligible for availing benefits under ECHS subject to fulfilment of conditions laid down in the MoHFW OM of May 7, 2018, read an official statement by the Ministry of Defence.

-RJV/ARK

Cabinet approves extension of EPF contribution by govt till August

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar (File)

New Delhi (NVI): The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today approved for extending the contribution, both 12 percent employees’ share and 12 percent employers’ share under Employees Provident Fund (EPF) for another 3 months from June to August, 2020.

The extension comes as part of the package announced by the Central Government under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) or Aatmanirbhar Bharat in the light of COVID-19 pandemic.

This approval is in addition to the existing scheme for the wage months of March to May, 2020.  The total estimated expenditure is of Rs.4,860 crore.  Over 72 lakh employees in 3.67 lakh establishments will be benefitted.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the decision has been taken to facilitate more take-home salary for employees and give relief to employers in payment of PF dues

The government is of the view that businesses need support to ramp up production over the next quarter from July to September.

-CHK

Nepal coronavirus tally crosses 16,400; death toll 35

New Delhi (NVI): Nepal reported 255 new cases of coronavirus today, taking the national tally to 16,423, according to local media reports.

The country’s Ministry of Health and Population said, of the total cases so far, 7,752 people have achieved recovery whereas 35 died.

In the past 24 hours, 253 people have been cured or discharged while Nepal’s current recovery rate is 47.2 per cent.

The ministry also said, the COVID-19 has spread to all 77 districts of the country.

At present five districts have no active cases of coronavirus infection. Those districts are Dhankuta, Bhojpur, Solukhumbu, Mustang, and Humla districts, as per media reports.

Meanwhile, over 25,000 people are quarantined across the country, waiting to be tested.

-RJV

Centre begins online sale of Khadi face masks

New Delhi (NVI): In the wake of novel coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises unit Khadi and Village Commission (KVIC) today started selling Khadi Face Masks online.

The widely popular Khadi Face Masks will now be available for online sale. This will benefit people in the remotest parts of the country particularly those who cannot afford to move out of their houses.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said the online sale of Khadi face masks has been started so that people buy only genuine Khadi face masks. “Online sale of Khadi masks also aims at preventing buyers from any fraud,” adding, “Many online portals have been selling masks in the name of Khadi that are neither genuine Khadi fabric nor hand-made products”.

KVIC is selling both Khadi Cotton and Silk masks. While the Cotton face masks are priced nominally at Rs 30 per piece, the Silk masks are available for Rs 100 per piece. The minimum order for online purchase of masks is Rs 500, wherein buyers have the option of choosing from the four types of masks available.

-CHK

1...1,3401,3411,342...1,780Page 1,341 of 1,780

MUST READ