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Bajaj launches Chetak electric scooter for Rs 1 lakh

New Delhi (NVI): Bringing back the nostalgia, but with a modern touch, the much-awaited Chetak electric scooter was launched by Bajaj today. The bookings will start from January 15.

Starting at a price of Rs 1 lakh, the deliveries of Chetak will commence from February end, the company said.

The new electric scooted by the company was unveiled last October.

Originally based on the Italian Vespa Sprint, Chetak has almost attained an iconic status in the Indian automobile industry. It was an affordable means of transportation for millions of Indian families for decades and is lovingly called Hamara Bajaj (Our Bajaj).

In the face of rising competition from bikes and cars, Chetak lost ground in India, and production was discontinued in 2005 as Bajaj Auto stopped manufacturing scooters altogether.

After almost 15 years, the company has now come up with the electric variant and it will initially be available in Pune and Bengaluru.

The company said the electric scooter will be available in two variants, Urbane and Premium. Additionally, a home-charging station will be included in the package.

Customers can also book the vehicle online on the Chetak website at an initial amount of Rs 2,000, the company said Tuesday.

The Urbane variant features drum brake at the front, while the Premium variant gets a front disc brake. The Bajaj Chetak e-scooter Premium has been priced at Rs 1.15 lakh (ex-showroom, Pune and Bengaluru).

Rijiju bats for drug-free sports 

Guwahati (NVI): Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and actor Suniel Shetty today called for a clean and drug-free sports culture and urged athletes to refrain from any banned substances.

Addressing a workshop, Rijiju said, “I would like to tell all coaches and parents that they should ensure that all athletes should refrain from banned drugs. All athletes should stay clean and become champions. We are here to support all the athletes.”

He also assured all the athletes that they would be given full support by the ministry as long as they stay away from banned substances.

During the workshop, actor and brand ambassador of the National Anti-Doping Agency Suniel Shetty shared his own success story to underline the importance of sports in a child’s life.

Actor Suniel Shetty said, “You may make many mistakes in your life but make sure that you don’t eat anything which is wrong. Whatever I have achieved in my life, it is purely because of sports.

“I used to practice martial arts and I used to train really hard. I became an actor in my life only because I was an athlete. I still believe that I am a part of sports,” Suniel Shetty added.

Hallmarking of jewelry made mandatory

New Delhi (NVI): The government has made hallmarking of gold jewelry and artefacts compulsory across the country and jewellers will get one year to implement this order.

The hallmarking of an ornament tells you the amount of gold and other metal in an ornament.

Addressing a press conference for mandatory hallmarking of gold jewelry, Minister of Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan said hallmarking is to ensure that consumers are not cheated while buying gold ornaments and get the purity as marked on the ornaments.

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“After the hallmarking jewelers can only sell gold of three carat which will be 14, 18 and 22 carat,” he said.

The caratage is marked on jewelry in addition to fineness for convenience of consumers, that for 22 carat jewelry, 22K will be marked in addition to 916, for 18 carat jewelry, 18K will be marked in addition to 750 and for 14 carat jewelry, 14K will be marked in addition to 585.

He also informed that there are 892 assaying and hallmarking centres in 234 District locations across the country and so far 28,849 jewelers have been registered by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

While speaking about the reasons for the one-year implementation period, Minister said that this will ensure that Jewelers registration process can be completed and jewelers and retailers get time for clearing their old and existing stock.

China finds no human-to-human spread of novel coronavirus

New Delhi (NVI): The WHO today said that preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in Wuhan, China.

This comes a day after the WHO issued guidance on how to detect and treat persons ill with the new coronavirus, after detection of a case in Thailand. Coronavirus is a strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

Yesterday, the WHO had also said it is working with officials in Thailand and China following reports of confirmation of the novel coronavirus in a traveller from Wuhan, China, who visited Thailand.

“WHO reiterates that it is essential that investigations of the novel coronavirus continue in China to identify the source of the outbreak and any animal reservoirs or intermediate hosts,” it said Monday.

Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people.

Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans, according to the WHO.

Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.

In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs.

Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing, the WHO has advised.

Broadband internet services to be restored in Kashmir in phased manned after Jan 26

Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar (NVI): Days after the Supreme Court directed the Jammu and Kashmir administration to review all restrictions in the Valley, the Union Territory is mulling to restore broadband internet services in a phased manner after January 26, a top government official here said today.

On January 10, the top court had asked the UT administration to review all curbs, including a ban on internet after the abolition of Article 370 in August last year.

According to the official, the J&K Home Department is preparing a report based on the feedback of various security intelligence agencies. The report will be then placed before the Supreme Court and J&K administration would recommend its restoration in a phased manner after January 26 in the valley.

Officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) would also review the report before it is sent to the Supreme Court.

“Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu-led administration has received reports from officials of security agencies along with district administrations. Almost all have given their positive feedback about restoration of broadband internet in Kashmir. MHA would review the security situation in Kashmir and impact of restoring the internet services in the valley,” the official privy to the report said.

The broadband will be first restored in central Kashmir (Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal districts). This will be followed by north Kashmir (Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora districts) and then south Kashmir (Kulgam, Anantnag, Pulwama and Shopian districts).

The official, however, said the restoration of internet services to essential services would be restored before January 26. He noted that mobile internet won’t be restored for a time being. “Mobile internet is unlikely to be restored in Kashmir,” he said.

Nirbhaya: Convict files mercy plea  

New Delhi (NVI): Hours after the Supreme Court dismissed curative pleas of two of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case, one of the accused – Mukesh Singh- has written to President Ram Nath Kovind, seeking mercy.

According to the law, the President has the power to commute death sentence to life imprisonment.

Mukesh Singh and the three other convicts including Vinay Sharma, Akshay Kumar and Pawan Gupta- are scheduled to be hanged on January 22 at 7 am in Tihar Jail.

Nirbhaya, a 23-year-old girl, was brutally raped and murdered on the night of December 16, 2012, in a south Delhi area.

J&K: Five soldiers, as many civilians killed in avalanches

Representational Image

Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar(NVI): Five security personnel and five civilians were killed while seven security men were rescued after avalanches struck various places in Kashmir since last night, police and defence officials said.

Due to heavy snowfall in the last 48 hours, there have been multiple avalanches in several areas in north Kashmir. Kashmir received 3 to 4 feet snow in higher reaches, while the plains received one feet snow since Sunday evening.

In Machhil sector, which is close to the Line of Control (LoC), five security personnel – including four Army men and a BSF man – were trapped under the snow after being struck by an avalanche last night. Four of them died while one was rescued.

Shriram Ambarker, Superintendent of Police, Kupwara, told News Vibes of India (NVI) that the police recovered five security personnel who were trapped under the snow. “Four of them succumbed, while one of them survived,” he said.

In Naugam sector, a Border Security Force (BSF) constable was killed while six others were rescued after an avalanche hit them last evening, as per the officials.

Superintendent of Police, Ganderbal, Khalil Ahmad Paswal said nine civilians were trapped in Ganderbal avalanche, five of whom succumbed and four were rescued. While two dead bodies were found on Monday night, three were found today.

The deceased civilians have been identified as Mohammad Sadiq, Showkhat Ahmad, Ishtiiyaq Ahmad, Dawood Ahmad and Mohammad Akhbar Bhat.

Nirbhaya: SC dismisses curative petitions

File Photo

New Delhi (NVI): The Supreme Court today dismissed the curative petitions filed by two of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya rape case.

The pleas were filed by Mukesh and Vinay Sharma on January 9. All the four convicts, including two others- Akshay Kumar and Pawan Gupta- are scheduled to be hanged on January 22 at 7 am in Tihar Jail.

A five-judge bench comprising of Justices NV Ramana, Arun Mishra, Rohinton Nariman, R Banumathi, and Ashok Bhushan pronounced the verdict today after they took up the matter at around 1.45 pm this afternoon.

After the rejection, now the accused only have the option to file mercy pleas before President Ram Nath Kovind.Nirbhaya, a 23-year-old girl, was brutally raped and murdered on the night of December 16, 2012, in a south Delhi area.

Terror-accused DSP not awarded any medal by MHA: J&K Police

New Delhi(NVI): The Jammu and Kashmir Police today said DSP Davinder Singh, who was arrested along with two Hizbul Mujahideen militants on January 11, has not been awarded any gallantry medal by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), as being reported by some media outlets.

The only gallantry medal awarded to him during his service is by the erstwhile J&K state on Independence Day in 2018 for countering a ‘Fidayeen’ (suicide) attack by terrorists at District Police Lines, Pulwama, on August 25/26, 2017 when he was posted there as Deputy SP, it said in a series of tweets.

“Jammu Kashmir Police is known for its professionalism & doesn’t spare anyone including its own cadres if found involved in any unlawful act or unbecoming conduct.

“We have done it in the past in many cases and now in this particular case where it has caught its own officer on its own input and action and would continue to abide by our code of conduct and the Law of the Land which is same for everyone,” it said.

The police said a special investigation team is handling the interrogation of the arrested accused officer and the terrorists. The team “would probe his criminal conduct in the instant case and his involvement in any such criminal acts in the past,” the police added.

Singh was arrested on Srinagar-Jammu national highway for allegedly ferrying two militants.

Chennai air become hazardous after Bhogi celebration

Chennai (NVI): A day after Bhogi celebrations in Chennai, the air quality index in most parts of the state reached hazardous levels, with thin layer of smog enveloping the city today.

According to Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, the air quality index which measures the concentration of poisonous particulate matter, touched a high 597 in Manali area, which falls in the “Hazardous” category.

Most of the places in the city recorded the AQI in the “moderate” category.

When the air quality is hazardous, it affects the healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases.

People of Tamil Nadu celebrates Bhogi festival by lightning a bonfire on the occassion which marks the beginning of four-day Pongal festival.

Bhogi celebration is also a part of Pongal festival in which useless household items are bonfired. Pongal is a festival that marks the end of winters and the beginning of the harvest season.

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