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Nadda elected as BJP President

New Delhi (NVI): BJP Working President Jagat Prakash Nadda was today elected unopposed as the new chief of the ruling party.

He succeeds Amit Shah, the union Home Minister who will now be free to focus entirely on his ministry.

Nadda was the only leader in the fray following the nomination process in which his candidature was endorsed by top party leaders.

Fifty-eight year old Nadda is the former union minister of Heath and Family welfare and member of Rajya Sabha from Himachal Pradesh and Parliamentary Board Secretary of BJP.

Outgoing president Amit Shah and other senior leaders of the party congratulated Nadda.

Soon after his annointment, senior BJP leader Radha Mohan Singh, who is the incharge of the organisational election process, made the announcement at the party headquarters here today.

 

Three Hizbul militants killed in south Kashmir gunfight

IED expert among 2 terrorists to flee from encounter site in Kashmir's Pulwama
(File/Representational)

Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar (NVI): Security forces today killed three Hizbul Mujahideen militants in a gunfight at Wachi village in Shopian district of South Kashmir.

Acting on specific inputs, a joint team of Army’s 55 Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu & Kashmir police launched a cordon and search operation in Wachi area of Shopian this morning. “As the searches were going on in the area, the hiding militants fired upon forces leading to gunfight in which three militants were killed,” a police official said.

One of the militants has been identified as Adil Ahmad, a Special Police Officer (SPO) who had deserted the force in 2018 and decamped with seven AK assault rifles from the official residence of the then MLA Wacchi Aijaz Ahmad Mir. The identification of the other two militants is being ascertained.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up across Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the Republic Day celebration.

Checkpoints have been erected in many places in Srinagar and frisking has been intensified. Police are seen at many places stopping and checking the vehicles.

Indo-German Working Group meet on Quality Infrastructure held

New Delhi (NVI): ‘Quality Infrastructure’ was the underlying theme of the seventh annual meeting of the Indo-German Working Group that took place in Delhi recently, with around 80 participants.

During the meeting, the Indian and German sides signed Work Plan 2020 on Quality Infrastructure for cooperation, Standardisation, conformity assessment, and product safety.

“Quality infrastructure is the language of international trade. With a growing relevance of technical regulations, our exchange on regulatory approaches and compliance procedures eases doing business and boosts trade. I welcome the signing of our Work Plan 2020,” said Director General Stefan Schnorr of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).

Under this year’s work plan, BMWi and the Indian Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in collaboration with other Ministries are working closely together a number of factors to strengthen the bilateral trade between two countries through quality infrastructure. These include standardisation, accreditation and conformity assessment, metrology, product safety and market surveillance.

“A mutual understanding of requirements for safe and secure products helps to protect the citizens in both countries. Our Indo-German discussion paper on the cybersecurity of Internet of Things (IoT) devices which we just launched is a good example for our successful cooperation,” Stefan Schnorr said.

Germany and India established the Working Group in 2013 to strengthen their economic and technical cooperation, reduce technical barriers to trade, and increase product safety.

Also present on the occasion, Secretary, Consumer Affairs, Avinash Srivastava said, “Germany is a trusted and important partner for India. It is encouraging to see the intense technical cooperation that happens in our bilateral Working Group. This year we will also put focus on strengthening the dialogue on technical regulation, exchange on regulations of medical devices, and exploring twinning arrangements at ISO and IEC level.”

Along with Director General Stefan Schnorr, this year’s annual meeting was also attended by representatives from the German Institute for Standardization (DIN), the German Commission for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies (DKE), the National Metrology Institute of Germany (PTB), and representatives from German companies and industry associations such as VDMA and VDA.

The Indian delegation included representatives from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as well as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

555 Sikhs to visit Pak

New Delhi (NVI): Around 555 Sikh devotees will travel from Delhi to Pakistan in April to celebrate Baisakhi at Gurdwara Panja Sahib located in Hasan Abdal area, according to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.

DSGMC President Manjinder Singh Sirsa said Sikh devotees from New Delhi will travel to Pakistan via Attari border on April 11, 2020 and will return on April 21,2020.

Those interested in undertaking the pilgrimage have been asked by the DSGMC to deposit their passports with the Committee by Feb 15,2020.

Sirsa said both Sikhs and Sahajdhari Sikhs living here and having valid identity proof like Aadhaar Card and PAN card  and passport with at least one year validity can deposit their duly-filled applications at DSGMC office, situated in Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib Complex here.

Each pilgrim is required to pay visa processing fee of Rs 200.

“This year, a quota of 3000 pilgrims has been allocated from Indian side, of which state wise quota has been fixed,” Sirsa said.

China confirms 139 cases of coronavirus as it spreads to new cities

Representative image

New Delhi (NVI): China has confirmed 139 new cases of coronavirus in Wuhan, Beijing and Shenzen over the past two days, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

This is the first time that novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) cases have been reported outside Wuhan, where the virus was first identified.

The spread of virus was reported by the WHO in a tweet today. “China has reported to WHO 139 new cases of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan, Beijing and Shenzhen over the past two days. This is the result of increased searching and testing for 2019-nCoV among people sick with respiratory illness,” the global health organisation said in a tweet.

Health authorities in Beijing confirmed two cases of the new coronavirus on Monday. Guangdong authorities reported one case in Shenzhen. This is the first confirmation from authorities that the mysterious virus has spread domestically beyond the central city of Wuhan.

All three patients are believed to have visited Wuhan, according to authorities.

Last week, three cases were detected outside China — two in Thailand and one in Japan. All cases have been linked to Wuhan. On Monday, South Korea also confirmed its first case of the virus.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. 2019-nCoV is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

The WHO has provided advice to countries on how to identify people sick with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), how to care for them, and how to prevent spread.

FM hosts ‘Halwa’ ceremony for Budget-printing

New Delhi (NVI): Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today kicked off the process of printing the Union General Budget 2020-21 by hosting the customary ‘Halwa’ ceremony here.

The ‘Halwa’ ceremony is a pre-Budget event that formally flags off printing of different documents associated with the Budget after a marathon exercise to finalise it.

The significance of this ceremony is that after this process, all the officials involved in the Budget- making and printing process, are locked down in the ministry and remain cut off from their families till the presentation of the Budget by the Finance Minister in the Lok Sabha.

This is to maintain utmost secrecy regarding the contents of the Budget.

The Finance Minister will present the Union Budget 2020-21 on February 1 at 11 am.

Onion and garlic may reduce the risk of breast cancer by 67%: Research

New Delhi (NVI): According to a new research, eating onion and garlic reduces the risk of breast cancer. Onions and garlic are part of the diet of most Indians. A lot of antioxidants are found in these, which can increase the body’s immunity and protect it against many diseases. In many earlier pieces of research, it has been discovered that the consumption of garlic and onion protects against diabetes, heart diseases and cancer.

According to recent research conducted at the University of Buffalo, New York, garlic and onions can reduce the risk of breast cancer. This research has been done by Gauri Desai and her team from the Department of Epidemiology and has been published in the journal ‘Nutrition and Cancer’.

Breast cancer risk decreases by 67% (sixty-seven per cent)

For this research, Desai and the team selected 314 women between the age of 30 – 79 years from records in hospitals and clinics. These have been victims of cancer between 2008 and 2014.

Besides, the research team included 346 other participants of the same age also, who have never been a cancer patient. A survey was done on the amount of consumption of onion and garlic by these people.

Garlic-onion contains many nutritional-protecting nutrients

Another research was done to find out the ingredients in garlic and onion, which protects the body from breast cancer and other types of cancer. According to physicians, garlic contains two ingredients named S-allyl cysteine and diallyl disulfide, which reduces the risk of cancer in humans. Similarly, onions contain alkenyl cysteine sulfoxides, which is considered to be anti-cancer.

Intake of garlic and onion in Ayurveda

In Ayurveda, consumption of garlic and onion is considered very beneficial. According to Ayurveda, garlic and onion acts as natural blood purifiers. However, high intake is prohibited as onions are known as ‘tamasic’ and garlic is considered as ‘rajasic’.

But medical science does not believe so. According to medical science, garlic and onions are full of antioxidants, so they can be consumed huge amounts as well. Raw onion and garlic is more beneficial than ripe. Therefore, one can also intake them raw in the form of salad, chutney etc.

Green tea helps reduce weight, says study

New Delhi (NVI): Drinking green tea daily has many benefits for your health, as it helps in reducing your weight. Here are a few more facts that make green tea more powerful than regular tea.

Does Green Tea Have Antibacterial Properties?

Green tea contains many antioxidants in addition to vitamin C, polyphenols, which strengthen the immune system by destroying the body’s free radicals. Along with this, the consumption of green tea also helps in lowering the cholesterol level and at the same time, green tea helps in removing the extra fat stored in the body. The benefits of green tea are not only limited here, but it also prevents cancer cells from growing and is very beneficial for oral cancer. Its regular intake reduces the risk of cancer of the digestive system and bladder.

Reduce the harm of antibiotics 

In a recent study, researchers found that there is a deep connection between green tea and antibiotic resistance. It has been found that antioxidants in green tea can help eliminate bacteria, which cause antibiotic damage.

In a study published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, researchers found that epigallocatechin can store atrazine, an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. The most common respiratory tract infection is P. aeruginosa, which has long been resistant to many antibiotics. Experts point out that until now, a combination of drugs has been used to eliminate P. aeruginosa.

Learning outcomes

The study results found that the combination of aztreonam and EGCG was effective in reducing P. aeruginosa. According to Roberto La Ragione, a professor in the Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Surrey, “WHO, in its report, has described Pseudomonas aeruginosa as important for human health.”

According to Dr Jonathan Bates, lead author, Senior Research Fellow, “Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing concern in many cases affecting successful medical treatment. The only methods so far used to combine EGCG and recognized antibiotics as an effective treatment.

How beneficial is green tea?

Consumption of green tea increases the level of metabolism, which helps in reducing and controlling cholesterol levels in the body. Along with this, green tea is also very beneficial for oral health. It contains anti-oxidation polyphenols, which eliminate those elements in the mouth that are responsible for respiratory problems. This is the reason that green tea also regulates the amount of glucose in the body and is also helpful in reducing the harm of insulin drugs.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, green tea not only reduces type 1 diabetes but also reduces its effects on the body and prevents harm from antibiotics.

Temperature rises in Delhi

New Delhi (NVI): Minimum temperature in Delhi today rose to 8.3 degrees celsius from 6.2 degrees celsius recorded yesterday.

The maximum temperature  today is expected to be around 17.0 degrees celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The weatherman has forecast partly cloudy sky with moderate fog for today.

Meanwhile,  the overall air quality in the national capital today remained in the “poor” category.

According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR),the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital stood at  249 which falls in the “poor” category.

The worst affected areas are Dhirpur, Delhi University, Chandni Chowk, Pusa, Lodhi Road, Mathura Road, IGI Terminal 3 and the neighbouring Noida.

Centre committed to equitable, fast-track development of J&K: RK Singh

Doda (NVI): Union Minister RK Singh today said the Centre is committed to equitable and fast-track development of projects in Jammu and Kashmir while asserting that raising the living standards of the people from every community in the region is also one of the goals of the Narendra Modi government.

The Union Minister of State for Power was addressing a gathering at a public outreach programme here along with Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar. In his address, the Union Minister said that the central government aims at long-term initiatives for the equitable and sustainable development of the Union Territory.

He said the people in J&K must avail benefits of various centrally sponsored schemes like Ayushman Bharat, PM-KISAN, PMAY (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana), etc.

The minister also highlighted the achievements of various government schemes like 100% implementation of DDUGJY (Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana) and PMDP(R) (Prescription Drug Monitoring Program) in 252 villages of Jammu, besides issuance of 42,000 KCC (Kisan Credit Card) cards, issuance of soil health cards, effective implementation of PM-KISAN in the district.

Also present on the occasion, Advisor to J&K L-G Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar appreciated the district administration for carrying out various welfare programmes successfully. He also ensured that the demands raised during the programme will be looked into and addressed accordingly.

The Advisor also highlighted the importance of Back to Village programme in addressing the basic issues of the people of rural areas at their door-steps.

Later, the Union Minister along with Advisor Bhatnagar inaugurated various stalls of line departments exhibiting their products and schemes to sensitise people of the area.

Earlier, the Union Minister laid the foundation stone of various mega projects of Power Department.

The Union Minister also e-inaugurated water sports center at Pul Doda, up-gradation of the electrical infrastructure of 12 shrines in Jammu region, and augmented transformation capacity from 50MVA -100MVA at 132/33KV Grid station Pounichak in district Jammu.

The projects were inaugurated in presence of Advisor Bhatnagar, M Raju- Secretary PDD, Yasha Mudgal- MD JPDCL, and DDC Doda Dr Sagar D Doifode.

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