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MHA Covid-19 guidelines to remain in force till Jan 31

Ayush

New Delhi (NVI): The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the Covid-19 guidelines till January 31 in the wake of a new variant of coronavirus that has emerged in the UK.

The MHA issues an order today to extend its earlier guidelines for surveillance, containment and caution in all States and Union Territories across the country.

“While there has been a continuous decline in the active and new COVID-19 cases, there is need to maintain surveillance, containment and caution, keeping in view the surge in cases globally, and emergence of a new variant of the virus in the United Kingdom (UK),” the Home Ministry said in a statement.

Accordingly, Containment Zones continue to be demarcated carefully; prescribed containment measures strictly followed within these zones; COVID-appropriate behaviour promoted and strictly enforced, and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed in respect of various permitted activities followed scrupulously, it said.

“Therefore, the focused approach on surveillance, containment and strict observance of the guidelines/SOPs issued by MHA and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW), as envisaged in the Guidelines issued on 25.11.2020; need to be enforced strictly by States and UTs,” read the MHA order.

-ARK

PM Modi flags off 100th Kisan Rail, says big step towards empowering farmers

PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi (File photo)

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today flagged off the 100th Kisan Rail in Maharashtra and said the move is a big step toward empowering farmers of the country.

The 100th Kisan Rail was flagged off from Sangola in Maharashtra to Shalimar in West Bengal virtually.

“I congratulate crores of farmers of the country. Despite Covid-19 challenge Kisan Rail network has expanded in the last four months and got its 100th rail now,” PM Modi said, adding that Kisan Rail is a big step towards empowering farmers and increasing their income.

He said this service will bring a major change in the economy related to farming and will also increase the strength of the country’s cold supply chain.

The Prime Minister also said that farmers and farming of every region of the country are being connected by Kisan Rail.

“More than 80 per cent of the small and marginal farmers of the country have got great power through Kisan Rail,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi said there is no minimum quantum for farmers as a farmer can also send a parcel of 50-100 kg. “The farmer used to spend a lot on rent for transporting his crop to distant markets. In view of this problem, three years ago our government gave 50% subsidy on transportation of tomatoes, onions and potatoes,” PM Modi said during the launch.

The Prime Minister remarked that the government’s priority is focussed on storage-linked infrastructure and processing industries associated with value addition in farming products.

He said about 6,500 such projects have been approved under Mega Food Parks, Cold Chain Infrastructure and Agro Processing Cluster, under the PM Krishi Sampada Yojana. Rs 10,000 crore have been sanctioned for micro food processing industries under AatmaNirbhar Abhiyan package, Modi added.

“We will keep on marching on the path of strengthening Indian agriculture and Kisan with full dedication,” the Prime Minister stated.

Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal were also present at the event.

-RJV/CHK

Centre releases 9th tranche of GST compensation of Rs 6,000 cr to states

SDRF
Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): In a bid to bridge the Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue shortfall, the Finance Ministry has released the ninth weekly instalment of Rs 6,000 crore to 23 states and 3 Union Territories under a special borrowing window today.

Out of this, an amount of Rs.5,516.60 crore has been released to 23 States and an amount of Rs.483.40 crore has been released to the 3 Union Territories with Legislative Assembly (Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir & Puducherry) who are members of the GST Council, according to a statement released by Ministry of Finance.

The remaining 5 states, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim do not have a gap in revenue on account of GST implementation, the statement added.

The Government of India had set up a special borrowing window in October, 2020 to meet the estimated shortfall of Rs.1.10 lakh crore in revenue arising on account of implementation of GST.

The borrowings are being done through this window by the Centre on behalf of the states and UTs.

The borrowings have been done in 9 rounds. The amount borrowed so far was released to the States on October 23, November 2, November 9, November 23, December 1, December 7, December 14, December 21 and December 28.

The amount released this week was the 9th instalment of such funds provided to the states. The amount has been borrowed this week at an interest rate of 5.1508 per cent.

So far, an amount of Rs 54,000 crore has been borrowed by the Central Government through the special borrowing window at an average interest rate of 4.7488 per cent.

In addition to providing funds through the special borrowing window to meet the shortfall in revenue on account of GST implementation, the Centre has also granted additional borrowing permission equivalent to 0.50 per cent of Gross States Domestic Product (GSDP) to the states choosing Option-I to meet GST compensation shortfall to help them in mobilising additional financial resources.

-CHK

Govt invites farmers for talks on Wed

New Delhi (NVI): The Central Government has invited farmers, protesting over recently passed farm bills, for talks on Wednesday at 2 pm. This will be the sixth time that the government and members of the farming community will meet to seek a way out of the deadlock.

Notably, the Supreme Court has ordered the formation of a committee to resolve the protest over the new laws. Farmers have been protesting for over a month now at Delhi borders, demanding the repeal of the newly passed three laws that are aimed at modernising the mandi system in the country and exponentially raising farmers’ income.

The Union Agriculture Ministry today invited more representatives of 40 unions for the meeting at 2 PM in Vigyan Bhawan.

-ARK

K’taka to start schools for class 10, 12

Maharashtra
File photo

New Delhi (NVI): Karnataka will reopen schools for regular classes for students of Classes 10 and 12 from January 1, 2021, after a gap of nearly ten months amid COVID outbreak.

The announcement was made by Karnataka’s Education Minister S Suresh Kumar after state Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa today said that there will be a discussion about the reopening of schools in the state.

According to the reports, Kumar said, “From January 1, classes will resume for 10th and 12th standard. There have been speculations, but whatever programmes we have planned from January 1 will go on.”

Earlier, the state had decided to reopen regular classes for Class 10, second pre-university and Vidyagama programme for government school students from Class 6 to Class 9 from January 1.

Vidyagama scheme is aimed at taking school education to the doorsteps of students in rural areas who cannot afford to attend online classes due to various reasons.

Kumar also informed that there would be no hard and fast rule to attend the regular classes. “If the parents and students are comfortable with the online classes they can study from home,” he said.

So far, the second worst-affected state Karnataka has reported 9,16,256 coronavirus infections, while the death toll stood at 12,062.

-RJV

Two-day COVID vaccine dry run begins in four states from today

COVID
Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): A dry run of the Covid-19 vaccination programme has begun in four states to test the planned operations and the laid-out mechanisms for the coronavirus inoculation drive.

The four states in which dry runs will be carried out are – Punjab, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.

Two districts in each of these four states across India’s four zones will assess their preparedness in five different types of medical settings – district hospitals, Community and Public Healthcare Centres, urban and rural areas, and private facilities.

Five session sites in each district are likely to be established for the purpose of conducting the dry run.

The dry run will include testing for cold storage and transportation arrangements for the vaccine, managing crowds at session sites with proper physical distancing, and defining the role of vaccinators and other staff on vaccine-related duty.

In addition to this, it will be conducted to check the feasibility of the plan involving real-time monitoring via Co-WIN app and will not involve vaccine administration.

Co-WIN app is an online platform, which involves monitoring of vaccine delivery, testing receipt and allocation, deployment of team members, mock drill of session sites with test beneficiaries as well as reporting and evening meeting.

After the dry run, a report prepared will be reviewed by the State Task Force, which will be submitted to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The Centre plans to immunise 30 crore people in the first phase trials.

India, the second worst-hit country by the novel coronavirus pandemic, has been seeing a steady decline in its daily infections.

-CHK

Another terror plot foiled, LeT associate held in Jammu with 2 grenades

Another terror plot foiled, LeT associate held in Jammu with 2 grenades

Neyaz Elahi

Jammu (NVI) After the arrest of some militants in Rajouri yesterday, police today arrested a Lashkar-e-Taiba associate in Jammu with two grenades who was tasked by his handlers in Pakistan to carry out blasts in the city at NHW bye pass road, officials said.

Raids are being conducted in different parts of Jammu region to nab militant associates after the arrest of some militants in Galuthi area of Jammu’s Rajouri district yesterday, police said.

These militants were likely to carry out a blast in Rajouri district and probably attempting to disrupt the communal harmony prevailing in the region, the Army said in a statement.

In a similar way, the LeT associate held today was to carry out grenade attacks in the city at NHW bye pass road in Jammu, a police official said.

The accused has been identified as Muhammad Ashraf a resident of Lar in Mahore area of Reasi district, presently residing at Peerbagh colony, Sunjawan, Jammu.

The spokesperson said that two hand grenades were recovered from his possession while a case under the Explosive Substances Act and sections 18, 38, 39 of the UA(P) Act has been registered at police station Bagh-e-Bahu.

-ARK

Javadekar hoists International Blue Flags at 8 beaches across India

Javadekar hoists International Blue Flag at 8 beaches across India

New Delhi (NVI): Union Minister Prakash Javadekar today virtually hoisted International Blue Flags at eight beaches across the country, the Environment Ministry said.

According to an official statement, the beaches where the Blue Flags were hoisted are Kappad (Kerala), Shivrajpur (Gujarat), Ghoghla (Diu), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh), Golden (Odisha) and Radhanagar (Andaman & Nicobar Islands).

The flags were also simultaneously hoisted on these beaches physically by state ministers and senior officials of the respective state and Union territories, the Ministry said.

“India secured the International Blue Flag Certification for these beaches on October 6, when an International Jury comprising of member organizations UNEP, UNWTO, UNESCO, IUCN, ILS, FEE etc. announced the award at Copenhagen, Denmark,” the Ministry of Environment said in a statement.

Blue Flag certification is a globally recognised eco-label accorded by “Foundation for Environment Education in Denmark” based on 33 stringent criteria, it added.

After hosting the flags, Javadekar lauded the efforts of the state and central government as well as the people saying that neat and clean beaches are an indicator that the coastal environment is in good health.

“The Blue Flag certification is a global recognition of India’s conservation and sustainable development efforts,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.

During the event, the Minister also informed that hundred more such beaches will be made Blue Flag in coming 3-4 years and highlighted that cleaning beaches needs to be a made a “Jan Andolan” not only for its aesthetic value and tourism prospects, but more importantly towards reducing the menace of marine litter and making coastal environment sustainable.

India started its journey of sustainable development of coastal regions in 2018 by launching its beach cleaning campaign –I-AM- SAVING-MY-BEACH simultaneously at 13 coastal states, thereafter implementing ministry’s coveted program Beach Environment and Aesthetics Management Services (BEAMS), the ministry further said.

The introduction of BEAMS program in 10 coastal states have resulted into international level of cleanliness at beaches with over 500 tonnes of solid waste collected, recycled and scientifically disposed at these beaches reducing the menace of marine litter by over 78 per cent marine plastic by over 83 per cent.

About 11,000 KL of water was saved by recycling and reuse with BEAMS program, which has resulted into an increase in footfall at these beaches by over 85 per cent cumulative, the statement added.

-RJV

Chinese citizen journalist jailed for 4 yrs for Wuhan Covid-19 reporting

New Delhi (NVI): A Chinese citizen journalist has been jailed for four years for her livestream reporting from Wuhan in the initial stages of Covid-19 outbreak, foreign media reports said.

The citizen journalist, identified as Zhang Zhan, a former lawyer, was sentenced for four years in prison after a hearing in a Shanghai court, according to reports. According to reports, the journalist has been sentenced for allegedly “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.”

The Chinese authorities have punished eight virus whistleblowers so far as Beijing struggled to face criticism from across the world after the virus outbreak. Zhang Zhan also grabbed the attention of authorities as her reports and essays were widely shared on social media platforms in February.

Even as the world economy continues to witness lockdowns and surging caseloads since the start of the pandemic from Wuhan, China’s economy is on the rebound. The Chinese communist regime has been well known to control information.

According to reports, 37-year-old Zhang Zhan is also suffering from deteriorating health as she began a hunger strike in June. However, she has been force-fed via a nasal tube.

The trial also comes just weeks ahead of the visit of an international team of WHO experts which is expected to arrive in China to investigate the origins of the Covid-19 virus.

-ARK

Army chief Gen Naravane proceeds on three-day South Korea visit

(Pic: Twitter @adgpi)

New Delhi (NVI): Army Chief General MM Naravane today left for a three-day visit to South Korea from 28 to 30 December to boost military cooperation with the East Asian nation.

During the visit, Naravane will be meeting senior military and civilian leadership of the Republic of Korea (ROK), the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

Apart from laying wreath at National Cemetery and War Memorial at Seoul, Gen Naravane is scheduled to call on with the Minister of National Defence, ROK Army Chief, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Minister of Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) where he will discuss avenues for enhancing India-ROK defence relations, the MoD said.

Naravane will also visit Korea Combat Training Centre in Inje Country, Gangwon Province and Advance Defence Development (ADD) at Daejeon, the statement said.

Indian Army also took to Twitter in this regard and wrote, “General MM Naravane COAS begins his three days official visit to Republic of Korea by paying tributes to #bravehearts at the NationalCemetery. The visit aims to further strengthen strategic & defence cooperation between the countries.”

This is Army Chief’s fifth visit to a foreign country during the COVID-19 pandemic after Myanmar, Nepal, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Earlier this month, General Naravane made a historic visit to Saudi Arabia and the UAE to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation.

-RJV/ARK

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