Friday, September 11, 2026
Home Blog Page 943

Defence Secy launches digital forum for NCC cadets to share experiences

Defence Sec launches digital forum for NCC cadets to share experiences
Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar with senior civil and military officials

New Delhi (NVI): Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar today launched the DGNCC Digital Forum for National Cadet Corps cadets to share their opinions and experiences on NCC activities.

According to an official statement, “The digital forum will be hosted on the DGNCC website, which will provide a platform to National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets all over the country to share their experiences of various NCC activities.”

Speaking at launch event, Defence Secretary said that this forum will help NCC cadets to share their experiences, opinions and suggestions on NCC training, social service and community development and sports & adventure activities and host of other issues related to national security, national integration and national building.

Kumar further praised the contribution of more than 1 lakh NCC cadets as the frontline corona warriors by executing various tasks in the fight against the pandemic during Exercise NCC Yogdan.

“NCC imbibes the cadets with self-discipline, secular ideas, camaraderie and selfless service which motivate the cadets to excel in all spheres of life,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.

This digital forum is a positive step towards digitization of NCC. This in line with Digital India vision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and will go a long way in providing a digital platform to the NCC cadets to share and disseminate their experiences and suggestions to other cadets and general public, said the Ministry of Defence in a statement.

During the event, Director General NCC Lt General Rajeev Chopra and other senior civil and military officials of the HQ DGNCC were also present, it added.

-RJV

2 militants killed in ongoing encounter in North Kashmir’s Baramulla

Militant killed in ongoing encounter in North Kashmir’s Baramulla
File Photo

Neyaz Elahi

Baramulla (NVI): Two unidentified militants have been killed in an ongoing encounter with security forces in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, police said.

Earlier this morning, after receiving inputs about the presence of militants in the Wanigam area of Baramulla, police, soldiers from the Army’s 29 Rashtriya Rifles and 176 Battalion of CRPF cordoned off the area, they said.

A police official told NVI that after the day-long search operation and intermittent firing, a militant was gunned down. He said the operation is still in progress. The second militant was neutralised just moments later.

The slain militants have not been identified yet and reinforcement has been called in after fresh firing, police said.

-ARK

France rewards hundreds of COVID frontline immigrant workers with citizenship

France rewards hundreds of COVID frontline immigrant workers with citizenship

New Delhi (NVI): The French government is fast-tracking almost 700 citizenship applications from foreign frontline workers who have distinguished themselves in the battle against COVID-19.

The interior ministry invited people who helped with efforts against COVID-19, such as healthcare professionals, cleaners, childcare and shop workers, to apply for sped-up neutralisation.

“Foreign workers gave their time and swung into action for all of us during the COVID crisis,” said Marlène Schiappa, France’s junior minister for citizenship.

“It is now up to the Republic to take a step toward them,” she added.

To receive French citizenship, the applicant must usually have been a resident in France for five years with a steady income and demonstrated integration into society.

But the initiative, announced in September, means those working on the COVID-19 frontline could be granted citizenship if they have lived in France for only two years.

More than 70 applicants have obtained citizenship since September and 693 more are in the final stage of the process, authorities said.

France is the fifth-worst hit country by coronavirus, reporting over 2.4 million infections and more than 60,000 deaths since the outbreak started in February. The country’s care homes have been particularly affected.

-CHK

India adds Ladakh’s Tso Kar wetland complex as 42nd Ramsar Site

India adds Ladakh's Tso Kar wetland complex as 42nd Ramsar Site
Tso Kar wetland complex

New Delhi (NVI): In a significant development, India has added Tso Kar Wetland Complex in Ladakh as its 42nd Ramsar site, which is a second one in the Union Territory, the Environment Ministry said today.

Tso Kar recognized as wetland of international importance on the list of Ramsar site is at 4,500 meters above sea level in the Changthang region of Ladakh.

Taking to Twitter, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar shared this information and expressed his happiness.

“Happy to share that high-altitude wetland complex in Changthang region of Ladakh is recognised as wetland of international importance. The complex is a notable example of two connected lakes, the freshwater Startsapuk Tso and the hypersaline Tso Kar. Now, India has 42 Ramsar sites,” Javadekar tweeted.

In a official statement, the Ministry of Environment stated, “Tso Kar Basin is a high-altitude wetland complex, consisting of two principal waterbodies, Startsapuk Tso, a freshwater lake of about 438 hectares and Tso Kar itself, a hypersaline lake of 1,800 hectares, situated in the Changthang region of Ladakh, India.”

The name Tso Kar means the white salt efflorescence found on the margins due to the evaporation of highly saline water, the statement added.

It is an A1 category Important Bird Area (IBA) as per Bird Life International and a key staging site in the Central Asian Flyway. The site is one of the most important breeding areas of the Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) in India.

Tso Kar is also the major breeding area for Great Crested Grebe (Podicepscristatus), Bar-headed Geese (Anserindicus), Ruddy Shelduck (Tadornaferruginea), Brown-headed Gull (Larusbrunnicephalus) and many other species.

The aim of the Ramsar list is “to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits,”the ministry noted.

Further, wetlands provide a wide range of important resources and ecosystem services such as food, water, fibre, groundwater recharge, water purification, erosion control among others.

They are a major source of water and main supply of freshwater comes from an array of wetlands which help soak rainfall and recharge groundwater. However, the ministry would be working closely with the UT Wetland Authority to ensure wise use of this site, the statement read.

 

-RJV

51 lakh people to get Covid vaccine in first phase in Delhi: Kejriwal

New Delhi (NVI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said that 51 lakh people in three categories have been identified to be given the Covid-19 vaccine doses in the first phase of vaccination in the national capital.

While unveiling the Delhi Government’s mega vaccination plan at a virtual press briefing here, Kejriwal said that the vaccination will be carried out as per the guidelines released by the Centre. He said the 51 lakh people will include healthcare workers, frontline workers and those above 50 years of age. In the third category, people below 50 years who have co-morbid conditions may also get the vaccine, he said.

Kejriwal further said that each person will get two doses of the vaccine, which means 1.02 crore doses will be required in the initial phase for these priority people. He said that at present, Delhi has a cold storage capacity for 74 lakh doses but this will be further increased to 1 crore and 15 lakh in a maximum of one week.

The Chief Minister said that all these priority category people are being registered. “When the vaccine comes, then only those people who have a registration will get the vaccine on a priority basis. These people will be informed through SMS or other means to tell them where and when they have to come to get the vaccine dose,” he said.

In addition to this, Kejriwal said, preparations are underway to arrange for sites and locations in Delhi for Covid vaccination. He said there are sufficient locations and the manpower has also been taken care of. “One team will have 5 members, so all the staff and officers to be engaged have been identified and they have been trained,” he added.

“In case a vaccinated person has some side effect or faces a medical problem, then also we have arranged for teams of specialists and doctors to treat that person,” he said.

-ARK

New Covid-19 variant found in South Africa may be ‘more effective at spreading’

Covid-19 variant found in South Africa may be 'more effective at spreading'

New Delhi (NVI): The new Covid-19 mutant found in South Africa is likely to be more transmissible, may hit young people harder, and maybe slightly more resistant to vaccines, scientists in South Africa believe.

However, research is still continuing to confirm the threat posed by the variant, which does not appear to provoke more serious symptoms or require different treatment.

The new strain, two cases of which have now been detected in the UK, is called the 501Y.V2 variant.

It was discovered through routine surveillance by a network of laboratories around South Africa, and found in almost 200 samples collected from more than 50 different health facilities. Originally confined to coastal regions, the variant is now spreading inland.

Data on the South African variant, which has swept across a swath of the country, has already been compared by scientists to the UK variant detected last week.

“Putting our data together with that in the UK, this [South African] variant is a bit more effective at spreading from person to person and that is not good. It means we have to get a bit better at stopping it,” said Dr Richard Lessells, one of the specialists leading research into the new variant in South Africa.

Meanwhile, with reports of a new strain, nearly eight countries have so far closed doors to passengers coming from South Africa.

Germany, Turkey, Israel, Switzerland, the UK, Uzbekistan and the Netherlands aren’t permitting any flights from South Africa to enter their country.

-CHK

State-wise details of Covid-19 cases in India

COVID-19 states
(Representational/file photo)

New Delhi (NVI): The total number of coronavirus cases in India has crossed 10.1 million and currently stands at 10,123,778 after 24,712 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The country’s death toll stands at 1,46,756 after 312 new fatalities were reported during the same period.

In worst-affected Maharashtra, the COVID-19 cases increased to 19,06,371 followed by Karnataka with 9,12,340 and Andhra Pradesh with 8,79,718 positive cases.

Total positive cases in States/UTs:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands- 4,896

Andhra Pradesh- 8,79,718

Arunachal Pradesh- 16,669

Assam- 2,15,680

Bihar- 2,47,807

Chandigarh- 19,266

Chhattisgarh- 2,71,194

Dadra and Nagar Haveli– 3,365

Delhi- 6,19,618

Gujarat- 2,38,205

Goa- 50,364

Haryana– 2,59,226

Himachal Pradesh- 53,392

Jammu and Kashmir- 1,19,053

Jharkhand- 1,13,609

Karnataka- 9,12,340

Kerala- 7,21,510

Ladakh- 9,309

Madhya Pradesh- 2,34,331

Maharashtra- 19,06,371

Manipur- 27,827

Meghalaya- 13,328

Mizoram- 4,156

Nagaland- 11,877

Odisha- 3,27,279

Puducherry- 37,845

Punjab- 1,64,145

Rajasthan- 3,01,708

Sikkim- 5,632

Tamil Nadu- 8,10,080

Telangana- 2,83,556

Tripura- 33,216

Uttarakhand- 87,940

Uttar Pradesh- 5,77,642

West Bengal – 5,41,624

State/UT wise total death toll:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands- 62

Andhra Pradesh- 7,085

Arunachal Pradesh- 56

Assam- 1,029

Bihar- 1,368

Chandigarh- 313

Chhattisgarh- 3,227

Dadra and Nagar Haveli- 2

Delhi- 10,347

Goa- 727

Gujarat- 4,254

Haryana- 2,847

Himachal Pradesh- 894

Jammu and Kashmir- 1,853

Jharkhand- 1,014

Karnataka- 12,038

Kerala- 2,892

Ladakh- 125

Madhya Pradesh- 3,514

Maharashtra- 48,969

Manipur- 338

Meghalaya- 135

Mizoram- 8

Nagaland- 77

Odisha- 1,846

Puducherry- 629

Punjab- 5,243

Rajasthan- 2,642

Sikkim- 125

Tamil Nadu- 12,024

Telangana- 1,524

Tripura- 384

Uttar Pradesh- 8,245

Uttarakhand- 1,447

West Bengal- 9,473

However, a total of 96,93,173 people have been cured and discharged. The total active cases stands at 2,83,849 in the country.

-CHK

Active cases in India continue to decline, drops to 2.80% of total cases

COVID-19 India
File photo

New Delhi (NVI): The ongoing trend of contraction of India’s total active cases continues, as active caseload further shrunk to 2.80 per cent of the total positive cases and stands at 2,83,849, Union Health Ministry said.

In the last 24 hours, only 24,712 persons were found to be COVID-19 positive in the country. During the same period, 29,791 new recoveries were registered ensuring a net decline of 5,391 active cases, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

“Daily recoveries have outnumbered the daily new cases since nearly a month (27 days),” it added.

Notably, India has recorded less than 30,000 daily new cases continuously since the last 11 days.

Meanwhile, the total COVID-19 recoveries are nearing 97 lakh and currently stands at 96,93,173. With this, the recovery rate has also increased to 95.75 per cent.

As many as 79.56 per cent of the new recovered cases are observed to be concentrated in 10 States and UTs.

In the past 24 hours, Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of single day recoveries with 7,620 cases and 4,808 people recovered in Kerala followed by 2,153 in West Bengal.

The ministry also said, about 76.48 per cent of the new cases are from 10 States and UTs.

Out of these, Kerala continues to report the highest daily new cases at 6,169. It is followed by Maharashtra and West Bengal with 3,913 and 1,628 new cases, respectively.

Furthermore, 312 COVID-19 fatalities have been reported in the past 24 hours.

In addition, ten States and UTs account for 79.81 per cent of new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (93).West Bengal and Kerala follow with 34 and 22 daily deaths, respectively,” the ministry said.

The daily deaths in India are on a sustained decline and less than 400 daily fatalities have been registered for the last 12 days, it added.

-RJV

Coronavirus cases surpass 78.6 million worldwide

Coronavirus cases

New Delhi (NVI): More than 78.6 million people around the world have been confirmed to have the coronavirus, while the death toll has crossed 17,30,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally. Over 44.2 million patients have recovered from the deadly disease globally.

The number of coronavirus infections in the US have surpassed 18.4 million, while the number of fatalities caused due to the deadly contagion have exceeded 3,26,000 in the country.

Brazil’s coronavirus cases have crossed the 73 lakh-mark and stands at 7,365,517 while the number of deaths have surged past 1,89,000 in the country.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Victoria has recorded its 55th straight day without a locally acquired Covid-19 case.

Canada became the second country to approve the Moderna vaccine for deployment. The Canadian government is also set to extend its ban on incoming commercial and passenger flights from Britain until January 6.

France has registered 14,929 new Covid cases and 276 more deaths in the last 24 hours, according to French healthcare data.

Furthermore, the UK government has implemented a travel ban on passengers arriving from South Africa after two cases of another new strain of Covid-19 was found in the UK.

-CHK

Air Quality panel directs enforcement of dust control measures in Delhi-NCR

Air Quality panel directs enforcement of dust control measures in Delhi-NCR
File photo

New Delhi (NVI): The Air Quality Commission in Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas has directed Pollution Control Boards a strict enforcement of dust control measures to curb air pollution in the region.

According to an official statement, “The Commission of Air Quality Management (CAQM) reviewed the deteriorating air quality situation and has directed strict enforcement of dust control measures to curb air pollution in Delhi-NCR.”

It added that strict action must be taken against violators of construction demolition waste rules and the guidelines. “Commission’s direction came after it reviewed dust control measures for National Capital Region including NCT of Delhi,” the Ministry of Environment said in a statement.

The body issued statutory directions to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCB) and pollution control boards to constitute teams for inspection and strict enforcement of dust control measures.

It has also issued directions to levy environment compensation charge from violators and stoppage or prohibition of construction or demolition activities based on extent of violations.

The statement further said, “Dust emanating from the construction and demolition activities continues to be a major source of air pollution throughout the year.”

However, such activities generate significant amount of dust, adversely impacting the Air quality by raising PM2.5 and PM10 levels.

“In order to ensure strict compliance of construction and demolition waste management rules notified by the Ministry of Environment and guidelines on dust mitigation measures, the Commission has directed the CPCB, State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) of Haryana, Rajasthan, UP and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to constitute surprise inspection teams,” the statement read.

They will also furnish fortnightly inspection reports to the commission regarding compliance of rules with respect to construction and demolition activities in NCR, it added.

-RJV

1...942943944...1,733Page 943 of 1,733

MUST READ