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India will become toll free in next 2 years using GPS technology, says Gadkari

India will become toll free in next 2 years using GPS technology
Representational/file photo

New Delhi (NVI): India will become toll free in next two years as the government has finalised Global Positioning System (GPS) based technology toll collection to ensure seamless movement of vehicles across the country, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said today.

While addressing the ASSOCHAM Foundation Week Programme, Gadkari shared his perspective on the theme ‘National Infrastructure Pipeline critical for economic revival across sectors’.

In addition, he explained that the toll amount will be deducted directly from the bank account based on the movement of vehicles.

“While all commercial vehicles are coming with vehicle tracking systems, the government will come up with some plan to install GPS technology in old vehicles,” the minister was quoted as saying in a official statement.

Gadkari also expressed hope that the toll collections may reach Rs 34,000 crore in coming March. He informed that, by using GPS technology for toll collection, the toll income in next five years will be Rs 1,34,000 crore, a statement by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways read.

Speaking on the theme of programme, the minister said that industrial development is key to employment generation and poverty eradication in India.

However, at present, industry is India is centralised in urban areas as such decentralisation of industry is imperative to boost growth rate as growing urbanisation is causing grave problems in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and others, he said.

Gadkari further pressed upon the need to promote public-private investment in infrastructure development and assured government’s support in projects that are not economically viable.

-RJV

ISRO launches communication satellite CMS-01 through its PSLV-C50 rocket       

ISRO launches communication satellite CMS-01 through its PSLV-C50 rocket       

New Delhi (NVI): The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today successfully placed communication satellite CMS-01 onboard its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C50 (PSLV-C50) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

“#CMS01 successfully separated from fourth stage of #PSLVC50 and injected into orbit,” ISRO said a tweet, minutes after the rocket blasted off, carrying the satellite.

This is ISRO’s second successful launch this year and the country’s 42nd communication satellite. The launch took place at around 3.41 pm.

ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan said that the satellite is functioning very well and will be placed in a specified slot in 4 days. “Teams worked very well and safely under COVID-19 pandemic situation,” ISRO Chairman said.

-ARK

Govt extends relaxed conditions for onion imports in India till Jan 31

onion
(Representational/file image)

New Delhi (NVI): The government today extended the relaxation of conditions for the imports of onion in India up to January 31, 2021, to counter high market prices, the  Agriculture Ministry said.

Under this, the relaxation announced on the condition of fumigation and additional declaration on Phytosanitary Certificate as per the Plant Quarantine Order, 2003, for imports up to 31st January, 2021, in the light of public concern over high prices of onion in the market.

However, the relaxation will be subject to certain conditions.

In an official statement, the Ministry of Agriculture said, “Consignments of imported onions which arrive in Indian port without fumigation and such endorsement on the phytosanitary certificate (PSC), would be fumigated in India by the importer through an accredited treatment provider.”

The consignment would be inspected thoroughly by quarantine officials and released only if found free from pests and diseases of concern to India, it added.

Furthermore, if smut or dry rot is intercepted in the consignment during inspection, the particular container will be rejected and deported, the ministry stated. In case of stem and bulbs nematode or onion maggot being detected, these should be eliminated through fumigation and the consignments released without additional inspection fee.

The ministry also informed that, the conditions also stipulate that an undertaking should be obtained from importers that the onions will be used only for consumption and not for propagation.

Also, such consignments of onion for consumption will not be subjected to the four times additional inspection fee for non compliance of conditions of import under the PQ Order, 2003, it added.

-RJV

French President tests COVID-19 positive

France

New Delhi (NVI): French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for COVID-19, the presidential Elysee Palace announced today.

“The President of the Republic has been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 today,” Macron’s office said in a statement. “This diagnosis was made following an PCR test performed at the onset of the first symptoms.”

The 42-year-old took a test after developing symptoms and will now isolate for seven days and would continue to run the country remotely, the presidency said.

France this week imposed an overnight curfew to help deal with soaring cases there.

There have been two million confirmed cases in the country since the epidemic began, with more than 59,400 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

-CHK

Gadkari to inaugurate 23rd ‘Hunar Haat’

Gadkari
Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi (NVI): Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate the 23rd “Hunar Haat”, a platform for products of indigenous master artisans in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur tomorrow via video conferencing.

According to an official statement, the Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Ababs Naqvi, Khadi and Village Industries Commission Chairman Vinay Kumar Saxena and Sidharth Nath Singh, UP Cabinet Minister for Khadi and Villages Industries and MSME will be present as the chief guests in the event.

Naqvi said indigenous products of master artisans are a major attraction at “Hunar Haat” in Rampur being organised from December 18 to 27.

The people will also enjoy traditional delicacies from almost every corner of the country at this Hunar Haat. Besides, different cultural programmes on the theme of “Jaan Bhi, Jahaan Bhi”, to be presented every day by renowned artists, he was quoted as saying in the statement.

This “Hunar Haat” is an occasion to live the feeling of communal harmony and the country’s ‘unity in diversity’, Naqvi said, adding that, “Kavi Sammelan will be organised on the theme of Aatmanirbhar Bharat on 27 December, 2020.”

The minister further said that master artisans and craftsmen from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Nagaland, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Goa and other places of the country have brought their indigenous products to Hunar Haat, which are made with wood, brass, bamboo, glass, cloth, paper, clay etc.

-RJV

Bangladesh main pillar of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy: PM Modi

Bangladesh main pillar of India's 'Neighbourhood First’ policy: PM Modi

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that Bangladesh is one of the significant pillars of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy while holding summit talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina.

PM Modi told Hasina that his government has always remained committed to strengthening ties with Bangladesh ever since it came to power. “This year was challenging due to the pandemic but there was good cooperation between India and Bangladesh in this tough time,” the PM said in his opening remarks.

In a further strengthening of ties between the two countries, seven agreements were sealed by the two sides and a pre-1965 railway link was also restored.

With the inauguration of the Haldibari-Chilahati rail link, five links are currently operational between India and Bangladesh. Both sides are committed to revive and operationalise the six pre-1965 rail links, as per officials.

Apart from that, Modi and Hasina also inaugurated a Bangabandhu-Bapu digital exhibition, released a commemorative stamp on Sheikh Mujibur Rehman’s birth centenary.

The seven pacts have been inked to form an India-Bangladesh CEOs forum with IT sector as a priority area.

-ARK

North-Atlantic wave capable of derailing Indian monsoons: Study

Representational/file photo

New Delhi (NVI): A planetary wave from the North Atlantic is capable of derailing the Indian monsoon which can result in droughts, according to a new study.

The study findings suggest modelling efforts ought to focus on including the influence of mid-latitudes, in addition to the Pacific and Indian oceans.

These were for getting a better handle on predictability of the monsoon, its variability as well as droughts.

The study, which has been published in Science journal, was carried out by researchers at the Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (CAOS), IISc, the Ministry of Science & Technology said in a statement.

“Researchers supported in part by DST under their climate change programme, showed that in the past century, Indian monsoon droughts that occurred in non-El Nino years were sub-seasonal, as against El Nino droughts, where the deficit persists throughout the season,” the statement said.

They analysed daily rainfall during the two categories of droughts from 1900 to 2015 and noticed dramatic differences in the evolution of rainfall deficit.

In addition, rainfall deficit in El Nino droughts sets in early around mid-June and becomes progressively worse. By mid-August, the deficit is very high and spread across the country, with no sign of recovery, as per the study.

Significantly, an El Nino drought and a non-El Nino drought follow distinctly different patterns.

During non-El Nino droughts there is a moderate decrease in June rainfall, followed by signs of recovery during mid-July to mid-August ‒ the peak of the season, the study said. However, in late August, there is an abrupt and steep fall in rainfall, resulting in drought conditions.

“We tried to trace this late August break to a forcing agent or system that influences the behaviour over India. We looked at the winds that were prevalent in these non-El Nino drought years,” said Jai Sukhatme, Associate Professor at CAOS, and one of the senior authors, in a statement.

The researchers also informed that, the interaction between upper-level winds and deep cyclonic vorticity anomalies located above anomalously cold North Atlantic waters during late August to early September results in an atmospheric disturbance.

“This disturbance, a Rossby wave, curves in towards India and apparently squeezed in by the Tibetan Plateau, disrupts the flow of the monsoon winds,” V Venugopal, Associate Professor at CAOS, and a co-author said.

The atmospheric tele-connection studied in this study whose first author was a PhD student Pritam Borah with DST inspire fellowship, offers an avenue for improved predictability of droughts, especially in the absence of tell-tale signs in the Pacific, the statement said.

-RJV

CRPF jawan injured in grenade attack in Kashmir’s Anantnag

Neyaz Elahi

Anantnag, (NVI): A CRPF personnel was injured after militants hurled a grenade on Paramilitary Forces in south Kashmir’s Anantnag today.

Official sources said that militants hurled a grenade on a CRPF 90 Battalion vehicle near Bijbehara hospital of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

The grenade exploded with a bang leaving a trooper injured. He was immediately shifted to hospital where his condition is stated to be stable.

Police sources identified the injured trooper as Constable Patil Parmakar of 40 Battalion, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Joint Forces cordoned off the area after the grenade attack and have launched a search operation to nab the attackers.

-CHK

Advocate Qadri murder case: SIT arrests 5 including two detenues

Neyaz Elahi

Srinagar (NVI): A Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by Jammu Kashmir Police has arrested five persons, including two detenues so far in connection with the murder of Advocate Babar Qadri.

Advocate Qadri who was known for calling a spade was shot dead on September 24 this year at his residence in Hawal area of Srinagar by two men.

The duo was disguised as clients told Qadri that they want to discuss a matter related to accident with him, fired at Qadri at point blank range. He was then shifted to hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.

Shortly after the killing of Qadri a formal FIR vide number 62/2020 under section 302, 7/27 Arms Act and 16/18 UAPA was registered at police station Lal Bazar while on the directions of Inspector General of Police Kashmir Zone Vijay Kumar, a Special Investigation Team was constituted under SP Hazratbal to probe the murder of Qadri.

During the course of investigation three persons from Srinagar were arrested who during the questioning revealed that they had got directions from two detenues at Srinagar Central Jail to kill Babar Qadri, police sources said.

They added that arrested trio from Srinagar have been sent to judicial remand to Central Jail, Srinagar till December 26 by the Court.

Police have also arrested those two detenues at Srinagar Central Jail who have been accused by Srinagar trio of being part of the murder conspiracy.

The trio arrested by police after the murder of Qadri have been identified as Asif Bhat of Rehmania Colony Srinagar, Shahid Mir of Khanyar Srinagar and Zahid Khan, a resident of Nowhatta Srinagar.

On the other hand, those who have been arrested from Central Jail Srinagar are Muneer War alias Qari of Hatmulla Kupwara and Tawseef Shah son of Parimpora, Srinagar.

Before sending Srinagar trio to judicial custody, the Court asked police to ascertain whether the allegations leveled by these three accused against two detenues are true or false.

-RJV

New Zealand secures 15 million courses of COVID-19 vaccine

COVID
Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): New Zealand has ordered 15 million courses of Covid-19 vaccine as the country approaches the end of 2020 on a promising note, with a recovering economy and plans to open numerous travel corridors in the new year.

The New Zealand government will purchase COVID-19 vaccines from pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca and Novavax, meaning every New Zealander will be able to be vaccinated, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

The Prime Minister further confirmed that the treatment would be free for everyone, with health workers and border officials prioritised. The vaccine will be made available in the second quarter of next year.

The new agreements secure access to 7.6 million doses from AstraZeneca — enough for 3.8 million people, and 10.72 million doses from Novavax — enough for 5.36 million people. Both vaccines require two doses to be administered.

In addition to this, some of the vaccines will be sent to countries in the Pacific. As part of its vaccine 2021 plan, the government announced NZ$75m in funding to help Pacific countries vaccinate their populations.

“Never before has the entire globe sought to vaccinate the entire population at the same time,” Ardern said.

“This will be a sustained rollout over months, not weeks, but our pre-purchase agreements means New Zealand is well positioned to get on with it as soon as it is proven safe to do so,” she added.

The news came as New Zealand’s economy rebounded in the September quarter, growing 14 per cent.

Stats NZ today stated that the growth was the strongest quarter in New Zealand’s modern history, coming off the back of an 11 per cent drop in the June quarter.

-CHK

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