Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the World Economic Forum's online Davos Agenda Summit today said despite dire predictions, India beat all odds in the global fight against the coronavirus. "Last year, in February-March, a lot of experts had said the India will be the worst-affected country, there will be tsunami of cases. They predicted 2 million deaths in the country. But India moved ahead with a proactive public participation," PM Modi said, addressing the World Economic Forum's Davos Dialogue.
PM Modi also said India had launched the world's biggest vaccination programme. "In just 12 days, India has vaccinated more than 2.3 million healthcare workers," he said.
The eight-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will contest elections in six states that go to polls next year, its chief Arvind Kejriwal said at the party's Ninth National Council meeting on Thursday.
"The AAP will contest Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab," Mr Kejriwal said pushing for action against those responsible for the January 26 violence in Delhi after the farmers' tractor rally went rogue.
Meanwhile, India's COVID-19 tally of cases crossed 1.07 crore with 11,666 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 1,03,73,606 pushing the national recovery rate to 96.94 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.
The total infections have mounted to 1,07,01,193. The death count increased to 1,53,847 with 123 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,03,73,606 pushing the national COVID-19 recovery rate to 96.94 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.44 per cent.
Here are the live updates:
Hundreds of Bharatiya Kisan Union members stayed put on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway early on Friday, notwithstanding the Ghaziabad administration's ultimatum to vacate the UP Gate protest site, PTI reported.
US biotech firm Novavax said Thursday its two-shot Covid-19 vaccine candidate showed 89.3 percent efficacy in a major Phase 3 clinical trial in Britain.
But the positive news was offset by results that showed it was much less effective against a highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus first identified in South Africa that is spreading quickly around the world.
The company said it would immediately begin developing a new vaccine targeting this variant, AFP reported.
The Haryana government on Thursday extended the suspension of mobile Internet services, SMS services, and all dongle services in the districts of Sonipat, Palwal and Jhajjar for the next 24 hours till Friday 5 pm.
However, voice calls have been exempted, from the order, ANI reported.
Around 30 farmers from DDA Ground in Burari have moved towards the Singhu border and around 15 have been detained for their possible involvement in violence on January 26 and for violating laws, Delhi Police said on Thursday.
The Burari ground is being cleared, the police said.
AAP leader Sanjay Singh on Thursday said the party stands with farmers agitating against the Centre's contentious farm laws and its leaders will "voluntarily" court arrest if the police will try to forcibly remove peasants from protest sites, PTI reported.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday alleged that an attempt was being
made to end the farmers' agitation on Delhi borders, PTI reported.
Delhi reported 199 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, taking total cases in the national capital to 6,34,524.
According to the Delhi government health bulletin, the recoveries in the national capital reached 6,22,114 after 119 new discharges today.
The death toll has mounted to 10,835 with six more deaths.
- Infrastructure is a supporting pillar for growth. In the last six years, in India, 57,000 km inter-state highways have been built while over 58% of railway lines were electrified.
- Multimodal connectivity plan is being made to connect all the economic zones.
- Despite the pandemic, FDI increased by 13% in the country in 2020
- It's important that the nation and industries grow together. By 2040, the country's infrastructure needs would be around 4.5 trillion rupees.
- From infrastructure, clean energy, to technology and mobility, there are lots of opportunity, as it's in a democracy and a climate-friendly environment. We invite you and we are ready to help you in any way possible.
- Digitisation is our country's priority. Through its inclusion the transfer of money to banks and its transaction have been made possible.
- In MSMEs, to promote equity and innovation, we have started several funds. We are trying to connect MSMEs to AI and machine learning. We are aiming to connect them to digital marketing as well. Government e-marketplace comes in as a perfect example
- COVID crisis has taught us the basics of human values. Industry 4.0 is for humans, and not robots.
- We must ensure that technology becomes a tool for ease of living, and not a trap.
- Last year February-March, a lot of experts had said the India will be the worst-affected country, there will be tsunami of cases. Lots of them predicted 2 million deaths in the country. But, India with a proactive public participation kept moving ahead
- We used technology to manufacture PPE kits, Corona vaccines, masks and are also exporting them.
- Today, India is among those whose number of cases is gradually going down.
- The country is among those countries which has turned out to be successful in saving lives.
- The country, which comprises of 18% of the world's population, has saved the world from disaster by bringing the situation under control.
- In just 12 days, we have inoculated more than 2.3 million of our healthworkers. In a few months, we will inoculate around millions of our elderly
- The country has sent the vaccines to other countries, we have trained healthworkers from other countries online. Right now, there are just 2 made-in-india vaccines. In coming times, there will be more.
- Today, 1.3 billion people in the country have Aadhaar. In December, there was a transaction of Rs 4 trillion in UPI
- During corona, we have transferred 1.3 trillion to the bank accounts rupees during corona times, this was made possible due to our digital infra
- India's success will help the world succeed. We are committed to strengthen the global supply chain. We are capabale of it.
- We have to ensure that technology becomes the tool for ease of business and not a mere trap
- During tough times, India has been undertaking its global responsibility from the beginning. When airspace was closed in many countries, India took more than 1 lakh citizens to their countries and delivered essential medicines to more than 150 countries
- Our companies maintained the stock for maintaining medical supplies during the pandemic and we have to maintain that in every sector
Bahrain has received its first delivery of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India, state media said on Thursday.
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday received 5,00,000 doses of Covishield vaccine donated by India under its "Neighbourhood First" policy. Read Here
#WATCH: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait says that farmers will head to the local Police stations around Ghazipur border if the electricity is cut in the area, warns that the onus of what happens next would lie on the govt. (27.01.2021) pic.twitter.com/tFeDPkoSth
- ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2021
#WATCH: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait says that the violence that occurred on 26th January was a conspiracy to malign the farmer unions & distance Punjab from the rest of the country. (27.01.2021) pic.twitter.com/SMJH3hq37j
- ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2021
Heavy Police presence seen at Singhu border (Delhi-Haryana border) as they attempt to barricade a portion of the road in order to restrict the protesters from coming to one side of the road from the other side. The protesters are opposing the barricading being done by Police. pic.twitter.com/d3Yjx7snXk
- ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2021
#WATCH | Delhi: Group of people claiming to be locals gather at Singhu border demanding that the area be vacated.
- ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2021
Farmers have been camping at the site as part of their protest against #FarmLaws. pic.twitter.com/7jCjY0ME9Z
A dependable partner, a reliable friend. Made in India vaccines reach Sri Lanka now: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar pic.twitter.com/LLyKOqwd4O
- ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2021
70% of our COVID19 cases are in Maharashtra and Kerala. So far, 153 cases of UK variant have been detected in India: Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan pic.twitter.com/4mFUUO5YLz
- ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2021
Mumbai: Flight carrying the first consignment of COVID19 vaccine to Sri Lanka from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, has been delayed. pic.twitter.com/SjPsxPL5nO
- ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2021
A 59-year-old Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) jawan, who was on his way to a Republic Day parade in Nagpur, died in a road accident, the police said on Wednesday.