Highlights: 24,492 New Coronavirus Cases, 131 Deaths In 24 hours In India

Mar 17, 2021 04:59 (IST)

AIUDF eyeing development of Assam, not chief minister's chair: Badruddin Ajmal

Re-affirming that he was not in the race for the chief minister's post in Assam, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal on Tuesday said his party would always "stand for the state's unity and development", and continue to serve its people.

He also said that a news channel has projected him as a CM candidate, despite clarifications given by his party that he was not up for chief ministership.

"It has come to my notice that a particular news channel has been conducting an online opinion poll for the next Chief Minister of Assam. The channel has also included my name in the list. AIUDF has been regularly expressing its unwillingness for the post of CM," he tweeted.

Mar 17, 2021 04:48 (IST)

Karnataka Waqf Board circular says no loudspeakers in mosques, dargahs from 10 pm to 6 am

In an order with far-reaching implications, the Karnataka State Board of Auqaf has issued a circular to all the mosques and dargahs (mausoleums) in the state not to use loudspeakers between 10 pm and 6 am, saying the ambient noise level around these structures has "deleterious effects on human health and the psychological well-being of people".

In the circular dated March 9, the board said, "The loudspeakers shall not be used at night time, which shall mean from 10 pm to 6 am."

Further underlining the "silence zones", the circular said any violation will be liable for penalty.

"The areas comprising not less than 100 metres around hospitals, educational institutions and courts are declared as silence zones.

"Whoever uses sound amplifier or burst sound-emitting firecrackers, uses a loudspeaker or public address system in a silence zone is liable for penalty under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act-1986," the circular read.

Mar 17, 2021 04:39 (IST)

Women and Child Development Ministry planning intervention for comprehensive psycho-social care for women facing violence

The Women and Child Development Ministry said it is planning an intervention for comprehensive psycho-social care for women facing violence in convergence with NIMHANS Bangalore.

In a statement, the ministry said the project involves ensuring certification by training of staff at one stop centres who can offer First Line Psychosocial support to women and referrals to mental health services when required with adequate pathways to physical and mental healthcare.

It also includes careful and strict implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) provided by the ministry, especially with regard to psychosocial support and care in one stop centres (OSCs), it said.

The programme also aims to provide mental health care for all women facing sexual assault in a sensitive manner at all touchpoints - police, hospital, justice system, mental health systems.

"Training of nurses, doctors and district mental health program staff in working with violence against women," the statement said.

Mar 17, 2021 04:19 (IST)

Drug seizure case: Kolkata Police seeks info about arrested BJP leader's guards from CISF

Kolkata Police has written to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) seeking information about the guards of BJP leader Rakesh Singh who was arrested in connection with a drug seizure case, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Guards provided by CISF accompanied Singh during his travels and they could provide valuable inputs to investigators about the places he used to visit, the official of Kolkata Police said.

"We have written to them (the CISF office) asking for details about the guards," he said.

Mar 17, 2021 03:30 (IST)

Haryana's financial position better than Punjab, Rajasthan: Manohar Lal Khattar

Making a comparison with Congress-ruled Punjab and Rajasthan, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday claimed that the financial position of Haryana was far better than the neighbouring states.

Responding to a debate on the state Budget in the Assembly, Mr Khattar said though the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted revenue collections yet his government met the committed liabilities like payment of salaries, pension and interest.

Mr Khattar said the focus of the state Budget was on farming and irrigation and asserted that the proposals will be implemented without any discrimination. The Haryana CM dedicated the state Budget to farmers.

Sharing data related to the fiscal parameters, Mr Khattar said the state's debt as percentage of gross state domestic product (GSDP) was 20.25 per cent for the year 2020-21 in comparison to 41.69 per cent of Punjab and 42.70 per cent of Rajasthan.

Mar 17, 2021 03:08 (IST)

Congress announces list of 21 candidates for Assam polls

The Congress on Tuesday came out with lists of candidates for elections for the upcoming state polls, including 21 for the Assam Assembly elections.

With this, the Congress has announced candidates for 92 seats in Assam.

The party also came out with separate lists of candidates for polls in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry.

For Assam, the party announced a list of 21 candidates, for Kerala six candidates, for Puducherry 14 candidates, and for Tamil Nadu, it named four candidates.

Voting for five assembly elections will begin on March 27, with West Bengal having the maximum eight phases continuing till April 29, while counting of votes for the four states and one union territory will be done on May 2, the Election Commission said on Friday.

The Assam assembly polls will be conducted in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6, while polling for the Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry assembly elections will take place in a single phase on April 6.

Mar 17, 2021 02:26 (IST)

First patient with S Africa variant of COVID-19 confirmed in Delhi

A 33-year-old man, currently admitted at LNJP Hospital here, has become the first confirmed case of COVID-19 caused by the South Africa variant of the novel coronavirus in Delhi, sources said on Tuesday.

He was brought to the hospital about a week ago, and has been kept isolated in a separate unit, a source said.

The LNJP Hospital had earlier also admitted people who had been found positive for UK strain of COVID-19, and after their treatment about two such patients had remained till February end, a senior doctor had earlier said.

Mar 17, 2021 02:07 (IST)

COVID-19: Night curfew to be imposed in 4 major cities of Gujarat till March 31

To contain the surge in COVID-19 cases, the Gujarat government on Tuesday decided to implement a night curfew in "four metros" Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, and Rajkot.

"The four cities will be observing night curfew between 10 pm and 6 am starting March 17. This will continue till March 31," a statement issued by the state government read.

"The pre-night curfew system will be maintained in these four metros till 16 March from 12 am to 6 am," it said.

Mar 17, 2021 01:48 (IST)

Former Chief Minister V Narayanasamy will not contest Puducherry polls

Former Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy will not contest the 2021 assembly elections in the Union Territory, said Dinesh Gundu Rao, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-incharge of Puducherry.

"Former Chief Minister V Narayanasamy will not contest the 2021 assembly elections in Puducherry. He will look after the campaign and election management," Mr Rao told ANI.

The Congress Party released a list of 14 candidates for the Puducherry assembly polls.

Among the key candidates, P Selvanadane will contest from Kardirgamam assembly seat, M Kannan From Indira Nagar, Karthikeyan from Oussudu and Ramesh Preambath from Mahe.

Mar 17, 2021 01:22 (IST)

Parties gear up for April 17 Pipili by-poll in Odisha

With the Election Commission announcing April 17 as the date for by-poll to Odisha's Pipili assembly constituency in Puri district, major political parties in the state on Tuesday said they are well-prepared for the contest.

BJD vice-president Debiprasad Mishra exuded confidence that his party would win the by-election. "Pipili has always been a stronghold of the BJD. There is no doubt that we will win the seat. We are ready for the contest," he said.

Rebuffing the ruling party's assertion, former minister and senior Congress MLA Suresh Routray said people are unhappy with the work undertaken by the ruling party in the constituency.

"People want the Congress to return to Pipili. The constituency was once a Congress fortress. Our party will easily bag the seat this time," Routray said.

Mar 17, 2021 01:07 (IST)

BJP announces nine candidates for Puducherry polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released a list of nine candidates for the upcoming Puducherry assembly elections on Tuesday.

Among the key candidates, V Saminathan will contest from Lawspet assembly seat, A Namassivayam from Mannadipet, A John Kumar from Kamarajnagar and PML Kalyanasundaram from Kalapet assembly seat.

Further, J Saravana Kumar will contest from Oussudu assembly seat and Embalam R Selvan will contest from Manavely assembly seat.

Polling for 30 assembly seats in Puducherry will be held on April 6.

Mar 17, 2021 00:57 (IST)

Tamil Nadu logs 867 fresh COVID-19 cases

Tamil Nadu reported 867 fresh COVID-19 cases, 561 discharges, and 5 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the State Health Department on Tuesday.

With this, the total cases in the state have escalated to 8,61,429 including 5,450 active cases and 8,43,423 total discharges.

However, the deaths mounted to 12,556 including new deaths.

Mar 16, 2021 23:20 (IST)

Congress Names Candidates For Puducherry Assembly Polls
The Congress on Tuesday announced names of candidates for 14 seats for the April 6 Puducherry Assembly elections but the list did not contain the name of party veteran and former chief minister V Narayanasamy, reported news agency PTI.

The Congress, which heads the Secular Democratic Alliance in the union territory, was allotted 15 of the 30 Assembly seats while its ally-the DMK- was earmarked 13 constituencies.

VCK and CPI, the other constituents of the alliance, have been earmarked one seat each.

Mar 16, 2021 22:46 (IST)

2.64 Lakh Receive Covid Vaccine Jabs In Maharashtra
A record 2,64,897 people received coronavirus vaccines in Maharashtra on Tuesday, officials said, reported news agency PTI.

This was the highest number of people vaccinated in a day in the state since the inoculation drive began in January, an official said.

The tally of those who have received vaccine reached 31,33,612.

Mar 16, 2021 22:28 (IST)

Scores Of Candidates File Nomination Papers On Day 3
Scores of candidates, including an incumbent minister and a former minister, filed nominations on Tuesday for the April 6 Tamil Nadu polls, with the number crossing 1,200, reported news agency PTI.

Since the nomination process began on March 12, 1,223 people, including 210 women candidates, have filed the papers, according to poll body statistics.

AIADMK leader and Animal Husbandary Minister K Rathakrishnan (Udumalaipettai) and former DMK Minister I Periyasamy (Athoor) were among those who filed nomination today.

Mar 16, 2021 22:14 (IST)

Over 38,000 Vaccinated In Delhi On Tuesday
Over 38,000 beneficiaries, including 19,007 senior citizens, received Covid vaccine shots in the national capital on Tuesday, according to official data, reported news agency PTI.

The number of beneficiaries to get the jabs includes 3,223 people in the age group of 45-59 years, a senior official said.

On Friday, 30,575 people were vaccinated in the city, on Saturday, the count was 39,853, and on Monday, it was 39,742, data released by the health department showed.

On Tuesday, 38,437 people received COVID-19 vaccine shots, the official said.

Mar 16, 2021 22:12 (IST)

Court Acquits Delhi AAP MLA Naresh Yadav Accused Of Desecration Quran In Punjab
A court in Punjab's Sangrur acquitted AAP MLA from Delhi Naresh Yadav on Tuesday in a case of desecration of the Quran in Punjab's Malerkotla town in June 2016.

Mar 16, 2021 21:51 (IST)

There's Need For A Third Front In Country: Sharad Pawar
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said that a third front is needed in the country and stated that he is in talks with different parties for the same.

Mar 16, 2021 21:28 (IST)

Mumbai's Covid Surge Continues, 1,922 Cases Today
The surge in coronavirus cases in Mumbai through the month of March continued as 1,922 cases were reported on Tuesday, taking the tally here to 3,47,581, reported news agency PTI.

The figure is a shade below the 1,962 notched up on March 14, which remains the highest daily addition so far for the month.

Since March 3, the metropolis has seen a daily addition in the 1,000 plus range, with the number of active cases soaring from 9,690 on March 1 to 15,263 on Tuesday, BMC officials pointed out.

Four deaths in the last 24 hours took the death count to 11,539, they added.

Mar 16, 2021 21:20 (IST)

Delivery Men Steal Mobiles, Replace Them With Soap Bars: Ghaziabad Police
Seven delivery boys of e-commerce portals were arrested in Ghaziabad's Indirapuram for allegedly stealing mobile phones purchased by customers online, the police said on Tuesday.

Mar 16, 2021 20:54 (IST)

Former Minister Djeacoumar Among 13 To File Nominations In Puducherry
Former Local Administration Minister C Djeacoumar is among the 13 candidates who filed nominations for the April 6 Assembly elections in the union territory on Tuesday, reported news agency PTI.

A total of 41 candidates have filed their nominations so far in the union territory, an official release said.

Popularly known as Theni Djeacoumar, the AINRC leader filed the nomination to contest from Mangalam constituency.

Mar 16, 2021 20:37 (IST)

Tamil Nadu Reports 867 New Covid Infections, Five Deaths
Continuing with its upward trend, Tamil Nadu logged 867 new Covid-19 infections on Tuesday, pushing the caseload to 8,61,429, while five more fatalities took the death count to 12,556, reported news agency PTI.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami during his poll campaign urged people to take the vaccine shots following a rise in new infections, as officials were asked to implement the COVID-19 standard operating procedure strictly. The total recoveries went up to 8,43,423 with 561 patients being discharged today, a health department bulletin said. Active cases stood at 5,450.

Mar 16, 2021 20:30 (IST)

Ex-Shia Waqf Board Chief Waseem Rizvi Charged For Moving Top Court To Remove Quran Verses
An FIR has been registered in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly against former UP Shia Waqf Board Chairman Waseem Rizvi for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims with his petition in the Supreme Court seeking to remove some verses of the Quran which he claimed promoted terrorism.

Mar 16, 2021 19:38 (IST)

Rajya Sabha Passes National Commission For Allied And Healthcare Professions Bill
The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed a bill which seeks to provide for regulation and maintenance of standards of education and services by allied and healthcare professionals, reported news agency PTI.

The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2020, was passed by the Upper House through a voice vote.

Replying to a debate on the bill, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that of the 110 recommendations made by a parliamentary committee on it, the government accepted 102 while six recommendations were accepted with slight modifications. Only two recommendations were not accepted.

Mar 16, 2021 19:33 (IST)

Can't Direct Southern Railways To Resume Full Services: Madras High Court
Due to the spurt in the number of Covid cases, no direction can be issued to the Southern Railway to restore its services in full strength, the Madras High Court said on Tuesday, reported news agency PTI.

The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy said this while disposing of a public interest writ petition from advocate Ramkumar Adityan.

Due to the sudden increase in the number of cases, the High Court itself has deferred its decision to bring back the physical hearing of cases, the bench pointed out.

Mar 16, 2021 19:29 (IST)

Why No Female Chiefs At Police Stations: Women's Panel Asks Delhi Police
The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has issued a notice to the city police, seeking reasons for the absence of female station house officers (SHO) at any police station.

Mar 16, 2021 19:29 (IST)

Madhya Pradesh Assembly Adjourned Sine Die
The Madhya Pradesh Assembly has been adjourned sine die today after the state budget of Rs 2.41 lakh crore for 2021-22 was passed by a voice vote, reported news agency PTI.

State Finance Minister Jagdish Devda presented the Appropriation Bill in the House after members debated the demands of various departments.

After the budget was passed by voice vote and other legislative works were completed, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra proposed that the House be adjourned sine die.

Mar 16, 2021 19:03 (IST)

Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel Receives First Dose Of Covid Vaccine
Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel was administered the COVID-19 vaccine today, a statement issued by his office said, reported news agency PTI.

Mr Goel appealed to all the eligible people to get registered for vaccination against the viral disease after receiving the first dose of the Covishield vaccine at the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Delhi.

He was kept under observation for half an hour after being administered the vaccine, an official statement said.

Mar 16, 2021 18:54 (IST)

5.86 Crore Doses Of 'Made In India' Covid Vaccines Given To 71 Countries Till March 15: Centre
The government has provided 5.86 crore doses of "Made in India" COVID-19 vaccines to 71 countries as grants as well as commercial sales by manufacturers and as part of international agreements of manufacturers till March 15, Rajya Sabha was informed today, reported news agency PTI.

External supplies are being undertaken with due regard to domestic production, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in a written reply.

"Priority is accorded to utilisation of doses within the country and ensuring adequate availability for the national vaccination programme," he said.

Mar 16, 2021 18:49 (IST)

Night Curfew In Bhopal, Indore From Tomorrow As Covid Cases Rise In Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh has announced night curfews in Bhopal and Indore city areas from tomorrow amid a rapid surge in coronavirus cases in the state, an official said.

Mar 16, 2021 18:41 (IST)

Cattle Smuggling Case: Probe Agency Arrests Trinamool Leader Binay Mishra's Brother Bikash Mishra
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday arrested Bikash Mishra, the brother of Trinamool Congress leader Binay Mishra, in connection with its probe into the cattle smuggling case, sources in the agency said.

Mar 16, 2021 18:29 (IST)

Akali Dal Chief Sukhbir Badal Tests Positive For Coronavirus
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal today said he has tested positive for coronavirus.
He made the announcement a day after addressing a rally in Tarn Taran, reported news agency PTI. Mr Badal said he is fine and has isolated himself.

"I would like to inform everyone that I have tested COVID positive. My health is fine & as per protocol I have isolated myself. I request those who came in contact with me during the last few days to isolate themselves & get tested for COVID-19," said Mr Badal in his tweet.

Mar 16, 2021 18:16 (IST)

Andhra Pradesh Logs 261 New Covid Cases, Tally At 8,92,269
The surge in fresh coronavirus cases continued in Andhra Pradesh with 261 people testing postive for the virus in the 24 hours ending 9 am today, pushing the active caseload up to 1,579, reported news agency PTI.

The state saw 125 patients recovering from the infection while no deaths were reported during the period, according to the latest bulletin.

The state COVID-19 chart showed the caseload at 8,92,269 with 8,83,505 recoveries and 7,185 deaths, the bulletin said.

Mar 16, 2021 18:14 (IST)

5.31 Lakh Police Posts Vacant In India, Maximum In UP: Government
Nagaland is the only state in the country to have an actual strength more than the sanctioned strength, as per data compiled by the Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D).

Mar 16, 2021 18:04 (IST)

Bypolls Schedule In Parliamentary, Assembly Constituencies: See Here
Bye-elections to the two Parliamentary Constituencies of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and the 14 Assembly constituencies in 10 states will be held on April 17, the Election Commission said in a statement today.

Mar 16, 2021 18:02 (IST)

Coffee House, Kolkata: No Votes To BJP Posters Torn Up At Iconic Kolkata Coffee House
The BJP-Trinamool Congress battle for West Bengal has now reached the iconic Coffee House in Kolkata.

Mar 16, 2021 17:35 (IST)

If Sena Continues To Support Arrested Cop... : BJP On Antilia-SUV Case
Intentions of the Maharashtra government will be questioned even more if the ruling Shiv Sena continues to defend suspended police officer Sachin Waze, BJP leader Pravin Darekar said on Tuesday.

Mar 16, 2021 17:01 (IST)

PM Modi's Principal Adviser PK Sinha Quits Citing Personal Grounds
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Principal Adviser, PK Sinha, has resigned, reportedly on "personal grounds". The former Cabinet Secretary was in the PM's Office for 18 months.

Mar 16, 2021 16:30 (IST)

Dominican Republic Vice President Thanks PM Modi For 50,000 Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccines
Dominican Republic Vice President and Head of the Health Cabinet Raquel Pena today lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for providing 50,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to help combat the coronavirus pandemic, reported news agency ANI.

"A month ago Dominican Republic received the first shipment of COVID-19 doses from India. We received 50,000 doses from the Serum Institute of India, of which 30,000 were donated from the Government of India. I would like to recognize the virtues of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi for showing solidarity for a donation of vaccines," Raquel Pena said in a video message.

"I would also like to thank foreign minister S Jaishankar for making this (vaccine donation) possible and help us immunize our health workers and our elderly people," she added.

Mar 16, 2021 16:11 (IST)

No Proposal To Appoint Commission To Revisit Centre-State Powers: Home Ministry
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) today said in the Lok Sabha that there is no proposal to appoint any commission to revisit the distribution of powers between the Centre and states as of now.

MHA denied any proposal of the said commission in its reply to a question from MPs NK Kateel and Sumalatha Ambareesh that said, "Whether any commission would be appointed to revisit distribution of Centre-state powers in view of objections raised by various states on the legislations relating to electricity, agriculture and if so, the details thereof?"

The MHA said that a Commission on Centre-State Relations, headed by Justice Punchhi, had submitted its report in 2010 in seven volumes.

Mar 16, 2021 16:04 (IST)

Not All Banks Will Be Privatised: Finance Minister Amid Employees' Strike
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today assured that not all banks will be privatised and wherever it happens, the interest of the employees will be protected.

Mar 16, 2021 16:03 (IST)

Ruckus In Rajasthan Assembly Over Phone Tapping Case
The opposition BJP in Rajasthan today protested in the well of the House after Speaker CP Joshi rejected two adjournment motions pertaining to alleged phone tapping of public representatives.

Mar 16, 2021 15:49 (IST)

India Crosses Single Day Record With Over 3 Million Vaccinations In 24 Hours
As the world's largest COVID-19 vaccination drive is underway in the country, India has administered a total of 3,29,47,432 vaccinations so far, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday, reported news agency ANI.

A total of 30,39,394 vaccine doses were administered during the last 24 hours in the country making it the highest coverage in a single day.

More than one crore beneficiaries aged over 60 years have been covered in the vaccination drive in just 15 days.

Mar 16, 2021 15:34 (IST)

Swapan Dasgupta Resigns From Rajya Sabha Amid Row Over His Name For Polls

Columnist Swapan Dasgupta, a BJP candidate for the Bengal election, resigned from the Rajya Sabha today, a day after the Trinamool Congress referred to constitutional rules to say he would be disqualified if he joined a political party. Swapan Dasgupta sent his resignation with the request that it be accepted by tomorrow. Read Here

Mar 16, 2021 15:12 (IST)

1,58,901 persons vaccinated for corona in a single day in Haryana today. A total of 681264 persons have been vaccinated till today in the state: Anil Vij, Home and Health Minister, Haryana.

Mar 16, 2021 14:36 (IST)

Russia Registers 9,393 New COVID-19 Cases

Russia registered 9,393 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, down from 9,437 the day before, taking the overall tally to 4,409,438, the coronavirus response center said on Tuesday. "Over the past day, 9,393 coronavirus cases were confirmed across 85 Russian regions, including 1,021 cases (10.9 percent) without clinical symptoms," the center said, adding that the cumulative case count has now reached 4,409,438, with the rate of increase at 0.21 percent.

Mar 16, 2021 14:24 (IST)

Curfew In 4 Gujarat Cities From 10 pm To 6 am Till March 31: Government

To contain the surge in COVID-19 cases, the Gujarat government today decided to increase the night curfew timings in four major cities of the state by two hours. The curfew will now remain in force in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot from 10 pm to 6 am, an official statement said.

Mar 16, 2021 13:52 (IST)

Anand Mahindra Has A Suggestion As Maharashtra Battles Covid Surge Again

Industrialist Anand Mahindra took to Twitter to voice his concern about rising coronavirus cases in Maharashtra and suggested that the state needs "emergency permission" to vaccinate everyone willing to take the jab. The Chairman of the Mahindra group tagged a news report and added that Maharashtra is the "nerve-centre" of the country's economic activity. He also said that more lockdowns will hamper the state. Read Here

Mar 16, 2021 13:36 (IST)

People criticised lockdown, but had it not been done, a continuation of train services would have spread COVID-19 across the country. Railways arranged about 4,600 Shramik Special for migrant labourers with the distribution of about 2 crore free meals and water bottles: Railway Minister

Mar 16, 2021 12:50 (IST)

Digvijaya Singh Takes Dig At Centre Over Kumbh Amidst Rising COVID-19 Cases

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday took a jibe at the Centre over allowing lakhs of people to gather in Uttarakhand for Kumbh in view of rising COVID-19 cases. "While there is a ban on cricket fans to go to the stadium to enjoy a match, lakhs of devotees are being allowed to congregate in Uttarakhand's Kumbh. Thanks!" Digvijaya Singh tweeted. As many as 24,492 new COVID-19 cases and 131 deaths were reported in India in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of active cases in the country to 2,23,432, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on Tuesday.

Mar 16, 2021 12:06 (IST)

No Stop On Covishield: Government Sources As Nations Suspend AztraZeneca

There is no question of stopping AstraZeneca's vaccine against coronavirus as of now, sources in the Union Health Ministry said amid blood clot fears that prompted several European Union nations, including Germany, Italy and France, to halt their rollout of the AstraZeneca shot. Taking note of the news coming from other countries, Health Ministry sources said that so far, there have been no complaints of blood clotting reported in India among those who have taken the Covishield vaccine. The ministry met all states and union territories. Read Here

Mar 16, 2021 11:53 (IST)

24 New COVID-19 Cases In Puducherry, Tally Reaches 40,068

Puducherry added 24 fresh cases of coronavirus during last twenty-four hours ending 10 am on Tuesday, raising the aggregate to 40,068. One more fatality was reported in Karaikal, taking the toll to 673. The 57-year-old woman had complaints of COVID pneumonia, ARDS and Sepsis.

Mar 16, 2021 11:43 (IST)

Over 3 Million Get COVID-19 Vaccine In 24 Hours, Highest So Far: Centre

More than 30 lakh people were inoculated against COVID-19 on March 15, the highest in a day so far, taking the total number of vaccine doses administered in the country to 3,29,47,432, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated today. The vaccination of beneficiaries aged over 60 has touched 1 crore within 15 days, the ministry said.

Mar 16, 2021 11:23 (IST)

COVID-19: Mumbai Civic Body Targets 1 Lakh Vaccinations Per Day

With an aim to speed up the COVID-19 vaccination drive, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has set a target of inoculating one lakh people in the city every day, BMC officials said on Tuesday. Currently, 40,000 to 45,000 people are being given vaccine shots here in a day at around 85 immunisation centres, including 54 private hospitals, they said. On Monday, 44,683 people received vaccine shots in Mumbai, according to the civic body.

Mar 16, 2021 11:17 (IST)

Maharashtra "In Beginning Of 2nd Covid Wave", "Limited Effort" Flagged

Maharashtra is "in the beginning of a second wave of Covid", the centre has said in a letter to the Uddhav Thackeray-led government, urging the state to focus on containment strategies. The letter, based on the assessment of a central team, notes the lack of Covid-appropriate behavior and "tracking and testing of cases". Read Here

Mar 16, 2021 10:29 (IST)

Assam Reports 20 Fresh COVID-19 Cases

Assam's COVID-19 caseload rose to 2,17,817 as 20 more people tested positive for the infection in the last 24 hours, while one fresh fatality pushed the death toll to 1,099, a bulletin issued by the National Health Mission (NHM) said. Of the 20 new cases, 10 were reported from Kamrup Metropolitan district, Nagaon (4), and Tinsukia (3), it said. Assam currently has 265 active COVID-19 cases, while 2,15,106 patients have recovered from the disease, the bulletin said.

Mar 16, 2021 10:15 (IST)

China Pledges 3,00,000 Coronavirus Vaccine Doses For UN Peacekeepers

China will give United Nations peacekeeping troops 300,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine, the Chinese diplomatic mission to the UN said Monday, bolstering the 2,00,000 doses already pledged by India to protect 1,00,000 soldiers and police officers deployed in peace missions.

Mar 16, 2021 09:55 (IST)

A total of 22,82,80,763 samples tested for COVID-19 up to March 15, 2021. Of these, a total of 8,73,350 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Mar 16, 2021 09:43 (IST)

Mizoram Reports 2 New Cases Of COVID-19, Tally Rises To 4,439

Mizoram on Tuesday reported two new cases of COVID-19, pushing the coronavirus tally in the state to 4,439, an official said. The two patients aged 60 and 56 belong to Aizawl district, he said. The state currently has 12 active COVID-19 cases, while 4,417 people have recovered from the disease.

Mar 16, 2021 09:34 (IST)

No New COVID-19 Case In Andamans

Andaman and Nicobar Islands did not report any new COVID-19 case in the last 24-hours, a health department official said on Tuesday. The COVID-19 tally in the union territory remained at 5,031, he said. The archipelago now has three active COVID-19 cases, while 4,966 people have recovered from the disease. The death toll remained at 62 as no new fatality due to the infection was reported in the last 24 hours.

Mar 16, 2021 09:23 (IST)

24,492 New Coronavirus Cases, 131 Deaths In 24 hours In India

India's total tally of COVID-19 cases surged to 1,14,09,831 with 24,492 new infections, while the recoveries have surged to 1,10,27,543, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. The death count increased to 1,58,856 with 131 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

Mar 16, 2021 09:19 (IST)

Maharashtra Thane's COVID-19 Count Rises By 983

With the addition of 983 new cases of coronavirus, the infection count in Maharashtra's Thane district has gone up to 2,77,569, an official said on Tuesday. These new cases were reported on Monday, he said. Six more people also died of the viral infection, raising the toll in the district to 6,343, he said, adding that the COVID-19 mortality rate in Thane is 2.29 per cent.

Mar 16, 2021 09:13 (IST)

More than 30.39 lakh vaccine doses given yesterday, highest so far.

Mar 16, 2021 09:07 (IST)

People gather at Dadar Market in Mumbai to purchase vegetables.

Mar 16, 2021 08:19 (IST)

Brazil Orders 100 Million Doses Of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine

Brazil has ordered 100 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine and another 38 million of Johnson & Johnson's, the health minister said Monday, seeking to accelerate the hard-hit country's lagging immunization campaign.

Mar 16, 2021 08:03 (IST)

China Pledges 3,00,000 Coronavirus Vaccine Doses For UN Peacekeepers

China will give United Nations peacekeeping troops 300,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine, the Chinese diplomatic mission to the UN said Monday, bolstering the 2,00,000 doses already pledged by India to protect 1,00,000 soldiers and police officers deployed in peace missions.

Mar 16, 2021 07:27 (IST)

Italy, France, Other Nations Stop AstraZeneca Vaccine. WHO Says It's Safe

Several major EU countries halted the AstraZeneca jab Monday over blood clot fears, as the World Health Organization and Europe's medicines watchdog insisted it was safe to use. Both organisations will hold special meetings this week after a host of countries said they would stop using the vaccine pending further review.

Mar 16, 2021 07:18 (IST)

All Teachers, Journalists, Bankers Cleared For Covid Vaccine In Ludhiana

Judges, lawyers, teachers and journalists can now get the coronavirus shot in Punjab's Ludhiana, the district administration said on Monday, widening the vaccination drive to sections not yet cleared by the central government. The decision will also cover workers of banks, NGOs, cooperative societies and food grain societies. Read Here

Mar 16, 2021 07:02 (IST)

Rajasthan government approves formation of 17 new municipalities

The Rajasthan government on Monday approved the formation of 17 new municipalities in the state, according to a statement issued.

The statement said the state government will also urge the Supreme court to extend the 50 per cent limit set for reservation in jobs and at educational institutes.

The top cout had recently sought an opinion over the issue from all states.

The decisions were taken during a cabinet meeting at the Chief Minister Ahok Gehlot's residence.

The Cabinet has approved the proposal for the formation of 17 new municipalities in 12 districts of the state, the statement said, adding that an announcement in this regard was made in the state Budget.

The districts where the municipalities will be formed are Dausa, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Sirohi, Jodhpur, Kota, Sriganganagar, Sawai Madhopur, Baran, Karauli and Dholpur.

The areas for which the municipalities have been proposed are Mandavari, Bassi, Ramgarh, Bansur, Jawal, Bhopalgarh, Lalgarh-Jatan, Ucchain, Sikri, Sarmathura, Basedi, Atru, Paota-Pragpura, Sultanpur, Sapotra, Laxmangarh and Bamanwas.

Mar 16, 2021 06:38 (IST)

China Pledges 3,00,000 Coronavirus Vaccine Doses For UN Peacekeepers

China will give United Nations peacekeeping troops 3,00,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine, the Chinese diplomatic mission to the UN said Monday, bolstering the 2,00,000 doses already pledged by India to protect 1,00,000 soldiers and police officers deployed in peace missions. Read Here

Mar 16, 2021 06:26 (IST)

Maharashtra warns shutting hotels, cinemas for violating COVID-19 rules

With the surge in COVID-19 cases, the Maharashtra government issued an order on Monday directing cinema halls/hotels/restaurants to follow COVID-related rules, and if found violating will remain closed for a period until the COVID-19 pandemic stays notified as a disaster by Central government.

Mumbai on Monday reported 1712 new cases and 4 deaths. WIth 1063 recoveries, the city's cured tally rises to 3,18,642. Currently, Mumbai has 3,45,659 cases of which 14,582 are active and 11,535 fatalities.

Maharashtra has reported as many as 15,051 fresh COVID-19 cases pushing the total number of cases to 23,29,464, according to the health bulletin.

Mar 16, 2021 06:12 (IST)

Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro changes health minister again, as Brazil's Covid cases surge

Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro announced Monday that he will appoint cardiologist Marcelo Queiroga as health minister, the fourth to hold the post during the pandemic, as the country's health system staggers amid surging Covid-19 cases.

"It was decided now in the afternoon to appoint physician Marcelo Queiroga to the Ministry of Health," Bolsonaro said in a brief meeting with his supporters at the Alvorada presidential palace. The transition process "should take one or two weeks," he added.

The appointment will be finalized Tuesday.

Mar 16, 2021 06:07 (IST)

Vaccination Based On Profession Discriminatory: Centre In Supreme Court

The Central government today informed the Supreme Court that prioritising Covid-19 vaccination based on profession will be discriminatory and not in national interest. The Centre was responding to notice based on a public interest litigation (PIL) which wanted judges, lawyers, and other members of legal fraternity be given priority in the inoculation drive. Read Here

Mar 16, 2021 06:02 (IST)

COVID-19 situation well under control till positivity rate is below 1 pc: Satyendar Jain

Amid a spike in daily COVID-19 cases in the city, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday said that till the positivity rate is being recorded below per cent, the coronavirus pandemic situation in the national capital is "well under control".

Interacting with reporters, he also appealed to "all Delhiites to maintain social distancing and celebrate a dry Holi this year".

On Sunday, 407 cases were reported and the positivity rate was 0.60 per cent, which is much below the one per cent-mark, he said.

"We are alert but as long as the positivity rate is below 1 per cent, the situation is well under control," he said.

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