Category: NATIONAL NEWS

The government’s negotiations with protesting farm unions hit a roadblock on Friday as the farmer leaders stuck to their demands for a complete repeal of three farm laws they find pro-corporate and a legal guarantee for MSP, even as the Centre asked them to reconsider its proposal for putting the Acts on hold for 12-18 months Unlike the last 10 rounds of talks, the 11th round could not even reach a decision on the next date for the meeting as the government also hardened its position saying it is ready…

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Five persons died and nine were evacuated from a building in the Serum Institute of India’s Manjari premises here after a fire broke out at the facility on Thursday, police said. Covishield vaccine production won’t be hit due to the fire, Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla said. The Manjari facility is where the Covishield vaccine used in the nationwide inoculation drive against the pandemic is made. The building where the fire broke out is part of the under-construction site of the Serum facility and is one km from…

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Schools in Haryana will reopen for Classes 6 to 8 from the first week of February, state Education Minister Kanwar Pal said on Wednesday. “The COVID cases are gradually coming down and the situation has improved. Moreover, the COVID-19 vaccination drive has also begun. So, we have decided to reopen schools for Classes 6 to 8 from February first week,” the minister told reporters here. He said a decision on starting Classes 1 to 5 will be taken later. The schools will have to follow all guidelines related to face…

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Bhutan and Maldives on Wednesday became the first two countries to receive COVID-19 vaccines sent by India in sync with its “neighbourhood first” policy. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar shared on Twitter photos of the consignments reaching the two countries. On Tuesday, India had said it would send COVID-19 vaccines under grant assistance to Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles from Wednesday. The supplies to Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Mauritius will commence after confirmation of necessary regulatory clearances. It is learnt that 1,50,000 doses of Covisheild vaccine, manufactured by the…

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Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen has written to Visva-Bharati demanding that the university authorities withdraw the allegation that his family is in “illegal” possession of land in its Santiniketan campus and alleged that the accusations are a crude attempt at harassment. Sen had on Monday written the letter to Visva-Bharati Vice-Chancellor Prof Bidyut Chakraborty two days after the authorities of the central university asked the West Bengal government to measure the plot owned by him at Santiniketan as soon as possible to permanently resolve the dispute. The noted economist said…

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The Supreme Court told the Centre on Monday that the proposed tractor rally on the Republic Day by farmers protesting against the new farm laws is a ?law and order? matter and Delhi Police is the first authority to decide who should be allowed to enter the national capital A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde, while hearing the Centre’s application seeking an injunction against the proposed tractor or trolley march or any other kind of protest which seeks to disrupt the gathering and celebrations on January 26,…

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The minimum temperature in Delhi dropped to 5.7 degrees Celsius on Sunday but it is likely to rise over the next two days due to a change in the wind direction, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The national capital had recorded a low of 6.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday. The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative data for the city, recorded a minimum temperature of 5.7 degrees Celsius this morning. An IMD official said easterly winds are blowing in Delhi that are not as cold as northwesterly winds coming in…

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 Protesting farmer unions stuck to their demand for a complete repeal of three contentious farm laws at their ninth round of talks with three central ministers while the government asked them to be more flexible in their approach and expressed willingness for necessary amendments, as the two sides decided to meet again on January 19. Farmer leader Joginder Singh Ugrahan told reporters after the meeting that the unions urged the government to repeal the three laws, but the Centre was unwilling to do so. “We decided to meet again on…

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All three municipal corporations in Delhi on Thursday lifted the ban imposed on sale, storage of poultry or processed chicken meat after samples taken from markets tested negative for bird flu, officials said. East Delhi Mayor Nirmal Jain said the decision was taken during an online meeting held in the evening, chaired by Union minister Giriraj Singh, which was also attended by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, two other mayors and the commissioners of the three corporations. “As the Delhi government has lifted its ban on trade and import…

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Farmer leaders welcomed the Supreme Court order to stay the implementation of three farm laws on Tuesday, but said they would not call off their protest until the legislations are repealed. The Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of around 40 protesting farmer unions, has called a meeting later in the day to decide the next course of action. The farmer leaders said they are not willing to participate in any proceedings before a committee appointed by the Supreme Court, but a formal decision on this will be taken by…

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