Category: NATIONAL NEWS

“The end of an era”, “an artist born but once in centuries” and a “void that cannot be fulfilled”, is how prominent personalities, led by President Ram Nath Kovind and PM Narendra Modi, mourned the passing away of singing icon Lata Mangeshkar on Sunday. The 92-year-old singer had tested positive for Covid with mild symptoms and was admitted on January 8 to Breach Candy Hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) where she was being treated by Dr Pratit Samdani and his team of doctors. Mangeshkar’s condition had improved in January and…

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A chief ministerial face will decide whether 60 candidates are elected as MLAs or not, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu said on Saturday, referring to the number 60, one more than 59 lawmakers needed to form government in Punjab with 117-member assembly. Without naming any party, Sidhu made the remark ahead of the announcement of the Congress’ chief ministerial face by the party’s former president Rahul Gandhi during his visit to Ludhiana for the February 20 Punjab assembly polls. Sidhu also stressed that a person who has a roadmap…

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India added 1,49,394 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total virus tally to 4,19,52,712, while the active cases further declined to 14,35,569, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. The death toll climbed to 5,00,055 with 1,072 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated. The active cases comprise 3.42 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate improved to 95.39 per cent, the ministry said. A reduction of 98,352 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of…

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 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was people-friendly, progressive and full of possibilities for infrastructure, investment, growth and jobs. In a televised statement, Modi said an important aspect of the Union Budget was the welfare of the poor. It seeks to solve contemporary problems and create new opportunities for the common people, he said. “The Budget aims to ensure pucca house, toilet, tap water and gas connection for every poor household. At the same time, the focus is on modern…

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Elections keep happening but Parliament’s Budget session is very important as it draws a blueprint for the entire year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday and urged all MPs to make it fruitful by holding discussions with an “open mind”. Addressing the media ahead of the start of the session, Modi said it is true that because of frequent elections, sessions and discussions get affected but elections have their own place and will keep happening, and hoped that there are discussions that are free, thoughtful, full of human sensitivities,…

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AAP leader Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday ridiculed Navjot Singh Sidhu for questioning the survey for selecting the CM face and asked him not to interfere in the internal affairs of the Aam Aadmi Party. Mann, who is the AAP’s chief ministerial face for the next month’s Punjab assembly polls, asked Sidhu to get a survey done from his own party for choosing the CM candidate. The Sangrur MP also targeted former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for his statement in which he had claimed that he had got a message…

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 India logged 3,06,064 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,95,43,328, while the active cases climbed to 22,49,335, the highest in 241 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday. The death toll has climbed to 4,89,848 with 439 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated. The active cases comprise 5.69 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate decreased to 93.07 per cent, the ministry said. An increase of 62,130 cases has been recorded in the…

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As many as 24 legislators in Goa, which is 60 per cent of the total strength of the 40-member state Assembly, have switched parties in the last five years, a report by an organisation has said. The Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) said in its report that with this, Goa has set a unique record, which is “unparalleled” in the history of Indian democracy. Assembly polls in Goa will be held on February 14. “In the five year tenure of the current Assembly (2017-2022), as many as 24 MLAs have…

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The Delhi government has proposed lifting the weekend curfew, end odd-even system for opening of shops, and allow private offices to run with 50 per cent staff in the city, an official source said on Friday. The proposal approved by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been sent to Lt Governor Anil Baijal for approval, they said. The decision to ease the restrictions was taken in view of declining number of COVID cases in the city, they said. Traders in many parts of the city have demanded lifting of the curbs…

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the reported abduction of a teenager from Arunachal Pradesh by China, and said his silence shows he does not care Gandhi said he is with the family of the missing boy Miram Taron, and will not lose hope “A few days before Republic Day, an Indian has been kidnapped by China. We are with the family of Miram Taron and will not lose hope, will not give up “PM’s cowardly silence is his statement? – he does not…

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