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&nbsp;A day after a man's body with a hand chopped off was found at the farmers&nbsp;protest site at the Singhu border, a plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an urgent hearing of a pending petition which has sought removal of protestors.

The body of Lakhbir Singh, 35, from Punjab's Taran Taran district, was found tied to an overturned police barricade at the site where farmers are protesting three Central farm laws for over 10 months.

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His body bore over 10 wounds caused by sharp-edged weapons and the incident is being blamed on a group of Nihangs.

Referring to the incident, a fresh plea has been filed for urgent hearing of the PIL, pending since March this year, saying "The right to freedom of speech and expression cannot supersede the right to life and if this protest is allowed to go in like this, the nation at large will be at a loss."

The interim application has been filed by Swati Goel and Sanjeev Newar in their pending PIL through lawyer Shashank Shekhar Jha.

"After the incident of mutilating and murder of the Dalit man, I have moved an urgent mentioning application before Supreme Court," the lawyer said, adding, "Anti-human activities are happening in the name of protests, including rape of a woman and killing of and mutilating a Dalit man. It cannot be allowed to continue."

Besides seeking the removal of protesting farmers, the plea has also sought the issuance of guidelines by the Centre to the states and Union Territories to stop all kinds of protests and not permit them until the pandemic gets over.

"A protest which in itself is illegal cannot be continued when it is witnessing anti-humanitarian acts," the PIL said, adding the protests have seen many unforeseen and unacceptable things including the tractor rally on Republic Day, rape of a woman and its cover-up at the site and murder of Lakhbir Singh on Dusshera.

The plea said at a time when there is a ban on celebrating festivals, visiting temples, going to school and colleges, allowing such protests will serve no good.

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"Protestors are not only putting their life at risk but of millions of people of India and such a prolonged agitation cannot be allowed especially during ongoing pandemic since prolonged protests on public places are not only a clear violation of Supreme Court rulings but is violating Right of Life of others who are directly or indirectly affected by the said protests," it said.

The plea said the PIL, which was listed first on May 10, could not be heard due to the crash of a server at the apex court on that day and later dates of hearings also, it could not be taken up.

Meanwhile, the top court is also hearing a separate plea of a Noida&nbsp;resident Monicca Agrawaal. 
She has sought the removal of blockades saying earlier it took 20 minutes to reach Delhi and now it is taking over two hours and that people of the area are facing hardships due to the protests at the UP Gate on the Delhi border.

On October 4, the top court sought responses from 43 farmers' bodies and their leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, Darshan Pal and Gurnam Singh, leading protests at Delhi borders, on a plea of the Haryana government alleging they have not been participating in talks with its panel to resolve the impasses over road blockade here.

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Haryana has moved an application seeking to make 43 bodies and individual leaders of various farmers&nbsp;organisations in the PIL filed by Agrawaal.

The farmers are protesting for the last 10 months against the passage of three laws -- Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020.

Initially, the protests started from Punjab in November last year and later spread mainly to Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.&nbsp;

A day after a man's body with a hand chopped off was found at the farmers protest site at the Singhu border, a plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an urgent hearing of a pending petition which has sought removal of protestors.

A day after a man's body with a hand chopped off was found at the farmers protest site at the Singhu border, a plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an urgent hearing of a pending petition which has sought removal of protestors. The body of Lakhbir Singh, 35, from Punjab's Taran Taran district, was found tied to an overturned police barricade at the site where farmers are protesting three Central farm laws for over 10 months. Also Read | 4 para military personnel injured in accidental blast as container of detonators slips while boarding train His body bore over 10 wounds caused by sharp-edged weapons and the incident is being blamed on a group of Nihangs. Referring to the incident, a fresh plea has been filed for urgent hearing of the PIL, pending since March this year, saying "The right to freedom of speech and expression cannot supersede the right to life and if this protest is allowed to go in like this, the nation at large will be at a loss." The interim application has been filed by Swati Goel and Sanjeev Newar in their pending PIL through lawyer Shashank Shekhar Jha. "After the incident of mutilating and murder of the Dalit man, I have moved an urgent mentioning application before Supreme Court," the lawyer said, adding, "Anti-human activities are happening in the name of protests, including rape of a woman and killing of and mutilating a Dalit man. It cannot be allowed to continue." Besides seeking the removal of protesting farmers, the plea has also sought the issuance of guidelines by the Centre to the states and Union Territories to stop all kinds of protests and not permit them until the pandemic gets over. "A protest which in itself is illegal cannot be continued when it is witnessing anti-humanitarian acts," the PIL said, adding the protests have seen many unforeseen and unacceptable things including the tractor rally on Republic Day, rape of a woman and its cover-up at the site and murder of Lakhbir Singh on Dusshera. The plea said at a time when there is a ban on celebrating festivals, visiting temples, going to school and colleges, allowing such protests will serve no good. Also Read | Yamuna river in India's national capital Delhi littered with waste despite curbs "Protestors are not only putting their life at risk but of millions of people of India and such a prolonged agitation cannot be allowed especially during ongoing pandemic since prolonged protests on public places are not only a clear violation of Supreme Court rulings but is violating Right of Life of others who are directly or indirectly affected by the said protests," it said. The plea said the PIL, which was listed first on May 10, could not be heard due to the crash of a server at the apex court on that day and later dates of hearings also, it could not be taken up. Meanwhile, the top court is also hearing a separate plea of a Noida resident Monicca Agrawaal. She has sought the removal of blockades saying earlier it took 20 minutes to reach Delhi and now it is taking over two hours and that people of the area are facing hardships due to the protests at the UP Gate on the Delhi border. On October 4, the top court sought responses from 43 farmers' bodies and their leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, Darshan Pal and Gurnam Singh, leading protests at Delhi borders, on a plea of the Haryana government alleging they have not been participating in talks with its panel to resolve the impasses over road blockade here. Also Read | India’s power crisis eases on account of increased coal supply, onset of winter Haryana has moved an application seeking to make 43 bodies and individual leaders of various farmers organisations in the PIL filed by Agrawaal. The farmers are protesting for the last 10 months against the passage of three laws -- Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020. Initially, the protests started from Punjab in November last year and later spread mainly to Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Plea seeks early hearing of PIL in India's Supreme Court on removing protesting farmers from Delhi borders

India has not only faced the COVID-19 crisis with great resilience and fortitude but has also played a major role and "walked the talk" on the global fight against it, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said.

Pointing out the fast recovery of India's economy, Sitharaman in her address to the Development Committee of the World Bank said the Modi Government, besides taking economic relief measures, has also undertaken significant structural reforms to turn the crisis into an opportunity and emerge stronger.

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The measures undertaken by the government have set a strong foundation for India's sustained economic growth,&nbsp;she said.

According to the International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook, India is estimated to be the fastest-growing major economy in 2021, projected to grow at 9.5 per cent in 2021 and 8.5 per cent in 2022.

Observing that despite the pandemic, India received its highest ever FDI inflows of USD82.0 billion in fiscal 2020-21, the finance minister said this trend in India's FDI is an endorsement of its status as a preferred investment destination amongst global investors.

Addressing the Development Committee meeting, Sitharaman said India has faced the COVID-19 crisis with great resilience and fortitude.

The country's pandemic response has focused on the twin goals of saving both the lives and livelihoods, she said.

When faced with the second wave of infections, India again mounted a carefully calibrated and dynamic response to the evolving situation. Given that the second wave was asynchronous in its onset across states and wider in its spread, only localised lockdowns were imposed during the second wave,&nbsp;she said.

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This approach aided reduction in cases in the COVID-19 hotspots without dampening economic activity in regions with fewer cases, she said.

Despite a more brutal second wave, India's GDP grew at 20.1 per cent YoY during April-June quarter of 2021, recovering more than 90 per cent of the corresponding pre-pandemic output levels of 2019,&nbsp;she added.

The broad-based and swift recovery of both the demand and supply-side components reaffirms India's resilient recovery and strong macroeconomic fundamentals.

With the easing of the COVID-19 restrictions, GST collections for July, August and September 2021 have crossed the INR 1 trillion mark, which testifies to the fact that the economy is recovering at a fast pace. The robust GST revenues are expected to continue in the coming months too as the economic recovery gathers momentum,&nbsp;the finance minister said.

India, she said, is one of the frontrunners in the global vaccine deployment race with the second-highest total number of COVID-19 vaccines administered all over the world. 
As of September 30, India has administered 951.35 million doses, covering 72.8 per cent of the 18 years (as on August 10, 2021) and above population with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

India has also played a major role and truly walked the talk' on the global COVID-19 effort. India's massive Vaccine Maitri programme, under which more than 66.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were exported to 95 countries worldwide bears special mention. India is all set to resume vaccine export in October 2021&nbsp;she said.

Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/high-vaccination-rate-will-aid-indias-economic-recovery-gita-gopinath-420597">&nbsp;High vaccination rate will aid India's economic recovery: Gita Gopinath</a>

India also made its digital platform for COVID-19 vaccination, CoWIN, an open-source for all countries to access, adapt and use. India is also at the forefront of multilateral efforts, including the Quad plan for the production of one billion vaccines to be offered to South-East Asian countries, she added.

Sitharaman said in addition to economic relief measures, India has undertaken significant structural reforms to turn the crisis into an opportunity and emerge stronger.

These reforms across diverse areas include agriculture and food processing, commercial coal mining, financial support to MSMEs and change in definition with increased thresholds, production linked incentive schemes to boost manufacturing, privatisation of PSUs and asset monetisation, increased FDI limit in defence and insurance are amongst the most notable reforms and have set a strong foundation for India's post-COVID economic growth, she said.

Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes have been introduced across key sectors to create national manufacturing champions and generate employment opportunities for the country's youth.

The objective is to make India a bigger and more important part of the global economy by pursuing policies that are efficient, competitive and resilient,&nbsp;she said.

Observing that Infrastructure development has assumed a major focus in strengthening India's economic recovery, the finance minister said India has a robust National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) which is a first-of-its-kind, whole-of-government exercise to provide world-class infrastructure.

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Measures have been undertaken to promote ease of doing business with rational tax systems, simple and clear laws, reducing compliance burden and leveraging technology for better compliance,&nbsp;she said.

As a recent major initiative, the government has taken steps to scrap the retrospective tax law which would help resolve tax disputes and boost investor confidence,&nbsp;she added.

Despite the pandemic, India received its highest ever FDI inflows of USD 82.0 billion in FY 2020-21. The trend in India's FDI is an endorsement of its status as a preferred investment destination amongst global investors,&nbsp;said the Union finance minister.&nbsp;

India has not only faced the COVID-19 crisis with great resilience and fortitude but has also played a major role and "walked the talk" on the global fight against it, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said.

India has not only faced the COVID-19 crisis with great resilience and fortitude but has also played a major role and "walked the talk" on the global fight against it, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said. Pointing out the fast recovery of India's economy, Sitharaman in her address to the Development Committee of the World Bank said the Modi Government, besides taking economic relief measures, has also undertaken significant structural reforms to turn the crisis into an opportunity and emerge stronger. Also Read | Indian economy to grow at 9.5 per cent in 2021: IMF The measures undertaken by the government have set a strong foundation for India's sustained economic growth, she said. According to the International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook, India is estimated to be the fastest-growing major economy in 2021, projected to grow at 9.5 per cent in 2021 and 8.5 per cent in 2022. Observing that despite the pandemic, India received its highest ever FDI inflows of USD82.0 billion in fiscal 2020-21, the finance minister said this trend in India's FDI is an endorsement of its status as a preferred investment destination amongst global investors. Addressing the Development Committee meeting, Sitharaman said India has faced the COVID-19 crisis with great resilience and fortitude. The country's pandemic response has focused on the twin goals of saving both the lives and livelihoods, she said. When faced with the second wave of infections, India again mounted a carefully calibrated and dynamic response to the evolving situation. Given that the second wave was asynchronous in its onset across states and wider in its spread, only localised lockdowns were imposed during the second wave, she said. Also Read | IMF cuts China's growth forecast amid 'disorderly corporate debt defaults' This approach aided reduction in cases in the COVID-19 hotspots without dampening economic activity in regions with fewer cases, she said. Despite a more brutal second wave, India's GDP grew at 20.1 per cent YoY during April-June quarter of 2021, recovering more than 90 per cent of the corresponding pre-pandemic output levels of 2019, she added. The broad-based and swift recovery of both the demand and supply-side components reaffirms India's resilient recovery and strong macroeconomic fundamentals. With the easing of the COVID-19 restrictions, GST collections for July, August and September 2021 have crossed the INR 1 trillion mark, which testifies to the fact that the economy is recovering at a fast pace. The robust GST revenues are expected to continue in the coming months too as the economic recovery gathers momentum, the finance minister said. India, she said, is one of the frontrunners in the global vaccine deployment race with the second-highest total number of COVID-19 vaccines administered all over the world. As of September 30, India has administered 951.35 million doses, covering 72.8 per cent of the 18 years (as on August 10, 2021) and above population with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. India has also played a major role and truly walked the talk' on the global COVID-19 effort. India's massive Vaccine Maitri programme, under which more than 66.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were exported to 95 countries worldwide bears special mention. India is all set to resume vaccine export in October 2021 she said. Also Read | High vaccination rate will aid India's economic recovery: Gita Gopinath India also made its digital platform for COVID-19 vaccination, CoWIN, an open-source for all countries to access, adapt and use. India is also at the forefront of multilateral efforts, including the Quad plan for the production of one billion vaccines to be offered to South-East Asian countries, she added. Sitharaman said in addition to economic relief measures, India has undertaken significant structural reforms to turn the crisis into an opportunity and emerge stronger. These reforms across diverse areas include agriculture and food processing, commercial coal mining, financial support to MSMEs and change in definition with increased thresholds, production linked incentive schemes to boost manufacturing, privatisation of PSUs and asset monetisation, increased FDI limit in defence and insurance are amongst the most notable reforms and have set a strong foundation for India's post-COVID economic growth, she said. Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes have been introduced across key sectors to create national manufacturing champions and generate employment opportunities for the country's youth. The objective is to make India a bigger and more important part of the global economy by pursuing policies that are efficient, competitive and resilient, she said. Observing that Infrastructure development has assumed a major focus in strengthening India's economic recovery, the finance minister said India has a robust National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) which is a first-of-its-kind, whole-of-government exercise to provide world-class infrastructure. Also Read | Mark Zuckerberg loses $7 billion in hours as Facebook plunges Measures have been undertaken to promote ease of doing business with rational tax systems, simple and clear laws, reducing compliance burden and leveraging technology for better compliance, she said. As a recent major initiative, the government has taken steps to scrap the retrospective tax law which would help resolve tax disputes and boost investor confidence, she added. Despite the pandemic, India received its highest ever FDI inflows of USD 82.0 billion in FY 2020-21. The trend in India's FDI is an endorsement of its status as a preferred investment destination amongst global investors, said the Union finance minister.

India has faced Covid crisis with resilience and fortitude: Sitharaman

India has slipped to 101st position in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021 of 116 countries, from its 2020 position of 94th and is behind its neighbours Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Eighteen countries, including China, Brazil and Kuwait, shared the top rank with GHI score of less than five, the website of the Global Hunger Index that tracks hunger and malnutrition said on Thursday.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pollution-has-started-increasing-says-delhi-cm-kejriwal-as-air-quality-index-reaches-171-419550">Pollution has started increasing, says Delhi CM Kejriwal as air quality index reaches 171</a>

The report, prepared jointly by Irish aid agency Concern Worldwide and German organisation Welt Hunger Hilfe, termed the level of hunger in India "alarming".

In 2020, India was ranked 94th out of 107 countries. Now with 116 countries in the fray, it has dropped to 101st rank.

India's GHI score has also decelerated -- from 38.8 in 2000 to the range of 28.8 - 27.5 between 2012 and 2021.

The GHI score is calculated on four indicators --undernourishment; child wasting (the share of children under the age of five who are wasted i.e&nbsp;who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition); child stunting (children under the age of five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition) and child mortality (the mortality rate of children under the age of five).

The share of wasting among children in India rose from 17.1 per cent between 1998-2002 to 17.3 per cent between 2016-2020, according to the report.

"People have been severely hit by COVID-19 and by pandemic related restrictions in India, the country with highest child wasting rate worldwide," the report said.

Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/locals-come-forward-in-support-of-minority-communities-to-save-kashmiriyat-420719">&nbsp;Locals come forward in support of minority communities to save Kashmiriyat</a>

Neighbouring countries like Nepal (76), Bangladesh (76), Myanmar (71) and Pakistan (92) are also in the 'alarming' hunger category, but have fared better at feeding its citizens than India, according to the report.

However, India has shown improvement in other indicators such as the under-5 mortality rate, prevalence of stunting among children and prevalence of undernourishment owing to inadequate food, the report said.

According to the report, the fight against hunger is dangerously off track. Based on the current GHI projections, the world as a whole -- and 47 countries in particular -- will fail to achieve a low level of hunger by 2030.

Food security is under assault on multiple fronts, it said, adding that worsening conflict, weather extremes associated with global climate change, and the economic and health challenges associated with the COVID19 pandemic are all driving hunger.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-china-conflict-arunachal-pradesh-integral-and-inalienable-part-of-india-mea-rebuffs-china-420399">India-China conflict | Arunachal Pradesh integral and inalienable part of India: MEA rebuffs China</a>

"Inequality -- between regions, countries, districts, and communities -- is pervasive and, (if) left unchecked, will keep the world from achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) mandate to leave no one behind," the report said.

Further, the report noted that it is difficult to be optimistic in 2021 because the forces now driving hunger are overpowering good intentions and lofty goals.

Among the most powerful and toxic of these forces are conflict, climate change, and COVID-19 three Cs that threaten to wipe out any progress that has been made against hunger in recent years, it added

India has slipped to 101st position in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021 of 116 countries, from its 2020 position of 94th and is behind its neighbours Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

India has slipped to 101st position in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021 of 116 countries, from its 2020 position of 94th and is behind its neighbours Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Eighteen countries, including China, Brazil and Kuwait, shared the top rank with GHI score of less than five, the website of the Global Hunger Index that tracks hunger and malnutrition said on Thursday. Also Read | Pollution has started increasing, says Delhi CM Kejriwal as air quality index reaches 171 The report, prepared jointly by Irish aid agency Concern Worldwide and German organisation Welt Hunger Hilfe, termed the level of hunger in India "alarming". In 2020, India was ranked 94th out of 107 countries. Now with 116 countries in the fray, it has dropped to 101st rank. India's GHI score has also decelerated -- from 38.8 in 2000 to the range of 28.8 - 27.5 between 2012 and 2021. The GHI score is calculated on four indicators --undernourishment; child wasting (the share of children under the age of five who are wasted i.e who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition); child stunting (children under the age of five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition) and child mortality (the mortality rate of children under the age of five). The share of wasting among children in India rose from 17.1 per cent between 1998-2002 to 17.3 per cent between 2016-2020, according to the report. "People have been severely hit by COVID-19 and by pandemic related restrictions in India, the country with highest child wasting rate worldwide," the report said. Also Read | Locals come forward in support of minority communities to save Kashmiriyat Neighbouring countries like Nepal (76), Bangladesh (76), Myanmar (71) and Pakistan (92) are also in the 'alarming' hunger category, but have fared better at feeding its citizens than India, according to the report. However, India has shown improvement in other indicators such as the under-5 mortality rate, prevalence of stunting among children and prevalence of undernourishment owing to inadequate food, the report said. According to the report, the fight against hunger is dangerously off track. Based on the current GHI projections, the world as a whole -- and 47 countries in particular -- will fail to achieve a low level of hunger by 2030. Food security is under assault on multiple fronts, it said, adding that worsening conflict, weather extremes associated with global climate change, and the economic and health challenges associated with the COVID19 pandemic are all driving hunger. Also Read | India-China conflict | Arunachal Pradesh integral and inalienable part of India: MEA rebuffs China "Inequality -- between regions, countries, districts, and communities -- is pervasive and, (if) left unchecked, will keep the world from achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) mandate to leave no one behind," the report said. Further, the report noted that it is difficult to be optimistic in 2021 because the forces now driving hunger are overpowering good intentions and lofty goals. Among the most powerful and toxic of these forces are conflict, climate change, and COVID-19 three Cs that threaten to wipe out any progress that has been made against hunger in recent years, it added

India slips to 101st rank in Global Hunger Index 2021; behind Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal

India was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2022-24 term on Thursday with an overwhelming majority in the General Assembly, with New Delhi's envoy here describing the election as a "robust endorsement" of the country's strong roots in democracy, pluralism and fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

The 76th UN General Assembly held elections on Thursday for 18 new members of the UN Human Rights Council who will serve for a period of three years, starting in January 2022.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="Locals come forward in support of minority communities to save Kashmiriyat">Locals come forward in support of minority communities to save Kashmiriyat</a>

India got 184 votes in the 193-member assembly, while the required majority was 97.

"I am truly delighted at this overwhelming support for India in elections to Human Rights Council. It's a robust endorsement of our strong roots in democracy, pluralism and fundamental rights enshrined in our Constitution. We thank all UN Member States for giving us a strong mandate," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told PTI.

India's Permanent Mission to the UN tweeted "India gets re-elected to the @UN_HRC (2022-24) for a 6th term with overwhelming majority. Heartfelt gratitude to the @UN membership for reposing its faith in India."

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India 🇮🇳 elected for the record 6th term of the Human Rights Council by an overwhelming endorsement of UN Member States. 
 
We stand committed to work together with fellow members of the Council towards the goal of global promotion and protection of human rights. 
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— India at UN, Geneva (@IndiaUNGeneva) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaUNGeneva/status/1448683963896184838?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

India's current term was set to end on December 31 2021. For election for the term 2022-2024, there were five vacant seats in the Asia-Pacific States category - India, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates.

The 193-member General Assembly elected by secret ballot Argentina, Benin, Cameroon, Eritrea, Finland, Gambia, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Montenegro, Paraguay, Qatar, Somalia, UAE and the USA for the 2022-2024 term on the Council.

India's mission congratulated other UN Member States for their election to the Human Rights Council, which consists of 47 Member States elected directly and individually by secret ballot by the majority of the members of the General Assembly.

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The members of the Council shall serve for a period of three years and shall not be eligible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms.

The membership is based on equitable geographical distribution, and seats are distributed among regional groups Group of African States (13), Group of Asia-Pacific States (13), Group of Eastern European States (6), Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (8) and Group of Western European and other States (7).

As of January 2021, 119 of the 193 UN member States will have served as a member of the HRC. "This broad membership not only reflects the UN's diversity, but it gives the Council legitimacy when speaking out on human rights violations in all countries," the UN said.

In 2018, the US under the Donald Trump administration had withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council. US Ambassador at UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Washington's election to the Council has "fulfilled President Biden's campaign pledge to rejoin the Human Rights Council" and the US will "work to ensure this body lives up to these principles."

"Our initial efforts as full members in the Council will focus on what we can accomplish in situations of dire need, such as in Afghanistan, Burma, China, Ethiopia, Syria, and Yemen. More broadly, we will promote respect for fundamental freedoms and women's rights, and oppose religious intolerance, racial and ethnic injustices, and violence and discrimination against members of minority groups, including LGBTQI+ persons and persons with disabilities," Thomas-Greenfield said.

India was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2022-24 term on Thursday with an overwhelming majority in the General Assembly, with New Delhi's envoy here describing the election as a "robust endorsement" of the country's strong roots in democracy, pluralism and fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

India was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2022-24 term on Thursday with an overwhelming majority in the General Assembly, with New Delhi's envoy here describing the election as a "robust endorsement" of the country's strong roots in democracy, pluralism and fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. The 76th UN General Assembly held elections on Thursday for 18 new members of the UN Human Rights Council who will serve for a period of three years, starting in January 2022. Also Read | Locals come forward in support of minority communities to save Kashmiriyat India got 184 votes in the 193-member assembly, while the required majority was 97. "I am truly delighted at this overwhelming support for India in elections to Human Rights Council. It's a robust endorsement of our strong roots in democracy, pluralism and fundamental rights enshrined in our Constitution. We thank all UN Member States for giving us a strong mandate," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told PTI. India's Permanent Mission to the UN tweeted "India gets re-elected to the @UN_HRC (2022-24) for a 6th term with overwhelming majority. Heartfelt gratitude to the @UN membership for reposing its faith in India." India 🇮🇳 elected for the record 6th term of the Human Rights Council by an overwhelming endorsement of UN Member States. We stand committed to work together with fellow members of the Council towards the goal of global promotion and protection of human rights. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/DtLocUCOxo — India at UN, Geneva (@IndiaUNGeneva) October 14, 2021 × India's current term was set to end on December 31 2021. For election for the term 2022-2024, there were five vacant seats in the Asia-Pacific States category - India, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates. The 193-member General Assembly elected by secret ballot Argentina, Benin, Cameroon, Eritrea, Finland, Gambia, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Montenegro, Paraguay, Qatar, Somalia, UAE and the USA for the 2022-2024 term on the Council. India's mission congratulated other UN Member States for their election to the Human Rights Council, which consists of 47 Member States elected directly and individually by secret ballot by the majority of the members of the General Assembly. Also Read | Air India employees request cash and other benefits as Tata Group takes over The members of the Council shall serve for a period of three years and shall not be eligible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms. The membership is based on equitable geographical distribution, and seats are distributed among regional groups Group of African States (13), Group of Asia-Pacific States (13), Group of Eastern European States (6), Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (8) and Group of Western European and other States (7). As of January 2021, 119 of the 193 UN member States will have served as a member of the HRC. "This broad membership not only reflects the UN's diversity, but it gives the Council legitimacy when speaking out on human rights violations in all countries," the UN said. In 2018, the US under the Donald Trump administration had withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council. US Ambassador at UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Washington's election to the Council has "fulfilled President Biden's campaign pledge to rejoin the Human Rights Council" and the US will "work to ensure this body lives up to these principles." "Our initial efforts as full members in the Council will focus on what we can accomplish in situations of dire need, such as in Afghanistan, Burma, China, Ethiopia, Syria, and Yemen. More broadly, we will promote respect for fundamental freedoms and women's rights, and oppose religious intolerance, racial and ethnic injustices, and violence and discrimination against members of minority groups, including LGBTQI+ persons and persons with disabilities," Thomas-Greenfield said.

India re-elected to UN Human Rights Council for the sixth time with overwhelming majority

A man was found hanging with his hands and legs chopped off near the farmer’s protest site on Singhu border — the Haryana-Delhi border in India.<o:p></o:p>

As per the recent developments and statements by the umbrella body of the protesting farmers, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the man was murdered by a Nihang group.<o:p></o:p>

Deceased man has been identified as Lakhbir Singh who hailed from Cheema Kala village of a North India state, Punjab, in India.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lakhimpur-kheri-violence-farmers-and-the-uttar-pradesh-government-reach-agreement-418180">Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Farmers and the Uttar Pradesh government reach agreement</a></o:p>

"The Nihangs said that the incident took place because Lakhbir attempted to commit sacrilege to the 'Sarbaloh Granth'. It is been&nbsp;reported that this deceased had been staying with the same group of Nihangs&nbsp;for some time," a statement by the SKM read.<o:p></o:p>

This incident was reported in the early hours of Friday morning. The SKM group has distanced itself from the incident and have claimed that the members of their group had no relation with the victim or the Nihang group.<o:p></o:p>

"SKM is against sacrilege of any religious text or symbol, but that does not give anyone the right to take the law in their hands. We demand that the culprits be punished according to law,"&nbsp;SKM said. "We demand that after investigating the charge of conspiracy of murder and sacrilege, the guilty should be punished as per law. The United Kisan Morcha will cooperate with the police and administration in any lawful action."<o:p></o:p>

It has been reported that the deceased man, Lakhbir Singh, was often spotted with the members of the same Nihang group.<o:p></o:p>

He was found tied to a barricade in the early hours of Friday. It has been alleged that the man was found desecrating the Sikh religious holy book. However, there has been no official confirmation about it.<o:p></o:p>

A man was found hanging with his hands and legs chopped off near the farmer’s protest site on Singhu border — the Haryana-Delhi border in India. As per the recent developments and statements by the umbrella body of the protesting farmers, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the man was murdered by a Nihang group.

A man was found hanging with his hands and legs chopped off near the farmer’s protest site on Singhu border — the Haryana-Delhi border in India. As per the recent developments and statements by the umbrella body of the protesting farmers, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the man was murdered by a Nihang group. Deceased man has been identified as Lakhbir Singh who hailed from Cheema Kala village of a North India state, Punjab, in India. Also read | Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Farmers and the Uttar Pradesh government reach agreement "The Nihangs said that the incident took place because Lakhbir attempted to commit sacrilege to the 'Sarbaloh Granth'. It is been reported that this deceased had been staying with the same group of Nihangs for some time," a statement by the SKM read. This incident was reported in the early hours of Friday morning. The SKM group has distanced itself from the incident and have claimed that the members of their group had no relation with the victim or the Nihang group. "SKM is against sacrilege of any religious text or symbol, but that does not give anyone the right to take the law in their hands. We demand that the culprits be punished according to law," SKM said. "We demand that after investigating the charge of conspiracy of murder and sacrilege, the guilty should be punished as per law. The United Kisan Morcha will cooperate with the police and administration in any lawful action." It has been reported that the deceased man, Lakhbir Singh, was often spotted with the members of the same Nihang group. He was found tied to a barricade in the early hours of Friday. It has been alleged that the man was found desecrating the Sikh religious holy book. However, there has been no official confirmation about it.

Nihang group confesses to murder of man at Singhu Border

Pakistan’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Fawad Chaudhry, has claimed that WION built a narrative to prove that Pakistan is unsafe for women.<o:p></o:p>

The Pakistan minister claims that WION produced 175 videos in a single day on the Minar-e-Pakistan incident. However, his claims are unjustified and have been made without any evidence.<o:p></o:p>

Through his statement, Chaudhry has tried to shift the blame on WION but completely forgot to address the main problem. Are women really safe in Pakistan?

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To build a narrative that <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pakistan</a> is unsafe for women, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indian</a> channel <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WIONews</a> in single day created 175 videos on the basis of Minar-e-Pakistan incident, said <a href="https://twitter.com/fawadchaudhry?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fawadchaudhry</a>, federal minister information speaking about “journalism and politics in the misinformation age.” <a href="https://t.co/tgDKdAARXV">pic.twitter.com/tgDKdAARXV</a>
— Naimat Khan (@NKMalazai) <a href="https://twitter.com/NKMalazai/status/1448954525558136832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
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His comments are directed about the incident in which a TikTok star Ayesha Akram claimed to have been assaulted by more than 100 people in the premises of Minar-e-Pakistan. Whether or not the allegations were true can be left on the Pakistan officials to figure out. <o:p></o:p>

However, what WION can refute is that Ayesha Akram is not the only girl who has been assaulted in this country. <o:p></o:p>

Noor Mukadam, a girl in her late 20s, was kidnapped, raped, tortured and killed in July 2021. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan have reported at least 360 honour killing of women in 2020. Pakistan’s Ministry of Human Rights had also reported recently in a study that nearly 28 per cent of Pakistan women, between the ages of 15 and 49, have suffered assault at least once in their lifetime.

<o:p>On July 19, a man tortured and killed his wife in Pakistan's Sindh province. On July 24, a 30-year-old woman was raped and then stabbed in front of her son. She died due to the injuries in the Pindi hospital. Another man burned his wife to death in the same month.&nbsp;</o:p>A woman, along with her minor girls and their aunt&nbsp;were also shot dead by her husband.&nbsp;

A man who stabbed his girlfriend 23 times was acquitted by the Lahore High Court and was released from prison. Similarly, 15 men who were accused of burning a 16-year-old girl were allowed to walk free in 2019.

These incidents are just from the last few months in Pakistan. Many other incidents go unreported and many other criminals are allowed to roam freely in Pakistan's streets.

The toxic misogyny in Pakistan is nothing new. While the country's record in poor treatment of women keeps baffling the world, Fawad Chaudhry wants to blame WION for fighting the rights of women?<o:p></o:p>

Fawad Chaudhry failed to mention the real issue of women safety but goes on to blame WION for allegedly spreading lies. Can Fawad Chaudhry assure the world that all women in Pakistan are safe and there is absolutely no problem of sexual assault, torture and violence against women in Pakistan?<o:p></o:p>

The minister accuses WION of spreading lies but states that he saw WION produce 175 videos on the Minar-e-Pakistan incident in a day? WION can assure its viewers that this is fake. However, the&nbsp;minister is welcome to show the 175 videos that he is talking about in his comments.<o:p></o:p>

Instead of blaming WION for spreading awareness about violence against women in Pakistan, perhaps the Pakistan government should check their actions and instead divert their energy in working to protect and help women who are suffering in their country.<o:p></o:p>

Pakistan’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Fawad Chaudhry, has claimed that WION built a narrative to prove that Pakistan is unsafe for women. The Pakistan minister claims that WION produced 175 videos in a single day on the Minar-e-Pakistan incident.

Pakistan’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Fawad Chaudhry, has claimed that WION built a narrative to prove that Pakistan is unsafe for women. The Pakistan minister claims that WION produced 175 videos in a single day on the Minar-e-Pakistan incident. However, his claims are unjustified and have been made without any evidence. Through his statement, Chaudhry has tried to shift the blame on WION but completely forgot to address the main problem. Are women really safe in Pakistan? To build a narrative that #Pakistan is unsafe for women, #Indian channel @WIONews in single day created 175 videos on the basis of Minar-e-Pakistan incident, said @fawadchaudhry, federal minister information speaking about “journalism and politics in the misinformation age.” pic.twitter.com/tgDKdAARXV — Naimat Khan (@NKMalazai) October 15, 2021 × His comments are directed about the incident in which a TikTok star Ayesha Akram claimed to have been assaulted by more than 100 people in the premises of Minar-e-Pakistan. Whether or not the allegations were true can be left on the Pakistan officials to figure out. However, what WION can refute is that Ayesha Akram is not the only girl who has been assaulted in this country. Noor Mukadam, a girl in her late 20s, was kidnapped, raped, tortured and killed in July 2021. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan have reported at least 360 honour killing of women in 2020. Pakistan’s Ministry of Human Rights had also reported recently in a study that nearly 28 per cent of Pakistan women, between the ages of 15 and 49, have suffered assault at least once in their lifetime. On July 19, a man tortured and killed his wife in Pakistan's Sindh province. On July 24, a 30-year-old woman was raped and then stabbed in front of her son. She died due to the injuries in the Pindi hospital. Another man burned his wife to death in the same month. A woman, along with her minor girls and their aunt were also shot dead by her husband. A man who stabbed his girlfriend 23 times was acquitted by the Lahore High Court and was released from prison. Similarly, 15 men who were accused of burning a 16-year-old girl were allowed to walk free in 2019. These incidents are just from the last few months in Pakistan. Many other incidents go unreported and many other criminals are allowed to roam freely in Pakistan's streets. The toxic misogyny in Pakistan is nothing new. While the country's record in poor treatment of women keeps baffling the world, Fawad Chaudhry wants to blame WION for fighting the rights of women? Fawad Chaudhry failed to mention the real issue of women safety but goes on to blame WION for allegedly spreading lies. Can Fawad Chaudhry assure the world that all women in Pakistan are safe and there is absolutely no problem of sexual assault, torture and violence against women in Pakistan? The minister accuses WION of spreading lies but states that he saw WION produce 175 videos on the Minar-e-Pakistan incident in a day? WION can assure its viewers that this is fake. However, the minister is welcome to show the 175 videos that he is talking about in his comments. Instead of blaming WION for spreading awareness about violence against women in Pakistan, perhaps the Pakistan government should check their actions and instead divert their energy in working to protect and help women who are suffering in their country.

Instead of fixing problem of women's safety, Pak minister falsely accuses WION of spreading lies

Unique ways of celebrating Dussehra in different states of India

There is more transparency, trust and technology-driven approach in India's defence sector now than ever before and major reforms are taking place for the first time since Independence while discarding stagnant policies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday.

In an address at an event to dedicate seven&nbsp;new defence companies to the nation, Modi, referring to the self-reliant India campaign, said the goal is to make the country the world's biggest military power on its own.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-to-participate-in-g20-leaders-summit-on-afghanistan-on-tuesday-419939">PM Modi to participate in G20 leaders' summit on Afghanistan on Tuesday</a>

In a major reform initiative, the seven state-run defence companies were created after dissolving the over 200-year-old Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). The assets of the OFB including its 41 ordnance factories were transferred to the seven new firms.

Modi mentioned that the target should be that the companies not only establish expertise in their products but also become global brands. He urged that while competitive cost is India's strength, quality and reliability should be its identity.

He said the world saw the strength of India's ordnance factories at the time of World War I and that they used to have better resources and world-class skills, but the companies were ignored in the post-Independence period, leading to the country's dependence on foreign supplies.

"After Independence, we needed to upgrade these factories, adopt new-age technology. But it was not given much attention. Over time, India became dependent on foreign countries for its strategic needs. These new seven defence companies will play a big role in bringing change in this situation," he said in his video address.

Modi said that as India entered 75 years of Independence, projects are being completed that were stuck for a long time.

"Today, there is more transparency, trust, and technology-driven approach in the defence sector of the country than ever before. For the first time after Independence, so many major reforms are happening in our defence sector and instead of stagnant policies, a single-window system has been arranged," he said.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-agriculture-witnessing-golden-period-under-pm-modi-says-mos-jitendra-singh-419781">Indian agriculture witnessing golden period under PM Modi, says MoS Jitendra Singh</a>

"These seven defence companies will play a major role in changing this situation," he said.

The prime minister hoped that the new companies would play an important role in import substitution. An order book of more than Rs 65,000 crore reflects the increasing confidence of the country in these companies, he added.

Noting that the decision on reform of the OFB was pending for the last 15-20 years, Modi said works stuck for decades are being completed and India is taking new resolutions to build a new future.

"In the 21st century, whether a country or a company, its growth and brand value is determined by its research and innovation. From software to the space sector, India's growth, India's new identity is the biggest example of this," he said.

"Therefore, I also make a special request to all the seven companies that research and innovation should be a part of your work culture. You not only have to match the world's biggest companies, but also take the lead in future technology," he added.

Modi said the government has given full functional autonomy along with giving a better production environment to all the companies, adding it has also been ensured that the interests of the workers of these factories are fully protected.

The prime minister also underlines the need for giving maximum opportunity to research-oriented youth and give them full freedom to think.

"I will also tell the start-ups of the country, through these seven companies, the new beginning that the country has started today, you should also be a part of it," he said.

"You should think about your research, how your products can benefit from each other's capabilities in conjunction with these companies," he added.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and representatives from the defence industry associations were present on the occasion.

Singh has already clarified that there will be no change in service conditions of nearly 70,000 employees of the erstwhile organisation and the decision to corporatise the OFB is driven by efforts to boost India's defence manufacturing sector.

The new defence companies are Munitions India Limited (MIL), Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVANI), Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWE India), Troop Comforts Limited (TCL), Yantra India Limited (YIL), India Optel Limited (IOL) and Gliders India Limited (GIL).&nbsp;

There is more transparency, trust and technology-driven approach in India's defence sector now than ever before and major reforms are taking place for the first time since Independence while discarding stagnant policies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday.

There is more transparency, trust and technology-driven approach in India's defence sector now than ever before and major reforms are taking place for the first time since Independence while discarding stagnant policies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday. In an address at an event to dedicate seven new defence companies to the nation, Modi, referring to the self-reliant India campaign, said the goal is to make the country the world's biggest military power on its own. Also Read | PM Modi to participate in G20 leaders' summit on Afghanistan on Tuesday In a major reform initiative, the seven state-run defence companies were created after dissolving the over 200-year-old Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). The assets of the OFB including its 41 ordnance factories were transferred to the seven new firms. Modi mentioned that the target should be that the companies not only establish expertise in their products but also become global brands. He urged that while competitive cost is India's strength, quality and reliability should be its identity. He said the world saw the strength of India's ordnance factories at the time of World War I and that they used to have better resources and world-class skills, but the companies were ignored in the post-Independence period, leading to the country's dependence on foreign supplies. "After Independence, we needed to upgrade these factories, adopt new-age technology. But it was not given much attention. Over time, India became dependent on foreign countries for its strategic needs. These new seven defence companies will play a big role in bringing change in this situation," he said in his video address. Modi said that as India entered 75 years of Independence, projects are being completed that were stuck for a long time. "Today, there is more transparency, trust, and technology-driven approach in the defence sector of the country than ever before. For the first time after Independence, so many major reforms are happening in our defence sector and instead of stagnant policies, a single-window system has been arranged," he said. Also Read | Indian agriculture witnessing golden period under PM Modi, says MoS Jitendra Singh "These seven defence companies will play a major role in changing this situation," he said. The prime minister hoped that the new companies would play an important role in import substitution. An order book of more than Rs 65,000 crore reflects the increasing confidence of the country in these companies, he added. Noting that the decision on reform of the OFB was pending for the last 15-20 years, Modi said works stuck for decades are being completed and India is taking new resolutions to build a new future. "In the 21st century, whether a country or a company, its growth and brand value is determined by its research and innovation. From software to the space sector, India's growth, India's new identity is the biggest example of this," he said. "Therefore, I also make a special request to all the seven companies that research and innovation should be a part of your work culture. You not only have to match the world's biggest companies, but also take the lead in future technology," he added. Modi said the government has given full functional autonomy along with giving a better production environment to all the companies, adding it has also been ensured that the interests of the workers of these factories are fully protected. The prime minister also underlines the need for giving maximum opportunity to research-oriented youth and give them full freedom to think. "I will also tell the start-ups of the country, through these seven companies, the new beginning that the country has started today, you should also be a part of it," he said. "You should think about your research, how your products can benefit from each other's capabilities in conjunction with these companies," he added. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and representatives from the defence industry associations were present on the occasion. Singh has already clarified that there will be no change in service conditions of nearly 70,000 employees of the erstwhile organisation and the decision to corporatise the OFB is driven by efforts to boost India's defence manufacturing sector. The new defence companies are Munitions India Limited (MIL), Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVANI), Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWE India), Troop Comforts Limited (TCL), Yantra India Limited (YIL), India Optel Limited (IOL) and Gliders India Limited (GIL).

Make India the world's biggest military power: PM Modi inaugurates seven new State-run defence firms

Chief of US naval operations Admiral Michael Gilday on Thursday hosted Indian Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh and 11 other senior military officials aboard nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in the Bay of Bengal.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is part of the deployment by the US Navy in the second phase of the ongoing Malabar exercise featuring the navies of all four Quad countries -- India, the US, Australia and Japan.

The US Navy said Admiral Gilday hosted 12 senior Indian Navy officers aboard USS Carl Vinson on Thursday during the Malabar exercise. The four-day exercise began on Tuesday.

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"The visit to the aircraft carrier, which included Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh and Vice Admiral A B Singh, Commander in Chief, Eastern Naval Command, took place during the second phase of the exercise off the coast of India," the US Navy said in a statement.

Admiral Gilday is on a five-day visit to India from October 11 to 15.

"This visit to Carl Vinson during Malabar was an important opportunity to see first-hand the integration between our two navies at-sea," Admiral Gilday said.

"By our navies continuing to exercise together, as we are doing right now alongside Japanese and Australian naval forces, there is no doubt our partnership will only continue to grow. Cooperation, when applied with naval power, promotes freedom and peace, and prevents coercion, intimidation and aggression," he added.

Besides USS Carl Vinson, the US also deployed Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain and Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Stockdale in the exercise.

After taking its maiden voyage in 1983, USS Carl Vinson was part of several major operations including Operation Desert Strike, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Southern Watch and Operation Enduring Freedom.

US Charge d'Affaires Patricia Lacina, who also participated in the visit to Carl Vinson, expressed similar sentiments.

"Exercise Malabar is a showcase example of defense collaboration between our four partnering countries, demonstrating what we can accomplish when we work together to advance our common interests in the Indo-Pacific," she said.

"We stand committed to ensure peace, security, and economic prosperity in the region and beyond," she added. 
Rear Admiral Dan Martin, Commander of Carrier Strike Group 1, said he was honored to host the visitors aboard Carl Vinson.

"We value the bonds and personal relationships we have developed during exercise Malabar,? said Martin. 
Following India's invitation, Australia participated in the Malabar exercise last year that effectively made it a drill by all four member nations of the Quad or Quadrilateral coalition. Australia participated in this year's exercise too.

The Malabar exercise started in 1992 as a bilateral drill between the Indian Navy and the US Navy in the Indian Ocean. Japan became a permanent member of the exercise in 2015.

Chief of US naval operations Admiral Michael Gilday on Thursday hosted Indian Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh and 11 other senior military officials aboard nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in the Bay of Bengal.

Chief of US naval operations Admiral Michael Gilday on Thursday hosted Indian Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh and 11 other senior military officials aboard nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in the Bay of Bengal. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is part of the deployment by the US Navy in the second phase of the ongoing Malabar exercise featuring the navies of all four Quad countries -- India, the US, Australia and Japan. The US Navy said Admiral Gilday hosted 12 senior Indian Navy officers aboard USS Carl Vinson on Thursday during the Malabar exercise. The four-day exercise began on Tuesday. × "The visit to the aircraft carrier, which included Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh and Vice Admiral A B Singh, Commander in Chief, Eastern Naval Command, took place during the second phase of the exercise off the coast of India," the US Navy said in a statement. Admiral Gilday is on a five-day visit to India from October 11 to 15. "This visit to Carl Vinson during Malabar was an important opportunity to see first-hand the integration between our two navies at-sea," Admiral Gilday said. "By our navies continuing to exercise together, as we are doing right now alongside Japanese and Australian naval forces, there is no doubt our partnership will only continue to grow. Cooperation, when applied with naval power, promotes freedom and peace, and prevents coercion, intimidation and aggression," he added. Besides USS Carl Vinson, the US also deployed Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain and Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Stockdale in the exercise. After taking its maiden voyage in 1983, USS Carl Vinson was part of several major operations including Operation Desert Strike, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Southern Watch and Operation Enduring Freedom. US Charge d'Affaires Patricia Lacina, who also participated in the visit to Carl Vinson, expressed similar sentiments. "Exercise Malabar is a showcase example of defense collaboration between our four partnering countries, demonstrating what we can accomplish when we work together to advance our common interests in the Indo-Pacific," she said. "We stand committed to ensure peace, security, and economic prosperity in the region and beyond," she added. Rear Admiral Dan Martin, Commander of Carrier Strike Group 1, said he was honored to host the visitors aboard Carl Vinson. "We value the bonds and personal relationships we have developed during exercise Malabar,? said Martin. Following India's invitation, Australia participated in the Malabar exercise last year that effectively made it a drill by all four member nations of the Quad or Quadrilateral coalition. Australia participated in this year's exercise too. The Malabar exercise started in 1992 as a bilateral drill between the Indian Navy and the US Navy in the Indian Ocean. Japan became a permanent member of the exercise in 2015.

Top US naval commander hosts senior Indian Navy officers aboard USS Carl Vinson

India's former PM&nbsp;Manmohan Singh was admitted in Delhi's AIIMS hospital on Wednesday evening after reportedly complaining&nbsp;of weakness following a fever.

Manmohan Singh, 89, was India's prime minister from 2004 to 2014.&nbsp;

Singh has reportedly been admitted in the cardiology department at&nbsp;AIIMS hospital.&nbsp;

Reports said the Congress leader had a fever on Monday although he had recovered but he turned weak and was on fluids.

The former prime minister is reportedly stable.

India's former prime minister was detected with the virus in April and had recovered.

(With inputs from Agencies)

&nbsp;

India's former PM Manmohan Singh was admitted in Delhi's AIIMS hospital on Wednesday evening after reportedly complaining of weakness following a fever. Manmohan Singh, 89, was India's prime minister from 2004 to 2014.

India's former PM Manmohan Singh was admitted in Delhi's AIIMS hospital on Wednesday evening after reportedly complaining of weakness following a fever. Manmohan Singh, 89, was India's prime minister from 2004 to 2014. Singh has reportedly been admitted in the cardiology department at AIIMS hospital. Reports said the Congress leader had a fever on Monday although he had recovered but he turned weak and was on fluids. The former prime minister is reportedly stable. India's former prime minister was detected with the virus in April and had recovered. (With inputs from Agencies)

Former PM Manmohan Singh admitted in Delhi's AIIMS hospital

Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund Gita Gopinath said on Tuesday that India is doing well in terms of vaccinating its own people, which is undoubtedly beneficial to its economy, as the global financial organisation forecast 9.5 per cent growth for India in 2021 in its current projection. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/indian-economy-to-grow-at-95-per-cent-in-2021-imf-420211">Also read | Indian economy to grow at 9.5 per cent in 2021: IMF</a>

"We haven't changed our growth projection for India for this year.I mean, India got out of a very, very challenging second wave, which resulted in a huge downgrade in July, but we have no change (in its growth rate predictions) as of now, said Gita Gopinath, Chief Economist of the IMF, during a virtual conference call with reporters on Tuesday.&nbsp;

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<h5>She stated that in order to ensure consistent growth, India must maintain its vaccination rate, and that public infrastructure investment will accelerate economic recovery.</h5>
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Watch | India to resume export of COVID-19 vaccines

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-to-resume-export-of-covid-19-vaccines-419098/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

India's growth estimate in the current World Economic Outlook is unchanged from the previous WEO update in July this summer, although it is three percentage points lower in 2021 and 1.6 percentage points lower than in April.

According to the most recent WEO update, issued before of the IMF and World Bank annual meetings, India's GDP, which fell by 7.3% last year owing to the COVID-19 epidemic, is predicted to expand by 9.5% in 2021 and 8.5% in 2022.

The global economy is expected to grow at a 5.9 percent annual rate in 2021 and 4.9 percent in 2022.

(With inputs from agencies)

Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund Gita Gopinath said on Tuesday that India is doing well in terms of vaccinating its own people, which is undoubtedly beneficial to its economy, as the global financial organisation forecast 9.

Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund Gita Gopinath said on Tuesday that India is doing well in terms of vaccinating its own people, which is undoubtedly beneficial to its economy, as the global financial organisation forecast 9.5 per cent growth for India in 2021 in its current projection. Also read | Indian economy to grow at 9.5 per cent in 2021: IMF "We haven't changed our growth projection for India for this year.I mean, India got out of a very, very challenging second wave, which resulted in a huge downgrade in July, but we have no change (in its growth rate predictions) as of now, said Gita Gopinath, Chief Economist of the IMF, during a virtual conference call with reporters on Tuesday. She stated that in order to ensure consistent growth, India must maintain its vaccination rate, and that public infrastructure investment will accelerate economic recovery. × Watch | India to resume export of COVID-19 vaccines India's growth estimate in the current World Economic Outlook is unchanged from the previous WEO update in July this summer, although it is three percentage points lower in 2021 and 1.6 percentage points lower than in April. According to the most recent WEO update, issued before of the IMF and World Bank annual meetings, India's GDP, which fell by 7.3% last year owing to the COVID-19 epidemic, is predicted to expand by 9.5% in 2021 and 8.5% in 2022. The global economy is expected to grow at a 5.9 percent annual rate in 2021 and 4.9 percent in 2022. (With inputs from agencies)

High vaccination rate will aid India's economic recovery: Gita Gopinath

Mortal remains of braveheart Indian Army soldier Vaisakh H&nbsp;arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala around 9pm on Wednesday.

The 24-year old soldier belonged to the Rashtriya Rifles battalion and was among the five soldiers who laid down their life&nbsp;fighting terrorists in a gun battle in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir&nbsp;on Monday.&nbsp;

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Mortal remains of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndianArmy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndianArmy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Braveheart?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Braveheart</a> H Vaisakh arrive at Thiruvananthapuram airport 
Will be taken to his village in kollam Tomo 
 
He was 24, he joined the army when he was 19.. he asked for a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JammuKashmir?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JammuKashmir</a> posting 😔🙏 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NeverForget?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NeverForget</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indian</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ARMY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ARMY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Veer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Veer</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Soldier?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Soldier</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kerala?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kerala</a> <a href="https://t.co/6xwKhsstTF">pic.twitter.com/6xwKhsstTF</a>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1448321122080940036?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The inter-services procedure for paying last respects to the departed soul was held at "Shradhanjalisthan" at the remote car park adjacent to domestic terminal entry at the airport in Kerala's capital city.&nbsp;&nbsp;

District collector, Thiruvananthapuram Navjot Khosa IAS, Col Murali Sridhar admin commandant of military station Pangode, Lt Col Somesh Bhatnagar Station Staff Officer of military station Pangode, Kerala state ex-servicemen league and&nbsp;other military officers&nbsp;were present to receive the mortal remains and they laid a wreath.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/24-yr-old-indian-army-braveheart-hvaisakh-enthusiastically-asked-for-kashmir-posting-recall-kin-420237">Also Read:&nbsp;Indian Army braveheart H.Vaisakh enthusiastically asked for Kashmir posting</a>

After the military honours, the mortal remains&nbsp;were&nbsp;taken to the military hospital, Pangode.

The&nbsp;funeral of the deceased soldier, with full military honours would be carried out on Thursday at his native place in Kottarakkara, Kollam. The mortal remains are expected to be placed at the school in the village&nbsp;for common people to pay their final respects.

Vaisakh's life is one of unmatched grit and determination, he joined the Indian Army at the age of 19, right after completing his high schooling.

He was the first person in his family to serve the country's defence forces and&nbsp;was keen on joining the Army from a very young age.&nbsp;Serving the Indian Army for five years, he had recently asked for a posting in Jammu and Kashmir&nbsp;with full willingness to serve his motherland&nbsp;in the conflict zone.

Mortal remains of braveheart Indian Army soldier Vaisakh H arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala around 9pm on Wednesday. The 24-year old soldier belonged to the Rashtriya Rifles battalion and was among the five soldiers who laid down their life fighting terrorists in a gun battle in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.

Mortal remains of braveheart Indian Army soldier Vaisakh H arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala around 9pm on Wednesday. The 24-year old soldier belonged to the Rashtriya Rifles battalion and was among the five soldiers who laid down their life fighting terrorists in a gun battle in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. Mortal remains of #IndianArmy #Braveheart H Vaisakh arrive at Thiruvananthapuram airport Will be taken to his village in kollam Tomo He was 24, he joined the army when he was 19.. he asked for a #JammuKashmir posting 😔🙏 #NeverForget #Indian #ARMY #Veer #Soldier #Kerala pic.twitter.com/6xwKhsstTF — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) October 13, 2021 × The inter-services procedure for paying last respects to the departed soul was held at "Shradhanjalisthan" at the remote car park adjacent to domestic terminal entry at the airport in Kerala's capital city. District collector, Thiruvananthapuram Navjot Khosa IAS, Col Murali Sridhar admin commandant of military station Pangode, Lt Col Somesh Bhatnagar Station Staff Officer of military station Pangode, Kerala state ex-servicemen league and other military officers were present to receive the mortal remains and they laid a wreath. Also Read: Indian Army braveheart H.Vaisakh enthusiastically asked for Kashmir posting After the military honours, the mortal remains were taken to the military hospital, Pangode. The funeral of the deceased soldier, with full military honours would be carried out on Thursday at his native place in Kottarakkara, Kollam. The mortal remains are expected to be placed at the school in the village for common people to pay their final respects. Vaisakh's life is one of unmatched grit and determination, he joined the Indian Army at the age of 19, right after completing his high schooling. He was the first person in his family to serve the country's defence forces and was keen on joining the Army from a very young age. Serving the Indian Army for five years, he had recently asked for a posting in Jammu and Kashmir with full willingness to serve his motherland in the conflict zone.

Mortal remains of Indian Army braveheart H.Vaisakh arrive in Kerala

Dr Manmohan Singh was Wednesday admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi owing to weakness and exhaustion.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a fast recovery on Thursday, a day after he was taken to hospital.

"I pray for the good health and speedy recovery of Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji," PM Modi said on Twitter.

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I pray for the good health and speedy recovery of Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1448504747426672647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Singh was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on Wednesday due to fatigue and weakness.

The senior Congress politician, who turned 89 this month, had been receiving fever medication at home for the last several days.

He was taken to the All India Institute Of Medical Sciences last year after experiencing chest congestion.

He had bypass surgery in 2009, which he had successfully completed.

Dr Manmohan Singh, the Reserve Bank of India's Governor from 1982 to 1985, was India's 13th Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014.

He is widely recognised as the architect of India's economic reforms programme, which liberalised the country's economy in 1991.&nbsp; 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Dr Manmohan Singh was Wednesday admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi owing to weakness and exhaustion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a fast recovery on Thursday, a day after he was taken to hospital.

Dr Manmohan Singh was Wednesday admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi owing to weakness and exhaustion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a fast recovery on Thursday, a day after he was taken to hospital. "I pray for the good health and speedy recovery of Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji," PM Modi said on Twitter. I pray for the good health and speedy recovery of Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 14, 2021 × Singh was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on Wednesday due to fatigue and weakness. The senior Congress politician, who turned 89 this month, had been receiving fever medication at home for the last several days. He was taken to the All India Institute Of Medical Sciences last year after experiencing chest congestion. He had bypass surgery in 2009, which he had successfully completed. Dr Manmohan Singh, the Reserve Bank of India's Governor from 1982 to 1985, was India's 13th Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014. He is widely recognised as the architect of India's economic reforms programme, which liberalised the country's economy in 1991. (With inputs from agencies)

Dr Manmohan Singh in hospital, PM Modi prays for his ‘good health, speedy recovery’

As the Tata Group took over the Air India airlines, all employees have raised concerns about their cash, leave and medical benefits, among other things.<o:p></o:p>

Air India Unions have sent a joint letter to the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation raising their concerns about cash, leave, medical benefits, accommodation of employees and arrears.

The employees requested Rajiv Bansal that the people who were staying in the company flats should be allowed to stay there at least for a year or till monetisation. The unions have asked for a year’s approval as the <a href="Tata Sons wins the bid for acquiring national carrier Air India for Rs 180 billion">Tata Group</a> has assured that all current employees will be retained for at least another year.

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Air India Unions in a joint letter to Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation raise concerns about cash, leave, medical benefits, accommodation of employees &amp; arrears. <a href="https://t.co/5N6i2qYBDx">pic.twitter.com/5N6i2qYBDx</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1448327586430418944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Employees have also asked that all permanent employees should still be made eligible for the post-retirement benefits of medical and passage.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

In addition to the basic rights, the Air India Joint Action Forum of Unions has urged Bansal to assure that all pre-Covid allowances are restored. In 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic hit the country, several of allowances of employees were deducted.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/tata-sons-wins-the-bid-for-acquiring-national-carrier-air-india-for-rs-180-billion-419139">Tata Sons wins the bid for acquiring national carrier Air India for Rs 180 billion</a></o:p>

Also, all Air India employees have to be entitled to gratuity and provident fund (PF), and all post-retirement medical benefits.<o:p></o:p>

Air India, meanwhile, has reached an agreement with the government of India under which all current employees will be positively retained for another year. Any employee who is let go after one year will be offered voluntary retirement scheme.<o:p></o:p>

Almost a week ago, Tata Songs was announced as the winning bidder to take over Air India airlines. Tata Sons, the holding company for the autos-to-steel Tata conglomerate, bid Rs 180 billion&nbsp;($2.40 billion) for the government's 100% stake in Air India, a finance ministry official told reporters.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>

The Chairman of Tata Trusts announced the win by posting an old picture of Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata with an Air India aircraft and wrote ‘Welcome back, Air India’.<o:p></o:p>

As the Tata Group took over the Air India airlines, all employees have raised concerns about their cash, leave and medical benefits, among other things. Air India Unions have sent a joint letter to the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation raising their concerns about cash, leave, medical benefits, accommodation of employees and arrears.

As the Tata Group took over the Air India airlines, all employees have raised concerns about their cash, leave and medical benefits, among other things. Air India Unions have sent a joint letter to the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation raising their concerns about cash, leave, medical benefits, accommodation of employees and arrears. The employees requested Rajiv Bansal that the people who were staying in the company flats should be allowed to stay there at least for a year or till monetisation. The unions have asked for a year’s approval as the Tata Group has assured that all current employees will be retained for at least another year. Air India Unions in a joint letter to Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation raise concerns about cash, leave, medical benefits, accommodation of employees & arrears. pic.twitter.com/5N6i2qYBDx — ANI (@ANI) October 13, 2021 × Employees have also asked that all permanent employees should still be made eligible for the post-retirement benefits of medical and passage. In addition to the basic rights, the Air India Joint Action Forum of Unions has urged Bansal to assure that all pre-Covid allowances are restored. In 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic hit the country, several of allowances of employees were deducted. Also read | Tata Sons wins the bid for acquiring national carrier Air India for Rs 180 billion Also, all Air India employees have to be entitled to gratuity and provident fund (PF), and all post-retirement medical benefits. Air India, meanwhile, has reached an agreement with the government of India under which all current employees will be positively retained for another year. Any employee who is let go after one year will be offered voluntary retirement scheme. Almost a week ago, Tata Songs was announced as the winning bidder to take over Air India airlines. Tata Sons, the holding company for the autos-to-steel Tata conglomerate, bid Rs 180 billion ($2.40 billion) for the government's 100% stake in Air India, a finance ministry official told reporters. The Chairman of Tata Trusts announced the win by posting an old picture of Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata with an Air India aircraft and wrote ‘Welcome back, Air India’.

Air India employees request cash and other benefits as Tata Group takes over

Isolated populations of India have a higher genetic risk for COVID-19, reveals a study. A study led by experts at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB), Hyderabad, and the Varanasi-based Banaras Hindu University (BHU) involve examples of the tribes such as Onge and Jarawa. Both the tribes are isolated from the population on mainland India and are found on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Speaking about the research, Professor Gyaneshwer Chaubey of the BHU, who co-led the exercise with CSIR’s Kumarasamy Thangaraj said, "There might be some speculations on the effects on Covid-19 among isolated populations. However, for the first time, we used genomic data to study the risk of the infection on 227 isolated Indian populations. It was found that the ones which carry long homozygous segments in their genome are highly susceptible to Covid-19.”&nbsp;

Homozygous is a genetic condition where an individual inherits the same gene variants or alleles for a particular gene from both parents.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkeys-24-year-old-rumeysa-gelgi-titled-as-tallest-woman-living-420736">Also read |&nbsp;Turkey’s 24-year-old Rumeysa Gelgi titled as tallest woman living</a>

As a part of the study, the high-density genomic data of more than 1600 people across these 227 groups was investigated.

Among these, high frequency for COVID-19 risk alleles (gene) was found among the Onge and Jarawa tribes. The other groups included the Great Andamanese and Sentinels.

“The study noted that these inhabitants live in protected areas and the general public is not allowed to interact with them.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-spotted-smiling-and-clapping-as-soldiers-lie-on-bed-of-nails-420694">Also read |&nbsp;Kim Jong Un spotted smiling and clapping as soldiers lie on bed of nails</a>

However, after seeing the number of cases among the islanders, it can be said that they are at greater risk mainly from illegal intruders and health workers. The total census of this population is less than 1000 in number,” said Professor Gyaneshwer.&nbsp;

Isolated populations of India have a higher genetic risk for COVID-19, reveals a study. A study led by experts at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB), Hyderabad, and the Varanasi-based Banaras Hindu University (BHU) involve examples of the tribes such as Onge and Jarawa.

Isolated populations of India have a higher genetic risk for COVID-19, reveals a study. A study led by experts at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB), Hyderabad, and the Varanasi-based Banaras Hindu University (BHU) involve examples of the tribes such as Onge and Jarawa. Both the tribes are isolated from the population on mainland India and are found on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Speaking about the research, Professor Gyaneshwer Chaubey of the BHU, who co-led the exercise with CSIR’s Kumarasamy Thangaraj said, "There might be some speculations on the effects on Covid-19 among isolated populations. However, for the first time, we used genomic data to study the risk of the infection on 227 isolated Indian populations. It was found that the ones which carry long homozygous segments in their genome are highly susceptible to Covid-19.” Homozygous is a genetic condition where an individual inherits the same gene variants or alleles for a particular gene from both parents. Also read | Turkey’s 24-year-old Rumeysa Gelgi titled as tallest woman living As a part of the study, the high-density genomic data of more than 1600 people across these 227 groups was investigated. Among these, high frequency for COVID-19 risk alleles (gene) was found among the Onge and Jarawa tribes. The other groups included the Great Andamanese and Sentinels. “The study noted that these inhabitants live in protected areas and the general public is not allowed to interact with them. Also read | Kim Jong Un spotted smiling and clapping as soldiers lie on bed of nails However, after seeing the number of cases among the islanders, it can be said that they are at greater risk mainly from illegal intruders and health workers. The total census of this population is less than 1000 in number,” said Professor Gyaneshwer.

Isolated populations of India more likely to contract COVID-19: Study

Isolated populations in India are vulnerable to Covid-19, says a joint study by researchers from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), the Banaras Hindu University and some other universities.

The researchers called for high priority protection and utmost care for the isolated populations in the light of this study.

Dr Kumarasamy Thangaraj from the CSIR-CCMB, who is presently director of the CDFD, Hyderabad, and Prof Gyaneshwer Chaubey of the BHU, jointly led the genomic analysis of several Indian populations.

Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has impacted various ethnic groups all over the world. Recent studies suggest that the indigenous groups in Brazil have been massively affected by Covid-19.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/high-vaccination-rate-will-aid-indias-economic-recovery-gita-gopinath-420597">High vaccination rate will aid India's economic recovery: Gita Gopinath</a>

The death rate was twice high among the indigenous communities of Brazil. It was also shown that many of the indigenous communities have reached the verge of extinction due to this pandemic.

India is home for several indigenous and smaller communities including Andaman Islanders, who are living in isolation for tens of thousands of years. The study found that populations that carry similar long DNA segments (homozygous) in their genome are most likely to be more susceptible to Covid-19.

The research has been published online recently in the journal `Genes and Immunity`. Dr Thangaraj, who traced the origin of Andaman Islanders, said: "We have investigated a highdensity genomic data of &gt;1,600 individuals from 227 ethnic populations. We found high frequency of contiguous lengths of homozygous genes among Onge, Jarawa (Andaman Tribes) and a few more populations who are in isolation and follow a strict endogamy, making them highly susceptible for Covid-19 infection."

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/over-960-million-covid-19-vaccines-administered-in-india-says-health-ministry-420498">Over 960 million COVID-19 vaccines administered in India, says health ministry</a>

The researchers have also assessed the ACE2 gene variants, that make individuals susceptible for Covid-19. They found that the Jarawa and Onge populations have high frequency of these mutations. "There have been some speculations on the effect of Covid-19 among isolated populations. However, for the first time, we have used genomic data to access the risk of Covid-19 on the small and isolated populations," said Prof Chaubey, Professor of Molecular Anthropology at the BHU.

"Results obtained from this study suggest that we need to have a high priority protection and utmost care for the isolated populations, so that we don`t lose some of the living treasures of modern human evolution," said Dr Vinay Kumar Nandicoori, Director, CCMB, Hyderabad.

Other participants of this study include Prajjval Pratap Singh, Prof V.N. Mishra, Prof Royana Singh and Dr Abhishek Pathak from the BHU, Dr Prashanth Suravajhala from Amrita University, Kerala, Pratheusa Machha from CSIR-CCMB, Hyderabad, Dr Rakesh Tamang from Calcutta University, Dr Ashutosh K. Rai from Saudi Arabia, Dr Pankaj Shrivastava from FSL MP, and Prof Keshav K. Singh from University of Alabama (US) .

Isolated populations in India are vulnerable to Covid-19, says a joint study by researchers from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), the Banaras Hindu University and some other universities.

Isolated populations in India are vulnerable to Covid-19, says a joint study by researchers from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), the Banaras Hindu University and some other universities. The researchers called for high priority protection and utmost care for the isolated populations in the light of this study. Dr Kumarasamy Thangaraj from the CSIR-CCMB, who is presently director of the CDFD, Hyderabad, and Prof Gyaneshwer Chaubey of the BHU, jointly led the genomic analysis of several Indian populations. Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has impacted various ethnic groups all over the world. Recent studies suggest that the indigenous groups in Brazil have been massively affected by Covid-19. Also Read | High vaccination rate will aid India's economic recovery: Gita Gopinath The death rate was twice high among the indigenous communities of Brazil. It was also shown that many of the indigenous communities have reached the verge of extinction due to this pandemic. India is home for several indigenous and smaller communities including Andaman Islanders, who are living in isolation for tens of thousands of years. The study found that populations that carry similar long DNA segments (homozygous) in their genome are most likely to be more susceptible to Covid-19. The research has been published online recently in the journal `Genes and Immunity`. Dr Thangaraj, who traced the origin of Andaman Islanders, said: "We have investigated a highdensity genomic data of >1,600 individuals from 227 ethnic populations. We found high frequency of contiguous lengths of homozygous genes among Onge, Jarawa (Andaman Tribes) and a few more populations who are in isolation and follow a strict endogamy, making them highly susceptible for Covid-19 infection." Also Read | Over 960 million COVID-19 vaccines administered in India, says health ministry The researchers have also assessed the ACE2 gene variants, that make individuals susceptible for Covid-19. They found that the Jarawa and Onge populations have high frequency of these mutations. "There have been some speculations on the effect of Covid-19 among isolated populations. However, for the first time, we have used genomic data to access the risk of Covid-19 on the small and isolated populations," said Prof Chaubey, Professor of Molecular Anthropology at the BHU. "Results obtained from this study suggest that we need to have a high priority protection and utmost care for the isolated populations, so that we don`t lose some of the living treasures of modern human evolution," said Dr Vinay Kumar Nandicoori, Director, CCMB, Hyderabad. Other participants of this study include Prajjval Pratap Singh, Prof V.N. Mishra, Prof Royana Singh and Dr Abhishek Pathak from the BHU, Dr Prashanth Suravajhala from Amrita University, Kerala, Pratheusa Machha from CSIR-CCMB, Hyderabad, Dr Rakesh Tamang from Calcutta University, Dr Ashutosh K. Rai from Saudi Arabia, Dr Pankaj Shrivastava from FSL MP, and Prof Keshav K. Singh from University of Alabama (US) .

Isolated populations in India vulnerable to Covid-19, says study

Reacting to the comments made by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the recent visit by the Vice President, New Delhi reminded Beijing that "Arunachal Pradesh is an inalienable and integral part of India”. Watch MEA's briefing on this topic.

India: Indian Government rebuffs China's remarks on Arunachal

India wants to achieve status quo ante along the border with China in Ladakh and revert to the situation on the border as of April 2020, the nation's Chief of Defence Staff General <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/exclusive-disengagement-at-border-with-china-is-slow-due-to-suspicions-indias-chief-of-defence-staff-general-bipin-rawat-to-wion-390891">Bipin Rawat</a> told WION in an exclusive interview.

"Yes, we wish to achieve status quo ante," General Rawat said while speaking to WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma. "Our bottom line is that we want to revert to the April 2020 situation."

"This is what has been communicated to the Chinese. So the ultimate aim is to ensure that we reverse to status quo ante." If that happens, he said, "there will be some kind of belief in each other, satisfaction that it's not likely to lead to further escalation." 
 
Watch | Gravitas: The Interview with General Bipin Rawat

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Noting that reversing the status quo will be a gradual process, General&nbsp;Rawat said, "I'm quite sure both sides are looking to return to status quo ante. Let's hope for the best because efforts are being made at all levels, be it political, diplomatic or at the military front."

He said the lower commanders of both sides are "constantly in contact to make sure that the situation does not turn ugly". &nbsp;

The border tensions in eastern Ladakh intensified last June, leading to the deaths of twenty&nbsp;Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops in Galwan Valley.

Talks to restore the status quo prior to the standoff have been slow with twelve rounds of military dialogue being held on disengagement. There have been reports of military replenishments and buildup&nbsp;on the Chinese side.&nbsp;

Asked about reports that the Chinese military conducted exercises near eastern Ladakh, India's&nbsp;CDS described the exercises as a "regular feature" on both sides.

"All armies, during peace time,&nbsp;carry out training activities and conduct of exercises is one such event," CDS General Rawat said.

"Whenever you have new troops coming to the area, you normally familiarise them to their operational tasks. And the best way is to conduct exercises. This is what the Chinese are doing, and what we have been doing," he pointed out.

"In our case, we frequent our borders more often, whereas on the Chinese side, they have a large conscript army. So it takes time for them to get acclimatised, get familiar with the terrain and kind of operations they're expected to carry out in such high mountain areas," General Rawat informed.

"We keep a close watch on them. And we are monitoring the situation very carefully. But exercises are a very regular feature and I think it should not be a cause for concern," General Rawat said.&nbsp;

"But at the same time, we should not lower our guard. We have to continue to monitor&nbsp;the activities of the Chinese&nbsp;and make sure they do not come to the areas which have been vacated earlier," he added.

India wants to achieve status quo ante along the border with China in Ladakh and revert to the situation on the border as of April 2020, the nation's Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat told WION in an exclusive interview.

India wants to achieve status quo ante along the border with China in Ladakh and revert to the situation on the border as of April 2020, the nation's Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat told WION in an exclusive interview. "Yes, we wish to achieve status quo ante," General Rawat said while speaking to WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma. "Our bottom line is that we want to revert to the April 2020 situation." "This is what has been communicated to the Chinese. So the ultimate aim is to ensure that we reverse to status quo ante." If that happens, he said, "there will be some kind of belief in each other, satisfaction that it's not likely to lead to further escalation." Watch | Gravitas: The Interview with General Bipin Rawat Noting that reversing the status quo will be a gradual process, General Rawat said, "I'm quite sure both sides are looking to return to status quo ante. Let's hope for the best because efforts are being made at all levels, be it political, diplomatic or at the military front." He said the lower commanders of both sides are "constantly in contact to make sure that the situation does not turn ugly". The border tensions in eastern Ladakh intensified last June, leading to the deaths of twenty Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops in Galwan Valley. Talks to restore the status quo prior to the standoff have been slow with twelve rounds of military dialogue being held on disengagement. There have been reports of military replenishments and buildup on the Chinese side. Asked about reports that the Chinese military conducted exercises near eastern Ladakh, India's CDS described the exercises as a "regular feature" on both sides. "All armies, during peace time, carry out training activities and conduct of exercises is one such event," CDS General Rawat said. "Whenever you have new troops coming to the area, you normally familiarise them to their operational tasks. And the best way is to conduct exercises. This is what the Chinese are doing, and what we have been doing," he pointed out. "In our case, we frequent our borders more often, whereas on the Chinese side, they have a large conscript army. So it takes time for them to get acclimatised, get familiar with the terrain and kind of operations they're expected to carry out in such high mountain areas," General Rawat informed. "We keep a close watch on them. And we are monitoring the situation very carefully. But exercises are a very regular feature and I think it should not be a cause for concern," General Rawat said. "But at the same time, we should not lower our guard. We have to continue to monitor the activities of the Chinese and make sure they do not come to the areas which have been vacated earlier," he added.

Exclusive: India wants status quo ante in Ladakh, says India's CDS to WION

Pakistan must cease fire on all fronts, not just along the Line of Control (LOC), India's Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat told WION in an exclusive interview.

He was referring to the practice of Pakistan dropping weapons and drugs using drones and quadcopter&nbsp;into the Indian side of the international border.

"Pakistan must understand that if they want a genuine ceasefire, they must ceasefire on all fronts," General Rawat told WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma.

India's CDS said he wanted Pakistan should "cease fire on the borders, ensure no support to terrorism in the hinterland," and make sure that "war-like stores" are not delivered.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-interview-with-general-bipin-rawat-390931">WATCH |</a>

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Otherwise, he warned, "our armed forces are always ready to retaliate in a befitting manner."

"Any instance of the violation of the ceasefire or any attempt at infiltration along the Line of Control, they will get a befitting reply from our troops."

He said India is not lowering its guard while exercising utmost caution, "but in no way will we allow Pakistan to take advantage of the ceasefire."

Asked if the recent peace overture from&nbsp;Pakistan&nbsp;is a lull before the storm, General Rawat said the demand for ceasefire may have come from civilians in Pakistan living in the border areas in Pakistan, along with the military casualties they suffered.&nbsp;

He also noted that the other reason may be that Pakistan's western border with Afghanistan has become very active. "So we have to wait and watch as to how the Afghanistan situation evolves" and how long the ceasefire lasts.

Pakistan sending "war-like stores" across the border is vitiating the atmosphere and does not augur well for the continuation of the ceasefire, the Indian CDS said.

"If it happens repeatedly," he warned, "then there may be a change in strategy on our side as well."

"When we talk about the ceasefire, it does not only mean engaging with weapons, but if we want Pakistan to take a serious view of the ceasefire, then I think even sending these drones across, especially with weapons which will foment insurgency in the hinterland, that's something that must stop. Otherwise, this could again lead to escalation."

On February 24, India and Pakistan had agreed to&nbsp;“strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing&nbsp;along the Line of Control and all other sectors”.

In the past few months, there have been several incidents of firing across the border by Pakistan, sometimes leading to civilian casualties.

Ceasefire violations along the India-Pakistan border were highest in 2020 at 4,645, or nearly 12.7 violations a day.&nbsp;

Between January 1 and February 16 this year, there were 524 violations&nbsp;which is more than 11 violations a day, according to an Indian government reply to a&nbsp;Right to Information(RTI)&nbsp;query.

Pakistan must cease fire on all fronts, not just along the Line of Control (LOC), India's Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat told WION in an exclusive interview.

Pakistan must cease fire on all fronts, not just along the Line of Control (LOC), India's Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat told WION in an exclusive interview. He was referring to the practice of Pakistan dropping weapons and drugs using drones and quadcopter into the Indian side of the international border. "Pakistan must understand that if they want a genuine ceasefire, they must ceasefire on all fronts," General Rawat told WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma. India's CDS said he wanted Pakistan should "cease fire on the borders, ensure no support to terrorism in the hinterland," and make sure that "war-like stores" are not delivered. WATCH | Otherwise, he warned, "our armed forces are always ready to retaliate in a befitting manner." "Any instance of the violation of the ceasefire or any attempt at infiltration along the Line of Control, they will get a befitting reply from our troops." He said India is not lowering its guard while exercising utmost caution, "but in no way will we allow Pakistan to take advantage of the ceasefire." Asked if the recent peace overture from Pakistan is a lull before the storm, General Rawat said the demand for ceasefire may have come from civilians in Pakistan living in the border areas in Pakistan, along with the military casualties they suffered. He also noted that the other reason may be that Pakistan's western border with Afghanistan has become very active. "So we have to wait and watch as to how the Afghanistan situation evolves" and how long the ceasefire lasts. Pakistan sending "war-like stores" across the border is vitiating the atmosphere and does not augur well for the continuation of the ceasefire, the Indian CDS said. "If it happens repeatedly," he warned, "then there may be a change in strategy on our side as well." "When we talk about the ceasefire, it does not only mean engaging with weapons, but if we want Pakistan to take a serious view of the ceasefire, then I think even sending these drones across, especially with weapons which will foment insurgency in the hinterland, that's something that must stop. Otherwise, this could again lead to escalation." On February 24, India and Pakistan had agreed to “strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing along the Line of Control and all other sectors”. In the past few months, there have been several incidents of firing across the border by Pakistan, sometimes leading to civilian casualties. Ceasefire violations along the India-Pakistan border were highest in 2020 at 4,645, or nearly 12.7 violations a day. Between January 1 and February 16 this year, there were 524 violations which is more than 11 violations a day, according to an Indian government reply to a Right to Information(RTI) query.

Exclusive: Pakistan must cease fire on all fronts, not just LOC, India's Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat to WION

The disengagement process with China after the recent border standoff in the Ladakh area is slow due to suspicions on both sides, India's Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat told WION in an exclusive interview.

After the tense border standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the two countries have begun the process of disengagement, but the negotiations have been proceeding slowly.

"The disengagement process with China is slow because there is suspicion on both sides," India's CDS&nbsp;General Bipin Rawat said.

"There are always suspicions on both sides,"&nbsp;General Rawat told WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma. 
 
Watch | Gravitas: The Interview with General Bipin Rawat

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"When you have adversaries and you've had this kind of engagements in the past, there are always suspicions that if you withdraw prematurely, will the other side come up and occupy the same features. Because of these kind of suspicions that we have, we are trying to resolve these at the diplomatic, political and military level,"&nbsp;General Rawat said.

Noting that "some very good progress" has been made in the Pangong Tso area&nbsp;where the north and south banks of the lake have been vacated, he said: "in the other areas, it is happening in a transitory manner".

"I think we are making good headway. While we should not expect very good progress because as I mentioned there will be suspicions, at the same time we have to ensure and not allow our guard to be lowered. We cannot take things for granted. We have to move in a very cautious manner."

Yet, he said, "we do not want to continue to operate in this manner because this creates tension."

Whenever troops are in close proximity, there are always chances of the situation escalating, he said. "Our commanders want that we must de-escalate at the earliest, and I think gradually we will succeed in achieving what we wish to achieve."

"It is a slow process, but it will happen in times to come," he said.

India had said last week that the disengagement along the LAC is unfinished, asking China to maintain stability in the area and avoid any further incidents.

"The process of disengagement remains unfinished. The two sides have agreed that in the interim, they would maintain stability on the ground and avoid any new incidents. It is our expectation, therefore, that neither side should do anything that is not in keeping with these understandings,” India's&nbsp;external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had told reporters on June 4.

After the tense border standoff last year, troops on both sides conducted a drawdown along the banks of the Pangong Lake in February. However, the disengagement process has stalled since then. Talks at the diplomatic and military levels failed to reach a consensus on friction points such as Depsang Plains, Gogra and Hot Springs.

Recent reports said China has been moving in military equipment and formations into Tibet and Xinjiang and boosting its air defence, missile positions and airports on its side of the LAC.

The disengagement process with China after the recent border standoff in the Ladakh area is slow due to suspicions on both sides, India's Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat told WION in an exclusive interview.

The disengagement process with China after the recent border standoff in the Ladakh area is slow due to suspicions on both sides, India's Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat told WION in an exclusive interview. After the tense border standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the two countries have begun the process of disengagement, but the negotiations have been proceeding slowly. "The disengagement process with China is slow because there is suspicion on both sides," India's CDS General Bipin Rawat said. "There are always suspicions on both sides," General Rawat told WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma. Watch | Gravitas: The Interview with General Bipin Rawat "When you have adversaries and you've had this kind of engagements in the past, there are always suspicions that if you withdraw prematurely, will the other side come up and occupy the same features. Because of these kind of suspicions that we have, we are trying to resolve these at the diplomatic, political and military level," General Rawat said. Noting that "some very good progress" has been made in the Pangong Tso area where the north and south banks of the lake have been vacated, he said: "in the other areas, it is happening in a transitory manner". "I think we are making good headway. While we should not expect very good progress because as I mentioned there will be suspicions, at the same time we have to ensure and not allow our guard to be lowered. We cannot take things for granted. We have to move in a very cautious manner." Yet, he said, "we do not want to continue to operate in this manner because this creates tension." Whenever troops are in close proximity, there are always chances of the situation escalating, he said. "Our commanders want that we must de-escalate at the earliest, and I think gradually we will succeed in achieving what we wish to achieve." "It is a slow process, but it will happen in times to come," he said. India had said last week that the disengagement along the LAC is unfinished, asking China to maintain stability in the area and avoid any further incidents. "The process of disengagement remains unfinished. The two sides have agreed that in the interim, they would maintain stability on the ground and avoid any new incidents. It is our expectation, therefore, that neither side should do anything that is not in keeping with these understandings,” India's external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had told reporters on June 4. After the tense border standoff last year, troops on both sides conducted a drawdown along the banks of the Pangong Lake in February. However, the disengagement process has stalled since then. Talks at the diplomatic and military levels failed to reach a consensus on friction points such as Depsang Plains, Gogra and Hot Springs. Recent reports said China has been moving in military equipment and formations into Tibet and Xinjiang and boosting its air defence, missile positions and airports on its side of the LAC.

Exclusive: Disengagement with China slow due to suspicions, says India's CDS

China is a bigger security threat for India than Pakistan, India's Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat said in an exclusive interview with WION.

"We know we have challenges on both sides, but we have to obviously address our larger neighbour with some degree of concern," General Rawat, India's first-ever CDS, told WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma.

"When you have a larger neighbour, which has got a better force, better technology, you obviously prepare for a larger neighbour," he said. 
 
Watch:&nbsp;

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"You have a neighbour on the other side which is rogue. While the other neighbour may still be more pragmatic in decision making, this side there are terrorists who are operating alongside them," he said in reference to Pakistan.

"Terrorists sometimes go out of control of the establishment and they could actually escalate the situation.&nbsp;If a situation like Kargil happens again, then even the western neighbour could become a challenge," he said.

As the US troops pull out of Afghanistan, General&nbsp;Rawat said India has to wait and watch how the situation evolves.

Asked if he still maintains that India should talk to the Taliban, he said "the people dealing with the situation" will do what is best for India.

The CDS also addressed questions about Quad - the quadrilateral alliance of US, India, Japan and Australia.&nbsp;Asked if it's fair to call it&nbsp;the Asian NATO, he said, "Quad is more of an alliance for ensuring freedom of navigation on the Indo-Pacific region."

As of now, he said, it is a group of four nations "ensuring peace in the region",&nbsp; but added that it is difficult to predict what form Quad will take in the future.

China is a bigger security threat for India than Pakistan, India's Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat said in an exclusive interview with WION. "We know we have challenges on both sides, but we have to obviously address our larger neighbour with some degree of concern," General Rawat, India's first-ever CDS, told WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma.

China is a bigger security threat for India than Pakistan, India's Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat said in an exclusive interview with WION. "We know we have challenges on both sides, but we have to obviously address our larger neighbour with some degree of concern," General Rawat, India's first-ever CDS, told WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma. "When you have a larger neighbour, which has got a better force, better technology, you obviously prepare for a larger neighbour," he said. Watch: × "You have a neighbour on the other side which is rogue. While the other neighbour may still be more pragmatic in decision making, this side there are terrorists who are operating alongside them," he said in reference to Pakistan. "Terrorists sometimes go out of control of the establishment and they could actually escalate the situation. If a situation like Kargil happens again, then even the western neighbour could become a challenge," he said. As the US troops pull out of Afghanistan, General Rawat said India has to wait and watch how the situation evolves. Asked if he still maintains that India should talk to the Taliban, he said "the people dealing with the situation" will do what is best for India. The CDS also addressed questions about Quad - the quadrilateral alliance of US, India, Japan and Australia. Asked if it's fair to call it the Asian NATO, he said, "Quad is more of an alliance for ensuring freedom of navigation on the Indo-Pacific region." As of now, he said, it is a group of four nations "ensuring peace in the region", but added that it is difficult to predict what form Quad will take in the future.

Exclusive: For India, China a bigger security threat than Pakistan, says CDS Bipin Rawat

After the recent killings of civilians in Kashmir Valley, the majority community has come&nbsp;forward to support the minority communities. Special announcements are being made from the mosques to assure the minority community that they stand with them.&nbsp;

The grand mufti of Jammu and Kashmir visited the families and also assured them on behalf of the majority community that they should feel safe and nothing will hamper the social fabric of Kashmir valley. The grand mufti also demanded quick investigation in these cases, so that the culprits are put behind the bars and the real motive is unearthed.&nbsp;

''I went to see the families, I gave them assurance that I represent 1.5 crore Muslims of Jammu Kashmir and we want them to stay here and feel safe. I think a full investigation should be done in these cases. The culprits need to be arrested and we would know the motive of these killings. Islam doesnt allow killing of anyone,'' said Mufti Nasir Ul Islam, Grand Mufti.&nbsp;

The minority community has appreciated the efforts that are made by the majority community. Around 10 mosques in the Srinagar city have made announcements after the prayers assuring the minority community to feel safe. The minority community now wants them to make these announcements after the Friday prayers as well. The Kashmir Pandit Sajay Tickoo said that this time no migration has taken place and whoever has left will be coming back soon.&nbsp;

"It's a welcome statement and I have made an appeal to all masjid committees too.&nbsp;It should be announced in every mosque in the valley so that it will reach the larger masses. So far, nine mosques in the city have announced these assurances to minorities in the vicinity. It has opened the space for the minorities to be less afraid. It's a good step. My appeal is to the grand mufti that on Friday, they must announce in mosques through loudspeakers to make minorities feel safe. It will ease our tension. After these announcements were made, I feel better and safer.'' said Sanjay Tickoo, Kashmir Pandit Leader.&nbsp;

The Sikh community in the valley has also thanked the majority community for the help and assurances.

"Majority community came forward at the time of Chittisinghpura. We have strong brotherhood with the majority community but people across the border don't want that. Muslims have been coming to Supinder Kaur's house since. The locals here are not communal at all. We will all fight it together. I got a number of calls from the majority community and I got a call from Mirwaiz Umar Farooq as well as Mufti Nasir and the Chamber of commerce," said Jagmohan Raina,Sikh Leader, APNI Party.&nbsp;

The efforts are on by all communities living in Kashmir valley to save the Kashmiriyat. The Kashmiris don't want a repeat of the 90's and are making sure this time that the social fabric of the valley is not affected.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

After the recent killings of civilians in Kashmir Valley, the majority community has come forward to support the minority communities. Special announcements are being made from the mosques to assure the minority community that they stand with them.

After the recent killings of civilians in Kashmir Valley, the majority community has come forward to support the minority communities. Special announcements are being made from the mosques to assure the minority community that they stand with them. The grand mufti of Jammu and Kashmir visited the families and also assured them on behalf of the majority community that they should feel safe and nothing will hamper the social fabric of Kashmir valley. The grand mufti also demanded quick investigation in these cases, so that the culprits are put behind the bars and the real motive is unearthed. ''I went to see the families, I gave them assurance that I represent 1.5 crore Muslims of Jammu Kashmir and we want them to stay here and feel safe. I think a full investigation should be done in these cases. The culprits need to be arrested and we would know the motive of these killings. Islam doesnt allow killing of anyone,'' said Mufti Nasir Ul Islam, Grand Mufti. The minority community has appreciated the efforts that are made by the majority community. Around 10 mosques in the Srinagar city have made announcements after the prayers assuring the minority community to feel safe. The minority community now wants them to make these announcements after the Friday prayers as well. The Kashmir Pandit Sajay Tickoo said that this time no migration has taken place and whoever has left will be coming back soon. "It's a welcome statement and I have made an appeal to all masjid committees too. It should be announced in every mosque in the valley so that it will reach the larger masses. So far, nine mosques in the city have announced these assurances to minorities in the vicinity. It has opened the space for the minorities to be less afraid. It's a good step. My appeal is to the grand mufti that on Friday, they must announce in mosques through loudspeakers to make minorities feel safe. It will ease our tension. After these announcements were made, I feel better and safer.'' said Sanjay Tickoo, Kashmir Pandit Leader. The Sikh community in the valley has also thanked the majority community for the help and assurances. "Majority community came forward at the time of Chittisinghpura. We have strong brotherhood with the majority community but people across the border don't want that. Muslims have been coming to Supinder Kaur's house since. The locals here are not communal at all. We will all fight it together. I got a number of calls from the majority community and I got a call from Mirwaiz Umar Farooq as well as Mufti Nasir and the Chamber of commerce," said Jagmohan Raina,Sikh Leader, APNI Party. The efforts are on by all communities living in Kashmir valley to save the Kashmiriyat. The Kashmiris don't want a repeat of the 90's and are making sure this time that the social fabric of the valley is not affected.

Locals come forward in support of minority communities to save Kashmiriyat

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on an important visit to the US that has seen him holding several high-profile parleys in addition to attending the UN General Assembly. In addition to bilateral meetings with global leaders, PM Modi has been meeting global business leaders as well. These meets are taking place on the sidelines of UNGA.

WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay spoke with Dhruva Jaishankar, Director of US Initiative, Observer Research Foundation, about PM Modi's US visit.

He disagreed with a general assertion that suggested that India was the weakest link in the Quad grouping which includes US, Australia, Japan and India. 
 
Watch | Bilaterals &amp; Quad are the two key aspects of PM Modi's US Visit: Dhruva Jaishankar | WION-USA Direct

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"India being weak link in Quad is just a narrative perpetuated by certain people in US," he said.&nbsp;

He added that those making such a claim had ulterior motives.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-vice-president-kamala-harris-referred-to-pakistans-role-in-terrorism-during-meeting-with-pm-modi-shringla-415387">US Vice President Kamala Harris referred to Pakistan's role in terrorism during meeting with PM Modi: Shringla</a>

The Quad-- a grouping of US, India, Australia and Japan -- is often perceived as coming together of countries to counter Chinese influence and increasing Chinese assertiveness. However, Quad countries have always maintained that it is not against any nation. In spite of this, the perception of opposition to China remains associated with the Quad.

"How do you deal with a challenge you would not spell out?" asked Palki Sharma-Upadhyay referring to Quad's denial of being against China and yet making moves that are perceived as such.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/risk-to-the-us-of-another-911-is-very-real-says-ex-us-nsa-john-bolton-to-wion-415498">Risk to the US of another 9/11 is very real, says ex-US NSA John Bolton to WION</a> 
 
On this, Jaishankar drew attention to the diplomatic practice adopted by countries all over the world to be guarded in public about such issues. China itself does that, he said, mentioning the disparity between China's public stance over Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the "real reason" behind some of China's foreign investments.

On Afghanistan, Jaishankar said that US withdrawal was a "botched" one. He said that proponents of the withdrawal argue that it has made the US free to tackle issues like Chinese assertiveness while opponents say that US withdrawal created a power vacuum in Afghanistan.

India, in his opinion, need not look at US for solution to Afghan situation. Jaishankar mentioned that India was talking with possible partners like Iran, Russia and central Asian countries in this regard. He also mentioned that US-Pakistan relations were not in "greatest health"

Jaishankar did not sound too optimistic about United Nations Security Council reforms. He said that veto-holding countries too invested in the power were not keen to dilute their position in the council. But he also stressed that this did not mean that India should stop advocating for the reforms and a permanent position for itself in the Security Council.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on an important visit to the US that has seen him holding several high-profile parleys in addition to attending the UN General Assembly.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on an important visit to the US that has seen him holding several high-profile parleys in addition to attending the UN General Assembly. In addition to bilateral meetings with global leaders, PM Modi has been meeting global business leaders as well. These meets are taking place on the sidelines of UNGA. WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay spoke with Dhruva Jaishankar, Director of US Initiative, Observer Research Foundation, about PM Modi's US visit. He disagreed with a general assertion that suggested that India was the weakest link in the Quad grouping which includes US, Australia, Japan and India. Watch | Bilaterals & Quad are the two key aspects of PM Modi's US Visit: Dhruva Jaishankar | WION-USA Direct × "India being weak link in Quad is just a narrative perpetuated by certain people in US," he said. He added that those making such a claim had ulterior motives. Also Read | US Vice President Kamala Harris referred to Pakistan's role in terrorism during meeting with PM Modi: Shringla The Quad-- a grouping of US, India, Australia and Japan -- is often perceived as coming together of countries to counter Chinese influence and increasing Chinese assertiveness. However, Quad countries have always maintained that it is not against any nation. In spite of this, the perception of opposition to China remains associated with the Quad. "How do you deal with a challenge you would not spell out?" asked Palki Sharma-Upadhyay referring to Quad's denial of being against China and yet making moves that are perceived as such. Also Read | Risk to the US of another 9/11 is very real, says ex-US NSA John Bolton to WION On this, Jaishankar drew attention to the diplomatic practice adopted by countries all over the world to be guarded in public about such issues. China itself does that, he said, mentioning the disparity between China's public stance over Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the "real reason" behind some of China's foreign investments. On Afghanistan, Jaishankar said that US withdrawal was a "botched" one. He said that proponents of the withdrawal argue that it has made the US free to tackle issues like Chinese assertiveness while opponents say that US withdrawal created a power vacuum in Afghanistan. India, in his opinion, need not look at US for solution to Afghan situation. Jaishankar mentioned that India was talking with possible partners like Iran, Russia and central Asian countries in this regard. He also mentioned that US-Pakistan relations were not in "greatest health" Jaishankar did not sound too optimistic about United Nations Security Council reforms. He said that veto-holding countries too invested in the power were not keen to dilute their position in the council. But he also stressed that this did not mean that India should stop advocating for the reforms and a permanent position for itself in the Security Council.

India being weakest link in Quad just a narrative, says Dhruva Jaishankar

A 10-year-old boy from India called Vidyun R Hebbar has won the prestigious Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award.

Hebbar, who is from Bengaluru, had submitted an image called 'Dome Home' showing a spider weaving its web.

The image was praised for being detailed, well-illuminated, and having a spot on focus.

''It was challenging to focus the tent spider because the web shook every time a vehicle passed by,'' said Hebbar.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-explosive-sex-to-dome-home-winners-of-the-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-420620" hreflang="en">From 'explosive sex' to dome home: Winners of the wildlife photographer of the year</a>

Writer and chair of the jury Rosamund 'Roz' Kidman Cox said, ''It's such an imaginative way of photographing a spider.''

''The picture is perfectly framed, the focus is spot on. You can see the spider's fangs and the crazy weave of the trap. The threads are like some delicate nerve network linked to the spider's feet. But the really clever bit is the addition of a creative backdrop - the bright colours of a motorised rickshaw,'' she added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/wildlife-photographer-2021-here-are-the-stunning-entries-of-the-competition-410136">Also see |&nbsp;Wildlife Photographer 2021: Here are the stunning entries of the competition</a>

Another jury member Dr Natalie Cooper said ''The jury loved this photo from the beginning of the judging process. It is a great reminder to look more closely at the small animals we live with every day, and to take your camera with you everywhere. You never know where that award-winning image is going to come from.''

Vidyan loves to capture those things that are considered mundane and are usually ignored by most of the people.

This was not his first attempt in the competition that receives thousands of entries from all across the globe.

The first time he entered the Wildlife Photogragpher of the Year competition was in 2019.

The compeition conducted by the Natural History Museum of London was first organised in 1965.&nbsp;

It has total 19 seperate categories. The prize for every category is decided on the basis of its narrative, originality technical excellence as well as ethical practice.&nbsp;

A 10-year-old boy from India called Vidyun R Hebbar has won the prestigious Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award. Hebbar, who is from Bengaluru, had submitted an image called 'Dome Home' showing a spider weaving its web.

A 10-year-old boy from India called Vidyun R Hebbar has won the prestigious Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award. Hebbar, who is from Bengaluru, had submitted an image called 'Dome Home' showing a spider weaving its web. The image was praised for being detailed, well-illuminated, and having a spot on focus. ''It was challenging to focus the tent spider because the web shook every time a vehicle passed by,'' said Hebbar. Also see | From 'explosive sex' to dome home: Winners of the wildlife photographer of the year Writer and chair of the jury Rosamund 'Roz' Kidman Cox said, ''It's such an imaginative way of photographing a spider.'' ''The picture is perfectly framed, the focus is spot on. You can see the spider's fangs and the crazy weave of the trap. The threads are like some delicate nerve network linked to the spider's feet. But the really clever bit is the addition of a creative backdrop - the bright colours of a motorised rickshaw,'' she added. Also see | Wildlife Photographer 2021: Here are the stunning entries of the competition Another jury member Dr Natalie Cooper said ''The jury loved this photo from the beginning of the judging process. It is a great reminder to look more closely at the small animals we live with every day, and to take your camera with you everywhere. You never know where that award-winning image is going to come from.'' Vidyan loves to capture those things that are considered mundane and are usually ignored by most of the people. This was not his first attempt in the competition that receives thousands of entries from all across the globe. The first time he entered the Wildlife Photogragpher of the Year competition was in 2019. The compeition conducted by the Natural History Museum of London was first organised in 1965. It has total 19 seperate categories. The prize for every category is decided on the basis of its narrative, originality technical excellence as well as ethical practice.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year: 10-year-old Indian photographer wins prestigious award

Centre is all geared up to meet the demand of coal by states and power companies and railways.&nbsp;The government is ramping up its per day coal production from 1.94 million to 2 million tonnes within a week.

Government sources told ANI that there is no shortage in the daily supply of coal to states and power companies and it is maintaining 5 days&nbsp;stock. In a month's time situation will be back to normal.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-coal-prices-reach-an-all-time-high-power-outages-persist-420074">Chinese coal prices reach an all-time high, power outages persist&nbsp;</a>

There are multiple reasons for the current scenario. Government source told ANI, "Since January coal ministry has been writing to various states to pick up and stock coal in their respective states but no one paid heed. Coal India can stock up to a limit. If we stock more coal than the limit there is a risk of fire.

"Rajasthan, West Bengal, Jharkhand have their own mines but they did little to extract coal. It is learnt that despite clearances some of the state governments sat on decisions and gave COVID and rains as a reason for not doing enough mining.

Prolonged monsoon affected the mining and the shooting prices of imported coal also contributed to the current situation.

There is a 12 per cent fall in imports of foreign coal which power companies blend, to cut losses due to high prices they also shifted to domestic coal.States have huge pending dues of Coal India on them.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-coal-crisis-115-out-of-135-power-plants-face-shortage-420063">India's coal crisis: 115 out of 135 power plants face shortage</a>

It is learnt from sources that Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are big defaulters. All States have to dues of Rs 20,000 crores to be paid to Coal India.

Government sources said despite large sums of dues, supply continues and it will continue to provide power and coal supplies.

Electrification of villages and industrialisation has also shot up the demand. Government source told ANI that Delhi and Punjab shut coal plants like in Ropar and Bhatinda.

Centre is all geared up to meet the demand of coal by states and power companies and railways. The government is ramping up its per day coal production from 1.94 million to 2 million tonnes within a week.

Centre is all geared up to meet the demand of coal by states and power companies and railways. The government is ramping up its per day coal production from 1.94 million to 2 million tonnes within a week. Government sources told ANI that there is no shortage in the daily supply of coal to states and power companies and it is maintaining 5 days stock. In a month's time situation will be back to normal. Also Read | Chinese coal prices reach an all-time high, power outages persist There are multiple reasons for the current scenario. Government source told ANI, "Since January coal ministry has been writing to various states to pick up and stock coal in their respective states but no one paid heed. Coal India can stock up to a limit. If we stock more coal than the limit there is a risk of fire. "Rajasthan, West Bengal, Jharkhand have their own mines but they did little to extract coal. It is learnt that despite clearances some of the state governments sat on decisions and gave COVID and rains as a reason for not doing enough mining. Prolonged monsoon affected the mining and the shooting prices of imported coal also contributed to the current situation. There is a 12 per cent fall in imports of foreign coal which power companies blend, to cut losses due to high prices they also shifted to domestic coal.States have huge pending dues of Coal India on them. Also Read | India's coal crisis: 115 out of 135 power plants face shortage It is learnt from sources that Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are big defaulters. All States have to dues of Rs 20,000 crores to be paid to Coal India. Government sources said despite large sums of dues, supply continues and it will continue to provide power and coal supplies. Electrification of villages and industrialisation has also shot up the demand. Government source told ANI that Delhi and Punjab shut coal plants like in Ropar and Bhatinda.

India to increase coal production to two million tonnes per day in a week's time

The Delhi Police on Tuesday said it has foiled a major terror plan during the festival season with the arrest of a 40-year-old Pakistani terrorist who has ISI links and had been living in India for over ten years under a fake identity.

Mohammad Ashraf alias Ali Ahmed Noorie, a resident of Naroval in Pakistan's Punjab province, was arrested from east Delhi's Laxmi Nagar, officials said, adding he is also suspected to be involved in terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India in the past.

The police said that preliminary interrogation revealed that Ashraf had been acting as head of a sleeper cell in India and was assigned to carry out terror strikes during the festival season at the behest of Pakistan's ISI.

Based on his interrogation, raids were carried out in and around the Trans-Yamuna area and one AK-47 assault rifle, one hand grenade, two magazines of AK-47 along with 60 rounds, two sophisticated China-made pistols along with 50 rounds, and one Indian passport and other Indian IDs obtained on forged documents were recovered from his possession, the police claimed.

Ashraf came to India via Bangladesh and had been staying in the country for over a decade as Ali Ahmed Noorie.

On Monday, information was received that Ashraf was staying in the area of Laxmi Nagar. Thereafter, a team was deployed at Laxmi Nagar area and it apprehended Ashraf,&nbsp;Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwaha said.

The police said that with the arrest of Ashraf, a possible terror strike during the festival season has been averted.

The police got a tip-off around two months ago regarding an active sleeper cell, officials said.

They found that a Pakistani national has been directed to undertake terror attacks in India and was in an advanced stage of preparation for procuring arms and explosives.

It was also learnt that Ashraf has been an active part of a sleeper cell and has carried out many terror attacks and espionage activities in India in the last several years, police said.

He has managed to obtain Indian identities and had been living in Delhi while posing as a 'maulana' (religious preacher), they said.

A case under relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosives Act and Arms Act has been registered in order to thoroughly investigate the matter and to prevent any terror attack, the police said.

Ashraf was recruited by the Pakistani spy agency ISI directly after he completed his Class X and was trained for six months, he said.

He had been staying in India using the fake identity of Ali Ahmed Noori, a resident of Shastri Park in Delhi, the DCP said.

In 2004, he got his training from an ISI handler code name Nasir' in Sialkot, Pakistan. Nasir motivated him to work as a sleeper cell for subversive activities for Pakistan in India, police said.

After completion of his training, Ashraf managed to enter India through the Siliguri border, West Bengal during the same year. He stayed in Siliguri for a couple of months and later went to Ajmer and befriended a cleric at a local mosque in Ajmer, police said.

In 2006, he accompanied the cleric to Delhi. He came to a factory of a relative of the cleric in the walled city area and started Tilawat (daily wages prayer job) at factories in that locality, they said.

He met other relatives of the cleric and managed to win over their trust and started receiving money from his ISI handler via money transfer through their IDs, police said.

During his stay in India, he was in regular touch with his handler Nasir through different secure communication channels of social media.

Recently, he was tasked by his Pakistani handler to carry out terror strikes during the festival season and the recovered arms and ammunition were arranged by the Pakistani handler to carry out the same, Kushwaha said.

Officials said Ashraf was supposed to get information from Nasir about the planned terror attack. He has changed five-six locations in over a decade, they said.

He never stayed at any specific location for long and to acquire documents, he also got married to a woman in Vaishali, Ghaziabad for a couple of months and later left his wife. He lived in India in various places, including Delhi, Ajmer, Ghaziabad, Jammu and Udhampur, they said.

He established his Indian identity from a village in Bihar after his marriage. Later, he made ID cards on other addresses and on the basis of those documents, he got his passport made in 2014. He had visited Saudi Arabia and Thailand, police said, adding that the dates are being verified.

He has a permanent address of Bihar and has different addresses on other IDs, they said.

He portrayed himself as 'Peer Maulana' and claimed to cure diseases by reading Ayats from Quran in Delhi and nearby areas. He has two hideouts in Delhi -- one in the walled city and the other one in Laxmi Nagar, police said.

Further investigations are on including if a lone wolf attack had been planned. The identification of the source of the weapon is also underway, police said

The Delhi Police on Tuesday said it has foiled a major terror plan during the festival season with the arrest of a 40-year-old Pakistani terrorist who has ISI links and had been living in India for over ten years under a fake identity.

The Delhi Police on Tuesday said it has foiled a major terror plan during the festival season with the arrest of a 40-year-old Pakistani terrorist who has ISI links and had been living in India for over ten years under a fake identity. Mohammad Ashraf alias Ali Ahmed Noorie, a resident of Naroval in Pakistan's Punjab province, was arrested from east Delhi's Laxmi Nagar, officials said, adding he is also suspected to be involved in terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India in the past. The police said that preliminary interrogation revealed that Ashraf had been acting as head of a sleeper cell in India and was assigned to carry out terror strikes during the festival season at the behest of Pakistan's ISI. Based on his interrogation, raids were carried out in and around the Trans-Yamuna area and one AK-47 assault rifle, one hand grenade, two magazines of AK-47 along with 60 rounds, two sophisticated China-made pistols along with 50 rounds, and one Indian passport and other Indian IDs obtained on forged documents were recovered from his possession, the police claimed. Ashraf came to India via Bangladesh and had been staying in the country for over a decade as Ali Ahmed Noorie. On Monday, information was received that Ashraf was staying in the area of Laxmi Nagar. Thereafter, a team was deployed at Laxmi Nagar area and it apprehended Ashraf, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwaha said. The police said that with the arrest of Ashraf, a possible terror strike during the festival season has been averted. The police got a tip-off around two months ago regarding an active sleeper cell, officials said. They found that a Pakistani national has been directed to undertake terror attacks in India and was in an advanced stage of preparation for procuring arms and explosives. It was also learnt that Ashraf has been an active part of a sleeper cell and has carried out many terror attacks and espionage activities in India in the last several years, police said. He has managed to obtain Indian identities and had been living in Delhi while posing as a 'maulana' (religious preacher), they said. A case under relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosives Act and Arms Act has been registered in order to thoroughly investigate the matter and to prevent any terror attack, the police said. Ashraf was recruited by the Pakistani spy agency ISI directly after he completed his Class X and was trained for six months, he said. He had been staying in India using the fake identity of Ali Ahmed Noori, a resident of Shastri Park in Delhi, the DCP said. In 2004, he got his training from an ISI handler code name Nasir' in Sialkot, Pakistan. Nasir motivated him to work as a sleeper cell for subversive activities for Pakistan in India, police said. After completion of his training, Ashraf managed to enter India through the Siliguri border, West Bengal during the same year. He stayed in Siliguri for a couple of months and later went to Ajmer and befriended a cleric at a local mosque in Ajmer, police said. In 2006, he accompanied the cleric to Delhi. He came to a factory of a relative of the cleric in the walled city area and started Tilawat (daily wages prayer job) at factories in that locality, they said. He met other relatives of the cleric and managed to win over their trust and started receiving money from his ISI handler via money transfer through their IDs, police said. During his stay in India, he was in regular touch with his handler Nasir through different secure communication channels of social media. Recently, he was tasked by his Pakistani handler to carry out terror strikes during the festival season and the recovered arms and ammunition were arranged by the Pakistani handler to carry out the same, Kushwaha said. Officials said Ashraf was supposed to get information from Nasir about the planned terror attack. He has changed five-six locations in over a decade, they said. He never stayed at any specific location for long and to acquire documents, he also got married to a woman in Vaishali, Ghaziabad for a couple of months and later left his wife. He lived in India in various places, including Delhi, Ajmer, Ghaziabad, Jammu and Udhampur, they said. He established his Indian identity from a village in Bihar after his marriage. Later, he made ID cards on other addresses and on the basis of those documents, he got his passport made in 2014. He had visited Saudi Arabia and Thailand, police said, adding that the dates are being verified. He has a permanent address of Bihar and has different addresses on other IDs, they said. He portrayed himself as 'Peer Maulana' and claimed to cure diseases by reading Ayats from Quran in Delhi and nearby areas. He has two hideouts in Delhi -- one in the walled city and the other one in Laxmi Nagar, police said. Further investigations are on including if a lone wolf attack had been planned. The identification of the source of the weapon is also underway, police said

Pakistani terrorist arrested, was living in India under fake identity for over 10 years: Delhi Police

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