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India has reported a total of 18,132 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest in over seven months (215 days), the Union Health Ministry informed on Monday.

In the last 24 hours, 193 deaths were recorded in the country due to which the death toll mounted to 4,50,782.

Kerala still has the largest Covid-19 tally with 10,691 cases and 85 deaths. In Kerala, weekly cases dipped by 17.4 per cent from the previous seven days.

The state recorded less than 75,000 cases in the week for the first time since April 11-18.As per the ministry, India's active caseload now stands at 2,27,347, the lowest in 209 days.

Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-covid-19-update-high-infection-rate-in-0-19-age-group-in-india-globally-new-cases-fall-by-9-419214">&nbsp;WHO COVID-19 Update: High infection rate in 0-19 age group in India, globally new cases fall by 9%</a>

The active cases account for less than 1 per cent of total cases. Currently, it is at 0.67 per cent, the lowest since March 2020. With 21,563 recoveries reported in the last 24 hours, the cumulative recoveries reached 3,32,93,478.

Consequently, India's current recovery rate is at 98 per cent, which is the highest since March 2020.

The weekly positivity rate stood at 1.53 per cent. It remained less than 3 per cent for over three months (108 days) now. A daily positivity rate of 1.75 per cent was recorded, which remained below 3 per cent for the last 42 days.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/global-covid-19-caseload-tops-2367-million-419033">Global Covid-19 caseload tops 236.7 million</a>

A total of 58.36 crore tests have been conducted so far to detect the presence of the virus in the population.

Meanwhile, in the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 vaccination driven, India's cumulative vaccination coverage crossed 95.19 crore. A total of 95,19,84,373 vaccine doses have been administered to eligible beneficiaries since the onset of the vaccination drive in January.

According to the Union Health Ministry, over 96.75 crore (96,75,07,995) vaccine doses have been provided to States and union territories (UTs) so far by the Centre, free of cost, and through direct state procurement category.

Watch | India's drug regulator all set to take call on Bharat Biotech’s pediatric COVID vaccine

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indias-drug-regulator-all-set-to-take-call-on-bharat-biotechs-pediatric-covid-vaccine-419943/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

More than 8.43 crore (8,43,17,810) balance and unutilized COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the States and union territories to be administered, the ministry said.

"The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from 21st June 2021. In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID19 vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs," said the ministry.&nbsp;

India has reported a total of 18,132 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest in over seven months (215 days), the Union Health Ministry informed on Monday.

India has reported a total of 18,132 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest in over seven months (215 days), the Union Health Ministry informed on Monday. In the last 24 hours, 193 deaths were recorded in the country due to which the death toll mounted to 4,50,782. Kerala still has the largest Covid-19 tally with 10,691 cases and 85 deaths. In Kerala, weekly cases dipped by 17.4 per cent from the previous seven days. The state recorded less than 75,000 cases in the week for the first time since April 11-18.As per the ministry, India's active caseload now stands at 2,27,347, the lowest in 209 days. Also Read | WHO COVID-19 Update: High infection rate in 0-19 age group in India, globally new cases fall by 9% The active cases account for less than 1 per cent of total cases. Currently, it is at 0.67 per cent, the lowest since March 2020. With 21,563 recoveries reported in the last 24 hours, the cumulative recoveries reached 3,32,93,478. Consequently, India's current recovery rate is at 98 per cent, which is the highest since March 2020. The weekly positivity rate stood at 1.53 per cent. It remained less than 3 per cent for over three months (108 days) now. A daily positivity rate of 1.75 per cent was recorded, which remained below 3 per cent for the last 42 days. Also Read | Global Covid-19 caseload tops 236.7 million A total of 58.36 crore tests have been conducted so far to detect the presence of the virus in the population. Meanwhile, in the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 vaccination driven, India's cumulative vaccination coverage crossed 95.19 crore. A total of 95,19,84,373 vaccine doses have been administered to eligible beneficiaries since the onset of the vaccination drive in January. According to the Union Health Ministry, over 96.75 crore (96,75,07,995) vaccine doses have been provided to States and union territories (UTs) so far by the Centre, free of cost, and through direct state procurement category. Watch | India's drug regulator all set to take call on Bharat Biotech’s pediatric COVID vaccine More than 8.43 crore (8,43,17,810) balance and unutilized COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the States and union territories to be administered, the ministry said. "The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from 21st June 2021. In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID19 vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs," said the ministry.

India adds 18,132 new COVID-19 cases, tally lowest in over 7 months

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday, along with Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbayev released a dictionary of common words in Hindi and Kyrgyz languages. Also, he thanked the Kyrgyz State Language Commission for this initiative.

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Released a dictionary of common words in Hindi and Kyrgyz languages along with FM Kazakbaev. 
 
Thank <a href="https://twitter.com/iccr_hq?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iccr_hq</a> and Kyrgyz State Language Commission for this initiative. <a href="https://t.co/NnLEklIGD6">pic.twitter.com/NnLEklIGD6</a>
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1447459698425229315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Jaishankar arrived on Sunday at the Kyrgyz Republic as a part of his four-day visit to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Armenia with an aim to further expand bilateral ties with the three Central Asian countries.

At the meeting, India agreed to a USD 200 million Line of Credit support for development projects in Kyrgyzstan, as Jaishankar held "cordial and constructive" talks Kazakbaev on a wide range of bilateral and global issues, including Afghanistan.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jaishankar-to-embark-on-three-nation-tour-today-419537">Also read |&nbsp;Jaishankar to embark on three-nation tour today</a>

"Cordial and constructive talks with FM Ruslan Kazakbaev of Kyrgyz Republic. Agreed on USD 200 million LoC to support development projects. Also concluded an understanding on executing high impact community projects," Jaishankar tweeted.

Watch | Jaishankar landed in Kyrgystan to expand bilateral ties with key central Asian countries

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Jaishankar is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Mukhtar Tileuberdi, and call on the Kazakh leadership.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday, along with Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbayev released a dictionary of common words in Hindi and Kyrgyz languages.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday, along with Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbayev released a dictionary of common words in Hindi and Kyrgyz languages. Also, he thanked the Kyrgyz State Language Commission for this initiative. Released a dictionary of common words in Hindi and Kyrgyz languages along with FM Kazakbaev. Thank @iccr_hq and Kyrgyz State Language Commission for this initiative. pic.twitter.com/NnLEklIGD6 — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 11, 2021 × Jaishankar arrived on Sunday at the Kyrgyz Republic as a part of his four-day visit to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Armenia with an aim to further expand bilateral ties with the three Central Asian countries. At the meeting, India agreed to a USD 200 million Line of Credit support for development projects in Kyrgyzstan, as Jaishankar held "cordial and constructive" talks Kazakbaev on a wide range of bilateral and global issues, including Afghanistan. Also read | Jaishankar to embark on three-nation tour today "Cordial and constructive talks with FM Ruslan Kazakbaev of Kyrgyz Republic. Agreed on USD 200 million LoC to support development projects. Also concluded an understanding on executing high impact community projects," Jaishankar tweeted. Watch | Jaishankar landed in Kyrgystan to expand bilateral ties with key central Asian countries Jaishankar is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Mukhtar Tileuberdi, and call on the Kazakh leadership.

Jaishankar releases dictionary of words in Hindi and Kyrgyz languages during his visit to Kyrgyz Republic

After the 13th round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting failed to resolve issues at the LAC, the Chinese looked to pin the blame on the Indians over the impasse. &nbsp;

People's Liberation Army (PLA) Western Theater Command spokesperson Senior Colonel Long Shaohua said, “The Indian side still persisted in its unreasonable and unrealistic demands, which added difficulties to the negotiations.” &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/chinese-not-agreeable-to-suggestions-says-india-after-military-talks-fail-again-419783" hreflang="en">'Chinese not agreeable to suggestions', says India after talks fail again</a>

The talks were held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on Sunday. The spokesperson said, “Instead of misjudging the situation, the Indian side should cherish the hard-won situation in China-India border areas.” &nbsp;&nbsp;

China also reiterated its long-standing rhetoric. “During the meeting, the Chinese side made great efforts to promote the easing and cooling of the border situation and fully demonstrated China’s sincerity of maintaining overall interests of bilateral military relations,” the spokesperson added. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-taiwan-tensions-tsai-ing-wens-remarks-incite-confrontation-distort-facts-says-beijing-spokesperson-419777">China-Taiwan tensions: Beijing denounces Tsai’s national day speech</a>

Pointing out that China is firm in its resolve to safeguard national sovereignty, the spokesperson looked to again justify its aggressive actions at the LAC. &nbsp;

Watch | Indian Army accuses Chinese PLA of violating protocols

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Putting the entire onus on India over the issue, the spokesperson added, the Indian side should abide by the relevant agreements and consensus reached between the two countries and two militaries, show sincerity and take concrete actions to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the border areas with China. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;&nbsp;

After the 13th round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting failed to resolve issues at the LAC, the Chinese looked to pin the blame on the Indians over the impasse.

After the 13th round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting failed to resolve issues at the LAC, the Chinese looked to pin the blame on the Indians over the impasse. People's Liberation Army (PLA) Western Theater Command spokesperson Senior Colonel Long Shaohua said, “The Indian side still persisted in its unreasonable and unrealistic demands, which added difficulties to the negotiations.” Also Read: 'Chinese not agreeable to suggestions', says India after talks fail again The talks were held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on Sunday. The spokesperson said, “Instead of misjudging the situation, the Indian side should cherish the hard-won situation in China-India border areas.” China also reiterated its long-standing rhetoric. “During the meeting, the Chinese side made great efforts to promote the easing and cooling of the border situation and fully demonstrated China’s sincerity of maintaining overall interests of bilateral military relations,” the spokesperson added. Also Read: China-Taiwan tensions: Beijing denounces Tsai’s national day speech Pointing out that China is firm in its resolve to safeguard national sovereignty, the spokesperson looked to again justify its aggressive actions at the LAC. Watch | Indian Army accuses Chinese PLA of violating protocols Putting the entire onus on India over the issue, the spokesperson added, the Indian side should abide by the relevant agreements and consensus reached between the two countries and two militaries, show sincerity and take concrete actions to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the border areas with China. (With inputs from agencies)

After talks fail to resolve issues at LAC, China pins blame on India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually participate in a G-20 leaders' summit on Afghanistan on Tuesday that is expected to deliberate extensively on the overall situation in the war-torn country after its takeover by the Taliban.

Announcing Prime Minister Modi's participation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the agenda of the summit will include a discussion on response to humanitarian needs, security and the fight against terrorism and human rights in Afghanistan.

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>

"At the invitation of the Italian Presidency of the G-20, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the upcoming G20 Extraordinary Leaders' Summit on Afghanistan on October 12 in virtual format," it said.

The summit is being convened by Italy, the current chair of the G20 that comprises 20 of the world's major economies.

"The agenda of the meeting will include a discussion on response to humanitarian needs and access to basic services and livelihood; security and the fight against terrorism; and mobility, migration and human rights," the MEA said.

Modi had earlier participated in the SCOCSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organisation) outreach summit on Afghanistan last month.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/thankful-to-be-here-denmark-pm-meets-pm-modi-on-a-three-day-india-visit-419320">'Thankful to be here': Denmark PM meets PM Modi on a three-day India visit</a>

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar participated in the meeting of G20 foreign ministers on Afghanistan on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York recently.

The MEA said that G20 is an important platform to help build international consensus and facilitate a coordinated approach between multilateral organisations, including the UN and its agencies, and global and regional actors to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually participate in a G-20 leaders' summit on Afghanistan on Tuesday that is expected to deliberate extensively on the overall situation in the war-torn country after its takeover by the Taliban.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually participate in a G-20 leaders' summit on Afghanistan on Tuesday that is expected to deliberate extensively on the overall situation in the war-torn country after its takeover by the Taliban. Announcing Prime Minister Modi's participation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the agenda of the summit will include a discussion on response to humanitarian needs, security and the fight against terrorism and human rights in Afghanistan. Also Read | Indian agriculture witnessing golden period under PM Modi, says MoS Jitendra Singh "At the invitation of the Italian Presidency of the G-20, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the upcoming G20 Extraordinary Leaders' Summit on Afghanistan on October 12 in virtual format," it said. The summit is being convened by Italy, the current chair of the G20 that comprises 20 of the world's major economies. "The agenda of the meeting will include a discussion on response to humanitarian needs and access to basic services and livelihood; security and the fight against terrorism; and mobility, migration and human rights," the MEA said. Modi had earlier participated in the SCOCSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organisation) outreach summit on Afghanistan last month. Also Read | 'Thankful to be here': Denmark PM meets PM Modi on a three-day India visit External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar participated in the meeting of G20 foreign ministers on Afghanistan on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York recently. The MEA said that G20 is an important platform to help build international consensus and facilitate a coordinated approach between multilateral organisations, including the UN and its agencies, and global and regional actors to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

PM Modi to participate in G20 leaders' summit on Afghanistan on Tuesday

The 13th round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on Sunday failed to result in a conclusive resolution. &nbsp;&nbsp;

During the meeting, the discussions were held between the two sides to find resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-kashmiri-pandits-condemn-targetted-killings-by-militants-in-valley-419732" hreflang="en">US' Kashmiri Pandits condemn targetted killings by&nbsp;militants in&nbsp;valley</a>

In the statement issued by the Indian government, it pointed out that the situation along the LAC had been caused by unilateral attempts of Chinese side to alter the status quo in violation of the bilateral agreements. &nbsp;&nbsp;

“It was, therefore, necessary that the Chinese side take appropriate steps in the remaining areas so as to restore peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the western sector,” it said. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/to-avert-power-crisis-indian-govt-scrambles-all-resources-as-coal-shortage-looms-419725" hreflang="en">To avert power crisis, Indian govt scrambles all resources as coal shortage looms</a>

The resolution of the remaining areas would facilitate progress in the bilateral relations. &nbsp;&nbsp;

“In the meeting, the Indian side made constructive suggestions for resolving the remaining areas but the Chinese were not agreeable and also could not provide any forward-looking proposals. The meeting, thus, did not result in resolution of the remaining areas,” read the statement. &nbsp;

Watch | Thirteenth round of India-China corps commander talks end

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The two sides have agreed to maintain communications and also to maintain stability on the ground. "It is our expectation that the Chinese side will take into account the overall perspective of bilateral relations and will work towards early resolution of the remaining issues while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols,” the statement added. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The 13th round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on Sunday failed to result in a conclusive resolution. During the meeting, the discussions were held between the two sides to find resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

The 13th round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on Sunday failed to result in a conclusive resolution. During the meeting, the discussions were held between the two sides to find resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. Also Read: US' Kashmiri Pandits condemn targetted killings by militants in valley In the statement issued by the Indian government, it pointed out that the situation along the LAC had been caused by unilateral attempts of Chinese side to alter the status quo in violation of the bilateral agreements. “It was, therefore, necessary that the Chinese side take appropriate steps in the remaining areas so as to restore peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the western sector,” it said. Also Read: To avert power crisis, Indian govt scrambles all resources as coal shortage looms The resolution of the remaining areas would facilitate progress in the bilateral relations. “In the meeting, the Indian side made constructive suggestions for resolving the remaining areas but the Chinese were not agreeable and also could not provide any forward-looking proposals. The meeting, thus, did not result in resolution of the remaining areas,” read the statement. Watch | Thirteenth round of India-China corps commander talks end The two sides have agreed to maintain communications and also to maintain stability on the ground. "It is our expectation that the Chinese side will take into account the overall perspective of bilateral relations and will work towards early resolution of the remaining issues while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols,” the statement added. (With inputs from agencies)

'Chinese not agreeable to suggestions', says India after military talks fail again

A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and four soldiers were killed after an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

According to the defence spokesperson, security forces launched an operation after intelligence agencies alerted them&nbsp;about the presence of terrorists in a village. The officials immediately launched a &nbsp;search and cordon operation in the area.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-security-forces-detain-over-700-terrorist-sympathisers-after-civilian-killings-419785">Also Read:&nbsp;J&amp;K: Security forces detain over 700 ‘terrorist sympathisers’ after civilian killings</a>

The terrorists opened fire as security personnel entered the area as&nbsp;five soldiers were killed. The officials had said earlier that the soldiers had sustained critical injuries during the anti-terror operation, however, the JCO and four other soldiers died later.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-7-civilians-killed-in-10-days-sikh-leaders-urge-people-to-not-go-to-work-until-situation-normalises-418925">Also Read: J&amp;K: 7 civilians killed in 10 days, Sikh leaders urge people to not go to work</a>

Reports claimed the terrorists had taken refuge in a forest after crossing the Line of Control (LOC).

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-two-teachers-shot-dead-by-terrorists-two-days-after-three-others-were-gunned-down-418873">Also Read:&nbsp;J&amp;K: Two teachers shot dead by terrorists, two days after three others were gunned down</a>

The encounter is reportedly still underway as extra reinforcements have been deployed in the area.

(With inputs from Agencies) 
&nbsp;

A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and four soldiers were killed after an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. According to the defence spokesperson, security forces launched an operation after intelligence agencies alerted them about the presence of terrorists in a village.

A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and four soldiers were killed after an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. According to the defence spokesperson, security forces launched an operation after intelligence agencies alerted them about the presence of terrorists in a village. The officials immediately launched a search and cordon operation in the area. Also Read: J&K: Security forces detain over 700 ‘terrorist sympathisers’ after civilian killings The terrorists opened fire as security personnel entered the area as five soldiers were killed. The officials had said earlier that the soldiers had sustained critical injuries during the anti-terror operation, however, the JCO and four other soldiers died later. Also Read: J&K: 7 civilians killed in 10 days, Sikh leaders urge people to not go to work Reports claimed the terrorists had taken refuge in a forest after crossing the Line of Control (LOC). Also Read: J&K: Two teachers shot dead by terrorists, two days after three others were gunned down The encounter is reportedly still underway as extra reinforcements have been deployed in the area. (With inputs from Agencies)

5 army personnel killed in anti-terror operation in J&K's Poonch; encounter underway

India has accused China of taking unilateral attempts to try and alter the status quo in agreement with the bilateral agreements. Mohammad Saleh talks to Sidhant Sibbal to bring you the details.

Indian Army accuses Chinese PLA of violating protocols

Shri Ramlila Committee, which organises one of the oldest Ramlila in Delhi at a ground near Ajmeri Gate, will not be staging Ramlila this year, saying that authorities granted permission for the event too late.

Though the Delhi Disaster Management Authority has permitted to organise Ramlila at the ground, Shiv Kumar Gupta, the Joint Secretary of the Shri Ramlila Committee said that a temporary COVID-19 care centre is functioning at the ground, due to which the DDMA had given permission to stage the event in a restricted space of 40 metres.

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"The order has come just two days before the Ramlila celebration begins. We had not done the preparation and it was also not possible for us to demonstrate Ramlila in a 40-meter restricted area. Therefore, we decided that we will not stage Ramlila this year too," Gupta told ANI.

55-year-old Shiv Kumar Gupta said that he is associated with this Ramlila since the age of 13. He informed that the history of the Shri Ramlila Committee goes back to the times of Bahadur Shah Zafar who gave permission to stage Ramlila. "This committee has been there since the times of Bahadur Shah Zafar. He gave us permission to stage the Ramlila event.

A procession, known as the 'Ramlila Sawaari', used to be a big highlight of the committee. The procession used to start from Chandni Chowk in old Delhi passes through Chawri Bazar, Asaf Ali Road and used to end in Ajmeri gate.

"Politicians like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi also used to attend the Ramlila," he said.

Arjun Kumar, the General Secretary of Ramlila Mahasangh also said that the Shri Ramlila Committee has a rich history since the times of Bahadur Shah Zafar.

"During times of Bahadur Shah Zafar, this Ramlila used to take place at the banks of River Yamuna and queens used to watch the event from windows of the Red Fort. People near the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk helped this Ramlila to get started. A lot of Prime Ministers have seen this Ramlila," he said.

Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-logs-21257-new-covid-cases-271-deaths-419059">&nbsp;India logs 21,257 new Covid cases, 271 deaths</a>

Kumar claimed that Shri Ramlila Committee is the only Ramlila committee in Delhi that gets free water and electricity from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

Earlier on September 30, the DDMA had permitted Ramlila celebration following certain COVID-19 conditions.

As per the DDMA order, permission will have to be taken from the District Magistrate of the area for any programme related to the festival. "In an event in a closed area, only 50 per cent of the people will be allowed, while in the open area this number cannot exceed 200," stated the DDMA.&nbsp;

Shri Ramlila Committee, which organises one of the oldest Ramlila in Delhi at a ground near Ajmeri Gate, will not be staging Ramlila this year, saying that authorities granted permission for the event too late.

Shri Ramlila Committee, which organises one of the oldest Ramlila in Delhi at a ground near Ajmeri Gate, will not be staging Ramlila this year, saying that authorities granted permission for the event too late. Though the Delhi Disaster Management Authority has permitted to organise Ramlila at the ground, Shiv Kumar Gupta, the Joint Secretary of the Shri Ramlila Committee said that a temporary COVID-19 care centre is functioning at the ground, due to which the DDMA had given permission to stage the event in a restricted space of 40 metres. Also Read | Dasara festivities begin in Mysuru amid COVID-19 restrictions "The order has come just two days before the Ramlila celebration begins. We had not done the preparation and it was also not possible for us to demonstrate Ramlila in a 40-meter restricted area. Therefore, we decided that we will not stage Ramlila this year too," Gupta told ANI. 55-year-old Shiv Kumar Gupta said that he is associated with this Ramlila since the age of 13. He informed that the history of the Shri Ramlila Committee goes back to the times of Bahadur Shah Zafar who gave permission to stage Ramlila. "This committee has been there since the times of Bahadur Shah Zafar. He gave us permission to stage the Ramlila event. A procession, known as the 'Ramlila Sawaari', used to be a big highlight of the committee. The procession used to start from Chandni Chowk in old Delhi passes through Chawri Bazar, Asaf Ali Road and used to end in Ajmeri gate. "Politicians like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi also used to attend the Ramlila," he said. Arjun Kumar, the General Secretary of Ramlila Mahasangh also said that the Shri Ramlila Committee has a rich history since the times of Bahadur Shah Zafar. "During times of Bahadur Shah Zafar, this Ramlila used to take place at the banks of River Yamuna and queens used to watch the event from windows of the Red Fort. People near the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk helped this Ramlila to get started. A lot of Prime Ministers have seen this Ramlila," he said. Also Read | India logs 21,257 new Covid cases, 271 deaths Kumar claimed that Shri Ramlila Committee is the only Ramlila committee in Delhi that gets free water and electricity from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Earlier on September 30, the DDMA had permitted Ramlila celebration following certain COVID-19 conditions. As per the DDMA order, permission will have to be taken from the District Magistrate of the area for any programme related to the festival. "In an event in a closed area, only 50 per cent of the people will be allowed, while in the open area this number cannot exceed 200," stated the DDMA.

Delhi: Over 150-year-old Ramlila will not take place this year

With the withdrawal of monsoon, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday informed that pollution has started increasing in the national capital as the air quality index (AQI) surged to 171.

"Pollution has started increasing. 09 October- AQI - 171 (0 to 50 - Good, 51 to 100 - Satisfactory, 101 to 200 - Moderate) PM10 - 197 (0 to 50 - Good, 51 to 100 - Satisfactory, 101 to 250 - Moderate) PM2.5 - 69 (0 to 30 - Good, 31 to 60 - Satisfactory, 61 to 90 - Moderate)," Kejriwal tweeted.

An AQI between 0-50 is marked good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201- 300 is poor, 301-400 is very poor and 401-500 is considered severe.

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The Chief Minister has been tweeting Delhi's daily air quality since September 18 and warned that it will deteriorate from mid-October due to stubble burning.

"Delhi air quality will deteriorate from mid-October (stubble burning). State government&nbsp;have not taken action to support their farmers On its own, Delhi air is clean.

On 18 Sep- AQI- 69 (0 to 50 - Good, 51 to 100 - Satisfactory) PM10- 67 PM2.5 - 27 (0 to 30 Good, 31 to 60 Satisfactory)," Kejriwal tweeted on September 18.

In a tweet on Saturday, Kejriwal said that the Haryana government should also help its farmers and make bio-decomposer solution free.

"Haryana government should also help its farmers like Delhi government. Like Delhi, spraying of solution should be made free in all the fields of Haryana. Then there will be no need to burn the stubble," he wrote.

The Delhi government in association with the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa developed a bio-decomposer capsule that can be converted into a solution to be sprayed on crop stubble in the farmlands.

Once sprayed on the fields, the solution decomposes the stubble into compost in 20 days.

Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-quality-index-india-worlds-second-most-polluted-country-415692">&nbsp;Air Quality Index: India world’s second most polluted country</a>

On October 4, Kejriwal announced a 10-point "winter action plan" to tackle air pollution in the national capital.

While making the announcement, he said, "Currently, the air pollution is under control in Delhi but it will start rising with stubble burning in the neighbouring states in winters.

The central government and neighbouring states did not do anything to check stubble burning by farmers which will lead to air pollution in the winter season.

In order to curb the problem of air pollution arising from the Construction and Demolition (C&amp;D) activities in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Commission for Air Quality and Management (CAQM) issued directions to governments of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) to set up a 'Web Portal'&nbsp;for monitoring compliance of dust mitigation measures by project proponents.

Keeping in view the dangerous condition of Delhi's air pollution during Diwali for the last three years, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced a complete ban on the storage, sale and use of all types of firecrackers.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/12-dead-after-mining-pollution-in-dr-congo-river-410494">12 dead after mining pollution in DR Congo river</a>

There will be a complete ban on the bursting and sale of all kinds of firecrackers up to January 1, 2022, in Delhi, as per the Delhi Pollution Control Committee.

The Delhi government has also launched the 'Advanced Green War Room'&nbsp;and 'Green Delhi App'&nbsp;app for people to send in their complaints into the problems pertaining to 10 kinds of pollution throughout the winter season.

In September this year, the Centre has released Rs 496 crore to subsidize machinery required in-situ management of crop residue with an aim to address air pollution in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) due to stubble burning in the adjoining states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Sanjay Agarwal, Secretary of Union Ministry of Agriculture had informed that the Centre released Rs 496 crore for Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab to subsidise machinery required in-situ management of crop residue during 2021-22.

With the withdrawal of monsoon, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday informed that pollution has started increasing in the national capital as the air quality index (AQI) surged to 171.

With the withdrawal of monsoon, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday informed that pollution has started increasing in the national capital as the air quality index (AQI) surged to 171. "Pollution has started increasing. 09 October- AQI - 171 (0 to 50 - Good, 51 to 100 - Satisfactory, 101 to 200 - Moderate) PM10 - 197 (0 to 50 - Good, 51 to 100 - Satisfactory, 101 to 250 - Moderate) PM2.5 - 69 (0 to 30 - Good, 31 to 60 - Satisfactory, 61 to 90 - Moderate)," Kejriwal tweeted. An AQI between 0-50 is marked good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201- 300 is poor, 301-400 is very poor and 401-500 is considered severe. Also Read | 'Thankful to be here': Denmark PM meets PM Modi on a three-day India visit The Chief Minister has been tweeting Delhi's daily air quality since September 18 and warned that it will deteriorate from mid-October due to stubble burning. "Delhi air quality will deteriorate from mid-October (stubble burning). State government have not taken action to support their farmers On its own, Delhi air is clean. On 18 Sep- AQI- 69 (0 to 50 - Good, 51 to 100 - Satisfactory) PM10- 67 PM2.5 - 27 (0 to 30 Good, 31 to 60 Satisfactory)," Kejriwal tweeted on September 18. In a tweet on Saturday, Kejriwal said that the Haryana government should also help its farmers and make bio-decomposer solution free. "Haryana government should also help its farmers like Delhi government. Like Delhi, spraying of solution should be made free in all the fields of Haryana. Then there will be no need to burn the stubble," he wrote. The Delhi government in association with the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa developed a bio-decomposer capsule that can be converted into a solution to be sprayed on crop stubble in the farmlands. Once sprayed on the fields, the solution decomposes the stubble into compost in 20 days. Also Read | Air Quality Index: India world’s second most polluted country On October 4, Kejriwal announced a 10-point "winter action plan" to tackle air pollution in the national capital. While making the announcement, he said, "Currently, the air pollution is under control in Delhi but it will start rising with stubble burning in the neighbouring states in winters. The central government and neighbouring states did not do anything to check stubble burning by farmers which will lead to air pollution in the winter season. In order to curb the problem of air pollution arising from the Construction and Demolition (C&D) activities in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Commission for Air Quality and Management (CAQM) issued directions to governments of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) to set up a 'Web Portal' for monitoring compliance of dust mitigation measures by project proponents. Keeping in view the dangerous condition of Delhi's air pollution during Diwali for the last three years, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced a complete ban on the storage, sale and use of all types of firecrackers. Also Read | 12 dead after mining pollution in DR Congo river There will be a complete ban on the bursting and sale of all kinds of firecrackers up to January 1, 2022, in Delhi, as per the Delhi Pollution Control Committee. The Delhi government has also launched the 'Advanced Green War Room' and 'Green Delhi App' app for people to send in their complaints into the problems pertaining to 10 kinds of pollution throughout the winter season. In September this year, the Centre has released Rs 496 crore to subsidize machinery required in-situ management of crop residue with an aim to address air pollution in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) due to stubble burning in the adjoining states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Sanjay Agarwal, Secretary of Union Ministry of Agriculture had informed that the Centre released Rs 496 crore for Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab to subsidise machinery required in-situ management of crop residue during 2021-22.

Pollution has started increasing, says Delhi CM Kejriwal as air quality index reaches 171

The state government has sounded a terror alert in the state during the 'pujas'&nbsp;- an indication that West Bengal is the new terror target.

Though senior police officers are yet to jump to any conclusion, arrests made by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Kolkata Special Task Force (STF) in the last few months show the movement of terror modules in the state.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/dasara-festivities-begin-in-mysuru-amid-covid-19-restrictions-418869">Dasara festivities begin in Mysuru amid COVID-19 restrictions</a>

According to the NIA, these terror operatives use the porous Bangladesh border to enter the country.

The alert issued by the state home department asked Durga puja organisers to set up systems to monitor crowd movement. They have been asked to install CCTV cameras and watch towers in the vicinity of puja pandals and work in close coordination with the local police station.

The notice also mentioned that immersion of all idols have to be completed between October 15 (Dashami) and October 18 in consultation with local police stations. "In the context of the prevailing threats from divisive and terrorist groups to destabilise the country and to create law-and-order problems, you are advised to exercise utmost vigilance during the celebration of the festivals," the statement read.

It further suggested, "The community puja organizers should be asked to engage adequate numbers of volunteers in Puja pandals to keep vigil on the movement of suspicious persons and all the volunteers should be directed to keep in touch with local police constantly."

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-indian-plans-to-participate-in-sco-anti-terror-exercises-in-pakistan-410585">No Indian plans to participate in SCO anti-terror exercises in Pakistan&nbsp;</a>

"The state government's effort to involve the puja committees in the security mechanism is a significant development. It shows that the state home department is planning for a wider safety and security chain which in itself is conclusive enough to understand the importance and the possibility of an attack," a senior official of the state home department said.

The NIA arrested Aal Halif alias Abu Ibrahim -&nbsp;one of the most dreaded IS handlers in this subcontinent from Bengaluru in 2020. This IS handler was a meritorious student of economics before his entry into the terror world. Halif disguised as Sujit Chandra Debnath was working as an assistant of a mason in Bengaluru.

Similarly, Kolkata STF -&nbsp;the elite Kolkata Police force arrested three JMB handlers - Naziur Rahman Pavel, Mikail Khan and Rabiul Islam -&nbsp;who sneaked into the India and were residing in the posh residential area of the city.

To avoid detection, Pavel used the Hindu name Jayram Bepari. He and Mekail Khan alias Sheikh Sabbir befriended two Hindu women in the Haridevpur area and had planned to get married. This would have helped them recruit more people without arousing suspicion.

These are not isolated examples but there are several other instances when the terror handlers have been using religion as a tool to fox the investigators. "Religion is no more a taboo for the terror groups rather they are using it as a tool to hide their identity. Changing religion is no more an important thing for these handlers rather they are using it effectively to dodge surveillance," a senior Kolkata Special Task Force Officer (STF) said.

Another factor that is keeping the police and the investigation agencies on the tenterhooks is the lockdown and the subsequent unemployment which is making the work of these terror groups easier. Taking advantage of the porous border with Bangladesh and unemployment, international terror groups like JMB, Ansarullah Faction and even Islamic State are trying to spread their network in the state. The aim is to make West Bengal, the headquarters of the terror activities in entire eastern India.

Sometimes through direct interaction and at times through online, they are targeting brainy but unemployed young boys and girls in the state. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Special Task Force (STF) of the Kolkata Police have secured this information from the three JMB terrorists who were arrested by the STF sleuths recently from a colony in the southern outskirts of Kolkata. The investigation officials are worried that because of systematic brainwashing by these terror groups many meritorious but unemployed youths are getting lost from mainstream society.

The state government has sounded a terror alert in the state during the 'pujas' - an indication that West Bengal is the new terror target. Though senior police officers are yet to jump to any conclusion, arrests made by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Kolkata Special Task Force (STF) in the last few months show the movement of terror modules in the state.

The state government has sounded a terror alert in the state during the 'pujas' - an indication that West Bengal is the new terror target. Though senior police officers are yet to jump to any conclusion, arrests made by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Kolkata Special Task Force (STF) in the last few months show the movement of terror modules in the state. Also Read | Dasara festivities begin in Mysuru amid COVID-19 restrictions According to the NIA, these terror operatives use the porous Bangladesh border to enter the country. The alert issued by the state home department asked Durga puja organisers to set up systems to monitor crowd movement. They have been asked to install CCTV cameras and watch towers in the vicinity of puja pandals and work in close coordination with the local police station. The notice also mentioned that immersion of all idols have to be completed between October 15 (Dashami) and October 18 in consultation with local police stations. "In the context of the prevailing threats from divisive and terrorist groups to destabilise the country and to create law-and-order problems, you are advised to exercise utmost vigilance during the celebration of the festivals," the statement read. It further suggested, "The community puja organizers should be asked to engage adequate numbers of volunteers in Puja pandals to keep vigil on the movement of suspicious persons and all the volunteers should be directed to keep in touch with local police constantly." Also Read | No Indian plans to participate in SCO anti-terror exercises in Pakistan "The state government's effort to involve the puja committees in the security mechanism is a significant development. It shows that the state home department is planning for a wider safety and security chain which in itself is conclusive enough to understand the importance and the possibility of an attack," a senior official of the state home department said. The NIA arrested Aal Halif alias Abu Ibrahim - one of the most dreaded IS handlers in this subcontinent from Bengaluru in 2020. This IS handler was a meritorious student of economics before his entry into the terror world. Halif disguised as Sujit Chandra Debnath was working as an assistant of a mason in Bengaluru. Similarly, Kolkata STF - the elite Kolkata Police force arrested three JMB handlers - Naziur Rahman Pavel, Mikail Khan and Rabiul Islam - who sneaked into the India and were residing in the posh residential area of the city. To avoid detection, Pavel used the Hindu name Jayram Bepari. He and Mekail Khan alias Sheikh Sabbir befriended two Hindu women in the Haridevpur area and had planned to get married. This would have helped them recruit more people without arousing suspicion. These are not isolated examples but there are several other instances when the terror handlers have been using religion as a tool to fox the investigators. "Religion is no more a taboo for the terror groups rather they are using it as a tool to hide their identity. Changing religion is no more an important thing for these handlers rather they are using it effectively to dodge surveillance," a senior Kolkata Special Task Force Officer (STF) said. Another factor that is keeping the police and the investigation agencies on the tenterhooks is the lockdown and the subsequent unemployment which is making the work of these terror groups easier. Taking advantage of the porous border with Bangladesh and unemployment, international terror groups like JMB, Ansarullah Faction and even Islamic State are trying to spread their network in the state. The aim is to make West Bengal, the headquarters of the terror activities in entire eastern India. Sometimes through direct interaction and at times through online, they are targeting brainy but unemployed young boys and girls in the state. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Special Task Force (STF) of the Kolkata Police have secured this information from the three JMB terrorists who were arrested by the STF sleuths recently from a colony in the southern outskirts of Kolkata. The investigation officials are worried that because of systematic brainwashing by these terror groups many meritorious but unemployed youths are getting lost from mainstream society.

Bengal sounds terror alert during Durga Puja

Union Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS) Meenakashi Lekhi on Sunday said that she will pay an official visit to Serbia from October 10-13.

Lekhi will attend the High-level Commemorative Meeting to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement in Serbia, as the Special Envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"I will pay an official visit to Serbia from 10-13 October 2021, as the Special Envoy of Prime Minister to attend the High-level Commemorative Meeting to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement," the Union Minister tweeted.

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According to the Ministry of External Affairs statement, Lekhi is likely to attend the Meeting of Women Heads of Delegations and Ministers of Foreign Affairs being hosted by the President of the 76th United Nations General Assembly at the UN House in Belgrade.

The 60th Anniversary of the NAM Commemorative Meeting is being jointly co-hosted by Alexsander Vucic who is the President of Serbia and NAM Chair President Aliyev of Azerbaijan.

During the visit, MoS will also hold bilateral discussions with Branislav Nedimovic who is the Deputy PM and Minister of Agriculture, Nebojsa Stefanovic, Deputy PM and Minister of Defence, Maja Gojkovic, Deputy PM and Minister of Culture and Information, and Tatjana Matic, who is the Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, the statement said.

The first NAM Conference was held in Belgrade in 1961 and it provides an opportunity to reflect on how the Movement can respond to complex global challenges more effectively, guided by its founding principles of mutual respect, solidarity and cooperation.

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India and Serbia historically enjoy close and friendly relations. A bilateral Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) will also be signed during the visit to further strengthen cooperation in the fields of Culture and Arts. The MoS will be delivering a lecture on 'Structure of Judiciary in India'&nbsp;at the Law Faculty of the University of Belgrade, the statement informed.

During the visit, Lekhi will also formally unveil the bust of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in Belgrade. In addition, she will interact with members of the Indian community and friends of India, and also visit Matica Srpska, the oldest Serbian literary, cultural and scientific society, and discuss ways for greater cooperation with institutions in India.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS) Meenakashi Lekhi on Sunday said that she will pay an official visit to Serbia from October 10-13. Lekhi will attend the High-level Commemorative Meeting to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement in Serbia, as the Special Envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS) Meenakashi Lekhi on Sunday said that she will pay an official visit to Serbia from October 10-13. Lekhi will attend the High-level Commemorative Meeting to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement in Serbia, as the Special Envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I will pay an official visit to Serbia from 10-13 October 2021, as the Special Envoy of Prime Minister to attend the High-level Commemorative Meeting to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement," the Union Minister tweeted. Also Read | China-made electric vehicles should not be sold in India: Modi govt to Elon Musk According to the Ministry of External Affairs statement, Lekhi is likely to attend the Meeting of Women Heads of Delegations and Ministers of Foreign Affairs being hosted by the President of the 76th United Nations General Assembly at the UN House in Belgrade. The 60th Anniversary of the NAM Commemorative Meeting is being jointly co-hosted by Alexsander Vucic who is the President of Serbia and NAM Chair President Aliyev of Azerbaijan. During the visit, MoS will also hold bilateral discussions with Branislav Nedimovic who is the Deputy PM and Minister of Agriculture, Nebojsa Stefanovic, Deputy PM and Minister of Defence, Maja Gojkovic, Deputy PM and Minister of Culture and Information, and Tatjana Matic, who is the Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, the statement said. The first NAM Conference was held in Belgrade in 1961 and it provides an opportunity to reflect on how the Movement can respond to complex global challenges more effectively, guided by its founding principles of mutual respect, solidarity and cooperation. Also Read | From October 10 to 13, Jaishankar to visit Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Armenia India and Serbia historically enjoy close and friendly relations. A bilateral Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) will also be signed during the visit to further strengthen cooperation in the fields of Culture and Arts. The MoS will be delivering a lecture on 'Structure of Judiciary in India' at the Law Faculty of the University of Belgrade, the statement informed. During the visit, Lekhi will also formally unveil the bust of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in Belgrade. In addition, she will interact with members of the Indian community and friends of India, and also visit Matica Srpska, the oldest Serbian literary, cultural and scientific society, and discuss ways for greater cooperation with institutions in India.

As special envoy of PM Modi, MoS Lekhi to visit Serbia to attend 60th anniversary of NAM

After seven people were killed by militants in Kashmir Valley in five days, Kashmiri Pandits living in the US have strongly condemned the recent targeted killings of civilians. &nbsp;

Of the victims, four belonged to minority communities. The group seeks tight security arrangement so that the minority community can return to the valley.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/to-avert-power-crisis-indian-govt-scrambles-all-resources-as-coal-shortage-looms-419725" hreflang="en">To avert power crisis, Indian govt scrambles all resources as coal shortage looms</a>

A socio-cultural organisation of the Kashmiri Pandits in the US, the Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA) has expressed anguish over the killings of pharmacy owner Makhan Lal Bindroo, street food vendor Virender Paswan and two teachers, Deepak Chand Mehra and Supinder Kaur. &nbsp;

For the deaths of three people, the Resistance Force, a shadow outfit of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) claimed responsibility. Kaur, who is a Srinagar-based Sikh and Mehra, a Hindu from Jammu, were killed two days later. &nbsp;

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KOA president Dr Archana Kokroo, said, "These incidents brought back the painful memories of 1990, when members from the community were killed, women were raped, children rendered orphans, resulting in the exodus of over 400,000 people to save lives and honour.” &nbsp;

"The recent targeted killings have terrorised the minority community in the valley, and many are fleeing their homes again," Kokroo added. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

After seven people were killed by militants in Kashmir Valley in five days, Kashmiri Pandits living in the US have strongly condemned the recent targeted killings of civilians.

After seven people were killed by militants in Kashmir Valley in five days, Kashmiri Pandits living in the US have strongly condemned the recent targeted killings of civilians. Of the victims, four belonged to minority communities. The group seeks tight security arrangement so that the minority community can return to the valley. Also Read: To avert power crisis, Indian govt scrambles all resources as coal shortage looms A socio-cultural organisation of the Kashmiri Pandits in the US, the Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA) has expressed anguish over the killings of pharmacy owner Makhan Lal Bindroo, street food vendor Virender Paswan and two teachers, Deepak Chand Mehra and Supinder Kaur. For the deaths of three people, the Resistance Force, a shadow outfit of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) claimed responsibility. Kaur, who is a Srinagar-based Sikh and Mehra, a Hindu from Jammu, were killed two days later. Also Read: India, China commander-level talks begin amid tensions along LAC KOA president Dr Archana Kokroo, said, "These incidents brought back the painful memories of 1990, when members from the community were killed, women were raped, children rendered orphans, resulting in the exodus of over 400,000 people to save lives and honour.” "The recent targeted killings have terrorised the minority community in the valley, and many are fleeing their homes again," Kokroo added. (With inputs from agencies)

US' Kashmiri Pandits condemn targetted killings by militants in valley

With an aim to ensure power plants have enough feedstock to generate electricity, the central government pressed all resources at its command on Sunday. The move comes as states from Delhi to Andhra Pradesh have sent warnings of a developing power crisis due to coal shortage. &nbsp;

Union Power Minister R K Singh reviewed coal stock at all thermal power plants. He also oversaw situation in the units that supply power to distribution companies in the national capital. &nbsp;

The Ministry of Coal said, "Ample coal is available in the country to meet the demand, and any fear of disruption in power supply is entirely misplaced." &nbsp;

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Although the country has produced record coal this year, incessant rains in areas, where coal is produced, hit its movement from mines to power generation units. It has adversely impacted power generation units in many states, such as Rajasthan, Delhi, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. &nbsp;

Due to a spurt in energy prices, the power plants, which used imported coal to generate power, have either curtailed operations or have shut down. &nbsp;

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In a statement, the power ministry said the total despatch of coal from all sources (Coal India Limited, Singareni Collieries Company, Captive Coal Mines and imported coal) on October 9 was 1.92 million tonnes (19.2 lakh tonnes) against the total consumption was 1.87 million tonnes (18.7 lakh tonnes). &nbsp;

"Coal despatch have exceeded the consumption, thereby indicating shift to gradual building up of coal stock," the statement said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

With an aim to ensure power plants have enough feedstock to generate electricity, the central government pressed all resources at its command on Sunday. The move comes as states from Delhi to Andhra Pradesh have sent warnings of a developing power crisis due to coal shortage.

With an aim to ensure power plants have enough feedstock to generate electricity, the central government pressed all resources at its command on Sunday. The move comes as states from Delhi to Andhra Pradesh have sent warnings of a developing power crisis due to coal shortage. Union Power Minister R K Singh reviewed coal stock at all thermal power plants. He also oversaw situation in the units that supply power to distribution companies in the national capital. The Ministry of Coal said, "Ample coal is available in the country to meet the demand, and any fear of disruption in power supply is entirely misplaced." Also Read: India, China commander-level talks begin amid tensions along LAC Although the country has produced record coal this year, incessant rains in areas, where coal is produced, hit its movement from mines to power generation units. It has adversely impacted power generation units in many states, such as Rajasthan, Delhi, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. Due to a spurt in energy prices, the power plants, which used imported coal to generate power, have either curtailed operations or have shut down. Also Read: More than 100 Afghan nationals fly to Kabul from India via Iran on free will In a statement, the power ministry said the total despatch of coal from all sources (Coal India Limited, Singareni Collieries Company, Captive Coal Mines and imported coal) on October 9 was 1.92 million tonnes (19.2 lakh tonnes) against the total consumption was 1.87 million tonnes (18.7 lakh tonnes). "Coal despatch have exceeded the consumption, thereby indicating shift to gradual building up of coal stock," the statement said. (With inputs from agencies)

To avert power crisis, Indian govt scrambles all resources as coal shortage looms

As Indian and Chinese military commanders get set to start the next round of military-level talks on Sunday, India's Army chief Gen MM Naravane said if China continues to deploy troops along the Line of Actual Control(LAC) in Ladakh then the Indian Army will also continue to maintain its troops.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/chinese-air-force-still-deployed-at-three-airbases-facing-ladakh-air-chief-marshal-v-r-chaudhari-418589">Also Read:&nbsp;Chinese Air Force still deployed at three airbases facing Ladakh: Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari</a>

Indian and Chinese troops were involved in a standoff at the LAC last year, although&nbsp;China declared it was taking steps to disengage however tensions continue at the border.

India's Army chief expressed concern over "large-scale build-up" by China and the "infrastructure development" at the border.

Watch:&nbsp;Tensions at the India-China border

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/tensions-at-the-india-china-border-continue-to-grow-418813/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

General MM Naravane declared that the Indian Army is keeping a close eye on the Chinese activities at the border while adding that, "if they are there to stay, we are there to stay too".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/china-made-electric-vehicles-should-not-be-sold-in-india-modi-govt-to-elon-musk-419293">Also Read:&nbsp;China-made electric vehicles should not be sold in India: Modi govt to Elon Musk</a>

India's army chief asserted that the forces will be looking out for any "misadventure once again" by the Chinese side. The army chief maintained that the large-scale build-up "continues to be in place and to sustain that kind of a build-up, there has been an equal amount of infrastructure development on the Chinese side."

Indian and Chinese troops were involved in a clash at Galwan Valley in June last year in which 20 Indian soldiers had died, the Chinese government declared later that four of its troops were also killed, however, reports claimed the casualties on the Chinese side was much higher.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-soldiers-foil-chinese-incursion-in-arunachal-pradesh-sources-419052">Also Read:&nbsp;Indian soldiers foil Chinese incursion in Arunachal Pradesh: Sources</a>

General Naravane added that although it was difficult to fathom China's intention to "open up one more front", he&nbsp;added&nbsp;that the PLA was unable to make any progress due to the "rapid response done by the Indian armed forces".

(With inputs from Agencies)

As Indian and Chinese military commanders get set to start the next round of military-level talks on Sunday, India's Army chief Gen MM Naravane said if China continues to deploy troops along the Line of Actual Control(LAC) in Ladakh then the Indian Army will also continue to maintain its troops.

As Indian and Chinese military commanders get set to start the next round of military-level talks on Sunday, India's Army chief Gen MM Naravane said if China continues to deploy troops along the Line of Actual Control(LAC) in Ladakh then the Indian Army will also continue to maintain its troops. Also Read: Chinese Air Force still deployed at three airbases facing Ladakh: Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari Indian and Chinese troops were involved in a standoff at the LAC last year, although China declared it was taking steps to disengage however tensions continue at the border. India's Army chief expressed concern over "large-scale build-up" by China and the "infrastructure development" at the border. Watch: Tensions at the India-China border General MM Naravane declared that the Indian Army is keeping a close eye on the Chinese activities at the border while adding that, "if they are there to stay, we are there to stay too". Also Read: China-made electric vehicles should not be sold in India: Modi govt to Elon Musk India's army chief asserted that the forces will be looking out for any "misadventure once again" by the Chinese side. The army chief maintained that the large-scale build-up "continues to be in place and to sustain that kind of a build-up, there has been an equal amount of infrastructure development on the Chinese side." Indian and Chinese troops were involved in a clash at Galwan Valley in June last year in which 20 Indian soldiers had died, the Chinese government declared later that four of its troops were also killed, however, reports claimed the casualties on the Chinese side was much higher. Also Read: Indian soldiers foil Chinese incursion in Arunachal Pradesh: Sources General Naravane added that although it was difficult to fathom China's intention to "open up one more front", he added that the PLA was unable to make any progress due to the "rapid response done by the Indian armed forces". (With inputs from Agencies)

Large scale Chinese build-up along LAC continues to be in place: Army chief Gen Naravane

The hotel industry demand has recovered at a sharper pace post Covid 2.0 than it did after last year's lockdown. Occupancies and average room rates (ARRs) have seen a substantial jump, especially in luxury hotels and resort destinations, where they have breached pre-Covid levels.

An ICRA report has pointed out that the recovery was hastened by the easing of restrictions in Q2 FY2022. The ratings agency, though, did not change its negative outlook on the industry because it remains to be seen if the demand pickup can be sustained. A potential third wave and its impact on travel and hotel occupancies cannot be ruled out, according to the report.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/they-had-the-vaccines-and-a-plan-to-reopen-instead-they-got-cold-feet-419189">They had the vaccines and a plan to reopen. Instead they got cold feet.</a>

The partial lockdown as well as travel restrictions in a number of states in April-May 2021 post the onset of Covid 2.0 resulted in the ICRA sample of companies reporting a 56 per cent decline in revenues on a QoQ basis, in line with the ratings agency's estimates. The revenues of these companies, though, are likely to improve by 85-90 per cent sequentially in Q2 FY2022, the ICRA report said.

Occupancy in premium hotels across India picked up in August 2021, rising to 44-46 per cent, compared with 32-34 per cent in the first five months of FY2022 (5M FY2022) and 13-15 per cent in 5M FY2021). In comparison, the occupancy level was 46-48 per cent in Q4 FY2021.

Rising occupancies are still to impact the average room rates (ARRs), according to the ICRA report. Pan-India, the ARRs were in the Rs 3,850-3,950 range for 5M FY2022, which were 25-30 per cent lower than their pre-Covid levels. The Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) figures also are still significantly lower than pre-Covid levels.

Some high-end hotels and leisure destinations bucked the trend, however, seeing their ARRs return to pre-Covid levels in Aug-September 2021. The ICRA report expressed the hope that festive season travel would act as a key demand booster for the industry in Q3 FY2022.

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Sharing more insights, Vinutaa S, Assistant Vice President and Sector Head, ICRA Limited, said: "The first few months were impacted, but the industry witnessed a faster-than-expected ramp-up in Q2 FY2021 because of the easing of restrictions, the higher rate of vaccination and pent-up demand, which resulted in revenge travel. Demand in the last few months has come from staycations, weddings and travel to driveable leisure destinations, and from special purpose groups. There is also the new trend of `biscations` (working from a resort) that is picking up."

Continuing with her analysis, Vinutaa said: "Business travel pickup from specific sectors has been mainly to manufacturing locations and project sites." In conclusion, she said, "We are seeing real demand pickup."

She was quick, though, to add the caveat that "the situation is evolving and sustenance of demand will depend on the efficacy of the vaccines and a potential third Covid wave." She concluded by adding: "The industry at present is cautiously optimistic."

Most markets, notably Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Goa, reported over 50 per cent occupancy in July-August 2021, but Bangalore and Pune lagged behind. The ARRs in leisure destinations were above pre-Covid levels in July-August 21. Going forward, ARRs will be a function of how much of this rising demand can be sustained.

The demand recovery pattern is different than in the case of previous crises, with properties affiliated with strong brands and in the luxury segment standing to benefit, as trust and safety are paramount to guests. Drive-to leisure, staycations, weddings and special purpose groups are expected to drive revenues for the next one year at least.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-tourism-surges-in-july-but-falls-short-of-pre-covid-levels-418165">World tourism surges in July, but falls short of pre-Covid levels</a>

International traffic arrivals will take time to pick up. In the intervening period, demand will be supported by domestic travel. Hotels and cities dependent on business travel and foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) will take considerable time to recover.

In terms of supply, in the immediate term, temporary shutdowns are possible in affected regions, if there is a third wave. Acquisitions and industry consolidation are the way forward, and rebranding in the mid-scale and upscale segments will add to the share of organised supply. Over the medium term, a part of pre-Covid supply may be permanently shelved, while there could be new properties coming up in leisure destinations.

"The hotel industry is expected to clock at least 45-50 per cent of pre-Covid revenues in FY2022," Vinutaa of ICRA said. "Further operating profits in the current fiscal will be aided by improved operating leverage and sustenance of some of the cost-optimisation measures undertaken in the last fiscal."

She added that the industry is likely to be able to reach pre-Covid revenue and profit levels only by FY2024. As a result of cost-saving measures, moreover, the breakeven time is likely to come down and hotels may see a return to the pre-Covid margins of 85-90 per cent of revenues going forward. "Nevertheless, the situation is still evolving and the estimates are contingent on timelines tied to the pandemic," she said.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/blood-sweat-no-beers-sydney-set-to-ease-key-covid-19-curbs-419558">'Blood, sweat, no beers': Sydney set to ease key COVID-19 curbs</a>

Debt moratorium and the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) provided the financial support that the industry needed during the pandemic.

About 70 per cent of the entities in ICRA's hospitality portfolio availed of the moratorium during the first wave, though it was only 39 per cent of rated debt. Some companies raised funding through equity and debt tie-ups before the ECLGS announcement. The industry has raised about Rs 660 crore of equity in FY2021 and has announced equity/fund raising plans worth Rs 3,300 crore in FY2022.

ICRA expects further equity fund raising and asset monetisation to support capital structure improvement going forward. Debt metrics, however, are expected to return to pre-Covid levels only over the medium term, while RoCE is like to remain sub cost-of capital at least for the next few years.

The hotel industry demand has recovered at a sharper pace post Covid 2.0 than it did after last year's lockdown. Occupancies and average room rates (ARRs) have seen a substantial jump, especially in luxury hotels and resort destinations, where they have breached pre-Covid levels.

The hotel industry demand has recovered at a sharper pace post Covid 2.0 than it did after last year's lockdown. Occupancies and average room rates (ARRs) have seen a substantial jump, especially in luxury hotels and resort destinations, where they have breached pre-Covid levels. An ICRA report has pointed out that the recovery was hastened by the easing of restrictions in Q2 FY2022. The ratings agency, though, did not change its negative outlook on the industry because it remains to be seen if the demand pickup can be sustained. A potential third wave and its impact on travel and hotel occupancies cannot be ruled out, according to the report. Also Read | They had the vaccines and a plan to reopen. Instead they got cold feet. The partial lockdown as well as travel restrictions in a number of states in April-May 2021 post the onset of Covid 2.0 resulted in the ICRA sample of companies reporting a 56 per cent decline in revenues on a QoQ basis, in line with the ratings agency's estimates. The revenues of these companies, though, are likely to improve by 85-90 per cent sequentially in Q2 FY2022, the ICRA report said. Occupancy in premium hotels across India picked up in August 2021, rising to 44-46 per cent, compared with 32-34 per cent in the first five months of FY2022 (5M FY2022) and 13-15 per cent in 5M FY2021). In comparison, the occupancy level was 46-48 per cent in Q4 FY2021. Rising occupancies are still to impact the average room rates (ARRs), according to the ICRA report. Pan-India, the ARRs were in the Rs 3,850-3,950 range for 5M FY2022, which were 25-30 per cent lower than their pre-Covid levels. The Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) figures also are still significantly lower than pre-Covid levels. Some high-end hotels and leisure destinations bucked the trend, however, seeing their ARRs return to pre-Covid levels in Aug-September 2021. The ICRA report expressed the hope that festive season travel would act as a key demand booster for the industry in Q3 FY2022. Also Read | No quarantine for fully vaccinated Indians in UK from October 11: British envoy Sharing more insights, Vinutaa S, Assistant Vice President and Sector Head, ICRA Limited, said: "The first few months were impacted, but the industry witnessed a faster-than-expected ramp-up in Q2 FY2021 because of the easing of restrictions, the higher rate of vaccination and pent-up demand, which resulted in revenge travel. Demand in the last few months has come from staycations, weddings and travel to driveable leisure destinations, and from special purpose groups. There is also the new trend of `biscations` (working from a resort) that is picking up." Continuing with her analysis, Vinutaa said: "Business travel pickup from specific sectors has been mainly to manufacturing locations and project sites." In conclusion, she said, "We are seeing real demand pickup." She was quick, though, to add the caveat that "the situation is evolving and sustenance of demand will depend on the efficacy of the vaccines and a potential third Covid wave." She concluded by adding: "The industry at present is cautiously optimistic." Most markets, notably Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Goa, reported over 50 per cent occupancy in July-August 2021, but Bangalore and Pune lagged behind. The ARRs in leisure destinations were above pre-Covid levels in July-August 21. Going forward, ARRs will be a function of how much of this rising demand can be sustained. The demand recovery pattern is different than in the case of previous crises, with properties affiliated with strong brands and in the luxury segment standing to benefit, as trust and safety are paramount to guests. Drive-to leisure, staycations, weddings and special purpose groups are expected to drive revenues for the next one year at least. Also Read | World tourism surges in July, but falls short of pre-Covid levels International traffic arrivals will take time to pick up. In the intervening period, demand will be supported by domestic travel. Hotels and cities dependent on business travel and foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) will take considerable time to recover. In terms of supply, in the immediate term, temporary shutdowns are possible in affected regions, if there is a third wave. Acquisitions and industry consolidation are the way forward, and rebranding in the mid-scale and upscale segments will add to the share of organised supply. Over the medium term, a part of pre-Covid supply may be permanently shelved, while there could be new properties coming up in leisure destinations. "The hotel industry is expected to clock at least 45-50 per cent of pre-Covid revenues in FY2022," Vinutaa of ICRA said. "Further operating profits in the current fiscal will be aided by improved operating leverage and sustenance of some of the cost-optimisation measures undertaken in the last fiscal." She added that the industry is likely to be able to reach pre-Covid revenue and profit levels only by FY2024. As a result of cost-saving measures, moreover, the breakeven time is likely to come down and hotels may see a return to the pre-Covid margins of 85-90 per cent of revenues going forward. "Nevertheless, the situation is still evolving and the estimates are contingent on timelines tied to the pandemic," she said. Also Read | 'Blood, sweat, no beers': Sydney set to ease key COVID-19 curbs Debt moratorium and the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) provided the financial support that the industry needed during the pandemic. About 70 per cent of the entities in ICRA's hospitality portfolio availed of the moratorium during the first wave, though it was only 39 per cent of rated debt. Some companies raised funding through equity and debt tie-ups before the ECLGS announcement. The industry has raised about Rs 660 crore of equity in FY2021 and has announced equity/fund raising plans worth Rs 3,300 crore in FY2022. ICRA expects further equity fund raising and asset monetisation to support capital structure improvement going forward. Debt metrics, however, are expected to return to pre-Covid levels only over the medium term, while RoCE is like to remain sub cost-of capital at least for the next few years.

Luxury hotels, resorts lead industry's faster-than-expected recovery post Covid 2.0

The thirteenth round of India, China commander-level talks began on Sunday in Moldo on the Chinese side at 10:30 am on Sunday, reports said.

The talks are taking place amid renewed tensions along the Line of Control&nbsp;(LAC) between Indian and Chinese troops.

The talks between the two sides are taking place after a gap of over two months after the earlier round concluded on July 31.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/more-than-100-afghan-nationals-fly-to-kabul-from-india-on-free-will-419588">Also Read:&nbsp;Large scale Chinese build-up along LAC continues, says&nbsp;Army chief Gen Naravane</a>

Last month, India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar had urged Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi to work together to end the disengagement issues in eastern Ladakh.

Watch: India, China military commanders hold talks

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/13th-round-of-india-china-military-talks-focus-on-hot-springs-419578/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The talks are taking place amid reports of Chinese transgressions into India's territory&nbsp;recently. In February, China had declared it would disengage its troops along the LAC in the Pangong Tso lake area, however, thousands of Chinese troops are still stationed at the border facing India.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/china-made-electric-vehicles-should-not-be-sold-in-india-modi-govt-to-elon-musk-419293">Also Read-&nbsp;China-made electric vehicles should not be sold in India: Modi govt to Elon Musk</a>

Reports say the Indian side wants to address the issues related to Hot Springs and other areas along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/chinese-air-force-still-deployed-at-three-airbases-facing-ladakh-air-chief-marshal-v-r-chaudhari-418589">Also Read:&nbsp;Chinese Air Force still deployed at airbases facing Ladakh: Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari</a>

Last year in June Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in a clash at Galwan Valley in which 20 Indian soldiers had died.&nbsp;

China later said four PLA soldiers were also killed in the clashes, however, reports claimed the casualties on the Chinese side was much higher.

(With inputs from Agencies)

The thirteenth round of India, China commander-level talks began on Sunday in Moldo on the Chinese side at 10:30 am on Sunday, reports said. The talks are taking place amid renewed tensions along the Line of Control (LAC) between Indian and Chinese troops.

The thirteenth round of India, China commander-level talks began on Sunday in Moldo on the Chinese side at 10:30 am on Sunday, reports said. The talks are taking place amid renewed tensions along the Line of Control (LAC) between Indian and Chinese troops. The talks between the two sides are taking place after a gap of over two months after the earlier round concluded on July 31. Also Read: Large scale Chinese build-up along LAC continues, says Army chief Gen Naravane Last month, India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar had urged Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi to work together to end the disengagement issues in eastern Ladakh. Watch: India, China military commanders hold talks The talks are taking place amid reports of Chinese transgressions into India's territory recently. In February, China had declared it would disengage its troops along the LAC in the Pangong Tso lake area, however, thousands of Chinese troops are still stationed at the border facing India. Also Read- China-made electric vehicles should not be sold in India: Modi govt to Elon Musk Reports say the Indian side wants to address the issues related to Hot Springs and other areas along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. Also Read: Chinese Air Force still deployed at airbases facing Ladakh: Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari Last year in June Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in a clash at Galwan Valley in which 20 Indian soldiers had died. China later said four PLA soldiers were also killed in the clashes, however, reports claimed the casualties on the Chinese side was much higher. (With inputs from Agencies)

India, China commander-level talks begin amid tensions along LAC

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday will embark on a three-nation tour of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Armenia.

Jaishankar will be undertaking the tour from October 10 to 13.

He will be in the Kyrgyz Republic on October 10-11, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

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He will leave for Kazakhstan on Monday. He will then visit Armenia on October, 12-13, the MEA said.

The visit will provide an opportunity for reviewing the progress in India's&nbsp;bilateral ties with the three countries as well as share views on developments in the region, the ministry further said.

"It will be a continuation of our increased engagement with countries in our 'extended neighbourhood'," the ministry added.

This will be Jaishankar's first visit to Kyrgyzstan as External Affairs Minister.

He will hold a bilateral meeting with the Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Rusian Kazakbaev, apart from calling on President Sadyr Japarov.

Some agreements, MoUs are also expected to be signed during the visit.

From October 11-12, Jaishankar will be in Kazakhstan to attend the 6th Ministerial meeting of the Conference of Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Nur-Sultan.

Kazakhstan is the current Chair and initiator of the CICA Forum.

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Jaishankar is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Mukhtar Tileuberdi, and call on the Kazakh leadership.

Kazakhstan is the current Chair and initiator of the CICA Forum.Established in 1999, CICA is a forum aimed at enhancing cooperation through elaborating multilateral approaches towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia.

It currently has 27 member states and 9 observer states and 5 observer organisations India is a member of CICA since its inception in 1999 and has been actively participating in various activities conducted under the aegis of CICA.Jaishankar will also be visiting Armenia on October, 12-13 the MEA said.

This will be the first-ever visit of an External Affairs Minister of India to independent Armenia. He will have meetings with his Armenian counterpart as well as call on the Prime Minister and President of the National Assembly of Armenia.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday will embark on a three-nation tour of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Armenia. Jaishankar will be undertaking the tour from October 10 to 13.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday will embark on a three-nation tour of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Armenia. Jaishankar will be undertaking the tour from October 10 to 13. He will be in the Kyrgyz Republic on October 10-11, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. Also Read | Infra projects, Buddha link, rights of Tamils dominate Shringla's Sri Lanka visit He will leave for Kazakhstan on Monday. He will then visit Armenia on October, 12-13, the MEA said. The visit will provide an opportunity for reviewing the progress in India's bilateral ties with the three countries as well as share views on developments in the region, the ministry further said. "It will be a continuation of our increased engagement with countries in our 'extended neighbourhood'," the ministry added. This will be Jaishankar's first visit to Kyrgyzstan as External Affairs Minister. He will hold a bilateral meeting with the Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Rusian Kazakbaev, apart from calling on President Sadyr Japarov. Some agreements, MoUs are also expected to be signed during the visit. From October 11-12, Jaishankar will be in Kazakhstan to attend the 6th Ministerial meeting of the Conference of Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Nur-Sultan. Kazakhstan is the current Chair and initiator of the CICA Forum. Also Read | Foreign Secretary Shringla visits Lanka oil tank farms in Trincomalee Jaishankar is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Mukhtar Tileuberdi, and call on the Kazakh leadership. Kazakhstan is the current Chair and initiator of the CICA Forum.Established in 1999, CICA is a forum aimed at enhancing cooperation through elaborating multilateral approaches towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia. It currently has 27 member states and 9 observer states and 5 observer organisations India is a member of CICA since its inception in 1999 and has been actively participating in various activities conducted under the aegis of CICA.Jaishankar will also be visiting Armenia on October, 12-13 the MEA said. This will be the first-ever visit of an External Affairs Minister of India to independent Armenia. He will have meetings with his Armenian counterpart as well as call on the Prime Minister and President of the National Assembly of Armenia.

Jaishankar to embark on three-nation tour today

While hundreds of Afghans wait for an opportunity to flee their home country as soon as possible, more than 100 Afghans decided to return to the Taliban-controlled country.<o:p></o:p>

A total of 106 Afghan nationals who were stranded in India since Taliban took over Afghanistan decided to return to their home country on their free will.<o:p></o:p>

"These Afghan nationals were in a very difficult situation as their finances had run out, and did not even have enough money to pay for their fooding and lodging," an Afghan diplomat told The Sunday Express.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/ghanis-ex-bodyguard-ready-to-give-proof-of-ex-president-fleeing-with-bags-of-cash-419575">Ghani's ex-bodyguard ready to give proof of ex-president fleeing with cash</a></o:p>

While some of these people were facing financial problems in India, a lot of them were worried about their remaining family members and relatives who are still in Afghanistan.<o:p></o:p>

"They were stuck between a rock and a hard place," the Afghan diplomat said.<o:p></o:p>

A group of Afghan locals stranded in India reached out to the Afghan embassy in the last few weeks and expressed their wish to return to their home country. The embassy reached out to the Iran’s embassy in India.<o:p></o:p>

Officials were able to schedule a special flight in Iranian airline company Mahan Air.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/dont-try-to-destabilise-regime-taliban-warns-us-in-first-face-to-face-talks-after-withdrawal-419514">Don't try to 'destabilise' regime, Taliban warns US in first face-to-face talks after withdrawal</a>

<o:p></o:p>

This flight first flew from India to Tehran, from where they were then rooted towards Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan.<o:p></o:p>

"The Afghan nationals had to pay for the flight, but they went back via Tehran," the diplomat said. "There are about 1,000 people estimated to be in India who may want to return to Afghanistan. We are trying to facilitate as much as possible."<o:p></o:p>

Authorities are hoping that they will be able to arrange similar flights for the remaining Afghan nations in India in the coming few weeks.<o:p></o:p>

Meanwhile, the new Taliban government in Afghanistan has reached out to India to resume flights between the two countries, but the Indian authorities have not yet taken a decision.<o:p></o:p>

While hundreds of Afghans wait for an opportunity to flee their home country as soon as possible, more than 100 Afghans decided to return to the Taliban-controlled country.

While hundreds of Afghans wait for an opportunity to flee their home country as soon as possible, more than 100 Afghans decided to return to the Taliban-controlled country. A total of 106 Afghan nationals who were stranded in India since Taliban took over Afghanistan decided to return to their home country on their free will. "These Afghan nationals were in a very difficult situation as their finances had run out, and did not even have enough money to pay for their fooding and lodging," an Afghan diplomat told The Sunday Express. Also read | Ghani's ex-bodyguard ready to give proof of ex-president fleeing with cash While some of these people were facing financial problems in India, a lot of them were worried about their remaining family members and relatives who are still in Afghanistan. "They were stuck between a rock and a hard place," the Afghan diplomat said. A group of Afghan locals stranded in India reached out to the Afghan embassy in the last few weeks and expressed their wish to return to their home country. The embassy reached out to the Iran’s embassy in India. Officials were able to schedule a special flight in Iranian airline company Mahan Air. Also read | Don't try to 'destabilise' regime, Taliban warns US in first face-to-face talks after withdrawal This flight first flew from India to Tehran, from where they were then rooted towards Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. "The Afghan nationals had to pay for the flight, but they went back via Tehran," the diplomat said. "There are about 1,000 people estimated to be in India who may want to return to Afghanistan. We are trying to facilitate as much as possible." Authorities are hoping that they will be able to arrange similar flights for the remaining Afghan nations in India in the coming few weeks. Meanwhile, the new Taliban government in Afghanistan has reached out to India to resume flights between the two countries, but the Indian authorities have not yet taken a decision.

More than 100 Afghan nationals fly to Kabul from India via Iran on free will

With an aim to expand bilateral ties and discuss key regional issues, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will pay a four-day visit to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Armenia from Sunday. The leaders are highly likely to discuss the developments in Afghanistan. &nbsp;

While announcing the visit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday, "The visit will provide an opportunity for reviewing the progress in our bilateral ties with the three countries as well as share views on developments in the region." &nbsp;&nbsp;

The visit will be a continuation of India's increased engagement with countries in its "extended neighbourhood". &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-defence-minister-lauds-coast-guard-for-ensuring-maritime-peace-security-saving-lives-419490" hreflang="en">Indian&nbsp;defence&nbsp;minister&nbsp;lauds coast guard for ensuring maritime peace, security, saving lives&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>

Jaishankar's first destination will be Kyrgyzstan, where he will hold talks with his counterpart apart from calling on the President of the nation, the MEA said. &nbsp;

"This will be his first visit to the country as the external affairs minister," the MEA said. Some agreements are also expected to be signed during the visit. &nbsp;

On October 11 and 12, Jaishankar will be in Kazakhstan to attend the 6th Ministerial meeting of the Conference of Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Nur-Sultan. Kazakhstan is the current chair of the grouping. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/how-maharaja-returned-home-timeline-of-air-india-disinvestment-419460" hreflang="en">How Maharaja returned 'home': Timeline of Air India disinvestment</a>

Jaishankar will hold talks with the deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Kazakhstan. &nbsp;

"The external affairs minister will be visiting Armenia on October 12 and 13. This will be the first-ever visit of an external affairs minister of India to independent Armenia," the MEA said. &nbsp;

The minister will have meetings with Armenian counterpart and Prime Minister. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

With an aim to expand bilateral ties and discuss key regional issues, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will pay a four-day visit to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Armenia from Sunday.

With an aim to expand bilateral ties and discuss key regional issues, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will pay a four-day visit to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Armenia from Sunday. The leaders are highly likely to discuss the developments in Afghanistan. While announcing the visit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday, "The visit will provide an opportunity for reviewing the progress in our bilateral ties with the three countries as well as share views on developments in the region." The visit will be a continuation of India's increased engagement with countries in its "extended neighbourhood". Also Read: Indian defence minister lauds coast guard for ensuring maritime peace, security, saving lives Jaishankar's first destination will be Kyrgyzstan, where he will hold talks with his counterpart apart from calling on the President of the nation, the MEA said. "This will be his first visit to the country as the external affairs minister," the MEA said. Some agreements are also expected to be signed during the visit. On October 11 and 12, Jaishankar will be in Kazakhstan to attend the 6th Ministerial meeting of the Conference of Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Nur-Sultan. Kazakhstan is the current chair of the grouping. Also Read: How Maharaja returned 'home': Timeline of Air India disinvestment Jaishankar will hold talks with the deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Kazakhstan. "The external affairs minister will be visiting Armenia on October 12 and 13. This will be the first-ever visit of an external affairs minister of India to independent Armenia," the MEA said. The minister will have meetings with Armenian counterpart and Prime Minister. (With inputs from agencies)

From October 10 to 13, Jaishankar to visit Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Armenia

India and Denmark on Saturday inked four agreements and decided to further co-operation in "Green strategic partnership for the Green transition". Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after his bilateral talks with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen said that that last year both the countries took a historic step to establish a `Green Strategic Partnership` which has been a fine example of our far-reaching approach towards the environment.

"This partnership is an example of how by collective effort and through technology, we can work for green growth while preserving the environment. Today we also reviewed the progress made under this partnership, and reiterated our commitment to increasing cooperation on climate change in the times to come," he said.

Watch | Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen visits Rashtrapati Bhavan

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He noted that Denmark had become member of international Solar Alliance. He described this as a new dimension in India-Denmark friendship.

He also said that both countries took a decision today to expand the scope of cooperation, adding new dimensions to it and initiated a new partnership in the field of health.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/kim-davy-extradition-india-denmark-stress-on-letting-law-take-its-own-course-419473">Kim Davy extradition: India-Denmark stress on letting law take its own course</a>

"In order to increase the agricultural productivity and income of farmers in India, we have also decided to cooperate in agriculture related technology. Under this, work will be done on the technologies of many areas like food safety, cold chain, food processing, fertilizers, fisheries, aquaculture, we will also cooperate in areas such as Smart Water Resource Management, `Waste to Best`, and efficient supply chains," Modi further said adding that a new partnership in the health sector has also initiated.

PM Modi said he and Frederiksen held in-depth, useful discussions on many regional and global issues. PM Modi expressed his gratitude to Denmark for support India has been getting from them on various international fora.

Modi also expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to host the next India-Nordic Summit, and for inviting him to visit Denmark.

Thanking PM Modi for accepting her invitation to visit Denmark, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that he was an inspiration for the rest of the world for setting an ambitious target to provide clean water for over one million households and renewable energy.

(With inputs from agencies)

India and Denmark on Saturday inked four agreements and decided to further co-operation in "Green strategic partnership for the Green transition". Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after his bilateral talks with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen said that that last year both the countries took a historic step to establish a `Green Strategic Partnership` which has been a fine example of our far-reaching approach towards the environment.

India and Denmark on Saturday inked four agreements and decided to further co-operation in "Green strategic partnership for the Green transition". Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after his bilateral talks with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen said that that last year both the countries took a historic step to establish a `Green Strategic Partnership` which has been a fine example of our far-reaching approach towards the environment. "This partnership is an example of how by collective effort and through technology, we can work for green growth while preserving the environment. Today we also reviewed the progress made under this partnership, and reiterated our commitment to increasing cooperation on climate change in the times to come," he said. Watch | Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen visits Rashtrapati Bhavan × He noted that Denmark had become member of international Solar Alliance. He described this as a new dimension in India-Denmark friendship. He also said that both countries took a decision today to expand the scope of cooperation, adding new dimensions to it and initiated a new partnership in the field of health. Also Read | Kim Davy extradition: India-Denmark stress on letting law take its own course "In order to increase the agricultural productivity and income of farmers in India, we have also decided to cooperate in agriculture related technology. Under this, work will be done on the technologies of many areas like food safety, cold chain, food processing, fertilizers, fisheries, aquaculture, we will also cooperate in areas such as Smart Water Resource Management, `Waste to Best`, and efficient supply chains," Modi further said adding that a new partnership in the health sector has also initiated. PM Modi said he and Frederiksen held in-depth, useful discussions on many regional and global issues. PM Modi expressed his gratitude to Denmark for support India has been getting from them on various international fora. Modi also expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to host the next India-Nordic Summit, and for inviting him to visit Denmark. Thanking PM Modi for accepting her invitation to visit Denmark, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that he was an inspiration for the rest of the world for setting an ambitious target to provide clean water for over one million households and renewable energy. (With inputs from agencies)

India-Denmark strike four agreements, stress on 'Green strategic partnership'

India’s&nbsp;Defence&nbsp;Minister Rajnath Singh conferred&nbsp;gallantry and meritorious service medals on the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) personnel at an investiture ceremony held in New Delhi on Saturday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A total of 21 awards, including three President’s&nbsp;Tatrakshak&nbsp;(Coast&nbsp;Guard)&nbsp;Medals&nbsp;(Distinguished Service), eight&nbsp;Tatrakshak&nbsp;Medals (Gallantry) and 10&nbsp;Tatrakshak&nbsp;Medals (Meritorious Service) were presented during the ceremony.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The medals were in recognition of the selfless devotion, exemplary courage and acts of&nbsp;valour&nbsp;of the ICG personnel under extreme conditions.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<img alt="Brief 2" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e2226eac-5745-4bd8-8e47-8ce0e02106c3" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/ICJ%202.jpg" />

ICG&nbsp;Director General K Natarajan and senior officers of Ministry of&nbsp;Defence&nbsp;and Indian Coast Guard were present on the occasion.&nbsp;

Commending the force that are known as the ‘Sentinels of the sea’, the Minister said&nbsp;the&nbsp;ICG,&nbsp;which began service to the nation with just&nbsp;four to six&nbsp;boats, is now one of the best maritime forces in the world with over 150 ships and 66 aircraft. This ever-growing stature, he added, instills confidence among the people that the national maritime interests are under safe supervision.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/how-maharaja-returned-home-timeline-of-air-india-disinvestment-419460" hreflang="en">How Maharaja returned 'home': Timeline of Air India disinvestment</a>

He also touched upon how India is a rising maritime power and its prosperity is largely dependent on the sea.&nbsp;

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of 'Security and Growth for All in the Region'&nbsp;(SAGAR),&nbsp;he lauded the ICG for being at the forefront in achieving that goal by promoting regional cooperation, maintaining maritime peace in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and working closely with international maritime agencies.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Special mentions were made of the ICG’s effort in&nbsp;fire-fighting and pollution response operations - Sagar Raksha-I and Sagar Raksha-II, which played a significant role in dousing the blaze onboard large crude oil carrier 'New Diamond' and container vessel 'Express Pearl' off the Sri Lankan Coast in late 2020.&nbsp;&nbsp;

These operations not only&nbsp;showcase&nbsp;India’s stature as a responsible and capable maritime power, but also averted a major disaster in the IOR, he added.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/thankful-to-be-here-denmark-pm-meets-pm-modi-on-a-three-day-india-visit-419320" hreflang="en">'Thankful to be here': Denmark PM meets PM Modi on a three-day India visit</a>

Besides the role played in search and rescue operations and saving lives during the recent cyclones ‘Tauktae’ and ‘Yaas’, the Minister also commended the ICG’s operations against illegal weapons and narcotics trafficking.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It is notable that ICG had carried out 70 medical evacuations, conducted 555 search and rescue operations and saved the lives of more than 1,090 people, in the last one year.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Following the investiture ceremony, the Minister also addressed the 38th Coast Guard Commanders’ Conference. This&nbsp;conference is an annual meet,&nbsp;which is attended by all the senior officers of the ICG and Ministry of&nbsp;Defence.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A brief on recent operational and administrative developments in Indian Coast Guard was presented to the&nbsp;defence&nbsp;minister. A wide range of issues pertaining to strengthening of the ICG as well as legitimate&nbsp;and&nbsp;legal use of oceans will be discussed during the three-day conference.&nbsp;

India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh conferred gallantry and meritorious service medals on the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) personnel at an investiture ceremony held in New Delhi on Saturday.

India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh conferred gallantry and meritorious service medals on the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) personnel at an investiture ceremony held in New Delhi on Saturday. A total of 21 awards, including three President’s Tatrakshak (Coast Guard) Medals (Distinguished Service), eight Tatrakshak Medals (Gallantry) and 10 Tatrakshak Medals (Meritorious Service) were presented during the ceremony. The medals were in recognition of the selfless devotion, exemplary courage and acts of valour of the ICG personnel under extreme conditions. ICG Director General K Natarajan and senior officers of Ministry of Defence and Indian Coast Guard were present on the occasion. Commending the force that are known as the ‘Sentinels of the sea’, the Minister said the ICG, which began service to the nation with just four to six boats, is now one of the best maritime forces in the world with over 150 ships and 66 aircraft. This ever-growing stature, he added, instills confidence among the people that the national maritime interests are under safe supervision. Also Read: How Maharaja returned 'home': Timeline of Air India disinvestment He also touched upon how India is a rising maritime power and its prosperity is largely dependent on the sea. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of 'Security and Growth for All in the Region' (SAGAR), he lauded the ICG for being at the forefront in achieving that goal by promoting regional cooperation, maintaining maritime peace in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and working closely with international maritime agencies. Special mentions were made of the ICG’s effort in fire-fighting and pollution response operations - Sagar Raksha-I and Sagar Raksha-II, which played a significant role in dousing the blaze onboard large crude oil carrier 'New Diamond' and container vessel 'Express Pearl' off the Sri Lankan Coast in late 2020. These operations not only showcase India’s stature as a responsible and capable maritime power, but also averted a major disaster in the IOR, he added. Also Read: 'Thankful to be here': Denmark PM meets PM Modi on a three-day India visit Besides the role played in search and rescue operations and saving lives during the recent cyclones ‘Tauktae’ and ‘Yaas’, the Minister also commended the ICG’s operations against illegal weapons and narcotics trafficking. It is notable that ICG had carried out 70 medical evacuations, conducted 555 search and rescue operations and saved the lives of more than 1,090 people, in the last one year. Following the investiture ceremony, the Minister also addressed the 38th Coast Guard Commanders’ Conference. This conference is an annual meet, which is attended by all the senior officers of the ICG and Ministry of Defence. A brief on recent operational and administrative developments in Indian Coast Guard was presented to the defence minister. A wide range of issues pertaining to strengthening of the ICG as well as legitimate and legal use of oceans will be discussed during the three-day conference.

Indian defence minister lauds coast guard for ensuring maritime peace, security, saving lives  

Back in the late 1980s, an Indian college student in the US was figuring out ways to communicate free-of-cost and stay in touch with his friends who lived halfway across the globe. E-mail wasn’t an option, phone calls were very expensive, the internet was barely in its nascent stage. There was hardly any way out, save for snail mail.

Cut to 2021, the same individual who once looked at free options to stay in touch, is responsible for running and improvising a service that helps millions of people stay connected worldwide,&nbsp;on a ‘Freemium’ basis.

WION had an exclusive conversation with US-based Velchamy Sankarlingam, President, Product and Engineering at Zoom Video Communications — of course, via the same service he now is at the helm of.

Hailing from Virudhunagar, in the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu, Velchamy grew up with three sisters. His father was involved in a tin-metal business and later the sales of stoves, while their mother raised the four children. A bright student, Velchamy went to a CBSE (a national level board of education, regarded among the best in India) school in his district and later joined the well-known Montfort school in Yercaud for his 11th and 12th grade. He completed his Engineering degree from the College of Engineering, Guindy (among the oldest technical institutions in Asia), Chennai, where he first happened to experience the power of a mini-computer — a rarity in Indian academia of the 1980s. After his engineering education in the Southern Indian metropolis of Chennai, he headed abroad to pursue a specialisation in computer science and business in the US, where he is now settled. His sisters and extended family still live in their native city in Tamil Nadu.&nbsp;

At Zoom, where Velchamy joined in May 2020, after a wide-ranging experience in the Software-as-a-Service industry (including IBM, Webex, VMware), he has been responsible for scaling up operations to meet the exponential growth of their service and catering to the demands of nearly 300 million daily meeting participants, up from 10 million daily meeting participants during the pre-pandemic days.

While this figure marks an overall 30-fold growth for Zoom over their regular user-base, the company has witnessed over 60-fold growth in Velchamy’s country of origin — India. This also meant establishing data centers in Indian cities, making the product more user-friendly for diverse audiences. Besides their primary service of video calls, the company has also introduced Zoom Events (aimed at virtual conference management), Zoom Phone (voice call service across devices, meant for companies) and Zoom App Marketplace, among others.&nbsp;

Reminiscing about his formative years, Velchamy says that despite being the only son in a household with four children, his parents permitted him to define his career and choices by himself, rather than asking him to manage the family business. "My parents hadn’t gone to college, but they asked me to not worry about our family business and let me do what I felt was right. When parents guide you a lot, you don’t make many mistakes and you do fairly well, but you learn very less. In my case, I've made mistakes and learnt to get better at every subsequent step,"&nbsp;he said.&nbsp;

Regarding his education, Velchamy said he was a high-achiever who often competed closely for the top three ranks, but there was more to him than the studious youngster. He even took keen interest in playing cricket, table tennis, volley ball among other sports. He is grateful to his school Principal who emphasised about the importance of learning and understanding, as opposed to merely memorising. “"He urged us to develop primary skills and also focus on augmenting them with many other skills to enable holistic development," he recalls.

Asked to compare the Indian and American Education systems, he said that the Indian system was very structured, whereas the American system let the students pick and choose what they wanted. "I think there are pros and cons. When you're young, you need structured learning like in India, because you're not sure what to pursue. In the US, there is no fixed structure. So, when students themselves pick a certain subject, then they love it and are passionate about it. But I also see that there's a a lot of STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math) and attractive non-STEM options in India currently," he adds.&nbsp;

Interestingly, for someone who has been working on products and services that enable work-from-home experiences for millions across the globe, Velchamy has always followed the habit of being early to office and leaving late. In fact, he loves working from office. However, when he did join Zoom at the insistence of his long-time friend and Zoom Founder, CEO, Eric Yuan, Velchamy had to adapt to the pandemic work-life. "In the last year and a half that I've been at Zoom and reporting directly to the CEO, I've been to our local office only once," he laughs.&nbsp;

Velchamy’s major concern and dilemma while joining Zoom was not on the technology-front, it was on the people-front.&nbsp;"How am I going to address an entire lot of new colleagues that I've never personally known, interacted or worked with earlier," he was scared.&nbsp;He even confesses to have hesitated a bit, owing to how he'd have to break his long-held practice and start off with WFH from his very first day. However, the 18-month-long WFH experience seems to have caused a significant change in his long-held belief and practice of working from office. "Looking back, had I gone to the local office, I'd have known lot of people there and others. But today, I know upto 500 people, but I have no idea where they are. So, that's the experience I feel, immersive video makes up for lot of the stuff that we do in a physical meeting," he opines.&nbsp;

Despite not having visited his hometown in recent years and missing many things about India (especially the food and hospitality), Velchamy has stayed connected with his pals — ranging from those back in kindergarten to those from college. "For meetings you need a time and place, but the place is not important as long as its virtual. I've attended more (virtual) reunions last year than I ever have in my life," he quips.

However, he remains unmoved by the fact that these reunions of his friends and kin from across the globe are made possible by a service that he's helped scale-up. But, beyond all the bells and whistles of the virtual world he helps create and facilitate, Velchamy agrees that the feel of landing at the Madurai airport and driving down (a distance of 60kms) to his hometown Virudhunagar, is unparalleled. To Indians working and settled abroad, literal homecoming also means the freedom to casually walk-in to homes of friends and relatives in India, all sans appointment and&nbsp;Velchamy Sankarlingam is no exception to this.

Back in the late 1980s, an Indian college student in the US was figuring out ways to communicate free-of-cost and stay in touch with his friends who lived halfway across the globe.

Back in the late 1980s, an Indian college student in the US was figuring out ways to communicate free-of-cost and stay in touch with his friends who lived halfway across the globe. E-mail wasn’t an option, phone calls were very expensive, the internet was barely in its nascent stage. There was hardly any way out, save for snail mail. Cut to 2021, the same individual who once looked at free options to stay in touch, is responsible for running and improvising a service that helps millions of people stay connected worldwide, on a ‘Freemium’ basis. WION had an exclusive conversation with US-based Velchamy Sankarlingam, President, Product and Engineering at Zoom Video Communications — of course, via the same service he now is at the helm of. Hailing from Virudhunagar, in the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu, Velchamy grew up with three sisters. His father was involved in a tin-metal business and later the sales of stoves, while their mother raised the four children. A bright student, Velchamy went to a CBSE (a national level board of education, regarded among the best in India) school in his district and later joined the well-known Montfort school in Yercaud for his 11th and 12th grade. He completed his Engineering degree from the College of Engineering, Guindy (among the oldest technical institutions in Asia), Chennai, where he first happened to experience the power of a mini-computer — a rarity in Indian academia of the 1980s. After his engineering education in the Southern Indian metropolis of Chennai, he headed abroad to pursue a specialisation in computer science and business in the US, where he is now settled. His sisters and extended family still live in their native city in Tamil Nadu. At Zoom, where Velchamy joined in May 2020, after a wide-ranging experience in the Software-as-a-Service industry (including IBM, Webex, VMware), he has been responsible for scaling up operations to meet the exponential growth of their service and catering to the demands of nearly 300 million daily meeting participants, up from 10 million daily meeting participants during the pre-pandemic days. While this figure marks an overall 30-fold growth for Zoom over their regular user-base, the company has witnessed over 60-fold growth in Velchamy’s country of origin — India. This also meant establishing data centers in Indian cities, making the product more user-friendly for diverse audiences. Besides their primary service of video calls, the company has also introduced Zoom Events (aimed at virtual conference management), Zoom Phone (voice call service across devices, meant for companies) and Zoom App Marketplace, among others. Reminiscing about his formative years, Velchamy says that despite being the only son in a household with four children, his parents permitted him to define his career and choices by himself, rather than asking him to manage the family business. "My parents hadn’t gone to college, but they asked me to not worry about our family business and let me do what I felt was right. When parents guide you a lot, you don’t make many mistakes and you do fairly well, but you learn very less. In my case, I've made mistakes and learnt to get better at every subsequent step," he said. Regarding his education, Velchamy said he was a high-achiever who often competed closely for the top three ranks, but there was more to him than the studious youngster. He even took keen interest in playing cricket, table tennis, volley ball among other sports. He is grateful to his school Principal who emphasised about the importance of learning and understanding, as opposed to merely memorising. “"He urged us to develop primary skills and also focus on augmenting them with many other skills to enable holistic development," he recalls. Asked to compare the Indian and American Education systems, he said that the Indian system was very structured, whereas the American system let the students pick and choose what they wanted. "I think there are pros and cons. When you're young, you need structured learning like in India, because you're not sure what to pursue. In the US, there is no fixed structure. So, when students themselves pick a certain subject, then they love it and are passionate about it. But I also see that there's a a lot of STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math) and attractive non-STEM options in India currently," he adds. Interestingly, for someone who has been working on products and services that enable work-from-home experiences for millions across the globe, Velchamy has always followed the habit of being early to office and leaving late. In fact, he loves working from office. However, when he did join Zoom at the insistence of his long-time friend and Zoom Founder, CEO, Eric Yuan, Velchamy had to adapt to the pandemic work-life. "In the last year and a half that I've been at Zoom and reporting directly to the CEO, I've been to our local office only once," he laughs. Velchamy’s major concern and dilemma while joining Zoom was not on the technology-front, it was on the people-front. "How am I going to address an entire lot of new colleagues that I've never personally known, interacted or worked with earlier," he was scared. He even confesses to have hesitated a bit, owing to how he'd have to break his long-held practice and start off with WFH from his very first day. However, the 18-month-long WFH experience seems to have caused a significant change in his long-held belief and practice of working from office. "Looking back, had I gone to the local office, I'd have known lot of people there and others. But today, I know upto 500 people, but I have no idea where they are. So, that's the experience I feel, immersive video makes up for lot of the stuff that we do in a physical meeting," he opines. Despite not having visited his hometown in recent years and missing many things about India (especially the food and hospitality), Velchamy has stayed connected with his pals — ranging from those back in kindergarten to those from college. "For meetings you need a time and place, but the place is not important as long as its virtual. I've attended more (virtual) reunions last year than I ever have in my life," he quips. However, he remains unmoved by the fact that these reunions of his friends and kin from across the globe are made possible by a service that he's helped scale-up. But, beyond all the bells and whistles of the virtual world he helps create and facilitate, Velchamy agrees that the feel of landing at the Madurai airport and driving down (a distance of 60kms) to his hometown Virudhunagar, is unparalleled. To Indians working and settled abroad, literal homecoming also means the freedom to casually walk-in to homes of friends and relatives in India, all sans appointment and Velchamy Sankarlingam is no exception to this.

'Parents didn’t go to college, but let me pursue my dreams': Zoom’s President of Product and Engineering

Danish Ambassador to India Freddy Svane said on Saturday that judiciaries of India and Denmark were looking into the matter of Kim Davy extradition. He was asked whether the issue had figured during meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen.

"Judiciaries on both sides (India and Denmark) are looking into it. We will leave it to them. They are extremely competent and know how to handle these kinds of things," Svane told ANI.

Davy is the "key conspirator" in the 1995 Purulia arms drop case.The ambassador said that he will not go into this issue and "an agreement was made years back".On December 17, 1995, a very large consignment of illegal arms including AK47 rifles and ammunition were dropped from an Antonov An-26 aircraft and was scattered in the Purulia district.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-denmark-strike-four-agreements-stress-on-green-strategic-partnership-419443">India-Denmark strike four agreements, stress on 'Green strategic partnership'</a>

Investigator say that Davy is the main accused in the case. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said earlier this week during the weekly briefing that India remains engaged with Denmark on the issue of extradition of Kim Davy.

Meanwhile, Reenat Sandhu, Secretary (West) of Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that Kim Davy issue had figured in the talks between premiers of the two countries.

"The matter (Kim Davy extradition) was raised and we have an understanding that the legal process must go forward. Both countries are working on it," she said.

Danish Ambassador to India Freddy Svane said on Saturday that judiciaries of India and Denmark were looking into the matter of Kim Davy extradition. He was asked whether the issue had figured during meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen.

Danish Ambassador to India Freddy Svane said on Saturday that judiciaries of India and Denmark were looking into the matter of Kim Davy extradition. He was asked whether the issue had figured during meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen. "Judiciaries on both sides (India and Denmark) are looking into it. We will leave it to them. They are extremely competent and know how to handle these kinds of things," Svane told ANI. Davy is the "key conspirator" in the 1995 Purulia arms drop case.The ambassador said that he will not go into this issue and "an agreement was made years back".On December 17, 1995, a very large consignment of illegal arms including AK47 rifles and ammunition were dropped from an Antonov An-26 aircraft and was scattered in the Purulia district. Also Read | India-Denmark strike four agreements, stress on 'Green strategic partnership' Investigator say that Davy is the main accused in the case. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said earlier this week during the weekly briefing that India remains engaged with Denmark on the issue of extradition of Kim Davy. Meanwhile, Reenat Sandhu, Secretary (West) of Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that Kim Davy issue had figured in the talks between premiers of the two countries. "The matter (Kim Davy extradition) was raised and we have an understanding that the legal process must go forward. Both countries are working on it," she said.

Kim Davy extradition: India-Denmark stress on letting law take its own course

Tata Sons, on Friday, gained control of the debt-laden national carrier Air India. It was somewhat like a homecoming for the iconic Maharaja of Air India as the airline was started in 1932 by JRD Tata and was nationalised around Indian independence.&nbsp;

The new owner, the Tatas, shelled out USD 2.4 billion to acquire Air India. This is the highest amount generated through Privatisation in India.

Ratan Tata, who himself is a qualified pilot, tweeted an emotional note welcoming Air India back into Tata Group's fold.

Here's the timeline of how things shaped up before the disinvestment

July 2009 - Government appoints State Bank of India to prepare a roadmap for recovery of loss-making Air India.

April 2012 - A USD 5.8 billion bailout is cleared for Air India

March 2018 - Government takes a decision to sell controlling stake in Air India.&nbsp;

May 2018 - Not a single buyer shows interest to buy stake in Air India by the prescribed deadline.

June 2018 - Government shelves plan of sale of stake since buyers don't show interest.

December 2019 - Government decides to sell 100 per cent stake. Provides flexible debt assumption terms.

October 2020 - Government gets 2 bids after pushing ahead the deadline twice.

September 2021 - Finance ministry says that Tata Sons and SpiceJet promoter Ajay Singh have submitted financial bids.

October 8, 2021 - Tata Sons is declared as the winning bidder

Tata Sons, on Friday, gained control of the debt-laden national carrier Air India. It was somewhat like a homecoming for the iconic Maharaja of Air India as the airline was started in 1932 by JRD Tata and was nationalised around Indian independence.

Tata Sons, on Friday, gained control of the debt-laden national carrier Air India. It was somewhat like a homecoming for the iconic Maharaja of Air India as the airline was started in 1932 by JRD Tata and was nationalised around Indian independence. The new owner, the Tatas, shelled out USD 2.4 billion to acquire Air India. This is the highest amount generated through Privatisation in India. Ratan Tata, who himself is a qualified pilot, tweeted an emotional note welcoming Air India back into Tata Group's fold. Here's the timeline of how things shaped up before the disinvestment July 2009 - Government appoints State Bank of India to prepare a roadmap for recovery of loss-making Air India. April 2012 - A USD 5.8 billion bailout is cleared for Air India March 2018 - Government takes a decision to sell controlling stake in Air India. May 2018 - Not a single buyer shows interest to buy stake in Air India by the prescribed deadline. June 2018 - Government shelves plan of sale of stake since buyers don't show interest. December 2019 - Government decides to sell 100 per cent stake. Provides flexible debt assumption terms. October 2020 - Government gets 2 bids after pushing ahead the deadline twice. September 2021 - Finance ministry says that Tata Sons and SpiceJet promoter Ajay Singh have submitted financial bids. October 8, 2021 - Tata Sons is declared as the winning bidder

How Maharaja returned 'home': Timeline of Air India disinvestment

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reached&nbsp;Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi, India, where she was welcomed by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.

She was received by&nbsp;Minister of state (MoS) for external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi at the airport.

Frederiksen is on a three-day visit to India,&nbsp;becoming the first head of government to visit New Delhi in over 20 months. The last time any foreign leader visited India was Myanmar's President Win Myint from February 26&nbsp;to 29, 2020 and the&nbsp;then US President Donald Trump. The reason behind the lack of visit of foreign leaders has been the coronavirus pandemic.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/denmark-pm-prime-minister-mette-frederiksen-arrives-in-delhi-419337">WATCH |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/denmark-pm-prime-minister-mette-frederiksen-arrives-in-delhi-419337/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"We consider India as a close partner. I see this visit as a milestone for Denmark-India bilateral relations," the Danish PM said on Saturday morning.

She also visited Rajghat to pay respects in form of floral tribute to&nbsp;Mahatma Gandhi.

Her visit comes after India's&nbsp;Minister of external affairs S Jaishankar visited Denmark at the beginning of this year.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/with-normalcy-underway-denmark-pm-to-become-first-world-leader-to-visit-india-in-20-months-419079">With normalcy underway, Denmark PM to become first world leader to visit India in 20 months</a>

The Danish PM is now in India to discuss details about 'Green Strategic Partnership'. The two countries had held a virtual summit on the topic in September 2020 as the two sides want to work together&nbsp;on&nbsp;green growth by focusing on an ambitious implementation of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Greetings to our Green Partner! 
 
MOS <a href="https://twitter.com/M_Lekhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@M_Lekhi</a> receives the Danish PM <a href="https://twitter.com/Statsmin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Statsmin</a> H.E. Ms. Mette Frederiksen on her first State Visit to India. 
 
An opportunity to review and further the India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership. <a href="https://t.co/LsxMfbDWR4">pic.twitter.com/LsxMfbDWR4</a>
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1446597368476880901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"In a few weeks now COP26 Glasgow coming up and I am hopeful that we can use this meeting to agree on how we can support the rest of the world," she said.

The Danish PM will also hold bilateral talks with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in addition to interacting with think tanks, students and members of civil society. The two leaders are scheduled to meet at 11:30 am (IST) at the&nbsp;Hyderabad House which will be followed by a exchange of Agreements and Press Statement.

"Last year I and&nbsp;PM Modi signed and agree on a green strategic partnership. We see an ambitious Indian government to take great responsibility when it comes to green transition in India and rest of the world," she said.

She sat down for a detailed discussion with the Indian PM at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi. "India and Denmark continued its cooperation even during the pandemic. In our virtual summit an year ago, we had taken the historic decision of green strategic partnership," PM Modi said. "During the COVID19 pandemic, India and Denmark have continued their cooperation. During our virtual summit, we had decided to establish a Green Strategic Partnership between our two countries. Today, we reviewed and reiterated our commitment on this."

Furthering ideas of Indian OM, the Danish leader said, "We are two democratic nations that believe in an international system based on rules. Cooperation between India and Denmark is a great example of how green growth and green transition can go hand in hand."

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reached Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi, India, where she was welcomed by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. She was received by Minister of state (MoS) for external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi at the airport.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reached Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi, India, where she was welcomed by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. She was received by Minister of state (MoS) for external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi at the airport. Frederiksen is on a three-day visit to India, becoming the first head of government to visit New Delhi in over 20 months. The last time any foreign leader visited India was Myanmar's President Win Myint from February 26 to 29, 2020 and the then US President Donald Trump. The reason behind the lack of visit of foreign leaders has been the coronavirus pandemic. WATCH | "We consider India as a close partner. I see this visit as a milestone for Denmark-India bilateral relations," the Danish PM said on Saturday morning. She also visited Rajghat to pay respects in form of floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. Her visit comes after India's Minister of external affairs S Jaishankar visited Denmark at the beginning of this year. Also read | With normalcy underway, Denmark PM to become first world leader to visit India in 20 months The Danish PM is now in India to discuss details about 'Green Strategic Partnership'. The two countries had held a virtual summit on the topic in September 2020 as the two sides want to work together on green growth by focusing on an ambitious implementation of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Greetings to our Green Partner! MOS @M_Lekhi receives the Danish PM @Statsmin H.E. Ms. Mette Frederiksen on her first State Visit to India. An opportunity to review and further the India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership. pic.twitter.com/LsxMfbDWR4 — Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) October 8, 2021 × "In a few weeks now COP26 Glasgow coming up and I am hopeful that we can use this meeting to agree on how we can support the rest of the world," she said. The Danish PM will also hold bilateral talks with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in addition to interacting with think tanks, students and members of civil society. The two leaders are scheduled to meet at 11:30 am (IST) at the Hyderabad House which will be followed by a exchange of Agreements and Press Statement. "Last year I and PM Modi signed and agree on a green strategic partnership. We see an ambitious Indian government to take great responsibility when it comes to green transition in India and rest of the world," she said. She sat down for a detailed discussion with the Indian PM at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi. "India and Denmark continued its cooperation even during the pandemic. In our virtual summit an year ago, we had taken the historic decision of green strategic partnership," PM Modi said. "During the COVID19 pandemic, India and Denmark have continued their cooperation. During our virtual summit, we had decided to establish a Green Strategic Partnership between our two countries. Today, we reviewed and reiterated our commitment on this." Furthering ideas of Indian OM, the Danish leader said, "We are two democratic nations that believe in an international system based on rules. Cooperation between India and Denmark is a great example of how green growth and green transition can go hand in hand."

'Thankful to be here': Denmark PM meets PM Modi on a three-day India visit

Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will be visiting India over the weekend, becoming the first head of government to visit New Delhi in over 20 months.&nbsp;

Delhi has been a busy capital, with a lot of incoming visits,&nbsp;but this was impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last such visit of any head of state was of Myanmar's President U Win Myint from February 26th to 29th, 2020.&nbsp;

That same month saw the high profile visit of then US President Donald Trump. He visited Indian states including, Ahmedabad, Agra and Delhi.

India was impacted by the devastating second wave of COVID-19 pandemic this year. However, the situation has improved significantly. 92.63 crore vaccine doses have been administered.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-crisis-eu-uk-us-denmark-pitch-in-to-assist-india-380206">Also read |&nbsp;Covid Crisis: EU, UK, US, Denmark pitch in to assist India</a>

The country has reported just 22,431 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours.&nbsp;Active cases account for less than 1 per cent of the total cases, the lowest since March 2020, reveals government data. Recovery data is also highest since March 2020.

The visit of Denmark PM highlights India's increased engagement with the Nordics.&nbsp;

In September 2020, both India and Denmark held a virtual summit and established a unique and one of a kind ‘Green Strategic Partnership’. The partnership aims at green growth by focussing on an ambitious implementation of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Denmark will also hold the next India-Nordic summit.

A release from the ministry of external affairs said, "India-Denmark bilateral relations are marked by regular high-level exchanges and are based on historical links, common democratic traditions and shared desire for regional as well as international peace and stability".&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/amid-covid-19-worries-second-india-nordic-summit-postponed-386017">Also read |&nbsp;Amid COVID-19 worries, second India-Nordic summit postponed</a>

Saturday will be the main day of engagement as both the Prime Ministers will hold talks.&nbsp;The visiting PM will be interacting with think tanks, students and members of civil society.&nbsp;

There are over 200 Danish companies present in India and over 60 Indian companies have a presence in Denmark. Both countries already have strong collaboration in the fields of renewable energy, clean technologies, water and waste management, agriculture and animal husbandry, science &amp; technology, digitisation including ICT, smart cities, shipping, etc.

Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will be visiting India over the weekend, becoming the first head of government to visit New Delhi in over 20 months. Delhi has been a busy capital, with a lot of incoming visits, but this was impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will be visiting India over the weekend, becoming the first head of government to visit New Delhi in over 20 months. Delhi has been a busy capital, with a lot of incoming visits, but this was impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last such visit of any head of state was of Myanmar's President U Win Myint from February 26th to 29th, 2020. That same month saw the high profile visit of then US President Donald Trump. He visited Indian states including, Ahmedabad, Agra and Delhi. India was impacted by the devastating second wave of COVID-19 pandemic this year. However, the situation has improved significantly. 92.63 crore vaccine doses have been administered. Also read | Covid Crisis: EU, UK, US, Denmark pitch in to assist India The country has reported just 22,431 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Active cases account for less than 1 per cent of the total cases, the lowest since March 2020, reveals government data. Recovery data is also highest since March 2020. The visit of Denmark PM highlights India's increased engagement with the Nordics. In September 2020, both India and Denmark held a virtual summit and established a unique and one of a kind ‘Green Strategic Partnership’. The partnership aims at green growth by focussing on an ambitious implementation of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Denmark will also hold the next India-Nordic summit. A release from the ministry of external affairs said, "India-Denmark bilateral relations are marked by regular high-level exchanges and are based on historical links, common democratic traditions and shared desire for regional as well as international peace and stability". Also read | Amid COVID-19 worries, second India-Nordic summit postponed Saturday will be the main day of engagement as both the Prime Ministers will hold talks. The visiting PM will be interacting with think tanks, students and members of civil society. There are over 200 Danish companies present in India and over 60 Indian companies have a presence in Denmark. Both countries already have strong collaboration in the fields of renewable energy, clean technologies, water and waste management, agriculture and animal husbandry, science & technology, digitisation including ICT, smart cities, shipping, etc.

With normalcy underway, Denmark PM to become first world leader to visit India in 20 months

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