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<p>Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Wednesday began a two-day visit to Italy with an aim to further expand bilateral strategic cooperation.</p>

<p>He arrived in Italy from the United Kingdom on the second leg of his two-nation tour.</p>

<p>"General MM Naravane #COAS arrived at #Italy on a two-day visit. The visit aims to further strengthen strategic and defence cooperation between both the countries," the Army tweeted.</p>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">General MM Naravane <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COAS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COAS</a> proceeded on a four day visit to United Kingdom, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UK</a> followed by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Italy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Italy</a>. The visit aims to further strengthen strategic and defence cooperation with both the countries.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaUKFriendship?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaUKFriendship</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaItalyFriendship?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaItalyFriendship</a> <a href="https://t.co/gxraPJKr0d">pic.twitter.com/gxraPJKr0d</a></p>
— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) <a href="https://twitter.com/adgpi/status/1411583060345229312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Officials said the Army Chief will be holding important discussions with the Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Staff of the Italian Army in Rome.</p>

<p>He is also scheduled to inaugurate an Indian Army memorial in the famous town of Cassino.</p>

<p>The memorial has been built to pay homage to Indian soldiers who lost their lives during World War II.&nbsp;</p>


Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Wednesday began a two-day visit to Italy with an aim to further expand bilateral strategic cooperation. He arrived in Italy from the United Kingdom on the second leg of his two-nation tour.

Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Wednesday began a two-day visit to Italy with an aim to further expand bilateral strategic cooperation. He arrived in Italy from the United Kingdom on the second leg of his two-nation tour. "General MM Naravane #COAS arrived at #Italy on a two-day visit. The visit aims to further strengthen strategic and defence cooperation between both the countries," the Army tweeted. General MM Naravane #COAS proceeded on a four day visit to United Kingdom, #UK followed by #Italy. The visit aims to further strengthen strategic and defence cooperation with both the countries.#IndiaUKFriendship #IndiaItalyFriendship pic.twitter.com/gxraPJKr0d — ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) July 4, 2021 × Officials said the Army Chief will be holding important discussions with the Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Staff of the Italian Army in Rome. He is also scheduled to inaugurate an Indian Army memorial in the famous town of Cassino. The memorial has been built to pay homage to Indian soldiers who lost their lives during World War II.

Army Chief Gen Naravane begins two-day visit to Italy

The United Nations body on human rights has expressed anguish over the death of Jesuit priest Stan Swamy. The death of 84-year old tribal rights activist as a pre-trial prisoner in the Bhima Koregaon case has led to widespread expressions.

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India's legendary actor Dilip Kumar, who was popularly known as the 'tragedy king' of Bollywood, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 98. The actor had been witnessing age-related health issues.

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<p>PM Modi on Wednesday reshuffled the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-reshuffles-cabinet-jyotiraditya-scindia-among-others-take-oath-396550"><strong>Union Cabinet&nbsp;</strong></a>as high profile ministers handed over their resignation ahead of the oath-taking ceremony.</p>

<p>It is the first cabinet expansion of PM Modi's&nbsp;second term in office. The cabinet list includes new and existing ministers. <strong>President Ram Nath Kovind</strong> administered the oath of office to the new ministers at the Durbar Hall in Rashtrapati Bhavan.</p>

<p><strong>Narayan Tatu Rane</strong>,<strong> Sarbananda Sonowal</strong> and <strong>Dr Virendra Kumar </strong>took oath as ministers with PM Modi and&nbsp;home minister Amit Shah in attendance.</p>

<p><strong>Jyotiraditya Scindia</strong>, Ramachandra Prasad Singh&nbsp;and Ashwini Vasihnaw also took oath.&nbsp;<strong>Hardeep Singh Pur</strong>i, Mansukh Mandaviya, Bhupender Yadav, Pashupati Kumar Paras, <strong>Kiren Rijiju </strong>and Raj Kumar Singh were also sworn in as ministers in the cabinet by President Kovind.</p>

<p>Parshottam Rupala, G Kishan Reddy and <strong>Anurag Thakur </strong>were also inducted as ministers including&nbsp;Pankaj Choudhary, Anupriya Singh Patel and Satya Pal Singh Baghel.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Rajeev Chandrasekhar</strong>, Shobha Karandlaje and Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma were also sworn in as ministers.&nbsp;A Narayanaswamy, Kaushal Kishore and Ajay Bhatt took&nbsp;oath as ministers including&nbsp;<strong>Meenakshi Lekhi</strong>, Darshana Vikram Jardosh and Annpurna Devi.</p>

<p>BL Verma, Ajay Kumar and <strong>Chauhan Devusinh</strong> also took oath as cabinet ministers.&nbsp;Bhagwanth Khuba, Kapil Moreshwar Patil and Pratima Bhoumik also took oath.</p>

<p>Subhas Sarkar, Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Bharati Pravin Pawar, <strong>Bishweswar Tudu </strong>and Shantanu Thakur took oath as ministers.</p>

<p>There were 15 ministers inducted into the Union Cabinet including Jyotiraditya Scindia, <strong>Sarbananda Sonowal</strong>, Anurag Thakur, Kiren Rijiju&nbsp;and Hardeep Puri with 28 ministers inducted as <strong>ministers of state </strong>including Meenakshi Lekhi, <strong>Pankaj Choudhary</strong>, Anupriya Patel and Karandlaje.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ahead of announcing the cabinet reshuffle by the <strong>Modi</strong> government, several ministers on Wednesday handed over their resignation including health minister <strong>Harsh Vardhan</strong>, education minister <strong>Ramesh Pokhriyal</strong> and chemicals and fertilisers minister <strong>D V Sadananda Gowda</strong>.</p>

<p>Minister of state for environment<strong> Babul Supriyo </strong>also resigned from the Union Cabinet including minister of state for women and child development<strong> Debasree Chaudhuri </strong>and minister of state&nbsp;Shakti Rattan Lal Kataria.</p>

<p>Union Minister for law and information technology&nbsp;<strong>Ravi Shankar Prasad</strong> also resigned from the cabinet.</p>

<p>Several ministers had earlier met PM Modi at his&nbsp;residence ahead of the reshuffle including BJP's Narayan Rane, Sarbananda Sonowal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Bhupender Yadav, Sunita Duggal, <strong>JD(U)'s </strong>R C P Singh, LJP's Pashupati Paras,&nbsp;<strong>Apna Dal's </strong>Anupriya Patel and&nbsp;Meenakshi Lekhi among others.</p>

<p>(With inputs from Agencies)</p>


PM Modi on Wednesday reshuffled the Union Cabinet as high profile ministers handed over their resignation ahead of the oath-taking ceremony. It is the first cabinet expansion of PM Modi's second term in office.

PM Modi on Wednesday reshuffled the Union Cabinet as high profile ministers handed over their resignation ahead of the oath-taking ceremony. It is the first cabinet expansion of PM Modi's second term in office. The cabinet list includes new and existing ministers. President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office to the new ministers at the Durbar Hall in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Narayan Tatu Rane, Sarbananda Sonowal and Dr Virendra Kumar took oath as ministers with PM Modi and home minister Amit Shah in attendance. Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ramachandra Prasad Singh and Ashwini Vasihnaw also took oath. Hardeep Singh Puri, Mansukh Mandaviya, Bhupender Yadav, Pashupati Kumar Paras, Kiren Rijiju and Raj Kumar Singh were also sworn in as ministers in the cabinet by President Kovind. Parshottam Rupala, G Kishan Reddy and Anurag Thakur were also inducted as ministers including Pankaj Choudhary, Anupriya Singh Patel and Satya Pal Singh Baghel. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Shobha Karandlaje and Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma were also sworn in as ministers. A Narayanaswamy, Kaushal Kishore and Ajay Bhatt took oath as ministers including Meenakshi Lekhi, Darshana Vikram Jardosh and Annpurna Devi. BL Verma, Ajay Kumar and Chauhan Devusinh also took oath as cabinet ministers. Bhagwanth Khuba, Kapil Moreshwar Patil and Pratima Bhoumik also took oath. Subhas Sarkar, Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Bharati Pravin Pawar, Bishweswar Tudu and Shantanu Thakur took oath as ministers. There were 15 ministers inducted into the Union Cabinet including Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sarbananda Sonowal, Anurag Thakur, Kiren Rijiju and Hardeep Puri with 28 ministers inducted as ministers of state including Meenakshi Lekhi, Pankaj Choudhary, Anupriya Patel and Karandlaje. Ahead of announcing the cabinet reshuffle by the Modi government, several ministers on Wednesday handed over their resignation including health minister Harsh Vardhan, education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal and chemicals and fertilisers minister D V Sadananda Gowda. Minister of state for environment Babul Supriyo also resigned from the Union Cabinet including minister of state for women and child development Debasree Chaudhuri and minister of state Shakti Rattan Lal Kataria. Union Minister for law and information technology Ravi Shankar Prasad also resigned from the cabinet. Several ministers had earlier met PM Modi at his residence ahead of the reshuffle including BJP's Narayan Rane, Sarbananda Sonowal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Bhupender Yadav, Sunita Duggal, JD(U)'s R C P Singh, LJP's Pashupati Paras, Apna Dal's Anupriya Patel and Meenakshi Lekhi among others. (With inputs from Agencies)

PM Modi reshuffles cabinet; Jyotiraditya Scindia among others take oath

In an unexpected move, Ravi Shankar Prasad, who held key portfolios of law and information technology, and Prakash Javadekar, the minister for environment, information and broadcasting and heavy industries, stepped down.

India: 43 new lawmakers take oath as PM Modi's cabinet expands

India's Foreign minister S. Jaishankar is set to leave for Russia this week to meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. It is expected that both the ministers would talk over Afghanistan's current situation. Russia has been a time-tested partner for India and the country has been a key pillar of New Delhi’s foreign policy.

Afghanistan turmoil to be focus on S Jaishankar's visit to Russia

<p>Pashmina from the Kashmir Valley is extremely famous, but little is known about the Silk produced in Kashmir. The Mulberry Silk from Kashmir valley is considered of high quality with great demand from across the world.</p>

<p>It is sold across the world with huge demand from buyers. But the main Silk Factory in Jammu Kashmir's summer capital Srinagar was completely damaged in the 2014 floods. And now, with the help of the World Bank, this heritage factory is being restored to its previous&nbsp;glory.&nbsp;</p>

<p>''When we had floods in 2014, more than 50 percent of the machinery was damaged, we have two sections, one is throwing section another one is weaving, we had lost 50 percent of spindles damaged. Earlier, we used to produce 38 varieties of silk but due to the damage, we went down to eight,'' said&nbsp;Zameer Ilahi, Manager of a&nbsp;Silk Factory in Kashmir.</p>

<p>''Due to the machinery and the yarn we use in silk. We couldn't change the twist and because of that we had fixed varieties. We got new machines and equipment and they are class apart, warping and new looms. whatever technical issues we were facing are now being taken care of and we are making new varieties . We will be able to to make 2.5 lakh meters of silk every year,&nbsp;'' he added.</p>

<p>Around 50 thousand families are associated with silk in the Kashmir Valley. And now the world bank has sponsored the restoration of this factory by funding it with more than 12 crore rupees.&nbsp;</p>

<p>''For the first time ever in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, we have actually done a survey and a comprehensive database of artisans has been created. Roundabout 3.5 lakh artisans have been enrolled in that database and we now know which artist caters to which industry. We are targeting 40 thousand families at the end of our project in the silk industry and the revival of the silk industry to make sure in the second stage we link it up with markets like e-commerce so as to provide them a global market. As a result, the&nbsp;industry can revive back to its pristine glory. '' said Abid Rashid Shah, CEO JKERA.</p>

<p>More than 35 varieties of Silk are produced in the Kashmir Valley. And the artisans working in this industry are happy that they will be able to work again to produce world-quality silk in the valley.&nbsp;</p>

<p>'' Since 1984 I have been working here. Due to floods, we lost everything, the new machinery is good, 36 people work here in total. This is a great factory where I have been earning my bread and butter. The money I made here is the reason I could run my house and pay for the education of my children. '' said Fateh Mohammad, Worker.</p>

<p>The new machinery has also helped the artisans in taking off a lot of workload. ''I have been working here for last 30 years, I have been drafting the silk since we lost everything in the 2014 floods and no machine was working. everything we had made, we lost it and even the stuff we have in the showroom was lost too. we used to work on old machines manually but with the new ones we don't have to do much. '' said Mohd Rafiq, Worker.</p>

<p>The factory's resurrection is part of the government's plan to boost silk production across Jammu and Kashmir. 50 thousand cocoon-producing farmers will be benefitted by it.&nbsp;</p>


Pashmina from the Kashmir Valley is extremely famous, but little is known about the Silk produced in Kashmir. The Mulberry Silk from Kashmir valley is considered of high quality with great demand from across the world.

Pashmina from the Kashmir Valley is extremely famous, but little is known about the Silk produced in Kashmir. The Mulberry Silk from Kashmir valley is considered of high quality with great demand from across the world. It is sold across the world with huge demand from buyers. But the main Silk Factory in Jammu Kashmir's summer capital Srinagar was completely damaged in the 2014 floods. And now, with the help of the World Bank, this heritage factory is being restored to its previous glory. ''When we had floods in 2014, more than 50 percent of the machinery was damaged, we have two sections, one is throwing section another one is weaving, we had lost 50 percent of spindles damaged. Earlier, we used to produce 38 varieties of silk but due to the damage, we went down to eight,'' said Zameer Ilahi, Manager of a Silk Factory in Kashmir. ''Due to the machinery and the yarn we use in silk. We couldn't change the twist and because of that we had fixed varieties. We got new machines and equipment and they are class apart, warping and new looms. whatever technical issues we were facing are now being taken care of and we are making new varieties . We will be able to to make 2.5 lakh meters of silk every year, '' he added. Around 50 thousand families are associated with silk in the Kashmir Valley. And now the world bank has sponsored the restoration of this factory by funding it with more than 12 crore rupees. ''For the first time ever in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, we have actually done a survey and a comprehensive database of artisans has been created. Roundabout 3.5 lakh artisans have been enrolled in that database and we now know which artist caters to which industry. We are targeting 40 thousand families at the end of our project in the silk industry and the revival of the silk industry to make sure in the second stage we link it up with markets like e-commerce so as to provide them a global market. As a result, the industry can revive back to its pristine glory. '' said Abid Rashid Shah, CEO JKERA. More than 35 varieties of Silk are produced in the Kashmir Valley. And the artisans working in this industry are happy that they will be able to work again to produce world-quality silk in the valley. '' Since 1984 I have been working here. Due to floods, we lost everything, the new machinery is good, 36 people work here in total. This is a great factory where I have been earning my bread and butter. The money I made here is the reason I could run my house and pay for the education of my children. '' said Fateh Mohammad, Worker. The new machinery has also helped the artisans in taking off a lot of workload. ''I have been working here for last 30 years, I have been drafting the silk since we lost everything in the 2014 floods and no machine was working. everything we had made, we lost it and even the stuff we have in the showroom was lost too. we used to work on old machines manually but with the new ones we don't have to do much. '' said Mohd Rafiq, Worker. The factory's resurrection is part of the government's plan to boost silk production across Jammu and Kashmir. 50 thousand cocoon-producing farmers will be benefitted by it.

Century old silk factory renovated, 50 thousand families to benefit in valley

<p>Ahead of the Union Cabinet expansion on Wednesday evening, ministerial probables met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence.</p>

<p>Those meeting PM Modi included BJP's Narayan Rane, Sarbananda Sonowal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ajay Bhatt, Bhupender Yadav, Shobha Karandlaje, Sunita Duggal, Meenakshi Lekhi, Bharati Pawar, Shantanu Thakur and Kapil Patil, JD(U)'s R C P Singh, LJP's Pashupati Paras and Apna Dal's Anupriya Patel.</p>

<p>Some ministers of state, including G Kishan Reddy, Parshottam Rupala and Anurag Thakur, were also there, and they may be elevated, sources said.</p>

<p>Sources added that around 43 persons, including those getting a promotion, may take oath, and they will be a mix of youth and those with administrative experience, including former chief ministers.</p>

<p>Union ministers R K Singh, Mansukh Mandaviya and Hardeep Singh Puri may also be promoted, they said.</p>

<p>BJP president J P Nadda was present during the meetings.</p>

<p>The expansion exercise is scheduled to be held at 6 pm at Rashtrapati Bhawan.</p>

<p>Amid the buzz that Modi may also drop some ministers, Union minister Santosh Gangwar and minister of state for women and child development Debasree Chaudhuri have quit.</p>

<p>This will be the first reshuffle in his council of ministers by Modi since he assumed charge for a second term in May 2019.</p>

<p>The prime minister is expected to bring in young faces and give representation to various social groups and regions in the reshuffle.&nbsp;</p>


Ahead of the Union Cabinet expansion on Wednesday evening, ministerial probables met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence. Those meeting PM Modi included BJP's Narayan Rane, Sarbananda Sonowal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ajay Bhatt, Bhupender Yadav, Shobha Karandlaje, Sunita Duggal, Meenakshi Lekhi, Bharati Pawar, Shantanu Thakur and Kapil Patil, JD(U)'s R C P Singh, LJP's Pashupati Paras and Apna Dal's Anupriya Patel.

Ahead of the Union Cabinet expansion on Wednesday evening, ministerial probables met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence. Those meeting PM Modi included BJP's Narayan Rane, Sarbananda Sonowal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ajay Bhatt, Bhupender Yadav, Shobha Karandlaje, Sunita Duggal, Meenakshi Lekhi, Bharati Pawar, Shantanu Thakur and Kapil Patil, JD(U)'s R C P Singh, LJP's Pashupati Paras and Apna Dal's Anupriya Patel. Some ministers of state, including G Kishan Reddy, Parshottam Rupala and Anurag Thakur, were also there, and they may be elevated, sources said. Sources added that around 43 persons, including those getting a promotion, may take oath, and they will be a mix of youth and those with administrative experience, including former chief ministers. Union ministers R K Singh, Mansukh Mandaviya and Hardeep Singh Puri may also be promoted, they said. BJP president J P Nadda was present during the meetings. The expansion exercise is scheduled to be held at 6 pm at Rashtrapati Bhawan. Amid the buzz that Modi may also drop some ministers, Union minister Santosh Gangwar and minister of state for women and child development Debasree Chaudhuri have quit. This will be the first reshuffle in his council of ministers by Modi since he assumed charge for a second term in May 2019. The prime minister is expected to bring in young faces and give representation to various social groups and regions in the reshuffle.

Leaders meet PM Modi ahead of cabinet expansion

<p>Mehul Choksi, a fugitive businessman, has filed a judicial review petition in the Dominica High Court, alleging that his detention for illegal immigration was "dictated" by Indian government officials.</p>

<p>Choksi's lawyers said that the police chief and investigating officer's decision to charge him was not "their independent judgement" and that it was a "abuse of the court process."&nbsp;</p>

<p>The case was filed against the immigration minister of the Caribbean nation, its police chief and the investigating officer of the case.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Choksi, who went missing from Antigua and Barbuda where he had been living since 2018 after his escape from India, was arrested on May 23 in neighbouring Dominica for illegal entry. He was declared a prohibited immigrant by the Ministry of Immigration in Dominica.</p>

<p>The 62-year-old diamantaire, who is wanted in connection with a $2 billion Punjab National Bank scam, has filed a complaint with Dominica's high court, claiming that Acting Chief of Police Lincoln Corbette and investigating Officer Sergeant Alleyne's decision to charge him with illegal entry was "not a product of their independent judgement."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"...they allowed themselves to be dictated by third parties, representatives of the Indian government...," Choksi alleged.</p>

<p>Seeking to quash the proceedings against him, Choksi pleaded before the high court that the decision to charge him for illegal entry was violative of law and accordingly, null and void, Caribbean media outlet Nature Isle News reported.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from PTI)</em></p>


Mehul Choksi, a fugitive businessman, has filed a judicial review petition in the Dominica High Court, alleging that his detention for illegal immigration was "dictated" by Indian government officials.

Mehul Choksi, a fugitive businessman, has filed a judicial review petition in the Dominica High Court, alleging that his detention for illegal immigration was "dictated" by Indian government officials. Choksi's lawyers said that the police chief and investigating officer's decision to charge him was not "their independent judgement" and that it was a "abuse of the court process." The case was filed against the immigration minister of the Caribbean nation, its police chief and the investigating officer of the case. Choksi, who went missing from Antigua and Barbuda where he had been living since 2018 after his escape from India, was arrested on May 23 in neighbouring Dominica for illegal entry. He was declared a prohibited immigrant by the Ministry of Immigration in Dominica. The 62-year-old diamantaire, who is wanted in connection with a $2 billion Punjab National Bank scam, has filed a complaint with Dominica's high court, claiming that Acting Chief of Police Lincoln Corbette and investigating Officer Sergeant Alleyne's decision to charge him with illegal entry was "not a product of their independent judgement." "...they allowed themselves to be dictated by third parties, representatives of the Indian government...," Choksi alleged. Seeking to quash the proceedings against him, Choksi pleaded before the high court that the decision to charge him for illegal entry was violative of law and accordingly, null and void, Caribbean media outlet Nature Isle News reported. (With inputs from PTI)

Mehul Choksi says his arrest 'dictated by Indian govt', moves Dominica court

Nissan India has launched an integrated general awareness and safety campaign with cricketer Kapil Dev that aims to educate & empower India against COVID-19 through Cricket. WION talks to the Managing Director of Nissan India, Rakesh Srivastava about this campaign.

Nissan India launches campaign with cricketer Kapil Dev to promote COVID-19 awareness

<p>Nazar Dianov, a 4-year-old Russian boy is now able to walk and play after having undergone a successful bilateral lung transplant at a hospital in the Southern Indian city of Chennai. Owing to a birth defect (of unknown cause) called ‘fibrosing alveolitis’, he had to be put on a ventilator, barely two months after he was born in his home country.<br />
<br />
Following this, the six-month-old baby had also undergone a tracheostomy(inserting a tube into the windpipe to aid breathing via oxygen supply and ventilator support) and later brought to Chennai for further treatment.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
According to Doctors at MGM Healthcare, the young patient was on a ventilator for three years in Chennai, until a suitable lung donor (cadaver) was found. It was a 2-year old brain dead donor from Surat, in the Western Indian State of Gujarat that offered the Russian a new lease of life. The major challenge and delay, in this case, is associated with the requirement of a small lung that would be suitable for the baby patient. Being on a ventilator for such a long period also makes the patient’s condition even more complicated, as patients on ventilators can develop infections in under a week.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
It was in mid-December 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, that a team of 20-doctors successfully performed the transplant procedure under the leadership of Dr K.R. Balakrishnan, Director Heart and Lung Transplant Program. Despite the patient having being under ventilator support for three years, Doctors said, that the new pair of lungs are responding well in the patient. According to the hospital, the boy is presently off the ventilator and on minimal oxygen support and they how he will be able to live a normal life in the coming times.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Responding to WION’s queries about what caused this condition in the infant, Doctors said that it was a rare, mutated birth defect. “In Russia, they don’t have pediatric organ donation by Law, hence their doctors referred the family to us in India. However, there is very little awareness about pediatric lung transplants, even in India, as it is not done very commonly. We have hardly seen any such cases come to us” they added when asked about such cases in India and the choice of an Indian hospital.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Highlighting the importance of organ donation in saving lives, the Doctors urged the masses to understand and acknowledge that “we don’t need our organs after we are gone”. They estimated that 90% of the liver and kidney transplants are from live donors, whereas heart and lungs are very rare as they are cadaver dependent, thus causing a long, sometimes endless wait.</p>


Nazar Dianov, a 4-year-old Russian boy is now able to walk and play after having undergone a successful bilateral lung transplant at a hospital in the Southern Indian city of Chennai.

Nazar Dianov, a 4-year-old Russian boy is now able to walk and play after having undergone a successful bilateral lung transplant at a hospital in the Southern Indian city of Chennai. Owing to a birth defect (of unknown cause) called ‘fibrosing alveolitis’, he had to be put on a ventilator, barely two months after he was born in his home country. Following this, the six-month-old baby had also undergone a tracheostomy(inserting a tube into the windpipe to aid breathing via oxygen supply and ventilator support) and later brought to Chennai for further treatment. According to Doctors at MGM Healthcare, the young patient was on a ventilator for three years in Chennai, until a suitable lung donor (cadaver) was found. It was a 2-year old brain dead donor from Surat, in the Western Indian State of Gujarat that offered the Russian a new lease of life. The major challenge and delay, in this case, is associated with the requirement of a small lung that would be suitable for the baby patient. Being on a ventilator for such a long period also makes the patient’s condition even more complicated, as patients on ventilators can develop infections in under a week. It was in mid-December 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, that a team of 20-doctors successfully performed the transplant procedure under the leadership of Dr K.R. Balakrishnan, Director Heart and Lung Transplant Program. Despite the patient having being under ventilator support for three years, Doctors said, that the new pair of lungs are responding well in the patient. According to the hospital, the boy is presently off the ventilator and on minimal oxygen support and they how he will be able to live a normal life in the coming times. Responding to WION’s queries about what caused this condition in the infant, Doctors said that it was a rare, mutated birth defect. “In Russia, they don’t have pediatric organ donation by Law, hence their doctors referred the family to us in India. However, there is very little awareness about pediatric lung transplants, even in India, as it is not done very commonly. We have hardly seen any such cases come to us” they added when asked about such cases in India and the choice of an Indian hospital. Highlighting the importance of organ donation in saving lives, the Doctors urged the masses to understand and acknowledge that “we don’t need our organs after we are gone”. They estimated that 90% of the liver and kidney transplants are from live donors, whereas heart and lungs are very rare as they are cadaver dependent, thus causing a long, sometimes endless wait.

Russian child on ventilator for 3 years recovers after receiving bilateral lung transplant in India

<p>After overcoming great difficulties during the COVID-19 crisis, Indian national Arshdeep Singh, 25, arrived in Delhi on Monday after being airlifted from Melbourne, Australia.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Arshdeep has been diagnosed with a life-threatening condition and is suffering from chronic renal failure.</p>

<p>For his repatriation, the governments of India and Australia came together. He was sent home via a special flight operated by Qantas, which was exclusively dedicated to Arshdeep and had paramedic equipment on board.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The Consulate General in Melbourne facilitated booking of air-ticket on the Australian carrier. On arrival, he was taken to a hospital in Gurgaon.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/dowry-payments-still-largely-taking-place-in-india-study-395969" hreflang="en">Dowry payments still largely taking place in India: Study</a></strong></p>

<p>Earlier, his mother, Inderjeet Kaur, had filed a petition at the Delhi High Court seeking the intervention of the Indian government so that she could meet him in Australia. There have been restrictions on the movement between the two countries due to the pandemic. "We are thankful to everyone", Kunwar Singh, brother-in-law of Arshdeep, said.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Arshdeep Singh at New Delhi airport." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1a8ea5b-e05a-400e-acc6-08d343b314d3" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/arshdeep.jpg" /><br />
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<em>Arshdeep Singh at New Delhi airport.</em></p>

<p>Arshdeep was admitted in St Vincent hospital of Melbourne on June 8. Around the same time, several countries had imposed restrictions for travel to and from India due to the second wave of COVID pandemic. So it took some coordination and knocking on governments' doors so that Arshdeep could come home.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/17-year-old-indian-student-who-worked-on-empowering-peers-among-uks-diana-award-recipients-395902" hreflang="en">17-year-old Indian student who worked on empowering peers among UK’s Diana Award recipients&nbsp;</a></strong></p>

<p>"A good successful exercise. Glad that he's home safely", Indian envoy to Australia Manpreet Vohra told WION.</p>

<p>Indian World Forum played a key role in the issue. Puneet Singh Chandhok , President of Indian World Forum, said, "I am happy to note our efforts have resulted into success. It was a very difficult task initially, as the medical condition of Arshdeep didn’t allow him to travel. But after an effective coordination with his doctors, the Australian government and the Indian government, a solution was found."</p>

<p>He added, "Qantas considered the request and facilitated his repatriation free of charge. This gesture of Australian carrier is deeply appreciated."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Arshdeep has been in Australia since 2018 and had gone to the country as a student for higher studies.<br />
<br />
The Ministry of external affairs's Oceania Division facilitated visa issuance and travel exemption to Australia for Arshdeep's mother. In fact, the ministry also facilitated coordination at immigration and protocol support at the airport during his arrival. Arshdeep has been in Australia since 2018 and has gone to the country as a student for higher studies.&nbsp;</p>


After overcoming great difficulties during the COVID-19 crisis, Indian national Arshdeep Singh, 25, arrived in Delhi on Monday after being airlifted from Melbourne, Australia.

After overcoming great difficulties during the COVID-19 crisis, Indian national Arshdeep Singh, 25, arrived in Delhi on Monday after being airlifted from Melbourne, Australia. Arshdeep has been diagnosed with a life-threatening condition and is suffering from chronic renal failure. For his repatriation, the governments of India and Australia came together. He was sent home via a special flight operated by Qantas, which was exclusively dedicated to Arshdeep and had paramedic equipment on board. The Consulate General in Melbourne facilitated booking of air-ticket on the Australian carrier. On arrival, he was taken to a hospital in Gurgaon. Also read | Dowry payments still largely taking place in India: Study Earlier, his mother, Inderjeet Kaur, had filed a petition at the Delhi High Court seeking the intervention of the Indian government so that she could meet him in Australia. There have been restrictions on the movement between the two countries due to the pandemic. "We are thankful to everyone", Kunwar Singh, brother-in-law of Arshdeep, said. Arshdeep Singh at New Delhi airport. Arshdeep was admitted in St Vincent hospital of Melbourne on June 8. Around the same time, several countries had imposed restrictions for travel to and from India due to the second wave of COVID pandemic. So it took some coordination and knocking on governments' doors so that Arshdeep could come home. Also read | 17-year-old Indian student who worked on empowering peers among UK’s Diana Award recipients "A good successful exercise. Glad that he's home safely", Indian envoy to Australia Manpreet Vohra told WION. Indian World Forum played a key role in the issue. Puneet Singh Chandhok , President of Indian World Forum, said, "I am happy to note our efforts have resulted into success. It was a very difficult task initially, as the medical condition of Arshdeep didn’t allow him to travel. But after an effective coordination with his doctors, the Australian government and the Indian government, a solution was found." He added, "Qantas considered the request and facilitated his repatriation free of charge. This gesture of Australian carrier is deeply appreciated." Arshdeep has been in Australia since 2018 and had gone to the country as a student for higher studies. The Ministry of external affairs's Oceania Division facilitated visa issuance and travel exemption to Australia for Arshdeep's mother. In fact, the ministry also facilitated coordination at immigration and protocol support at the airport during his arrival. Arshdeep has been in Australia since 2018 and has gone to the country as a student for higher studies.

Speechless: Indian student repatriated from Australia for treatment of chronic disease

<p>India has prepared a contingency plan to bring back its officials and citizens as the situation deteriorates in Afghanistan.</p>

<p>India has its mission in Kabul&nbsp;with many consulates spread over the country. A source told WION, "We are working on" any plans to bring back Indian nationals but explained that "decision will depend upon security situation", and added that "safety and security of our officials is most important".</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/exclusive-getting-ready-for-offensive-against-taliban-says-general-asadullah-bagram-airfields-new-commander-396311" hreflang="en">Exclusive: Getting ready for offensive against Taliban, says Bagram commander</a></strong></p>

<p>Last week, the American troops left the Bagram airfield, a symbol of the US presence in the country.</p>

<p>Since the US troops left, the situation has been tense in many parts of the country as the Taliban is reportedly making rapid advances in a situation that has an eerie resemblance to the 1990s.</p>

<p>While the contingency plan has been ready, it does not change India's commitment to Afghanistan. India has been one of the biggest donors to the country in the region and has been involved in mega infrastructure projects such as the Afghan Parliament and the India-Afghanistan friendship dam.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-denies-reports-of-closing-consulates-in-afghanistan-396308"><strong>WATCH |</strong></a></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-denies-reports-of-closing-consulates-in-afghanistan-396308/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>There are many Indians in Afghanistan working in banks, IT firms, construction companies, hospitals, NGOs, Government of India-sponsored projects, Government of Afghanistan, and UN missions. The Indian Mission interacts closely with members of the indian diaspora, providing assistance, wherever required.</p>

<p>India has issued two security advisories for its nationals in the country this year. The first security advisory was in April and the second was issued recently on June 29.</p>

<p>The June directive&nbsp;is a significant 13-point advisory under which Indians have been "advised to exercise utmost vigilance and caution with regard to security at the workplace, place of residence and also during movement to their places of work."</p>

<p>The advisory asked&nbsp;Indian nationals to "avoid all types of nonessential movements" and Indian companies to "take up necessary security measures in respect of their Indian employees deployed at project sites."</p>

<p>There have been instances of Indians being abducted in Afghanistan. The recent being the 2018 abduction of seven Indian engineers in the northern Baghlan province.</p>


India has prepared a contingency plan to bring back its officials and citizens as the situation deteriorates in Afghanistan. India has its mission in Kabul with many consulates spread over the country.

India has prepared a contingency plan to bring back its officials and citizens as the situation deteriorates in Afghanistan. India has its mission in Kabul with many consulates spread over the country. A source told WION, "We are working on" any plans to bring back Indian nationals but explained that "decision will depend upon security situation", and added that "safety and security of our officials is most important". Also read | Exclusive: Getting ready for offensive against Taliban, says Bagram commander Last week, the American troops left the Bagram airfield, a symbol of the US presence in the country. Since the US troops left, the situation has been tense in many parts of the country as the Taliban is reportedly making rapid advances in a situation that has an eerie resemblance to the 1990s. While the contingency plan has been ready, it does not change India's commitment to Afghanistan. India has been one of the biggest donors to the country in the region and has been involved in mega infrastructure projects such as the Afghan Parliament and the India-Afghanistan friendship dam. WATCH | There are many Indians in Afghanistan working in banks, IT firms, construction companies, hospitals, NGOs, Government of India-sponsored projects, Government of Afghanistan, and UN missions. The Indian Mission interacts closely with members of the indian diaspora, providing assistance, wherever required. India has issued two security advisories for its nationals in the country this year. The first security advisory was in April and the second was issued recently on June 29. The June directive is a significant 13-point advisory under which Indians have been "advised to exercise utmost vigilance and caution with regard to security at the workplace, place of residence and also during movement to their places of work." The advisory asked Indian nationals to "avoid all types of nonessential movements" and Indian companies to "take up necessary security measures in respect of their Indian employees deployed at project sites." There have been instances of Indians being abducted in Afghanistan. The recent being the 2018 abduction of seven Indian engineers in the northern Baghlan province.

India prepares contingency plan as situation in Afghanistan deteriorates

<p>Afghanistan remains on tenterhooks as the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/putin-dials-tajikistan-president-amid-talibans-rapid-advance-in-afghanistan-396250"><strong>Taliban</strong> </a>makes rapid gains in the country&nbsp;in a situation&nbsp;reminiscent of the 1990s.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Amid the turmoil, the <strong>Indian embassy</strong> in Kabul has said that Indian consulates in the southern city of Kandahar and northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif are "open" and "functioning".&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Indian mission in a tweet also pointed out, "We do however&nbsp;continue to closely monitor the evolving security situation particularly around <strong>Kandahar</strong> &amp; Mazar cities."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Media reports on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a> closing its Embassy &amp; Consulates in 🇦🇫are incorrect. <a href="https://twitter.com/IndianEmbKabul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndianEmbKabul</a>, Consulates in Kandahar &amp; Mazar are open, functioning. We DO HOWEVER continue to closely monitor the evolving security situation particularly around Kandahar &amp; Mazar cities. <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MEAIndia</a></p>
— India in Afghanistan (@IndianEmbKabul) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndianEmbKabul/status/1412361259006283780?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Taliban is making rapid advances in the country as the last of the <strong>American</strong> troops withdraw after over two&nbsp;decades.&nbsp;Over 1,000 Afghan soldiers have crossed over to <strong>Tajikistan</strong> as the Taliban made gains in northern Afghanistan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the Afghan envoy to Delhi,&nbsp;Farid Mamundzay had a meeting with India's foreign secretary <strong>Harsh V Shringla</strong> and&nbsp;briefed him on the security situation in Afghanistan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>During the meeting, Joint Secretary in the <strong>Pakistan</strong>, Afghanistan and Iran(PAI) division of the ministry of external affairs JP Singh was also present.</p>

<p>"FS assured our Afghan friends of India's long term commitment towards peace and prosperity in Afghanistan",&nbsp;MEA spokesperson tweeted.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Foreign Secretary <a href="https://twitter.com/harshvshringla?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@harshvshringla</a> was pleased to welcome Ambassador <a href="https://twitter.com/FMamundzay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FMamundzay</a> of Afghanistan. Ambassador briefed FS on the security situation in Afghanistan. FS assured our Afghan friends of India's long term commitment towards peace and prosperity in Afghanistan. <a href="https://t.co/DqsBbwrTnF">pic.twitter.com/DqsBbwrTnF</a></p>
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1412381850476052483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>India has been involved in a number of infrastructure projects in the country which include the Afghan parliament in <strong>Kabul</strong> and the India-Afghanistan friendship dam in <strong>Herat</strong>. India being the largest regional donor&nbsp;has also been involved in capacity building projects in the country.</p>

<p>Other countries have also made announcements about their consulates. <strong>Russia</strong> has already halted operations in its consulate in Mazar- i-Sharif after special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov confirmed it to state agency TASS.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, reports in local media say<strong> Iran</strong> and Turkey have closed operations in the consulate which is the capital of Balkh province.</p>


Afghanistan remains on tenterhooks as the Taliban makes rapid gains in the country in a situation reminiscent of the 1990s. Amid the turmoil, the Indian embassy in Kabul has said that Indian consulates in the southern city of Kandahar and northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif are "open" and "functioning".

Afghanistan remains on tenterhooks as the Taliban makes rapid gains in the country in a situation reminiscent of the 1990s. Amid the turmoil, the Indian embassy in Kabul has said that Indian consulates in the southern city of Kandahar and northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif are "open" and "functioning". The Indian mission in a tweet also pointed out, "We do however continue to closely monitor the evolving security situation particularly around Kandahar & Mazar cities." Media reports on #India closing its Embassy & Consulates in 🇦🇫are incorrect. @IndianEmbKabul, Consulates in Kandahar & Mazar are open, functioning. We DO HOWEVER continue to closely monitor the evolving security situation particularly around Kandahar & Mazar cities. @MEAIndia — India in Afghanistan (@IndianEmbKabul) July 6, 2021 × Taliban is making rapid advances in the country as the last of the American troops withdraw after over two decades. Over 1,000 Afghan soldiers have crossed over to Tajikistan as the Taliban made gains in northern Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the Afghan envoy to Delhi, Farid Mamundzay had a meeting with India's foreign secretary Harsh V Shringla and briefed him on the security situation in Afghanistan. During the meeting, Joint Secretary in the Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran(PAI) division of the ministry of external affairs JP Singh was also present. "FS assured our Afghan friends of India's long term commitment towards peace and prosperity in Afghanistan", MEA spokesperson tweeted. Foreign Secretary @harshvshringla was pleased to welcome Ambassador @FMamundzay of Afghanistan. Ambassador briefed FS on the security situation in Afghanistan. FS assured our Afghan friends of India's long term commitment towards peace and prosperity in Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/DqsBbwrTnF — Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) July 6, 2021 × India has been involved in a number of infrastructure projects in the country which include the Afghan parliament in Kabul and the India-Afghanistan friendship dam in Herat. India being the largest regional donor has also been involved in capacity building projects in the country. Other countries have also made announcements about their consulates. Russia has already halted operations in its consulate in Mazar- i-Sharif after special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov confirmed it to state agency TASS. Meanwhile, reports in local media say Iran and Turkey have closed operations in the consulate which is the capital of Balkh province.

Consulates remain open in Kandahar, Mazar, says India as Taliban makes rapid gains in Afghanistan

The Indian government has told Delhi High Court that Twitter has failed to comply with the country's new IT rules. The center in an affidavit filed said that any non-compliance amounts to a breach of provisions to IT rules leading to Twitter losing its immunity confirmed under the IT act.

Indian govt to Delhi High Court: Twitter fails to comply with IT rules

<p>Highlighting the significance of the Indo-Pacific vision and its role in current geopolitics, India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that it "represents a return of history" and "reflects the reality of globalization" and "emergence of multi-polarity and the benefits of rebalancing".</p>

<p>Speaking at the inaugural session of the 1st edition of the Indo-Pacific Business Summit, EAM said, "seamless and integrated space was disconnected decades ago" but as "many Indian Ocean economies trade further east and as Pacific ones too have displayed a presence south and westwards, we are quite sensibly seeing the landscape for what it really is".</p>

<p>Indo-Pacific as a vision, whose geographical boundaries are from eastern shores of Africa to the western shores of Americas is backed by Delhi and Washington. The term is increasingly gaining currency in recent time, with many European, ASEAN and African countries backing it.</p>

<p>EAM explained&nbsp;the vision, saying&nbsp;"[it] means the overcoming of the Cold War and a rejection of bipolarity and dominance" and is an "expression of our collective interest in promoting global prosperity and securing the global commons."</p>

<p>During the address he pointed out to the "salience of health" amid the Covid crisis, the "power of the digital", urging&nbsp;"like minded countries must work together for data driven digital development partnerships" while highlighting&nbsp;"the importance of building or re-building greener".</p>

<p>The virtual meet saw participation of Maldives FM Abdulla Shahid, Australia FM Marise Payne, Mauritius's FM Alan Ganoo, France's Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade Franck Riester. The event, jointly organised by CII and MEA also saw envoys of 12 countries - Australia, Chile, France, Japan, Maldives, Mexico, Fiji, Mauritius, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and UAE speaking.</p>

<p>On Covid crisis, EAM assured that "India is coming out of the second wave and will witness a strong economic recovery". He expressed confidence, that the country will "contribute to being an engine of growth for the global economy" and "will be very much a part of more reliable and resilient supply chains that the post-Covid world requires". &nbsp;</p>

<p>Global supply chains, largely dependent on China saw lot of pressure amid the Covid pandemic, something which is being slowly changed with likeminded democratic countries.</p>


Highlighting the significance of the Indo-Pacific vision and its role in current geopolitics, India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that it "represents a return of history" and "reflects the reality of globalization" and "emergence of multi-polarity and the benefits of rebalancing".

Highlighting the significance of the Indo-Pacific vision and its role in current geopolitics, India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that it "represents a return of history" and "reflects the reality of globalization" and "emergence of multi-polarity and the benefits of rebalancing". Speaking at the inaugural session of the 1st edition of the Indo-Pacific Business Summit, EAM said, "seamless and integrated space was disconnected decades ago" but as "many Indian Ocean economies trade further east and as Pacific ones too have displayed a presence south and westwards, we are quite sensibly seeing the landscape for what it really is". Indo-Pacific as a vision, whose geographical boundaries are from eastern shores of Africa to the western shores of Americas is backed by Delhi and Washington. The term is increasingly gaining currency in recent time, with many European, ASEAN and African countries backing it. EAM explained the vision, saying "[it] means the overcoming of the Cold War and a rejection of bipolarity and dominance" and is an "expression of our collective interest in promoting global prosperity and securing the global commons." During the address he pointed out to the "salience of health" amid the Covid crisis, the "power of the digital", urging "like minded countries must work together for data driven digital development partnerships" while highlighting "the importance of building or re-building greener". The virtual meet saw participation of Maldives FM Abdulla Shahid, Australia FM Marise Payne, Mauritius's FM Alan Ganoo, France's Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade Franck Riester. The event, jointly organised by CII and MEA also saw envoys of 12 countries - Australia, Chile, France, Japan, Maldives, Mexico, Fiji, Mauritius, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and UAE speaking. On Covid crisis, EAM assured that "India is coming out of the second wave and will witness a strong economic recovery". He expressed confidence, that the country will "contribute to being an engine of growth for the global economy" and "will be very much a part of more reliable and resilient supply chains that the post-Covid world requires". Global supply chains, largely dependent on China saw lot of pressure amid the Covid pandemic, something which is being slowly changed with likeminded democratic countries.

Indo-Pacific represents a return of history: India's EAM Jaishankar

<p>A few months ago, India was battling a deadly second wave of coronavirus and locals were struggling to get access to oxygen. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, then, urged his ‘little friends’ to request the grown-ups to follow Covid restrictions.</p>

<p>However, now, as the cases started declining, people seem to have forgotten the importance of following Covid protocols with several flocking to hill stations for 'vacation'.</p>

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CQ-GklZHwmG/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Dharamshala Triund Mcleodganj™ (@dharamshalalocal)</a></p>
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<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/dextrodiwas-indias-pm-modi-tweets-birthday-wishes-for-a-citizen-396245" hreflang="en">DextroDiwas: India's PM Modi tweets birthday wishes for a citizen</a></strong></p>

<p>In one such incident, a small child in Himachal Pradesh’s Dharmshala was spotted asking tourists to wear masks.</p>

<p>In a short, cute video posted on ‘dharamshalalocal’ Instagram page, a little kid dressed in an off-white shirt can be seen standing in a tight street outside shops. With a plastic stick in hand, he questions people ‘where is your mask?’.</p>

<p>The video highlights the rising issue of India’s population not adhering to the Covid protocols set up by the medical experts. The Government of India has strictly instructed people to not step outdoors unless important, follow social distancing and at all times wear masks when stepping outdoors.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/in-a-first-mangoes-black-rice-bottle-gourd-from-varanasi-make-it-to-global-markets-despite-covid-19-396189" hreflang="en">In a first, mangoes, black rice, bottle gourd from Varanasi make it to global markets despite COVID-19</a></strong></p>

<p>However, locals have been visiting hill stations for vacations and have often been spotted ignoring social distancing rules and without face masks.</p>

<p>Social media users have called this a "slap on all of us who relate awareness to those who are well-off," a Twitter user said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">A slap on all of us who relate awareness to those who are well-off</p>
— Abhilash Mahajan (@MahajanAbhilash) <a href="https://twitter.com/MahajanAbhilash/status/1412390117256286212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Thanking the kid for her social service, many users commented ‘God bless this kid’ and laughed about calling him to their own cities to spread this awareness.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">God bless this kid! Again proved that doing right requires the wisdom, age doesnt matter as so many elderly fools can be seen around.</p>
— Amit Dave (@amittheway) <a href="https://twitter.com/amittheway/status/1412323612061683714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">He is small, poor family that may not afford send him to school. He is far more conscious in telling educated people wear mask. Instead of appreciation some seen ignoring or neglecting him for a begger. Wish this boy could be helped?<a href="https://twitter.com/sanjaykunduIPS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sanjaykunduIPS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jairamthakurbjp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jairamthakurbjp</a></p>
— 🇮🇳 BN Sharma, IG (Retd) (@BholaNath_BSF) <a href="https://twitter.com/BholaNath_BSF/status/1412379641659019267?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This child is so good<br />
<br />
I wish he is taken care for education</p>
— Sandeep (@IndiaUnleashed_) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaUnleashed_/status/1412335892027510787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bless the little one... such amazing sense of responsibility and leadership quality at such a young age ❤<br />
<br />
If only all adults follow...</p>
— Meghna Girish 🇮🇳 (@megirish2001) <a href="https://twitter.com/megirish2001/status/1412391786127839236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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A few months ago, India was battling a deadly second wave of coronavirus and locals were struggling to get access to oxygen. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, then, urged his ‘little friends’ to request the grown-ups to follow Covid restrictions.

A few months ago, India was battling a deadly second wave of coronavirus and locals were struggling to get access to oxygen. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, then, urged his ‘little friends’ to request the grown-ups to follow Covid restrictions. However, now, as the cases started declining, people seem to have forgotten the importance of following Covid protocols with several flocking to hill stations for 'vacation'. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dharamshala Triund Mcleodganj™ (@dharamshalalocal) × Also read | DextroDiwas: India's PM Modi tweets birthday wishes for a citizen In one such incident, a small child in Himachal Pradesh’s Dharmshala was spotted asking tourists to wear masks. In a short, cute video posted on ‘dharamshalalocal’ Instagram page, a little kid dressed in an off-white shirt can be seen standing in a tight street outside shops. With a plastic stick in hand, he questions people ‘where is your mask?’. The video highlights the rising issue of India’s population not adhering to the Covid protocols set up by the medical experts. The Government of India has strictly instructed people to not step outdoors unless important, follow social distancing and at all times wear masks when stepping outdoors. Also read | In a first, mangoes, black rice, bottle gourd from Varanasi make it to global markets despite COVID-19 However, locals have been visiting hill stations for vacations and have often been spotted ignoring social distancing rules and without face masks. Social media users have called this a "slap on all of us who relate awareness to those who are well-off," a Twitter user said. A slap on all of us who relate awareness to those who are well-off — Abhilash Mahajan (@MahajanAbhilash) July 6, 2021 × Thanking the kid for her social service, many users commented ‘God bless this kid’ and laughed about calling him to their own cities to spread this awareness. God bless this kid! Again proved that doing right requires the wisdom, age doesnt matter as so many elderly fools can be seen around. — Amit Dave (@amittheway) July 6, 2021 × He is small, poor family that may not afford send him to school. He is far more conscious in telling educated people wear mask. Instead of appreciation some seen ignoring or neglecting him for a begger. Wish this boy could be helped?@sanjaykunduIPS @jairamthakurbjp — 🇮🇳 BN Sharma, IG (Retd) (@BholaNath_BSF) July 6, 2021 × This child is so good I wish he is taken care for education — Sandeep (@IndiaUnleashed_) July 6, 2021 × Bless the little one... such amazing sense of responsibility and leadership quality at such a young age ❤ If only all adults follow... — Meghna Girish 🇮🇳 (@megirish2001) July 6, 2021 ×

'Where's your mask?': Small kid urges people to follow Covid protocol in India

<p>Have you ever believed that the wish you think of while blowing the candles on your birthday cake might come true? An Indian citizen had a Twitter surprise on Tuesday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his wishes as a reply to a playful tweet.</p>

<p>The account with the handle 'Dextro' responded to a birthday wish from a follower saying, "Dextrodiwas par please ask pm to wish me as you follows you both’ (Please ask PM to wish me on Dextrodiwas’).</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thankyou ajit. Dextrodiwas par please ask pm to wish me as you follows you both 🤭</p>
— Dextro (@Dextrocardiac1) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dextrocardiac1/status/1412330855603736592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>In what can be described as a rare happening, Dextro was soon surprised when Narendra Modi tweeted birthday greetings for Dextro&nbsp;after two hours.</p>

<p>"Happy Birthday...or as you are describing it - Dextrodiwas... :)," Modi tweeted. "Have a great year ahead."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Happy Birthday...or as you are describing it - Dextrodiwas... :)<br />
<br />
Have a great year ahead. <a href="https://t.co/X0Z5DrdMQ1">https://t.co/X0Z5DrdMQ1</a></p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1412365595962580995?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Surprised and shocked by these birthday greetings, Dextro returned the excitement and said, "I'm the luckiest human alive guys".</p>

<p>The tweet by the PM soon became viral on the social media platform, Twitter, and people flocked in telling Dextro how they wish they were in Dextro's place.</p>

<p>Twitterati flocked to Dextro's account to congratulate for the wishes extended by the PM and many have even joked about declaring July 6 as 'DextroDiwas'.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Happy Birthday...or as you are describing it - Dextrodiwas... :)<br />
<br />
Have a great year ahead. <a href="https://t.co/X0Z5DrdMQ1">https://t.co/X0Z5DrdMQ1</a></p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1412365595962580995?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> ji can you please wish me on 30th July too? It'll be life changing moment for me 😍<br />
<br />
Btw, you're the BEST PM of Bharat!!! Love you Modiji 🥰</p>
— Rohan Ikshvaku (@RohanIkshvaku) <a href="https://twitter.com/RohanIkshvaku/status/1412368925061369860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congrats congrats<br />
Biggest bday gift<br />
Photo frame bana lena didi <a href="https://t.co/NEf6RBA94F">pic.twitter.com/NEf6RBA94F</a></p>
— SenSe_Ex (@MenOfManu) <a href="https://twitter.com/MenOfManu/status/1412374020901593089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Screenshot lena bhoolna nahi 😌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DextroDiwas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DextroDiwas</a></p>
— Bhushan (@bhs7rocks) <a href="https://twitter.com/bhs7rocks/status/1412370957847523330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">💀 bro . Happy birthday 😐 . Modi ji humko bhi future ke liye all the best boldiye 🥺 jai hind</p>
— Ganesh (@Ganesh0000987) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ganesh0000987/status/1412370141023588358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I am so jealous right now😣</p>
— Akhila A (@AkhilaA29386214) <a href="https://twitter.com/AkhilaA29386214/status/1412368719964041217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Have you ever believed that the wish you think of while blowing the candles on your birthday cake might come true? An Indian citizen had a Twitter surprise on Tuesday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his wishes as a reply to a playful tweet.

Have you ever believed that the wish you think of while blowing the candles on your birthday cake might come true? An Indian citizen had a Twitter surprise on Tuesday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his wishes as a reply to a playful tweet. The account with the handle 'Dextro' responded to a birthday wish from a follower saying, "Dextrodiwas par please ask pm to wish me as you follows you both’ (Please ask PM to wish me on Dextrodiwas’). Thankyou ajit. Dextrodiwas par please ask pm to wish me as you follows you both 🤭 — Dextro (@Dextrocardiac1) July 6, 2021 × In what can be described as a rare happening, Dextro was soon surprised when Narendra Modi tweeted birthday greetings for Dextro after two hours. "Happy Birthday...or as you are describing it - Dextrodiwas... :)," Modi tweeted. "Have a great year ahead." Happy Birthday...or as you are describing it - Dextrodiwas... :) Have a great year ahead. https://t.co/X0Z5DrdMQ1 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2021 × Surprised and shocked by these birthday greetings, Dextro returned the excitement and said, "I'm the luckiest human alive guys". The tweet by the PM soon became viral on the social media platform, Twitter, and people flocked in telling Dextro how they wish they were in Dextro's place. Twitterati flocked to Dextro's account to congratulate for the wishes extended by the PM and many have even joked about declaring July 6 as 'DextroDiwas'. Happy Birthday...or as you are describing it - Dextrodiwas... :) Have a great year ahead. https://t.co/X0Z5DrdMQ1 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2021 × @narendramodi ji can you please wish me on 30th July too? It'll be life changing moment for me 😍 Btw, you're the BEST PM of Bharat!!! Love you Modiji 🥰 — Rohan Ikshvaku (@RohanIkshvaku) July 6, 2021 × Congrats congrats Biggest bday gift Photo frame bana lena didi pic.twitter.com/NEf6RBA94F — SenSe_Ex (@MenOfManu) July 6, 2021 × Screenshot lena bhoolna nahi 😌#DextroDiwas — Bhushan (@bhs7rocks) July 6, 2021 × 💀 bro . Happy birthday 😐 . Modi ji humko bhi future ke liye all the best boldiye 🥺 jai hind — Ganesh (@Ganesh0000987) July 6, 2021 × I am so jealous right now😣 — Akhila A (@AkhilaA29386214) July 6, 2021 ×

DextroDiwas: India's PM Modi tweets birthday wishes for a citizen

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{3c88b4e3-973b-47f1-9f38-43b7ba6edbb8}{247}" paraid="242498215" >There is&nbsp;so much hype now surrounding the recent death of Father Stan Swamy.</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{3c88b4e3-973b-47f1-9f38-43b7ba6edbb8}{247}" paraid="242498215" >Swamy is an accused in the Elgar Parishad case. He&nbsp;was facing investigation for his links to Maoist and Naxalite groups in India.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{3c88b4e3-973b-47f1-9f38-43b7ba6edbb8}{247}" paraid="242498215" >His death is being hyped up by a section of the media, social media and some politicians. But what is the truth?</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{3c88b4e3-973b-47f1-9f38-43b7ba6edbb8}{247}" paraid="242498215" >Here are some of the facts that you should&nbsp;know.</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{3c88b4e3-973b-47f1-9f38-43b7ba6edbb8}{247}" paraid="242498215" ><strong>So what really happened?</strong></p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{3c88b4e3-973b-47f1-9f38-43b7ba6edbb8}{247}" paraid="242498215" >Elgar Parishad case&nbsp;accused Fr Stan Swamy, 84, suffered a cardiac arrest in&nbsp;Holy Family Hospital on&nbsp;July&nbsp;3. He passed away on July&nbsp;5.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{3c88b4e3-973b-47f1-9f38-43b7ba6edbb8}{247}" paraid="242498215" ><b>What is the case he was involved in?</b></p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{09081261-14f8-4a79-820c-1dda5291fabf}{48}" paraid="1642386906" >At the heart of the Elgar Parishad case is the incitement of people and giving of provocative speeches during a meeting of the same name, organised&nbsp;by Kabir Kala Manch on&nbsp;December&nbsp;31,&nbsp;2017 at&nbsp;Shanivarwada, Pune, in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{09081261-14f8-4a79-820c-1dda5291fabf}{48}" paraid="1642386906" >The accused&nbsp;promoted enmity between the caste groups, which led to violence resulting in loss of life and property.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{09081261-14f8-4a79-820c-1dda5291fabf}{48}" paraid="1642386906" >The&nbsp;&nbsp;case was registered on&nbsp;January&nbsp;8,&nbsp;2018.</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{09081261-14f8-4a79-820c-1dda5291fabf}{48}" paraid="1642386906" >During investigation, it was revealed that senior leaders of CPI (Maoist), a proscribed terrorist&nbsp;organisation,&nbsp;were in contact with organisers of Elgar Parishad to spread their ideology of Maoism&nbsp;or&nbsp;Naxalism&nbsp;and encourage unlawful&nbsp;activities.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{09081261-14f8-4a79-820c-1dda5291fabf}{48}" paraid="1642386906" >The&nbsp;case&nbsp;was&nbsp;later&nbsp;transferred&nbsp;to&nbsp;National Investigation Agency (NIA).</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{9cccd328-4092-4038-b393-4837068b2daf}{53}" paraid="479602416" >The role of Stan Swamy emerged during the investigation, as he was found to be a member of CPI (Maoist) and actively involved in furthering its activities.</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{8227f6f2-9e83-4ac0-a4c1-2ed1d5f9adab}{225}" paraid="633796803" >He was found to be in communication with CPI (Maoist) cadre. He was also convener of Persecuted Prisoners Solidarity Committee (PPSC), a front organisation&nbsp;of CPI (Maoist).&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{9b4f05bd-6195-4b29-9954-e4aceb538f98}{218}" paraid="1042943603" ><strong>Arrest and case: Was Swamy given due legal process?</strong></p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{9cccd328-4092-4038-b393-4837068b2daf}{92}" paraid="1941177402" >Swamy was arrested on&nbsp;October&nbsp;8,&nbsp;2020 by NIA. He was&nbsp;duly informed of grounds of arrest in terms of relevant sections of law.</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{9cccd328-4092-4038-b393-4837068b2daf}{92}" paraid="1941177402" >He was examined by the medical practitioner and accordingly,&nbsp;his health condition was certified to be stable.</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{9cccd328-4092-4038-b393-4837068b2daf}{92}" paraid="1941177402" >He was also subjected to medical check-up.&nbsp;He has made no complaints about his ill-treatment&nbsp;at&nbsp;the hands of the investigation officers during his production before the concerned NIA&nbsp;court, according to the government.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{9cccd328-4092-4038-b393-4837068b2daf}{131}" paraid="85493195" >He was sent on judicial custody to Central Jail in Taloja, Mumbai.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{9cccd328-4092-4038-b393-4837068b2daf}{171}" paraid="222815239" >In between, his bail applications before the High Court of Bombay was&nbsp;rejected.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{3c88b4e3-973b-47f1-9f38-43b7ba6edbb8}{247}" paraid="242498215" ><strong>Was his health condition taken into account?&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{3c88b4e3-973b-47f1-9f38-43b7ba6edbb8}{247}" paraid="242498215" >According to the government, Swamy was provided with&nbsp;all&nbsp;the&nbsp;necessary requirements related to entitlement of accused in detention.</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{09081261-14f8-4a79-820c-1dda5291fabf}{230}" paraid="1676470104" >From his arrest to production before a special court, all the necessary medical formalities after his arrest were complied with. Care and attention were given for his safety and comfort during the air journey from Ranchi to Mumbai.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>During&nbsp;his&nbsp;judicial&nbsp;custody,&nbsp;Fr&nbsp;Stan&nbsp;Swamy&nbsp;was&nbsp;kept&nbsp;in&nbsp;a&nbsp;separate&nbsp;cell&nbsp;of&nbsp;prison&nbsp;hospital&nbsp;with&nbsp;all&nbsp;necessary&nbsp;precautions&nbsp;and&nbsp;two&nbsp;attendants&nbsp;as&nbsp;per&nbsp;advice&nbsp;of&nbsp;medical&nbsp;officer&nbsp;of&nbsp;Taloja&nbsp;Central&nbsp;Prison in&nbsp;Mumbai.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He&nbsp;was&nbsp;provided&nbsp;with&nbsp;all&nbsp;facilities&nbsp;including&nbsp;wheel&nbsp;chair,&nbsp;walker,&nbsp;walking&nbsp;stick,&nbsp;straws,&nbsp;sipper,&nbsp;mug,&nbsp;commode&nbsp;chair,&nbsp;battery&nbsp;cells&nbsp;for&nbsp;his&nbsp;hearing&nbsp;machines,&nbsp;dental&nbsp;treatment,&nbsp;visiting&nbsp;psychiatrist&nbsp;and&nbsp;telemedicine, the government said.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{09081261-14f8-4a79-820c-1dda5291fabf}{230}" paraid="1676470104" ><strong>Was he taken into custody?</strong></p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{3c88b4e3-973b-47f1-9f38-43b7ba6edbb8}{247}" paraid="242498215" >No. Considering his age, no police custody was obtained by NIA during investigation, as sufficient evidences were already on record.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{09081261-14f8-4a79-820c-1dda5291fabf}{230}" paraid="1676470104" ><strong>Did he get proper medical treatment?&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{9cccd328-4092-4038-b393-4837068b2daf}{187}" paraid="1237228682" >On&nbsp;May&nbsp;21,&nbsp;2021, Fr Stan Swamy had filed criminal appeal before High Court of Bombay, regarding which Maharashtra had filed medical report of Board of Doctors constituted by JJ Hospital.</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{9cccd328-4092-4038-b393-4837068b2daf}{187}" paraid="1237228682" >He was advised by court to be treated in JJ Hospital; however, he refused to get admitted in JJ Hospital.</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{9cccd328-4092-4038-b393-4837068b2daf}{187}" paraid="1237228682" >Subsequently, High Court allowed his plea to be shifted and treated in Holy Family Hospital, Bandra, along with&nbsp;one attendant as per the protocol.</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{9cccd328-4092-4038-b393-4837068b2daf}{187}" paraid="1237228682" >The Maharashtra government was directed to provide protection during the treatment.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{9cccd328-4092-4038-b393-4837068b2daf}{187}" paraid="1237228682" >Swamy remained admitted in hospital since&nbsp;May&nbsp;28,&nbsp;2021 for treatment in respect of ailments.</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{9cccd328-4092-4038-b393-4837068b2daf}{187}" paraid="1237228682" >The duration of his stay in the hospital was extended till&nbsp;July&nbsp;6,&nbsp;2021.&nbsp;</p>


There is so much hype now surrounding the recent death of Father Stan Swamy. Swamy is an accused in the Elgar Parishad case. He was facing investigation for his links to Maoist and Naxalite groups in India.

There is so much hype now surrounding the recent death of Father Stan Swamy. Swamy is an accused in the Elgar Parishad case. He was facing investigation for his links to Maoist and Naxalite groups in India. His death is being hyped up by a section of the media, social media and some politicians. But what is the truth? Here are some of the facts that you should know. So what really happened? Elgar Parishad case accused Fr Stan Swamy, 84, suffered a cardiac arrest in Holy Family Hospital on July 3. He passed away on July 5. What is the case he was involved in? At the heart of the Elgar Parishad case is the incitement of people and giving of provocative speeches during a meeting of the same name, organised by Kabir Kala Manch on December 31, 2017 at Shanivarwada, Pune, in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. The accused promoted enmity between the caste groups, which led to violence resulting in loss of life and property. The case was registered on January 8, 2018. During investigation, it was revealed that senior leaders of CPI (Maoist), a proscribed terrorist organisation, were in contact with organisers of Elgar Parishad to spread their ideology of Maoism or Naxalism and encourage unlawful activities. The case was later transferred to National Investigation Agency (NIA). The role of Stan Swamy emerged during the investigation, as he was found to be a member of CPI (Maoist) and actively involved in furthering its activities. He was found to be in communication with CPI (Maoist) cadre. He was also convener of Persecuted Prisoners Solidarity Committee (PPSC), a front organisation of CPI (Maoist). Arrest and case: Was Swamy given due legal process? Swamy was arrested on October 8, 2020 by NIA. He was duly informed of grounds of arrest in terms of relevant sections of law. He was examined by the medical practitioner and accordingly, his health condition was certified to be stable. He was also subjected to medical check-up. He has made no complaints about his ill-treatment at the hands of the investigation officers during his production before the concerned NIA court, according to the government. He was sent on judicial custody to Central Jail in Taloja, Mumbai. In between, his bail applications before the High Court of Bombay was rejected. Was his health condition taken into account? According to the government, Swamy was provided with all the necessary requirements related to entitlement of accused in detention. From his arrest to production before a special court, all the necessary medical formalities after his arrest were complied with. Care and attention were given for his safety and comfort during the air journey from Ranchi to Mumbai. During his judicial custody, Fr Stan Swamy was kept in a separate cell of prison hospital with all necessary precautions and two attendants as per advice of medical officer of Taloja Central Prison in Mumbai. He was provided with all facilities including wheel chair, walker, walking stick, straws, sipper, mug, commode chair, battery cells for his hearing machines, dental treatment, visiting psychiatrist and telemedicine, the government said. Was he taken into custody? No. Considering his age, no police custody was obtained by NIA during investigation, as sufficient evidences were already on record. Did he get proper medical treatment? On May 21, 2021, Fr Stan Swamy had filed criminal appeal before High Court of Bombay, regarding which Maharashtra had filed medical report of Board of Doctors constituted by JJ Hospital. He was advised by court to be treated in JJ Hospital; however, he refused to get admitted in JJ Hospital. Subsequently, High Court allowed his plea to be shifted and treated in Holy Family Hospital, Bandra, along with one attendant as per the protocol. The Maharashtra government was directed to provide protection during the treatment. Swamy remained admitted in hospital since May 28, 2021 for treatment in respect of ailments. The duration of his stay in the hospital was extended till July 6, 2021.

Stan Swamy's death: Facts vs furore - here is what we know

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="12">When the entire country was facing strict lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commerce Ministry worked towards bringing the delicious mangoes and vegetables of Varanasi and nearby areas to reach the international markets in Europe and the Middle Eastern countries for the first time.&nbsp;</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="13">"The COVID-19 lockdown period since March last year was utilised to bring vegetables and fruits from Varanasi to the international markets through both land and sea routes. Varanasi was connected to the export markets through both air and; sea, resulting in the export of fresh vegetables (green chilly, long guard, green peas and cucumber), mangoes (Banarasi, Langra, Ramkheda and Chausa), etc to Europe and the Middle Eastern countries," Commerce Ministry officials said.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="14">The officials said the exports were made possible as they connected the Fresh Vegetables and Fruits Exporters Association in Mumbai with the farmer groups in Varanasi. The exporter association searched for the markets for the produce from Varanasi and helped the farmers to earn more money from their produce.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="15">"Till March 2021, 48 metric tonnes of fresh vegetables and 10 MT of mangoes have been exported from the Varanasi cluster," they said.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-from-init="true" data-paragraphid="16">Another major success in terms of exports due to efforts by the Commerce Ministry, headed by Piyush Goel, has been the black rice as for the first time, 532 MT of Black rice was exported from Chandauli to Australia and New Zealand.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-from-init="true" data-paragraphid="17">Chandauli is also part of the Varanasi cluster.The Commerce Ministry had recently stated that the country's export of agricultural and allied products in 2020-21 grew by 17.34 per cent to USD 41.25 billion, and this growth momentum is expected to be sustained in the current fiscal as well.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-from-init="true" data-paragraphid="18">Speaking about the effort put in by the Agriculture Division of the Commerce Ministry, Deputy Director Rajan Sharma told ANI on sidelines of a conference, "During the lockdown, as per the &nbsp;directions of Commerce Minister, the team led by Joint Secretary burnt the midnight oil and left no stone unturned to reach out to exporters and resolving their problems.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-from-init="true" data-paragraphid="19">"In the first week of lockdown itself, around 1000 calls of exporters were attended and all the issues like the movement of consignments, trucks, labour, issuance of certificates, lab testing reports, sample collection etc faced by the exporters were addressed after taking them up with the concerned authorities viz. local administration, police, ports. shipping and foreign trade authorities and ensured the real time clearance of export consignments," he said.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="20">He said real-time help the farmer groups and exporters, the issuance of various certificates were made online and all the exporters access certificates for export, certificate of origin, health certificates etc. through their mobile phones, without visiting the government offices, making the exports hassle-free.</p>


When the entire country was facing strict lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commerce Ministry worked towards bringing the delicious mangoes and vegetables of Varanasi and nearby areas to reach the international markets in Europe and the Middle Eastern countries for the first time.

When the entire country was facing strict lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commerce Ministry worked towards bringing the delicious mangoes and vegetables of Varanasi and nearby areas to reach the international markets in Europe and the Middle Eastern countries for the first time. "The COVID-19 lockdown period since March last year was utilised to bring vegetables and fruits from Varanasi to the international markets through both land and sea routes. Varanasi was connected to the export markets through both air and; sea, resulting in the export of fresh vegetables (green chilly, long guard, green peas and cucumber), mangoes (Banarasi, Langra, Ramkheda and Chausa), etc to Europe and the Middle Eastern countries," Commerce Ministry officials said. The officials said the exports were made possible as they connected the Fresh Vegetables and Fruits Exporters Association in Mumbai with the farmer groups in Varanasi. The exporter association searched for the markets for the produce from Varanasi and helped the farmers to earn more money from their produce. "Till March 2021, 48 metric tonnes of fresh vegetables and 10 MT of mangoes have been exported from the Varanasi cluster," they said. Another major success in terms of exports due to efforts by the Commerce Ministry, headed by Piyush Goel, has been the black rice as for the first time, 532 MT of Black rice was exported from Chandauli to Australia and New Zealand. Chandauli is also part of the Varanasi cluster.The Commerce Ministry had recently stated that the country's export of agricultural and allied products in 2020-21 grew by 17.34 per cent to USD 41.25 billion, and this growth momentum is expected to be sustained in the current fiscal as well. Speaking about the effort put in by the Agriculture Division of the Commerce Ministry, Deputy Director Rajan Sharma told ANI on sidelines of a conference, "During the lockdown, as per the directions of Commerce Minister, the team led by Joint Secretary burnt the midnight oil and left no stone unturned to reach out to exporters and resolving their problems. "In the first week of lockdown itself, around 1000 calls of exporters were attended and all the issues like the movement of consignments, trucks, labour, issuance of certificates, lab testing reports, sample collection etc faced by the exporters were addressed after taking them up with the concerned authorities viz. local administration, police, ports. shipping and foreign trade authorities and ensured the real time clearance of export consignments," he said. He said real-time help the farmer groups and exporters, the issuance of various certificates were made online and all the exporters access certificates for export, certificate of origin, health certificates etc. through their mobile phones, without visiting the government offices, making the exports hassle-free.

In a first, mangoes, black rice, bottle gourd from Varanasi make it to global markets despite COVID-19

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (July 6, 2021) spoke to Dalai Lama over phone and wished the Tibetan spiritual leader on his 86th birthday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared the news through his official Twitter account.</p>

<p>The Prime Minister said, "Spoke on phone to His Holiness Dalai Lama to convey greetings on his 86th birthday. We wish him a long and healthy life."</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Spoke on phone to His Holiness the <a href="https://twitter.com/DalaiLama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DalaiLama</a> to convey greetings on his 86th birthday. We wish him a long and healthy life.</p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1412310494870913032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>This, notably, is a very significant development as for the first time a public announcement has come on PM Modi's call to Dalai Lama on his birthday. No such public announcements were made in 2017 during the Doklam crisis or during the Galwan stand-off in 2020.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, during his days as the chief minister of Gujarat, PM Modi used to regularly wish Dalai Lama.</p>

<p>The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has been living in India for more than six decades now.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, he acknowledged how India's freedom and religious harmony have served him. In a virtual address from his residence in Dharamshala, the Tibetan spiritual leader said, "Since I became a refugee and settled in India, I have taken full advantage of India's freedom and religious harmony. I want to assure you that for the rest of my life, I am committed to reviving ancient Indian knowledge."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I really appreciate the Indian concept of secular values, not dependent on religion, such as honesty, karuna (compassion) and ahimsa (non-violence)," he added.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">HHDL’s message on the occasion of his 86th birthday on July 6, 2021. <a href="https://t.co/RBJQ8y8RaM">https://t.co/RBJQ8y8RaM</a></p>
— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) <a href="https://twitter.com/DalaiLama/status/1412207105868632084?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>The development, on expected lines, will be keenly watched by China. China in the past has come up with strong comments if anything related to Tibet, Taiwan, atrocities in Xinjiang has been raised but that has only been counterproductive with these issues gathering more focus globally.</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (July 6, 2021) spoke to Dalai Lama over phone and wished the Tibetan spiritual leader on his 86th birthday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared the news through his official Twitter account.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (July 6, 2021) spoke to Dalai Lama over phone and wished the Tibetan spiritual leader on his 86th birthday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared the news through his official Twitter account. The Prime Minister said, "Spoke on phone to His Holiness Dalai Lama to convey greetings on his 86th birthday. We wish him a long and healthy life." Spoke on phone to His Holiness the @DalaiLama to convey greetings on his 86th birthday. We wish him a long and healthy life. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2021 × This, notably, is a very significant development as for the first time a public announcement has come on PM Modi's call to Dalai Lama on his birthday. No such public announcements were made in 2017 during the Doklam crisis or during the Galwan stand-off in 2020. However, during his days as the chief minister of Gujarat, PM Modi used to regularly wish Dalai Lama. The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has been living in India for more than six decades now. Earlier in the day, he acknowledged how India's freedom and religious harmony have served him. In a virtual address from his residence in Dharamshala, the Tibetan spiritual leader said, "Since I became a refugee and settled in India, I have taken full advantage of India's freedom and religious harmony. I want to assure you that for the rest of my life, I am committed to reviving ancient Indian knowledge." "I really appreciate the Indian concept of secular values, not dependent on religion, such as honesty, karuna (compassion) and ahimsa (non-violence)," he added. HHDL’s message on the occasion of his 86th birthday on July 6, 2021. https://t.co/RBJQ8y8RaM — Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) July 6, 2021 × The development, on expected lines, will be keenly watched by China. China in the past has come up with strong comments if anything related to Tibet, Taiwan, atrocities in Xinjiang has been raised but that has only been counterproductive with these issues gathering more focus globally.

PM Narendra Modi dials Dalai Lama, wishes him on his birthday

<p>Chinese President Xi Jinping has promoted Xu Qiling, Commander of the People's Liberation Army's Western Theatre Command which oversees the borders with India, to the rank of a General, amid the continued standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.</p>

<p>Xi, who is also Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the overall high command of the PLA, promoted 58-year-old Xu to the rank of General, the highest rank for officers in active service in China.</p>

<p>The other officers, who were promoted to the rank of General included Commander of the Southern Theatre Command Wang Xiubin, Commander of the PLA Army Liu Zhenli, and Commander of the PLA Strategic Support (Missile) Force Ju Qiansheng, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.</p>

<p>Xi presented certificates of the orders he signed to them at a ceremony held by the CMC in Beijing on Monday.<br />
Xu, who held the rank of Lt&nbsp;Gen&nbsp;previously, was appointed to head Western Theatre Command ground in June last year.</p>

<p>Xinhua in its report referred to Xu as the Commander of the PLA's Western Theatre Command.&nbsp;Regarded as the rising star in the PLA, Xu was one of the young generals promoted by Xi after he took the helm of the PLA in late 2012.</p>

<p>India and China were locked in a military standoff at multiple friction points in eastern Ladakh since early May last year.&nbsp;However, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the North and South banks of Pangong Lake in February following a series of military and diplomatic talks.</p>

<p>The two sides are now engaged in talks to extend the disengagement process to the remaining friction points.<br />
India has been particularly pressing for disengagement of troops in Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang.</p>

<p>According to military officials, each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the sensitive high altitude sector.&nbsp;There was no visible forward movement in disengagement of troops in the remaining friction points as the Chinese side did not show flexibility in their approach to this issue at the 11th round of military talks.</p>

<p>On June 25, India and China held a virtual meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs during which they had agreed to hold the next round of military talks at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh.</p>

<p>The two sides had a 'frank exchange' of views and decided to maintain dialogue to reach a mutually acceptable solution for withdrawal of troops in all friction points to enable progress in the overall ties, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi.</p>


Chinese President Xi Jinping has promoted Xu Qiling, Commander of the People's Liberation Army's Western Theatre Command which oversees the borders with India, to the rank of a General, amid the continued standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has promoted Xu Qiling, Commander of the People's Liberation Army's Western Theatre Command which oversees the borders with India, to the rank of a General, amid the continued standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. Xi, who is also Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the overall high command of the PLA, promoted 58-year-old Xu to the rank of General, the highest rank for officers in active service in China. The other officers, who were promoted to the rank of General included Commander of the Southern Theatre Command Wang Xiubin, Commander of the PLA Army Liu Zhenli, and Commander of the PLA Strategic Support (Missile) Force Ju Qiansheng, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Xi presented certificates of the orders he signed to them at a ceremony held by the CMC in Beijing on Monday. Xu, who held the rank of Lt Gen previously, was appointed to head Western Theatre Command ground in June last year. Xinhua in its report referred to Xu as the Commander of the PLA's Western Theatre Command. Regarded as the rising star in the PLA, Xu was one of the young generals promoted by Xi after he took the helm of the PLA in late 2012. India and China were locked in a military standoff at multiple friction points in eastern Ladakh since early May last year. However, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the North and South banks of Pangong Lake in February following a series of military and diplomatic talks. The two sides are now engaged in talks to extend the disengagement process to the remaining friction points. India has been particularly pressing for disengagement of troops in Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang. According to military officials, each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the sensitive high altitude sector. There was no visible forward movement in disengagement of troops in the remaining friction points as the Chinese side did not show flexibility in their approach to this issue at the 11th round of military talks. On June 25, India and China held a virtual meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs during which they had agreed to hold the next round of military talks at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh. The two sides had a 'frank exchange' of views and decided to maintain dialogue to reach a mutually acceptable solution for withdrawal of troops in all friction points to enable progress in the overall ties, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi.

President Xi promotes PLA Commander overseeing India border to rank of General 

<p>Late teens are when students are all too worried about their own career choice, academic pursuits and the pressure to perform, but 17-yr old Kavin Vendhan was different. He went the extra mile to help his peers, via his non-profit initiative - SMILEY India, that works towards motivating and offering leadership lessons for the peer group.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Society for Motivation Innovative Leadership and Empowerment of Youth, abbreviated as SMILE, is a movement comprised of school students and for students, that was founded in 2019. They function by conducting workshops, sessions that are guided by their five ideals - Happiness, Self-love and empath, Self-Actualization, Innovation, Leadership.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The teenager’s efforts have won him the prestigious Diana Award 2021, which is a prestigious accolade that a person aged between 9-25 can receive for Humanitarian efforts and social action. Established in memory of Diana, the Princess of Wale, the award is given out by the eponymous charity with the support of the Duke of Cambridge and Sussex.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Offering 3-hour sessions in partnership with schools, the SMILEY movement has so far covered over 1500 students, addressing topics such as Self-esteem, leadership and personality development. With the pandemic having disrupted education and transformed learning methods, they too adapted and went online.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Quizzed on how he came up with the idea, Kavin Vendhan told Zee media that he had the opportunity to be a part of the Central Board of Secondary Education’s(CBSE) Peer-educator programme, that trained students to help educate their peer. This initiative was meant to help students with learning issues and similar challenges. That’s how and why he realized the significance of talent and skill over marks, Kavin adds.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Virtual meetings known as Smiley Student discussion forum are operational since 2020. It offers a platform for students to collaborate and share ideas regarding solving social issues in a non-religious and non-political manner. With the support of more than 40 student members from different parts of Tamil Nadu, SMILEY also provides peer-based mental health support, via students that have undergone basic counseling training.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
“The connect is easier since we are the same age group, perhaps, they won’t open up so much with elders” Kavin says confidently, when asked about whether the per group readily accepts the ideas and suggestions.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
According to Tessy Ojo, CEO of the Diana Award, they have valued and invested in young people, encouraging them to continue to make positive change in their communities and lives of others. The award ceremony which is usually held in the UK, was held virtually this year, owing to the pandemic.</p>


Late teens are when students are all too worried about their own career choice, academic pursuits and the pressure to perform, but 17-yr old Kavin Vendhan was different.

Late teens are when students are all too worried about their own career choice, academic pursuits and the pressure to perform, but 17-yr old Kavin Vendhan was different. He went the extra mile to help his peers, via his non-profit initiative - SMILEY India, that works towards motivating and offering leadership lessons for the peer group. Society for Motivation Innovative Leadership and Empowerment of Youth, abbreviated as SMILE, is a movement comprised of school students and for students, that was founded in 2019. They function by conducting workshops, sessions that are guided by their five ideals - Happiness, Self-love and empath, Self-Actualization, Innovation, Leadership. The teenager’s efforts have won him the prestigious Diana Award 2021, which is a prestigious accolade that a person aged between 9-25 can receive for Humanitarian efforts and social action. Established in memory of Diana, the Princess of Wale, the award is given out by the eponymous charity with the support of the Duke of Cambridge and Sussex. Offering 3-hour sessions in partnership with schools, the SMILEY movement has so far covered over 1500 students, addressing topics such as Self-esteem, leadership and personality development. With the pandemic having disrupted education and transformed learning methods, they too adapted and went online. Quizzed on how he came up with the idea, Kavin Vendhan told Zee media that he had the opportunity to be a part of the Central Board of Secondary Education’s(CBSE) Peer-educator programme, that trained students to help educate their peer. This initiative was meant to help students with learning issues and similar challenges. That’s how and why he realized the significance of talent and skill over marks, Kavin adds. Virtual meetings known as Smiley Student discussion forum are operational since 2020. It offers a platform for students to collaborate and share ideas regarding solving social issues in a non-religious and non-political manner. With the support of more than 40 student members from different parts of Tamil Nadu, SMILEY also provides peer-based mental health support, via students that have undergone basic counseling training. “The connect is easier since we are the same age group, perhaps, they won’t open up so much with elders” Kavin says confidently, when asked about whether the per group readily accepts the ideas and suggestions. According to Tessy Ojo, CEO of the Diana Award, they have valued and invested in young people, encouraging them to continue to make positive change in their communities and lives of others. The award ceremony which is usually held in the UK, was held virtually this year, owing to the pandemic.

17-year-old Indian student who worked on empowering peers among UK’s Diana Award recipients 

<p>According to the National Center for Seismology, a 3.7-magnitude earthquake hit north of Jhajjar in <strong>Haryana</strong> on Monday.</p>

<p>The tremors were felt in <strong>Delhi-NCR </strong>as people reported the earthquake in Gurugram, Rohtak and other adjoining areas.</p>

<p>There were no reports of any damage.</p>

<p>In December last year, several parts of the national capital Delhi had experienced <strong>tremors</strong> which measured 4.2 on the Richter Scale.</p>

<p>The quake at that time was a medium intensity<strong> earthquake</strong> centred in Rajasthan's Alwar area.</p>

<p>People had rushed out on the street, however, there were no reports of any damage or casualties.&nbsp;</p>


According to the National Center for Seismology, a 3.7-magnitude earthquake hit north of Jhajjar in Haryana on Monday. The tremors were felt in Delhi-NCR as people reported the earthquake in Gurugram, Rohtak and other adjoining areas.

According to the National Center for Seismology, a 3.7-magnitude earthquake hit north of Jhajjar in Haryana on Monday. The tremors were felt in Delhi-NCR as people reported the earthquake in Gurugram, Rohtak and other adjoining areas. There were no reports of any damage. In December last year, several parts of the national capital Delhi had experienced tremors which measured 4.2 on the Richter Scale. The quake at that time was a medium intensity earthquake centred in Rajasthan's Alwar area. People had rushed out on the street, however, there were no reports of any damage or casualties.

Minor earthquake tremors felt in Delhi-NCR

<p>The concept of dowry has been an old tradition that is now slowly going into the shadows and is dealt with as a ‘hush’ payment from the bride’s side.</p>

<p>Although it has been illegal in India since 1961, a study has revealed that dowry is being paid regularly even now and nearly 95 per cent of weddings have had an exchange of dowry even in these modern times.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/growing-epidemic-of-sexual-violence-in-new-zealand-childrens-commissioner-394497" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/growing-epidemic-of-sexual-violence-in-new-zealand-childrens-commissioner-394497&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjwkdf85svxAhX0xzgGHV5vAcQQFjAHegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3PLG7aH0oRdT4mvDsLrUp9" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/growing-epidemic-of-sexual-violence-in-new-zealand-childrens-commissioner-394497" target="_blank">Growing 'epidemic' of&nbsp;sexual&nbsp;violence in New Zealand</a></strong></p>

<p>Dowry is rightly portrayed to be a social evil as it is a practice of paying and accepting objects of value (such as clothes, jewellery, furniture, cash and more) between the two families. Usually, it is the bride’s family who has to pay these objects to the groom's family.</p>

<p>The study was conducted by the World Bank who looked at nearly 40,000 marriages that happened between 1960 and 2008 in 17 Indian states that comprise 96 per cent of the country’s population.</p>

<p>Experts calculated "net dowry" to study the gap between what was paid by the bride’s family to the groom’s and vice-versa, and the results showed that in the majority of the cases it was the bride’s family who had paid more – in cash and kind – to the groom’s family, rather than the opposite.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/rising-cases-of-sexual-harassment-in-uk-schools-alarming-watchdog-390631" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/rising-cases-of-sexual-harassment-in-uk-schools-alarming-watchdog-390631&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjFioOH58vxAhV_xzgGHd5RBn84ChAWMAB6BAgFEAI&amp;usg=AOvVaw1fGBe3OH-m6caOsTeKed5-" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rising-cases-of-sexual-harassment-in-uk-schools-alarming-watchdog-390631" target="_blank">Rising cases of&nbsp;sexual harassment&nbsp;in UK schools alarming</a></strong></p>

<p>As per the calculated amount that was admitted by families, on average a groom’s family spends $67 (INR 5,000) on gifts to the bride’s family. However, the bride’s family spends nearly $429 (INR 32,000) for gifts and other monetary payments to the groom’s family, thus making the net dowry nearly $361 (INR 27,000).</p>

<p>It has also been observed that in general the dowry amount is usually 14 per cent of the annual household income and is also made up of a substantial amount from the family’s savings.</p>

<p>"As a share of income, dowry has gone down over time because on average rural incomes have risen in India," said Dr Anukriti, an economist at the World Bank Research Group. "But this is just an average claim - to calculate how large dowry is relative to household income for each household, we will need data on household income or expenditure, but unfortunately we don't have such data available," she said.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/workplace-harassment-a-global-plague-amid-pandemic-377849" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/workplace-harassment-a-global-plague-amid-pandemic-377849&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjFioOH58vxAhV_xzgGHd5RBn84ChAWMAV6BAgAEAI&amp;usg=AOvVaw0oltDMx0rBR9P83-jJknq6" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/workplace-harassment-a-global-plague-amid-pandemic-377849" target="_blank">Workplace&nbsp;harassment: A global plague amid pandemic</a></strong></p>

<p>While a lot of the thought process has changed since 2008, researchers believe the trend of dowry is still very prevalent in India as the idea is very common in all major religious groups too, with Christians and Sikhs showing a "striking increase in dowry".</p>

<p>Some states such as Kerala, Haryana, Punjab and Gujarat saw inflation in dowry, with Kerala registering the highest average dowry in recent years. On the other hand, states such as Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal saw a decrease in average dowry.</p>

<p>"We don't have definitive answers about these differences. We hope to explore this question in future research," Dr Anukriti said.</p>


The concept of dowry has been an old tradition that is now slowly going into the shadows and is dealt with as a ‘hush’ payment from the bride’s side. Although it has been illegal in India since 1961, a study has revealed that dowry is being paid regularly even now and nearly 95 per cent of weddings have had an exchange of dowry even in these modern times.

The concept of dowry has been an old tradition that is now slowly going into the shadows and is dealt with as a ‘hush’ payment from the bride’s side. Although it has been illegal in India since 1961, a study has revealed that dowry is being paid regularly even now and nearly 95 per cent of weddings have had an exchange of dowry even in these modern times. Also read | Growing 'epidemic' of sexual violence in New Zealand Dowry is rightly portrayed to be a social evil as it is a practice of paying and accepting objects of value (such as clothes, jewellery, furniture, cash and more) between the two families. Usually, it is the bride’s family who has to pay these objects to the groom's family. The study was conducted by the World Bank who looked at nearly 40,000 marriages that happened between 1960 and 2008 in 17 Indian states that comprise 96 per cent of the country’s population. Experts calculated "net dowry" to study the gap between what was paid by the bride’s family to the groom’s and vice-versa, and the results showed that in the majority of the cases it was the bride’s family who had paid more – in cash and kind – to the groom’s family, rather than the opposite. Also read | Rising cases of sexual harassment in UK schools alarming As per the calculated amount that was admitted by families, on average a groom’s family spends $67 (INR 5,000) on gifts to the bride’s family. However, the bride’s family spends nearly $429 (INR 32,000) for gifts and other monetary payments to the groom’s family, thus making the net dowry nearly $361 (INR 27,000). It has also been observed that in general the dowry amount is usually 14 per cent of the annual household income and is also made up of a substantial amount from the family’s savings. "As a share of income, dowry has gone down over time because on average rural incomes have risen in India," said Dr Anukriti, an economist at the World Bank Research Group. "But this is just an average claim - to calculate how large dowry is relative to household income for each household, we will need data on household income or expenditure, but unfortunately we don't have such data available," she said. Also read | Workplace harassment: A global plague amid pandemic While a lot of the thought process has changed since 2008, researchers believe the trend of dowry is still very prevalent in India as the idea is very common in all major religious groups too, with Christians and Sikhs showing a "striking increase in dowry". Some states such as Kerala, Haryana, Punjab and Gujarat saw inflation in dowry, with Kerala registering the highest average dowry in recent years. On the other hand, states such as Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal saw a decrease in average dowry. "We don't have definitive answers about these differences. We hope to explore this question in future research," Dr Anukriti said.

Dowry payments still largely taking place in India: World Bank

A week after two drone attacks on India's Air Force base in Jammu, the Srinagar district administration officially banned the use and possession of drones and other similar aerial vehicles.

Week after Jammu attack, Srinagar bans use, possession & sale of drones

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