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Five persons have so far been found infected with the 'Delta Plus' variant of coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh and one of them has died, state Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang said on Thursday.

The other four persons, who were vaccinated against COVID-19, are fine, he said.

"One person from Ujjain, who died, was not inoculated, he said.

'Delta Plus' has been declared a variant of concern by the Centre.

So far, three persons from Bhopal and two from Ujjain have been found infected with the 'Delta Plus' variant in MP, the minister said.

A genome sequencing machine will soon be installed in Bhopal and the state would then not have to send samples to Delhi, he added.

Ujjain Collector Ashish Singh confirmed that a 59-year-old woman, who died of COVID-19 on May 23, was infected with the 'Delta Plus' variant.

She tested positive for coronavirus on May 17. Later, her sample was sent for genome sequencing.

On Tuesday, it was found that she was infected by the 'Delta Plus' variant, the official said.

Earlier, the sample of a 65-year-old woman from Bhopal was sent to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on May 23 and it came out positive for the 'Delta Plus' variant on June 16, officials said.

The woman, who had received both doses of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine, recovered in home isolation, they said.

The new 'Delta Plus' variant has been formed due to a mutation in the Delta or B.1.617.

2 variant, first identified in India and one of the drivers of the deadly second wave.

Though there is no indication yet of the severity of the disease due to the new variant, 'Delta Plus' is resistant to the monoclonal antibody cocktail treatment for COVID-19 recently authorised in India On Wednesday, Madhya Pradesh recorded 84 new cases of coronavirus and 21 fatalities, raising the tally of infections in the state to 7,89,499 and the death toll to 8,827, as per official data.

Five persons have so far been found infected with the 'Delta Plus' variant of coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh and one of them has died, state Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang said on Thursday.

Five persons have so far been found infected with the 'Delta Plus' variant of coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh and one of them has died, state Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang said on Thursday. The other four persons, who were vaccinated against COVID-19, are fine, he said. "One person from Ujjain, who died, was not inoculated, he said. 'Delta Plus' has been declared a variant of concern by the Centre. So far, three persons from Bhopal and two from Ujjain have been found infected with the 'Delta Plus' variant in MP, the minister said. A genome sequencing machine will soon be installed in Bhopal and the state would then not have to send samples to Delhi, he added. Ujjain Collector Ashish Singh confirmed that a 59-year-old woman, who died of COVID-19 on May 23, was infected with the 'Delta Plus' variant. She tested positive for coronavirus on May 17. Later, her sample was sent for genome sequencing. On Tuesday, it was found that she was infected by the 'Delta Plus' variant, the official said. Earlier, the sample of a 65-year-old woman from Bhopal was sent to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on May 23 and it came out positive for the 'Delta Plus' variant on June 16, officials said. The woman, who had received both doses of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine, recovered in home isolation, they said. The new 'Delta Plus' variant has been formed due to a mutation in the Delta or B.1.617. 2 variant, first identified in India and one of the drivers of the deadly second wave. Though there is no indication yet of the severity of the disease due to the new variant, 'Delta Plus' is resistant to the monoclonal antibody cocktail treatment for COVID-19 recently authorised in India On Wednesday, Madhya Pradesh recorded 84 new cases of coronavirus and 21 fatalities, raising the tally of infections in the state to 7,89,499 and the death toll to 8,827, as per official data.

Five cases of COVID-19 'Delta Plus' variant in Madhya Pradesh; 1 dead

Indian business doyen Jamsetji Tata has emerged as the world's largest philanthropist in the last&nbsp;100 years, donating $102 billion, as per a report prepared by Hurun Research and EdelGive Foundation.

Jamsetji Tata is ahead of others like Bill Gates and his now-estranged wife Melinda who have donated $74.6 billion, Warren Buffet ($37.4 billion), George Soros ($34.8 billion) and John D Rockefeller ($26.8 billion), the list showed.

The other Indian on the list is Azim Premji of Wipro, who has virtually given his entire fortune of $22 billion for philanthropic causes.

The survey by Edel-Give Foundation and Hurun India, titled "Philanthropists of the Century," recognises 50 of the world's best philanthropists.

The United States comes in first with 39 persons, followed by the United Kingdom with 5, China with 3, and India with two.&nbsp;

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Hurun Research and EdelGive Foundation today released the 2021 EdelGive Hurun Philanthropists of the Century, a ranking of the world’s most generous individuals from the last 100 years. 
 
The father of Indian industry, Jamsetji Tata, tops the list followed by <a href="https://t.co/MMBrY0Hkwl">pic.twitter.com/MMBrY0Hkwl</a>
— HURUN INDIA (@HurunReportInd) <a href="https://twitter.com/HurunReportInd/status/1407616170799222794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2021</a></blockquote>
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“Whilst American and European philanthropists may have dominated the thinking of philanthropy over the last century, Jamsetji Tata, founder of India’s Tata Group, is the world’s biggest philanthropist,” Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher of Hurun Report, said in a statement.

Jamsetji Tata, who was born in Navsari, Gujarat, in 1839, made his fortune in the 1870s by founding the Central India Spinning Weaving and Manufacturing Company. 
In 1892, he established the JN Tata Endowment for higher education, which was the start of the Tata Trusts.&nbsp;

According to the report, Jamsetji Tata's overall charitable worth is made up of 66% of Tata Sons, entirely based on the valuation of listed firms.&nbsp;

Tata&nbsp;was able to attain the top rank in giving by donating two-thirds of its ownership to trusts that perform well in diverse sectors such as education and healthcare.&nbsp;

Indian business doyen Jamsetji Tata has emerged as the world's largest philanthropist in the last 100 years, donating $102 billion, as per a report prepared by Hurun Research and EdelGive Foundation.

Indian business doyen Jamsetji Tata has emerged as the world's largest philanthropist in the last 100 years, donating $102 billion, as per a report prepared by Hurun Research and EdelGive Foundation. Jamsetji Tata is ahead of others like Bill Gates and his now-estranged wife Melinda who have donated $74.6 billion, Warren Buffet ($37.4 billion), George Soros ($34.8 billion) and John D Rockefeller ($26.8 billion), the list showed. The other Indian on the list is Azim Premji of Wipro, who has virtually given his entire fortune of $22 billion for philanthropic causes. The survey by Edel-Give Foundation and Hurun India, titled "Philanthropists of the Century," recognises 50 of the world's best philanthropists. The United States comes in first with 39 persons, followed by the United Kingdom with 5, China with 3, and India with two. Hurun Research and EdelGive Foundation today released the 2021 EdelGive Hurun Philanthropists of the Century, a ranking of the world’s most generous individuals from the last 100 years. The father of Indian industry, Jamsetji Tata, tops the list followed by pic.twitter.com/MMBrY0Hkwl — HURUN INDIA (@HurunReportInd) June 23, 2021 × “Whilst American and European philanthropists may have dominated the thinking of philanthropy over the last century, Jamsetji Tata, founder of India’s Tata Group, is the world’s biggest philanthropist,” Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher of Hurun Report, said in a statement. Jamsetji Tata, who was born in Navsari, Gujarat, in 1839, made his fortune in the 1870s by founding the Central India Spinning Weaving and Manufacturing Company. In 1892, he established the JN Tata Endowment for higher education, which was the start of the Tata Trusts. According to the report, Jamsetji Tata's overall charitable worth is made up of 66% of Tata Sons, entirely based on the valuation of listed firms. Tata was able to attain the top rank in giving by donating two-thirds of its ownership to trusts that perform well in diverse sectors such as education and healthcare.

Jamsetji Tata ranked the world's top philanthropist in past 100 years, two Indians in the top 50

&nbsp;About 40 per cent of the money lost by banks in alleged frauds perpetrated by fugitive businessmen Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya has been recovered so far, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said after the sale of attached shares worth over Rs 5,800 crore on Wednesday.

According to the agency, the latest sale proceeds take the total value of recovery to Rs 9,041.5 crore, or 40 per cent of the over Rs 22,000 crore allegedly defrauded by the trio.

Commenting on the development, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted, "Fugitives &amp; economic offenders will be actively pursued; their properties attached &amp; dues recovered."

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/uk-judge-denies-for-more-funds-for-legal-charges-to-indian-fugitive-vijay-mallya-387657/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The three, who fled overseas as a probe against them gathered pace, are being investigated by central investigative agencies such as the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after they were alleged to have cheated banks, and these frauds have been categorised as among the country's biggest criminal loan heist till date.

The central agency gave the low-down on these two cases, the estimated Rs 13,000 crore fraud allegedly carried out by diamond trader Nirav Modi, his uncle Mehul Choksi and others in the Brady House branch of PNB in Mumbai and the about Rs 9,000 crore Kingfisher Airlines fraud triggered by Mallya, in a statement issued here.

It said the three "defrauded" public sector banks by siphoning off the funds through their companies which resulted in a total loss of over Rs 22,000 crore or $ 2,20,000 Million (Rs 22,585.83 crore in definite numbers) to a clutch of banks.

Asked for a comment, Choksi's lawyer Vijay Aggarwal told PTI, "The ED has indeed attached assets much more than the money due to the banks."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/vijay-mallya-loses-bankruptcy-petition-amendment-high-court-battle-in-uk-385876">Vijay Mallya loses bankruptcy petition amendment High Court battle in UK</a>&nbsp;

The ED, empowered to probe such cases under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), went on to attach and seize total assets worth Rs 18,170.02 crore in these two cases that included Rs 969 crore worth of properties "located" abroad.

"The quantum of the attached and seized assets represent 80.45 per cent of the total bank loss of Rs 22,585.83 crore," the ED said.

On Wednesday, out of these attached assets, the Debts Recovery Tribunal (DRT) on behalf of an SBI-led consortium that lent money to Mallya sold fresh shares worth Rs 5,824.50 crore of United Breweries Limited (UBL), the agency said.

The DRT action came after the ED transferred the shares worth about Rs 6,624 crore of UBL attached by it to the SBI-led consortium on the directions of a special PMLA court that is hearing these cases in Mumbai.

"Further realisation of Rs 800 crore by sale of these shares is expected by June 25," it added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/nirav-modi-faces-another-setback-as-uk-judge-rules-in-indias-favour-340393">Nirav Modi faces another setback as UK judge rules in India's favour</a>

The banks have earlier "recovered" Rs 1,357 crore by a similar sale of shares in the case against Mallya and his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, the ED said.

Another Rs 1,060 crore worth of assets were "restituted" to the banks earlier in the probe against Nirav Modi, they said.

As of date, the ED said, assets worth Rs 9,041.5 crore, "representing 40 per cent of the total loss to the banks, have been handed over to public sector banks."

"Thus, the banks shall be realising total amount of Rs 9,041.5 crore through sale of a part of assets attached/seized by ED under the PMLA," it said.

In addition, official sources said, Rs 329.67 crore has been realised in the government exchequer after Modi's assets were confiscated in July last year after the 50-year-old diamantaire was declared a fugitive economic offender by a special court in Mumbai.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/mehul-choksis-claim-of-renouncing-indian-citizenship-bogus-india-391576/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The ED said the probe has "irrevocably proved" that the three used dummy entities controlled by them for rotation and siphoning off the funds provided by the banks.

"The investigators had to pierce through the multi-layered corporate veil to find these assets that were held in exclusive possession."

"It was a myriad web of domestic and international transactions and stashing of assets abroad," a senior officer said. 
The ED also got repatriated to the country assets like gold and diamond jewellery (of Modi and Choksi firms) from abroad to ensure they are not disposed off and are available to the banks and the government exchequer for seizure.

The agency said, "a substantial part of these assets were held in the names of dummy entities, trusts, third persons, relatives of these accused and these entities were proxy of the three accused to hold these assets."

It said the extradition of Mallya (65) "has been ordered by the Westminster Magistrates Court and confirmed by the UK High Court."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/enforcement-directorate-seizes-vijay-mallyas-asset-in-france-worth-19-million-347571">Enforcement Directorate seizes Vijay Mallya’s asset in France worth $1.9 million</a>

"Since Mallya has been denied permission to file appeal in the UK Supreme Court, his extradition to India has become final," it added.

It said Modi too has lost his extradition plea and has been in a London jail for the last 2.3 years.

Choksi (62) had mysteriously gone missing on May 23 from Antigua and Barbuda, where he has been staying since 2018 as a citizen, and later surfaced in neighbouring Dominica from where India is trying to get him deported.

About 40 per cent of the money lost by banks in alleged frauds perpetrated by fugitive businessmen Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya has been recovered so far, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said after the sale of attached shares worth over Rs 5,800 crore on Wednesday.

About 40 per cent of the money lost by banks in alleged frauds perpetrated by fugitive businessmen Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya has been recovered so far, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said after the sale of attached shares worth over Rs 5,800 crore on Wednesday. According to the agency, the latest sale proceeds take the total value of recovery to Rs 9,041.5 crore, or 40 per cent of the over Rs 22,000 crore allegedly defrauded by the trio. Commenting on the development, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted, "Fugitives & economic offenders will be actively pursued; their properties attached & dues recovered." The three, who fled overseas as a probe against them gathered pace, are being investigated by central investigative agencies such as the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after they were alleged to have cheated banks, and these frauds have been categorised as among the country's biggest criminal loan heist till date. The central agency gave the low-down on these two cases, the estimated Rs 13,000 crore fraud allegedly carried out by diamond trader Nirav Modi, his uncle Mehul Choksi and others in the Brady House branch of PNB in Mumbai and the about Rs 9,000 crore Kingfisher Airlines fraud triggered by Mallya, in a statement issued here. It said the three "defrauded" public sector banks by siphoning off the funds through their companies which resulted in a total loss of over Rs 22,000 crore or $ 2,20,000 Million (Rs 22,585.83 crore in definite numbers) to a clutch of banks. Asked for a comment, Choksi's lawyer Vijay Aggarwal told PTI, "The ED has indeed attached assets much more than the money due to the banks." Also read | Vijay Mallya loses bankruptcy petition amendment High Court battle in UK The ED, empowered to probe such cases under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), went on to attach and seize total assets worth Rs 18,170.02 crore in these two cases that included Rs 969 crore worth of properties "located" abroad. "The quantum of the attached and seized assets represent 80.45 per cent of the total bank loss of Rs 22,585.83 crore," the ED said. On Wednesday, out of these attached assets, the Debts Recovery Tribunal (DRT) on behalf of an SBI-led consortium that lent money to Mallya sold fresh shares worth Rs 5,824.50 crore of United Breweries Limited (UBL), the agency said. The DRT action came after the ED transferred the shares worth about Rs 6,624 crore of UBL attached by it to the SBI-led consortium on the directions of a special PMLA court that is hearing these cases in Mumbai. "Further realisation of Rs 800 crore by sale of these shares is expected by June 25," it added. Also read | Nirav Modi faces another setback as UK judge rules in India's favour The banks have earlier "recovered" Rs 1,357 crore by a similar sale of shares in the case against Mallya and his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, the ED said. Another Rs 1,060 crore worth of assets were "restituted" to the banks earlier in the probe against Nirav Modi, they said. As of date, the ED said, assets worth Rs 9,041.5 crore, "representing 40 per cent of the total loss to the banks, have been handed over to public sector banks." "Thus, the banks shall be realising total amount of Rs 9,041.5 crore through sale of a part of assets attached/seized by ED under the PMLA," it said. In addition, official sources said, Rs 329.67 crore has been realised in the government exchequer after Modi's assets were confiscated in July last year after the 50-year-old diamantaire was declared a fugitive economic offender by a special court in Mumbai. The ED said the probe has "irrevocably proved" that the three used dummy entities controlled by them for rotation and siphoning off the funds provided by the banks. "The investigators had to pierce through the multi-layered corporate veil to find these assets that were held in exclusive possession." "It was a myriad web of domestic and international transactions and stashing of assets abroad," a senior officer said. The ED also got repatriated to the country assets like gold and diamond jewellery (of Modi and Choksi firms) from abroad to ensure they are not disposed off and are available to the banks and the government exchequer for seizure. The agency said, "a substantial part of these assets were held in the names of dummy entities, trusts, third persons, relatives of these accused and these entities were proxy of the three accused to hold these assets." It said the extradition of Mallya (65) "has been ordered by the Westminster Magistrates Court and confirmed by the UK High Court." Also read | Enforcement Directorate seizes Vijay Mallya’s asset in France worth $1.9 million "Since Mallya has been denied permission to file appeal in the UK Supreme Court, his extradition to India has become final," it added. It said Modi too has lost his extradition plea and has been in a London jail for the last 2.3 years. Choksi (62) had mysteriously gone missing on May 23 from Antigua and Barbuda, where he has been staying since 2018 as a citizen, and later surfaced in neighbouring Dominica from where India is trying to get him deported.

Enforcement Directorate says 40% loss in PNB, Mallya bank fraud cases recovered

Netizens are having a field day, thanks to Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji’s comments on squirrels running on overhead power lines and causing disruptions in service.

Clips of the comments made by the DMK’s Karur MLA and Electrictiy Minister have been going viral on social media and instant messaging platforms. The Tamil equivalent of "Squirrels are the reason" has been an Indian-level Twitter trend, with over 12,000 tweets on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/anybody-can-do-yoga-specially-abled-persons-join-the-international-yoga-day-movement-393198" hreflang="en">Anybody can do yoga: Specially abled persons join the International Yoga Day movement</a>

There have been reports of increased power cuts across the state since the new DMK regime came to power. Addressing the media regarding this issue, the minister replied that when tree branches come in contact with power lines, squirrels running on them, lead to two wires coming into contact, thus, causing power outages.&nbsp;

Later, speaking at the assembly, the minister had said that the previous AIADMK government had not carried out maintenance work for Electricity Board connections. He added that there would be no power cuts after the maintenance works were carried out.

However, the AIADMK has maintained that Tamil Nadu was a power surplus state during its rule and the party&nbsp;handled peak power demand efficiently and that there were hardly any power cuts.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/chennai-organs-of-27-yr-old-accident-victim-flown-by-chopper-to-give-life-to-two-patients-393016" hreflang="en">Chennai: Organs of 27-yr old accident victim flown by chopper, to give life to two patients</a>

Opposition politicians and netizens have been trolling the ruling party for the minister’s comments and asking if squirrels ran underground and whether the population of squirrels had increased after the new government took over. Frequent power cuts were among the taunts that the AIADMK-BJP combine had used against the DMK during the election campaign.&nbsp;

Many are comparing the minister's comments to an instance where an AIADMK Minister Sellur Raju attempted to cover a dam with thermocol sheets to prevent the evaporation of water, during the previous regime. While many sheets were placed in the water, they were later blown ashore, thanks to the strong winds in the open area.

In several Western countries, there are instances of squirrels causing power disruptions, but such reasons are unheard of in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Netizens are having a field day, thanks to Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji’s comments on squirrels running on overhead power lines and causing disruptions in service.

Netizens are having a field day, thanks to Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji’s comments on squirrels running on overhead power lines and causing disruptions in service. Clips of the comments made by the DMK’s Karur MLA and Electrictiy Minister have been going viral on social media and instant messaging platforms. The Tamil equivalent of "Squirrels are the reason" has been an Indian-level Twitter trend, with over 12,000 tweets on Wednesday. Also read | Anybody can do yoga: Specially abled persons join the International Yoga Day movement There have been reports of increased power cuts across the state since the new DMK regime came to power. Addressing the media regarding this issue, the minister replied that when tree branches come in contact with power lines, squirrels running on them, lead to two wires coming into contact, thus, causing power outages. Later, speaking at the assembly, the minister had said that the previous AIADMK government had not carried out maintenance work for Electricity Board connections. He added that there would be no power cuts after the maintenance works were carried out. However, the AIADMK has maintained that Tamil Nadu was a power surplus state during its rule and the party handled peak power demand efficiently and that there were hardly any power cuts. Also read | Chennai: Organs of 27-yr old accident victim flown by chopper, to give life to two patients Opposition politicians and netizens have been trolling the ruling party for the minister’s comments and asking if squirrels ran underground and whether the population of squirrels had increased after the new government took over. Frequent power cuts were among the taunts that the AIADMK-BJP combine had used against the DMK during the election campaign. Many are comparing the minister's comments to an instance where an AIADMK Minister Sellur Raju attempted to cover a dam with thermocol sheets to prevent the evaporation of water, during the previous regime. While many sheets were placed in the water, they were later blown ashore, thanks to the strong winds in the open area. In several Western countries, there are instances of squirrels causing power disruptions, but such reasons are unheard of in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Twitter trends 'squirrels' after TN minister blamed them for causing power outages

The NSA level meeting will be held today, preceded by a Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on June 22. The meeting will take place just ahead of Modi's All-Party Meeting with leaders of Jammu and Kashmir. It is still unclear whether there would be any meeting scheduled between Indian and Pakistan's NSA.

Ajit Doval, his Pakistani counterpart to attend SCO meet in Dushanbe

Ever since their birth as two separate countries in 1947, India and Pakistan have been psychologically obsessed with their assorted mutual conflicts. They have fought four conventional wars, and regularly display their nuclear capability to outpace and undermine each other. From the outside, it resembles nothing so much as a family feud – and psychologically speaking, it’s a very apt analogy.

Across the subcontinent, family and lineage are the most influential institutions in people’s lives, and people tend to transpose the psychological moral structure of their kinship relations into every other institution in the outside world. Respecting your seniors and expecting care and nurture is the norm, and it holds sway in various forms across every sphere of life.

As one famous South Indian proverb puts it, after living together for six months, “they” become “we” and “we” become “they”; neighbours should be treated like family members. It is the violation of this norm that underpins the modern India-Pakistan (or Hindu-Muslim) rivalry.

By the time of partition, the two sides had lived together in one society for more than a millennium. South Asian Hindus and Muslims shared not just a cultural gene pool and biological ties, but common kinship institutions: the extended family group joined by marriage, which is called Khandan in Pakistan and Pariwar in India, or the lineage group with common descendants, known as Biradari in Pakistan and Jati in India.

The rupture between the two can be traced to what happened within India’s predominantly Hindu Congress party, which represented both communities against the British Raj in the years before the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. As partition neared, the reservations of Muslims were not properly considered, and their demands were thus not met. The Muslim minority was excluded from most decisions, which created in them a fear of “not mattering at all”. The Muslims, suddenly the “junior” family members, felt neglected – and as younger siblings oftentimes do, they became extra-competitive.&nbsp;

Them and us

Viewed this way, the India-Pakistan conflict owes more to historical and psychological “nearness” than to mere competition for resources or territory. And that much is clear in the language they use to talk about each other.

In many parts of India and Pakistan, especially in both Punjabs, the word used for the 1947 Partition of India is “batwara”, which literally means “the distribution of ancestral land” between brothers or patrilineal cousins. The word comes with resonances that the English word “partition” simply doesn’t carry: harmonious family, painful division, cousin rivalry, love-hate competition.&nbsp;

These are the psychological dynamics that play out in the dispute over Kashmir. Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir as if it were their ancestral property, and people on both sides feel a deep emotional attachment to it. In the subcontinent, to give up a claim to one’s ancestral property brings “dishonour” to one’s family and group, and is considered a weakness.

For Pakistanis, the rivalry against Indians is driven by a deep sense of being “wronged” at the time of partition, the corollary being a “desire” to compete with and trump Indians at any cost. It’s this bitterly competitive urge that drives Pakistan’s leaders, army officers and populace to defy India’s obvious demographic, economic and military supremacy, and to do so with such intensity.

As William Blake said, “it is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend”. Whoever we are, it seems we can all feel a special kind of enmity for the enemies we most resemble – whether a sibling or a neighbour, we simply cannot accept “them” as “us” despite our obvious similarities. 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Neighbours should be treated like family members. It is the violation of this norm that underpins the modern India-Pakistan rivalry.

Ever since their birth as two separate countries in 1947, India and Pakistan have been psychologically obsessed with their assorted mutual conflicts. They have fought four conventional wars, and regularly display their nuclear capability to outpace and undermine each other. From the outside, it resembles nothing so much as a family feud – and psychologically speaking, it’s a very apt analogy. Across the subcontinent, family and lineage are the most influential institutions in people’s lives, and people tend to transpose the psychological moral structure of their kinship relations into every other institution in the outside world. Respecting your seniors and expecting care and nurture is the norm, and it holds sway in various forms across every sphere of life. As one famous South Indian proverb puts it, after living together for six months, “they” become “we” and “we” become “they”; neighbours should be treated like family members. It is the violation of this norm that underpins the modern India-Pakistan (or Hindu-Muslim) rivalry. By the time of partition, the two sides had lived together in one society for more than a millennium. South Asian Hindus and Muslims shared not just a cultural gene pool and biological ties, but common kinship institutions: the extended family group joined by marriage, which is called Khandan in Pakistan and Pariwar in India, or the lineage group with common descendants, known as Biradari in Pakistan and Jati in India. The rupture between the two can be traced to what happened within India’s predominantly Hindu Congress party, which represented both communities against the British Raj in the years before the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. As partition neared, the reservations of Muslims were not properly considered, and their demands were thus not met. The Muslim minority was excluded from most decisions, which created in them a fear of “not mattering at all”. The Muslims, suddenly the “junior” family members, felt neglected – and as younger siblings oftentimes do, they became extra-competitive. Them and us Viewed this way, the India-Pakistan conflict owes more to historical and psychological “nearness” than to mere competition for resources or territory. And that much is clear in the language they use to talk about each other. In many parts of India and Pakistan, especially in both Punjabs, the word used for the 1947 Partition of India is “batwara”, which literally means “the distribution of ancestral land” between brothers or patrilineal cousins. The word comes with resonances that the English word “partition” simply doesn’t carry: harmonious family, painful division, cousin rivalry, love-hate competition. These are the psychological dynamics that play out in the dispute over Kashmir. Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir as if it were their ancestral property, and people on both sides feel a deep emotional attachment to it. In the subcontinent, to give up a claim to one’s ancestral property brings “dishonour” to one’s family and group, and is considered a weakness. For Pakistanis, the rivalry against Indians is driven by a deep sense of being “wronged” at the time of partition, the corollary being a “desire” to compete with and trump Indians at any cost. It’s this bitterly competitive urge that drives Pakistan’s leaders, army officers and populace to defy India’s obvious demographic, economic and military supremacy, and to do so with such intensity. As William Blake said, “it is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend”. Whoever we are, it seems we can all feel a special kind of enmity for the enemies we most resemble – whether a sibling or a neighbour, we simply cannot accept “them” as “us” despite our obvious similarities. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Indo-Pak war is psychological, not territorial

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday lauded the cooperation between state and Central govt to battle COVID-19 in India. 'For a federal country of continental dimensions, finding policy instruments at the national level to promote reforms by state govts is indeed challenging', he added.

PM Modi lauds Centre-state cooperation amid pandemic

The Journal of Infection and Public Health in its study "Detection of possible Nipah <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fauci-calls-delta-variant-greatest-threat-to-eradicate-covid-19-pandemic-393420">virus</a> infection in Rousettus leschenaultii and Pipistrellus Pipistrellus bats in Maharashtra, India" has found the presence of antibodies against the Nipah virus (NiV) in bat species in a cave in Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had listed the Nipah virus in its top-10 priority list of pathogens.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/universal-coronavirus-vaccine-scientists-make-unique-discovery-that-may-help-prevent-future-pandemics-393371">Also Read: Universal coronavirus vaccine? Scientists make unique discovery&nbsp;</a>

India has experienced four episodes of Nipah outbreaks in Siliguri district, West Bengal in 2001 and again in West Bengal's Nadia district in 2007, then in Kerala's Kozhikode district in 2018 in which 18 people died, followed by another outbreak in 2019.

Watch:

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A study has found Indian states as "potential hotspots" for the virus.

In March last year, two species of bats R. leschenaultii (N = 65) and P. pipistrellus (N = 15) were trapped using mist nets from a cave in Mahabaleshwar's&nbsp;Satara district of Maharashtra.

The researchers took blood, throat and rectal swab samples onsite from anaesthetised bats, after that &nbsp;Necropsy of ten bats of each species was performed at a containment facility of the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR)-National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV), Pune. The researchers took RNA from throat swab, rectal swab and organ samples including kidney, liver and spleen using Magmax RNA extraction kit.

The report showed possible NiV infection in R. leschenaultii bats in India, which was demonstrated by the presence of both NiV RNA and anti-NiV IgG antibodies in bats.

The research stated that more studies in bats and humans was needed to understand the prevalence of the virus in the state.&nbsp;

"The roost which was sampled was age-old and the virus might have been circulating among the inhabitants at low levels and not detected during earlier studies," it added.

"Recurring outbreaks, high case fatality rate, human-to-human transmission and lack of effective <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/astrazeneca-vaccine-effective-against-covid-19-variants-identified-in-india-393331">vaccine </a>and antivirals pose a major concern in India as bat roosts are very common in areas where large human populations reside," the research noted.

The Journal of Infection and Public Health in its study "Detection of possible Nipah virus infection in Rousettus leschenaultii and Pipistrellus Pipistrellus bats in Maharashtra, India" has found the presence of antibodies against the Nipah virus (NiV) in bat species in a cave in Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra.

The Journal of Infection and Public Health in its study "Detection of possible Nipah virus infection in Rousettus leschenaultii and Pipistrellus Pipistrellus bats in Maharashtra, India" has found the presence of antibodies against the Nipah virus (NiV) in bat species in a cave in Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra. The World Health Organization (WHO) had listed the Nipah virus in its top-10 priority list of pathogens. Also Read: Universal coronavirus vaccine? Scientists make unique discovery India has experienced four episodes of Nipah outbreaks in Siliguri district, West Bengal in 2001 and again in West Bengal's Nadia district in 2007, then in Kerala's Kozhikode district in 2018 in which 18 people died, followed by another outbreak in 2019. Watch: A study has found Indian states as "potential hotspots" for the virus. In March last year, two species of bats R. leschenaultii (N = 65) and P. pipistrellus (N = 15) were trapped using mist nets from a cave in Mahabaleshwar's Satara district of Maharashtra. The researchers took blood, throat and rectal swab samples onsite from anaesthetised bats, after that Necropsy of ten bats of each species was performed at a containment facility of the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR)-National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV), Pune. The researchers took RNA from throat swab, rectal swab and organ samples including kidney, liver and spleen using Magmax RNA extraction kit. The report showed possible NiV infection in R. leschenaultii bats in India, which was demonstrated by the presence of both NiV RNA and anti-NiV IgG antibodies in bats. The research stated that more studies in bats and humans was needed to understand the prevalence of the virus in the state. "The roost which was sampled was age-old and the virus might have been circulating among the inhabitants at low levels and not detected during earlier studies," it added. "Recurring outbreaks, high case fatality rate, human-to-human transmission and lack of effective vaccine and antivirals pose a major concern in India as bat roosts are very common in areas where large human populations reside," the research noted.

Researchers discover Nipah virus antibodies in bats from Maharashtra's Mahabaleshwar cave

A police officer in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has been arrested for&nbsp;brutality, after a video of the incident in&nbsp;Salem District has gone viral.

In the video, Periyasamy&nbsp;is seen beating a man despite cries and pleas from the victim’s friends. This incident took place at the Pappinaickaenpatti check-post under the Yethapur station in the district.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/chennai-organs-of-27-yr-old-accident-victim-flown-by-chopper-to-give-life-to-two-patients-393016" hreflang="en">Chennai: Organs of 27-yr old accident victim flown by chopper, to give life to two patients</a>

The victim, a 47-year old farmer, died on Wednesday, after being beaten with a cane stick&nbsp; by Periyasamy in public at the border checkpoint on Tuesday evening.

It is said that the victim had gone with his friends to the nearby Kallakurichi district to purchase liquor. When stopped by the cops, the farmer who was in an inebriated state, is said to have argued with the cops.&nbsp;

In the clip of the brutal attack, Murugesan and his friends are seen pleading with the policeman, who continued to thrash the man indiscriminately, while other cops in the vicinity looked on.

Apparently, the policeman stopped raining blows with the cane stick only after the victim fell unconscious.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/had-a-fulfilling-maiden-meeting-with-pm-modi-says-tamil-nadu-cm-mk-stalin-392231" hreflang="en">Had a fulfilling maiden meeting with PM Modi, says Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin</a>

Owing to the pandemic, 11 districts of Tamil Nadu including Salem are still under restrictions, due to which all liquor shops are shut.

Owing to such restrictions, people from such districts tend to go to some adjoining districts where the state-run liquor shops are open, despite the guidelines preventing them from doing so.

This issue was also raised in the stare legislature by leader of opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami. Chief Minister Stalin assured action and said an investigation was underway.

This incident of police brutality is reminiscent of the Jayaraj-Bennix custodial death case that took place in Tuticorin, in June 2020.&nbsp;

A police officer in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has been arrested for brutality, after a video of the incident in Salem District has gone viral. In the video, Periyasamy is seen beating a man despite cries and pleas from the victim’s friends.

A police officer in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has been arrested for brutality, after a video of the incident in Salem District has gone viral. In the video, Periyasamy is seen beating a man despite cries and pleas from the victim’s friends. This incident took place at the Pappinaickaenpatti check-post under the Yethapur station in the district. Also read | Chennai: Organs of 27-yr old accident victim flown by chopper, to give life to two patients The victim, a 47-year old farmer, died on Wednesday, after being beaten with a cane stick by Periyasamy in public at the border checkpoint on Tuesday evening. It is said that the victim had gone with his friends to the nearby Kallakurichi district to purchase liquor. When stopped by the cops, the farmer who was in an inebriated state, is said to have argued with the cops. In the clip of the brutal attack, Murugesan and his friends are seen pleading with the policeman, who continued to thrash the man indiscriminately, while other cops in the vicinity looked on. Apparently, the policeman stopped raining blows with the cane stick only after the victim fell unconscious. Also read | Had a fulfilling maiden meeting with PM Modi, says Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin Owing to the pandemic, 11 districts of Tamil Nadu including Salem are still under restrictions, due to which all liquor shops are shut. Owing to such restrictions, people from such districts tend to go to some adjoining districts where the state-run liquor shops are open, despite the guidelines preventing them from doing so. This issue was also raised in the stare legislature by leader of opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami. Chief Minister Stalin assured action and said an investigation was underway. This incident of police brutality is reminiscent of the Jayaraj-Bennix custodial death case that took place in Tuticorin, in June 2020.

Tamil Nadu: Policeman arrested after video of him beating a drunk person to death goes viral

The Chinese national who was arrested recently in India's West Bengal has said that his country is trying to hack various websites of the central government including websites under the defence ministry.

China trying to hack Indian websites says arrested intruder Han Junwe

The Health Ministry of India has classified the Delta Plus variant of the Coronavirus as a 'variant of concern'. The new variant has been found in nearly 40 cases of Maharashtra, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh.

India govt says Delta Plus is 'variant of concern', warns 3 states

Why IAF's Jaguars, Su-30 fighters will exercise with Carrier Strike Group USS Ronald Reagan

India's Covaxin&nbsp;has shown 77.8 per cent efficacy against coronavirus in phase 3 trial data in review by the subject expert committee, news agency ANI quoting sources reported on Tuesday.

According to ANI sources, Covaxin is likely to get clearance from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) today.

Watch:

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The development comes as the health ministry said on Tuesday that the average daily <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/abdala-vaccine-9228-effective-against-covid-19-says-cuba-393134">vaccination</a> was 34,62,841 in the country, therefore 88 lakh vaccines and capacity is possible.

India on Monday administered 88.09 lakh <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/over-82-million-vaccine-doses-administered-across-india-health-ministry-393026">vaccine</a> jabs in a single day reaching a historic milestone with Madhya Pradesh inoculating the highest number of doses numbering over 17 lakh followed by Karnataka with 11 lakh doses, Uttar Pradesh with 7 lakh jabs and Bihar with 5.75 lakh doses

The health ministry informed that Indian vaccines Covishield and Covaxin are effective against the Delta variant.

Niti Aayog's&nbsp;VK Paul informed that more than half of the doses administered over the last few weeks were inoculated in rural areas.

Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan informed that the new Delta Plus variant has been found in 16 of the 22 cases including Ratnagiri and Jalgaon in Maharashtra including Kerala and Madhya Pradesh.

As India continues to battle the virus, the health ministry announced that in 553 districts in the country the coronavirus positivity rate has dipped to less than 5 per cent.

The ministry said that over 2.14 crore coronavirus vaccine doses were still available with the states and Union Territories and over 33,80,590 vaccine doses are in the pipeline.

On Monday, the Indian government had started the "Free Vaccination For All campaign".

According to the revised guidelines, vaccine doses will be provided free of cost by the Centre based on criteria such as state's population, disease burden and vaccination progress. All adults above 18 years will be eligible for the free jabs.

India's Covaxin has shown 77.8 per cent efficacy against coronavirus in phase 3 trial data in review by the subject expert committee, news agency ANI quoting sources reported on Tuesday.

India's Covaxin has shown 77.8 per cent efficacy against coronavirus in phase 3 trial data in review by the subject expert committee, news agency ANI quoting sources reported on Tuesday. According to ANI sources, Covaxin is likely to get clearance from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) today. Watch: The development comes as the health ministry said on Tuesday that the average daily vaccination was 34,62,841 in the country, therefore 88 lakh vaccines and capacity is possible. India on Monday administered 88.09 lakh vaccine jabs in a single day reaching a historic milestone with Madhya Pradesh inoculating the highest number of doses numbering over 17 lakh followed by Karnataka with 11 lakh doses, Uttar Pradesh with 7 lakh jabs and Bihar with 5.75 lakh doses The health ministry informed that Indian vaccines Covishield and Covaxin are effective against the Delta variant. Niti Aayog's VK Paul informed that more than half of the doses administered over the last few weeks were inoculated in rural areas. Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan informed that the new Delta Plus variant has been found in 16 of the 22 cases including Ratnagiri and Jalgaon in Maharashtra including Kerala and Madhya Pradesh. As India continues to battle the virus, the health ministry announced that in 553 districts in the country the coronavirus positivity rate has dipped to less than 5 per cent. The ministry said that over 2.14 crore coronavirus vaccine doses were still available with the states and Union Territories and over 33,80,590 vaccine doses are in the pipeline. On Monday, the Indian government had started the "Free Vaccination For All campaign". According to the revised guidelines, vaccine doses will be provided free of cost by the Centre based on criteria such as state's population, disease burden and vaccination progress. All adults above 18 years will be eligible for the free jabs.

Covaxin has shown 77.8 per cent efficacy against virus: Report

The president of India's PHD Chamber of Commerce has said that the "reliability of China as a trade partner" is "questionable" even as visa issuance by the country remains an issue.

Travelling to China has not been possible for Indian nationals since last November as the Chinese side has suspended existing visas.

Sanjay Aggarwal, speaking to WION, said, "I think, for the Chinese government, this approach is not in their own interest. I think they are just proving the point when we talk of a nation, not trying to be dependent on China but then individual businessmen suffer the issue of actual trade getting various issues, payment issues, material stuck due to non-issue of visas."

Earlier this year in March, the Chinese embassy issued a notification that visas will be given to only those who have taken China-made vaccines, putting a barrier as no Chinese vaccines have been approved by the Indian government.

"The reliability of China as a trade partner itself is questionable. So I think, they are basically trying to either have an attitude that we have built up our economy enough by pretending to be very open&nbsp;to now a stage to punish whoever we wish to," Aggarwal explained&nbsp;adding, "If that is their line of thinking, so be it. It is not to their advantage. Indian businessmen may suffer in the short term for the individual issue but they will learn for future on their dependency."

This is the first such comment by any national chamber over trade with China and the risks involved amid China's continued presence at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.

China is India's one of largest trading partners&nbsp;but the trade deficit which is in favour of China has been a cause of worry for India. In fact, it is the single biggest trade deficit India has with any country. India's dependence on China has been a cause of worry&nbsp;for which the chamber called for incentives from the government for Indian businesses.

The president of the PDH Chamber of Commerce highlighted, "China, is not exactly a friendly country. We have to be looked at from a national security perspective also in addition to just commercial. We need to find innovative ways to drastically and progressively reduce our dependence on China."

The 100-year-old national business chamber represents companies from&nbsp;northern India and has a special focus on the MSME sector. Aggarwal called for easy availability of credit amid the impact of the Covid crisis and the fast release of payments by the government to MSMEs.

The president of India's PHD Chamber of Commerce has said that the "reliability of China as a trade partner" is "questionable" even as visa issuance by the country remains an issue.

The president of India's PHD Chamber of Commerce has said that the "reliability of China as a trade partner" is "questionable" even as visa issuance by the country remains an issue. Travelling to China has not been possible for Indian nationals since last November as the Chinese side has suspended existing visas. Sanjay Aggarwal, speaking to WION, said, "I think, for the Chinese government, this approach is not in their own interest. I think they are just proving the point when we talk of a nation, not trying to be dependent on China but then individual businessmen suffer the issue of actual trade getting various issues, payment issues, material stuck due to non-issue of visas." Earlier this year in March, the Chinese embassy issued a notification that visas will be given to only those who have taken China-made vaccines, putting a barrier as no Chinese vaccines have been approved by the Indian government. "The reliability of China as a trade partner itself is questionable. So I think, they are basically trying to either have an attitude that we have built up our economy enough by pretending to be very open to now a stage to punish whoever we wish to," Aggarwal explained adding, "If that is their line of thinking, so be it. It is not to their advantage. Indian businessmen may suffer in the short term for the individual issue but they will learn for future on their dependency." This is the first such comment by any national chamber over trade with China and the risks involved amid China's continued presence at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh. China is India's one of largest trading partners but the trade deficit which is in favour of China has been a cause of worry for India. In fact, it is the single biggest trade deficit India has with any country. India's dependence on China has been a cause of worry for which the chamber called for incentives from the government for Indian businesses. The president of the PDH Chamber of Commerce highlighted, "China, is not exactly a friendly country. We have to be looked at from a national security perspective also in addition to just commercial. We need to find innovative ways to drastically and progressively reduce our dependence on China." The 100-year-old national business chamber represents companies from northern India and has a special focus on the MSME sector. Aggarwal called for easy availability of credit amid the impact of the Covid crisis and the fast release of payments by the government to MSMEs.

Reliability of China as trade partner questionable, says Indian trade body chief

The coronavirus pandemic has been tough for everyone and the economy has plunged down heavily in every country.

Covid has resulted in massive job losses and many have become unemployed in the last 1.5 years. However, the second wave of coronavirus has been particularly difficult for women when it comes to employment.

As per a survey conducted by Microsoft-owned professional networking site LinkedIn, twice as many women are worried about finding a job in the coronavirus pandemic in comparison to men.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-the-worlds-happiest-country-is-seeking-migrants-393152" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/why-the-worlds-happiest-country-is-seeking-migrants-393152&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjF-MjFzqvxAhWw7HMBHROMDhoQFnoECAYQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw3QWBMfDjW3ePGx_6Z90KbD" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-the-worlds-happiest-country-is-seeking-migrants-393152" target="_blank">Why the 'world's happiest country' is seeking migrants</a>

According to LinkedIn's Workforce Confidence Index, the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic has made working women and Gen Z vulnerable to unemployment and economic uncertainty.

This conclusion was made based on responses of 1,891 people from May 8 to June 4.

"The plight of India’s working women has worsened after the second COVID-19 wave, as the individual confidence index (ICI) scores of female professionals fell from +57 in March to +49 in early June ー a 4x decline compared to working men (+58 in March to +56 in June)," LinkedIn's Workforce Confidence Index said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/what-about-guantanamo-donald-trump-wanted-to-send-covid-patients-to-offshore-prison-new-book-claims-393024">'What about Guantánamo?': Donald Trump wanted to send Covid patients to offshore prison, new book claims</a>

"Decoding India’s evident ‘shecession’, findings show that India’s working women are ~2x more likely to be worried about the availability of jobs, their professional network, and time devoted to job seeking, than working men today. This uneven impact has also bruised the financial stability of working women as 1 in 4 (23%) female professionals are concerned about growing expenses or debt, in contrast with just 1 in 10 (13%) working men," the report added.

While the hiring rate has increased the confidence of women has altered due to the limited hiring options they are being offered in the pandemic. "Remote jobs can be the ray of hope, to provide the much-needed flexibility and growth in opportunities to help them bounce back into the workforce," Ashutosh Gupta, LinkedIn's India Country Manager, said.

The coronavirus pandemic has been tough for everyone and the economy has plunged down heavily in every country. Covid has resulted in massive job losses and many have become unemployed in the last 1.

The coronavirus pandemic has been tough for everyone and the economy has plunged down heavily in every country. Covid has resulted in massive job losses and many have become unemployed in the last 1.5 years. However, the second wave of coronavirus has been particularly difficult for women when it comes to employment. As per a survey conducted by Microsoft-owned professional networking site LinkedIn, twice as many women are worried about finding a job in the coronavirus pandemic in comparison to men. Also read | Why the 'world's happiest country' is seeking migrants According to LinkedIn's Workforce Confidence Index, the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic has made working women and Gen Z vulnerable to unemployment and economic uncertainty. This conclusion was made based on responses of 1,891 people from May 8 to June 4. "The plight of India’s working women has worsened after the second COVID-19 wave, as the individual confidence index (ICI) scores of female professionals fell from +57 in March to +49 in early June ー a 4x decline compared to working men (+58 in March to +56 in June)," LinkedIn's Workforce Confidence Index said. Also read | 'What about Guantánamo?': Donald Trump wanted to send Covid patients to offshore prison, new book claims "Decoding India’s evident ‘shecession’, findings show that India’s working women are ~2x more likely to be worried about the availability of jobs, their professional network, and time devoted to job seeking, than working men today. This uneven impact has also bruised the financial stability of working women as 1 in 4 (23%) female professionals are concerned about growing expenses or debt, in contrast with just 1 in 10 (13%) working men," the report added. While the hiring rate has increased the confidence of women has altered due to the limited hiring options they are being offered in the pandemic. "Remote jobs can be the ray of hope, to provide the much-needed flexibility and growth in opportunities to help them bounce back into the workforce," Ashutosh Gupta, LinkedIn's India Country Manager, said.

Women twice more vulnerable to unemployment in pandemic: Study

While people from across the world performed Yoga on Monday, June 21, on the occasion of International Day of Yoga, not many would have spared a thought for the differently-abled community.

Being confined to what are now homes-cum-workspaces has had a debilitating effect on even able-bodied persons, so what about the plight of those with restricted mobility since birth?&nbsp;

It was to address this very social cause that the Dhiman Trust, which works for the challenged community, organised a Yoga workshop for the differently-abled in Chennai city.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-pm-oli-claims-yoga-did-not-originate-in-india-393000" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-pm-oli-claims-yoga-did-not-originate-in-india-393000&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjsnZfl0avxAhXFQ3wKHWwiBtwQFjAEegQICBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2hq7ea6RVUx_MRfHwiWItP" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-pm-oli-claims-yoga-did-not-originate-in-india-393000" target="_blank">Nepal PM Oli claims&nbsp;Yoga&nbsp;did not originate in India</a>

Run by Shobanaa Dhiman, a fashion show director who had earlier curated shows featuring differently-abled, transgenders and plus-size models, the Yoga day event was meant to promote the physical and mental well-being of this community.&nbsp;

"We had persons on wheelchairs, crutch/walker users, polio patients, persons with motor issues and intellectual challenge, so adequate precautions were taken to ensure utmost safety. Owing to COVID-19, we kept the numbers low. Some of the participants were even para-athletes and sportspersons, whereas the rest were commoners. We arranged Dr&nbsp;Anand Jyothi, general Secretary for TN Paralympic sports association to handle the training,"&nbsp;Shobanaa told WION.&nbsp;

Have a look |&nbsp;<a href="wionews.com/photos/international-yoga-day-2021-heres-how-world-is-celebrating-the-holistic-art-of-healthy-living-392858">International Yoga Day 2021: Here's how world is celebrating the holistic art of healthy living</a>

Supporting over 10,000 individuals, which includes hundreds of special achievers among the differently-abled community, the Dhiman trust conducts activities in Kanpur, Lucknow, Hyderabad and Bengaluru among other cities.&nbsp;

While people from across the world performed Yoga on Monday, June 21, on the occasion of International Day of Yoga, not many would have spared a thought for the differently-abled community.

While people from across the world performed Yoga on Monday, June 21, on the occasion of International Day of Yoga, not many would have spared a thought for the differently-abled community. Being confined to what are now homes-cum-workspaces has had a debilitating effect on even able-bodied persons, so what about the plight of those with restricted mobility since birth? It was to address this very social cause that the Dhiman Trust, which works for the challenged community, organised a Yoga workshop for the differently-abled in Chennai city. Also read | Nepal PM Oli claims Yoga did not originate in India Run by Shobanaa Dhiman, a fashion show director who had earlier curated shows featuring differently-abled, transgenders and plus-size models, the Yoga day event was meant to promote the physical and mental well-being of this community. "We had persons on wheelchairs, crutch/walker users, polio patients, persons with motor issues and intellectual challenge, so adequate precautions were taken to ensure utmost safety. Owing to COVID-19, we kept the numbers low. Some of the participants were even para-athletes and sportspersons, whereas the rest were commoners. We arranged Dr Anand Jyothi, general Secretary for TN Paralympic sports association to handle the training," Shobanaa told WION. Have a look | International Yoga Day 2021: Here's how world is celebrating the holistic art of healthy living Supporting over 10,000 individuals, which includes hundreds of special achievers among the differently-abled community, the Dhiman trust conducts activities in Kanpur, Lucknow, Hyderabad and Bengaluru among other cities.

Anybody can do yoga: Specially abled persons join the International Yoga Day movement

India recorded 50,848 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours taking the country`s total caseload to over three crores, according to data released by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Wednesday. 
 
As it continued with a declining trend of coronavirus infection, the country reported 1,358 deaths. 
 
This is the sixth consecutive day in the last two months when the toll has been below the 2,000-mark. 
 
The overall tally of Covid-19 cases in the country now stands at 3,00,28,709. India has become the second country after the US to record more than three crore cases of Covid. India added one crore cases in the last 50 days. 
 
India`s total caseload had touched two crore-mark on May 3. 
 
It is also the 16th consecutive day when India reported less than one lakh new coronavirus cases. On March 23, India had recorded 47,262 cases while on June 22 India reported 42,640 cases. 
 
The active cases have now come down below 8 lakh. The country has 6,43,194 active cases presently and has witnessed 3,90,660 deaths so far. 
 
According to the Union Health Ministry, a total of 68,817 people have been discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the total discharge to 2,89,94,855 till date. 
 
The Health Ministry said that a total of 29,46,39,511 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 54,24,374 who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours. 
 
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, 39,59,73,198 samples have been tested up to June 22 for Covid-19. Of these 19,01,056 samples were tested on Tuesday

India recorded 50,848 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours taking the country`s total caseload to over three crores, according to data released by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Wednesday.

India recorded 50,848 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours taking the country`s total caseload to over three crores, according to data released by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Wednesday. As it continued with a declining trend of coronavirus infection, the country reported 1,358 deaths. This is the sixth consecutive day in the last two months when the toll has been below the 2,000-mark. The overall tally of Covid-19 cases in the country now stands at 3,00,28,709. India has become the second country after the US to record more than three crore cases of Covid. India added one crore cases in the last 50 days. India`s total caseload had touched two crore-mark on May 3. It is also the 16th consecutive day when India reported less than one lakh new coronavirus cases. On March 23, India had recorded 47,262 cases while on June 22 India reported 42,640 cases. The active cases have now come down below 8 lakh. The country has 6,43,194 active cases presently and has witnessed 3,90,660 deaths so far. According to the Union Health Ministry, a total of 68,817 people have been discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the total discharge to 2,89,94,855 till date. The Health Ministry said that a total of 29,46,39,511 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 54,24,374 who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, 39,59,73,198 samples have been tested up to June 22 for Covid-19. Of these 19,01,056 samples were tested on Tuesday

India reports 50,848 new COVID-19 cases, taking total infections to 30 million

The United Kingdom has officially joined the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) based in Gurugram and&nbsp;deputed its officer for it.

The Information Fusion Centre keeps an eye on the Indian Ocean with a key focus on the early mobilisation of resources in case of any crisis.

UK's Lieutenant Commander Stephen Smith will be deputed full time at the centre. The development is part of the 2030 roadmap announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British PM Boris Johnson after their virtual summit in May. UK is the fifth&nbsp;country to send its officer&nbsp;after the US, Japan, France and Australia.

"Coming as a natural outgrowth of the strong partnership between the Royal Navy and Indian Navy, this is a significant step up in our shared maritime domain awareness effort, and boldly underlines UK and Indian desires to work together in the Indian Ocean Region and wider Indo-Pacific", said Admiral Tony Radakin KCB ADC, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff.

IFC-IOR was inaugurated in 2018, with a focus on India and like-minded countries sharing real-time developments in the maritime domain. It has been also recognised by the UN's International Maritime Organization. The development comes even as the UK has announced its "Indo-Pacific tilt".

“The UK has committed to becoming the European country with the broadest, most integrated presence in the Indo-Pacific in support of trade, shared security and values. I am delighted that we’ve taken another tangible step to enhance our joint capability to tackle shared challenges", explained Jan Thompson, Acting British High Commissioner to India.

UK formally confirmed accepting India’s offer to place a liaison officer in the IFC-IOR in 2019. Lieutenant Commander Stephen Smith will be posted in India for two&nbsp;years.

Gavin Thompson, Defence Adviser at the British High Commission, said, "The UK and Indian armed forces already enjoy high levels of interoperability, which will be on full display during the upcoming visit of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group, led by one of our largest aircraft carriers – HMS Queen Elizabeth. The appointment of the UK Liaison Officer forms part of our enhanced maritime partnership to bolster security in the Indian Ocean.”

UK already has a presence in the Western Indian Ocean Region. It has seven&nbsp;permanent bases in Kenya, Singapore, Brunei, Nepal, Bahrain, Oman, and British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), and seven&nbsp;ships deployed at any one time to provide security in the Western region of the Indo-Pacific.

The United Kingdom has officially joined the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) based in Gurugram and deputed its officer for it.

The United Kingdom has officially joined the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) based in Gurugram and deputed its officer for it. The Information Fusion Centre keeps an eye on the Indian Ocean with a key focus on the early mobilisation of resources in case of any crisis. UK's Lieutenant Commander Stephen Smith will be deputed full time at the centre. The development is part of the 2030 roadmap announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British PM Boris Johnson after their virtual summit in May. UK is the fifth country to send its officer after the US, Japan, France and Australia. "Coming as a natural outgrowth of the strong partnership between the Royal Navy and Indian Navy, this is a significant step up in our shared maritime domain awareness effort, and boldly underlines UK and Indian desires to work together in the Indian Ocean Region and wider Indo-Pacific", said Admiral Tony Radakin KCB ADC, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff. IFC-IOR was inaugurated in 2018, with a focus on India and like-minded countries sharing real-time developments in the maritime domain. It has been also recognised by the UN's International Maritime Organization. The development comes even as the UK has announced its "Indo-Pacific tilt". “The UK has committed to becoming the European country with the broadest, most integrated presence in the Indo-Pacific in support of trade, shared security and values. I am delighted that we’ve taken another tangible step to enhance our joint capability to tackle shared challenges", explained Jan Thompson, Acting British High Commissioner to India. UK formally confirmed accepting India’s offer to place a liaison officer in the IFC-IOR in 2019. Lieutenant Commander Stephen Smith will be posted in India for two years. Gavin Thompson, Defence Adviser at the British High Commission, said, "The UK and Indian armed forces already enjoy high levels of interoperability, which will be on full display during the upcoming visit of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group, led by one of our largest aircraft carriers – HMS Queen Elizabeth. The appointment of the UK Liaison Officer forms part of our enhanced maritime partnership to bolster security in the Indian Ocean.” UK already has a presence in the Western Indian Ocean Region. It has seven permanent bases in Kenya, Singapore, Brunei, Nepal, Bahrain, Oman, and British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), and seven ships deployed at any one time to provide security in the Western region of the Indo-Pacific.

UK deputes officer to India's information fusion centre

India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that Chinese deployment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) continues unabated while urging&nbsp;Beijing to live up to its "written commitments".&nbsp;The comments come&nbsp;as India, China prepare&nbsp;for the next round of "Working Mechanism for Consultation &amp; Coordination" (WMCC) diplomatic talks.

At an event, Jaishankar referred to the deployment in Ladakh, saying&nbsp;"close up deployments still continue, especially in Ladakh. The issue is whether China will live up to the written commitments which are made about both countries not deploying a large armed force at the border."

June marked a year since the violent face off in Galwan which left 20 Indian dead in action while confronting&nbsp;aggressive Chinese actions. This incident marked the first time bloodshed was witnessed at the Line of Actual Control in decades and caused the relationship between Asian giants to hit a historic low.

Urging Chinese authorities to stick to the commitment&nbsp;and calling the India-China border issue "a challenge", Jaishankar said that&nbsp;"the larger issue really [is]&nbsp;whether we can build this relationship on the basis of mutual sensitivity, mutual respect and mutual interest".

A pact made in February facilitated disengagement&nbsp;at the Pangong Lake area&nbsp;but deescalation&nbsp;in other territories like Gogra and&nbsp;hot springs is still awaited.

The 21st meeting of the WMCC took place&nbsp;on&nbsp;March 12, 2021&nbsp;and was followed by the 11th round of India-China Corps Commander Level meeting which happened on April 9, 2021.

During the course of these meetings, India has repeatedly called for complete disengagement but China's stance has remain largely unchanged in terms of retreating.

India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that Chinese deployment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) continues unabated while urging Beijing to live up to its "written commitments".

India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that Chinese deployment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) continues unabated while urging Beijing to live up to its "written commitments". The comments come as India, China prepare for the next round of "Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination" (WMCC) diplomatic talks. At an event, Jaishankar referred to the deployment in Ladakh, saying "close up deployments still continue, especially in Ladakh. The issue is whether China will live up to the written commitments which are made about both countries not deploying a large armed force at the border." June marked a year since the violent face off in Galwan which left 20 Indian dead in action while confronting aggressive Chinese actions. This incident marked the first time bloodshed was witnessed at the Line of Actual Control in decades and caused the relationship between Asian giants to hit a historic low. Urging Chinese authorities to stick to the commitment and calling the India-China border issue "a challenge", Jaishankar said that "the larger issue really [is] whether we can build this relationship on the basis of mutual sensitivity, mutual respect and mutual interest". A pact made in February facilitated disengagement at the Pangong Lake area but deescalation in other territories like Gogra and hot springs is still awaited. The 21st meeting of the WMCC took place on March 12, 2021 and was followed by the 11th round of India-China Corps Commander Level meeting which happened on April 9, 2021. During the course of these meetings, India has repeatedly called for complete disengagement but China's stance has remain largely unchanged in terms of retreating.

Ahead of India-China WMCC talks, EAM Jaishankar says Chinese 'deployment still continues'

India recorded 42,640 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest since March 23, according to data released by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Tuesday. 
 
As it continued with a declining trend of coronavirus infection, the country reported 1,167 deaths. This is the fifth consecutive day in the last two months when the toll has been below the 2,000-mark. 
 
It is also the 15th consecutive day when India reported less than one lakh new coronavirus cases. On March 23, India had recorded 47,262 cases while on June 22 India reported 53,256 cases. 
 
The overall tally of COVID-19 cases in the country now stands at 2,99,77,861. 
 
The active cases have now come down below 800,000. The country has 662,521 active cases presently and has witnessed 389,302 deaths so far. 
 
According to the Union Health Ministry, a total of 81,839 people have been discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the total discharge to 2,89,26,038 till date. 
 
The Health Ministry said that a total of 28,87,66,201 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 86,16,373 who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours. 
 
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, 39,40,72,142 samples have been tested up to June 21 for Covid-19. Of these 16,64,360 samples were tested on Monday.

India recorded 42,640 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest since March 23, according to data released by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Tuesday.

India recorded 42,640 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest since March 23, according to data released by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Tuesday. As it continued with a declining trend of coronavirus infection, the country reported 1,167 deaths. This is the fifth consecutive day in the last two months when the toll has been below the 2,000-mark. It is also the 15th consecutive day when India reported less than one lakh new coronavirus cases. On March 23, India had recorded 47,262 cases while on June 22 India reported 53,256 cases. The overall tally of COVID-19 cases in the country now stands at 2,99,77,861. The active cases have now come down below 800,000. The country has 662,521 active cases presently and has witnessed 389,302 deaths so far. According to the Union Health Ministry, a total of 81,839 people have been discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the total discharge to 2,89,26,038 till date. The Health Ministry said that a total of 28,87,66,201 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 86,16,373 who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, 39,40,72,142 samples have been tested up to June 21 for Covid-19. Of these 16,64,360 samples were tested on Monday.

India logs 42,000 Covid cases and 1,167 deaths in 24 hours

A federal US court is all set to hold an in-person extradition hearing of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, who is sought for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

US court to hold in-person extradition hearing of Tahawwur Rana

Floating gardens, islands, and houseboats are all things we've heard of, but Kashmir's famous Dal Lake has a floating post office. It's the only floating post office in the whole world.&nbsp;

This two-centuries-old floating post office was started in the British era and continues to deliver letters and couriers to the people living on the lake. The delivery of the post is done by a postman while travelling in a shikara.

All the services of the post office are available at this floating post office on Dal Lake while being afloat. They use a special seal of a shikara along with a boatman to put it on the envelope.&nbsp;

"This is a 200-year-old post office that served from before the Maharaja's reign to the British era. It was finally called a floating post office. There is no change in the number of posts sent around. We don't have time to talk when there is a tourist influx. Thousands of people visit this post office to take pictures. They can buy special covers, postcards and stamps from here. The letter is delivered to the houseboat by the postman, who hires a Shikara. This has been going on for years and is still going on," according to Farooq Ahmad, the Post Master.

 
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Mohd Ismail worked as a postman for India Post for many years. He has been delivering letters every day to people living on the lake. It is time-consuming to take a shikara and go to different houseboats, but the charm of doing so is what he likes the most.&nbsp;

"I have been delivering letters in Dal Lake for ten years. It's so good for my health to breathe fresh air on the lake. I deliver around 100-150 letters a day. There is also a CRPF camp within the lake, which receives a lot of letters that I deliver. It takes me hours to deliver these letters. "I start at 11 am and finish at 5:30 pm," Mohd Ismail explained.

Locals who live on or near the lake claim that the internet and social media have had a significant impact on letter writing and sending.But some people miss it as it used to be emotional to receive or send a letter in earlier times.&nbsp;

"This post office has been there for a long time. It is so easy for houseboat owners to receive and send letters. People have shifted to email and social networks for now and the art of letter writing has gone down. It was a wonderful feeling to receive or send a letter, and it was even more wonderful to open a letter and read it.I miss it all, said Noor Mohammad, the owner of a houseboat. 
 
The floating post office has a collection of old stamps and used to have a small museum in one of the rooms, which was damaged in the 2014 floods.

Floating gardens, islands, and houseboats are all things we've heard of, but Kashmir's famous Dal Lake has a floating post office. It's the only floating post office in the whole world.

Floating gardens, islands, and houseboats are all things we've heard of, but Kashmir's famous Dal Lake has a floating post office. It's the only floating post office in the whole world. This two-centuries-old floating post office was started in the British era and continues to deliver letters and couriers to the people living on the lake. The delivery of the post is done by a postman while travelling in a shikara. All the services of the post office are available at this floating post office on Dal Lake while being afloat. They use a special seal of a shikara along with a boatman to put it on the envelope. "This is a 200-year-old post office that served from before the Maharaja's reign to the British era. It was finally called a floating post office. There is no change in the number of posts sent around. We don't have time to talk when there is a tourist influx. Thousands of people visit this post office to take pictures. They can buy special covers, postcards and stamps from here. The letter is delivered to the houseboat by the postman, who hires a Shikara. This has been going on for years and is still going on," according to Farooq Ahmad, the Post Master. Mohd Ismail worked as a postman for India Post for many years. He has been delivering letters every day to people living on the lake. It is time-consuming to take a shikara and go to different houseboats, but the charm of doing so is what he likes the most. "I have been delivering letters in Dal Lake for ten years. It's so good for my health to breathe fresh air on the lake. I deliver around 100-150 letters a day. There is also a CRPF camp within the lake, which receives a lot of letters that I deliver. It takes me hours to deliver these letters. "I start at 11 am and finish at 5:30 pm," Mohd Ismail explained. Locals who live on or near the lake claim that the internet and social media have had a significant impact on letter writing and sending.But some people miss it as it used to be emotional to receive or send a letter in earlier times. "This post office has been there for a long time. It is so easy for houseboat owners to receive and send letters. People have shifted to email and social networks for now and the art of letter writing has gone down. It was a wonderful feeling to receive or send a letter, and it was even more wonderful to open a letter and read it.I miss it all, said Noor Mohammad, the owner of a houseboat. The floating post office has a collection of old stamps and used to have a small museum in one of the rooms, which was damaged in the 2014 floods.

World's only floating post office in Kashmir: Delivering letters since 200 years

An aviation firm has carried out the first tests in India of longer-range drone deliveries, as hopes grow that they could deliver medicines as well as COVID-19 vaccines to remote areas.

Greater use of drones could be a game-changer for medical services in the South Asian nation's hard-to-reach rural areas where healthcare is limited and roads often poor, experts say.

Throttle Aerospace Systems is among 20 organisations granted permits by the government since May to conduct experimental flights beyond the current limit of 450 metres (1,475 feet).

Two drones -- one that can carry up to one kilogramme (2.2 pounds) for 20 kilometres (12 miles) or nearly an hour, and another that can lift two kilos for 15 kilometres -- were tested on Monday in the southern state of Karnataka.

"Medicines was the payload here and... 2.5 kilometres were covered in seven minutes and it delivered the medicines at the designated point and the drone returned," Throttle's co-founder, Sebastian Anto, told AFP at the test site in the southern state of Karnataka.

The government this month also invited bids from drone operators to help set up a pilot project for the delivery of medical supplies as it seeks to bolster its coronavirus vaccination drive.

The closing date for expressions of interest was Tuesday, although the government has yet to announce when such projects would become operational.&nbsp;

The epidemiology chief of the Indian Council of Medical Research, Samiran Panda, told The Hindu daily newspaper that the technology could help vaccinate priority groups in hard-to-reach places.

"We need smart vaccination instead of mass vaccination to stem an epidemic," Panda told the newspaper last week.

India lags behind many other nations when it comes to drones -- or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles -- both in terms of their uses and the regulatory framework.

Under current regulations, they have to be flown in full view, or within 450 metres, of their operators on the ground.

In Germany, researchers are reportedly testing drone prototypes that can track down disaster victims by their screams.

In Australia, drones using artificial intelligence algorithms are being used to spot crocodiles and count koalas in rugged terrain.

India, home to 1.3 billion people spread across some 3.2 million square kilometres (1.15 million square miles), is the world's seventh-largest country by landmass.

"Drone technology would have a huge impact in those areas where emergency medicines and vaccines could be supplied," co-founder of lobby group the Drone Federation of India, Vipul Singh, told AFP.

"Where it takes a few hours to travel 20-30 kilometres by road, whereas a drone can actually travel that distance in 10 to 15 minutes," said Singh, also the co-founder of Bangalore-based Aarav Unmanned Systems.

An aviation firm has carried out the first tests in India of longer-range drone deliveries, as hopes grow that they could deliver medicines as well as COVID-19 vaccines to remote areas.

An aviation firm has carried out the first tests in India of longer-range drone deliveries, as hopes grow that they could deliver medicines as well as COVID-19 vaccines to remote areas. Greater use of drones could be a game-changer for medical services in the South Asian nation's hard-to-reach rural areas where healthcare is limited and roads often poor, experts say. Throttle Aerospace Systems is among 20 organisations granted permits by the government since May to conduct experimental flights beyond the current limit of 450 metres (1,475 feet). Two drones -- one that can carry up to one kilogramme (2.2 pounds) for 20 kilometres (12 miles) or nearly an hour, and another that can lift two kilos for 15 kilometres -- were tested on Monday in the southern state of Karnataka. "Medicines was the payload here and... 2.5 kilometres were covered in seven minutes and it delivered the medicines at the designated point and the drone returned," Throttle's co-founder, Sebastian Anto, told AFP at the test site in the southern state of Karnataka. The government this month also invited bids from drone operators to help set up a pilot project for the delivery of medical supplies as it seeks to bolster its coronavirus vaccination drive. The closing date for expressions of interest was Tuesday, although the government has yet to announce when such projects would become operational. The epidemiology chief of the Indian Council of Medical Research, Samiran Panda, told The Hindu daily newspaper that the technology could help vaccinate priority groups in hard-to-reach places. "We need smart vaccination instead of mass vaccination to stem an epidemic," Panda told the newspaper last week. India lags behind many other nations when it comes to drones -- or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles -- both in terms of their uses and the regulatory framework. Under current regulations, they have to be flown in full view, or within 450 metres, of their operators on the ground. In Germany, researchers are reportedly testing drone prototypes that can track down disaster victims by their screams. In Australia, drones using artificial intelligence algorithms are being used to spot crocodiles and count koalas in rugged terrain. India, home to 1.3 billion people spread across some 3.2 million square kilometres (1.15 million square miles), is the world's seventh-largest country by landmass. "Drone technology would have a huge impact in those areas where emergency medicines and vaccines could be supplied," co-founder of lobby group the Drone Federation of India, Vipul Singh, told AFP. "Where it takes a few hours to travel 20-30 kilometres by road, whereas a drone can actually travel that distance in 10 to 15 minutes," said Singh, also the co-founder of Bangalore-based Aarav Unmanned Systems.

India eyes long-range drones for coronavirus vaccine delivery

Ninety-two Indian workers at an ironworks factory in Sri Lanka tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, health officials said.

The Indians were among the 128 workers at the factory in Colombo north suburb of Wattala who were found to have contracted the virus. They have been put under quarantine.

The factory, which has a total of 194 workers, has been closed temporarily, a report in the Newscenter.lk said.

Those who have tested negative have been put under quarantine in the factory premises, the report said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka on Monday ended its COVID-19 lockdown by lifting travel restrictions, amid concerns by health officials who insisted that it must be continued in view of the raging third wave.

For the first time in nearly 4 weeks, the travel restrictions were lifted at 4 am on Monday and will be re-imposed at 10 pm on June 23.

We will be closely monitoring people's movements through special units, a police spokesman and Senior Deputy Inspector General Ajith Rohana said.

He said the public must stay indoors as much as possible despite the lifting of restrictions.

Even during this break, no inter-district travel will be allowed, the police said. Health officials issued more guidelines on public behaviour during the lifting of the lockdown.

The health authorities were wary of the Delta variant of the coronavirus which is spreading fast across the country.

We still view this as dangerous, the travel restrictions were only loosely observed. The lifting of even that could be dangerous, Upul Rohana, a spokesman for the public health inspectors said.

The island nation has recorded nearly 2,000 cases per day since the third wave which began mid-April.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country stood at 239,689, while 201,389 are recovering.

According to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus data, there are 2,581 COVID-19 fatalities in the country.

Ninety-two Indian workers at an ironworks factory in Sri Lanka tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, health officials said. The Indians were among the 128 workers at the factory in Colombo north suburb of Wattala who were found to have contracted the virus.

Ninety-two Indian workers at an ironworks factory in Sri Lanka tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, health officials said. The Indians were among the 128 workers at the factory in Colombo north suburb of Wattala who were found to have contracted the virus. They have been put under quarantine. The factory, which has a total of 194 workers, has been closed temporarily, a report in the Newscenter.lk said. Those who have tested negative have been put under quarantine in the factory premises, the report said. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka on Monday ended its COVID-19 lockdown by lifting travel restrictions, amid concerns by health officials who insisted that it must be continued in view of the raging third wave. For the first time in nearly 4 weeks, the travel restrictions were lifted at 4 am on Monday and will be re-imposed at 10 pm on June 23. We will be closely monitoring people's movements through special units, a police spokesman and Senior Deputy Inspector General Ajith Rohana said. He said the public must stay indoors as much as possible despite the lifting of restrictions. Even during this break, no inter-district travel will be allowed, the police said. Health officials issued more guidelines on public behaviour during the lifting of the lockdown. The health authorities were wary of the Delta variant of the coronavirus which is spreading fast across the country. We still view this as dangerous, the travel restrictions were only loosely observed. The lifting of even that could be dangerous, Upul Rohana, a spokesman for the public health inspectors said. The island nation has recorded nearly 2,000 cases per day since the third wave which began mid-April. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country stood at 239,689, while 201,389 are recovering. According to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus data, there are 2,581 COVID-19 fatalities in the country.

92 Indian factory workers in Sri Lanka test coronavirus positive 

Indian diplomats paid a 'quiet visit' to Doha on Monday, according to Qatar's Special Envoy Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani, to have talks with the Afghan Taliban's political leadership based there.&nbsp;

This visit appears to be the first official confirmation of recent rumours that New Delhi has directly engaged the Taliban.&nbsp;

Mutlaq bin Majed al-Qahtani, who is the Special Envoy of Qatar’s foreign minister for counter-terrorism and conflict resolution, said at a virtual seminar: "India, as we know, has invested a lot economically and wants Afghanistan to be more peaceful and stable.

"I believe there has been a quiet visit by Indian officials to speak to the Taliban. Why because not everybody believes that the Taliban will dominate and take over but because the Taliban is a key component of the future of Afghanistan.”

The Qatari diplomat advised that such discussions with Afghan stakeholders should aim to persuade the parties to resolve their disagreements through peaceful methods.&nbsp;

Since 2013, the Qatari government has hosted the Taliban's main headquarters in Doha, and it is the organiser of the Intra Afghan Dialogue, or Afghan-Taliban talks, which began in September of last year.&nbsp;

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the Doha ceremony, as did an Indian delegation led by Joint Secretary for Iran-Pakistan-Afghanistan JP Singh from the Ministry of External Affairs.

Indian diplomats paid a 'quiet visit' to Doha on Monday, according to Qatar's Special Envoy Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani, to have talks with the Afghan Taliban's political leadership based there.

Indian diplomats paid a 'quiet visit' to Doha on Monday, according to Qatar's Special Envoy Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani, to have talks with the Afghan Taliban's political leadership based there. This visit appears to be the first official confirmation of recent rumours that New Delhi has directly engaged the Taliban. Mutlaq bin Majed al-Qahtani, who is the Special Envoy of Qatar’s foreign minister for counter-terrorism and conflict resolution, said at a virtual seminar: "India, as we know, has invested a lot economically and wants Afghanistan to be more peaceful and stable. "I believe there has been a quiet visit by Indian officials to speak to the Taliban. Why because not everybody believes that the Taliban will dominate and take over but because the Taliban is a key component of the future of Afghanistan.” The Qatari diplomat advised that such discussions with Afghan stakeholders should aim to persuade the parties to resolve their disagreements through peaceful methods. Since 2013, the Qatari government has hosted the Taliban's main headquarters in Doha, and it is the organiser of the Intra Afghan Dialogue, or Afghan-Taliban talks, which began in September of last year. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the Doha ceremony, as did an Indian delegation led by Joint Secretary for Iran-Pakistan-Afghanistan JP Singh from the Ministry of External Affairs.

Indian delegation engaged in talks with Taliban in Doha: Qatar special envoy

Mizoram Sports Minister Robert Romawia Royte has proposed a cash award of Rs 100000 for the living parent in his Assembly constituency with the most children.

He stated that he has made the decision to stimulate population increase among the Mizo communities, which are demographically small.

He also mentioned that the winner would receive a diploma and a trophy.&nbsp;The minimum number of children was not mentioned by Sports Minister Robert Romawia Royte.

The announcement was made at a time when some Indian state governments are pressing for population control.&nbsp;

Apparently, the cost of the incentive will be borne by a construction consultancy firm owned by Mr Royte's son.

The minister said that the infertility rate and the decreasing growth rate of the Mizo population has become a serious concern.

"Mizoram is far below the optimum number of people to attain development in various fields because of the gradual decline in its population. The low population is a serious issue and hurdle for small communities or tribes like Mizos to survive and progress," Mr Royte said.

Mizoram is home to various Mizo tribes.

He said that some churches and influential civil society organisations like the Young Mizo Association are advocating a baby boom policy to encourage population growth for ensuring optimum size vis-a-vis the area of the state.

Mizoram's population was 1,091,014, according to the 2011 census. The state covers an area of approximately 21,087 square kilometres.

With only 52 persons per square kilometre, Mizoram has the second-lowest population density in the country next to Arunachal Pradesh, which has a population density of 17 persons per sq km. The national average is 382 per sq km.

Mizoram's neighbour Assam, however, is treading a different path.

(With inputs from agencies)

Mizoram Sports Minister Robert Romawia Royte has proposed a cash award of Rs 100000 for the living parent in his Assembly constituency with the most children. He stated that he has made the decision to stimulate population increase among the Mizo communities, which are demographically small.

Mizoram Sports Minister Robert Romawia Royte has proposed a cash award of Rs 100000 for the living parent in his Assembly constituency with the most children. He stated that he has made the decision to stimulate population increase among the Mizo communities, which are demographically small. He also mentioned that the winner would receive a diploma and a trophy. The minimum number of children was not mentioned by Sports Minister Robert Romawia Royte. The announcement was made at a time when some Indian state governments are pressing for population control. Apparently, the cost of the incentive will be borne by a construction consultancy firm owned by Mr Royte's son. The minister said that the infertility rate and the decreasing growth rate of the Mizo population has become a serious concern. "Mizoram is far below the optimum number of people to attain development in various fields because of the gradual decline in its population. The low population is a serious issue and hurdle for small communities or tribes like Mizos to survive and progress," Mr Royte said. Mizoram is home to various Mizo tribes. He said that some churches and influential civil society organisations like the Young Mizo Association are advocating a baby boom policy to encourage population growth for ensuring optimum size vis-a-vis the area of the state. Mizoram's population was 1,091,014, according to the 2011 census. The state covers an area of approximately 21,087 square kilometres. With only 52 persons per square kilometre, Mizoram has the second-lowest population density in the country next to Arunachal Pradesh, which has a population density of 17 persons per sq km. The national average is 382 per sq km. Mizoram's neighbour Assam, however, is treading a different path. (With inputs from agencies)

Parent with highest number of children to get Rs 100,000 cash: Mizoram minister

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