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In a boost for the country`s surveillance capabilities to monitor activities of both military warships and merchant shipping in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the `Sindhu Netra` satellite developed by a team of young scientists from the Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was successfully deployed in space on Sunday.

The satellite was launched using the Indian Space Research Organisation`s (ISRO) PSLV-C51 which took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh at 10:30 am today.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/isros-pslv-c51-successfully-places-19-satellites-into-orbit-366785" hreflang="en">ISRO's PSLV-C51 successfully places 19 satellites into orbit</a>

The Sindhu Netra satellite has been developed by the young scientists of the DRDO and is capable of automatically identifying the warships and merchant ships operating in the IOR. The satellite has also started communicating with the ground systems, government sources told ANI.

The satellite, if required, can also help in carrying out surveillance in specific areas such as the South China Sea or the pirate-infested areas near the Gulf of Aden and the African coast, the sources said.

They added that the Sindhu Netra is one of the first in the series of satellites that would help the nation in enhancing its surveillance capabilities on land in areas such as the Ladakh region with China and the border areas with Pakistan.

Seeking to keep a closer eye on the activities of the Chinese military both near the Indian territory as well as in its depth areas all along the 4,000 kilometre Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian security agencies feel there is a requirement of four to six dedicated satellites which can help them keep a check on the adversary`s moves.

Along with the setting up of the Defence Space Agency, the government also created a defence space research organisation to look after the ability to protect space assets from being attacked by adversaries there. The space arm of the defence forces would also be bolstered significantly in near future.

In a boost for the country`s surveillance capabilities to monitor activities of both military warships and merchant shipping in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the `Sindhu Netra` satellite developed by a team of young scientists from the Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was successfully deployed in space on Sunday.

In a boost for the country`s surveillance capabilities to monitor activities of both military warships and merchant shipping in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the `Sindhu Netra` satellite developed by a team of young scientists from the Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was successfully deployed in space on Sunday. The satellite was launched using the Indian Space Research Organisation`s (ISRO) PSLV-C51 which took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh at 10:30 am today. Also read: ISRO's PSLV-C51 successfully places 19 satellites into orbit The Sindhu Netra satellite has been developed by the young scientists of the DRDO and is capable of automatically identifying the warships and merchant ships operating in the IOR. The satellite has also started communicating with the ground systems, government sources told ANI. The satellite, if required, can also help in carrying out surveillance in specific areas such as the South China Sea or the pirate-infested areas near the Gulf of Aden and the African coast, the sources said. They added that the Sindhu Netra is one of the first in the series of satellites that would help the nation in enhancing its surveillance capabilities on land in areas such as the Ladakh region with China and the border areas with Pakistan. Seeking to keep a closer eye on the activities of the Chinese military both near the Indian territory as well as in its depth areas all along the 4,000 kilometre Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian security agencies feel there is a requirement of four to six dedicated satellites which can help them keep a check on the adversary`s moves. Along with the setting up of the Defence Space Agency, the government also created a defence space research organisation to look after the ability to protect space assets from being attacked by adversaries there. The space arm of the defence forces would also be bolstered significantly in near future.

DRDO's 'Sindhu Netra' surveillance satellite deployed in space, will help to monitor Indian Ocean Region

School students in India have discovered 18 asteroids&nbsp;as part of a global science programme, according to the&nbsp;International Astronomical Union (IAU), an organisation that assigns official names and designations to celestial bodies.

The International Asteroid Discovery Project was conducted by STEM and Space, an organisation working towards the learning of astronomy and space science in India, along with the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) as part of a NASA citizen science project.

Over the last two years, 150 students from all around India participated in this two-month-long campaign to find asteroids, making this the largest asteroid discovery project in India, Mila Mitra, Co-founder and Academic Head of STEM and Space said.

In the project, the students from India, and across the globe analysed the high-quality astronomical data provided by IASC, an online scientific program for kids to discover Asteroids and Near-Earth Objects (NEO).

NEOs are rocky objects in an orbit between Mars and Jupiter, which pose a challenge to Earth as they may get perturbed out of their orbit and pose a threat of impact. 
According to Mitra and her team, NASA has initiated programs like IASC to track such asteroids regularly, also open to citizen scientists and students to enable the discovery and tracking of more asteroids.

She explained that in the project the students use advanced software analysis, "spending nearly two-three hours each day" to look for asteroids and report their findings. 
Of the 372 preliminary asteroids flagged by the students, 18 were finally declared to be "provisional" or confirmed discoveries of asteroids, Mitra noted.

"IAU confirmed these findings last month," the STEM and Space co-founder added.

Mitra believes brings such programs can bring the experiential learning of science, technology, engineering and medicine, or STEM, via the domain of space with a gamut of hands-on learning workshops.

However, she said more efforts need to be taken to extend the reach of such programs to government-run schools and those in rural parts of the country to make the citizen science projects more equitable.

Mitra noted that all the discoverers received Provisional Discovery Certificates from IASC and NASA for their scientific contribution in discovering asteroids.

School students in India have discovered 18 asteroids as part of a global science programme, according to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), an organisation that assigns official names and designations to celestial bodies.

School students in India have discovered 18 asteroids as part of a global science programme, according to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), an organisation that assigns official names and designations to celestial bodies. The International Asteroid Discovery Project was conducted by STEM and Space, an organisation working towards the learning of astronomy and space science in India, along with the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) as part of a NASA citizen science project. Over the last two years, 150 students from all around India participated in this two-month-long campaign to find asteroids, making this the largest asteroid discovery project in India, Mila Mitra, Co-founder and Academic Head of STEM and Space said. In the project, the students from India, and across the globe analysed the high-quality astronomical data provided by IASC, an online scientific program for kids to discover Asteroids and Near-Earth Objects (NEO). NEOs are rocky objects in an orbit between Mars and Jupiter, which pose a challenge to Earth as they may get perturbed out of their orbit and pose a threat of impact. According to Mitra and her team, NASA has initiated programs like IASC to track such asteroids regularly, also open to citizen scientists and students to enable the discovery and tracking of more asteroids. She explained that in the project the students use advanced software analysis, "spending nearly two-three hours each day" to look for asteroids and report their findings. Of the 372 preliminary asteroids flagged by the students, 18 were finally declared to be "provisional" or confirmed discoveries of asteroids, Mitra noted. "IAU confirmed these findings last month," the STEM and Space co-founder added. Mitra believes brings such programs can bring the experiential learning of science, technology, engineering and medicine, or STEM, via the domain of space with a gamut of hands-on learning workshops. However, she said more efforts need to be taken to extend the reach of such programs to government-run schools and those in rural parts of the country to make the citizen science projects more equitable. Mitra noted that all the discoverers received Provisional Discovery Certificates from IASC and NASA for their scientific contribution in discovering asteroids.

Indian school students discover 18 new asteroids

Fundamental and translational science is important but it has be solution-based and people-centric, Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday.

Speaking on the occasion of National Science Day, Vardhan said it is the problems of the people that should be guiding the intellectual acumen while pursuing research.

"We have to make sure that the science that we do of course, the fundamental science is important, translational science is important (but) it has to be solution-based science. It has to be people-centric," Vardhan said in a virtual address.

The National Science Day is celebrated on this day to mark the anniversary of the Raman Effect, the discovery made by Indian physicist Sir C V Raman.&nbsp;

Elaborating on the budgetary allocations for this sector in 2021-22, Vardhan said there has been a hike of 30 per cent for all the scientific ministries.

Projects like Deep Ocean Mission, with an outlay of Rs 4,000 crore over the next five years, are also being launched, he said.

Speaking at the event, Department of Science and Technology Secretary Ashutosh Sharma stressed on the need of inter-disciplinary research.

He said inter-disciplinary research is the foundation of science and it is also the future.

"We talk of being inter-disciplinary only because we have created water-tight disciplines. But problems are multi-dimensional," he said.&nbsp;

Sharma said the future is built on data information and Industry 4.0 is all about it. Earlier industries, he noted, were built into controlling the flow of materials and energy.

The important aspects of the future of science and technology are diversity, inclusion and equity, he said.

The future problems need a shared perspective with regards to gender, people from different geographical locations and transcending the barriers of age, he added.

Fundamental and translational science is important but it has be solution-based and people-centric, Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday.

Fundamental and translational science is important but it has be solution-based and people-centric, Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday. Speaking on the occasion of National Science Day, Vardhan said it is the problems of the people that should be guiding the intellectual acumen while pursuing research. "We have to make sure that the science that we do of course, the fundamental science is important, translational science is important (but) it has to be solution-based science. It has to be people-centric," Vardhan said in a virtual address. The National Science Day is celebrated on this day to mark the anniversary of the Raman Effect, the discovery made by Indian physicist Sir C V Raman. Elaborating on the budgetary allocations for this sector in 2021-22, Vardhan said there has been a hike of 30 per cent for all the scientific ministries. Projects like Deep Ocean Mission, with an outlay of Rs 4,000 crore over the next five years, are also being launched, he said. Speaking at the event, Department of Science and Technology Secretary Ashutosh Sharma stressed on the need of inter-disciplinary research. He said inter-disciplinary research is the foundation of science and it is also the future. "We talk of being inter-disciplinary only because we have created water-tight disciplines. But problems are multi-dimensional," he said. Sharma said the future is built on data information and Industry 4.0 is all about it. Earlier industries, he noted, were built into controlling the flow of materials and energy. The important aspects of the future of science and technology are diversity, inclusion and equity, he said. The future problems need a shared perspective with regards to gender, people from different geographical locations and transcending the barriers of age, he added.

Science should be solution-based, people-centric: Vardhan

Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C51 successfully placed Brazil's Amazonia-1 and 18 other satellites into orbit. The lift-off took place from &nbsp;Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The PSLV lifted off at around 10:24 am on Sunday (February 28).

"I am extremely happy to declare that PSLV-C51 successfully launched in precise orbit Amazonia-1 today... The satellite is in very good health and solar panels have been deployed," Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan announced amid applause from the scientists.

<img alt="ISRO PSLV lift-off" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0f4c3817-c313-42f3-86f5-945bc09c9937" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/isro%20lift%20off.jpg" />

PSLV-C51 is the first dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO's commercial arm, and the launch was watched among others by Brazilian government officials at the mission control centre here, over 100 kms from Chennai.

The 637-kg Amazonia-1 which became the first Brazilian satellite to be launched from India is an optical earth observation satellite of National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

The 18 co-passenger satellites onboard PSLV-C51 includes four from IN-SPACe and fourteen from NSIL.&nbsp;

The fourteen satellites from NSIL carried were the commercial satellites from India (1) and USA (13).

Of the 4 satellites from IN-SPACe, three were UNITYsats designed and built as a joint development by Jeppiaar Institute of Technology, Sriperumbudur, G.H.Raisoni College of Engineering, Nagpur and Sri Shakti Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore and one was Satish Dhawan Sat (SDSAT) from Space Kidz India.

Among the satellites put into orbit by Indian Space Research Organization’s PSLV C51 rocket, is a small satellite built by a team of Indian students. SDSat or Satish Dhawan Satellite, a 30x10x10cm cuboid, is an experimental communication satellite built by Chennai-based SpaceKidz India.

This indigenously designed and developed miniature spacecraft is meant to test the capabilities of LoRa(Long range) technology in Space, which could prove helpful for many applications in the future in short and M2M (machine-to-machine)communication. LoRa is a long-range, low-power wireless radio frequency technology that has become a common platform for Internet of Things (IoT) networks worldwide.

Besides its scientific payloads, the satellite carries the names of 25,000 common people and the Bhagwad Gita to space.&nbsp;

“People, irrespective of differences follow the principles of the Gita, like ‘do your duty and leave the rest to the Almighty’ and ‘oneness is the highest form of humanity’ among others. We wanted to give this scripture the highest honor and we have stored it on the flash drive that is on the satellite” said Dr Kesan, founder and CEO of Space Kidz India.&nbsp;

When asked about the idea of sending names of common people to space, she said it was an initiative to create awareness, generate curiosity and to get more people fascinated about space science, which many still perceive as inaccessible. Some schools had sent the entire name list of the students to be carried on-board, she added.

The satellite's panel also carries a small picture of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the make in India lion logo. Team Spacekidz has done this to recognise the support provided by India's government to private space entities, as part of the reforms rolled out in 2020.

With the success of this mission, India has put 342 foreign satellites of 34 countries in Orbit, on a commercial basis. &nbsp;

After the successful launch, chairman ISRO, Dr K Sivan said that ISRO has 14 missions lined up for the year 2021. It includes seven launch vehicles, six Satellites and the first unmanned trial of India's ambitious manned spaceflight programme Gaganyaan.

(With PTI inputs)

Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C51 successfully placed Brazil's Amazonia-1 and 18 other satellites into orbit. The lift-off took place from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C51 successfully placed Brazil's Amazonia-1 and 18 other satellites into orbit. The lift-off took place from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The PSLV lifted off at around 10:24 am on Sunday (February 28). "I am extremely happy to declare that PSLV-C51 successfully launched in precise orbit Amazonia-1 today... The satellite is in very good health and solar panels have been deployed," Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan announced amid applause from the scientists. PSLV-C51 is the first dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO's commercial arm, and the launch was watched among others by Brazilian government officials at the mission control centre here, over 100 kms from Chennai. The 637-kg Amazonia-1 which became the first Brazilian satellite to be launched from India is an optical earth observation satellite of National Institute for Space Research (INPE). The 18 co-passenger satellites onboard PSLV-C51 includes four from IN-SPACe and fourteen from NSIL. The fourteen satellites from NSIL carried were the commercial satellites from India (1) and USA (13). Of the 4 satellites from IN-SPACe, three were UNITYsats designed and built as a joint development by Jeppiaar Institute of Technology, Sriperumbudur, G.H.Raisoni College of Engineering, Nagpur and Sri Shakti Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore and one was Satish Dhawan Sat (SDSAT) from Space Kidz India. Among the satellites put into orbit by Indian Space Research Organization’s PSLV C51 rocket, is a small satellite built by a team of Indian students. SDSat or Satish Dhawan Satellite, a 30x10x10cm cuboid, is an experimental communication satellite built by Chennai-based SpaceKidz India. This indigenously designed and developed miniature spacecraft is meant to test the capabilities of LoRa(Long range) technology in Space, which could prove helpful for many applications in the future in short and M2M (machine-to-machine)communication. LoRa is a long-range, low-power wireless radio frequency technology that has become a common platform for Internet of Things (IoT) networks worldwide. Besides its scientific payloads, the satellite carries the names of 25,000 common people and the Bhagwad Gita to space. “People, irrespective of differences follow the principles of the Gita, like ‘do your duty and leave the rest to the Almighty’ and ‘oneness is the highest form of humanity’ among others. We wanted to give this scripture the highest honor and we have stored it on the flash drive that is on the satellite” said Dr Kesan, founder and CEO of Space Kidz India. When asked about the idea of sending names of common people to space, she said it was an initiative to create awareness, generate curiosity and to get more people fascinated about space science, which many still perceive as inaccessible. Some schools had sent the entire name list of the students to be carried on-board, she added. The satellite's panel also carries a small picture of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the make in India lion logo. Team Spacekidz has done this to recognise the support provided by India's government to private space entities, as part of the reforms rolled out in 2020. With the success of this mission, India has put 342 foreign satellites of 34 countries in Orbit, on a commercial basis. After the successful launch, chairman ISRO, Dr K Sivan said that ISRO has 14 missions lined up for the year 2021. It includes seven launch vehicles, six Satellites and the first unmanned trial of India's ambitious manned spaceflight programme Gaganyaan. (With PTI inputs)

ISRO's PSLV-C51 successfully places 19 satellites into orbit

On the occasion of National Science Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday gave a clarion call for `Lab to Land` to move science forward, noting its power in the `Aatmanirbhar Bharat` campaign.

When we talk of science, the Prime Minister said, many a time people restrict it to physics-chemistry or labs, but the spread of science is much more than that.

"And there is a lot of contribution of the power of science in the `Aatmanirbhar Bharat` campaign. We have to move science forward with the mantra of `Lab to Land`," the Prime Minister said while addressing his monthly radio programme `Mann Ki Baat`.

Reminding that Sunday happens to be the National Science Day` too, Modi said the day is dedicated to the discovery of `Raman Effect` by the great scientist Dr C.V. Raman.

The Prime Minister said the way we know of other scientists of the world, in the same way we should also know about the scientists of India.

Speaking about self-reliance, Modi said the first condition for the goal is to have pride in the things of one`s own country, to take pride in the things made by people of one`s own country.

"When every countryman takes pride, every countryman connects. Self-reliant India doesn`t remain just an economic campaign but becomes a national spirit when we see fighter plane `Tejas` made in our own country doing acrobatics in the sky, when Made-in-India tanks, Made-in-India missiles swell our pride, when we see Made-in-India coaches in Metro trains in wealthy and advanced nations, when we see Made-in-India Covid vaccines reaching dozens of countries, then our heads rise higher. And it is not that only bigger things will make India self-reliant."

"Textiles made in India, handicraft goods made by talented artisans of India, electronic appliances of India, mobiles of India, in every field we have to increase this pride. When we move forward with this thought, only then will we become self-reliant in the truest sense. I am happy that this mantra of self-reliant India is reaching the villages of the country. This very thing happened in Bettiah, about which I got to read in the media."

On the occasion of National Science Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday gave a clarion call for `Lab to Land` to move science forward, noting its power in the `Aatmanirbhar Bharat` campaign.

On the occasion of National Science Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday gave a clarion call for `Lab to Land` to move science forward, noting its power in the `Aatmanirbhar Bharat` campaign. When we talk of science, the Prime Minister said, many a time people restrict it to physics-chemistry or labs, but the spread of science is much more than that. "And there is a lot of contribution of the power of science in the `Aatmanirbhar Bharat` campaign. We have to move science forward with the mantra of `Lab to Land`," the Prime Minister said while addressing his monthly radio programme `Mann Ki Baat`. Reminding that Sunday happens to be the National Science Day` too, Modi said the day is dedicated to the discovery of `Raman Effect` by the great scientist Dr C.V. Raman. The Prime Minister said the way we know of other scientists of the world, in the same way we should also know about the scientists of India. Speaking about self-reliance, Modi said the first condition for the goal is to have pride in the things of one`s own country, to take pride in the things made by people of one`s own country. "When every countryman takes pride, every countryman connects. Self-reliant India doesn`t remain just an economic campaign but becomes a national spirit when we see fighter plane `Tejas` made in our own country doing acrobatics in the sky, when Made-in-India tanks, Made-in-India missiles swell our pride, when we see Made-in-India coaches in Metro trains in wealthy and advanced nations, when we see Made-in-India Covid vaccines reaching dozens of countries, then our heads rise higher. And it is not that only bigger things will make India self-reliant." "Textiles made in India, handicraft goods made by talented artisans of India, electronic appliances of India, mobiles of India, in every field we have to increase this pride. When we move forward with this thought, only then will we become self-reliant in the truest sense. I am happy that this mantra of self-reliant India is reaching the villages of the country. This very thing happened in Bettiah, about which I got to read in the media."

Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi calls for 'Lab to Land' to take science ahead

Indian Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/narendra-modi">Narendra Modi</a>&nbsp;on Friday thanked WHO director-general after the latter praised him for helping more than 60 countries by providing coronavirus vaccines.&nbsp;

Earlier on Friday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus thanked India and Modi for their commitment to Covax and providing coronavirus vaccines to "60+" countries in a tweet.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

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"Thanks Flag of India &amp; Prime Minister @narendramodi for supporting #VaccinEquity. Your commitment to #COVAX and sharing #COVID19 vaccine doses is helping 60+ countries start vaccinating their #healthworkers and other priority groups. I hope other countries will follow your example, Tedros in a tweet wrote.&nbsp;

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Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/DrTedros?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrTedros</a>. We are all together in the fight against this pandemic. India is committed to sharing resources, experiences, and knowledge for global good. <a href="https://t.co/nVwQKPUl38">https://t.co/nVwQKPUl38</a>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1365318008474898437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The Indian prime minister responded on the tweet, saying that they are "together in the fight against the pandemic" and the country is "committed" to sharing its "resources" for "global good".&nbsp;

"We are all together in the fight against this pandemic. India is committed to sharing resources, experiences, and knowledge for global good," Modi tweeted.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/who-chief-ghebreyesus-praises-india-pm-modi-for-covid-vaccine-effort-366417">WHO chief Ghebreyesus praises India, PM Modi for Covid vaccine effort</a>

India is winning global praise for what is being described as "vaccine diplomacy" under which the country has delivered millions of Covid-19 vaccine doses to neighbouring Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, earlier than Chinese supplies of vaccines whose efficacy is also questionable.&nbsp;

Other than neighbours, countries like Canada and Brazil have also praised New Delhi for providing them doses of vaccines produced in India.&nbsp;

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday thanked WHO director-general after the latter praised him for helping more than 60 countries by providing coronavirus vaccines.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday thanked WHO director-general after the latter praised him for helping more than 60 countries by providing coronavirus vaccines. Earlier on Friday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus thanked India and Modi for their commitment to Covax and providing coronavirus vaccines to "60+" countries in a tweet. Watch | "Thanks Flag of India & Prime Minister @narendramodi for supporting #VaccinEquity. Your commitment to #COVAX and sharing #COVID19 vaccine doses is helping 60+ countries start vaccinating their #healthworkers and other priority groups. I hope other countries will follow your example, Tedros in a tweet wrote. Thank you @DrTedros. We are all together in the fight against this pandemic. India is committed to sharing resources, experiences, and knowledge for global good. https://t.co/nVwQKPUl38 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 26, 2021 × The Indian prime minister responded on the tweet, saying that they are "together in the fight against the pandemic" and the country is "committed" to sharing its "resources" for "global good". "We are all together in the fight against this pandemic. India is committed to sharing resources, experiences, and knowledge for global good," Modi tweeted. Also read | WHO chief Ghebreyesus praises India, PM Modi for Covid vaccine effort India is winning global praise for what is being described as "vaccine diplomacy" under which the country has delivered millions of Covid-19 vaccine doses to neighbouring Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, earlier than Chinese supplies of vaccines whose efficacy is also questionable. Other than neighbours, countries like Canada and Brazil have also praised New Delhi for providing them doses of vaccines produced in India.

'We're together in this fight': PM Modi acknowledges after WHO chief applauds India's vaccine efforts

Discovering Odisha - India's Best Kept Secret

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Indian govt has questioned the silence of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Red Fort violence &amp; the issue of terrorism even as the latter continues to rake Kashmir irking Delhi.&nbsp;

India's comments come after the UN High commissioner raked protest by farmers, Jammu &amp; Kashmir during her oral statement during the ongoing session of the human rights council criticising New Delhi.

Watch |&nbsp;

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During an India statement, the Permanent Representative of India in Geneva Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey said, "The unprovoked violence on our Republic Day in the name of farmers’ rights, apparently, left her unmoved. Her indifference to terrorism is, of course, not new. Objectivity and impartiality have to be the hallmarks of any Human Rights assessment."

Pointing, "We are sorry to see that the High Commissioner’s oral update is lacking in both"

In the past as well there has been a number of run-ins between the Indian govt &amp; the UN high commissioner, especially on her silence on the issue of cross-border terror.

Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey during Friday's statement yet again reminded that "she appeared as oblivious of the enormous efforts made by my Government to address the challenges, as indeed of many of the factors driving these challenges."

Importantly, India during its statement mentioned the farm laws and situation in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

On farm laws, the envoy said, "the purpose of enacting three farm Acts is to enable farmers to realise better price for their products and enhance their income" and the Indian govt has "shown utmost respect" for protests by farmers and has "remained engaged in dialogue" with them to address their concerns.

On Jammu and Kashmir, he highlighted the rationale of "constitutional changes" of August 2019 of removal of special status which has "given impetus to socio-economic development, ended decades of discrimination". The union territory recently saw the District Development Council (DDC) elections.

Indian govt has questioned the silence of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Red Fort violence & the issue of terrorism even as the latter continues to rake Kashmir irking Delhi.

Indian govt has questioned the silence of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Red Fort violence & the issue of terrorism even as the latter continues to rake Kashmir irking Delhi. India's comments come after the UN High commissioner raked protest by farmers, Jammu & Kashmir during her oral statement during the ongoing session of the human rights council criticising New Delhi. Watch | During an India statement, the Permanent Representative of India in Geneva Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey said, "The unprovoked violence on our Republic Day in the name of farmers’ rights, apparently, left her unmoved. Her indifference to terrorism is, of course, not new. Objectivity and impartiality have to be the hallmarks of any Human Rights assessment." Pointing, "We are sorry to see that the High Commissioner’s oral update is lacking in both" In the past as well there has been a number of run-ins between the Indian govt & the UN high commissioner, especially on her silence on the issue of cross-border terror. Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey during Friday's statement yet again reminded that "she appeared as oblivious of the enormous efforts made by my Government to address the challenges, as indeed of many of the factors driving these challenges." Importantly, India during its statement mentioned the farm laws and situation in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. On farm laws, the envoy said, "the purpose of enacting three farm Acts is to enable farmers to realise better price for their products and enhance their income" and the Indian govt has "shown utmost respect" for protests by farmers and has "remained engaged in dialogue" with them to address their concerns. On Jammu and Kashmir, he highlighted the rationale of "constitutional changes" of August 2019 of removal of special status which has "given impetus to socio-economic development, ended decades of discrimination". The union territory recently saw the District Development Council (DDC) elections.

India questions UN High Commissioner's silence on terror, Red Fort violence

The Indian Air Force carried out a long-range precision strike against a practice target to mark the second anniversary of the Balakot Operations, sources said on Saturday.

The strike was carried out by members of the squadron which conducted the air strikes on terror launch pads in Balakot in Pakistan. 
Sources added that the strike was in the "very recent past".

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on Saturday flew a multi-aircraft sortie with the units to commemorate the occasion along with the squadron pilots.

On February 26, 2019, Indian Air Force fighter jets crossed the Line of Control and destroyed terror launch pads in Balakot.

The strikes were undertaken days after 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed in a terror attack in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14.&nbsp;

The Indian Air Force carried out a long-range precision strike against a practice target to mark the second anniversary of the Balakot Operations, sources said on Saturday.

The Indian Air Force carried out a long-range precision strike against a practice target to mark the second anniversary of the Balakot Operations, sources said on Saturday. The strike was carried out by members of the squadron which conducted the air strikes on terror launch pads in Balakot in Pakistan. Sources added that the strike was in the "very recent past". Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on Saturday flew a multi-aircraft sortie with the units to commemorate the occasion along with the squadron pilots. On February 26, 2019, Indian Air Force fighter jets crossed the Line of Control and destroyed terror launch pads in Balakot. The strikes were undertaken days after 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed in a terror attack in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14.

IAF carries out long-range precision strike against practice target to mark Balakot anniversary

Private hospitals can charge up to Rs 250 ($3.40) per dose of COVID-19 vaccine, official sources said on Saturday as India prepares to vaccinate people aged above 60 years and those over 45 with comorbidities from March 1.

The COVID-19 vaccine will be given free of cost at government hospitals, while people will need to pay for it at private facilities.

"Rs 250 will be the ceiling -- Rs 150 cost of vaccine plus Rs 100 service charge. This arrangement will remain effective till further orders," a source said.

According to sources, states and union territories have been informed about it.

The Union Health Ministry on Friday had said beneficiaries would be able to self-register in advance by downloading the Co-WIN 2.0 portal and through other IT applications such as Aarogya Setu, which will show the government and private hospitals serving as COVID-19 vaccination centres (CVCs) with date and time of the available schedules.

The beneficiary would be able to choose the CVC of his/her choice and book an appointment for vaccination, the ministry said.

There will be facility of on-site registration so that eligible beneficiaries can walk into identified vaccination centres, get themselves registered and inoculated. 
"Eligible beneficiaries would be able to register themselves on the Co-WIN platform from March 1 itself," R S Sharma, Chairman of Empowered Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Administration had said.

The nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive was launched on January 16. This is now to be exponentially expanded to the age-groups --?all citizens above 60 years and those within the age bracket of 45 to 59 years with specified co-morbidities -- from March 1.

During a meeting held on Friday, representatives of states and UTs were explained the basic features of version 2.0 of the digital platform Co-WIN, which is a population-scale software with capacity of processing several thousands of entries.

It was pointed out that all CVCs must?be health facilities which are government health facilities such as sub health centres (SHCs), primary health centres (PHCs), community health centres (CHCs), Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, Sub-Division Hospitals, District Hospitals and Medical College Hospitals or private hospitals empanelled under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PM JAY) and similar State Health Insurance Schemes.

States and UTs were asked to ensure that the private health facilities have adequate space for the vaccination process, as detailed in the comprehensive SOPs issued by the ministry, basic cold chain equipments, their own team of vaccinators and staff, and adequate facility for management of any adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) cases for using them as CVCs.

All beneficiaries, regardless of the mode of access will have to carry any one of the following photo ID documents -- Aadhaar Card, Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC), Photo ID card specified at the time of registration in case of online registration (if not Aadhaar or EPIC), certificate of co-morbidity for citizens in age group of 45 years to 59 years (signed by a registered medical practitioner), and employment certificate/Official Identity Card for healthcare workers (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs). 
States and UTs on Friday explained the simplified process of registration, which shall be through three routes -- advance self-registration, on-site registration and facilitated cohort registration.

Under the first route, beneficiaries will be able to self register in advance by downloading the Co-WIN 2.0 portal and through other IT applications such as Aarogya Setu. 
"This will show the government and private hospitals serving as CVCs with date and time of the available schedules. The beneficiary would be able to choose the CVC of his/her choice and book an appointment for vaccination.

"The facility of on-site registration allows those who cannot self register in advance to walk into the identified CVCs and get themselves registered on-site and then vaccinated," the ministry said.

Under the facilitated cohort registration mechanism, the state and UT government will take proactive lead, the ministry said in the statement.

Specific date(s) for COVID-19 vaccination will be decided where target groups of potential beneficiates will be vaccinated. State and health authorities will ensure that that the target groups are actively mobilised and brought to the vaccination centres. ASHAs, ANMs, Panchayati Raj representatives and Women's Self Help Groups (SHGs) will be utilised for mobilising the target groups.

Vaccination will be free of charge at the government vaccination centres. The beneficiary will have to show a photo ID document for proof of age (preferably Aadhaar card or EPIC card) and certificate of co-morbidity (if required). Those taking the COVID vaccine at any designated/empanelled private health facility will have to pay a pre-fixed charge.&nbsp;

Private hospitals can charge up to Rs 250 ($3.40) per dose of COVID-19 vaccine, official sources said on Saturday as India prepares to vaccinate people aged above 60 years and those over 45 with comorbidities from March 1.

Private hospitals can charge up to Rs 250 ($3.40) per dose of COVID-19 vaccine, official sources said on Saturday as India prepares to vaccinate people aged above 60 years and those over 45 with comorbidities from March 1. The COVID-19 vaccine will be given free of cost at government hospitals, while people will need to pay for it at private facilities. "Rs 250 will be the ceiling -- Rs 150 cost of vaccine plus Rs 100 service charge. This arrangement will remain effective till further orders," a source said. According to sources, states and union territories have been informed about it. The Union Health Ministry on Friday had said beneficiaries would be able to self-register in advance by downloading the Co-WIN 2.0 portal and through other IT applications such as Aarogya Setu, which will show the government and private hospitals serving as COVID-19 vaccination centres (CVCs) with date and time of the available schedules. The beneficiary would be able to choose the CVC of his/her choice and book an appointment for vaccination, the ministry said. There will be facility of on-site registration so that eligible beneficiaries can walk into identified vaccination centres, get themselves registered and inoculated. "Eligible beneficiaries would be able to register themselves on the Co-WIN platform from March 1 itself," R S Sharma, Chairman of Empowered Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Administration had said. The nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive was launched on January 16. This is now to be exponentially expanded to the age-groups --?all citizens above 60 years and those within the age bracket of 45 to 59 years with specified co-morbidities -- from March 1. During a meeting held on Friday, representatives of states and UTs were explained the basic features of version 2.0 of the digital platform Co-WIN, which is a population-scale software with capacity of processing several thousands of entries. It was pointed out that all CVCs must?be health facilities which are government health facilities such as sub health centres (SHCs), primary health centres (PHCs), community health centres (CHCs), Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, Sub-Division Hospitals, District Hospitals and Medical College Hospitals or private hospitals empanelled under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PM JAY) and similar State Health Insurance Schemes. States and UTs were asked to ensure that the private health facilities have adequate space for the vaccination process, as detailed in the comprehensive SOPs issued by the ministry, basic cold chain equipments, their own team of vaccinators and staff, and adequate facility for management of any adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) cases for using them as CVCs. All beneficiaries, regardless of the mode of access will have to carry any one of the following photo ID documents -- Aadhaar Card, Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC), Photo ID card specified at the time of registration in case of online registration (if not Aadhaar or EPIC), certificate of co-morbidity for citizens in age group of 45 years to 59 years (signed by a registered medical practitioner), and employment certificate/Official Identity Card for healthcare workers (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs). States and UTs on Friday explained the simplified process of registration, which shall be through three routes -- advance self-registration, on-site registration and facilitated cohort registration. Under the first route, beneficiaries will be able to self register in advance by downloading the Co-WIN 2.0 portal and through other IT applications such as Aarogya Setu. "This will show the government and private hospitals serving as CVCs with date and time of the available schedules. The beneficiary would be able to choose the CVC of his/her choice and book an appointment for vaccination. "The facility of on-site registration allows those who cannot self register in advance to walk into the identified CVCs and get themselves registered on-site and then vaccinated," the ministry said. Under the facilitated cohort registration mechanism, the state and UT government will take proactive lead, the ministry said in the statement. Specific date(s) for COVID-19 vaccination will be decided where target groups of potential beneficiates will be vaccinated. State and health authorities will ensure that that the target groups are actively mobilised and brought to the vaccination centres. ASHAs, ANMs, Panchayati Raj representatives and Women's Self Help Groups (SHGs) will be utilised for mobilising the target groups. Vaccination will be free of charge at the government vaccination centres. The beneficiary will have to show a photo ID document for proof of age (preferably Aadhaar card or EPIC card) and certificate of co-morbidity (if required). Those taking the COVID vaccine at any designated/empanelled private health facility will have to pay a pre-fixed charge.

COVID-19 vaccine: Private hospitals can charge Rs 250 per dose

A 15-year-old Indian girl, who was reported missing earlier in the week, has been found hiding in the terrace of her home here after her parents scolded her for poor grades in school, according to a media report.

Harini Karani was reported missing following her morning walk in Dubai on Thursday morning, the Gulf News reported.

The girl was hiding on the roof of her house in Umm Suqiem, Dubai, as she was sad after her parents confiscated her mobile phone for getting poor grades in school, Dubai Police told the daily.

"The family alerted police about their daughter going missing since the morning and they rushed and sought people's help too by sharing the incident on social media platforms. Her parents were afraid that their daughter might harm herself,"&nbsp;the Gulf News reported quoting an official.

Dubai Police solved the cases in a few hours and Karani has safely returned to her family.

Karani studies in a UK-curriculum school in Al Barsha here.&nbsp;

A 15-year-old Indian girl, who was reported missing earlier in the week, has been found hiding in the terrace of her home here after her parents scolded her for poor grades in school, according to a media report.

A 15-year-old Indian girl, who was reported missing earlier in the week, has been found hiding in the terrace of her home here after her parents scolded her for poor grades in school, according to a media report. Harini Karani was reported missing following her morning walk in Dubai on Thursday morning, the Gulf News reported. The girl was hiding on the roof of her house in Umm Suqiem, Dubai, as she was sad after her parents confiscated her mobile phone for getting poor grades in school, Dubai Police told the daily. "The family alerted police about their daughter going missing since the morning and they rushed and sought people's help too by sharing the incident on social media platforms. Her parents were afraid that their daughter might harm herself," the Gulf News reported quoting an official. Dubai Police solved the cases in a few hours and Karani has safely returned to her family. Karani studies in a UK-curriculum school in Al Barsha here.

Indian teenager in Dubai stages kidnapping drama after parents scold her for poor grades

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the onus of creating an "enabling environment" for progress in bilateral relations rests with India, though he welcomed the ceasefire agreement with New Delhi.

In his first comments since the militaries of India and Pakistan jointly announced on Thursday that they have agreed to strictly observe all agreements on the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and other sectors, Khan Saturday said Pakistan remains ready to move forward to resolve "all outstanding issues" with India through dialogue.

"I welcome restoration of the ceasefire along the LOC. The onus of creating an enabling environment for further progress rests with India. India must take necessary steps to meet the long-standing demand &amp; right of the Kashmiri people to self determination according to UNSC resolutions," Khan tweeted.

"We have always stood for peace &amp; remain ready to move forward to resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue," Khan said in a series of tweets.

India and Pakistan issued a joint statement on Thursday to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the LoC and other sectors after hotline discussions by their Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMO). The decision by the two countries came into effect from the midnight of February 24/25.

In a series of tweets marking the second anniversary of Pakistan's retaliatory air strikes after the Indian Air Force (IAF) targetted a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror training camp at Balakot in 2019, Khan claimed that Pakistan have always stood for peace and remain ready to move forward to resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue.

He said that Pakistan also demonstrated to the world its "responsible behaviour" by returning the captured Indian pilot.

IAF warplanes hit a JeM terror training camp in Balakot on February 26, 2019 to avenge killing of 40 CRPF personnel in the Pulwama terror attack. Pakistan Air Force retaliated the next day but the IAF foiled the attack.

India has told Pakistan that it has no locus standi to comment on internal affairs of India, asserting that the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been and will remain an integral part of the country.

New Delhi has been maintaining its stand that "talks and terror" cannot go together as it continues to ask Islamabad to take demonstrable steps against terror groups responsible for launching various attacks on India.

Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by terror groups based in the neighbouring country. Subsequent attacks, including one on Indian Army camp in Uri, further deteriorated the relationship.

The relationship dipped further after India's war planes pounded a JeM terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan on February 26, 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed.

(with inputs)

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the onus of creating an "enabling environment" for progress in bilateral relations rests with India, though he welcomed the ceasefire agreement with New Delhi.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the onus of creating an "enabling environment" for progress in bilateral relations rests with India, though he welcomed the ceasefire agreement with New Delhi. In his first comments since the militaries of India and Pakistan jointly announced on Thursday that they have agreed to strictly observe all agreements on the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and other sectors, Khan Saturday said Pakistan remains ready to move forward to resolve "all outstanding issues" with India through dialogue. "I welcome restoration of the ceasefire along the LOC. The onus of creating an enabling environment for further progress rests with India. India must take necessary steps to meet the long-standing demand & right of the Kashmiri people to self determination according to UNSC resolutions," Khan tweeted. "We have always stood for peace & remain ready to move forward to resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue," Khan said in a series of tweets. India and Pakistan issued a joint statement on Thursday to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the LoC and other sectors after hotline discussions by their Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMO). The decision by the two countries came into effect from the midnight of February 24/25. In a series of tweets marking the second anniversary of Pakistan's retaliatory air strikes after the Indian Air Force (IAF) targetted a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror training camp at Balakot in 2019, Khan claimed that Pakistan have always stood for peace and remain ready to move forward to resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue. He said that Pakistan also demonstrated to the world its "responsible behaviour" by returning the captured Indian pilot. IAF warplanes hit a JeM terror training camp in Balakot on February 26, 2019 to avenge killing of 40 CRPF personnel in the Pulwama terror attack. Pakistan Air Force retaliated the next day but the IAF foiled the attack. India has told Pakistan that it has no locus standi to comment on internal affairs of India, asserting that the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been and will remain an integral part of the country. New Delhi has been maintaining its stand that "talks and terror" cannot go together as it continues to ask Islamabad to take demonstrable steps against terror groups responsible for launching various attacks on India. Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by terror groups based in the neighbouring country. Subsequent attacks, including one on Indian Army camp in Uri, further deteriorated the relationship. The relationship dipped further after India's war planes pounded a JeM terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan on February 26, 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. (with inputs)

Pakistan PM yet again puts onus of restoring ceasefire along LoC on India

An Indian rocket is set to soon launch a Brazilian satellite for the first time from Sriharikota spaceport on Sunday. It's also Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) first launch of 2021.

Subject to weather conditions, the blast-off is scheduled at 10.24 hours from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota, where countdown commenced at 08.54 hours on Saturday for the PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1 mission.

PSLV-C51 rocket, which is the 53rd mission of PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle), will launch Amazonia-1 of Brazil as primary satellite and 18 co-passenger payloads from the first launch pad of the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh's Nellore district, about 100 km from Chennai.

These co-passenger satellites include Satish Dhawan Sat (SD SAT) from Chennai-based Space Kidz India (SKI).&nbsp;

A picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been engraved on the top panel of this spacecraft. It's also a big day for Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO's commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).

PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1 is the first dedicated commercial mission of NSIL, which is undertaking it under a commercial arrangement with Seattle, US-based satellite rideshare and mission management provider, Spaceflight Inc.

The 637-kg Amazonia-1, which will be the first Brazilian satellite to be launched from India, is the optical earth observation satellite of National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

"This satellite would further strengthen the existing structure by providing remote sensing data to users for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon region and analysis of diversified agriculture across the Brazilian territory," an ISRO statement said.

In view of the strict COVID-19 pandemic norms in place at SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota, gathering of media personnel is not planned there and launch viewing gallery will be closed. However, the live telecast of the launch will be available on ISRO website, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter channels.

The 18 co-passenger satellites are: four from ISRO's Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (three UNITYsats from consortium of three Indian academic institutes and the SD SAT from SKI) and 14 from NSIL.

(with inputs)

An Indian rocket is set to soon launch a Brazilian satellite for the first time from Sriharikota spaceport on Sunday. It's also Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) first launch of 2021.

An Indian rocket is set to soon launch a Brazilian satellite for the first time from Sriharikota spaceport on Sunday. It's also Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) first launch of 2021. Subject to weather conditions, the blast-off is scheduled at 10.24 hours from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota, where countdown commenced at 08.54 hours on Saturday for the PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1 mission. PSLV-C51 rocket, which is the 53rd mission of PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle), will launch Amazonia-1 of Brazil as primary satellite and 18 co-passenger payloads from the first launch pad of the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh's Nellore district, about 100 km from Chennai. These co-passenger satellites include Satish Dhawan Sat (SD SAT) from Chennai-based Space Kidz India (SKI). A picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been engraved on the top panel of this spacecraft. It's also a big day for Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO's commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1 is the first dedicated commercial mission of NSIL, which is undertaking it under a commercial arrangement with Seattle, US-based satellite rideshare and mission management provider, Spaceflight Inc. The 637-kg Amazonia-1, which will be the first Brazilian satellite to be launched from India, is the optical earth observation satellite of National Institute for Space Research (INPE). "This satellite would further strengthen the existing structure by providing remote sensing data to users for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon region and analysis of diversified agriculture across the Brazilian territory," an ISRO statement said. In view of the strict COVID-19 pandemic norms in place at SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota, gathering of media personnel is not planned there and launch viewing gallery will be closed. However, the live telecast of the launch will be available on ISRO website, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter channels. The 18 co-passenger satellites are: four from ISRO's Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (three UNITYsats from consortium of three Indian academic institutes and the SD SAT from SKI) and 14 from NSIL. (with inputs)

Countdown begins for ISRO's first mission in 2021

IAF's Balakot airstrikes: How 'Operation Bandar' surprised Pakistan

India will send four cranes to Iran for Chabahar port by June. Out of these, two will be sent in March and remaining two later.&nbsp;

Two cranes have already been sent in the month of January.

Sanjay Bandyopadhyay, Additional Secretary at India's Ministry of Shipping said, "Recently, we sent two mobile harbour cranes to the Chabahar port. In March, two more cranes will be sent. They are ready to be loaded to the ship near Venice. Two more will reach by June end.

"There are plans to procure more rail-mounted gantry cranes/rail-mounted cranes, for which bidding is going on, and this infrastructure is presently sufficient for the operation of the port. As it picks up for products, cargos going to Afghanistan and beyond, we will add more infrastructure."

India will host Maritime India Summit from March 2 to 4. The summit will be inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;

Ministers from Afghanistan, Armenia, Iran, Russia and Uzbekistan will participate. More than 1 lakh registrations have taken place for the summit.&nbsp;

Bandyopadhyay said, "Chabahar has been a very ambitious project of the country. We have sent consignments of wheat and pesticides as required by Afghanistan."

At present, there are eight cranes at the port and four lifters.&nbsp;

Chabahar is key to India's westwards connectivity -- providing connectivity to Afghanistan and beyond.&nbsp;

Chabahar is also key to the International North-South Transport Corridor that connects Mumbai to Moscow and reduces the distance between the location by 40 per cent and cost by 30 per cent.

India will send four cranes to Iran for Chabahar port by June. Out of these, two will be sent in March and remaining two later. Two cranes have already been sent in the month of January.

India will send four cranes to Iran for Chabahar port by June. Out of these, two will be sent in March and remaining two later. Two cranes have already been sent in the month of January. Sanjay Bandyopadhyay, Additional Secretary at India's Ministry of Shipping said, "Recently, we sent two mobile harbour cranes to the Chabahar port. In March, two more cranes will be sent. They are ready to be loaded to the ship near Venice. Two more will reach by June end. "There are plans to procure more rail-mounted gantry cranes/rail-mounted cranes, for which bidding is going on, and this infrastructure is presently sufficient for the operation of the port. As it picks up for products, cargos going to Afghanistan and beyond, we will add more infrastructure." India will host Maritime India Summit from March 2 to 4. The summit will be inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ministers from Afghanistan, Armenia, Iran, Russia and Uzbekistan will participate. More than 1 lakh registrations have taken place for the summit. Bandyopadhyay said, "Chabahar has been a very ambitious project of the country. We have sent consignments of wheat and pesticides as required by Afghanistan." At present, there are eight cranes at the port and four lifters. Chabahar is key to India's westwards connectivity -- providing connectivity to Afghanistan and beyond. Chabahar is also key to the International North-South Transport Corridor that connects Mumbai to Moscow and reduces the distance between the location by 40 per cent and cost by 30 per cent.

India to send four more cranes to Iran for Chabahar port by June

India's external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar and Chinese foreign minister spoke for one hour and fifteen minutes on Thursday afternoon, the first such talks since the disengagement at Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh was completed.&nbsp;

One of the key outcomes of the talks was the establishment of hotlines between the 2 countries at the Foreign minister level for timely communication.&nbsp;

EAM recalled the Moscow pact of September 2020 between the 2 countries that laid emphasis on the disengagement. Both ministers had met on the sidelines of Shanghai cooperation organization FMs meet to discuss the situation at LAC. During the talks, the message from India's side was to "quickly resolve" the remaining issues at the Line of actual control.&nbsp;

The MEA readout said, "Once disengagement is completed at all friction points, then the two sides could also look at broader de-escalation of troops in the area and work towards the restoration of peace and tranquillity." India's focus is on disengagement at Depsang plains, hot springs, and Gogra.

The statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday read: "Foreign Minister Wang Yi also noted that the Indian side had proposed ‘three mutuals’ (mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests) as the approach to the relationship. He also agreed on the importance of taking the long view of our ties. The two Ministers agreed to remain in touch and establish a hotline."

The Chinese read out making a conciliatory note said both sides "should handle the boundary question properly to prevent the bilateral relationship from sinking into a negative cycle".&nbsp;

It explained, "As two big emerging economies, China and India need to pursue development alongside each other move forward in partnership instead of hindrance, and work together for shared progress rather than erecting walls against each other."

In the aftermath of Galwan incident of June 2020 in which India lost 20 of its soldiers, New Delhi had taken number of measures like banning Chinese apps, increasing scrutiny on Chinese investment.

India's external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar and Chinese foreign minister spoke for one hour and fifteen minutes on Thursday afternoon, the first such talks since the disengagement at Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh was completed.

India's external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar and Chinese foreign minister spoke for one hour and fifteen minutes on Thursday afternoon, the first such talks since the disengagement at Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh was completed. One of the key outcomes of the talks was the establishment of hotlines between the 2 countries at the Foreign minister level for timely communication. EAM recalled the Moscow pact of September 2020 between the 2 countries that laid emphasis on the disengagement. Both ministers had met on the sidelines of Shanghai cooperation organization FMs meet to discuss the situation at LAC. During the talks, the message from India's side was to "quickly resolve" the remaining issues at the Line of actual control. The MEA readout said, "Once disengagement is completed at all friction points, then the two sides could also look at broader de-escalation of troops in the area and work towards the restoration of peace and tranquillity." India's focus is on disengagement at Depsang plains, hot springs, and Gogra. The statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday read: "Foreign Minister Wang Yi also noted that the Indian side had proposed ‘three mutuals’ (mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests) as the approach to the relationship. He also agreed on the importance of taking the long view of our ties. The two Ministers agreed to remain in touch and establish a hotline." The Chinese read out making a conciliatory note said both sides "should handle the boundary question properly to prevent the bilateral relationship from sinking into a negative cycle". It explained, "As two big emerging economies, China and India need to pursue development alongside each other move forward in partnership instead of hindrance, and work together for shared progress rather than erecting walls against each other." In the aftermath of Galwan incident of June 2020 in which India lost 20 of its soldiers, New Delhi had taken number of measures like banning Chinese apps, increasing scrutiny on Chinese investment.

Jaishankar-Wang Yi talks: Hotline to be established, Moscow pact recalled

India has provided 361.94 lakh doses of anti-coronavirus vaccines to various countries, out of which 67.5 lakh doses have been supplied as grant assistance and 294.44 lakh on commercial basis, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the supply of vaccines to countries will continue in the coming weeks and months in a phased manner but it will be ensured that domestic requirements for the national vaccination programme are kept in mind.

"As of now, we have provided a total of 361.94 lakh doses to various countries. This includes 67.5 lakh doses supplied under grant assistance and 294.44 lakh doses under various commercial contracts," he said at an online briefing.

Srivastava said India has also offered locally-made vaccines to all members of the diplomatic corps and their families based in the country.

"It has been offered not only to the diplomats of countries but also to those of UN agencies and intergovernmental organisations working in India. This drive will cover all the locations where they are based," he said.

To a question on the workshop on "COVID-19 Management: Experience, Good Practices and Way Forward" with 10 neighbouring countries that was held on February 18 and addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Srivastava said among other things, the PM proposed a special visa scheme for doctors and nurses, a regional Air Ambulance agreement for medical contingencies, creation of a regional platform for collating, compiling and studying data about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.

The prime minister also proposed creating a regional network for promoting technology-assisted epidemiology for preventing future pandemics, he said.

Srivastava said these proposals were very well-received by the participating countries and follow-up action is being taken in consultation with ministries concerned.

India has sent consignments of anti-coronavirus vaccine doses as gifts to countries such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Oman, Afghanistan, Barbados and Dominica.

Countries which received vaccines on commercial basis include Brazil, Morocco, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Egypt, Algeria, South Africa, Kuwait and the UAE.

In a major announcement, India on January 19 said it will send vaccines under grant assistance to several countries.

India is one of the world's biggest drugmakers, and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring anti-coronavirus vaccines.

India has provided 361.94 lakh doses of anti-coronavirus vaccines to various countries, out of which 67.5 lakh doses have been supplied as grant assistance and 294.

India has provided 361.94 lakh doses of anti-coronavirus vaccines to various countries, out of which 67.5 lakh doses have been supplied as grant assistance and 294.44 lakh on commercial basis, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the supply of vaccines to countries will continue in the coming weeks and months in a phased manner but it will be ensured that domestic requirements for the national vaccination programme are kept in mind. "As of now, we have provided a total of 361.94 lakh doses to various countries. This includes 67.5 lakh doses supplied under grant assistance and 294.44 lakh doses under various commercial contracts," he said at an online briefing. Srivastava said India has also offered locally-made vaccines to all members of the diplomatic corps and their families based in the country. "It has been offered not only to the diplomats of countries but also to those of UN agencies and intergovernmental organisations working in India. This drive will cover all the locations where they are based," he said. To a question on the workshop on "COVID-19 Management: Experience, Good Practices and Way Forward" with 10 neighbouring countries that was held on February 18 and addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Srivastava said among other things, the PM proposed a special visa scheme for doctors and nurses, a regional Air Ambulance agreement for medical contingencies, creation of a regional platform for collating, compiling and studying data about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. The prime minister also proposed creating a regional network for promoting technology-assisted epidemiology for preventing future pandemics, he said. Srivastava said these proposals were very well-received by the participating countries and follow-up action is being taken in consultation with ministries concerned. India has sent consignments of anti-coronavirus vaccine doses as gifts to countries such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Oman, Afghanistan, Barbados and Dominica. Countries which received vaccines on commercial basis include Brazil, Morocco, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Egypt, Algeria, South Africa, Kuwait and the UAE. In a major announcement, India on January 19 said it will send vaccines under grant assistance to several countries. India is one of the world's biggest drugmakers, and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring anti-coronavirus vaccines.

India sent over 30 million COVID vaccines abroad: MEA

Ethiopia has briefed India about the crisis in the Tigray Region, during the country's foreign minister's New Delhi visit last week. Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister Demeke Mekonnen Hassen visited India last week and held talks with his Indian counterpart EAM Jaishankar. &nbsp;

Speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Ethiopian envoy Tizita Mulugeta to India, said, "Ethiopian side took an opportunity to explain to Indian side" regarding the existing political situation in the country especially the conflict in Tigray and humanitarian assistance being delivered to the Tigrayan people at this moment".&nbsp;

The Tigray crisis has been making global headlines after worsening the situation in that part of Ethiopia. The development comes after clashes broken between the Ethiopian government forces and the local Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Tigray is a region in the northern part of Ethiopia and shares borders with Eritrea, Sudan.&nbsp;

The envoy also spoke on India's outreach amid the Covid pandemic. She said, "Always whenever there have been any kinds of difficulties, India has been there to support Africa and particularly Ethiopia." Adding, "We know India is the hub of pharma" and it has the "capacity to support many countries and we have seen them supporting neighbouring and African countries."&nbsp;

WION: How do you see India-Ethiopia ties?&nbsp;

Tizita Mulugeta: First of all, when we see the relationship between these two countries, we have to see that the relationship has been there for a long period of time and is historical. It started in the first century BC, and Indians went to Ethiopia to sell different kinds of items including silk, spices and they used to get ivory and gold from Ethiopia. So, this relationship is historic, and the trade relationship has grown very well, and we started our diplomatic ties in 1948, just immediately after India got its independence. So, from then onwards we have got a very profound kind of relationship, especially one that focuses on capacity building. When we have seen a capacity building with a lot of Indian professors and teachers going to Ethiopia to teach in Ethiopian high schools and universities. This means Indians were playing a very good role in producing generation in Ethiopia, which is the base for development and growth also. This relationship has grown into trade and investment relation, especially for last 15 years number of Indian investors have been growing in Ethiopia. Trade relations, I can say we have good trade ties, so generally social, political, diplomatic, we have profound relation. We are working to develop this relationship into strategic relationship.&nbsp;

WION: Key outcome of Ethiopian FM's India visit?&nbsp;

Tizita Mulugeta: Basically, we have been waiting for this visit for a long time, it means something for us. During the visit, bilateral issues were discussed especially the Ethiopian side took an opportunity to explain to the Indian side, the Indian government regarding the existing political situation in the country especially the conflict in Tigray, and humanitarian assistance being delivered to the Tigrayan people at this moment. Ethiopian government explained to its Indian counterpart, how much access is open to providing humanitarian assistance to the needy over there and how much the Ethiopian govt is ready to respect the human rights, of the Tigrayan people, and also the refugees, especially Eritrean refugees in the Tigrayan region. Beyond that, it was an opportunity to explain regarding border conflict between Ethiopia and Sudan. Ethiopian government explained that the position is to amicably solve this problem based on negotiation. We managed to sign different agreements, especially, visa wavier agreements for diplomats and also agreements on education between two different institutions. It will help us to go further to the next level and develop a relationship into a strategic relationship.&nbsp;

WION: How do you see India's role in Africa?&nbsp;

Tizita Mulugeta: When we talk about Indian Involvement in Africa, it is not recent history. It has been like a long period of time. We could find a lot of Indian Diaspora in any part of the Africa that has been there for a long period of time, in addition to that, Indians have been playing a very big role in the national movement of independence. So, I can say, relationship between India and Africa is very profound, and India and Africa have worked a lot for the development of capacity in African countries, and the trade and investment relationship has also grown very well. So, they share a lot of commonalities especially in UN reforms and the International agenda. So far, Indians playing a very good role in entering Africa and making their presence better than the previous ones. India and Africa share lot of development trajectories. There is a lot, Africa can learn and a lot Africa can get from India especially in terms of adaptable technologies, because we really share many things, for instance, both Indian and African societies based on agriculture. We can learn how India is trying to get to a high level in terms of the economy and many levels. We can learn from Indian democracy, governance. I can say so far role of India is really, it means a lot. We can refer to three India-Africa summits, that has been there for last 15 years. All these summits have seen different development issues as agenda. Current PM Modi has given priority to presence of India in Africa, taking this into consideration, I can say India could be one of the great partners of Africa and for African development.&nbsp;

WION: How has been covid cooperation between India and Ethiopia?&nbsp;

Tizita Mulugeta: Always whenever there has been any kind of difficulties India has been there, to support Africa and particularly Ethiopia. So, when covid pandemic came last year, India was one of the first country that sent different kinds of medical equipment to Ethiopia. We are really grateful to that. Our PM has spoken to PM Modi, they have talked a lot on how to cooperate in terms of covid and other related issues. We know India is the hub of pharma and it has capacity to support many countries and we have seen they are supporting neighboring and African countries. We are studying on how to get support from India and my government will consider on how to benefit from this relation.&nbsp;

Ethiopia has briefed India about the crisis in the Tigray Region, during the country's foreign minister's New Delhi visit last week. Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister Demeke Mekonnen Hassen visited India last week and held talks with his Indian counterpart EAM Jaishankar.

Ethiopia has briefed India about the crisis in the Tigray Region, during the country's foreign minister's New Delhi visit last week. Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister Demeke Mekonnen Hassen visited India last week and held talks with his Indian counterpart EAM Jaishankar. Speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Ethiopian envoy Tizita Mulugeta to India, said, "Ethiopian side took an opportunity to explain to Indian side" regarding the existing political situation in the country especially the conflict in Tigray and humanitarian assistance being delivered to the Tigrayan people at this moment". The Tigray crisis has been making global headlines after worsening the situation in that part of Ethiopia. The development comes after clashes broken between the Ethiopian government forces and the local Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Tigray is a region in the northern part of Ethiopia and shares borders with Eritrea, Sudan. The envoy also spoke on India's outreach amid the Covid pandemic. She said, "Always whenever there have been any kinds of difficulties, India has been there to support Africa and particularly Ethiopia." Adding, "We know India is the hub of pharma" and it has the "capacity to support many countries and we have seen them supporting neighbouring and African countries." WION: How do you see India-Ethiopia ties? Tizita Mulugeta: First of all, when we see the relationship between these two countries, we have to see that the relationship has been there for a long period of time and is historical. It started in the first century BC, and Indians went to Ethiopia to sell different kinds of items including silk, spices and they used to get ivory and gold from Ethiopia. So, this relationship is historic, and the trade relationship has grown very well, and we started our diplomatic ties in 1948, just immediately after India got its independence. So, from then onwards we have got a very profound kind of relationship, especially one that focuses on capacity building. When we have seen a capacity building with a lot of Indian professors and teachers going to Ethiopia to teach in Ethiopian high schools and universities. This means Indians were playing a very good role in producing generation in Ethiopia, which is the base for development and growth also. This relationship has grown into trade and investment relation, especially for last 15 years number of Indian investors have been growing in Ethiopia. Trade relations, I can say we have good trade ties, so generally social, political, diplomatic, we have profound relation. We are working to develop this relationship into strategic relationship. WION: Key outcome of Ethiopian FM's India visit? Tizita Mulugeta: Basically, we have been waiting for this visit for a long time, it means something for us. During the visit, bilateral issues were discussed especially the Ethiopian side took an opportunity to explain to the Indian side, the Indian government regarding the existing political situation in the country especially the conflict in Tigray, and humanitarian assistance being delivered to the Tigrayan people at this moment. Ethiopian government explained to its Indian counterpart, how much access is open to providing humanitarian assistance to the needy over there and how much the Ethiopian govt is ready to respect the human rights, of the Tigrayan people, and also the refugees, especially Eritrean refugees in the Tigrayan region. Beyond that, it was an opportunity to explain regarding border conflict between Ethiopia and Sudan. Ethiopian government explained that the position is to amicably solve this problem based on negotiation. We managed to sign different agreements, especially, visa wavier agreements for diplomats and also agreements on education between two different institutions. It will help us to go further to the next level and develop a relationship into a strategic relationship. WION: How do you see India's role in Africa? Tizita Mulugeta: When we talk about Indian Involvement in Africa, it is not recent history. It has been like a long period of time. We could find a lot of Indian Diaspora in any part of the Africa that has been there for a long period of time, in addition to that, Indians have been playing a very big role in the national movement of independence. So, I can say, relationship between India and Africa is very profound, and India and Africa have worked a lot for the development of capacity in African countries, and the trade and investment relationship has also grown very well. So, they share a lot of commonalities especially in UN reforms and the International agenda. So far, Indians playing a very good role in entering Africa and making their presence better than the previous ones. India and Africa share lot of development trajectories. There is a lot, Africa can learn and a lot Africa can get from India especially in terms of adaptable technologies, because we really share many things, for instance, both Indian and African societies based on agriculture. We can learn how India is trying to get to a high level in terms of the economy and many levels. We can learn from Indian democracy, governance. I can say so far role of India is really, it means a lot. We can refer to three India-Africa summits, that has been there for last 15 years. All these summits have seen different development issues as agenda. Current PM Modi has given priority to presence of India in Africa, taking this into consideration, I can say India could be one of the great partners of Africa and for African development. WION: How has been covid cooperation between India and Ethiopia? Tizita Mulugeta: Always whenever there has been any kind of difficulties India has been there, to support Africa and particularly Ethiopia. So, when covid pandemic came last year, India was one of the first country that sent different kinds of medical equipment to Ethiopia. We are really grateful to that. Our PM has spoken to PM Modi, they have talked a lot on how to cooperate in terms of covid and other related issues. We know India is the hub of pharma and it has capacity to support many countries and we have seen they are supporting neighboring and African countries. We are studying on how to get support from India and my government will consider on how to benefit from this relation.

Ethiopia briefs India about Tigray, says humanitarian aid being delivered

In order to put an end to the exploitation of elephants by temples and private owners for joyrides or as beasts of burden, the Madras High Court has sought a uniform policy. It states that all elephants - privately owned or temple owned must come under the care of the Forest Department &nbsp;and that future private ownership of elephants must be completely prohibited.&nbsp;

The First Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy had passed the order in response to a petition of a devotee, who pointed out ill-treatment of elephants at the Srirangam temple.&nbsp;

Rangarajan Narasimhan, the petitioner had stated the plight of Andal, an elephant that had been separated from its mahout (primary caretaker of captive elephant) of nearly 27 years, as the mahout was removed from service without any notice. It also cites that Section 4(4) of TN Elephant Rules, which mentions that a captive elephant is to be maintained by the same mahout and cavady (mahout’s assistant) for its entire lifespan, was flouted.&nbsp;

According to the petition, the original caretaker was appointed as a watchman in another temple, following which the elephant was handed over to a caretaker who had resorted to inhuman tactics to bring the elephant under his control. “One of the very many ways is to drug the elephant with illegal substances” it states. It is mentioned that though the said elephant is hardly aged 49, it’s condition is like an elephant aged 89, owing to the abuse.&nbsp;

“The government and temple authorities guard the elephant as if she is a convict in jail, not allowing public to have a look, in order to hide the sufferings of the elephant. No CCTV camera is available in a temple that earns over Rs.100Cr every year from devotees’ offerings”. The petition adds that this is done o purpose to enable the cavady to beat up the elephant in order to tame her.&nbsp;

In its order, the first bench said, “Any kind of mistreatment of elephants and other animals must be dealt with promptly and as mercilessly as such persons deal with the animals”. It added that exploitation of animals for all purposes should be stopped except for limited government controlled exercises say, horse-riding or camel-riding on the beach, but even those cannot be privately operated since the treatment of the animals cannot be checked or monitored.&nbsp;

The Court has provided eight weeks time for the Government to come up with a comprehensive policy and guidelines to be framed. It was also stated that experts could be consulted, rehabilitation of elephants lured away from forests maybe taken up and measures be put in place to prevent further exploitation.

In order to put an end to the exploitation of elephants by temples and private owners for joyrides or as beasts of burden, the Madras High Court has sought a uniform policy.

In order to put an end to the exploitation of elephants by temples and private owners for joyrides or as beasts of burden, the Madras High Court has sought a uniform policy. It states that all elephants - privately owned or temple owned must come under the care of the Forest Department and that future private ownership of elephants must be completely prohibited. The First Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy had passed the order in response to a petition of a devotee, who pointed out ill-treatment of elephants at the Srirangam temple. Rangarajan Narasimhan, the petitioner had stated the plight of Andal, an elephant that had been separated from its mahout (primary caretaker of captive elephant) of nearly 27 years, as the mahout was removed from service without any notice. It also cites that Section 4(4) of TN Elephant Rules, which mentions that a captive elephant is to be maintained by the same mahout and cavady (mahout’s assistant) for its entire lifespan, was flouted. According to the petition, the original caretaker was appointed as a watchman in another temple, following which the elephant was handed over to a caretaker who had resorted to inhuman tactics to bring the elephant under his control. “One of the very many ways is to drug the elephant with illegal substances” it states. It is mentioned that though the said elephant is hardly aged 49, it’s condition is like an elephant aged 89, owing to the abuse. “The government and temple authorities guard the elephant as if she is a convict in jail, not allowing public to have a look, in order to hide the sufferings of the elephant. No CCTV camera is available in a temple that earns over Rs.100Cr every year from devotees’ offerings”. The petition adds that this is done o purpose to enable the cavady to beat up the elephant in order to tame her. In its order, the first bench said, “Any kind of mistreatment of elephants and other animals must be dealt with promptly and as mercilessly as such persons deal with the animals”. It added that exploitation of animals for all purposes should be stopped except for limited government controlled exercises say, horse-riding or camel-riding on the beach, but even those cannot be privately operated since the treatment of the animals cannot be checked or monitored. The Court has provided eight weeks time for the Government to come up with a comprehensive policy and guidelines to be framed. It was also stated that experts could be consulted, rehabilitation of elephants lured away from forests maybe taken up and measures be put in place to prevent further exploitation.

Madras High Court asks Tamil Nadu government to form policy on ownership of elephants

National Statistical Office of India has released the GDP growth estimates for Quarter 3 in the Financial year. The GDP growth is now projected at 0.4%.

News Alert: India's GDP number for financial year 2021 year out

The Election Commission on Friday announced the election dates for 824 assembly constituencies that will go to polls in four states and one union territory.

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said that West Bengal will go to polls in 8 phases and Assam in three phases while Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry will have a single-phase election.&nbsp;

As many as 18.68 crore voters will be eligible to cast their votes at 2.7 lakh polling stations for 824 assembly seats across Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

The elections for the five assemblies are expected to witness a determined attempt by the BJP to put a strong show, including in Assam where it is already in power, as well as in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry where the saffron party has been pushing hard in recent years.

Elections in Assam will be conducted in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6, while polling in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will take place in a single phase on April 6.

Elections for the West Bengal assembly will be held in eight phases, up from seven last time, beginning with polling for 30 seats on March 27, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said while announcing the poll schedule.

The second phase of West Bengal's assembly elections has been scheduled for April 1 and will cover 30 constituencies, followed by the third phase on April 6 for 31 seats, the fourth on April 10 for 44 constituencies, the fifth on April 17 for 45 seats, sixth for 43 seats on April 22, seventh phase on April 26 for 36 seats and last and eighth phase on April 29 for 35 seats, Arora said.

The Election Commission will appoint two special observers for West Bengal and a third can also be sent if required, Arora said in response to queries on whether enough arrangements are in place for the polls in the state, where many have been raising questions about political violence.

Arora also said everyone on election duty for the upcoming polls will?be vaccinated against COVID-19 before polling day.

Voting will take place for 126 seats in Assam, 234 in Tamil Nadu, 294 in West Bengal, 140 in Kerala and 30 in Puducherry.

Arrangements will be put in place for candidates to file their nominations online. Voting will be allowed for an additional hour, keeping in mind COVID-19 safety guidelines, he said.

Also, webcasting arrangements will be in place at polling stations in critical and vulnerable areas, while adequate CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) deployment will be ensured, Arora said. All critical and vulnerable areas have been identified and advance teams have been already deployed across the four states and one union territory, he added.

He said door-to-door campaigning will be restricted to five persons, including the candidate, while roadshows will be allowed with a maximum of five vehicles.

According to Arora, the nationwide vaccination drive has made the situation more conducive for conducting elections and the Health Ministry has declared everyone on poll duty as frontline workers for vaccination purposes.

All poll officials will be vaccinated before the elections, Arora said.

Arora, who will demit office on April 13, also said all must be congratulated for the successful conduct of elections in Bihar last year despite the COVID-19 challenges and he is confident of success once again.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Election Commission on Friday announced the election dates for 824 assembly constituencies that will go to polls in four states and one union territory. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said that West Bengal will go to polls in 8 phases and Assam in three phases while Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry will have a single-phase election.

The Election Commission on Friday announced the election dates for 824 assembly constituencies that will go to polls in four states and one union territory. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said that West Bengal will go to polls in 8 phases and Assam in three phases while Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry will have a single-phase election. As many as 18.68 crore voters will be eligible to cast their votes at 2.7 lakh polling stations for 824 assembly seats across Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The elections for the five assemblies are expected to witness a determined attempt by the BJP to put a strong show, including in Assam where it is already in power, as well as in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry where the saffron party has been pushing hard in recent years. Elections in Assam will be conducted in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6, while polling in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will take place in a single phase on April 6. Elections for the West Bengal assembly will be held in eight phases, up from seven last time, beginning with polling for 30 seats on March 27, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said while announcing the poll schedule. The second phase of West Bengal's assembly elections has been scheduled for April 1 and will cover 30 constituencies, followed by the third phase on April 6 for 31 seats, the fourth on April 10 for 44 constituencies, the fifth on April 17 for 45 seats, sixth for 43 seats on April 22, seventh phase on April 26 for 36 seats and last and eighth phase on April 29 for 35 seats, Arora said. The Election Commission will appoint two special observers for West Bengal and a third can also be sent if required, Arora said in response to queries on whether enough arrangements are in place for the polls in the state, where many have been raising questions about political violence. Arora also said everyone on election duty for the upcoming polls will?be vaccinated against COVID-19 before polling day. Voting will take place for 126 seats in Assam, 234 in Tamil Nadu, 294 in West Bengal, 140 in Kerala and 30 in Puducherry. Arrangements will be put in place for candidates to file their nominations online. Voting will be allowed for an additional hour, keeping in mind COVID-19 safety guidelines, he said. Also, webcasting arrangements will be in place at polling stations in critical and vulnerable areas, while adequate CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) deployment will be ensured, Arora said. All critical and vulnerable areas have been identified and advance teams have been already deployed across the four states and one union territory, he added. He said door-to-door campaigning will be restricted to five persons, including the candidate, while roadshows will be allowed with a maximum of five vehicles. According to Arora, the nationwide vaccination drive has made the situation more conducive for conducting elections and the Health Ministry has declared everyone on poll duty as frontline workers for vaccination purposes. All poll officials will be vaccinated before the elections, Arora said. Arora, who will demit office on April 13, also said all must be congratulated for the successful conduct of elections in Bihar last year despite the COVID-19 challenges and he is confident of success once again. (With inputs from agencies)

Voting in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry between March 27 and April 29, results on May 2

India's coast guard rescued 81 Rohingya refugees from a boat adrift in the Andaman Sea, India's external affairs ministry said on Thursday.&nbsp;

"The engine of the boat failed on February 15 and since then it has been drifting," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in a press briefing.&nbsp;

Watch | Myanmar: Rohingyas condemn ouster of democratically-elected govt

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/myanmar-rohingyas-condemn-ouster-of-democratically-elected-govt-360993/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Due to the severe conditions, we understand that eight occupants have died and one of the occupants had been missing since February 15."&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/un-refugee-agency-calls-for-rescue-of-rohingya-stranded-at-sea-365485">UN refugee agency calls for rescue of Rohingya stranded at sea</a>

The United Nations on Wednesday raised an alarm of the Rohingya refugees stranded in a boat in the Andaman Sea without food or water.&nbsp;

The boat's engine broke down after four days at sea and the refugees on board had run out of food and water with several people gone ill and facing extreme dehydration at the time they were rescued, the spokesperson added.&nbsp;

Two coast guard ships were sent to rescue the migrants, 23 of whom were children.&nbsp;

"When we learnt of the boat in distress, we immediately dispatched two coast guard ships to provide food, water and medical assistance to the occupants. Seven of them were administered IV fluids," &nbsp;Srivastava said.&nbsp;

About 90 Rohingya refugees started their journey nearly two weeks ago and the UN and rights groups had said that these migrants are suffering from acute dehydration and were ill.

India's coast guard rescued 81 Rohingya refugees from a boat adrift in the Andaman Sea, India's external affairs ministry said on Thursday. "The engine of the boat failed on February 15 and since then it has been drifting," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in a press briefing.

India's coast guard rescued 81 Rohingya refugees from a boat adrift in the Andaman Sea, India's external affairs ministry said on Thursday. "The engine of the boat failed on February 15 and since then it has been drifting," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in a press briefing. Watch | Myanmar: Rohingyas condemn ouster of democratically-elected govt "Due to the severe conditions, we understand that eight occupants have died and one of the occupants had been missing since February 15." Also read | UN refugee agency calls for rescue of Rohingya stranded at sea The United Nations on Wednesday raised an alarm of the Rohingya refugees stranded in a boat in the Andaman Sea without food or water. The boat's engine broke down after four days at sea and the refugees on board had run out of food and water with several people gone ill and facing extreme dehydration at the time they were rescued, the spokesperson added. Two coast guard ships were sent to rescue the migrants, 23 of whom were children. "When we learnt of the boat in distress, we immediately dispatched two coast guard ships to provide food, water and medical assistance to the occupants. Seven of them were administered IV fluids," Srivastava said. About 90 Rohingya refugees started their journey nearly two weeks ago and the UN and rights groups had said that these migrants are suffering from acute dehydration and were ill.

Indian coast guard rescues 81 Rohingya refugees stranded on boat in Andaman Sea

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment for supporting vaccine equity and sharing Covid vaccines with over 60 countries across the world, hoping that other nations will follow his example.

India on Wednesday dispatched the first batch of six lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses to the African country of Ghana under the COVAX facility in collaboration with UNICEF, which aims to cover 92 countries under the initiative.

The doses are a part of the first batch of COVID-19 vaccine the country is acquiring through the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX), which Ghana among nearly 92 countries have signed into.

To this end, in a tweet, Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation, said that India's support in supplying its vaccines is helping over 60 countries to begin the vaccination process.

"Thanks India &amp; Prime Minister @narendramodi for supporting #VaccinEquity. Your commitment to #COVAX and sharing #COVID19 vaccine doses is helping 60+ countries start vaccinating their #healthworkers and other priority groups. I hope other countries will follow your example," he said in the tweet on Thursday.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on February 12 said that India has provided over 229 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccines to various countries out of which 64 lakh doses have been supplied as grant assistance and 165 lakh on commercial basis.

MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said India would continue to take forward the global vaccine supply initiative and cover more countries in a phased manner.

Consignments of coronavirus vaccine doses were supplied as gifts to Bangladesh (20 lakh), Myanmar (17 lakh), Nepal (10 lakh), Bhutan (1.5 lakh), the Maldives (1 lakh), Mauritius (1 lakh), Seychelles (50,000), Sri Lanka (5 lakh), Bahrain (1 lakh), Oman (1 lakh), Afghanistan (5 Lakhs), Barbados (1 Lakh) and Dominica (70,000), he said.

Srivastava said countries which received vaccines on commercial basis are Brazil (20 lakh), Morocco (60 lakh), Bangladesh (50 lakh), Myanmar (20 lakh), Egypt (50,000), Algeria (50,000), South Africa (10 lakh), Kuwait (2 lakh) and UAE (2 lakh).

The vaccines are even being sent to Latin American countries.

India, the largest drug producer in the world, is currently manufacturing two COVID-19 vaccines- Covishield and Covaxin.

While Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India in Pune, Covaxin is being produced by Bharat Biotech.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment for supporting vaccine equity and sharing Covid vaccines with over 60 countries across the world, hoping that other nations will follow his example.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment for supporting vaccine equity and sharing Covid vaccines with over 60 countries across the world, hoping that other nations will follow his example. India on Wednesday dispatched the first batch of six lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses to the African country of Ghana under the COVAX facility in collaboration with UNICEF, which aims to cover 92 countries under the initiative. The doses are a part of the first batch of COVID-19 vaccine the country is acquiring through the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX), which Ghana among nearly 92 countries have signed into. To this end, in a tweet, Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation, said that India's support in supplying its vaccines is helping over 60 countries to begin the vaccination process. "Thanks India & Prime Minister @narendramodi for supporting #VaccinEquity. Your commitment to #COVAX and sharing #COVID19 vaccine doses is helping 60+ countries start vaccinating their #healthworkers and other priority groups. I hope other countries will follow your example," he said in the tweet on Thursday. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on February 12 said that India has provided over 229 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccines to various countries out of which 64 lakh doses have been supplied as grant assistance and 165 lakh on commercial basis. MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said India would continue to take forward the global vaccine supply initiative and cover more countries in a phased manner. Consignments of coronavirus vaccine doses were supplied as gifts to Bangladesh (20 lakh), Myanmar (17 lakh), Nepal (10 lakh), Bhutan (1.5 lakh), the Maldives (1 lakh), Mauritius (1 lakh), Seychelles (50,000), Sri Lanka (5 lakh), Bahrain (1 lakh), Oman (1 lakh), Afghanistan (5 Lakhs), Barbados (1 Lakh) and Dominica (70,000), he said. Srivastava said countries which received vaccines on commercial basis are Brazil (20 lakh), Morocco (60 lakh), Bangladesh (50 lakh), Myanmar (20 lakh), Egypt (50,000), Algeria (50,000), South Africa (10 lakh), Kuwait (2 lakh) and UAE (2 lakh). The vaccines are even being sent to Latin American countries. India, the largest drug producer in the world, is currently manufacturing two COVID-19 vaccines- Covishield and Covaxin. While Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India in Pune, Covaxin is being produced by Bharat Biotech.

WHO chief Ghebreyesus praises India, PM Modi for Covid vaccine effort

India is drafting rules to make social media companies compliant to erase controversial content and assist in investigations, reported Reuters.

New Delhi's planned "Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code" will come as social media companies are sparring with nations across the globe who want to bring in tighter controls over big tech firms.

Facebook faced a global backlash from publishers and politicians last week after blocking news feeds in Australia in a dispute with the government over revenue-sharing.

The latest draft rules - which would be legally enforcable -say companies should remove content as early as possible, but not later than 36 hours, after a government or legal order, say Reuters report.

They must also assist in investigations or other cyber security-related incidents within 72 hours of a request. Further, if a post depicts an individual in any sexual act or conduct, then companies must disable or remove such content within a day of receiving a complaint, the rules added.

A news report said that the rules will also give the government 'takedown powers' of news and other web-based content.

(With Reuters inputs)

India is drafting rules to make social media companies compliant to erase controversial content and assist in investigations, reported Reuters. New Delhi's planned "Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code" will come as social media companies are sparring with nations across the globe who want to bring in tighter controls over big tech firms.

India is drafting rules to make social media companies compliant to erase controversial content and assist in investigations, reported Reuters. New Delhi's planned "Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code" will come as social media companies are sparring with nations across the globe who want to bring in tighter controls over big tech firms. Facebook faced a global backlash from publishers and politicians last week after blocking news feeds in Australia in a dispute with the government over revenue-sharing. The latest draft rules - which would be legally enforcable -say companies should remove content as early as possible, but not later than 36 hours, after a government or legal order, say Reuters report. They must also assist in investigations or other cyber security-related incidents within 72 hours of a request. Further, if a post depicts an individual in any sexual act or conduct, then companies must disable or remove such content within a day of receiving a complaint, the rules added. A news report said that the rules will also give the government 'takedown powers' of news and other web-based content. (With Reuters inputs)

India drafting rules for social media, web-content platforms

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