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India has reaffirmed its commitment to the Chabahar-Zahedan railway project, saying it is engaged in the project that will connect the port to the border city. Zahedan, capital of Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province, is a border town and can become a gateway to Afghanistan with the railway connectivity project,

Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs V Muraleedharan, in response to a question in Lok Sabha, said, "India and Iran remain engaged on the modalities of implementation of Chabahar-Zahedan railway project, and other development projects in Iran."

The MoU for the railway project was signed in 2016 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country. The MoU was signed between Indian Railways’ IRCON and Iranian Railways’ CDTIC -Construction and Development of Transportation Infrastructures Company.

In the month of November last year, Iran started laying the tracks for the project from the Chabahar side. Work on laying tracks from Zahedan began in July. The total length of the railway is 628 km. India has been strongly backing the development of the Chabahar port project as a means of increasing connectivity with Afghanistan and the Central Asian region.&nbsp;

New Delhi is involved with the development of phase-I of the Shahid Beheshti port in Chabahar.&nbsp;

Over the weekend, India handed two 140 tonne mobile harbour cranes. In December 2018, an Indian company, India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) took over the port operations, and as of December 2020, the port has handled 1.75 million tonnes of bulk cargo and more than 13000 TEUs of container cargo.&nbsp;

India has reaffirmed its commitment to the Chabahar-Zahedan railway project, saying it is engaged in the project that will connect the port to the border city. Zahedan, capital of Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province, is a border town and can become a gateway to Afghanistan with the railway connectivity project, Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs V Muraleedharan, in response to a question in Lok Sabha, said, "India and Iran remain engaged on the modalities of implementation of Chabahar-Zahedan railway project, and other development projects in Iran.

India has reaffirmed its commitment to the Chabahar-Zahedan railway project, saying it is engaged in the project that will connect the port to the border city. Zahedan, capital of Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province, is a border town and can become a gateway to Afghanistan with the railway connectivity project, Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs V Muraleedharan, in response to a question in Lok Sabha, said, "India and Iran remain engaged on the modalities of implementation of Chabahar-Zahedan railway project, and other development projects in Iran." The MoU for the railway project was signed in 2016 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country. The MoU was signed between Indian Railways’ IRCON and Iranian Railways’ CDTIC -Construction and Development of Transportation Infrastructures Company. In the month of November last year, Iran started laying the tracks for the project from the Chabahar side. Work on laying tracks from Zahedan began in July. The total length of the railway is 628 km. India has been strongly backing the development of the Chabahar port project as a means of increasing connectivity with Afghanistan and the Central Asian region. New Delhi is involved with the development of phase-I of the Shahid Beheshti port in Chabahar. Over the weekend, India handed two 140 tonne mobile harbour cranes. In December 2018, an Indian company, India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) took over the port operations, and as of December 2020, the port has handled 1.75 million tonnes of bulk cargo and more than 13000 TEUs of container cargo.

Engaged on Chabahar-Zahedan rail project, India says

The Ministry of External Affairs has said no foreign government has supported the farmer's agitation in the backdrop of the passage of farm laws by the Indian parliament, though there were few "motivated protests" and a comment by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.

In response to a question in the lower house of the Indian Parliament, Lok Sabha, minister of state in the MEA, V Muraleedharan said, "No foreign government has given support to the agitation of Indian farmers against three bills passed by Indian Parliament", pointing out, "In Canada, UK, USA, and in few European countries, protests by a few motivated PIO’s (Persons of Indian origin) on issues related to the Indian Farm Bill have been reported."

The only world leader to make a public comment on the issue was Canadian PM Justin Trudeau which was strongly slammed by India. The Canadian Ambassador to India Nadir Patel was summoned by MEA and a strong note of protest was handed over.&nbsp;

MEA MoS highlighted the Canadian PM's comments were taken up&nbsp;with the "Canadian authorities both in Ottawa and New Delhi and conveyed that such comments pertaining to the internal affairs of India are unwarranted, unacceptable" and "would damage India-Canada bilateral relations."

From India removing the special status for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, CAA protests or farmers agitation, New Delhi has always sharply reacted to any reaction by foreign entities and reminded them that they have no locus to react on the country's internal matters.&nbsp;

The Ministry of External Affairs has said no foreign government has supported the farmer's agitation in the backdrop of the passage of farm laws by the Indian parliament, though there were few "motivated protests" and a comment by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.

The Ministry of External Affairs has said no foreign government has supported the farmer's agitation in the backdrop of the passage of farm laws by the Indian parliament, though there were few "motivated protests" and a comment by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. In response to a question in the lower house of the Indian Parliament, Lok Sabha, minister of state in the MEA, V Muraleedharan said, "No foreign government has given support to the agitation of Indian farmers against three bills passed by Indian Parliament", pointing out, "In Canada, UK, USA, and in few European countries, protests by a few motivated PIO’s (Persons of Indian origin) on issues related to the Indian Farm Bill have been reported." The only world leader to make a public comment on the issue was Canadian PM Justin Trudeau which was strongly slammed by India. The Canadian Ambassador to India Nadir Patel was summoned by MEA and a strong note of protest was handed over. MEA MoS highlighted the Canadian PM's comments were taken up with the "Canadian authorities both in Ottawa and New Delhi and conveyed that such comments pertaining to the internal affairs of India are unwarranted, unacceptable" and "would damage India-Canada bilateral relations." From India removing the special status for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, CAA protests or farmers agitation, New Delhi has always sharply reacted to any reaction by foreign entities and reminded them that they have no locus to react on the country's internal matters.

No foreign government supported farmers agitation: India's Ministry of External Affairs

A lot has been happening in and around India -- Pakistan wants to talk peace; China remains aggressive; Myanmar has seen a coup. And Sri Lanka has scrapped a key project with India.

The neighbourhood first policy will hence need a reboot.

Let's take a look.

PAKISTAN

The Pakistani army chief is talking peace. General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said, "It is time to extend a hand of peace in all directions."

The message is not lost on anyone.

General Bajwa is talking about India here. You may wonder why this is significant.

Pakistan has offered to talk many times. And India has declined every invitation, citing its zero tolerance policy against terrorism.

What's different this time? It's the tone of the general.

Bajwa was at the graduation ceremony of Pakistan Air Force cadets.

He chose this opportunity to tone down the rhetoric.

"We stand firmly committed to the ideal of mutual respect and peaceful co-existence. Pakistan and India must also resolve &nbsp;the long-standing issue of Jammu and Kashmir in a dignified and peaceful manner as per the aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir and bring this human tragedy to its logical conclusion."

Pakistan follows a military doctrine of "bleeding India with a thousand cuts". Now its army chief is talking about "peaceful co-existence".

This could be an outreach.

Or simply an attempt to make the right noises before the FATF, or the financial action task force, sits down to review terror financing in Pakistan.

It is too soon to make any assessment. But with his words, the general has certainly caught New Delhi's attention. It may be time to review the stand.

India has tried everything with Pakistan.

The prime minister began his first term with his Pakistani counterpart in attendance -- the first of its kind invite. But we know how things went downhill from there.

Seven years on, it may be time to engage, and see what kind of pressure India can put on Pakistan to deliver.

It's a gamble. But India isn't spoilt for choice here.

MYANMAR

Min Aung La-ing is now saying the coup is legal and was inevitable. And the Western powers are in no mood to forgive.

The United States has classified the takeover as a coup. But China seems to be blocking any efforts to reinstate democracy in Myanmar.

Yesterday the United Nations Security Council failed to condemn the coup. Because China vetoed the statement.

At the same time, Beijing took offence when journalists asked if China had supported the coup. Or if it gave a tacit consent to military rule.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin to this end said, "Relevant theories are not true. As Myanmar's friendly neighbouring country, we wish that all sides in Myanmar can appropriately resolve their differences, and uphold political and social stability."

China rejects the suggestion that it supported the military takeover. But it still won't call what happened in Myanmar a coup. And it continues to cast a shadow over India's ties with its neighbours. Like Sri Lanka.

Colombo has now gone back on a deal it made with India and Japan.

The east container terminal deal agreement has been scrapped. It was signed in 2019.

India and Japan had joined hands with Sri Lanka. They had agreed to develop a strategic terminal at the colombo port.

India and Japan would have owned 49 per cent of the shares in the terminal.

The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka issued a statement reminding Colombo that this was a trilateral agreement. The statement asks "all sides to abide by existing understandings and commitment".

But the Rajapaksas are unlikely to relent.

At the same time, a compensatory offer has been made. Reports say Sri Lanka's cabinet has approved another proposal -- to develop the western terminal at the Colombo port.

It remains to be seen how India will respond. And then there's one more neighbour orchestrating most of this trouble -- China.

It remains as difficult as ever.

Next time someone says 'love thy neighbour', think of India's lot.

A lot has been happening in and around India -- Pakistan wants to talk peace; China remains aggressive; Myanmar has seen a coup. And Sri Lanka has scrapped a key project with India.

A lot has been happening in and around India -- Pakistan wants to talk peace; China remains aggressive; Myanmar has seen a coup. And Sri Lanka has scrapped a key project with India. The neighbourhood first policy will hence need a reboot. Let's take a look. PAKISTAN The Pakistani army chief is talking peace. General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said, "It is time to extend a hand of peace in all directions." The message is not lost on anyone. General Bajwa is talking about India here. You may wonder why this is significant. Pakistan has offered to talk many times. And India has declined every invitation, citing its zero tolerance policy against terrorism. What's different this time? It's the tone of the general. Bajwa was at the graduation ceremony of Pakistan Air Force cadets. He chose this opportunity to tone down the rhetoric. "We stand firmly committed to the ideal of mutual respect and peaceful co-existence. Pakistan and India must also resolve the long-standing issue of Jammu and Kashmir in a dignified and peaceful manner as per the aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir and bring this human tragedy to its logical conclusion." Pakistan follows a military doctrine of "bleeding India with a thousand cuts". Now its army chief is talking about "peaceful co-existence". This could be an outreach. Or simply an attempt to make the right noises before the FATF, or the financial action task force, sits down to review terror financing in Pakistan. It is too soon to make any assessment. But with his words, the general has certainly caught New Delhi's attention. It may be time to review the stand. India has tried everything with Pakistan. The prime minister began his first term with his Pakistani counterpart in attendance -- the first of its kind invite. But we know how things went downhill from there. Seven years on, it may be time to engage, and see what kind of pressure India can put on Pakistan to deliver. It's a gamble. But India isn't spoilt for choice here. MYANMAR Min Aung La-ing is now saying the coup is legal and was inevitable. And the Western powers are in no mood to forgive. The United States has classified the takeover as a coup. But China seems to be blocking any efforts to reinstate democracy in Myanmar. Yesterday the United Nations Security Council failed to condemn the coup. Because China vetoed the statement. At the same time, Beijing took offence when journalists asked if China had supported the coup. Or if it gave a tacit consent to military rule. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin to this end said, "Relevant theories are not true. As Myanmar's friendly neighbouring country, we wish that all sides in Myanmar can appropriately resolve their differences, and uphold political and social stability." China rejects the suggestion that it supported the military takeover. But it still won't call what happened in Myanmar a coup. And it continues to cast a shadow over India's ties with its neighbours. Like Sri Lanka. Colombo has now gone back on a deal it made with India and Japan. The east container terminal deal agreement has been scrapped. It was signed in 2019. India and Japan had joined hands with Sri Lanka. They had agreed to develop a strategic terminal at the colombo port. India and Japan would have owned 49 per cent of the shares in the terminal. The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka issued a statement reminding Colombo that this was a trilateral agreement. The statement asks "all sides to abide by existing understandings and commitment". But the Rajapaksas are unlikely to relent. At the same time, a compensatory offer has been made. Reports say Sri Lanka's cabinet has approved another proposal -- to develop the western terminal at the Colombo port. It remains to be seen how India will respond. And then there's one more neighbour orchestrating most of this trouble -- China. It remains as difficult as ever. Next time someone says 'love thy neighbour', think of India's lot.

Love thy neighbour? Think of India's lot

What do Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have in common?&nbsp;

Growing Chinese influence

Chinese President Xi Jinping has visited two of these countries and has infused billions of dollars into all of them. Additionally, all three countries are a part of China's Belt and Road Initiative.

All three countries are India's immediate neighbours

How India responds to the developments across the border is crucial for its diplomatic goals and its role in the post-pandemic world. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently told his party that India has a big role to play in the emerging new world order. The prime minister drew parallels between this decade and the one following World War 2. He reportedly said that unlike earlier, India is not going to be a mute spectator this time.

India is expanding its global footprint by becoming more vocal at global forums. India recently paid its UN Regular budget assessment in full. Also, New Delhi has entered the UNSC as a non-permanent member. India will stay on the council for 2 years.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/japan-regrets-sri-lanka-scrapping-2019-deal-with-new-delhi-tokyo-361069" hreflang="en">Japan regrets Sri Lanka scrapping 2019 deal with New Delhi, Tokyo</a>

India has plans and a list of issues it wants to raise. The expansion of the security council, to begin within both permanent and non-permanent categories. The biggest challenge is coming from China. Beijing heads at least six UN organisations. It has previously shielded Pakistani terrorists, raised Kashmir at the UNSC at Pakistan's behest.

China is now blocking a resolution on the Myanmar coup. It is trading its veto power at global forums for support, land and business in the neighbourhood.If India wants to emerge as a global leader in the post-pandemic world, it must build strategic alliances, expand its outreach programmes and begin all of this by concentrating on its neighbourhood first.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/south-asia/vaccine-diplomacy-intensifies-as-china-donates-sinovac-to-sri-lanka-after-india-supplies-covishield-359974" hreflang="en">Vaccine diplomacy intensifies as China donates Sinovac to Sri Lanka after India supplies Covishield</a>

South Asia is evolving -Experimenting with democracy, being threatened by dictatorship, and witnessing changing geopolitics. India must respond to all of this with seasoned diplomacy. 30 years ago, India condemned military rule in Myanmar. Today, India should not feel compelled to follow the west because that would only push Myanmar closer to China.

India must maintain diplomatic ties with Myanmar and at the same time, it must be careful to not legitimise dictatorship. The situation in Sri Lanka too calls for an innovative approach. It is a turf where India and China are fighting for greater influence. India must counter China by supporting the neighbourhood - by using programmes like Vaccine Maitri to steer the region away from dependence on Chinese chequebooks.

India must shift the balance away from Beijing by relying on history, people-to-people connect, culture. India must win the trust and support of its neighbours as it eyes a global leadership role. 
&nbsp;

What do Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have in common? Growing Chinese influence Chinese President Xi Jinping has visited two of these countries and has infused billions of dollars into all of them.

What do Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have in common? Growing Chinese influence Chinese President Xi Jinping has visited two of these countries and has infused billions of dollars into all of them. Additionally, all three countries are a part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. All three countries are India's immediate neighbours How India responds to the developments across the border is crucial for its diplomatic goals and its role in the post-pandemic world. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently told his party that India has a big role to play in the emerging new world order. The prime minister drew parallels between this decade and the one following World War 2. He reportedly said that unlike earlier, India is not going to be a mute spectator this time. India is expanding its global footprint by becoming more vocal at global forums. India recently paid its UN Regular budget assessment in full. Also, New Delhi has entered the UNSC as a non-permanent member. India will stay on the council for 2 years. Also read: Japan regrets Sri Lanka scrapping 2019 deal with New Delhi, Tokyo India has plans and a list of issues it wants to raise. The expansion of the security council, to begin within both permanent and non-permanent categories. The biggest challenge is coming from China. Beijing heads at least six UN organisations. It has previously shielded Pakistani terrorists, raised Kashmir at the UNSC at Pakistan's behest. China is now blocking a resolution on the Myanmar coup. It is trading its veto power at global forums for support, land and business in the neighbourhood.If India wants to emerge as a global leader in the post-pandemic world, it must build strategic alliances, expand its outreach programmes and begin all of this by concentrating on its neighbourhood first. Also read: Vaccine diplomacy intensifies as China donates Sinovac to Sri Lanka after India supplies Covishield South Asia is evolving -Experimenting with democracy, being threatened by dictatorship, and witnessing changing geopolitics. India must respond to all of this with seasoned diplomacy. 30 years ago, India condemned military rule in Myanmar. Today, India should not feel compelled to follow the west because that would only push Myanmar closer to China. India must maintain diplomatic ties with Myanmar and at the same time, it must be careful to not legitimise dictatorship. The situation in Sri Lanka too calls for an innovative approach. It is a turf where India and China are fighting for greater influence. India must counter China by supporting the neighbourhood - by using programmes like Vaccine Maitri to steer the region away from dependence on Chinese chequebooks. India must shift the balance away from Beijing by relying on history, people-to-people connect, culture. India must win the trust and support of its neighbours as it eyes a global leadership role.

Why India should continue focusing on neighbourhood first

Picture an underwater wedding and one might think of a couple clad in tight fitting scuba attire and heavy gear. Perhaps, all of this in an exotic foreign destination. &nbsp;But a techie couple in Chennai has proven that they can get married underwater, the desi style - groom clad in a Dhoti and Shirt, Bride in a sari, amid decorations and cameras, at a depth of 60 feet!

The groom Chinnadurai, who hails from Tiruvannamalai, says that his and bride Swetha’s was a perfectly arranged marriage and that the decision to go underwater was to try something different, besides creating awareness about ocean pollution.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="Underwater wedding" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b685b4e3-cb40-4953-af3d-59666a601edc" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%288%29_46.jpg" />

“I have been a licensed scuba diver for almost 12 years, but my wife Swetha could only swim and had never gone diving before. My parents were ok with the idea, but it took some convincing to get Swetha and her parents to agree” Durai told Zee media.&nbsp;

It was after having a couple of trial dives in a swimming pool that the couple set out for the adventurous start of their life together.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="Underwater wedding" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="15619ea4-7c06-4977-8092-cef922c6ddb3" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%289%29_41.jpg" />

On February 1st, Monday, after completing the first part of their wedding rituals with family(on land, of course!), the couple took a boat, accompanied by six diving instructors and travelled nearly 4.5kms into the Bay of Bengal. “With the sari, dhoti and shirt fastened with multiple Velcros we took the dive and our team of six instructors were handling the cameras and decorations” he adds. 
 
<img alt="underwater wedding" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a82dbad0-887d-436d-9087-37f39fb4138c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2810%29_33.jpg" />

Underwater, they exchanged garlands and posed with a bouquet, after Durai tied the 'Thaali' (an ornament that the groom ties around the bride's neck).

Given that the wedding was to create awareness, the couple were particular about all dedications being natural - from flowers to garlands to banana trees. However, Durai laments that they were heartbroken to see masks, plastic bags and bottles among other junk lying at the ocean floor.&nbsp;

After a dive that lasted nearly 40-minutes, the couple returned ashore, travelled back to their families for the rest of the rituals.&nbsp;

What a deep way to start their life together!

Picture an underwater wedding and one might think of a couple clad in tight fitting scuba attire and heavy gear. Perhaps, all of this in an exotic foreign destination.

Picture an underwater wedding and one might think of a couple clad in tight fitting scuba attire and heavy gear. Perhaps, all of this in an exotic foreign destination. But a techie couple in Chennai has proven that they can get married underwater, the desi style - groom clad in a Dhoti and Shirt, Bride in a sari, amid decorations and cameras, at a depth of 60 feet! The groom Chinnadurai, who hails from Tiruvannamalai, says that his and bride Swetha’s was a perfectly arranged marriage and that the decision to go underwater was to try something different, besides creating awareness about ocean pollution. “I have been a licensed scuba diver for almost 12 years, but my wife Swetha could only swim and had never gone diving before. My parents were ok with the idea, but it took some convincing to get Swetha and her parents to agree” Durai told Zee media. It was after having a couple of trial dives in a swimming pool that the couple set out for the adventurous start of their life together. On February 1st, Monday, after completing the first part of their wedding rituals with family(on land, of course!), the couple took a boat, accompanied by six diving instructors and travelled nearly 4.5kms into the Bay of Bengal. “With the sari, dhoti and shirt fastened with multiple Velcros we took the dive and our team of six instructors were handling the cameras and decorations” he adds. Underwater, they exchanged garlands and posed with a bouquet, after Durai tied the 'Thaali' (an ornament that the groom ties around the bride's neck). Given that the wedding was to create awareness, the couple were particular about all dedications being natural - from flowers to garlands to banana trees. However, Durai laments that they were heartbroken to see masks, plastic bags and bottles among other junk lying at the ocean floor. After a dive that lasted nearly 40-minutes, the couple returned ashore, travelled back to their families for the rest of the rituals. What a deep way to start their life together!

Indian techies perform underwater wedding in traditional Tamil style — clad in dhoti, sari

About one in four of India`s 1.35 billion people may have been infected with the coronavirus, said a source with direct knowledge of a government serological survey, suggesting the country`s real caseload was many times higher than reported.

India has confirmed 10.8 million COVID-19 infections, the most anywhere outside the United States. But the survey, whose findings are much more conservative than a private one from last week, indicates India`s actual cases may have crossed 300 million.

The state-run Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), which conducted the survey, said it would only share the findings at a news conference on Thursday. The source declined to be named ahead of the official announcement.

It was not immediately clear how many people participated in the latest survey.

Following another survey done in August and September using blood samples of more than 29,000 people older than 10, ICMR had concluded that one in 15 Indians had COVID-19 antibodies. The figure jumped to one in six in densely-populated urban slums.

A survey released by the government of the capital New Delhi this week found that more than half of its 20 million inhabitants may have been infected with the coronavirus.

Separate tests done on more than 700,000 people across India by diagnostics company Thyrocare Technologies showed 55% of the population may have already been infected, its chief told Reuters last week.

The World Health Organization says at least 60% to 70% of a population needs to have immunity to break the chain of transmission.

India reported 11,039 new cases on Wednesday. Deaths rose by 110 to 154,596. Infections and fatalities have come down significantly since a mid-September peak of nearly 100,000 a day.

Its vaccination programme, touted by the government as the world`s biggest, has covered more than 4 million people in 18 days, with the aim to reach 300 million by August.

About one in four of India`s 1.35 billion people may have been infected with the coronavirus, said a source with direct knowledge of a government serological survey, suggesting the country`s real caseload was many times higher than reported.

About one in four of India`s 1.35 billion people may have been infected with the coronavirus, said a source with direct knowledge of a government serological survey, suggesting the country`s real caseload was many times higher than reported. India has confirmed 10.8 million COVID-19 infections, the most anywhere outside the United States. But the survey, whose findings are much more conservative than a private one from last week, indicates India`s actual cases may have crossed 300 million. The state-run Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), which conducted the survey, said it would only share the findings at a news conference on Thursday. The source declined to be named ahead of the official announcement. It was not immediately clear how many people participated in the latest survey. Following another survey done in August and September using blood samples of more than 29,000 people older than 10, ICMR had concluded that one in 15 Indians had COVID-19 antibodies. The figure jumped to one in six in densely-populated urban slums. A survey released by the government of the capital New Delhi this week found that more than half of its 20 million inhabitants may have been infected with the coronavirus. Separate tests done on more than 700,000 people across India by diagnostics company Thyrocare Technologies showed 55% of the population may have already been infected, its chief told Reuters last week. The World Health Organization says at least 60% to 70% of a population needs to have immunity to break the chain of transmission. India reported 11,039 new cases on Wednesday. Deaths rose by 110 to 154,596. Infections and fatalities have come down significantly since a mid-September peak of nearly 100,000 a day. Its vaccination programme, touted by the government as the world`s biggest, has covered more than 4 million people in 18 days, with the aim to reach 300 million by August.

Over 300 million Indians may have COVID-19, source says citing government study

India is vigilant in the face of attempts to change status quo at its border and prepared to defeat any misadventures to defend territorial integrity, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday, amid a continued military standoff with China.

"We have long witnessed unfortunate attempts to employ force to change the status quo at our unresolved borders", Singh said at the inaugural ceremony of Aero India-2021, the country's premier Defence and aerospace show, at Yelahanka Air Force Station here.

"India is vigilant and prepared to counter and defeat any misadventures to defend our people and territorial integrity at all costs", the Minister said.

China and India are locked in a military standoff in eastern Ladakh since May 5 last.

The two countries have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks to resolve the face-off, but no significant headway has been made so far.

Singh also said that India plans to spend USD 130 billion on Defence modernisation in the next seven to eight years with a focus on domestic manufacturing of bigger and complex platforms.

The government has since 2014 brought in many reforms in the defence sector to create a conducive ecosystem for exports, Foreign Direct Investment and offset discharge, he noted.

To achieve the twin goals of self-reliance and exports, the government has set a target to achieve a turnover of Rs 1,75,000 crore in the field of Defence manufacturing, including export of Rs 35,000 crore in Aerospace and Defence goods and services, by 2024, Singh said.

"We plan to spend USD 130 billion on Defence modernisation in the next seven to eight years", he added.

Like many of our friendly countries India also faces threats and challenges emanating from multiple fronts, the union minister said adding the country was a "victim of state-sponsored and state inflicted terrorism which is now a global threat".

The government has taken many steps to strengthen the country's security apparatus recently.

Domestic manufacturing of bigger and complex defence platforms has now become the focus of our policy under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan.

Singh said he has been informed that about 540 exhibitors including 80 foreign companies, Defence Ministers, Delegates, Service chiefs and officials from more than 55 nations are participating in the event.

"It reflects the growing optimism of the global community", he said.

India is vigilant in the face of attempts to change status quo at its border and prepared to defeat any misadventures to defend territorial integrity, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday, amid a continued military standoff with China.

India is vigilant in the face of attempts to change status quo at its border and prepared to defeat any misadventures to defend territorial integrity, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday, amid a continued military standoff with China. "We have long witnessed unfortunate attempts to employ force to change the status quo at our unresolved borders", Singh said at the inaugural ceremony of Aero India-2021, the country's premier Defence and aerospace show, at Yelahanka Air Force Station here. "India is vigilant and prepared to counter and defeat any misadventures to defend our people and territorial integrity at all costs", the Minister said. China and India are locked in a military standoff in eastern Ladakh since May 5 last. The two countries have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks to resolve the face-off, but no significant headway has been made so far. Singh also said that India plans to spend USD 130 billion on Defence modernisation in the next seven to eight years with a focus on domestic manufacturing of bigger and complex platforms. The government has since 2014 brought in many reforms in the defence sector to create a conducive ecosystem for exports, Foreign Direct Investment and offset discharge, he noted. To achieve the twin goals of self-reliance and exports, the government has set a target to achieve a turnover of Rs 1,75,000 crore in the field of Defence manufacturing, including export of Rs 35,000 crore in Aerospace and Defence goods and services, by 2024, Singh said. "We plan to spend USD 130 billion on Defence modernisation in the next seven to eight years", he added. Like many of our friendly countries India also faces threats and challenges emanating from multiple fronts, the union minister said adding the country was a "victim of state-sponsored and state inflicted terrorism which is now a global threat". The government has taken many steps to strengthen the country's security apparatus recently. Domestic manufacturing of bigger and complex defence platforms has now become the focus of our policy under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan. Singh said he has been informed that about 540 exhibitors including 80 foreign companies, Defence Ministers, Delegates, Service chiefs and officials from more than 55 nations are participating in the event. "It reflects the growing optimism of the global community", he said.

Prepared to defeat any misadventures to defend territorial integrity: Rajnath Singh

India has sharply reacted to comments by western celebrities like Rihanna &amp; Climate activist Greta and others on farmers protests in India.&nbsp;

India's ministry of external affairs calling the comments the, "temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others" as "neither accurate nor responsible.''

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-rihanna-greta-thunberg-tweets-about-farmers-protest-in-india-361006" hreflang="en">After Rihanna, Greta Thunberg tweets about farmers protest in India</a>

Without taking names, the statement said, "before rushing to comment on such matters, we would urge that the facts be ascertained, and a proper understanding of the issues at hand be undertaken."

Rihanna, who has 101 million followers tweeted a media link saying, "why aren’t we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest". Greta, tweeted the same link, saying, "We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India.".

Not just Rihanna and&nbsp;Greta, Jim Costa of US, a member of the US congress's Foreign Affairs Committee tweeted, "I am closely monitoring the situation. The right to peaceful protest must always be respected. #FarmersProtest". Meena Harris, the niece of US Vice President Kamala Harris too tweeted, saying, " We ALL should be outraged by India’s internet shutdowns and paramilitary violence against farmer protesters."

The MEA statement pointed out that the "reformist"&nbsp;farm laws have been passed "after a full debate and discussion" and "these reforms give expanded market access and provided greater flexibility to farmers".&nbsp;

It recalled talks between the govt and farmers over the "reservations&nbsp;about these reforms" and the fact that "Government has even offered to keep the laws on hold, an offer iterated by no less than the Prime Minister of India".

The developments of&nbsp;January 26, when protestors "violence and vandalism" took place in Delhi and&nbsp;Mahatma Gandhi statues being "desecrated in parts of the world" were also highlighted in the statement.&nbsp;

The statement also mentioned how the&nbsp;Indian police forces have "handled these protests with utmost restraint" even as "hundreds of men and women serving in the police have been physically attacked" and in "some cases stabbed and seriously wounded."

India has sharply reacted to comments by western celebrities like Rihanna & Climate activist Greta and others on farmers protests in India. India's ministry of external affairs calling the comments the, "temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others" as "neither accurate nor responsible.

India has sharply reacted to comments by western celebrities like Rihanna & Climate activist Greta and others on farmers protests in India. India's ministry of external affairs calling the comments the, "temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others" as "neither accurate nor responsible.'' Also read: After Rihanna, Greta Thunberg tweets about farmers protest in India Without taking names, the statement said, "before rushing to comment on such matters, we would urge that the facts be ascertained, and a proper understanding of the issues at hand be undertaken." Rihanna, who has 101 million followers tweeted a media link saying, "why aren’t we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest". Greta, tweeted the same link, saying, "We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India.". Not just Rihanna and Greta, Jim Costa of US, a member of the US congress's Foreign Affairs Committee tweeted, "I am closely monitoring the situation. The right to peaceful protest must always be respected. #FarmersProtest". Meena Harris, the niece of US Vice President Kamala Harris too tweeted, saying, " We ALL should be outraged by India’s internet shutdowns and paramilitary violence against farmer protesters." The MEA statement pointed out that the "reformist" farm laws have been passed "after a full debate and discussion" and "these reforms give expanded market access and provided greater flexibility to farmers". It recalled talks between the govt and farmers over the "reservations about these reforms" and the fact that "Government has even offered to keep the laws on hold, an offer iterated by no less than the Prime Minister of India". The developments of January 26, when protestors "violence and vandalism" took place in Delhi and Mahatma Gandhi statues being "desecrated in parts of the world" were also highlighted in the statement. The statement also mentioned how the Indian police forces have "handled these protests with utmost restraint" even as "hundreds of men and women serving in the police have been physically attacked" and in "some cases stabbed and seriously wounded."

India slams comments by Rihanna, Greta and others on farmers protests

US space agency NASA has named Indian-American Bhavya Lal as the acting chief of staff.

"NASA has named appointees for senior positions. Bhavya Lal joins as acting chief of staff, Philip Thomson will serve as White House liaison," the US agency said in a statement.

Bhavya Lal had served as a member of the NASA's transition review team for the incoming Biden administration. &nbsp;

She had earlier served as research staff at the Defence Analysis Science and Technology Policy Institute(STPI).

She has also chaired the National Academy of Sciences committee. The Indian-American had also served in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Advisory Committee on commercial remote sensing.

(Inputs ANI) 
&nbsp;

US space agency NASA has named Indian-American Bhavya Lal as the acting chief of staff. "NASA has named appointees for senior positions. Bhavya Lal joins as acting chief of staff, Philip Thomson will serve as White House liaison," the US agency said in a statement.

US space agency NASA has named Indian-American Bhavya Lal as the acting chief of staff. "NASA has named appointees for senior positions. Bhavya Lal joins as acting chief of staff, Philip Thomson will serve as White House liaison," the US agency said in a statement. Bhavya Lal had served as a member of the NASA's transition review team for the incoming Biden administration. She had earlier served as research staff at the Defence Analysis Science and Technology Policy Institute(STPI). She has also chaired the National Academy of Sciences committee. The Indian-American had also served in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Advisory Committee on commercial remote sensing. (Inputs ANI)

NASA names Indian-American Bhavya Lal as acting chief of staff

India has invited Pakistani diplomats for its Covid vaccination drive as part of the offer to the entire diplomatic community based in the national capital Delhi. The offer to the foreign diplomats based in Delhi is in line with India's domestic vaccine rollout.&nbsp;

Pakistan still has to take a call on if its diplomats will take part in the vaccination drive.

India has been in past reaching out to foreign diplomats on its vaccination drive and how it is dealing with the Covid crisis. December saw over 50 foreign envoys being taken to the southern city of Hyderabad to showcase the country's vaccine production centres at two biotechnology companies - Bharat Biotech and Biological E.&nbsp;

During the one-day visit, the foreign envoys were briefed on India’s indigenous efforts to develop COVID vaccines and clinical trials.

A release by MEA said, "India’s R&amp;D facilities, manufacturing capacity, foreign collaborations, etc. in the fields of pharmaceuticals, including vaccine production, were highlighted....India is committed to partnering with all interested countries in vaccine-related efforts, in the service of humanity."

Earlier in November, foreign envoys were briefed on the action plan to deal with the Covid crisis by Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla. Around 190 heads of diplomatic missions were present in the briefing that took place at Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan.

India began its mega vaccination drive on January 16, and so far over 41 lakh healthcare workers have been vaccinated. This even as New Delhi has gifted India-manufactured vaccines to more than ten countries in the region and many West Asian countries.&nbsp;

In the neighbourhood, four countries -- Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka began their vaccination drive in last two weeks using India-manufactured and India gifted vaccines. &nbsp;

In contrast, Pakistan began its vaccination on Tuesday with Prime Minister Imran Khan thanking China for sending 50,000 doses of its vaccine -Sinopharm.

India has invited Pakistani diplomats for its Covid vaccination drive as part of the offer to the entire diplomatic community based in the national capital Delhi.

India has invited Pakistani diplomats for its Covid vaccination drive as part of the offer to the entire diplomatic community based in the national capital Delhi. The offer to the foreign diplomats based in Delhi is in line with India's domestic vaccine rollout. Pakistan still has to take a call on if its diplomats will take part in the vaccination drive. India has been in past reaching out to foreign diplomats on its vaccination drive and how it is dealing with the Covid crisis. December saw over 50 foreign envoys being taken to the southern city of Hyderabad to showcase the country's vaccine production centres at two biotechnology companies - Bharat Biotech and Biological E. During the one-day visit, the foreign envoys were briefed on India’s indigenous efforts to develop COVID vaccines and clinical trials. A release by MEA said, "India’s R&D facilities, manufacturing capacity, foreign collaborations, etc. in the fields of pharmaceuticals, including vaccine production, were highlighted....India is committed to partnering with all interested countries in vaccine-related efforts, in the service of humanity." Earlier in November, foreign envoys were briefed on the action plan to deal with the Covid crisis by Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla. Around 190 heads of diplomatic missions were present in the briefing that took place at Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan. India began its mega vaccination drive on January 16, and so far over 41 lakh healthcare workers have been vaccinated. This even as New Delhi has gifted India-manufactured vaccines to more than ten countries in the region and many West Asian countries. In the neighbourhood, four countries -- Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka began their vaccination drive in last two weeks using India-manufactured and India gifted vaccines. In contrast, Pakistan began its vaccination on Tuesday with Prime Minister Imran Khan thanking China for sending 50,000 doses of its vaccine -Sinopharm.

Pakistani diplomats invited for Covid vaccination by India as part of offer to diplomatic community

The Wuhan virus forced the world's fastest-growing economy to contract by more than 7 per cent. Can India bounce back from this? It will take a lot for Indian economy to make a comeback like Indian cricket team did against Australia recently.

The pandemic is far from over. Budget 2021 was all about health. Not just the health of India's citizens but also the health of its cities, its economy, assets and relationships. Focus number one is health of Indian citizens. India is hiking health spending by 137 per cent. This is a huge boost. Until now, India was one of the most underfunded sectors of Indian economy. It got just 1.3 per cent of GDP in past. The lowest health spending in any major economy. But Budget 2021 comes with a major booster shot. More than 8.5 billion dollars will go towards upgrading India's health infrastructure.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-2021-budget-health-and-infrastructure-get-a-booster-shot-360735/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The money will be spent over six years. Another 4.8 billion will be spent towards India's vaccination drive. It remains unclear if the Indian government wants to pay for vaccinating the entire population. The finance minister has said that the government can increase the funding, if needed.&nbsp;

The other big announcement on health is about insurance. The foreign direct investment cap has been hiked from 49 per cent to 74 per cent. This is not just for health insurance companies.

The hike in FDI cap will help the entire insurance sector. That's about the health of citizens.

What about the health of the economy?

In the finance minister's own words: This is the fourth budget of India that follows a GDP contraction.

The National Statistical Office projects a contraction of 7.7 per cent in the last fiscal, that is 2020-2021. India's growth has shrunk by more than seven per cent. So, the government will have to spend more. And it's showing on the government's balance sheets.

Fiscal deficit, that is, the difference between the government's revenue and spending is pegged at 9.5 per cent. So India spent 9.5 per cent more than it earned. And that can't be good. 9.5 is far more than the target the government had set for itself before the pandemic. For the next year, the government's deficit target is 6.8 per cent of the GDP.

To achieve this, India will try to reduce government schemes. They cost a lot of money. The government is tightening its belt in some areas. Borrowing more to meet the expenses in the short term. While trying to control the deficit in the coming years. A large chuck of the money will be going towards improving the health of India's cities. In other words, infrastructure.

The government has made a major allocation towards infrastructure projects. An effort to kickstart spending and generate more employment through government projects. The government will set up a new development finance institution. It will have a starting capital of 2.7 billion dollars. This will be used to fund large-scale infrastructure projects. Special allocations have been made for Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and West Bengal.

The government will spend thousands of crores in these states, which also happen to be going to polls this year. The spending is mainly on new road infrastructure projects. For the urban centres a separate allocation has been made to tackle air pollution. More than two thousand crores. This will be made available to 42 urban centres in India. To cities with a population of more than one million.

The Centre may feel the need to spend more to revive the economy. Reports say the last stimulus package was less than two per cent of the GDP.

Other G20 countries like Japan, Canada, Australia and the United States have spent more than 10 per cent of their GDP as stimulus to revive their economy.

Clearly, India could do more in this direction. For that, it needs more money

Many of the ailing public sector units will go under the hammer this year. India has set some really ambitious targets. The government wants to raise 23 billion dollars from disinvestment. It wants to put some of the worst-performing public sector units up for sale.

It also wants to revive banks with a cash infusion. Public sector banks will get 200 billion rupees for recapitalization. Two public sector banks and one general insurance company will go private. LIC or the Life Insurance Corporation of India in which the government owns a 100 per cent stake will be listed on the stock exchanges. The plan is bold, the government wants to complete the strategic sale of BPCL, IDBI bank, Air India and others in this financial year itself.

A company will be set up to manage bad debts for banks.

In addition to all this, more than six thousand crores for at least 10 countries have been set aside for financial assistance. The assistance will be given out in the form of grants and loans. Most of the allocations are for the neighbourhood, with the highest allocation going to Bhutan.

The Wuhan virus forced the world's fastest-growing economy to contract by more than 7 per cent. Can India bounce back from this? It will take a lot for Indian economy to make a comeback like Indian cricket team did against Australia recently.

The Wuhan virus forced the world's fastest-growing economy to contract by more than 7 per cent. Can India bounce back from this? It will take a lot for Indian economy to make a comeback like Indian cricket team did against Australia recently. The pandemic is far from over. Budget 2021 was all about health. Not just the health of India's citizens but also the health of its cities, its economy, assets and relationships. Focus number one is health of Indian citizens. India is hiking health spending by 137 per cent. This is a huge boost. Until now, India was one of the most underfunded sectors of Indian economy. It got just 1.3 per cent of GDP in past. The lowest health spending in any major economy. But Budget 2021 comes with a major booster shot. More than 8.5 billion dollars will go towards upgrading India's health infrastructure. The money will be spent over six years. Another 4.8 billion will be spent towards India's vaccination drive. It remains unclear if the Indian government wants to pay for vaccinating the entire population. The finance minister has said that the government can increase the funding, if needed. The other big announcement on health is about insurance. The foreign direct investment cap has been hiked from 49 per cent to 74 per cent. This is not just for health insurance companies. The hike in FDI cap will help the entire insurance sector. That's about the health of citizens. What about the health of the economy? In the finance minister's own words: This is the fourth budget of India that follows a GDP contraction. The National Statistical Office projects a contraction of 7.7 per cent in the last fiscal, that is 2020-2021. India's growth has shrunk by more than seven per cent. So, the government will have to spend more. And it's showing on the government's balance sheets. Fiscal deficit, that is, the difference between the government's revenue and spending is pegged at 9.5 per cent. So India spent 9.5 per cent more than it earned. And that can't be good. 9.5 is far more than the target the government had set for itself before the pandemic. For the next year, the government's deficit target is 6.8 per cent of the GDP. To achieve this, India will try to reduce government schemes. They cost a lot of money. The government is tightening its belt in some areas. Borrowing more to meet the expenses in the short term. While trying to control the deficit in the coming years. A large chuck of the money will be going towards improving the health of India's cities. In other words, infrastructure. The government has made a major allocation towards infrastructure projects. An effort to kickstart spending and generate more employment through government projects. The government will set up a new development finance institution. It will have a starting capital of 2.7 billion dollars. This will be used to fund large-scale infrastructure projects. Special allocations have been made for Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and West Bengal. The government will spend thousands of crores in these states, which also happen to be going to polls this year. The spending is mainly on new road infrastructure projects. For the urban centres a separate allocation has been made to tackle air pollution. More than two thousand crores. This will be made available to 42 urban centres in India. To cities with a population of more than one million. The Centre may feel the need to spend more to revive the economy. Reports say the last stimulus package was less than two per cent of the GDP. Other G20 countries like Japan, Canada, Australia and the United States have spent more than 10 per cent of their GDP as stimulus to revive their economy. Clearly, India could do more in this direction. For that, it needs more money Many of the ailing public sector units will go under the hammer this year. India has set some really ambitious targets. The government wants to raise 23 billion dollars from disinvestment. It wants to put some of the worst-performing public sector units up for sale. It also wants to revive banks with a cash infusion. Public sector banks will get 200 billion rupees for recapitalization. Two public sector banks and one general insurance company will go private. LIC or the Life Insurance Corporation of India in which the government owns a 100 per cent stake will be listed on the stock exchanges. The plan is bold, the government wants to complete the strategic sale of BPCL, IDBI bank, Air India and others in this financial year itself. A company will be set up to manage bad debts for banks. In addition to all this, more than six thousand crores for at least 10 countries have been set aside for financial assistance. The assistance will be given out in the form of grants and loans. Most of the allocations are for the neighbourhood, with the highest allocation going to Bhutan.

Budget 2021 is about building and bouncing back

What does Budget 2021 mean for ordinary Indian? To answer this - we must look at the tax policy. Experts predicted an additional COVID cess to level the government's revenue loss. The salaried class was hoping for a tax cut. In the end, the government did neither. This is not a populist budget. It's a practical budget. &nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-budget-2021-what-does-it-mean-for-the-ordinary-indian-360741/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

For citizens all over the world. A budget boils down to one thing, Taxes

How much of your income do you owe the state. In India, analysts were expecting the finance minister to tinker with the Income Tax slabs. But Nirmala Sitharaman resisted the impulse. There were no announcements on the direct tax front much to the disappointment of India's salaried class. A tax cut would have put more money in their pocket.

But with all the uncertainty around, some would argue it was the right decision.

Another negative market expectation -- was the COVID cess.

A progressive surcharge on the Income Tax. It would have meant more money for the government but additional burden on the people. Ultimately - the government decided against it. So for most of India's working class. There wasn't much in the budget. No bitter pill. But no extra relief either. Unless you're past 75 years of age and on your pension in which case - you're now exempt from filing income tax returns.

The bank that pays you the pension will automatically deduct the tax. No COVID surcharge, no new direct taxes.

But there is one change to India's tax regime. An agricultural cess.

It will be levied on everyday items like petrol and alcoholic beverages. But customers won't feel the pinch. Because the additional charge will be offset by a drop in other levies like excise duty.

For instance, an Agri-infra cess of Rs 2.5 has been imposed on petrol. At the same time, the excise duty on it has been slashed by the same amount.

So in effect, the consumer is paying the same. But the payments will go towards infrastructural development targetting agriculture. At an hour and 40 minutes, Nirmala Sitharaman's speech was among the shortest in recent history. One reason is how brief the section on taxation was. The government focussed on improving tax compliance rather than tweaking the policy. It's a conservative approach. But a safe one in the middle of a global crisis.

What does Budget 2021 mean for ordinary Indian? To answer this - we must look at the tax policy. Experts predicted an additional COVID cess to level the government's revenue loss.

What does Budget 2021 mean for ordinary Indian? To answer this - we must look at the tax policy. Experts predicted an additional COVID cess to level the government's revenue loss. The salaried class was hoping for a tax cut. In the end, the government did neither. This is not a populist budget. It's a practical budget. For citizens all over the world. A budget boils down to one thing, Taxes How much of your income do you owe the state. In India, analysts were expecting the finance minister to tinker with the Income Tax slabs. But Nirmala Sitharaman resisted the impulse. There were no announcements on the direct tax front much to the disappointment of India's salaried class. A tax cut would have put more money in their pocket. But with all the uncertainty around, some would argue it was the right decision. Another negative market expectation -- was the COVID cess. A progressive surcharge on the Income Tax. It would have meant more money for the government but additional burden on the people. Ultimately - the government decided against it. So for most of India's working class. There wasn't much in the budget. No bitter pill. But no extra relief either. Unless you're past 75 years of age and on your pension in which case - you're now exempt from filing income tax returns. The bank that pays you the pension will automatically deduct the tax. No COVID surcharge, no new direct taxes. But there is one change to India's tax regime. An agricultural cess. It will be levied on everyday items like petrol and alcoholic beverages. But customers won't feel the pinch. Because the additional charge will be offset by a drop in other levies like excise duty. For instance, an Agri-infra cess of Rs 2.5 has been imposed on petrol. At the same time, the excise duty on it has been slashed by the same amount. So in effect, the consumer is paying the same. But the payments will go towards infrastructural development targetting agriculture. At an hour and 40 minutes, Nirmala Sitharaman's speech was among the shortest in recent history. One reason is how brief the section on taxation was. The government focussed on improving tax compliance rather than tweaking the policy. It's a conservative approach. But a safe one in the middle of a global crisis.

What does Budget 2021 mean for ordinary Indian?

Less than three million foreign tourists visited India in 2020, a dip of around 75 per cent as compared to the previous year, due to travel restrictions imposed to control the coronavirus pandemic, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.

Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel said that while in 2019, the number of foreign tourist arrivals was 10.93 million, the number stood at 10.56 million in 2018.

It was in 2017 that foreign tourist arrivals crossed the 10 million mark.

There were 10.4 million arrivals in that year, he said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

Last year, foreign tourist arrivals stood at 2.68 million and "no formal study has been instituted for assessment of loss of revenue in 2020", Patel said.

"However, several rounds of discussions and brainstorming sessions with industry stakeholders indicate massive loss of revenue, foreign exchange and jobs. Because of the highly unorganised nature of the sector, the impact in numerical terms can only be ascertained in due course," the minister said.

"To incentivize stakeholders in the tourism industry, the guidelines for the scheme of Market Development Assistance (MDA) for providing financial support to stakeholders for the promotion of domestic tourism have been modified to enhance the scope and reach of the scheme, to provide maximum benefits to the stakeholders," Patel told the House.

Besides, promotional activities have been incorporated including online promotions and the extent of financial assistance permissible has been enhanced, he said.

Tourism departments of states and union territories are also now eligible for obtaining financial support under the scheme, Patel said.

Less than three million foreign tourists visited India in 2020, a dip of around 75 per cent as compared to the previous year, due to travel restrictions imposed to control the coronavirus pandemic, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.

Less than three million foreign tourists visited India in 2020, a dip of around 75 per cent as compared to the previous year, due to travel restrictions imposed to control the coronavirus pandemic, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday. Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel said that while in 2019, the number of foreign tourist arrivals was 10.93 million, the number stood at 10.56 million in 2018. It was in 2017 that foreign tourist arrivals crossed the 10 million mark. There were 10.4 million arrivals in that year, he said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha. Last year, foreign tourist arrivals stood at 2.68 million and "no formal study has been instituted for assessment of loss of revenue in 2020", Patel said. "However, several rounds of discussions and brainstorming sessions with industry stakeholders indicate massive loss of revenue, foreign exchange and jobs. Because of the highly unorganised nature of the sector, the impact in numerical terms can only be ascertained in due course," the minister said. "To incentivize stakeholders in the tourism industry, the guidelines for the scheme of Market Development Assistance (MDA) for providing financial support to stakeholders for the promotion of domestic tourism have been modified to enhance the scope and reach of the scheme, to provide maximum benefits to the stakeholders," Patel told the House. Besides, promotional activities have been incorporated including online promotions and the extent of financial assistance permissible has been enhanced, he said. Tourism departments of states and union territories are also now eligible for obtaining financial support under the scheme, Patel said.

COVID-19 travel restrictions: Less than 3 million foreign tourists visited India in 2020, says the government

In the aftermath of the coup in Myanmar, the Indian mission in the country has advised all Indian citizens to take "due precautions and avoid unnecessary travel". The Indian mission has also advised its nationals to get in touch with it, in case required. &nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Meanwhile, the local authorities in the country have issued NOTAM or notice to airmen that no flights will leave or come in the country. Govt sources in Delhi told WION that airlines are keeping an eye on the situation and are rescheduling. The Indian mission in Myanmar issued an advisory in connection with Air India Flight (AI1333), pointing out that the flight, which was earlier scheduled to leave on 4th February, will now leave on 11th February.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Monday saw the military dismissing the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi in the country drawing several reactions from the global community. India expressed its "deep concern", with the ministry of external affairs in its release reminded that New Delhi has "always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in Myanmar." The statement said, "We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld."&nbsp;

In the aftermath of the coup in Myanmar, the Indian mission in the country has advised all Indian citizens to take "due precautions and avoid unnecessary travel".

In the aftermath of the coup in Myanmar, the Indian mission in the country has advised all Indian citizens to take "due precautions and avoid unnecessary travel". The Indian mission has also advised its nationals to get in touch with it, in case required. Meanwhile, the local authorities in the country have issued NOTAM or notice to airmen that no flights will leave or come in the country. Govt sources in Delhi told WION that airlines are keeping an eye on the situation and are rescheduling. The Indian mission in Myanmar issued an advisory in connection with Air India Flight (AI1333), pointing out that the flight, which was earlier scheduled to leave on 4th February, will now leave on 11th February. Monday saw the military dismissing the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi in the country drawing several reactions from the global community. India expressed its "deep concern", with the ministry of external affairs in its release reminded that New Delhi has "always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in Myanmar." The statement said, "We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld."

Myanmar coup: Indian mission asks Indians to take precaution 

A fire broke out at a studio in Mumbai's Goregaon West on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Eight fire tenders were immediately rushed to the spot to douse the flames.

Initial reports suggest that the fire was triggered by a short circuit.

Goregaon is a hub of film studios, and multiple reports say a few person are may have been trapped inside the studio.

No injuries have, however, been reported so far.

(This is a developing story.)

A fire broke out at a studio in Mumbai's Goregaon West on Tuesday. Eight fire tenders were immediately rushed to the spot to douse the flames. Initial reports suggest that the fire was triggered by a short circuit.

A fire broke out at a studio in Mumbai's Goregaon West on Tuesday. Eight fire tenders were immediately rushed to the spot to douse the flames. Initial reports suggest that the fire was triggered by a short circuit. Goregaon is a hub of film studios, and multiple reports say a few person are may have been trapped inside the studio. No injuries have, however, been reported so far. (This is a developing story.)

Fire breaks out at a studio in Mumbai's Goregaon

COVID-19 has so far claimed the lives of 162 doctors, 107 nurses and 44 ASHA workers in the country, Rajya Sabha was told on Tuesday.

The figures are based on the intimations received from the states till January 22.

This was stated by Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey in the House in response to a question on the number of healthcare staff, including doctors, nurses and ASHA workers who have been affected died due to COVID-19.

On whether the data presented by the Indian Medical Association regarding the number of healthcare workers who have died due to COVID-19 has been taken note of by the Ministry and any follow-up verification of the same done, Choubey said the process of insurance disbursement has been de-centralized under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP: Insurance Scheme).

Accordingly, the verification of a person affected and died to COVID-19 vests with state governments/Central government authorities concerned.

The necessary certification for claims is done by healthcare Institution, organization or office where the deceased was an employee of/engaged by the institution.

They submit the documents to the competent authority for state and UT, or the competent authority for Central Government, Central Autonomous /PSU hospitals, AIIMS, INIs and hospitals of other central ministries, as the case may be.

The competent authorities then forward and submit the claim to the insurance company.

COVID-19 has so far claimed the lives of 162 doctors, 107 nurses and 44 ASHA workers in the country, Rajya Sabha was told on Tuesday. The figures are based on the intimations received from the states till January 22.

COVID-19 has so far claimed the lives of 162 doctors, 107 nurses and 44 ASHA workers in the country, Rajya Sabha was told on Tuesday. The figures are based on the intimations received from the states till January 22. This was stated by Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey in the House in response to a question on the number of healthcare staff, including doctors, nurses and ASHA workers who have been affected died due to COVID-19. On whether the data presented by the Indian Medical Association regarding the number of healthcare workers who have died due to COVID-19 has been taken note of by the Ministry and any follow-up verification of the same done, Choubey said the process of insurance disbursement has been de-centralized under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP: Insurance Scheme). Accordingly, the verification of a person affected and died to COVID-19 vests with state governments/Central government authorities concerned. The necessary certification for claims is done by healthcare Institution, organization or office where the deceased was an employee of/engaged by the institution. They submit the documents to the competent authority for state and UT, or the competent authority for Central Government, Central Autonomous /PSU hospitals, AIIMS, INIs and hospitals of other central ministries, as the case may be. The competent authorities then forward and submit the claim to the insurance company.

Covid-19: Over 160 doctors killed due to virus in the country, says government data

Oxford University Press has selected 'Aatmanirbharta' (self-reliance) as the Hindi Word of the Year for 2020.&nbsp;

The publisher said the in the early months of the pandemic when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India's COVID-19 recovery package, he emphasised the need to become self-reliant as a country, as an economy, as a society and as individuals, in a bid to navigate the perils of the pandemic.&nbsp;

There was a massive increase in the usage of 'aatmanirbharta' following the prime minister's address, highlighting its increased prominence as a phrase and concept in the public lexicon of India, it said.&nbsp;

The Oxford Hindi word of the year is a word or expression that is chosen to reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the passing year, and have lasting potential as a term of cultural significance.&nbsp;

'Aatmanirbharta' implying self-reliance has been named by Oxford Languages as its Hindi word of the year 2020 as it "validated the day-to-day achievements of the countless Indians who dealt with and survived the perils of a pandemic".&nbsp;

To select the Hindi Word of the Year, earlier this month Oxford University Press sought entries through its Facebook page. The advisory panel of language experts Kritika Agrawal, Poonam Nigam Sahay and Imogen Foxell reviewed the entries and came up with a unanimous decision.&nbsp;

"In an unprecedented year, 'aatmanirbharta' found resonance with a wide cross-section of people as it is seen to be an answer to the revival of a COVID-impacted economy," said Oxford University Press India managing director Sivaramarkrishnan Venkateswaran.&nbsp;

Agrawal said amid a number of interesting and topical entries received, 'aatmanirbharta' stood out because it validated the day-to-day achievements of the countless Indians who dealt with and survived the perils of a pandemic.&nbsp;

This word "gives a voice to the strength displayed by young and old alike in dealing with extended periods of isolation, lack of familial support, loss of livelihoods and other difficulties through sheer determination and self-reliance", she said.&nbsp;

Previous Hindi words of the year are Aadhar (2017), Nari Shakti (2018) and Samvidhaan (2019).&nbsp;

While the Hindi word of the year has great resonance for the year in which it was chosen, it doesn't mean that the word will automatically go into any Oxford dictionaries.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Oxford University Press has selected 'Aatmanirbharta' (self-reliance) as the Hindi Word of the Year for 2020. The publisher said the in the early months of the pandemic when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India's COVID-19 recovery package, he emphasised the need to become self-reliant as a country, as an economy, as a society and as individuals, in a bid to navigate the perils of the pandemic.

Oxford University Press has selected 'Aatmanirbharta' (self-reliance) as the Hindi Word of the Year for 2020. The publisher said the in the early months of the pandemic when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India's COVID-19 recovery package, he emphasised the need to become self-reliant as a country, as an economy, as a society and as individuals, in a bid to navigate the perils of the pandemic. There was a massive increase in the usage of 'aatmanirbharta' following the prime minister's address, highlighting its increased prominence as a phrase and concept in the public lexicon of India, it said. The Oxford Hindi word of the year is a word or expression that is chosen to reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the passing year, and have lasting potential as a term of cultural significance. 'Aatmanirbharta' implying self-reliance has been named by Oxford Languages as its Hindi word of the year 2020 as it "validated the day-to-day achievements of the countless Indians who dealt with and survived the perils of a pandemic". To select the Hindi Word of the Year, earlier this month Oxford University Press sought entries through its Facebook page. The advisory panel of language experts Kritika Agrawal, Poonam Nigam Sahay and Imogen Foxell reviewed the entries and came up with a unanimous decision. "In an unprecedented year, 'aatmanirbharta' found resonance with a wide cross-section of people as it is seen to be an answer to the revival of a COVID-impacted economy," said Oxford University Press India managing director Sivaramarkrishnan Venkateswaran. Agrawal said amid a number of interesting and topical entries received, 'aatmanirbharta' stood out because it validated the day-to-day achievements of the countless Indians who dealt with and survived the perils of a pandemic. This word "gives a voice to the strength displayed by young and old alike in dealing with extended periods of isolation, lack of familial support, loss of livelihoods and other difficulties through sheer determination and self-reliance", she said. Previous Hindi words of the year are Aadhar (2017), Nari Shakti (2018) and Samvidhaan (2019). While the Hindi word of the year has great resonance for the year in which it was chosen, it doesn't mean that the word will automatically go into any Oxford dictionaries. (With inputs from agencies)

'Aatmanirbharta', or self-reliance, is Oxford’s Hindi Word of the Year for 2020 

After the military takeover of Myanmar, the Indian embassy in Yangon&nbsp;in an advisory cautioned Indian citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to the country.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-military-coup-in-myanmar-360738/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"In view of the recent developments in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-expects-myanmar-to-keep-rohingya-repatriation-commitments-despite-coup-360714">Myanmar</a>, all Indian citizens are required to take due precautions and avoid unnecessary travel," it said.

The Indian embassy in Yangon added that Air India flight which was scheduled for February 4 on Yangon-New Delhi sector has now been rescheduled for February 11 due to "unavoidable reasons".

On Monday, Myanmar's military rulers had detained National League for Democracy(NLD) party leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior leaders of the party including President Win Myint.&nbsp;

The Myanmar army installed an ex-general as president and handed over "legislative, judicial and executive powers" to Army chief Min Aung Hlaing, a move which was criticised US President Joe Biden including other Western leaders.

The UN Security Council(UNSC) will meet on Tuesday to discuss the issue amid calls to release Suu Kyi. &nbsp;

The Myanmar army accused the NLD of voter fraud in the election held in November last year as several political activists were detained on Monday.

The Biden administration threatened an immediate review of sanctions to be "followed by appropriate action" as the military once again took control of the country. 
&nbsp;

After the military takeover of Myanmar, the Indian embassy in Yangon in an advisory cautioned Indian citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to the country. Watch: "In view of the recent developments in Myanmar, all Indian citizens are required to take due precautions and avoid unnecessary travel," it said.

After the military takeover of Myanmar, the Indian embassy in Yangon in an advisory cautioned Indian citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to the country. Watch: "In view of the recent developments in Myanmar, all Indian citizens are required to take due precautions and avoid unnecessary travel," it said. The Indian embassy in Yangon added that Air India flight which was scheduled for February 4 on Yangon-New Delhi sector has now been rescheduled for February 11 due to "unavoidable reasons". On Monday, Myanmar's military rulers had detained National League for Democracy(NLD) party leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior leaders of the party including President Win Myint. The Myanmar army installed an ex-general as president and handed over "legislative, judicial and executive powers" to Army chief Min Aung Hlaing, a move which was criticised US President Joe Biden including other Western leaders. The UN Security Council(UNSC) will meet on Tuesday to discuss the issue amid calls to release Suu Kyi. The Myanmar army accused the NLD of voter fraud in the election held in November last year as several political activists were detained on Monday. The Biden administration threatened an immediate review of sanctions to be "followed by appropriate action" as the military once again took control of the country.

Avoid unnecessary travel, Indian embassy in Myanmar issues advisory

Today Budget 2021 India Live News, Live FM Nirmala Sitharaman Speech Today, New Income Tax Slabs Rates, Union Budget 2021-22 Highlights,  focussing on infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, rural economy, MSMEs sectors impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions, economy gdp coronavirus

Union Budget 2021: Senior citizens exempted from filing ITR, sops for housing loan payers

Unveiling the Union Budget 2021&nbsp;on Monday aimed at reviving the&nbsp;Indian economy,&nbsp;Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government is committed towards the welfare of farmers.

Tabling the budget,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/nirmala-sitharaman">Sitharaman</a>&nbsp;said: "The MSP regime has undergone a change to assure price that is at least 1.5 times the cost of production across all commodities."

She also said that in case of wheat, the amount paid to farmers in 2019-2020 was Rupees 62,802 crore and in 2020-2021 it was further increased to Rupees 75,060 crore.

In her Budget 2021 speech, the finance minister&nbsp;increased agriculture&nbsp;infrastructure&nbsp;fund to Rs 40,000 crore and&nbsp;doubled&nbsp;micro-irrigation&nbsp;corpus to Rs 10,000 crore.

Sitharaman further said 1,000 more mandis will be integrated with the electronic national market and the agriculture infrastructure fund would be made available to APMCs to augment infrastructure facilities.

The first part of the Budget Session is scheduled to continue till February 15 while the second part of the session will be held from March 8 to April 8. Rajya Sabha will function from 9 am to 2 pm and Lok Sabha from 4 pm to 9 pm with Zero Hour and Question Hour.&nbsp;

Agriculture employs about half of India's labour force.&nbsp;Many people are directly or indirectly dependent on farming or activities associated with it.&nbsp;

Indian farmers have been&nbsp;looking forward to the expenditure allocated in the Union Budget 2021 to the rural sector- agriculture and farming.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi&nbsp;said on Sunday protesters that stormed New Delhi's Red Fort had caused "insult" to the country, his first public comments on a months-long farmers' agitation that turned violent last week.

Unveiling the Union Budget 2021 on Monday aimed at reviving the Indian economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government is committed towards the welfare of farmers.

Unveiling the Union Budget 2021 on Monday aimed at reviving the Indian economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government is committed towards the welfare of farmers. Tabling the budget, Sitharaman said: "The MSP regime has undergone a change to assure price that is at least 1.5 times the cost of production across all commodities." She also said that in case of wheat, the amount paid to farmers in 2019-2020 was Rupees 62,802 crore and in 2020-2021 it was further increased to Rupees 75,060 crore. In her Budget 2021 speech, the finance minister increased agriculture infrastructure fund to Rs 40,000 crore and doubled micro-irrigation corpus to Rs 10,000 crore. Sitharaman further said 1,000 more mandis will be integrated with the electronic national market and the agriculture infrastructure fund would be made available to APMCs to augment infrastructure facilities. The first part of the Budget Session is scheduled to continue till February 15 while the second part of the session will be held from March 8 to April 8. Rajya Sabha will function from 9 am to 2 pm and Lok Sabha from 4 pm to 9 pm with Zero Hour and Question Hour. Agriculture employs about half of India's labour force. Many people are directly or indirectly dependent on farming or activities associated with it. Indian farmers have been looking forward to the expenditure allocated in the Union Budget 2021 to the rural sector- agriculture and farming. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday protesters that stormed New Delhi's Red Fort had caused "insult" to the country, his first public comments on a months-long farmers' agitation that turned violent last week.

Union Budget 2021: Government committed to welfare of farmers, says Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Amid the pandemic, India's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday emerged from the finance ministry with a tablet instead of a "bahi khata" which was presented last year as India's Budget goes paperless. Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Union Budget 2021 in Lok Sabha on February 1 at 11 AM.

Union Budget 2021 tasked to get India on growth track

New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANSlife) Adding a dose of positivity and hope to the New Year, India`s premier cultural institute, the National Centre for the Performing Arts is back with a fine array of live performances as the stage comes alive once again. The NCPA will be opening its doors to the public from 3rd February 2021 and art enthusiasts can now enjoy classical concerts, recitals, plays, stand-up shows and more, bringing back the good old days of live performances.
 
The opening concert is a curated SOI Chamber Orchestra performance featuring a beautiful rendition of old classics. The reopening night also includes a digital broadcast of "A Homage to Abbaji - Ustad Allarakha", presented at the NCPA in February 2019 to mark the tabla legend`s 100th birth anniversary, with a percussive ensemble led by his son and shishya Zakir Hussain. The February calendar is dotted with a vibrant mix of plays, one of which will feature Pratik Gandhi of the1992 Scam fame as the protagonist in `Mohan`s Masala`. Pop, jazz, swing and rock `n` roll lovers can relive the good old days with `The Golden Years` featuring Darren Das, Giselle Pinto and the Sixth Sense. `Shiva` featuring Vaibhav Arekar & Sankhya Dance Company, and `Readings in the Shed` directed by Nikhil Katara, will leave you enraptured with their engaging and empowering storytelling through mudras and words. The CITI-NCPA Promising Artistes Series will showcase artistes from the `Citi-NCPA Support to Gurus` CSR initiative, an evening for connoisseurs of Indian classical music that will showcase the beats of the pakhawaj and compositions in the rare dhrupad form. 
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Khushroo N Suntook, Chairman, NCPA, said, "NCPA programmes have always encouraged performances by the finest of international and local talents. This time our focus is solely on creating quality performances featuring local artistes and resident musicians of the SOI. We are reopening with SOI Chamber Orchestra performing some beautiful old classics followed by an array of events lined up for the whole month." 
Adding on the safety and hygiene measures undertaken for the reopening he said, "We are also thoroughly prioritising hygiene at the NCPA and I can vouch for our safety protocols since they have been designed in adherence to the rules laid down by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. We`ve made sure that all venues, green rooms and washrooms are sanitised and have kept temperature and oxygen-level checks upon entry for the safety of our audience." 
So, mark your calendar as the National Centre for the Performing Arts is all set to start to bring a grand bouquet of live shows which cannot be missed! 
Event Calendar 
Date 		Event 			Venue 			Time 
3rd Feb SOI Chamber Orchestra featuring Soul Yatra Tata Theatre 7pm 
4th Feb The Lehman Trilogy Godrej Dance Theatre 5pm 
6th Feb Unlocking Comedy Godrej Dance Theatre 6.30pm 
7th Feb Mohan`s Masala Tata Theatre 7pm 
10th Feb The Gershwin`s Porgy and Bess Godrej Dance Theatre 5pm 
11th Feb The Red Shoes Godrej Dance Theatre 6pm 
12th Feb CITI - NCPA Promising Artistes Series Experimental Theatre 6:30 
13th Feb The Golden Years Experimental Theatre 7pm 
14th Feb Readings in the Shed Experimental Theatre 7pm 
18th Feb Short Film Corner Short Film Screenings Godrej Dance Theatre 7pm 
20th Feb Shiva?Facets of Him Experimental Theatre 6:30pm 
21st Feb SOI Chamber Orchestra featuring Haydn`s Cello Concerto in C Major and Works by Bach, Britten and more 
 Tata Theatre 5pm 
23rd Feb Reality Check Documentary Film Screening Godrej Dance Theatre 7pm 
25th Feb Cyrano de Bergerac By Edmond Rostand (Theatre screening) Godrej Dance Theatre 6pm 
26th Feb Yesterday Once More? Experimental Theatre 7pm 
27th Feb Massage (Theatre) Experimental Theatre 7pm 
(IANSlife Features can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) 
--IANS 
IANSlife/tb

New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANSlife) Adding a dose of positivity and hope to the New Year, India`s premier cultural institute, the National Centre for the Performing Arts is back with a fine array of live performances as the stage comes alive once again.

New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANSlife) Adding a dose of positivity and hope to the New Year, India`s premier cultural institute, the National Centre for the Performing Arts is back with a fine array of live performances as the stage comes alive once again. The NCPA will be opening its doors to the public from 3rd February 2021 and art enthusiasts can now enjoy classical concerts, recitals, plays, stand-up shows and more, bringing back the good old days of live performances. The opening concert is a curated SOI Chamber Orchestra performance featuring a beautiful rendition of old classics. The reopening night also includes a digital broadcast of "A Homage to Abbaji - Ustad Allarakha", presented at the NCPA in February 2019 to mark the tabla legend`s 100th birth anniversary, with a percussive ensemble led by his son and shishya Zakir Hussain. The February calendar is dotted with a vibrant mix of plays, one of which will feature Pratik Gandhi of the1992 Scam fame as the protagonist in `Mohan`s Masala`. Pop, jazz, swing and rock `n` roll lovers can relive the good old days with `The Golden Years` featuring Darren Das, Giselle Pinto and the Sixth Sense. `Shiva` featuring Vaibhav Arekar & Sankhya Dance Company, and `Readings in the Shed` directed by Nikhil Katara, will leave you enraptured with their engaging and empowering storytelling through mudras and words. The CITI-NCPA Promising Artistes Series will showcase artistes from the `Citi-NCPA Support to Gurus` CSR initiative, an evening for connoisseurs of Indian classical music that will showcase the beats of the pakhawaj and compositions in the rare dhrupad form. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Khushroo N Suntook, Chairman, NCPA, said, "NCPA programmes have always encouraged performances by the finest of international and local talents. This time our focus is solely on creating quality performances featuring local artistes and resident musicians of the SOI. We are reopening with SOI Chamber Orchestra performing some beautiful old classics followed by an array of events lined up for the whole month." Adding on the safety and hygiene measures undertaken for the reopening he said, "We are also thoroughly prioritising hygiene at the NCPA and I can vouch for our safety protocols since they have been designed in adherence to the rules laid down by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. We`ve made sure that all venues, green rooms and washrooms are sanitised and have kept temperature and oxygen-level checks upon entry for the safety of our audience." So, mark your calendar as the National Centre for the Performing Arts is all set to start to bring a grand bouquet of live shows which cannot be missed! Event Calendar Date Event Venue Time 3rd Feb SOI Chamber Orchestra featuring Soul Yatra Tata Theatre 7pm 4th Feb The Lehman Trilogy Godrej Dance Theatre 5pm 6th Feb Unlocking Comedy Godrej Dance Theatre 6.30pm 7th Feb Mohan`s Masala Tata Theatre 7pm 10th Feb The Gershwin`s Porgy and Bess Godrej Dance Theatre 5pm 11th Feb The Red Shoes Godrej Dance Theatre 6pm 12th Feb CITI - NCPA Promising Artistes Series Experimental Theatre 6:30 13th Feb The Golden Years Experimental Theatre 7pm 14th Feb Readings in the Shed Experimental Theatre 7pm 18th Feb Short Film Corner Short Film Screenings Godrej Dance Theatre 7pm 20th Feb Shiva?Facets of Him Experimental Theatre 6:30pm 21st Feb SOI Chamber Orchestra featuring Haydn`s Cello Concerto in C Major and Works by Bach, Britten and more Tata Theatre 5pm 23rd Feb Reality Check Documentary Film Screening Godrej Dance Theatre 7pm 25th Feb Cyrano de Bergerac By Edmond Rostand (Theatre screening) Godrej Dance Theatre 6pm 26th Feb Yesterday Once More? Experimental Theatre 7pm 27th Feb Massage (Theatre) Experimental Theatre 7pm (IANSlife Features can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) --IANS IANSlife/tb

National Centre for Performing Arts reopens for audience in Feb

India's finance ministe<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/nirmala-sitharaman">r Nirmala Sitharaman</a> while presenting the Union Budget 2021 in Parliament on Monday said that the government is fully prepared to support and facilitate "economic reset" in India.&nbsp;

Sitharaman said the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/budget">Budget</a> rests on six pillars: health and well being, physical and financial capital infrastructure, inclusive development for aspirational India, reinvigorating human capital, innovation and R&amp;D and minimum government and maximum governance.

<h2>Key highlights of Nirmala Sitharaman's health plan in Union Budget 2021:</h2>

<ul>
	<li>The finance minister announced Aatmanirbhar health yojana with an outlay of Rs 64,180 crore.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>The fund to commit more funds to the health sector as needed.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>Investment on health and welfare has been increased substantially, finance minister said.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>India's finance minister announced Rs 35,000 crore for COVID-19 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/union-budget-2021-two-more-vaccines-expected-soon-says-nirmala-sitharaman-360542">vaccines </a>has been provided with further funds to be provided if needed.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>The urban Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 will be rolled out with an outlay of Rs 1,48,000 crore over 5 years.</li>
</ul>

India's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the Union Budget 2021 in Parliament on Monday said that the government is fully prepared to support and facilitate "economic reset" in India.

India's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the Union Budget 2021 in Parliament on Monday said that the government is fully prepared to support and facilitate "economic reset" in India. Sitharaman said the Budget rests on six pillars: health and well being, physical and financial capital infrastructure, inclusive development for aspirational India, reinvigorating human capital, innovation and R&D and minimum government and maximum governance. Key highlights of Nirmala Sitharaman's health plan in Union Budget 2021: The finance minister announced Aatmanirbhar health yojana with an outlay of Rs 64,180 crore. The fund to commit more funds to the health sector as needed. Investment on health and welfare has been increased substantially, finance minister said. India's finance minister announced Rs 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccines has been provided with further funds to be provided if needed. The urban Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 will be rolled out with an outlay of Rs 1,48,000 crore over 5 years.

Union Budget 2021: Nirmala Sitharaman announces Rs 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccines in health plan

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is all set to present Union Budget 2021-22 in Parliament on Monday, at a time when India is recovering from the COVID-19 crisis.

The presentation of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/budget">Union Budget&nbsp;</a>will&nbsp;begin with a speech by&nbsp;finance minister scheduled to take place at around 11 am.

Ahead of her third Budget presentation, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/nirmala-sitharaman">Finance Minister</a> and her team will meet President Ram Nath Kovind and will likely be accompanied by her deputy Anurag Thakur and other officials of the Finance Ministry.

The Union Cabinet will hold a meeting at 10:15 am before the presentation. Usually, the duration of the presentation ranges from 90 to 120 minutes. This year, the Union Budget will be delivered in paperless form for the first time.

The first part of the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/budget"> Budget Session</a> is scheduled to continue till February 15 while the second part of the session will be held from March 8 to April 8. Rajya Sabha will function from 9 am to 2 pm and Lok Sabha from 4 pm to 9 pm with Zero Hour and Question Hour.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Saturday that the budget session will take up 38 legislative items.

Finance Minister had launched the "Union Budget Mobile App" for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public using the simplest form of digital convenience, according to the Finance Ministry.

The App facilitates complete access to 14 Union Budget documents, including the Annual Financial Statement (commonly known as Budget), Demand for Grants (DG), and Finance Bill as prescribed by the Constitution.

In her speech, Sitharaman is likely to announce measures including a hike in infrastructure spending and tax cuts to boost the pandemic-hit economy when she presents the annual budget later on Monday, while deferring debt cut plans.

Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to increase spending by more than 15 per cent&nbsp;year-on-year in 2021-22 with an emphasis on infrastructure and healthcare, say senior officials and advisers involved in budget preparation.

The economy is projected to contract 7.7&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;in the current fiscal year. However in its annual report on the economy to parliament on Friday the government forecast growth of 11 per cent&nbsp;for the coming fiscal year, after a massive COVID-19 vaccination drive and a rebound in consumer demand and investments.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the budget will be in continuation of government efforts to revive sectors impacted by pandemic, which has hit all economic activities and led to millions of job losses mainly in small businesses.

The government is likely to hike import duties on a number of high-end goods in a bid to raise more than 210 billion rupees in revenue, government sources said.

New Delhi is likely to rely heavily on privatisation of state-run firms and sales of minority stakes in large companies such as Life Insurance Corp to fund its expenditure programme.

It could aim to raise 2.5-3 trillion rupees from stake- sales in 2021-22, after raising just about 180 billion rupees in the current year, well short of its 2.1 trillion rupees target, government sources say.

Ahead of the Union Budget, Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey tabled in Parliament on Friday.&nbsp;

The survey unveiled two days before the Union Budget is broadly in line with forecasts by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) which has said it expected the country's GDP to contract by 7.5 per cent in the year ending March 31.

In the quarter ending June 2020, the GDP contracted by 23.9 per cent followed by a milder contraction of 7.5 per cent in the quarter ended September 2020.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is all set to present Union Budget 2021-22 in Parliament on Monday, at a time when India is recovering from the COVID-19 crisis.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is all set to present Union Budget 2021-22 in Parliament on Monday, at a time when India is recovering from the COVID-19 crisis. The presentation of the Union Budget will begin with a speech by finance minister scheduled to take place at around 11 am. Ahead of her third Budget presentation, the Finance Minister and her team will meet President Ram Nath Kovind and will likely be accompanied by her deputy Anurag Thakur and other officials of the Finance Ministry. The Union Cabinet will hold a meeting at 10:15 am before the presentation. Usually, the duration of the presentation ranges from 90 to 120 minutes. This year, the Union Budget will be delivered in paperless form for the first time. The first part of the Budget Session is scheduled to continue till February 15 while the second part of the session will be held from March 8 to April 8. Rajya Sabha will function from 9 am to 2 pm and Lok Sabha from 4 pm to 9 pm with Zero Hour and Question Hour. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Saturday that the budget session will take up 38 legislative items. Finance Minister had launched the "Union Budget Mobile App" for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public using the simplest form of digital convenience, according to the Finance Ministry. The App facilitates complete access to 14 Union Budget documents, including the Annual Financial Statement (commonly known as Budget), Demand for Grants (DG), and Finance Bill as prescribed by the Constitution. In her speech, Sitharaman is likely to announce measures including a hike in infrastructure spending and tax cuts to boost the pandemic-hit economy when she presents the annual budget later on Monday, while deferring debt cut plans. Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to increase spending by more than 15 per cent year-on-year in 2021-22 with an emphasis on infrastructure and healthcare, say senior officials and advisers involved in budget preparation. The economy is projected to contract 7.7 per cent in the current fiscal year. However in its annual report on the economy to parliament on Friday the government forecast growth of 11 per cent for the coming fiscal year, after a massive COVID-19 vaccination drive and a rebound in consumer demand and investments. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the budget will be in continuation of government efforts to revive sectors impacted by pandemic, which has hit all economic activities and led to millions of job losses mainly in small businesses. The government is likely to hike import duties on a number of high-end goods in a bid to raise more than 210 billion rupees in revenue, government sources said. New Delhi is likely to rely heavily on privatisation of state-run firms and sales of minority stakes in large companies such as Life Insurance Corp to fund its expenditure programme. It could aim to raise 2.5-3 trillion rupees from stake- sales in 2021-22, after raising just about 180 billion rupees in the current year, well short of its 2.1 trillion rupees target, government sources say. Ahead of the Union Budget, Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey tabled in Parliament on Friday. The survey unveiled two days before the Union Budget is broadly in line with forecasts by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) which has said it expected the country's GDP to contract by 7.5 per cent in the year ending March 31. In the quarter ending June 2020, the GDP contracted by 23.9 per cent followed by a milder contraction of 7.5 per cent in the quarter ended September 2020.

Finance Minister Sitharaman to present Union Budget 2021 today; all you need to know

Amid the pandemic, India's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday emerged from the finance ministry with a tablet instead of a "bahi khata"&nbsp;which was presented&nbsp;last year as India's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/nine-landmark-budgets-and-their-impact-on-republic-of-india-194050">Budget</a> goes paperless.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indian-fm-nirmala-sitharaman-to-present-union-budget-2021-today-360503/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The tablet was placed in a red coloured cover with a golden coloured national emblem. MoS finance Anurag Thakur and other officials accompanied <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/nirmala-sitharaman">Nirmala Sitharaman</a> as she ditched the traditional leather suitcase.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-union-budget-2021-union-cabinet-meet-to-start-fm-reaches-parliament-360487">Follow:&nbsp;LIVE Union Budget 2021-&nbsp;Union Cabinet meet to start</a>

India's finance minister said that Modi government is not a "suitcase-carrying government" while taking a dig at the previous governments.

The decision to go paperless was taken by the government in view of the coronavirus pandemic. Sitharaman had earlier launched to the "Union Budget Mobile App" with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/union-budget-2021-sensex-surges-over-360-points-in-early-trade-ahead-of-sitharamans-budget-360511">Budget</a> going online this year.

The Union Budget copies will be disseminated electronically this year with documents being uploaded on the government website including the government apps.

India's finance minister met President Kovind, she is set to&nbsp;meet the Union cabinet before presenting the Budget at 11am in Parliament today.

Amid the pandemic, India's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday emerged from the finance ministry with a tablet instead of a "bahi khata" which was presented last year as India's Budget goes paperless.

Amid the pandemic, India's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday emerged from the finance ministry with a tablet instead of a "bahi khata" which was presented last year as India's Budget goes paperless. Watch: The tablet was placed in a red coloured cover with a golden coloured national emblem. MoS finance Anurag Thakur and other officials accompanied Nirmala Sitharaman as she ditched the traditional leather suitcase. Follow: LIVE Union Budget 2021- Union Cabinet meet to start India's finance minister said that Modi government is not a "suitcase-carrying government" while taking a dig at the previous governments. The decision to go paperless was taken by the government in view of the coronavirus pandemic. Sitharaman had earlier launched to the "Union Budget Mobile App" with the Budget going online this year. The Union Budget copies will be disseminated electronically this year with documents being uploaded on the government website including the government apps. India's finance minister met President Kovind, she is set to meet the Union cabinet before presenting the Budget at 11am in Parliament today.

Union Budget 2021: Tablet replaces 'bahi khata' in Sitharaman's paperless Budget

India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the annual budget on February 1. We tell you what was missing from her speech.

The manufacturing industry was expecting more incentives including more support for the expansion of distribution and diversification of supply chains. Even though the schemes announced will indirectly benefit the manufacturing sector there are no "dedicated" promises to this effect. No distinct policies that could help India-based organisations establish a strong foothold in global markets were part of the annual budget.

The pandemic has made it amply clear that supply chains cannot be dominated by one particular country. The world's leading economies are rethinking their business strategies and are looking at other nations for sourcing.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/highest-in-15-years-govt-allocates-rs-478-lakh-crore-to-the-defence-budget-for-2021-22-360658" hreflang="en">Highest in 15 years: Govt allocates Rs 4,78 lakh crore to the defence budget for 2021-22</a>

India has an exclusive opportunity to emerge as the preferred destination for them. But besides the announcement of seven mega textile parks to boost exports and attract investments, not much has been promised on making Indian manufacturing globally competitive.

There is also no mention of how foreign companies will be encouraged to move to India. The FDI limit in the insurance sector has been hiked from 49 per cent to 74 per cent. Because several multinational companies are moving out of China owing to the US-China trade war and the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 40 per cent Japanese companies are looking to shift their base from China. Additionally, more than 1,000 American companies have already shut operations in China. They include assembly partners to giant players in the field of electronics and tech. The budget does not lay out any clear plan on how India intends to tap into this opportunity.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/union-budget-2021-what-got-cheaper-what-is-now-costlier-360666" hreflang="en">Union Budget 2021: What got cheaper, what is now costlier</a> 
 
The hospitality and tourism sectors, which were the worst hit sectors due to the pandemic were absent altogether from budget announcements. This is despite the fact that in 2019, the travel and tourism sectors contributed nearly 194 billion dollars or 6.8 per cent of India's GDP. 
 
Contrary to what budget experts suggested, there are no major tax changes - The income tax slabs remain the same, and only some incremental changes have been announced with small benefits for home-buyers and senior citizens.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/union-budget-2021-how-will-it-affect-petrol-and-diesel-prices-360695" hreflang="en">Union Budget 2021: How will it affect petrol and diesel prices</a>

And until now, interest earned on the provident fund was exempted from income tax. But budget 2021 changes that! If your provident fund or PF contribution is 2.5 lakh rupees and above, you will no longer be able to seek tax exemption on the interest earned starting the next financial year.

India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the annual budget on February 1. We tell you what was missing from her speech. The manufacturing industry was expecting more incentives including more support for the expansion of distribution and diversification of supply chains.

India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the annual budget on February 1. We tell you what was missing from her speech. The manufacturing industry was expecting more incentives including more support for the expansion of distribution and diversification of supply chains. Even though the schemes announced will indirectly benefit the manufacturing sector there are no "dedicated" promises to this effect. No distinct policies that could help India-based organisations establish a strong foothold in global markets were part of the annual budget. The pandemic has made it amply clear that supply chains cannot be dominated by one particular country. The world's leading economies are rethinking their business strategies and are looking at other nations for sourcing. Also read: Highest in 15 years: Govt allocates Rs 4,78 lakh crore to the defence budget for 2021-22 India has an exclusive opportunity to emerge as the preferred destination for them. But besides the announcement of seven mega textile parks to boost exports and attract investments, not much has been promised on making Indian manufacturing globally competitive. There is also no mention of how foreign companies will be encouraged to move to India. The FDI limit in the insurance sector has been hiked from 49 per cent to 74 per cent. Because several multinational companies are moving out of China owing to the US-China trade war and the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 40 per cent Japanese companies are looking to shift their base from China. Additionally, more than 1,000 American companies have already shut operations in China. They include assembly partners to giant players in the field of electronics and tech. The budget does not lay out any clear plan on how India intends to tap into this opportunity. Also read: Union Budget 2021: What got cheaper, what is now costlier The hospitality and tourism sectors, which were the worst hit sectors due to the pandemic were absent altogether from budget announcements. This is despite the fact that in 2019, the travel and tourism sectors contributed nearly 194 billion dollars or 6.8 per cent of India's GDP. Contrary to what budget experts suggested, there are no major tax changes - The income tax slabs remain the same, and only some incremental changes have been announced with small benefits for home-buyers and senior citizens. Also read: Union Budget 2021: How will it affect petrol and diesel prices And until now, interest earned on the provident fund was exempted from income tax. But budget 2021 changes that! If your provident fund or PF contribution is 2.5 lakh rupees and above, you will no longer be able to seek tax exemption on the interest earned starting the next financial year.

Missed opportunities from India's Budget 2021

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