Jet pilots gave deadline to clear dues salary till 15th April, defers their strike

A male passenger was caught smoking in the lavatory of an IndiGo flight while it was on its way from Goa to Delhi on Thursday.

The passenger, Narendra Singh, who was onboard flight 6E 637, entered the aircraft lavatory and started smoking following which the cabin crew got an alert. In a swift action, the crew alerted the pilot about the passenger&nbsp;smoking in the lavatory.

The aircraft landed at Delhi airport 5.55 pm and the pilot immediately informed the ATC for aviation security help.

Subsequently, Narendra Singh was handed over to aviation security CISF and later, the Delhi Police took him in custody.

Confirming the incident, DCP (Airport) Sanjay Bhatia said, "We have registered a non-cognizable report against the accused&nbsp;&nbsp;passenger on the complaint of IndiGo staff."

A similar incident was reported earlier also when a passenger of onboard of the IndiGo flight 6E-947, from Ahmedabad to Goa, was caught smoking in the aircraft lavatory on Christmas day.

A male passenger was caught smoking in the lavatory of an IndiGo flight while it was on its way from Goa to Delhi on Thursday. The passenger, Narendra Singh, who was onboard flight 6E 637, entered the aircraft lavatory and started smoking following which the cabin crew got an alert.

A male passenger was caught smoking in the lavatory of an IndiGo flight while it was on its way from Goa to Delhi on Thursday. The passenger, Narendra Singh, who was onboard flight 6E 637, entered the aircraft lavatory and started smoking following which the cabin crew got an alert. In a swift action, the crew alerted the pilot about the passenger smoking in the lavatory. The aircraft landed at Delhi airport 5.55 pm and the pilot immediately informed the ATC for aviation security help. Subsequently, Narendra Singh was handed over to aviation security CISF and later, the Delhi Police took him in custody. Confirming the incident, DCP (Airport) Sanjay Bhatia said, "We have registered a non-cognizable report against the accused passenger on the complaint of IndiGo staff." A similar incident was reported earlier also when a passenger of onboard of the IndiGo flight 6E-947, from Ahmedabad to Goa, was caught smoking in the aircraft lavatory on Christmas day.

Passenger caught smoking on IndiGo flight, taken into custody

The Ministry of Home Affairs said Thursday that all central paramilitary personnel are to fly into Srinagar. There will no longer travel by road into the Kashmiri capital.&nbsp;

The announcement comes in the wake of the Pulwama attack in which at least 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel lost their lives.&nbsp;

Thursday's announcement by the MHA is applicable to 780,000 personnel of the Central Armed Paramilitary Forces.&nbsp;

"The decision will immediately benefit approximately 780,000 personnel of CAPFs in the ranks of Constable, Head Constable &amp; ASI who were otherwise not eligible earlier. This includes journey on duty and journey on leave, i.e; while going on leave from J&amp;K to home and return," the home ministry said.&nbsp;

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MHA: This facility is in addition to the existing air courier services for CAPFs that have been steadily extended in all sectors by the MHA to help the jawans cut down on travel time during their journey to and fro from home on leave. <a href="https://t.co/iYyd1qOv4T">https://t.co/iYyd1qOv4T</a>
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MHA: In J&amp;K Sector, it may be recalled that Air Courier Service for CAPFs jawans was approved for the Jammu-Srinagar-Jammu sector. 
Subsequently, the Service was extended to cover 1) Delhi-Jammu, 2) Jammu-Srinagar, 3) Srinagar-Jammu and 3) Jammu-Delhi sector in Dec 2017.
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The home ministry added that air support will be further provided from the Indian Air Force "as and when required".&nbsp;

On February 14, a local youth, Adil Ahmad Dar, rammed a car laden with explosives into a bus carrying Central Reserve Police Force personnel. The bus had been part of a convoy of 78 vehicles transporting 2,500 CRPF personnel from Jammu to Srinagar.&nbsp;

The Ministry of Home Affairs said Thursday that all central paramilitary personnel are to fly into Srinagar. There will no longer travel by road into the Kashmiri capital.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said Thursday that all central paramilitary personnel are to fly into Srinagar. There will no longer travel by road into the Kashmiri capital. The announcement comes in the wake of the Pulwama attack in which at least 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel lost their lives. Thursday's announcement by the MHA is applicable to 780,000 personnel of the Central Armed Paramilitary Forces. "The decision will immediately benefit approximately 780,000 personnel of CAPFs in the ranks of Constable, Head Constable & ASI who were otherwise not eligible earlier. This includes journey on duty and journey on leave, i.e; while going on leave from J&K to home and return," the home ministry said. MHA: This facility is in addition to the existing air courier services for CAPFs that have been steadily extended in all sectors by the MHA to help the jawans cut down on travel time during their journey to and fro from home on leave. https://t.co/iYyd1qOv4T — ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2019 × MHA: In J&K Sector, it may be recalled that Air Courier Service for CAPFs jawans was approved for the Jammu-Srinagar-Jammu sector. Subsequently, the Service was extended to cover 1) Delhi-Jammu, 2) Jammu-Srinagar, 3) Srinagar-Jammu and 3) Jammu-Delhi sector in Dec 2017. — ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2019 × The home ministry added that air support will be further provided from the Indian Air Force "as and when required". On February 14, a local youth, Adil Ahmad Dar, rammed a car laden with explosives into a bus carrying Central Reserve Police Force personnel. The bus had been part of a convoy of 78 vehicles transporting 2,500 CRPF personnel from Jammu to Srinagar.

Pulwama attack fallout: All central armed paramilitary personnel to fly to Srinagar, no more travel by road

People in Delhi woke up to light rain on Thursday as the capital and its surrounding areas such as Noida, Gurugram and Faridabad witnessed gusty winds and thunderstorm owing to an intense Western Disturbance over Northern India.

The capital is expected to witness intense spells of rain and thundershowers with isolated <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hailstorm-heavy-rainfall-lash-delhi-ncr-195907">hailstorm </a>activity for the next two days.&nbsp;

"Lightly scattered rains are expected to continue over the national capital region till February 15. By February 16, the weather systems will move towards east India giving rain in Uttar Pradesh," said Skymer, a private weather forecasting agency."

As a consequence of the rainfall activity, maximums in Delhi and its adjoining areas will drop by 2 Degree Celsius to 4 Degree Celsius, while the maximums will again start increasing February 16 onwards," it added.

In terms of weather, the maximum and minimum temperatures were 19 Degrees Celsius and 14 Degree Celsius. Today, the weather over the Delhi-National Capital Region became pleasant.

According to Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), apart from rain, a thick blanket of smog has also engulfed Delhi on Thursday as the air quality has plummeted to the very poor category with air quality index 323 in the morning.

At Lodhi road, the AQI (Air Quality Index) was 315 with PM (Particulate Matter) 2.5 at 8:00 in the morning. In the Ayanagar area, the air quality also dipped to the very poor with 309. Also in capital's famous locality Mathura road which also has Purana Qila, the AQI fell to 328 with PM 2.5.

In addition, due to fog, as many as 10 trains were rescheduled after getting delayed by at least by 2 hours.

Delhi, which is home to approx 19 million people, is reeling under the menace of air pollution from the past couple of years. The region faced a major air quality crisis last year as pollution levels shot through the roof and even forced the shutdown of schools.

Moreover, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had described the capital as a "gas chamber" and local administration was compelled to declare a public health emergency.&nbsp;

People in Delhi woke up to light rain on Thursday as the capital and its surrounding areas such as Noida, Gurugram and Faridabad witnessed gusty winds and thunderstorm owing to an intense Western Disturbance over Northern India.

People in Delhi woke up to light rain on Thursday as the capital and its surrounding areas such as Noida, Gurugram and Faridabad witnessed gusty winds and thunderstorm owing to an intense Western Disturbance over Northern India. The capital is expected to witness intense spells of rain and thundershowers with isolated hailstorm activity for the next two days. "Lightly scattered rains are expected to continue over the national capital region till February 15. By February 16, the weather systems will move towards east India giving rain in Uttar Pradesh," said Skymer, a private weather forecasting agency." As a consequence of the rainfall activity, maximums in Delhi and its adjoining areas will drop by 2 Degree Celsius to 4 Degree Celsius, while the maximums will again start increasing February 16 onwards," it added. In terms of weather, the maximum and minimum temperatures were 19 Degrees Celsius and 14 Degree Celsius. Today, the weather over the Delhi-National Capital Region became pleasant. According to Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), apart from rain, a thick blanket of smog has also engulfed Delhi on Thursday as the air quality has plummeted to the very poor category with air quality index 323 in the morning. At Lodhi road, the AQI (Air Quality Index) was 315 with PM (Particulate Matter) 2.5 at 8:00 in the morning. In the Ayanagar area, the air quality also dipped to the very poor with 309. Also in capital's famous locality Mathura road which also has Purana Qila, the AQI fell to 328 with PM 2.5. In addition, due to fog, as many as 10 trains were rescheduled after getting delayed by at least by 2 hours. Delhi, which is home to approx 19 million people, is reeling under the menace of air pollution from the past couple of years. The region faced a major air quality crisis last year as pollution levels shot through the roof and even forced the shutdown of schools. Moreover, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had described the capital as a "gas chamber" and local administration was compelled to declare a public health emergency.

Delhi witnesses light showers, more rain likely in next few days

A Delhi court on Thursday sent corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar to 14-days judicial custody in connection with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/agustawestland-case-delhi-court-sends-rajeev-saxena-to-judicial-custody-till-february-18-orders-his-medical-check-up-196928">AgustaWestland case</a>.

Talwar was extradited by Dubai authorities on January 30, along with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajiv-saxena-accused-in-agustawestland-case-to-be-extradited-from-dubai-sources-193950">Dubai-based businessman Rajeev Saxena.</a>

The ED has alleged that Talwar was involved in cases related to corporate lobbying. Last week, he was extradited to India in cases involving alleged routing and misuse of Rs 90 crore.&nbsp;

He is the main accused who allegedly facilitated dispersal of profit making routes of Air India to private airlines using his contacts.

On January 31, the Patiala House Court granted a seven-day custodial remand of Talwar to the ED after he was produced before the Special Judge S S Mann.

A Delhi court on Thursday sent corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar to 14-days judicial custody in connection with AgustaWestland case. Talwar was extradited by Dubai authorities on January 30, along with Dubai-based businessman Rajeev Saxena.

A Delhi court on Thursday sent corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar to 14-days judicial custody in connection with AgustaWestland case. Talwar was extradited by Dubai authorities on January 30, along with Dubai-based businessman Rajeev Saxena. The ED has alleged that Talwar was involved in cases related to corporate lobbying. Last week, he was extradited to India in cases involving alleged routing and misuse of Rs 90 crore. He is the main accused who allegedly facilitated dispersal of profit making routes of Air India to private airlines using his contacts. On January 31, the Patiala House Court granted a seven-day custodial remand of Talwar to the ED after he was produced before the Special Judge S S Mann.

AgustaWestland case: Delhi Court sends Deepak Talwar to 14-day judicial custody

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/if-huawei-is-co-located-with-american-systems-it-would-be-difficult-for-us-to-partner-pompeo-to-hungary-196791">If Huawei is co-located with American systems, it would be difficult for us to partner: Pompeo to Hungary</a>

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo during his visit to Hungary cautioned the government against Chinese and Russian influence.

Pompeo was particularly insistent on Hungry not allowing Chinese telecom giant Huawei access to 5G network.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-9-dead-as-fire-breaks-out-in-karol-baghs-hotel-196800">Delhi: 9 dead as fire breaks out in Karol Bagh hotel</a>

At least nine people died in a massive fire that broke out in Delhi's Karol Bagh Hotel Arpit Palace early Tuesday morning.

While many others were feared trapped inside the hotel, the authorities rescued around 25 people from the site.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-that-its-up-to-the-democrats-if-government-shuts-down-again-196783">It's up to Democrats if </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-that-its-up-to-the-democrats-if-government-shuts-down-again-196783">government</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-that-its-up-to-the-democrats-if-government-shuts-down-again-196783"> shuts again: Trump</a>

The President of the United States, said Monday that it depends on the Democrats whether there will be a partial government shutdown again this weekend due to lack of funds, as he began a visit to the border with Mexico to continue his campaign in favour of the construction of a wall there.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/british-cabinet-ministers-believe-pm-may-preparing-to-resign-report-196794">British cabinet ministers believe PM May preparing to resign: Report</a>

Cabinet ministers now believe Theresa May is preparing to resign as British Prime Minister this summer so she can influence who succeeds her, The Sun newspaper reported.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/footballer-sala-killed-by-head-trunk-injuries-inquest-196796">Footballer Emiliano Sala killed by </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/footballer-sala-killed-by-head-trunk-injuries-inquest-196796">head</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/footballer-sala-killed-by-head-trunk-injuries-inquest-196796">, trunk injuries: Inquest</a>

Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala died of "head and trunk injuries", an inquest in England heard Monday as it began to examine his death in a plane crash in the sea.

If Huawei is co-located with American systems, it would be difficult for us to partner: Pompeo to Hungary US secretary of state Mike Pompeo during his visit to Hungary cautioned the government against Chinese and Russian influence.

If Huawei is co-located with American systems, it would be difficult for us to partner: Pompeo to Hungary US secretary of state Mike Pompeo during his visit to Hungary cautioned the government against Chinese and Russian influence. Pompeo was particularly insistent on Hungry not allowing Chinese telecom giant Huawei access to 5G network. Delhi: 9 dead as fire breaks out in Karol Bagh hotel At least nine people died in a massive fire that broke out in Delhi's Karol Bagh Hotel Arpit Palace early Tuesday morning. While many others were feared trapped inside the hotel, the authorities rescued around 25 people from the site. It's up to Democrats if government shuts again: Trump The President of the United States, said Monday that it depends on the Democrats whether there will be a partial government shutdown again this weekend due to lack of funds, as he began a visit to the border with Mexico to continue his campaign in favour of the construction of a wall there. British cabinet ministers believe PM May preparing to resign: Report Cabinet ministers now believe Theresa May is preparing to resign as British Prime Minister this summer so she can influence who succeeds her, The Sun newspaper reported. Footballer Emiliano Sala killed by head, trunk injuries: Inquest Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala died of "head and trunk injuries", an inquest in England heard Monday as it began to examine his death in a plane crash in the sea.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi Saturday cautioned people against "misleading calls" claiming deletion of their names from electoral rolls, a day after a BJP delegation met the Chief Election Commissioner and alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had been making such phone calls.

The statement from the poll panel drew sharp reaction from AAP national convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who said the Election Commission "must not be allowed to become agent of a political party".

The office of the Delhi CEO, in the statement, said it had been brought to its notice that "large number of calls have been received from unknown persons/entities/sources by many citizens of Delhi telling them that their names have already been deleted in the electoral roll and the callers will get the same restored in the electoral roll".

"The citizens of Delhi are hereby advised to beware of such misleading calls coming from unknown persons/entities/sources. The only authority to add or delete a name in the electoral roll is Electoral Registration Officer... Separate legal action as required/deemed appropriate is being taken," the statement said.&nbsp;

The BJP delegation led by Union minister Vijay Goel had on Friday requested the Chief Election Commissioner to issue clarification on "bogus claims" by the AAP that names of 30 lakh voters in Delhi were deleted from electoral rolls.

The Election Commission should come out with a press statement to "expose" lies spread by the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, Goel had said.

After the poll panel came out with the final voter list in January, the AAP has launched sustained attacks on the BJP alleging its hand behind the "deletion" of names of 30 lakh voters, particularly of Purvanchali, Muslims and Bania communities, since the assembly election in Delhi in 2015.

Reacting sharply to the statement by the poll panel, Kejriwal said on Twitter, "Incumbents come n go. EC is too precious an institution for Indian democracy. EC's integrity n credibility ought to be protected. EC must not be allowed to become agent of a political party (sic)."&nbsp;

In a series of tweets, he said, "EC shud answer- 1. 22 lakh names wrongly deleted in Telangana- Didn't EC apologise? 2. Why were Jwala Gutta n her family names missing at polling centre tho they existed on EC website? (sic)."&nbsp;

"EC gave AAP list of 24 lakh names deleted in Del 1. Del govt enqries in some deletions found them wrong?Why EC protecting those officers? 2. Why EC not allowing Del govt to do enquiries in all deletions? EC itself didn't conduct enquiries AAP won't allow telangana it in Del (sic)," he tweeted.

AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha asserted that Kejriwal is fighting with the Election Commission and he will get every voter's name added to the electoral rolls that has been illegally deleted at the behest of the BJP.

The Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi Saturday cautioned people against "misleading calls" claiming deletion of their names from electoral rolls, a day after a BJP delegation met the Chief Election Commissioner and alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had been making such phone calls.

The Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi Saturday cautioned people against "misleading calls" claiming deletion of their names from electoral rolls, a day after a BJP delegation met the Chief Election Commissioner and alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had been making such phone calls. The statement from the poll panel drew sharp reaction from AAP national convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who said the Election Commission "must not be allowed to become agent of a political party". The office of the Delhi CEO, in the statement, said it had been brought to its notice that "large number of calls have been received from unknown persons/entities/sources by many citizens of Delhi telling them that their names have already been deleted in the electoral roll and the callers will get the same restored in the electoral roll". "The citizens of Delhi are hereby advised to beware of such misleading calls coming from unknown persons/entities/sources. The only authority to add or delete a name in the electoral roll is Electoral Registration Officer... Separate legal action as required/deemed appropriate is being taken," the statement said. The BJP delegation led by Union minister Vijay Goel had on Friday requested the Chief Election Commissioner to issue clarification on "bogus claims" by the AAP that names of 30 lakh voters in Delhi were deleted from electoral rolls. The Election Commission should come out with a press statement to "expose" lies spread by the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, Goel had said. After the poll panel came out with the final voter list in January, the AAP has launched sustained attacks on the BJP alleging its hand behind the "deletion" of names of 30 lakh voters, particularly of Purvanchali, Muslims and Bania communities, since the assembly election in Delhi in 2015. Reacting sharply to the statement by the poll panel, Kejriwal said on Twitter, "Incumbents come n go. EC is too precious an institution for Indian democracy. EC's integrity n credibility ought to be protected. EC must not be allowed to become agent of a political party (sic)." In a series of tweets, he said, "EC shud answer- 1. 22 lakh names wrongly deleted in Telangana- Didn't EC apologise? 2. Why were Jwala Gutta n her family names missing at polling centre tho they existed on EC website? (sic)." "EC gave AAP list of 24 lakh names deleted in Del 1. Del govt enqries in some deletions found them wrong?Why EC protecting those officers? 2. Why EC not allowing Del govt to do enquiries in all deletions? EC itself didn't conduct enquiries AAP won't allow telangana it in Del (sic)," he tweeted. AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha asserted that Kejriwal is fighting with the Election Commission and he will get every voter's name added to the electoral rolls that has been illegally deleted at the behest of the BJP.

Poll panel cautions Delhiites against 'misleading calls' over deletion of names from electoral rolls

Over 100 fresh cases of swine flu were recorded in Delhi on Wednesday, taking the total number of people affected by the disease in the city this year to 1,196, according to a senior official.

According to a report of the Directorate General of Health Services, the death toll due to swine flu in Delhi this year stands at six and till Wednesday, 1,093 had been affected by the disease in the city this season.

"Delhi is in grip of swine flu. Today, 103 fresh cases were recorded," the official said.

The DGHS report had also mentioned deaths of five more persons from co-morbidity.

As per the report, of the six persons who have died of swine flu this year, one belonged to Delhi, while the rest were residents of other cities.

Amid the mounting cases of the H1N1 infections in the city, the Delhi government Wednesday issued a health advisory, prescribing the do's and don'ts. 
Delhi on Tuesday had recorded one death due to swine flu and 1,019 positive cases.

Till Monday, the Delhi government had not reported any death due to the flu, but it recorded one death of a Delhi resident on Tuesday, the report said,&nbsp; 
However, two Centre-run hospitals here have reported 13 deaths due to swine flu this year. According to senior officials at Safdarjung Hospital, three deaths due to swine flu have been recorded this season, while RML Hospital has reported 10 fatalities.

Nine of the 10 people who died at RML Hospital were from Delhi, and the other one was from outside the city, officials said.

Seasonal Influenza (H1N1) is a self-limiting viral, air-borne disease spread from person-to-person, through large droplets generated through coughing and sneezing, indirect contact by touching a contaminated object or surface (fomite transmission like telephone, cell phones, computers, door handles, door bells, pens, toys etc) and close contact (including handshaking, hugging, kissing), the advisory said.

The symptoms are fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, difficulty in breathing. Other symptoms may include body ache, headache, fatigue, chills, diarrhoea and vomiting and blood-stained sputum.&nbsp;

There are three categories of H1N1 influenza -- A, B and C.

"No Oseltamivir (medicine) and testing is required for category A patients. They should confine themselves at home and avoid mixing up with public and high risk members in the family," the advisory said.

In addition to all the signs and symptoms mentioned under category A, if a patient has high-grade fever and severe sore throat, he or she may require home isolation and Oseltamivir.

In addition to all the signs and symptoms mentioned under category A, individuals having one or more of the high-risk conditions shall be treated with Oseltamivir, it added.

High-risk group includes, children with mild illness but with predisposing risk factors, pregnant women, persons aged 65 years or older, patients with lung diseases, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, blood disorders, diabetes, neurological disorders, cancer and HIV/AIDS, or those on long-term cortisone therapy, the advisory said.

In addition to the signs and symptoms of categories A and B, if the patient has one or more danger signs, like breathlessness, chest pain, drowsiness, fall in blood pressure, sputum mixed with blood, bluish discolouration of nails, then these patients (under category C) require testing, immediate hospitalisation and treatment, it added.

After holding a state-level review meeting on Infuenza A (H1N1), the Delhi government recently said that all government hospitals in the city are equipped with necessary logistics required for the management of the disease and drug Oseltamivir along with personal protective equipment (PPE kits) and N95 masks are also available.

The advisory also asked people to avoid crowded places in the swine flu season and stay more than an arm's length distance away from persons sick with flu.&nbsp;

Over 100 fresh cases of swine flu were recorded in Delhi on Wednesday, taking the total number of people affected by the disease in the city this year to 1,196, according to a senior official.

Over 100 fresh cases of swine flu were recorded in Delhi on Wednesday, taking the total number of people affected by the disease in the city this year to 1,196, according to a senior official. According to a report of the Directorate General of Health Services, the death toll due to swine flu in Delhi this year stands at six and till Wednesday, 1,093 had been affected by the disease in the city this season. "Delhi is in grip of swine flu. Today, 103 fresh cases were recorded," the official said. The DGHS report had also mentioned deaths of five more persons from co-morbidity. As per the report, of the six persons who have died of swine flu this year, one belonged to Delhi, while the rest were residents of other cities. Amid the mounting cases of the H1N1 infections in the city, the Delhi government Wednesday issued a health advisory, prescribing the do's and don'ts. Delhi on Tuesday had recorded one death due to swine flu and 1,019 positive cases. Till Monday, the Delhi government had not reported any death due to the flu, but it recorded one death of a Delhi resident on Tuesday, the report said, However, two Centre-run hospitals here have reported 13 deaths due to swine flu this year. According to senior officials at Safdarjung Hospital, three deaths due to swine flu have been recorded this season, while RML Hospital has reported 10 fatalities. Nine of the 10 people who died at RML Hospital were from Delhi, and the other one was from outside the city, officials said. Seasonal Influenza (H1N1) is a self-limiting viral, air-borne disease spread from person-to-person, through large droplets generated through coughing and sneezing, indirect contact by touching a contaminated object or surface (fomite transmission like telephone, cell phones, computers, door handles, door bells, pens, toys etc) and close contact (including handshaking, hugging, kissing), the advisory said. The symptoms are fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, difficulty in breathing. Other symptoms may include body ache, headache, fatigue, chills, diarrhoea and vomiting and blood-stained sputum. There are three categories of H1N1 influenza -- A, B and C. "No Oseltamivir (medicine) and testing is required for category A patients. They should confine themselves at home and avoid mixing up with public and high risk members in the family," the advisory said. In addition to all the signs and symptoms mentioned under category A, if a patient has high-grade fever and severe sore throat, he or she may require home isolation and Oseltamivir. In addition to all the signs and symptoms mentioned under category A, individuals having one or more of the high-risk conditions shall be treated with Oseltamivir, it added. High-risk group includes, children with mild illness but with predisposing risk factors, pregnant women, persons aged 65 years or older, patients with lung diseases, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, blood disorders, diabetes, neurological disorders, cancer and HIV/AIDS, or those on long-term cortisone therapy, the advisory said. In addition to the signs and symptoms of categories A and B, if the patient has one or more danger signs, like breathlessness, chest pain, drowsiness, fall in blood pressure, sputum mixed with blood, bluish discolouration of nails, then these patients (under category C) require testing, immediate hospitalisation and treatment, it added. After holding a state-level review meeting on Infuenza A (H1N1), the Delhi government recently said that all government hospitals in the city are equipped with necessary logistics required for the management of the disease and drug Oseltamivir along with personal protective equipment (PPE kits) and N95 masks are also available. The advisory also asked people to avoid crowded places in the swine flu season and stay more than an arm's length distance away from persons sick with flu.

Delhi in grip of swine flu; 103 fresh cases on Thursday: Official

There was a marginal hike in diesel prices on Sunday while petrol prices remained unchanged in the national capital and Mumbai.

In Delhi, diesel prices went up by 10 paise, costing at Rs 66 per litre now.

Petrol is sold at Rs 71.27 per litre, it was last increased on Tuesday by 13 paise per litre, according to data from the Indian Oil Corporation website.

Petrol and diesel prices in Delhi are the cheapest among all metropolitan cities.

In Mumbai, people will have to shell out Rs 76.90 per litre for petrol. Diesel costs Rs 69.11 per litre in the city.

In October, &nbsp;petrol prices had touched a record high of Rs 84 per litre in Delhi and Rs 91.34 in Mumbai.&nbsp;

Diesel went up to Rs 75.45 a litre in October in the national capital and Rs 80.10 in Mumbai.

At present, all the oil marketing companies of the country revise the domestic prices of petrol and diesel on a daily basis, in accordance with the international crude oil and rupee-dollar.&nbsp;

There was a marginal hike in diesel prices on Sunday while petrol prices remained unchanged in the national capital and Mumbai. In Delhi, diesel prices went up by 10 paise, costing at Rs 66 per litre now.

There was a marginal hike in diesel prices on Sunday while petrol prices remained unchanged in the national capital and Mumbai. In Delhi, diesel prices went up by 10 paise, costing at Rs 66 per litre now. Petrol is sold at Rs 71.27 per litre, it was last increased on Tuesday by 13 paise per litre, according to data from the Indian Oil Corporation website. Petrol and diesel prices in Delhi are the cheapest among all metropolitan cities. In Mumbai, people will have to shell out Rs 76.90 per litre for petrol. Diesel costs Rs 69.11 per litre in the city. In October, petrol prices had touched a record high of Rs 84 per litre in Delhi and Rs 91.34 in Mumbai. Diesel went up to Rs 75.45 a litre in October in the national capital and Rs 80.10 in Mumbai. At present, all the oil marketing companies of the country revise the domestic prices of petrol and diesel on a daily basis, in accordance with the international crude oil and rupee-dollar.

Diesel prices up by 10 paise, petrol remains unchanged

Don't think 'mama' has become weak, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who lost power in the recent Assembly elections, asserted Sunday and claimed the BJP will win at least 27 out of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-will-be-second-fight-for-independence-stalin-at-tmcs-opposition-rally-191385">29 Lok Sabha seats in the state</a>.

Congress may have formed a government in the state but it could fall "anytime as it lacks majority", Chouhan, who is also called 'mama' or uncle, said at 'Yuva Vijay Sankalp Maharally' of Delhi BJP's Yuva Morcha.

"Don't think mama has become weak. I promise you that we will win at least 27 seats, as we did in 2014, out of the 29 Lok Sabha seats, in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/over-136-crore-voters-in-delhi-in-final-electoral-roll-lok-sabha-polls-191350">the coming elections</a>," said the senior BJP leader.

Hitting out at Congress government in Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan claimed BJP could also have formed a "lame" government too but it decided it would do so only with a grand majority.

Chouhan also mocked the gathering of opposition leaders at Saturday's Kolkata rally as "bhanumati ka kunaba" (marriage of convenience), saying there was no unanimity over a common leader among the parties planning the 'mahagathbandhan'.

"It's like a wedding without a groom. On the other hand, we have a leader in the form of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lead us in the battleground," he said.

The 'Yuva Vijay Sankalp Maharally' was the fifth of a series of big rallies held by the Delhi BJP in the last two months, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

However, the event saw a not so whelming attendance. Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari warned from the stage that it would be investigated who were the persons leaving the venue during speeches of the leaders. 
Delhi BJP Yuva Morcha president Sunil Yadav claimed the event was attended by over 20,000 persons.

"People were coming and going but the chairs were full," he said.

The Yuva Morcha had planned to torch 40-feet effigies of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal but the plan was shelved in view of poor air quality in the city, Yadav said.

The rally was attended by many senior BJP leaders including Union minister Vijay Goel who attacked Kejriwal, alleging that his government in Delhi has "destroyed" the city.

Jaibhan Pawaiya, Lok Sabha election co-incharge of Delhi BJP, asked students to sharpen their arguments to face the challenge of being mocked on the slogan of "Achhe Din" by the opponents and counter it with achievements of the Modi government.

Congress may have formed a government in the state but it could fall 'anytime as it lacks majority', Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is also called 'mama' or uncle, said at a rally of Delhi BJP's Yuva Morcha.

Don't think 'mama' has become weak, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who lost power in the recent Assembly elections, asserted Sunday and claimed the BJP will win at least 27 out of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Congress may have formed a government in the state but it could fall "anytime as it lacks majority", Chouhan, who is also called 'mama' or uncle, said at 'Yuva Vijay Sankalp Maharally' of Delhi BJP's Yuva Morcha. "Don't think mama has become weak. I promise you that we will win at least 27 seats, as we did in 2014, out of the 29 Lok Sabha seats, in the coming elections," said the senior BJP leader. Hitting out at Congress government in Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan claimed BJP could also have formed a "lame" government too but it decided it would do so only with a grand majority. Chouhan also mocked the gathering of opposition leaders at Saturday's Kolkata rally as "bhanumati ka kunaba" (marriage of convenience), saying there was no unanimity over a common leader among the parties planning the 'mahagathbandhan'. "It's like a wedding without a groom. On the other hand, we have a leader in the form of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lead us in the battleground," he said. The 'Yuva Vijay Sankalp Maharally' was the fifth of a series of big rallies held by the Delhi BJP in the last two months, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. However, the event saw a not so whelming attendance. Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari warned from the stage that it would be investigated who were the persons leaving the venue during speeches of the leaders. Delhi BJP Yuva Morcha president Sunil Yadav claimed the event was attended by over 20,000 persons. "People were coming and going but the chairs were full," he said. The Yuva Morcha had planned to torch 40-feet effigies of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal but the plan was shelved in view of poor air quality in the city, Yadav said. The rally was attended by many senior BJP leaders including Union minister Vijay Goel who attacked Kejriwal, alleging that his government in Delhi has "destroyed" the city. Jaibhan Pawaiya, Lok Sabha election co-incharge of Delhi BJP, asked students to sharpen their arguments to face the challenge of being mocked on the slogan of "Achhe Din" by the opponents and counter it with achievements of the Modi government.

Don't think 'mama' has become weak, will win 27 Lok Sabha seats in MP: Shivraj Chouhan

Delhi recorded 'very poor' air quality on Saturday even as authorities predicted improvement as good wind speed will continue to disperse pollutants faster.

The air quality had slipped to "severe" category on Thursday.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the overall air quality index (AQI) in the city was 378, which falls in the "very poor" category.

An AQI between 100 and 200 comes under 'moderate' category, 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', while that between 401 and 500 is 'severe'.

On Saturday, as many as 10 areas recorded "severe" air quality and 22 "very poor", the CPCB said.

In the National Capital Region, Noida recorded "severe" air quality, while Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Greater Noida recorded "very poor" air quality, it said.

The overall PM2.5 level -- fine particulate matters in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres -- in Delhi was 267, while the PM10 level was 410, it said.

The Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) said the overall air quality over Delhi is very poor.&nbsp;

"The air quality will further improve a few notch by tomorrow as good wind speed will continue to disperse pollutants faster than that of accumulation due to colder condition and fog," the SAFAR said.&nbsp;

It said moderate foggy conditions due to radiation fog will prevail for the next two days over Delhi and its surrounding regions and may not allow significant improvement.

An active western disturbance is very likely to cause fairly widespread moisture intrusion over northern region including Delhi, the SAFAR said.&nbsp;

Delhi recorded 'very poor' air quality on Saturday even as authorities predicted improvement as good wind speed will continue to disperse pollutants faster. The air quality had slipped to "severe" category on Thursday.

Delhi recorded 'very poor' air quality on Saturday even as authorities predicted improvement as good wind speed will continue to disperse pollutants faster. The air quality had slipped to "severe" category on Thursday. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the overall air quality index (AQI) in the city was 378, which falls in the "very poor" category. An AQI between 100 and 200 comes under 'moderate' category, 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', while that between 401 and 500 is 'severe'. On Saturday, as many as 10 areas recorded "severe" air quality and 22 "very poor", the CPCB said. In the National Capital Region, Noida recorded "severe" air quality, while Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Greater Noida recorded "very poor" air quality, it said. The overall PM2.5 level -- fine particulate matters in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres -- in Delhi was 267, while the PM10 level was 410, it said. The Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) said the overall air quality over Delhi is very poor. "The air quality will further improve a few notch by tomorrow as good wind speed will continue to disperse pollutants faster than that of accumulation due to colder condition and fog," the SAFAR said. It said moderate foggy conditions due to radiation fog will prevail for the next two days over Delhi and its surrounding regions and may not allow significant improvement. An active western disturbance is very likely to cause fairly widespread moisture intrusion over northern region including Delhi, the SAFAR said.

Delhi's air quality 'very poor', improvement predicted

Fuel prices witnessed a fresh hike on Saturday, adding to commuters' woes.

In New Delhi, petrol is being sold 17 paise higher at Rs 70.72/litre, and diesel at Rs 65.16/litre after a 19 paise hike.

Also, petrol is retailing at Rs 76.35/litre (increased by 17 paise) and diesel at Rs. 68.22/litre (increased by 20 paise) in Mumbai.

The rise in prices comes amidst the revision of global crude oil prices owing to a possible stifling of supply in the near future.

In New Delhi, petrol is being sold 17 paise higher at Rs 70.72/litre, and diesel at Rs 65.16/litre after a 19 paise hike.

Fuel prices witnessed a fresh hike on Saturday, adding to commuters' woes. In New Delhi, petrol is being sold 17 paise higher at Rs 70.72/litre, and diesel at Rs 65.16/litre after a 19 paise hike. Also, petrol is retailing at Rs 76.35/litre (increased by 17 paise) and diesel at Rs. 68.22/litre (increased by 20 paise) in Mumbai. The rise in prices comes amidst the revision of global crude oil prices owing to a possible stifling of supply in the near future.

Fresh hike in fuel prices, petrol rises by 17 paise in Delhi, Mumbai

Over 1.36 crore voters are there in Delhi in the final electoral roll published Friday ahead of the 2019 general elections, an increase of nearly 8 per cent from the total number of electors in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kejriwal-to-not-contest-lok-sabha-polls-from-varanasi-party-to-field-another-candidate-190060">the last Lok Sabha polls</a>, officials said.

However, the figure is 0.87 per cent less than <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ec-may-announce-lok-sabha-poll-schedule-in-march-first-week-sources-191262">the total number of electors</a> in the last electoral roll, 1,38,14,866, published on January 10, 2018, according to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) here.

"The total number electors (in Delhi) during last general elections in 2014 were 1,27,06,366, whereas the count of electors as per the final roll published January 18, stands at 1,36,95,291, an increase of 9,88,925 (or 7.78 per cent)," according to the CEO office.

The number of electors is likely to increase during continuous update process undertaken before the next elections due in 2019, it said.

Also, there was a decrease in the number of both male and female voters vis-a-vis the one published last year.

The number of male, female and third gender electors are 75,56,146, 61,38,335 and 810 respectively, according to the latest draft roll. The corresponding numbers for the final roll last year were 76,42,521, 61,71,469 and 876.

Names of 9,326 electors, who have died, have been deleted from the electoral roll since the last final publication of the roll, it said.

The gender ratio of electors registered in the final roll has increased to 812 as compared to 808 in the last one&nbsp;

"There has been a substantive increase in the gender ratio of voters of age-group 18-19, from 632 last year to 706 in the present year," it added.

The CEO office said a detailed exercise of rationalisation of polling stations was also carried out as a pre-revision activity to the Special Summary Revision 2019 in July-August, 2018 to decongest the existing polling stations.

"As a result of this exercise, the number of polling stations has increased from 13,418 to 13,816 and number of polling locations has increased from 2,670 to 2,696," a senior official said.

A house-to-house verification was carried out as part of the Special Summary Revision 2019 from June 1-30, 2018 wherein such visits were conducted by the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for identification and removal of the dead/permanently shifted electors and inclusion of left out unenrolled/prospective electors in Delhi, he said.

Delhi's draft electoral roll published September 1 last year had shown a dip of over 1.4 lakh in the total number of electors in the city compared to the draft list the previous year, with authorities attributing "death and migration" of voters as the main reasons behind the fall in number.

The total number of electors in Delhi stood at 1,36,15,776 in the draft roll and there was a decrease in the number of both male and female voters vis-a-vis the corresponding one published on October 23, 2017.&nbsp;

The number of electors is likely to increase during continuous update process undertaken before the next elections due in 2019, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said.

Over 1.36 crore voters are there in Delhi in the final electoral roll published Friday ahead of the 2019 general elections, an increase of nearly 8 per cent from the total number of electors in the last Lok Sabha polls, officials said. However, the figure is 0.87 per cent less than the total number of electors in the last electoral roll, 1,38,14,866, published on January 10, 2018, according to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) here. "The total number electors (in Delhi) during last general elections in 2014 were 1,27,06,366, whereas the count of electors as per the final roll published January 18, stands at 1,36,95,291, an increase of 9,88,925 (or 7.78 per cent)," according to the CEO office. The number of electors is likely to increase during continuous update process undertaken before the next elections due in 2019, it said. Also, there was a decrease in the number of both male and female voters vis-a-vis the one published last year. The number of male, female and third gender electors are 75,56,146, 61,38,335 and 810 respectively, according to the latest draft roll. The corresponding numbers for the final roll last year were 76,42,521, 61,71,469 and 876. Names of 9,326 electors, who have died, have been deleted from the electoral roll since the last final publication of the roll, it said. The gender ratio of electors registered in the final roll has increased to 812 as compared to 808 in the last one "There has been a substantive increase in the gender ratio of voters of age-group 18-19, from 632 last year to 706 in the present year," it added. The CEO office said a detailed exercise of rationalisation of polling stations was also carried out as a pre-revision activity to the Special Summary Revision 2019 in July-August, 2018 to decongest the existing polling stations. "As a result of this exercise, the number of polling stations has increased from 13,418 to 13,816 and number of polling locations has increased from 2,670 to 2,696," a senior official said. A house-to-house verification was carried out as part of the Special Summary Revision 2019 from June 1-30, 2018 wherein such visits were conducted by the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for identification and removal of the dead/permanently shifted electors and inclusion of left out unenrolled/prospective electors in Delhi, he said. Delhi's draft electoral roll published September 1 last year had shown a dip of over 1.4 lakh in the total number of electors in the city compared to the draft list the previous year, with authorities attributing "death and migration" of voters as the main reasons behind the fall in number. The total number of electors in Delhi stood at 1,36,15,776 in the draft roll and there was a decrease in the number of both male and female voters vis-a-vis the corresponding one published on October 23, 2017.

Lok Sabha polls: Over 1.36 crore voters from Delhi in final electoral roll

It is better not to be in Delhi, the Supreme Court said on Friday, expressing despair over the lack of implementation of measures to curb <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/dense-fog-at-delhi-airport-affects-over-450-flights-191247">air pollution</a> and traffic congestion in the capital which, it added, has become like a “gas chamber”.

“In the morning and evening, there is so much pollution and traffic congestion,” Justice Arun Mishra said, hearing a matter related to air pollution in the National Capital Region.

“It is better not to be in Delhi. I do not wish to settle in Delhi. It is difficult to live in Delhi,” he said.

A bench of justices Mishra and Deepak Gupta said these problems affect the right to life.

Justice Mishra cited an example to explain the problem of traffic, saying he was stuck in traffic on Friday morning and could have missed the swearing-in of two judges at the apex court.

Advocate Aparajita Singh, assisting the court as an amicus curiae, told the bench that Delhi has become a “gas chamber” due to pollution. And Justice Gupta agreed, “Yes, it is like gas chamber.”

Singh told the court that authorities always say they take measures to curb pollution but the reality is different.

“We would like to understand,” the bench said.

“What are the things which are required to be done in actuality? What remains to be done as per the comprehensive action plan? What is required to keep in check environment pollution in Delhi? What more can be done?” it said, adding, “implementation is definitely lacking”.

It said that many polluting vehicles enter Delhi at night and asked authorities how they were allowing these to enter the national capital.

The court asked the Delhi police what action they have taken to remove unclaimed vehicles — that are no longer required in legal cases — from police stations. It also asked the Delhi government why they have not appointed district ‘nazir’ (record keeper of record room).

The Delhi government’s counsel told it they are yet to receive a reply from Delhi Development Authority for allotment of land to build malkhana (record room).

“If you can dispose of the junk vehicles, you will get several acres of land,” the bench said.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on February 1.

It is better not to be in Delhi, the Supreme Court said on Friday, expressing despair over the lack of implementation of measures to curb air pollution and traffic congestion in the capital which, it added, has become like a “gas chamber”.

It is better not to be in Delhi, the Supreme Court said on Friday, expressing despair over the lack of implementation of measures to curb air pollution and traffic congestion in the capital which, it added, has become like a “gas chamber”. “In the morning and evening, there is so much pollution and traffic congestion,” Justice Arun Mishra said, hearing a matter related to air pollution in the National Capital Region. “It is better not to be in Delhi. I do not wish to settle in Delhi. It is difficult to live in Delhi,” he said. A bench of justices Mishra and Deepak Gupta said these problems affect the right to life. Justice Mishra cited an example to explain the problem of traffic, saying he was stuck in traffic on Friday morning and could have missed the swearing-in of two judges at the apex court. Advocate Aparajita Singh, assisting the court as an amicus curiae, told the bench that Delhi has become a “gas chamber” due to pollution. And Justice Gupta agreed, “Yes, it is like gas chamber.” Singh told the court that authorities always say they take measures to curb pollution but the reality is different. “We would like to understand,” the bench said. “What are the things which are required to be done in actuality? What remains to be done as per the comprehensive action plan? What is required to keep in check environment pollution in Delhi? What more can be done?” it said, adding, “implementation is definitely lacking”. It said that many polluting vehicles enter Delhi at night and asked authorities how they were allowing these to enter the national capital. The court asked the Delhi police what action they have taken to remove unclaimed vehicles — that are no longer required in legal cases — from police stations. It also asked the Delhi government why they have not appointed district ‘nazir’ (record keeper of record room). The Delhi government’s counsel told it they are yet to receive a reply from Delhi Development Authority for allotment of land to build malkhana (record room). “If you can dispose of the junk vehicles, you will get several acres of land,” the bench said. The court posted the matter for further hearing on February 1.

Better not to be in Delhi, it is like a gas chamber: Supreme Court

Delhi, routinely suffering from air pollution accompanied by thick fog caused by vehicular exhaust and coal burning, witnessed yet another bad day on Friday.

Owing to the low visibility, ten trains were delayed in the morning after the minimum temperature settled at 7 Degrees Celsius.

Moreover, flights into and out of Delhi were delayed and diverted from 5:30 am to 7 am after fog reduced visibility to 50 meters.

The official data maintained by the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) put the condition at severely polluted.

The Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 level was recorded at 146 while the PM 10 was docking at 233 in New Delhi.

At Dhirpur, the AQI was 420 at 8 am, while at Mathura Road area, it dipped to 'hazardous' category with AQI 423.

AQI near Pitampura, Airport Terminal 3 and Delhi University stood at 434, 397 and 448, respectively.

An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-500 is marked as severe/hazardous.

People residing in Delhi have been advised to avoid all physical activity outdoors and move activities indoors.

"If asthmatics, keep relief medicine handy. Sensitive Groups must stop outdoor activity at early morning and after sunset times. Avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Go for a short walk instead of a jog and take more breaks. Stop any activity level if you experience any unusual coughing, chest discomfort, wheezing, breathing difficulty, or fatigue. If the room has windows, close them. If the air Conditioner provides a fresh air intake option, keep that closed," stated an advisory published by SAFAR.

According to the latest report published by the World Health Organisation, as many as one million lives in the world can be saved if all the countries reduce the menace of air pollution in accordance with the Paris Agreement by 2050.

WHO presented this report at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Katowice last month.

"The Paris Agreement is potentially the strongest health agreement of this century," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO.

"The evidence is clear that climate change is already having a serious impact on human lives and health. It threatens the basic elements we all need for good health-clean air, safe drinking water, nutritious food supply, and safe shelter-and will undermine decades of progress in global health. We can't afford to delay action any further," the report read.

Delhi, routinely suffering from air pollution accompanied by thick fog caused by vehicular exhaust and coal burning, witnessed yet another bad day on Friday. Owing to the low visibility, ten trains were delayed in the morning after the minimum temperature settled at 7 Degrees Celsius.

Delhi, routinely suffering from air pollution accompanied by thick fog caused by vehicular exhaust and coal burning, witnessed yet another bad day on Friday. Owing to the low visibility, ten trains were delayed in the morning after the minimum temperature settled at 7 Degrees Celsius. Moreover, flights into and out of Delhi were delayed and diverted from 5:30 am to 7 am after fog reduced visibility to 50 meters. The official data maintained by the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) put the condition at severely polluted. The Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 level was recorded at 146 while the PM 10 was docking at 233 in New Delhi. At Dhirpur, the AQI was 420 at 8 am, while at Mathura Road area, it dipped to 'hazardous' category with AQI 423. AQI near Pitampura, Airport Terminal 3 and Delhi University stood at 434, 397 and 448, respectively. An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-500 is marked as severe/hazardous. People residing in Delhi have been advised to avoid all physical activity outdoors and move activities indoors. "If asthmatics, keep relief medicine handy. Sensitive Groups must stop outdoor activity at early morning and after sunset times. Avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Go for a short walk instead of a jog and take more breaks. Stop any activity level if you experience any unusual coughing, chest discomfort, wheezing, breathing difficulty, or fatigue. If the room has windows, close them. If the air Conditioner provides a fresh air intake option, keep that closed," stated an advisory published by SAFAR. According to the latest report published by the World Health Organisation, as many as one million lives in the world can be saved if all the countries reduce the menace of air pollution in accordance with the Paris Agreement by 2050. WHO presented this report at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Katowice last month. "The Paris Agreement is potentially the strongest health agreement of this century," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. "The evidence is clear that climate change is already having a serious impact on human lives and health. It threatens the basic elements we all need for good health-clean air, safe drinking water, nutritious food supply, and safe shelter-and will undermine decades of progress in global health. We can't afford to delay action any further," the report read.

Delhi: Air quality worsens, fog disrupts air and rail traffic

A 24-year-old man, arrested for allegedly sending e-mails to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-kidnap-your-daughter-delhi-cm-arvind-kejriwal-gets-threat-in-anonymous-email-189908">threatening to abduct his daughter</a>, wanted to draw the attention of a high-profile person in order to get better treatment for his psychiatric issues, police said on Tuesday.

The accused, Vikas Rai, a resident of Samastipur in Bihar, was preparing for the SSC CGL exams in the national capital, they said, adding that he had been staying in Delhi for over a year now.

He was currently being interrogated by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Special Cell of Delhi police, officials said.

After sending the e-mails, Rai had left for his sister's place at Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh. The police traced him and asked him to join the investigation.

Rai was arrested on Tuesday after the police took permission from the court since the FIR against him was registered for non-cognisable offences, the police said.

The accused, who was undergoing treatment for psychiatric issues at the Safdarjung Hospital here and was declared fit, felt he needed better treatment facilities, a senior police officer said.

"He was undergoing treatment for the last one-and-a-half to two months and the doctor told him that he was a normal person who needed to exercise and relax. He was not satisfied with the doctor's advice and felt that if he did something like this (sending the e-mails), he would be treated as someone with mental problems and would get better treatment," the officer added.

In order to draw the attention of a high-profile person to the issue, he had sent the e-mails to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), allegedly threatening to abduct his daughter.

A second-year B.Sc student, Rai was pursuing his degree through correspondence from a university in Bihar.

The police have seized the phone he allegedly used to send the e-mails.

Rai had sent three e-mails from his ID. The first one threatened to abduct the chief minister's daughter, the second one said the first e-mail was not fake, while the third one said it was a fake e-mail and should not be taken seriously, the officer said.

Rai was traced with the help of Google, which searched for the IP address from which the e-mail was sent.

The accused used to stay with his maternal aunt at Pul Prahladpur in the national capital. His family has also told the police that he was "mentally disturbed".

"He has said that he did not have any intention to harm Kejriwal's daughter and it seems so till now. So far, we have not found any previous criminal record in his name. We are probing further and examining all the aspects," the officer said.

Rai's father works in Mumbai, while his mother stays in Bihar.

The CMO had received the anonymous e-mails on January 9, which were forwarded to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik.

A Protective Service Officer was deployed by the North district police for Kejriwal's daughter's security, officials said. PTI SLB AMP RC 01152050

A 24-year-old man, arrested for allegedly sending e-mails to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office threatening to abduct his daughter, wanted to draw the attention of a high-profile person in order to get better treatment for his psychiatric issues, police said on Tuesday.

A 24-year-old man, arrested for allegedly sending e-mails to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office threatening to abduct his daughter, wanted to draw the attention of a high-profile person in order to get better treatment for his psychiatric issues, police said on Tuesday. The accused, Vikas Rai, a resident of Samastipur in Bihar, was preparing for the SSC CGL exams in the national capital, they said, adding that he had been staying in Delhi for over a year now. He was currently being interrogated by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Special Cell of Delhi police, officials said. After sending the e-mails, Rai had left for his sister's place at Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh. The police traced him and asked him to join the investigation. Rai was arrested on Tuesday after the police took permission from the court since the FIR against him was registered for non-cognisable offences, the police said. The accused, who was undergoing treatment for psychiatric issues at the Safdarjung Hospital here and was declared fit, felt he needed better treatment facilities, a senior police officer said. "He was undergoing treatment for the last one-and-a-half to two months and the doctor told him that he was a normal person who needed to exercise and relax. He was not satisfied with the doctor's advice and felt that if he did something like this (sending the e-mails), he would be treated as someone with mental problems and would get better treatment," the officer added. In order to draw the attention of a high-profile person to the issue, he had sent the e-mails to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), allegedly threatening to abduct his daughter. A second-year B.Sc student, Rai was pursuing his degree through correspondence from a university in Bihar. The police have seized the phone he allegedly used to send the e-mails. Rai had sent three e-mails from his ID. The first one threatened to abduct the chief minister's daughter, the second one said the first e-mail was not fake, while the third one said it was a fake e-mail and should not be taken seriously, the officer said. Rai was traced with the help of Google, which searched for the IP address from which the e-mail was sent. The accused used to stay with his maternal aunt at Pul Prahladpur in the national capital. His family has also told the police that he was "mentally disturbed". "He has said that he did not have any intention to harm Kejriwal's daughter and it seems so till now. So far, we have not found any previous criminal record in his name. We are probing further and examining all the aspects," the officer said. Rai's father works in Mumbai, while his mother stays in Bihar. The CMO had received the anonymous e-mails on January 9, which were forwarded to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik. A Protective Service Officer was deployed by the North district police for Kejriwal's daughter's security, officials said. PTI SLB AMP RC 01152050

Man arrested for allegedly sending e-mails threatening to abduct Kejriwal's daughter 

India's air passenger traffic is expected to grow six-fold to 1.1 billion and the number of operational airports increases to around 200 in 2040, according to Ministry of Civil Aviation's vision document released Tuesday.

India was the seventh largest aviation market with 187 million passengers — travelling to, from and within India — in the financial year 2017-18.

The 'Vision 2040 for the Civil Aviation Industry in India' document released at a summit here also said that the country would have its own aircraft leasing industry, with tax structure and repossession processes" being "equally or more attractive than those in leading global jurisdictions".

"The passenger traffic is expected to grow six-fold to around 1.1 billion.&nbsp; 
India has one of the largest aircraft order books currently with pending deliveries of over 1,000 aircraft," the document from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said.

The fleet of commercial planes is likely to rise to 2,359 in March 2040 from 622 in March 2018.

"India may have around 190-200 operational airports in 2040. Its top 31 cities may have two airports, and the cities of Delhi and Mumbai three each.

"The incremental land requirement is expected to be around 1,50,000 acre and the capital investment (not including the cost of acquiring land) is expected to be around $ 40-50 billion," the document said.

As per the document, the government may consider establishing a Nabh Nirman Fund (NNF) with a starting corpus of around $2 billion to support low traffic airports in their initial phases.

The concept of land pooling may be used to keep land acquisition costs low and to provide landowners with high value developed plots in the vicinity of the airport, it added.

India was the seventh largest aviation market with 187 million passengers — travelling to, from and within India — in the financial year 2017-18.

India's air passenger traffic is expected to grow six-fold to 1.1 billion and the number of operational airports increases to around 200 in 2040, according to Ministry of Civil Aviation's vision document released Tuesday. India was the seventh largest aviation market with 187 million passengers — travelling to, from and within India — in the financial year 2017-18. The 'Vision 2040 for the Civil Aviation Industry in India' document released at a summit here also said that the country would have its own aircraft leasing industry, with tax structure and repossession processes" being "equally or more attractive than those in leading global jurisdictions". "The passenger traffic is expected to grow six-fold to around 1.1 billion. India has one of the largest aircraft order books currently with pending deliveries of over 1,000 aircraft," the document from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said. The fleet of commercial planes is likely to rise to 2,359 in March 2040 from 622 in March 2018. "India may have around 190-200 operational airports in 2040. Its top 31 cities may have two airports, and the cities of Delhi and Mumbai three each. "The incremental land requirement is expected to be around 1,50,000 acre and the capital investment (not including the cost of acquiring land) is expected to be around $ 40-50 billion," the document said. As per the document, the government may consider establishing a Nabh Nirman Fund (NNF) with a starting corpus of around $2 billion to support low traffic airports in their initial phases. The concept of land pooling may be used to keep land acquisition costs low and to provide landowners with high value developed plots in the vicinity of the airport, it added.

India's air passenger traffic to touch 1.1 billion in 2040: Civil Aviation Ministry

Delhi's air quality showed a slight improvement on Friday with increased wind speed but remained in the 'very poor' category, authorities said.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city reached 385, which is in the 'very poor' category.

Seventeen areas in Delhi recorded 'severe' air quality, while 12 gauged 'very poor' air quality, it said.

Ghaziabad recorded 'severe' air quality while Faridabad, Gurgaon and Noida recorded 'very poor' air quality.

The overall PM2.5 level (fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers) in Delhi was recorded at 228 while the PM10 level was at 358, the CPCB said.

An AQI between 100 and 200 comes under 'moderate' category, 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', while that between 401 and 500 is 'severe'.

In view of the air quality in Delhi, the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) ordered a 24-hour ban on the entry of trucks into the national capital.

The entry of trucks to Delhi would be disallowed&nbsp;from 11 pm on Friday to 11 pm on Saturday in view of the severe pollution in the city, the EPCA instructed authorities.

In a letter to the chief secretaries of Delhi and the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, EPCA chief Bhure Lal directed them to stop the entry of truck traffic into the national capital (except essential commodities) during the period.

This would be the second time this season that a ban on the entry of trucks would be imposed.

Earlier, it was done in November when the deterioration of air quality was observed.

Delhi's air quality was in the 'very poor' category on Tuesday, before deteriorating to 'severe' on Wednesday as it was on Monday.

The Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) said other than surface wind speed, all the rest meteorological factors are likely to be "unfavourable".

Delhi's air quality showed a slight improvement on Friday with increased wind speed but remained in the 'very poor' category, authorities said. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city reached 385, which is in the 'very poor' category.

Delhi's air quality showed a slight improvement on Friday with increased wind speed but remained in the 'very poor' category, authorities said. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city reached 385, which is in the 'very poor' category. Seventeen areas in Delhi recorded 'severe' air quality, while 12 gauged 'very poor' air quality, it said. Ghaziabad recorded 'severe' air quality while Faridabad, Gurgaon and Noida recorded 'very poor' air quality. The overall PM2.5 level (fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers) in Delhi was recorded at 228 while the PM10 level was at 358, the CPCB said. An AQI between 100 and 200 comes under 'moderate' category, 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', while that between 401 and 500 is 'severe'. In view of the air quality in Delhi, the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) ordered a 24-hour ban on the entry of trucks into the national capital. The entry of trucks to Delhi would be disallowed from 11 pm on Friday to 11 pm on Saturday in view of the severe pollution in the city, the EPCA instructed authorities. In a letter to the chief secretaries of Delhi and the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, EPCA chief Bhure Lal directed them to stop the entry of truck traffic into the national capital (except essential commodities) during the period. This would be the second time this season that a ban on the entry of trucks would be imposed. Earlier, it was done in November when the deterioration of air quality was observed. Delhi's air quality was in the 'very poor' category on Tuesday, before deteriorating to 'severe' on Wednesday as it was on Monday. The Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) said other than surface wind speed, all the rest meteorological factors are likely to be "unfavourable".

Delhi's air quality shows slight improvement: CPCB

Dense fog on Wednesday blanketed the national capital and affected railway operations here, with around 12 trains being affected due to low visibility conditions.

The list of the delayed trains included Puri-New Delhi Purushottam Express, Howrah-New Delhi Poorva Express, Bhagalpur-Anand Vihar Garib Rath Express, Varanasi-New Delhi Kashi Vishwanath Express and New Jalpaiguri-New Delhi Express.

Most of the trains were running late between two to three hours.

With Delhi already being shrouded in a blanket of fog, the city's air quality is also on the poor side, with the index touching the 'severe'&nbsp;category.

According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 402 till 8 am, which fall in the 'hazardous'&nbsp;or 'severe'&nbsp;category.

The AQI between the range of 51 to 100 is considered as satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 falls under the category of poor. 300-400 is considered as 'very poor'&nbsp;and range between 401-500 falls under the category as 'hazardous'.

Within the national capital, the AQI of most places clocked in the 'severe category'.

At Dhirpur, Delhi University, Pitampura, Chandni Chowk and Mathura Road, the index clocked at 425, 539, 482, 442, and 433, respectively.

The AQI at IGI Airport, Pusa Road and Lodhi Road clocked in the 'very poor category'&nbsp;with the index at 363, 319 and 308, respectively.

Meanwhile, the maximum temperature on Tuesday was recorded at 23 degrees Celsius, three degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 4 degrees Celsius, three degrees below normal, as per the India Meterological Department (IMD).

The cold wave is expected to grip the national in the next few days with the maximum and minimum temperatures are forecast at 24 degrees Celsius and 6 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, respectively.

As temperatures dipped in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), the homeless people, who are the worst sufferers in the chilly weather season, continued to turn towards crowded night shelters in different parts of the city to escape the icy cold winds.

Meanwhile, the IMD said that an active western disturbance is very likely to cause fairly widespread rain and snow over western Himalayan region and isolated rainfall over Punjab and northern parts of Haryana during the next 24 hours.

"Likely cloud cover and enhanced humidity could lead to further gradual increase in night minimum temperatures over parts of northwest India, thereby reducing the severity of cold wave conditions during next 24 hours. However, dense fog conditions are likely to occur during late night to morning hours over these regions, especially on January 2 and 3," the weather agency said in a bulletin.

The IMD further said that another active western disturbance is likely to cause widespread rain and snow with isolated heavy falls over western Himalayan region and scattered to fairly widespread rainfall with isolated hailstorms over parts of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi on January 4 and 5.&nbsp;

Most of the trains were running late between two to three hours.

Dense fog on Wednesday blanketed the national capital and affected railway operations here, with around 12 trains being affected due to low visibility conditions. The list of the delayed trains included Puri-New Delhi Purushottam Express, Howrah-New Delhi Poorva Express, Bhagalpur-Anand Vihar Garib Rath Express, Varanasi-New Delhi Kashi Vishwanath Express and New Jalpaiguri-New Delhi Express. Most of the trains were running late between two to three hours. With Delhi already being shrouded in a blanket of fog, the city's air quality is also on the poor side, with the index touching the 'severe' category. According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 402 till 8 am, which fall in the 'hazardous' or 'severe' category. The AQI between the range of 51 to 100 is considered as satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 falls under the category of poor. 300-400 is considered as 'very poor' and range between 401-500 falls under the category as 'hazardous'. Within the national capital, the AQI of most places clocked in the 'severe category'. At Dhirpur, Delhi University, Pitampura, Chandni Chowk and Mathura Road, the index clocked at 425, 539, 482, 442, and 433, respectively. The AQI at IGI Airport, Pusa Road and Lodhi Road clocked in the 'very poor category' with the index at 363, 319 and 308, respectively. Meanwhile, the maximum temperature on Tuesday was recorded at 23 degrees Celsius, three degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 4 degrees Celsius, three degrees below normal, as per the India Meterological Department (IMD). The cold wave is expected to grip the national in the next few days with the maximum and minimum temperatures are forecast at 24 degrees Celsius and 6 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, respectively. As temperatures dipped in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), the homeless people, who are the worst sufferers in the chilly weather season, continued to turn towards crowded night shelters in different parts of the city to escape the icy cold winds. Meanwhile, the IMD said that an active western disturbance is very likely to cause fairly widespread rain and snow over western Himalayan region and isolated rainfall over Punjab and northern parts of Haryana during the next 24 hours. "Likely cloud cover and enhanced humidity could lead to further gradual increase in night minimum temperatures over parts of northwest India, thereby reducing the severity of cold wave conditions during next 24 hours. However, dense fog conditions are likely to occur during late night to morning hours over these regions, especially on January 2 and 3," the weather agency said in a bulletin. The IMD further said that another active western disturbance is likely to cause widespread rain and snow with isolated heavy falls over western Himalayan region and scattered to fairly widespread rainfall with isolated hailstorms over parts of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi on January 4 and 5.

Delhi: 12 trains delayed due to fog, air quality in 'severe' category

Gold worth over Rs 110 crore was seized from smugglers by customs officials at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport during the last year, according to an official statement issued Wednesday.

A total of 340 cases of gold smuggling, an increase of 58 per cent as compared to the cases filed in 2017, were registered by the customs in 2018, it said.

In these, 402.48 kilograms of gold, valuing Rs 113.83 crore, were seized and 262 persons were arrested, the statement issued by the customs said.

There were 57 cases of smuggling of foreign currencies during the year, in which forex worth Rs 22.27 crore were seized. A total of 38 persons were arrested in these cases, it said.

In 2017, there were 215 cases of gold smuggling at the Delhi airport. The customs officials seized 242.5 kilograms of the yellow metal in these cases and arrested 143 people.

In 35 cases of forex smuggling during 2017, a total of 18 persons were arrested and foreign currencies worth Rs 10.75 crore were seized.

"A comparative analysis reveals that there was a 58 per cent increase in the number of gold smuggling cases booked which resulted in a 65.90 per cent increase in the quantity of smuggled gold seized," the Delhi customs said.

Similarly, a 62.85 per cent increase in the number of foreign currency cases booked resulted in a 107.05 per cent increase in the value of foreign currency seized, it said.

"The increase in gold smuggling cases show that people still consider it as a safe investment option. There is a strong need to deter people's love for gold," a senior customs official said.

There was also seizure of narcotics at the Delhi airport in the last year.

"Whereas there were no cocaine seizures during 2017, three foreign nationals were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, during 2018.

These cases involved the seizure of 2.35 kilograms of cocaine worth approximately Rs 13.50 crore in the international narcotics market," the customs department said.

A total of 340 cases of gold smuggling, an increase of 58 per cent as compared to the cases filed in 2017, were registered by the customs in 2018, an official statement said.

Gold worth over Rs 110 crore was seized from smugglers by customs officials at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport during the last year, according to an official statement issued Wednesday. A total of 340 cases of gold smuggling, an increase of 58 per cent as compared to the cases filed in 2017, were registered by the customs in 2018, it said. In these, 402.48 kilograms of gold, valuing Rs 113.83 crore, were seized and 262 persons were arrested, the statement issued by the customs said. There were 57 cases of smuggling of foreign currencies during the year, in which forex worth Rs 22.27 crore were seized. A total of 38 persons were arrested in these cases, it said. In 2017, there were 215 cases of gold smuggling at the Delhi airport. The customs officials seized 242.5 kilograms of the yellow metal in these cases and arrested 143 people. In 35 cases of forex smuggling during 2017, a total of 18 persons were arrested and foreign currencies worth Rs 10.75 crore were seized. "A comparative analysis reveals that there was a 58 per cent increase in the number of gold smuggling cases booked which resulted in a 65.90 per cent increase in the quantity of smuggled gold seized," the Delhi customs said. Similarly, a 62.85 per cent increase in the number of foreign currency cases booked resulted in a 107.05 per cent increase in the value of foreign currency seized, it said. "The increase in gold smuggling cases show that people still consider it as a safe investment option. There is a strong need to deter people's love for gold," a senior customs official said. There was also seizure of narcotics at the Delhi airport in the last year. "Whereas there were no cocaine seizures during 2017, three foreign nationals were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, during 2018. These cases involved the seizure of 2.35 kilograms of cocaine worth approximately Rs 13.50 crore in the international narcotics market," the customs department said.

Gold worth over Rs 110 crore seized at Delhi airport in 2018

Around 15,000 police personnel have been deployed across the national capital to ensure celebrations go off smoothly on New Year's Eve, with special traffic arrangements made to regulate movement of revellers, police said.

A special focus has been given to Connaught Place and the areas around it.&nbsp;

All vehicular movement will be restricted from 8 pm onwards to the posh commercial hub till the celebrations conclude, they said.

Also, in view of security measures, exit facility at the Rajiv Chowk metro station will not be available for commuters from 9 pm onwards.

Rajiv Chowk, located adjacent to Connaught Place and one of the busiest&nbsp;stations of the Delhi Metro, caters to both the Blue Line and the Yellow Line.

A large number of revellers converge at Connaught Place to ring in the new year with celebrations every year.

"Vehicular traffic in the inner, middle or outer circle of Connaught Place will not be allowed," BK Singh, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) said.

To ensure that women safety is not compromised, women police personnel will also be deployed in plain clothes at various strategic locations across the city, Madhur Verma, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) said.

"We have deployed around 15,000 police personnel across Delhi to maintain the law and order situation on the eve of New Year to ensure that the celebrations go smoothly," Verma said.

Any incident of hooliganism and drunk driving will be dealt strictly, he added.

Special picket team including traffic police, PCR and woman personal will be deployed at various locations to ensure that no untoward incident happens, he said.

Maximum police personnel will be deployed at crowded places like malls, markets and metro stations, the officer said.

Senior officers will closely monitor the situation at district-level. Fire tenders will be on patrolling duty around popular party hubs to ensure that there is no delay in helping people in case of any incident, police said.

"As advised by Delhi Police authorities, exit of passengers from the Rajiv Chowk metro station will not be permitted from 9 PM onwards on New Year's Eve, i.E., December 31. This is to enable the authorities to maintain peace, and law and order during New Year Eve's celebrations in New Delhi district area," Delhi Metro said in a statement.

However, passengers will be allowed to enter the Rajiv Chowk metro station after 9 pm to board trains, it said.

"Interchange facility between Line-2 (HUDA City Centre - Samaypur Badli) and Line-3/4 (Dwarka Sec-21 - NOIDA City Centre/Vaishali) will continue as usual at the Rajiv Chowk metro station till the end of services. Services at all other metro corridors and stations will continue normally," it said.

Hotels and restaurants where parties will be organised have also been briefed about the preventive measures to be taken, officials said.

Officials said a special drive against drunk driving, jumping signals and dangerous driving will be undertaken by the traffic police.

According to the traffic advisory, vehicles will not be allowed to proceed towards Connaught Place beyond roundabout of Mandi House, roundabout of Bengali Market, north foot of Ranjit Singh Flyover, Minto Road, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg crossing, Chelmsford Road near Munje Chowk (New Delhi Railway Station), RK Ashram Marg-Chitragupta, roundabout of Gole Market, roundabout of GPO, Patel Chowk, Kasturba Gandhi Road-Ferozshah Road Crossing, Jai Singh Road-Bangla Sahib Lane and the roundabout of Windsor Place.

Motorists can park their vehicles at only specific places in the vicinity of Connaught Place, which includes certain locations near Gole Dak Khana, Patel Chowk on Rakab Ganj Road behind AIR, near Mandi House on Copernicus Marg up to Baroda house, near Minto Road on DD Upadhaya Marg and Press Road area, Panchkuian Road on RK Ashram Marg, Chitragupta Road and Basant Road towards Paharganj, KG Marg near Ferozshah Road or KG Marg to 'C' Hexagon and near Windsor Place.

Alternative routes have been arranged for commuters travelling to New Delhi railway station. However, routes to Old Delhi railway station will not be affected, officials said.

Special traffic arrangements have also been made at Saket, Greater Kailash, Lajpat Nagar, New Friends Colony, Hauz Khas, Defence Colony, Vasant Vihar, RK Puram, Nehru Place, Dwarka, Palam Airport, Rajouri Garden, Ashok Vihar, Model Town and Mayur Vihar.

The police has advised motorists to use alternative routes available for North-South directions which includes Ring Road from ISBT to Ashram or via Delhi Gate, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Mathura Road to reach Ashram and via vice-versa or via ISBT, Rani Jhansi Marg, Punchkuyan Road, Mandir Marg, Park Street, Mother Teresa Crescent Road and beyond or via Rani Jhansi Marg, Punchkuyan Road, Hanuman Murti and Ring Road.

"For East-West Movement - Ring Road, Bhairon Road, 'C' Hexagon-India Gate, Akbar Road, Mother Teresa Crescent, roundabout of RML, Park Street and Shankar Road have been suggested," officials said.&nbsp;

Around 15,000 police personnel have been deployed across the national capital to ensure celebrations go off smoothly on New Year's Eve, with special traffic arrangements made to regulate movement of revellers, police said.

Around 15,000 police personnel have been deployed across the national capital to ensure celebrations go off smoothly on New Year's Eve, with special traffic arrangements made to regulate movement of revellers, police said. A special focus has been given to Connaught Place and the areas around it. All vehicular movement will be restricted from 8 pm onwards to the posh commercial hub till the celebrations conclude, they said. Also, in view of security measures, exit facility at the Rajiv Chowk metro station will not be available for commuters from 9 pm onwards. Rajiv Chowk, located adjacent to Connaught Place and one of the busiest stations of the Delhi Metro, caters to both the Blue Line and the Yellow Line. A large number of revellers converge at Connaught Place to ring in the new year with celebrations every year. "Vehicular traffic in the inner, middle or outer circle of Connaught Place will not be allowed," BK Singh, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) said. To ensure that women safety is not compromised, women police personnel will also be deployed in plain clothes at various strategic locations across the city, Madhur Verma, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) said. "We have deployed around 15,000 police personnel across Delhi to maintain the law and order situation on the eve of New Year to ensure that the celebrations go smoothly," Verma said. Any incident of hooliganism and drunk driving will be dealt strictly, he added. Special picket team including traffic police, PCR and woman personal will be deployed at various locations to ensure that no untoward incident happens, he said. Maximum police personnel will be deployed at crowded places like malls, markets and metro stations, the officer said. Senior officers will closely monitor the situation at district-level. Fire tenders will be on patrolling duty around popular party hubs to ensure that there is no delay in helping people in case of any incident, police said. "As advised by Delhi Police authorities, exit of passengers from the Rajiv Chowk metro station will not be permitted from 9 PM onwards on New Year's Eve, i.E., December 31. This is to enable the authorities to maintain peace, and law and order during New Year Eve's celebrations in New Delhi district area," Delhi Metro said in a statement. However, passengers will be allowed to enter the Rajiv Chowk metro station after 9 pm to board trains, it said. "Interchange facility between Line-2 (HUDA City Centre - Samaypur Badli) and Line-3/4 (Dwarka Sec-21 - NOIDA City Centre/Vaishali) will continue as usual at the Rajiv Chowk metro station till the end of services. Services at all other metro corridors and stations will continue normally," it said. Hotels and restaurants where parties will be organised have also been briefed about the preventive measures to be taken, officials said. Officials said a special drive against drunk driving, jumping signals and dangerous driving will be undertaken by the traffic police. According to the traffic advisory, vehicles will not be allowed to proceed towards Connaught Place beyond roundabout of Mandi House, roundabout of Bengali Market, north foot of Ranjit Singh Flyover, Minto Road, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg crossing, Chelmsford Road near Munje Chowk (New Delhi Railway Station), RK Ashram Marg-Chitragupta, roundabout of Gole Market, roundabout of GPO, Patel Chowk, Kasturba Gandhi Road-Ferozshah Road Crossing, Jai Singh Road-Bangla Sahib Lane and the roundabout of Windsor Place. Motorists can park their vehicles at only specific places in the vicinity of Connaught Place, which includes certain locations near Gole Dak Khana, Patel Chowk on Rakab Ganj Road behind AIR, near Mandi House on Copernicus Marg up to Baroda house, near Minto Road on DD Upadhaya Marg and Press Road area, Panchkuian Road on RK Ashram Marg, Chitragupta Road and Basant Road towards Paharganj, KG Marg near Ferozshah Road or KG Marg to 'C' Hexagon and near Windsor Place. Alternative routes have been arranged for commuters travelling to New Delhi railway station. However, routes to Old Delhi railway station will not be affected, officials said. Special traffic arrangements have also been made at Saket, Greater Kailash, Lajpat Nagar, New Friends Colony, Hauz Khas, Defence Colony, Vasant Vihar, RK Puram, Nehru Place, Dwarka, Palam Airport, Rajouri Garden, Ashok Vihar, Model Town and Mayur Vihar. The police has advised motorists to use alternative routes available for North-South directions which includes Ring Road from ISBT to Ashram or via Delhi Gate, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Mathura Road to reach Ashram and via vice-versa or via ISBT, Rani Jhansi Marg, Punchkuyan Road, Mandir Marg, Park Street, Mother Teresa Crescent Road and beyond or via Rani Jhansi Marg, Punchkuyan Road, Hanuman Murti and Ring Road. "For East-West Movement - Ring Road, Bhairon Road, 'C' Hexagon-India Gate, Akbar Road, Mother Teresa Crescent, roundabout of RML, Park Street and Shankar Road have been suggested," officials said.

New Year's Eve: 15,000 cops deployed across Delhi, no exit at Rajiv Chowk metro from 9 pm

Scores of passengers were stranded as nearly 15 trains were delayed due to thick fog across the national capital on Saturday.

According to the official data, most of the trains were rescheduled after getting delayed for at least by two hours.

The trains Purushottam Express, Mahabodhi Express, and Kaifiyat Express were delayed by three hours each. While Vikramshila Express, Jaynagar Anand Vihar Garib Rath Express, Kashi Vishwanath Express were running late by five hours, four hours and three hours respectively due to dense fog in Delhi.

Earlier, the Railways had stated that it has started using Fog Pass Device (Fog Pilot Assistance System) or FSD, which is GPS-enabled and can continuously calculate the distance of the train in relation to the next landmark, enabling drivers to know when exactly a signal is approaching.

It has installed as many as 4,920 such devices in the most fog-affected railway zones - northern, north-central, north-eastern and north-western.

Today, the minimum and maximum temperature of Delhi will hover around three Degree Celsius and 19 Degree Celsius.

The humidity in the region will be oscillating between 60 per cent and 65 per cent with wind speed of 10 km/hr.

According to Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency, the average temperature for the month of December so far has been 7.1-degree Celsius against the normal of 8.3-degree Celsius.

In the coming days as well, the same trend will continue and as per the experts, the minimum temperature can even go below 5-degree Celsius.

Besides national capital, cold wave conditions are also prevailing in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and chilly winds from north and northwest directions are blowing over these two states.

With the onset of Chillai Kalan, Jammu and Kashmir`s Srinagar recorded minus 7.7 degrees on Friday which was the lowest minimum in a span of 28 years.

The Dal Lake has already frozen and so are other small lakes and several other water bodies.

Chilly winds have also engulfed southern state such as Telangana where the temperature is expected to fall in the single digit in the first week of January.

"As these winds were travelling from the Bay of Bengal, minimums increased over Telangana. However, reversal of winds occurred on December 27 and warm and humid winds from southeast directions got replaced by cold and dry winds from north direction. As a result, minimums dropped to a great extent leading to commencement of cold wave condition in some parts of the state," Skymet stated.&nbsp;

Scores of passengers were stranded as nearly 15 trains were delayed due to thick fog across the national capital on Saturday. According to the official data, most of the trains were rescheduled after getting delayed for at least by two hours.

Scores of passengers were stranded as nearly 15 trains were delayed due to thick fog across the national capital on Saturday. According to the official data, most of the trains were rescheduled after getting delayed for at least by two hours. The trains Purushottam Express, Mahabodhi Express, and Kaifiyat Express were delayed by three hours each. While Vikramshila Express, Jaynagar Anand Vihar Garib Rath Express, Kashi Vishwanath Express were running late by five hours, four hours and three hours respectively due to dense fog in Delhi. Earlier, the Railways had stated that it has started using Fog Pass Device (Fog Pilot Assistance System) or FSD, which is GPS-enabled and can continuously calculate the distance of the train in relation to the next landmark, enabling drivers to know when exactly a signal is approaching. It has installed as many as 4,920 such devices in the most fog-affected railway zones - northern, north-central, north-eastern and north-western. Today, the minimum and maximum temperature of Delhi will hover around three Degree Celsius and 19 Degree Celsius. The humidity in the region will be oscillating between 60 per cent and 65 per cent with wind speed of 10 km/hr. According to Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency, the average temperature for the month of December so far has been 7.1-degree Celsius against the normal of 8.3-degree Celsius. In the coming days as well, the same trend will continue and as per the experts, the minimum temperature can even go below 5-degree Celsius. Besides national capital, cold wave conditions are also prevailing in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and chilly winds from north and northwest directions are blowing over these two states. With the onset of Chillai Kalan, Jammu and Kashmir`s Srinagar recorded minus 7.7 degrees on Friday which was the lowest minimum in a span of 28 years. The Dal Lake has already frozen and so are other small lakes and several other water bodies. Chilly winds have also engulfed southern state such as Telangana where the temperature is expected to fall in the single digit in the first week of January. "As these winds were travelling from the Bay of Bengal, minimums increased over Telangana. However, reversal of winds occurred on December 27 and warm and humid winds from southeast directions got replaced by cold and dry winds from north direction. As a result, minimums dropped to a great extent leading to commencement of cold wave condition in some parts of the state," Skymet stated.

Foggy weather disrupts rail service in Delhi

As the dense fog and cold wave conditions continued to engulf the national capital, several flights and trains coming in and departing from Delhi were delayed on Friday morning causing inconvenience to the passengers.

As many as 14 trains were delayed by over three hours. The list of delayed trains included Barauni-New Delhi Vaishali Express, Mahabodhi Express, Poorva Express, Shiv Ganga Express.

According to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), cold wave to severe cold wave conditions will continue to prevail over major parts of Delhi and other northern Indian states including Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, north Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Uttar Pradesh for two more days.

The minimum temperature in the national capital is predicted to take a dip by 1 degree Celsius and likely to freeze at 3 degree Celsius on Saturday.

According to the weather forecaster, dense fog was observed at isolated places over Punjab and Chhattisgarh and moderate fog was observed at isolated places over Haryana, Delhi and West Uttar Pradesh at 5.30 am on Friday.

The IMD predicted that dense fog during late night and morning hours is likely to prevail at isolated pockets including Delhi and Chandigarh on December 30 and 31.

Further, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi showed that concentration of both pollutants, Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) and Particulate Matter 10 (PM 10), is in the "poor" category.

As the dense fog and cold wave conditions continued to engulf the national capital, several flights and trains coming in and departing from Delhi were delayed on Friday morning causing inconvenience to the passengers.

As the dense fog and cold wave conditions continued to engulf the national capital, several flights and trains coming in and departing from Delhi were delayed on Friday morning causing inconvenience to the passengers. As many as 14 trains were delayed by over three hours. The list of delayed trains included Barauni-New Delhi Vaishali Express, Mahabodhi Express, Poorva Express, Shiv Ganga Express. According to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), cold wave to severe cold wave conditions will continue to prevail over major parts of Delhi and other northern Indian states including Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, north Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Uttar Pradesh for two more days. The minimum temperature in the national capital is predicted to take a dip by 1 degree Celsius and likely to freeze at 3 degree Celsius on Saturday. According to the weather forecaster, dense fog was observed at isolated places over Punjab and Chhattisgarh and moderate fog was observed at isolated places over Haryana, Delhi and West Uttar Pradesh at 5.30 am on Friday. The IMD predicted that dense fog during late night and morning hours is likely to prevail at isolated pockets including Delhi and Chandigarh on December 30 and 31. Further, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi showed that concentration of both pollutants, Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) and Particulate Matter 10 (PM 10), is in the "poor" category.

Dense fog grips Delhi; hampers train, flight services

The National capital on Thursday recorded a minimum temperature of 3.7 degrees Celsius, which was four notches below the season's average, the India Meteorological Department said.

The maximum temperature is expected to rise to 21 degrees during the day, officials from the weather department noted.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The level of humidity recorded at around 8:30 am today was 97 per cent while the visibility in the morning was 800 metres.

The overall air quality in the city on Thursday was recorded at "very poor", the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) said.

Delhi on Wednesday recorded the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-records-coldest-day-of-the-month-mercury-dips-to-3-degrees-186552">lowest temperature for the season</a>&nbsp;at 3.6 degrees Celsius.

Delhi has been reeling under a cold wave for the past few days. The temperature is expected to dip further to as low as 3.0 degrees Celsius after December 28.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The National capital on Thursday recorded a minimum temperature of 3.7 degrees Celsius, which was four notches below the season's average, the India Meteorological Department said.

The National capital on Thursday recorded a minimum temperature of 3.7 degrees Celsius, which was four notches below the season's average, the India Meteorological Department said. The maximum temperature is expected to rise to 21 degrees during the day, officials from the weather department noted. The level of humidity recorded at around 8:30 am today was 97 per cent while the visibility in the morning was 800 metres. The overall air quality in the city on Thursday was recorded at "very poor", the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) said. Delhi on Wednesday recorded the lowest temperature for the season at 3.6 degrees Celsius. Delhi has been reeling under a cold wave for the past few days. The temperature is expected to dip further to as low as 3.0 degrees Celsius after December 28. (With inputs from agencies)

Delhi continues to grapple with dip in temperature, 'poor' air quality

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The ruling Congress and its allies in Puducherry would stage a demonstration in front of the Parliament in New Delhi on January 4 to press for their demand for statehood to the Union Territory.

PWD Minister and president of PCC A Namassivayam said in a press release Saturday that the legislators of the ruling Congress, its ally the DMK and Left parties, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, MDMK, Indian Union Muslim League and Federation of the Students Associations among others would take part in the protest.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of leaders of various parties convened by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy here Wednesday night, where concern was expressed over the Centre 'slashing' grants to the UT and the style of functioning of Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, who has been at loggerheads with Narayanasamy on various issues.

Namassivayam claimed that the territorial government was presently struggling to implement public welfare schemes as the Union Territory was not a full-fledged state and its administration was totally under the control of the Centre.

"The separate identity of Puducherry cannot also be ensured because of this unique, amusing situation," he added.

He also recalled that despite resolutions pressing for statehood being adopted on several occasions on the floor of the territorial Assembly, the Centre was continuously rejecting the demand.

Puducherry and its outlying regions of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam merged de jure with the Indian Union in 1962 after liberation from the French regime and it has since been a Union Territory.

The ruling Congress and its allies in Puducherry would stage a demonstration in front of the Parliament in New Delhi on January 4 to press for their demand for statehood to the Union Territory.

The ruling Congress and its allies in Puducherry would stage a demonstration in front of the Parliament in New Delhi on January 4 to press for their demand for statehood to the Union Territory. PWD Minister and president of PCC A Namassivayam said in a press release Saturday that the legislators of the ruling Congress, its ally the DMK and Left parties, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, MDMK, Indian Union Muslim League and Federation of the Students Associations among others would take part in the protest. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of leaders of various parties convened by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy here Wednesday night, where concern was expressed over the Centre 'slashing' grants to the UT and the style of functioning of Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, who has been at loggerheads with Narayanasamy on various issues. Namassivayam claimed that the territorial government was presently struggling to implement public welfare schemes as the Union Territory was not a full-fledged state and its administration was totally under the control of the Centre. "The separate identity of Puducherry cannot also be ensured because of this unique, amusing situation," he added. He also recalled that despite resolutions pressing for statehood being adopted on several occasions on the floor of the territorial Assembly, the Centre was continuously rejecting the demand. Puducherry and its outlying regions of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam merged de jure with the Indian Union in 1962 after liberation from the French regime and it has since been a Union Territory.

Pondy CM, Ministers to stage demonstration in Delhi on January 4 for Statehood

Delhi records coldest day of season

Delhi's air quality deteriorated further and was recorded in the 'very poor' category Wednesday, with 10 areas reporting severe pollution levels as authorities said unfavourable meteorological conditions would prevail over the next few days.

The overall air quality index (AQI) of the national capital stood at 372, which falls in the 'very poor' category, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.

An AQI between 100 to 200 comes under 'moderate' category, 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', while that between 401 and 500 is 'severe'.

The Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) too said that the overall air quality of Delhi was in the 'very poor' category.

"Overall air quality of Delhi continues to be very poor. The minimum temperatures is likely to fall in Delhi (resulting in additional moisture in the air). Hence, the air quality will remain in the 'very poor' category for the next three days," the SAFAR said.

"Winds are again becoming partially favourable for the dispersion," it said.

The overall PM2.5 level (fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometre) was recorded at 223 and the PM10 level at 359, the SAFAR said.

While Alipur, Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, DTU, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Narela, Rohini, Sonia Vihar, Nehru Nagar and Wazirpur areas saw severe pollution levels, 20 places in the national capital recorded 'very poor' quality air, the CPCB said.

Neighbouring Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Noida recorded 'very poor' air quality, while in Gurgaon, it was in the 'satisfactory' category, it added.

According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the maximum ventilation index on Wednesday was 4,000 sqm/second.

A ventilation index lower than 6,000 sqm/second with an average wind speed of less than 10 kmph is unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants.&nbsp;

Delhi's air quality deteriorated further and was recorded in the 'very poor' category Wednesday, with 10 areas reporting severe pollution levels as authorities said unfavourable meteorological conditions would prevail over the next few days.

Delhi's air quality deteriorated further and was recorded in the 'very poor' category Wednesday, with 10 areas reporting severe pollution levels as authorities said unfavourable meteorological conditions would prevail over the next few days. The overall air quality index (AQI) of the national capital stood at 372, which falls in the 'very poor' category, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed. An AQI between 100 to 200 comes under 'moderate' category, 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', while that between 401 and 500 is 'severe'. The Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) too said that the overall air quality of Delhi was in the 'very poor' category. "Overall air quality of Delhi continues to be very poor. The minimum temperatures is likely to fall in Delhi (resulting in additional moisture in the air). Hence, the air quality will remain in the 'very poor' category for the next three days," the SAFAR said. "Winds are again becoming partially favourable for the dispersion," it said. The overall PM2.5 level (fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometre) was recorded at 223 and the PM10 level at 359, the SAFAR said. While Alipur, Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, DTU, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Narela, Rohini, Sonia Vihar, Nehru Nagar and Wazirpur areas saw severe pollution levels, 20 places in the national capital recorded 'very poor' quality air, the CPCB said. Neighbouring Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Noida recorded 'very poor' air quality, while in Gurgaon, it was in the 'satisfactory' category, it added. According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the maximum ventilation index on Wednesday was 4,000 sqm/second. A ventilation index lower than 6,000 sqm/second with an average wind speed of less than 10 kmph is unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants.

Delhi's air quality deteriorates further, 10 areas record severe pollution: Authorities

The first meeting of the newly constituted India-China High-Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges will take place on December 21. The meeting will be co-chaired by India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Remember, this was one of the outcomes agreed upon during the Wuhan informal summit which took place in China earlier this year.&nbsp;

According to the Ministry of External Affairs release, "the High-Level Mechanism reflects the desire on both the sides to build greater synergies in the people-to-people ties between the two countries through enhanced exchanges in areas such as tourism, art, films, media, culture, sports and academic and youth exchanges."

The release added that the High-Level Mechanism "will bring all the existing bilateral cultural and people-to-people engagements between India and China under one umbrella and, thus, add more substance and purpose to the efforts on both sides to promote greater cultural and people-to-people exchanges between them."

Several events will also be held on the sidelines of the meeting of the High-Level Mechanism, including an India-China think tanks forum and a High-Level media forum.

This year saw Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting for a record four times. They first met at the Informal Wuhan Summit in China, followed by a meeting during the Shanghai Cooperation Summit in China and BRICS summit in South Africa. The two leaders finally met in Argentina on the sidelines of the G20 summit. The development comes in the backdrop of the worst stand-off between Indian and Chinese forces at the Doklam Plateau in Bhutan.

During the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-xi-summit-in-wuhan-removed-several-misconceptions-between-india-and-china-indian-envoy-177673">informal meet in China's Wuhan</a>, India and China also agreed on taking up joint projects in Afghanistan. The first one was the joint training of Afghan Diplomats in Delhi and Bejing which took place in the month of April.&nbsp;

India and China, earlier this month, resumed the joint military exercise "Hand In Hand" in which Indian and Chinese forces were seen sharing lighter moments and doing the Bhangra together.&nbsp;

The first meeting of the newly constituted India-China High-Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges will take place on December 21. The meeting will be co-chaired by India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The first meeting of the newly constituted India-China High-Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges will take place on December 21. The meeting will be co-chaired by India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Remember, this was one of the outcomes agreed upon during the Wuhan informal summit which took place in China earlier this year. According to the Ministry of External Affairs release, "the High-Level Mechanism reflects the desire on both the sides to build greater synergies in the people-to-people ties between the two countries through enhanced exchanges in areas such as tourism, art, films, media, culture, sports and academic and youth exchanges." The release added that the High-Level Mechanism "will bring all the existing bilateral cultural and people-to-people engagements between India and China under one umbrella and, thus, add more substance and purpose to the efforts on both sides to promote greater cultural and people-to-people exchanges between them." Several events will also be held on the sidelines of the meeting of the High-Level Mechanism, including an India-China think tanks forum and a High-Level media forum. This year saw Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting for a record four times. They first met at the Informal Wuhan Summit in China, followed by a meeting during the Shanghai Cooperation Summit in China and BRICS summit in South Africa. The two leaders finally met in Argentina on the sidelines of the G20 summit. The development comes in the backdrop of the worst stand-off between Indian and Chinese forces at the Doklam Plateau in Bhutan. During the informal meet in China's Wuhan, India and China also agreed on taking up joint projects in Afghanistan. The first one was the joint training of Afghan Diplomats in Delhi and Bejing which took place in the month of April. India and China, earlier this month, resumed the joint military exercise "Hand In Hand" in which Indian and Chinese forces were seen sharing lighter moments and doing the Bhangra together.

Indian, Chinese foreign ministers to meet in Delhi on December 21

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