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3:55 PM

Nearly 200 nations adopt key biodiversity pact to protect 30% lands, oceans

Nearing the conclusion of a sometimes fractious two-week meeting, nearly 200 nations of the world on Monday agreed on a historic package of measures deemed critical to addressing the dangerous loss of biodiversity and restoring natural ecosystems.

 

Convened under UN auspices, chaired by China, and hosted by Canada, the 15th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the "Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework" (GBF), including four goals and 23 targets for achievement by 2030.

3:46 PM

Soul of good governance is administration at citizens' doorsteps in villages: Jitendra Singh

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday said the soul of good governance is to take administration to the doorsteps of citizens right up to the villages.

 

Inaugurating the good governance week with a nationwide 'Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore' campaign here, he said for sustainable development of rural India, schemes must take into account the needs and wishes of the people in the true bottom-up approach and should be implemented through latest technological tools in a transparent, effective and accountable manner.

3:40 PM

Maha should stand firmly behind people from Marathi-speaking areas of K'taka: CM Shinde amid boundary dispute

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said the state should stand firmly behind people in the Marathi-speaking areas of neighbouring Karnataka and appealed to political parties not to behave in a way that would hurt them.

 

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state government will initiate a special programme for the development of villages located along the border and resolve their pending issues

3:33 PM

NTH to offer EV battery testing at Mumbai & Kolkata centres from next fiscal

 

Anticipating a rise in demand for electric vehicles (EV), the government's National Testing House (NTH) on Monday said it will offer testing services for EV batteries and charging systems at its Mumbai and Kolkata centres from the next fiscal.

 

Currently, the Manesar-based International Centre for Automotive Technology and the Pune-based Automatic Research Association of India (ARAI) are the two agencies in the country providing testing services for EVs and their batteries.

3:16 PM

Law must not be used as tool to harass accused, says SC

The law must not be used as a tool to harass the accused and courts must always ensure that frivolous cases do not "pervert" its sacrosanct nature, the Supreme Court has said.

 

The apex court, which quashed the criminal proceedings pending at a Chennai court against two people, said law is meant to exist as a shield to protect the innocent rather than being used as a sword to threaten them

3:12 PM

Karnataka Govt not to introduce "Uniform Civil Code" bill in ongoing session

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said the bill regarding implementation of "Uniform Civil Code" (UCC) in the State will not be introduced during the ongoing winter session of the legislature here.

 

"There are no chances of tabling it during this session," Bommai told reporters in response to a question whether a bill on UCC will be tabled during this session.

3:06 PM

Wipro acquires packaged food and spices brand Nirapara

Wipro Consumer Care on Monday announced its entry into the packaged food and spice segment by acquiring Nirapara, one of the largest-selling traditional food brands in Kerala.

 

The deal size was not disclosed by the company. The Wipro group arm has signed a definitive agreement with Nirapara, a company statement said.

2:55 PM

India crosses milestone of 2.2 billion vaccine doses: Mandaviya

India crosses milestone of 2.2 billion vaccine doses, says Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya

2:31 PM

Loans worth Rs 1,009,511 written off in last 5 financial years: Sitharaman

Sitharaman said recovery in NPA (non performing asset) accounts, including written-off loans, was an on-going process.

 

According to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, public sector banks have recovered Rs 4,80,111 crore, including Rs 1,03,045 crore from written-off loans, during the last five financial years, she said.

2:19 PM

'Kisan Garjana' rally: Farmers converge at Ramleela Ground, demand measures

Farmers have started converging at the Ramleela Ground here for the 'Kisan Garjana' rally to demand various relief measures from the government.

 

A note issued by the organisers -- Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), a branch of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) -- said "the government will face trouble if it did not heed the farmers' demand in time".

2:15 PM

Centre will introduce Repealing and Amending Bill 2022 in Lok Sabha

The Centre will on Monday introduce in Lok Sabha the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2022 for repealing certain enactments.

 

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju will introduce the bill in the lower house.

1:31 PM

BJP set to unveil Savarkar's photo at Karnataka Assembly hall; Congress protests

Karnataka unit of Congress on Monday staged a protest against the state BJP's decision to install a picture of the controversial freedom fighter Veer Savarkar in the Legislative Assembly at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha here.

Condemning the proposed move of installing Savarkar's picture right behind the Speakers' Chair, senior Congress MLAs, including the Opposition leader of Siddaramaiah, state party President DK Shivakumar staged a protest in the Assembly.

The ruling BJP is all set to unveil photographs, including that of Savarkar, inside the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha on Monday, the first day of the session.

1:27 PM

India eyes quality control measures for rubber, cement industries

India aims to implement quality control measures for the light engineering, rubber, cement and concrete building materials industry by next year, a government source told Reuters on Monday.

"Drawing from the example of measures taken for the toy industry in India, better standards helped comply with international standards. The industry then saw exporting opportunities and now they are exporting. We expect a similar thing to happen in other sectors," the source said.

1:19 PM

Hospitality industry set for buoyant 2023, cashes India's G20 presidency

The domestic hospitality industry is looking to 'fly' in 2023 cashing in on India's G20 presidency, having received the 'oxygen' to run in 2022 after being crippled in the past two years by the pandemic.

Domestic travel, especially the leisure segment, gave wind to the industry this year and is expected to continue into the next. Industry players believe that as international arrivals are also likely to pick up even further, the outlook for 2023 is buoyant.

However, for travellers, room tariffs are likely to remain high going forward, with a demand-supply mismatch continuing in the hospitality sector.

12:42 PM

India jumps forty spots to 71st in mean mobile download speed

In November, India jumped 40 ranks to the 71st spot globally in terms of mean download speed, according to a report. Its mean mobile download speed in November was 50.26 Megabits per second (Mbps), nearly double 27.13 Mbps in October.

In terms of the median mobile download speed, India jumped eight spots to rank 105th globally, with a speed of 18.26 Mbps as compared to 113th in October.

The Speedtest Global Index for November released by network intelligence company Ookla showed that the median mobile download speed in October was 16.50 Mpbs. In November, the download speed showed an improvement of over 1.75 Mbps. Read more

 

12:37 PM

Russia targets Ukraine's Kyiv in early morning drone attack

Ukraine's capital was targeted by multiple drones in a new attack early Monday, local authorities reported, three days after what they described as one of Russia's biggest attacks on Kyiv since the beginning of the war.

The Kyiv city administration said on its Telegram account that more than 20 Iranian-made drones were detected over the capital's air space of Kyiv, and at least 15 of them were shot down.

It added that a critical infrastructure point was hit, without giving more details. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Russia has been targeting energy infrastructure, including in Kyiv, as part of a strategy to try to freeze Ukrainians.

 

12:14 PM

Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu tests positive for Covid-19

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was tested Covid-19 positive in New Delhi on Monday.

A spokesman for the state government said the Chief Minister was scheduled to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital. The meeting has been postponed after the development.

He said the Chief Minister is asymptomatic and as a precautionary measure has quarantined himself and all his engagements have been postponed.

The Chief Minister had joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan on December 16.

11:55 AM

Bharat Jodo Yatra resumes from Dausa; Rahul, Kharge to address rally in Alwar

The Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed from here on Monday with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and senior leader Sachin Pilot walking alongside the former Congress chief.

Gandhi and the Congress leaders and workers began their march from Bandikui in Dausa.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Gandhi will address a rally in Alwar this afternoon. The yatra will not have an evening session on Monday.

The yatra, which was launched on September 7 in Kanyakumari has traversed Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and now, Rajasthan. It completed 100 days on Friday last.

The yatra will enter Delhi on December 24, and after a break of about eight days, move on to Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and finally, Jammu and Kashmir.

11:43 AM

Google Search hit highest ever traffic in 25 years during Fifa WC final

On Sunday, as Lionel Messi was inching towards his lifelong goal of winning the World Cup for his team, Argentina, Google Search logged its highest-ever traffic in 25 years.

"Search recorded its highest ever traffic in 25 years during the final of #FIFAWorldCup , it was like the entire world was searching about one thing!," Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai tweeted.

"One of the greatest games ever. Well played Argentina and France. Jogo Bonito. Nobody deserves it more than #messi, imho the greatest ever to play the game. What a swansong. #FIFAWorldCup," Pichai said in another tweet.

Lionel Messi's dream of winning the FIFA World Cup finally materialised on Sunday, with Argentina surviving a few anxious moments to register a fighting 4-2 penalty shootout win over defending champions France.

11:03 AM

India to build 1,700 km 'frontier highway' near the China border by 2027

In the next five years, the Centre will build a 1,748 km long "frontier highway" close to the India-Tibet-China-Myanmar border in Arunachal Pradesh. It will be as close as 20 km from the international border, a report by the Times of India (TOI) said.

The two-lane highway, NH-913, will aim to stop infiltration in the border areas and will be built by the transport ministry.

The highway will start from Bomdila and pass through Nafra, Huri and Monigong. It will pass through Jido and Chenquenty, close to the China border and end at Vijaynagar, near the India-Myanmar border. Read more

 

10:55 AM

Delhi Congress meets at party office to oversee preparations of Bharat Jodo Yatra

Delhi Congress meeting being held at the party office today over the preparations for Bharat Jodo Yatra. Jagdish Tytler also present at the meeting.

 

10:48 AM

Centre to impose import duties non-essential items as exports fall

The Centre may hike the duties on imports of "non-essential items" ahead of growing concerns around a slowdown in exports and a widening trade deficit. Several ministries are in the process of shortlisting the commodities for duty hikes, as reported by the Indian Express (IE). The list will reportedly be restricted to only the commodities that have "enough manufacturing capacity" in the country.

"We are looking at non-essential imports for which there is enough manufacturing capacity. It is to identify non-essential items, where there is sufficient production capacity and allow for higher import substitution," an official told IE.

The government is also looking for ways to separate commodities that come under the same Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) code for imposing duties. An HSN code subsumes a broad sweep of items. All the items under one HSN code are, however, taxed at the same rate. But under the current deliberations, the Centre is likely to impose duty only on a few items under a code and not all. Read more

 

10:06 AM

Congress to bring no-confidence motion against Shivraj govt in Assembly

Opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh to bring no-confidence motion against Shivraj Singh Chouhan govt during winter session of Assembly beginning on Monday, says the party in a statement.

10:00 AM

In India, reality means corruption, dirty roads, pollution: Infosys founder Murthy

"In India, reality means corruption, dirty roads, pollution, and many times no power. The reality in Singapore means clean roads, no pollution, and lots of power. Your responsibility is to create that new reality," says Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy at GMRIT.

9:54 AM

RSS farmer body's protest: Traffic likely to be affected in parts of Delhi

Traffic movement is likely to be affected in parts of central Delhi on Monday due to the 'Kisan Garjana' rally at the Ramleela Ground here, police said.

The rally is being organised by the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), an affiliate of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), from 11 am to 6 pm to seek various relief measures to improve the condition of farmers.

According to an advisory by the Delhi Police, around 50,000 to 55,000 people are likely to arrive at the ground in 700 to 800 buses, and 3,500 to 4,000 private vehicles.

The diversion points are Maharaja Ranjeet Singh Marg, Mirdard Chowk, Minto Road, Ajmeri Gate, Chaman Lal Marg, Delhi Gate, JLN Marg, roundabout Kamala Market to Hamdard Chowk, Bhavbhuti Marg and Paharganj Chowk, it said.

9:46 AM

India logs 135 new Covid cases; death toll stands at 530,674

India logged 135 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases increased marginally to 3,559 from 3,552, according to the Union Health Ministry data on Monday.

The Covid case tally was recorded at 44,676,087. The death toll stands at 530,674 with two fatalities reconciled by Kerala.

The active cases comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate increased to 98.80 per cent, the ministry said.

9:35 AM

India bringing world together against terrorism, neighbours backing terrorism: Anurag Thakur

"While India is bringing the world together against terrorism, some of our neighbouring countries are backing terrorism and loudly speaking in favour of it. Their true face has been revealed on n international level," says Union Minister Anurag Thakur
He adds, "If you look at the conviction rate in terror financing it is 94 per cent. It is just because of the policies adopted and the new laws made and other international conferences held in India."

 

8:47 AM

Congress MP Tewari gives adjournment notice in Lok Sabha over China border row

Congress MP Manish Tewari gives Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha to discuss border situation with China.

 

8:25 AM

CM will have to give compensation to families of Saran hooch tragedy victims: Sushil Modi

"In 2018, as per media reports, CM Nitish Kumar said compensation will be given if liquor proved to be cause of death. He promised Rs 4 Lakhs to kin of hooch victims. In Khajurbani hooch tragedy, compensation was given to victims’ kin. Why not in Saran tragedy?" says BJP MP Sushil Modi.

"As per the Excise & Provision Act, Nitish Kumar will have to give compensation to families of Saran hooch tragedy victims and BJP will go to any extent for these people," he adds.

7:53 AM

Govt to introduce proper law on online gaming: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said the Centre would come out with a proper policy or a new law on online gaming given the impact it has on society. During an interaction with reporters here, Vaishnaw, who holds the Railways, Communication and Information Technology portfolio, recalled that recently he had a meeting with the Information Technology Ministers of all the States, who were concerned over the effect of online gaming.