Live News: Retrieving Pak-occupied J&K next on agenda, says Jitendra Singh

Latest Live news: As many as 25 people die in Andhra Pradesh in two days as heavy rains lash districts.

8:59 PM

Rajasthan cabinet expansion: Pilot's people get berths, bigger say for SCs, women

Fifteen ministers took the oath in Rajasthan on Sunday in a cabinet expansion that included 12 new faces, fulfilling a key demand of former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot whose rebellion last year shook the state's Congress government.

 

The 11 cabinet-rank and four ministers of state (MoS) sworn in by Governor Kalraj Mishra included five considered to be in the Pilot camp. Among them were Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena, back now as cabinet-rank ministers after being sacked during the revolt.

 

The list included three MoS, all Dalits, from the old team who were elevated to the cabinet rank. The Congress also made room for an MLA who had switched over from the Bahujan Samaj Party.

8:58 PM

500-year old massive reservoir develops breaks, villagers asked to vacate near Tirupati

The Chittoor district administration in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday evening issued public warnings asking people of 16 villages to immediately vacate as some minor openings were developed on the tank bund in the 500-year old massive water tank called 'Rayalacheruvu' in the Ramachandra Mandal 14 KM from here.

8:58 PM

Trinamool Youth Congress president arrested by Tripura Police

Trinamool Youth Congress President Sayonni Ghosh was arrested by Tripura Police on Sunday for allegedly causing a ruckus at a public meeting of Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.

 

B Jagadishwar Reddy, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) West, Tripura said, "She has been arrested based on preliminary evidence. We have registered a case under sections 307, 153 of the Indian Penal Code. Action will be taken against those who attacked TMC workers as well after identification, an FIR has been filed."

8:46 PM

Withdraw Kangana Ranaut's Padma Shri: Delhi Sikh body to President

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) on Sunday wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind urging him that the Padma Shri conferred on actor Kangana Ranaut be withdrawn as she was "spreading communal hatred, targeting a religious community, and insulting farmers and freedom fighters".

 

The Sikh body filed a police complaint against her on Saturday for allegedly making seditious and derogatory remarks on social media.

8:38 PM

Congress MLA Khiladi Lal Bairwa meets Ajay Maken after Rajasthan cabinet reshuffle

Congress MLA Khiladi Lal Bairwa on Sunday met AICC general secretary Ajay Maken here.

 

While party sources said Bairwa was in the race to become a minister but was not inducted in the Sunday reshuffle, Bairwa said there was no feeling of resentment in him and he had certain things in his mind about which he went to speak to Maken.

8:29 PM

Maha sees 845 new COVID-19 cases,17 deaths and 730 recoveries

Maharashtra on Sunday reported 845 fresh coronavirus cases and 17 fatalities, while the active case count dropped below 10,000, the health department said.

 

With this, the state's infection tally rose to 66,29,875 and the death toll to 1,40,739, it said. A total of 730 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, which raised the number of recoveries in Maharashtra to 64,75,682, leaving the state with 9,799 active cases.

8:12 PM

Govt allows Serum Institute to export 50L Covishield doses under COVAX to 4 nations

The Union government has allowed the Serum Institute of India to export 50 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine Covishield under the UN-backed COVAX global vaccine programme to Nepal, Tajikistan and Mozambique, official sources said on Sunday.

 

In addition to these three countries, the SII will also export Covishield to Bangladesh under COVAX, they said.

8:12 PM

Farmer unions dig in heels over MSP issue; Mahapanchayat in Lucknow on Monday

Showing no signs of relenting, farmer unions announced they were sticking to their planned protests with a mahapanchayat in Lucknow on Monday to press for a law guaranteeing MSP even as the Centre prepared to bring bills in Parliament to fulfil their demand of repealing its three agri laws.

 

The Union Cabinet is likely to take up for approval on Wednesday the bills for rescinding the three farm laws so that they are introduced in the forthcoming winter session, government sources said on Sunday.

8:11 PM

Swachh Survekshan 2021: Latur gets GFC-3 star, ODF ++ ranking

Latur city in Maharashtra was awarded GFC-3 star ranking and ODF++ status in the Centre's Swachh Survekshan 2021 survey, an official said on Sunday.

 

Latur Mayor Vikrant Gojamunde said the city had improved its ranking in the survey from 138 last year to 38 this time due to the hard work put in by citizens, civic staff and officials.

7:49 PM

Portfolios to given keeping Assembly polls in mind: Gehlot

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on Sunday said portfolios to his ministers will be given keeping next Assembly polls in mind and they will buck the trend of power alternately shifting between his party and the BJP in the state.

 

The assertion by the CM was backed by other party leaders, who also exuded the confidence of retaining power in the 2023 Assembly polls.

7:49 PM

Farmers head to Lucknow for Monday's Kisan Mahapanchayat

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmers unions, will hold a mahapanchayat in Lucknow on Monday to press for law guaranteeing MSP and the sacking of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, whose son is an accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

 

The gathering, scheduled to be held at Eco Garden in Uttar Pradesh capital, was planned months before Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced repealing the three contentious agri laws. The SKM, at a meet in Delhi on Sunday, decided to stick to the date.

7:26 PM

2022 UP polls: AIMIM to contest 100 out of 403 assembly seats

Ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) announced that it will contest elections on 100 seats out of the 403 assembly seats.

 

The party said it is in talks with other parties to form an alliance.

7:26 PM

Rs 730cr on ghat construction, maintenance along Ganga: RTI reply

The Centre has released a whopping Rs 10,000 crore plus funds to the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), of which the NMCG has spent Rs 730 crore on building ghats and maintaining them since 2014.

 

No money from the 'Clean Ganga Fund', however, has been spent on sewage treatment plants (STPs), a reply to a query under Right to Information (RTI) from the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has said.

 

7:25 PM

SP fears BJP will bring back three farm laws after assembly polls

The Samajwadi Party on Sunday expressed apprehension that the three contentious farm laws will be brought again after the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, citing the statements made by Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra and BJP MP from Unnao Sakshi Maharaj on them.

 

The state Congress too slammed the BJP, saying the Centre is on the "backfoot" and that its "intention is malafide".

7:13 PM

Uniform Civil Code not suitable for multi-religious country like India: AIMPLB

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Sunday said the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is neither suitable nor useful for a vast multi-religious country like India.

7:10 PM

Covid-19: 247 new cases, 1 death in Karnataka

Karnataka has reported 247 new cases of COVID-19 and 1 death, taking the total number of infections to 29,93,599 and the toll to 38,175, the health department said on Sunday.

 

The day also saw 278 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 29,48,331. Out of 247 new cases reported today, 134 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 180 discharges and 1 death.

7:09 PM

58 Aadhaar Seva Kendras out of planned 166 functional now: UIDAI CEO

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has made 58 out of the planned 166 Aadhaar Seva Kendras operational till now, a top official of the organisation said on Sunday.

 

Residents can visit these Aadhaar Seva Kendras (ASKs) for Aadhaar enrolment and updation services like change in address and corrections.

7:07 PM

Nashik sees 52 Covid-19 cases, 2 deaths, 36 recoveries

Nashik's COVID-19 tally reached 4,11,945 on Sunday with the addition of 52 cases, while the death toll increased by two to touch 8,704, an official said.

 

So far, 4,02,753 people have been discharged, including 36 during the day, he said.

 

7:06 PM

T'gana CM leaves for Delhi, to take up Krishna river water sharing issue with Centre

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday left for New Delhi, where he is scheduled to meet Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat over water allocation in Krishna and Godavari basins, besides requesting the Centre to set up a tribunal.

 

During his stay in the national capital, if necessary, Rao will also call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the issue and also demands to declare annual target on paddy procurement from the state.

6:59 PM

MP: BJP, Cong to hold events during the week to woo tribals

The ruling BJP and the Congress in Madhya Pradesh will be holding outreach programmes for the tribals of the state during the week, with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan addressing an event in Mandla on Monday and the opposition party convening a meet of its tribal legislators on Wednesday.

 

6:59 PM

Kerala clocks 5,080 new cases of COVID-19, 196 deaths

Kerala recorded 5,080 fresh coronavirus infections and 196 deaths on Sunday, raising the caseload to 50,89,175 and the toll to 37,495.

 

With 7,908 more people recovering from the virus since Saturday, the total recoveries crossed 50 lakh to reach 50,04,786 and the active cases dropped to 58,088, an official press release said.

6:48 PM

Gusty winds bring visible improvement in air quality

Strong surface winds swept through Delhi on Sunday, bringing about a visible improvement in the air quality, even as the authorities announced that schools will remain closed for physical classes till further orders in view of air pollution.

 

Officials said Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai will on Monday hold a high-level meeting to review the curbs imposed to contain high pollution levels in the city.

6:47 PM

Protest using strings: Elderly man returns to Singhu with his iktara to motivate farmers

He plays iktara at the Singhu border, where he has been camping at regular intervals since the start of the protest against the three agri laws. With his songs of victory, Jagar Singh, 75, is back at the site, motivating the protesters to continue their struggle.

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced a rollback of the three agri laws at the centre of protests by farmers for the past year.

 

On his fourth visit to the Singhu border, the epicentre of farmers' protest, Singh, a resident of Patiala district in Punjab, seems happy and in a celebratory mood.

6:46 PM

Nagaland reports 10 new COVID-19 cases

Nagaland on Sunday reported 10 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the tally to 32,050, a health official said.

 

The state had reported zero COVID-19 cases on Saturday.

6:46 PM

Tawde made BJP general secretary; says will get opportunity if one exercises restrain, patience

Maharashtra BJP leader Vinod Tawde, who was elevated to the post of general secretary in the party on Sunday, said the development was a perfect example of how political leaders can get an opportunity if they exercise restrain and patience.

 

The senior BJP leader, believed to be a political rival of former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, was elevated to the post of general secretary of BJP on Sunday ahead of assembly elections in five states, including politically crucial Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand.

6:45 PM

Labourer's hand chopped off in MP after he asked for pending wages

A 45-year-old labourer's hand was chopped off allegedly by his employer when he asked for his pending wages in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh.

 

As per the police, Ashok Saket who had been working as a construction worker for Ganesh Mishra in Dolmau village of Rewa district demanded his payment which was due for last few months.

6:45 PM

Indian Navy to enhance surveillance capability; to focus on acquiring new-age tech

The Indian Navy plans to acquire a sizeable number of unmanned aerial and underwater platforms in the next few years to significantly ramp up its surveillance capability in the backdrop of China's increasing forays into the Indian Ocean region, people familiar with the development said on Sunday.

6:25 PM

SII urges govt to fast-track movement of increasing Covishield stock

Serum Institute of India (SII) has urged the government to fast-track Covishield movement citing the difficulties being faced in production and cold chain space planning for other vaccines because of the increasing stock of its COVID-19 jab, official sources said on Sunday.

 

Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at SII, is learnt to have recently communicated to the Union Health Ministry that it has a manufactured stock of 24,89,15,000 Covishield doses and it is increasing every day.

6:23 PM

Imran Khan says his govt will support Chinese businesses in Pakistan

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that his government will support Chinese businesses in Pakistan on a priority basis as he directed the authorities to immediately resolve the issues related to road connectivity and provision of utilities being faced by investors from China.

 

Khan made the remarks during his meeting with a Chinese business delegation led by Chen Yan from Challenge Fashion (Pvt) Ltd on Saturday.

6:23 PM

TMC leader Sayani Ghosh detained for questioning in Tripura; party alleges attack on workers by BJP

Tripura police on Sunday detained West Bengal Trinamool Congress leader Sayani Ghosh for questioning following a complaint by a ruling BJP worker that she had disturbed a street corner meeting of Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Saturday night, according to an official.

 

Ghosh, the youth unit secretary of TMC West Bengal, was detained a day before a planned visit by the party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee after being called in for questioning in a police station.