Tag: Today news

BJP’s Central Election Committee meets to shortlist candidates for upcoming assembly polls | India News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: The Central Election Committee (CEC) of the BJP met here on Wednesday to finalise the party candidates for the seats for which it has so far not named its nominees for the upcoming state assembly elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior BJP leaders met at the party headquarters to deliberate on the probable names and short-list the candidates.
The CEC has so far announced the names of candidates for the Assam polls and the first few phases of the election in West Bengal. It has also named its nominees for a number of seats in Kerala and all the nine constituencies in Puducherry the party will contest.
The polls in the four states of Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry will be held between March 27 and April 29.
Assam will have three-phase polls, Bengal will have eight-phase polls while Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will have single-phase elections on April 6. The counting of votes will be taken up on May 2.

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Yogi Adityanath attacks Congress in Assam, blames it for state’s lack of development | India News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: With the Congress-led mahajoth (grand alliance) emerging as the BJP’s main rival in Assam, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday came down heavily on the party and heaped praises on the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. Chanting “Jai Shri Ram”, he said no work in the country could be done without the name of Lord Ram.
Addressing an election rally in Hojai, the UP chief minister accused the Congress responsible for lack of development and illegal influx in the Northeast and rise of militancy in Kashmir in its quest for power.
Adityanath charged the Congress with ignoring the people’s welfare and development of the region. He said the Northeast looked for development under the successive Congress governments. “But no development took place as progress was not on their agenda.”
“Congress never worked for development and progress of the region or the country’s unity or welfare of the people, but only to grab power. This forced the people here to endure its misrule for a long time and the problem of illegal migration in the area,” he said.
Adityanath said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the other hand scrapped the ‘Look East Policy’ and implemented instead the ‘Act East Policy’ for the development of the region. The PM also directed that each of his cabinet ministers spend a day in the Northeast and study how their respective departments’ schemes for welfare of the poor are implemented, the chief minister said.
The Congress has forged an alliance with Maulana Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF) for the upcoming assembly elections in Assam.
Continuing his attack on the Congress for encouraging militancy, Adityanath said that the Congress had in 1952 introduced Article 370 granting special status to Kashmir paving the way for entry of militants there.
“Congress had put restrictions on the movement of people from other states to Kashmir and buying land there. But now with revocation of Article 370 anybody from any part of the country can buy property there”, he said.
Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee had strongly opposed Article 370 saying it was a threat to national unity as in a country there can not be two Constitutions, two flags and prime ministers, he said.
Jana Sangh is the forerunner of BJP, which came into being in 1977.
“Prime Minister Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah fulfilled Mookerjee’s dream by revoking Article 370 and put the last nail for ending militancy in Kashmir,” he said.
Chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram‘, Adityanath also said, “No work in India can be done without the name of Lord Ram. Ram is India’s identity, heritage, culture, its foundation.”
He said, “Overcoming all obstacles the BJP government laid the foundation of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. People from Assam have generously contributed towards its construction.”
Adityanath claimed that people need a government like the Modi government, which conducted the surgical strike in September 2016 in Pakistan-administered Kashmir when that country intruded, brought about development and unity to the country, provided employment opportunities to the youth and protected the honour of women by doing away with the instant triple talaq.
The Narendra Modi government is working for making the dream of India becoming a superpower a reality, he said.
Modi has never discriminated against the citizens of India but has taken everyone along irrespective of region, religion or language for their welfare and progress. “Welfare of all is Modiji’s moto,” Adityanath said.
Under Modi’s leadership during the last six years the BJP government undertook welfare schemes for all citizens, irrespective of the various differences. It provided benefits under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, free LPG to women under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, LED bulbs, electricity, drinking water to each household, Rs 5 lakh insurance cover for the economically deprived, besides water to agricultural fields.
Adityanath also referred to US President Joe Biden appreciating Modi for effectively handling the COVID-19 pandemic in India, vaccinating its citizens and also sending vaccines to friendly countries.
He urged the people of Assam to vote for chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal so that he can return to power for a successive second term in the coming state election.
Voting in Hojai is slated to be held in the second phase on April 1.
(With agency inputs)

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Farmers to observe Bharat Bandh on March 26, burn copies of farm laws | India News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmers, said that it is preparing to intensify the stir against the new farm laws with Bharat Bandh on March 26.
During the nationwide strike on March 26, which will mark four months of the farmers movement, all shops and other business establishments will remain shut for 12 hours, followed by the burning of the copies of the three laws during “holika dehan” on March 28.
“The strike will start from 6 in the morning and will continue till 6 in the evening, during which all shops and dairies and everything will remain closed.
“We will burn the copies of the three laws during Holi and hope that better sense prevails within the government, and it repeals the laws, and gives us a written guarantee for MSP,” said Ranjit Raju of Ganganagar Kisan Samiti addressing a press conference.
All the trade and transport unions, students’, youth women’s unions and other groups on Wednesday also pledged their full support to the ‘bandh’.

(Farmers at Ghazipur border during the ongoing protest against the new Farm Laws)
All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) leader Krishna Prasad said the fact that the movement had managed to continue for as long as 112 days was an achievement in itself, and it would only get stronger from now.
He added that the Bharat Bandh will happen at “state, zila, tehsil and village levels”.
“The protest has been going on for 112 days. That itself is an achievement. Neither you, nor us had thought that we could do this, and the public has shown that it supports us,” he said.
The three farm laws which were enacted in the month of September have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.
The protesting farmers, on the other hand, have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave way for eliminating the safety cushion of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and do away with the “mandi” (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.
(With inputs from PTI)

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No decision yet on nationwide NRC, govt tells Rajya Sabha | India News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday said it has not taken any decision on the nationwide roll-out of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai was replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha on whether the central government had any plans to implement the NRC throughout the country.
“Till now, the government has not taken any decision to prepare the National Register of Indian Citizens at the national level,” Rai said in a written reply.
The NRC was updated in Assam under the supervision of the Supreme Court. When the final NRC was published on August 31, 2019, a total of 19.06 lakh people were excluded out of the total 3,30,27,661 applicants, which created a ripple across India.
The NRC is an Assam-specific data of bonafide Indian citizens living in the state.
Replying to another question, Rai said there is no provision of detention centres under the Citizenship Act, 1955 and the National Register of Indian Citizens.
He said the Supreme Court on February 28, 2012 had directed that foreign nationals who completed their sentence shall be released from jail immediately and be kept in an appropriate place with restricted movement pending their deportation or repatriation.
Following that directive, Rai said, the ministry of home affairs issued instructions on March 7, 2012 to state governments and UT administrations to comply with the directions of the Supreme Court.
The minister said detention centres are set up by the state governments and UT administrations as per their local requirements to detain illegal immigrants and foreigners, some of whom may have completed their sentence and their deportation to their native country may be pending for want of proper travel documents.

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EC proposal to link electoral roll with the Aadhaar under consideration: Govt in Lok Sabha | India News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: The Election Commission‘s proposal to link electoral roll with the Aadhaar ecosystem to root out multiple enrolments is under the consideration of the government, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
In a written reply, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the poll panel has proposed to link electoral roll with the “Aadhaar ecosystem” with a “view to curb the menace of multiple enrolment of the same person at different places”.
He said this would require amendments to the electoral laws. “The matter is under the consideration of the government,” he said.
He was asked about the current status of the Election Commission‘s proposal to link Aadhaar with voter ID.
The minister said the poll panel has stated that it has taken multiple measures for the security and the safety of the electoral roll data platform.
“Electoral roll database system does not enter into the Aadhaar ecosystem and the system is used only for the authentication purpose keeping a tight air-gap between the two systems. These measures effectively prevent theft interception and hijacking of the voter system,” Prasad said.
He was asked about the manner in which the government plans to protect the data linked with Aadhaar and voter ID from being misused.
The poll panel has been pressing the government to amend provisions of the Representation of the People Act allowing EC to seek Aadhaar numbers of those applying to be voters and those who are already part of the electoral rolls.
According to the EC proposal sent in August 2019, the electoral law should be amended to empower electoral registration officers to seek Aadhaar number of existing voters as well as of those applying to enrol themselves in the voters” list.
In August 2015, a Supreme Court order on Aadhaar had put the brakes on Election Commission’s project to link UIDAI (Aadhaar) number with voters’ electoral data to check multiple entries in electoral rolls.
The poll panel was then collecting Aadhaar number as part of its National Electoral Roll Purification and Authentication Programme (NERPAP).
Seeking to check multiple entries in electoral rolls and to make them error-free, the Election Commission had embarked on an ambitious project to link Aadhaar numbers with electoral data.
Since the Supreme Court order makes it clear that sanction of law is required to collect Aadhaar number, the commission has proposed changes in electoral law, a poll panel functionary had recently explained.

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Cyber volunteers to only report unlawful content; state/UT police to verify and act as per law | India News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: The home ministry on Wednesday clarified that the cyber volunteers, as technical experts, will only assist the state/UT law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in cyber hygiene promotion and reporting of unlawful content. It will be up to the LEAs to verify the content and take necessary action as per the extant laws.
“The content reported (by cyber volunteers registered under the programme) shall be verified and validated by the State/UT LEAs for taking appropriate action as per the existing provisions of law. There is no discretion in the hands of a cyber volunteer,” MoS (Home) G Kishan Reddy assured the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question.
The home ministry said its I4C wing had rolled out the cyber crime volunteer framework as a part of cyber hygiene promotion and to bring together citizens to contribute in the fight against cybercrime in the country and assist State/UT LEAs in their endeavour to curb cyber crimes.
The challenges of cyber space are many which flow from its vastness and borderless character, the home ministry said.
The volunteers, said Reddy, shall be registered and their services utilised by the respective State/UT police agencies, as per their requirement. Cyber volunteers will be registered by following the due process and they will be required to furnish ID proof, address proof, photograph etc.

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Mamata skips meeting with PM on Covid, Bengal urges for more vaccines | India News – Times of India

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KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday skipped a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with chief ministers of different states on the recent surge in Covid-19 cases in some parts of the country.
Banerjee could not attend the meeting as she was busy campaigning for the state elections, a top state government official said.
Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay attended the meeting that happened through the virtual mode, he said.
At the meeting, Bandyopadhyay raised the issue of the need for more Covid-19 vaccine doses in West Bengal, the official said.
The Covid-19 situation has been deteriorating in some parts of the country, raising concern over a possible second wave.
The Centre has urged the states concerned to step up containment efforts wherever needed.

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New sensors track sweat, monitor health; team working on energy storage device | India News – Times of India

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A group of researchers from the Central Electrochemical Research Institute has developed a flexible, low-cost wearable sensor that can track sweat for monitoring health and physiological status of the human body.
The group is led by Vinu Mohan AM, scientist at the CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CECRI). He is a recipient of a fellowship instituted by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), which says that this sensor can obviate the necessity of blood and other invasive tests.
Their research has been published in the journal ‘ACS Sensor’. “The wearable microfluidic sensor, which does not need a clean room, can be used for in situ monitoring of multiple biomarkers simultaneously from sweat samples. Using the fellowship, Mohan is improving upon the sensor to make it stretchable as well,” the DST said in a statement.
It added that the sensor can analyse biomarkers from human sweat during exercise activities without transfer of signals. The high-throughput sweat sampling ability of the sensor facilitates continuous capture and transport of sweat over the surface of the device resulting in real-time analysis.
“The sensor can be attached on the irregular skin surface and monitors the dynamic biomarker levels, and are important for clinical diagnosis and personalized point-of-care analysis,” the statement read.
In the sensor set up by Mohan’s research group, sweat is captured real-time and directed through the active sensing electrodes for subsequent interference-free analyses. A miniaturised printed circuit board collects cross-talk-free sensor responses without the need for wires.
“The fully-integrated pump-less microfluidic device is mounted on the skin, and the regional variations in sweat composition are analysed at the underarm and upper back locations during stationary biking. The epidermal patch can monitor the hydration level and oxygenation of muscles which is essential for fitness monitoring application,” the statement added.
The DST added that Mohan and his team are also exploring other reliable biofluids such as saliva and fluid in tissues as they contain abundant chemical markers that could reflect the underlying physiology of the human body.
“They are also parallely focusing on developing wearable energy storage devices as they are essential for powering wearable electrochemical sensors. An all-printed solid-state flexible and stretchable supercapacitor having serpentine-shaped, interdigitated, freestanding interconnects was recently developed and used as an energy buffering element for powering a wearable pulse rate sensor. The work was published in NanoEnergy journal. Besides, his group is developing omni-directionally stretchable high-performance supercapacitors for self-powered wearable sensors,” the DST added.

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Twitter Faceoff: Rhea Chakraborty’s fans react after NCB challenges her bail in SC | India News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI. A day after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) filed a special leave petition before the Supreme Court to challenge the bail granted to late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty in the drugs case, Twitter exploded with reactions from Jalebi star fans.

03:00NCB files a special leave petition before SC for cancellation of Rhea Chakraborty’s bail in drugs case linked to Sushant Singh Rajput’s death

NCB files a special leave petition before SC for cancellation of Rhea Chakraborty's bail in drugs case linked to Sushant Singh Rajput's death

It should be noted that justice Sarang Kotwal had granted her bail on last October in the drugs case allegedly linked to a ‘drug angle’ into 34-year-old Rajput’s mysterious death on June 14, last year. The HC had said, “She is not part of’’ of any drug dealer chain, nor was there any recovery from her.
Many Rhea fans feel that she has been a victim of the worst kind of witch hunt.

‘This too shall pass’

Indian women continue getting targeted

‘Rhea is a strong woman’

However, there were few who expressed happiness with NCB’s move



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PM Narendra Modi to hold meeting with chief ministers on Covid-19 surge: Highlights | India News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: As India records this year’s highest single-day tally of fresh Covid-19 cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a virtual meet with all chief ministers on Wednesday to discuss the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the country.
The meeting comes amidst a surge in Covid-19 cases in several states even as the nationwide vaccination drive is underway.
PM Modi’s last interaction with chief ministers was in January before the vaccination roll-out. Here is a look at pandemic-related concerns India needs to address:
India records highest single-day spike of the year
India recorded 28,903 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday marking the highest single-day tally this year, taking the total Covid-19 tally to 1,14,38,734, according to the health ministry data.
The death toll increased to 1,59,044 with 188 new fatalities, the highest in around two months, the data updated at 8 am showed.
India’s vaccination drive ‘too slow’
As many as 3,50,64,536 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered so far.
However, vaccinating more than 3 crore people which is less than 1 per cent of the population, in two months is not fast enough, according to a parliamentary panel.
Expressing concern over a large number of people missing the second dose, the panel emphasized the need to cover maximum people as early as possible in the ongoing vaccination drive, which started on January 16.
Surge in 5 states account for 71% cases
The latest surge in Covid-19 cases in India is dominated by five states.
Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu collectively account for 71.1 per cent of the 28,903 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, as per the ministry data.
Maharashtra alone accounts for 61.8 per cent of the daily new cases with 17,864 cases. It is followed by Kerala with 1,970 while Punjab reported 1,463 new cases.
No Covid-19 death in 15 states
On the other hand, 15 states/UTs have not reported any Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours. These are Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Lakshadweep, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu, Nagaland, Tripura, Ladakh, Manipur, Mizoram, A&N Islands & Arunachal Pradesh.
(With inputs from agencies)

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