Coronavirus: Final sample collection of inmates at ITBP facility begins

A final sample collection of 404 inmates at an ITBP coronavirus quarantine facility in New Delhi is being carried out in order to determine if they can be discharged over the next few days, a senior official said on Thursday.The facility has been hosting these people from early this month after they were evacuated from China in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak in that country.”Final sample collection of all 404 people housed at our quarantine facility is being done by a team of doctors. While 200 samples have been taken today, the rest will be collected on Friday,” ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey said.

Major fire breaks out in Andheri East in Mumbai, no casualties reported

A major fire broke out in a commercial building in Andheri Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) on Thursday morning. However, no injuries had been reported till late afternoon. The fire is yet to be doused and search operation was underway to rescue anybody possibly trapped inside at the time of the publishing of the report.The fire started around 11.30 am on the second floor of Rolta India Limited, an Indian multinational, which was confined to the server room. The building is a ground plus three-storey commercial structure, which serves as the registered head office of the information technology and services company.

Poll authorities seize over Rs 49 lakh from bizman in Delhi

Ahead of the Delhi polls, the surveillance team on Monday seized over Rs 49 lakh from a businessman in Arjun Nagar area, officials said. The static surveillance team made the seizure during a routine inspection in the area falling in the Krishna Nagar constituency, they said.
In a statement issued by the Office of the District Election Officer (East), authorities said the businessman claimed that he was “carrying Rs 49.16 lakh cash for a business purpose”

Militant killed in encounter in J&K

A local militant was killed in a brief encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district on Monday, police said. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Chadoora area following information about the presence of militants there, they said.A gunfight broke out after the lone militant opened fire on the security forces who retaliated, resulting in the killing of the ultra. The slain militant has been identified as Adil Ahmed, a resident of Budgam. His group affiliation was not immediately known.

TRAI announces to make broadcasting channels cheaper

TRAI Chairman Dr RS Sharma on Monday announced , “Under the new framework the MRP for a channel which was earlier Rs 19 has been brought down to Rs 12. Any channel less than or equal to Rs 12 will be able to be a part of the bouquet.””Earlier, some of the broadcasters who were selling the same channels at Rs 5, increased its price to Rs 19. The SD or HD both which obviously were priced differently became Rs 19. So the consumer’s choice was distorted,” he added.

Kolkata Metro gets its second corridor after 36 years

Kolkata, the ‘City of Joy’ finally got its second metro line after Railway Minister Piyush Goyal flanged of the first phase of city’s East-West Metro line.The city got its second metro line after 36 years as currently the Metro services operate in Kolkata on only one North-South corridor from Noapara to Kavi Subhas stations over a length of 27.3 Km. This corridor was inaugurated in 1984.Phase-I of East – West Metro corridor which was inaugurated today is a 5.3 kms long stretch having 6 elevated stations.

RK Pachauri, former TERI chief, passes away at 79

R K Pachauri, a former chief of The Energy and Resources Institute, passed away on Thursday after a prolonged cardiac ailment, TERI Director General Ajay Mathur said. He was 79.”It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing away of R K Pachauri, the founder Director of TERI. The entire TERI family stands with the family of Dr Pachauri in this hour of grief,” Mathur said in a statement issued by the TERI.

‘Winnability can’t be justification’: SC directs political parties to publish criminal records of candidates

In a significant judgement, the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered all political parties in India to upload on their website details of pending criminal cases against candidates contesting polls. The order was passed by bench headed by Justice F Nariman which further directed the political parties to publish credentials, achievements and criminal antecedents of candidates on newspaper, social media platforms and on their website while giving a reason for selection of candidate with criminal antecedents.”If parties fail to comply with its directions on candidates with pending criminal cases, Election Commission (EC) shall bring it to notice of apex court,” the top court said while adding that there has been an alarming increase in criminalisation of politics in last four general elections.