News Postcard

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"The Modi government this year waived loans of Rs 2,37,876 crore of a few industrialists. With this amount, 11 crore families could have been provided Rs 20,000 each in these difficult Covid times. The truth about Modi ji's development," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. The Congress leader, who is currently travelling abroad, has been attacking the government for waiving of loans of industrialists and not providing cash aide to the poor during these difficult times. http://dlvr.it/RpgJqg

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The Subject Expert Committee of Drugs Controller of India will hold a meeting to consider Serum Institute of India's application for emergency use approval of its Covid-19 vaccine, a government official has said. According to the sources, only SII's application will be considered. The recommendation of SEC will be sent for drug regulator's approval later today after the meeting. http://dlvr.it/Rpc4Hf

Backing the "anti-conversion" legislation brought by Uttar Pradesh government, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that he personally does not support conversion for marriage. He was responding to a question about the misuse of "love-jihad law" enacted by the Uttar Pradesh government. Rajnath Singh is Lok Sabha MP from Lucknow. http://dlvr.it/RpbRz5

"China has deployed heavily along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in support of their army. They have a large presence of radars, surface to air missiles and surface to surface missiles. Their deployment has been strong," the air chief said. However, he said that India is also ready and has taken all necessary actions to counter Beijing. http://dlvr.it/RpYmRc

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India has reported the first seven cases of mutant Coronavirus strain as seven returnees from the United Kingdom tested positive, the health ministry informed on Tuesday. It said the mutated UK strain was detected in samples in NIMHANS, Bengaluru, in CCMB, Hyderabad and one in NIV, Pune. http://dlvr.it/RpX4q9

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said Delhi being the national capital of the country should reflect the grandeur of 21st-century India and the government is making efforts to modernize the city's old infrastructure. http://dlvr.it/RpTPkr

Earlier in the month, Army chief General Naravane made an historic visit to Saudi Arabia and the UAE to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation. It was the first-ever visit by a head of the Indian Army to the two strategically important Gulf countries. http://dlvr.it/RpSpxx

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AIADMK on Sunday bluntly told ally BJP that it cannot make a dent in Tamil Nadu and ruled out accomodating the saffron party in the government if it won the assembly elections, due next year, and retained power. The BJP also has to endorse chief minister K Palaniswami as CM candidate and agree to its other terms- and if not, should rethink of its 2021 electoral options, the AIADMK indicated. http://dlvr.it/RpQdRj

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Unaccounted income of Rs 100 crore has been detected after the income tax department raided three "leading" contractors of Northeast India based in Assam early this week, the CBDT said on Saturday. The search and survey action was initiated on December 22 at fourteen locations in Guwahati, Silapathar and Pathsala in Assam and in Delhi. http://dlvr.it/RpNDf8

Having already given a bloody nose to the People's Liberation Army troops in Eastern Ladakh during face-offs in the ongoing conflict, the ITBP in the sensitive Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh says its men were on a high readiness mode on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Chinese won't be able to spring any surprises in this sector. http://dlvr.it/RpMpG2

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India's Covid-19 caseload rose to 1,00,99,066 with 23,950 new infections being reported in a day, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 96.63 lakh, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The death toll increased to 1,46,444 with 333 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. http://dlvr.it/RpBx6K

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Covaxin, India's first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, has been successful in roping in 13,000 volunteers for its Phase III trials, which is half the number of volunteers targeted for the efficacy studies. The Phase III human clinical trials of Covaxin began in mid-November with NIMS Hyderabad, making it the first and only Phase III efficacy studies for a Covid-10 vaccine in India. http://dlvr.it/Rp7xGQ

NEW DELHI: Cold wave conditions are predicted in parts of Delhi over the next four days as the minimum temperature is expected to drop to three to four degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday. The minimum temperature had increased slightly to 5.5 degrees Celsius on Monday under the influence of a fresh Western Disturbance (WD) affecting the upper reaches of the Himalayas. http://dlvr.it/Rp7F41

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After a video surfaced on social media claiming that Chinese troops entered into Indian territory and went back following an intervention by the locals and ITBP personnel, government officials have denied any such claim. According to the sources, few local nomads with their pets entered into Indian territory and they were confronted by locals, a few days back. http://dlvr.it/Rp4Fjg

Google on Monday celebrated the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the rare conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn with a doodle, in collaboration with Nasa. Dec 21 marks the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, but in 2020 the longest night of the year is also going to witness Jupiter and Saturn overlapping each other in an event that hasn't been visible since the middle ages. http://dlvr.it/Rp3bbX

Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the turnout of a sizeable number of people in his roadshow at Birbhum indicated that people of West Bengal are "angry" with chief minister Mamata Banerjee and want a change. This roadshow shows love and trust of people of Bengal towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi. http://dlvr.it/Rp1gQ2

With no clarity yet on dates of board examinations next year, several schools are already conducting pre-board exams in online mode to ensure that students are fully prepared in time. While the Ministry of Education (MoE) is yet to take a call on the dates of board exams for class 10 and 12, it has already clarified that the exams will be in pen and paper mode only. http://dlvr.it/Rp1G0D

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Union Home minister Amit Shah on Saturday had lunch at the house of a farmer in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district as part of his exercise to strengthen relations with the agriculturists ahead of the assembly elections in the state. Shah, who is on a two-day visit to West Bengal to take stock of the BJP's affairs in the state, arrived here on Saturday and offered puja at a local temple. http://dlvr.it/RnydWt

India's Covid-19 caseload surpassed the somber one-crore mark Saturday, adding 10 lakh cases in nearly a month, while the total number of recoveries surged to 95.50 lakh, according to the Union health ministry data. It went past 50 lakh on September 16, 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, and surpassed 90 lakh on November 20. However, the Covid-19 case fatality rate has further declined to 1.45 per cent. http://dlvr.it/Rny8CJ

Official sources said that there is "no question of dropping" the proposed new Prime Minister's Office (PMO) from the Central Vista Redevelopment project, after the CPWD did not mention the same in its new proposal before an expert panel of the Ministry of Environment and Forest. http://dlvr.it/Rnvyps

The trend of exponential increase in India's total Covid-19 recoveries continues with the number of people who have recuperated from the disease crossing a "crucial peak" of 95 lakh, the Union health ministry said on Friday. A total of 4,358 people have recovered in Maharashtra in a span of 24 hours followed by 2,747 in West Bengal. http://dlvr.it/RnvMZ2

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation through his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' on December 27. In the 71st edition of his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', emphasising on strong, vibrant and active alumni network, PM Modi had urged educational institutions to adopt innovative methods and develop creative platforms for engagement with alumni. http://dlvr.it/RntftV

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Disgruntled TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari, who had quit the Mamata Banerjee cabinet last month, on Wednesday resigned from the membership of West Bengal legislative assembly. http://dlvr.it/Rnlnwj

The US Congress has officially passed the USD 740 billion defence policy bill, which among other things include calling out Chinese aggression against India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). http://dlvr.it/Rnl5fh

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