News Postcard

As the cumulative monsoon rainfall over the country touches almost ‘normal’ level with the deficit reduced to less than 1% on Saturday, the overall acreage of Kharif (summer-sown) crops in India crossed the ‘normal’ sown area threshold by over 8 lakh hectares. http://dlvr.it/S4pBnc

The Centre has released 15 per cent of the amount under the Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness (ECRP-II) Package to the states to improve health infrastructure, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday. He said an amount of Rs 1,827.8 crore has been sent to the states and Union territories. The amount constitutes 15 per cent of the total allocation of Rs 12,185 crore under the package. http://dlvr.it/S4n7mz

http://dlvr.it/S4mmLC

Israeli surveillance software company NSO Group has temporarily blocked several government clients around the world from using its Pegasus spyware as the company investigates its possible misuse, Washington-based non-profit media outlet NPR reported. http://dlvr.it/S4lWrQ

Crossing swords with the centre which stated in Parliament that it had no knowledge of the death of farmers during their ongoing protest against the three agri-marketing laws, some opposition parties have demanded a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe to ascertain the facts. http://dlvr.it/S4k2DD

http://dlvr.it/S4jTD3

India recorded 44,681 Covid cases on Thursday, the highest daily count since July 7. Apart from the southern states, Maharashtra too reported a slight spike in infections, with 7,242 new cases registered on Thursday, the highest in a week. http://dlvr.it/S4gzmG

The all-India quota consists of 15% of the total available UG seats and 50% of the total available PG seats in government medical colleges. Initially, there was no reservation in the AIQ scheme up to 2007. This move would benefit nearly 1,500 OBC students in MBBS and 2,500 OBC students in PG and also around 550 EWS students in MBBS and around 1,000 EWS students in PG. http://dlvr.it/S4fQPD

http://dlvr.it/S4dscq

http://dlvr.it/S4cNJF

http://dlvr.it/S4ZnRf

http://dlvr.it/S4ZCkp

Bangalore has been named among the top-10 most affordable cities for students, while Mumbai ranks 52nd globally in the “employer activity” indicator, according to the rankings. http://dlvr.it/S4XkPq

http://dlvr.it/S4WCKC

India reported 29,689 new Covid cases in the last 24 hours. This is the lowest daily rise in new cases in over four months. The country had last reported under-30,000 new cases on March 17, 132 days back, before the second wave started peaking. The daily positivity rate has declined to 1.73 per cent. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.33 per cent, health ministry data stated. http://dlvr.it/S4Vf0y

http://dlvr.it/S4T8YC

"Nobody pressurised me to resign. I did it on my own so that someone else can take over as CM after the completion of two years of government. I'll work to bring BJP back in power in the next election. I've not given the name of anyone who should succeed me." Yediyurappa said. http://dlvr.it/S4RfHG

With 39,361 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, India's tally has reached 3,14,11,262, the bulletin released by the Union health ministry on Monday stated. Covid death toll has risen to 4,20,967 with 416 more fatalities having been reported, the bulletin showed. ​At 3.41 per cent, the daily positivity rate was recorded above 3 per cent after 35 days, according to ministry data. Recovery rate was recorded at 97.35 per cent. http://dlvr.it/S4R62M

http://dlvr.it/S4Pnrx

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday asked who funded the alleged snooping of politicians and journalists by Pegasus and compared it with the Hiroshima bombing, saying while the attack on the Japanese city had resulted in death of people, the spying led to "death of freedom"."The modern technology has taken us back to slavery," Raut said in his weekly column 'Rokhthok' in the Sena mouthpiece Saamana. http://dlvr.it/S4NnFK

http://dlvr.it/S4NRf2

http://dlvr.it/S4MM3X

A suspected drone was spotted near an Army area late night on Friday in the city outskirts barely after few hours when J&K Police shot down an IED laden hexacopter. Sources said that at about 2025 hours, one suspicious flying object, possibly a drone with blinking white light was seen flying near Army chak at Kaluchak under the jurisdiction of Police Station Gangyal Jammu. http://dlvr.it/S4LGWc

Fresh controversy over alleged use of spyware Pegasus for snooping purposes may have scratched open a old malaise that has festered due to successive governments' irresistible desire for illegal interception of telephones for decades despite the Supreme Court in 1996 laying down unambiguous and stringent guidelines to curb unauthorised surveillance.​ http://dlvr.it/S4Kv9r

http://dlvr.it/S4JdxL

The Supreme Court while dismissing a plea challenging the National Green Tribunal's order for imposition of a complete ban on the sale and use of all firecrackers during the Covid-19 pandemic in cities, said that no further clarification or deliberation was required. http://dlvr.it/S4H8Kq

PM Modi paid tributes to noted freedom fighters Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Chandra Shekhar Azad on their birth anniversary and recalled their contributions to the country. http://dlvr.it/S4GctC

http://dlvr.it/S4FB5L

http://dlvr.it/S4Ccf1

http://dlvr.it/S4C5Sf

http://dlvr.it/S49fwZ

The number of farmers receiving the minimum support price (MSP) for their wheat crop has increased by 240% in the past six years. The food ministry told Lok Sabha on Tuesday that 49.16 lakh farmers received the MSP for wheat during the current Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) compared to nearly 20.47 lakh farmers in 2016-17.​ http://dlvr.it/S486DW

Whether or not Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa steps down from his post on July 26, he has already created a record of sorts in the BJP, which is at the helm at the centre and in the state. His record would get further strengthened if he continues as the state CM beyond the date when a meeting of BJP legislature party takes place. Of the 30 CMs in the country, 18 belong to the NDA of which the BJP is one of the leading constituents. Yediyurappa, at 78 years of age, is the oldest among them. http://dlvr.it/S47Zx3

http://dlvr.it/S466sh

http://dlvr.it/S44Zpr

http://dlvr.it/S444Sd

http://dlvr.it/S42gKT

http://dlvr.it/S417jL

http://dlvr.it/S40c62

http://dlvr.it/S3zKZG

http://dlvr.it/S3yJR5

http://dlvr.it/S3xysc

http://dlvr.it/S3wrYQ

http://dlvr.it/S3vkmf

The MH-60R helicopter is an all-weather helicopter designed to support multiple missions with state-of-the-art avionics. The induction of these MRH would enhance Indian Navy's three-dimensional capabilities. The helicopters would also be modified with several unique equipment and weapons. http://dlvr.it/S3vMT6

http://dlvr.it/S3t3DP

http://dlvr.it/S3rTK1

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said in tough times the medical fraternity managed things with remarkable fortitude. Interacting with doctors and frontline workers in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi, the PM said the Government of India has taken their Covidrelated decisions on the basis of the guidance received from the doctors and scientists. http://dlvr.it/S3qwrf

http://dlvr.it/S3pPng

http://dlvr.it/S3mmlb