Breaking News India Daily Updates

All primary schools in Delhi to remain shut till Mar 31 amid coronavirus outbreak

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday announced that all primary schools will remain closed in Delhi till March 31 over coronavirus outbreak. He added that the decision has been taken as precautionary measure to prevent the possibility of spread of coronavirus among children. This comes after the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India rose to 30.
read more at Twitter

Death toll in Northeast Delhi riots rises to 53

Death toll in Delhi's worst riots in over three decades touched 53 on Thursday. Till now, 44 deaths have been reported from GTB Hospital, three from Lok Nayak Hospital, five from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and one from Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital. Police registered 531 FIRs and detained or arrested over 1,600 people in connection with the riots so far.
read more at Hindustan Times

Can someone get infected by coronavirus for the second time?

China's National Health Commission has said that recovered coronavirus patients can contract the virus again. Experts right now don't know whether infected people, once recovered, gain full immunity to keep off the virus in the future. It's also difficult to assess how strong and long-lasting are the antibodies in an infected person's body for the infection to not occur again.
read more at Hindustan Times

Hyderabad zoo considers sending animal samples for coronavirus screening

Hyderabad's Nehru Zoological Park authorities are considering the screening of animals in its enclosures for coronavirus. Zoo curator N Kshitija said that amid the scare of coronavirus, the team of zoo veterinarians has decided to collect samples from animals and send them for testing. Zoo authorities are also providing masks to the animal keepers as well as the 500-odd staff.
read more at The News Minute

Rahul calls Health Minister 'Titanic Captain' over coronavirus outbreak

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that Health Minister Harsh Vardhan saying that the Indian government has the coronavirus crisis under control was like the Captain of the Titanic telling the passengers not to panic as his ship was unsinkable. Gandhi added, "It's time the government made public an action plan backed by solid resources to tackle this crisis."
read more at Hindustan Times

Coronavirus-free certificate must for travel to India from Italy, South Korea

The government has said that people travelling from or having visited Italy and South Korea must submit a certificate showing that they have tested negative for coronavirus. The advisory will be enforced from March 10 and is a temporary measure until coronavirus cases subside, the Health Ministry said. India has reported 30 cases of coronavirus, including 16 Italian tourists.
read more at The New Indian Express

Probe whether coronavirus originated from Sonia Gandhi's home: Rajasthan MP

Lok Sabha on Thursday witnessed uproar over RLP MP Hanuman Beniwal's remark against the Gandhi family during a discussion on coronavirus, leading to adjournment of proceedings. Beniwal said there should be a probe on whether coronavirus is being spread from the "home" of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. "Earlier, Congress'...Rahul Gandhi had forewarned the government about coronavirus," Beniwal added.
read more at The New Indian Express

Ghaziabad man tests +ve for coronavirus, total cases in India rise to 30

A man has tested positive for coronavirus in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, taking the confirmed cases in India to 30. As per PTI, the person has a travel history to Iran. Of the 30 cases, three patients in Kerala were discharged after they recovered. A Paytm employee in Gurugram, who returned from Italy and tested positive, was the 29th confirmed case.
read more at Quint

Suspend biometric attendance: Delhi govt to departments amid coronavirus outbreak

The Delhi government has advised its departments and autonomous bodies to suspend biometric attendance system in wake of coronavirus. As many as 30 people have tested positive for coronavirus in India so far. As on March 4, a total of 28,529 persons were brought under community surveillance and are being monitored, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had said earlier today.
read more at PTI

Imported food from coronavirus-hit nations safe; avoid raw meat: FSSAI

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has said imported food items, including those from coronavirus-affected nations, are "safe" for human consumption. A committee formed to examine the issue has not found "conclusive evidence" of the food-borne transmission of virus, FSSAI added. The committee has asked people to avoid consuming raw or undercooked meat and unprocessed food products.
read more at The New Indian Express

Owner of Gurugram scam call centre that cheated 40,000 in 12 countries arrested

Amit Chauhan, the 30-year-old owner of a Gurugram scam call centre that cheated 40,000 people in the UK, US and other countries, was arrested with an associate on Tuesday. He's a dropout from a Kurukshetra engineering college. His team displayed fake virus alerts on people's computers and demanded money to 'fix' their systems by pretending to be Microsoft's technical experts.
read more at Hindustan Times

Mamata Banerjee dances at mass marriage ceremony of tribal girls

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday attended a mass marriage ceremony of tribal girls and boys held in Malda district. During the ceremony, Mamata was also seen dancing to the folk tunes with the tribal women. A total of 300 tribal couples were married in the ceremony which was organised by West Bengal police.
read more at Zee News

Suspended AAP leader Tahir Hussain, wanted in IB officer's murder, arrested

Suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain was arrested on Thursday as he reached a Delhi court to surrender in connection with an FIR registered against him over violence in Northeast Delhi and the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma. The court had earlier rejected his anticipatory bail plea. Hussain has denied involvement in the riots or in Sharma's murder.

Delhi Police share videos of mob hurling stones on force & DCP being rescued

Delhi Police have shared two videos which purportedly show the violence that erupted on February 24 in Chand Bagh in which head constable Ratan Lal lost his life and DCP Amit Sharma suffered injuries. One video shows a mob surrounding the police force and hurling stones at them. Another video purportedly shows DCP Sharma being taken to safety by police.

7 Congress MPs suspended from Lok Sabha by Speaker over gross misconduct

As many as seven Congress MPs have been suspended from Lok Sabha by Speaker Om Birla on charges of gross misconduct. The MPs included Gaurav Gogoi, TN Prathapan, Dean Kuriakose, R Unnithan, Manickam Tagore, Benny Behnan and Gurjeet Singh Aujla. These MPs won't be allowed to attend rest of the budget session of Lok Sabha.
read more at ANI

Maharashtra govt renames Aurangabad Airport as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Airport

The Maharashtra government on Thursday renamed the Aurangabad Airport as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Airport. The name has been changed in honour of Chhatrapati Sambhaji, who was the son of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet, chaired by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
read more at ANI

Free sanitary pads at all Aqua Line Metro stations from March 8

Sanitary pads will be available free of cost across all 21 stations of Noida-Greater Noida Metro or Aqua Line from March 8, officials said. Noida Metro Rail Corporation will designate two stations as "pink stations" which will have facilities like baby-feeding rooms and diaper-changing areas, among others. NMRC is aiming to have only women staff on these two stations.
read more at The New Indian Express

SC doesn't let Delhi riot victim intervene in Harsh Mander hate speech case

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to allow a victim of the Delhi violence to intervene in the matter pertaining to alleged hate speech by activist Harsh Mander at Jamia Millia Islamia university. Mander's lawyer told the court that a riot victim wanted to intervene in the activist's case. CJI SA Bobde said, "We will not allow you to intervene."

Broadband services restored in Kashmir Valley after 7 months

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Thursday restored the broadband services in Kashmir Valley. Kashmir has over 20,000 broadband connections and only a few hundred mostly belonging to government officials were restored earlier after the subscribers submitted written bonds to the government. The Centre suspended internet services following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5 last year.
read more at Zee News

Remove impression that police only works for privileged: NSA Ajit Doval

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Thursday asked the police officials to ensure that impressions, such as the police only serve the privileged, which sully the image of the organisation are removed. Doval said that police should be seen by the common man as "credible and fair" and added that if it fails to enforce the law, democracy fails.
read more at Zee News

Sikkim stops issuing Inner Line Permit to foreigners over coronavirus

The Sikkim government has suspended issuing Inner Line Permit to foreign nationals, including those from Bhutan, until further orders as a precautionary measure amid coronavirus outbreak. No permits will be issued by the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department for travel to Nathula mountain pass in East Sikkim district, the government added. This comes after 30 cases were confirmed across India.
read more at Hindustan Times

Irresponsible comments: India rejects global criticism of CAA, Delhi riots

India has rejected criticism of the CAA and Delhi riots, saying international bodies and foreign leaders should not make "irresponsible comments" and not be influenced by "selective and unsubstantiated narrative" on the matter. In recent days, the government has faced criticism from bodies like the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and countries like Turkey, Iran and Malaysia.
read more at Hindustan Times

Kerala government to open 'safe homes' for inter-caste couples

The Kerala government will soon open 'safe homes' for inter-caste married couples to ensure them secure accommodation. Social Justice Minister KK Shailaja said preliminary steps have begun to set up 'safe homes', where such couples can stay for up to one year after marriage. Shailaja added that the initiative was being implemented with the support of voluntary organisations.
read more at The New Indian Express

Goa to issue special stickers to tourist cars to avoid 'unnecessary checking'

Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar has said that the documents of cars not registered in Goa will be checked at border entry points of the state and given a special sticker to be put on the screen. The vehicle doesn't need to go through unnecessary stops in Goa as that 'destroys the idea of a holiday', he added.

Nirbhaya gangrape convicts to be hanged on March 20 at 5.30 am

A Delhi court today issued death warrant against the four convicts in Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case for the fourth time after all the legal remedies were exhausted by the convicts. The convicts have been ordered to be hanged on March 20 at 5.30 am. They were earlier ordered to be hanged on January 22, February 1 and March 3.
read more at The Quint

98-yr-old who topped literacy exam in 2018 to be awarded Nari Shakti Puraskar

Kerala's 98-year-old Karthiyani Amma, who topped the Class 4 equivalency exam conducted by Kerala Literacy Mission Authority (KLMA) in 2018, will be awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar 2019. Along with her, 105-year-old Bhageerathi Amma who became the oldest equivalency course student in the history of KLMA will also be awarded. The award will be presented by President Ram Nath Kovind.
read more at ANI

CBSE allows students to carry masks, sanitisers during board exams

After confirmed cases of coronavirus were reported in the country, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) allowed students to carry face masks and sanitisers at the examination centres. CBSE has asked schools to teach children about various public health measures such as frequent hand washing, respiratory etiquettes, among others. So far, 29 confirmed cases have been reported in India.

Sale of meat in open areas banned in Lucknow to prevent spread of coronavirus

Lucknow District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash has said that sale of meat, semi-cooked meat and fish has been banned in open areas in the district to ensure that coronavirus does not transmit through meat. "Hotels and restaurants have been asked to ensure cleanliness and hygiene," he added. This comes after confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 29 in India.
read more at The Quint

Let employees with flu symptoms work from home: K'taka govt's advice to firms

Karnataka government has advised city-based companies to allow their employees to work from home if they have flu-like symptoms. Companies have been asked to promote good respiratory hygiene and ensure the availability of surgical masks and paper tissues at workplaces only for those who develop a running nose or cough at work along with closed bins for their hygienic disposal.
read more at Zee News

Chinese man locks himself in Greater Noida flat, tests -ve for coronavirus later

A Chinese national, who was suspected to have coronavirus, allegedly locked himself inside his flat in Greater Noida on Wednesday. After being alerted, a team of health department officials took the man, who's said to be working with Oppo, to a hospital. Later, Chief Medical Officer Anurag Bhargava informed that the man has tested negative for coronavirus.
read more at The Quint

16-yr-old from Indian school in Dubai gets coronavirus, was infected by parent

A 16-year-old student of an Indian school in Dubai has tested positive for coronavirus, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) confirmed on Thursday. "The infection was contracted from the student's parent who had travelled overseas," DHA stated. It added that both the student and family members have been quarantined in hospital and are stable and recovering well.
read more at The New Indian Express

28,529 people being monitored for coronavirus as confirmed cases rise to 29: Govt

Briefing the Rajya Sabha on coronavirus outbreak, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said, "As on March 4, a total of 28,529 persons were brought under community surveillance and are being monitored." He further informed that there have been 29 positive cases of coronavirus in the country till now. "PM Narendra Modi is regularly monitoring the situation personally," the minister added.
read more at ANI

Flipkart Co-founder Sachin Bansal's wife files dowry harassment case against him

Flipkart Co-founder Sachin Bansal's wife Priya Bansal has filed a case of dowry harassment against him at Bengaluru's Koramangala police station. Priya said that her father had spent over ₹50 lakh for the wedding and had given Sachin ₹11 lakh in cash. She further alleged that Sachin was putting pressure on her to transfer properties that were in her name.
read more at Livemint

Doctor rapes girlfriend, films her in toilet to blackmail her into ending affair

A 25-year-old doctor pursuing post-graduation in the Government Ayurvedic Medical College in Bengaluru has been arrested for allegedly raping his college mate. The woman approached the police after the accused, with whom she was in a relationship, started avoiding her allegedly after raping her. She claimed that he also filmed her inside washroom to blackmail her into ending their relationship.
read more at Times Now

I'm ready to surrender: Suspended AAP leader wanted for IB officer's murder

Suspended AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain has said he's ready to surrender in connection with an FIR registered against him over violence in Northeast Delhi and murder of IB officer Ankit Sharma. "I'm not at fault. I had called the police multiple times on February 24. I left the area that day. The violence broke out on February 25," he claimed.
read more at Hindustan Times

Pune man who adopted child with down syndrome to get 'world's best mommy' honour

Aditya Tiwari, a resident of Pune who adopted a child with Down Syndrome in 2016, will be felicitated as the 'World's Best Mommy', along with women from across India, at Wempower, an event in Bengaluru to mark International Women's Day. "I am delighted...I am looking forward to sharing my experience of bringing up a child with special needs," he said.

UP policemen take seized car for a ride; owner tracks it and locks them for 3hrs

Three Uttar Pradesh policemen were allegedly stuck inside a car for over three hours after the owner tracked the vehicle using GPS and got it locked with the help of GPS-enabled locking system. The policemen had gone to Lakhimpur Kheri district in the SUV, which was seized on Tuesday. The owner has lodged a complaint, alleging misuse of his car.
read more at Hindustan Times

2,422 people died due to natural calamities in 2019-20, MP tops the list

As many as 2,422 people and 71,000 cattle died and over 114 lakh hectares of agricultural land has been affected by hydro-meteorological calamities in the country in the current fiscal so far. The statistics provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) showed Madhya Pradesh topping the list with 674 deaths followed by 253 in Maharashtra. Karnataka reported 91 deaths.
read more at Deccan Herald

Delhi Police seek contempt of court action against activist Harsh Mander

Delhi Police have filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court against activist Harsh Mander seeking the initiation of contempt of court proceedings against him for his alleged "derogatory remarks" making allegations against the apex court and its judges. Police have claimed that Mander's speech not only instigated violence in Delhi but also brought disrepute to the judiciary.
read more at Zee News

Complaint filed against Javed Akhtar over remarks on Tahir Hussain

A complaint has been filed before a Bihar court against lyricist Javed Akhtar over his remarks on the FIRs being registered against former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain. Hussain has been accused of instigating the violence that erupted in northeast Delhi on February 24. "Police have sealed only one house...incidentally, his name is Tahir," Akhtar had tweeted.
read more at The Quint

2,44,001 rape and POCSO cases pending in courts: Govt tells LS

The government on Wednesday told Lok Sabha there are 2,44,001 pending cases in courts related to rape and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act across the country till December last year. Uttar Pradesh topped the list of states with 66,994 pending rape cases, the government said. In Maharashtra, 21,691 such cases are pending, the government told LS.
read more at ANI

Bengal man issued voter ID card with dog's photo, says 'will drag EC to court'

A resident of West Bengal's Murshidabad was issued a voter ID card with a dog's picture on it instead of his. The 64-year-old said, "I had applied for a correction. When the...card came, the information was correct, but my photo had been replaced." Adding that people mocked him publicly, he said, "I'll drag the Election Commission of India to court."
read more at Hindustan Times

Interest rate on employee provident fund reduced to 8.5% for FY20

The rate of interest on the employees' provident fund (EPF) has been lowered to 8.5% for the current financial year, announced Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar. The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) had provided 8.65% rate of interest on EPF for 2018-19 to its around six crore subscribers. The Labour Ministry now requires the Finance Ministry's concurrence on the matter.
read more at ANI

Man with 'Lucknow Jail' as address in Aadhaar card sent to jail for murder

An Uttar Pradesh man, whose Aadhaar card mentioned his address as 'Lucknow Jail', has been sent to jail in connection with a mini-truck driver's murder. "[The accused] claimed his father works in Lucknow Jail but when we probed, jail officials said he had been in jail under the Gangster Act," police said. He has confessed to the crime, they added.
read more at The New Indian Express

Uttarakhand govt names Gairsain as new summer capital of state

Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat announced that Gairsain was named as the new summer capital of the state. Rawat who made the announcement after presenting Budget said, "I dedicate this announcement to the people who sacrificed themselves for the formation of Uttarakhand...It is a historic moment." The state Assembly is located in Dehradun, but sessions are also held in Gairsain.

6 of 8 MLAs held by BJP to topple MP govt have returned: Congress

Six of the eight lawmakers of Madhya Pradesh Congress, who according to Congress' Tarun Bhanot were allegedly held captive by BJP in a Gurugram hotel to destabilise the Kamal Nath-led state government, returned to Bhopal and pledged their continued support. "Three more MLAs...are yet to come. We are in touch with them. They are in Bengaluru," the party said.
read more at Hindustan Times

26-yr-old stalker sexually abuses 13-yr-old girl, slits her throat in TN

A 13-year-old girl was admitted to a hospital on Wednesday after her 26-year-old stalker sexually abused her and slit her throat for rejecting advances in Tamil Nadu's Chennai. The accused followed the girl to her home when her family wasn't present and then sexually assaulted her and slit her throat. Police have launched a search operation to nab the accused.
read more at Times Now

Punjab to give 50% concession to women in govt buses from April 1

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh announced 50% concession in fare for women passengers in government and PRTC buses from April 1. He also announced that another 2000 route permits would be provided for regular 52-seater stage carriage buses during the next two years. Singh declared 5,000 new minibus route permits in the next two years for the youth.

19-year-old murdered by family over her relationship with Dalit man

A 19-year-old girl was murdered by her parents and brother in Gujarat's Kutch over her relationship with a Dalit man. Her family allegedly strangled her to death and attempted to pass it off as suicide by hanging her body from a ceiling hook, reports said. The police arrested girl's father, mother and brother on Sunday.
read more at The Quint

UP Board exams cancelled at 72 centres for using unfair means during exams

The Uttar Pradesh board has cancelled examinations for some subjects held at 72 examination centres in five districts after district inspectors of schools testified to the use of unfair means or other discrepancies during examinations. The five districts in which the exams were cancelled are Prayagraj, Ballia, Ghazipur, Mau and Aligarh. The re-examination will be held on March 12.
read more at Hindustan Times

Nirav Modi's 72 luxury items including watches, car sold for ₹2.29 cr at auction

In the online auction of 72 luxury items seized from diamantaire Nirav Modi by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the items were sold for ₹2,28,84,758 almost three times more than their collective upper estimate price of ₹77,50,000. Saffronart, which conducted the auction on behalf of ED, listed 51 designer bags, 20 luxury watches and a Porsche Panamera car for sale.
read more at Hindustan Times