Old Delhi khari baoli market wears a deserted look during the weekend curfew in Delhi (Express photo/ Amit Mehra)Delhi News: Delhi on Monday reported 12,527 new Covid cases and 24 deaths. The positivity rate is at 27.99%. The Delhi government in a release further stated that 2,684 Covid patients are now admitted in hospitals across the state. Out of them, 909 are on oxygen support and 833 in the ICU.
A total of 44,762 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. As many as 18,340 patients have been discharged from hospitals or recovered or have migrated.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday said the number of fresh Covid-19 cases has been reducing in the city for the last few days. Delhi had reported 18,286 Covid-19 cases on Sunday and a positivity rate of 27.87 per cent, down from 30.64 per cent reported on Saturday.
But the decline in the absolute number of Covid-19 cases has been because of the fewer tests conducted on Sunday as reported in the next dayās bulletin. The number of tests conducted has been reducing in Delhi since the new ICMR testing guidelines were introduced, which do away with testing of asymptomatic persons on demand, low-risk contacts, and asymptomatic persons undergoing other procedures at hospitals.
A woman receives a dose of Covid-19 vaccine at Anand Vihar Metro Station amid concern over rising Omicron cases, in New Delhi, Saturday Jan. 15, 2022. (Express Photo/Amit Mehra)
The Delhi government Monday constituted a seven-member committee to look into the utilisation and management of funds of the 12 Delhi University colleges funded by the Aam Aadmi Party dispensation, according to an official order.
This comes even as the Delhi government and the administration of the 12 colleges remain locked in a tussle over release of grants. The committee has been directed to submit its report within 15 days i.e by February 2, the order said.
Delhi Higher Education Minister Manish Sisodia constituted the committee to "inquire into the position of funds, sources of funds, utilization of funds and management of funds in respect of 12 Delhi government fully funded colleges of University of Delhi", the order said. (PTI)
The AAP on Monday asked Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta to clarify his links with the builder mafia or resign "immediately", after the Delhi High Court sought his response on a plea alleging his role in an illegal and unauthorised construction.
The plea has also alleged that Gupta, the councillor of West Patel Nagar, has made crores of rupees in corruption and spent huge amounts in properties and construction work by misusing his power and position. The public interest litigation filed in the court alleging that Gupta was involved in unauthorised-illegal construction on public land has "exposed" the BJP's "intoxication of power and repeated misuse of public assets", the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said in a statement.
West Patel Nagar falls under the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and like in this civic body, the BJP is also in power in the city's two other municipal corporations, SDMC and EDMC. (PTI)
Former Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze Monday approached the Delhi High Court seeking to quash the sanction granted to prosecute him under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in connection with industrialist Mukesh Ambani's Antilia bomb scare case.
The plea came up before a bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Anup Jairam Bhambhani which asked the counsel for Waze to place before it copies of relevant judgements being relied upon by him and listed the matter for further hearing on January 24.
The Centre raised preliminary objections to the maintainability of the petition on the ground that it should have been filed before Bombay High Court as everything related to the case happened in Mumbai.
Advocate Puneet Bali, representing Waze, submitted that the Delhi High Court has territorial jurisdiction over the issue as the sanction order was passed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which is located in the national capital. (PTI)
Delhiites shivered in the biting cold on Monday as cold day conditions prevailed at isolated places in the city with the temperature plummeting at least five to six degrees below normal in some parts, the weather office said.
However, at the Safdarjung observatory, which is considered the official marker of Delhi, there were no “cold day” conditions as the maximum temperature settled four notches below the season's average at 16.1 degrees Celsius on Monday.
The minimum temperature of the city was recorded at 8.7 degrees Celsius, two notches above the season's average.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a “cold day” is when the minimum temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature is at least five degrees Celsius below normal.
IMD data showed that cold day conditions prevailed at Lodhi Road, Ridge, Narela, Jafarpur and Mayur Vihar. (PTI)
The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed petitions challenging the closure of spas and wellness centres in the national capital on account of COVID-19.
Justice V Kameswar Rao, while dealing with pleas by certain spa owners challenging the December 28 decision of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), noted that the authorities were seized of the issue and it was not for the court to decide if a direction can be given for the opening of spas and wellness centres at this stage.
The judge said that there was a surge in cases in December, which resulted in the authorities imposing a curfew during the night and weekends and a decision was taken to close down the spas in view of the circumstances existing at the relevant time. (PTI)
After missing several deadlines and facing delays due to the lockdown, construction work on the extension of the Ashram flyover to the Delhi-Noida-Delhi (DND) expressway has picked up the pace. The 1.2-km, six-lane flyover, which was supposed to be completed by March this year, is now expected to be finished by August.
The project was approved in the cabinet along with the proposal to construct the Ashram underpass in 2019, and a foundation stone was laid in December of the same year. Read more
The Delhi Police's Crime Branch has arrested a 39-year-old man alleged to be the kingpin of a well-organised betting and crime syndicate, officials said on Monday.
Lalit Verma alias Neetu, a resident of East Uttam Nagar, was on the run since 2016 and the Delhi Police had announced a reward of Rs 50,000 on his arrest, officials said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Monika Bhardwaj said that on Sunday, a team of Interstate Cell of Crime Branch, Chanakyapuri arrested Verma, who is the kingpin the well-organised syndicate.
She said Verma was booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act in 2015 in Delhi's Bhajanpura and was declared a proclaimed offender. A reward of Rs 50,000 was announced on him. He was previously booked by the Punjab police in a similar case. (PTI)
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) will develop four of its major gardens -- Nehru Park, Lodhi Garden, Talkatora Garden and Sanjay Jheel -- into world-class facilities with smart lighting, upgraded nursery and walking tracks, among other things, officials said on Monday.
"NDMC takes pride in its gardens and intends to now further develop them in a manner befitting their location. It is proposed in this year's budget to get all the designs finalised by engaging a consultant under NDMC Smart City Projects for four major gardens. The consultant for the project would be appointed," NDMC vice chairman Satish Upadhyay said.
Smart irrigation through drip and sprinklers, manicured lawns, enhanced lighting in parks through smart lighting, improved walking tracks, aesthetic boundary wall railing in uniform pattern, upgraded bonsai and bamboo garden, provision for bird feeding and drinking water facility will be among the facilities made available at the parks. (PTI)
The decline in the absolute number of Covid-19 cases has been because of the fewer tests conducted on Sunday as reported in the next day’s bulletin. The number of tests conducted has been reducing in Delhi since the new ICMR testing guidelines were introduced, which do away with testing of asymptomatic persons on demand, low-risk contacts, and asymptomatic persons undergoing other procedures at hospitals.
Just 44,762 tests were conducted on Monday, which is the lowest since November 29 when 43,499 tests were conducted. There were 52,721 tests conducted on average every day in the last week of November, which was increased to 62,276 in December last week when Covid-19 cases started increasing after remaining low for over six months. Read more
Here are the region-specific Covid vaccination numbers in the 15-18 age group in Delhi
The Delhi government received as many as 12,471 calls on its Covid helpline number 1031 over the last one week, even as the number of calls saw a slight decline from January 13 to January 16.
Data provided by the city health department also showed that between January 10 and January 16, as many as 9,899 calls were received for ambulances.
Meanwhile, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday said the number of fresh COVID-19 cases has been reducing in the city for the last few days.
According to the health department's data, between January 10 (Monday) and January 16 (Sunday), a total of 12,471 calls were received on the government's Covid helpline number and 9,899 calls for ambulances were received separately. (PTI)
The Centre on Monday sought more time from the Delhi High Court to file a fresh reply to the petitions seeking criminalisation of marital rape. It also told the court that it wants to place on record its clear stand on the matter but will need “reasonable time” to do so. Read more
Delhi on Monday reported 12,527 new Covid cases and 24 deaths. The positivity rate is at 27.99%.The Delhi government in a release further stated that 2,684 Covid patients are now admitted in hospitals across the state.
Out of them, 909 are on oxygen support and 833 in the ICU. A total of 44,762 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. As many as 18,340 patients have been discharged from hospitals or recovered or have migrated.
The Delhi High Court Monday sought response of the Delhi government and Lieutenant Governor on a plea alleging unauthorised construction and encroachment on public land by Delhi BJP chief and municipal councilor of North Delhi Municipal Corporation.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh issued notice to the Delhi government, Lieutenant Governor, North MCD, Delhi BJP Chief Adesh Gupta, who is a councilor of West Patel Nagar constituency, and Chief Executive officer of BSES Yamuna on the petition. The court granted time to the respondents to file a response to the petition and listed the plea for further hearing on February 18.
The PIL alleged that the councilor has failed to act in accordance with the norms of integrity and conduct which ought to be followed by public functionaries and abused his position to obtain favour for himself or others. Petitioner and advocate Hemant Choudhary claimed in the plea that the councilor was involved in the unauthorised illegal construction over public land adjacent to municipal corporation school opposite to his residence at West Patel Nagar here to construct a personal office. (PTI)
Three men were arrested for alleged visa fraud, police said on Monday. Two of those arrested are Joginder Singh (53) and Surjeet Singh (53). They used to work as agents in rural areas of Kaithal and Kurukshetra in Haryana and arranged visas and passports by unfair means for people intending to travel abroad, the police said.
The third arrested accused is Kuldeep Singh (33), a passenger who intended to travel on a fake visa, police said.
According to the police, a complaint was received from immigration officials at IGI Airport police station alleging that on the intervening night of January 8 and 9, a passenger named Kuldeep Singh approached for immigration clearance at the airport to depart to Dubai.
"During clearance and scrutiny of travel documents, a fake Canadian visa was found affixed on a page of his passport as it did not have any security features as that of the original Canadian visa. A case was registered and investigation taken up," Sanjay Tyagi, Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport), said. (PTI)
A plea on Monday urged the Delhi High Court to direct the Central government to give a road map for vaccinating children of the age group of 12 years and below for COVID-19. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh said it would hear the plea on March 22.
The counsel for petitioners, a 12-year-old girl and another, submitted that presently vaccination is being administered to only children of 15-17 years of age. The court was informed by senior advocate Kailash Vasudev, appearing for the petitioners, that no roadmap has been given by the government for vaccinating children of the age of 12 years and below.
He urged the court to direct the government to give a roadmap for vaccinating kids of the age group of 12 years and below.
The issue of vaccinating children below 12 years of age was raised during the hearing of a PIL filed on behalf of a minor and other seeking directions for the immediate vaccination of those in the 12-17 age group on the ground that there were fears that the third wave of COVID-19 could affect them more. (PTI)
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Monday flagged off the first electric Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus in the city in presence of Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot. He said another 300 electric buses were expected to ply by April.
Bus no. E-44 was Monday operational between IP Depot and Pragati Maidan. It's a 12 metre long, low floor AC bus, with a ramp for the physically challenged and other facilities like CCTV and panic button.
“This is the first electric bus in Delhi to become operational. It is important in many ways. It is the beginning of a new era in the transport sector in Delhi with the first electric bus hitting the road today,” Kejriwal said at the flagging off ceremony.
“I believe gradually electric buses will replace the old buses. It is a major step towards controlling pollution in the city. It is noise free and zero emission...By April, we expect another 300 buses to reach Delhi. Our target is to run around 2000 more electric buses in the coming years,” he added.
Kejriwal also said this was the first bus to be inducted in the DTC fleet since 2011.
"Another important development is that since 2011, not a single new bus had been inducted in the DTC fleet. There was some jinx; whenever we tried, we ran into some problem. Today this bus has been added to the DTC fleet finally," said Kejriwal. (ENS)
About 2,500 Delhi Police personnel have tested positive for COVID-19 since January 1 and 767 of them have recovered, an official said on Monday. According to the latest data, since January 1, about 2,500 Delhi Police personnel from all ranks and units of the force tested positive for Covid.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Chinmoy Biswal who is also the spokesperson of Delhi Police had tested positive for the virus. He, however, has recovered and resumed work, a senior police officer said.
"Many of them are recouping well and resuming their duties on a daily basis," the officer added. "About 2,500 personnel have tested positive for Coronavirus since January 1 till date. Out of them, 767 infected personnel of the force have recovered and resumed their work," said Biswal, Delhi Police PRO.
Meanwhile, a special camp is being organised for police personnel of all ranks to administer booster doses to eligible ones. (PTI)
At least 15 cases of dengue have been reported in the national capital in the first two weeks of January this year, according to a civic report released on Monday. Cases of vector-borne diseases are usually reported between July and November, but the period may stretch till mid-December.
Last year, 9,613 dengue cases, the highest number of cases of the vector-borne disease recorded in the national capital in a year since 2015, and 23 deaths were reported. According to the civic report, a total of 15 dengue cases have been recorded this year till January 15. For the January 1-15 period, no cases were recorded in the preceding three years, while one case was logged in 2017 and three in 2018, it said.
In the years prior to 2021, the total dengue cases reported were -- 4431 (2016), 4726 (2017), 2798 (2018), 2036 (2019) and 1072 (2020), as per the report. In 2015, the city had witnessed a massive outbreak of dengue, when the number of dengue cases reported had crossed 10,600 in October itself, making it the worst outbreak of the vector-borne disease in the national capital since 1996. (PTI)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that indulging in a blame game over the pandemic situation will not eradicate the coronavirus and it should be eliminated from the entire country. His remarks came in response to Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij's statement that "increasing coronavirus cases in Delhi have affected the NCR (National Capital Region) and the infection rate has increased in Gurugram, Faridabad and Sonipat districts".
Asked about Vij's remarks, Kejriwal said, "I won't indulge in blame game. It's not going to eradicate the disease. Wherever there is coronavirus in the country it should be eradicated." He said the number of COVID-19 cases is reducing in Delhi and around 12,000-13,000 fresh cases are expected on Monday, down from over 18,000 cases recorded on Sunday. (PTI)
Whether it is a chance to bare your storytelling skills before an audience or immerse yourselves in photographs that delve into spiritual realms, the city offers you an interesting array of choices this week.
Still life
Through his photographs in the exhibition titled ‘The Meeting Point’, Hasnain Soomar speaks “to the true essence of our many religions, as well as the human coexistence of love and compassion”. He photographs ashrams, ghats, mosques as well as Mughal monuments in his pursuit. “Meeting Point expresses my spiritual explorations and learnings over the years. Photographed during and before the pandemic, this series of photographs is evocative of the times we have been living in,” he says. Open 11 am to 7 pm till February 10, 2022 at Dhoomimal Gallery, Connaught Place. Read more
In the coal block scam case, a CBI court took cognizance of offences under charges of criminal conspiracy, corruption and cheating against five people, including senior bureaucrats of the Union Ministry of Coal (MoC). Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj, on January 12, took cognizance of the offences under Sections 120-(b) (Criminal conspiracy), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and other relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The two public servants who were arraigned as accused in the chargesheet were identified as Harish Chandra Gupta, the former secretary, and Kuljeet Singh Kropha, the former joint secretary of the Ministry. Read more
The Noida police have arrested three African men from Uttam Nagar for allegedly cheating people of their money by posing as customs officials and promising them of expensive gifts from overseas. The accused have been identified as Saylla Cheick, Basil Ofoma and Tuo Idrissa. Two of the accused hail from Ivory Coast in western Africa and the third from Nigeria, the police said.
According to the police, the accused made fake accounts on social media and developed friendships with people and gathered their personal information. Read more
South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) mayor Mukesh Suryan has announced helpline numbers for collecting biomedical waste from the houses of Covid-19 patients. Helpline numbers released for all four zones are – 01140988800 (South Zone), 01149506548 (West Zone), 7290041009 (Central Zone) and 8010863863 (Nazafgarh Zone).
Suryan said that people living in the SDMC area should not dispose of biomedical waste along with normal waste as it may lead to the spread of Covid-19 infection. He appealed to families of Covid patients to dial helpline numbers for the collection of waste from their homes. Read more
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain Monday said that Delhi is likely to see 4,000-5,000 fewer cases than Sunday’s count of 18,286 cases.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain Monday said that the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine was given 100 per cent of eligible population in Delhi. Till date, a total of 2.85 crore vaccine doses have been administered, he added. (PTI)
‘Cold day’ conditions are on the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast for Delhi on Monday, with the maximum temperature likely to be below normal. Till Sunday, Delhi had recorded four ‘cold days’ beginning January 13. A ‘cold day’ is when the maximum temperature is 4.5 to 6.4 degrees Celsius below the normal, and the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 10 degrees Celsius.
Fog and low clouds had kept the maximum temperature below normal, according to IMD scientists. On Sunday, the weather observatory at Palam recorded ‘cold day’ conditions with the maximum temperature dropping to 14.4 degrees Celsius, six degrees below the normal. Read more
Over 90 inmates and 80 jail officials have tested positive for Covid-19 at prisons in Delhi, officials said on Monday. The Delhi Prisons department have setup 50-100 bed medical centres inside jails to treat coronavirus patients amid the surge in cases. Most of the patients are being treated by the jail doctors.
Data showed that 99 Covid-19 cases among inmates and 88 cases among staffers were recorded between December and Jan 15. These cases have been reported from Tihar, Rohini and Mandoli jails. Read more
Enthused by the party’s success in the Chandigarh municipal corporation polls, Aam Aadmi Party leaders in Delhi are hoping to use the momentum and experiences gained in the upcoming MCD elections scheduled for April. AAP came out as the single largest party in the Chandigarh polls, winning 14 of the 35 wards in the city. The BJP won 12, down from 20 in the previous election in 2016. However, AAP could not win the post of mayor due to one of its votes being declared invalid.
Senior leaders of the party said that advertising the Chandigarh results in the national capital, using banners, posters, and hoardings, has already begun. One such hoarding, installed by Leader of Opposition in the South MCD Prem Chauhan, sports the slogan ‘Chandigarh me Bhajpa (BJP) haari Ab Dilli ki Bari’. Read more
More than 50% of children aged 15-17 years have received their first Covid vaccine dose, within two weeks of the immunisation drive opening for them. According to officials, 500-600 government and private schools across the city have achieved 100% first dose coverage while the remaining schools will achieve 90% by next week.
To cover the rest, especially school dropouts and children who are homeless or at shelter homes, district authorities will begin doorstep vaccination from Monday under the ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ scheme at slums, JJ clusters, and shelter homes. Read more
In order to implement Covid-appropriate behaviour (CAB) strictly in markets, all districts have adopted a new strategy called Information, Education and Communication (IEC). Under this, authorities will not only impose fines, shut shops, and lodge FIRs, but will also educate violators about the importance of following Covid guidelines in public areas.
District authorities have increased the number of enforcement teams from 149 to 466 for stricter implementation of night and weekend curfew and to sensitise violators. These teams will now be posted at markets, malls, metro stations, ISBTs and other public places to check the vaccination status of people. Anyone found not vaccinated, or due for the second dose, will be directed to the nearest vaccination centre. Read more
A 24-year-old man was arrested for allegedly impersonating the original candidate in a written exam held last year for recruitment in Delhi courts, police said on Sunday.
The exam was held for the group C category recruitment on February 28 in two shifts across multiple centres in Delhi. Sumit, a resident of Kaithal in Haryana, was arrested on Saturday and is the 18th accused arrested in the 2021 examination case so far, police said.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shibesh Singh said that a raid was conducted at an exam centre in Rohini on the basis of a tip-off about "unfair means" being used by some students. (PTI)
Delhi on Sunday recorded 18,286 Covid-19 cases along with 27.87 per cent positivty rate. As per the Delhi state health bulletin data, 2591 Covid-19 positive patients were hospitalised and 21,846 patients recovered or were discharged.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Sunday sought to allay concerns over "fewer" Covid tests being conducted in the national capital, saying the city is conducting three times more diagnostic tests than the number recommended by the ICMR. All those who need to undergo testing are being tested, he said.
According to the Centre's new guidelines, asymptomatic patients do not need to undergo a test. Also, contacts of laboratory confirmed COVID-19 patients need not get tested unless they have comorbidities or are aged above 60. Jain said these new guidelines on testing have come after thoughtful consideration. "Delhi has been conducting 60,000 to 1 lakh tests every day," he said.
The city is conducting three times more Covid tests than the number recommended by the Indian Council of Medical Research, he added. Delhi conducted 67,624 tests on Friday and 79,578 on Thursday. (PTI)
India's Covid-19 vaccination programme, right from the stage of research and development to a successful implementation, is a role model for the global community and is guided by the unshakable conviction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the hidden potential and capabilities of the citizens of the country, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Sunday.
When the country rolled out the world's largest Covid vaccination drive on January 16 last year, a certain section of people attempted to sow confusion and spread misinformation over the effectiveness and safety of indigenous vaccines, Mandaviya said as he released a commemorative postal stamp on indigenously-developed anti-Covid vaccine Covaxin to mark the first anniversary of the inoculation programme.
"A certain section of people attempted to sow confusion and spread misinformation to create vaccine hesitancy, but the prime minister was determined and he kept on encouraging and motivating the scientists and companies. Thus, the Covid-19 vaccine research, manufacturing and the inoculation drive progressed at a steady pace," the minister said. (PTI)
A Delhi court Sunday denied bail to BCA graduate Aumkareshwar Thakur (25), who is accused of creating the ‘Sulli deals’ app on US-based GitHub which posted pictures of Muslim women for “auction online” last year.
Denying him bail, Metropolitan Magistrate Vasundhra Chhaunkar observed that the court cannot ignore the “peculiar facts of the case which reflect on the severity and gravity of the alleged acts of the accused”.
“Misuse of technology and the impact of the alleged acts on the larger section of society cannot be reduced to negligible when being compared to other offences with harsher punishment,” the court said. Read more
Delhi on Sunday recorded a maximum temperature of 17.2 degrees Celsius, three notches below the normal, the India Meteorological Department said. The minimum temperature at the Safdarjung Observatory, which is considered the official marker for the city, settled at 8.1 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season's normal.
The relative humidity was 70 per cent at 5.30 pm. The weatherman has predicted a partly cloudy sky with shallow to moderate fog on Monday morning and cold day conditions at isolated places. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to settle around 16 and 8 degrees Celsius respectively.
Delhi on Saturday shivered under "cold day" conditions, recording the season's lowest maximum temperature at 14.8 degrees Celsius as thick fog blotted out the sun. The minimum temperature at the Safdarjung Observatory had settled at 6.1 degrees Celsius, a notch below normal. (PTI)
India's Lakshya Sen secured his maiden Super 500 title by winning the Yonex-Sunrise India Open with a stunning straight-game victory over reigning world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in the men's singles final here on Sunday.
The 20-year-old Sen, who had claimed his maiden world championships medal with a bronze in Spain last month, produced a fine performance to outshine the fifth seeded shuttler 24-22 21-17 in the summit clash that lasted 54 minutes. In a repeat of last year's Dutch Open final, the Indian ensured that he had the last laugh this time around.
Going into this match, the two had a 2-2 head-to-head record with Sen losing two of the last three meetings, but the Indian was the better man on show on Sunday as he showed great athleticism, used his attacking shots to good effect and came up with his punched winners from the back at the right moments. (PTI)
Noida police filed FIR against Chattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and others for violation of covid protocols. He was holding door to door campaign in support of Congress candidate Pankhuri Pathak. (ENS)
The story of a constable, who started his own school for slum children called "Than Singh ki Pathshala", was among the first ones to be featured on Delhi Police's podcast, "Kissa Khaki Ka", which was aired digitally on Sunday. The weekly podcast will feature a series of unheard stories related to crime, investigation and humanity in an effort to connect with the masses and celebrate the extraordinary services rendered by Delhi Police.
Delhi Police is the first police force in the country to have its own podcast. The personnel chosen to be featured during the podcast have displayed remarkable sincerity towards their duties and at the same time, carried out social and humanitarian services voluntarily. Their stories will be narrated by Vartika Nanda, a media educator and prison reformer.
According to the police, Than Singh was chosen for the first episode to highlight the difficult times he has braved and that he is still giving something back to the society. (PTI)
The story of a constable, who started his own school for slum children called "Than Singh ki Pathshala", was among the first ones to be featured on Delhi Police's podcast, "Kissa Khaki Ka", which was aired digitally on Sunday. The weekly podcast will feature a series of unheard stories related to crime, investigation and humanity in an effort to connect with the masses and celebrate the extraordinary services rendered by Delhi Police.
Delhi Police is the first police force in the country to have its own podcast. The personnel chosen to be featured during the podcast have displayed remarkable sincerity towards their duties and at the same time, carried out social and humanitarian services voluntarily. Their stories will be narrated by Vartika Nanda, a media educator and prison reformer.
According to the police, Than Singh was chosen for the first episode to highlight the difficult times he has braved and that he is still giving something back to the society. (PTI)
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo has advocated increasing taxes on tobacco products as well as on films, OTT platforms and other media that display use of such items in any form.
He said affordability and easy availability of lethal tobacco products is harmful, especially for the youth, and an increase in taxes will not only make these products out of bounds, but the additional revenues earned can be used for the treatment and rehabilitation of those suffering from tobacco-related diseases.
At present, India loses more than 13 lakh of its citizens annually to tobacco and secondhand smoke. "The number of tobacco users is rising and it is scary to note that children between 13 and 15 years of age constitute 8.5 per cent of them," said Prof (Dr) Uma Kumar, Head of Rheumatology Department, AIIMS, New Delhi. (PTI)
The Gurgaon health department in association with 'Park+' application on Sunday organised a COVID-19 vaccination drive in Cyberhub here for the 15-18 age group and those requiring booster doses.
"This initiative is aimed at benefiting teenagers with first dose and adults with comorbidities to get booster doses since they are the most vulnerable in the current pandemic situation. The drive will help in maximising convenience as these people can get vaccinatedin the comfort of their own car. We plan to have many more similar camps in Gurgaon in theis useful coming weeks," Virender Yadav, Chief Medical Officer, Gurgaon said.
Park+ application to manage car needs has close to 2 million downloads, and its access control and parking automation solutions are deployed at prime locations, including airports, malls and over 3,000 residential apartment gates. (PTI)
India's 'R-value', which indicates how rapidly COVID-19 is spreading, was recorded at 2.2 between January 7 and 13, a drop from the previous two weeks, according to a preliminary analysis by IIT Madras. The R value of Mumbai was 1.3, Delhi 2.5, Chennai 2.4 and Kolkata 1.6, according to the analysis by IIT Madras' Department of Mathematics and Centre of Excellence for Computational Mathematics and Data Science headed by Prof Neelesh S Upadhye and Prof S Sundar.
It was close to 2.9 nationally from December 25 to December 31 while it was 4 between January 1 and 6. The R value marks the number of people an infected person can spread the disease to. A pandemic is considered to end if this value goes below 1. Dr Jayant Jha, an assistant professor in the department of mathematics at IIT Madras, said the R value depends on transmissibility probability, contact rate and expected time interval in which infection can happen.
India added 2,71,202 new coronavirus infections to the Covid case tally that reached 3,71,22,164 on Sunday, including 7,743 cases of the Omicron variant. The country saw 1,702 new cases of Omicron variant, the highest in a day so far, and an increase of 28.17 per cent since Saturday. Experts said it is not possible to undertake genome sequencing of each and every sample, but stressed that this wave is largely being driven by Omicron. (PTI)
The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre and the customs department to ensure that any pending Look Out Circular (LOC) against a man is deleted so that he does not face inconvenience or humiliation at airports.
The order of the court came after the customs department submitted that it does not want an LOC issued against the petitioner to be extended.
"In the light of the aforesaid stand taken by...(customs department counsel), the respondent nos 1 and 2 (Centre and customs department) will ensure that any pending LOC against the petitioner be deleted so that he is not put to any further inconvenience or humiliation at the airports," Justice Rekha Palli said.
Petitioner Captain Jagminder Singh Brar, in his plea, had submitted that as and when he enters or wishes to leave India, he has always been unnecessarily harassed by immigration authorities at the airports, without being informed of any reason. (PTI)
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain sought to nix concerns over "fewer" Covid testing in the national capital, saying the diagnostic tests being conducted in the city is three times the number recommended by ICMR. All those who need to undergo testing are being tested, he said.
According to the Centre's new guidelines, asymptomatic patients do not need to undergo a test. Also, contacts of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients do not require a test unless they have comorbidities or are aged above 60.
Jain said these new guidelines on testing have come after thoughtful consideration. (PTI)
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said the government will monitor the situation for 3-4 days before reviewing curbs to check the spread of Covid-19.
He added that hospital admissions have plateaued and the Covid positivity rate will also come down.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on Sunday said the national capital is expected to record about 17,000 Covid-19 cases today with case positivity expected to decline. He added that the number of cases has declined for the third consecutive day.
Three hundred government schools in Delhi have been selected to pilot a 'kindness wall' scheme. As per this scheme, schools with boundary walls facing roads or major streets will set up a designated portion of these with multiple hooks so that people willing to donate items such as clothes, food and footwear can give them away for the needy.
Those in need may pick up the items from the wall anytime they like. Schools have been told that this should be promoted as through this "anonymous giving and receiving initiative", the dignity of the receiver is upheld all the time. The walls will have a poster saying 'Neki Ki Deewar’.
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has decided to redevelop and beautify the Hanuman Mandir complex at Connaught Place with traditional Jaisalmer stones and granite, ultra-modern technology, green toilet blocks, sanitary napkin vending machines and other basic amenities for visitors and devotees.
NDMC Vice-Chairperson Satish Upadhyay said the redevelopment of Hanuman Mandir Vatika is being done under the vision of the Prime Minister's Swachh Bharat Mission and as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ being celebrated to mark 75 years of India’s Independence.
"Under this beautification and redevelopment work, NDMC is replacing all the granite flooring, old tiles on the footpath with granite and Jaisalmer marble cladding. The old blocked drainage system will be replaced with a new drainage system and it will be covered with granite, there will be a modernised shoe house provision for devotees, the old tree guard will be replaced with stainless steel and drinking water will be provided to visitors 24x7,” said Upadhyay.
The NDMC will also replace the lighting fixtures and install decorative lights, lanterns and poles at the temple.
The CBI has arrested the director (marketing) of GAIL in a case of allegedly taking bribe of over Rs 50 lakh from perspective beneficiaries of a policy of providing discounts to dealers selling products of the Maharatna PSU.
The CBI had unearthed the alleged bribery scam involving Ranganathan, middlemen, and businessmen, and arrested five individuals on Saturday.
The central agency had conducted searches at eight locations including the office and residence of Ranganathan. "Cash of Rs 1.29 crore (approx), and gold jewellery & other valuables were recovered during searches from the premises of said accused (Ranganathan)," CBI Spokesperson RC Joshi said.
Founder of the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC), professional mountaineer, and Padma Shri recipient — Major HPS Ahluwalia donned many hats. He passed away on Friday evening at the age of 85.
At the age of 26, Major Ahluwalia was part of the first Indian expedition to summit Mount Everest in 1965. Six months to the exact date of scaling the Everest, he was posted at Gulmarg during the Indo-Pak war when a gunshot wound to his neck left him paralysed waist down and confined him to a wheelchair.
Read more
The three municipal corporations of Delhi — North, South and East — have come up with amnesty schemes for property taxpayers as the financial year nears closure.
The East Delhi Municipal Corporation has extended the last date for the amnesty scheme for depositing property tax till January 31 from January 15. Under this scheme, a 100 per cent rebate on interest and penalty will be given to those depositing outstanding taxes.
The Mayor of East Delhi, Shyam Sunder Aggarwal, said that owing to a surge in Covid cases and weekend lockdowns, many people are not able to take advantage of the scheme and hence, the extension was given.
Read more
After inoculating around 2 lakh pregnant women and lactating mothers in the capital, the Delhi government has decided to deploy ASHA and anganwadi workers to create awareness and encourage those left to get the Covid-19 vaccine.
It is also planning to set up exclusive centres, such as pink booths, in all sub-divisions and prioritise pregnant women at government vaccination centres. There are about 4,000 ASHA and anganwadi workers in all 11 districts.
Under the campaign, workers will visit each division, sub-division, RWA, colony, street, and slum cluster to talk about why vaccination is important for expectant women, who constitute 2% of Delhi’s total population, and to break the myth that it is harmful for the baby.
Read more
The camera traps at the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary have shown the presence of around 20 mammals, while a bird survey conducted on Saturday counted around 45 species of birds.
The mammals at the sanctuary include five leopards that have been found to mostly use streams and forests of dhau trees within the sanctuary for movement, said Sohail Madan, who heads the Conservation Education Centre of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) at the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.
There are two adult males, two adult females, and one sub-adult — the fifth leopard that was recently spotted on the camera traps.
Read more
A day after an improvised explosive device (IED) was discovered inside an unattended bag at East Delhi’s Ghazipur flower market, police said preliminary forensic examination has revealed that it was a military-grade explosive, which is not easily available and has been used in the past by “external elements” for making bombs.
Security agencies had a scare on Friday as the IED, set to go off at 11.40 am, was discovered a little over an hour earlier. It was destroyed via a controlled explosion by the National Security Guard’s (NSG) bomb detection and disposal team, which first created an eight-foot-deep ditch in an open area. An FIR has been registered at the Special Cell police station.
Read more
A draft policy has been prepared by the Delhi government to make the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) mandatory for ride aggregators and delivery services in newly inducted vehicles.
Going by the policy, aggregators and delivery services will have to ensure 10% of all newly inducted two-wheelers and 5% of new four-wheelers are electric within three months of the date of notification. And, a total of 50% of all new two-wheelers and 25% of all new four-wheelers will have to be electric by March 2023.
Read more
The IMD has forecasted a ‘cold day’ for Delhi on Sunday. The maximum temperature on Sunday is likely to be 14 degree Celsius, while the minimum is predicted to stand at 6 degree Celsius. Moderate fog remains on the forecast for Jan 17 and 18.
The minimum temperature is forecasted to climb back up to 9 degree Celsius by Jan 20, while the maximum temperature is also likely to rise to around 19 degrees by then, going by the IMD forecast. A western disturbance is likely to affect parts of northwest India from Jan 18 onwards and the IMD has predicted the possibility of rainfall for Delhi on Jan 21.
Read more
Delhi on Saturday reported 20,718 fresh Covid-19 cases, nearly 4,000 less than the previous day’s tally, according to the Delhi state health bulletin. The decline in the number of cases, however, was driven by fewer tests being conducted after the new ICMR guidelines did away with testing on demand.
The positivity rate – proportion of samples that return positive – remained the same as the previous day at 30.64 per cent. This, however, is less than the positivity rate of over 36 per cent seen during the delta variant-driven wave of infections in April-May last year.
Read more