Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 1 (PTI) The Army has created a new wing under a Major General to handle human rights issues with an aim to bring more transparency and probity in the functioning of the 1.3-million strong force, official sources said on Friday.

Major General Gautam Chauhan has taken charge as Additional Director General (Human Rights) in the Army headquarters in Delhi on Thursday, they said.

The new ADG (Human Rights) will function under the Vice Chief of Army Staff.

New Delhi, Jan 1 (PTI) Continuing a 30-year practice, India and Pakistan on Friday exchanged a list of their nuclear installations under a bilateral arrangement that prohibits the two countries from attacking each other's atomic facilities.

The two countries exchanged the list of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between India and Pakistan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

New Delhi, Jan 1 (PTI) US auto major Ford Motor Co on Friday said it and India's Mahindra & Mahindra have decided to scrap their previously announced automotive joint venture and it will continue its independent operations in India as it is.

The two companies determined that they will not complete a previously announced automotive joint venture between their respective companies.

New Delhi, Jan 1 (PTI) Reliance Infra on Friday announced completion of sale of its Delhi-Agra (DA) toll road to Cube Highways and Infrastructure for Rs 3,600 crore.

In a regulatory filing, Reliance Infrastructure Ltd said it has completed the sale of its 100 per cent stake in DA Toll Road to Cube Highways and Infrastructure III Pte Ltd for an enterprise value over Rs 3,600 crore.

The deal was announced in March 2019 with the signing of a definitive binding agreement between Reliance Infra and Cube Highways and Infrastructure III Pte Ltd.

New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) A cold wave swept through Delhi on Wednesday as the minimum temperature dipped to 3.5 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department said.

It is likely to get even colder on New Year's Eve, it predicted, as dry and icy winds barreled through the plains.

New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) AAP leader Raghav Chadha on Wednesday installed five hotspot devices at the Singhu border providing internet access to the thousands of farmers protesting there against the three new agriculture laws.

Chadha said many more WiFi devices will be installed in the coming days as per the requirement of the protesters.

On Tuesday, Chadha had announced that free WiFi hotspots will be set up at the Singhu border for the farmers who have been camping there for over a month to oppose the contentious farm laws enacted by the Centre in September.

New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) In a major move to boost domestic defence manufacturing, the government on Wednesday approved the export of indigenously-developed surface-to-air Akash missile system and set up a high-level committee to authorise the sale of major platforms to various countries.

The defence ministry said a committee comprising Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has been set up to authorise exports of major indigenous platforms.

New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) Umesh Sinha has been appointed as the deputy election commissioner in the Election Commission of India, according to a Personnel Ministry order issued on Wednesday.

Sinha, a 1986-batch IAS officer (retired) of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, is at present the secretary general in the commission.

New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) The Delhi government has notified the Tree Transplantation Policy under which agencies will have to transplant a minimum of 80 per cent of the trees affected by their development works.

The Delhi Cabinet had approved the policy on October 9.

New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) The government has sacked from service a senior customs department official who was accused of sexually harassing and molesting a foreign lady passenger at Delhi airport, sources said.

Sources with direct knowledge of the development said Customs Superintendent Devender Kumar (Hooda), Group 'B' gazetted officer of General Commissionerate positioned at the IGI Airport, was retired from service under the Fundamental Rules 56 (j) in the public interest.