India

NEW DELHI, Jan 15 (NNN-BSS) –India is set to launch the world’s largest vaccination drive against COVID-19 tomorrow with a record 300,000 health care workers across the country scheduled to get vaccinated on the first day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the pan India rollout of COVID-19 vaccination drive tomorrow morning through video conferencing, according to an official statement issued here last evening.

New Delhi, Jan 15 (PTI) The ninth round of talks between protesting farmer unions and three central ministers got underway here on Friday afternoon to break the over-a-month-long deadlock on the three new agri laws.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railways, Commerce and Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, who is an MP from Punjab, are holding the talks with the representatives of around 40 farmer unions at the Vigyan Bhawan here.

New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) In a major decision, the government on Wednesday approved the procurement of 83 indigenously-developed light combat aircraft Tejas for the Indian Air Force (IAF) at a cost of Rs 48,000 crore.

Bhopal, Jan 13 (PTI) Targeting Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over his demand for a debate on parity in the legal age of marriage for both the sexes, former Congress minister Sajjan Singh Verma on Wednesday said even a 15-year-old girl is capable of reproduction, drawing a sharp reaction from the BJP which demanded his apology.

As Verma's remarks caused uproar, the Congress said the BJP was bent on making an issue out of nothing.

Thane, Jan 13 (PTI) A 15-year-old girl has been raped in Bhayandar in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) by three men, who have been arrested, police said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred at an isolated spot on Tuesday late night when the victim was chatting with her friends, a police official said.

He said the accused, Sanjay Bharti (26), Ambesh Gautam (24) and Indrajit Gautam (24), dragged the victim away while her friends fled.

The trio, all labourers, was remanded in police custody till January 22.

Ballia (UP), Jan 13 (PTI) The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) is likely to contest the upcoming panchayat polls in Uttar Pradesh under an electoral pact with regional outfit Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP).

The SBSP, headed by former UP minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, is garnering smaller and regional parties under the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha.

"Candidates belonging to Asaduddin Owaisi's party are likely to be fielded in the panchayat elections as the Morcha's joint candidate," Rajbhar told reporters here on Wednesday.

New Delhi, Jan 14 (PTI) Petrol and diesel prices on Thursday were hiked by 25 paise per litre each, the second straight day of increase in rates that took the prices to new highs.

Petrol now costs Rs 84.70 per litre in Delhi and diesel is priced at Rs 74.88, according to a price notification from oil marketing companies.

This is the second straight day of a price increase. Rates were hiked by 25 paise each on Wednesday after a five-day hiatus.

Banda (UP), Jan 14 (PTI) A 17-year-old girl, who was raped 10 years ago, allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in her house in a village here, police said on Thursday.

She was raped 10 years ago by a man of her village who recently returned after completing seven years jail term, they said.

The girl allegedly committed suicide on Wednesday and her body has been handed over to her family after post-mortem, Sub-Inspector incharge of Khaptiha Kala police chowki, Dinesh Kumar, said.

Mumbai, Jan 14 (PTI) The Shiv Sena on Thursday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to honour the sentiments of protesting farmers and scrap new controversial farm laws, and said he will "grow bigger" in stature by doing so.

An editorial in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' also accused the Centre of trying to end the farmers' protest by using the Supreme Court as the front.

Chandigarh, Jan 14 (PTI) Bhartiya Kisan Union president Bhupinder Singh Mann, who was one of the four members of the Supreme Court-appointed committee on farm laws, on Thursday said he is recusing himself from the panel.

Mann said he is thankful to the apex court for nominating him on the committee but would sacrifice any position offered to him so as not to compromise the interests of farmers.