There was an environment of "indifference" towards the use of technology in governance before 2014 due to which the poor and the middle class suffered the most, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday. He asserted the current government has ensured last-mile delivery of services with the help of technology, including drones. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating India's biggest drone festival in Delhi, he said, "At a time when we are celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, it is my dream that everyone in India should have a smartphone in his or her hand, every farm should have a drone and every house should have prosperity." The enthusiasm being seen in India about drone technology is amazing and indicates possibilities of an emerging sector of employment generation, the prime minister said.
Vijay Rupani, the fourth chief minister to demit office in BJP-ruled states during the coronavirus pandemic, was sworn in as chief minister -- his second stint as CM -- in December 2017.
The reset button that the Bharatiya Janata Party has pressed on governance in the wake of the Covid-19 wave, which also saw a major overhaul by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his own Cabinet, continues as Vijay Rupani on Saturday became the fourth chief minister from the party to go.
The Mumbai Police's crime branch had taken Waze's custody on November 1 based on the complaint filed by builder-cum-hotelier Bimal Agrawal, in which Param Bir Singh is also named as an accused.
India's fertiliser subsidy bill is likely to shoot up by 55 per cent to record Rs 2.5 lakh crore this fiscal as the government will provide additional funds to make up for the spike in cost from higher import price, top sources said on Thursday. The government will ensure that there is no shortage of fertilisers in the country during the kharif (summer-sown) and rabi (winter-sown) season and it is already in talks with major global producers to import key soil nutrients, they added. According to the sources, Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is likely to visit many countries, including Saudi Arabia, Oman and Morocco, soon to secure imports on both short and long term basis.
The NIA has CCTV footage which shows the presence of Waze at the spot, the sources said.
During the review, the prime minister also stressed the need to sensitise states so that the speed of vaccination against COVID-19 doesn't come down and was briefed that around 31 per cent of the eligible population over the age of 45 has been given at least one dose, according to a statement issued by the Prima Minister's Office.
Though there is no official word, the sources said the government is not ready to give in to the indemnity demands of the US drug manufacturers against liabilities in case of adverse effects.
The Supreme Court Monday allowed Mumbai Police to carry on the investigation against former police commissioner Param Bir Singh but restrained it from filing charge sheets on the first information report (FIRs) against him over the allegations of misconduct and corruption.
Sources said the pandemic and the response of the government is likely to be discussed in the virtual meet.
According to officials, an additional dose of vaccine is different from a booster dose.
The Congress' attack came after former prime minister Manmohan Singh's daughter, Daman Singh, accused the minister of getting a photographer against the wishes of the family.
Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday announced that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will probe the alleged suicide of Dadra Nagar Haveli MP Mohan Delkar in Mumbai last month.
Announcements will be made on airplanes, ships, metros and at railway stations when India achieves its target of 100 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses while private carrier Spicejet will wrap its planes with posters of this milestone carrying images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and health workers, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Thursday.
While seeking his remand, the central probe agency had sought the court's permission to take the accused to its head office in New Delhi for interrogation via "scientific techniques".
"India expands its vaccine basket! Johnson and Johnson's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine is given approval for Emergency Use in India. Now India has 5 EUA vaccines. This will further boost our nation's collective fight against COVID-19," tweeted the minister.
A meeting between a delegation of the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya took place, but the doctors' body said, the 'response was not satisfactory'.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday said it would hear on September 29 the plea filed by Maharashtra's former home minister Anil Deshmukh against summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by IPS officer Param Bir Singh seeking to quash inquiries initiated against him by the Maharashtra government, and said he can approach the CAT.
Covaxin was found to have 78 per cent efficacy against COVID-19 of any severity, 14 or more days after the second dose, and is extremely suitable for low- and middle-income countries due to easy storage requirements, said the global health body.
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday said its division bench (comprising two judges), instead of a single-judge bench, would hear the petition filed by Maharashtra's former home minister Anil Deshmukh against the summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.
The scene was recreated late on Friday night, in which Waze was asked to walk there for some time wearing a white kurta.
India achieved a major milestone in its vaccination programme against COVID-19 as the cumulative vaccine doses administered in the country surpassed the 200-crore mark on Sunday.
A day after Param Bir Singh was shunted out as Mumbai police commissioner, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Thursday said he was transferred after some of his colleagues committed 'serious and unforgivable mistakes'.
In a series of tweets, the health minister said the availability of vaccines can be better understood by an "actual analysis of the facts".
According to health ministry officials, over 92 per cent of the adult population have received at least one dose while over 68 per cent have been fully vaccinated.
It is a 'very disturbing' scenario in Maharashtra where former police commissioner Param Bir Singh does not have faith in his own force and the state government has no faith in the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday.
'It indicates the grooming of the party's new leadership.' 'It is also a signal to the states that these ministers represent.'
The cost of such treatment is to be borne by Waze and his family, the court said.
Deshmukh denied the allegations raised against him by Singh during questioning and told the officers that they were an attempt to malign the image of the state government, sources said.
The prime minister also visited the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi after the milestone was achieved and interacted with hospital officials.
Of the 46,164 fresh coronavirus cases recorded in the country in a 24-hour span, 31,445 were in Kerala. Maharashtra has reported 5,031 new cases and 216 fresh fatalities on Wednesday.
The reason is that because of the hybrid immunity after three waves of natural infection and a large proportion of adults receiving both doses of COVID-19 vaccine, the susceptible pool has come down drastically, Lahariya said.
A 1990-batch officer of the Maharashtra cadre, Waze, also known as an "encounter cop", was earlier suspended after his arrest by the National Investigation Agency in the SUV-cum-murder case on March 13.
'Suppose you are sitting abroad and taking legal recourse through power of attorney then what happens. If that is so then you will come to India if the court rules in your favour, we don't know what you have in mind'
The Volvo car with the Maharashtra registration number was seized on Monday, the official said, adding there is no clarity so far on who owned this car.
More than 43.29 lakh (43,29,673) doses were administered on Friday, according to a provisional report complied at 7 pm.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by the NCP leader challenging the FIR registered by the CBI on April 24 on charges of corruption and misuse of official position. The FIR was lodged after the agency carried out a preliminary enquiry pursuant to directions from the high court.
These modules will help in building the capacity of the doctors, nurses, paramedics and community health workers across India to deal with long-term effects of Covid.
Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Tuesday after repeated stoppages as opposition members continued to protest demanding the revocation of suspension of 12 members.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances