Tharoor argued that the proposed bill represents a "grave chapter in the history of the Indian republic, seeking to ratify an ordinance that in many ways is an assault on our democratic heritage and the spirit of federalism."
'Now they're talking about changing the Constitution; they feel they have no reason now to hide their intentions.'
The national camps at Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centres have been shut since mid-March to contain the virus, which has infected over 65,000 people and caused more than 2,000 deaths in India. Kiren Rijiju, on May 3, had stated that camps for all athletes will resume by May end.
The Delhi high court on Friday directed the Delhi government and the police to ensure that the number of Afghan nationals, protesting outside the UNHCR office in New Delhi and seeking refugee status, is suitably reduced and they strictly follow Covid-19 appropriate protocol.
The flood situation eased in Assam and northern districts of West Bengal with water receding and no fresh deaths being reported in both the states.
'Me and my boys had never ever thought in our wildest dreams that we would be taking part in a rescue mission of this kind.' IAF Veteran Air Commodore Nitin Sathe, a helicopter pilot himself, reports on how the air force rescued those trapped in the Deoghar cable cars disaster last fortnight.
The worst affected districts are Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Bongaigaon, Jorhat, Dhemaji, Barpeta, Goalpara, Dhubri, Darrang, Morigaon and Sonitpur
The stage of alert will be based on positivity rate (on two consecutive days), cumulative number of new cases (over a week) and average oxygenated-bed occupancy (for a week).
Tamil Nadu government deployed state and national disaster response force teams in Kanyakumari district, which bore the brunt of the rain fury.
In Chennai, rains are expected to start early Thursday morning and intensify gradually. Government schools in the city have been shut down for the next two days
Gale-force winds, heavy rainfall and high tidal waves swept the coastal belt of Kerala, Karnataka and Goa as Cyclone Tauktae hurtled northwards towards Gujarat on Sunday, leaving four people dead in Karnataka and two in Goa, damaging hundreds of houses, uprooting electricity poles and trees and forcing evacuation.
The government stuck to its decision not to name any manager for 23 out of the 28 disciplines in which India are taking part in the upcoming Asian Games even though the Indian Olympic Association and National Sports Federations slammed the move.
Over 100 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force, along with police teams, are waiting for the water level to subside to begin rescue operations, the official said.
The army, SDRF and NDRF are assisting the district administrations in evacuating the affected population to safer places, the authority said.
Alleging that the administration delayed in initiating the rescue operation, a group of people from Shantipur set afire several boats, trawlers and launches anchored on the river bank on Sunday
Restaurants with 50 per cent capacity, weekly markets and religious places will reopen in Delhi from June 14, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday, saying the COVID-19 situation has significantly come under control in the city.
The number of cases of insult to the modesty of women, kidnapping of women, abduction of women, cruelty by husband and in-laws and dowry death stand at 197, 1,580, 159, 1,712 and 56, respectively, it said.
Tracing the remaining persons was proving a daunting task as the river remained in spate with over two lakh cusecs of floodwater gushing, sources said.
'When a person is capable of infecting 50 others, will you think about the privacy of the person or about protecting the lives of people?'
Investigators were on Sunday looking into what caused one of the deadliest train accidents in recent times as rescue operations continued
The top court also directed authorities to consider withdrawing all cases against migrant workers for alleged violation of lockdown norms under the Disaster Management Act.
No lives were lost after cyclone Biparjoy made landfall. Preparations for Biparjoy were not only extensive, they were also telecast far and wide. Ahead of the cyclone's landfall, Shyam G Menon observes there was considerable publicity on how much the government was geared up to face the storm and its aftermath.
Maharashtra CM said a high-level committee will probe the circumstances under which the 40-year-old overbridge collapsed.
Restoration of road and tele-communication network in the Kashmir Valley, ravaged by floods, will take three to five days. The Centre has directed free flow of transport via Manali and Leh to Srinagar, the only available surface network, a top central government official said on Monday.
At least 15 people were killed on Saturday when a powerful 7.2-magnitude aftershock struck areas of southwest Pakistan devastated by a massive earthquake that claimed over 500 lives earlier this week.
At least 33 people have been killed in flash floods in Bihar till Tuesday evening and 25.71 lakh people are affected in 16 districts of the state.
Currently, the Brahmaputra at Guwahati, Nimatighat in Jorhat, Tezpur in Sonitpur, Goalpara and Dhubri towns, while the Barak at AP Ghat in Cachar and Badarpurghat in Karimganj are flowing above the danger mark.
Sunday's tally of coronavirus cases was 17 per cent higher than the 2,716 infections registered a day before.
The accident occurred when the private boat 'Ma Kamala' was headed to Majuli from Nimati Ghat and the government-owned ferry 'Tripkai' was coming from the riverine island.
Auditoriums, malls, gyms and spas will be shut down and cinema theatres will be allowed with a third of the capacity on weekdays. Eating out will be banned and only home deliveries will be allowed. Weekly markets will be allowed but with restrictions.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said his government will implement Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal's order overturning the decision on reservation of Delhi government-run and private hospitals for Delhiites.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said people living in the coastal belt would be shifted to safer places.
"I am shocked why it was not followed. This is even there in the manual of the Indian Road Congress. Had that been followed then there would have been no casualties. There have been gross violations," Maitra said.
On MoS Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey's statement that public health and hospitals come under states and so insurance compensation data is not available with the Centre, the doctors' body said that it amounts to "abdication of duty and abandonment of the national heroes who have stood up for our people".
Rescue and relief operations continued in full swing in Chennai with over a hundred people taken to safety by teams of Army, IAF and NDRF, including a seven-month pregnant woman who was airlifted on Thursday from one of the worst-affected areas in the flooded city.
'It is perplexing to see the leader of the First World with a first rate medical infrastructure come up short on its foresight to handle the pandemic,' notes Group Captain Murli Menon (retd).
In the Northeast, while three people died in Assam, two each lost their lives in Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram in rain-related incidents.
He said though there is a spike in new cases, the situation is under control as not many people are developing severe disease or require hospitalisation.
The SC asked the Kerala government to file its response during the day on an application against the three-day relaxation in COVID-19 restrictions in the state in view of the upcoming Bakrid festival.
The cyclone would bring light to moderate rains at most places and 'heavy to very heavy downpour' at some places on November 6.
