India's death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 6,642 with a record increase of 294 deaths in the 24 hours till Saturday 8 am.
The country crossed the 12-lakh mark, just three days after it went past the 11-lakh milestone.
'If the National Conference and PDP make handsome electoral gains in the valley and call for the restoration of the former state's lost status, how will the rulers in Delhi respond?' asks Amulya Ganguli.
The telecom companies have billed the subscribers for the period of communication blockade which began on August 5 when the Centre abrogated provisions of Article 370 and split Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.
The 71st Republic Day was celebrated in Kashmir amidst tight security. Lieutenant Governor's advisor presided over the main function. However most mainstream politicians stayed away.
An army jawan, identified as Happy Singh of 19 Rashtriya Rifles was killed in the encounter,
Here's a recap of events that occurred in India in the past 24 hours.
The 61-year-old, who was administered the oath of office by Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Gita Mittal at a simple function in the Raj Bhavan, also said he wants to accelerate development in the union territory, carved out of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir last year.
The US took the lead, and many other council members also joined and made it clear that the Kashmir issue was not a matter for the UN body to discuss and is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan.
'There are not enough RT-PCR tests and they take a long time to do in specialised centres. So the world is using RA tests for the same reason that India is using them, and with similar somewhat spuriously comforting rationale'
In Jammu region, three districts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua are in red zone.
A total of 77 deaths were reported since Thursday evening of which 27 fatalities were reported from Maharashtra, 17 from Gujarat, 11 from West Bengal, seven each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, three from Delhi, two from Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and one from Karnataka.
It also advised testing on demand for 'all individuals undertaking travel to countries or Indian states mandating a negative COVID-19 test at the point of entry'.
On August 5, the Narendra Modi-led government abrogated Article 370, which gave the state of Kashmir special powers, and decided to transform the state into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Since then phone networks have been cut off and curfew-like restrictions have been imposed, leaving residents in a state of despair. On September 29, Union Home Minister Amit Shah attacked the Opposition for spreading "misinformation" about Kashmir. There were no "restrictions", he said -- they were "only in your mind". Sixty one days later, this is what normalcy looks like in the former state, particularly the Kashmir Valley.
Lt Gen Singh also said necessary security arrangements had been put in place to ensure peace and security.
The mood was subdued with roads deserted across large swathes of the Valley, the silence broken only by police sirens and Indian Air Force helicopters hovering overhead.
The dry-run was being conducted in state capitals in at least three session sites. Some states also included districts that are situated in difficult terrain or have poor logistical support, according to officials.
The bench said it has received some "conflicting reports" on the issue but it do not intend to comment on them at this stage.
Officials said on condition of anonymity that the situation could be slipping out of their hands.
Catch up on everything that happened in the country, in images.
It is estimated that around two dozen terrorists are well-entrenched within the city limits, while their movement and visibility in rural areas have become a routine.
It took 110 days for the COVID-19 cases in the country to reach 1 lakh and just 56 days more to go past the 9-lakh mark.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is also a honorary Lt. Col in the Indian Army, appreciated the school's contribution for the visually impaired children.
Srinagar like any other part of Kashmir is witnessing the longest spell of curfew since July 8 when unrest broke out in the Valley.
Of these, 6,221 were injured due to pellets, 368 due to bullets, four due to pava shells and 2,449 suffered other injuries, the J-K CM said.
Situation at the NIT continued to be tense with a small group of outstation students staging a protest march within the campus, demanding shifting of the institute.
Here's a recap of moments captured in India in the last week.
The 82-year-old former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister received the ED summons a day after the formation of the People's Alliance led by him was announced on October 15.
'Infectious disease is a given of humankind. There will always be another around the corner.'
India has been maintaining that China has no locus standi in commenting on Jammu and Kashmir.
Tourists in Jammu and Kashmir were in for a pleasant surprise on Sunday as the upper reaches of the valley received the season's first snowfall.
The transition from the state into two Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh on Thursday was met with a complete shutdown in the the valley as shops and other business establishments were shut, and public transport were off the roads.
"We have urged Indian authorities to respect human rights and restore full access to services, including internet and mobile networks," she said.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, also asked India to ensure that the National Register of Citizens verification in Assam does not leave the people stateless.
'We have been cheated. We are trying to bring Article 370 back'
Mobile services and internet remained suspended for the 16th consecutive day, while landline telephone services in many areas also remained affected.
People, who have been virtually been kept indoors because of heavy security deployment in the wake of removal of special status for Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state, were allowed to go to mosques in their localities without being asked any questions by security personnel.
Various state governments had announced free transportation and accommodation, including West Bengal that ran special metro service for candidates.
Reeling under strict restrictions with no access to communication since August 5 when the Centre announced its decision to end Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370 and bifurcate the state into two union territories, the people in the Valley have been facing a hair-raising challenge of finding a hairdresser to have their unkempt beards trimmed and unruly locks chopped.
Bindisha Sarang takes a look at Vodafone's RedX and Airtel's new plan.
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