Air quality 'very poor' in Noida, Ghaziabad, 'poor' in Faridabad, Gurgaon
The air quality was in the "very poor" category in Noida, Ghaziabad and Greater Noida, while it was recorded in the "poor' zone in Faridabad and Gurgaon, a 24-hour data issued by a government agency said on Saturday.
The presence of pollutant PM 2.5 and PM 10 remained high in the five immediate neighbours of Delhi, according to the air quality index (AQI) maintained by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
According to the index, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'. The average 24-hour AQI at 4 pm on Saturday was 367 in Ghaziabad, 355 in Greater Noida, 344 in Noida, 300 in Faridabad and 269 in Gurgaon, according to CPCB's Sameer app. READ MORE...
6:54 PM
Bihar CM and JDU president Nitish Kumar holds party's national executive meeting
6:15 PM
DDC polls in Jammu and Kashmir 'moment of pride' for India: PM Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Saturday that free and transparent DDC polls in Jammu and Kashmir coupled with voters' keen participation are a "moment of pride" for India, while hitting back at his rivals for giving him "lessons in democracy".
In a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, who alleged recently that there is no democracy in India, Modi said while his government has completed three-tier panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir in over a year of the region becoming a union territory, the Congress dispensation in Puducherry has not carried out local body elections despite a Supreme Court order.
Launching the Ayushman Bharat scheme via a video-conference to extend health insurance benefits to all residents of Jammu and Kashmir, he said the three-tier panchayat system has fully taken shape here, describing it as a realisation of Mahatma Gandhi's dream of 'gram swaraj' (village self-rule).
He then added that he would like to share his pain before the nation on this occasion.
"Some people in Delhi curse Modi day in and day out and hurl abuses. They regularly offer me lessons in democracy. I want to show them the mirror today," he said, blasting the Congress for not undertaking the local polls in Puducherry.
5:38 PM
Four members of al-Qaeda killed in an airstrike by Afghan forces in Nawa district of Helmand
5:14 PM
PM to inaugurate India's first-ever driverless DMRC metro on Dec 28
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India's first-ever driverless train operations on Delhi Metro's Magenta Line (Janakpuri West - Botanical Garden) on December 28 at 11 am via video conferencing. Prime Minister will also inaugurate the fully operational National Common Mobility Card service on the Airport Express Line the same day.
According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the National Common Mobility Card will enable anyone carrying a RuPay-Debit Card issued from any part of the country to travel on the Airport Express Line using that card. This facility will become available on the entire Delhi Metro network by 2022.
These innovations are expected to herald a "new era" of travelling "comfort" and "enhanced mobility". The driverless trains are known to be fully automated and will eliminate the possibility of human error, as per the PMO. After the start of driverless services on the Magenta Line, the Pink Line of Delhi Metro is expected to have driverless operations by the mid of 2021.
5:02 PM
Rajinikanth's health 'progressing well', blood pressure still on 'higher' side
Megastar Rajinikanth, who was admitted to Apollo hospital due to fluctuating blood pressure, is known to be "progressing well" and is under "better control", according to the hospital's official statement on Saturday.
"Rajnikanth who was admitted in the hospital yesterday is progressing well. He has had an uneventful night and his blood pressure is still on the higher side although under better control than yesterday," said Hyderabad's Apollo Hospital in an official statement.
The 'Sivaji' actor's investigations have not revealed anything "alarming" so far and is scheduled for a further set of investigations on Saturday, reports of which will be available by this evening, as per the statement.
His medications are being closely observed and he has been advised complete rest.
4:32 PM
President Kovind lays foundation stones for developmental projects in Diu
4:18 PM
2020 was of struggle, innovation for teachers
From turning walls of mud houses into blackboards to taking classes through loudspeakers on moving carts, from 'mohalla' classes to using public announcement system of panchayat bhawans, 2020 was full of struggle and innovation for teachers to ensure learning was not disrupted as schools remained closed due to Covid-19.
The over 10-month-long shutdown inspired creative ways to teach thousands of students who could not log on to online classes because they did not have access to smartphones and computers in several villages across the country.
Government school teachers in Dumka's Dumarthar village in Jharkhand found a new way to impart education to students who do not have access to smartphones.
They created blackboards on the walls of students' houses to teach them while maintaining social distancing.
3:11 PM
MP cabinet approves Religious Freedom Bill; up to 10 yrs jail for violators
The Madhya Pradesh cabinet on Saturday approved the Religious Freedom Bill 2020, which provides for prison term of up to 10 years and fine of Rs 1 lakh for conversion through marriage or by any other fraudulent means, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra said.
He claimed that once enforced, this will be the most stringent law in the country against religious conversion carried out by fraudulent means, allurement or threat.
2:27 PM
Jammu & Kashmir: 2 terrorists neutralised in Shopian's Kanigam area
1:56 PM
Retired Odisha banker cracks NEET, now a first-year MBBS student
Odisha's Jay Kishore Pradhan cracked the NEET earlier this year and enrolled as a first- year MBBS student like thousands of other aspirants from the state - just that he is all of 64 and a retired banker.
Pradhan, whose ageless exploit is being described as a rare event in India's medical education history, says he wants to serve people as long as he is alive.
A former official of SBI, he took admission at the state-run Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology in the disability reservation category on Wednesday.
1:21 PM
Modi hits out at Congress for not conducting local polls in Puducherry
Even after Supreme Court has directed that Panchayati and municipal elections should be conducted in Puducherry, the elections are not being conducted there. Those who keep on teaching me lessons on democracy are the ones who are running their govt there, said Modi in a veiled dig at Congress
1:14 PM
Modi refers to DDC polls during the launch of health insurance scheme
1:09 PM
The people have voted for strengthening democracy in J&K: Modi
People of all walks of life came out and voted for development in DDC elections, says Modi after launching a health insurance scheme for the residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
12:57 PM
Rajinikanth progressing well: Hospital
Superstar Rajinikanth, who was admitted to the Apollo Hospitals here for severe blood pressure fluctuations, is progressing well, the hospital said on Saturday.
His blood pressure is still on the higher side although it is under better control than on Friday, it said in a release.
His investigations have not revealed anything alarming so far, it said.
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