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7:14 PM

JEE-Mains to be held four times a year starting 2021, first round in February

The JEE-Mains exam for admission to engineering colleges will be held four times a year starting 2021 to offer flexibility to students and a chance to improve their scores, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank announced on Wednesday. The first edition of the exam will be held from February 23 to 26, followed by rounds in March, April and May.

 

"We have examined the suggestions received from students and various quarters and it has been decided that JEE-Mains will be held in four sessions in February, March, April and May," Nishank said. "The first session will be held from February 23-26 and the results will be declared within five days from the last date of exams," he said. "The move will ensure that students don't miss out on opportunities due to clash of exams or due to the COVID-19 situation at present," he added.

 

Nishank also said students will be given a choice to answer 75 questions (25 each in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) out of 90 (30 each in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics).

6:57 PM

CBI seeks more time for probe into Hathras rape case

The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday fixed January 27 as the next date of hearing on the Hathras rape case after the CBI sought more time to conclude its investigation. The CBI informed the court that it will take some more time to conclude the investigation and failed to file any status report of the probe. The Bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and Rajan Roy fixed January 27 as the next date of the hearing.

 

The CBI had on November 25 had furnished a status report of the rape case before the Bench and said the probe will be over by December 10.

 

The 19-year-old Hathras victim had died at a Delhi hospital a fortnight after her alleged rape by four men from her village on September 14. She was cremated in the middle of the night in her village. Her family members claimed that the cremation, which took place well past midnight, was without their consent and they were not allowed to bring home the body one last time.

6:46 PM

JEE-Mains to be held from February 23 to 26, 2021: Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank

6:27 PM

JEE-Mains to be held four times in a year: Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank

6:06 PM

Kerala Civic Polls: LDF maintains lead In 515 Gram, 10 District and 108 Block Panchayats

6:02 PM

Cabinet approves Rs 3,500 crore sugar export subsidy for 2020-21: Javadekar

The government on Wednesday approved a subsidy of Rs 3,500 crore to sugar mills for the export of 60 lakh tonnes of sweetener during the ongoing marketing year 2020-21 as part of its efforts to help them clear outstanding dues to sugarcane farmers. Briefing media after the meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a subsidy of Rs 3,500 crore on exports of 60 lakh tonnes of sweetener and the subsidy amount will directly be given to farmers. Read more

 

5:27 PM

India to set up national security panel on trusted telecom sources, devices

India will set up a national security committee to list "trusted and not trusted sources" of telecom vendors and devices, said union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday. The committee will declare a list of trusted sources and products for telecom service providers; it will be headed by deputy National Security Advisor and comprise "all stakeholders", he said. Read more

5:27 PM

India to set up national security panel on trusted telecom sources, devices

India will set up a national security committee to list "trusted and not trusted sources" of telecom vendors and devices, said union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday. The committee will declare a list of trusted sources and products for telecom service providers; it will be headed by deputy National Security Advisor and comprise "all stakeholders", he said. Read more

 

5:27 PM

India to set up national security panel on trusted telecom sources, devices

India will set up a national security committee to list "trusted and not trusted sources" of telecom vendors and devices, said union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday. The committee will declare a list of trusted sources and products for telecom service providers; it will be headed by deputy National Security Advisor and comprise "all stakeholders", he said. Read more

 

4:55 PM

Rupee settles 5 paise higher at 73.58 (provisional) against US dollar

4:43 PM

DDC elections LIVE: Over 47% votes polled in Jammu and Kashmir till 1 pm

The seventh phase of district development council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir recorded a voting percentage of 47.43 percent till 1 pm on Wednesday, officials said. Voting began at 7 am and ended at 2 pm. However, final voting percentage is not immediately available.

 

Bandipora district of north Kashmir recorded highest 58.78 percent polling in the valley, while Samba district of Jammu region polled highest 64.90 percent votes across J-K till the same period.

 

As per the figures given by the office of the State Election Commissioner, in Kashmir division, Pulwama recorded 9.37 percent voting, Baramulla 49.50 percent, Kulgam 14.32 percent, Shopian 5.20 percent, Anantnag 18.81 percent, Bandipora 58.78 percent, Ganderbal 41.60 percent, Kupwara 42.19 percent and Budgam 39.48 percent till 1 pm.

4:14 PM

Cabinet to help farmers directly by putting money of subsidy into their bank accounts

4:05 PM

Trends show LDF ahead in civic polls in Kerala

With counting of votes for local body polls in Kerala underway on Wednesday, early trends showed that the ruling CPI(M) led Left Democratic Front was leading in 520 of the total of 941 panchayats. The LDF was also leading in 10 out of the 14 district panchayats and 108 block panchayats of the total of 152, according to the State Election Commission figures. The Congress led UDF was ahead in four district panchayats.

 

Out of the six corporations in the state, the LDF and the UDF were leading in three each. BJP is ahead in 26 panchayats. A total of 21,893 wards in 1,200 local self-governing bodies, including six corporations, 941 village panchayats, 14 district panchayats and 87 municipalities went to the polls in three phases on December 8, 10 and 14.

 

The first phase saw 73.12 per cent turnout, the second phase 76.78 and the third and final phase, 78.64 per cent.

3:56 PM

LIVE: Cabinet okays Rs 3,500 crore sugar export subsidy

The government on Wednesday approved a subsidy of Rs 3,500 crore to sugar mills for the export of 60 lakh tonnes of sweetener during the ongoing marketing year 2020-21 as part of its efforts to help them clear outstanding dues to sugarcane farmers. Briefing media after the meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a subsidy of Rs 3,500 crore on exports of 60 lakh tonnes of sweetener and the subsidy amount will directly be given to farmers.

 

The minister said both "sugar industry as well as sugarcane farmers are in crisis" because of high domestic production at 310 lakh tonnes as against the annual demand of 260 lakh tonnes. The decision will benefit 5 crore farmers, said Javadekar, who is also Union Environment Minister.

 

In the previous marketing year 2019-20 (October-September), the government provided a lump sum export subsidy of Rs 10,448 per tonne, costing the exchequer Rs 6,268 crore. Mills exported 5.7 million tonnes of sugar against the mandatory quota of 6 million tonnes set for the 2019-20 season (October-September), according to official data.

3:51 PM

LIVE: National Security Directive on telecom industry for trusted devices and services will be set up, says Ravi Shanakar Prasad