Latest News LIVE: Indian Army changes rules of engagement on LAC with China

Here are all the latest developments taking place across the country today

2:35 AM

Blaming China? Blame those who keep us poor & weak

For the first time in 45 years, India has lost soldiers (that too, 20 at the last count) to a Chinese attack with sticks, stones, rocks, and nail-studded clubs, even as machine guns, artillery, and tanks were lined up in the rear. Apparently, some Indian soldiers were beaten to death; some were pushed down a steep slope into the Galwan river below, and others died of hypothermia in the cold desert of Ladakh. China has given India a bloody nose in a most bizarre way. Read on...

2:34 AM

'Take actions on trade with China selectively'

Last week, the calls for regulating flow of goods and investments from China grew louder following clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh, where at least 20 Indian soldiers were killed. Some industry leaders have, however, cautioned against angry or emotional responses. Read on...

2:17 AM

Bin the Chinese food debate

Food has the potential to draw out the knives for nationalist, regional, nutritional or mere family hospitality reasons. Read more here

 

2:14 AM

A peep into fractious relations between India, China since 1962

The recent border issues with China have drawn into focus the relationship between the two Asian giants, fractious since at least 1962. While the international Global Firepower ranking of countries’ military strength puts China and India at third and fourth position, respectively, the gap is much wider than the positions suggest. Read on...

2:12 AM

Clash in eastern Ladakh: A historical perspective

Among other things, a crystallisation of our political and security arrangements with countries which share our concerns over China's aggressive posture is required. Read on...

2:06 AM

FDI plans of six China firms may be put on hold

In sync with the current sentiment, the Union home ministry is likely to stall security clearance to a clutch of Chinese companies seeking to invest in India, according to officials close to the development. Read on...

10:07 PM

Modi's LAC comments 'endorsed Chinese position': Congress

Stepping up the offensive against the government on the Ladakh standoff, the Congress on Sunday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had "endorsed the Chinese position" by saying there was no intrusion into Indian territory.

 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the prime minister, saying "Narendra Modi is actually Surender Modi". His comments came a day after he accused the prime minister of having "surrendered" Indian territory to Chinese aggression.Gandhi also tagged an article in a Japanese publication titled -- "India's appeasement policy toward China unravels".

10:01 PM

Army given full freedom to deal with China: MoS Kishan Reddy

Hyderabad: The Army has been given "full freedom" in dealing with China and protecting India's territory and its men in the backdrop of the border faceoff in Ladakh, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said on Sunday.

8:54 PM

Armed forces get financial powers to buy critical weapons amid LAC standoff

Amid the ongoing border dispute with China, the three defence forces have been given financial powers upto Rs 500 crore per project for the acquisition of critical ammunition and weapons which would be required in case an all-out or limited conflict breaks out.

 

"The Vice Chiefs of the three services have been given the financial powers upto Rs 500 crore per project to acquire the required weapon systems under fast track procedures needed to fill whatever shortcomings or requirement is felt," a senior government official told ANI.

 

The requirement of granting this power again to the forces was felt by the government after the Chinese aggression in Eastern Ladakh and the way they have deployed their troops in large numbers there along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

 

8:38 PM

Srinagar encounter: Police made repeated efforts to make militants surrender; even brought parents

The Jammu and Kashmir Police's Special Task Force tried every trick in the book including bringing relatives of three holed up young terrorists to convince them to surrender, but had to launch an operation as emotional appeals failed to break the deadlock in the city's Zoonimar area, Press Trust of India reported.

 

The operation began late Saturday night and on Sunday, officials said, the trio was killed by security forces in an encounter.

 

Two of the terrorists were identified as Shakoor Farooq Langoo of Bharthana in Srinagar and Shahid Ahmad Bhat of Semthan Bijbehara, while the third was a youth from Soura. They were affiliated to the banned Hizbul Mujahideen terror group. When reasoning and emotional appeals failed to convince the terrorists, the police launched the final assault to save civilians in the congested downtown area, eliminating the trio in a smooth operation, according to PTI report.

 

The terrorists, believed to have been behind the killing of two BSF jawans in Soura during Ramzan, were cornered in a house. During the operation on late Saturday night, Superintendent of Police of the task force, Tahir Bhatti, made repeated appeals to the terrorists to lay down their arms and surrender.

 

"The terrorists were cornered during the night and the first task was to rescue civilians. We successfully managed to pull out the house owner and people from nearby houses," a senior police officer said on the condition of anonymity.

8:10 PM

The Imphal-Jiribam Highway has been closed following a landslide at K Sinam village of Jander Noney District

8:03 PM

Latest News LIVE: SC to hear pleas on Monday seeking recall of its order staying Puri Rath Yatra

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday the pleas seeking recall of its order staying this year's historic Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra, attended by lakhs of people from across the world, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The apex court had on June 18 said that in the interest of public health and safety of citizens, this year's Rath Yatra, which was scheduled for June 23, at Puri in Odisha cannot be allowed and "Lord Jagannath won't forgive us if we allow" it. A day after the order was passed, some applications were filed in the top court seeking recall and modification of its order.

 

A single judge bench of Justice S Ravindra Bhat is scheduled to hear on Monday these applications, including the one filed by 'Jagannath Sanskruti Jana Jagarana Manch', which have urged the court to allow the Rath Yatra. While the Rath Yatra festival, held over 10-12 days with lakhs of people participating, was scheduled for June 23, the 'Bahuda Jatra' (return car festival) was fixed for July 1.

 

Three heavily-built wooden chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are traditionally pulled by thousands of devotees over a distance of three kilometres twice during the nine-day festival of the Trinity at Puri.

7:40 PM

Latest News LIVE: India's Covid-19 recovery rate improves to 55.49%, says govt

With the highest single-day increase of 15,413 Covid-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's coronavirus count stood at 4,10,461 on Sunday, said the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, while with 2,27,755 Covid-19 patients cured so far, the recovery rate has further improved to 55.49 per cent among patients. Presently, there are 1,69,451 active cases and all are under active medical supervision.

 

The death toll has gone up to 13,254 in the country with 306 persons succumbing to the lethal infection.According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of cases includes 1,69,451 active cases, 2,27,756 cured/discharged/migrated and 13,254 deaths.

 

Maharashtra with 1,28,205 cases continues to be the worst-affected state in the country with 58,068 active cases while 64,153 patients have been cured and discharged in the state so far. The death toll due to Covid-19 stands at 5,984 in the state.

 

The number of confirmed cases in Tamil Nadu stood at 56,845 on Sunday. The national capital is the third-worst affected by the infection in the country with the count reaching 56,746 today.

7:21 PM

Over 57,000 registrations for UG courses in 24 hours: Delhi University

Over 57,000 students have registered on a Delhi University portal for admission to undergraduate courses within 24 hours, according to official figures. The portal went live at 5 pm on Saturday and will remain open till July 4.

 

According to the data shared by a varsity official, 57,312 aspirants registered on the portal for admission to undergraduate courses, while 18,837 students registered for postgraduate courses and 2,071 registered for PhD admissions till 5.30 pm on Sunday.

 

The university will hold a webinar on June 23 to address doubts on the admission process. This year, the entire process right from registration to verification of documents will be online and contactless.

 

According to figures shared by the varsity, 5,889 registrations for postgraduate courses, 457 registrations for PhD courses and 19,543 registrations for undergraduate courses, had taken place within four hours of the portal going live on Saturday. This year, the varsity's registration process was delayed in view of the coronavirus outbreak. Last year, the registration process commenced on May 30.

7:12 PM

Govt seeks product-wise details from industry to curb cheap, low quality imports from China: PTI

The government has sought product-wise details of cheap imports, comparison with domestic prices and tax disadvantage, if any, from industry to curb low quality inbound shipments especially from China and boost domestic manufacturing, sources said. They said a high level meeting to discuss ways to promote Atma Nirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India), including cut in import dependence from China, also took place recently in the Prime Minister's office, Press Trust of India reported.

 

Industry was asked to send comments and suggestions on certain number of goods and raw materials imported from China, which include wrist watches, wall clocks, ampoules, glass rods and tubes, hair cream, hair shampoos, face powder, eye and lip make up preparations, printing ink, paints and varnishes, and some tobacco items, one of the sources according to PTI said.

 

The other details sought include import surge data between 2014-15 and 2018-19; domestic prices of similar goods that are made here, domestic capacity, imports under free trade agreements, and inverted duty issue, if any.

 

An industry source said that they are preparing their views on all those products and would soon send to the commerce and industry ministry. The exercise to reduce and curb imports from China assumes significance in the wake of border tensions between the two countries. China accounts for about 14 per cent of India's imports and is a major supplier for sectors like cell phones, telecom, power, plastic toys and critical pharma ingredients.