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9:41 AM

Local body elections underway in Gujarat's Ahmedabad

Voting for the local body elections in Gujarat's Ahmedabad underway on Sunday morning amid Covid-19 pandemic. The elections in the state were scheduled to be held in two phases -- on February 21 and February 28, the State Election Commission (SEC) said last month.

 

According to SEC, six municipalities scheduled to undergo polls today, while polling at 81 municipalities, 31 district panchayats and 231 taluka panchayats will be held on February 28.

 

The results for six municipal corporations will be declared on February 23, while results of 81 municipalities, 31 district panchayats and 231 taluka panchayats results are scheduled to be declared on March 2.

9:23 AM

Gujarat civic polls LIVE: Voting underway in six major cities today

9:21 AM

PM Modi to address a meeting of BJP's national functionaries today at NDMC convention centre

9:06 AM

UGC finalises draft for Indian, global institutions offering joint or dual degrees

Indian and foreign higher education institutions may soon be able to offer joint or dual degrees and twinning programmes with the University Grants Commission (UGC) finalising a draft for the regulations of these programmes. However, a final decision in this regard will be taken following evaluation of feedback received on the draft, which has been put in public domain, PTI reported on Sunday.

 

According to the draft UGC (Academic Collaboration between Indian and Foreign Higher Education Institutions to offer Joint Degree, Dual Degree and Twinning Programmes) Regulations, 2021, higher education institutions of India can collaborate with foreign counterparts for credit recognition and transfer, twinning arrangement as well as offer degrees.

 

However, regulations shall not be applicable to programmes offered in online and open and distance learning mode.

8:49 AM

India, China conclude 16-hour military talks, discuss further disengagement at three friction points in Ladakh

The tenth round of Corps commander level talks between India and China concluded after 16 hours at Moldo, on the Chinese side of Line of Actual Control (LAC) on Sunday as the discussion focused on further disengagement at three friction points in Eastern Ladakh, including Gogra heights, Hot Springs and Depsang plains, ANI reported.

 

The marathon talks began at 10 am Saturday and ended at 2 am Sunday. This latest round of talks comes two days after completing the disengagement process from both the north and south banks of Pangong Lake.

 

The disengagement of troops of the Indian Army and China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) from the LAC was reached after sustained negotiations at the military and diplomatic level, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) last week.

8:33 AM

Voting for Gujarat local body elections underway

8:24 AM

Over 400 girls take part in recruitment drive for Jammu and Kashmir Police in Kathua

8:09 AM

J-K LG requests Centre for regular commercial international flights for Srinagar, Jammu

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for regular commercial international flights for Srinagar and Jammu to boost tourism and trade in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

During the 6th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog held virtually, the Lt Governor apprised the meeting about the new trajectory that the Union Territory has undertaken in the past 17 months.

 

"After August 5, 2019, Jammu & Kashmir got new opportunities of socio-economic development that were not there for many decades. J-K is passing through a period of transition for development, peace, and prosperity. Today, among the people of Jammu and Kashmir, there is an outlook of hopeful optimism", he remarked, according to ANI.

7:45 AM

Ready to contest Bengal polls, says actor Yash Dasgupta days after joining BJP

Bengali actor Yash Dasgupta, who recently joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said he is ready to contest the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections but asserted that the ultimate decision will be taken by the party.

 

"I am ready to fight election but the ultimate decision will be taken by the party. If we want to bring change in the state and the country, then we cannot do it by staying outside the system. We have to be in the system to bring change. I think this is the right time to join politics," Dasgupta told ANI on Saturday.

The actor-turned-politician said there is unemployment in the state. "There are no jobs in Bengal. Youth have to go to another state for employment. Bengal is lagging behind other states," he said.

7:43 AM

MSC Bank scam: Hearing on Anna Hazare's plea against closure starts

A court on Saturday began the hearing on a petition filed by activist Anna Hazare against the closure report filed by Mumbai Police in the alleged Rs 25,000 crore Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was one of the accused named in the case.

 

The court heard the matter for some time on Saturday and adjourned it to March 15, Hazare's lawyer said. Besides Hazare, Surinder Arora, the original informant in the case, has also filed a protest petition challenging the police's decision to close the probe for want of evidence.

The Economic Offences Wing of police had registered the case under IPC sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating), the Prevention of Corruption Act, and Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act. READ ON...

7:42 AM

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to meet protesting farmers at lunch on Sunday: Report

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will host protesting farmer leaders at a lunch at the Vidhan Sabha here Sunday afternoon where he will discuss with them the three contentious Central agricultural laws and other related issues, government sources said Saturday.

 

However, the government as well as AAP leaders were tight-lipped about the names of the union leaders invited for the meeting.

 

Farmer leader Darshan Pal said they had not received any invitation from the Delhi government till Saturday evening. A senior AAP leader said, "Discussions will be held at the meeting on various concerns of farmers over the agri laws and also the various aspects of the laws and its impact." READ MORE...

 

7:36 AM

Bengal election: Mamata becomes 'beti' from 'didi' in TMC's new poll slogan

Facing a resurgent BJP as the main challenger in the upcoming assembly polls, West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Saturday unveiled a poll slogan- "Bangla Nijer Meyekei Chaye", portraying Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as its mascot with focus on women voters and Bengali sub-nationalism.

 

The slogan, which translates to 'Bengal wants its own daughter', presents the transformation from her popular image of 'didi' (elder sister) to 'Nijer Meye' (own daughter), was officially launched at the party's headquarters off EM Bypass. READ ON...

 

 

7:35 AM

Uttarakhand glacial burst: 5 more bodies recovered from Tapovan in Chamoli

Five more bodies have been recovered from the debris of the dam at Tapovan here following the glacial burst in Chamoli, Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar informed on Sunday.

 

A total of 67 bodies have been recovered so far from the debris of dam Tapovan. NDRF personnel rappelled his way down the mountain to install a gauge in the Dhauliganga river in Chamoli.

"Water level of the river is likely to rise. We are installing a gauge to measure its depth and water level," said Aditya P Singh, Deputy Commandant, NDRF. READ MORE...

 

7:34 AM

Rajnath Singh to address BJP's yuva morcha convention in Tamil Nadu today

Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh will address the party's yuva morcha convention in Tamil Nadu on Sunday. "On February 21, 2021, I would be in Salem to address the youth of Tamil Nadu at the state BJP yuva morcha convention and look forward to my Salem visit this Sunday," Singh said in a tweet.

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also address an election meeting in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore on February 25.

 

The Tamil Nadu Assembly polls are likely to be held in April-May. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to contest the election with the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in the southern state. Tamil Nadu BJP chief L Murugan has said the seat-sharing arrangements between the two parties will be finalised very soon.

7:33 AM

Gujarat civic polls: Voting in six major cities today

Voting in the civic polls in six major cities of Gujarat will be held between 7am and 5pm on Sunday amid tight security and adherence to COVID-19 norms, officials said.

 

The municipal corporation elections in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar are being seen as a test for Chief Minister Vijay Rupani as it may set the tone for the Assembly polls slated for next year.

 

Votes will be cast for a total of 575 seats with each ward having four corporators, and 2,276 candidates, comprising 577 from the BJP, 566 from the Congress, 470 from AAP, 91 from NCP, 353 from other parties and 228 Independents, are in the fray, officials informed.