LIVE updates: India asks Pakistan to reduce high commission staff by 50%

Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane will visit Leh today to review the on-ground situation and the progress in talks with the Chinese military

7:45 PM

LIVE updates: ITBP scales up LAC presence amid Covid-19 precautions

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has begun deployment of 40 fresh companies across various locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in view of the ongoing standoff and violent clashes between the armies of the two countries, officials said on Tuesday.

 

The border guarding force is also moving its mechanised column assets like SUVs, all-terrain vehicles, snow scooters and trucks to forward locations in the midst of the projected increase in the number of troops at border units and fresh directives to undertake "additional" patrols, PTI reported.

 

They said all these units, with an operational strength of about 4,000 mountain-warfare trained troops, are being withdrawn from internal security duties from various parts of the country.

 

7:32 PM

LIVE updates: India retains its position as third-largest economy on PPP basis for 2017

India has retained and consolidated its position as the third-largest economy after China and the US in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) for 2017, said the government on Tuesday quoting the World Bank data, PTI reported

 

PPP of the rupee per dollar at the gross domestic product (GDP) level rose to 20.65 in 2017 from 15.55 in 2011, while the exchange rate of a dollar to a rupee rose to 65.12 from 46.67 during the period. Also, the Price Level Index (PLI), the ratio of a PPP to its corresponding market exchange rate, which is used to compare the price levels of economies, improved to 47.55 in 2017 from 42.99 in 2011.

 

"In 2017, India retained and consolidated its global position, as the third-largest economy, accounted for 6.7 per cent (USD 8,051 billion out of world total of USD 119,547 billion) of global GDP in terms of PPPs as against China (16.4 per cent) and the US (16.3 per cent), respectively.

7:10 PM

Army Chief General M M Naravane visits Ladakh; takes stock of ground situation

Army Chief General M M Naravane on Tuesday reviewed India's military preparedness in eastern Ladakh as he began a two-day visit to the region where a border clash last week left 20 Indian soldiers dead in the midst of a tense standoff with the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

 

Soon after arriving in Leh, Gen Naravane visited an Army hospital where 18 soldiers injured in the clash in Galwan Valley on June 15 are undergoing treatment, Army officials said.

 

The Chief of the Army Staff interacted with almost all the injured soldiers and complimented them for their bravery, they added. A surveillance post set up by the Chinese Army on a narrow mountain trail in violation of an agreement was the trigger for the clash in Galwan Valley in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.

 

After visiting the hospital, Gen Naravane reviewed the overall security situation in the region with the ground commanders, and is learnt to have directed them to keep a high-level of alertness to deal with any Chinese misadventure, people familiar with the issue said. The Chief of the Army Staff is scheduled to visit a number of forward areas during his two-day visit to the region.

6:59 PM

India, China don't need help from outside to resolve border issue: Russia

Russia on Tuesday said that India and China have shown their commitment for peaceful resolution of the border issue and the two countries do not need "any help from outside" to resolve the matter. Speaking at the virtual RIC foreign ministers' meeting, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow hopes that New Delhi and Beijing continue to be committed to a peaceful resolution of disputes.

 

"I don't think that India and China need any help from the outside. I do not think they need to be helped, especially when it comes to country issues. They can solve them on their own. In recent events, New Delhi and Beijing showed their commitment to a peaceful resolution," Lavrov said when asked whether Russia would help China and India in resolving the matter.

 

"They started meetings at the level of defence officers, foreign ministers and neither of the two sides made any statements which would indicate that any of them would pursue non-diplomatic solutions," he added.

 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi took part in the trilateral meeting.

6:53 PM

Coronavirus latest update: England players to be tested again for Covid-19 before full-scale training

All the 30 negative-returned English cricketers will undergo a second round of Covid-19 tests before entering the Ageas Bowl's bio-secure bubble for full-scale training for the series against West Indies.

 

According to a report in Sky News, the players and around 15 support staff will be tested before they isolate themselves in their hotel rooms for the first 24 hours while their results are received. The players are staying at the Hilton Hotel, which is attached to the stadium.

 

All 30 players returned negative in the first round of coronavirus testing 10 days ago. The three-match Test series against the West Indies will begin here from July 8 but before that, a trimmed 20-member home team will play a intra-squad warm-up game at the same venue.

 

6:20 PM

India asks Pakistan to reduce staff strength in its High Commission in New Delhi by 50%: MEA

6:19 PM

AYUSH ministry orders Patanjali to stop advertising its Covid drug until 'issue' is examined

6:13 PM

Class 10 student from Delhi makes face shields using 3-D printer to combat Covid-19

5:54 PM

Pakistan's behaviour is not in conformity with Vienna Convention and bilateral agreements on treatment of diplomatic, consular officials: MEA

5:54 PM

Chinese cyber attackers planning large-scale phishing attack, warns Maharashtra Cyber Department

5:41 PM

China using road construction to encroach Nepali land: Government report (ANI)

China is using increased road construction in Tibet to encroach Nepali land, according to a government report accessed and confirmed by ANI. The report, prepared by Survey Department of Agriculture Ministry, shows a list of 11 places, of which China has encroached at 10 places comprising about 33 hectares of Nepali land, by diverting the flow of rivers which act as a natural boundary.

 

The Chinese Government is widely expanding its road network in so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) "because of which some rivers and its tributaries have changed their course and are flowing towards Nepal. The flow of rivers is gradually receding the Nepalese territories and if it continues to remain so for some more time, it would cede the maximum portion of Nepal's land towards TAR," the document obtained by ANI report states.

 

A total of 10 hectares of land has been encroached in Humla district as Chinese construction works diverted Bagdare Khola river and Karnali river. Six hectares of Nepali land has been encroached in Rasuwa district as the construction work in Tibet brought diversions in Sinjen, Bhurjuk and Jambu Khola.

 

Likewise, a total of 11 hectares of Nepal land is already claimed by China for "falling in Tibet" with the diversion of Kharane Khola and Bhote Kosi in Sindhupalchowk district.

5:33 PM

LIVE: Army Chief General MM Naravane interacts with soldiers at Leh's Military Hospital

5:26 PM

India puts restrictions to curb sale of 'Chinese' products to government agencies

Amid growing calls for a boycott of Chinese goods after a clash on the border in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed, India's government instructed sellers to declare the country of origin for goods and services purchased via a state-run online portal. The government announced the change in requirements for users of its Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal in a statement on Tuesday. The statement did not single out China, but an official source told Reuters that the main objective was to identify items coming from China, Reuters reported.

 

Separately, the portal will provide a "Make in India" filter so that the government or its agencies could choose to buy only those products that meet the minimum 50% local content criteria, the statement said.

 

According to officials the portal, which was set up in 2016 to promote small businesses, has been misused by many companies to sell imported Chinese products like office furniture, computers, air conditioners, auto parts, machinery and other products.

 

"The decision will encourage domestic producers, as many domestic sellers were so far importing goods from China and selling through this portal," a government source, with the direct knowledge of the matter, said.

 

India is also planning to impose higher trade barriers and raise import duties on around 300 products from China and elsewhere, two government officials said, as part of an effort to protect domestic businesses. The government has instructed all its ministries and agencies to maximise procurement through the portal, run by the commerce ministry, and total purchases are expected to increase to 3 trillion Indian rupees (nearly $40 billion) this fiscal year from 500 billion rupees (nearly $7 billion) from the year just ended in March.

 

More than 100,000 sellers are registered for selling products and services on the portal.

 

5:15 PM

LIVE updates: Sensex rallies 519 points on easing Indo-China border tensions

Rising for the fourth straight session, the BSE Sensex rallied over 519 points on Tuesday following reports that Indian and Chinese armies reached a consensus to de-escalate tensions on the border.

 

The 30-share BSE index settled 519.11 points, or 1.49 per cent, higher at 35,430.43, and the NSE Nifty surged 159.80 points, or 1.55 per cent, to close at 10,471. L&T was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, soaring around 7 per cent, followed by Bajaj Finance, IndusInd Bank, NTPC, PowerGrid, M&M and Axis Bank.

 

On the other hand, Reliance Industries Bharti Airtel and Maruti were the laggards. Positive cues from global markets and sustained foreign fund inflow kept investor sentiment higher.

5:09 PM

GeM makes it mandatory for sellers to enter Country of Origin while registering all new products