LIVE: Will bring law to recover damages from protesters, says Khattar

FM Sitharaman today said Budget 2021 has set pace for India to become Aatmanirbhar. Meanwhile, polling is underway in as many as 2,786 panchayats in Andhra Pradesh. Stay tuned for Latest LIVE news

11:50 PM

Dinesh Trivedi likely to join BJP, says Rajib Banerjee

Newly-inducted Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former minister in Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal Government, Rajib Banerjee on Saturday said former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi who resigned as Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP from the Rajya Sabha yesterday is likely to join the BJP, according to ANI.

"People who want to do something for the betterment of Bengal cannot continue in the TMC. I believe the same thing happened with Dinesh Trivedi what had happened with me. I have heard from some sources that he is going to join the BJP," Rajib told ANI.

 

 

11:00 PM

Karnataka CM says Tesla to set up electric car manufacturing unit: Report

Karnataka CM B S Yediyurappa said Tesla Inc will set up an electric car manufacturing unit in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, according to a Reuters report that cited CNBC TV18.
 

Last month the company incorporated Tesla Motors India and Energy Private Limited with its registered office in the southern city of Bengaluru, a hub for several global technology companies.

10:24 PM

PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate slew of projects in Kochi on Sunday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation Bharat Petroleum's Propylene Derivatives Petrochemical Complex at Kochi Refinery and Inland Waterways Authority's Roll-on/Roll-off vessels, at Willingdon Island on Sunday, according to PTI.

 

He would also inaugurate Cochin Port Trust's International Cruise Terminal and Cochin Shipyard's Vigyana Sagar, campus for Marine Engineering Training Institute, an official press release said.

 

Modi will also lay the foundation stone of Cochin Port Trust's South Coal Berth.

9:28 PM

No tsunami alert for Japan earthquake

A strong earthquake hit off the coast of northeastern Japan late Saturday, shaking Fukushima, Miyagi and other areas, but there was no threat of a tsunami, officials said.

 

The Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, which had meltdowns following a massive quake and tsunami 10 years ago, was checking to see whether there were any problems following the magnitude 7.1 quake.

 

There were no immediate reports of irregularities from other nuclear plants in the area, such as Onagawa or Fukushima Dai-ni, government spokesperson Katsunobu Kato told reporters.

8:46 PM

7.0 magnitude earthquake hits Japan

An earthquake of magnitude 7.0 hit 90 km east-northeast of Namie, Japan: United States Geological Survey

8:27 PM

Khattar meets Amit Shah, says will bring a law for recovery of damages from protesters

8:11 PM

High-level judicial inquiry should be ordered into Jan 26 violence, famrers' cases: Unions

Protesting farmer unions on Saturday demanded a high-level judicial inquiry into the violence during the tractor rally in Delhi on January 26 and the alleged 'false" cases slapped on the peasants, according to PTI. Addressing a press conference at the Singhu border, Samyukta Kisan Morcha leaders asked farmers who are getting police notices not to appear before the force directly and instead approach the legal cell constituted by the unions for any assistance, as per PTI copy. Kuldeep Singh, a member of SKM's legal cell, said that a retired judge of the Supreme Court or high court should probe the incidents to unravel the "conspiracy" behind the January 26 violence and the alleged "false cases" against the farmers.
 

PTI quoting SKM leaders said, 16 farmers who had participated in the tractor parade are still untraceable. In the Republic Day violence, over 500 police personnel had been injured, while a protestor had died. On January 26, thousands of protesting farmers who reached ITO from the Ghazipur border clashed with the police. Driving tractors, many of them reached the Red Fort and entered the monument, where a religious flag was hoisted.

At the press conference, another leader Ravinder Singh said that 122 farmers had so far been arrested by Delhi Police in connection with 14 of the 44 FIRs, adding that SKM will provide legal and financial aid to all the arrested farmers. The Morcha leaders claimed that "false" cases were being slapped on farmers charging them with serious offences like dacoity and attempt to murder to "harass" them. "Ten farmers have been granted bail so far and five bail applications have been filed. Priority is being given to those farmers who are not booked under Section 307 of the IPC or other serious offences," the SKM said in a statement later, PTI reported.

7:49 PM

Expectations of GDP growth in Q3, Q4 becoming strong: PHDCCI

Expectations that the country's GDP would record growth in the third and fourth quarters of 2020-21 are getting stronger on account of various reforms undertaken by the government in the last ten months, PHDCCI said on Saturday. It said out of the 10 indicators of QET (Quick Economic Trends) of economic and business activity tracked by PHDCCI, nine have performed positive.

 

The Indian economy shrunk by a record 23.9 per cent in June quarter and saw a contraction of 7.5 per cent in second quarter. "On the back of various reforms undertaken by the government in last 10 months along with a demand boosting and investment inducing Budget, the expectations of a positive GDP growth in Q3 and in Q4 FY 2020-21 are becoming strong," it added. Read more

7:23 PM

Vodafone Idea third quarter net loss narrows to Rs 4,532 crore

Vodafone Idea narrowed its net loss to Rs 4,532 crore in the third quarter of FY2021 on the back of gains from the sale of its stake in Indus Towers. In the same quarter last year, the company had posted a net loss of Rs 6,438 crore.

 

Gross revenue declined 1.7 per cent on a year on year basis to Rs 10,894 crore in the reported quarter as the company continues to lose subscribers.

 

During the third quarter, Vodafone Idea undertook limited tariff hike in a few of its family pack plans in select circles like Uttar Pradesh but that did not translate into revenue growth. Sequentially, the company’s revenue grew by 0.9 per cent. Read more

7:16 PM

First phase of Budget Session has been highly productive: Om Birla

The first part of the Budget Session, 2021 which concluded today has been highly productive. As many as 117 Members took part in the General Discussion on Union Budget 2021-2022 which lasted for 14 hours and 40 minutes: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, according to ANI


During the first part of Union Budget, Lok Sabha sat for 49 hours &17 minutes against the stipulated time of 50 hours with participation of 117 Members including 49 women MPs. House lost an effective time of 43 minutes due to disruptions, as per ANI.

7:01 PM

AIMPLB moves SC opposing plea seeking "uniform grounds of divorce" for all citizens

AIMPLB moves Supreme Court opposing plea seeking "uniform grounds of divorce" for all citizens, according to PTI

6:42 PM

PM brought farm laws to handover agri sectors to top industrialist: Rahul

Continuing his attack on the BJP-led central government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the government brought the three agriculture laws to handover the business of 40 per cent of India's population in the hands of few biggest industrialists of the country, according to ANI. Addressing the public in Rajasthan's Nagaur district on the second day of his two-day visit to the state, Gandhi said the purpose of his visit to the state is to inform the people about how the Centre's farm laws are going to affect their lives.

"People often think that in India the biggest businesses are that of automobile manufacturing, airlines and telecom, but that is not true. The biggest business in the country is that of farming. And not just India, agriculture is the biggest business in the world," said the Congress leader as quoted by ANI.

He said unlike most sectors that are controlled by a few private players, "Agriculture sector is not controlled by one person. This is probably the only business that is controlled by the 40 per cent population in the country. It is controlled by farmers, labourers, small businessmen, the loaders in the Mandis, the MSMEs that process the produce and vendors among other people."

6:20 PM

Uttarakhand disaster: Drilling work being conducted inside the Tapovan tunnel

6:20 PM

Schools to reopen for Classes 6 to 8 in Gujarat from Feb 18

The Gujarat government on Saturday announced reopening of schools for students of Classes 6 to 8 from February 18, according to PTI. Attendance will not be compulsory for students, though, and online classes will continue.

Physical classes for these students across schools of all boards will resume with strict adherence to the Centre's COVID-19 norms and guidelines issued by the state government, education secretary Vinod Rao said. The decision was taken keeping in mind long-term interest of students as coronavirus cases in the state have declined, he added.

District education officers and primary education officers shall ensure that schools comply with the standard operating procedure to avoid coronavius infections, he said.

5:20 PM

Uttarakhand disaster: 38 bodies recovered so far; relief and rescue ops underway

38 bodies recovered so far; relief and rescue operation underway, say Chamoli Police, Uttarakhand on glacier burst incident, according to ANI