THE HEADLINES:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds high-level meeting to review Covid situation and public health preparedness amid rise in cases.
President Droupadi Murmu confers 54 Padma Awards for the year 2023.
Prime Minister unveils Bharat 6G Vision Document.
No organisation should be allowed to set up more than six Community Radio Stations, recommends Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
And, in Cricket, third and final ODI between India and Australia underway in Chennai.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today chaired a high-level meeting to assess the Covid-19 and Influenza situation in the country. During the meeting, he assessed the preparedness of health infrastructure and logistics, status of the vaccination campaign, emergence of new Covid-19 variants and Influenza types and their public health implications for the country. The meeting came in the backdrop of a spike in Influenza cases in the country and rise of Covid-19 cases in the past two weeks.
The Prime Minister directed officials to enhance Whole Genome Sequencing of Positive Samples with the designated Genome Sequencing Laboratories. Mr Modi said, this will support tracking of newer variants, if any, and timely response.
He emphasized Covid appropriate behaviour, including wearing of masks in hospital premises by both patients, health professionals and health workers. He also stressed that wearing of masks is advisable when senior citizens and those with co-morbidities visit crowded areas. He directed that effective monitoring of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection cases, and testing for Influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and Adenovirus be followed up with States. The Prime Minister stressed the need to ensure availability of required Drugs and Logistics for Influenza and Covid-19 across Health Facilities along with availability of sufficient beds and health human resources.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that India is moving towards becoming the biggest exporter of telecom technology in the world from being only a user a few years ago. He underlined that India is the country with the fastest 5G rollout in the world. Mr. Modi was speaking after inaugurating the new International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area Office and Innovation Centre in India during an event in New Delhi. He also unveiled Bharat 6G Vision Document and launched 6G Research and Development Test Bed and Call Before U dig App.
"आज भारत दुनिया में सबसे तेजी से 5जी रोल आउट करने वाला देश है। सिर्फ एक सौ बीस दिन में एक सौ 25 से अधिक शहरों में 5जी रोल आउट हो चुका है। देश के लगभग साढे तीन सौ जिलों में आज 5जी सर्विस पहुंच चुकी है। इतना ही नहीं 5जी रोल आउट के छह महीने बाद ही आज हम 6जी की बात कर रहे हैं और यह भारत का कांफिडेंस दिखाता है।"
Mr. Modi said India will work closely with ITU for the standardization of future technologies. He underlined that the new Indian ITU Area office will help in creating the right environment for 6G. He announced that the country will set up 100 new 5G labs in the coming days which will help in developing 5G applications as per the unique needs of India.
Referring to the rural upsurge of internet use, the Prime Minister informed that the number of internet users in villages has surpassed the figure in urban areas, indicating that digital power has reached every nook and corner of the country.
"2014 से पहले भारत में इंटरनेट कनेक्शन की संख्या 25 करोड थी। आज यह 85 करोड़ एटी फाइव करोड़ से भी ज्यादा है। साथियों अब भारत के गांवों में इंटरनेट यूजर्स की संख्या शहरों में रहने वाले इंटरनेट यूजर्स से भी अधिक हो गई है। इस बात का प्रमाण है कि डिजिटल पावर कैसे देश के कोने कोने में पहुंच रही है।"
President Droupadi Murmu today conferred 54 Padma Awards for the year 2023, at a Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan. She conferred three Padma Vibhushan, four Padma Bhushan and 47 Padma Shri award.
President Murmu presented Padma Vibhushan to S M Krishna in the field of Public Affairs. Padma Vibhushan was also conferred on Prof Balkrishna Doshi (Posthumously) in the field of Architecture.
The President presented Padma Bhushan to Kamlesh D Patel in the field of Spiritualism. He is the founder of the Heartfulness Movement and has developed Kanha Shanti Vanam, which is home to one of the world’s largest meditation centres. She presented Padma Bhushan to Kapil Kapoor in the field of Literature and Education. He is known for striving to indigenise higher education by integrating Indian knowledge systems and establishing dedicated Institutes. Suman Kalyanpur received Padma Bhushan in the field of Art and Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group - Kumar Mangalam Birla in the field of Trade and Industry.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, TRAI has recommended that no organisation should be allowed to set up more than six Community Radio Stations (CRS) throughout the country. However, it has recommended that any organisation seeking to set up multiple stations should submit an undertaking confirming that the programs will be prepared locally and not sent from other CRS.
TRAI said that the initial period of permission should be increased from five years to ten years, at a time. It also recommended that the duration of advertisement on a CRS should be increased from seven minutes per hour to twelve minutes per hour. All the universities of Central and State Governments should be provided budgetary support to establish and operate Community Radio Stations. TRAI said, all the processes for granting Community Radio Stations should be made online through a single window system.
All India Radio is presenting a vignette of select quotes of the Prime Minister from Mann ki Baat as the program completes its 100th episode in April this year. Today, we present the excerpts from the series in which the Prime Minister shared his dynamic vision to steer the nation ahead, and spoke on India's maritime history and prowess.
The Supreme Court said that, it will hear on 9th May a clutch of pleas in connection with the criminalisation of marital rape. Senior advocate Indira Jaising mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud today. Jaising submitted before the court that common compilation and the order of arguments in the case is ready.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the Centre's reply is ready and it has to be vetted, and added that he would argue the case for one-and-a-half days as it pertains to an important issue. On 16th January, the Supreme Court sought response from the central government on a clutch of petitions seeking criminalisation of marital rape.
The apex court decided to take up the matter itself instead of letting different high courts take a call. In May last year, after the Delhi High Court's verdict that expressed split views on criminalisation of marital rape, an appeal was moved in the Supreme Court challenging the exception to Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated virtually Maa Sharda Devi Temple at Teetwal on the banks of Kishanganga River near the Line of Control in north Kashmir's Kupwara district today.
Speaking on the occasion, he said it is the beginning of a new era. He maintained that the re-construction of the Sharda Temple at Teetwal is an important step in the direction of discovery of Sharda civilization and promotion of Sharda script.
In Tamilnadu, nine persons were killed in a blast in a cracker factory at Chengalpattu today. Chief Minister M.K.Stalin has announced an ex-gratia of three lakh rupees to the next of kin of the victims. He also announced a compensation of one lakh rupees to the severely injured. Many of the injured have been transferred to Kilpauk hospital in Chennai for further treatment. The owner of the factory has been arrested in the case.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit his constituency Varanasi on Friday. During his visit, the Prime Minister will address the One World TB Summit at Rudraksh Convention Centre on the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day. He will also lay the foundation stone of various projects worth more than one thousand 780 crore rupees.
In cricket, chasing a victory target of 270 runs set by Australia, India were 199 for 6 in 39 overs when reports last came in.
Earlier, Australia won the toss and chose to bat. The three-match series is leveled 1-1.
India won the first ODI in Mumbai while Australia emerged victor in the second ODI in Vishakhapatnam.
India's Sarabjot Singh clinched the gold medal while Varun Tomar finished with bronze in the men's 10m Air Pistol event at the ISSF RIFLE AND PISTOL WORLD CUP in Bhopal today.
China’s Li Xue won the gold. More from our correspondent:
"Manu Bhaker finished a disappointing 16th with 568 points.Among the other Indian shooters Esha Singh placed sixth, Yashaswini Singh Deswal ninth and Rhythm Sangwan finished 13th position. Divya Thadigol, who was third in the qualification round with 579 points, got eliminated in the ranking round. Indian pair of Hriday Hazarika-Tilottama Sen and Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil-Narmada Raju will be in action in the 10m Air Rifle mixed team event tomorrow. In the second event of the day, the pair of Rhythm Sangwan- Varun Tomar and Divya Thadigol-Sarabjot Singh will represent India in the 10m Air Pistol mixed team event. Sanjeev Sharma, AIR News, Bhopal"
India's boxing star Nikhat Zareen assured herself of a second medal at the World Championships by reaching the semi-final of the New Delhi world meet today.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN.
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