New Delhi, Oct 13: India registered a single-day rise of 2,786 new COVID-19 cases, taking the country’s tally of infections to 4,46,21,319, while the count of active cases has increased to 26,509, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.
The death toll due to the disease has climbed to 5,28,847 with 12 fatalities being recorded, including six deaths reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Active cases now comprise 0.06 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.76 per cent, the ministry said.
An increase of 217 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours, the data showed.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.08 per cent, and the weekly positivity rate at 1.05 per cent, according to the health ministry.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 4,40,65,963, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent, it said.
According to the ministry, 219.15 crore doses of vaccines have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive.
India’s COVID-19 infection tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5, 50 lakh on September 16, 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and the one-crore mark on December 19.
The country crossed the grim milestones of two crore COVID-19 cases on May 4, three crore on June 23 last year and four crore on January 25 this year.
The six new fatalities reported include four from Maharashtra and one each from Kerala and West Bengal. (AGENCIES)

New Delhi, October 12: In the past nine months, security forces have observed the illegal entry of 191 drones into Indian territory from neighbouring Pakistan, raising major concerns in terms of internal security in the country.
The central government recently shared the input from the security forces deployed at the India-Pakistan border to maintain such illegal attempts from the Pakistan side.
Of the 191 drones observed, 171 entered into Indian territory through the India-Pakistan border along the Punjab sector while 20 were seen in the Jammu sector.
As per the document, the “UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) observation in Indo-Pak border was seen in Punjab and Jammu frontier with effect from January 1, 2022, to September 30, 2022”.
The documents further reveal that most of these drones or UAVs managed to flee while a total of seven have been shot down by the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, who are deployed along the India-Pakistan border to keep a tab on such illegal activities being orchestrated by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence.
Among seven drones shot down this year between January 1 to September 15 were observed in Punjab’s Amritsar, Ferozpur and Abohar regions.
As per inputs, the first drone was shot down by the BSF on January 18 in Punjab’s Amritsar near Havelian Border Out Post (BoP). The BSF personnel on February 13 again shot down another drone soon after it entered Indian territory and was observed near CB Chand BoP in Amritsar. The BSF personnel also shot down two drones on March 7 and March 9 in Ferozpur’s TJ Singh and Amritsar’s Havelian BoPs respectively.
On April 29, the BSF personnel shot down a drone near Pulmoran BoP in Amritsar. The BSF personnel also shot down another drone on May 8 when it was observed near Bharopal BoP in Amritsar. The last drone shot down by the BSF personnel was observed on June 26 near Jhanger BoP in the Abohar region of Punjab.
Officials in the BSF said that drones are being used by Pakistan’s side to transport weapons, explosives and narcotics across the international border in Jammu and Punjab from Pakistan.
The increased drone activity across the border was brought to the notice of Home Minister Amit Shah in the security review meeting in Srinagar recently with top security and intelligence chiefs in attendance. While BSF, which means the international border with Pakistan in the Jammu sector, believes that it has been able to repel drones carrying arms, ammunition and explosives from Pakistan, the state police and the intelligence agencies differ with this assessment.
The security forces have seized various AK series assault rifles, pistols, MP4 carbines, carbine magazines, high explosive grenades as well as narcotics which were transported into Indian territory from Pakistan from the drones shot down so far.
As per security agencies, BSF intelligence inputs and Jammu and Kashmir Police officials, the drones are also used to drop packets of Afghan heroin for financing terror operations in the Valley and Punjab.
It is learnt that the group behind the transportation of weapons, explosives and drugs is Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and other terror outfits which has camps across the International Boundary and is backed by ISI.
The Home Ministry is learnt to have directed the concerned agencies to find out a solution to stop drone activities and meanwhile security agencies and law enforcement forces are asked to keep a special watch on such movements. (Agencies)

New Delhi, October 12: The government on Wednesday approved the payment of Productivity-Linked Bonus, which is equivalent to 78 days of wages, to railway employees for the financial year 2021-2022.
The Cabinet meeting on Wednesday informed that the Productivity-Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days of wages will be paid to non-gazetted railway employees, excluding RPF/RPSF personnel, for the financial year 2021-22.
According to available data, about 11.27 lakh non-gazetted railway employees are likely to benefit from the decision.
The financial implication of payment of 78 days’ PLB to railway employees has been estimated to be Rs 1,832.09 crore. The wage calculation ceiling prescribed for payment of PLB is Rs 7,000 per month. The maximum amount payable per eligible railway employee is Rs 17,951 for 78 days.
The Railway Ministry had earlier said railway employees played an important role in the performance of Passenger and Goods services which also acted as catalysts for the economy. In fact, Railway employees ensured uninterrupted movement of essential commodities like food, fertilizer, coal and other items even during the lockdown period. The Railways has ensured there is no shortage of such commodities in the area of operations. (Agencies)

Fit India Freedom Run 3.0 was organized on 12.10.2022 by NHPC Dulhasti Power Station as per directives of Ministry of
Youth Affairs Sports, Government of India. On this occasion, Sh. M K Kashyap, Group General Manager (In-Charge),
Dulhasti Power Station flagged off the Fit India Freedom Run 3.0 wherein Dr. Nisha Sharma, General Manager (Medical
Services), Sh Mithilesh Prasad Dinkar, General Manager (Power), Sh Surendra Kumar Mishra, General Manager
(Electrical), Sh Sharad Jaikar, General Manager (Civil), Dr. R P Singh, Group Deputy General Manager (H.R.), senior
officers and employees participated with great zeal and enthusiasm.
On this occasion, Sh. M K Kashyap, Group General Manager (In-Charge) while addressing all the runners said that the
main objective of this run is to inculcate the habit of walking and running in employee in the quest for better health and
fitness. He further added that as part of the celebrations of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM), the 3rd edition of the
Fit India Freedom Run is commencing on 2nd October, 2022 with the theme “Azadi ke 75 saal, fitness rahe bemisaal”. As
a Janbhagidari in this run, CISF personnel, contract workers and drivers also participated. The freedom run started from
the Administrative Building of Dulhasti Power Station and ended at the Executive Field Hostel.
On this occasion, Sh Sanjay Kumar Singh, Deputy General Manager (Finance), Sh Divakar Awadhiya, Group SM (IT),
Sh Sanjay Kumar Gupta, Group SM (Electrical), Sh Rajit Kumar Srivastava, Group SM (Civil), Sh Ashok Kumar Dhanwal,
Senior Manager (HR), Sh Sachin Vishwakarma, Sr. Manager (IT), and other officers and employees were present.

New Delhi, Oct 12: Any expansion, particularly of geographical boundaries, involves violation of human rights, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Wednesday, and asserted that India as a nation never believed in such a policy.
In his address at the foundation day event of the National Human Rights Commission here, he said Indian ethos is such that the country’s concern is not limited to itself but cares for the world.
We are yet to have another nation that can match our unrivalled record,” Dhankhar said.
We never believed, as a nation, in expansion. Any expansion, particularly of geographical boundaries, involves violation of human rights, of an extreme degree. This nation (India) has never done so,” he said.
In his address, the Vice President also emphasised that human rights, as a concept, cannot be reckoned only in the narrow sense of preservation of personal liberties and dignity. They have to be understood in a broader context, he added. (Agencies)

New Delhi, Oct 12: As India rolls out 5G in a phased manner starting with key metro cities, Apple on Wednesday said that 5G on its iPhones in the country will be made available in December.

In a statement to IANS, the tech giant said it is working with its carrier partners in India to create the best 5G experience for iPhone users.

“We are working with our carrier partners in India to bring the best 5G experience to iPhone users as soon as network validation and testing for quality and performance is completed,” the company told IANS.

“5G will be enabled via a software update and will start rolling out to iPhone users in December,” Apple added.

Those using iPhone 14, iPhone 13, iPhone 12 and iPhone SE (third generation) models will get an upcoming software update on 5G.

Apple does extensive testing with carrier partners to ensure a great experience for iPhone users.

iPhone offers users super-fast downloads and uploads, better streaming, and real-time connectivity with 5G to help them stay in touch, share, and enjoy content.

The support for 5G on iPhone has now extended to over 250 carrier partners in over 70 markets around the world, with expanded support for standalone networks.

Meanwhile, with 5G services having been launched in the country earlier this month, the government convened a meeting of handset manufacturers and telecom service providers to ensure a smooth transition towards the new technology.

Prioritising software upgrade would enable early adoption of 5G in India.

Airtel and Jio have rolled out their 5G services in key metros in a phased manner.

New Delhi, Oct 12: A MiG 29K fighter jet of the Indian Navy crashed off the Goa coast on Wednesday morning after developing a technical malfunction.
The pilot ejected safely, the Navy said.
The naval headquarters has ordered a Board of Inquiry (BoI) into the incident.
“A MiG 29K on a routine sortie over sea off Goa developed a technical malfunction while returning to base. The pilot ejected safely and has been recovered in a swift search and rescue operation,” the Navy said in a brief statement.
“The pilot is reported to be in stable condition. The Board of Inquiry (BoI) has been ordered to investigate the cause of the incident,” it said.
The MiG-29K is an all-weather carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft developed by Russian aerospace company Mikoyan (MiG).
The Indian Navy had procured a fleet of 45 MiG-29Ks from Russia over a decade back at a cost of around USD 2 billion (one billion=100 crore) to operate from INS Vikramaditya.
In November 2020, a MiG-29K aircraft of the Navy crashed into the Arabian Sea off the Goa coast after taking off from aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
A MiG-29K twin-seat fighter aircraft had crashed in South Goa district in November 2019 and both the pilots had ejected safely.
Another MIG-29K crashed into the Arabian Sea off the Goa coast on February 23, 2020 after taking off from INS Hansa, a prominent naval air station at Vasco in Goa.
The pilot of the aircraft had managed to eject safely. (Agencies)