New Delhi, Oct 29: With 1,574 people testing positive for the coronavirus infection, India’s tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 4,46,50,662, while the active cases declined to 18,802, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday.
A decrease of 596 cases has been recorded in the active covid caseload in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated.
The death toll has climbed to 5,29,008 with nine fatalities which includes five reconciled by Kerala, while one death each has been reported from Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana and Maharashtra. it said.

The active cases comprises 0.04 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.77 per cent, the health ministry said.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.95 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.11 per cent, according to the health ministry.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,02,852, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.18 per cent.
According to the ministry, 219.62 crore doses of covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive.

The first-ever such meeting organised on Thursday under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah also emphasised focusing on “cybercrime, improving conviction rates, narcotics and border security”. As the meeting concluded on Friday evening, top sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs said, the Home Minister suggested ” we (all states and the Centre) should move towards thematic approach”.

To achieve a 90 per cent conviction rate target, the states were also advised to focus on forensic sciences which play a big role.
Noting that “internal security is shared responsibility of both Centre and states”, it was decided jointly to work with the spirit of “Team India”.

All states were also advised to “constantly and annually” review goals and have a plan where their internal security will be in 2047.
The states were also advised to hold regular meetings of Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD).

In the meeting it was also mentiined that “Bihar and Jharkhand have became free from naxalism”, and that 9,200 North East militants surrendered arms in last eight years.

Besides, it was also pointed out that development taking place in North East and areas under Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) have been reduced.
It was also mentiined that North East, Jammu and Kashmir and Left Wing Extremism (LWE) or naxalism are areas where Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Central government has achieved unprecedented success.

The ‘Chintan Shivir’ was attended by Governor of Punjab; 10 Chief Ministers from Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Haryana, Kerala, Manipur, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand; Deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Nagaland; Lieutenant Governors of Ladakh as well as Jammu and Kashmir.

Home Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Puducherry and Rajasthan as well as Finance Minister of Jharkhand also atttended the event.

Development of eco-system for cyber crime management, modernization of police forces, increase in usage of IT in criminal justice system, land border management and coastal security and other internal security issues were also key focus areas of the event which has the objective to prepare an action plan for the implementation of ‘vision 2047’ and ‘Panch Pran’ announced in the Independence Day speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the event, the Home Minister on Thursday had said that the initiative of the ‘Chintan Shivir’ was taken by current Prime Minister and former Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi.

Shah said both Centre and States can fight against cross-border crime when all states will jointly plan and take steps accordingly.
The Minister said that the ‘Chintan Shivir’ will help formulate a joint plan to deal with crimes and other issues.

The aim of the conference was also to facilitate national policy-making and better planning and coordination. Various topics were also discussed in the six sessions of the ‘Chintan Shivir’.

Many important issues such as Home Guards, Civil Defense, Fire Protection and Enemy Property was also discussed with focus on cyber security, drug trafficking, women’s safety and border management.

An IndiGo plane declared an emergency at the Delhi airport on Friday after one of its engines caught fire. The fire aroused in its engine, while it was at full speed on the runway at the time of taxiing, and sparks appeared “just before take-off”.

The Bengaluru-bound A320 aircraft had 184 people on board out of which 177 were passengers and seven were part of the crew. They returned to the bay at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi, the source said.

A video on Twitter showed one of the plane’s engines on fire and sparks flying at the time of taxiing at the airport.

All passengers and crew on board IndiGo flight 6E-2131 are safe, the Delhi Police informed.

The incident took place around 9:45 pm on Friday night however the passengers were not immediately evacuated. The passengers got off the plane after 11 pm and we were shifted to another flight around midnight.

In a statement, IndiGo said, “An aircraft operating flight 6E2131 from Delhi to Bangalore experienced an engine stall during the take-off roll. The take-off was aborted, and the aircraft safely returned to the bay.”

NEW DELHI, October 28 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today dedicated 75 projects to the nation, a number of them falling in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, from village Shyok in Leh district of Ladakh. The projects are of very vital importance for the troops as well as the civilians.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said, highest number of projects including seven bridges and one road were inaugurated today in his Parliamentary constituency of Udhampur-Kathua-Doda.
Seven bridges e-inaugurated by the Defence Minister in Kathua district of Dr Jitendra Singh’s constituency include Jantriya, Konyali-I, Konyali-II, Chenab Badi, Pakka Kotha, Challa Nallah and Benadi.
Dr Jitendra Singh informed that Benadi bridge has been constructed in just 90 days by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) which is a BRO record till date while Pakka Kotha bridge, which is 181 metres long multi span bridge, has been built in 102 days. The BRO has started construction of Ramban bridge on accelerated pace and Brihon bridge has been sanctioned under DGBR’s emergent powers and soon work will start there, the Minister added.
Commenting on the inauguration of 10 percent of total projects in his Parliamentary segment, Dr Jitendra Singh remarked: “With inauguration of new roads in Kathua district, road connectivity up to Zero Line on the International Border has been achieved”.
Dr Jitendra Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for prompt approval of projects in his Parliamentary constituency of Udhampur-Kathua-Doda and said, with 200 bridges including small puliyas, a sort of record has been made in the last 8 years of Modi Government.
Dr Jitendra Singh also informed that in terms of PMGSY, for the last three years consecutively, Udhampur has stood first or second among all the districts in the country for constructing maximum numbers of all-weather rural roads. In May, this year, the Minister e-inaugurated nine newly completed PMGSY roads and four bridges in different parts of his constituency.
In December, 2021, out of nine bridges inaugurated in Jammu and Kashmir, four were in Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary constituency that included Birham bridge-I, Birham bridge-II (both in Udhampur district), Gutassa bridge in Doda, Nagrah bridge (Kishtwar).
Dr Jitendra, while highlighting government’s initiatives towards strengthening road connectivity in the UT, said that it is the firm commitment of present dispensation that every part of the UT gets a durable road network for rapid growth and development.
He said that the prime objective of PMGSY is to provide connectivity, by way of all-weather road to the unconnected habitations in rural areas.

SURAJKUND (Haryana), Oct 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday insisted on having a police technology mission that will enable all states to have the best common technology and mutual cooperation for crime prevention.
Addressing a gathering of home ministers of states to deliberate on issues of internal security — ‘Chintan Shivir’ — here, he said while ensuring the best technology the states should avoid any budgetary constraints that may come in the way of adoption of technological advancements.
The prime minister said the criminal world has globalised and stressed that ”we need to be ten steps ahead” of them (criminals).
The prime minister pointed out that crime is no longer localised and instances of interstate, international crimes are going up.
”That is why mutual cooperation between state agencies and between central and state agencies is becoming crucial,” Modi said.
He said whether it is cybercrime or the use of drone technologies for the smuggling of weapons or drugs, the government needs to keep working towards new technologies to tackle the menace.
”The law and order system can be improved with the help of smart technology,” the prime minister said.
He said 5G technology, along with its benefits, brings the need for a heightened alert.
”With the help of 5G, the performance of facial recognition technology, automatic number plate recognition technology, drone and CCTV related technology, are going to improve manifolds,” Modi said.
But, the pace we move forward to, the world that is into committing crime has also been globalised and they have also become interstate, he said.
”They have also become forward in technology, meaning we need to be ten steps ahead of them,” the prime minister said.
He requested the chief ministers and home ministers to seriously assess the need for technology, going beyond the constraints of the budget as this technology will percolate the confidence of security among common citizens.
”We need to make our law and order system smart… My request is that please don’t weigh technology with budget (constraints),” Modi said in his address.
The prime minister mentioned the police technology mission of the central government and stressed the need for a common platform as differing technologies of different states do not talk to each other.
”Many states are working on it (technological upgrades) in their own capabilities. But what has come to the fore is that our technologies do not talk to each other and that is why our energy gets wasted,” Modi said.
He asked the states to ”think with a big heart” about a common platform. ”We should have a pan India outlook, all our best practices should be interoperable and should have a common link,” Modi said. (Agencies)

NEW DELHI, Oct 28: The Government has formed a committee on cadre restructuring of Central Secretariat Service (CSS) mandated to suggest measures to enhance the effectiveness of the service and capacity building of its members.
The CSS officers form the backbone of the central secretariat working.
The committee will assess the present and future career progression of the CSS officers and suggest remedial measures, both short term and long term, so as to reduce promotion blocks and at the same time prevent gaps from building up, an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said. It will also “suggest measures to enhance the effectiveness of the service and capacity building of its members”, it said.
The four-member committee will be headed by Establishment Officer and Additional Secretary (DoPT) and will have a joint secretary each from the DoPT and from the Department of Expenditure respectively.
A Deputy Secretary of CS-I division of the DoPT will be the member secretary, said the order dated October 27.
The panel on fourth cadre restructuring of the CSS will also review the present training needs of the service members besides examining any issue “as referred to it by the cadre controlling authority (CCA) of CSS and Central Secretariat Clerical Service (CSCS)”, it said.
The Committee will also review the existing cadre structure of CSS along with the feeder cadre and project the manpower requirement for next 10 years taking into account the encadrements already made after the third Cadre Restructuring (CRC) of CSS and also the functional needs of the cadre units among others, read the panel’s terms of reference. (Agencies)

Ladakh, October 28: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a visit to Ladakh, on Friday said the Centre’s aim is to ensure the progress of far-flung areas to fulfil the security needs of the country.
Singh inaugurated 75 infrastructure projects spread across six States and two Union Territories, during his visit to Ladakh. These projects have been built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
Singh also inaugurated the Shyok Setu at Leh. Director General, BRO Lt Gen Rajeev Choudhary was also present at the occasion. After inaugurating the projects, Singh interacted with the locals.
“The people living in border areas are our strategic assets. Infrastructure is being rapidly developed in border areas. We cannot say enough in praise for BRO for the work they have done here,” Defence Minister said.
These 75 projects: 45 bridges, 27 roads, two Helipads and a Carbon Neutral Habitat- are spread across six States and two UTs. Twenty of these projects are in Jammu and Kashmir; 18 each in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh; 5 in Uttarakhand and 14 in other border states of Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan.
Speaking on the occasion, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensure the progress of far-flung areas to fulfil the security needs of the country, stressing that infrastructure development, along with the valour of the Armed Forces, was the main reason that helped India to effectively deal with the recent situation in the northern sector.
He termed the new 75 projects as a testament to that resolve and said that these bridges, roads and helipads will facilitate military and civil transport in far-flung areas of the western, northern and northeastern parts of the country, forming a part of the development chain.
He described connectivity with border areas as one of the focus areas of the government for the holistic development of the nation.
Singh said, “Lack of infrastructure development in J-K for decades post-independence was one of the reasons behind the rise of terrorism in the UT. These internal disturbances resulted in a significant decline in tourist footfall that impacted Ladakh also, as well as the entire nation. Now, due to the government’s efforts, the region is witnessing a new dawn of peace and progress.”
Our aim is to continue with the development of all states/UTs of the country. Soon, all the remote areas will be connected with the rest of the country and together we will take the nation to newer heights of progress. BRO has a crucial role in achieving this objective,” added the Minister.
On the occasion, Singh also laid the foundation stones of Himank Air Despatch Complex being constructed in Chandigarh and a BRO Museum at Leh.
According to the Defence Ministry statement, these strategically important projects have been constructed at a total cost of Rs 2,180 crore by the BRO in record time, many of which have been completed in a single working season using state-of-the-art technology.
Appreciating the grit and determination of BRO for achieving the feat despite challenging weather conditions, Rajnath Singh pointed out that the projects will bolster the country’s defence preparedness and ensure the economic development of border areas.
The highlight of the event was the onsite inauguration of 120-metre long Class 70 Shyok Setu on D-S-DBO Road at an altitude 14,000 feet. The bridge will be of strategic importance as it will facilitate the logistics movement of the Armed Forces.
Other projects inaugurated virtually by Singh include two helipads, one each in Hanle and Thakung, in Eastern Ladakh. These helipads will enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force in the region.
The BRO’s first Carbon Neutral Habitat at a height of 19,000 feet for its personnel was also inaugurated at Hanle. It is BRO’s effort towards contributing to Ladakh’s resolve of becoming the country’s first Carbon Neutral Union Territory. The key features of this complex include the accommodation of 57 personnel and thermal comfort during extreme weather. It will enable BRO to operate efficiently during large part of winters, said the Defence Ministry statement.
With the onset of winter, once the passes close due to heavy snowfall, BRO extensively utilises air effort for the movement of men, machinery and material to far-flung areas. The existing Air Despatch subunit located at Chandigarh is being upgraded for providing comfort to transiting troops and to ensure efficient and uninterrupted delivery of essential stores and equipment for the execution of works on the ground.
The BRO will be undertaking the construction of the new Complex at Chandigarh by incorporating the latest 3D printing technology and once completed, the building will boast of being the world’s largest 3D Printed Complex.
To honour the sacrifices of its personnel and institutionalise and put on record the achievements of BRO, a Museum at Leh is being set up, which will be a source of information and inspiration. This museum building will also be constructed using 3D Printing Technology and on completion, will become the world’s highest 3D Printed Building. (Agencies)

NEW DELHI, Oct 28: Online Ph.D programmes offered by EdTech companies in collaboration with foreign educational institutions are not recognised, the University Grants Commission and the All India Council of Technical Education announced on Friday.
The warning for students by the higher education and the technical education regulators is the second such this year.
Earlier this year, the UGC and the AICTE had warned their recognised varsities and institutions against offering courses in distance learning and online mode in association with Ed-tech companies, saying no “franchise” agreement is permissible according to norms.
“In order to maintain the standards for awarding Ph.D degrees, the UGC has notified the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of MPhil, Ph.D degrees) Regulation 2016. It is mandatory for all higher educational institutions (HEIs) to follow UGC Regulations and its amendments for awarding Ph.D degrees,” according to a joint order issued by the UGC and the AICTE.

Students and public at large are hereby advised not to be misled by the advertisements for online Ph.D programmes offered by EdTech companies in collaboration with foreign educational institutions, it said. “Such online Ph.D programmes are not recognised by the UGC. Aspiring students and the public at large, are requested to verify the authenticity of Ph.D programmes as per UGC Regulation 2016 before taking admission,” the order said. (Agencies)