Covid-19 update: India logs in 44,684 cases in last 24-hour

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November 14, 2020

Diwali, the festival of lights. It usually falls in the Hindu Lunisolar month of Kartika. The festival symbolises the victory of light over darkness.

In Diwali people worship Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of Prosperity) and distribute sweets( mithai) and gifts to friends and family and enjoy by lighting firecrackers.

In northern India, Diwali commemorates Prince Rama’s triumphant return to the city of Ayodhya after 14 years of exile due to the plotting of his evil stepmother—and after a heroic rescue of his wife Sita, an incarnation of the goddess Lakshmi, who had been kidnapped by the rival king Ravana.

In South India, meanwhile, Diwali honors the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon king Narakasura, who had imprisoned 16,000 women in his palace and meted out harsh punishments to any of his subjects who dared stand up against him. And in western India, the festival celebrates Vishnu’s banishment of King Bali—whose immense power had become a threat to the gods—to the underworld.

This year, Diwali is today, November 14, which is a Saturday. On the day, the Lakshmi puja timings are between 05.28 pm and 07.24 pm.

The Drik Panchang mentions that Diwali is celebrated according to the luni-solar based Hindu calendar, and as such, its date varies on the Gregorian calendar. It usually falls mid-October or early/mid-November. The Diwali calendar lists the five days of festivities:

Day 1 – Dhantrayodashi
Day 2 – Narak Chaturdashi
Day 3 – Lakshmi Puja
Day 4 – Govardhan Puja
Day 5 – Bhai Dooj

Let’s have a look on How different temples started celebrating Deepotsav:

Celebrations kickstarted for Ayodhya’s first Deepotsav post-Ram Janmabhoomi poojanwith grand fervour.

Gandhinagar’s Akshardham Temple was illuminated with diyas ahead of Diwali celebrations.

Curtailed fireworks display at Golden Temple this Diwali.

Here, are some Diwali wishes for you to make Diwali 2020 bright and properous.

May the joyous celebration
Of this divine festival
Fill your heart with
Never ending joy and happiness!
Happy Diwali

May the joyous celebration
Of this divine festival
Fill your heart with
Never ending joy and happiness!
Happy Diwali.

With Gleam of Diyas,
And the Echo of the Chants,
May Happiness and Contentment Fill Your life!
Wishing you a very happy and prosperous Diwali!

May the light of the diyas guide you on the way to happiness and success. Happy Diwali to you and your family!

May the beauty of Deepavali fill your home with happiness, and may the coming year provide you with everything that brings you joy!

May Goddess Lakshmi bless us and our friendship with her choicest blessings. Here’s wishing you my dearest friend, a very Happy Diwali.

May there be no shortage of happiness in your life and may you be showered with riches my dear friend — happy Diwali to you.

Have a joyous and prosperous Diwali 2020!

Corona havoc in Delhi, Chhath Puja will not happen in Ghats this year: Satyendra Jain

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November 14, 2020

In Delhi this year, Chhath Mahaparva will have to be worshiped in homes. The Delhi government has decided to watch the corona epidemic in the capital. On Thursday, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that the Delhi government has decided to ban the community Chhath Puja festival at the ghats to prevent the spread of Kovid-19.

As per the order, “The government has instructed all the district magistrates, DDCs of the police and all concerned authorities to ensure that Chhath Puja does not take place in November in public places / river banks / temples etc. in the national capital.” The use of firecrackers is also banned due to pollution in Delhi.

Chhath Mahaparv, which lasts for four days, will be celebrated between November 18 and 21 this year. Chhath Puja will begin with Nahai Khay on 18 November. Kharna is to be followed on November 19. After offering Arghya to the sunset on November 20 and then offering Arghya to the rising sun on November 21, Mahaparava will end.

There are a total of 4,51,382 virus cases in the capital. Due to the ever increasing cases of Corona, the local authorities were directed to ensure that Chhath Puja is not conducted in public places including the ghat or river. All the District Magistrates and the Deputy Commissioner of Police and other officers have been instructed to strictly follow the order.

PUBG Mobile can return to India on the occasion of Diwali

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November 14, 2020

PUBG Corporation has announced that it is preparing to launch PUBG Mobile India. This is a game made specifically for the Indian market. The government had banned this game in India.

A report by TechCrunch notes that the relaunch preparations for PUBG Mobile in India have already started and that soon there could be a Diwali campaign to popularize the game. The report also says that currently, the owner of PUBG IP is looking to set-up India specific servers that will take care of the government concern around the data and privacy of India users.

According to a new report by Times of India, the government remains unfazed on its decision and “Unless they (PUBG Corporation) address the concerns, it will be difficult to grant any relaxation [to PUBG Mobile].”

The government is unlikely to change the decision before it gets to see the new version of then app and analyze its policies.

In its launch announcement release, PUBG Corporation said it will provide Indian players with “a secure and healthy gameplay environment,” in which it will ensure that the privacy and security of Indian player data is its top priority. The company will also be organized “regular audits and verifications on the storage systems holding Indian users’ personally identifiable information to reinforce security and ensure that their data is safely managed.”

It is worth mentioning that PUBG Mobile’s parent South Korean Bluehole is now known as Krafton. This company is ending the partnership made with the publication of PUBG Mobile with Tencent in India.

The reason for ending the partnership with Tencent in India is clear. Since there is an anti-China sentiment in India and in such a situation, the government wants that data of people should not go to China and remain in India.

Indian Navy has launched a fifth submarine Scorpene

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November 14, 2020

The Indian Navy has launched a fifth submarine ‘Scorpene’ submarine Vagir at Mazgaon Dock in South Mumbai. Scorpene is equipped with modern technology to evade enemy radar. Vijaya, the wife of Minister of State for Defense Shripad Naik, launched the submarine through video conference. Naik attended the event as a chief guest through a video conference from Goa.

Six submarines of the Scorpene class have been manufactured at Mazagaon Dock under Project 75 in the Navy. Two submarines of this series, INS Kalvari and INS Khaderi, have already joined the Navy fleet, while the trial of Karanja and Vela Submarine is underway. A target has been set to include all six submarines in the Navy by the year 2022.

The officer said these submarines are capable of gathering intelligence on the surface, effective in anti-submarine warfare, laying landmines at sea and monitoring in the area. This submarine is named after the Indian Ocean hunter fish ‘Wazir’. The first ‘Wazir’ submarine was sourced from Russia which was inducted into the Indian Navy on 3 December 1973 and was discharged on 7 June 2001 after three decades of service.

Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilding Limited (MDL) said in the release, “The construction of the Scorpene submarines was challenging for MDL as it became challenging due to the ease of completion in less space.”

According to the release, “To ensure radar avoidance properties, the submarine has used the latest technology, such as modern sound absorbing technology, low noise and capable of moving at high speed in water.” It also has the capability to attack the enemy with precisely guided weapons.

MDL said that it could release anti-vessel missiles launched underwater and from the surface, along with attacks from submarine torpedoes. According to the MDL, its ability to hide underwater from the enemy is its specialty which is completely safe and has no break compared to other submarines. MDL said that this submarine has been designed keeping in mind all the needs and operations of the Navy.

Govt issues notice against Twitter for showing Leh as part of J&K

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November 14, 2020

The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued a notice to the tweeter to show an incorrect map of India and summoned the reply and also warned of action on it. Despite India’s stern attitude, Twitter has not yet rectified this mistake. In fact, the central government has issued a notice to Twitter to show Leh as part of Jammu and Kashmir instead of Union Territory of Ladakh.

Ministry asked for answers in five days
In its notice, the Ministry of Information Technology has instructed Twitter to state within five business days why legal action should not be initiated against the micro-blogging platform and its representatives for disrespecting India’s territorial integrity by showing the wrong map. In a notice sent to the global vice president of Twitter, the ministry said that showing Leh as part of Jammu and Kashmir was a deliberate attempt by the micro-blogging platform to curtail the will of India’s sovereign parliament, which made Ladakh in Leh Has declared a union territory with its headquarters.

Reacting to the issue, a Twitter spokesperson said, “We have duly responded to the letter and as part of our correspondence we have shared a comprehensive update with the latest developments regarding the Geo-Tag issue.” The spokesperson said that Twitter is committed to partnering with the government and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for public dialogue.

By December, country to get 100 million AstraZeneca’s vaccine shots

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November 13, 2020

The world’s largest vaccine maker is ramping up production of AstraZeneca Plc’s Covid-19 shot, aiming to have 100 million doses ready by December for an inoculation drive that could begin across India that same month.

The Serum Institute CEO said the initial amount of doses will go to India. After the vaccine gets full approval next year, the Serum Institute plans to distribute the vaccine on a 50-50 basis to India and Covax, a World Health Organization-backed global initiative for equitable distribution of vaccines.

Adar Poonawalla said that his company is also planning to manufacture American firm Novavax’s vaccine candidate. “We were a bit concerned it was a big risk,” he told the news network. The Serum Institute CEO added that AstraZeneca and Novavax’s shots “are looking pretty good”.

SII, which has tied-up with five developers, has already made 40 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine in the past two months, and it aims to begin manufacturing Novavax Inc’s contender soon.

US halts plan to ban TikTok following order from court

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November 13, 2020

The United States government on Thursday said that it will delay enforcement ban on TikTok that was set to come into effect from Thursday night. The decision came after a court ordered in favour of the app, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance.

President Donald Trump, who has been in feud with Chinese government over several issues, had ordered a ban on the app citing national security concerns voiced by US officials. However, the US Commerce Department had cited an injunction from a federal judge in Pennsylvania last month.

“The department is complying with the terms of this order,” the commerce department said in a statement, adding that the ban “has been enjoined and will not go into effect pending further legal developments.”

The ban was halted in the wake of “pending further legal developments,” which emerged after three prominent TikTokers in September argued in Philadelphia court that the app should not be banned in the country.

The judge had then said that “the Commerce Department had likely overstepped its authority when it tried to ban transactions on the platform”.

Earlier on Tuesday, it had asked the government for a 30-day extension because of “continual new requests and no clarity on whether our proposed solutions would be accepted,” which was denied.

The Chinese app had also filed a petition in a US Court of Appeals to review the actions by the Trump administrations Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFUIS).

Meanwhile, Oracle and Walmart have come as saviours as they plan to create a new company with ByteDance called TikTok Global which will be headquartered in the United States.

After ban in India, United States is the largest foreign market of the Chinese short video making app TikTok. It has 100 million users in the United States.

Picture Credit: Google

Rahul Gandhi has ‘a nervous, unformed quality’, Manmohan Singh holds ‘impassive integrity’: Barack Obama

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November 13, 2020

Recently The New York Times reviewed Former US President Barack Obama’s newly published political memior “A Promised Land”, in which he talked about the issues and political leaders from around the world.

On Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the New York Times article read: “Secretary of Defense Bob Gates and the Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh both come across as having a kind of impassive integrity”.

“Rahul Gandhi has ‘a nervous, unformed quality about him, as if he were a student who’d done the coursework and was eager to impress the teacher but deep down lacked either the aptitude or the passion to master the subject’,” reported New York Times, quoting from the book.

“Joe Biden is a decent, honest, loyal man who Obama senses ‘might get prickly if he thought he wasn’t given his due – a quality that might flare up when dealing with a much younger boss’,” the NYT Article read.

“Vladimir Putin reminds him of the tough, street-smart ward bosses who used to run the Chicago machine. Also on Putin: “Physically, he was unremarkable’,” the NYT article read.

About Hu Jintao, who was the President of China from 2003 to 2013, the NYT article read: “In a private meeting, Hu Jintao reads from stacks of prepared papers, so monotonous that Obama considers suggesting ‘that we could save each other time by just exchanging papers and reading them at our leisure’.”

“The Promised Land” is the first of a two-part memoir written by the 59-year-old former US President. The New York times Reviewed it “And then there are his biographical sketches, masterful in their brevity and insight and humor,”.

Government amends telecom suspension rules

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November 13, 2020

The orders are part of a Ministry of Communications gazette notification dated 10 November. They are applicable for all telecom services, which include telephone services, mobile telephone services and internet access services.

The order could restrict the extended and sometimes indefinite internet shutdowns in parts of the country, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, which had earned India the title of the “internet shutdown capital of the world”.

Order suspending telecom/interent Services shall not be in operation for more than fifteen days, as per the latest rule notified by the Central Government.

The Central Government has amended Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017, to restrict the life of suspension orders.

Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Amendment) Rules, 2020 has been notified by the Department of Telecommunications and has come into force.

Mumbai Indians’ Krunal Pandya detained at airport over possession of undisclosed gold

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November 13, 2020

Mumbai Indians ended the IPL 2020 on a high note by retaining the title of champions defeating Delhi Capitals in the final but for Krunal Pandya, a key player in the team of Mumbai Indians returned home with a setback in journey.

Krunal was detained at the T2 international Mumbai Airport by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) for possession of undisclosed high-end watches and gold. According to DRI sources the approximate value of the items are just under Rs 1crore.

“Cricketer Krunal Pandya stopped by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at the Mumbai International Airport over suspicion of being in possession of undisclosed gold and other valuables, while returning from UAE: DRI sources,” ANI tweeted

Cricketer Krunal Pandya stopped by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at the Mumbai International Airport over suspicion of being in possession of undisclosed gold and other valuables, while returning from UAE: DRI sources pic.twitter.com/9Yk82coBgz
— ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2020

Sources said that Pandya was carrying four watches — two Rolex and two Audemar Piguet. Two of the watches were meant for him while two were for his brother Hardik.

An examination by DRI officers led to a few high-end luxury watches but as the total value of the valuables was less, the agency subsequently referred the case to the Airport Customs for further action.

Officials said the goods have been detained and they will be allowed to go. The watches will be released only after a show-cause notice is issued followed by an adjudication where the fine and penalty will be decided, which will be around 60% of the value of the watches, sources said.

Covid-19 India update: 44,878 case take total tally to 87,28,795

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November 13, 2020

India’s covid-19 tally rose to 87,28,795 with 44,878 new cases. A total of 81,15,580 people have recuperated from COVID-19 so far. With 547 new deaths, toll mounts to 1,28,688. There are 4,84,547 active cases in the country as of date, the data stated.

The total number of samples tested up to 12 November is 12,31,01,739 including 11,39,230 samples tested yesterday: ICMR

A total of 81,15,580 people have recuperated from COVID-19 so far. Currently, active cases in currently stand at 4,84,547. Meanwhile, India’s recovery rate continues to rise and now stands at 92.89 percent.

Here’re more updates related to the covid-19 pandemic:

*Odisha’s COVID-19 tally rose to 3,05,986 with 986 more people testing positive for the infection yesterday, while 14 fresh fatalities pushed the toll in the coastal state to 1,483, a health department official said.

*Jharkhand’s Covid-19 tally rose to 1,05,493 as 269 more people tested positive for the infection, a health department official said on Friday. Four new fatalities pushed the state’s coronavirus death toll to 917, he said. The fresh deaths were reported from Ranchi, Palamu, Latehar and Chatra.

*Telangana reported 997 fresh coronavirus cases taking the tally to 2.56 lakh while three fatalities pushed the toll to 1,397, the state government said on Friday. Meanwhile, Telugu film hero and former union minister K Chiranjeevi who recently said he tested positive for Covid- 19, was confirmed to be negative of the virus.

*Mizoram’s Covid-19 case tally stands at 3,309 including 568 active cases, 2,739 recoveries and 2 deaths: State Government

*US recorded over 152,000 new coronavirus cases on Thursday. It’s the first and only country to record over 150,000 cases.

*California has become the second state in the US to record 1 million confirmed coronavirus infections, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Texas reached the mark earlier this week.

*Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth has died due to the novel coronavirus. He was 59, according to officials.

*US President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign adviser Corey Lewandowski has tested positive for Covid-19, local media reported on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 52.6 million, while the deaths have surged to 1,291,920, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

Facebook introduces new features for Diwali

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