India

Mumbai, May 21 (PTI) The Reserve Bank of India approved paying a higher-than-expected Rs 99,122 crore to the government as a dividend, providing cushion to the state at a time when a crippling second wave of the novel coronavirus may strain public finances.

New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a COVID-19 antibody detection kit that offers results in just 75 minutes, the defence ministry said on Friday.

The testing kit is called DIPCOVAN and it offers a "significantly faster turn-around-time as it requires just 75 minutes to conduct the test without any cross reactivity with other diseases", the ministry's statement noted.

The kit has a shelf life of 18 months, it added.

Kolkata, May 21 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appears set to take the shot at retaining her post by contesting from her old bastion, the Bhabanipur assembly constituency, after state minister and TMC veteran Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay vacated the seat on Friday, party sources said.

Banerjee, who faced defeat at the recently concluded polls from Nandigram, will have to get elected to the assembly within six months to hold on to the chief minister's chair, as per norms.

New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) The Indian Navy's Kashin-class destroyer INS Rajput, the first warship to be fitted with long-range BrahMos missile, was decommissioned on Friday after 41 years of service.

The destroyer, built by the erstwhile USSR and commissioned on May 4, 1980, had the distinction of being part of both the Western and Eastern fleets.

Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said the warship was decommissioned in a low key event at the naval dockyard in Visakhapatnam.

New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) Delhi Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Imran Hussain on Friday directed officials to ensure that all fair price shops (FPS) open daily without any weekly off to ensure smooth distribution of ration free of cost to the NFSA and PMGKAY beneficiaries.

The directions were issued by Hussain at a high-level meeting to review the distribution of ration.

Tiruchirappalli (TN), May 21 (PTI) A decision on whether to extend the two-week lockdown in Tamil Nadu or not do so would be deliberated with a committee of experts and a panel of all-party legislators, Chief Minister M K Stalin said here on Friday.

Whether the curbs should be continued further and in case of extension of restrictions, what relaxations could be offered would all be discussed with experts and MLAs from all parties on Saturday in Chennai, he told reporters.

NEW DELHI, May 21 (NNN-PTI) – India’s COVID-19 tally surpassed the 26 million mark today, at 26,031,991, with 259,551 new confirmed cases reported in the past 24 hours, said the federal Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, 4,209 more deaths were recorded, bringing the death toll to 291,331. After a decline yesterday, the single day deaths once again crossed the 4,000-mark.

Kanpur: What disturbs is a paucity of blood in the city's three main blood banks. The blood group of B and O negative are no longer existing in these blood banks.

The three blood banks are at Ursula Hospital, IMA Charitable Blood Bank and GSVM College.

Pregnant women, Thalassaemia patients, Anaemia patients, Chronic Kidney Disease patients on dialysis are most impacted by the paucity. 

Jodhpur, May 21 (PTI) Self-styled godman Asaram's plea for interim bail to pursue medical treatment through Ayurveda in Haridwar was rejected by the Rajasthan High Court on Friday.

The court's rejection came after perusal of the rape convict's medical report submitted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Jodhpur. Asaram was admitted to the facility after contracting COVID-19.

Mumbai, May 21 (PTI) At least 13 Naxals were killed in an encounter with police's C-60 commandos in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra early on Friday, officials said.

The skirmish took place around 5.30 am in the forest at Kotmi in Etapalli, where the Naxals had gathered for a meeting, said Sandeep Patil, Deputy Inspector General of Gadchiroli.