India

New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) Pune-based molecular diagnostics company Mylab Discovery Solutions on Monday said it has received commercial approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for its COVID-19 test kit.

The test kit by the company is the first 'Made in India' kit to receive commercial approval from CDSCO, and is named as Mylab PathoDetect COVID-19 Qualitative PCR kit, the company said in a statement.

New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) The Delhi government in its budget 2020-21 presented in Assembly by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday targeted to boost the public transport with nearly new 2,500 buses and expand the metro train network.

In the total outlay of Rs 5,941 for public transport sector in 2020-21, Sisodia proposed an allocation of Rs 900 crore for Delhi Metro's Phase IV project.

Chennai, Mar 23 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu government on Monday announced a series of intensified measures to tackle coronavirus such as pasting stickers on the houses of overseas returnees advised self-quarantine and setting apart over 9,000 beds and 560 ventilators in government hospitals.

Aurangabad (Bihar), Mar 23 (PTI) Sixty landmines planted in a series to inflict casualties on security forces were unearthed in Naxal-affected Aurangabad district in Bihar on Monday, police said.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of CRPF personnel and policemen launched a search for the landmines by cordoning off an area near Kanaudi village under the jurisdiction of Madanpur police station, Additional Superintendent of Police (Operations) Rajesh Kumar Singh said.

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 23 (PTI) The Kerala government has reinstated suspended IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman, who was accused of driving a car in an inebriated condition and fatally knocking down a journalist here on August 3 last year.

Venkitaraman has been appointed Joint secretary in the health department.

Kohima, Mar 23 (PTI) Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Monday appealed to people across the country to be sensitive to all communities and refrain from racial profiling and discrimination in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

Reacting to reports of alleged discrimination of Nagas working and studying in other parts of the country and tagging them as "Chinese and virus carriers", Rio said the country must move forward as one nation at this juncture.

New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) The iconic Jama Masjid will remain closed for public till March 31 in view of the coronavirus outbreak, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the imam of the mosque, said on Monday.

The decision has been taken as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of coronavirus as many people who travel abroad also come to offer prayers at the mosque, he said.

Mumbai, Mar 23 (PTI) Police on Monday registered an FIR against the trustees of a masjid where up to 150 people were found offering namaz in violation of government orders issued to check the spread of the coronavirus.

The JJ police registered the FIR against the trustees of Sunni Shafi Masjid here.

New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) The Delhi government on Monday announced an allocation of Rs 7,704 crore for the health sector in its budget, with approving Rs 2,578 crore for upgrading and expanding 16 hospitals.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday presented the first budget of the AAP government's second term in the Assembly.

"I propose a budget provision of Rs 7,704 crore for the health sector in 2020-21. This includes a revenue budget of Rs 6,555 crore and a capital budget of Rs 1149 crore," he said.

Bhopal, Mar 24 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker N P Prajapati resigned late Monday night, hours after senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan took oath as chief minister of the state.

In his resignation letter submitted to Deputy Speaker Hina Kavre, Prajapati said he is resigning as speaker of the state Assembly on moral grounds.