India

Bengaluru, Mar 17 (PTI) The first Light Combat Aircraft Tejas in Final Operational Clearance-standard (SP-21) took to the skies for its maiden flight here on Tuesday, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited said.

Piloted by Air Cmde. K A Muthana (Retd), Chief Test Flying (Fixed Wing), the aircraft took-off from HAL Airport at around 1230 hours, the Bengaluru-headquartered defence PSU said in a statement.

Lucknow, Mar 17 (PTI) To contain the coronavirus spread, the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday extended the closure of all educational institutions, cinemas, mulitplexes and tourists places in the state till April 2.

Briefing reporters here after a meeting of the UP Cabinet, minister Shrikant Sharma said, "Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed that all schools, colleges and educational institutes will remain closed till April 2."

New Delhi, Mar 16 (PTI) COVID-19 extended its footprint in India on Monday with the eastern state of Odisha reporting its first coronavirus patient and one new case each in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Kerala, taking the total count to 114, Health Ministry officials said.

The Maharashtra government also reported four more patients of the infection, as concerns over the pandemic steered decisions across all sectors and states, including in politically volatile Madhya Pradesh.

KANPUR: There is no let-up in the impending crisis of deadly coronavirus. Even the welfare bodies and the philanthropists or good Samaritans are coming forward to distribute the surgical masks to everyone. 

On Tuesday afternoon, one God-fearing man distributed mask to every devout (namazi) coming out of the mosque in Jajmau area here.

Everyone was provided with the ready-made mask as an immediate safety cover.  Even the little children were also got one or two pieces of the mask.

Delhi; 17 March 2020 (UMM): Former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has been nominated to Rajya Sabha, Ministry of Home Affairs has Notified on 16 March 2020.

Kottayam (Ker),Mar 16 (PTI) A trial court here on Monday dismissed a discharge petition filed by Bishop Franco Mulakkal, in connection with the case of alleged rape of a nun in which he is the prime accused.

In his plea filed before the Additional District and Sessions Court I, Mulakkal had claimed that prima facie there was no case to frame charges against him.

New Delhi, Mar 16 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday took suo moto cognisance of overcrowding and infrastructure of prisons across the country in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and L N Rao issued a notice to the Director General, Prison, and chief secretary of all states and union territories seeking their response by March 20 on steps taken for prevention of COVID-19.

The court also asked all states and union territories to depute an officer on March 23 who could assist the court in the matter.

New Delhi, Mar 15 (PTI) Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad launched his political outfit the Azad Samaj Party on Sunday -- the birth anniversary of BSP founder Kanshi Ram.

Before launching his party at an event held in Safai village in Noida, the 37-year-old Dalit leader made Kanshi Ram's photograph his Twitter profile picture. He also launched the party flag -- a white band between two blue strips with Azad Samaj Party written in the middle.

Vadodara, Mar 15 (PTI) A constable on duty in a police control room (PCR) van and its driver were arrested for allegedly raping a woman and threatening and extorting money from her boyfriend on Gotri canal road in Vadodara on Saturday night, police said.

The constable raped the woman after he sent her boyfriend with the van's driver to get bribe money, said a Lakshmipura police station official.

Mumbai, Mar 15 (PTI) A 40-year-old professor in a college in Bandra in Mumbai was arrested on Saturday for allegedly molesting a student while she was answering her second-year Arts paper, police said.

The arrested professor has been identified as Vinod, a Khar police station official said.

"The victim has said the accused, on the pretext of checking her hall ticket, touched her inappropriately," the official informed.

Senior Inspector Gajanan Kabdule said the accused was granted bail by a local court on Sunday.