Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 2 (PTI) Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that the pace of highways construction in the country has touched a record 37 km per day in financial year 2020-21.

He said the achievement was remarkable as it was achieved despite constraints posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ministry of road transport and highways has constructed 13,394 km of highways in fiscal year 2020-21.

New Delhi, Apr 1 (PTI) India launched COVID-19 vaccination for all people aged 45 and above from Thursday as the country reported this year's highest single day rise of 72,330 new infections in a span of 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally of cases to 1,22,21,665.

Seeking to exponentially expand the countrywide anti-coronavirus inoculation drive, the Centre has decided to keep all public and private sector COVID-19 vaccination centres (CVCs) operational throughout April, including on gazetted holidays.

New Delhi, Apr 1 (PTI) President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday said he is recovering well after his bypass surgery and thanked doctors and caregivers.

The president said he was touched by messages from citizens and leaders from across the country and abroad wishing him speedy recovery.

"It's difficult to express in words my gratitude to you all!," Kovind said.

Kovind, 75 , had on Tuesday underwent a cardiac bypass surgery at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here.

New Delhi, Mar 31 (PTI) India has slipped 28 places to rank 140th among 156 countries in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2021, becoming the third-worst performer in South Asia.

According to the report, India has closed 62.5 per cent of its gender gap till date.

The country had ranked 112th among 153 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index 2020.

New Delhi, Mar 31 (PTI) The Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Wednesday announced a slew of plans for upcoming two months to strengthen the ongoing agitation against the new farm laws, including a proposed march to Parliament on foot in May.

"The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha met yesterday, and decided that the farmers will be undertaking a march to the Parliament in the first fortnight of May. The date for the march is yet to be decided.

New Delhi, Mar 31 (PTI) The output of eight core sectors declined by 4.6 per cent in February, the steepest contraction in the last six months which experts said could drag the overall industrial production in the month into the negative territory.

All the key segments, including coal, crude oil, natural gas, and refinery products, witnessed a decline in production, according to the official data released on Wednesday.

New Delhi, Mar 31 (PTI) After raising cooking gas prices by Rs 125 per cylinder last month, state-owned oil firms on Wednesday announced a Rs 10 per cylinder cut in LPG rates on softening international oil prices.

A 14.2-kg LPG cylinder -- both for subsidised and market price users -- will cost Rs 809 from April 1 as against Rs 819 currently, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) said in a statement.

New Delhi, Mar 31 (PTI) A fourth batch of three Rafale fighter jets landed in India on Wednesday evening after flying non-stop from France, in a further boost to the strike capability of the Indian Air Force.

The jets were provided mid-air refuelling by air force tankers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the IAF said.

The 4th batch of three IAF #Rafales landed on Indian soil after a direct ferry from #IstresAirBase France," it tweeted.

New Delhi, Apr 1 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged people to vote in large numbers in the second phase of assembly polls in Assam and West Bengal to strengthen the festival of democracy.

Polling began at 7 am for 30 constituencies, including the high-profile Nandigram seat, in West Bengal and 39 seats in Assam amid tight security, officials said.

Modi tweeted, "Urging the people of West Bengal in whose seats there is polling taking place today to vote in record numbers.

New Delhi, Apr 1 (PTI) In the first reduction in rate in two months, jet fuel or ATF price on Thursday was cut by 3 per cent in line with softening international crude oil prices.

Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) price was reduced by Rs 1,887 per kilolitre, or 3 per cent, to Rs 58,374.16 per kl in the national capital, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers.

This is the first reduction in rates after four rounds of increase since February.