Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) Asserting that the government's agri-reforms are focused on empowering small farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a financing facility of Rs 1 lakh crore under the Agri-Infra Fund that will help create post harvest infrastructure in villages and generate jobs.

He also said that the country does not face problems in farm production but in post-harvest losses and therefore efforts are being made to strengthen post harvest infrastructure facilities and ensure better income for farmers.

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) Delhi's own school education board is expected to be operational by next year, however, unlike other states it will not be imposed on government schools, according to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Giving details of plans for setting up the state education board, Sisodia said the board will be in sync with the reforms proposed in the new National Education Policy (NEP) and the focus will be on continuous evaluation and not year-end exams.

New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) Prime Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a week-long campaign to free India of garbage and stressed that the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has been a big support in the fight against coronavirus.

Delivering the inaugural address at the launch of the Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra here, which was also attended by students, Modi urged children to follow social distancing norms and wear masks to guard against coronavirus.

New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday over the cleanliness campaign, saying he should begin the "satyagraha" by coming clean about Chinese aggression.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister launched a week-long 'Gandagi-Mukt Bharat' (garbage-free India) drive, which would go on till Independence Day to re-enforce the ongoing campaign on cleanliness and sanitation.

New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) The world has a lot riding on India and China given their size and the impact, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday, suggesting that the future of ties between the two countries would depend on reaching "some kind of equilibrium or understanding".

In an online interaction at a CII summit, Jaishankar said there are "problems" between the two countries which are "well laid out".

New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Saturday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted to AIIMS here.

The minister of state for heavy industries and parliamentary affairs said after developing COVID-19 symptoms he was tested twice and found positive in the second report.

However, he said his health is fine.

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the COVID-19 situation in Delhi is under control and the recovery rate is improving.

Speaking at the inauguration of a hospital in Ambedkar Nagar, he said in case the situation takes a turn for the worse, the government is fully prepared to deal with it.

"The hospital was conceived in 2013. It is a 600-bed hospital. We are inaugurating the first 200 beds which will be used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients," Kejriwal said at the launch event.

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) With a highest single-day spike of 64,399 cases, India's COVID-19 tally zoomed past 21 lakh (2.1 million) on Sunday, while the death toll climbed to 43,379 with 861 more fatalities, the Health Ministry said.

The number of recoveries surged to 14,80,884 with record 53,879 more people recuperating in the past 24 hours, taking recovery rate to 68.78 per cent,. The case fatality rate has dropped 2.01 per cent, according to the ministry data.

Jaipur, Aug 8 (PTI) Union Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Chaudhary has tested positive for coronavirus, he said in a tweet on Saturday.

He is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Jodhpur, he said.

New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) With India registering 61,537 more cases, the coronavirus tally reached 20,88,611 on Saturday, while 14,27,005 people have so far recuperated from COVID-19 pushing the recovery rate to 68.32 per cent, the Union health ministry said.

The death toll due to the disease rose to 42,518 with 933 fresh fatalities being reported in a day, data updated at 8 am showed.