Republic day 2021

New Delhi: Retirement fund body EPFO on Thursday (March 4) decided to retain an 8.5 per cent rate of interest on provident fund deposits for the current financial year. The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation's (EPFO) apex decision-making body Central Board of Trustees decided to fix an 8.5 per cent rate of interest for 2020-21 at its meeting in Srinagar on Thursday (March 4), sources said. There were speculations that the EPFO would lower interest on provident fund deposits for this fiscal (2020-21) from 8.5 per cent given in 2019-20 in view of more withdrawals and lesser contribution by members amid the coronavirus pandemic. In March last year, the EPFO had lowered the interest rate on provident fund deposits to a seven-year low of 8.5 per cent for 2019-20, from 8.65 per cent in 2018-19. The EPF (Employees Provident Fund) interest rate provided for 2019-20 was the lowest since 2012-13 when it was 8.5 per cent. The EPFO had provided an 8.65 per cent interest ... » Learn More about Provident Fund Update: EPFO retains interest rates at 8.5 per cent for FY 2021

For the past few days, Mira Bhayandar has been witnessing a surge in the number of coronavirus cases, intensifying worries for citizens. On Thursday, as many as 71 persons tested positive, taking the cumulative positive cases in the twin cities to 27,327. Mira Bhayandar has reported over 70 cases in a day after a gap of three months. No new COVID-19 related deaths were reported on Thursday and thus the death toll in the area remained 804. Follow Mumbai City Latest Updates here According to the latest information shared by the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation ( MBMC ), the active cases in the twin-cities have now jumped to 682. Out of the 71 cases reported, 43 were new cases while the rest - 28 - were contacts of people who had tested positive for the virus earlier. While Mira Road, with 46 cases, accounted for the maximum of those cases, Bhayandar East and Bhayandar West had 15 and 10 cases, respectively. The MBMC had sent a total of 1,81,406 swab ... » Learn More about Mira Bhayandar reports over 70 coronavirus cases in a day after three months; active cases jump to 682

MUMBAI: At its maximum capacity, the city’s major private hospitals will manage to vaccinate between 7,000 and 8,000 people in a day, which means public centres will have to shoulder most of the vaccination burden. On Thursday, 13 private hospitals joined the programme out of 29 that have been granted permission by the Centre. The number is expected to rise to 35. While Mumbai ’s daily vaccination turnout has been rising steadily, it needs to increase manifold, BMC officials said. The city was vaccinating 11,000-12,000 every day till Phase II began on Monday for senior citizens and those above 45 with comorbidities. The numbers have since jumped to 18,566 on Wednesday and 22,975 on Thursday. On Thursday, apart from 13 private hospitals, six Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)-empanelled hospitals joined the drive. Together, the 19 hospitals vaccinated over 4,000 and BMC centres over 18,000. Mumbai City Updates Additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani ... » Learn More about Mumbai: 13 private hospitals join drive, can vaccinate 8,000 people a day at the most

Video Player Close -- China aims to expand its economy by over 6 percent in 2021, with goals to put the economy firmly back to pre-pandemic vibrancy. -- The specific growth target reveals the country's confidence in achieving high-quality development. -- China also has the confidence and ability to fulfill the goals and tasks in the 14th Five-Year Plan. BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China aims to expand its economy by over 6 percent in 2021, building on strong tailwind from success in containing COVID-19, as lawmakers gather in Beijing to map out priorities for high-quality development. The gross domestic product (GDP) target is one of the many key goals laid out in a government work report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang to the national legislature, which began its annual session Friday. "In setting this target, we have taken into account the recovery of economic activity," Li said. "A target of over 6 percent will enable all of us to devote full energy to ... » Learn More about China targets GDP growth of over 6 pct in 2021, revs up modernization drive

'I do not have too much to say about the pitch, we got outplayed in those conditions' IMAGE: England's Jack Leach, centre, celebrates. Photograph: PTI Photo Amid the debates over the nature of the pitch that was prepared for the pink-ball Test, England spinner Jack Leach asserted that he would have liked the third Test against India to go longer than two days. The third Test match got over within two days after the visitors crumbled in front of the India spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel. Leach said a Test match should last longer than two days but admitted that the hosts outplayed England on Ahmedabad wicket. "I think that is right. One thing I will say as a cricket fan if I was watching a Test match, I would want it to go longer than two days, that is my only kind of viewing being a cricket fan.... Test match should go on longer than two days, whether that is to the pitch or skill, for me, I am fully concentrating how can I best do on every ... » Learn More about Leach wants Tests to last longer than two days

New Delhi: Husk Power Systems , the operator of renewable energy minisgrids in Asia and Africa, today announced it plans to raise $50 million in equity and $60 million in debt in 2021 in order to continue growth at a Compounded Annual growth Rate (CAGR) of 100 per cent. The company announced its revenue grew 90 per cent growth while commercial business customers quadrupled in 2020. It aims at becoming the first minigrid company in India to become operationally profitable this year. “In the face of a pandemic and a global economic downturn, Husk Power and its customers not only weathered these challenging times, but saw record growth that positions the company for an even stronger year ahead,” CEO Manoj Sinha said, adding the firm is forecasting 125 per cent revenue growth in 2021. The company said the growth was a result of a plan that involved identifying secondary sources of revenue, hiring additional staff to cover unexpected events, acquiring distressed projects ... » Learn More about Husk Power to raise $110 mn in 2021; Aims to become first profitable minigrid company

Video Player Close BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China will keep its fiscal policy basically stable and make no sharp turns in 2021, the finance minister said Friday. The country will lower the deficit ratio and quota of the local government special bonds from last year, Minister of Finance Liu Kun told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual national legislative session. However, compared with 2019, China's total deficit will increase by 810 billion yuan (about 124.8 billion U.S. dollars) to 3.57 trillion yuan this year. The quota of the newly-added special-purpose local government bonds for 2021 will stand at 3.65 trillion yuan, up by 1.5 trillion yuan from 2019. The general expenditure of the central government has decreased for two consecutive years. The money saved was used to expand transfer payments to the local governments, Liu said. Liu vowed that China will continue to improve management of government debt, keep the macro leverage ratio basically ... » Learn More about China’s fiscal policy to remain basically stable with no sharp turns in 2021: minister

Nearly 14 lakh people were inoculated against COVID-19 on March 4, the highest in a day so far, taking the total number of vaccine doses administered in the country to over 1.8 crore, official sources said on Friday. IMAGE: A man receives a dose of COVISHIELD during a vaccination drive for people above 60 years of age and those who are 45 or more and suffering from certain medical conditions, at a medical centre in New Delhi. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters Among the healthcare workers, 68,53,083 have been administered the first dose and 31,41,371 the second dose till now. As for frontline workers, 60,90,931 have received the first and 67,297 the second dose, according to Union health ministry data. From March 1, as many as 2,35,901 beneficiaries more than 45 years old with specific co-morbidities and 16,16,920 people aged more than 60 years have received anti-coronavirus vaccine dose, it stated. On Thursday, day 48 of the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination ... » Learn More about Covid: Nearly 14L inoculated on Thursday, highest in 1 day so far

#Bandh AP bandh tomorrow: Normal life to be hit as support pours in #Bandh Motor strike: Normal life hit in Kerala, public vehicles including keep off roads #Bandh Fuel price hike: Odisha bandh affects normal life, educational institutes closed #Bandh Farmers' Protest: What is 'chakka jam' that farmers have announced for Saturday? #Bandh Coimbatore: Bandh called by Hindu, Muslim outfits postponed on March 7 #Bandh Karnataka bandh today: No Ola, Uber, autos, how to travel in Bengaluru today For Quick Alerts Subscribe Now India - 11,173,761 | World - 116,207,995 View Sample For Quick Alerts ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS For Daily Alerts Just In 14 min ago India on track to achieving climate goals: PM Modi at CERAWeek 2021 29 min ago Actor Mithun Chakraborty may join BJP at PM Modi's Kolkata rally on Mar 7 31 min ago Nearly 14 lakh inoculated ... » Learn More about AP bandh today: Normal life likely to be hit

Email Digital Story Innovation Team By Mark Doman Updated March 05, 2021 09:30:45 Map: Antarctica Since the early 70s, satellites have surveyed the ebb and flow of vast ice masses at the edge of Antarctica. The data being collected from space has allowed scientists to monitor huge areas of the icy continent, even through the darkness and hostility of an Antarctic winter. One of the more spectacular sights captured by the satellites is the calving of city-sized icebergs from ice shelves — the giant glaciers transporting ice from the middle of the continent out to sea. Just last week, a huge 1,200-square-kilometre iceberg broke away from the Brunt Ice Shelf near the Weddell Sea. It's the first large iceberg to break off from this shelf in 50 years. "A lot of these big ice shelves, we'll normally get, like, one iceberg produced from the shelf during our careers," said Dr Sue Cook, a glaciologist with the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership. "So ... » Learn More about Satellites capture formation of enormous iceberg A74 on Antarctica’s Brunt Ice Shelf