A senior advocate of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr Deol was appointed to the post in September after Atul Nanda resigned as the Advocate-General.

Chandigarh: 

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has refused to accept APS Deol’s resignation as state Advocate-General, sources said. Mr Deol had handed over his resignation letter to the Chief Minister on Monday following attacks from state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, who wanted him removed for representing two accused cops in a sacrilege and police firing case.

The development is seen as a reaction to Mr Sidhu’s public attacks on the state government; on Monday Mr Sidhu took a swipe at the Chief Minister after he announced slashing of the power tariff.

Mr Sidhu’s speech attacking the state government is said to be the reason,” the source added.

“They (politicians) offer …this is free, that is free, which happened in the last two months (ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls slated to be held early next year),” the cricketer-turned-politician said while urging people to vote only on the agenda of Punjab’s welfare.

A senior advocate of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr Deol was appointed to the post in September after Atul Nanda resigned as the Advocate-General after the unceremonious exit of Amarinder Singh as the Punjab chief minister.

Mr Deol’s appointment had triggered a debate within the party as well as he had represented former top cop Sumedh Singh Saini and Inspector General Paramraj Singh Umaranangal in relation to cases regarding incidents of sacrilege and subsequent police firing in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan in 2015.

On Monday, Mr Sidhu’s wife welcomed Mr Deol’s decision to quit the post.

“…Attorney General (APS Deol) had appeared for (former DGP Sumedh Singh) Saini. He (who represented the accused in the 2015 sacrilege case) can’t represent us. Attorney General had to be changed,” Navjot Kaur Sidhu told reporters.

Active cases account for 0.46 per cent of total cases, the lowest since March 2020.The active caseload stands at 1,58,817, which is the lowest in 248 days.

India’s daily Covid graph showed improvement today as the country logged 12,514 fresh cases, which is 2.4% lower than yesterday. During the same period, 251 related fatalities were recorded. Active cases account for 0.46 per cent of total cases.

Here are the top 10 updates on coronavirus in India:

1. Kerala added 7,167 fresh cases, pushing the caseload to 49,68,657, while the number of deaths rose to 31,681 with 167 more deaths.
2. Maharashtra reported 1,172 infections in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry data. As many as 20 people died in the state during the day, while 1,399 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours and a total number of 64,50,585 patients discharged so far.
3. Forty-five new cases were reported in Delhi in the last 24 hours, pushing the infection caseload in the national capital to 14,39,870. No death were reported in the city for the ninth consecutive day. Delhi has recorded only four deaths due to the virus in October.
4. Schools in Delhi reopened today after a 19-month break. The government has asked the schools to strictly abide by COVID-19 protocols like wearing face masks and maintaining physical distancing.
5. Overall, at least 12,718 people have recovered in the country in the last 24 hours. The total number of people who have recovered is 3,36,68,560.
6. Active cases account for 0.46 per cent of total cases, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.20 per cent. The active caseload stands at 1,58,817, which is the lowest in 248 days.
7. The weekly positivity rate of 1.17% per cent is less than two per cent for the last 38 days. The daily positivity rate of 1.42 per cent is less than two per cent for the last 28 days.
8. 106.31 cr vaccine doses have been administered so far under Nationwide vaccination drive. About three-quarters of adults in the country of 1.3 billion people have had one shot and 30 percent are fully vaccinated, according to government figures.
9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a virtual meeting this week with officials of districts where the COVID-19 vaccination coverage is low. The meeting will include districts with less than 50 per cent coverage of the first dose and low coverage of the second dose of Covid vaccine, the notification said.
10. the first vaccine maker cleared by India’s drug regulator for inoculation of those aged 12 years and above – has reportedly agreed to bring down the price of its COVID-19 vaccine to ₹ 265 a dose. News agency PTI, quoting a source, however, said that a final deal is yet to be reached on the matter.

Vallabhbhai Patel was dubbed “Sardar” (chief) for his leadership skills in leading the country through the struggle for independence and beyond, and most notably during the integration of the princely states and the India-Pakistan War of 1947.

India is celebrating October 31 as National Unity Day to pay tributes to veteran freedom fighter Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was also the country’s first home minister whose contribution in convincing many of the princely states to join the Union of India after Independence remains especially notable. As the country remains grateful for Patel’s crucial efforts leading to the integration of India, the day is celebrated as a homage to that “national unity”. The government in 2014 declared that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary on October 31 will be celebrated as National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.

History

Declaring in 2014 that India will henceforth celebrate National Unity Day on October 31, the central government said in an official statement that this occasion “will provide an opportunity to reaffirm the inherent strength and resilience of our nation to withstand the actual and potential threats to the unity, integrity, and security of our country.”

Vallabhbhai Patel was dubbed “Sardar” (chief) for his leadership skills in leading the country through the struggle for independence and beyond, and most notably during the integration of the princely states and the India-Pakistan War of 1947.

Sardar Patel achieved the incredible feat of persuading almost every single one of the 565 self-governing princely states, that had been released from British suzerainty, to accede to the Union of India. For his commitment to the national integration of the newly independent country, Sardar Patel earned the sobriquet “Iron Man of India”.

Significance

On National Unity Day, a pledge is read out in government offices:

“I solemnly pledge that I dedicate myself to preserve the unity, integrity, and security of the nation and also strive hard to spread this message among my fellow countrymen. I take this pledge in the spirit of unification of my country which was made possible by the vision and actions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. I also solemnly resolve to make my own contribution to ensure the internal security of my country.”

By official order, all government offices, public sector undertakings (PSUs), and other public institutions are required to arrange the pledge-taking ceremony on October 31 to observe the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.

The ministry of human resource development has also issued instructions to allow students of schools and colleges to be administered the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas pledge to motivate them to strive to maintain the unity and integrity of the country.

IIM Jammu will recruit candidates for Non Faculty posts. Eligible candidates can apply online through the official site of IIM J on iimj.ac.in before the last date.

Indian Institute of Management, Jammu has invited applications from candidates for Non Faculty posts. Eligible candidates can apply online through the official site of IIM J on iimj.ac.in. The last date to apply for the post is till November 14, 2021.

Candidates applying for more than one post should fill in separate online applications furnishing full particulars of qualifications, experience, salary drawn, and salary expected along with names of two referees and pay separate application fee. Read below for eligibility, selection process and other details.

Eligibility Criteria 

Candidates who want to apply for the posts mentioned above can check the educational qualification and age limit

Selection Process

Mere fulfilling of the minimum qualifications and experience will not confer any right to the candidates for being called for interview / written/ skills test or/and for his/her selection.

Application Fees

Candidates will have to pay ₹590/- as application fees through online payment system, provide transaction reference number and upload payment receipt. There is no application fee for SC/ST/DAP candidates. Application fee will not be refunded or readjusted under any circumstances. No other mode of payment will be accepted.

Zuckerberg said the new name reflected its work investing in the metaverse, rather than its namesake social media service.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during a live-streamed virtual and augmented reality conference to announce the rebrand of Facebook as Meta. (Reuters Photo)

Facebook Inc co-founder and chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg has said his company will henceforth be known as Meta Platforms Inc, or Meta for short, to reflect its commitment to developing the immersive digital world known as the metaverse.

Zuckerberg, speaking at the company’s live-streamed virtual and augmented reality conference, said the new name reflected its work investing in the metaverse, rather than its namesake social media service. “We’ve learned a lot from struggling with social issues and living under closed platforms, and now it is time to take everything that we’ve learned and help build the next chapter,” Zuckerberg said.

“I am proud to announce that starting today, our company is now Meta. Our mission remains the same, still about bringing people together, our apps and their brands, they’re not changing,” he added.

Zuckerberg said the name Facebook no longer encompasses everything the company does. “Today we are seen as a social media company,” Zuckerberg said. “But in our DNA we are a company that builds technology to connect people.”

With former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announcing that he is set to float his own party and declaring that he is open to an alliance with the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), the 2022 Assembly election in the state is likely to see new political dynamics. Meanwhile, BJP’s age-old ally Shiromani Akali Dal has found a new partner this time. Aam Aadmi Party, which managed to win just 20 seats in the past elections, is striving hard to become a major player in the state.

With these changing dynamics at play, here is a look at the major political players in Punjab.

History: Formally launched on 26 November 2012, the Aam Aadmi Party made forays into Punjab politics in 2016 after trouncing the largest national players at that time — Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress — in Delhi Assembly Elections.

In its electoral debut, the Aam Aadmi Party emerged as the second-largest party in the Delhi Legislative Assembly polls of 2013. It formed the government for 49 days with 28 of the 70 seats in the Assembly with support from the Congress party. Its main agenda was to quickly introduce the Jan Lokpal bill in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. When this didn’t come to fruition, the AAP government resigned.null

In the 2015 Delhi Assembly polls, it emerged victorious with a record margin. It won 67 of 70 seats, while the rest three went to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Past Election Performance: In the 2014 General Elections, the party fielded 434 candidates but won a meagre four seats from Punjab. This, however, allowed AAP to become a recognised state party in Punjab, paving the way for it to contest in the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls. However, the party that was predicted to give the Congress a close contest, did not fare as well as expected and won 20 seatsnull

Alliance: In all likelihood, the AAP will be facing the polls alone. The party has not commented on the possibility of a post-poll alliance so far as well.

Election Agenda: This time around, AAP’s election strategy revolves around the three controversial farm laws by the Centre. AAP enjoys the unique position of not having any contact with this political hot potato. Congress’ previous chief minister Amarinder Singh, dubbed ‘black laws’ architect’ by his bete noire Navjot Singh Sidhu, was the one who passed very similar laws in the state Assembly. Whereas Akali Dal had initially supported the bills as an NDA ally but walked out of the government later when farmers around the country rallied behind the issue. BJP, which is anyway a small player in the state, is the one who brought the controversial laws at the Centre. AAP on the other hand did not take a position until opposing it was the safest choice left.

With former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announcing that he is set to float his own party and declaring that he is open to an alliance with the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), the 2022 Assembly election in the state is likely to see new political dynamics. Meanwhile, BJP’s age-old ally Shiromani Akali Dal has found a new partner this time. Aam Aadmi Party, which managed to win just 20 seats in the past elections, is striving hard to become a major player in the state.

With these changing dynamics at play, here is a look at the major political players in Punjab.

History: Formally launched on 26 November 2012, the Aam Aadmi Party made forays into Punjab politics in 2016 after trouncing the largest national players at that time — Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress — in Delhi Assembly Elections.

In its electoral debut, the Aam Aadmi Party emerged as the second-largest party in the Delhi Legislative Assembly polls of 2013. It formed the government for 49 days with 28 of the 70 seats in the Assembly with support from the Congress party. Its main agenda was to quickly introduce the Jan Lokpal bill in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. When this didn’t come to fruition, the AAP government resigned.null

In the 2015 Delhi Assembly polls, it emerged victorious with a record margin. It won 67 of 70 seats, while the rest three went to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Past Election Performance: In the 2014 General Elections, the party fielded 434 candidates but won a meagre four seats from Punjab. This, however, allowed AAP to become a recognised state party in Punjab, paving the way for it to contest in the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls. However, the party that was predicted to give the Congress a close contest, did not fare as well as expected and won 20 seatsnull

Alliance: In all likelihood, the AAP will be facing the polls alone. The party has not commented on the possibility of a post-poll alliance so far as well.

Election Agenda: This time around, AAP’s election strategy revolves around the three controversial farm laws by the Centre. AAP enjoys the unique position of not having any contact with this political hot potato. Congress’ previous chief minister Amarinder Singh, dubbed ‘black laws’ architect’ by his bete noire Navjot Singh Sidhu, was the one who passed very similar laws in the state Assembly. Whereas Akali Dal had initially supported the bills as an NDA ally but walked out of the government later when farmers around the country rallied behind the issue. BJP, which is anyway a small player in the state, is the one who brought the controversial laws at the Centre. AAP on the other hand did not take a position until opposing it was the safest choice left.

Petrol and diesel prices on Saturday touched an all-time high across the country after rates were hiked for the fourth consecutive day by 35 paise per litre each.

The prices of petrol and diesel were hiked by ₹0.35 and will cost ₹107.24 per litre and ₹95.97 per litre respectively in Delhi.

In Mumbai, the petrol price stands at ₹113.12 per litre and diesel would be sold at  ₹104.00 per litre, today.

In Kolkata, the petrol will be sold at Rs. 107.78 per litre and diesel will be sold at Rs. 99.08 per litre. The prices in Chennai on Thursday stands at Rs. 104.22 per litre for petrol and Rs. 100.25 per litre for diesel.

The rising fuel prices in the country are not going to come down immediately. The central government is in talks with several oil-exporting countries on the issue of supply and demand of oils but there is no possibility of immediate relief in prices.

In Bengaluru, petrol is available at  ₹110.98 per litre and diesel at  ₹101.86 and in Hyderabad, one litre of petrol is now available at  ₹111.55 and diesel cost ₹104.70 for one litre of diesel.

The costliest fuel was in the border town of Ganganagar in Rajasthan, where petrol comes for  ₹119.42 a litre and diesel for ₹110.26 per litre.

Prices differ from state to state, depending on the incidence of local taxes.

Petrol price has been hiked on 19 occasions since September 28, when a three-week-long hiatus in rate revision ended. In all, prices have gone up by  ₹5.7 a litre.

Diesel rates have been increased by  ₹7 per litre in 22 hikes since September 24.

Prior to that, the petrol price was increased by ₹11.44 a litre between May 4 and July 17. The diesel rate had gone up by ₹9.14 per litre during this period.

Joe Biden’s statement was at odds with the long-held US policy known as “strategic ambiguity,” where Washington helps build Taiwan’s defenses but does not explicitly promise to come to the island’s help.

Baltimore, United States: 

President Joe Biden on Thursday said the United States would come to the defense of Taiwan if the island were attacked by China, which considers it part of its territory.

“Yes,” he responded when asked in a CNN town hall about defending Taiwan. “We have a commitment to that.”

Biden’s statement was at odds with the long-held US policy known as “strategic ambiguity,” where Washington helps build Taiwan’s defenses but does not explicitly promise to come to the island’s help.

He made a similar pledge in August during an interview with ABC, insisting that the United States would always defend key allies, including Taiwan, despite the withdrawal from Afghanistan in the face of the victorious Taliban.

Biden said the United States made a “sacred commitment” to defend NATO allies in Canada and Europe and it’s the “same with Japan, same with South Korea, same with Taiwan.”

According to the government, around three-quarters of adults in the country of 1.3 billion people have had one shot and around 30 percent are fully vaccinated.

New Delhi: 

India has scripted history by reaching the one billion COVID-19 vaccinations milestone mark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today as he congratulated the country’s health care workers for helping the country achieve the feat. The milestone is a triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians, he said.

China is the only nation to dish out more vaccine doses than India, having fully inoculated some 1.05 billion, or 75% of its citizens, as of late September, according to Bloomberg.

India reached the 100 crore vaccinations milestones shortly before 10 AM.

Later while speaking via video conferencing after inaugurating a new building set up the Infosys Foundation at AIIMS Campus in New Delhi, PM Modi said, “This day of October 21, 2021, has been recorded in history. India has crossed the 100 crore vaccine doses mark sometime back. To combat the biggest pandemic in 100 years, the country now has a strong protective shield of 100 crore vaccine doses. This achievement belongs to India, every citizen of India.”

“Congratulations India! This is the result of the leadership of our visionary Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted as he officially announced the milestone in a tweet at 9:48 AM.

Earlier today, PM Modi visited the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi and interacted with hospital officials after the milestone was achieved.

PM Modi has frequently praised health workers for spearheading the vaccination drive.

According to the government, around three-quarters of adults in the country of 1.3 billion people have had one shot and around 30 percent are fully vaccinated.

Daily vaccine shots have averaged 5 million this month, a fifth of September’s peak, though states are sitting on record stocks of more than 100 million as the domestic output of the AstraZeneca vaccine soars.

Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg plans to talk about the name change at the company’s annual Connect conference on Oct. 28, but it could be unveiled sooner, the Verge reported.

Social media giant Facebook Inc is planning to rebrand itself with a new name next week, the verge report on Tuesday, citing a source with direct knowledge of the matter.

Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg plans to talk about the name change at the company’s annual Connect conference on Oct. 28, but it could be unveiled sooner, the Verge reported.

In response, Facebook said it does not comment on “rumor or speculation.”

The news comes at a time when the company is facing increasing U.S. government scrutiny over its business practices. Lawmakers from both parties have excoriated the company, illustrating the rising anger in Congress with Facebook.

The rebranding would position Facebook’s social media app as one of many products under a parent company, which will also oversee groups like Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus and more, the Verge report added.

North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea, the South Korean military said on Tuesday, the latest in a series of tests by the capital Pyongyang over recent weeks.

Seoul: 

North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea on Tuesday, South Korea’s military said, its latest in a series of tests with analysts saying it could have been a submarine-launched weapon.

The “unidentified ballistic missile” was fired from Sinpo into the sea east of the peninsula, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

“South Korean and US intelligence are closely analysing for additional detail,” it added.

Sinpo, where the missile was fired from, is a major naval shipyard and satellite photographs have previously shown submarines at the facility.

The North is known to be developing a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) and previously carried out an underwater launch, although analysts said that one was likely to have been from a submerged platform rather than a submarine.

There is a high possibility the North launched an SLBM,” said Shin Beom-chul, a researcher at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy.

It comes after the nuclear-armed North — which invaded its neighbour in 1950 — in recent weeks tested a long-range cruise missile, a train-launched weapon and what it said was a hypersonic warhead, sparking global concern.

It also mounted a rare weapons exhibition, showcasing the gigantic international ballistic missile (ICBM) revealed at a night-time military parade last year.

“The fundamental reason for the North’s provocation is because the US is not changing its position on talks,” Shin told AFP, adding: “Pyongyang is trying to demonstrate that it can carry out a bigger provocation.”

The former president’s spokesperson said that Bill Clinton’s white blood count has decreased, indicating his health is improving.

Former US President but he will remain in a California hospital for at least another night to receive antibiotics intravenously for a urological infection that spread to his bloodstream, his spokesperson said on Friday.

The 75-year-old Clinton, who served as president from 1993 to 2001, entered the University of California Irvine Medical Center on Tuesday evening after suffering from fatigue. He spoke with President Joe Biden on Friday.

All health indicators are trending in the right direction, including his white blood count which was decreased significantly,” Urena said on Twitter. “In order to receive further IV antibiotics, he will remain in the hospital overnight.”

Since his admission to the intensive care unit at the hospital, Clinton has received fluids along with antibiotics, his doctors said.

His wife, former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, was at the hospital on Thursday and Friday, and the two read books and talked about politics, Urena told Reuters. It remained unclear when Clinton would be released.

Biden said Clinton would likely go home soon, though it was not clear whether he would be released on Saturday or later. “He is getting out shortly. … Whether that’s tomorrow or the next day, I don’t know,” Biden told reporters in Connecticut. “He’s doing fine. He really is.”

On Thursday, Urena said Clinton was “up and about, joking and charming the hospital staff.”

Clinton, who was in California to attend a dinner and reception for his foundation in Los Angeles County, has dealt with health problems in the past, including a 2004 quadruple bypass surgery and a 2010 procedure to open a blocked artery.

The Democrat served two terms in the White House, overseeing strong economic growth while engaging in bruising political battles with congressional Republicans. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives impeached him in 1998 on charges arising from his sexual relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, but Clinton was acquitted by the Senate.

He was only the second US president to be impeached. Donald Trump would later become the third when he was impeached twice during his term.

Some 1.7 million people in Auckland are under strict stay-home orders until Monday as officials look to stamp out the highly infectious Delta outbreak, the first major spate of community cases in the country since early in the pandemic.

New Zealand reported on Thursday its biggest rise in COVID-19 infections in six weeks, with all cases detected in Auckland, raising prospects of a further extension of lockdown restrictions in the country’s largest city beyond next week.

Some 1.7 million people in Auckland are under strict stay-home orders until Monday as officials look to stamp out the highly infectious Delta outbreak, the first major spate of community cases in the country since early in the pandemic.

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said the surge in case numbers in Auckland was not unexpected “but they are rising more quickly,” and blamed illegal home gatherings for the spike.

“Now is not the time for complacency,” Robertson said during a media conference in Wellington, urging residents in Auckland to strictly follow the level-three rules, under which most people are required to stay at home unless they have urgent reasons to go out.

A total of 71 new local cases were reported in the country, all detected in Auckland, up from 55 a day earlier.

Today’s new case numbers are sobering but not unexpected because of where we are in the outbreak,” Director of Public Health Caroline McElnay said.

About 2.49 million New Zealanders have been fully vaccinated, or about 59% of the eligible population, with officials promising to end lockdowns once 90% are vaccinated. Officials are looking to administer a record 100,000 doses in a single day during a mass immunisation drive on Saturday.

Bharat Biotech said it had submitted data from the Phase 2/3 clinical trials in the 2-18 years age group for Covaxin (BBV152) to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), that the data had been thoroughly reviewed by the CDSCO and SEC, and that they provided their positive recommendations.

The vaccine Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on Tuesday recommended granting of emergency use authorisation (EUA) for vaccine maker Bharat Biotech’s Covid-19-vaccine, Covaxin, for children in the 2-18 years age group. The SEC has recommended this to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), which will approve the EUA. This is the second vaccine approved for children. Earlier, Zydus-Cadila had received EUA for administering their ZyCov-D Covid-19 vaccine for children in the 12 to 18 years group. Covaxin is the first vaccine in the country for children below 12 years.

Bharat Biotech said it had submitted data from the Phase 2/3 clinical trials in the 2-18 years age group for Covaxin (BBV152) to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), that the data had been thoroughly reviewed by the CDSCO and SEC, and that they provided their positive recommendations. “We now await further regulatory approvals from the CDSCO prior to product launch and market availability of Covaxin for children,” a Bharat Biotech statement said.

This was one of the first approvals worldwide for Covid-19 vaccines for the 2-18 years age group. Bharat Biotech thanked the DCGI, SEC and CDSCO for expediting the review process. The company would be continuing the study, submit a risk management plan and provide data with analysis every 15 days.