A health workers takes a sample for Covid-19 testing in Pune. Pune Weather Forecast highlights, Pune Covid-19 Cases and Traffic highlights Updates: Pune region recorded the highest 1973 cases in Maharashtra today, followed by 843 from the Nashik region, PTI reported. According to a state health department official, Maharashtra recorded 4,654 covid cases taking the tally to 64,47,442. Among the 170 fatalities reported in the state, the Pune region recorded the highest 91. Pune city has 281 cases and 42 deaths.
Meanwhile, addressing students and researchers at the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT), Pune, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the institute should get due recognition as ‘national importance’ for its contributions. He urged scientists to publicise their researches and spread awareness about their work among the public. DIAT is a deemed university of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The Defence Minister also attended an event at the Army Sports Institute (ASI) in Pune, and felicitated gold medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, among other Tokyo Olympic participants from the Armed Forces. The ASI stadium was also named after Chopra in the minister’s presence.
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Maha-Metro’s managing director, Dr Brijesh Dixit, along with officials of Pune Metro and cyclists from Indo Athletic Society travelled on the Metro from Phugewadi to Sant Tukaram Nagar and vice versa whilst carrying the bicycles with them on board. (Express photo Rajesh Stephen)
Pune region recorded the highest 1973 covid-19 cases in Maharashtra on Friday, followed by 843 from the Nashik region, PTI reported. According to a state health department official, Maharashtra recorded 4,654 covid cases taking the tally to 64,47,442.
During a Pune city police inquiry, some suspected Bangladeshi infiltrators told the cops that they had come from Bangladesh and managed to procure Aadhar and PAN cards upon their arrival to Pune, during 1995 to 2011.
But the police are yet to lodge an offence in the case as they haven’t so far recovered any documents from the suspects to prove their Bangladeshi citizenship. Read More
PMC recorded 257 fresh covid cases and five covid deaths on Friday.
Bajaj Group in collaboration with Pune Zilla Parishad will hold a mega vaccination drive in 13 Talukas in rural Pune on August 31st. The initiative aims to reach COVID-19 vaccines to the residents of remotest parts of Pune, in order to stay protected against the likely third wave of COVID-19. (PTI)
With elections of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) round the corner, the Congress has retained Ramesh Bagwe as its city unit chief to ensure there is no rift within the party ahead of the civic elections. However, the fact that senior leaders Mohan Joshi, Sanjay Balgude and Kamal Vyavhare have been unable to make it to the committee of the state unit is likely a cause for concern for the city unit. Read More
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh felicitated 23 sportspersons, four coaches and two supporting members from the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force who represented India in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He also presented a Javelin memento to Chopra.
A stadium at the Army Sport Institute (ASI) in Pune has been christened as ‘Neeraj Chopra Stadium, Army Sports Institute, Pune Cantonment’ in presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Tokyo Olympic Javelin Throw Gold Medalist Neeraj Chopra and Army Chief General MM Naravane are present at the event along with armed forces personnel who represented India in the Olympics are present.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) will carry out investigations against all the 16 members of the standing committee of Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) in the bribery case in which chairman Nitin Landge and four other members were arrested last week from the PCMC headquarters.
“We will investigate all the 16 members of the PCMC standing committee. This is because the chairman’s personal secretary had said that the commission amount is shared with all the members,” Seema Mehendale, inspector with ACB told The Indian Express.
On whether each member will be summoned to the ACB office, Mehendale said, “We will follow all the rules in the investigation. If they need to be summoned at our office, we will do so,” she said. Read More
State health minister Rajesh Tope suggested that the elections to the local bodies should be postponed in view of the possible third wave of Covid-19.
The issue was discussed in the state cabinet Thursday. “Since the state election commission is an autonomous body, we will express our recommendation seeking postponement of the elections but the final decision will rest be with the commission,” Tope said. Read More
With the inauguration of two new centres, infertility clinics chain Indira IVF has crossed a major milestone of establishing 100 centres across India. It has 17 centres in Maharashtra, including one in Pune, while the newest additions are in UP’s Sultanpur and Bathinda, Punjab. “The first single-specialty infertility treatment chain in India to have 100 fertility centres under its banner, we have had 85,000 successful IVF pregnancies so far,” Dr Kshitiz Murdia, CEO & Co-Founder of Indira IVF told The Indian Express.
Read the interview here
After NITI Aayog, the Commission of Agricultural Cost and Price (CACP) has now suggested that sugar mills be allowed to pay growers the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) in instalments. In its latest report, CACP has asked the central government to suitably amend the Sugarcane Control Order 1966 to bring about this change.
The Sugarcane Control Order mandates that mills have to pay farmers the government-declared FRP within 14 days of delivery of cane. Sugar commissioners can recover cane dues as revenue arrears by auctioning off their property. Surety of payment is the main reason cited by farmers in water-stressed parts of the state to go for sugarcane farming.
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To overcome day-to-day difficulties and eliminate human intervention-based monitoring systems, advanced GPS devices are being employed by the Pune division of the Central Railways to monitor real-time position and speed of various types of patrolmen.
“Safety and security are important for the Indian Railways and it is our prime concern. The Pune Division of Central Railways has always been ahead in innovation and implementation of new technologies in day-to-day railway working to enhance the safety of track and train operation,” said a spokesperson.
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Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane visited the headquarters of the Southern Command in Pune on Friday. The Army Chief reviewed the operational preparedness.
General Naravane also appreciated the assistance provided by various formations of the Southern Command to civil administration during Covid-19 pandemic and recent natural calamities including floods.
Speaking at the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Friday urged scientists to publicise their research work and spread awareness about their work among the general public.
Quantum Technology, Artificial Intelligence, bio-sciences, Deep Ocean Exploartion are all research areas holding huge potential to work, all of which require scientists to work, said Singh.
"Technology has power. If we can advance our technologies, India will surely become a super economic power," he said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Friday said that Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) should get due recognition as 'national importance' for its contributions.
"Scientists have significant role in making India a super power after 15 or 20 years," said Singh, who is at his one-day long visit to Pune.
Earlier in the day, he presided over the institute's General Body Meeting, inaugurated a new infrastructure and reviewed the products developed by DIAT.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau has decided to investigate all 16 members of the standing committee of Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. The members will be investigated in connection with the bribery case in which committee chairman Nitin Landge and four other members were arrested last week from PCMC headquarters in Pimpri.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrives at Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) in Pune. He is on a day-long visit to Pune.
Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) along with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will launch a one year Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Defence Technologies.
The eligibility of the course, which is expected to commence in October this year, is a bachelor's degree in any subject under science stream including engineering.
An MoU in this regard will be signed by Dr G Sateesh Reddy, chairman, DRDO, and Prof Nitin Karmalkar, vice-chancellor, SPPU on Friday.
The student intake will be 40. Candidates will be selected for the course after clearing an entrance exam.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has pulled up the Deputy Director of Education (DyDE), Maharashtra, for failing to initiate timely action against a complaint involving a city-based school.
Walnut School in Fursungi had allegedly sent students who failed to pay their fees on ‘forced leave’, violating Sections 16 and 17 of the Right to Education Act 2009.
The Commission, in its three letters sent to the DyDE office in May, July, and August, had asked the DyDE to look into this matter and initiate appropriate action. However, with no update sent , the Commission in its latest letter, dated August 25, has now demanded the final investigation report and actions initiated be submitted by August 31. The Commission has warned that if the DyDE fails to do it, its officials will have to appear before the Commission to present the report.
Crime branch of the Pune city police have arrested a vehicle thief and recovered as many as 17 motorcycles from his possession.
The accused has been identified as Sameer alias Samya Dattatrya Rangavkar (34), a resident of Viman Nagar and a native of Ratnagiri.
The police said that last month Sachin Ghule (30), a resident of Dattawadi had lodged am FIR at Vishrambag police station regarding the theft of his motorcycle.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be in Pune today and will visit some key defence establishments including Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT), the headquarters of the Southern Command of the Indian Army and the Army Sports Institute (ASI).
At DIAT, the Defence Minister is scheduled to preside over the General Body Meeting of the institute, interact with the faculty and students and also inaugurate some newly constructed facilities.
At the Headquarters of the Southern Command and the Defence Minister will review is operational preparedness of the Command, officials have said. Singh will be briefed by the top brass in presence of Army Chief General MM Naravane and Southern Army Commander Lieutenant General JS Nain.
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School students in Maharashtra may soon learn two additional subjects linked to agriculture as part of their syllabus.
The present curriculum offered at state-run schools will also offer Agriculture and Agronomy (agriculture economy), as proposed during a recent meeting held between the Department of Agriculture and Department of School Education. Gaikwad, state Agriculture Minister Dadaji Bhuse and top officials from the two departments arrived at this decision during the meeting.
“With over 50 per cent students studying at schools located in the state’s rural areas, and belonging to families involved in farming, the introduction of these subjects will be an opportunity for them to learn more about agriculture,” said School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad.
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An erroneous allocation of airwaves in restricted frequency bands to telecom provider Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL) is threatening the quality of scientific research at the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), the world’s largest radio telescope operating at metre wavelengths, according to scientists involved in research at the facility.
Located 80 km from Pune, the GMRT is an array of 30 parabolic dishes — each of which is 45 metres in diameter. These dishes are arranged in an ‘Y’ fashion across a 30 km region near Narayangaon. The site, situated off the Pune-Nashik highway, was chosen in the early 1980s as it had barely any man-made noise and was favourable for long-term telescope operations.
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Pune City Police have arrested two persons for allegedly robbing a wildlife photographer on a hill in Baner on August 17. Police have recovered a mobile phone, camera, a silver bracelet, in total worth Rs 1.4 lakh, from the two accused, Akshay Suryawanshi and Vishal Gaikwad.
The victim, Mukul Mukherjee, was robbed by two motorcycle-borne youths, who had snatched his camera, cell phone, gold valuables and also some cash, worth Rs 1.8 lakh. The robbers had then escaped on their motorcycle.Police checked footage from CCTV cameras around the crime scene and other locations, and zeroed in on the two accused.
The ruling BJP in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Thursday put on hold any decision in the general body meeting on the proposal to lease amenity spaces of the city to private parties to generate additional revenue for the civic body, after the NCP declared that it would be opposing the proposal because the BJP has not accepted its demands completely.
The BJP was pushing for the civic administration to lease 270 vacant plots reserved for amenity spaces in the city, to raise Rs 1,753 crore in 30 years. It was expected that the ruling party would get the proposal passed given its majority in the general body, but instead the meeting was adjourned without any decision on the proposal.
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Nashik farmers Thursday threw crates of tomatoes on the road after prices crashed to Rs 2-3 per kg in the wholesale market. (ANI)
63 per cent of the eligible 18+ population in Pune district have receieved their first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine. Pune district has administered over 76 lakh vaccine doses so far. More than 55 lakh people have got their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine and over 20 lakh are fully vaccinated.
Pune city's temperatures will remain below normal on Friday due to persisting overcast sky conditions.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast light rain towards afternoon. Over the past 24 hours, Shivajinagar recorded 0.7mm, Pashan - 0.4mm and Lohegaon - 0.6mm.
The relative humidity and minimum temperatures recorded on the day was 95 percent and 19.5 degrees, respectively.
Bumper crop and blocked export avenues have seen tomato prices crash across wholesale markets in the state. The crash comes during a year when growers have, so far, reported minimum losses as the major tomato-growing areas of the state have not seen either heavy rainfall or a prolonged dry spell.
At Pimpalgoan’s wholesale market in Niphad taluka of Nashik district, the average traded price of the vegetable is currently around Rs 10.55/kg, less than half of the average traded price in August last year, which was Rs 25.55/kg.
In Pune’s wholesale market, the price of the vegetable is only around Rs 5-10/kg. Vilas Bhujbal, a local trader, said prices had gone down further last week as the arrivals had increased.
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Pune reported 1,098 cases of the novel coronavirus on Thursday and six deaths. This takes the district’s caseload to 1,110,658 and toll to 18,632. There are 8,499 active Covid-19 cases.
Pune district accounted for 20 per cent of active Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra over the last 10 days, according to a report by the state Health Department. Pune also had the highest number of cases among the five ‘districts of concern’, where the weekly Covid-19 positivity rate continues to be higher than the state average.
From August 16 to 25, the state reported 45,020 new Covid-19 cases, of which 31,956 new Covid infections were from only five districts – Pune (9,094) Ahmednagar (6,388), Satara (6,046), Solapur (5,618) and Sangli (4,810).
Dr Shashank Joshi, an expert on the state Covid-19 task force, told The Indian Express that all five districts of concern need to continue with an aggressive ‘test, track and treat’ strategy. “If these five districts can be aggressively handled over the next two weeks, then we can say that Maharashtra has officially ended the second wave,” he said.
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Pune Police have booked three persons for allegedly failing to control a buffalo, which attacked people off the Jan Mohammed street in Pune Camp area, leaving four persons injured.
A video of this incident has gone viral on social media. The video shows that a buffalo knocked a two wheeler on Jan Mohammed Street and also attacked a few more persons at the spot around 3.45 pm on August 8. A CCTV camera around the spot captured the video of the incident, in which the two wheeler rider Zuber Shaikh and three others got injured
Shaikh has lodged the first information report (FIR) in this case at the Lashkar police station on August 24. Police said they have booked three buffalo owners on charges of negligence in this case.
Since the Centre has set a production target of 60 million doses for the country's first mRNA Covid-19 vaccine by the end of the year, Dr Sanjay Singh, CEO of Gennova Pharmaceuticals, said production is being ramped up.
"It has been a tough journey but this is a new platform and we have to innovate to find solutions. We are trying to put our best foot forward and ramp up production,” Singh told The Indian Express.
The Drug Controller General of India recently approved phase 2/3 study protocols of HGCO19, developed by Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Limited, a subsidiary of Pune-based Emcure Pharmaceuticals Limited. "The Department of Biotechnology of the Indian government has made a core investment with seed money of Rs 25 crore and Rs 100 crore for the phase 2/3 trial process that will commence soon,” Singh said.
Despite a high level of interest in the mRNA platform for Covid-19 vaccines, the firm had to face several challenges in terms of undertaking multiple toxicology tests and even making their own enzymes.
Pune district accounted for 20 per cent of active Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra over the last 10 days, according to a report by the state Health Department.
Pune also had the highest number of cases among the five ‘districts of concern’, where the weekly Covid-19 positivity rate continues to be higher than the state average.
From August 19 to 25, the state reported 45,020 new Covid-19 cases, of which 31,956 new Covid infections were from only five districts – Pune (9,094) Ahmednagar (6,388), Satara (6,046), Solapur (5,618) and Sangli (4,810).
The Maharashtra government is taking steps towards the safe reopening of schools, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Thursday.
“A circular has been sent to each district collector for coordination between the health and education departments, and to ensure that before September 5, both teaching and non-teaching staff are administered vaccine doses. We are taking steps so that this group can get vaccinated and have directed that special drives are undertaken for the same,” said Tope.
As part of the measures, the state government will appoint 1,200 more doctors before September 5, while at least 7,000 vacant posts of Class 3 and 4 workers will be filled up after the examination for these posts takes place on September 25 and 26.
School students in Maharashtra may soon study two additional subjects linked to agriculture as part of their syllabus.
The present curriculum offered at state-run schools will also offer Agriculture and Agronomy (agriculture economy), as proposed during a recent meeting held between the Department of Agriculture and Department of School Education.
"With over 50 percent students studying at schools located in the state's rural areas, and belonging to families involved in farming, the introduction of these subjects will be an opportunity for them to learn more about agriculture," said School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad.
Job postings witnessed a 7 percent sequential growth in July in Pune, with hiring activity seeing an overall rise of 4 percent across the country, according to a report.
Overall job postings have also improved by 8 percent year-on-year in July, indicating a continued optimistic outlook for the coming months, , as per Monster Employment Index by Monster.com.
The report further revealed that job postings witnessed a positive uptick in industries that were previously in a slump due to the pandemic like travel and tourism, office equipment and automation, and real estate sectors.
Meanwhile, sequential job postings grew in Delhi-NCR by 8 per cent, Pune (7 per cent), Hyderabad (7 per cent), Chennai (6 per cent) and Bengaluru (6 per cent) in July. Monthly hiring activity was low or muted in certain locations like Ahmedabad (2 per cent), and Baroda (1 per cent), while Jaipur remained stable.
PTI
Radhika Sonawane, a finance professional from Pune, has made many winged friends during the COVID-induced lockdown. Over a dozen parrots daily fly into Radhika’s rented apartment whom she feeds and takes care of daily, ANI reported. "Earlier, Indian ringneck parakeet used to come but later on Alexandrine parakeet started coming here in large numbers,” she said.
A 28-year-old police sub-inspector was on Thursday arrested for allegedly threatening and extorting money at a hotel and bar in Maharashtra''s Pune city, an official told PTI.
Sub-inspector Milan Kurkute, who was attached to the control room of the Pimpri Chinchwad police, had allegedly demanded Rs 7,000 at a hotel and bar in Mundhwa area of the city, he said.
"Kurkute was on leave when he allegedly visited a Mundhwa-based hotel in uniform and demanded money. Following due procedures, he was arrested," the official from Mundhwa police said.
Pune Metro on Thursday conducted a trial run with bicycles onboard the trains between Sant Tukaram Nagar station and Phugewadi station.
"The work of Pune Metro is going in full swing. In the coming months, the metro service will be operational for the public. Maha Metro has taken a revolutionary step so that passengers while commuting can carry bicycles onboard the train," said Hemant Sonawane, spokesperson for Maha Metro, the agency in charge of Pune Metro.
MahaMetro said it wants to emphasise the convenience of having cycles onboard the trains for students, office staff, delivery boys, courier boys and for that matter, anybody who is doing a field job.
A Pune Metro worker sustained a bullet injury at the Kothrud Metro car shed site on Wednesday. Police says the bullet brushed past the worker, due to which the injury is minor.
Four bullet shells were found at the spot. Police says they appear to have been fired from a rifle.
A Pune Metro worker Thursday was injured while working at a car depot in Kothrud. 'We are trying to find out how he got injured. We can't say whether he suffered injury due to firing from nearby area,' a Metro spokesperson said.
The Kothrud police is investigating the case.
Gail Omvedt, who died in Kasegaon, Sangli, on Tuesday, was a rare public intellectual who engaged with the theory and praxis of social justice politics. Her writings extended the frontiers of understanding of anti-caste political and spiritual traditions as well as the relation between caste and gender.
They were transformative also because she infused in them the wisdom she had gained by actively engaging with progressive social movements.
Omvedt’s theoretical work was illuminated by the light and heat of multiple radical traditions of emancipation, including feminism, Marxism and Ambedkarism. She drew from the life and work of the Maharashtrian Bhakti saints to the later legatees of that radical heritage, Jyotiba Phule and BR Ambedkar.
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V Geetha writes: A few weeks ago, on August 2, Gail Omvedt turned 80. A substantial portion of this worthy life was spent in India, the country she adopted as her own. Gail came of political age in the USA of the 1960s — the anti-war protests, the struggle for civil rights and the angry socialist feminism of those decades shaped her thought and left their deep imprint on her writings. And she wrote on a range of things — on feminism and women’s movements; the peasant question in post-independent India; Mahatma Phule, the Satyashodhak Samaj and the Non-Brahman movement in Maharashtra; Babasaheb Ambedkar and his vision for a universal, democratic politics; Dalit visions for the good and just society; Indian utopian thought; bhakti devotionalism in western India, especially the writings of Tukaram; Buddhism…
She wrote for an Indian as well as an international readership, moving with consummate ease between scholarly and popular journals, translating India for the world of left-leaning intellectuals of the US in the 1970s and 1980s, locating India’s agrarian economy, its discontents, class and caste dimensions within the broader rubric of Peasant Studies, and anchoring cultural revolt, and anti-caste thought within a universal politics of justice and liberation.
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Pune city police have booked and suspended a sub-inspector for allegedly going to a hotel in police uniform and demanding money from its manager while being on sick leave.
The accused cop, identified as Milan Karkute, was attached to the control room of the Pimpri-Chinchwad police. An offence of extortion was lodged against Karkute at the Mundhwa police station based on the hotel manager’s complaint.
Pimpri Chinchwad police commissioner Krishna Prakash on Wednesday suspended Karkute from service for tarnishing the image of the police department.
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The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has pulled up the Deputy Director of Education (DyDE), Maharashtra, for failing to initiate timely action on a complaint involving two city-based schools.
Walnut School located in Fursungi and Shivne had sent students who defaulted on paying fees on ‘forced leave’, violating Sections 16 and 17 of the Right to Education Act, 2009.
The Commission, in its three letters sent to the DyDE office in May, July, and August, had asked it to look into the matter and initiate appropriate action. However, as there was no reply from the DyDE, the Commission, in its latest letter dated August 25, demanded that the final investigation report and action initiated be submitted by August 31.
The Commission has warned the DyDE that if it fails to respond, it will have to appear before it and present the report in-person.
The PCMC standing committee has found itself amid controversy after its chairman and four civic employees were allegedly caught taking bribes last week. Amidst the demand for dissolution of PCMC and appointment of an administrator, BJP corporator Seema Savale, who during her tenure as standing committee chairperson had thrown open committee meetings for the media and general public for the first time in the history of PCMC, in an interview to Manoj More, calls for recording the proceedings of the standing committee and uploading them on the PCMC website for greater transparency.
Read excerpts of the interview here
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Police have claimed to have solved the mystery behind the disappearance of a 70-year-old woman, who went missing from Yerawada in July. Investigation has revealed that the woman was allegedly murdered by her daughter-in-law with the help of a relative, who is already an accused in two murder cases.
The woman, Sojarabai Jogdand, a resident of Laxminagar in Yerawada, went missing on July 14. After searching for her in areas around her residence, her daughter had registered a missing complaint with Yerawada police station.
Recently, constable Zameer Tamboli of Unit 2 of Pimpri-Chinchwad Crime Branch received a tip-off from informants, saying a suspect involved in the murder of a 70-year-old woman had come to Otascheme area in Nigdi. A police team led by Inspector Shailesh Gaikwad started digging into the input and got to know that the man, identified as Imtiyaz Shaikh alias Chintya, had helped his maternal aunt Munni Jogdand (45) kill her mother-in-law, Sojarabai.
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Pune city will experience partially cloudy sky conditions on Thursday morning with high levels of humidity, the Indian Meerological Department said.
IMD has forecast light rain on Thursday afternoon, where cloudy conditions is likely to develop.
The maximum temperature is expected to be 32 degrees on Thursday. IMD also said that the city's Air Quality Index value today will remain close to 40.
Fifteen years later, the ‘one ward, one corporator’ system is all set to return to civic bodies in Maharashtra as the state government has directed 14 municipal corporations — which are scheduled to hold civic elections in February 2022 — to start preparing the draft for ward formation plan. Though the ‘one ward, one corporator’ system is set to take effect, there will be no change in the collective number of corporators in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, said a civic election official.
“We have received directives from the State Election Commission to prepare a draft of ward formation… we have been asked to submit the draft plan as early as possible, after which the Election Commission will take the final decision,” said PCMC election officer and Assistant Commissioner Balasaheb Khandekar on Wednesday.
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After months of indecision, the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has cleared the import of 12 lakh tonnes (lt) of genetically modified (GM) soyameal late on Tuesday night. While this was a long-standing demand of the poultry industry, some stakeholders said the decision has come too late as by the time the imports land in India, the new crop would have arrived in Indian markets.
Farmers’ organisations have also criticised the move, saying it will result in lower realisation for their soyabean crop.
Since May this year, the poultry industry has been seeking duty-free import of 12-15 lt GM soyameal, saying this was necessary given the exceptionally high price of soyameal in the country. For the industry, soyameal is the preferred protein source to be used for poultry feed. Soyameal refers to the protein rich solid left after the oil is expelled from the bean.
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Over 195 Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PMC) government centres will provide free Covid-19 vaccination. Out of this, 188 centres will administer 210 Covishield doses each and 7 centers will administer 500 Covaxin doses. 70 per cent of doses will be reserved for administering second dose to all those who have taken the first before June 2.
The NCP on Wednesday decided to support the BJP’s proposal of leasing out the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)’s amenity space to private entities on the condition that 33 per cent of the amenity space area be reserved for urban forests and only green buildings be constructed in the remaining space.
On Wednesday, NCP Rajya Sabha MP Vandana Chavan met BJP leaders to discuss the issue. “The BJP is all set to approve the amenity space proposal in the general body with its majority. The NCP is against the leasing of amenity spaces as it would reduce the open space for green cover but as an amicable solution to save some area, we have promised to support the proposal if the ruling BJP prepares a master plan for amenity space and reserves 33 per cent of it for developing an urban forest. Also, the remaining area should strictly have only green buildings,” said Chavan.
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A 25-year-old woman attempted suicide by consuming phenyl in the premises of Kondhwa police station on Tuesday. Police have lodged an offence against the woman, identified as Afreen Shaikh, under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code.
Police said Afreen had an argument with her husband Umar, after which the latter came to the Kondhwa police station to file a complaint. Later, Afreen also came to the police station, where she allegedly took out a phenyl bottle from her handbag and consumed it in front of the police personnel.
Police immediately rushed her to a hospital for treatment.
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Pune district recorded 1,133 fresh cases of Covid-19 and reported 17 deaths on Wednesday. Over 710 people recovered from the infection, and the number of active cases are 8,076. On August 25, 30,469 samples were tested and the total number of samples tested till date is 6,827,687.