The Taj Mahal in Agra reopened this morning with strict coronavirus safety guidelines after being shut for tourists for over six months. The Agra Fort too reopened today.
Both world heritage sites were closed since March 17 due to the pandemic.
All safety guidelines issued by the centre will have to be followed while visiting the mausoleum and the fort, which include social distancing and sanitising of hands, Vasant Kumar Swarnkar, superintending archaeologist of the Archaeological Survey of India (Agra circle), had said in a statement to the media.
Masks are mandatory to enter the monuments and all tickets must be purchased online. Ticket counters will not be open," Mr Swarnkar said.
A day after Rajya Sabha passed the two agriculture sector related bills, the chairman of Rajya Sabha suspended eight opposition leaders for "misconduct" for the remaining days of Parliament's Monsoon Session.
Eight opposition MPs suspended for remaining days of monsoon session for 'misconduct' in Rajya Sabha. Derek O'Brien, Sanjay Singh, Rajeev Satav, KK Ragesh, Syed Naseer Hussain, Ripun Bora, Dola Sen and Elamaram Kareem suspended for remaining part of the monsoon session.
Following the suspension, the opposition parties creatred ruckus forcing multiple adjournments of the House. The session was eventually adjourned till 9 am Tuesday.
"Suspension of the 8 MPs who fought to protect farmers' interests is unfortunate & reflective of this autocratic govt’s mindset that doesn’t respect democratic norms & principles. We won't bow down & we'll fight this fascist govt in Parliament & on the streets," said West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
"'Muting Of Democratic India' continues: by initially silencing and later, suspending MPs in the Parliament & turning a blind eye to farmers’ concerns on the black agriculture laws. This ‘omniscient’ Govt’s endless arrogance has brought economic disaster for the entire country," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted.TOI
The Narendra Modi government is "making farmers shed tears of blood", Congress MP Rahul Gandhi tweeted Sunday after two of three controversial bills related to the agriculture sector - which have sparked furious protests from farmers - were cleared by the Rajya Sabha amid unprecedented chaos and uproar.
In a tweet as dramatic as events in the Upper House today, Mr Gandhi also said the government had issued "death warrants" against farmers by passing these bills.
"The farmers grow gold from the land, but the arrogance of the Modi government is making them shed tears of blood," Rahul Gandhi, who has accompanied his mother - party chief Sonia Gandhi - abroad while she undergoes routine medical tests, said NDTV
The Rajya Sabha passed two contentious agriculture-related bills amid chaos on Sunday, with the Opposition accusing Deputy Chairman Harivansh of violating House rules on the passage of a Bill and moving a no-confidence motion against him.
Harivansh took up the bills for passing even as Opposition MPs were protesting in the Well of the House and "ploughed" through the procedure to pass the bill, eventually declaring them as being passed by voice vote.
The proposed legislations — The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020; and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 — will now be sent to President Ram Nath Kovind for approval, after which they will become laws.
The two bills were promulgated by the Centre as ordinances in June and were cleared by the Lok Sabha on 17 September.
Bedlam ensued in the Upper House after the deputy chairman declined the Opposition's appeals to defer the remainder of the debate on the bills to Monday, as Sunday's session had ended at 1 pm.
The situation escalated with Opposition MPs charging towards the podium of the deputy chairman, flinging the Rajya Sabha's rule book at him, tearing official papers and raising slogans about their demand for a division of vote.
DSE director Devasena submitted an affidavit in this regard on directions of the court following a petition that complained that private schools were demanding more fee, including special charges, for providing online classes. The court directed the DSE to submit how many complaints had been received and inform about the action taken by the department against schools which violated the government orders.
In the affidavit, the DSE director stated that showcause notices had been issued to the schools based on complaints. Replies had been received from 47 schools. She informed the court that action will be initiated against the schools after examining the allegations. The director told the court that Geetanjali High School at Begumpet had agreed to adjust the enhanced fees paid by parents in the subsequent months.
The affidavit said an FIR had been registered against the parents of students belonging to St Andrews High School at Bowenpally for violating COVID-19 norms. It was not mentioned on whose complaint the FIR was registered. The affidavit said that issues related to Jubliee Hills Public School and Niraj Public School at Ameerpet had been settled. The issue related to Vasavi School at Himayatnagar did not come under the purview of government order, the affidavit added.DC
Special Cell has arrested a freelance journalist, Rajeev Sharma, for passing sensitive information to Chinese intelligence. One Chinese lady and her Nepalese associate have also been arrested for paying him large amounts of money routed through shell companies. Chinese intelligence tasked the journalist for conveying sensitive information in lieu of large amounts of money.
"Huge number of mobile phones, laptops and other incriminating/sensitive material have been recovered," the police said. Sharma, a resident of Pitampura, has already been arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police.
He was found to be in possession of some classified defence-related documents. The investigation is in progress and further details will be shared in due course," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav had said on Friday.
The police said that Sharma was produced before the court on September 15, which sent him to six-day police custody. His bail application is listed for September 22. DC
Haneesh Kumar P.B., an Indian migrant supervisor in an automobile company in Oman, was told to resign on April 30, along with some 400 colleagues. In all, the company asked around 1,400 workers to resign in phases, citing as reason the COVID-19-induced economic crisis.
Haneesh, who was among the first to go, refused to sign the ‘voluntary’ resignation form and insisted on being terminated so that he could get the attendant benefits. As per his contract, if the company terminated him, it would have to give him either a 30-day notice period or a 30-day salary.
As the company couldn’t serve him the 30-day notice period, he was eligible to a month’s basic salary, around $570. But he was not only not paid this amount, he was forced to work until May 11, for which the company did not pay him either. Even more shocking, he didn’t get the $181 food allowance for the 35 days either, which he was assured of when he was terminated.
In all, Haneesh was denied $960 of dues by the company. In other words, he was a victim of wage theft, a trend that often goes unreported and unnoticed.
Wage theft is the non-payment for overtime; denying workers their last pay check after he or she leaves a job; not paying for all of the hours worked; not paying minimum wages; not paying a worker at all; and not adhering to the terms of the contract. IE
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