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Economic Times | 28 Jul, 2020 | 08.29AM IST
MPs upset with MTNL's quality of net service, seek private ISPs
State-run MTNL may lose its exclusive rights to provide internet facilities to Members of Parliament following complaints regarding the quality of service.
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Pandemic forces revamp of world’s biggest food stamps programme
- The coronavirus outbreak is accelerating a push to digitize India’s food-rationing system, allowing citizens to receive entitlements anywhere in the country -- boosting labor mobility and the country’s economic recovery.
- The “One Nation One Ration Card” system will include about 800 million people under the world’s biggest food-security program.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration is betting that nationwide portability of rations can help bring migrants back to cities after the world’s largest lockdown -- imposed in March with just a few hours’ notice -- left many without food or money.
IMD issues alert for heavy rainfall in Delhi on July 29, 30, warns of water-logging, traffic snarls
More than 5 lakh COVID19 tests conducted in a single day over two consecutive days
On 26th July, India tested a total of 5,15,000 samples and on 27th July, a total of 5,28,000 samples were tested: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
Vietnam suspends flights to and from Danang due to virus outbreak
MPs fume at MTNL net service, seek private ISPs
- Sources said a meeting of the house committee of Parliament last week discussed the possibility of engaging private internet service providers to supply high-speed broadband facilities to MPs since they had faced “acute difficulties” in filing and receiving official documents received by them from the Parliament secretariat.
- While MPs are allowed to use private mobile phone services, internet services as per MPs’ official quota are provided exclusively by MTNL.
- MTNL, though, is learnt to have defended its services and informed the House Committee that it upgraded, on its own, MPs’ usage plans based on their usage patterns.
- It also informed the House Committee that MPs’ monthly data consumption limit was increased to 1500 GB, keeping in mind the need for increased data consumption during the lockdown period.
- The service provider, sources said, also asserted that it has undertaken several other infrastructure projects to equip Parliament and MPs’ flats.
Australia's Victoria state reports 384 new coronavirus cases
EPFO withdrawals during April-July hit Rs 30,000 cr as 8 million dig into retirement fund
- As much as Rs 30,000 crore has been withdrawn in under four months starting April by 8 million subscribers of the Employee Provident Fund Organisation.
- EPFO manages a corpus of Rs 10 lakh crore built on mandatory contributions from nearly 60 million salaried people and their employers.
- The huge outgo is likely to impact the fund’s earnings in FY21, officials said.
Mexico reports 4,973 new coronavirus cases and 342 deaths
US adds 57,000 virus cases in 24 hours: Johns Hopkins
23 new COVID19 cases reported in Mizoram in last 24 hours
The total number of COVID19 positive cases is 384 including 193 cured/discharged cases and 191 active cases.
Delhi allows street vendors, hawkers to operate from 10 am to 8 pm
- The Delhi government on Monday decided to allow the functioning of street vendors and hawkers from 10 am to 8 pm daily with suitable restrictions in the national capital.
- However, the government has not allowed the opening of weekly bazaars.
New Zealand suspends extradition treaty with Hong Kong
- New Zealand announced Tuesday it will follow the lead of its intelligence allies by suspending its extradition treaty with Hong Kong.
- The move comes in response to China passing a sweeping new security law for the semi-autonomous territory.
- New Zealand is the final member of the "Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing alliance to take such action after the U.S., Australia, Canada, and the U.K. previously announced similar measures.
Six COVID-19 patients booked for not wearing masks in Maharashtra isolation centre
ANI
Major issues of contention between US and China, the world's two biggest economic powers
Source: AFP
Mainland China reports 68 new coronavirus cases, including 57 in Xinjiang
Pakistan urges worshippers to buy sacrificial animals online prevent COVID-19 surge
- Pakistani authorities are encouraging people to buy sacrificial animals online or at least wear masks when visiting cattle markets, fearing preparations for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha could reverse a decline in COVID-19 infection numbers.
- Government social-distancing restrictions this year including half-day closing have seen a drop in customers at the normally bustling markets which, like in other Muslim countries, are set up in urban centres ahead of one of Islam's most important festivals.
Light intensity rain would occur over and adjoining areas of Agra during the next 2 hours
India Meteorological Department
Google to keep most of its employees at home until July 2021
- Google has decided that most of its 200,000 employees and contractors should work from home through next June, a sobering assessment of the pandemic's potential staying power from the company providing the answers for the world's most trusted internet search engine.
- The remote-work order issued Monday by Google CEO Sundar Pichai also affects other companies owned by Google's corporate parent, Alphabet Inc. It marks a six-month extension of Google's previous plan to keep most of its offices closed through the rest of this year.
First US presidential debate to be held on September 29
The first US presidential debate between Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden will take place in Cleveland, Ohio, on 29 September.
Five Army jawans among 94 new coronavirus cases in Himachal Pradesh
Active cases tally crosses 1000-mark
Canada's COVID-19 cases surpass 114,000, death toll exceeds 8,890
Somu Veerraju named as Andhra Pradesh BJP chief
Reports ANI
