Here are the top 5 news updates of July 14, 2021:
The Indian Army today refuted claims about clashes occurring along the India-China border in recent months. The clarification came after a news report quoted government sources to state that Chinese troops had once again crossed the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at several points in eastern Ladakh leading to an altercation. The Army however said that no such incident had taken place "since the disengagement agreement in February this year". "The article is riddled with inaccuracies and misinformation. It is reiterated that the news report mentioning that agreements with China have collapsed, is false and baseless," the Army said in a statement.
Union minister Piyush Goyal has today been appointed as the leader of house in Rajya Sabha, reported news agency PTI. He will succeed Thawar Chand Gahlot who has been appointed the governor of Karnataka. The Parliamentary Affairs Ministry has intimated the Rajya Sabha Secretariat that Goyal will be the Leader of House, the report added. Goyal, a two-time Rajya Sabha MP, is currently the deputy leader of the NDA and is also Union Minister in the Cabinet. He is holding the charge of various ministries, including commerce and industry, food and consumer affairs, and textiles.
Amid complains by some states about shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today said "useless"' statements are being made only to create panic among the people, and asserted that states know very well when and in what quantity they will get the doses. The Centre has informed states about the allocation of doses in advance, he said. In a series of tweets, Mandaviya said the availability of vaccines can be better understood by an "actual analysis of the facts".
Admitting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's petition for hearing, the Calcutta High Court today directed that notice be served upon Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, whose victory from Nandigram in the assembly elections was challenged by her. Justice Shampa Sarkar directed that Banerjee's election petition will be taken up for hearing on August 12. The judge directed that in the meantime, notice be served upon Adhikari, a BJP MLA, and other parties in the matter. The court also directed the Election Commission to preserve all records and devices related to the polls in Nandigram.
Equity benchmark Sensex jumped 134 points today, tracking gains mainly in IT stocks, despite weak global cues. The 30-share BSE index ended 134.32 points or 0.25 per cent higher at 52,904.05, while the broader NSE Nifty advanced 41.60 points or 0.26 per cent to 15,853.95. Tech Mahindra was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising over 2 per cent, followed by HCL Tech, Infosys, L&T, Tata Steel and ITC. On the other hand, Maruti, HUL, Nestle India and Dr Reddy's were among the laggards.
