Here are the top 5 news updates of March 1, 2022:
An Indian student was killed in shelling in Kharkiv city of war-hit Ukraine today morning, the Ministry of External Affairs said. "With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning," it tweeted. The ministry said it is in touch with the family of the student. "We convey our deepest condolences to the family," it said. "A student Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, a native of Chalageri in Haveri district, died in the shelling," the Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority commissioner Dr Manoj Rajan told PTI. A number of Indians are still stranded in Kharkiv where Russia has launched a major military offensive. The MEA said the Foreign Secretary is calling in ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate India's demand for "urgent safe passage" to Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and other cities in conflict zones.
The Indian embassy in Ukraine advised its nationals to leave the capital city Kyiv "urgently today" amid the deteriorating security situation due to the Russian-Ukraine conflict. "Advisory to Indians in Kyiv: All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available," the Indian embassy in Ukraine tweeted. This advisory comes as satellite images have emerged showing a long convoy of Russian military vehicles snaking along roadways northwest of Kyiv. Hundreds of tanks, towed artillery, armored and logistical vehicles can be seen in the image released by a US-based space technology company.
In order to scale up the ongoing evacuation efforts under 'Operation Ganga', Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked the Indian Air Force to join the evacuation efforts, news agency ANI quoted sources as saying. The sources said that leveraging the capacities of the Air Force will ensure that more people can be evacuated in a shorter time frame. It will also help to deliver humanitarian aid more efficiently, sources added. Indian Air Force is likely to deploy several C-17 aircrafts as part of 'Operation Ganga' from today. The Union government has launched 'Operation Ganga' to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. Special flights are being operated by Air India as part of the 'Operation Ganga' mission.
GST collections in February grew 18 per cent to over Rs 1.33 lakh crore in February even as the Omicron wave dented the month-on-month collection momentum. This is for the fifth time in the current fiscal that the GST collection has crossed Rs 1.30 lakh crore mark. Also, this is the first time, cess collection has crossed the Rs 10,000 crore mark, signifying recovery in certain key sectors, especially automobile sales, the Finance Ministry said on Tuesday. The GST revenues had hit a record high of Rs 1,40,986 crore in January. "The gross GST revenue collected in February 2022 is Rs 1,33,026 crore of which Central GST is Rs 24,435 crore, State GST is Rs 30,779 crore, Integrated GST is Rs 67,471 crore (including Rs 33,837 crore collected on import of goods) and cess is Rs 10,340 crore (including Rs 638 crore collected on import of goods)," the ministry said in a statement.
Former Turkish Airlines chairman Ilker Ayci today said he has declined the Tata Group's offer to be the chief executive officer and managing director of Air India as "some sections of the Indian media" have attempted to "colour" his appointment in an undesirable manner. Ayci is considered to be close to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an ally of Pakistan. RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch had last Friday told PTI that the government should not give clearance to the appointment of Ayci, the chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD) of Air India, "keeping in view national security". Tata Sons had on February 14 announced the appointment of Ayci as the CEO and MD of recently-privatised Air India.
