Here are the top 5 news updates of November 16, 2021:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the 341-km Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh after landing on the highway airstrip in an IAF C-130 Hercules plane. Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath received the prime minister at the airstrip. The 3.2-km airstrip has been constructed on the expressway to facilitate emergency landing of fighter aircraft. The expressway links state capital Lucknow with Ghazipur and has been constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 22,500 crore. While addressing a rally in Sultanpur, PM Modi launched a blistering attack on opposition parties and said the previous governments in Uttar Pradesh led by them reduced the state's vital eastern part to "mafiawaad" and poverty, but the BJP government is now writing a new chapter of development.
Implementing work from home policy in Delhi-NCR and closing down industries are some of the steps suggested by the Delhi government in a meeting of the Commission for Air Quality Management held today, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said. "In the meeting, Delhi government officials suggested implementing work from home policy in Delhi-NCR, ban on construction work and ban on industries so that pollution levels can be controlled. The other states have also put forth their views and we are waiting for an official notification from the commission," Rai said in the briefing. He said that this meeting will lead to the emergence of a joint action plan. The Delhi minister asked the Union environment minister to clear confusion over the contribution of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution so as to effectively control it.
Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik today accused the Narcotics Control Bureau Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede and FTV head Kashiff Khan of alleged links with the Russian drugs mafia operating in Goa and demanded answers from the drugs probe agency. Addressing the media with another expose, Malik said that Goa state comes under the jurisdiction of NCB Mumbai and it is known world over that it is a centre of 'drug tourism', but nothing is being done there. "The Russian drug mafia is dealing in narcotics in Goa... Kashiff Khan controls the drug trade in Goa, but he's part of Wankhede's 'Private Army' and he is now being shielded... He has many cases lodged against him and is also declared an 'absconder' by a court," Malik said.
The Kartarpur Sahib corridor to the most revered shrines of Sikhs located in Pakistan will be reopened from Wednesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced today. The corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab's Gurdaspur district. The announcement to restart the pilgrimage that was suspended since March 2020 following the COVID-19 outbreak came three days before the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev on Friday. Shah said the decision reflects the Modi government's immense reverence for Guru Nanak Dev and the Sikh community.
Equity benchmark Sensex tanked 396 points today tracking losses in index majors Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank and SBI amid a mixed trend in global markets. The 30-share index ended 396.34 points or 0.65 per cent lower at 60,322.37. The 50-issue Nifty fell 110.25 points or 0.61 per cent to 17,999.20. Reliance Industries was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding over 2 per cent, followed by SBI, UltraTech Cement, IndusInd Bank, NTPC and Sun Pharma. On the other hand, Maruti, M&M, Tech Mahindra, Bajaj Finance, Infosys and Bajaj Finserv were among the gainers.
