Here are the top 5 news updates of November 4, 2021:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today distributed sweets among the soldiers on the occasion of Diwali and interacted with them. The Prime Minister also honoured and interacted with Army veterans at Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir. While addressing the soldiers, he lauded them for their effort in protecting the Indian borders and said that they are the "suraksha kawach" (armour) of the nation. Earlier in the day, he paid tribute to soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty. Like all his previous years in the constitutional position, the Prime Minister celebrated Diwali with armed forces, this year also he visited Indian Armed Forces in the Nowshera district where he was seen donning an army camouflage jacket.
According to doctors, people, especially those vulnerable to the Covid-19 infection in India, should be mentally prepared to take a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine to protect themselves from new variants and help complete the fight against the virus. While India is on track to fully vaccinate its adult population, advanced nations like the US are preparing ground to administer a booster dose to ensure new variants of Covid-19 virus do not mutate and emerge into a major cause of worry. Doctors presume there could be newer varieties of this virus which would germinate in the society, and vulnerable groups must be prepared to take a booster dose of the vaccine to ensure the fight against the virus is complete.
A day after the Centre slashed the excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 5 and Rs 10 per litre, respectively, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut today said the BJP has to be defeated completely if the fuel prices have to be brought down by Rs 50. Slamming the Centre, Raut, whose party shares power with the NCP and Congress in Maharashtra, told reporters that one really needs to be harsh to raise the fuel prices to over Rs 100. Raut said the reduction of price by Rs 5 is not going to serve any purpose and it should have been brought down first by at least Rs 25, and then Rs 50. The Centre's move came a day after the BJP lost bypolls in some states controlled by it. "After the BJP's defeat in the bypolls, the Centre reduced the fuel prices by Rs 5. If the price has to be brought down by Rs 50, then the BJP must be defeated completely," Raut said.
Employees at more than 40 bus depots of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) continued their strike today, even as the Bombay High Court has directed them to refrain from doing so, officials said. Till 10 am, over 40 of the 250 depots of the MSRTC were shut due to the employees' strike over their main demand for the merger of the transport undertaking with the state government, they said. A section of the MSRTC employees is on an unannounced strike since October 28 seeking merger of the cash-strapped corporation with the state government, according to union sources. A union leader, who did not wish to be named, said that 59 depots were shut today morning, but later some of them resumed work and at around 10 am, 45 depots were closed.
Former India captain Rahul Dravid has been appointed as the head coach of the Indian cricket team. Recently, he applied for the job formally, after the BCCI invited applications, and his appointment was a foregone conclusion. He will take charge in the upcoming home series against New Zealand, starting with the T20Is from November 17. "It is an absolute honour to be appointed as the new Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Team and I am really looking forward to this role. Under Mr Shastri, the team has done very well, and I hope to work with the team to take this forward. Having worked closely with most of the boys either at NCA, U19 and India A setup, I know they have the passion and desire to improve every day. There are some marquee multi-team events in the next two years, and I look forward to working with the players and the support staff to achieve our potential," said Dravid in a statement.
