Here are the top 5 news updates of October 2, 2021:
The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 90 crore, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said today. "Shastri ji gave the slogan 'Jai Jawan - Jai Kisan'. Revered Atal ji added 'Jai Vigyan' and PM @Narendra Modi Ji gave the slogan 'Jai Anusandhan'. Today the result of anusandhan is this corona vaccine.#JaiAnusandhan," Mandaviya tweeted. The country-wide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started on February 2. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.
Since the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission in 2019, five crore households have got water connection and now tap water is reaching every household in about 1.25 lakh villages, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today, asserting that today's India has done more work in just two years than what was done in seven decades. Speaking after interacting with gram panchayats and village water and sanitation committees (VWSC) on the Jal Jeevan Mission, Modi said the mission is not just about bringing water to people but it is also a decentralisation movement that is village and women-driven. "Today, water is reaching every household in about 1.25 lakh villages in about 80 districts of the country. That is, today's India has done more work in just two years than what was done in the last seven decades," he said.
Navjot Singh Sidhu, who had abruptly resigned as the Punjab Congress chief, said today he would stand with Gandhi siblings Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi whether he holds any post or not. Upset with some appointments after Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi took charge, Sidhu had put in his papers and, though efforts were made to placate him, it remains unclear if his resignation has been accepted. "Will uphold principles of Gandhi Ji & Shastri Ji. Post or No Post will stand by @RahulGandhi & @priyankagandhi ! Let all negative forces try to defeat me, but with every ounce of positive energy will make Punjab win, Punjabiyat (Universal Brotherhood) win & every Punjabi win !!," Sidhu tweeted.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut today said the Congress party is in need of a strong president. "If a big political party like Congress remains without a head, then it naturally causes confusion. Be it any political party, without a president, it creates a sense of dissatisfaction among the masses. I am sure Congress party will soon resolve the political turmoil happening inside the party," Raut said. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena in its mouthpiece Saamna today slammed the Centre after erstwhile Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh held a meeting with Union Minister Amit Shah in the national capital.
Samantha Akkineni and Naga Chaitanya have confirmed separation today after four years of marriage. Rumours were rife that there's trouble in Samantha's marriage with actor Naga Chaitanya, son of superstar Nagarjuna. The murmurs of discontent started when Samantha removed her marital surname, Akkineni, from her social media pages. "To all our well-wishers. After much deliberation and thought Chay and I have decided to part ways as husband and wife to pursue our own paths. We are fortunate to have a friendship of over a decade that was the very core of our relationship which we believe will always hold a special bond between us," Samantha said in a note on Instagram.
