Bihar:Sixth phase of panchayat polls concludes

In Bihar, polling for the sixth phase out of eleven phases of Panchayat Elections concluded on Wednesday peacefully in the state amid tight security arrangements. No untoward incident has so far been reported from any part of the state. For the first time, EVMs are being used in Panchayat polls in the state. Electoral fortune of 93 thousand 586 candidates are sealed in EVMs. Polling was today held in 57 blocks spread over 37 districts including Patna, Gaya and Nawada. Counting of votes will be taken up on 13th and 14th of November.The seventh phase of polling will be held on November 15.

-In Manipur, with a vision to preserve and showcase the rich culture, tradition, art and crafts of various tribes of Manipur, twenty nine Tribal Museums constructed at ten different districts of the State were inaugurated on Wednesday. Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh virtually inaugurated these museums at a function held at CM Secretariat Imphal. The State government decided to construct a total of 31 tribal museums in the State under the aegis of Manipur State Archaeology. Out of these, six museums were constructed at Chandel, three museums at Tengnoupal, five museums at Kangpokpi, six museums at Churachandpur, four museums at Senapati, three museums at Tamenglong, one museum each at Pherzawl , Ukhrul, Noney and Imphal East. Speaking at the function, the Chief Minister said these museums were constructed by the concerned Deputy Commissioners in consultation with the respective tribal leaders. The museums which were inaugurated today are museums for different tribal communities of the State.

-In West Bengal, a suspected JMB terrorist was arrested by National Investigation Agency (NIA) from a hideout in South 24 Parganas district. The NIA raided the hideout at Subhasgram and arrested the suspected Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh terrorist identified as Abdul Mannan. Fake Indian Aadhaar and Voter cards were seized from him. The accused has been remanded to NIA custody till 8th November by a special NIA court on Wednesday.

-Indian Oil will install Electric Vehicle charging facilities at ten thousand fuel stations in the next three years. The proposed charging network will facilitate an un-interrupted driving experience for Electric vehicle users and boost the country Electric vehicle manufacturing ecosystem.Indian Oil Chairman S M Vaidya informed that presently, Indian Oil has 448 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations and 30 Battery Swapping Stations across the country. He said, the company will focus on nine cities in the first phase, including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Surat and Pune.

-Bharat Biotech Chairman and Managing Director Dr. Krishna Ella said, the validation by WHO is a very significant step towards ensuring global access to India’s widely administered, safe, and efficacious Covaxin and will facilitate countries to expedite their regulatory approval processes to introduce and administer India’s indigenously made COVID-19 vaccine developed and manufactured by Bharat Biotech. After getting nod from the WHO, in a statement in Hyderabad, Dr Krishna Ella said, it will also enable the procurement by UNICEF, Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and the GAVI COVAX facility for distribution to countries in need. He further said as an organization, they have focused on maintaining stringent quality and safety standards that meet rigorous assessment, and scientific standards established by WHO. He added that the EUL authorisation for Covaxin will enable them to contribute to accelerating the equitable access of COVID-19 vaccine and the access to it globally thereby addressing the current public health emergency.