No lockdown during the G20 Summit

Despite speculations, Delhi Police has clarified that there will be no lockdown in Delhi during the G20 summit. Essential services like grocery and medical stores, and vegetable, fruit, and milk shops will remain open. However, there will be restrictions on movement in certain parts of the city. Some metro station gates will be closed temporarily from September 8-10. You can stay updated on the traffic situation through Delhi Police’s virtual help desk.

Roads to avoid during the G20 Summit

Delhi Police has advised commuters to avoid areas falling within the following Regulated and Controlled Zones:

• New Delhi district will be considered “Controlled Zone-I” from 5 am on September 8 to 11:59 pm on September 10. Only authorized vehicles, emergency vehicles, and bonafide residents will be allowed to travel.
• The area inside Ring Road (Mahatma Gandhi Marg) will be a “Regulated Zone” during the same period. Access will be limited to authorized vehicles, bonafide residents, emergency vehicles, and those traveling to the airport or railway stations.
• Certain roads and junctions will be “Controlled Zone-II” from midnight to 2 pm on September 10. This includes Vikas Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Delhi Gate, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, and Mahatma Gandhi Marg, among others.

Traveling to Delhi airport during the G20 Summit

Expect longer travel times to the airport from September 8-10. Delhi Police recommends using the Delhi Metro Airport Express Line (Orange Line) connecting New Delhi Station to Dwarka Sector 21 Station via IGI Airport T3. For road travel to the airport, recommended routes are provided for various areas.

Closures in Delhi from September 8-10

During the G20 Summit, the following will be closed:

• Government departments, offices, organizations, and educational institutions
• Private offices and educational institutions
• Commercial banks, financial institutions, shops, and businesses within New Delhi Police District
• Three-seater auto-rickshaws and taxis will not be allowed in New Delhi District from 5 am on September 9 to 11:59 pm on September 10, except for bonafide residents and tourists with hotel bookings in the district.
• Cloud kitchens, food deliveries, and commercial deliveries like Amazon will not be allowed from September 8-10.

Metro stations operational

The earlier request to close the entry and exit gates of 39 metro stations during the G20 Summit has been withdrawn. Metro services will operate as usual at all stations, except the Supreme Court station, where operations may be affected. Tourist Smart Cards for unlimited metro rides can be purchased at dedicated counters in select metro stations from September 4-13.

Outstation trains and flights

Approximately 300 trains will be impacted by the G20 Summit, with cancellations, terminations, route changes, and diversions. Check your train status and routes if you plan to travel during this period. Flight operations at Delhi International Airport may see cancellations and delays, so allow extra time for security and check-in procedures.

Hotels hosting delegates

Delegates attending the G20 Summit will stay at hotels like Taj Palace New Delhi, ITC Maurya, The Imperial New Delhi, and Shangri-La Eros New Delhi. Limited availability is expected at these hotels, and city center hotels are likely to be fully booked due to spill-over bookings for media teams and support functions.

Plan your travel and stay accordingly to navigate Delhi during the G20 Summit smoothly.

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The inauguration ceremony and mascot unveiling

During the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Modi will unveil the expo’s mascot, an image of the prehistoric dancing girl found in Mohenjo-Daro. The mascot will be stylised in the form of Channapatna toys. Additionally, several items will be inaugurated, including a graphic novel on museums, a directory of Indian museums, a pocket map of Kartavya Path, and a deck of 75 cards showcasing various museums across India.

Virtual walkthrough of the upcoming National Museum

As part of the inauguration, Prime Minister Modi will also launch a virtual walkthrough offering a glimpse into the upcoming National Museum located at North Block and South Block. The museum, named Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum, will exhibit India’s rich civilisational culture spanning over 5,000 years.

Exhibitions and cultural activities

The International Museum Expo will host three exhibitions. The first exhibition will feature 75 “star objects,” artifacts drawn from renowned collections of over 25 museums and institutions across India. The second exhibition will showcase covers of books and publications, including those from the pre-Independence era. The third exhibition will present the Ragamala Series.

Launch of ‘Indian Museum Tycoon’ video game

On the day of the inauguration, a 12-level app-based video game called ‘Indian Museum Tycoon’ will be launched. The game will be available on both Android and iOS platforms, offering an interactive and educational experience.

Participation and collaboration

The International Museum Expo is expected to witness significant participation, with approximately 1,200 museums from across India joining various segments of the event. Participating countries include the UK, the US, France, and Russia. Culture and tourism ministers from different regions of India will also be present.

‘Museum on Wheels’ and cultural spaces

As part of the event, the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in Mumbai, has created a ‘museum on wheels.’ This mobile museum will tour the National Capital Region, making museums more accessible to the public. Additionally, memorandums of understanding (MoUs) will be signed with nodal departments in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Varanasi, and Ahmedabad, marking the establishment of five cultural spaces.

Also Read: Five best museums to visit in Delhi

The International Museum Expo aims to celebrate India’s cultural heritage and commemorate International Museum Day. With a wide range of activities, exhibitions, and collaborations, the event will showcase the diversity and richness of India’s museums. Visitors can look forward to an immersive experience that promotes cultural appreciation and understanding.

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Valued at £650,000, the unfinished painting of Indian soldiers has been deferred for export license application until July 13, 2023, following the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest. The Committee deemed the painting of “outstanding significance to the study of the Indian contribution to the war effort and the individuals involved”. Also read: Delhi by Khushwant Singh: A journey through the city’s grandeur, brutality, and resilience

Significance of the painting of Indian soldiers

The painting’s significance lies in the representation of the Indian soldiers’ contribution to the war effort. Millions of Indian soldiers served in the British Army during the two World Wars, with over 74,000 losing their lives. Risaldar Jagat Singh and Risaldar Man Singh were among them, serving as cavalry officers and fighting in one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War.

The painting of Indian soldiers highlights the contribution of these jawans, who have often been overlooked in historical accounts. The decision to ban its export is a recognition of the painting’s importance in preserving the memory of these soldiers and their role in the war effort.

Offer to purchase

At the end of the first deferral period, the painting’s owners will have 15 business days to consider any offer to purchase it at the recommended price of £650,000 (plus VAT of £130,000, which can be reclaimed by an eligible institution). If an agreement is reached, the painting can remain in the UK, where it can be displayed in a public institution for all to see.

Preserving the memory of Indian soldiers

The British Indian Army Memorial in Glasgow, set to be unveiled in 2023, is another effort to preserve the memory of Indian soldiers who fought for the British during the two World Wars. The memorial will pay tribute to the 130,000 soldiers from India who fought alongside British troops in the First World War, as well as the 2.5 million who served in the Second World War.

The decision to place an export ban on the painting of Indian soldiers – Risaldar Jagat Singh and Risaldar Man Singh – is a continuation of these efforts to remember and honor the contribution of Indian soldiers in the two World Wars. It highlights the importance of preserving historical artifacts that represent the often-overlooked contributions of marginalized groups and serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought for their country.

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Top News: Parliament logjam

The first week of the second half of Parliament’s Budget session has been completely disrupted following protests by members of both ruling and opposition parties. While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been demanding an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in London, the Opposition has been demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani stock collapse.

During his interactions in London, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the structures of Indian democracy are under attack and there is a “full-scale assault” on the country’s institutions. The remarks triggered a political slugfest, with the saffron party accusing him of maligning India on foreign soil and seeking foreign interventions, and the Congress hit back at the ruling party by citing previous instances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi raising internal politics abroad.

Top News: Surge in COVID cases

There has been a massive surge in the daily COVID-19 infections in the country with 843 fresh cases reported in the country in the last 24 hours, according to the health ministry on Saturday. The new infections have pushed the active cases to 5,389. According to Union Health Ministry data, the country’s caseload has increased to 4.46 crore.

The active cases comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections and the national Covid recovery rate stands at 98.80 per cent. Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat have the highest number of viral infection cases, the health ministry data.

Top News: Indian students face exit from Canada

More than 150 Indian students have been told to leave the country by the Canadian Border Security Agency (CBSA), which says they arrived in the country on forged college admission letters.

The students say they were unaware of the forgeries and insist they were duped by their immigration consultation agency in India that provided them with the document. Many who received the eviction letters are now embarrassed to come forward – living in a Western country is seen as a matter of prestige by many Indian families, especially in the state of Punjab where Dimple K is from.

The whole matter came into the limelight during a CBSA investigation that began when these students applied for permanent residence after the completion of their studies letters.

Top News: Punjab turmoil

Self-styled Sikh preacher and Khalistani supporter Amritpal Singh was hunted by Punjab police on Saturday for which Internet services across the state were suspended. As many as 10 of his close associates who were accompanying the Waris Punjab De chief were detained.

Meanwhile, Nihangs took out a protest march in support of the 29-year-old cult leader, fondly called Bhindranwale 2.0. Six of his aides were earlier detained in Jalandhar and they are being questioned at an undisclosed location. Over 50 police vehicles chased the Khalistani leader and his aides in an attempt to arrest them this morning after the Punjab Police traced Singh’s latest location near Shahkot.

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What is H3N2?

H3N2 is a strain of the flu that you want to avoid, if possible. But experts point out that the US just faced a flu season with H3N2. H3N2 flu viruses began circulating in people in 1968, according to Penn Medicine, and have evolved in the decades since. While H3N2 viruses tend to hit vulnerable populations hard, anyone can get it.

Influenza viruses, which cause the infectious disease known as flu, are of four different types: A, B, C, and D. Influenza A is further classified into different subtypes and one of them is the H3N2. According to a 2020 study, published in the journal Nature Communications, the strains of the virus have dramatically evolved in the past five decades as people born in the late 1960s and 1970s got infected by it as children.

What are the symptoms?

The illness is said to cause fever that lasts for 3-5 days and a prolonged cough and cold for up to three weeks. The H3N2 Influenza subtype causes more hospitalisations compared to other strains and the symptoms include persistent cough, headache, fever, and sinus-related symptoms among others.

While the disease is usually mild in vulnerable groups it can turn severe and puts one at risk of complications and even death. If one is finding it difficult to breathe, has low blood pressure, high rate of breathing, bluish lips, seizures, or confusion, one must be taken to the hospital immediately. 

According to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), an infection caused by H3N2 generally lasts for five to seven days and the fever starts going away after three days. However, the coughing can persist for up to three weeks.

The health ministry in its release has stated that young children and old age persons with co-morbidities are the most vulnerable groups in the context of seasonal influenza. So far, Karnataka and Haryana have confirmed one death each from H3N2 influenza.

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Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has confirmed that as many as 1,541 people have lost their lives and at least 9,733 people injured. While in Syria, over 800 feared dead as rescue operation continues.

According to the US Geological Survey said quake was centred about 33 kilometres (20 miles) from Gaziantep about 26 kilometres (16 miles) from the town of Nurdagi. It was centred 18 kilometres (11 miles) deep, according to the US Geological Survey.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) has informed that at least 120 aftershocks have been reported in Turkey after the earthquake struck the country.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management agency was centered in the town of Pazarcik, in Kahramanmaras province. The European Union is sending rescue teams and preparing further help for Turkey, the bloc’s crisis management commissioner said.

“Teams from the Netherlands and Romania are already on their way,” with the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre overseeing their deployment, commissioner Janez Lenarcic tweeted.

Watch | Horrifying footage showing the extent of disaster

Turkey, Syria earthquake: World leaders pledge support

World leaders and international organisations pledged support and humanitarian aid following the earthquakes. As many as 45 nations had already offered assistance with search and rescue efforts, said the Turkish President.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s military has established an air corridor to enable search and rescue teams to reach disaster zones as quickly as possible. “We mobilized our planes to send medical teams, search and rescue teams and their vehicles to the earthquake zone,” a statement citing Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said.

Syrian President Bashar Assad held an emergency meeting of the Cabinet to discuss the damage and necessary procedures. State television in Syria showed rescue teams searching for survivors in heavy rain and sleet.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared that India will provide “all possible assistance” to Turkey to deal with the devastating earthquake that hit the country early on February 6. The decision to help Turkey was taken in a meeting led by PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister which was attended by the Cabinet Secretary and representatives of relevant Ministries.

“Anguished by the loss of lives and damage of property due to the Earthquake in Turkey. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. India stands in solidarity with the people of Turkey and is ready to offer all possible assistance to cope with this tragedy,” said PM Modi in a message after the earthquake ravaged the southcentral region of Turkey.  

US President Joe Biden said he was “deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation.”

“I have directed my team to continue to closely monitor the situation in coordination with Türkiye and provide any and all needed assistance,” the US President tweeted.

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Ramping-up its retail footprint, Vi Shops have been launched across multiple towns in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Introduced with an intent to deliver a uniform Vi experience to local customers as well as enable quick support and handholding, these Vi Shops have been rolled out in the last three months. The modern design of the new format Vi Shops is in line with signature elements that define existing Vi Stores in urban locations. Vi Shops offer the entire bouquet of Vi prepaid products and services and enable an enhanced customer experience and closer engagement.

Highlighting the strategic objective behind this retail expansion initiative, Abhijit Kishore, COO, Vodafone Idea Limited, said “Our experience and customer research indicate that there is still a large segment of customers, beyond metros, who prefer the comfort and familiarity of face-to-face service. To enable the large rural population to be part of the digital revolution, we have taken a renewed approach to our rural retail strategy by introducing the concept of Vi Shops across multiple small towns and tier 3 markets,”

“The launch of nearly 1100 Vi Shops within such a short time frame is one of the fastest retail expansion in the country. This will help us get closer to our customers providing them convenience and simplicity in accessing service through trained personnel in welcoming surroundings,” Kishore added.

Vi has remained at the forefront of introducing innovative concepts, products and services to serve the diverse aspirations of customers. Through the Vi Shops, Vi also intends to enhance awareness and adoption for Vi’s wide bouquet of Telco++ offerings, curated as a result of partnerships with domain experts in areas such as Jobs & Skilling, Govt. Exam preparation, English language skills amongst others.

Vi has planned the new rural prepaid stores by consistently adapting and reinventing to provide a live and engaging experience in line with changing customer needs. The look and feel of the Vi store is designed to address customer aspirations while capturing Vi’s core brand attitude.

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Conceptualized by Garuda Aerospace’s brand team and jointly produced with Dhoni Entertainment Private Limited, the film #KhetonKeKaptan illustrates the need of farmers in their daily lives and how Garuda drones can help farmers with pesticide spraying, surveillance, and mapping while saving water and time. Drone Loans and subsidies will also be provided to youth and farmers in addition, they will also be trained to fly drones. 

Speaking on the launch of the brand film, Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO, Garuda Aerospace said, “Farmers are the heroes of our nation and we at Garuda Aerospace have been committed to designing drones that help farmers spray pesticides altogether and make their lives easy.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the brand ambassador of Garuda Aerospace and former Captain of the Indian Cricket team salutes the farmers as they are the future. The brand film #KhetonKeKaptan highlights how farmers can enhance their quality of living and farming by using Garuda Kisan Drones. He urges that every farmer is the captain of their farm.”

Garuda Aerospace has always looked after the farmers’ needs and has introduced them to various technology solutions. The brand film is live across Garuda Aerospace’s social media handles and Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Facebook handle.

Garuda Aerospace India’s most valuable drone start-up created history last week by becoming the first-ever drone company to get dual DGCA approvals for both Drone Manufacturing Type Certificate and RPTO. Recently Garuda Aerospace has also launched a virtual learning platform and flagged off its Drone Yathra which aims to create awareness amongst youth & farmers in 775 districts across India using technology with drones.

Watch the film here.

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