Manchester: All the 21 players of the Indian Test squad have tested negative for COVID-19, a development that clears the decks for the fifth Test against England to proceed as scheduled from Friday after the uncertainty triggered by a positive case in the visiting contingent.

The entire Indian group had to undergo RT-PCR tests after assistant physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday.

The Indians had already lost their head physio Nitin Patel, who is currently in isolation after testing positive along with head coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharath Arun in London.

“All the players have returned with negative test,” a senior BCCI source told PTI on Friday.

While chances have increased of the Test match happening, sources are also saying that at least one senior Indian player doesn’t want to take the field as he fears someone might test positive while playing the game.

The BCCI is trying to persuade that senior cricketer, whose family is also against him playing the game, according to a source.

New Delhi: The Congress has lost the highest number of its electoral candidates as well as MPs and MLAs to other parties in the past seven years with the BJP emerging the biggest gainer since it came to power at the Centre in 2014, according to a report released on Thursday.

A total of 222 electoral candidates left the Congress to join other parties during polls held between 2014 and 2021 while 177 MPs and MLAs quit the party during this period, shows an analysis of the candidates’ poll affidavits by the National Election Watch and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The BJP also lost as many as 111 candidates and 33 MPs and MLAs during the elections since 2014. Yet, the saffron party remained the biggest gainer as a total of 253 candidates and 173 MPs and MLAs came to its fold quitting their respective parties, the report shows.

The Congress, which saw 399 of its leaders quitting the party to join others in the past seven years, got 115 candidates and 61 MPs and MLAs coming to its fold from other parties.

The National Election Watch-ADR report is based on the analysis of the poll affidavits of 1133 candidates and 500 MPs and MLAs, who changed parties and recontested elections held during the Lok Sabha and assembly polls since 2014.

After the Congress, it was Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) which saw a considerable number of its candidates and lawmakers joining other parties during the elections.

According to the report, as many as 153 candidates of the BSP and 20 of its lawmakers left the party to join another party during elections since 2014.

The BSP, however, saw 65 candidates and 12 lawmakers joining its fold from other parties.

The report shows that Samajwadi Party (SP) lost 60 of its candidates and 18 lawmakers to other parties during the elections since 2014. It, however, saw just 29 candidates and 13 lawmakers coming to its fold from other parties.

As many as 31 candidates and 26 lawmakers of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) left the party to join another party in the past seven years. A total of 23 candidates and 31 lawmakers, however, joined the TMC leaving their paries since 2014.

The Janata Dal-United (JD-U) lost 59 of its candidates and 12 of its MPs/MLAs as they switched sides during the elections. The party, however, saw a total of 23 candidates and 12 lawmakers coming to its fold from other parties in the past seven years.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) lost 20 its electoral candidates and 11 lawmakers to other parties during elections in the past seven years, and saw 15 candidates and six lawmakers joining it from the other parties.

The report shows that the NCP lost as many as 52 of its electoral candidates and 25 lawmakers in the past seven years even as the party saw 41 candidates and eight lawmakers joining it from other parties during this period.

While the CPI’s 13 electoral candidates and two lawmakers switched sides during elections, just five candidates joined it leaving their respective parties since 2014.

The CPI-M lost 13 of its electoral candidates and six lawmakers to other parties but got just one electoral candidate in its fold from another party.

K Chandrashekhar Rao’s TRS, which lost four of its electoral candidates and four lawmakers to other parties during elections in the past seven years, got as many as 12 electoral candidates and 30 lawmakers in its fold from the other parties.

The TDP lost 32 of its candidates and 26 lawmakers to the other parties during the elections. A total of 11 candidates and 16 lawmakers joined the TDP deserting their parties.

While a total of five electoral candidates and eight lawmakers quit the AIADMK to join other parties, six electoral candidates and two lawmakers joined it leaving their respective parties.

In the past seven years, the DMK has seen five electoral candidates and three lawmakers joining it from other parties, while it lost four of its candidates and two lawmakers to other parties as they switched sides.

Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) lost three of its electoral candidates and six lawmakers switching sides in the past seven years. It, however, also saw 16 electoral candidates and three lawmakers coming to its fold from other parties.

The “most plausible” reasons behind such defections and switching of parties include absence of value-based politics, lust for money and power, strong nexus between money and muscle, reward for office, and dearth of efficient, honest and credible leaders, according to the National Election Watch-ADR report.

“Until and unless these trends are not reined in, our current electoral and political situation is bound to deteriorate further,” the report has suggested, making a host of recommendations to arrest the trend which includes “a comprehensive” law to regulate political parties’ affairs.

Pune: Activist Anna Hazare on Thursday said he would launch an agitation if the Maharashtra government did not enact a Lokayukta Act and appoint an independent anti-corruption ombudsman.

Despite “repeated reminders” to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, his deputy Ajit Pawar and others about holding further meetings of the committee set up to draft the legislation, there was no response, Hazare alleged in a press release.

The state government was deliberately avoiding holding meetings, he alleged.

“There is a lot of corruption in the state and the state government should take steps to curtail it. Presently, the Lokayukta is chosen by the chief minister. Since the Lokayukta does not have autonomy, he is not powerful. In such a situation, where will the common man seek justice? Hazare asked.

Perhaps time has come for him “to steer a non-violent agitation at the age of 85 years”, he said, appealing volunteers across the state to “get ready for a mass agitation.”

Chennai: To trace Tamil cultural roots, the state archaeological department would undertake excavations in countries including Indonesia and in states such as Andhra Pradesh after obtaining due permission, Chief Minister M K Stalin announced in the Assembly on Thursday while unveiling finding of a study that pointed to a 3,200 year-old civilisation in Tamil Nadu.

Releasing key findings of excavations by archaeological department, he said rice with soil/husk found in the offering pot inside of an urn at Sivakalai area in southern Tamil Nadu was sent for AMS ( Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) Carbon dating to the Beta Analytical Laboratory at Miami in Florida of USA.

“Recently, we have got the test results, I am extremely happy to announce that the rice samples have yielded the date of 1,155 BCE and hence, the Tamiraparani River Civilisaiton (Tirunelveli region in southern TN) is 3,200 years old and this is scientifically validated,” he said amid thumping of desks. According to the government, already excavations at Adhichanallur yielded the result of 9th century BCE and at Korkai 8th century BCE. The current findings have further advanced the date and underscored that a matured civilisation existed along the river Tamiraparani, which was called river Porunai in days of yore. Adhichanallur and Sivakalai have served as habitations, while Korkai was the port.

The Tamil Nadu State Archaeology Department has now undertaken excavations in different parts of the state including at Keeladi, Adhichanallur, Sivakalai, Korkai, Kodumanal, Mayiladumparai and Gangaikonda Cholapuram.

After analysing black pottery of Gangetic valley excavated at Korkai, former Director General of ASI, Rakesh Tiwari and Hindu Banaras University Professor Ravindra N Singh opined that these are datable to 6th Century BCE and Korkai port definitely had vibrant trade links with Gangetic valley and other countries, he said.

Stalin said a museum would be set up at a cost of Rs 15 crore in Tirunelveli with modern amenities to exhibit the artefacts found during excavations in areas including Adichnallur, Sivakalai and Korkai.

“Tracing Tamil cultural roots,” the Chief Minister said the TN Archaeological Department, after obtaining permission from appropriate authorities would undertake studies/excavations “across the Indian subcontinent and abroad where the Tamils made a mark.” “As a first step, excavations would be carried out at the Sangam age port town of Musiri which is now known as Pattinam and located in Kerala to ascertain the antiquity and culture of the Chera country.” The effort would be taken forward by joining hands with archaeological experts of Kerala, he said.

Similarly, efforts would be taken to undertake excavations at historically important sites located in Andhra Pradesh (Vengi), Karnataka (Thalaikkadu) and Odisha (Palur) to understand the antiquity of Tamils, he said. Pointing out that Tamil Brahmi potsherds had been discovered in Egypt’s Quseir al-Qadim and Oman’s Khor Rori regions signifying the ancient trade links, he said, “in these areas, excavations will be carried out in association with experts of these nations.” Citing the conquests of Emperor Rajendra Chola I in Southeast Asia, he said historically important sites in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam would be explored with the assistance of experts of the respective countries after getting approval from authorities of such nations. “It is the Tamil people who proclaimed that all people are our kin and places are ours (Yadum Oorey Yavarum Kelir) and in pursuit of such Tamil people’s cultural identities, let us travel across the globe.” “It is the primary duty of our government to establish through evidences and based on science that the history of the Indian subcontinent, should be written starting from the Tamil landscape,” he said.

NEW DELHI: Congress has refused to be a part of the proposed inquiry committee of MPs being set up to investigate the violent incidents that took place in the House during the monsoon session on August 11.

“I am, therefore, unequivocally against constituting the enquiry committee and the question of a party proposing the name of a member from a party for nomination to this committee does not arise,” he said.

The Congress leader said the opposition was keen to participate in discussions and claimed that it was the government that obstructed the smooth functioning of the session.

Kharge, also said in the letter that the government not only brushed aside the opposition parties’ demand for discussion but also rushed through crucial bills and policies, which could potentially have a grave and adverse effect on the country.

The leader of the opposition pointed out that his party gave multiple notices under the rules of procedure, hoping to have constructive deliberations on the state of India’s economy, farmers protest, inflation, rise in prices of petrol and diesel and other essential commodities, unemployment, China’s violation of India’s territorial integrity, the Pegasus and Rafael scandals among a host of other national issues.

“It also bypassed standing committees and refused to have any meaningful discussion on bills, policies and issues. Additionally, senior ministers were largely absent from Parliament while opposition MPs were suspended. In doing so, the government undermined the sovereignty of Parliament,” the letter said.

Kharge also said that he has spoken to other opposition parties in this regard and almost all of them have rejected the inquiry committee proposal.

On August 11, there was turmoil in the Rajya Sabha with the opposition alleging misbehaviour by marshals, while the ruling party alleged violence against parliament staff and others by opposition MPs.

Two Congress women MPs, Phulo Devi and Chayya Varma had alleged that they were manhandled during the ruckus in the House.

As per official sources, an official complaint has been lodged against the MPs who created ruckus in Rajya Sabha during the recently concluded monsoon session.

At the Rajya Sabha Chairperson and Union ministers’ meet, it was decided that a committee will be formed and action will be taken after discussion.

All through the session that began on July 19, opposition members forced adjournments in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha over their various demands including a probe into allegations of surveillance through Pegasus spyware and repeal of three farm laws.

Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned sine die two days ahead of the scheduled end of the Monsoon session on August 13. 

BENGALURU: With the positivity rate in all the districts in Karnataka falling below 2 per cent, the State Government on Thursday issued orders allowing the district deputy commissioners to decide whether to continue with the weekend curfew or lift it. However, night curfew between 9 pm and 5 am continues to be in force across the state. 

Weekend curfew was imposed last month in districts bordering Kerala and Maharashtra — Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bidar and Kalaburagi — due to high Covid cases in the two neighbouring states resulting in a surge of cases in these districts in Karnataka.

While the administration in Mysuru, Chamarajanagar and the districts bordering Maharashtra were allowed to lift the weekend curfews earlier, the other districts bordering Kerala had continued with the weekend curfew till Thursday. Udupi, though not bordering Kerala, also saw imposition of weekend curfew, besides Hassan.

Data over the last one week indicates that 14 districts across the state have zero per cent positivity rate, six districts between zero and 1 per cent, and 10 districts between 1 and 2 per cent. The order, signed by Chief Secretary and Chairman, State Executive Committee, P Ravi Kumar, takes into consideration the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the state wherein there has been a consistent decline in the case positivity rate.

“The state, as a whole, has an average case positivity rate of 0.73 per cent and the districts are having case positivity rate of less than 2 per cent,” the orders states. It,

however, also states that to sustain the substantial gains achieved due to “stringent containment measures, there is a need to continue with the existing measures along with focused surveillance, testing-tracking- treatment, vaccination, micro-containment measures and strict adherence to Covid19-appropriate behaviour.”

Strict surveillance at border posts in places bordering Kerala and Maharashtra is set to continue as per guidelines issued by the Health Department. Besides, the Education Department will issue separate orders with detailed guidelines for opening of primary schools in the districts.