
Karat adamant before N-deal meet
A late-night meeting between External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat failed to convince the Left to allow the safeguards agreement with atomic watchdog IAEA.
Left parties made it clear that they would not give a green signal to the government when the UPA-Left committee on the India-US nuclear deal meets on Wednesday. Mukherjee met Karat late on Monday to make a last-ditch effort to convince the Left. “Our position is clear: the government shouldn’t go ahead with the safeguards agreement because after that the deal will be on autopilot,” Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said.
Mukherjee is said to have told Karat in the hour-long meeting that the Left should allow the government to approach the IAEA for signing of the safeguards agreement. He suggested that the Left de-link the safeguards agreement with the IAEA from the 123 agreement with the US and view it is as a gateway to dealing with other countries like France and Russia, sources said.
Karat is said to have told Mukherjee that agreeing to the proposal would mean allowing the Indo-US deal to become operational. “If there is any such proposal (from the government), it will come during the meeting. If it does, we will consider it,” Yechury said.
On Tuesday evening, CPI General Secretary AB Bardhan, too, met Karat. The Left has decided to oppose the government’s proposal at the meeting saying that it is not privy to the text of the safeguards agreement, sources said.
Left leaders say talks with the IAEA board of governors to approve the India-specific safeguards agreement are being negotiated in the context of the Indo-US nuclear deal and the two cannot be de-linked.

Process goes manual at several locations

Manish Kumar first to take shot in Delhi

Concerns over Covaxin as some cite ‘lack of data’

Shielded and vaccinated: India begins mammoth immunisation drive

Nation receives a shot in the arm

Razdan furnishes details of hiring fraud

BMC begins mass inoculation as healthcare workers queue up for first vaccine jab
- All ten vaccination centres across the city sported colourful curtains and were decorated with flowers. Some centres at BYL Nair hospital and Covid-19 jumbo centre at Bandra Kurla Complex also placed selfie spots with ‘I got my Covid-19 vaccine’ message in the backdrop.

Farmer union seeks removal of 3 committee members alleging bias, appeals to SC
- In its response, BKU-Lokshakti through its advocate AP Singh told the Court that the Delhi Police application was unnecessary as Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code is already in place in central Delhi which restricts gathering of five or more persons.

Rahul, Jaishankar spar at panel meet

Over 3,000 personnel get Covid vaccine

India’s Covid-19 vaccination drive begins. All you need to know
- The health ministry on Saturday said that close to 200,000 people were vaccinated on Day 1 of the drive.

Mumbai records lowest temperature of the year, inhales cleanest air
- The Santacruz station of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded a minimum temperature of 16.6 degrees Celsius, a degree below normal. This is the second lowest minimum temperature recorded this season following a mercury drop to 16 degrees Celsius on December 22 last year.

List of prominent people who also got vaccinated today

Covishield: A timeline of the Covid-19 vaccine manufactured by SII

Bribe-for-relief scam: CBI suspends 2 officers, recommends action against 2 more
- The DoPT is the nodal ministry for the CBI and any administrative action against Class-I gazetted officers (DSPs) is approved by it while the CBI Director has powers to suspend Inspectors and below rank officers.