Nation becoming intolerant, can't release a film like 'Hey Ram' today, says Kamal Haasan

New Delhi, Jul 14: India's COVID-19 tally breached the 9 lakh mark as 28,498 new coronavirus cases were reported in the last 24 hours, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.

As per the Health Ministry, there are a total of 9,06,752 coronavirus cases in the country of which 3,11,565 patients are active cases.

5,71,459 patients have been cured/discharged while one patient has been migrated, the Ministry informed further.

553 more deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours in the country, taking the number of patients succumbing to the virus to 23,727.

The Centre further informed that India's recovery rate from COVID-19 stands at 63.02 per cent while the recoveries and deaths ratio stood at 96.01 per cent and 3.99 per cent respectively.

As per the Ministry, Maharashtra -- the worst-affected state from the infection -- has a total of 2,60,924 COVID-19 cases and 10,482 fatalities. While Tamil Nadu has a tally of 1,42,798 cases and 2,032 deaths due to COVID-19.

Delhi has reported a total of 1,13,740 cases and 3,411 deaths due to COVID-19.

As per the information provided by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) 1,20,92,503 samples have been tested for COVID-19 till July 13, of these 2,86,247 samples were tested on Monday.

New Delhi, Jan 10: One woman reported a rape every 15 minutes on average in India in 2018, according to government data released on Thursday, underlining its dismal reputation as one of the worst places in the world to be female.

The highly publicised gang rape and murder of a woman in a bus in New Delhi in 2012 brought tens of thousands onto the streets across India and spurred demands for action from film stars and politicians, leading to harsher punishments and new fast-track courts. But the violence has continued unabated.

Women reported almost 34,000 rapes in 2018, barely changed from the year before. Just over 85% led to charges, and 27% to convictions, according to the annual crime report released by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Women's rights groups say crimes against women are often taken less seriously, and investigated by police lacking insensitivity.

"The country is still run by men, one (female prime minister) Indira Gandhi is not going to change things. Most judges are still men," said Lalitha Kumaramangalam, former chief of the National Commission for Women.

"There are very few forensic labs in the country, and fast-track courts have very few judges," said Kumaramangalam, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The rape of a teenager in 2017 by former BJP state legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar gained national attention when the accuser tried to kill herself the following year, accusing the police of inaction.

Five months before Sengar was convicted last December, the accuser's family had to be provided with security after a truck crashed into the car she was in, injuring her and killing two of her relatives.

A 2015 study by the Centre for Law & Policy Research in Bengaluru found that fast-track courts were indeed quicker, but did not handle a high volume of cases.

And a study in 2016 by Partners for Law in Development in New Delhi found that they still took an average of 8.5 months per case - more than four times the recommended period.

The government statistics understate the number of rapes as it is still considered a taboo to report rape in some parts of India and because rapes that end in the murder are counted purely as murders.

New Delhi, Jun 3: "This year feels relentless," actor Priyanka Chopra said urging Mumbai residents to take precautionary measures in view of Cyclone Nisarga.

The cyclone storm is approaching the north coast of Maharashtra with a speed of 11 kilometres per hour, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday.

Sharing Mumbai's famous Bandra-Worli Sea Link road picture on her Instagram story, the actor wrote: "Cyclone Nisarga is making its way to Mumbai, my beloved home city of more than 20 million people, including my mom and brother."

"Mumbai hasn't experienced a serious cyclone landfall since 1891, and at a time when the world is so desperate, this could be especially devastating," the 'Don' actor added.

"This year feels relentless. Please, everyone, find cover, take precautions, and follow the guidelines outlines. Please stay safe everyone, " said Chopra as she shared a swipe up link to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) page that details the Do's and Don'ts for Mumbaikars to take on Cyclone Nisarga.

Earlier, the IMD had stated that the severe cyclonic storm is expected to impact the Maharashtra coast by the afternoon/evening of June 3.

On Tuesday, actor Vicky Kaushal shared a picture of the cloudy sky on the photo-sharing platform and hoped that the "first showers only bring relief and joy and not too much drama." The 'Raazi' actor also urged people to stay safe.