HIGHLIGHTS

These are the top stories at 9.40 pm: Nation DEL32 CENSUS-NPR Census, NPR unlikely in 2020 New Delhi: The first phase of the Census and the exercise to update the National Population Register (NPR), scheduled for this year but deferred due to the coronavirus outbreak, may be delayed by a year as there is no sign of slowdown of the pandemic. By Achinta Borah DEL22 JK-ABDULLAH-PAK We are not anyone's puppets: Farooq Abdullah's retort to Pakistan New Delhi: Reacting sharply to Pakistan hailing the recent Gupkar Declaration in which six political parties of Jammu and Kashmir vowed to fight collectively against the abrogation of Article 370, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday asserted that "we are not anyone's puppets". By Sumir Kaul DEL64 CONG-DISSENTERS Not appropriate for leaders to make comments in public after party chief's call to move on: Congress New Delhi: In a snub to dissenters, the Congress on Sunday said it is not appropriate for any leader to go public on internal matters of the party after president Sonia Gandhi had called for moving on collectively at the recent CWC meeting, which had discussed the leadership issue. DEL8 VIRUS-LD CASES COVID-19 tally in India breaches 35-lakh mark New Delhi: India's COVID-19 tally zoomed past 35 lakh, just a week after it crossed the 30-lakh mark, with a record single-day spike of 78,761 cases, while recoveries surged to 27,13,933 on Sunday, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

DEL55 VIRUS-CASES-SURGE-LD EXPERTS Increased testing, opening economy, complacency among people behind COVID-19 case surge: Experts New Delhi: The surge in coronavirus infections in India can be attributed to increased testing on one hand and opening of the economy on the other accompanied by complacency among people towards following COVID-appropriate behaviour, experts have said, as the country witnessed over five lakh cases in a week. DEL35 DEF-NAVY-SUBMARINES India to start bidding process by Oct to procure 6 submarines costing Rs 55,000 crore New Delhi: India is all set to launch the bidding process by next month for a Rs 55,000-crore mega project to build six conventional submarines for the Indian Navy to narrow the gap with China's growing naval prowess, government sources said on Sunday.

DEL23 PM-LD MANN KI BAAT India can become world's toy hub, time to be vocal for local toys: PM New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called upon startups and entrepreneurs to "team up for toys", as he noted India's miniscule share in the global toy market of over Rs 7 lakh crore and asserted that the country has talent and ability to become a hub for the industry. DEL47 JK-2NDLD ENCOUNTER Three LeT militants, ASI killed in J-K encounter Srinagar: Three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants and an assistant sub-inspector of Jammu and Kashmir Police were killed in a gunfight in the outskirts of the city here on Sunday, police said.

DEL30 JK-LD FIRING Army JCO killed in Pak firing along LoC in J-K's Rajouri Jammu: A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Army was killed on Sunday in firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, a defence spokesman said. DEL37 DELIMITATION COMMISSION-STATES Delimitation panel to visit 4 NE states, J-K after preparing broad framework to redraw constituencies New Delhi: The Delimitation Commission, set up to redraw the constituencies of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, will visit the north-eastern states and the Union Territory after preparing a "broad framework" of the delimitation exercise, officials said.

DEL41 NIA-JK-CHARGESHEET JK police DySP was tasked by Pak to establish 'contact' in MEA: NIA chargesheet New Delhi: Suspended Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Devender Singh, who has been chargesheeted by the NIA for providing support to banned terror group Hizbul Mujahideen, was tasked by his Pakistani handler with establishing a "contact" in the Ministry of External Affairs for carrying out espionage activities. By Sumir Kaul DEL58 VIRUS-IIT-ENTRANCE EXAMS IIT students, alumni launch portal to help JEE, NEET candidates in need of transport facility New Delhi: Students and alumni of various Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have launched a portal to help JEE and NEET candidates with transportation facility, officials said. Business DEL52 BIZ-TAX-CHARGES-REFUND Refund charges collected since Jan 1 on UPI, RuPay transactions: Tax dept to banks New Delhi: The Income Tax department on Sunday asked banks to refund the charges collected on or after January 1, 2020, on transactions carried out through electronic modes like RuPay cards or BHIM-UPI.

Sports SPD9 SPO-CHESS-IND India, Russia declared joint winners of Online Chess Olympiad after server malfunction Chennai: India and Russia were on Sunday declared joint winners of the 2020 Online Chess Olympiad after the final was marred by internet disconnection and server malfunction. Foreign FGN36 CHINA-3RDLD-RESTAURANT COLLAPSE 29 killed as restaurant collapses in China during birthday party Beijing: At least 29 people were killed and 28 others injured when a village restaurant collapsed during the 80th birthday celebrations of a person in north China's Shanxi province, local authorities said Sunday. PTI HDA