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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a digital rally on Friday (February 4, 2022) in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. In a rally for Uttar Pradesh, Modi will digitally address assembly segments from the districts of Meerut, Noida, Ghaziabad, Aligarh and Hapur, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said.

Taking it to Twitter on Friday night PM Modi said, "The way the people of Uttar Pradesh have shown their love for the BJP by embracing development, it constantly inspires us for the progress of the state. Tomorrow at 1.30 pm I will also have the opportunity to address the voters of Meerut, Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Hapur and Noida." 

This will be the prime minister's second digital rally, the first one was held on January 31. According to the sources, PM Modi may also address political rallies digitally in Punjab later. 

Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday said he is examining the privilege motions moved against IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for “misleading” Parliament on the Pegasus issue.

“One is that K C Venugopal and two other members have given a notice of privilege against the IT minister. I am examining it. Once I examine it, I have to seek the clarification of the minister and then we will get back to you,” Naidu said.

Congress, Trinamool and CPI MPs have moved privilege motions against Vaishnaw following a report in the New York Times claiming that the Indian government bought the Israeli spyware in 2017 as part of a $2-billion package for weapons. The government has maintained it had nothing to do with Pegasus.

AIMIM leaders and workers will on Friday hold peaceful protests across the country against the alleged attack on party president Asaduddin Owaisi's convoy in the Meerut district of the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel took to social media and tweeted that all "AIMIM units across the country will be registering a peaceful protest on Friday and will be submitting memorandum to respective DMs/Commissioners, seeking a thorough investigation into attacks on Owaisi."

Attackers say they were "hurt by Owaisi's anti-Hindu remarks"

A compound found in the medicinal and culinary herb rosemary may potentially block the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and prevent inflammation caused by COVID-19, a preliminary study suggests.

The research, published in the journal Antioxidants, found that the compound, carnosic acid, can block the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and the receptor protein ACE2. Spike protein is used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus to infect the cells, while ACE2 acts as a gateway to enter the cells.

The researchers also reviewed evidence from prior studies that carnosic acid has a separate effect in inhibiting a powerful inflammatory pathway that is active in severe COVID-19 as well as in other diseases including Alzheimer’s.

The Centre has formed a 16-member committee comprising directors of seven IITs and vice-chancellors of four central universities to prepare a roadmap on the demand "from various quarters" to allow overseas campuses" of Indian universities.

The development comes on the back of IIT Delhi's proposal to open centres in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.