The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday announced relaxations to the partial lockdown in much of the State as active cases have been reduced to just o
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/covid-19-establishments-to-open-five-days-a-week-in-55-up-districts-from-june-1/article34683994.ece
Fighting virus with all our might: PM Narendra Modi
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 30
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the country had experienced several moments of national pride in the seven years of his government and was moving ahead on its own convictions rather than under the pressure of other nations.
The PM noted that the past seven years had been a mix of trials and tribulations with Covid continuing to test the country's collective resolve. He, however, expressed confidence that India would prevail over the virus.
PM lists achievements
- Befitting reply to conspirators
- Several old disputes resolved
- Tackled first Covid wave, triumph over second certain too
- Record agriculture output
- Ration to 80 cr underprivileged
Asserting that India is fighting Covid-19 with all its might, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' address on a day he completed two years of his second term in office said the country's resolve to prevail over the virus was equal to the magnitude of the challenge it faced.
"In the midst of this pandemic, India is moving forward with the resolve of service and cooperation. In the first wave, we fought courageously; this time too India will be victorious in the ongoing fight against the virus," he said. Over the seven years, he said, the country had followed the mantra of "sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas". Many old disputes have also been resolved with complete peace and harmony, and a new confidence underpinned by peace and development has arisen from the northeast to Kashmir, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi listed a range of measures taken by his government to boost national security and the country's social development index through household piped water supply, better roads, and power connections.
"When we witness that now India gives a befitting reply to those who conspire against us, our confidence soarshellip;. When India does not compromise on the issues of national security, when the strength of our armed forces increases, we feel that yes, we are on the right path," the Prime Minister said, adding that India now moves ahead with its own convictions and not under pressure from other nations.
Noting that in seven decades after Independence only 3.5 crore rural homes had water connections, he said 4.5 crore houses had been given clean water connections in the last 21 months alone. Of these, 15 months were during the Covid period, he added.
When the poor come home healthy with free treatment under "Ayushman Yojana", they feel that they have got a new life, he said.
"Many people are thankful that electricity has reached their village for the first time in 70 years, while many others say their village too is now connected to city by a paved road," he said, referring to development works undertaken by his government since it took office in May 2014.
In these seven years, India has worked to show the world a new direction in digital transactions, and it is also setting records in launching satellites and constructing roads, he said.
The PM also hailed the agricultural front, saying the sector had kept itself insulated from the scourge of the pandemic to a great extent and progressed.
He lauded the farmers for record produce, saying that the available foodgrains had ensured free ration to 800 million underprivileged in this hour of crisis.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3wDO3nk
Congress comes out with 7-point ‘chargesheet’
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 30
The Congress on Sunday described the BJP government's seven-year rule as one that inflicted pain and betrayed people's aspirations by "failing to manage the Covid pandemic, securing the borders, controlling inflation, safeguarding farmers' interests and handling the economy".
Unveiling a seven-point "chargesheet" as the PM Narendra Modi-led government completed seven years in office, the Congress said, "Time has come to ask why a pseudo-nationalist government utterly failed to defend our borders and push back the Chinese from our territory."
"You need the right intention, policy and determination to fight corona, not just pointless talk once in a month," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said. Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said the past seven years had been a story of unprecedented devastation, abdication of responsibility and abandonment of India's people by the government. He listed seven blunders by the BJP government related to economy, unemployment, inflation, Covid mismanagement, disregard for middle and low income groups, national security and farmers.
"The systematic destruction of the Indian economy has forced a deceleration. The Indian economy registered a technical recession for the first time since Independence. The growth in per capita income has been slowing since 2016-17 and Bangladesh has a better per capital income than us," Surjewala noted.
He said the BJP dispensation had promised two crore jobs every year but actually India saw the worst unemployment in 45 years in 2019.
The Congress also cornered the government on inflation saying the prices of essential commodities had hit the roof. "When Modi government assumed power in 2014, the international crude oil prices were $108 per barrel, petrol prices were Rs 71.51 per litre and diesel was Rs 57.28 per litre. Today, the crude oil prices have fallen by 40 per cent but petrol prices have increased by 32 per cent to Rs 93.94 per litre; diesel prices increased by 48 per cent to Rs 84.89 per litre," Surjewala said.
The Congress reiterated its charge of Covid mismanagement. The Opposition party also accused the government of surrendering India's strategic interests to China and betraying the farmers by refusing to repeal the three controversial agriculture reform laws.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2Tvcpl5
Bodies continue to be abandoned in UP; 2 arrested
Mukesh Ranjan
Tribune News service
New Delhi, May 30
Bodies of Covid-19 victims continue to be abandoned in Uttar Pradesh. Two men, one of them in a PPE kit, were caught on camera purportedly throwing a body into the Rapti river from a bridge in Balrampur district. The video, which went viral on the social media, was shot by a passerby amid heavy rain on May 28. The district police filed an FIR and subsequently arrested both persons seen in the video.
Plea in SC: Ensure dignified disposal
A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Centre and other authorities to form a panel to ensure dignified disposal of bodies of Covid victims while referring to reports of floating corpses in the Ganga in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. PTI
Talking to The Tribune, Additional Superintendent of Police Arvind Mishra said the family members of the deceased, identified as Prem Nath Mishra, a resident of Siddharthnagar, had been booked under the Disaster Management Act and the Epidemic Diseases Act.
Chief Medical Officer Dr VB Singh said Mishra was diagnosed with Covid-19 and admitted to the district hospital on May 25. He succumbed to the infection on May 28. "The body was handed over to the family members the same day as per the protocol," he added.
Police sources identified the man in the PPE kit as a nephew of the deceased and the other person in the video as the driver of the vehicle carrying the corpse. Earlier this month, several bodies were found floating in the Ganga and Yamuna rivers following which the UP instructed the SDRF and PAC to step up patrolling along the rivers.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3fBBP9m
Process to monetise surplus defence land set in motion
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 30
With thousands of acres of unused land at its disposal, The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has set in motion the first step to commercially exploit, or monetise, these surplus lands.
A letter has been sent to all three armed forces, the DRDO, Coast Guard, Ordnance Factory Board, among others to identify what all land is needed by them over the two decades and what all projects are coming up. The remaining surplus may be compiled and reconciled with the Director General Defence Estates (DGDE) within three months, says a letter of the MoD sent out on May 6.
Some of these expected surplus lands are old British time camping ground used when long campaigns had to be sustained, old unused airfields set up in War World II (1939-1945), or even lands which are now within civic areas and serve little military purpose. Another chunck of surplus lands could be with Ordnance factories ndash; there are 41 such factories of varying vintage.
The MoD is looking at identifying two categories of vacant lands — these are 'Class A-2 and 'Class B-4'. The Cantonment Land Administration Rules, 1937, have bench-marked all lands as per their intended use of the land, its location and future expansions.
Class A-2 land is not actually used or occupied by the Military Authorities but is used temporarily. The Class 'B-4' land is the one which is not included in any other class of lands.
The letter stems from the MoD decision to take action on the recommendations of Sumit Bose Committee constituted for study on optimum use of defence land and to regulate its commercial exploitation. Bose, a former Revenue Secretary, Government of India, had submitted a report with 131 recommendations in December 2017. The Bose Committee recommendation, after a study by the MoD, has been classified under three categories.
The MoD letter sent out on May 6 says it has been decided to implement a section of recommendations of the Bose committee with regard to vacant lands and optimal utilisation of defence land.
Two categories of vacant land
- The Ministry of Defence is looking at identifying two categories of vacant land — 'Class A-2 and 'Class B-4'. The Cantonment Land Administration Rules, 1937, have bench-marked all land as per its intended use, location and future expansions.
- Class A-2 land is not actually used or occupied by the military authorities, but is used temporarily. The Class 'B-4' land is the one which is not included in any other class of land.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3fUG52s
12 crore vaccine doses for domestic use in June
New Delhi, May 30
With the daily new Covid cases hitting a 46-day low of 1,65,553 on Sunday, the government announced plans to boost vaccine supplies in near future, saying nearly 12 crore doses would be available for domestic use in June.
The government has finalised plans whereby in June 6.09 crore doses of Covid vaccines will be supplied to the states and UTs free of cost for priority groups of health and frontline workers and 45 plus people while over 5.86 crore doses would be available for direct procurement to states, UTs and private hospitals.
"In June, close to 12 crore (11,95,70,000) doses will be available for the national Covid vaccination programme. This is over 1.5 times the stock that was available in May," the Health Ministry said today.
In May, 7,94,05,200 doses were available to states and UTs. Out of these, 4.03 crore doses were provided free by the Centre to the states and 3.90 crore were made available to states and private hospitals for direct procurement. — TNS
Can supply 10 cr Covishield doses in June: SII
- The SII has informed the government that it will be able to manufacture and supply nine to 10 crore doses of Covishield in June.
- In a recent letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, SII said its employees had been working round the clock in spite of various challenges. PTI
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2SIKZry
Lab leak theory ‘feasible’, feels British Intel
London, May 30
British intelligence agencies now believe it is "feasible" that the Covid-19 pandemic began with a virus leak from a Chinese laboratory, a media report said on Sunday, prompting UK's Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi to demand that the WHO must fully investigate the origins of the deadly virus.
China's Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) is near the outbreak's known epicentre of Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, where the virus first emerged in late 2019 and became a pandemic.
Speaking to Sky News, Zahawi said: "It's vital that the WHO is allowed to conduct investigation unencumbered." Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, said Wuhan's silence was troubling." — PTI
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3c5v90S
Storm bares Punjab’s fragile power infra; blackout in several districts
Aman Sood
Tribune News Service
Patiala, May 30
Heavy rain accompanied by high-velocity winds late Saturday night uprooted electricity poles and snapped transmission wires in several parts of Punjab, resulting in a major power blackout in districts like Mohali, Patiala, Sangrur, Ropar and Fatehgarh Sahib. Till the filing of the report, the supply was yet to be restored in Chamkaur Sahib, Morinda and surrounding villages.
Dept gets 1 lakh plaints in 24 hrs
A senior official said in the past nearly 24 hours, more than 1 lakh complaints were received from power consumers in the state, with maximum calls coming from Mohali and Ludhiana.
A senior PSPCL official said, "Our engineers are in the field since 11 pm yesterday. The repairs are taking long owing to uprooted trees falling on transmission lines." Sources said areas in Mohali, Ropar and Patiala were affected the most and that shortage of manpower and material was a major hurdle.
The PSEB Engineers Association claimed it had forewarned the PSPCL authorities. It had recently written to the management regarding the "non-availability of material such as cables, poles and transformers, besides staff shortage".
A Venu Prasad, CMD, PSPCL, vehemently denied there was any shortage of material or manpower. "Despite lockdown-related restrictions, our employees managed to restore power at almost all places," he claimed.
Farmers' tents uprooted
At farmers' protest site Kheri-Shahjahanpur in Haryana, the storm destroyed tents and langar items. The protesters had to spend the night in the open. A few took shelter in nearby dhabas.
Cyclonic pressure
The sudden change in weather was caused by upper air cyclonic pressure, an official of the Meteorological Department said. Rain was reported in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, he said.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3fUFUUQ
India sent private jet to Dominica with Choksi papers: Antiguan PM
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 30
Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne is learnt to have said during a radio show in his country that India had "sent a private jet to Dominica carrying documents related to the deportation of fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi", wanted in a Rs 13,500-crore bank loan fraud case.
There was, however, no immediate official confirmation from the Indian authorities on the claims made by Browne.
The media firm, Antigua News Room, reported that a Qatar Airways private jet landed at the Douglas-Charles airport in Dominica, leading to speculations about deportation of Choksi, who was detained in the Caribbean island nation after his mysterious disappearance from neighbouring country Antigua and Barbuda.
The media firm further quoted Browne saying at the radio show that the jet came from India carrying necessary documentation needed for the deportation of the fugitive businessman.
Even the publicly available data of Qatar Executive flight A7CEE shows that it left the IGI Airport, Delhi, at 3.44 pm on May 28 and reached Dominica at 13.16 local time, the same day, via Madrid.
The Dominica High Court has stayed the removal of Choksi from its soil and put a gag order on the developments till the matter is heard in an open court on June 2.
Choksi has alleged that he was abducted from Jolly Harbour in Antigua and Barbuda by policemen looking like Antiguan and Indian and taken to Dominica. Pictures of Choksi (62), which have surfaced in Dominica, show him with a swollen eye and bruises on the hands.
Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are wanted for allegedly siphoning Rs 13,500 crore of public money from the state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) using letters of undertaking. Both are being probed in the case by the CBI.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3wLicB8
Boy killed for ‘honour’ in Palwal
Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service
Palwal, May 30
In a suspected case of honour killing, a 16-year-old boy was allegedly pushed into a canal near Kithwari village in the district by kin of a girl with whom he had been in friendship for the past six months.
The victim has been identified as Akash, a Class X student. The local police have registered a case in this regard. However, no arrest has been made so far. The incident took place on Friday.
In the police complaint, Akash's aunt Poonam claimed that both Akash and the girl, who studied in the same school, were rusticated from the school few months ago after someone complained about their relationship to the authorities.
The boy, who originally hailed from Bulandshahar district in UP, had been residing with his aunt and uncle at Islamabad village here for studies. He had returned to his home district few months back after his expulsion from the school.
Calling it a case of honour killing, Poonam said Akash, who had come here last week to meet her, left for his house on Friday morning. However, around noon a friend of Akash informed her that the girl's kin were seen with him on the banks of the canal at Kithwari village.
She alleged that when she reached the spot, Akash was allegedly pushed into the canal by the girl's kin.
"We have registered a case of murder and have launched a probe to identify the culprits," said a police official, who added that the angle behind the murder was still under investigation.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2SI5nJ4
Haryana lockdown extended till June 7, malls to open
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 30
The Haryana Government has extended the lockdown for another week (till June 7), while allowing shopping malls to open with limited footfall.
Addressing a press conference digitally, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the "Mahamari alert, Surakshit Haryana" had been extended with more relaxations though the Covid situation had improved.
Cinemas, bars closed
- Cinemas, restaurants and bars inside shopping malls will remain closed
- Hotels have been allowed to remain open with the condition that no banquet/conferences will be permitted
- Restaurants and bars in hotels will remain closed
The shops would now be allowed to open from 9 am to 3 pm on odd-even basis. The earlier timings were from 7 am to 12 noon.
The shopping malls would now be allowed to open from 10 am to 6 pm with one customer per 25 sq feet area, he said. "In a 1,000 sq feet mall, 40 persons would be allowed at a time," he added.
"Customers would be allowed inside malls for only a limited duration. At no point in time, the total number of customers inside the mall should exceed the prescribed limit," he added.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3p3c19b
Row over ‘goonda tax’, Himachal blames Punjab
Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, May 30
Stone crusher owners in Himachal have alleged harassment at the hands of authorities in Punjab. They claim miscreants indulging in illegal mining in connivance with the officials concerned are not allowing the transport of their material to Punjab without paying 'goonda tax'.
Sanjeev Kumar, owner of a stone crusher in Una, said even as they had all valid documents, the Punjab authorities had been stopping them on the pretext that their material had not been mined as per the NGT guidelines.
Industries Minister Bikram Thakur, who also holds the mining portfolio, alleged goons controlling mining operations in Punjab were harassing crusher owners based in Himachal. "It appears that such unscrupulous persons enjoy support of the Punjab Government. Many HP crusher owners have moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court against 'goonda tax' being collected from them in Punjab," he said.
Thakur said, "We take strict action against those resorting to illegal mining, but those doing legal business should not be harassed. I will write to the Punjab Government."
RN Dhoke, ADGP, who heads the first Enforcement Directorate formed to check illegal mining in Punjab, said only those transporters were stopped who did not have valid documents.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2SKScXR
12 crore vaccine doses for domestic use in June
New Delhi, May 30
With the daily new Covid cases hitting a 46-day low of 1,65,553 on Sunday, the government announced plans to boost vaccine supplies in near future, saying nearly 12 crore doses would be available for domestic use in June.
The government has finalised plans whereby in June 6.09 crore doses of Covid vaccines will be supplied to the states and UTs free of cost for priority groups of health and frontline workers and 45 plus people while over 5.86 crore doses would be available for direct procurement to states, UTs and private hospitals.
"In June, close to 12 crore (11,95,70,000) doses will be available for the national Covid vaccination programme. This is over 1.5 times the stock that was available in May," the Health Ministry said today.
In May, 7,94,05,200 doses were available to states and UTs. Out of these, 4.03 crore doses were provided free by the Centre to the states and 3.90 crore were made available to states and private hospitals for direct procurement. — TNS
Can supply 10 cr Covishield doses in June: SII
- The SII has informed the government that it will be able to manufacture and supply nine to 10 crore doses of Covishield in June.
- In a recent letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, SII said its employees had been working round the clock in spite of various challenges. PTI
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2SIKZry
Process to monetise surplus defence land set in motion
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 30
With thousands of acres of unused land at its disposal, The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has set in motion the first step to commercially exploit, or monetise, these surplus lands.
A letter has been sent to all three armed forces, the DRDO, Coast Guard, Ordnance Factory Board, among others to identify what all land is needed by them over the two decades and what all projects are coming up. The remaining surplus may be compiled and reconciled with the Director General Defence Estates (DGDE) within three months, says a letter of the MoD sent out on May 6.
Some of these expected surplus lands are old British time camping ground used when long campaigns had to be sustained, old unused airfields set up in War World II (1939-1945), or even lands which are now within civic areas and serve little military purpose. Another chunck of surplus lands could be with Ordnance factories ndash; there are 41 such factories of varying vintage.
The MoD is looking at identifying two categories of vacant lands — these are 'Class A-2 and 'Class B-4'. The Cantonment Land Administration Rules, 1937, have bench-marked all lands as per their intended use of the land, its location and future expansions.
Class A-2 land is not actually used or occupied by the Military Authorities but is used temporarily. The Class 'B-4' land is the one which is not included in any other class of lands.
The letter stems from the MoD decision to take action on the recommendations of Sumit Bose Committee constituted for study on optimum use of defence land and to regulate its commercial exploitation. Bose, a former Revenue Secretary, Government of India, had submitted a report with 131 recommendations in December 2017. The Bose Committee recommendation, after a study by the MoD, has been classified under three categories.
The MoD letter sent out on May 6 says it has been decided to implement a section of recommendations of the Bose committee with regard to vacant lands and optimal utilisation of defence land.
Two categories of vacant land
- The Ministry of Defence is looking at identifying two categories of vacant land — 'Class A-2 and 'Class B-4'. The Cantonment Land Administration Rules, 1937, have bench-marked all land as per its intended use, location and future expansions.
- Class A-2 land is not actually used or occupied by the military authorities, but is used temporarily. The Class 'B-4' land is the one which is not included in any other class of land.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3fUG52s
Fighting virus with all our might: PM Narendra Modi
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 30
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the country had experienced several moments of national pride in the seven years of his government and was moving ahead on its own convictions rather than under the pressure of other nations.
The PM noted that the past seven years had been a mix of trials and tribulations with Covid continuing to test the country's collective resolve. He, however, expressed confidence that India would prevail over the virus.
PM lists achievements
- Befitting reply to conspirators
- Several old disputes resolved
- Tackled first Covid wave, triumph over second certain too
- Record agriculture output
- Ration to 80 cr underprivileged
Asserting that India is fighting Covid-19 with all its might, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' address on a day he completed two years of his second term in office said the country's resolve to prevail over the virus was equal to the magnitude of the challenge it faced.
"In the midst of this pandemic, India is moving forward with the resolve of service and cooperation. In the first wave, we fought courageously; this time too India will be victorious in the ongoing fight against the virus," he said. Over the seven years, he said, the country had followed the mantra of "sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas". Many old disputes have also been resolved with complete peace and harmony, and a new confidence underpinned by peace and development has arisen from the northeast to Kashmir, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi listed a range of measures taken by his government to boost national security and the country's social development index through household piped water supply, better roads, and power connections.
"When we witness that now India gives a befitting reply to those who conspire against us, our confidence soarshellip;. When India does not compromise on the issues of national security, when the strength of our armed forces increases, we feel that yes, we are on the right path," the Prime Minister said, adding that India now moves ahead with its own convictions and not under pressure from other nations.
Noting that in seven decades after Independence only 3.5 crore rural homes had water connections, he said 4.5 crore houses had been given clean water connections in the last 21 months alone. Of these, 15 months were during the Covid period, he added.
When the poor come home healthy with free treatment under "Ayushman Yojana", they feel that they have got a new life, he said.
"Many people are thankful that electricity has reached their village for the first time in 70 years, while many others say their village too is now connected to city by a paved road," he said, referring to development works undertaken by his government since it took office in May 2014.
In these seven years, India has worked to show the world a new direction in digital transactions, and it is also setting records in launching satellites and constructing roads, he said.
The PM also hailed the agricultural front, saying the sector had kept itself insulated from the scourge of the pandemic to a great extent and progressed.
He lauded the farmers for record produce, saying that the available foodgrains had ensured free ration to 800 million underprivileged in this hour of crisis.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3wDO3nk
Congress comes out with 7-point ‘chargesheet’
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 30
The Congress on Sunday described the BJP government's seven-year rule as one that inflicted pain and betrayed people's aspirations by "failing to manage the Covid pandemic, securing the borders, controlling inflation, safeguarding farmers' interests and handling the economy".
Unveiling a seven-point "chargesheet" as the PM Narendra Modi-led government completed seven years in office, the Congress said, "Time has come to ask why a pseudo-nationalist government utterly failed to defend our borders and push back the Chinese from our territory."
"You need the right intention, policy and determination to fight corona, not just pointless talk once in a month," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said. Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said the past seven years had been a story of unprecedented devastation, abdication of responsibility and abandonment of India's people by the government. He listed seven blunders by the BJP government related to economy, unemployment, inflation, Covid mismanagement, disregard for middle and low income groups, national security and farmers.
"The systematic destruction of the Indian economy has forced a deceleration. The Indian economy registered a technical recession for the first time since Independence. The growth in per capita income has been slowing since 2016-17 and Bangladesh has a better per capital income than us," Surjewala noted.
He said the BJP dispensation had promised two crore jobs every year but actually India saw the worst unemployment in 45 years in 2019.
The Congress also cornered the government on inflation saying the prices of essential commodities had hit the roof. "When Modi government assumed power in 2014, the international crude oil prices were $108 per barrel, petrol prices were Rs 71.51 per litre and diesel was Rs 57.28 per litre. Today, the crude oil prices have fallen by 40 per cent but petrol prices have increased by 32 per cent to Rs 93.94 per litre; diesel prices increased by 48 per cent to Rs 84.89 per litre," Surjewala said.
The Congress reiterated its charge of Covid mismanagement. The Opposition party also accused the government of surrendering India's strategic interests to China and betraying the farmers by refusing to repeal the three controversial agriculture reform laws.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2Tvcpl5
Bodies continue to be abandoned in UP; 2 arrested
Mukesh Ranjan
Tribune News service
New Delhi, May 30
Bodies of Covid-19 victims continue to be abandoned in Uttar Pradesh. Two men, one of them in a PPE kit, were caught on camera purportedly throwing a body into the Rapti river from a bridge in Balrampur district. The video, which went viral on the social media, was shot by a passerby amid heavy rain on May 28. The district police filed an FIR and subsequently arrested both persons seen in the video.
Plea in SC: Ensure dignified disposal
A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Centre and other authorities to form a panel to ensure dignified disposal of bodies of Covid victims while referring to reports of floating corpses in the Ganga in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. PTI
Talking to The Tribune, Additional Superintendent of Police Arvind Mishra said the family members of the deceased, identified as Prem Nath Mishra, a resident of Siddharthnagar, had been booked under the Disaster Management Act and the Epidemic Diseases Act.
Chief Medical Officer Dr VB Singh said Mishra was diagnosed with Covid-19 and admitted to the district hospital on May 25. He succumbed to the infection on May 28. "The body was handed over to the family members the same day as per the protocol," he added.
Police sources identified the man in the PPE kit as a nephew of the deceased and the other person in the video as the driver of the vehicle carrying the corpse. Earlier this month, several bodies were found floating in the Ganga and Yamuna rivers following which the UP instructed the SDRF and PAC to step up patrolling along the rivers.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3fBBP9m
My boys Taco and Chip, listening in on my call. They get like this whenever I'm on the phone!
https://ift.tt/3c58ce5 via /r/aww https://ift.tt/3yRFlnB
The divided union of India
What better place to start than UP to study the politics at play today. It is at the heart of divisive politics and the state which had given solid majorities in the Assembly and Parliament. Yogi as the leader represents the very epitome of this polity. He is an iron-fisted man with his own vision of India who firmly believes that his word is the last word on any subject under the sun and in the furtherance of his project, he is ably assisted by his 'yuva vahini' and other similar organisations. The first important experiment was the anti-beef programme which targeted Muslims suspected of killing cows or carrying cows for slaughter, or transporting beef, or storing beef in their homes. Vigilante groups of political storm-troopers who had been recruited, trained and indoctrinated earlier checked vehicles on roads, stopped those with beef and dealt summary "justice". Even in the face of proper papers, they were not spared. Their belongings were looted and they were lynched in many cases. Reporting to the police only resulted in cases against the complainants. A shroud of fear descended upon the land and travelling at night became hazardous, even for non-Muslims. A plan long in the making had started bearing fruition.
The next items on the agenda were the formation of "anti-Romeo" squads and "love jihad". The state discovered a great conspiracy hatched by the Muslim youth to entice young Hindu girls in order to forcibly convert and then marry them. Again, the squads were out to teach a lesson to these "criminals". As this was a "serious matter", the state stepped in to enact a law to make such acts a crime and stringent punishments were proposed. The popularity of this law soon became visible when states like MP and Gujarat also followed suit, with more waiting to do so. Again, fear engulfed the youth and they went running to the courts for help.
The ruling establishment, which had come to power by propagating divisive politics, continued with this agenda and had little else to offer its electorate in terms of administration, development and fulfilling the basic needs of education, health and security, which happen to be the fundamental duties of the state. A few days ago, I was watching NDTV News 24x7 where a discussion was taking place on the Indian response to the pandemic in general and the reliability of the data being provided by the state and the Central agencies. For a change, the panel consisted of three brilliant professors — Dr Vincent Raj Kumar from Mayo Clinic, Rochester; Dr Menon from Ashoka University and one more whose name I forget. On being pointedly asked regarding the veracity of the data, Dr Vincent answered that the actual figures of the infected and dead were at least double the numbers given and went on to say that some put these at five times higher. He was fully supported by Dr Menon and in a more muted manner by the third panellist (this data has been further supplemented by articles appearing in the western media). This set the tone for the rest of the discussion, which focused on the shortage of vaccines, oxygen, etc. The fact that came out was that the entire health system was in a shambles in the face of the onslaught.
The UP CM's response to the pandemic was typical of the Indian government's response at large i.e. a general denial of the severity of the pandemic in UP. The administration even went to the extent of threatening people with registration of cases against anyone who was seen to be maligning the image of the government. However, the numbers began to swell and the health system came under pressure — the response was to fudge the figures. However, the gap between reality and lies was too much and whatever chance of acceptance it had was blown away by the discovery of hundreds of bloated bodies in the Ganga flowing through Bihar and UP. Then hundreds of more bodies buried on the banks of the Ganga were found violated by wild animals. In all the religious practices in India, one common thread is that the dead should be sent off on their final journey with as much dignity as one's resources permit. The deafening silence of the leadership even after the discovery of the bodies and their subsequent abuse speaks volumes.
NDTV also showed some village dispensaries in the vicinity of Delhi — no doctors, no staff, no equipment, but these were being used as storage for cow dung cakes, dry fodder, etc. The camera moved from village to village but the visuals were the same. If this is the story in the vicinity of Delhi, what must it be like in the rural interior belts. For a moment, the thought came to me that maybe these dispensaries were real and the cow dung and the fodder were raw material for producing new miracle cures (a la baba Ramdev).
Let us now revert to areas of major worldwide concern. Foreign organisations like the ones in America are reporting that India is falling fast in its ranking of freedom to practice religion, freedom of the press and democratic values. The Centre's answer to this is that these agencies are biased against India and its rapid economic and military rise (I suppose they have an answer to how Bangladesh is now ranked higher on most economic parameters as well). Our country for the past decade has been caught up in politics of hate and divisiveness, which is gradually sucking the life blood out of it. Borders, both physical and virtual, have come up within the nation-state where none existed — Singhu, Tikri, ruling party states versus Opposition-ruled states. It's a growing list of categories where the underlying theme is one of mistrust and hate. The ruling setup seeks to enforce its will on the entire dominion with an agenda whose misplaced values and ethos of a fundamental theocracy find no traction in the vast majority of this country. India is a union of states, a union whose foundation is 'unity in diversity'. We are a federal structure, the very division of states on the basis of language was an attempt to keep this diversity secure and alive. Any imposition of a uniform way of life kills the very soul of this nation. Elections, the bedrock of our democracy, are being contested like street battles with muscle, money and foul language, with the ruling party at the Centre leading the charge by deploying its vast resources.
These leaders advocating divisive politics have made us look more like the theocratic state in our neighbourhood and with whom we have fought multiple wars. A state which for the most part has been bankrupt and stricken with internal wars and unrest. A pariah state which we have long looked down upon but which for some reason our leaders seek to emulate now. Are we now going to be governed by a non-scientific approach led by myths and superstition? Our success so far has been the sound foundations laid in the plethora of scientific institutions, both educational and research, by our founding fathers — the IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, PGIs, the multiple universities both at the state and national level. The centres of research were not created overnight but by a continuous effort at nation-building, a nation which in these institutions saw the 'temples of modern India', a nation which sought its rightful place at the high table of democracy.
The deeper question is, where will this path lead us as we enter a period of internal conflict? India has always been weakened when divided and as Abraham Lincoln said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Today, we are in a deep territorial conflict with China and Pakistan, even Nepal which for the longest time has been our ally is raising disputes. China surrounds us both on land and on our coastline with ports in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Iran. Afghanistan moves again towards Taliban rule (do remember Kandahar and Kargil the last time round the Taliban were in power. Current media reports are indicating that the Afghan army is surrendering in large numbers to the Taliban). Iran, with whom we had historic links, is estranged and so are Sri Lanka and Myanmar. The die is cast and the pieces move — will India dig deep and find the strength to fight this battle both internal and external? I, for one, believe in the resilience of the common man; he will stand up as we are witnessing in the march of rural India where rural folk have joined hands together in the peaceful farmers' protest against the farm laws. In the words of Iqbal, 'Kuch baat hai ki hasti mit-ti nahin hamari, sadiyon raha hai dushman daur-e-zaman hamara// Saare'.
— The writer is ex-chairman of UPSC, former Manipur Governor and served as Jamp;K DGP
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Nehru, our leader
I can clearly remember where I was on May 27, 1964, the day Nehru died: in my aunt's charming cottage in Mukteshwar, up in Kumaon. Delhi then seemed very far away to us small towners and there was no television then to bring us 'Breaking News'. My uncle broke the news to us when he came home for lunch and a pall of gloom descended on the family. I don't think we have ever mourned the death of a public figure with quite the same level of grief. It was as if all of India felt orphaned and adrift. My generation was born long after Gandhiji died, but the mood in the nation was no different when his favourite acolyte passed away 16 years later.
In the decades that followed, Nehru's memory began to fade but after his daughter Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister, many felt as if a part of him still looked after this country. How wrong that hope was and how quickly the fair name that was the very heartbeat of India was besmirched by the dynasts that followed. Today, Nehru has become everyone's favourite whipping boy: he was declared guilty of gifting away a chunk of India to Jinnah on the persuasion of the Mountbattens. He was responsible for the ruinous socialist policies that prevented free markets and individual enterprise to flourish. He was a Left-leaning Fabian whose political ideology was unfair to Hindus and so on. He was a trusting fool who was cheated by China's Panchsheel talk and died a defeated man.
The list of crimes he is said to have committed is long and now parroted by every two-bit political commentator. The 'chalu' slogan of a Congress-mukt Bharat is shorthand for a country that needs to be purged of the pluralist, welfare state that Nehru dreamt of. Yet, how can we forget that whatever survives of the tatters of that legacy is what still keeps us Indian in the true sense. He was the one who made the world sit up and take notice of a country that was struggling to come out of the coils of a long colonial rule. Those who never saw that India and those who have been brainwashed into accepting uncritically that he is responsible for all our current problems need to be reminded that all that is still worthwhile in this country is his lasting legacy.
Remembering Chani
Today, I wish to remember a special friend: one who was so much a part of our family that it still hasn't really sunk in that that joyous, generous and dependable man is gone forever. Gurcharan Singh Chani first became known to us in 1976 through his subversive street plays. In those days, full of the terror of the Emergency and censorship, he would hold these brilliant performances in locations that were under the police radar. Some of us began to follow his work and the thrill of defying the state's repressive laws became a game that we participated in whole-heartedly. 'Dafa 144', 'Bulldoze Notice' were the two that I remember most clearly. His actors were young college students or little-known theatre artistes who went on to become known for their work later. Chani lived then in a barsati and soon became a regular presence in our lives: his love of garam phulkas smeared with ghee and his appreciation of the food in our home won him our utter love. From our Raju in the kitchen to my mum-in-law who loved him like a son, to our boys whose favourite uncle he became, Chani warmed himself into our lives and stayed there until we lost him recently to Covid.
We have lost so many friends of late that each new death brings numbed disbelief, but Chani's going has been a body blow. I keep remembering the Chandigarh of the 1970s, when it was just a raw collection of buildings and spaces. It was people like Chani and Nek Chand who brought the whiff of freshness and daring into its cultural ecosphere to make Chandigarh a throbbing, vital city. In those days, the danger of it surrendering to a 'Woman and Home' kind of suburbia was real. It was left to people like Champa Mangat Rai, Navjiwan Khosla, Guddo and Naveen Thakur and the nascent Panjab University that had poets like Kumar Vikal and Surjit Pattar to add their contribution to the modernising of the city. The Department of Theatre, with the redoubtable Balwant Gargi, became a site of some memorable performances and recitals. Its amphitheatre (then a new space) had magic for us that is difficult to convey in words. We were all in our twenties and full of idealism and hope. I wonder if that fervour still exists or whether Chandigarh is just a bureaucratic city that has shiny malls and restaurants like any other newbie Indian city. Do people still go to the Indian Coffee House for endless cups of coffee and dosa? Or have they taken to gymming instead?
That world died a while ago and now as we lose all those friends who made Chandigarh Chandi-ghar for us are leaving too. Farewell Chani, our dearest friend.
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Operation Birsa Munda raw courage
The Line of Control is intricately fenced with various day and night surveillance devices and sensors installed to keep a check on militants crossing over from Pakistan. Prior to 2004, it was largely porous and units laid ambushes along likely routes to check infiltration.
On the night of September 25-26, 2001, an ambush party of 8 Bihar, comprising a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and seven other ranks, spotted a group of 15 armed militants. The dilemma in the mind of the JCO was whether to open fire or ask for additional assistance. In case of the former, the chances were that the ambush party could get outnumbered and in the latter, they could lose the group into the thick jungles from where it would have been very difficult to reestablish contact.
Not bothering about the numbers and personal safety, the JCO opened fire and so did the rest of the ambush party, and in the ensuing firefight brought down three militants and injured the guide. The rest of the militants scattered in small groups.
Fortunately, we had a battalion in one of the bases which had concentrated to de-induct after completion of tenure. The troops were moved to cordon off the area and prevent escape of the infiltrators.
As day broke, 8 Bihar organised three parties under an officer each from three directions to locate and eliminate the militants. One such party was led by the young Lieutenant Alexander (Alex), who had recently come back from leave after getting married. This party came under fire from a rocky outcrop atop a hill. The lead scout was injured and the militants would not permit any movement forward for extricating him. A rocket launcher was called for and a few rounds of that silenced the militants enough to extricate him. However, intermittent firing continued.
I was monitoring the action on the battalion radio net and heard Alex getting all exited and informing his Commanding Officer that he would "soon sort out thesehellip;" I didn't want this young blood to take any rash action so I got onto the air and told him to take it easy as we had the whole day available, and additional troops were being sent to tackle this group. Alex responded with "Wilco Sir", and was not heard thereafter.
I thought he had taken my advice seriously, but after an hour or so, he came on the air to announce, "Sir, I have eliminated all three of them."
Apparently, this youngster was so charged up seeing one of his men getting injured that he, along with his buddy, decided to go around the hillock from a difficult approach to get behind the militants. He crawled up to them, lobbed a grenade and the two charged at the militants and shot them. When adrenaline is flowing, one forgets one's safety, one's near and dear ones, that you have recently got married and there is a young bride waiting for your return home while she prays for your safety.
This operation carried on till late in the evening, as the other two parties of the battalion made good progress, resulting in the elimination of 12 militants. The three who had managed to escape were eliminated by another battalion the next day. The injured guide, however, managed to escape.
The operation was named after Birsa Munda, a folk hero and a tribal freedom fighter hailing from the Munda tribe. Just 25 when he died in 1900, he is known to have mobilised the tribal community against the British in the Bihar and Jharkhand belt. This is the area from where the troops of this valiant battalion come from.
The operation brought out the raw courage of the men led by fearless young officers who showed their true grit, josh and paltan spirit. They, like Alex, are the backbone of the Army, leading operations under such difficult conditions.
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Why ‘sting’ operations, though controversial, are crucial
Two recent events have not received the attention they warrant. Both are linked. They concern issues integral to our democracy. One is the need to eradicate corruption, and the other the importance of 'sting' operations.
First, corruption. On May 17, four senior leaders of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress, including two ministers, were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation. They had been caught in a 2014 'sting' operation — which was only publicly revealed in 2016, prior to the Assembly poll — 'accepting large amounts of cash to facilitate a fictitious project'. Eleven other politicians were also entrapped in the same fashion, including some who belonged to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Prominent among them was Suvendu Adhikari, who switched from the TMC to the BJP in the run-up to the 2021 Assembly polls, and who also defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the just-concluded election.
Why did it take five years for the 'caged-parrot' CBI (a description given by the Supreme Court) to move against the politicians, and more importantly, why have only those from the TMC been singled out and none from the BJP? The conduct of the West Bengal Governor, Jagdeep Dhankhar, also needs to be questioned, and if necessary, condemned. His sanction is required before such arrests can be made. The alacrity with which he gave his sanction for the arrest of the TMC members in question, within days of the election results, contrasts tellingly with his inaction against the allegedly culpable BJP members. Governors are meant to be impartial. This one, clearly, is not.
The 'sting' operation was conducted by journalist Mathew Samuel. The investigating authorities must have carefully studied the secret filming and taping that Samuel presented to them, and satisfied themselves before taking action. His name should ring a bell. He was one of the two men (the other was Aniruddha Bahal) behind the most famous Indian 'sting' operation of all — the Tehelka (meaning 'commotion') expose of the Ministry of Defence in 2001. Nicknamed 'Operation West End', painstaking research went into it, with the 'sting' operators knowing exactly whom to target, and how. One of them was the president of the BJP, the late Bangaru Laxman, who was secretly filmed shovelling wads of cash into his drawer, for his assistance in the purchase of non-existent defence equipment. Others included senior officials and even Generals. The Defence Minister, George Fernandes, had to resign, and the Vajpayee government tethered on the brink of collapse. Another casualty was Jaya Jaitley, a close companion of Fernandes. She tried desperately to erode the credibility of the incriminating evidence, claiming that the tapes were 'doctored'. But she failed. Last year, she was found guilty and sentenced to jail.
Meanwhile, the hugely embarrassed BJP government went after Tehelka with a vindictive vengeance. Income tax raids were followed by endless harassment. But this was not what eventually brought Tehelka down. That happened when Tarun Tejpal, its founder and editor, was accused of sexual assault by a junior colleague during a literary festival held in Goa, and helmed by Tehelka. By then, from being primarily a digital portal, Tehelka had become a successful news magazine, exposing corruption and malgovernance.
'Sting' operations are admittedly controversial. Needless to say, governments hate them. Even the public is divided. In the Tehelka case, some of those who were targeted also asked for women to be provided, which was done. Many thought that this was ethically wrong of the journalists. However, all said and done, 'stings' are integral to the exposure of corruption and of malfeasance. They deserve the support of all those who want a cleaner public life. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has asked the public to secretly record demands for bribes, on their cell phones. Many newspapers carry photos of civic inefficiency taken by readers. Remedial measures are usually taken straightaway.
Perhaps the most famous 'sting' was on best-selling author Jeffrey Archer. With a senior position in the British Conservative Party, he was a favourite to succeed Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister. One fateful night, a Pakistan-origin doctor, Aziz Kurtha, recognised Archer as he was going to meet a prostitute. Kurtha tipped off a popular tabloid, which used the prostitute to do a 'sting' on Archer. When the news of Archer frequenting the prostitute made headlines, he sued the tabloid for libel, realising his political career was on the line. He got a friend to lie that he (Archer) was elsewhere when he was supposed to have met the prostitute. Archer won his case against the tabloid, and was awarded one million pounds in damages. His political career was back on track. Then later, when the same friend who had lied was dying, he had pangs of conscience. He admitted he had lied. The case was reopened and Archer was sentenced to four years in jail for perjury, his political career, though not his success as a novelist, in utter ruins. Further investigations by the British Press revealed that Archer had all along been a consummate liar and was also involved in financial irregularities. And to think, had it not been for the 'sting' on him, he could have been British Prime Minister.
— The writer is a veteran journalist
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Didi asks Modi not to recall Chief Secretary
Shubhadeep Choudhury
Tribune News Service
Kolkata, May 29
Maintaining that the meeting held by PM Narendra Modi in Kalaikunda on Friday to discuss cyclone relief was "stuffed with BJP representatives" and was not between her and the PM, as was notified, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Saturday asked the Centre to withdraw its order recalling Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay to Delhi.
Addressing the media here, she alleged the PM and Union Home Minister were trying to create problems for her government as they were yet to come to terms with the BJP defeat in the Assembly elections. The CM said she was ready to touch Modi's feet, if told to do so, for the sake of West Bengal's development.
"
Let him work for the covid-hit
I appeal to you to end this political vendetta, withdraw the letter (calling back CS) and allow him to work for Covid and cyclone-affected people.
"
"Because you (Modi and Shah) cannot digest BJP's defeat in Bengal, you have started creating problems for us. Recalling the Chief Secretary amid the Covid crisis shows the Centre is indulging in political vendetta," the feisty TMC supremo said.
On her skipping the cyclone review meeting, Mamata explained: "It was originally decided that only the PM and CM would meet. Later, a revised list was given which looked like a big BJP team," Mamata said, accusing the PM of creating "confusion and confrontation" each time he visited Bengal. The CM said that accompanied by the Chief Secretary, she met the PM and handed over the papers on cyclone losses. "I sought PM's permission to leave as the weather was bad and I had to visit Digha. There was no need for me to be there. Anyway, the chairs were too far from where the PM was seated," she held. Mamata, reportedly upset over the PM's decision to invite Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari to the meeting, questioned him on not giving due recognition to the Opposition in Parliament. She also asked why Modi had not called the Opposition leader during his recent Gujarat visit. "The Opposition leader was not present at the Bhubaneswar meeting too," she pointed out. Bandyopadhyay, who was to retire on May 31, was given a three-month extension on state government's request. Mamata said the state government was not consulted prior to calling the CS back to New Delhi and that her government might explore legal options regarding the matter.
She said her government might explore legal options with regard to Bandyopadhyay's transfer. Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh alleged the CM skipped meeting to avoid giving detail of her Rs 20,000 cr demand for cyclone relief.
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EAM takes up China border crisis with top US officials
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 29
The partnership between the US and India was vital, strong and increasingly productive, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken while listing India-China border situation as one of the major topics discussed with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during his visit to Washington.
Security issues were high on Jaishankar's US visit and the Quad, the US-India defence partnership itself, Afghanistan and Myanmar were the common ground he covered with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and NSA Jake Sullivan. The subject also figured in the External Affairs Minister's engagements with US lawmakers.
Sullivan, in his meeting with Jaishankar, reaffirmed the Biden administration's commitment to deepening the US-India partnership and discussed a broad range of issues, including Covid relief, efforts to strengthen Indo-Pacific cooperation through the Quad, and a shared commitment to combating the climate crisis and enhancing multilateral cooperation, including at the UNSC, said US State Department spokesperson Ned Price.
Jaishankar had travelled to the US against the backdrop of his stalemated conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on April 30. The readouts of the two Foreign Ministries were divergent, suggesting that there was no meeting of minds on the question of disengagement in areas in eastern Ladakh. Both sides, however, are engaged indirectly due to their common memberships of the BRICS and SCO whose summits will be hosted by India this year.
Jaishankar observed that the Indo-US ties had grown stronger over the years and especially mentioned the "strong support and solidarity at a moment of great difficulty for us".
Blinken responded by pointing out that Washington had noted that in the earlier days of Covid, India was there for the US, "something we'll never forget, and now we want to make sure that we're there for and with India." Jaishankar was on a five-day visit to the US to sort out several issues related to the import of vaccines and raw materials as well as to build on partnership to counter the security-related issues involving China that affect both countries.
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Free education, Rs 10 lakh aid for Covid orphans
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 29
The Centre today announced a number of welfare measures for children who had lost both parents to Covid, including ensuring a corpus of Rs 10 lakh when they turn 18 and providing for their education.
PM CARES: monthly stipend for 5 years
- A Rs10 lakh corpus will be created for orphaned kids when they turn 18
- Corpus will be used to give stipend for five years till the age of 23
- At 23, the corpus will be given as lump-sum for personal or professional use
- Free education in Sainik Schools, Navodaya Vidyalayas, private schools
- Rs5 lakh health insurance till the age of 18 years
- All contributions to be made from PM Cares Fund
All such children who have lost both parents or surviving parent or legal guardian or foster parents will be supported under the 'PM Cares for Children' scheme. The announcement came following a meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Child panel seeks details of orphans
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has asked all states to upload on its website the details of children who had lost one or both parents to Covid.
The measures include a fixed deposit in the name of the children in which PM Cares will contribute through a specially designed scheme to create a corpus of Rs 10 lakh when they turn 18 years old.
This corpus will be used to give a monthly financial support and stipend from 18 years of age, for the next five years to take care of the child's personal requirements during the period of higher education. On turning 23, the children will get the corpus amount as one lump-sum for personal and professional use. "The child will be given admission in nearest Kendriya Vidyalaya or in a private school as a day scholar. If the child is admitted to a private school, the fee as per the RTE norms will be given from the PM Cares. The fund will also pay for expenditure on uniform, textbooks and notebooks," a government statement said. Children aged 11 to 18 years will be given admission in any Central Government residential school such as Sainik School or Navodaya Vidyalaya.
In case the child is to be continued under the care of guardian or grandparents or extended family, they will be given admission in the nearest Kendriya Vidyalaya or in a private school as a day scholar.
Under higher education support, the child will be assisted in obtaining education loan for professional courses, higher education in India as per the existing education loan norms and the loan interest will be paid by PM Cares.
"As an alternative, scholarship equivalent to the tuition fee and course fee for undergraduate or vocational courses as per government norms will be provided to such children under the central or state government schemes. For children who are not eligible under the existing scholarship schemes, PM Cares will provide an equivalent scholarship," the government said.
All children will be enrolled as a beneficiary under Ayushman Bharat Scheme (PM-JAY) with a health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh and the premium amount till age 18 years will be paid by PM Cares.
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Refugees from 3 nations can apply for citizenship
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 29
The Centre has issued a notification inviting applications from the immigrants belonging to minority communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, residing in 13 districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Punjab to apply for Indian citizenship.
Directive for 13 districts
- The applications will be accepted in Morbi, Rajkot, Patan and Vadodara districts of Gujarat
- Durg amp; Balodabazar in Chhattisgarh
- Jalore, Udaipur, Pali, Barmer and Sirohi in Rajasthan
- Faridabad in Haryana; Jalandhar in Punjab
According to the notification issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the 13 districts in five states are Morbi, Rajkot, Patan and Vadodara in Gujarat; Durg and Balodabazar in Chhattisgarh; Jalore, Udaipur, Pali, Barmer and Sirohi in Rajasthan; Faridabad in Haryana and Jalandhar in Punjab. The collectors of these districts would have "the powers exercisable by the Centre for the registration as a citizen of India under Section 5, or for grant of certificate of naturalisation under Section 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, in respect of such applicants, it said.
"In respect of the applicants residing in districts other than Faridabad in Haryana and Jalandhar in Punjab, the secretaries of home departments of the two states can exercise these powers," the MHA notification said. "The applications will be made by the applicants online. The verification will be done simultaneously by the collector or the secretary, as the case may be, at the district level and the state level and the application and the reports thereon shall be made accessible simultaneously to the Central Government on the online portal," the notification read.
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Sushil in further 4-day custody in murder case
New Delhi, May 29
A Delhi court today extended by four days the police custody of Olympic medallist wrestler Sushil Kumar, arrested in connection with the murder of a 23-year-old wrestler at the Chhatrasal Stadium here.
Serious charges
Olympian is accused of murdering a 23-year-old wrestler at the Chhatrasal Stadium
The court had earlier remanded him in six-day police custody. "I deem it appropriate to allow the application of the police for four days only," Metropolitan Magistrate Mayank Goel said.
The police had sought Sushil's custody for seven days. Sushil and his associates allegedly assaulted wrestler Sagar Dhankar and his friends on May 4 night. Dhankar later died. — PTI
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Police to probe Finnish Prime Minister’s breakfast bill
Finland's police announced on Friday that they will investigate whether the prime minister's breakfasts have been illegally subsidised using taxpayer
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/police-to-probe-finnish-prime-ministers-breakfast-bill/article34680690.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/police-to-probe-finnish-prime-ministers-breakfast-bill/article34680690.ece
U.K. PM Boris Johnson marries fiancee in secret ceremony, say media reports
Earlier this month, it was reported that wedding invitations had been sent to friends and family for July 2022.
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/uk-pm-boris-johnson-marries-fiancee-in-secret-ceremony-say-media-reports/article34680686.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/uk-pm-boris-johnson-marries-fiancee-in-secret-ceremony-say-media-reports/article34680686.ece
Lt. Nikita Kaul, wife of officer killed in Pulwama, joins Army
Northern Command chief puts stars on her shoulders
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/lt-nikita-kaul-wife-of-officer-killed-in-pulwama-joins-army/article34679828.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/lt-nikita-kaul-wife-of-officer-killed-in-pulwama-joins-army/article34679828.ece
As Putin hosts Lukashenko, U.S. hits Belarus with sanctions
Washington targets state-owned firms, key regime officials
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/as-putin-hosts-lukashenko-us-hits-belarus-with-sanctions/article34678133.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/as-putin-hosts-lukashenko-us-hits-belarus-with-sanctions/article34678133.ece
When you just hanging out and being weird together
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Food delivery workers seek COVID-19 relief package
United Food Delivery Partners Union held an online protest on Saturday demanding a financial package from the government. Union president Vinay Sarath
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/food-delivery-workers-seek-covid-19-relief-package/article34680646.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/food-delivery-workers-seek-covid-19-relief-package/article34680646.ece
BJP to organise service activities today to celebrate 7 years of Modi governance
The BJP will celebrate the Narendra Modi government completing seven years by organising different types of service activities across 10,000 booths in
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/bjp-to-organise-service-activities-today-to-celebrate-7-years-of-modi-governance/article34680645.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/bjp-to-organise-service-activities-today-to-celebrate-7-years-of-modi-governance/article34680645.ece
Not in race for CM post: Nirani
Mines and Geology Minister Murugesh Nirani made it clear that he was not an aspirant for the post of Chief Minister. “I am not in the race. It is spec
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/not-in-race-for-cm-post-nirani/article34680643.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/not-in-race-for-cm-post-nirani/article34680643.ece
‘Third wave: State should tread cautiously’
After easing lockdown restrictions, the State should keep a keen watch over the test positivity rate (TPR) and the seven-day average TPR. Local restri
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/third-wave-state-should-tread-cautiously/article34680622.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/third-wave-state-should-tread-cautiously/article34680622.ece
Two Bengaluru labs among 17 new ones to help with genome sequencing
They are Indian Institute of Science and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/two-bengaluru-labs-among-17-new-ones-to-help-with-genome-sequencing/article34680613.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/two-bengaluru-labs-among-17-new-ones-to-help-with-genome-sequencing/article34680613.ece
Bala Seva Yojana for children orphaned by COVID-19
Based on the suggestions by the Centre, the Karnataka government on Saturday announced the ‘Mukhyamantri (Chief Minister) Bala Seva Yojana’ for taking
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/bala-seva-yojana-for-children-orphaned-by-covid-19/article34680610.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/bala-seva-yojana-for-children-orphaned-by-covid-19/article34680610.ece
20,628 new cases, 492 deaths registered
Karnataka on Saturday reported 20,628 new cases of COVID-19, taking the total to 25,67,449. Of these, 4,889 cases are from Bengaluru Urban. With 492 d
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/20628-new-cases-492-deaths-registered/article34680605.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/20628-new-cases-492-deaths-registered/article34680605.ece
Sri Lanka faces marine disaster after ship fire
Plastic waste piling up along the coast
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/sri-lanka-faces-marine-disaster-after-ship-fire/article34678097.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/sri-lanka-faces-marine-disaster-after-ship-fire/article34678097.ece
GoM to take a call on GST exemption on Covid items
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 28
A Group of Ministers (GoM) will decide within 10 days the question of providing GST exemption on Covid-related items, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced at the end of the 46th GST Council meeting held via video-conferencing on Friday.
"There were protracted discussions with varying viewpoints. I announced the formation of a GoM which will submit its report by June 8 so that any further reductions that need to be done will be done," she said, pointing out that any duty relief must benefit patients and not the intermediaries. The council, meeting after eight months, agreed to extend GST relief on several Covid-related items till August 31. It also decided to exempt Amphotericin-B drug used to fight black fungus from GST as well as waive IGST on Covid-related supplies purchased for donation to the government.
The GoM was set up after hours of discussions failed to break the stalemate. Several Opposition-ruled states, including Punjab, pressed for complete GST exemption on vaccines, oxygen concentrators, oximeters, Covid test kits and ventilators. The Centre backed the recommendations of the rate fitment committee which has recommended rate cuts on four Covid-related items. It has left out over 10 Covid-related items, including vaccines, from further GST cuts. Sitharaman had expressed the same viewpoint while responding to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's letter earlier this month.
In all, the GST Council took seven decisions, including fixing compensation to states at Rs 1.58 lakh crore using the same methodology and formula as last year. The Centre will facilitate back-to-back borrowings by states from the RBI, Sitharaman said.
Spl session to weigh further relief to states
- Oppn-ruled states, including Punjab, press for complete GST exemption on vaccines, O2 concentrators, oximeters, test kits, ventilators
- GST Council to hold special session to discuss extending compensation to states beyond 2022
- Centre to borrow Rs1.58 lakh cr to compensate states for loss of revenue from GST
- Amnesty scheme for small GST taxpayers, allowing filing of returns with reduced late fee
- GST Council decides to waive I-GST on free Covid-19 related supplies from abroad
- Exempts import of med used for treating black fungus from I-GST
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3i360Yu
7 social media giants comply with new IT rules, Twitter dithers
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 28
After days of face-off with the government over the new and stringent information technology intermediary rules, seven social media giants on Friday complied with major provisions of the regulations that require the platforms to create India-based redressal mechanisms.
Government sources said Facebook, WhatsApp, Koo, Sharechat, LinkedIn, Telegram and Google today complied with the new rules and shared with the Ministry of Information Technology details of their chief compliance officers, nodal contact persons and grievance officers to address local complaints regarding unlawful messages. Sources said Twitter had not complied yet.
Officials said after a firm response from the government on Thursday, Twitter sent a communication late last night sharing details of a lawyer working in a law firm in India as their nodal contact person and grievance officer.
"But this does not tantamount to compliance. The new rules require that these designated officers of significant social media companies must be the employees of the company and residing in India. Twitter has not yet sent the details of the chief compliance officer to the ministry," an official said.
IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had yesterday clarified that the government fully recognised and respected the right of privacy of people and that ordinary users of WhatsApp had nothing to fear about the new rules. "The objective is to find the first originator of an offensive message already in circulation," he said.
Redressal system
- FB, WhatsApp, Sharechat, LinkedIn, Koo, Telegram and Google share details of the grievance redressal system
- Appoint chief compliance officers, nodal contact persons and grievance officers
- Twitter shares details of a lawyer (of a law firm) as nodal contact person, grievance officer
- But govt officials say the lawyer can't be termed Twitter staffer
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3i1OBzi
S Jaishankar meets top US officials on vaccine, security
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 28
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met several top US Cabinet ministers, lawmakers and officials to discuss developments pertaining to the Quad, Indo-US cooperation on vaccines and Afghanistan on Thursday.
Jaishankar also interacted with members of the US-India Business Council and the US Global Task Force on Pandemic Relief.
On Friday, Jaishankar began the day with a meeting with his counterpart and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Jaishankar is in the US to sort out several issues related to the import of vaccines and raw materials as well as to build on partnership to counter the security-related issues involving China that affect both countries.
The minister met US NSA Jake Sullivan and discussed Afghanistan among other issues. After meeting United States' Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Jaishankar welcomed her "positive stance" in supporting a joint India and South Africa proposal at WTO to waive intellectual property rights (IPR) on Covid vaccines and related items to enable their cheaper availability and manufacturing in developing countries. The minister also met US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, whom he had also met in March.
Among lawmakers, Jaishankar interacted with Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Congressman Gregory Meeks and a ranking member, Congressman Michael McCaul.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3fXaTQf
Identify Covid orphans, provide relief: Supreme Court to states
New Delhi, May 28
Observing that it cannot even imagine how many children in this large country have been orphaned due to the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the state authorities to immediately identify them and provide relief.
The top court asked state governments to understand the agony of children starving on the streets and directed the district authorities that they be immediately taken care of without waiting for any further orders from the courts.
A Vacation Bench of Justices LN Rao and Aniruddha Bose directed district administrations to identify the orphans in their areas and upload the data on the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) website by Saturday evening.
The top court's direction came on an application filed by amicus curiae Gaurav Agrawal in the pending suo motu case seeking identification of orphaned children due to Covid-19 or otherwise and providing them immediate relief by the state governments. — PTI
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3wFvqPZ
Covid-19: Daily infections lowest in 44 days
New Delhi, May 28
India on Friday recorded the lowest daily new Covid cases (1,86,364) in 44 days with active cases falling to 23,43,152, registering a decline of over 76,000 cases in a day.
Active cases now make up 8.5 per cent of total positive cases, while daily cases remained less than 3 lakh for the 12th day. — TNS
1,86,364 fresh cases
TOTAL DEATHS 3,18,895
ACTIVE CASES 23,43,152
3,660 deaths in 24 hours
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3yMcZLm
Didi skips Yaas review meet with Modi, draws criticism
Shubhadeep Choudhury
Tribune News Service
Kolkata, May 28
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today skipped a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to assess the damages caused by Yaas, choosing instead a quick interaction at the airbase where the PM's flight landed after an aerial survey.
"West Bengal has incurred a loss of Rs20,000 crore due to the cyclone," the CM claimed. The review meeting snowballed into a political controversy after Mamata personally met the PM before the meeting and submitted a copy of the damages caused by the cyclone to him.
The CM is learnt to have skipped the meeting due to the presence of her friend-turned-bitter foe Suvendu Adhikari.
Later, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik tweeted he decided not to burden the Union Government by asking for additional funds, considering the Covid-19 situation in the country.
Modi, nevertheless, announced a financial assistance of Rs 500 crore to Odisha. Another Rs 500 crore was allocated for West Bengal and Jharkhand, which will be released on the basis of the damage. The Union Government will deploy an inter-ministerial team to visit the states to assess the extent of damage, based on which further assistance will be given.
The PM also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the seriously injured in the cyclone. He conducted an aerial survey of the areas around Digha in West Bengal.
Mamata seeks Rs 20K-cr relief package
- West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee met PM Narendra Modi at the Kalaikunda airbase and submitted a report to him on the damage caused by the cyclone in the state
- She sought Rs20,000 crore package for redevelopment of the worst-affected areas
- The CM is learnt to have skipped the meeting with the PM due to the presence of her friend-turned-bitter foe Suvendu Adhikari
Centre recalls Bengal Chief Secy
The Centre on Friday issued an order recalling WB Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, asking him to report to Department of Personnel amp; Training on May 31. Bandyopadhyay, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the WB cadre, was scheduled to retire on May 31 after completion of 60 years of age. TNS
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2SGGAoI
108 cr to get jab by December, Rahul Gandhi stoking fear as per toolkit script: Prakash Javadekar
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 28
Union Minister and senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar today said over 108 crore people would be vaccinated against Covid by December, thus marking the culmination of India's vaccination programme.
Slamming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his scathing observations on vaccination strategy and use of word "nautanki" (drama) in reference to PM Narendra Modi, Javadekar said India would get 216 crore doses to vaccinate over 108 crore people by December. Asking Rahul "not to spread fear among people" by talking of "third, fourth, and fifth wave", the minister said India was second country globally to carry out the fastest and largest inoculation programme.
"
At current vax pace, 3rd wave inevitable
PM exported vaccineshellip;. 2nd wave is a result of his theatrics. At today's pace, vaccinations will conclude by May 2024, but by then we will have multiple waves.
"
"At a time when PM Modi is leading the fight against Covid, the use of words like "nautanki" for him is an insult to the country and its people. We will not use such words for him (Rahul) because people have stopped his "nautanki" long time back," Javadekar said. He called Rahul's today's press conference a "proof of the 'toolkit' prepared by the Congress to tarnish the government's image".
Addressing the media virtually, Rahul claimed the current rate of vaccination guaranteed a third wave and the PM and the government had not yet understood the disease that was evolving fast, nor did they have an inoculation strategy to prevent future waves.
"At today's pace, vaccinations will be completed by May 2024, but by then we will have multiple waves and people will remain vulnerable," the Congress leader said, defending his recent tweet where he called Covid "Movid", in an attack on PM Modi and expressing concern over 3 per cent inoculation coverage in India.
Javadekar questioned Rahul saying considering the importance he was giving to vaccines now, why did he and leaders of his party raise questions regarding Covaxin. "The PM opted for Covaxin to put a full stop on all questions," he said.
Covaxin production cycle of 120 days
Covaxin maker Bharat Biotech on Friday said it was working to ramp up production, but the process was time consuming. "The timeline for manufacturing, testing and release for a batch of Covaxin is approximately 120 days, depending on the technology framework and regulatory guidelines to be met.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3uwfhuL
Hearing on Class XII exams on Monday
New Delhi, May 28
The Supreme Court on Friday deferred to May 31 hearing on a petition seeking directions to cancel the Class XII exams of the CBSE and Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) amid the surge in Covid-19 cases across the country.
"
Ways to ease stress
Many countries are now looking for alternate ways to conduct exams so that the students are free from mental pressure.
"
"Be optimistic. Maybe by Monday some resolution will be there. Let us have it on Monday," a Bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar told petitioner Mamata Sharma, who has sought directions to devise an "objective methodology" to declare Class XII results within a specific time frame.
The CBSE had on April 14 announced cancellation of Class X exams and postponement of Class XII exams in view of the sudden spike in Covid-19 cases.
The Ministry of Education recently sought detailed suggestions from the states and Union Territories on the proposals discussed in a high-level meeting held on the issue. The CBSE has proposed conducting the exams between July 15-August 26 and the result to be declared in September. It gave two options — conducting regular exams for 19 major subjects at notified centres or conducting shorter duration exams at respective schools where students are enrolled.
The Bench asked her to serve an advance copy of her petition to the standing counsel for the CBSE, ICSE and the office of the Attorney General for India. — TNS
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3vxUWXi
Wheat procurement on MSP crosses 400 LMT
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 28
Wheat procurement on MSP has crossed the 400-LMT mark, an all-time high, the government said today. According to the latest figures of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, 400.45 LMT of wheat has been procured, benefitting 42.36 lakh farmers, till May 27.
It said procurement of wheat in ongoing RMS 2021-22 is continuing smoothly in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir at MSP as was done in previous seasons.
As of May 27, over 400.45 LMT of wheat has been procured, which is an all-time high. The figure is more than the previous high, 389.92 LMT recorded in RMS 2020-21.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2R0Rkho
Dealing with China in ‘non-escalatory’ manner: Army Chief
New Delhi, May 28
Army Chief Gen MM Naravane on Friday said there could be no de-escalation without complete disengagement at all friction points in eastern Ladakh and that the Indian Army was prepared for all contingencies in the region.
In an exclusive interview, Gen Naravane said India was dealing with China in a "firm" and "non-escalatory" manner to ensure the sanctity of its claims in eastern Ladakh. It has been more than a year since the military standoff between the two sides erupted in eastern Ladakh on May 5 during which there were fatalities on both sides for the first time in 45 years. Gen Naravane asserted that the Indian Army was currently holding onto all important areas in the high-altitude region and had adequate personnel in the form of "reserves" to react to any contingencies."We are very clear that no de-escalation can take place before disengagement at all friction points. India and China have signed a number of border agreements which have been unilaterally breached by the People's Liberation Army," Gen Naravane said.
He said the next rounds of military talks with China would focus on restoring the status quo ante of April 2020. — PTI
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3i8LFAS
Dominica court stays Mehul Choksi’s repatriation
New Delhi, May 28
A court in Dominica has "restrained" the authorities from removing fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi from the Caribbean island country till further orders, local media reported. The order came on a petition filed by the lawyers of Choksi, who was detained in Dominica for "illegal entry".
Choksi's lawyer Vijay Aggarwal said the legal team "has filed a habeas corpus petition in Dominica for Choksi and also highlighted deprivation of access to Mehul Choksi and deprivation of constitutional rights to legal assistance".
The High Court of Justice in Dominica "restrained" the authorities from "removing" Choksi till further orders and listed the matter for hearing on May 28 at 9 am local time, Antigua's media said. — TNS
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/34seoZz
IAF chief reassures humanitarian assistance to Ladakh
The CAS took stock of the operational readiness and status of units deployed in and around Leh
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/iaf-chief-reassures-humanitarian-assistance-to-ladakh/article34672728.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/iaf-chief-reassures-humanitarian-assistance-to-ladakh/article34672728.ece
Fix a timeline for execution of AIIMS project, says MLA
‘Single window facility should be in place for giving approvals’
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/fix-a-timeline-for-execution-of-aiims-project-says-mla/article34671807.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/fix-a-timeline-for-execution-of-aiims-project-says-mla/article34671807.ece
Sexual offences against children will be pursued seriously: Police Commissioner
Complaints can be lodged through social media handles of the police, says Jiwal
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/sexual-offences-against-children-will-be-pursued-seriously-police-commissioner/article34671757.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/sexual-offences-against-children-will-be-pursued-seriously-police-commissioner/article34671757.ece
Healthy lifestyle, routine can help beat pandemic blues, says expert
‘20% of COVID-affected persons have psychiatric issues’
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/healthy-lifestyle-routine-can-help-beat-pandemic-blues-says-expert/article34671753.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/healthy-lifestyle-routine-can-help-beat-pandemic-blues-says-expert/article34671753.ece
City police trace rape victim to Kerala
Six people arrested; two of the accused shot at during crime scene reconstruction
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/city-police-trace-rape-victim-to-kerala/article34672644.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/city-police-trace-rape-victim-to-kerala/article34672644.ece
Notify details of COVID-19 cases, private CT scan centres told
Many who have not undergone RT-PCR tests take CT scan of the chest: officials
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/notify-details-of-covid-19-cases-private-ct-scan-centres-told/article34671749.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/notify-details-of-covid-19-cases-private-ct-scan-centres-told/article34671749.ece
Odisha extends global tender process for COVID-19 vaccines by 7 days
The Odisha government, which was scheduled to open technical and price bids for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines from the international market on
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/odisha-extends-global-tender-process-for-covid-19-vaccines-by-7-days/article34671659.ece
source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/odisha-extends-global-tender-process-for-covid-19-vaccines-by-7-days/article34671659.ece
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