Omicron: Most patients in Guj needed re-test

Parth Shastri & Sachin Sharma | TNN

Ahmedabad/Vadodara: 21.12.2021

What was common about the cases recorded in Vadodara on Monday and in Ahmedabad on Sunday? The patients had tested negative with RT-PCR tests twice — but the third test detected the presence of Covid-19 and subsequently genomic sequencing found the Omicron variant.

In the case of a 27-yearold woman in Vadodara, she developed symptoms such as low-grade fever after returning from the UK last week. “She underwent the RT-PCR test before boarding the flight according to the requirements. Upon arrival in Mumbai, she again took the test and the result was negative,” said a senior health department official. “She then returned to Vadodara. As she developed symptoms, she was advised another test and the presence of the virus was detected.” In the case of a couple from Tanzania, the chance discovery was due to a preprocedure RT-PCR test that gave the positive result. They had tested negative in Mumbai and Ahmedabad and even at the time of boarding the flight. Experts pointed out that the milder symptoms or the lack of symptoms make detection all the more difficult. Senior state health department officials were not available for comment on whether multiple testing could be the norm for passengers from ‘at risk’ countries.

Dr Mukesh Maheshwari, an Ahmedabad-based pathologist, said that the way in which the samples are collected matters as much as the kits do. “Both nasal and throat swabs can give results, but if the viral load is low, the virus may not get detected immediately,” he said. “It’s possible that the first two tests are carried out at a short interval, and by the third test the viral load required for detection is achieved.”

TN considering leave for Nalini, govt tells Madras HC

TN considering leave for Nalini, govt tells Madras HC

Chennai:21.12.2021

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday informed the Madras high court that application made by Rajiv Gandhi assassination life convict S Nalini seeking ordinary leave to take care of her ailing mother is under consideration.

State public prosecutor Hasan Mohamed Jinnah made the submission on the plea moved by Nalini’s mother S Padma seeking direction to the state to consider her application for ordinary leave.

Recording the submission, a division bench of Justice P N Prakash and Justice R Hemalatha adjourned the hearing to December 23. According to the petitioner, in 2018 the state cabinet passed a resolution for release of her daughter and all other convicts sentenced to life term in the assassination case. A recommendation to this effect was also made to the governor.

However, the governor is sitting on the recommendation without taking any decision for over two years, she said. Since my health condition deteriorated, I made an application to the superintendent of prison, special prison for women, Vellore seeking to grant leave for my daughter so that she can take care of me, the petitioner said. TNN

Man uses pvt pics to blackmail schoolgirls, they get him killed

Man uses pvt pics to blackmail schoolgirls, they get him killed

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:21.12.2021

The Arambakkam police on Monday detained two Class X students from Chengalpet in connection with the murder of a 21-year-old college student, who was blackmailing the girls using intimate photographs he had taken.

The body of Premkumar of Otteri was found buried at Eachangadu village in Tiruvallur on Sunday after villagers alerted police on spotting hair and bloodied teeth at a deserted location. Police said investigations led them to the two girls, who had paid Premkumar ₹50,000 each over the last year after he threatened to publish their photos online. He befriended them on Instagram and neither was initially aware they were involved with the same man.

Unable to handle the blackmailer’s pressure, the girls asked Ashok, another youth they had befriended recently on Instagram, to help them snatch Premkumar’s phone and delete the photos. Police said Ashok and three of his friends from Red Hills used the girls to lure Premkumar to Sholavaram toll plaza on Friday morning and kidnapped him. Later that night, Ashok and another friend took Premkumar to Eechangadu where they allegedly murdered and buried him. “We have launched a hunt for Ashok. Only after we nab him will we know what exactly happened,” said an investigating officer.

Premkumar’s body was handed over to his family on Monday after autopsy at Government Stanley Hospital.

SC upholds judicial probe into Jaya’s treatment at pvt hospital

SC upholds judicial probe into Jaya’s treatment at pvt hospital

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:21.12.2021

The Supreme Court has upheld the inquiry into the “correctness, adequacy and inadequacy” of medical treatment extended to former chief minister J Jayalalithaa and turned down Apollo Hospitals’ plea challenging the setting up of the Justice A Arumughaswamy commission of inquiry.

A bench of Justice S Abdul Nazeer and Justice Krishna Murari, however, allowed the hospital to crossexamine any witness and lead its own evidence before the commission. It upheld the Madras high court order which had refused to interfere in the proceedings before the commission.

The bench said it would be just and proper to constitute a medical board to assist the commission in disposal of the case.

“For this purpose, we request the director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, to nominate a panel of doctors, specialists in the fields of treatment of the ailments as suffered by the late chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Needless to say that the commission has to furnish the said medical board, so constituted, with complete records of the proceedings. The medical board, so appointed, is permitted to participate in all further proceedings of the commission and furnish a copy of the report to the commission,” it said.

Don’t find any infirmity in HC order in Jaya case: SC

The bench passed the order on an appeal filed by Apollo Hospitals, which approached the court through advocate Rohini Musa.

It had accused the panel of bias and of conducting proceedings in violation of natural justice.

The commission, however, denied the allegations and told the apex court that it was holding the inquiry as per the law.

“Having heard the learned senior counsel for the parties, we do not find any infirmity in the order of the high court,” the apex court said in its order, which was passed on November 30, but uploaded now on the SC website.

“However, having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, we are of the view that it is just and proper for the commission to furnish the documents, the depositions and the records as available in the records of the commission on an application to be made by the hospital... The hospital is also permitted to make an appropriate application seeking permission to crossexamine/recall of any witness or individual including those witnesses whose evidence has since been closed and also lead its own evidence. If such an application is filed, we request the commission to consider the same and pass appropriate orders thereon,” it said.

Omicron spreading faster than Delta, infecting vaxxed: WHO

Omicron spreading faster than Delta, infecting vaxxed: WHO

But UN Body Predicts 2022 May See Pandemic’s End With Vax & Treatments; Britain Under Pressure To Tighten Curbs As Deaths From Variant Rises To 12

21.12.2021

The Omicron variant is spreading faster than the Delta variant and is causing infections in people already vaccinated or who have recovered from the Covid-19 disease, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva on Monday. “There is now consistent evidence that Omicron is spreading significantly faster than the Delta variant,” he said. “And it is more likely people vaccinated or recovered from Covid could be infected or re-infected.”

WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said that the variant was successfully evading some immune responses, meaning that the booster programmes being rolled out in many countries ought to be targeted towards people with weaker immune systems. “We do not believe that all vaccines will become completely ineffective,” she said. WHO expert Abdi Mahamud added: “Although we are seeing a reduction in the neutralisation antibodies, almost all data shows T-cells remain intact, that is what we really require.” Swaminathan, referring to a treatment for people with the disease, said: “Of course there is a challenge, many of the monoclonals will not work with Omicron.” She gave no details. But the WHO team also offered some hope to a world facing the new wave that 2022 would be the year that the pandemic would end — with the development of second and third generation vaccines, further development of antimicrobial treatments and other innovations. “If we can keep virus transmission to minimum, then can bring pandemic to end,” Mike Ryan, the WHO’s top emergency expert said. Tedros, too, called for the world to pull together and make the difficult decisions needed to end the pandemic within the next year. “2022 must be the year we end the pandemic,” he said.

Omicron infections are multiplying rapidly across Europe and the US, doubling every two or three days in London and elsewhere and taking a heavy toll on financial markets. Britain has reported record levels of cases over the past week. The UK health security agency said on Sunday that12 people had died due to Omicron and 104 were currently in hospital with it. Speaking after a two-hour cabinet meeting, UK PM Boris Johnson said on Monday he was looking at all kinds of measures to keep Omicron under control as the situation was extremely difficult, cautioning that further restrictions might be needed. British media said ministers had pushed back against the prospect of new restrictions before Christmas and that curbs, lasting between two weeks and a month, were now more likely to be introduced after, possibly from December 28. Media outlets said these would likely include a ban on households mixing indoors, as well as possible limits on the numbers who can meet outdoors and pubs and eateries limited to opening outdoors only.

Germany plans to limit private gatherings from December 28 to a maximum of 10 people who have been vaccinated or recovered from Covid, according to a draft of proposed measures. Italy is also considering new measures. US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said Omicron was “raging through the world” as he urged Americans to get booster shots. Since the start of the month, US cases have risen 50%, according to a Reuters tally. Meanwhile, US senator Elizabeth Warren said she had tested Covid positive. Australia for its part is pushing to ease curbs despite a predicted surge in infections, hoping inoculations will help keep people out of hospital.

Also, the World Economic Forum on Monday postponed its annual meeting in Davos due to the spread of Omicron, putting off the event scheduled for January until mid-2022.

Meanwhile, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa returned to work following a week of isolation after testing positive for Covid. Ramaphosa had mild symptoms. AGENCIES

State govt to operate over 16,000 buses to clear Pongal rush

State govt to operate over 16,000 buses to clear Pongal rush

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:21.12.2021

The Tamil Nadu transport department will be operating 16,768 buses from various locations in Chennai to clear extra passenger rush during Pongal week.

Similarly, around 6,468 other special buses will be operated along other districts in the state from January 11to 13.

As many as 11 ticket reservation counters will be opened at Koyambedu Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT), Tambaram MEPZ and Poonamallee Bus Stand.

Tickets can also be booked online on www.tnstc.in, RedBus, Paytm, makemytrip and BusIndia. Temporary bus stands have been set up at different locations in the city to avoid congestion and smooth operation of special buses. Traffic diversions, introduced five years ago, will be followed this year too. Buses, transporting passengers to Thanjavur and Kumbakonam via Vikravandi, Panruti will depart from the temporary bus stand setup at Tambaram.

Poonamallee bus stand will be the origin for buses bound to Hosur, Arcot, Vellore, Kancheepuram and Cuddalore and Chidambaram buses (via Puducherry) will depart from KK Nagar bus stop.

Buses to AP will leave from Madhavaram. Only south-bound buses will depart from CMBT.

Responding on private omni charging more, TN transport minister RS Rajakannapan said that action will be taken against them.

Eleven ticket reservation counters will be opened at Koyambedu CMBT, Tambaram MEPZ and Poonamallee Bus Stand

PMK seeks clarification on NEET Bill status from DMK

PMK seeks clarification on NEET Bill status from DMK

Chennai:21.12.2021

PMK leader S Ramadoss on Monday sought clarification from the DMK government on the status of the NEET Bill, given that 100 days have passed since it was passed in the state legislature and sent for assent from governor R N Ravi and President Kovind. There is no other reason but politics for the governor not to give assent to the Bill, Ramadoss alleged.

“The Bill was passed on September 13 for medical admission on the basis of marks obtained by students in class 12 board examinations. All parties except BJP had endorsed the Bill. There has been no progress barring passage of the Bill,” Ramadoss said. He said a Bill to cancel the entrance examination for medical and engineering admission was passed in December 2006 and the entire process, including assent for the Bill, was given in 86 days, which was the correct duration. TNN

SC/ST dole scam: 52 principals come under DVAC lens

SC/ST dole scam: 52 principals come under DVAC lens

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:21.12.2021

Fifty-two college principals and administrators have been summoned by officials of dthe irectorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC) for swindling ₹17.4 crore allocated for the uplift of scheduled caste students in the state.

The DVAC officials have summoned a batch of five principals every day to appear before the investigators.

The college authorities and the officials of the adi dravidar and tribal welfare department have been asked to appear before the special investigation cell. The officials will then collate the recorded statements and probe further.

Based on the complaint of lawyer Ashok Kumar, the DVAC discovered that ₹17.4 crore allotted for the scholarships of scheduled caste and scheduled tribe students in Tamil Nadu was allegedly misappropriated from 2011 to 2014.

Inquiries revealed the involvement of the officials from the higher education department and various colleges in misappropriation of the funds.

The DVAC will also investigate seven joint directors of collegiate education, and 11 officials of the adi dravidar and tribal welfare department.

Preliminary inquiry audit report claimed that the scholarships due to scheduled caste and scheduled tribe students admitted under the givernment quota were misappropriated causing a loss of Rs 4.3 crore to the government.

The DVAC officials have registered a case under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) r/w 120 (B) (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code; 13 (1)(c)(d) and13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and 13(1)(a) and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act.

The DVAC officials discovered that ₹17.4 crore allotted for scholarships for scheduled caste/ tribe students in Tamil Nadu was misappropriated from 2011 to 2014

Perfect co-coordination between health services, infra in TN: Guv

Perfect co-coordination between health services, infra in TN: Guv

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 21.12.2021

There is perfect cocoordination between health services and infrastructure in Tamil Nadu and the state is an example for the rest, Governor R N Ravi said, haling Stalin as a dynamic chief minister. Ravi, who shared the dais with Stalin for the 34th convocation of the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University,also congraduated Tamil Nadu for containing the effect of pandemic.

He also praised the staterun medical university for identifying a vaccine candidate for Sars Cov 2. During his convocation address, he asked young graduates to hold on to five essential things — not to commercialise medical profession, develop the art of listening to improve diagnosis and treatment outcomes, integrate traditional and modern medicine using evidencebased research, continue learning and working hard and stay healthy.

Earlier, Stalin in his convocation address urged medical graduates, including those from urban areas, to serve in the rural areas of the state. You should be recognised as people’s doctors, he told young medical graduates seated at the Silver Jubilee Auditorium on the university campus. “When you start working you know that regardless of sex, caste or any other factors, what you will see in front of you is life. You are the nation’s children,” he said asking them to be prepared to face challenges ahead.

The state he said will reopen 11 new medical colleges this academic year, he said. The department has launched a slew of programmes such as door-to-door delivery of medicine, insurance for accident victims, clinic for internet addiction and emergency and rehab centre for people with mental illness.

Health minister Ma Subramanian said at least one in every eight doctors in the country was from Tamil Nadu. “Our best doctors did not join medicine after clearing NEET,” he said. This is the last batch of students from the university, who joined the undergraduate medical programme without clearing medicine. The state’s bill against using NEET as sole criteria for admission is now awaiting governor’s nod.

 

Par panel expresses concern over delay in disposal of pensioners' grievances

Synopsis

A parliamentary panel has expressed concern over delay in disposal of pensioners' grievances beyond the stipulated time limit of 60 days, and asked the Centre to constitute social audit panels to id ..

Read more at:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/par-panel-expresses-concern-over-delay-in-disposal-of-pensioners-grievances/articleshow/88370141.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

AP to probe irregular promotions

AP to probe irregular promotions

Samdani.Mn@timesgroup.com

Amaravati:20.12.2021

Andhra Pradesh government has launched a probe into the irregularities in giving promotions to ineligible lecturers in the technical education department. The probe followed a directive from the state vigilance commissioner. According to preliminary information, the state government has lost nearly₹300 crore due to the payment of higher scales to the ineligible lecturers in the last 5-6 years.

The issue came to light after a lecturer lodged a complaint with the vigilance commissioner. The people who got irregular promotions are believed to have suppressed the facts as they occupied senior positions in the technical education department. As per All-India Council for Technical Education, those, who completed technical degrees through distance education are ineligible to become principals and higher-level posts like joint directors.

AI flight from and to North America to save an hour, Hindu Kush route comes to rescue

AI flight from and to North America to save an hour, Hindu Kush route comes to rescue

Saurabh.Sinha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:20.12.2021

Air India’s popular nonstops between Delhi and North America have just become a lot faster by cutting about an hour in flying time, thanks to the Hindu Kush route.

Since the closure of the Afghan airspace for non-defence aircraft on August 16, AI Boeing 777s flying between India and North America took a longer route — leading to more flying time and fuel burn. They flew via south Pakistan below Afghanistan and, then, entered Iran-Turkey-beyond, instead of the shorter Pakistan-Afghanistan-Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan route earlier.

Since Thursday, AI B777s have started heading straight north, over the Hindu Kush range and, then, taking the usual route to the west. As a result, the flying time of AI 101 (Delhi-New York JFK) is now going to be less than 16 hours, instead of the over 16.5 hours on the longer route avoiding Afghanistan — leading to fuel saving of 7 tonnes one-way.

On December 16, captains Zoya Agarwal, R Someshwar, Sandeep Mukhedkar and Abhay Agarwal operated AI’s first B777 (VT-ALQ named Manipur) over the Hindu Kush while operating from Toronto to Delhi. Pilots describe this as a “very critical and challenging sector”, given the high mountain ranges the aircraft flies over.

Incidentally captain Zoya was also among the pilots who had operated AI’s first San Francisco-Bengaluru flight — one of the world’s longest nonstops — this January that took the polar route. “Our management played a critical role in getting this route cleared for the B777s. Cutting flying time means less fuel burn and lower emissions, something we did by taking the polar route and, now, with the Hindu Kush,” said a senior pilot.

As reported by TOI, AI had started flying its Boeing 787 Dreamliners between Delhi and Europe over the Hindukush from this October and, now, the B777s to and North America have also joined them.

“The logistics for B777 and B787 are very different. A fully laden B787 (with passengers, cargo and fuel) can have a maximum altitude of 35,000 feet. But a B777, due to factors like its different wing design and the fact that more fuel has to be carried for the much longer North America nonstops, can have a maximum altitude of 29,000 feet,” said a senior official.

Taking the Hindu Kush route means fly over the awe-inspiring Tirich Mir (7,780 metres or 25,525 feet) — the world’s highest peak outside the Himalaya-Karakoram range.

Hindu Kush ranges clicked from an overflying AI aircraft

Pilots describe the Hindu Kush region as a “very critical and challenging sector”, given the high mountain ranges the aircraft flies over

3.3°C: Season’s coldest morning in city

3.3°C: Season’s coldest morning in city

New Delhi:20.12.2021

The capital woke up to the coldest morning of the season on Sunday with a minimum temperature of 4.6

degrees Celsius at Safdarjung, even as the weather department declared “cold wave” conditions in parts of the city with Jafarpur shivering at 3.3 degrees C and Lodhi Road recording 3.6 degrees, reports Kushagra Dixit.

Strong, icy northwesterly winds sweeping across the northern plains for the second day have suddenly brought on harsh winter conditions in the region, with both “cold day” and “cold wave” conditions in parts of the city. Similar weather is likely on Monday, the met department said.

North By Northwest: Himalayan Winds To Blame For Decembrrr

Temperatures May Rise A Bit From Tuesday

However, with another western disturbance lurking round the corner, conditions may turn warmer by Tuesday as the wind direction reverses.

“Harsh winter conditions are here due to stronger northwesterly winds which flow from the higher Himalayan mountains and are icy cold. Isolated areas of the city have experienced a cold wave, and that may continue through Monday. However, there will be a break thereafter due to a change in wind direction,” said R K Jenamani, senior scientist at India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The weatherman said cold wave conditions in the region depend directly on the speed of northwesterly winds. When a western disturbance approaches the region, the wind direction changes to easterly and the mercury rises.

“Yesterday (Saturday), the wind speeds were 30-40 kmph which led to a cold day and a subsequent cold wave on Sunday at isolated places and quite low minimum temperatures at other places. But the maximum temperatures soared slightly on Sunday comparatively because the wind speed dropped to 10-20 kmph on Sunday. The speed may further drop and there will be a western disturbance, which will also lead to slight clouding on or after Tuesday. This will lead to a rise in minimum temperatures,” said Jenamani.

A western disturbance (WD) is a flow of moisture-laden winds from the Mediterranean Sea region to the Himalayas that forms a lowpressure area and sometimes leads to rain and snow in northern India. As the WD moves further east, northwesterly winds resume in the region, again leading to a dip in temperatures.

According to the IMD, Safdarjung (considered the city’s main weather station) recorded a maximum and minimum temperature of 19.2 degrees Celsius, while the minimum was recorded at 4.6 degrees Celsius — both three notches below the day’s average.

On Monday, the maximum and minimum temperature in the city are likely to hover around 19 and 4 degrees Celsius, with the IMD forecasting possibility of a cold wave. A cold wave happens when the minimum temperature is less than or equal to four degrees Celsius and it’s at least four degrees below normal.

Meanwhile, city’s air quality remained within poor category due to moderate winds that helped flush the pollutants out. The air quality index, on a scale of 0 to 500, was 271 on Sunday, against 291 a day earlier.

CAQM likely to further ease restrictions on construction activities: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is likely to further ease the curbs on construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR in view of a significant improvement in the air quality over the last three days, an official said on Sunday.A decision is likely as early as Monday, he said.

“In view of the significant improvement in the air quality in NCR over the last three days, the CAQM is likely to further liberalise restrictions in the construction sector,” the official said.

The commission had on Friday said the restrictions on construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR will continue till further orders.

However, projects related to public utilities, railways, metro, airports and ISBTs, national security, defence, healthcare, highways, roads, flyovers, power transmission, and pipelines among others had been exempted.

The central air quality panel had also allowed authorities in Delhi-NCR to resume physical classes for students in classes 6 and above, colleges and other educational institutions with immediate effect. The commission had also said that physical classes for students up to class 5 can begin from December 27. PTI

Bill to link Aadhaar with voter card to be tabled in Lok Sabha today

Bill to link Aadhaar with voter card to be tabled in Lok Sabha today

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:20.12.2021

Law minister Kiren Rijiju will introduce the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

The bill to amend the Representation of the People Act seeks to bring in key reforms including voluntary linkage of voter ID with Aadhaar so as to weed out bogus and duplicate entries in electoral rolls. The matter is listed in the legislative business of the Lower House for Monday.

The bill also provides that this amendment will not put any voters at any disadvantage as “no application for inclusion of name in the electoral rolls shall be denied and no entries in the electoral rolls shall be deleted for inability of an individual to furnish or intimate Aadhaar number due to such sufficient cause as may be prescribed”. Such people will be allowed to furnish other alternative documents as may be prescribed, according to the bill.

The amendment will also provide registration of new voters on four qualifying dates in place of the existing January 1 of every year. At present, anyone turning 18 on or before January 1 will be eligible to be registered as a voter. Anyone born after January 1 will have to get enlisted only after a year. According to the bill, along with January 1, there will be three other qualifying dates — April 1, July 1 and October 1 — in every calendar year.

The proposed amendments also allow the elections to become gender neutral for service voters. The amendment will help replace the word ‘wife’ with the word ‘spouse’ making the statutes “gender neutral”. At present, an Armyman’s wife is entitled to be enrolled as a service voter, but a woman officer’s husband is not. With ‘wife’ being replaced by the term ‘spouse’, this will change.

At 4°, coldest night in Bhopal in decade

At 4°, coldest night in Bhopal in decade

Madiyahar In Damoh Coldest In State At 0.5°

Ankur.Sirothia@timesgroup.com

Bhopal:20.12.2021

Bhopal shivered through what was possibly its coldest night in 55 years as the mercury plunged to 4 degrees Celsius on Sunday — a 6-degree drop in 24 hours. There’s a cold wave warning for Bhopal and17 other districts.

The coldest night ever recorded in Bhopal was 3.1 degrees on December 11, 1966. Sunday was certainly the coldest in a decade as the earlier record was 4.9 degrees in December 2018. Bhopal, in the heart of the country and on the Tropic of Cancer, was nearly as cold as Shimla (3.6 degrees) this Sunday. Morning walkers all but vanished and the streets had never been as deserted on a Sunday evening since Covid lockdown was lifted. There were fewer bikers on the road as well.

Laxmi Sharma, 71, says Sunday’s bone-chilling cold reminded her of what it was like on that “freezing night” of December 11, 1966. “A bonfire was the only way to beat the chill 55 years ago. It was tough to survive the 3-degree cold without heaters and geysers. We sat around a bonfire outside our house. Everything felt like freezing,” she told TOI.

Night temp in city 7° below normal

Day temperature in Bhopal was recorded at 20.7 degrees, 6 degrees below normal, and the night temperature of 4 degrees was 7 degrees below normal.

Large parts of Madhya Pradesh recorded their lowest temperatures in a decade on Sunday. Some small towns reported temperatures close to freezing — Madiyahar (Damoh) 0.5°. Kalyanpur (Shahdol) 0.8° and Kurwai in Vidisha 1.0°.

In Gwalior, the mercury plummeted to 1.8 degrees, while Naogaon, Umaria and hill station Pachmarhi recorded 2 degrees. Avari in Ashok Nagar was 1.4°C and Rampur Sainik in Sidhi 1.5 degrees.

It was the coldest night in 10 years in Gwalior, which sees extremes of temperature in summer and winter. Gwalior’s lowest ever temperature was minus 0.4 degrees on December 26, 1961. Night temperatures dipped below 5 degrees in many parts of the state.

There will be no respite for the next few days. Warnings of severe cold wave, cold wave, severe cold day and ground frost persist for several places in the state. The chill may intensify till December 22 when a western disturbance could bring in some warmth, says the met office.

Officials of the meteorological department, Bhopal circle, said that snowfall in northern parts of the country and dry northerly cold winds have led to this dramatic plunge in temperatures.

The chill will add to the Monday blues. The day may be slightly warmer at 21 degrees Celsius and the minimum may be 6 degrees, but a 16kmph wind could intensify the chill factor.

There is a ‘severe cold wave’ warning in Gwalior and Chambal divisions and for Umaria, Chhatarpur, Sagar and Sehore districts.

A cold wave warning has been issued for Bhopal, Jabalpur, Ujjain, Vidisha, Raisen, Rewa, Satna, Seoni, Tikamgarh, Damoh, Niwari, Rajgarh, Dhar, Ratlam, Shajapur, Neemuch and Mandsaur.

Seoni, Dhar and Ujjain have been warned of a ‘severe cold day’. Umaria, Chhatarpur, Bhind, Morena, Sheopurkalan, Gwalior and Guna districts will see ground frost. TNN

The chill may intensify till December 22

No clarity on rules, flyers from KIA choosing London transit left in lurch Many Denied Boarding, Lose Money

PANDEMIC DILEMMA

No clarity on rules, flyers from KIA choosing London transit left in lurch

Many Denied Boarding, Lose Money

Petlee.Peter@@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:20.12.2021

Several Indian passport holders, who had booked flights via London to reach Canada, have allegedly been denied boarding at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Bengaluru, by various airlines citing vague Covid testing rules and visa hurdles.

Travel experts termed the situation “unfair” with no clarity on rules during the Omicron crisis, resulting in huge monetary losses and heartbreak for those not being able to travel despite fulfilling travel requirements.

There are limited options for Canada-bound passengers even as ticket prices are skyrocketing. Also, air bubble arrangements due to Covid-19 allow only point-to-point travel and transit at destinations like London which is creating problems for Indian passport holders without a UK visa, experts said.

Recently, Mahesh Rajanna from Yelahanka booked a ticket on British Airways to Toronto from Bengaluru with a brief transit in London. He reached KIA on the dawn of December 5 only to be denied boarding. The ground staff said he’d failed to pre-book a Covid RT-PCR test for his transit in Heathrow.

Mahesh booked another ticket with the same airline for travel on December 12 and this time too he was denied boarding, with the response that “Indian passport holders even with Canadian PR stamps are not allowed to transit via the UK”.

The 39-year-old is now trying his luck with other airlines to fly directly from Delhi to rejoin work in Canada.

Rajanna is one of the many who were turned away at KIA in recent weeks by airlines like British Airways and Qatar Airways over a rule, which travel experts say, doesn’t exist on paper. Indian passengers to Canada, mainly those holding Canadian PR, had been transiting via London without needing a visa for the UK.

According to Indiver Rastogi, president, Global Business Travel, Thomas Cook (India) & SOTC, Indians holding a valid Canadian visa don’t need a transit visa but must obtain a negative test report at the airport in London, in addition to a pre-departure negative Covid test result in India.

“It is highly recommended to pre-book the test at the airport in London, and a suitable transit time between connecting flights should be kept in mind, confirming details with the respective airline,” he said.

However, the reality on the ground has been the opposite, rued many flyers. “I spotted a reasonably less expensive ticket to head to Montreal via London from Bengaluru and was sent back by Bengaluru airport staff who said Indian passport holders despite having Canadian PR stamps can’t fly via London. Now I’m booked on a direct flight by Air India from Delhi to Toronto after paying nearly Rs 2 lakh for the trip,” lamented a 27-year-old techie.

‘3 trouble-free options to reach Canada’

Loveleen Arun, a Bengaluru-based travel expert and holiday package designer, said the information system for airline travel has broken down and no one is giving a clear answer on the status of Indians’ eligibility to transit via London. With British Airways unavailable for comments, their airline sources in Bengaluru said: “Indian passport holders are not allowed into the UK without a valid visa even for transit.”

Loveleen said lack of clarity on the travel situation has affected hundreds of people with their ticket money stuck with booking portals and airlines.

“At present, there are only three troublefree options for Indians to reach Canada, which are Air India and Air Canada via Delhi and Etihad Airways via Abu Dhabi. People must avoid the London route to save themselves the trouble,” she said.

Officials tracing Omicron infection source in JNV

The health department in Dakshina Kannada is leaving no stone unturned to find the source of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, that was reported among four children of a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) in the district.

The epidemiologic data of children who tested positive for Covid-19, showed no clue of them or their parents having a history of travel to foreign countries, or neighbouring state of Kerala. The department is looking from all angles, to find the actual source of the variant that infected children, who are all below 14. Of the 79 primary contacts and 203 secondary contacts identified from the JNV in the district, only 13 people tested positive. Of the 12 samples sent for genome sequencing, four tested positive for the Omicron variant.

10 fresh cases take India’s Omicron tally to 155

10 fresh cases take India’s Omicron tally to 155

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

20.12.2021

India’s Omicron tally crossed the 150-mark on Sunday and stood at 155 with 10 fresh cases reported from two states --- six from Maharashtra and four from Gujarat.

Maharashtra tops the chart in the statewise tally with 54 cases, followed by Delhi which has 22 cases. Among the new cases in Maharashtra, four were detected in Mumbai and one each in Pimpri Chinchwad and Pune (rural). The four cases detected in Mumbai were overseas travelers – two from UK and others from Tanzania -- who tested positive for Covid-19 when screened at the airport. All of them are fully vaccinated.

The Pune case is a 5-yearold boy, who is a close contact of a traveller from Dubai. The Pimpri Chinchwad case is a 46-year-old returnee from a middle eastern country. Maharashtra health authorities said that of the 54 cases, 28 have already been discharged, while the rest remain asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic.

Paper leaked from Sanand press; 3 held

GSSSB EXAM

Paper leaked from Sanand press; 3 held

Ambulance Driver, Nurse Among Accused

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:20.12.2021

In a major breakthrough, Gandhinagar Police have arrested the three main conspirators behind the leaking of the head clerk examination paper. The Gujarat Subordinate Services Selection Board (GSSSB) exam was held on December 12. Gandhinagar cops arrested the three on Saturday.

The questioning of the three accused has revealed that the paper was leaked from a Sanand printing press which the board had contracted.

The accused have been identified as Deepak Patel, a resident of Hathijan in Dahegam; Mangesh Shirke, a resident of Nava Naroda; and Shirke’s relative, Kishor Acharya, a resident of Manipur in Sanand. “Gandhinagar Police were given the task by range IG Abhay Chudasama to nab the accused,” said Gandhinagar SP Mayur Chavda. “A team of the local crime branch officers in coordination with Sabarkantha Police began an investigation.” Chavda said cops have found that the main accused, Jayesh Patel, and Deepak Patel had been introduced by another accused named Deval Patel.

Jayesh had sold the question paper to three students: two in Prantij and one in Mehsana.

Deepak was an ambulance driver at a hospital where Deval was a nurse. Deepak contacted Shirke, who worked as the night manager at a private hospital in Mithakhali. Acharya, the uncle of Shirke wife, worked at the printing press in Sanand. Chavda said that Acharya, a printing press supervisor, obtained the paper and along with Shirke and Deepak sold it to Deval and Jayesh for Rs 9 lakh. Chavda added that cops have seized Rs 7 lakh from Shirke’s house. Chavda said that Jayesh took a token amount of Rs 1-2 lakh from a target candidate and retained the candidate’s original documents. If the candidate received the leaked paper, he or she had to pay Rs 10-12 lakh. The documents were returned only after the hefty amount was paid.

Is the Covid-19 booster the same as a vaccine?

Is the Covid-19 booster the same as a vaccine?

20.12.2021

Yes, Covid-19 boosters use the same recipe as the original shots, despite the emergence of more contagious variants of the virus. The vaccines weren’t tweaked to better match the Delta or Omicron variants.

The vaccines work by training your body to recognise and fight the spike protein that coats the coronavirus and helps it invade the body’s cells. The increased protection you might get from a booster adjusted to better match the Delta or other variants would be marginal, says Dr Paul Goepfert, director of the Alabama Vaccine Research Clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, US. Manufacturing doses with a new formula would have also delayed the rollout of the booster shots. Moderna and Pfizer are studying boosters tweaked for the Delta, Omicron and other variants. Health authorities would have to decide if and when a vaccine formula swap would be worthwhile.

—AP

CBSE review committee for third party intervention in paper setting process

CBSE review committee for third party intervention in paper setting process

Following the furore over an inappropriate passage in the question paper, the Board is determined to strengthen its remedial measures and prevent a recurrence

Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesgroup.com

20.12.2021

The CBSE plans to set up an expert committee to thoroughly review and strengthen the question paper setting process. This has come in the wake of a gender row over a comprehension passage in the CBSE class X English paper where the Board expressed regret over the unfortunate incident. CBSE has dropped the passage and will be awarding full marks to the concerned students.

Talking to Education Times, Sanyam Bhardwaj, controller of Examinations, CBSE, says, “The review committee will consist of members with expertise in conducting examinations and in academics. This thirdparty intervention will help streamline the paper setting.”

While the review committee will assess the processes, it would not be involved in the actual setting of the question papers which is the task of subject experts who are senior academics in CBSE affiliated schools/other educational institutes with what Bhardwaj calls “a high level of integrity”. “The question papers will be prepared as per the recommendations of the Committee to avoid recurrence of such above mentioned anomalies.”

The Board has detailed guidelines that demand the question papers to be based on the syllabus and as per the sample papers. Also, it should be free from gender and political bias. Bhardwaj says, guidelines also emphasise the fact that the questions must be class-neutral, region neutral, not touching upon the controversial, social and critical issues. “The subject experts in case of the recent issues arising out of the question papers had missed the guidelines. This has made the review committee all the more pertinent as it will help strengthen the remedial process of paper setting and evaluation. The committee will independently scrutinise the entire process,” he adds.

Pavnesh Kumar, former controller of Examinations, CBSE underlines the measures in place to offset the aforementioned situations. “CBSE gives elaborate written instructions when the paper setting assignment is handed to the subject experts to avoid discrepancies.”

“Once the question paper is set, it is examined by moderators to see if the content coverage is as per the design of the Board, be it in terms of the number and types of questions, and the marks and weightage that are allocated to each content unit,” says Kumar. He adds that the job of paper setting is both strenuous and time consuming due to which not too many academics are inclined to take it up, nor is there much of a financial incentive for the task.

Suggesting that the Board should carefully engage experts to evaluate each set of question papers before going to print, Kumar says that the subject experts should be made permanent employees of the Board so that they are more responsible towards their work.”

“Additionally, the controller of examinations should have more academic manpower for the smooth functioning of the examination conducting machinery,” he adds.

Once the question paper is set, it is examined by moderators to see if the content coverage is according to the standard set by the Board

School head has been abusing SC students for years, say parents

School head has been abusing SC students for years, say parents

Sambath.Kumar@timesgroup.com

Coimbatore:20.12.2021

The headmistress of the government school at Iduvai village near Tirupur, who was placed under suspension on Saturday for making scheduled caste students clean toilets, had been repeatedly abusing SC children for the past three years, according to students of the school and their parents.

A parent told TOI that some parents had raised the issue with the headmistress last year after children complained that she was forcing them to clean toilets. “At least 10 of us met the headmistress then, but she maintained that our children were at fault. We left assuming she was punishing children for their mistakes, but it seems now that she abused children in the name of caste,” the parent said.

A Class IX girl, who was one of the complainants, said she had been witnessing such treatment of SC students for three years. “On a few occasions when we were caught coming late to the school, the headmistress would mock us citing our poverty and our caste. She would say our lower caste parents have put us in government schools as they could not afford private schools. When she saw us talking to boys, she would say that we are not good at studies and we should be married off soon,” the student said.

It is learned that a teacher had persuaded the students to take up the issue with district chief education officer R Ramesh, who visited the school on Friday. Prima facie evidence pointed out that the allegations were true, a senior official from the school education department said. “The headmistress was silent when questioned, so we placed her under suspension,” the official said.

Tejas passengers fume over ₹20 collected for newspaper, water

Tejas passengers fume over ₹20 collected for newspaper, water

Ananth.MK@timesgroup.com

20.12.2021

Commuters in Tejas express are unhappy over not giving them a choice to opt out from paying ₹20 extra for the railways to provide them with the copy of a newspaper and a bottle of water. Sixty-four-year-old T M Murthi who had travelled from Chennai to Madurai in the train wrote to the railway minister about it and southern railway has offered an explanation.

Murthi, AICTU general secretary for Tamil Nadu, said that he travelled on Saturday and found a bottle of water and a newspaper on the seat allotted to him. “The TTE examined my ticket and demanded ₹20 for the water bottle and newspaper. It is unjust to ask for what I did not ask for. The TTE showed the passengers' list in which he was instructed to collect money,” he said. The TTE left without arguing with him but continued to collect the same from other commuters.

Southern railway on Sunday offered an explanationstating that the additional charge is collected in line with the Railway board policy for premium trains such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto, in return for provision of packaged drinking water and newspaper. In view of the pandemic, catering services, supply of drinking water and newspapers were suspended.

These services have been introduced with effect from December 17, 2021. Hence the ticket checking staffs have been instructed to collect the excess fare of ₹20 from passengers who have booked their tickets prior to December 16. Thereafter advance payment of catering charges was enabled on IRCTC portal to facilitate online booking of catering services for such passengers.

Covid-19 ex-gratia: Kin of deceased left to run between government offices

Covid-19 ex-gratia: Kin of deceased left to run between government offices

Published: 18th December 2021 11:25 AM 

By Jayakumar Madala

Express News Service

TIRUCHY: Lack of proper mandate has left kin of several persons who succumbed to Covid-19 running to various government offices, wondering whether they are eligible for ex-gratia announced by the government.

The State government had, earlier this month, announced an ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 to the kin of those who died due to the infection. With guidelines issued by the government not providing any clarity with regard to cases of victims who died as ‘suspected cases,’ several relatives are now running from one government department to another to check if they are eligible for the compensation under the State Disaster Relief Fund.

“A member of my family died during the second wave in April. He was certified as a suspected case and all Covid protocols were followed during his cremation.

When we received the death certificate, the cause of death was mentioned as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Right now, we are not sure if we are eligible for the ex-gratia,” said Latha, a relative of the deceased.

The Government Order mentions that the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Indian Council of Medical Research will be followed, and only with death certificates mentioned with cause of death as Covid-19 will be eligible for ex-gratia. However, several doctors who handled Covid-19 patients during the pandemic, said the number of death certificates issued with cause of death as Covid-19 were very less than the actual number of deaths.

A doctor, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, “If a death is certified as Covid death, it will be included in the government medical bulletin, which is issued every day. However, several cases which were treated and cremated with Covid protocols are issued certificate with cause of death mentioned as COPD, pneumonia, heart attack among others. The government should consider including the valid cases based on the medical reports taken at that time and provide ex-gratia to all of them.”

It may be noted that when the State government provided financial assistance to minor children who lost either single or both parents due to the virus, having a death certificate with Covid-19 as cause of death was not required. All beneficiaries who had medical reports showing symptoms of Covid-like CT scans or prior RT-PCR reports were provided with the compensation. Relatives of many Covid-19 victims have urged the government to consider similar guidelines.

When asked about the steps taken to address the issue in the district, Collector S Sivarasu said, “We have already provided ex-gratia to kin of 518 out of

1,092 who had died due to Covid-19. Steps are being taken to identify the others and provide them compensation. Relatives with valid reports can submit their application in ex-gratia for Covid-19 section on (http://www.tn.gov.in). The officials concerned will contact the kin and provide compensation if the cases are genuine.”