Doc couple tests Covid positive despite taking both doses of vax

Doc couple tests Covid positive despite taking both doses of vax

Cases At 69-Day High; Shops In A’bad Areas To Be Shut After 10pm

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:16.03.2021 

A city-based doctor couple – Dr Bela Dave, a professor at AMC-run dental college in Khokhra, and Dr Dilip Dave, a pathologist running a lab in Bapunagar area – tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday. The duo had completed both the vaccination doses as healthcare workers (HCWs).

The couple told the media on Monday that they had no major symptoms, and have home quarantined themselves. The duo had got tested as part of their duty and had no apparent symptoms associated with the viral infection.

It is the second instance in the past three days where the doctors who have completed both the shots have got infected with the virus. P 5

890 new cases in 24 hours

Dr Mukesh Maheshwari, a city-based pathologist and a committee member in Gujarat chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA), said that the incidents should not be seen as detrimental to the ongoing vaccination drive.

“None of the vaccinations can claim 100% efficacy – while some have claimed 70% effectiveness, others have claimed 81%. But vaccination is required to ensure that even when a person is infected, the morbidity and mortality remain low,” he said. Surge in Covid-19 cases in Gujarat continued with 890 cases in 24 hours, the highest in 69 days. While Surat city recorded alltime daily high cases at 240, Ahmedabad recorded 75-day high at 205. In wake of the surge in cases, AMC on Monday announced restriction in commercial establishments’ timings from March16 in eight wards with highest surge.

74% faculty posts vacant at IIMs; 35% at IITs, NITs

74% faculty posts vacant at IIMs; 35% at IITs, NITs

Chethan.Kumar@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:16.03.2021 

As another academic year is set to start, premier institutions in India — IITs, NITs, IIMs and IISERs — are staring at a collective faculty shortage of 38%, with cumulative vacancies as high as at 74% at the IIMs. It is 38.4% and 36.5% among IITs and NITs, respectively.

According to the HRD ministry, of the 39,822 sanctioned posts across IITs, NITs, IIMs, IISERs, IIITs, central universities and other institutes funded by the Centre, 14,372 (or 36.1%) are vacant.

The vacancies are caused by retirement, resignation and due to demands brought on by increased student strength, according to the ministry. A director of one of the institutions said: “Compared to the first 50 years, the number of these institutions have more than doubled in the past two decades. However, there has not been a matching growth in our PhDs. The institutions do not always get the promised funds.”

Data specific to IITs, NITs, IIMs and IISERs shows that of the 20,122 sanctioned faculty posts, 7,683 (or 38%) are vacant, while it is 34% for central universities, IIITs, NITTRs (National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research) and other centrally funded institutions together.

Pai: Centre must consider Anil Kakodkar panel suggestions

TV Mohandas Pai, chairman, Board of Manipal Global, says: “The primary problem is that of money. The Centre must seriously consider Anil Kakodkar committee recommendations. Despite knowing in advance retirement dates and timeline of expansion, there is no proper planning. The Centre must reimagine the way institutions function and revisit the rigid norms that set facultystudent ratios.”

While IIMs have the highest percentage of vacant posts (74%), they need to collectively fill up only 934 positions. Comparatively, IITs together need to fill up 3,876 positions, while it is 2,736 for NITs. The IISERs, with 137 vacant positions, are the best among the elite institutions have just 10.6% shortage.

Prof S Sadagopan, director, IIIT-B, said: “Hiring, growing and retaining faculty is a challenge for every institution in the world. It is no different at MIT or Harvard as high-quality people are in short supply. That said, institutions deliberately don’t aim to fill up 100% posts as there needs to be room to infuse young blood periodically and have positions for the best when they are available.”

The central universities, with 34% shortage, need to collectively fill up 6,210 posts.

Upward trend goes on with highest Covid cases in 85 days

Upward trend goes on with highest Covid cases in 85 days

New Delhi:16.03.2021 

India recorded 26,291 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, its highest singleday spike in 85 days, taking the country’s infection tally to 1,13,85,339, according to Union health ministry data. The death toll due to the disease increased to 1,58,725 with118 more fatalities being recorded in a day, the data updated at 8 am showed.

Registering an upward trend for five days in a row, the total active caseload has gone up to 2,19,262 which is 1.93% of the total infections in the country, while the recovery rate has dropped to 96.68%, the data stated.

As many as 26,624 infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours on December 20.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,10,07,352, while the case fatality rate stood at 1.39%, according to the data.

India’s Covid-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 22,74,07,413 samples have been tested for Covid-19 up to March 14, including 7,03,772 on Sunday. PTI

Ashok Kumar, an independent candidate, campaigns wearing PPE suit at Kolathur after filing his nomination papers for the Tamil Nadu assembly elections

Kerala HC allows transgender woman to join NCC

Kerala HC allows transgender woman to join NCC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kochi:16.03.2021 

The Kerala high court has ordered that a transgender person be allowed to join the National Cadet Corps and has also directed that the law be amended to include transgenders in the NCC.

Justice Anu Sivaraman issued the directive after considering a petition filed by Hina Haneefa, a student of University College in Thiruvananthapuram. The court said the fact that the NCC Act does not recognise the third gender or that detailed guidelines are yet to be introduced for the integration of persons of the third gender into the NCC cannot be justification to deny the petitioner entry.

Ruling that denial of enrolment in the NCC in this case is unsustainable, the court said the petitioner is entitled to participate in the selection process and to be enrolled if successful.

It was pointed out by the court that the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 recognises the right of transgenders to a life of dignity and prohibits discrimination against them. Provisions of the NCC Act cannot preclude the operation of the law on transgender rights, the court said.

The court also said the enactment on transgender rights was one intended to give effect to the rights guaranteed to such persons under Articles 14, 15, 19 and 21 of the Constitution and that it has to be kept in mind when considering cases of this nature. A transgender has not only the right to be recognised as a transgender but also the right to self-perceived gender identity as per the law, the court noted.

Section 6 of NCC Act, which allows only males and females to enrol themselves in the NCC, was challenged by the petitioner. The NCC had contended that there was no provision in law to allow the entry of transgenders.

IN RIGHT DIRECTION

Transgender woman can join NCC: Kerala HC

Transgender woman can join NCC: Kerala HC

Kochi:16.03.2021 

The Kerala HC ordered that a transgender person be allowed to join National Cadet Corps and has also directed the law be amended to include transgenders in the NCC. Justice Anu Sivaraman issued the directive after a petition filed by Hina Haneefa, a student in Thiruvananthapuram. It said the fact the NCC Act does not recognise the third gender or that guidelines are yet to be introduced for the integration of persons of the third gender can’t be justification to deny entry. TNN

UGC: CA, CS, ICWA now equivalent to PG degrees

UGC: CA, CS, ICWA now equivalent to PG degrees

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:16.03.2021 

Candidates qualifying the Chartered Accountant (CA), Company Secretary (CS) or Cost and Works Accountant (ICWA) exams will now be treated quivalentto postgraduate degree holders.

University Grants Commission in an office order issued on Monday said: “UGC had received requests from Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) and the Institute of Cost Accountants of India, to consider the qualification being awarded by them--CA, CS and ICWA, equivalent to post-graduation degrees,” UGC said in an official order.

“To consider this a committee was constituted by UGC.The commission considered recommendation of the expert committee and resolved that CA, CS and ICWA qualification be consideredequivalent to PGdegrees,” it added.

Following the order,ICAItweeted, “the University Grants Commission @ugc_india has resolved that CA Qualification will be treated equivalent to PG Degree based on requests submitted from @theicai. This will not only help CA’s for pursuing higher studies but will also facilitate the mobility of Indian CAs globally”.

Full report on www.toi.in

PM to interact with CMs on ramping up of vaccination drive

PM to interact with CMs on ramping up of vaccination drive

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:16.03.2021 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with chief ministers on the Covid-19 situation and the ongoing vaccination drive on Wednesday as the Centre plans to ramp up the inoculation exercise amid a rise in infection in some states, official sources said.

PM will hold the meeting with CMs through a video conference to discuss the issues, an exercise which he has been holding regularly since the outbreak of the pandemic.

The meeting also assumes significance in the wake of increasing Covid-19 cases in many states.

Modi’s last interaction with chief ministers was in January before the vaccination roll-out.

He had announced that the Centre will bear the expenses of vaccinating nearly three crore healthcare and frontline workers in the first round and suggested that public representatives, a reference to politicians, should not be part of this initial exercise.

The meeting with CMs which will be held through a video conference assumes significance in the wake of increasing Covid-19 cases in many states