2020: Migrants remember year of tears and toil

2020: Migrants remember year of tears and toil

Pankhuri.Yadav@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:  25.03.2021 

Rukmani Devi from Chhattisgarh had Rs 4,000 when the lockdown was announced a year ago. That money lasted two months. In May, she had no option but to pack her bag and walk to her village. It took her 10 days to reach home, all the while thinking she would find some dignity there. To her dismay, the people refused to let her enter the village. “Since there were no Covid cases there, the villagers were afraid of me being a carrier since I was coming from Delhi,” she recalled. “It took an entire day to convince my neighbours to let me go to my house. Eventually, I realised my condition in the village was worse than in Delhi, so I returned.”Devi could not get work as a household help even after months of trying. “It was much later that I got a job at a construction site at half the wages I earned as a domestic help,” she said. Like her, many have faced a bad, if not worse, situation after the lockdown.

Remembering the humiliations they suffered during the nationwide shutdown a year ago, hundreds of migrant workers gathered at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday for a candlelight march. Organised by Working People's Charter, the gathering was a cauldron of the bitter memories the workers had of the challenging months. “2020 will go down in world history as the most difficult year in recent times,” declared Kamal, a migrant labourer.

An organiser of the event said that March 24, 2020, would be remembered not only for marking the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown, but also for ushering in an unprecedented impact on the country’s 140 million migrant labour force. “Perhaps the most heart wrenching and shameful news was of 16 workers being killed by a train near Aurangabad on the way to their village,” said Chandan Kumar of Working People’s Charter. “The point that India’s migrant workers had to bear the severest brunt of the lockdowns needs no belabouring. Neither does the fact that the migrant crisis unfolded due to India’s longstanding and unaddressed labour problems.” Kumar added that urban employment guarantee, wage support, strong grievance redressal mechanisms, better facilitation of social security and entitlements and importantly, a long-term regulation of worksites, needed to be focused on in the government’s larger vision of a policy for migrant workers.

Hundreds of migrant workers gathered at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday for a candlelight march and remembered the humiliations they suffered during the lockdown

Cour-age! 106-year-old woman undergoes hip replacement surgery

Cour-age! 106-year-old woman undergoes hip replacement surgery

New Delhi:  25.03.2021 

A 106-year-old woman, Shanti Devi, underwent successful hip replacement surgery at a city private hospital recently. Devi, a resident of Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh, suffered a fracture of the hip joint, following which she was rushed to Dharmshila Narayana Hospital on March 12, a doctor said.

“Without the surgery, she would have been bedridden. Most patients in her age can’t survive for a long time if their mobility is affected. That’s why we had to take up the surgery,” said, Dr Monu Singh, senior consultant in orthopaedics at the hospital. TNN

45+ most vulnerable, account for 88% of Covid deaths: Govt

45+ most vulnerable, account for 88% of Covid deaths: Govt

‘Adequate Vax Supply To Cover Expanded Base’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:25.03.2021 

The government said the expansion of the vaccination drive to cover all above 45 years is intended to prioritise the group that is most vulnerable to the disease, accounting for 88% of the over 1.6 lakh Covid-19 deaths in India.

The case fatality rate (CFR) in this group is 2.85%, against a national average of 1.37%, said the Centre even as it called upon states to intensify efforts to increase vaccinations and urged private hospitals to increase participation.

On Tuesday, the Centre had announced that vaccination will be extended to cover everyone aged above 45 from April 1, irrespective of comorbidities. “It is because of the age-based criteria that the vaccination programme has been steady, seamless and practically glitch-free. We are, therefore, building on that approach. This is a scientific approach and has also stood the test of time,” Niti Aayog’s member (health) Dr V K Paul said, pointing to similar strategies in the US and UK.

The Centre maintained there is adequate supply of vaccines to cater to the expanded group. However, it said there is great scope to improve private sector participation. On Wednesday, around 34,481 vaccination sessions were conducted by government hospitals, whereas only 5,425 were held in private facilities.

While Delhi and Telangana have close to 50% of doses administered by the private sector, in states and Union territories like Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur and Maharashtra less than 30% doses were given in private facilities.

DA COVID CODE: An artist paints a mural of Monalisa with a face mask to raise awareness about the pandemic in Mumbai on Wednesday

No gathering on Holi, Eid & Easter as MP fights Covid

No gathering on Holi, Eid & Easter as MP fights Covid

Sunday Shutdown In Betul, Ratlam, Khargone & Chhindwara Too

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bhopal:25.03.2021 

Battling a surge in Coronavirus cases, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan cabinet on Wednesday banned public gatherings on Holi and extended Sunday lockdown to four more cities — Betul, Ratlam, Khargone and Chhindwara.

“Vigilance is a must in view of the increasing cases of Corona in the state. Therefore, it is necessary to follow the principle of ‘Meri Holi-Mere Ghar’, limiting Holi to our homes,” CM Chouhan said. Not just Holi, large gatherings are prohibited on Shab-e-baraat, Easter and Idul-Fitr as well. The decision came on a day MP recorded 1,712 Covid cases — a new high every day— and the active case count crossed 10k.

Minister for medical education Vishwas Sarang said, “All religious gatherings are prohibited. Every district will appoint a crisis management committee that will hold meetings with religious heads and prominent citizens to advise against crowded celebrations.” “The cabinet decided that Holi this year will be celebrated with a new slogan — ‘Meri Holi Mere Ghar’ (My Holi at My Home). No procession or crowded celebration will be permitted,” Sarang said.

No lockdown in state, says Shivraj

CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday reiterated that the state will not go into lockdown. “Lockdown will not be imposed in the state, but the other necessary restrictions will be imposed,” he said at a discussion with journalists in Barwani. At a public event, he advised the anchor to wear his mask properly and warned people that if they do not wear masks, they will become infected with Coronavirus.

Wedding guests capped at 50

Clubs, swimming pools, gymnasiums and cinemas will remain closed. There will be no sit-and-eat at restaurants. They will be open only for takeaway and home delivery,” the minister added. The number of cities under Sunday lockdown has increased to seven — Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur have already had a Sunday shutdown (10pm Saturday to 6am Monday) following a government order of March 19. However, registry offices and treasury offices will remain open on Sunday March 28. “Schools and colleges will remain closed till March 31,” Sarang said.

After a long discussion, the cabinet capped wedding guests at 50 and those attending a funeral at 20 in towns and cities where more than 20 Covid cases are being reported per day. For mrityubhoj, only 50 people will be allowed. TNN

Govt directs varsities to cancel all irregular appointments

Govt directs varsities to cancel all irregular appointments

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:25.03.2021 

Finding gross irregularities in the recruitment process, the state department has directed all universities to cancel various appointments for posts of academic and non-academic staff made over the past few years.

These recruitments were made in the absence of vacant positions, according to the department. It has issued a circular in this regard to all universities where it has warned of strict disciplinary action against any official who does not adhere to this directive.

“It has come to light that several academic and non-academic staff members were recruited in the absence of any such vacant posts in the past few years,” said sources in the education department. Also, the salary, allowances, and even promotions with hike in payscale were given to these new recruits, sources added. All this has been done in gross violation of the state education department’s guidelines, according to sources. The funds generated after cancellation of these recruitments should immediately be directed to the grants received by the university.

Recruitments were made in absence of vacant positions

GTU degree dropouts can resume studies midway

REJOIN ANY TIME

GTU degree dropouts can resume studies midway

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:25.03.2021 

Gujarat Technology University, the state’s largest varsity, on Wednesday announced that it will allow students, who quit their diploma or degree engineering programs midway from its affiliated colleges, to resume their academic studies.

“Earlier only students with backlog were allowed to rejoin studies, but now any student who had left their degree or diploma studies midway through the academic year, can now rejoin college,” said an official at GTU.

The board of governors at GTU took this decision at a meeting held recently. GTU has 550 affiliated colleges. The varsity released a circular in this  connection on Wednesday.

In the case of diploma studies, students were required to complete the programme within six years while it was eight years in the case of degree studies.

“The new education policy has provisions for candidates to re-enter a programme at any point of time after they quit. Even if a student quit the programme many years ago and wished to rejoin, s/he can do so at any time,” said GTU sources. Such candidates can resume studies after payment of fees of Rs 5,000, according to sources.

The decision is likely to give a new lease of life to several hundred students who left their studies incomplete in the past due to varied reasons, sources added.

Covid -ve certificate required to attend Kumbh Mela: U’khand HC

Covid -ve certificate required to attend Kumbh Mela: U’khand HC

Prashant.Jha@timesgroup.com

Nainital:25.03.2021 

Days after chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat made the statement that no RT-PCR test report is required to attend Kumbh Mela, the Uttarakhand high court (HC) on Wednesday directed the state to strictly adhere to the the SOPs issued by both the central and state governments and “implement the guidelines in both letter and spirit.” The order effectively makes the Covid-19 RT-PCR test report mandatory, thereby clearing up the confusion that was prevailing in this regard especially after the CM’s statement made soon after he took over earlier this month.

The bench of Chief Justice RS Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma which delivered the order said that “the government must insist that no pilgrim is allowed to enter Kumbh Mela areas or to enter the state, until and unless the person carries a medical certificate clearly indicating that he/she is not a Covid-19-positive patient.”

The bench noted that Covid cases are rising in several parts of the country which has forced several states to go into partial lockdown as a result of which, the pandemic remains a cause of concern. “This is a clear indication that we are again entering the phase where the country will face the Covid-19 pandemic.Therefore, the state government is expected to be vigilant and to ensure that the Maha Kumbh mela does not turn into a breeding ground for the spread of Covid-19. Therefore, this court directs the state government to ensure that the SOPs issued by the central and state government are implemented in the strictest sense, both in letter and spirit,” read the court order.

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