CoWin vax certificate foolproof, has all details, say govt officials

CoWin vax certificate foolproof, has all details, say govt officials

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:23.09.2021

The Covid vaccination certificate generated through CoWin is “foolproof ” and linked to the level of the vaccination centre with information validated on the system, top government officials said. Responding to reports that the UK has raised doubts over vaccination certificates, even as it reviewed its order not to recognise Covishieldvaccinated persons, officials said India's digital platform has proved itself. In a recent press conference, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had said the Centre and states have "line data" on those vaccinated, down to names, telephone numbers and addresses.

While reports on the UK's alleged misgivings did the rounds, National Health Authority chief executive R S Sharma, who also heads the CoWin team, said he was unaware of any queries over data. “I am not aware of any concern being raised by any of their (UK) officials over Covid vaccine certificate generated by CoWin. It is an absolutely foolproof certificate with each and every information validated on the system,” Sharma told TOI.

The UK on Wednesday added Covishield to its list of approved Covid jabs for travel to the country. However, confusion persisted as despite recognising Covishield – which accounts for around 88% of the total immunisation in India -- it is not yet on the approved list of 17 countries.

The CoWin system captures the batch number of the vaccine administered to any particular individual, name of the vaccinator, date and time of vaccination along with recipients details. "Few countries have this kind of a robust system," said another senior government official.

In its revised guidelines, UK said formulations of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, including Covishield, would qualify as approved vaccines. It said a traveller must have had a complete course of the approved vaccine at least 14 days before arriving.

The development comes days after India raised strong objections to the non-recognition of Covishield, manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India, by the UK. India called it a “discriminatory policy” that impacted Indian citizens wishing to travel to the UK.

Beneficiaries wait to receive vaccine dose in Patna on Wednesday

Maha guv returns OBC ordinance, raises queries

Maha guv returns OBC ordinance, raises queries

Priyanka Kakodkar and Clara Lewis TNN

Mumbai:23.09.2021

In a new twist in the feud between Maharashtra governor B S Koshyari and the MVA government, the gover nor retur ned the state’s ordinance to provide for the OBC quota in rural local bodies after raising queries. “The governor asked for the Supreme Court to be informed before sending the ordinance to him,” said rural development minister Hasan Mushrif.

The state cabinet on Wednesday decided to re-submit an amended ordinance to governor Koshyari. It also decided to issue another ordinance on the same lines for urban local bodies to provide for OBC quota, apart from reservations for SCs and STs within the 50% quota limit for local bodies. The next hearing of the OBC reservation case in Supreme Court is on Thursday. The state is likely to mention the two ordinances in court.

MVA ministers hit out at at Koshyari for not signing the ordinance. “Ever since this governor came, he has been under influence of the BJP. He should act like the head of the state. If the ordinance had gone through, it would have helped in the upcoming zilla parishad bypolls,” said Mushrif, who belongs to the NCP. “If he does not sign the amended ordinance, it will send the message that BJP is not allowing OBC reservations,” Mushrif said.

OBC affairs minister Vijay Wadettiwar said Koshyari’s decision to return the ordinance was akin to sprinkling salt in the wound of OBCs. “The governor’s advisors seem to want to keep the OBC reservation issue hanging and blame the government,” said Wadettiwar, who belongs to the Congress. The Sena also attacked the governor. “How long does it take for the governor to get legal advice? The BJP should tell us why he has still not approved the 12 nominees the cabinet had approved for the legislative council. According to the law, the governor has to act on recommendations of the cabinet,” said Sena MP Sanjay Raut.

The BJP said the governor was merely acting on the view taken by the state’s law and judiciary department on the OBC ordinance. “The law and judiciary department had opined that SC permission should be taken before issuing the ordinance, so that it would not be rejected in court. The state should have got an opinion from the state advocate general to overrule this view. Without doing this, they sent the ordinance to the governor,” said BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis.

Full report on www.toi.in

Kamal calls NEET ‘killer exam’, Anbumani dubs it ‘student killer’

Kamal calls NEET ‘killer exam’, Anbumani dubs it ‘student killer’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:23.09.2021

MNM leader Kamal Haasan and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss have demanded that the Centre do away with the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) “to protect social justice”.

While Kamal urged the Tamil Nadu government to wage a legal battle against what he dubbed was ‘uyir kolli’ (killer exam), Anbumani termed the entrance test as “maanavarkolli” (killer of students).

Their demand comes days after the Justice A K Rajan committee report on the impact of NEET was made public by the Tamil Nadu government. The committee made it loud and clear that NEET was an exam “that kills lives” (students). The report has also listed out the adverse impact and revealed that it favoured CBSE students and those who studied in English medium schools.

Kamal insisted that the purpose behind the NEET exam was commercial. “This has been verified as 90% of the medical students, who pass this exam, are trained in private coaching centres. This makes it difficult and puts a question on students who cannot afford to pay for such expensive coaching,” said Kamal Haasan in a statement on Wednesday.

“Since the beginning, I have been saying that commercialisation is behind NEET. The data (in the A K Rajan committee report) has confirmed it,” said the actor-turned-politician. He said NEET would destroy the state medical infrastructure, which is the best in the country.

Anbumani tweeted demanding the Centre do away with NEET. He pointed to Maharashtra Congress leader Nana Patole's letter to CM Uddhav Thackeray demanding scrapping of NEET and said, “It is proof that NEET is anti-social justice” and it is an "early sign that an anti-NEET wave is all set to begin across the nation".

UP IN ARMS: (L-R) Kamal Haasan, Anbumani Ramadoss

Illegal parking along Pallavaram Radial Road puts motorists at risk

Illegal parking along Pallavaram Radial Road puts motorists at risk

Poor Lighting, Faulty Signals Add To Woes

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:23.09.2021

Haphazardly parked water and sewage tankers are among the major causes of accidents on most city roads and the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road is no exception, with no fewer than 70 such vehicles halted on the stretch at any given time.

Compounding the problem is the poor illumination on the road along which are located several IT companies. The non-functioning of traffic pedestrian signals near the Kamakshi Hospital junction and at the one near Vel’s University is another issue, leading to chaos among pedestrians.

The 200-feet wide radial road has reduced the time taken to travel between Pallavaram and Thoraipakkam, but with vehicles parked on both sides there is very little space for motorists. The radial road was made into a six-lane stretch to ensure smooth flow of traffic, but despite this it has turned into a free unauthorised parking lot for many vehicles.

The scene is particularly bad near Kamakshi Hospital in Pallikaranai and Vel’s University, with traffic snarls the norm during peak hours as the road is heavily used by employees of IT firms. At Vel’s university, pedestrians are forced to risk their lives while crossing the road amid fast moving vehicles.

Drivers of trucks coming to unload construction material or supply water to apartment complexes park vehicles for long periods on the road sides, inconveniencing motorists. “Some of them are parked on the main roads. As many of these tankers are owned by politicians, the drivers don’t clear off soon,” said Moorthy, of Pallavaram.

With the entire left side of the 10km stretch turning an unauthorised parking lot, the lane meant for bikers is completely blocked. Large swathes of the stretch is also poorly lit, making commuting at night difficult. Many IT firm employees use the stretch after night shifts, making it handy for anti-social elements, say residents.

When contacted, a senior police officer said they would initiate action against truck drivers who park their vehicles illegally.

CHAOTIC: Vehicles parked illegally along Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road near Kovilambakkam

Madipakkam streets flooded after Tuesday’s rain

Madipakkam streets flooded after Tuesday’s rain

Komal Gautham@timesgroup.com

Chennai:23.09.2021

Rain on Tuesday night left about six streets in Madipakkam’s Srinivasa Nagar waterlogged, forcing residents to wade through them on Wednesday. Potholes on the streets compounded the residents’ woes.

The problem for residents of more than 200 houses in the area began in May when Metrowater began laying water pipelines. Now, people on Brindhavan Street, Sivaprakasam Street, Srinivasa Road, Ramnagar North and two others, under corporation wards 168 and 169 and very close to Velachery, are struggling.

Srikumar Balakrishnan, a resident, said Metrowater should speed up the storm water drain work and repair the road as soon as possible. “Tuesday’s showers were not that heavy but we are facing a lot of problems. So, we are worried what the situation would be during the upcoming monsoon. At least the agencies involved should take up temporary interventions to avoid water stagnation,” he said.

Ashok Jain, another resident of the low-lying area, said, “We have officially been issued drainage and water connections, but we are yet to get them. All sewage flows on to the roads. Whenever it rains, water stagnates on the streets.

Several residents complained to officials of the corporation and Metrowater, but no action was taken till Wednesday night. Neither motors nor any other equipment were brought in to remove the stagnant water, residents said.

A Metrowater official work under a water supply scheme project was on in the area. “We will complete it by July 2022,” he said, adding that roads and drains can be laid only after that.

Some of these roads have storm water drains but are blocked in many locations. “We understand they are undertaking a project, but they should have planned it properly,” said Ashok Jain. “On Wednesday, we had to wade through water after getting dressed and given the Covid situation, if we fall sick, it’s added trouble.”

YEARLY RITUAL

3 dead, 5 hurt as auto overturns on GST Road

3 dead, 5 hurt as auto overturns on GST Road

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:23.09.2021

A pastor was among the three people who died on Tuesday night when the share autorickshaw they were travelling in hit a median on GST Road near Tambaram and overturned. Five other passengers were left injured and the auto driver is on the run.

The auto was on its way to Perungalathur bus stop from Tambaram with eight passengers around 10.30pm when the driver, who was speeding on GST Road, had to make a sharp turn to avoid colliding with an incoming private bus. However, he lost control of the vehicle and hit the median. This caused the auto to overturn. In the impact, Issac Raj, 51, a pastor from Cuddalore, Sundar Raj, 31, and Nagamuthu, 36, of Puducherry died on the spot after sustaining head injuries.

Police said passengers Ezhumalai, Anand Kumar, Rajinikanth two others were left injured and were taken to Chromepet government hospital. Anand Kumar and Rajinikanth were shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. Police said Nagamuthu had come to Chennai to invite a relative to his wedding next month. He had planned to reach Puducherry on Tuesday and was on his way to Perungalathur to board the bus.

The Chromepet traffic investigation police have registered a case of causing death due to negligence and a search is on to nab the driver. Witnesses said he too sustained injuries, but managed to flee from the scene. Police are also checking CCTV camera footage from the spot.

About two weeks ago, five youngsters who were speeding on GST Road died after colliding with a parked truck . Many commuters complained that vehicles are not being checked for going over the speed limit on this stretch and this has led to many accidents. Motorists also said share autos routinely flout safety norms by overcrowding their vehicles.

DRIVER AT LARGE: Police said the share auto’s driver was speeding and had to take a sharp turn to avoid colliding with a private bus when the accident took place

UK accepts Covishield, but Indians to quarantine

UK accepts Covishield, but Indians to quarantine

Saurabh Sinha / TNN / Updated: Sep 23, 2021, 06:53 IST

The United Kingdom has included AstraZeneca Covishield in its list of accepted vaccines against Covid-19.

NEW DELHI: The United Kingdom has included AstraZeneca Covishield in its list of accepted vaccines against Covid-19.

However, as of now, that does not translate into relief for quarantine for fully vaccinated (with WHO-approved Covishield) travellers from India under the relaxed rules that come into force from October 4.

The UK has raised doubts over Indian Covid vaccination certification process. Due to this, even fully vaccinated (with Covishield) from India will continue to need to quarantine in the UK on arrival under relaxed rules for non red list, or rest of world, countries applicable from October 4.

India, which is no longer on UK’s red list, and UK are working to resolve this issue following an uproar among Indian travellers over being denied the relaxed norms. India has warned of taking similar action.

British High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis, said: “We’re clear Covishield is not a problem. The UK is open to travel and we’re already seeing a lot of people going from India to the UK, be it tourists, business people or students. Over 62,500 student visas have been issued in the year ending June 2021, which is an increase of almost 30% as compared to the previous year. We want to make the process of travelling as easy as possible.”

“We have been having detailed technical discussions regarding certification, with the builders of the CoWIN app and the NHS app, about both apps. They’re happening at a rapid pace, to ensure that both countries mutually recognise the vaccine certificates issued by each other,” Ellis said.

The UK government website, in an update on Wednesday, mentioned Covishield in the list of accepted vaccines. However, a spokesperson for the British High Commission in Delhi had said this Monday, “We are engaging with the government of India to explore how we could expand UK recognition of vaccine certification to people vaccinated by a relevant public health body in India.”

The UK government update says: “From 4 am, October 4, you will qualify as fully vaccinated if you are vaccinated: under an approved vaccination programme in the UK, Europe, USA or UK vaccine programme overseas; with a full course of the Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or Janssen From 4 am, October 4, you will qualify as fully vaccinated if you are vaccinated: under an approved vaccination programme in the UK, Europe, USA or UK vaccine programme overseas vaccines from a relevant public health body in Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Dominica, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea or Taiwan; Formulations of the 4 listed vaccines, such as AstraZeneca Covishield, AstraZeneca Vaxzevria and Moderna Takeda, qualify as approved vaccines. You must have had a complete course of an approved vaccine at least 14 days before you arrive in England.”

A spokesperson for the British High Commission in Delhi on Monday also said: “The UK is committed to opening up international travel again as soon as is practicable and this announcement is a further step to enable people to travel more freely again, in a safe and sustainable way, while protecting public health. We are engaging with the Government of India to explore how we could expand UK recognition of vaccine certification to people vaccinated by a relevant public health body in India.”

On September 17, the UK announced a new travel system which has just a red list and rest of the world. New rules apply to rest of the world arrivals in England from October 4. But for those from India, the conditions are the same when India was moved from the red to amber list.

On April 23, 2021, UK had put India on its red list during the devastating second wave here. This meant Indian citizens were not allowed to enter UK. And a handful of categories exempt from this restriction like British citizens/residents going from India needed to quarantine in a hotel on arrival in the UK for 10 days.

From August 8, India was moved from the red to the amber list. “This means: Visit visas for the UK from India are open (in addition to other visa long-term visas that have remained open); travellers arriving in England can complete a 10-day quarantine at home or in the place they are staying (not mandatorily quarantine in a managed hotel); Under the voluntary Test to Release scheme, they can choose to pay for a private Covid-19 test on day 5 of the quarantine. If the result is negative, they can end their quarantine,” the spokesperson had said this August.

Visa applications from Indian travellers for all categories continue to be processed and you do not need to be vaccinated to travel to the UK.

Regardless of your vaccination status, travellers from India must take a pre-departure test, and must take a Covid-19 test on or before Day 2 and on or after Day 8, and self-isolate for 10 days. Travellers can also choose to shorten their home quarantine to around 5 days under the test of release service.