LG clears deck for new DU VC to take charge

LG clears deck for new DU VC to take charge

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:07.10.2021

Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal on Wednesday approved chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s proposal to relieve Yogesh Singh from the post of the vice-chancellor of Delhi Technological University.

Singh was appointed as the new vice-chancellor of Delhi University on September 22.

In an official order issued, Delhi government’s department of training and technical education said: “Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal has approved the proposal recommended by the chief minister for relieving Yogesh Singh from the post of vice-chancellor of Delhi Technological University on October 7 to enable him to join Delhi University as the vice-chancellor.”

The order added that JP Saini, vice-chancellor of Netaji Subhas University of Technology would be assigned additional charge of DTU’s vice-chancellor for a period of three months or till Singh’s successor is selected.

Delhi Technological University will also be organising a farewell for Singh on Thursday.

423 from UK sent to 10-day home quarantine in 3 days

423 from UK sent to 10-day home quarantine in 3 days

Sidhartha.Roy@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: 07.10.2021

Over 400 UK nationals who have arrived in Delhi since Monday have been sent for mandatory home quarantine. Sources said that even transit passengers from the UK who were going to other states had to give their sample for an RT-PCR test at the Delhi airport. No passenger has tested positive for Covid-19 yet.

The central government has decided to impose the “reciprocal” quarantine conditions on the British nationals after the United Kingdom refused to reconsider its decision to treat fully-vaccinated Indians as unvaccinated. The new regulation was issued on October 4 by the Union health ministry, which are applicable to all UK nationals arriving in India, regardless of their vaccination status.

The new regulation includes a pre-departure Covid-19 RT-PCR test within 72 hours before travel, Covid-19 RT-PCR test on arrival at the airport and another RT-PCR test on Day 8 after the arrival and mandatory quarantine at home or in the destination address for 10 days after arriving in India. Prior to the new regulation, the British nationals had to undergo extra screening upon arrival due to the UK’s own surge in December. This included seven days in home quarantine and an RT-PCR test at the airport on arrival.

A total of 423 United Kingdom nationals have arrived in Delhi in 10 different flights since the new regulation came into effect, including 56 in one flight at the time of going to the press. The passengers have to give a self-affidavit, declaring that they will follow the guidelines dated October 4, 2021 and that they will remain in home quarantine for the next 10 days and get tested through RT-PCR on Day 8 from the day of arrival.

“Such safety protocols have already been there and for all international passengers who have to get screened by taking a Covid-19 RT-PCR test and remain in home quarantine. Only those who test positive for Covid-19 have to remain in institutional quarantine,” a senior Delhi government official said. “The only difference in this new regulation for the UK nationals is that the length of home quarantine is longer and the requirement of another test after eight days,” he said.

The official said that while all international passengers were screened for Covid-19, the UK nationals were being identified separately and it was ensured that they were put under surveillance separately. “Usually, passengers are asked to remain in home quarantine, but now in the case of UK nationals, the district officials at their destination are being alerted immediately and it is their responsibility to keep the passengers under a health surveillance,” he added.

“Also, not only passengers destined for Delhi and getting out of the airport arrival terminal, but also samples for the RT-PCR test for transit passengers are being taken. The authorities of the state they are visiting are informed and in case the test result comes out positive, the local authorities are alerted immediately,” he said.

GOVT OFFICIAL SAYS

Only the passengers who return positive test for Covid-19 have to remain in institutional quarantine

HC: Can’t help corpn staff not doing their job

HC: Can’t help corpn staff not doing their job

New Delhi:07.10.2021

Delhi High Court on Wednesday said it was not obliged to come to the aid of municipal workers and press for payment of their salaries when they were not discharging their functions on ground, leaving the capital in a “dismal state”.

A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh, hearing a batch of petitions on non-payment of salaries and pensions to teachers, hospital staff, sanitation workers and engineers employed by the municipal corporations, expressed its displeasure at the state of cleanliness and upkeep of the capital.

“While on the one hand, we are pressing for payment of salaries and pensions, it appears that the municipal employees, especially safai karamcharis, are not discharging their duties... As a result, in the city, there is an increase in the case of dengue, collection of garbage and malba, and broken roads and pavements,” the HC bench stated.

“Not a single piece of plastic has been removed from there. It continues to be just as dirty and shabby... cows are eating all that plastic. They will die,” remarked Justice Sanghi while referring specifically to the Sainik Farms area. PTI

US district court order opens doors for non-immigrant visa holders like H-1Bs

US district court order opens doors for non-immigrant visa holders like H-1Bs

Lubna.Kably @timesgroup.com

07.10.2021

A US district court judge has prohibited the use of travel bans as an excuse to not process or issue visas, such as H-1Bs — a non-immigrant visa. While the US is gearing up to open its doors from November to fully vaccinated travellers, this decision by the district court of Columbia, pronounced on October 5, is good news for H-1Bs and their dependants (such as spouses holding H4 visas) who had found themselves stranded in India while visiting their family. H-1Bs who were allotted visas under the lottery mechanism also found themselves unable to get their visas processed.

Travel bans were imposed under a ‘presidential proclamation’ earlier by former President Donald Trump and later by President Joe Biden. A fallout was that visa processing came to a halt. No non-immigrant visas were issued unless the individual could claim a carve out under the ‘National Interest Exemption’, which itself was a challenging task.

On April 30, 2021, US President Joe Biden issued a proclamation restricting the entry of non-immigrants (green card holders were exempt from the ban) who were physically present within India during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the US. TOI had covered filing of the lawsuit by several individuals including Indian nationals in its edition of June 3.

The lawsuit complaint had stated: “Several plaintiffs are long-term employees of US companies, who have been stuck outside of the US and whose careers are at risk, as they cannot return to their jobs, homes, and communities.” Before the district court, they claimed that the proclamations had hurt them as the US department of state “has refused to process their non-immigrant visas”, “to schedule interviews or adjudicate their visa applications”, or “to issue the visas”. They said currently “…consular officials are categorically precluded from processing their visa applications unless they fall under an exemption, regardless of the capacity and reopening status of local consulates and embassies.” While Judge James E Boasberg did not order the department of state to immediately adjudicate the plaintiff’s cases he has debarred the use of the travel ban proclamation as an excuse to refuse visa processing. Greg Siskind, one of the immigration attorneys who represented the plaintiffs, said, “This is a pretty important win because it was specifically aimed at killing the illegal interpretation across the board. This will also hopefully bar a president in the future from abusing this power.”

E-token for entry to Mansa Devi temple

E-token for entry to Mansa Devi temple

Arvind.Bishnoi1@timesgroup.com

Panchkula:07.10.2021

The nine-day Ashwin Navaratra celebrations begin from Thursday and Shri Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board (SMMDSB) has made special arrangement from maintenance of law and order to the facilities given to the devotees, who come in large number from across the country to pay their obeisance at the Mata Mansa Devi temple in Panchkula and Kali Mata temple in Kalka. Entry at the temple will be allowed only through e-token system and special e-token counters have also been set up. However, no capping on the number of devotees is fixed. Random Covid sampling of devotees would be done.

The SMMDSB officials have stated that a devotee could obtain e-token from their website www.mansadevi.org.in or through the three counters setup by the administration at the bus stand of Mansa Devi Temple, HUDA shopping complex and near the library near the main temple entry. The counters will remain open from 6am to 10pm to assist the devotees.

For preferential darshan facility, an amount of Rs 50 to be paid through the SMMDSB website and 10-person at one time would be allowed to go through lifts at the temple.

During the nine-day Navaratras, 20 special buses for devotees from Zirakpur bus stand, Sector-17 and 43 bus stands in Chandigarh among free auto rickshaw and e-rickshaws for elderly and physically disabled would be run for the devotees during the festival. For following of Covid-19 protocol, e-tokens would be given to the devotees, but no cap on the number of devotees has been fixed so far.

For law and order, a sufficient number of cops, bomb disposal teams would be deployed, for fire safety, two fire tenders would be appointed atthe Mata Mansa Devi Temple throughout the festival. Chief executive officer of SMMDSB Yetender Sen Gupta said they were all set for the nine-day festival and all necessary arrangements had been made in advance.

Mansa Devi temple all decked up to receive devotees for Navaratra

AI to fly over Hindu Kush on way to UK

AI to fly over Hindu Kush on way to UK

Saurabh.Sinha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:  07.10.2021

The increased flying time for Air India nonstop between Delhi and UK and Delhi and North America since Afghan airspace closed on August 16 is going to reduce significantly with the airline deciding to fly over the mighty Hindu Kush range for the first time. This new routing will see Boeing 777s and 787s soaring over Tirich Mir (7,780 metres), the world’s highest peak outside the Himalaya-Karakoram range.

Since mid-August, nonstop flights on these routes, including PM Narendra Modi’s recent US journey on India One, have taken the longer route via south Pakistan below Afghanistan and then via Iran-Turkey instead of the shorter Pakistan-Afghanistan-Turkmenistan/ Uzbekistan route. Now heading straight north towards Kashmir, over the Hindu Kush range and then the usual route to the west will mean less flying time for passengers and fuel saving for AI at a time when fuel prices are on fire.

“The flying time for north American nonstop flights will come down by up to 40 minutes and for the UK (London and Birmingham) by 20 minutes — almost like before the Afghan airspace closed,” said an airline source. “Our nonstops between Delhi and mainland Europe will continue to take the south Pakistan route for now as determined by our cost benefit analysis.”

The sources said that on the return from north America, an aircraft will save four tonnes of fuel (one tonne while going and three on return). On a return UK flight, the saving will be 2.5 tonne. At the moment, due to travel restrictions in the United States (likely to be lifted from early November), there aren’t too many daily flights, but AI will still save 30 tonne per week using the Hindu Kush route.

“At $800 per tonne of fuel, the weekly saving alone is $24,000, or around Rs 18 lakh at the current currency exchange rate,” confided a source. “When restrictions are lifted and we mount more flights to north America, the savings will multiply. Once the Afghan airspace reopens, we will resume the old route.” Canada, for instance, has just permitted nonstop flights from India and AI has resumed its direct Delhi-Toronto and Delhi-Vancouver services.

Carrying less fuel will mean more payload in terms of passengers and/or cargo. So, the benefit of say, four tonne less fuel will be double — lesser fuel and the differential amount in extra payload.

For the high terrain route, Air India has prepared through extra simulator drills, trial runs and special precautions.

AIMING HIGHER

Now, pay ₹10-₹50 extra for taking a train from revamped stations

Now, pay ₹10-₹50 extra for taking a train from revamped stations

Dipak.Dash@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:07.10.2021

Soon, you would have to pay a user fee ranging between Rs 10 and Rs 50 for boarding trains from stations that have been redeveloped or will be redeveloped in the near future. Similar charges will also be levied for de-boarding the trains at stations that have been revamped or will be revamped soon. This fee will be automatically added to the fare while booking tickets. The user fee would be in five categories, higher for AC First Class and subsequently less for AC-2, AC-3, Sleeper and unreserved classes.

The railway ministry will soon notify the fee, which will be an assured source of revenue for the private players who will develop these stations and the ministry hopes this will encourage more private players to bid for the projects.

Sources said though earlier the railways had sent the proposal to seek approval from the Cabinet, now a decision has been taken that the national transporter will notify the charges on its own and will come out with the detailed policy.

“We are hopeful of the notification in the next 4-5 days. It will bring clarity if the charges can also be levied on passengers boarding from or de-boarding at stations where redevelopment work is underway or if it will be applicable for only redeveloped stations,” said an official.The levy of the user fee will mean the train fare will increase.

For example, if a passenger books a ticket from New Delhi to Mumbai, then the ticket price would include the user fee of both stations.

However, if a passenger books a ticket from a smaller station to New Delhi or Mumbai, then the user fee would be 50% of the normal charge.

Sources said to begin with the railways may roll out the user fee regime at 50 stations.

COSTLY AFFAIR