‘Door-to-door vaccination not feasible’

‘Door-to-door vaccination not feasible’

11.05.2021 

Vaccine production in India will be ramped up to more than 13 crore doses per month by the end of July, the Centre told the SC while negating the court’s suggestions for door-to-door vaccination under the national immunisation scheme as unsuitable for Covid-19 inoculation.

The Centre pointed out that the vaccine is required to be maintained at a particular temperature and the person vaccinated is required to be kept under observation for 30 minutes. Moreover, vaccinators would have to open the vaccine vial box repeatedly, affecting maintenance of temperature and efficacy of the vaccines.

Govt Is Trying To Ramp Up Production Of Vaccines, Court Told

Govt Is Trying To Ramp Up Production Of Vaccines, Court Told

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:11.05.2021 

Clearing a cloud of claims over monetary aid given to Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers, the Centre informed the Supreme Court that it has provided no financial assistance to either Bharat Biotech or Serum Institute for development of vaccines but financial support of Rs 46 crore was extended for clinical trials.

“No governmental aid, assistance or grant is made either for research or development of either Covaxin or Covishield. However, they were given some financial assistance for conducting clinical trials,” the Centre said in its affidavit filed late on Sunday night in the SC. It clarified that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) spent Rs 46 crore on clinical trials of the two vaccines.

The Centre also informed the court that it has given 100% advance money to Bharat Biotech International Ltd (BBIL) and Serum Institute of India (SII), totalling Rs 2,520 crore, for procurement of vaccine doses for the months of May, June and July. SII was paid Rs 1,732.5 crore for 11 crore doses of Covishield and BBIL was paid Rs 787.5 crore for 5 crore doses of Covaxin.

It said Covaxin was developed under public private partnership between the ICMR and BBIL. “ICMR has not provided any funds to BBIL for Covaxin development. However, funds have been spent in various activities undertaken by ICMR and National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for Covaxin development. Also, its phase 3 clinical trials have been funded by ICMR. The trials have been conducted at 22 sites in 25,800 participants. Total estimated expenditure of ICMR is 35 crore,” the Centre said.

“The bridging studies of Covishield on 1,600 participants in India were supported by ICMR in partnership with SII. No funds were provided to SII. Funds were transferred to 14 clinical trial sites. Total estimated expenditure of ICMR is Rs 11 crore,” it added.

According to an central government official, the Centre has also helping vaccine development with autonomous institutes of DBT involved in generating animal models for SARS-CoV-2. The immunoassay labs are serving as national service facilities for vaccine development.

In its affidavit, the Centre said the government was trying to ramp up production of vaccines and both BBIL and SII have expanded their facilities to almost double their production and provide 5.5 crore and 6.5 crore doses of vaccines, respectively, by the end of July. It said by then, Sputnik V production by Dr Reddy’s Laboratories would be around 1.2 crore doses.

“As some foreign vaccines have now been administered globally in large numbers, the NEGVAC has decided to allow the conduct of bridging trials of the foreign vaccines simultaneously with its market deployment as opposed to the earlier requirement of conducting bridging trials prior to market deployment, following due safety and quality protocols and in light of the global experience of these vaccines if such vaccines are approved by USA, UK, EU and WHO,” the Centre said.

It added that 11 new vaccines were in various stages of clinical trials. “The department of biotechnology is supporting the research and development of nearly 11 vaccine candidates by industry and public sector laboratories. Three of these vaccine candidates have progressed from proof-of-concept to the clinical development stage and are currently undergoing clinical trials. To further accelerate Covid-19 vaccine development efforts, support for vaccine candidates in clinical development is being provided under ‘Mission Covid Suraksha - the Indian Covid-19 Vaccine Development Mission’,” the government said

As many as 11 new vaccines are in various stages of clinical trials

We don’t print notes to give Covid aid: Minister

We don’t print notes to give Covid aid: Minister

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Shivamogga:11.05.2021 

Senior Karnataka minister KS Eshwarappa on Monday stoked controversy, saying the government does “not own a printing machine” to mint currency notes and hand out compensation to thousands of working-class people hit hard by Covid-induced lockdown.

The minister said, “Do we print notes (to extend doles)?” at his hometown Shivamogga in reply to state opposition leaders’ demand that the BJP government must consider giving Rs 10,000 compensation to each working-class family.

Eshwarappa is the second minister in the BJP government to make insensitive remarks about the plight of the people in less than two weeks.

On April 28, state food and civil supplies minister Umesh V Katti had told a farmer-activist enquiring about foodgrain allotment to “go die”, following it up by saying that it is a “good time for farmers to die”. The audio clip of the conversation on phone had gone viral, causing major embarrassment to the state government.

Oppn leaders should keep quiet for 14 days, says KSE

On opposition leaders’ criticism of the way in which the government is handling the Covid crisis, Eshwarappa said, “If they keep mum, then the lockdown will be a success (and allow positive cases to fall).” He said former CMs Siddaramaiah, HD Kumaraswamy and Congress state unit president DK Shivakumar should “keep their mouth shut for 14 days so that we can tide over the crisis”.

“It is not the time to criticise the government since the pandemic has attacked India after 100 years… Nobody had foreseen it,” he said.

Eshwarappa’s statement drew sharp reactions from Congress and JD(S), while the BJP offered a calibrated view on the issue. JD(S) leader HK Kumaraswamy said the statement is no different from that of Katti’s. “While Katti was crass, Eshwarappa is much more polished by stating it does not matter whether people die in the state.”

Congress working president Saleem Ahmed said, “It is Eshwarappa’s decision whether he wants to print additional notes or take it from the state exchequer. However, as a minister and leader of the ruling party, it is the responsibility and dharma of the government to help people from poor background.”

BJP state general secretary N Ravi Kumar said, “Opposition parties have been demanding a financial relief package, but that does not mean the government is in a position to provide it. The government will look into the needs of the people and will take an informed decision.”

Stalin launches ₹4,153cr dole to ration card holders, people crowd PDS shops

Stalin launches ₹4,153cr dole to ration card holders, people crowd PDS shops

₹2,000 For Each During First Phase

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

11.05.2021 

Chief minister M K Stalin launched Covid relief distribution for ration card holders in the state on Monday.

Stalin gave away ₹2,000 to seven people at the Secretariat in the presence of cooperatives minister I Periyasamy and food minister R Sakkarapani.

Elsewhere in the state, distribution of tokens for two crore ration card holders commenced at public distribution system outlets. While staff at PDS outlets went door-to-door giving away the tokens, people started thronging ration shops in few places unaware of the door delivery system. Ration shop staff had tough time sending them away. Officials, however, said cash distribution in exchange for the tokens from May 15 will be a seamless exercise with each card holder allotted a separate time slab.

Giving away Covid relief of ₹4,000 was one of the key prepoll promises of Stalin. It was one among the first five orders he signed immediately after assuming charge as chief minister. He allotted ₹4,153 crore for the purpose. Stalin said that ₹2,000 each would be given in the first phase and the remaining would be distributed in second phase.

The token distribution for the first phase would be done over three days and cash distribution is scheduled for May 15 at ration shops. “People should wear face masks, follow social distancing and receive the cash,” the statement said.

As people started thronging ration shops at several places in the morning, officials stepped in and issued instructions to send them back home. Salem district collector S A Raman said that he has strictly instructed ration shop staff to visit every car holders house and distribute token at their door step. “I also instructed the staff not to ask the card holder to come to the shop to collect the token,” he said.

In Chennai, authorities swung into action soon after the scheme was launched by Stalin at the Secretariat. Chennai region has 1,746 ration shops and 21 lakh ration cards. So, authorities have planned to finish distribution of tokens before this Friday. There was confusion whether those with sugar cards, who have applied for conversion into rice cards, will be eligible to get this amount. Food minister Sakkarapani clarified that this group will not be part of the relief distribution program. Officials said a team headed by tahsildar or BDO has been formed to ensure effective implementation of the scheme.

An official from the cooperative department in Madurai said they had ensured that people do not visit ration shops seeking tokens. “Tokens are being given door-to-door. People who did not get the tokens can approach the respective fair price shop on Thursday and get it at once,” he said. According to him, distribution of cash will take seven days to complete from May 15 to cover all card holders in Madurai. People need to visit the shop only at the specified time on the given day to collect the cash, the official added.

DEADLY CROWD: People wait outside a ration shop in Chennai on Monday without adhering to any Covid protocols

30 bodies floating in Ganga trigger Covid panic in Bihar town

30 bodies floating in Ganga trigger Covid panic in Bihar town

Piyush Tripathi & K Kamlesh

Patna/Buxar:  11.05.2021 

Residents of Chausa village in Bihar’s Buxar woke up to the macabre sight of half-burnt bodies dumped in the Ganga washing ashore near Mahadev Ghat on Monday. Villagers said they saw at least 150 corpses, suspected to be of Covid victims, floating down the river at dawn.

The Buxar district administration pegged the number of bodies at 30. “The bodies are not of local residents. It seems they were dumped in neighbouring UP 3-4 days ago,” Buxar DM Aman Samir said. “Instructions have been issued to intensify river patrolling.”

A local resident said he and other witnesses counted not less than 150 bodies. “The situation is dangerous. People in areas are in shock,” he said.

The DM said the unidentified bodies would be cremated in accordance with Covid-safety protocol after autopsy.

TROUBLED WATERS: The bodies may have floated down from UP

‘Govt will bear the cost of cremating Covid-19 victims’

P rem Swaroopam, executive officer of the Buxar municipal council, told a news channel that a probe had already been initiated into “people dumping bodies” in the river. “We have formed three teams to stop people from disposing of bodies like that. The government will bear the cost of cremating Covid-19 victims in accordance with the official guidelines.”

Late Monday, sub-divisional magistrate KK Upadhyay said the cremation of the bodies that washed ashore in the morning had begun. He said bodies were found floating in the river in adjoining Ghazipur district of UP, too.

Some local residents attributed dumping of bodies in the river to the higher cost of organising the cremation of Covid-19 victims and fear of getting infected.

Agree to terms or face limited functions: WhatsApp

Agree to terms or face limited functions: WhatsApp

Pankaj.Doval@timesgroup.com

NewDelhi:11.05.2021 

You won’t be tablet o access your chat list on WhatsApp and may have “limited functionality” on the country’s biggest messaging platform if you do not accept the Facebook-owned messenger’s latest privacy policy, the company said on Monday despite strong reservations expressed by the government, the Supreme Court, and the Competition Commission of India.

While WhatsApp – which has over 53 crore users in India --says that the scale-down of services will not happen immediately for those who do not accept update to the new policy by May15, the downgrade will happen subsequently when a user does not pay heed to repeated reminders from the company.

While the company has made clear that it will not delete the accounts of those who continue to ignore the controversial privacy policy (that have received flak across the world as the update seeks to share business communication of WhatsApp users with Facebook), it has now made it clear that things may not be the same anymore.

Through a blog post/advisory on its website, the company answers the crucial question of ‘What happens after I receive a persistent reminder (to update)?’, “At that time, you’ll encounter limited functionality on WhatsApp until you accept the updates… You won’t be able to access your chat list, but you can still answer incoming phone and video calls. If you have notifications enabled, you can tap on them to read or respond to a message or call back a missed phone or video call.”

Further, after a few weeks of limited functionality, “you won’t be able to receive incoming calls or notifications and WhatsApp will stop sending messages and calls to your phone.”

Govt rejects SII plea to export 50L doses to UK

New Delhi:11.05.2021 

Despite the international pressure and several rounds of negotiations by Serum Institute of India (SII), the government has turned down the request from SII to export 50 lakh doses of Covishield to UK under its prior commitments.

The decision was taken in the wake of severe supply crunch of vaccines locally and government insisting the local production be supplied to protect Indians first. States have been prompted to approach the Pune-based company to negotiate contracts to procure these doses to meet local demand. The doses are likely to be used to vaccinate those between18-44 age. “These 50 lakh doses of Covishield vaccine are now available for inoculating people between 18-44 years age. States have been asked to procure it. Private hospitals can also get them,” an official source said. The ministry has asked the states to contact the company and initiate procurement activity at the earliest. However, sources said, the labels of these doses may have to be changed. Since the vaccines were packed for supply to the UK, a different label was affixed on the vials but now since they have to be supplied in the local market, they need a label for the same. TNN

EPS is TN oppn leader, OPS rejects deputy leader’s post

EPS is TN oppn leader, OPS rejects deputy leader’s post

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:11.05.2021

The AIADMK on Monday chose former chief minister and party co-coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami as leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly. The decision came after much wrangling and muscle flexing. Party coordinator O Panneerselvam initially resisted the move and proposed former speaker P Dhanapal’s name, sources said. But there were few takers for the suggestion. The power struggle was in full display as Panneerselvam and Palaniswami squabbled over who was more eligible to be the leader of the opposition. But with little support from the newly elected MLAs, 63 of them discounting the two leaders, Panneerselvam gave in. He rejected the offer of deputy leader for himself, proposing Dhanapal for the post instead, and left the party headquarters in a huff, sources said.

NEW ROLE: Edappadi K Palaniswami called on O Panneerselvam on Monday evening

OPS fails to garner any support at party meet

AIADMK deputy coordinator and erstwhile supporter of Panneerselvam, K P Munusamy, submitted a letter to assembly secretary K Srinivasan about the ‘unanimous’ choice of the legislature party, on the eve of the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected MLAs. Later in the evening, Palaniswami called on Panneerselvam at the latter’s residence and greeted him with a shawl and a bouquet. Panneerselvam returned the compliment, draping the same shawl on Palaniswami. Former ministers and senior functionaries accompanied Palaniswami. Allies PMK leader S Ramadoss and G K Vasan of TMC congratulated him.

The legislature party unanimously elected Palaniswami as leader of the opposition with a majority of the MLAs, including former ministers, backing him. “Except Alangulam MLA P H Manoj Pandian, no one present at the meeting backed OPS. They were all urging him to sacrifice one more time, like he did when he agreed to project EPS as chief ministerial candidate for the assembly election,” a senior leader told TOI. The decision was made after a three-hour long discussion by MLAs at the party headquarters in Chennai, and Panneerselvam left after signing the necessary papers, “appearing unhappy”.The leader of the opposition must be chosen by Tuesday night since the Speaker-elect would have to be taken to the chair on Wednesday by the chief minister and leader of the opposition. On Friday too, AIADMK MLAs discussed for nearly three hours, but failed to arrive at a consensus. Panneerselvam did not get support even from his own community members and senior leaders in the southern belt.

Close Palaniswami associates P Thangamani and S P Velumani and senior leader K A Sengottaiyan threw their weight behind him. The meeting began with Palaniswami stating he would accept whatever decision the MLAs took.

Except Alangualm MLA P H Manoj Pandian, no one went against Edappadi K Palaniswami

At least11 Covid patients die while Tirupati hosp refills oxygen tanks

SUPPLY DISRUPTION

At least11 Covid patients die while Tirupati hosp refills oxygen tanks

Sandeep.Raghavan@timesgroup.com

Tirupati:11.05.2021 

Several patients died due to shortage in oxygen supply at the SVRR government general hospital in Tirupati on Monday evening. Though the exact number of casualties was yet to be officially confirmed, sources told TOI that at least 11 patients died following a brief disruption in oxygen.

The government claimed that the supply was affected for just a few minutes during which time the tragedy took place. Relatives of some of the patients, however, claimed that supply was disrupted for at least 25 minutes.

There are about 135 ICU beds and 400-plus oxygen beds at the hospital where some 1,100 Covid-19 patients have been admitted at present.

Sources told TOI that the 10,000-litre oxygen tank at the hospital was nearly empty and was being refilled after a tanker arrived from Tamil Nadu. The refilling process led to interruption in oxygen supply and during this time the condition of several critical patients deteriorated.

Their attendants desperately tried to keep them alive by using hand fans and other, means, though in vain.

Jagan orders collectors to keep an eye on oxygen supply in hospitals

Videos coming out of the hospital showed a number of patients lying lifeless on beds even as people run around trying to help them with hand pumps and other equipment.

District collector M Hari Narayana rushed to the hospital after learning of the tragedy. He has asked the police to probe if there was any attempt to sabotage the oxygen supply.

Chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed shock at the death of the 11 patients and asked for a report from officials. He also ordered all collectors to keep an eye on oxygen supply in all hospitals in their districts and ensure that such tragedies don’t take place.

'Fantastic Order': Kerala High Court Lauds State Govt Order Fixing Daily Ward Rates In Hospitals Within Rs 3000

'Fantastic Order': Kerala High Court Lauds State Govt Order Fixing Daily Ward Rates In Hospitals Within Rs 3000: In the course of a special sitting convened by the Kerala High Court to discuss measuresto ra

High Courts Weekly Roundup [May 3, 2021 To May 9, 2021]

High Courts Weekly Roundup [May 3, 2021 To May 9, 2021]: Allahabad High Court

No Proper Response To The Queries By Court: Patna High Court Warns Contempt Action Against Union Home Ministry Officials

No Proper Response To The Queries By Court: Patna High Court Warns Contempt Action Against Union Home Ministry Officials: ' It is also made clear that the Court may initiate a contempt proceeding against those who would be found in not cooperating the court proceeding.'

1993-batch bureaucrat Gagandeep Singh Bedi appointed Chennai Corporation Commissioner

1993-batch bureaucrat Gagandeep Singh Bedi appointed Chennai Corporation Commissioner

Bedi is known for his contribution to ecology and environment and won the Green Award twice, in 2003 and 2004.

Published: 09th May 2021 04:22 PM 

Gagandeep Singh Bedi (File | EPS)

By Omjasvin MD

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Senior IAS officer from the 1993 batch, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, has been appointed as the Chennai Corporation Commissioner by the DMK government, as the city finds itself in a tough spot battling the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to a government order by Chief Secretary V Irani Anbu, Bedi, who was the Principal Secretary of the State Agricultural Department, will replace the outgoing Commissioner G Prakash, who held the post since 2019.

Though Bedi is a very senior officer for the role of Corporation Commissioner, it appears that he has been appointed due to the Covid-19 crisis, given his expertise in handling natural disasters like the Tsunami and Cuddalore floods in the past.

The order stated that the post of Principal Secretary/Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation will be equivalent in status and responsibilities to the cadre post of principal Secretary-cum-commissioner.

Who is Gagandeeph Singh Bedi?

Bedi was born in Hoshiarpur in Punjab in 1968 and has graduated in BE (Electronics and Electrical Communication) and later joined as a lecturer at Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology.

In 1993, he was selected for the Indian Engineering Services and got a posting in Indian Railways. Subsequently, in 1993, he was selected in the Indian Administrative Services and was allotted the Tamil Nadu cadre.

Since then, Bedi, who is known to be an honest and straightforward officer, held many prominent positions like the Additional Collector, Cuddalore; Commissioner of Corporation, Madurai; Collector of Kanyakumari District and Cuddalore District.

He was also the Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board and was Secretary for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department.

Bedi is known for his contribution to ecology and the environment and won the Green Award twice, in 2003 and 2004. As District Collector, he had promoted various Eco-Tourism projects and other environmental projects.

Bedi also received applause for his services in flood mitigation during the Cuddalore floods in 2015. He also spearheaded the district's fight against Tsunami and he was appreciated for handling the crisis efficiently.

He also received a national award in 2016 for implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme as Rural Development Department Secretary, from late Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Before taking over as the Chennai Corporation Commissioner, Bedi also served as the District Monitor Officer for Covid-19 in Cuddalore.

நிவாரண நிதிக்கு ஒரு நாள் ஊதியம்

நிவாரண நிதிக்கு ஒரு நாள் ஊதியம்

Added : மே 09, 2021 23:47

சென்னை: கொரோனா நிவாரணத்திற்காக, ஒரு நாள் ஊதியத்தை, முதல்வர் நிவாரண நிதிக்கு வழங்க, ஆரம்ப பள்ளி ஆசிரியர்கள் சங்கம் முடிவு செய்துள்ளது.

அரசு ஆரம்ப பள்ளி ஆசிரியர்கள் சங்க பொது செயலர் ஜான் வெஸ்லி வெளியிட்ட செய்திக்குறிப்பு:கொரோனா பாதிப்பால், அரசிற்கு ஏற்படும் நிதி நெருக்கடியை சமாளிக்க உதவும் வகையில், முதல்வர் நிவாரண நிதிக்கு, ஒரு நாள் ஊதியத்தை வழங்க முடிவு செய்துள்ளோம்.தொற்றால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ள நோயாளிகளின், மருத்துவ சிகிச்சைக்கு உதவும், டாக்டர்கள், நர்சுகள் மற்றும் துாய்மை பணியாளர்களுக்கு உதவும் வகையிலும், நிவாரண நிதியை வழங்க, இந்த முடிவு எடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.இவ்வாறு அவர் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

Not having valid licence costs teenager 10% accident payout

Not having valid licence costs teenager 10% accident payout

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  10.05.2021 

A teenager who got into an accident by driving a motorbike without a valid driving licence has been slapped 10% of ₹7.75 lakh compensation for contributory negligence by a city motor accident claims tribunal. The victim was a first year engineering student at the time of the accident and his bike was knocked down by a rashly driven truck near Poonamalee, resulting in grievous injuries.

T Karthikraj of Ponniammanmedu, in his petition stated that he was riding his motorbike on Thirunindravur Poonamalee Road when a rashly driven truck hit his vehicle. Karthikraj suffered 62% disability because of the accident and could not attend college for more than six months. The accident happened in October 2015.

In response, the insurer of the truck contended that the accident happened due to Karthikraj’s negligence.

After perusing the submissions and documents including FIR and accident report, the tribunal held that the accident occurred due to the rash and negligent driving of the truck driver. However, during the cross examination, the tribunal noted that the victim did not produce his original driving licence and held that he owed10% of the compensation awarded towards contributory negligence. Of the ₹7.75 lakh compensation amount calculated, the tribunal deducted ₹77,000 (10%) and asked the insurer to pay ₹6.97 lakh to the victim.

TN orders audit of all deaths

TN orders audit of all deaths

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:10.05.2021

State health minister Ma Subramanian has ordered an audit of deaths occrring due to Covid-19. The order will deal with reconciliation of deaths, active cases and discharges from the registry to ensure that policy makers get the right picture to make strategic decisions for prevention and management of the pandemic.

During a meeting with senior officials from the health and municipal administration, the health minister recalled chief minister M K Stalin’s directions that there should not be any fudging of numbers of fresh cases, deaths and discharges.

While Ma Subramanian could not be contacted, DMK spokesperson T K S Elangovan told TOI those directions have been issued for reconciliation.

“Yes, we are forming this committee. A data audit needs to be done so that people are aware of the seriousness of the issue. Already the chief minister had asked the officials to ensure the records are clean. To check the previous data, this team will be put in place a study and reconcile the data,” he said.

Guest workers protest after authorities stop jam-packed bus

Guest workers protest after authorities stop jam-packed bus

Coimbatore:10.05.2021

Hundreds of guest workers staged a protest at the Omni Bus Stand at Gandhipuram on Sunday afternoon, demanding buses to their hometowns.

Many private bus operators accommodated as many as 150 guest workers in a bus and charged ₹4,000 for a trip to Bihar from Coimbatore, regional transport office sources said.

“We seized six omni buses for failing to pay taxes till Saturday. Four buses were seized for the violation on Sunday. Most of them have Puducherry registration. Some guest workers functioning as agents had brought the buses to Coimbatore. The operators have to get permits and pay tax to the Tamil Nadu government,” said an official. “ We found 160 guest workers in an omni bus, which was stopped near the women’s polytechnic on Saturday night. As per rules, an omni bus can carry maximum 40 passengers. The bus was seized and the guest workers were sent to their workplaces here. On Sunday around1pm, an omni bus was found with more than 100 guest workers. The bus operator instigated the guest workers, who were assembled at the omni bus stand, to demand transport arrangements to their hometowns,” the official said.

RTO officials, revenue department officials and police pacified the workers. TNN

DEMAND FOR SERVICE

City colleges plan to conduct online exams during lockdown

City colleges plan to conduct online exams during lockdown

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:10.05.2021

While some city colleges are planning to go ahead with their online semester exams during the lockdown, state universities like Madras University and Anna University are likely to conduct their exams only after the lockdown is over.

Due to the assembly elections in the state, many colleges had scheduled their online exams from May 3. The Tamil Nadu government announced lockdown from May 10 to 24.

The directorate of collegiate education on Sunday asked the particulars from colleges including the number exams completed so far and number of days needed to complete the remaining exams to take a call on online exams.

Loyola College has completed four exams and three exams are scheduled till May 15. "Students and faculty members want to complete the remaining online exams as per the schedule. Since the exam is conducted online, students need not come out of their houses to write the exam. The staff members can also invigilate the exams from their houses. So, we would like to continue with the exams," said Thomas Amirtham, principal of the college.

Students will write the exams in pen and paper mode and scan the answer sheets and send it to colleges online. The 90-minute exams will be monitored online by faculty members.

Guru Nanak College asked the faculty members to prepare to conduct and monitor exams from their houses. "Unless the government says no to conducting online exams, we will continue with our exams as per the schedule," said M G Ragunathan, principal of the college. As per the schedule, the exams will be conducted till June 5.

However, some colleges like DG Vaishnav College postponed their online semester exams to June. "We planned to conduct online exams from May 17. But, all students may not have internet connections at their houses. So, we have decided to postpone it," said S Santhosh Baboo, principal of DG Vaishnav College.

Meanwhile, colleges like Madras Christian College and Women's Christian College have completed their exams.

Madras University also planned to start the online semester exams for affiliated colleges from May 17. However, exams were delayed due to setting question papers and non-payment of exam fees by students. "We will start the online exams only after the lockdown for affiliated college students," an official from the university said.

Anna University announced a retest for students who could not appear for exams due to technical glitches from May 17 for students studying in its four campuses. "The university has not taken any decision on the retest so far," sources in the university said. For affiliated colleges, the university is yet to schedule exams for BE, BTech students due to the confusion over the delay in deciding the mode of exams. The exams are likely to be scheduled only after the lockdown.

NEW REALITIES: Loyola College has completed four exams and three exams are scheduled till May 15

Penalise violators, but be polite, DGP tells cops

Penalise violators, but be polite, DGP tells cops

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:10.05.2021

With the state entering complete two-week lockdown from Monday, director general of police J K Tripathy has asked police personnel not to harass people while enforcing restrictions but to penalise them politely.

In a circular issued about enforcing lockdown rules, the DGP instructed police to not seize vehicles of violators but to take a photograph of their vehicle and penalize them. In unavoidable situations, even if the vehicle is seized, it should be released within a couple of hours, the circular said.

“Do not harass people. While enforcing restrictions, do not get into arguments or take the law into your own hands,” Tripathy said in the circular. He appealed to the law enforcers to show concern for roadside vendors and request that they close the business after permitted hours (12 noon).

He urged that public address systems be put to use to make announcements in crowded market areas rather than the personnel mingling with the crowd themselves. He added that police should ensure they follow all safety protocol strictly. “Deploy drones to monitor the crowding, and do not resort to lathicharge to disperse crowds.”

“You must ensure that vehicles carrying essentials such as oxygen cylinders and pharmaceutical items from other districts and within the cities do not face any difficulty,” Tripathy insisted. He advised that arrests be avoided unless in important cases, to not allow the general public inside police stations and to receive petitions outside the stations. He also asked not to deploy policewomen and policemen above the age of 50 years for lockdown enforcement.

SRM entrance test to be held online in May, July

SRM entrance test to be held online in May, July

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 10.05.2021

SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) will be conducting SRM Joint Engineering Entrance Exam (SRMJEEE) 2021 online in two phases in May and July. Phase I will be held on May 23 and 24 while phase II will be on July 25 and 26.

The exams will through remote proctored online mode (RPOM) and the last day to apply for it is May 15 and July 20 for Phase l and Phase II respectively. Students aspiring to join BTech programmes in SRM need to take this exam. For more details, students can visit www.srmist.edu.in.

New corpn chief Gagandeep Singh Bedi is disaster management expert

New corpn chief Gagandeep Singh Bedi is disaster management expert

Directed Relief Efforts During Tsunami, Floods, Gaja

Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com

Chennai:10.05.2021

Senior IAS officer and principal secretary of the agriculture department Gagandeep Singh Bedi was appointed as the commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation on Sunday, replacing G Prakash. Prakash had been in the post since February 2019.

Since no elected council is in place, Bedi also becomes the de-facto special officer who will be able to take all crucial decisions taken by the council. He has been given charge of the civic body at a time when Chennai’s daily Covid-19 cases have reached a high of 6,000 and have not yet peaked.

Bedi is a well-known bureaucrat who has won awards including that of ‘Indian of the Year’ given out by a private news TV organisation for his work during the 2004 Tsunami, when he was collector of Cuddalore.

His image as a disaster management expert was enhanced by his work during the floods in 2005 and more recently, during the Gaja cyclone in 2018.

Bedi was also the officer who investigated the illegal beach sand mining in Tuticorin, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts and presented a report to the state government. He has also been at the helm of the fisheries department.

Sources in the TN bureaucracy said Bedi was earmarked for this particular role by the current political dispensation. “He is a very planned person who puts in his best efforts. He is also very soft-spoken,” an official said.

During his tenure, Prakash was known for aggressive field visits and encouraging fresh ideas from officials. GCC’s social media accounts were revamped and ideas such as corona monitoring app and home quarantine monitoring system were developed. Greening in Chennai received a fillip with waste lands converted into Miyawaki forests.

However, GCC continued to face allegations of tender fixing during Prakash’s tenure as well. Prakash, who lives in a locality on East Coast Road (ECR), faced a backlash from fellow ECR residents over construction of a German bank-funded, costly stormwater drain project which they said was unnecessary.

Bedi, a senior IAS officer, is taking over the reins as Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner from G Prakash, who served in the post since February 2019

Govt: Enforce lockdown rules strictly

Govt: Enforce lockdown rules strictly

TN Orders Checks To Prevent O2 Wastage

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:10.05.2021 

The Tamil Nadu cabinet headed by chief minister M K Stalin in its first meeting on Sunday stressed on strict Covid-19 containment measures to rein in the virus.

With increasing number of Covid fatalities and a high test positivity rate, the new government was forced to impose a state-wide lockdown for 15 days starting from Monday. The meeting’s focus centred around the measures to be implemented to bring the pandemic under control.

Chief minister Stalin advised his cabinet colleagues to station themselves in the districts allotted to them and ensure proper implementation of Covid-related work during lockdown.

The cabinet meeting resolved that unless the total lockdown is strictly implemented, the state would not succeed in containing the spread of the raging pandemic.

All ministers have been directed to ensure that patients arriving at district hospitals are treated without delay. Besides ensuring healthcare facilities, the cabinet resolved to provide adequate food to healthcare workers and patients.

Noting that oxygen is being made available with great difficulty to government and private hospitals, the cabinet resolved to ensure proper supply of oxygen to all hospitals and directed ministers and officials to prevent wastage of oxygen at any cost.

On Remdesivir, the cabinet said that authorities should prevent its sale in the black market.

The cabinet also appealed to all people in eligible age groups to get vaccinated as soon as possible. To ensure this, awareness should be created among people about vaccination in all districts.

The cabinet meeting also highlighted the need for coordination among various departments, including healthcare, revenue, police, urban and rural developments, to ensure proper implementation of all Covid-related measures. The chief minister directed all the ministers to ensure such a coordination among various departments and conduct review meetings for proper implementation of the government initiatives, according to a state government release.

ON THE JOB: Health officials screen a person at Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital in Chennai on Sunday, a day ahead of the lockdown

Purpose of RTI Act is to provide info in time-bound manner: HC

Purpose of RTI Act is to provide info in time-bound manner: HC

Vasantha.Kumar@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:09.05.2021

The purpose and intent of the Right to Information (RTI) Act is not only to provide information sought for, but also to do it in a time-bound manner; any delay defeats the same. The high court made this observation while imposing a maximum penalty of Rs 25,000 on the tahsildar of Bengaluru North taluk for failing to provide information sought under the law.

“Undue delay, as in the present case where the application has been transferred after 17 months, is inexcusable. Further, there is no explanation offered by the tahsildar either before the appellate authority or this court,” Justice Suraj Govindaraj said in his order.

On May 8, 2018, the tahsildar had transferred the application seeking information to the office of Assistant Director of Land Records (ADLR), Bengaluru North taluk. The application was submitted to his office on December 16, 2016 by petitioner M Kishore Rao, a resident of Bengaluru, seeking information about certain lands.

Rao moved the high court after the Karnataka Information Commission passed an order on February 27, 2019 to close the proceedings after recording that the tahsildar had remitted Rs 5,000 penalty.

Rao claimed the tahsildar transferred his application to ADLR just before his appeal was to be heard by KIC, and there was a delay of 535 days in that process. He contended that KIC’s imposition of Rs 5,000 penalty is not in terms with section 20 of the RTI Act, which requires penalty of Rs 250 per day, subject to a maximum of Rs 25,000. Agreeing with the contention, Justice Govindaraj pointed out that if penalty is calculated at the rate of Rs 250 per day, it would shoot up to Rs 1,29,000 and since section 20 puts a maximum ceiling of Rs 25,000, the tahsildar needs to pay that amount.

No insurance cover for person sitting on tractor’s wheels, says high court

No insurance cover for person sitting on tractor’s wheels, says high court

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:09.05.2021

The liability of a person sitting on the mudguard of a tractor is not required to be covered by a statutory insurance policy as contemplated by section 147(1) of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, a three-judge, full bench of the high court headed by chief justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka observed while deciding a referred matter pertaining to a batch of motor accident claim cases.

Referring to the dictum of the Supreme Court in the Shivaraj case, the bench noted the top court has clearly held that a tractor could lawfully accommodate only one person, namely, the driver, and that the insurer was not liable to indemnify the tractor owner for liability of a passenger travelling in it.

It added the liability of a person working either on ploughing or crushing machines attached to the tractor and who is travelling on the mudguard is not required to be covered by the statutory insurance under section 147(1).

Regarding another referred question, the full bench said a ploughing or a crushing machine attached to a tractor is not a trailer. “Every instrument, including ploughing or crushing machine, attached to a tractor will not necessarily be a trailer. At most, it can be a semi-trailer. Even assuming that the said two categories of equipment are semi-trailers, they are not the motor vehicle covered by section 2 (28) of MV Act. Since a semi-trailer is not a motor vehicle, provisions of section 147 will not apply to it,” the bench observed while disposing of the reference made by a single bench.

While disposing of a miscellaneous first appeal, cross objections and appeals, the single judge was of the view that since there are conflicting decisions rendered by co-ordinate benches,the questions are required to be referred to a larger bench.

Now, in view of these findings, all pending appeals and cross-objections arising out of this group of appeals will have to be placed before the benches concerned having roster for consideration and disposal.

This Covid-19 hospital was set up by chance

This Covid-19 hospital was set up by chance

In The Second Report On Projects That Await New Chief Minister M K Stalin’s Attention, We Highlight A Hospital That’s Doing Well But Deserves More Care

RaguRaman@timesgroup.com

09.05.2021

The Omandurar multi super speciality hospital and medical college, which is playing a stellar role in the ongoing war on Covid, came into being as part of one-upmanship between J Jayalalithaa of the AIADMK and M Karunanidhi of the DMK. He built it as the new seat of government — a legislaturecum-secretariat complex. She turned it into a hospital.

Their disagreement on the issue started when Jayalalithaa wanted to build a new government headquarters overlooking the Bay of Bengal after razing Queen Mary’s College. The DMK opposed this and there was a public outcry. So she got the Anna University to hand over land at Kotturpuram for a new secretariat. When the DMK came to power in 2006, it returned the land.

Karunanidhi as chief minister built a new legislative assembly-cum-secretariat complex at the Omandurar government estate and moved the assembly there from Fort St George. When Jayalalithaa returned to power in 2011, she took the government back to Fort St George. She converted the new complex at Omandurar into the present super-speciality hospital and medical college.

Both the titans have since passed from the scene. Now M K Stalin has been elected chief minister and he has a 550-bed Covid hospital in the heart of the city that he can improve on. This is Stalin’s chance to chart his own path without being weighed down by old antagonisms.

According to DMK party sources, the state government has not made any decision to reconvert it as an assembly and secretariat complex. “There is absolutely no discussion about it at the moment,” a source said.

Medical experts and bureaucrats feel it is better not only to retain the hospital there, but also to expand it in view of the pandemic. Experts said the previous government spent more than ₹100 crore on converting the assembly complex into a super-speciality hospital. “Converting this again into a secretariat complex will result in huge loss to the public exchequer,” said Dr Edwin Joe, former director of medical education.

The Omandurar hospital has high-end equipment for cancer treatment. It is the only hospital in the state to have a nuclear medicine department.

“Though a majority of the beneficiaries have been poor, middle-class and upper middleclass also are frequenting to the hospital due to the new building and facilities available here,” Dr Joe said.

Dr G R Ravindranath, general secretary of Doctors Association for Social Equality, said the building was not originally meant for a hospital and medical college. “To prevent waste of public money, it should be allowed to function as a hospital,” he said.

On expanding the facilities, Indian Medical Association national president Dr J A Jayalal said, “The hospital can be expanded to have all superspecialities under one roof. They can also add infrastructure for pandemic-related research.”

Covid patients losing vision due to fungus

Covid patients losing vision due to fungus

09.05.2021

Acknowledging a “new epidemic” arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic, officials said at least eight people across Maharashtra had lost vision in an eye due to mucormycosis, a fungal infection being detected in a growing number of post-Covid patients. “Eight out of 200 patients treated for mucormycosis have lost vision in at least one eye,” doctors said.

DRDO rejigs cancer drug to fight Covid; DCGI gives nod

DRDO rejigs cancer drug to fight Covid; DCGI gives nod

Swati.Bharadwaj@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad:09.05.2021

A potential cancer drug — 2-deoxy-Dglucose (2-DG) — that has been repurposed for Covid-19, has received Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) nod for emergency use as adjunct therapy for moderate to severe hospitalised Covid-19 patients.

The anti-Covid-19 application has been developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with pharma major Dr Reddy’s Laboratories.

The drug, which comes in a powder form, must be taken orally by dissolving it in water. It works by accumulating in the virus infected cells and prevents growth of the virus by stopping viral synthesis and energy production.

According to DRDO, the results of clinical trials on Covid-19 patients showed that 2-DG helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces their dependence on supplemental oxygen. “It’s the selective accumulation in virally infected cells that makes this drug unique. Higher proportion of patients treated with 2-DG showed RT-PCR negative conversion in Covid-19 patients,” it said.

Being a generic molecule and an analogue of (similar to) glucose, it can be easily produced and made available in plenty in the country, INMAS-DRDO added.

The drug, which is an inhibitor of glucose transport and glycolysis, was originally being developed for cancer as it cuts the supply of glucose molecules to cancer cells, which require higher glucose than normal cells to survive, thereby killing them.

Full report on www.toi-.in

IN HONOUR: Urns containing ashes of Covid-19 victims tied on a sacred fig tree as part of a ritual in Kanpur on Saturday

4L cases for 4th day, 2nd wave may be peaking

4L cases for 4th day, 2nd wave may be peaking

Amit.Bhattacharya@timesgroup.com

09.05.2021

Even as India recorded more than four lakh fresh Covid cases for the fourth day running on Saturday and over 4,000 deaths for the second consecutive day, there were early signs in the data that the devastating second wave in the country could be reaching its peak.

For the first time since the beginning of the second wave in mid-February, the seven-day rolling average of daily cases dipped on Friday. The dip was negligible, just a drop of 118 cases out of the day’s total average of more than 3.9 lakh. But it indicated a distinct slowing down in the growth of daily cases over the past week.

The seven-day average stood at 3,91,263 on Saturday, having risen by 20,117 in the past week. The slowdown was evident when one compared this with a growth of 61,173 cases in the previous seven days (April 24-May 1), and a rise of 1,06,024 in the week before (April 17-24). While the curve is bending, the trend needs to continue into the next week before a more definitive statement can be made about the country having reached the peak of the second wave.

Active Covid cases stood at over 37.8 lakh on Saturday

There were several uncertainties around that. For one, the positivity rate in the country was still high and increasing. India recorded a positivity rate of 22% the past three days, up from 21% recorded on the same three days last week. Cases were still surging in several states of the country, led by Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in the south, Assam and Bengal in the east and Uttarakhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and J&K in the north.

Besides, the growth in cases remained higher than the national average in states such as Rajasthan and Bihar.

On the positive side, Maharashtra was showing a drop in weekly cases while there was a distinct slowdown in other big Covidhit states such as Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

On Saturday, India recorded 4,01,012 fresh cases. This was the fourth straight day of 4-lakh-plus daily infections in the country. However, the numbers have declined marginally over the past two days after hitting a peak of 4,14,554 on Thursday.

Deaths continued to surge with 4,135 fatalities reported on Saturday, nearly as high as the previous day’s record toll of 4,187. Active cases in the country continued to rise, although the growth rate had slowed over the past week. On Saturday, the count of active cases stood at over 37.8 lakh.

TN shuts for 15 days as cases spike, hosps run out of beds

TN shuts for 15 days as cases spike, hosps run out of beds

All Shops To Remain Open Till 9pm Today

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:09.05.2021

As Covid-19 cases crossed 27,000 a day and an overstretched healthcare sector struggled to handle the growing number of patients, the state government on Saturday announced a complete lockdown across Tamil Nadu from 4am on May 10 to 4am on May 24. Chief minister M K Stalin said that more than 23 districts in TN had reported a positivity rate of more than10%.

On Saturday, nearly 86% of oxygen beds and 87% of ICU beds across the state were occupied. In high incidence districts such as Chennai, 99% of beds in ICUs and 96% oxygen beds were full. In districts like Dharmapuri, Tirupur, Tiruvallur and Ranipet there were no ICU beds.

Puducherry, too, on Saturday imposed a two-week lockdown starting May 10. Several states, including Kerala, Karnataka and New Delhi, have announced varying degrees of lockdown.

“In view of the impending total lockdown, the government has allowed all shops and establishments to operate for two days, May 8 and 9 (Saturday and Sunday), between 6am and 9pm,” the CM said.

IN TUNE: RPF organised a flash mob at MGR Central on Saturday as part of a Covid-19 awareness drive

Lockdown: Carry IDs if commuting to work

The decision has been taken following the views expressed by collectors, medical experts and recommendations of the Union government. The number of active cases in the state has crossed 1.35 lakh — a sharp increase compared to the same period in March. All government offices, except essential departments like secretariat, medical and family welfare, revenue, police, electricity and drinking water supply, will remain closed. Central government offices, autonomous/subordinate offices and public corporations will also remain closed. All private offices, IT and ITES establishments too will remain shut and so will industries other than exempted ones.

In a statement, AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam said the total lockdown would be of great help to contain the spread. “I welcome the government’s decision to continue Amma canteens and shut Tasmac outlets,” he said. The AIADMK leader said the government could increase mini clinics and allow them to function 24 hours by engaging temporary doctors to reduce the burden on government hospitals. He also urged the state to extend incentives to health workers. PMK leader S Anbumani Ramadoss suggested the government could waive off power bills for two months. AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran demanded that the government provide free food thrice a day in Amma canteens.

The permitted activities during the lockdown include supply of milk, newspapers, courier service, hospitals, medical labs, pharmacies, ambulance, hearse and allied medical activities, goods vehicles, vehicles carrying agricultural produce, oxygen and fuel. Shops selling fertilisers, pesticides, seeds and fodder outlets will be allowed to function between 6am and noon. Takeaway service will be permitted in restaurants, hotels, bakeries and mess between 6am and 10am, noon and 3pm and 6pm and 9pm. Ecommerce activities will be allowed only during this permitted time. Roadside eateries cannot open for business.

Pavement vendors selling vegetables and fruits will be permitted till noon. PDS outlets will function between 8am and noon. Volunteers and caregivers attending to people with special needs and elderly citizens will be allowed to travel with ID cards and permission letters issued by employers. Judiciary and courts, ongoing construction activities and media will be allowed. The government has already permitted continuous process industries and industries manufacturing essential commodities. The staff/ workers will be allowed to travel either in company vehicles or own vehicles with display of ID cards. There is no bar on conducting wedding ceremonies with a maximum of 50 people. For funeral and performance of last rites, there is a cap of 20 people.

Maintenance and other critical IT infrastructure needed for medical, financial, transport and other critical services will be permitted. Banks, ATMs, and insurance services will be allowed with 50% workforce.