Every decimal to count as no rounding off Class XII marks

Every decimal to count as no rounding off Class XII marks

Govt Move To Make College Admissions Hassle-free

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:17.07.2021 

A decimal point in Class XII marks can decide the fate of a student seeking admission in a college. That’s because marks will not be rounded off this year. This time, subject marks will have two decimal points to break the tie in ranking for engineering and arts and science seats.

An official in the school education department told TOI that Class XII marks will have two decimal points as per the government order. The department is introducing decimal points to avoid confusion in college admissions.

The directorate of government examinations (DGE) on Friday announced that the Class XII results will be declared on July19 and students can download their marksheets from July 22.

The state government cancelled the Class XII board exams due to Covid-19 second wave. As per the expert committee’s suggestion, it was decided to give weightage to Class X and XI board exams and Class XII practical and internal assessment. The Class X marks will carry a weightage of 50% while Class XI will carry 20% and Class XII will carry 30% weightage while computing marks.

Career consultant Jayaprakash Gandhi said there will be a lot of students in the same cut-off due to the weightage system followed this year for awarding marks to Class XII students.

“We suggested giving decimal points to break ties in deciding rank for admissions to professional courses including engineering, agriculture courses. National Testing Agency is giving JEE (Main) results in up to seven decimal points. State government has decided to give results in two decimal points and I welcome the move as it would partially solve problems during admissions,” he said.

He further suggested looking at Class XI maths, physics and fourth subject marks in addition to Class XII marks in maths, physics and fourth subjects, date of birth and random number to break tie while ranking the students. “There are possibilities that many students in Class XII would have scored full marks in maths,” he added.

G J Manohar, principal of MCC Higher Secondary School in Chetpet, said the move would help the colleges during admissions.

Some principals differed and said many students will lose the advantage of getting two or three extra marks. N Vijayan, principal of Zion Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Tambaram, said students may lose three to four marks by not rounding off their marks in each subject. “The universal rule is to discard marks less than 0.5 and add one mark to more than 0.5 mark. Marks with decimal points may lead to some confusion,” he said.

Agnes Rita, principal of GRT Mahalakshmi Vidhyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Ashok Nagar, too said it would be better to round off the marks.

We suggested giving decimal points to break ties in deciding rank for admissions for professional courses including those in engineering and agriculture. The National Testing Agency is giving JEE (Main) results in up to seven decimal points

JAYAPRAKASH GANDHI

Career consultant

Egmore station gets two more escalators

NEWS DIGEST

Egmore station gets two more escalators

17.07.2021

Southern Railway on Friday opened two escalators at Chennai Egmore railway station allowing people to access the Gandhi Irwin Road. The station has five escalators, and the new ones have been installed in the area near the main entrance where people get down from autos and cabs. The facility was inaugurated by M Selvaraj, a commercial assistant retiring this month. Egmore railway station that has 11 platforms handles around 1.2 lakh commuters daily.

Vax priority for pregnant, lactating women & TB patients: Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has announced that pregnant women, lactating mothers and patients with tuberculosis will be given priority at its Covid-19 vaccine centres. GCC has requested these women and patients to get their jabs soon. According to official data, a total of 733 pregnant women, 2,328 lactating women and 143 TB patients have received vaccinations till date.

Financial aid for unemployed youth: The Kancheepuram district employment exchange has invited applications from unemployed youth for its monthly financial assistance scheme. According to the scheme guidelines, youth who did not pass Class X are eligible to get ₹200 as assistance every month, Class XII passed candidates and graduates can get ₹300-₹600 per month. To apply for the assistance, visit www.tnvelaivaaippu.gov.in

‘Semen’ becomes ‘semman’, rapist almost escapes

HC ORDERS 5-YR JAIL

‘Semen’ becomes ‘semman’, rapist almost escapes

Srikkanth.D@timesgroup.com

Chennai:17.07.2021 

A typographical error of ‘semen’ being recorded as ‘semman’ (which means red sand in Tamil) almost allowed a rape accused to go scot-free, before the Madras high court stepped in and reversed his acquittal by a lower court.

Instead of mentioning that a two-and-a-half-year-old girl’s genitals had traces of ‘semen’, the chargesheet mentioned it as ‘semman’ — meaning red soil in the genitals. Citing the ‘dirt’ that might have got stuck as the child might have been playing around, the Tiruvarur district Mahila court freed the offender from the case. Justice P Velmurugan of the Madras HC, however, sentenced S Prakash of Tiruvarur district to five-year jail term and directed the government to pay ₹1 lakh compensation to the girl. In September 2017, Prakash raped the child when her mother stepped out to buy food. On her return, the mother found the child crying and noticed a white liquid on her private parts. She admitted the child to a hospital and lodged a complaint. The prosecution told the HC that while recording evidence before the trial court, the word ‘semen’ in English was typed as ‘semman’ in Tamil.

‘Culprits are escaping due to tech reasons’

Taking advantage of the mistake committed by a typist during trial, the defence had argued that what the mother found on her child was ‘red colour soil’ (semman) and no semen was found in the child’s undergarments.

Justice Velmurugan said the investigating officer should have made more effort, and added: “Culprits are escaping due to technical reasons and, unfortunately, investigation wing is also not up to the standard. The trial court also, at times, are not applying their minds and exercising their discretionary power either to direct for reinvestigation or searching for proof beyond reasonable doubt, giving benefit of doubt to the accused.”

Justice Velmurugan said in cases like these delay in filing FIR should not be fatal to the case of the prosecution. Pointing out that the police complaint clearly showed that the woman had meant white colour fluid and that it was the typist who wrote the English word ‘semen’ as ‘semman’ in ‘Tamil, the judge said, “admittedly, the defence side has taken flimsy defence that the mother stated as “semman colour.”

₹215 paid for one Covishield vax shot, ₹225 for Covaxin

₹215 paid for one Covishield vax shot, ₹225 for Covaxin

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:17.07.2021 

The fresh vaccine orders placed by the Centre are at a revised price of ₹215 for Covishield and ₹225 for a dose of Covaxin, according to an official source.

While the Centre was earlier procuring vaccines at ₹150 a dose, it had indicated that it will revise vaccine prices after the changed procurement plan came into effect from June 21. “We are on path to achieving the target of 50 crore doses by July 31, this is crucial towards meeting our target coverage by end of this year,” the senior official said. Nearly 40 crore doses were administered across the country till 10pm Friday. On availability of Moderna vaccine, the government said talks are going on.

Discussions have not yet concluded, says V K Paul

While the Centre has indicated an availability of 13.5 crore doses for July, a fresh order of 66 crore doses for government procurement along with an additional advance payment already made by the Centre to reserve 30 crore doses of Biological E’s Covid vaccine are expected to boost supply.

“The logistic management has to be linked at production and availability at field level, and while we appreciate the concern of states to get more vaccine doses, we must also appreciate how government of India is increasing production and parallelly ensuring that 75% of doses are given free of cost to states,” health ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal said.

“...to and fro (talks) are going on over the contractual specifics. Discussions have not yet concluded. Currently, they have to respond to some of the points we have made and we will take it forward,” NITI Aayog memberhealth Dr VK Paul said.

Exempt us from giving med seats for all-India quota: TN

Exempt us from giving med seats for all-India quota: TN

Request To Centre May Free Up 1,700 Addl Seats In State

Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:17.07.2021 

Besides demanding exemption from NEET, Tamil Nadu has sought the Centre’s nod to free itself from allocating UG, PG and super-speciality medical seats in state-run institutions to All India Quota (AIQ), health minister Ma Subramanian has said. If the request is accepted, more than 1,700 more medical seats, including 500 MBBS seats, will be available for TN students, he said. But the decision may also deny TN students the option of getting into government medical colleges of other states. Every year, TN surrenders nearly 500 of 3,400 MBBS seats from 25 government medical colleges, 950 of 1,938 postgraduate seats in 14 TN government medical colleges and all the 184 DM seats and 95 MCh seats across 12 colleges to the central pool under AIQ.

Class XII state board results on July 19

TN state board Class 12 results will be declared at 11am on July 19. Students can access their results with DOB and roll number on the following websites: www.tnresults.nic.in, www.dge1.tn.nic.in, www.dge2.tn.nic.in, www.dge.tn.gov.in. Students will also receive their marks through SMS on their mobile numbers. P 3

‘Exemptions from AIQ seat-sharing sought’

A day after meeting Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya in New Delhi, Subramanian told reporters that as a part of the 13 demands from the state, the government has sought exemptions from seat-sharing for AIQ. “We are awaiting permission from the National Medical Commission to sanction the admission of 1,650 students to the11 new medical colleges in Tamil Nadu. Once we get the permission, we will start discussions regarding seatsharing,” he told reporters.

State governments surrender 15% of MBBS seats, 50% of PG medical seats and entire super-specialty seats for All India Quota, to enable the central government to admit students through a common pool. The medical counselling committee, under the directorate-general of medical services, admits students through a centralised online counselling based on marks obtained in NEET. If any of the surrendered seats remain vacant after two rounds of counselling, they are returned to the state.

If the state decides not to share seats with the Centre, then admission to all these medical seats will be done by the state selection committee attached to the directorate of medical education following merit in NEET and 69% rule of reservation. “This way we can ensure all seats in the state are reserved for students belonging to our state,” Subramanian said. “Admission to all super-specialty seats we created in our colleges will also be reserved for our students,” he said.

Doctors’ bodies and several political parties, including AIADMK, have been demanding 50% reservation of seats for OBC students, as per the 69% reservation formula in Tamil Nadu in the centralised counselling. “Many students from our state go to other states to study medicine after clearing PG NEET. They will lose that opportunity,” said former health minister C Vijayabaskar. Tamil Nadu has a large number of seats in government colleges, he said, adding: “We have to study the benefits of not sharing seats before making a policy decision.”

Supreme Court Sets Aside Allahabad HC Direction To Give Retrospective Effect To Enhancement Of Retirement Age In NOIDA

Supreme Court Sets Aside Allahabad HC Direction To Give Retrospective Effect To Enhancement Of Retirement Age In NOIDA: The Supreme Court has set aside a judgment of the Allahabad High Court which directed that retros

More Tamil Nadu cities included for NEET says Centre, as state renews plea to scrap the exam

More Tamil Nadu cities included for NEET says Centre, as state renews plea to scrap the exam

The board exams for class XII were cancelled owing to the pandemic and Tamil Nadu had announced the criteria for admitting students to colleges.

Published: 15th July 2021 08:00 PM 

By PTI

NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian on Thursday demanded that the Centre scrap the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and allow the state to fill admissions to all professional courses on the basis of class XII marks.

The board exams for class XII were cancelled owing to the pandemic and Tamil Nadu had announced the criteria for admitting students to colleges.

It urged the central government to cancel all national level entrance exams like NEET, as it did with the CBSE board exams.

During his visit to the national capital, Subramanian called on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and discussed with him several issues pertaining to Tamil Nadu, including scrapping of NEET.

"During the discussion, we explained about the recommendation of the retired judge A K Rajan committee while putting forth our demands. The union minister assured to examine the demands," Subramanian later told reporters.

The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu last month constituted the panel, headed by retired high court judge AK Rajan, to analyse if NEET had an adverse impact on students from backward classes and if so, the committee would recommend remedial measures to the government.

It had submitted its report on Wednesday, with Justice Rajan saying majority of representations don't want NEET.

Explaining to Subrmanian about the background of the Supreme Court's directions on conducting NEET, Pradhan told him that for the convenience of Tamil Nadu students, four new cities--Chengalpattu, Virudhunagar, Dindigul and Tiruppur have been added for conducting NEET.

"Also, shared with him that to cater to regional aspirations, number of languages being offered this year have been increased to 13 from 11 with the addition of Malayalam and Punjabi. The exam is already being conducted in Tamil language," Pradhan tweeted after the meeting.

Subramanian, referring to Pradhan's explanation, said "the very issue is about conducting NEET and also the syllabus and not about the examination centres. We had said that NEET saw the suicides of 13 students (in TN)". Pradhan had understood Tamil Nadu's concerns as his own state Odisha encountered problems due to NEET," Subramanian added.

Tamil Nadu was in favour of cancelling NEET and all national level entrance exams as conducting such tests during the pandemic was detrimental to the health and well-being of the students.

"Tamil Nadu government may be allowed to fill all professional seats including MBBSDSAYUSH courses on the basis of class XII marks alone," a memorandum submitted to Pradhan by Subramanian said.

It further stated it has been the "consistent and considered opinion" of Tamil Nadu that class XII marks alone be the basis for higher education admission and "conducting NEET deprives opportunities for rural students, majority of whom study in their mother tongue and lack resourcesaccess to coaching institutions."

Abolition of NEET is an election promise of the M K Stalin-led DMK which won the April 6 Assembly polls in the state.

Subramanian, who later called on Union Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, said he had demanded 12 crore doses of covid vaccine to cover about six crore beneficiaries in Tamil Nadu.

The state had so far obtained about 1.70 crore covid vaccines.

"We told the union minister that we require 12 crore doses of the vaccines to provide two doses to six crore people. He has assured to fulfill the state's requirement," Subramanian said.

During the meeting, he presented 13 demands to the union health minister, including establishing a new AIIMS at Coimbatore besides expediting the Madurai AIIMS project.

The Union Minister had told him that he would look into the matter.

Also, he responded positively to the state's request for drugs to treat Black Fungus and assured to release Rs 800 crore to help the state government to launch appropriate measures to prevent the third Coronavirus wave.

"Health Minister, Government of Tamil Nadu, M Subramanian met me to discuss various issues of Tamil Nadu, including NEET (UG) 2021. Explained to him the background of the Supreme Court's directions in this regard."

"Also, shared with him that to cater to regional aspirations, the number of languages being offered this year have been increased, with the addition of Malayalam and Punjabi. The exam is already being conducted in the Tamil language," Pradhan said in a series of tweets.

The number of cities has increased to 18 from 14 last year.

The number of examination centres will also be increased, he said.

The meeting comes a day after a high-level committee, led by retired Madras High Court judge A K Rajan, handed over its report to Chief Minister M K Stalin on the impact of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) in Tamil Nadu and related issues due to its implementation.

A petition in the Madras High Court, seeking to quash the Tamil Nadu government notification, constituting the high-level committee on NEET, has been dismissed by the court.

Most parties, including the ruling DMK and main opposition AIADMK, are on the same page on NEET and have been demanding that the test be scrapped, arguing that it went against social justice, rural and government school students.

The NEET-UG which was earlier scheduled on August 1 has now been postponed to September 12.

Resistance remains, but it’s a NEET solution this year

Resistance remains, but it’s a NEET solution this year

Students glad their preparation won’t go in vain after Class 12 exams were scrapped

Published: 16th July 2021 04:55 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Though NEET is being vehemently opposed in the State, students are relieved at the announcement that the exam will be held on September 12 this year.

“We were getting worried as no date was announced. We didn’t know how medical colleges would admit students if the exam was not conducted this year. We have been preparing for it for the past two years,” said V Saraswathy, a NEET aspirant.

Not all students were happy that their Class 12 exams were cancelled and they would be evaluated based on their Class 10 and 11 marks and Class 12 pre-board exams. Many were worried the evaluation formulae decided would create problems in getting admission into professional courses.

Even those who oppose NEET are of the view that cancelling the exam this year would make things worse for students. “The Class 12 exams were cancelled, and the devised evaluation system does not do justice to those who improved their performance in Class 12. If even NEET is cancelled, it would become chaotic and would only add to the students’ burden,” said Parathasarathy D, father of a NEET aspirant.

Staff at coaching centres also feel NEET would be favourable for students this year as the National Testing Agency (NTA) has introduced changes in the exam pattern for NEET-UGUG 2021. The changes were made to rationalise school education boards’ decision to reduce the syllabus this year. In NEET (UG)-2021, each subject will be divided into two sections.

Section A will have 35 questions and Section B will have 15. In Section B, students will only have to attempt 10 questions. The total number of questions remains the same, and all questions will be in the multiple-choice format. “The new pattern will favour average students and they can easily score full marks,” said Sharath Kumar, a faculty at a NEET coaching centre.

TN woman kills potential rapist, let off under Section 100 of IPC

TN woman kills potential rapist, let off under Section 100 of IPC

A 23-year-old woman who allegedly killed a man to protect herself from an attempted rape was let go by the police on grounds that she had acted only in self-defence.

Published: 16th July 2021 05:01 AM 

By Sahaya Novinston Lobo

Express News Service

CHENNAI: A 23-year-old woman who allegedly killed a man to protect herself from an attempted rape was let go by the police on grounds that she had acted only in self-defence. The police said the woman, a mother of two, was struggling to free herself from the clutches of the deceased when she pushed him.

The man, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, is believed to have hit his head against a rock and died on the spot. After preliminary inquiries pointed that the woman had only acted in her self-defence, Tiruvallur police invoked section 100 of the IPC (right of private defence) and released her on station bail.

According to the police, the locals reported a man found dead in a fish farm near Minjur on Wednesday afternoon. His body was retrieved and sent to the Tiruvallur Government Hospital for post-mortem. A case of suspicious death under Section 174 of CrPC was registered. From his appearances, police suggested that he could be a migrant worker. On investigation, it was found that the man had been stalking one Lakshmi (name changed).

Woman kills rapist in self-defence

The woman lived with her husband and two children in a small room-like structure in the property and the family was employed at the fish farm. A senior police officer said,

“On Wednesday, the man sneaked into the farm, allegedly gagged the woman and dragged her to a secluded place in the farm where he tried to force himself on her.” As the man held her from behind, Lakshmi pushed him, following which he slipped, and hit a rock on the ground. The ground was slippery from rain the previous night.

When the man fainted, Lakshmi dragged the body and dumped it on the roadside, after which she returned to the farm and informed her husband. He and other workers rushed to see the man only to find villagers standing around the man lying unconscious.

On information, the Minjur police rushed to the spot, and alerted the ambulance. He was confirmed dead due to concussion by the para-medic staff. Inspector Vadivel Murugan said, “We inquired about the suspect in the neighbourhood and they had spotted him for a couple of days in the area. But the residents confirmed that he was not employed in any company there.”

Earlier in January this year, police had invoked the same section to allow a 19-year-old woman to walk free after she killed a man who attempted to rape her.

CBSE to open moderation portal today

CBSE to open moderation portal today

16.07.2021 

The CBSE will be opening the moderation portal for the tabulation of Class XII results on Friday. It has instructed the schools to stick to the schedule provided as the board will have to declare the results by July 31. The schools have also been instructed to ensure there is no bunching of total marks in the range of 95 and above. “To aid the schools, CBSE has provided marks, including distribution of the marks, based on the best performance of the previous three years, which will be taken as reference for the purpose of moderation. Schools are directed to follow the reference distribution while moderating mass,” said the circular sent to the school heads. TNN

Intern doctors go on strike over unpaid Covid allowance

Intern doctors go on strike over unpaid Covid allowance

TNN & Agencies

Ahmedabad:16.07.2021 

More than 400 junior doctors, interns at selffinanced Gujarat Medical Education & Research Society (GMERS) medical colleges in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Valsad, went on strike on Thursday over their ‘Covid allowance’ not being paid. The allowance was promised by the state government during the second Covid wave when several representations over pay disparity with other states were made.

The internship is mandatory for students who start their own practice after completing their bond period. “The intern doctors were promised Rs 5,000 monthly Covid allowance over their stipend from March to June. While interns of the government-run colleges have received the allowance promised by the government, intern doctors at GMERS-run colleges have not been given the sum,” said a doctor on condition of anonymity. “There was no other way for us but to declare a strike for justice.” Meanwhile, Gujarat deputy CM Nitin Patel, who also handles the health portfolio, promised that the issue would be resolved soon. Patel asked the striking doctors to join work and “show some concern for patients”.

“Internship is a must for any medical student. These students must be thankful to the government for arranging their internship at government hospitals and giving them allowances. It’s the government which showed a big heart, not the intern doctors,” Patel said on Thursday.

“They have to complete their internship even if we do not give any allowance, because it’s a must to become a doctor. At private medical colleges, students have to pay from their pockets to do an internship. These intern doctors should show some concern for patients,” said the health minister.

The hospital administration at Sola and Gandhinagar Civil hospitals claimed that services were not affected. “Talks with the doctors are on. Meanwhile, staff has been ramped up so patients don’t face any issue,” said a senior doctor at Sola Civil Hospital.

Junior doctors protest to press their demand at GMERS Medical College in the Sola area of the city on Thursday

With Times NIE, win a ticket to dream course

With Times NIE, win a ticket to dream course

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:16.07.2021 

As a part of the ongoing virtual career guidance webinar for the students who have completed class XII in 2021, Times NIE, in association with Bharath University, is conducting a series of online aptitude tests for the participating students on July 18. The test - ‘BEAT IT’ (Bharath Engineering Aptitude Test, with emphasis on Information Technology), will provide students with an exclusive opportunity to get admission into Bharath University.

The top scorers will also get a chance to win a scholarship for their dream course. The 60-minute-long test will comprise questions on physics, chemistry, maths and computer science. No additional admission fees and test charges will be involved in this. Students taking the test will also get rewards. To register, visit https://docs.google.com/forms d/19sXJ19Ru5 ytJRPW_ 6OGG25Y7xZa-OhFp9v5OK_GwvAE/edit

NEET to be held in more TN districts

NEET to be held in more TN districts

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

16.07.2021 

National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2021 will be aditionally held in Chengalpet, Virudhunagar, Dindigul and Tirupur districts, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said. NEET this year will be held in 18 TN districts against 14 in 2020.

Health minister Ma Subramanian, who met Pradhan in Delhi on Thursday seeking exemption from NEET for Tamil Nadu, said the Centre promised to consider TN’s demand. “We presented all problems including disadvantages for students in rural areas, the difference between CBSE and state board syllabus and people’s sentiments against the test. We also handed over the recommendation of the AK Rajan committee.”

The state has urged the Centre to cancel all national level exams like NEET as it did with CBSE boards. During his maiden visit to Delhi, Subramanian called on Pradhan and health minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

In June, TN constituted a committee headed by retired high court judge AK Rajan to study the impact of NEET. After submitting the report on Wednesday, Justice Rajan said most people did not want NEET. “We also told him that at least 13 students who could not get MBBS seats ended their lives. The education minister understood our concerns. He told us there were similar concerns in his state Odisha as well. The state will make all efforts to get exemptions from the entrance,” he said.

Minutes after the meeting, Pradhan tweeted that he had told Subramanian the Centre will add more NEET centres in Tamil Nadu. " Also, shared with him that to cater to regional aspirations, the number of languages being offered this year have been increased to 11 from 13 with the addition of Malayalam and Punjabi. The exam is already being conducted in the Tamil language,” he tweeted.

EXPERT ADVICE

EXPERT ADVICE

Healthy tongue: These exercises are a mouthful  Experts: Can Help With Sleep, Swallowing

Kamini.Mathai@timesgroup.com

15.07.2021 

Good sleep, easier breathing and an overall healthier lifestyle – could it all possibly be at the tip of your tongue? Just like with every muscle, say dentists, the tongue too needs its fair share of work-outs and strengthening exercises to keep it in tip-top shape.

"Strengthening, functional training, posture correction are needed to keep the tongue strong,” says dentist Dr Shifa Shamsudeen, who is launching her non-profit ‘The Tongue Foundation' in the city on Friday to create awareness on a muscler that is often taken for granted and neglected.

Poor tongue posture can also lead to problems such as speech impediments, snoring and sleep apnea, says Dr Seema Alice Mathew, oral & maxillofacial surgeon at Dr Mehta's Hospitals. “The tongue is a powerful muscle. Now, if the tongue falls back while sleeping it can obstruct the airway and cause sleep apnea, especially in someone who is obese,” she says.

During breastfeeding, the tongue naturally touches the upper palate. But in bottle-feeding, the tongue is pushed down, which is not natural, explains Dr Shifa.

In terms of breathing, the gas nitric oxide (NO) – a natural chemical and mechanical viral barrier --is produced in the paranasal sinuses and excreted into the nasal airways. “But when you have a slightly open mouth – a result of a weak tongue – you are engaging in passive mouth breathing, which means the NO effects are partially lost predisposing one to respiratory infections,” says Dr Shifa. “Remember, the upper jaw isn’t just the roof of the mouth, it’s the floor of the nose. In its resting position, the tongue must touch the roof of the mouth.”

Divya S, speech-language pathologist at Pebbles Centre for Child Development, says one of the ways to strengthen the tongue and jaw is to apply something semi-solid and slightly sticky to the roof of the mouth – caramel chocolate for instance – and then try to remove it with the tongue.

“The processed soft foods that we eat use the cheek muscle more than the tongue muscle, thus weakening the latter. That’s why we also need to feed the tongue with a diet of whole grains and give it a workout,” says Dr Shifa.

In largest order so far, Centre to buy 66cr vax doses for ₹14,505cr

In largest order so far, Centre to buy 66cr vax doses for ₹14,505cr

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:16.07.2021 

The government is placing its largest order yet of covid vaccines at 66 crore doses worth ₹14,505 crore to procure Covishield and Covaxin shots that will help it to meet the vaccine availability projections it had made in the Supreme Court.

The order is in line with the Centre’s estimate of 135 crore doses being available between August and December as stated in its affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court on June 26. Apart from the order for 66 crore doses, the government has made an advance payment to reserve 30 crore doses of Hyderabadbased Biological-E’s Corbevax vaccine, official sources said.

This means a total of 96 crore doses are expected to be available on account of government procurement during August-December. While the 96 crore doses comprises the Centre’s share of 75% of the total manufactured doses, the private sector will also have another 22 crore doses of Covishield and Covaxin available during the period.

Aid for 1,071 teachers who died on poll duty

The UP government will compensate the families of 2,020 of its employees who died of Covid-19 while on panchayat election duty in April and May. Of them, 1,071 were teachers or education staff. In May, the government had said just three teachers had died on poll duty. Initially, the government counted only those who had died within 24 hours of poll duty. As the election was under way, TOI had on April 24 first reported that several teachers had died after panchayat election duty with Covid-19 symptoms, while teachers’ unions put the toll at 1,621 after the polls ended.

39.49 crore vax doses administered across country till Thursday

The order and other anticipated supplies, said officials, will help India remain on track to ensure vaccination for the 18 plus population by the year end.

The total production of Covishield and Covaxin in August-December is placed at 88 crore doses. Despite a shortfall of around 3.5 crore doses in July, Covaxin production is put at 38 crore in this period, slightly less than the 40 crore mentioned in the SC affidavit. The glitches in its production are understood to have been sorted out.

Apart from Covishield, Covaxin and Corbevax, the government’s estimate of 135 crore doses also included Sputnik V and Zydus Cadila’s vaccine. While Sputnik V locally manufactured supplies are yet to start, Cadila’s approval is pending. Ten crore Sputnik and five crore Cadila are estimated to be available this year according to the Centre’s affidavit.

The government aims to inoculate the entire adult population above 18 years age by December.

A total of 39.49 crore doses have been administered across the country till Thursday 7pm.

The Centre has indicated availability of 13.5 crore doses during July, which would translate into an average 50 lakh doses per day. While daily vaccinations have been modest in July so far with a little over 5 crore doses given so far in the month, the states have been asked to ramp up sessions along with that in the private sector where pick up has been slow so far.

Full report on www.toi.in

NEET 2021

 

vaccination

 

பயிற்சி டாக்டர்களுக்கு ஊக்கத்தொகை உயர்வு?

பயிற்சி டாக்டர்களுக்கு ஊக்கத்தொகை உயர்வு?

Added : ஜூலை 15, 2021 00:55

சென்னை:தமிழகத்தில் பயிற்சி டாக்டர்களுக்கு கூடுதலாக, 10 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் ஊக்கத் தொகை உயர்த்தப்பட உள்ளது.

சென்னை தலைமை செயலகத்தில், மக்கள் நல்வாழ்வுத் துறை அமைச்சர் சுப்பிரமணியன், செயலர் ராதாகிருஷ்ணனுடன், தமிழக உறைவிட டாக்டர்கள் சங்கத்தினர் பேச்சு நடத்தினர். அப்போது, ஊக்கக் தொகை உயர்வு கோரிக்கையை விரைந்து நிறைவேற்றுவதாக, அவர்களுக்கு அமைச்சர் நம்பிக்கை தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

இது குறித்து, அச்சங்கத்தின் நிர்வாகி டாக்டர் விக்னேஷ் கூறியதாவது:ஊக்கத் தொகை உயர்வு கோரிக்கை குறித்து, பலமுறை அரசிடம் வலியுறுத்தி வருகிறோம். தற்போது, எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., பயிற்சி டாக்டர்களுக்கு, 21 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் வழங்கப்படுகிறது. அமைச்சரிடம் நடத்திய பேச்சை தொடர்ந்து, 3,000 ரூபாய் கூடுதலாக உயர்த்தப்பட உள்ளது.

அதேபோல், முதுநிலை பயிற்சி டாக்டர்களுக்கு, 38 ஆயிரம் ரூபாயில் இருந்து 48 ஆயிரம் ரூபாயாகவும்; உயர் சிறப்பு முதுநிலை டாக்டர்களுக்கு, 43 ஆயிரம் ரூபாயில் இருந்து 55 ஆயிரம் ரூபாயாகவும் உயர்த்தப்படும் என, அமைச்சர் நம்பிக்கை தெரிவித்துள்ளார். இரண்டு வாரத்தில் இதற்கான அரசாணை வெளியிடுவதாகவும் தெரிவித்துள்ளார். அதனால், நாங்கள் இரண்டு நாட்கள் பணி நிறுத்த போராட்டத்தில் ஈடுபடப் போவதாக அறிவித்திருந்தோம். தற்போது, அதை ஒத்தி வைத்துள்ளோம்.இவ்வாறு அவர் கூறினார்.

திருச்சி -- பகத் கி கோதிக்கு எழும்பூர் வழியாக சிறப்பு ரயில்

திருச்சி -- பகத் கி கோதிக்கு எழும்பூர் வழியாக சிறப்பு ரயில்

Added : ஜூலை 15, 2021 00:48

சென்னை:திருச்சியில் இருந்து சென்னை எழும்பூர் வழியாக, ராஜஸ்தானின் பகத் கி கோதி நகருக்கு சிறப்பு ரயில்கள் இயக்கப்படுகின்றன.

* பகத் கி கோதியில் இருந்து, வரும் 21ம் தேதி முதல், புதன்கிழமை தோறும் மாலை, 4:10 மணிக்கு புறப்படும் சிறப்பு ரயில், வெள்ளிக்கிழமை தோறும் மாலை 4:00 மணிக்கு திருச்சி சென்றடையும்

* திருச்சியில் இருந்து, வரும் 24ம் தேதி முதல் சனிக்கிழமைகள் தோறும் காலை 7:30 மணிக்கு புறப்படும் சிறப்பு ரயில், திங்கள் கிழமை தோறும் காலை 7:45 மணிக்கு பகத் கி கோதிக்கு செல்லும். இந்த ரயில்கள் விழுப்புரம், செங்கல்பட்டு, சென்னை எழும்பூர் வழியாக இயக்கப்படுகின்றன. இதற்கான முன்பதிவு, இன்று துவங்குகிறது.

நிவாரணம் வாங்காத நான்கு லட்சம் ரேஷன் கார்டுதாரர்கள்

நிவாரணம் வாங்காத நான்கு லட்சம் ரேஷன் கார்டுதாரர்கள்

Added : ஜூலை 15, 2021 00:50

சென்னை, ஜூலை 15-கொரோனா நிவாரண தொகை மற்றும் மளிகை தொகுப்பை, நான்கு லட்சம் ரேஷன் கார்டுதாரர்கள் வாங்காமல் உள்ளனர்.

முதல்வராக மே மாதம் பொறுப்பேற்ற ஸ்டாலின், 2.09 கோடி அரிசி கார்டுதாரர்களுக்கு, கொரோனா ஊரடங்கு கால நிவாரணமாக, தலா 4,000 ரூபாய் வழங்க உத்தரவிட்டார். முதல் தவணையான, 2,000 ரூபாய் அம்மாதம் வழங்கப்பட்டது. அந்த தொகையை, 1.60 லட்சம் கார்டுதாரர்கள் வாங்கவில்லை.ஜூனில் இரண்டாவது தவணையான 2,000 ரூபாயுடன், கோதுமை மாவு, ரவை உட்பட 14 வகை பொருட்கள் அடங்கிய மளிகை தொகுப்பு வழங்கப்பட்டது.

அம்மாதம் வாங்காதவர்கள், இம்மாதம் வாங்கி கொள்ள அவகாசம் அளிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. நேற்று வரை, 2.08 கோடி கார்டுதாரர்களுக்கு தலா 2,000 ரூபாய் என மொத்தம், 4,160 கோடி ரூபாய் பட்டுவாடா செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. இன்னும் 1.59 லட்சம் கார்டுதாரர்கள், நிவாரண தொகையின் இரண்டாவது தவணையை வாங்காமல் உள்ளனர். இதுதவிர 2.63 லட்சம் கார்டுதாரர்கள் மளிகை தொகுப்பை வாங்கவில்லை.

இரண்டையும் சேர்த்து 4.22 லட்சம் பேர், கொரோனா நிவாரண தொகுப்பை வாங்காமல் உள்ளனர். ரேஷன் கார்டில் உள்ள குடும்ப தலைவர் அல்லது உறுப்பினர்கள் கடைகளுக்கு சென்று, தங்களின் கைரேகையை பதிவு செய்தால் மட்டுமே, நிவாரண தொகுப்பை வாங்க முடியும்.

சிறுமிக்கான சிகிச்சை மருந்துக்கான இறக்குமதி வரி ரூ.6 கோடி ரத்து:சிறுமியின் பெற்றோர் தகவல்

சிறுமிக்கான சிகிச்சை மருந்துக்கான இறக்குமதி வரி ரூ.6 கோடி ரத்து:சிறுமியின் பெற்றோர் தகவல்

Added : ஜூலை 15, 2021 01:03

குமாரபாளையம்:நாமக்கல் மாவட்டம், குமாரபாளையத்தில் தசை நார் சிதைவு நோயால் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட சிறுமிக்கு செலுத்தப்பட வேண்டிய ஊசி மருந்து இறக்குமதி வரியை, மத்திய அரசு ரத்து செய்துள்ளதாக, பெற்றோர் தகவல் தெரிவித்தனர்.

சிறுமி மித்ராவின் தந்தை சதீஷ்குமார் கூறியதாவது;எங்கள் மகள் மித்ரா தசை நார் சிதைவு நோயால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டார். இவரது சிகிச்சைக்காக ஸ்விட்சர்லாந்து நாட்டில் தயாரிக்கப்படும் ஊசி மருந்து தேவைப்பட்டது. இதன் விலை, 16 கோடி ரூபாய். இதை இந்தியாவில் இறக்குமதி செய்ய, 6 கோடி ரூபாய் வரி செலுத்த வேண்டும் என்று கூறினர்.

பொதுமக்கள் கொடுத்த நன்கொடை மூலம், 16 கோடி ரூபாய் சேர்ந்து விட்டது. இறக்குமதி வரியை ரத்து செய்தால் மட்டுமே இந்த மருந்து எங்கள் மகளுக்கு கிடைக்கும் எனும் நிலை இருந்து வந்தது. பிரதமர் உள்ளிட்ட அனைத்து தலைவர்கள், அதிகாரிகளுக்கும் கோரிக்கை விடுத்திருந்தோம்.தற்போது, இறக்குமதி வரி, 6 கோடி ரூபாயை மத்திய அரசு ரத்து செய்துள்ளதாக போன் மூலம் தகவல் தெரிவித்தனர்.

இதற்கான கடிதம் அனுப்பி வைக்கப்படும் எனவும் கூறினர். பெங்களூரு மருத்துவமனைக்கு சென்று, மருத்துவமனை மூலமாக மருந்து 'ஆர்டர்' செய்வோம். ஓரிரு நாட்களில் மருந்து கிடைத்ததும் மித்ராவுக்கு அந்த மருந்து செலுத்தப்படும். இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

How Blood On Fridge Led Cops To Killers

How Blood On Fridge Led Cops To Killers

72-YR-OLD’S MURDER: Couple Thoroughly Cleaned House Several Times To Wipe Away Signs Of Crime

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: 15.07.2021 

The young couple that was arrested by Dwarka district cops for the gruesome murder of a 72-year-old woman had almost got away with it.

After strangling the woman and hacking her body into three parts, the suspects, Tanu and Anil Arya, thoroughly cleaned the entire house multiple times to wipe away any signs of the crime. However, a few drops of the victim’s blood had splashed onto the fridge, which the couple failed to notice and eventually led police to them.

The investigation, which TOI had reported on Wednesday, revealed that the elderly woman, Kavita, was murdered on June 30 and the couple disposed of the body parts on July 1 in Najafgarh drain.

Confident that they had not left any trails, the couple stayed put in their house till July 3 to thwart any suspicion on them. When Kavita’s son and daughter-in-law returned from their hometown, they lodged a missing complaint on not finding her at home. This was when the accused couple left for their hometown.

Initially, it was believed that Kavita may have gone somewhere, but after minutely checking the house police discovered the blood drops on the fridge. Though they became suspicious of a mishap, they could only file an FIR of abduction on July 6-7 in the absence of a body.

Soon, police stumbled upon two leads. CCTV footage from an adjacent house showed the couple entering the house and exiting with trolley bags. When cops looked around for the couple, they found their house locked. They then became the prime suspects. Technical surveillance and inquiries ended in the couple being caught from their hometown.

Police said they had recovered a part of the body and suspect that the rest either got dispersed with the flow of the water or may have been eaten by animals.

On Wednesday, Tanu blamed her event manager husband for the crime and claimed innocence while talking to reporters. “I haven’t killed anyone. After killing Kavita, my husband tried to kill me and my daughter too. He has assaulted me several times. I kept quiet fearing for mine and my daughter’s life,” she claimed.

However, police said they had ample evidence of her involvement in the murder. Cops said the couple owed Kavita Rs 1 lakh and were unable to return it due to financial crisis. Therefore, they planned to kill her. When her son and his wife were away, they went to her house on the pretext of returning the money and strangled her to death. They then hacked the body into pieces, packed it in bags and dumped them in Najafgarh drain.

Decide within 8 weeks on exam fee refund: HC to CBSE

Decide within 8 weeks on exam fee refund: HC to CBSE

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:  15.07.2021 

Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to take a call in eight weeks if it will refund the examination fees taken from students for class X and XII board examinations that were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Justice Prateek Jalan asked CBSE to consider as representation a petition by Deepa Joseph, mother of a Class X student studying in a CBSE-affiliated school, who had paid Rs 2,100 as examination fee. The CBSE’s decision would be open to challenge if Joseph is not satisfied, the court clarified as it disposed of the petition.

Claiming that the expenditure incurred by CBSE to conduct board examination, as well as its role in the process, was less, the plea pointed out that as per the new policy, “schools were uploading the marks”. The court, however, disagreed and wondered how the role of the board can be reduced.“If CBSE is not doing anything, you take the marksheet from schools and go,” it told the petitioner.

CBSE said it was a self-financing body and its expenditure was principally funded by the examination fees collected from students appearing in boards.

77 new cases; 1 death in last 24 hrs, lowest in four months

77 new cases; 1 death in last 24 hrs, lowest in four months

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:15.07.2021

Delhi recorded 77 fresh Covid-19 cases and one death on Wednesday while the positivity rate stood at 0.1 per cent. Seventy-one patients recovered in the last 24 hours.

As per the health bulletin, 215 people were in home isolation, a minor increase from Tuesday’s figure of 214, while the number of containment zones declined to 472 from 524.

There were 688 active cases in the city, up from Tuesday’s figure of

683. A total of 76,095 tests, including 54,159 RT-PCR/CBNAAT/True-Nat, were conducted in the last 24 hours, while the rest were rapid antigen tests. Out of the 13,715 beds, only 389 were occupied on Wednesday.

The capital had recorded 76 novel coronavirus cases and two fatalities while the positivity rate stood at 0.11% on July 12, according to a health bulletin issued earlier in the day. The Delhi government did not release the health bulletin on Tuesday.

On July11, Delhi had recorded 45 Covid cases, the lowest single-day rise in over a year, and three deaths while the positivity rate was 0.08%.

The capital has registered 14,35,281 Covid-19 cases since the pandemic started last year. A total of 14,09,572 patients have recovered so far. The death toll stands at 25,021, the bulletin stated. The case fatality rate stands at 1.74%.

A total of 1,29,054 beneficiaries were vaccinated in the past 24 hours, including 36,507 who were given the second dose. Delhi has vaccinated 90,73,103 till date, of which 21,31,907 have been fully vaccinated.

0.1  % POSITIVITY RATE OF THE COVID CASES IN THE CITY

SC: WhatsApp msgs have no evidential value

SC: WhatsApp msgs have no evidential value

New Delhi:  15.07.2021 

‘Popularity is not a measure of reliability’ appears to have played on the minds of the Supreme Court, which on Wednesday said messages exchanged on WhatsApp have no evidential value and that the author of such messages cannot be tied to them, especially in business partnerships governed by agreements, reports Dhananjay Mahapatra.

A bench of CJI N V Ramana and Justices A S Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy said, “What is evidential value of WhatsApp messages these days? Anything can be created and deleted on social media these days. We don’t attach any value to the WhatsApp messages.”

WA message fabricated, firm tells top court

The issue related to a December 2, 2016 Concession Agreement between South Delhi Municipal Corporation and a consortium comprising A2Z Infraservices and another entity for collection and transportation of waste materials. On April 28, 2017, A2Z entered into another agreement with Quippo Infrastructure (now Viom Infra ventures) for carrying out a part of the contracted work and it was agreed that all monies received by A2Z would be deposited in an escrow account from which payments would be made to parties.

On May 28 last year, A2Z terminated the contract agreement and Quippo moved the Calcutta HC on September 14 for appointment of an arbitration panel on certain issues relating to the contract agreement with A2Z. The parties agreed for an arbitrator on January 14 this year.

A single judge bench of the Calcutta HC was told by Quippo counsel about a WhatsApp message of March 19, 2020 in which A2Z purportedly admitted payment of Rs 8.18 crore due to Quippo. Quippo also showed an email of year 2018 in which A2Z had agreed to deposit all money received from SDMC in an escrow account.

A2Z told HC that the WhatsApp message was forged and fabricated. But, the HC directed A2Z to “deposit all the money received by them in future from South Delhi Municipal Corporation in connection with the work covered by the Master Service Agreement in the escrow account subject to further direction in this behalf by the arbitral tribunal or the arbitral award that may be passed”.

Appearing for A2Z before the SC, senior advocate Ranjit Kumar said though the agreement was terminated and the dispute stood referred to arbitration, it was incomprehensible why the HC ordered all receivables from SDMC be deposited in the escrow account. “Why should the HC believe a WhatsApp message when we have disputed it as forged and fabricated,” he said.

For Quippo, senior advocate Ritin Rai said that the escrow account was created on the basis of an agreement for equitable distribution of the money between the parties.

“Prima facie we are not satisfied with the HC direction . We are not considering the purported admission in WhatsApp message,” the bench said.

Haridwar closed for kanwar yatra, UP looks at new routes

Haridwar closed for kanwar yatra, UP looks at new routes

Sandeep.Rai@timesgroup.com

Meerut:15.07.2021

The tiny town of Garh Mukteswar in Hapur district, about119-km from Delhi, is likely to host lakhs of kanwar pilgrims if the UP government comes good on its promise to allow the yatra. With Haridwar out of bounds after the Uttarakhand administration called off the pilgrimage for this year citing threat from the pandemic, Garh Mukteswar is slowly emerging as an alternative destination for the Shiva devotees.

The UP government, which had earlier requested Uttarakhand to let the pilgrims pass en route for Haridwar, from where they collect water from the Ganga, has asked all those participating in the yatra to carry a Covid-19 negative certificate. The yatra is likely to begin from July 25 unless there is a change of plans. Apart from UP, kanwariyas from Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and even Himachal take part in the yatra.

The administration, after mulling several alternatives, has zeroed in on the ancient town of Garh Mukteswar, which hosts pilgrims throughout the year. Divisional commissioner of Meerut, Surender Singh, told TOI, “We have already started preparations for the security and overall management. Now that Uttarakhand has cancelled it, we have to find another destination from where pilgrims can fetch Ganga water. For instance, devotees in eastern UP bring the holy water from Prayagraj and Varanasi. In the western region, one such site could be Garh Mukteshwar in Hapur. But our options are open and we are working in this direction.” District magistrate of Hapur, Anuj Singh, said the administration will be able to hold the yatra in the town as the numbers will be less this time due to the Covid situation. “The possibility of using Garh Mukteshwar ghats for the pilgrimage is being explored as religious fairs take place throughout the year here,” the DM said.

Menacing monkey terrorizes Ratan Pol

Menacing monkey terrorizes Ratan Pol

FORESTERS STRUGGLE TO CATCH SIMIAN THAT SEEMS TO BE INJURED

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:15.07.2021

A monkey has been creating terror in the hearts of residents and commuters in Ratan Pol area over the past 10 days. The simian, which seems to be injured, has been attacking passersby, but the forest department as well as zoo officials are having a tough time caging it.

The monkey has been creating havoc in areas around Roopam Cinema, Ashok Cinema, Mahkali Vadi, Nagori School, and Gheekanta. It also attacked a safai worker from behind.

Hemraj Parmar was among the dozen-odd people that the monkey attacked. He said, “The residents marked the animal with red dye so that it is easily identifiable. Such is its terror that vendors in the area carry a stick to ensure that the monkey does not get close to them.” Despite this, the monkey managed to bite a vendor on Wednesday. The person was immediately rushed to Civil Hospital.

A senior forest officer said that they identified and located the monkey. However, by the time a team reached the area, people gathered in large numbers, scaring the monkey away. Officials said, “The monkey is limping. Hence, it appears that it had been attacked by a human. This could be why it is attacking people. Once caged, it is likely to kept behind bars permanently.” The officials said that the zoo authorities have been put on alert as the monkey will have to be tranquillized. The officials said a cage has been kept in the area and people are on their toes. The monkey had been spotted on several occasions but has not been caught yet.

“It is not safe to use a tranquillizer in such a dense area. The teams returned late on Wednesday without success. Five teams will be deployed in the area on Thursday to ensure that the monkey is tranquillized as soon as possible,” says District forest officer Sakira Begum.

Tejas Exp to Mumbai back from Aug 7

Tejas Exp to Mumbai back from Aug 7

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:15.07.2021

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will restore the operations of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Tejas Express from August 7.

The train will run on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Based on the passenger demand, the operations may be revised.

Officials said that IRCTC will continue to keep the safety of passengers as the paramount consideration. All-round preparations are in place to meet the expectations of people in terms of services and safety and health protocols amid the ongoing pandemic, said officials.

Passengers will have to undergo thermal screening and have their luggage disinfected before boarding the train. Passengers will have to show their Aarogya Setu status when asked.

The train will continue with its halt at Andheri, as permitted by the Western Railway, to facilitate the ease of travel of passengers headed to the Mumbai international airport.

Madurai lab tops state in Covid-testing

Madurai lab tops state in Covid-testing

Padmini.Sivarajah@timesgroup.com

15.07.2021

The virology lab at Madurai Medical College has performed 17.65 lakh RTPCR tests, the highest among all government medical college labs in the state. The government medical college labs in Chennai, including KMC, MMC, Stanley Medical College and Omandurar Medical college, together tested around 17 lakh samples.

Associate professor and lab incharge Dr C Sugumari said the lab with a staff of about100 , including 65 doctors and paramedics besides 45 data entry operators, has been operating round-the-clock since March 2020. With nine RT-PCR testing machines and five RNA extractors, the lab was able to undertake about 12,000 to 15,000 tests daily. During the first wave, they had done about 8,000 tests a day, which was the highest, but in the second wave the sample load gradually increased from11,000 to as many as15,801 a day in June.