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Monday, January 3, 2022

Schools plan to call half their students to avoid over-crowding, clusters

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:

03.01.2022

Amid rising Covid-19 cases, city schools have decided to return to blended classrooms from Monday as they plan to call only half their students for physical classes to ensure Covid-19 protocols inside classrooms.

Due to a spike in cases, the state government has reversed its decision to resume normal classes for Class IX to XII from January 3, apart from barring physical classes for Class I to VIII till January 10.

While asking schools to conduct physical classes for Class IX to XIII, the school education department asked schools to maintain protocols like 20 students per classroom, face masks and staggeredbreaks.

Due to non-availability of space and teachers, some schools are planning to call studentsin batches while othersare planning to call 50% students to avoid over-crowding.

V Shanthi, headmistress of Vidyodaya Girls Higher Secondary School in T Nagar, said, the school may call 50% students from Class IX to XII for physical classes to maintain the 20 students per classroom nor m.

M SathishKumar, principal of Vana Vani Matriculation Higher Secondary School, (IIT-M campus), said, the school will divide students of Class IX to XII into two batches to maintain social distancing inside classrooms. “Class IX and XIstudents will attend physical classes whenever Class X, XII do not have tests. During the test days, they will attend classes online,” he said.

GRT Mahalakshmi Vidyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary Schoolin Ashok Nagar is planning to work only till 1pm to avoid students having lunch and mixing with other students.

"We have arranged two students in a row and plan to work only till 1pm. Students will not be permitted to have lunch at schools," said Agnes Rita, principal of the school.

Most schools have scheduled online classes for Class I to VIII.

Schools with more students like Everwin Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Kolathur are planning to employ additional teachers and conduct daily classes for Classes I to VIII.

Colleges are preparing students for offline semester exams from January 20. "We have completed syllabus for second and third year students. Still about 20% of syllabus need to be completed for first year students. If Covid-19 cases continue to rise, we can conduct physical mode exams by extending number of exam days. We can conduct semester exams yearwise by following all Covid protocols," said S Santhosh Baboo, principal of DG Vaishnav College.

Professors warned the degrees may not be valued by the recruiters if the state government again go back to online mode of exams.

Masks find no takers among visitors to Mamallapuram

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 03.01.2022

There was scant regard for masks at tourist hotspots on ECR and Mamallapuram on Sunday, a day after travellers thronged these attractions during the New Year’s day.

The popular tourist hotspot of Mamallapuram was teeming with travellers largely from Chennai and neighbouring districts even as cases continue to spike across the state.

Scores of visitors who explored the ticketed monuments ignored the mandatory mask rule at public places.

The situation at Kovalam beach was no different. The tourist hotspot was flocked by hundreds of people without masks and social distancing. Footfall at the beach was high on Sunday with cars parked on both sides of the road leading to the promenade. This caused massive traffic snarls. There was poor enforcement of Covid-19 protocols in both these places.

While about 5,000 people visited ticketed monuments of ASI on Friday, the number spiked to around 12,000 on Saturday. The TTDC's houseboat at Muttukadu recorded a footfall of 2,000 visitors on Saturday and Sunday.

Mamallapuram-based tourist guide R Stalin said that nine out of ten visitors to Mamallapuram on Sunday did not wear masks.

Meanwhile, ASI sources said that entry into the monuments was not allowed without masks, and that people remove their masks once the enter the main gate of the monument.

When contacted, Chengalpet district collector A R Rahul Nadh said special teams comprising revenue and police department and the local body have been formed to ensure that Covid protocols are not violated at tourist hotspots.

Third wave has started in Tamil Nadu: Minister

Third wave has started in Tamil Nadu: Minister

03/01/2022

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI 03.01.2022

The third wave of COVID-19 has started in Tamil Nadu, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said on Sunday.

“The infection is spreading. In the past few days, it has been rising incrementally,” he said, inspecting the 17th mega vaccination camp here. Though Chennai continued to lead the State in vaccination, over five lakh persons had not received even one dose, he said.

1,594 fresh Covid cases across state

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

03.01.2022

Chennai:

As Covid-19 continues to spread across Tamil Nadu, the state government has intensified its fight against the disease.

On Sunday, 1,594 people tested positive across the state, slightly higher than Saturday’s figure of 1,489.

Chennai once again reported the maximum number of fresh cases (776). The district's Test Positivity Rate (TPR) jumped to 3. 1% —almost double the state's average TPR of 1. 4%.

There were no new Omicron cases in the state on Sunday. Of the 118 patients found infected by the new variant, only 20 are undergoing treatment while the rest were discharged after testing negative.

Another six people died of Covid-19 on Sunday, pushing up the state’s cumulative death toll to 36,760.

With respect to vaccination, 15. 16 lakh people got inoculated on Sunday. At present, more than 86% of the state's eligible population have got their first doses and 59% are fully vaccinated. The government is set to begin administration of booster doses for frontline workers and those aged above 60 from January10.

Rising cases force Bengal to go for tougher curbs

03.01.2022

The Bengal government on Sunday brought back many restrictions as the state recorded 6,153 fresh Covid cases, the highest single-day rise since May. All academic institutions will remain closed till January 15, as will swimming pools, salons, spas and wellness centres. All modes of local transport will be permitted till 10pm and operate with 50% capacity; pubilc and private offices too will operate at 50% strength. Night curfew will now last from 10pm to 5am.

Retain ₹8 lakh EWS cap for admissions, suggests panel

Will Tweak Other Criteria Next Year: Govt To SC

Will Tweak Other Criteria Next Year:

Govt To SC

Dhananjay.Mahapaatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:03.01.2022

The committee set up to evaluate the ₹8 lakh income limit for economically weaker section candidates in admissions to educational institutions recommended retention of the qualifying mark and the Centre informed the Supreme Court that it accepts the reasoning. This development may set in motion the resumption of the counselling process for the NEET-PG seats that is currently held up.

The Centre on Sunday told the Supreme Court that it would stick to the ₹8 lakh annual income limit criteria that entitles EWS candidates to a 10% reservation in ad- missions to educational institutions, including medical colleges, and government jobs, but promised to tweak other EWS-related criteria a bit from next year.

The committee advised implementation of its recommendations from next year, which would mean the EWS quota admissions for medical admissions for the present academic year, which is yet to be completed, would be on the basis of the 2019 criteria. “The existing system, which is going on since 2019, if disturbed at the end or fag-end of the process would create more complications than expected both for the beneficiaries as well as for the authorities,” the committee said. › Family income,

Centre’s defence a double-edged sword

The Centre’s defence against lowering ₹8 lakh income cap may spark cheers among the upper caste but may adversely affect its moves on OBC ‘creamy layer’. The ministry of social justice has showed the contrast between the ₹8 lakh for EWS and the same limit as OBC creamy layer cap, and arguing that the former is much more strict. P 10

Med records not proof of an affair: HC

Vasanth.Kumar@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:

03.02.2022

An illicit relationship of a spouse cannot be proved by securing their private medical records, the Dharwad bench of the Karnataka high court observed in a recent judgement.

“If this approach is to be accepted, (then) it would amount to destruction of the entire concept of doctor-patient confidentiality and drag the doctor into a marital dispute,” Justice N S Sanjay Gowda said in the order, quashing the March 30, 2021 ruling of a family court in Dharwad.

The order was passed on an application submitted by the husband, seeking summoning of a doctor to produce documents relating to his wife’s alleged abortion. The wife challenged the order, contending that the medical records of a person are “absolutely private” to the person and the same cannot be sought by any person, including the husband. The husband argued he had made an allegation about the “adulterous life” his wife was leading.

After hearing both parties, Justice Sanjay Gowda allowed the petition filed by the wife. Pointing out that medical records of an individual are not for public consumption, the judge added that a direction to the medical practitioner to produce the records or divulge information he is privy to would amount to infringing upon the fundamental right of privacy guaranteed to an individual, which emanates from the ‘right to life’ granted under Article 21 of the Constitution. Referring to the case on hand,the judgepointed out that grounds on whichthedivorce is sought by the husband are that the wife had treated him with cruelty and that she had deserted him for a continuous period of not less than two years. In addition to the divorce case, a proceeding for maintenance had been initiated by the wife.

“If it is the case of the husband that his wife, by leading adulterous life, had inflicted cruelty on him, then this allegation will have to be proved with cogent evidence in a manner known to law. This allegation cannot be proved by summoning the private medical records of the wife,” the judge added.

Covid cases rise from 46,000 to 1.3L in biggest weekly surge

Sunday’s Case Tally 33.7k, 21% Rise In A Day

Sunday’s Case Tally 33.7k, 21% Rise

In A Day

Amit.Bhattacharya@timesgroup.com

03.01.2022

In what now looks like the third wave of Covid-19 in the country, cases of the virus nearly tripled in the week ending Sunday as compared days, registering an unprecedented rise of 181% during the period.

India recorded nearly 1. 3 lakh fresh cases during the week (December 27-January 2) — a 12-week high — compared to the previous week’s tally of 46,073, which ironically was the lowest since the middle of May 2020.

This was by far the sharpest weekly surge in infections since the beginning of the pandemic in the country. The previous highest increase was 71% recorded during the second wave between April 5 and April11, 2021.

On Sunday, 33,703 fresh cases of the coronavirus were detected across the country (with two states yet to report), another 21% rise from the previous day’s count of 27,747, as per TOI’s Covid database.

Sunday’s tally was five times the number of cases recorded in the country last Sunday (6,542). › Daily Covid tally, P 13

Omicron ‘sibling’ escapes imported test kits: Experts

BA.2, one of the sub-lineages of Omicron (B.1.1.529) which does not show the characteristic S-genedrop, cannot be picked up by the imported RT-PCR kits, researchers involved in tracking the virus in India said on Sunday. The Omicron variant has three sublineages. The findingis likely to upset the existing dual RT-PCR testing strategy which states with confirmed Omicron cases have adopted for faster detection, as the result may falsely be interpreted as aSARS-CoV2variant other than Omicron.

Sunday, January 2, 2022

NEET-PG Counselling : Centre Decides To Retain Existing EWS Criteria; Files Affidavit In Supreme Court

NEET-PG Counselling : Centre Decides To Retain Existing EWS Criteria; Files Affidavit In Supreme Court: In the cases related to the NEET-PG counselling, the Central Government has told the Supreme Cour

EWS Reservation - No Change In Rs 8 Lakhs Gross Annual Income Cut-Off; Residential Asset Criteria Omitted : Centre Tells Supreme Court

EWS Reservation - No Change In Rs 8 Lakhs Gross Annual Income Cut-Off; Residential Asset Criteria Omitted : Centre Tells Supreme Court: The revised EWS criteria will be applied only from next academic year and the ongoing admissions will be as per existing norms.

Vet gets four years in jail for taking bribe from farmer

Rajiv.Kalkod@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:

02.02.2022

A special court in Tumakuru on Wednesday held a 59-year-old veterinary doctor attached to Tumakuru Cooperative Milk Producers’ Societies Union guilty of accepting bribe from a farmer. YL Devaraju, a resident of Tumakuru, was sentenced to four years’ simple imprisonment and fined Rs10,000.

The order was passed by judge S Sudhindranath, who directed Devaraju to undergo simple imprisonment of another two months if he fails to pay the fine.

The doctor, who was out on bail, has been taken to Tumakuru district prison.

He was trapped by ACB sleuths while accepting the bribe on June 6, 2018. “A farmer from Mavinakere in Tumakuru district had lost his cow to a disease in February 2018. He had insured the animal and approached Devaraju for a death certificate. As a rule, insurance companies hand over the compensation cheque to the doctor who certifies the death and issues the certificate,” public prosecutor N Basavaraju said.

Devaraju allegedly demanded a bribe from the farmer and took Rs 12,000 in instalments. “By then, the insurance company released a cheque for Rs 50,000. It was handed over to Devaraju, who again demanded Rs 3,000 to pass it on. Not willing to pay the bribe, the farmer filed a complaint with the Tumakuru ACB unit. The doctor was trapped while accepting Rs 3,000,” Basavaraju said.

This is the fourth conviction order passed by special court judge Sudhindranath since August.

Verify UGNEET-2021 papers at KEA office

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:

02.02.2022

Karnataka Examinations Authority released documents’ verification schedule for UGNEET-2021 (National Eligibility-cumEntrance Test), which is for admission to medical, dental and ayush courses for 2021.

The documents will be verified at the KEA office in Malleswaram, 18th Cross.

Candidates must download the verification slip and read the instructions given in the information bulletin between 11am on January 12 and 8pm on January15.

Karnataka candidates who are required to appear for document verification should produce the KEA UGNEET-2021 application printout, verification slip, UGNEET-2021 score card and other required original documents along with any valid identity card.

In a release, KEA directed all candidates to be personally present for the document verification as per schedule; no one can represent them.

Candidates who have been assigned ranks in UGCET-2021 and completed their document verification and those not claiming any addi- tional reservation need not appear for the verification again. However, those claiming reservation as per government norms (linguistics, religious minority or NRI) or those claiming seats under category-2 and category-8 in St John’s Medical College, have to appear for document verification with relevant certificates and documents.

Verification for such candidates is from January 6 to11 (from NEET all-India rank 1 to last eligible rank). The verification will be conducted in four sessions, between 9. 15am and 6. 15pm.

Verification for NRI/ PIO/OCI and foreign nationals will be on January13.

Non-Karnataka candidates who have qualified in UGNEET-2021 and registered with KEA need not appear for verification of documents. However, those who are eligible to claim NRI ward, religious minority or seat under category-2 and category-8 in St John’s Medical College, must appear for verification on January 12 and 13 based on their schedule.

For more details on schedule and slots, visit KEA website kea. kar. nic. in

Show us certificate confirming Omicron infection, patients tell private hospitals

Sunitha.Rao@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:

02.02.2022

Those who tested positive for Omicron in the state face a peculiar problem: They haven’t been given any official document stating they have been infected with the new variant.

As many as 66 cases (42 still in hospitals, 24 discharged) have been reported in the state since December 2. Lack of documentation has caused friction between patients and the hospitals where they are being treated. At present, district authorities inform the hospitals through phone calls.

“Private hospitals do not receive a copy of the reports. BBMP informs us through phone calls and we communicate the same to the patients. All those have been are detected with the variant now are international travellers who demand reports, which we don’t have,” said the authorities of a private hospital. That’s one of the six private hospitals designated for admitting international passengers testing positive for Covid on arrival. The hospital has also taken up the matter with the Covid Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).

Another hospital has been counselling patients as and when they get information from BBMP about genomic sequencing detecting the Omicron variant.

Most of them have come to Bengaluru for a purpose, either personal or professional.

“They are already in a state of ‘why me’ during admission and they suspect the RTPCR positive report itself. They wait for a minimum 5-6 days to know the genomic sequencing reports. When it turns out to be the variant of concern, they feel a sense of anxiety and denial owing to stigma and isolation. We need to tackle this with scientific evidence like genomic sequencing reports shown to them,” said the head of a hospital in west Bengaluru.

In another case, a young woman tested positive for Covid on arrival and got admitted to a private hospital in the third week of December. The hospital authorities said her father was upset with the new regulations for international travellers which pushed her for institutional isolation despite having no symptoms. “The father kept calling demanding her discharge from hospital, and would yell at us. But suddenly he went silent after the 6th day. We checked with the family and learnt they had received a call from BBMP stating that the woman was infected with the new variant. But we don’t get the same information from the Palike at all,” they added.

“Omicron detection through genomic sequencing does not come in the form of an RTPCR certificate. But the state surveillance wing gets the report which has details of the patients,” said BBMP officials, admitting that there has been a communication gap.

A TAC member said it’s a tricky situation where patients older than 18 years must be explained about why they are in hospital and the family also has to be communicated. “Having proper communication channels along with maintaining patient’s confidentiality is the need of the hour. We suggested to the government to have one dedicated officer for communicating between the labs, hospitals and patients,” said the member.

Confusion over Covaxin shelf life: Some pvt hospitals won’t start drive tomorrow

Company Has Taken Back A Few Stocks For Relabelling

Sunitha.Rao@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:

02.02.2022

With confusion over the shelf life of Covaxin vaccine continuing, some private hospitals in Bengaluru are unlikely to start the drive for children from January 3.

While the manufacturer, Bharat Biotech, had claimed the doses could be used up to one year from the time of production, the Union health ministry has clarified that the expiry date on the vaccine vials is final. Karnataka has nearly 6 lakh Covaxin doses in private hospitals.

In November, Bharat Biotech had said Covaxin vials have proven their stability beyond six months and could be used for up to 12 months from the time of manufacturing. The company had also issued a communication to private hospitals that new dates of the doses — which were earlier slated to expire between September 2021 and June 2022 — would now be between March 2022 and September 2022.

However, replying to Karnataka’s queries pertaining to the shelf-life extension of the drug for six more months, the Union health ministry on December 23 stated: “All vaccines should not be utilised beyond the expiry date as mentioned on the label of each vial. ” This has led to confusion among private hospitals.

Dr R Ravindra, former president of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA), said the company picked up the vials for relabelling from a few hospitals in Bengaluru on December 31. “It is likely to take two more weeks for the company to relabel the vials and return them,” he said.

Dr Ravindra, who heads Suguna hospital, which also sent vials for relabelling, said they won’t be able to provide Covaxin doses for children from Monday. Sparsh Hospital has 12,000 doses of Covax- in. “The company is yet to take the stock from us to replace or relabel it. As we are waiting for that, we’ll not be able to administer the doses from January 3,” said Guruprasad BR, chief marketing officer, Sparsh Hospital. Doses available at Apollo Apollo Hospitals, which has more than 4 lakh of Covaxin doses, has returned the stocks and is expecting either relabelled or fresh 10,000 dosesones on Sunday. “We’ll conduct vaccination drive for children from Monday at three branches in Bengaluru and one in Mysuru. CoWin slots will be made open for online booking. For the first three days, we’ll have only 10,000 doses and we’re expecting further supply,” said Dr Yatheesh Govindaiah, unit head of Apollo Hospitals, Jayanagar.

At Manipal Hospitals, vaccination for children with special needs will begin from Monday. The hospital will use its unexpired doses.

According to Dr Arundhathi Chandrasekhar, director, National Health Mission, Karnataka, not all Covaxin doses with private hospitals have expired. There are nearly 12,000-14,000 doses that have longer shelf life and they can be used, she said.

“We won’t be monitoring vaccination in private hospitals. They have been instructed not to use the expired doses, as per the government of India communication. Now, it is their responsibility and obligation,” she said. When asked about the labelling of Covaxin vials with extended expiry, she said it should be clarified by the Drugs Controller General of India. Members of Covid Technical Advisory committee in Karnataka said the manufacturer has to take back the expired doses and provide fresh ones. “It’s a tricky issue involving children, parents, private hospitals, manufacturers and the government. The company should now play a responsible role by taking up confidence-building measures,” a member said.

PHANA members said most schools have tied up with the government for the free vaccination programme.

Omicron may peak in mid-Jan in US but still may strain hosps: Scientists

Azeen Ghorayshi

02.02.2022

With the news that South Africa has passed the peak of its cases caused by the Omicron variant, scientists are projecting that the United States’ sharp increase in cases will crest as soon as the middle of January.

Over the past month, the Omicron variant has spread around the world with astonishing speed. On Thursday, the US surpassed 5,80,000 cases, beating the record set only a day before. New estimates from researchers at Columbia University suggest that the US could peak by January 9 at around 2. 5 million cases per week, although that number may go as high as 5. 4 million. In New York City, the first US metropolis to see a major surge, the researchers estimated that cases would peak by the first week of the new year. “It’s shocking. It’s disturbing,” said Jeffrey Shaman, a public health researcher who led the Columbia modeling work. “We’re seeing unprecedented numbers of Covid-19 cases. ”

The variant is significantly milder than Delta and other strains and is far less likely to lead to hospitalizations, ac- cording to data from South Africa and preliminary data from Britain. Still, the enormous numbers of people getting simultaneously infected could greatly strain hospitals, experts said, especially in places with lower vaccination rates or in places where hospitals are already overburdened. Just how much of a burden the variant will be, however, depends on how quickly it will burn out in particular communities, especially in big cities.

Another model, released University of Washington last week, estimated that the US would reach a peak in cases by the end of January. But even those researchers are now rethinking their projections based on Omicron’s rapid spread. “We are realizing right now monitoring the data that the peak is going to come much faster,” said Ali Mokdad, a public health researcher at the University of Washington. “My guess is it will happen before mid-January. ”

NYT

UAE to ban foreign travel for unvaxxed citizens from Jan 10

02.02.2022

The United Arab Emirates will ban non-vaccinated citizens from traveling abroad from Jan. 10, the state news agency WAM reported on Saturday, citing the foreign ministry and the national emergency crisis and disaster management authority. The report said that fully vaccinated citizens would also require a booster shot to be eligible to travel. The ban would not apply to those with medical or humanitarian exemptions.

REUTERS

Several pilgrims fell, people walked over them to escape

‘Several pilgrims fell, people walked over them to escape’

02.02.2022

The deceased were identified as Dheeraj Kumar, 26, of Nowsherain J&K’s Rajouri; Sheweta Singh, 35, of Ghaziabad, UP; Delhi residents Vinay Kumar and Sonu Pandey, both 24; Mamta, 38, of Jhajjar, Haryana; Dharamvir Singh, 35, of Saharanpur, UP; Vaneet Singh, 38, also of Saharanpur; and Arun Pratap of Gorakhpur, UP," a spokesperson of shrine’s board said.

Two bodies were sent by air and nine by road to their native places, while one will be airlifted on Sunday morning from Jammu. The treatment cost of the injured will be borne by the shrine board. The Lt Governor, who chairs the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, ordered a high-level inquiry into the stampede that officials said occurred after a rush of devotees entering and exiting the temple converged near the narrow gate, leading to a suffocating crush as people tried to get away from the spot. According to eyewitnesses, several men and women fell and people walked over them to escape the m elee.

Most of the pilgrims have walked1 2km through a steep, winding mountain trek from the base camp of Katra, a small town 50km from Jammu, early on Saturday to pray at the shrine. Officials said there was a heavy rush since it was New Year’s Day and more so as the train service to Katra resumed lately following its suspension because of the farmers’ protests in Punjab. A shrine board official said 35,000 pilgrims were allowed to proceed for the yatra on December 31 and January 1 as against the National Green Tribunal’s cap of 50,000 a day, keeping in view the pandemic.

Pilgrims are allowed in a file inside the cave and there’s a constant flow to avoid overcrowding. "But people probably stayed a bit too long at the temple, crowding the space. As more pilgrims entered, the place got congested and there was a rush to get out. That chaos soon turned into tragedy," an eyewitness said.

President Ram Nath Kovind and PM Narendra Modi led a shocked nation in offering condolences to the families of the dead and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. "Extremely saddened by the loss of lives…" Modi wrote on Twitter and announced a compensation package. Junior minister in the PMO, Jitendra Singh, dashed to Katra to take stock of the situation. UP CM Yo gi Adityanath and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal a lso expressed grief over the tragedy.

12 pilgrims die as New Yr rush sparks Vaishno Devi stampede

Scuffle Between Two Groups Led To Chaos: Board

Jammu: At least 12 pilgrims were crushed to death and 16 injured on New Year’s Day in the biggest tragedy at Mata Vaishno Devi temple as a crowd surge led to a stampede around 2.15am near gate No. 3 outside the sanctum sanctorum of the popular cave shrine in the Trikuta hills of Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district.

The tragedy happened “due to a scuffle between two groups of pilgrims”, the shrine’s board said in a statement without giving more details.

Officials said authorities responded quickly, order within the crowd was restored and the pilgrimage resumed after nearly four hours of the early morning tragedy.

Rescue teams evacuated the injured to various hospitals. Nine of them at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi NarayanaSuper- specialty Hospital, Kakryal, were discharged during the day, while the rest are undergoing treatment and their condition is said to be stable.

Of the 12 dead, the identity of four people were not known till the filing of this report. “The deceased were identified as Dheeraj Kumar, 26; Sheweta Singh, 35; Vinay Kumar and Sonu Pandey, both 24; Mamta, 38; Dharamvir Singh, 35; Vaneet Singh, 38; and Arun Pratap,” a spokesperson of shrine’s board said.

Bus driver gets 190 yrs in jail for crash that killed 22 in MP

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bhopal:

02.02.2022

Six years after a bus accident in Madhya Pradesh’s Panna killed 22 people, many of them migrant labourers, a local court sentenced the driver to190 years of imprisonment — 10 years each on 19 counts. The sentences will run separately, said the court order. This is perhaps the first time that a driver in a fatal accident has got such a prison sentence.

Driver Shamshuddin, 47, was convicted for culpable homicide and rash driving. The bus owner was also punished with 10 years’ imprisonment, said assistant public prosecutor officer Kapil Vyas. On May 4, 2015, a passenger bus carrying 65 people plunged into a dry canal near Madla hill and caught fire, killing 22 people and injuring a dozen.

During the investigation, it was found that the emergency exit was blocked by iron rods and an addi- tional seat was mounted in its place. Passengers were trapped in the inferno and those killed were burnt beyond recognition.

Shamshuddin was accused of driving recklessly despite passengers’ requests to slow down. He and the bus owner Gyandendra Pandey are residents of Satna, where the bus was headed. The accused were booked under IPC sections 304 (a) (death due to negligence), 304 (culpable homicide), 279 and 337 (both for rash driving), and under section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act. After the investigation was over, the trial started in the court of special judge R P Sonkar.

UPI transactions hit a new record in Dec 2021

Mumbai:

02.02.2022

Transactions under the Unified Payments Interface hit a record high of 456 crores in December 2021surpassing the earlier high of 421 crore seen in October 2021. The total value of transactions December as also a new record at Rs 8. 27 lakh crore. According to bankers, the surge in transactions is a reflection of increasing adoption as well the rise in economic activity in December following the sharp drop in second wave cases. UPI transactions had hit a record in October driven festival season purchases.

TNN

‘A plane taking off without ATC nod is serious’

02.02.2021

A senior pilot said, “A serious thing has happened, a plane taking off without ATC clearance. The probe will ascertain how this happened and who is at fault. Was it a communication gap, error or something else needs to be found as such a thing cannot be allowed to be repeated. ”

ATC gives clearance for an aircraft to land or take off after after ascertaining, among other things, that the runway is clear with no vehicle, other plane or person being there.

“Pilots initiate push back of an aircraft after getting ATC nod. Then engine start-up is also done with their permission. The ATC then gives permission to line up (be absolutely ready to take off) and subsequently to take off,’’ said another senior commander.

SpiceJet’s Rajkot-Delhi flight takes off sans nod

New Delhi: The last year ended on a dramatic note for Indian aviation with a passenger aircraft taking off without air traffic control (ATC) clearance. This incident happened when a SpiceJet flight took off from Rajkot for Delhi without the mandatory nod on the penultimate day of 2021 — December 30. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is probing this serious lapse.

“A SpiceJet Q400 (VTSUQ) operating Rajkot-Delhi as SJ-3703 on December 30, 2021, took off from Rajkot without ATC clearance. The pilots have been being of rostered(taken off flying duty) pending investigation,” said people in the know. A senior DGCA official said “strict action” will be taken against those found responsible for the lapse based on the outcome of the probe.

A SpiceJet spokesman said, “Pilots have been off rostered pending an inquiry.”

Resident docs protest against HoD

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:

02.02.2021

In a protest move, resident doctors at ENT department of BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital treated patients outside the Out Patient Department (OPD) on Saturday.

The resident doctors put up posters and banners a bout the ‘ harassment’ meted out to them by the head of the department for ENT, Dr Ila Upadhyay.

“Despite complaints to the college authorities, Dr Upadhyay continued to mentally torment us on Friday. As a result, we have decided to stage a protest while continuing to treat patients outside the ENT OPD,” said a resident doctor in the ENT department.

In a letter to the faculty dean, Gujarat University, the Junior Doctors’ Association recently alleged that Dr Upadhyay asked one of her students, resident doctor Saurabh Banerjee to gift her a micro-meter drill set. The association demanded immediate action against the faculty failing which they had threatened to stage a protest.

In a separate letter to the college a uthorities, signed by ENT department students, they have written about alleged harassment in the department under the HoD.

₹9.75L stolen from bank in Kalupur

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:

02.02.2021

A theft of Rs 9. 75 lakh was reported from the Kalupur branch of Vijaya Bank, now merged with Bank of Baroda. The branch manager, Anil Patel, stated that the theft took place between 5. 30pm on Thursday and 9. 30am on Friday.

Patel stated that that has been the branch manager for the past 18 months. He said the branch is usually opened regularly by the cashier, Hasmukh Patel, in the presence of Class IV employee Bipin Patel. In the evening, the cash is counted and high denominations notes are put in a safe and small denominations are put in a cupboard in same room, the cash room, and the room is locked by Bipin in the presence of the cashier and the manager.

He stated that the keys to the main door are with two Class IV employees, Bipin and Vimal, while the keys to the cash room stay with him and the cashier. He said there are six CCTV cameras, but the data storage responsibility has been given to an external agency.

On Thursday, Rs 1. 61 crore cash was counted and no- tes of Rs 100, 200, 500 and 2,000, worth Rs1. 03 crore were put in the safe. Notes of the Rs 10, 20 and 50 denominations, worth Rs 58. 5 lakh, were kept in the cupboard. The cash room was locked. On Thursday, as usual, the cash room and the branch were locked.

He stated that on Friday morning he got call a call from Vimal, saying that someone had broken the lock on the main door. He stated that when they entered the bank, they found the cash room door open and the door of the cupboard was bent from the middle. Later, when the cash was counted, Rs 9. 75 lakh in notes of Rs 50 was missing.

Omicron Hits 2022 Festivities, But Not Hope

If Nations End Vax Inequity: WHO

02.02.2021

The Omicron variant dampened New Year festivities around much of the world, with Paris cancelling its fireworks show, London relegating its to television, and New York City scaling down its famous ball drop celebration in Times Square.

The illuminated ball made of Waterford crystal panels slid down its pole at the midnight hour in Times Square, but only 15,000 spectators were allowed into the official viewing area instead of the usual 58,000. A year ago, the newly available vaccine offered hope that the Covid-19 pandemic may be under control by the start of 2022. Instead, the sudden arrival of Omicron has brought a surge in coronavirus cases across the globe.

Worldwide infections hit a record high over the past seven-day period, with an average of just over a million cases detected a day between December 24 and 30, up some 100,000 on the previous peak posted on Wednesday, according to Reuters data. Deaths, however, have not risen in kind, bringing hope the new variant is less lethal. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that he is optimistic that the Covid-19 pandemic will be defeated in 2022, provided countries work to- gether to contain its spread.

Ghebreyesus warned against “narrow nationalism and vaccine hoarding” in his New Year statement. His comments come two years since the WHO was first notified of cases of an unknown pneumonia strain in China. He warned that continuing inequity in vaccine distribution was increasing the risk of the virus evolving. “If we end inequity, we end the pandemic. ”

New York City reported a record 44,000 cases on Wednesday and another 43,000 on Thursday, leading some critics to question whether the celebrations should go ahead at all. But officials decided an outdoor party of vaccinated, masked and socially distant revellers was safe, and a better option than the virtually vacant celebration that rung in 2021. “I would be lying if I said I’m not concerned,” said Sue Park, a student who was one of the 15,000 allowed to watch in person. “But I think it’s worth it to come and celebrate. ”

President Joe Biden noted the losses and uncertainty caused by the pandemic but said: “We’re persevering. We’re recovering”. “Back to work. Back to school. Back to joy,” he said in a video posted on Twitter. “That’s how we made it through this year. And how we’ll embrace the next. Together. ”

Elsewhere around the globe, events were scaled back or cancelled outright, such as with the traditional fireworks over the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. Midnight passed in Paris without a planned fireworksdisplayor DJsets, as officials cancelled events planned on the Champs-Elysees following the advice of a scientific panel that declared mass gatherings would be too risky.

In the Netherlands, where outside groupings of more than four people are banned, police dispersed several thousand people who had defiantly gathered at Amsterdam’s central Dam Square, ANP news agency reported. But in London, where a fireworks display and light show had been cancelled in October, officials announced on Friday the spectacle would come to life on the television screen, as Big Ben rang in the New Year for the first time since 2017 following a restoration. BBC images of fireworks showed very light vehicle traffic and virtually no in-person spectators.

Cape Town abruptly lifted a curfew just in time for the New Year, after South Africa became the first country to declare its Omicron wave had crested — and with no huge surge in deaths. South Africa had first raised the alarm about the new fast-spreading variant racing around the world.

In Berlin, police urged people not to gather near the Br- andenburg Gate, where a concert was staged without a live audience. Under sunny skies at the Vatican on New Year’s Day, Pope Francis encouraged people to focus on the good while acknowledging that the pandemic has left many struggling. “We’re still living in uncertain and difficult times due to the pandemic,” the 85-yearold pontiff told crowds gathered in Saint Peter’s Square.

People in Madrid queued for hours to get into the main Puerta del Sol square where celebrations went ahead with multiple security checkpoints, mandatory masks and capacity at 60% of nor mal levels. Saul Pedrero, a 34-year old clerk, made the trip from Barcelona, which has some of Spain’s strictest controls, including a 1am curfew. “It seems like another country. ”

In Asia, celebrations were mostly abridged or cancelled. In South Korea’s Seoul, a traditional midnight bell-ringing event was cancelled for the second year, while festivities were banned in Tokyo’s glittering Shibuya district. Dubai went ahead with its celebrations undeterred, with 36 firework displays at 29 locations. But authorities warned they would fine anyone not wearing a mask. Hope remains that 2022 may bring a new, less deadly phase of pandemic. “Hopefully 2022 is going to be better,” said Oscar Ramirez, 31, in Sydney. “Everyone in the world needs a big change. ”

AGENCIES

Arts, science colleges get more job offers from IT companies

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:

02.02.2021

It is not just engineering students who are in demand, students pursuing arts and science courses are also in demand with number of companies and offers showing an increase compared to last year.

IT majors Wipro, Infosys, TCS and accounting firms such as Deloitte, Ernst and Young are queuing up to recruit final year students pursuing BCom, BSc computer science, BCA, BSc math and BA English.

They are hiring for roles such as finance analyst, audit associate, data analyst, tax consultant, content writer, associate software engineer and personal banker.

In a new trend this year, IT companies are recruiting for non-IT portfolios like consulting, auditing and data science. Due to more demand, the pay packages also increased.

At Women's Christian College, six companies gave120 job offers so far against 104 offers from19 companies last year.

SBI (sales based openings), Infosys, Wipro, ICICI and Deloitte, NielsonIQ have come for campus placements and offered wider portfolios like financial analyst, audit associate. “It is a bright start to the placement season. IT and audit companies are hiring more students during the campus placements this year. Companies also offer wider portfolios which has resulted in more job offers for students,” said Mer- cy Evangeline, assistant professor and a member of the placement team at WCC.

Loyola College has received more than 300 offers this year from 40 companies against 430 offers from 110 companies last year. The college has another 50 companies on the pipeline and the job offers are expected to cross last year's.

“This year IT firms are hiring for non-IT portfolios such as consulting and auditing. There is more demand for students from data science, statistics and mathematics,” said V Durga Rajulu, director, training and placement, Loyola College.

The highest pay-package was offered by Accenture to a BSC maths student who received Rs13. 9 lakh per annum. "The average pay package has increased from Rs5 lakhs per annum to Rs7lakhs per annum. Companies are offering better pay packages due to the need for freshers to work in newer projects,” he said.

There is also a good demand for English literature students as many companies hire content writers. “Besides financial services and IT jobs, there is a good demand for content writers. Companies like Wipro and Accenture are also hiring content writers this year,” said C Amirthavalli, placement officer, Madras Christian College. Students from BA, MA English and communication are being preferred for content roles.