Onam 2021: Avoid crowds, Kerala health minister urges people as Covid cases surge

Kerala Health Minister Veena George (ANI)

 Updated: 31 Jul 2021, 08:45 PM IST

Onam 2021: Amid surge in Covid cases, Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Saturday asked people to avoid crowds and if possible, even events, celebrations during Onam festival. She also urged people not to visit relatives to reduce the risk of Covid infection.

Kerala has been reporting more than 20,000 fresh Covid infections for the last few days, highest by any state in the country. Fearing the further surge, the health minister said that people should strictly avoid crowds and follow Covid protocols while organising and attending events and celebrations during Onam.

The minister also said that if possible, people should avoid going to any events or celebrations. Visits to relatives and family should also be avoided as much as possible especially if there are small children in the family, George said.

For the fifth consecutive day, Kerala recorded more than 20,000 fresh Covid cases on Saturday. It, however, saw a decline in fatalities and a fall in the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) to 12.31 per cent.

The state had recorded 100 deaths on Friday, while the TPR was 13.61 per cent. On Saturday, Kerala registered 20,624 fresh cases, pushing the infection caseload to 33,90,761, while 80 more deaths took the toll to 16,781.

As many as 16,865 people have recovered, taking the total number to 32,08,969, leaving 1,64,500 active cases. Malappuram was the worst affected district, logging 3,474 cases, followed by Thrissur (2693), Palakkad (2209), Kozhikode (2113), Ernakulam (2072), Kollam (1371), Kannur (1243), Alappuzha (1120),Kottayam (1111) and Thiruvananthapuram (969).

Of the new cases, 98 are health workers, 112 had come from outside the state and 19,487 were infected through contact, with the source of contact being not clear in 927 cases, the release said. In the last 24 hours, 1,67,579 samples were tested and the TPR was found to be 12.31 per cent.

Earlier in the day, the state health minister said that the state was not yet free from the second wave of Covid and therefore people should be extra cautious and vigilant against transmission of the infection to prevent a third wave from occurring.

HC seeks reply to plea on Jamia VC appointment

31.07.2021 

Delhi High Court on Friday sought response from the Centre, CVC and Jamia Millia Islamia on a plea challenging the appointment of the varsity’s current VC Najma Akhtar. The court issued notices to UGC and VC and asked the authorities to file their replies while listing the matter on September 22. PTI

Medical fraternity should collectively get Bharat Ratna: CM

Medical fraternity should collectively get Bharat Ratna: CM

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:31.07.2021 

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal demanded in the assembly on Friday that the Indian medical fraternity be collectively given the Bharat Ratna. While recommending the same, the assembly also unanimously passed a resolution recommending that doctors and paramedical personnel in the city who have served during Covid-19 be nominated by Delhi government for the Padma awards.

“We all have seen how not just our country but the entire world has been suffering because of the pandemic. During this period, our doctors and paramedic staff put their lives at stake to serve the nation. We are aware of how some doctors could not visit their homes for six-odd months and served humanity without caring for their families and themselves,” Kejriwal reiterated his demand during a discussion on a motion moved by AAP legislator Saurabh Bharadwaj for the Padma awards. “In such a time, it is the duty of the whole society to thank the medical community,” the CM said.

Bharadwaj underlined that the doctors couldn’t be thanked enough for their contribution.

Kejriwal highlighted Delhi government had provided doctors with five-star quarantine accommodation. It also honoured frontline workers with Rs1-crore compensation in case of their death, he added. “It assured them that if by chance something happens to them, Delhi government is there to support their families.”

The government has already asked people to nominate doctors and paramedics for the Padma awards. “We have received 2,100 nominations of doctors as of now. We will screen all these names and send a list to the Centre,” Kejriwal said.

Supporting the demands, leader of the Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said, “The Padma awards should also be given to safai karamcharis, police personnel, teachers and others who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Around 300 corona warriors have died in the line of duty and they all should be paid the compensation.”

2 k  NAMES OF DOCTORS SENT TO DELHI GOVT TILL NOW

How injured braveheart foiled bank heist

How injured braveheart foiled bank heist

Sandhya.Nair@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:  31.07.2021 

Sheer courage and presence of mind of ICICI Bank’s Virar (East) branch cashier Shraddha Devrukhkar helped nab the accused, Anil Dubey, who was fleeing with over Rs 3 crore worth cash and valuables from the bank on Thursday evening. Despite seeing her colleague lying in a pool of blood and being grievously injured herself, the 32-year-old pressed the security alarm that alerted locals on the busy road.

Devrukhkar and her colleague, deputy manager Yogita Vartak (34), were working till late when Dubey (35), a former manager in the same bank, barged in and threatened the two women. He forced them to open the lockers and emptied out lockers of gold and cash. When the women tried to raise an alarm, he slashed them with a razor. Hearing Devrukhkhar’s screams for help, two women and a man, who saw Dubey flee with two bags, immediately nabbed him. He was then handed over to the police.

While Dubey told the police his accomplice had escaped, Devrukhkar, who is recuperating at Sanjeevani hospital in Virar, told police he had come alone. His car was found at a distance from the bank.

During interrogation, Dubey confessed he had committed the crime as he had taken loans of over Rs 1 crore from three banks. He had to pay a monthly instalment of Rs 1.2 lakh. Dubey had worked at the ICICI Bank branch between January 2019 and August 2020. He joined as branch head of a private sector bank in Naigaon in August 2020, but was terminated from his job on Friday.

Dubey knew the two women and was aware they would be working till late due to monthend accounting work. He had planned to threaten the women and escape with the cash and valuables. But when Vartak resisted, he pulled out a razor and slashed her neck. She collapsed on the floor. Dubey then charged toward Devrukhkar and slashed her on the neck as well. While Vartak succumbed, Devrukhkar is recuperating in hospital. Mira Bhayander Vasai Virar Commissionerate commissioner Sadananad Date, who visited Devrukhkar, applauded her for her courage.

Vartak, a resident of Phoolpada in Virar (east), had been with the Virar branch for the past few years. Police said hours before the crime, Dubey had called her up to inquire about work. Vartak is survived by her husband and a seven-year-old son. Dubey has been booked for murder, attempt to murder and robbery. He has been remanded to police custody for a week.

Despite seeing her colleague lying in a pool of blood and being grievously injured herself, Shraddha pressed the alarm that alerted locals on the busy Mumbai road

Telangana richest state in India: KCR

Telangana richest state in India: KCR

Peddi Reddy Joins TRS

Koride.Mahesh@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad:  31.07.2021 

Claiming that Telangana is the richest state in the country, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said the state’s per capita income is over Rs 2.2 lakh which is higher than the national per capita income (GDP) of Rs 1 lakh.

He said Telangana stands next only to Karnataka’s GSDP in the country. He said GSDP of Telangana in 2020-21 was Rs 9.78 lakh crore and 17 per cent of the state’s GSDP contribution comes from agriculture sector alone. He claimed there were no starvation deaths in the state. Farmer suicides have also come down considerably in the state which the Centre confirmed in Parliament, he said.

The TRS president said Telangana would become another Kashmir once Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) and Sitarama LI Project are completed. “Some leaders do not understand this and have been making allegations on the government,” KCR said while addressing party workers at Telangana Bhavan after inviting former minister E Peddi Reddy and 30 leaders from various parties into TRS on Friday.

Taking potshots at some leaders for having apprehensions on Dalit Bandhu, KCR said the government would implement the scheme at any cost.

“Opposition parties are worried about their fate as the scheme will be implemented all over the state. It was supposed to be launched last year, but got delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the government is ready to spend Rs 1 lakh crore on the scheme,” KCR said.

Former minister E Peddi Reddy joining the TRS in the presence of CM K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday

State cabinet to meet on August 1

Hyderabad:

Telangana cabinet will meet on August 1 at 2 pm at the Pragati Bhavan. The cabinet is likely to discuss and approve Dalit Bandhu scheme pilot project, filling vacancies in various government departments among other issues. TNN

Many lose marks as ‘reference year’ rule comes into play

Nirupa.Vatyam@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad:  31.07.2021 

Class toppers were at the receiving end this year as the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) asked schools to consider the performance of students in one of the last three academic years as a reference year while allotting marks. As a result, schools could award marks in a range (above 90% - 95.5%) only to a few students, while many deserving candidates felt undone.

Principals of city schools said they had to revise marks of students two to three times before the board accepted final results. “We had 42 students who were getting above 95%. We had to bring their marks down, as only 27 students had got above 95% in 2018, which was our reference year,” said Latha Shankar, principal, P Obul Reddy Public School.

She said it was toppers and academicallyweak students who were at a loss this year. “Likewise, we had to put about10 students in the 40-50 range even though three or four students could have gone to a higher range,” she said.

“If not for the pandemic, some of our students would have secured one or two per cent higher marks. It is unfair for a few students, but many also benefited as they were awarded more marks. Overall, we are happy with the result,” said Narsimha Reddy, principal, The Hyderabad Public School, Ramanthapur.

D Usha Reddy, principal and CEO, Meridian School for Boys and Girls, said it was disheartening to note that students who performed extremely well in the current year had to have their marks pruned. “Marks of deserving six to seven students had to be reduced.”

Gautham Singh, a student of Obul Reddy, who secured 99.96 percentile in JEE Mains, said: “Definitely, I would have got more marks if exams were conducted. But I don’t want to appear for exams at a later stage as these marks will not be considered for IIT counselling or I might lose out on getting a seat in a foreign university.” Gautham’s school had to reduce his computer marks by five to bring his percentage down.

Madras HC caps school fees at 85% of last year’s charges

Madras HC caps school fees at 85% of last year’s charges

Sureshkumar.k@timesgroup.com

Chennai:31.07.2021  

Providing relief to private unaided schools in Tamil Nadu, including CBSE institutions, Madras high court permitted them to collect 85% of the annual fee fixed for the academic year 2019-20 as fee for the current academic year.

This applies only to students of parents who are employees of government, public sector undertakings, professionals and business people who have not suffered any income loss due to the pandemic, Justice D Krishnakumar said.

“Those parents who have suffered loss of income during this pandemic shall make an application to the school management, who shall consider their request and collect 75% of the fees,” the court said.

The court made it clear that such fees must be collected in six instalments on or before February 1 next year.

If any parent seeks further concession for payment of annual fees, they shall make a representation to the school management, who shall consider such representation on a case-to-case basis sympathetically, the judge added.