50k Covid ex gratia for suicides too: Govt to SC

50k Covid ex gratia for suicides too: Govt to SC

AmitAnand.Choudhary@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:24.09.2021

The Centre told the Supreme Court that all deaths, including suicides, within 30 days of persons testing Covid-positive, would be treated as ‘Covid death’ cases, entitling their families to Rs 50,000 ex gratia. Appreciating the government’s decision to extend help to lakhs of families, the court said on Thursday that India overall has managed to do what no other country has done.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta told a bench of Justices MR Shah and AS Bopanna that the government broadened the definition of ‘Covid death’ to bring within its ambit deaths by suicide and also those who died after prolonged treatment for other ailments triggered by coronavirus infection. He also informed that a decision has been taken to disburse the ex gratia from State Disaster Relief Funds (SDRFs).

Family members of people committing suicide within 30 days from being diagnosed as Covid-19 positive as per ministry of health and family welfare and ICMR guidelines will also be entitled to avail financial help.

Death certs given before rules formed can be rectified: Govt

On Wednesday, the Centre had told the SC that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has fixed Rs 50,000 as ex gratia for the kin of Covid victims, which is payable from the SDRF. On Thursday, it elaborated on the decision to broaden the categories of ‘Covid death’. Any person who dies within 30 days of testing positive, either at home or hospital, whatever be the cause of death, would be certified to have died of Covid, it said.

This would extend the ex gratia relief to kin of almost all of 4.5 lakh people who died of Covid even though many hospitals in the past year and a half attributed the deaths to various reasons other than Covid, ranging from heart to lung failure. It would mean the states cumulatively would have to pay Rs 2,250 crore from the SDRFs.

“To make the scope broader and more inclusive, deaths occurring within 30 days from the date of testing or from the date of being clinically determined as a Covid-19 case, will be treated as ‘deaths due to Covid-19’, even if the death takes place outside the hospital/in-patient facility,” the Centre said in its affidavit.

Family of three held trying to fly to US on forged papers

Family of three held trying to fly to US on forged papers

New Delhi:24.09.2021

A man, his wife and daughter were apprehended at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport by Central Industrial Security Force personnel for trying to travel to the United States using forged documents, officials said on Thursday.

The family, from Mehsana in Gujarat, were intercepted at terminal 3 when they were headed to board a flight via Frankfurt in Germany to Santa Cruz in USA, officials said. CISF officials said that at around 11.30 pm on Wednesday, Ashvin Kumar Shankarbhai Patel, his wife Sudhaben Ashvin Kumar Patel and daughter Ashvinkumar Patel – all holding Indian passports — were in the check-in area of T-3. However, the visas on their passports appreared fake, said an official. After confirmation from the relevant embassies that the visas were fakes, the trio were then handed over to the assistant foreigners regional registration officer at the airport. TNN

Won’t interfere: HC on MP domicile in PG med admission

Won’t interfere: HC on MP domicile in PG med admission

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bhopal:24.09.2021

A division bench of MP high court refused to interfere with a decision of the state government which provides for preferential treatment to domicile of MP and MBBS students passing out of medical colleges of Madhya Pradesh in the admission to PG medical courses. The court said that a petition on the issue is pending in the Supreme Court, therefore they can't interfere in the matter.

In the petition filed by the Association of Private Medical Universities, legality of section (2) and sub-section (3 & 4) of section 13 (d) was challenged. Under these rules, only domicile of MP, and those students who have done their MBBS from a medical college in the state, would be called for in the first round of counselling for admission into PG medical courses. This amounts to 100 percent reservation and is in violation of the Supreme Court order in the Pradeep Jain case, the petition said.

The state government in response had said that it has the powers to frame rules for admission in the private medical colleges. Half the PG seats in medical colleges are in the central quota. There is no reservation in practice and a domicile of MP and a student who has done his or her MBBS from the state has a greater chance to stay back in the state after completing their education. It further said that the order passed by the Supreme Court in the Pradeep Jain case has been challenged in the apex court and the case is pending.

Expired ghee worth ₹5 lakh seized in Indore

Expired ghee worth ₹5 lakh seized in Indore

Indore:24.09.2021

In a joint operation, crime branch officials along with district administration on Thursday raided a godown in Lasudia and seized 656 kg adulterated and expired ghee worth Rs 3-5 lakh. Sources said that the ghee, which was being produced for use at the crematorium, was being sold in villages with small disclaimers in english.

ASP Guruprasad Parashar said that they had received a tip off about the godown of Tradezo company operational in Lasudia acting on which a team of police officials along with a team from administration was sent to the spot and a raid was conducted. “Ghee of Society company was stocked in godown of Tradezo,” said Parashar. TNN

Now, insulin can be kept without refrigeration

Now, insulin can be kept without refrigeration

Kolkata:24.09.2021

A team of scientists, including two from Kolkata, have developed a “thermostable” variety of insulin, which eliminates the need to keep it refrigerated. The development is being seen as a breakthrough in scientific circles, with portability being the biggest hurdle for insulin-dependent diabetics.

The research has been led by two scientists of the Bose Institute and the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB) here and two others from the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad.

“You will be able to keep it outside the refrigerator for as long as you want, something that will help diabetes patients across the world because carrying insulin along with them was considered impossible all this while,” said Subhrangsu Chatterjee, a faculty member at Bose Institute. 

57% Indians planning trips abroad in 3 mths: Survey

57% Indians planning trips abroad in 3 mths: Survey

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai:24.09.2021

With confidence gained post-vaccination, Indians are slowly making their way back to office, but only on a ‘need basis’, with precautions and safety protocols in place, a survey by a consultancy firm showed.

The anxiety over use of public transport decreased a bit in the current Covid wave compared to the first one, said the survey. In the first wave, 73% voted against use of public transport, but now it’s down to 70%. Then, over the next three , 67% of Indian respondents said they plan to limit their use of ride-hailing services.

Travel is catching up with search enquiries for international destinations on the rise. A total of 57% Indians surveyed said they are planning international travel for leisure in the next three months.

It registered an overall decrease in consumer anxiety to 34% in India, while it saw heightened levels in anxiety in US, Australia and UK.

“With the festive season around the corner and lower Covid-19 cases, Indian consumers are showing lower levels of anxiety, resulting in their willingness to increase spending on more discretionary items,” said the survey adding that consumers are seen actively spending on cable TV, clothing and footwear apart from items like electronics, furnishings, alcohol and restaurants.

Only 30% respondents were concerned about physically interacting with a salesperson, which showed increasing customer confidence, the report said. Moreover, 68% respondents said they would like more locally sourced items and 74% purchased from brands that responded well to the crisis.

No technical concern in Covishield cert process, says UK in sign of conciliation

No technical concern in Covishield cert process, says UK in sign of conciliation

Row Likely To Be Resolved Soon: India

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:24.09.2021

Under fire for keeping Covishield-vaccinated travellers from India on a par with the unvaccinated as per the country’s quarantine norms, the UK showed some conciliatory signs on Thursday with the British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis tweeting that neither side raised technical concerns on the certification processes.

“Neither side (India and UK) raised technical concerns with each other’s certification process. An important step forward in our joint aim to facilitate travel and fully protect public health of the UK and India,” Eliis said, in what seemed an attempt to assuage outrage over reports that UK had issues with India’s digital vaccine certification.

The High Commissioner’s tweet came after “excellent technical discussions” with R S Sharma, chairman of the empowered group for Covid-19 vaccine administration and the head of the CoWIN platform. Sharma tweeted: “Echoing his views, this will be instrumental in resuming socio-economic activities between India and UK.” Sharma, however, told TOI, “We have no information to the effect that the UK has some concerns about the certification process of our vaccination programme. Nothing of the sort has been conveyed to me by the British High Commissioner, the UK government or our ministry of external affairs.” The reports that the UK did not have a problem with the WHO-approved Covishield, but with India’s Covid vaccination certification process, intensified the row over the shot being initially out of the list of approved jabs. The India government said it will initiate reciprocal action and commentators pointed out that the CoWIN process was highly reliable with a digital signature and QR code.

It was also pointed out that the UK’s vaccination had faced a security scare over reports that users could “edit” their certificates and that gaps in the application process for EU approval had hit travel to the UK.

The health ministry on Thursday called the UK’s new travel policy “discriminatory” as it does not recognise those vaccinated in India even as Covishield is now on the list of approved jabs. Health secertary Rajesh Bhushan said while the two countries are in dialogue and may reach a resolution soon, India reserves the right to reciprocate in similar manner if the UK fails to recognise vaccinated Indians.

“We’re clear Covishield is not a problem... We have been having detailed technical discussions regarding certification, with the builders of the CoWIN app and the NHS app, about both apps,” Ellis had said in a statement on Wednesday.

INJECTING HOPE