Unvaccinated account for 92% Covid deaths in 2022: ICMR

Unvaccinated account for 92% Covid deaths in 2022: ICMR

TNN | Mar 4, 2022, 03.17 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Unvaccinated people accounted for nearly 92% of Covid-19 deaths this year, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Balram Bhargava said on Thursday citing data from Covid vaccine tracker.

Among fully vaccinated people, only 10.2% succumbed to Covid-19 and 91% of these fully vaccinated who died had co-morbidities. Besides, 21.8% of the people who died were partially vaccinated and 83% had co-morbidities.

Underlining that vaccination aided Covid management in India while many countries are still reeling under the rising number of Omicron infected Covid-19 cases, officials said deaths reduced significantly during the third surge dominated by the Omicron variant.

The case fatality rate (CFR) dropped to 0.35% during third surge (from January 4 to February 14, 2022), against 1.29% during second surge (March 21 to July 14, 2021) led by Delta infection which was highly lethal while vaccination coverage was very low at that time.

At the start of the second surge in 2021, only 10.1% of eligible population were partially vaccinated while 2.1% were fully vaccinated with two doses. On the other hand, during the third surge, 90.83% of adults were partially vaccinated and 65.4% were fully vaccinated against the infection.

“We are in a vaccine-protected low corona stage. That is why it is rational to open schools and businesses and carry on the affairs of society. However, the responsibility is to ensure that surveillance is intact and we are prepared, and to wear masks,” NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr VK Paul said.

According to government data, the second wave lasted 117 days, from 21 March to 14 July, 2021, in the country with a total of 1.94 crore cases and 2.52 lakh deaths — a case fatality rate (CFR) of 1.29%.

During the third wave, which lasted 41 days — from 4 January to 14 February, 2022 — India reported 77.42 lakh cases and 27,118 deaths, a CFR of 0.35%.

“The relentless efforts of healthcare and frontline workers coupled with vaccination coverage have yielded results for effective containment of the recent surge,” said Lav Agarwal, joint secretary in the health ministry.

According to government data, it took 49 days to reach the peak of over 4.14 lakh cases during the second surge, whereas it took 18 days to reach the peak during the third surge which was powered by the highly transmissible Omicron strain.

New Delhi: The government has made it mandatory for police to investigate all road accident cases that occur on and after April 1 and ordered that cops will have to intimate about accidents to motor accident claim tribunals (MACTs) and insurance companies within 48 hours. The road transport ministry also made it mandatory to incorporate validated mobile numbers in the insurance certificates.

The rules, aimed at faster disposal of cases and quick disbursal of compensations, have set the mandatory procedure for investigation of road accidents, preparation of detailed accident reports, and fixing timelines for different stakeholders for quick settlement of claims by the MACT.

As per the notification, the police will have to visit the accident spots, collect evidence and intimate to the MACT about the accidents so that the process starts quickly. The investigation officer (IO) will be duty bound to inform the victims or their legal representatives about their rights and claims. The changes have been made following a Delhi HC order which had directed the Centre to adopt the model, which has been successfully done in Delhi. This has drastically cut the time period for getting the compensation.

The rules have specified the responsibility and timeline that all the stakeholders to give the medico-legal and postmortem reports.

Don't push single parent seeking passport for kid to court: Kerala HC to union govt

Don't push single parent seeking passport for kid to court: Kerala HC to union govt

TNN | Mar 3, 2022, 11.54 PM IST

KOCHI: Passport authorities should not reject applications filed by single parents, who have obtained divorce or are undergoing divorce, for passports for their children and push them to court to obtain orders, said the Kerala high court.

The criticism by justice Amit Rawal was in the judgment on a petition (WP-C No. 5284/2022) filed by Shiny S of Kottayam against the union government, the regional passport officer of Kochi, and assistant passport officer of Passport Seva Kendra of Kottayam.

In the judgment, the court said it is a classic case of highhandedness by the assistant passport officer denying the re-issuance of the passport to a single parent facing matrimonial discord and directing to obtain a court order. The single parent had filed a ‘Form C’ undertaking that the entire responsibility would be hers as divorce has already been obtained.

However, the passport authorities had declined to issue a passport by stating that the child’s custody is not mentioned in the divorce order and had insisted on the father’s consent or court order.

In the judgment, the court said it is coming across similar litigations day in and day out in which single parents are forced to approach the high court despite filing a ‘Form C’ declaration. A counsel representing the passport authorities had informed the court that the petitioner’s application has been processed and the passport will be re-issued.

The court said, “The officers at the helm of affairs exercising the powers for issuing the passport are supposed to deal with the application in a pragmatic and reasonable manner, but should not reject the application in the manner and mode as extracted above. Knowing fully well that this Court would have expressed concern with regard to the spate of litigation and may come down heavily on the action of the respondents, in anticipation of that processed the application of the petitioner, but for redressal of the grievance is impelled to shell out litigation expenses.”

Govt exploring ways to help evacuees complete studies

Govt exploring ways to help evacuees complete studies

TNN | Mar 4, 2022, 05.29 AM IST

NEW DELHI: With the future of many Indian students who were pursuing medical education in war-torn Ukraine in limbo, the government along with the National Medical Commission of India is discussing possibilities to accommodate such students in either Indian medical colleges or those abroad so that they can complete their courses. “There is a need to examine this on humanitarian grounds. We will have to see how many such students are affected, how many of them are in third or fourth year and what are the existing provisions. We will do whatever possible to support them,” a senior official said.

The commission, health ministry and member from Niti Aayog is expected to meet soon to deliberate on the issue, sources said.

Another official from the health ministry said the concerned departments are examining it and the government will do whatever possible to support such students.

According to a source, the government is looking at possibilities of whether provisions can be made on humanitarian ground to accommodate such students from Ukraine in either private medical colleges or allow their transfer to colleges in other countries so that they can appear for NEET-FMG.

Some local doctors’ associations have made representations to NMC seeking intervention to introduce special provisions enabling transfer of such students to medical colleges in other countries. This will ensure their eligibility to apply for entrance exam in India as foreign medical graduates (FMG).

Medical students pursuing medicine from foreign universities have to clear the screening test. Once they clear it, they are equal to any other Indian medical graduate for further practice and employment as a medical doctor in India. However, the NMC rule doesn’t allow migration of FMG from one medical college to another.

Uncertainty is looming over the future of thousands of medical students who returned from Ukraine since the beginning of the crisis there. Continuation of education has become a challenge for such students as war has impacted infrastructure, even as many of them are in their final years of medical courses.

Ukraine has been a preferred destination for medical aspirants from India as it provides quality education at low cost, attracting many candidates who failed to secure a seat in government colleges in India.

Clearly mark food items as vegetarian, non-vegetarian: Delhi high court

Clearly mark food items as vegetarian, non-vegetarian: Delhi high court

TNN | Mar 3, 2022, 04.40 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Delhi high court has called for a complete disclosure if a food item is vegetarian or non-vegetarian, noting that fundamental rights of every person are impacted by what is offered.

The high court directed Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Wednesday to issue a fresh communication to all authorities concerned on the obligation to make a clear disclosure on the ingredients of a food article.

A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and D K Sharma passed the order while hearing a plea for labelling “all items” used by the public as vegetarian or non-vegetarian and the “items used in the manufacturing process”.

The court agreed with the submission made by the petitioner’s counsel that it was pointless to issue such a communication to the authorities, and not to the general public whose fundamental rights were being affected.

“Since the right of every person under Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) and Article 25 (freedom to conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion) under the Constitution is impacted by what is offered on a platter, in our view it is fundamental that a full and complete disclosure regarding the food article being vegetarian or non-vegetarian is made a part of consumer awareness,” the court said, adding that failure in complete disclosure about any packaged food article also defeated the purpose for which Food Safety and Standards Act was enacted.

The bench was hearing a plea by a trust, Ram Gau Raksha Dal, working for the welfare of cows. According to the plea, a December 22, 2021 communication by FSSAI still leaves a lot of ambiguity and does not clearly require food business operators to make a disclosure as to whether or not the food item is vegetarian or non-vegetarian on the basis that even if its use is miniscule, it will make the article non-vegetarian.

The court earlier said the use of non-vegetarian ingredients and labelling them vegetarian would offend religious and cultural sentiments of strict vegetarians and interfere in their right to freely profess their religion.

Centre exploring ways to let evacuees complete studies

Centre exploring ways to let evacuees complete studies

Health Ministry, NMC & Niti Aayog Expected To Meet Soon

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi : With future of many Indian students who were pursuing medical education in war torn Ukraine in limbo, the government along with the National Medical Commission of India is discussing possibilities to accommodate such students in either Indian medical colleges or those abroad so that they can complete their courses.

“There is a need to examine this on humanitarian grounds. We will have to see how many such students are affected, how many of them are in third or fourth year and what are the existing provisions. We will do whatever possible to support them,” a senior official said.

The commission, health ministry and member from Niti Aayog is expected to meet soon to deliberate on the issue, sources said.

Another official from the health ministry said the concerned departments are examining it and the government will do whatever possible to support such students.

According to a source, the  government is looking at possibilities of whether provisions can be made on humanitarian ground to accommodate such students from Ukraine in either private medical colleges or allow their transfer to colleges in other countries so that they can appear for NEETFMG.

Some local doctors’ associations have made represen-tations to NMC seeking intervention to introduce special provisions enabling transfer of such students to medical colleges in other countries. This will ensure their eligibility to apply for the entrance exam in India as foreign medical graduates (FMG).

Medical students pursuing medicine from foreignuniversities have to clear the screening test. Once they clear they are equal to any other Indian medical graduate for further practice and employment as a medical doctor in India.

However, the NMC regulation does not allow migration of FMG from one medical college to another.

Full report on www. toi. in

No Indian student held hostage: MEA Hans News Service

No Indian student held hostage: MEA Hans News Service

3 March 2022 11:50 PM IST 

HIGHLIGHTS

India on Thursday rejected claims by both Russia and Ukraine that Indian students are being held hostage in the besieged city of Kharkiv, and said it has requested the support of Ukrainian authorities in arranging special trains for taking them out from the city and neighbouring areas. New Delhi: India on Thursday rejected claims by both Russia and Ukraine that Indian students are being held hostage in the besieged city of Kharkiv, and said it has requested the support of Ukrainian authorities in arranging special trains for taking them out from the city and neighbouring areas.

India's comments came after a statement from Russian President Vladimir Putin's office claimed that some Indian students were "actually taken hostage" by Ukrainian security forces, who use them as a "human shield" and in every possible way prevent them from leaving for Russian territory. The Russian claim was mentioned in a readout issued by Kremlin following a telephonic conversation between President Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday evening.

Separately, the Ukrainian foreign ministry "urgently called on the governments of India, Pakistan, China and other counties whose students have become hostages of the Russian armed aggression in Kharkiv and Sumy, to demand from Moscow that it allows the opening of a humanitarian corridor to other Ukrainian cities." Some Indian students were stuck in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and several other conflict zones and India has asked both Russia and Ukraine to facilitate their safe passage to the border transit points for their exit to neighbouring countries

"We have not received any report of any hostage situation regarding any student. We have requested the support of Ukrainian authorities in arranging special trains for taking out students from Kharkiv and neighbouring areas to the western part of the country," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said. The Russian readout said the Russian side is trying to organise an "urgent evacuation of a group of Indian students from Kharkov (Kharkiv) through the humanitarian corridor along the shortest route to Russia." Also Read - Tirupati: Panicked parents want evacuation of students from Belarus, too "At the same time, according to the latest information, these students are actually taken hostage by Ukrainian security forces, who use them as a human shield and in every possible way prevent them from leaving for Russian territory," it claimed.

https://www.thehansindia.com/karnataka/bjp-mla-says-more-students-can-be-brought-in-place-of-body-731840?infinitescroll=1

6 other VCs on sticky wicket

6 other VCs on sticky wicket

TNN | Mar 4, 2022, 03.57 AM IST

Ahmedabad: The Supreme Court’s order directing the removal of vice chancellor of Sardar Patel University for failing to meet minimum eligibility criteria has come as a warning for the state authorities and at least six other VCs who do not possess the minimum teaching experience.

Sources said that besides Shishir Kulkarni of SP University, whose appointment was quashed for not having 10 years of teaching experience as professor, there are six other VCs who do not meet this criterion. A couple of them were teaching in colleges where the chances of promotion to the post of professor were slim.

The state government has received various representations against appointment of VCs who do not possess qualification as prescribed by the University Grants Commission Regulations.

Petitions have also been filed in Gujarat high court in some cases. “The government has been appointing people to such coveted posts by ignoring UGC regulations. The search committees do have UGC representatives, but the eligibility criteria are ignored. The SC has observed this in its order and the state government may have to face problems for appointments that are not in accordance with the law,” an expert said.