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journalsmente · 2 years
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Admit cards, list of candidates in Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee’s house: ED to court
These are among the records allegedly recovered from the home of West Bengal Industry and Commerce Minister Partha Chatterjee by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) during searches conducted on July 22 in connection with the state school jobs scam, according to court records obtained by The Indian Express.
A LIST of 48 candidates with roll numbers for posts of primary teacher; documents related to the appointment of Group D staff, including admit cards for recruitment tests; and, a list of candidates under the letterhead of a former TMC MLA.
These are among the records allegedly recovered from the home of West Bengal Industry and Commerce Minister Partha Chatterjee by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) during searches conducted on July 22 in connection with the state school jobs scam, according to court records obtained by The Indian Express.
Chatterjee, who is also secretary general of the ruling TMC, was arrested in the case by the ED on July 23. He was the state’s Education Minister when the alleged scam took place in 2016.
The papers seized are listed in a plea filed by ED in the Calcutta High Court on July 23 seeking quashing or modification of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s order for Chatterjee to be taken to SSKM hospital for check-up and treatment.
The court records also include an arrest memo filed separately by the ED. It claims in the section, “Name of relative/ friend whom the person taken into custody intends to inform”, that Chatterjee called Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee four times after his arrest at 1.55 am on July 23 but could not reach her.
The memo, filed by Mithilesh Kumar Mishra, Investigating Officer and Assistant Director, Kolkata Zonal Office II, ED, claims that Chatterjee called the Chief Minister at 2.32 am, 2.33 am, 3.37 am and 9.35 am. It also claims that the Minister refused to sign the arrest memo.
On July 24, the High Court directed the ED to take Chatterjee to AIIMS-Bhubaneswar by an air ambulance. On Monday, AIIMS-Bhubaneswar executive director Ashutosh Biswas said Chatterjee “doesn’t require hospitalisation at this time” and that the medical reports have been sent to the High Court.
The records listed in the ED plea also include documents allegedly linked to “immovable properties” and “companies” of Chatterjee’s aide and co-accused in the case, Arpita Mukherjee. According to the ED, Chatterjee was in “regular contact” with Mukherjee through a specific mobile number.
The ED has also alleged in its plea that Chatterjee was involved in the “illegal appointment in lieu of money” of primary teachers, assistant teachers from Class 9–12 and Group D staff.
It states that Rs 20 crore was allegedly recovered from the Tollygunge premises of Arpita Mukherjee, which is described as “nothing but the proceeds of crime generated in relation to the criminal activities for giving illegal appointments…”.
It lists a “total of more than 20 cell phones…recovered from the premises of Ms Arpita Mukherjee, the purpose and use of which is yet to be ascertained.”
The ED plea in the High Court details the documents allegedly seized: “…documents relating to appointment of Group D staff… like admit cards of the candidates, summary of the final results in (a recruitment test of) 2016 for the post of Group D staff, intimation letters for verification of testimonials and personality test…for the post of clerk of Indranil Bhattacharya”. The ED has not detailed the identity of Bhattacharya.
“List of candidates of Group D post at the letterhead of Shri Ananta Deb Adhikari, Admit card of 3rd Regional Level Selection Test for non-teaching staff (Group D) of Samapati Thakur, Application form for recruitment of clerk and Group D staff in respect of Samapati Thakur, a list of 48 candidates for upper primary teacher with roll number etc which indicates that Partha Chatterjee was actively involved in the appointment of Group D staff.”
The ED has not detailed the identity of Thakur. When contacted by The Indian Express, Ananta Deb Adhikari, former TMC MLA of Maynaguri and current chairman of Maynaguri municipality in Jalpaiguri, said: “I do not remember the year when I sent those recommendations. But I did send some names as an MLA. All the MLAs did at that time. Some of the recommendations from other MLAs have been cleared. But my list was not cleared and no one on the list got jobs. I guess that is why it was there at Partha Chatterjee’s house.”
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Adhikari said: “My son has passed MSc and BEd and my daughter has passed MA in English and BEd. I tried to get them jobs as teachers in government schools but that, too, did not happen.”
According to the ED’s plea, “a number of other incriminating documents and electronic devices relating to the generation of proceeds of crime have been recovered during the course of search at various premises and which are to be confronted with the accused persons and the trail of money is to be further investigated”.
On the direction of the Calcutta High Court, the CBI is investigating alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Group C & D staff and teachers in government and aided schools on the recommendations of the West Bengal School Service Commission. The ED is investigating the money laundering aspect of the alleged recruitment scam.
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businessnewsupdates · 2 years
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Admit cards, list of candidates in Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee’s house: ED to court
These are among the records allegedly recovered from the home of West Bengal Industry and Commerce Minister Partha Chatterjee by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) during searches conducted on July 22 in connection with the state school jobs scam, according to court records obtained by The Indian Express.
A LIST of 48 candidates with roll numbers for posts of primary teacher; documents related to the appointment of Group D staff, including admit cards for recruitment tests; and, a list of candidates under the letterhead of a former TMC MLA.
These are among the records allegedly recovered from the home of West Bengal Industry and Commerce Minister Partha Chatterjee by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) during searches conducted on July 22 in connection with the state school jobs scam, according to court records obtained by The Indian Express.
Chatterjee, who is also secretary general of the ruling TMC, was arrested in the case by the ED on July 23. He was the state’s Education Minister when the alleged scam took place in 2016.
The papers seized are listed in a plea filed by ED in the Calcutta High Court on July 23 seeking quashing or modification of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s order for Chatterjee to be taken to SSKM hospital for check-up and treatment.
The court records also include an arrest memo filed separately by the ED. It claims in the section, “Name of relative/ friend whom the person taken into custody intends to inform”, that Chatterjee called Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee four times after his arrest at 1.55 am on July 23 but could not reach her.
The memo, filed by Mithilesh Kumar Mishra, Investigating Officer and Assistant Director, Kolkata Zonal Office II, ED, claims that Chatterjee called the Chief Minister at 2.32 am, 2.33 am, 3.37 am and 9.35 am. It also claims that the Minister refused to sign the arrest memo.
On July 24, the High Court directed the ED to take Chatterjee to AIIMS-Bhubaneswar by an air ambulance. On Monday, AIIMS-Bhubaneswar executive director Ashutosh Biswas said Chatterjee “doesn’t require hospitalisation at this time” and that the medical reports have been sent to the High Court.
The records listed in the ED plea also include documents allegedly linked to “immovable properties” and “companies” of Chatterjee’s aide and co-accused in the case, Arpita Mukherjee. According to the ED, Chatterjee was in “regular contact” with Mukherjee through a specific mobile number.
The ED has also alleged in its plea that Chatterjee was involved in the “illegal appointment in lieu of money” of primary teachers, assistant teachers from Class 9–12 and Group D staff.
It states that Rs 20 crore was allegedly recovered from the Tollygunge premises of Arpita Mukherjee, which is described as “nothing but the proceeds of crime generated in relation to the criminal activities for giving illegal appointments…”.
It lists a “total of more than 20 cell phones…recovered from the premises of Ms Arpita Mukherjee, the purpose and use of which is yet to be ascertained.”
The ED plea in the High Court details the documents allegedly seized: “…documents relating to appointment of Group D staff… like admit cards of the candidates, summary of the final results in (a recruitment test of) 2016 for the post of Group D staff, intimation letters for verification of testimonials and personality test…for the post of clerk of Indranil Bhattacharya”. The ED has not detailed the identity of Bhattacharya.
“List of candidates of Group D post at the letterhead of Shri Ananta Deb Adhikari, Admit card of 3rd Regional Level Selection Test for non-teaching staff (Group D) of Samapati Thakur, Application form for recruitment of clerk and Group D staff in respect of Samapati Thakur, a list of 48 candidates for upper primary teacher with roll number etc which indicates that Partha Chatterjee was actively involved in the appointment of Group D staff.”
The ED has not detailed the identity of Thakur. When contacted by The Indian Express, Ananta Deb Adhikari, former TMC MLA of Maynaguri and current chairman of Maynaguri municipality in Jalpaiguri, said: “I do not remember the year when I sent those recommendations. But I did send some names as an MLA. All the MLAs did at that time. Some of the recommendations from other MLAs have been cleared. But my list was not cleared and no one on the list got jobs. I guess that is why it was there at Partha Chatterjee’s house.”
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Adhikari said: “My son has passed MSc and BEd and my daughter has passed MA in English and BEd. I tried to get them jobs as teachers in government schools but that, too, did not happen.”
According to the ED’s plea, “a number of other incriminating documents and electronic devices relating to the generation of proceeds of crime have been recovered during the course of search at various premises and which are to be confronted with the accused persons and the trail of money is to be further investigated”.
On the direction of the Calcutta High Court, the CBI is investigating alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Group C & D staff and teachers in government and aided schools on the recommendations of the West Bengal School Service Commission. The ED is investigating the money laundering aspect of the alleged recruitment scam.
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pegasusindiaspy · 3 years
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Pegasus India List
Pegasus Project : Names Revealed
Amnesty International worked to analyze the phones of 10 Indians. Each phone showed signs of either attempted hacking or successful compromise.
The presence of a number within the database does NOT necessarily indicate that the target's device was successful. Without evidence from forensic analysis, it's impossible to tell if there were successful hacks or attempts. The list's names have been distinguished. Potential targets are those whose numbers appear on the list but whose devices have not been forensically analysed by Amnesty. If the phones of potential targets show evidence of successful hacking attempts, then they are classified as such.
161 names were revealed that were potential targets or targets for surveillance by clients at the NSO Group. The data was distributed over multiple stories. They are all listed below. This list does not include names that were disclosed by Pegasus project partners. Lets see Pegasus India List.
Journalists
At least 40 journalists that were either surveillance targets or targets. Seven journalists had their phones examined by an investigator. Five showed evidence of Pegasus infection.
1. M.K. Venu Founding editor. The phone of the victim was also forensically examined and Pegasus-related traces were discovered.
2. Sushant Singh:A former journalist for Indian Express, who now writes about national security. Amnesty came to the conclusion that his phone was compromised following a forensic investigation.
3. Siddharth Varadarajan: Founding editor The phone was then forensically analysed. Pegasus had compromised the phone, according to the analysis.
4. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta:FormerEPWNow, editorNewsclick. Pegasus compromised his phone and forensic analysis revealed that.
5. S.N.M. Abdi:FormerOutlookAccording to forensic analysis, journalist whose phone was stolen.
6. Vijaita Singh: The HinduReporter who covers the ministry of home. Her phone was examined by an investigator. However, there was no evidence that a hacker attempted to access it.
7. Smita SharmaFormer TV18 anchor. Although evidence was found of a attempted hack, it did not indicate that the phone had been infected.
8. Shishir Gupta: Executive editor atHindustan Times
9. Rohini Singh:Freelance journalist, who has written numerous exposes. About controversial business dealings by politicians or their families.
10. Devirupa Mitra: Editor in chief of the diplomatic section.
11. Prashant Jha:Views editorHindustan TimesPreviously, he was the chief of the Bureau.
12. Prem Shankar Jiha:A veteran journalist who was in editorial positions at Hindustan Times TheTimes of India He is also a regular contributor to several newspapers.
13. Swati Chakravedi She wrote a book that focuses on the infamous BJP IT Cell.
14. Rahul Singh:Defence correspondentHindustan Times.
15. Aurangzeb NaqshbandiAn ex-political reporter who worked previously forHindustan TimesIncluding coverage of the Congress party.
16. Ritika ChopraA journalist for theIndian ExpressWho covers education and Election Commission beats.
17. Muzamil JaleelAnotherIndian ExpressKashmiri journalist
18. Sandeep Unnithan India TodayJournalist who covers defence and Indian military.
19. Manoj Gopta:TV18 Security and investigations editor
20. J. Gopikrishnan:Investigative reporterThe PioneerHe also broke the 2G telecom fraud.
21. Saikat Datta:Formerly, I was a national-security reporter.
22. Ifthikar Gilani:FormerDNAReporter covering Kashmir.
23. Manoranjan Gupta:Frontier TV's Northeast editor in Chief
24. Sanjay Shyam:Bihar-based journalist.
25. Jaspal Singh Sheran:A Ludhiana-based Punjabi newspaper editor-in chief, this octogenarian is also the editor-in–chiefRozana Pehredar.
26. Roopesh Kumar Singh:A freelancer based in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh.
27. Deepak GidwaniFormer correspondentDNALucknow.
28. Sumir KaulPTI News Agency: A journalist
29.Shabir Hussain:Kashmiri-based political commentator, based in Delhi.
Politicians, political figures, and anyone associated with them
1. Rahul Gandhi:The Congress party leader, who was presumed to have been the prime ministerial nominee for the two previous general elections.
2. Alankar SawaiRahul Gandhi was a close friend.
3. Sachin RaoRahul Gandhi has another aide who is a member on the Congress Working Committee.
4. Prashant Kishor:An election strategist who worked for multiple political parties, including Congress and the BJP. His phone was forensically examined and indicated signs of a successful hack.
5. Abhishek Banerjee:Trinamool Congress MP and nephew to Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal chief minister.
6. Ashwini Vaishnaw:Former IAS officer made Union cabinet minister in recent expansion.
7. Prahlad Singh Patel:Another cabinet minister in Union government. His wife, secretaries and assistants. Cook, gardener, etc.
8. Pravin Togadia:Former head, Vishwa India Parishad.
9. Pradeep AwasthiVasundhara Raje Skindia was the former chief minister in Rajasthan.
10. Sanjay Kachroo:Smriti Iraniani, the then minister of human resources development, chose a corporate executive to be her officer on special duty in 2014. She was never officially appointed. His father and minor son are also listed.
11. G. ParameshwaraDeputy chief Minister in the JD(S) - Congress coalition government in Karnataka. It was toppled following several MLAs defecting to the BJP.
12: SatishPersonal secretary to H.D. Kumaraswamy, the chief minister in Karnataka.
13. VenkateshPersonal secretary to Siddaramaiah who was the Congress chief Minister of Karnataka during Kumaraswamy.
14. Manjunath Muddegowda:H.D. Devegowda. They are also part of Pegasus India List.
Constitutional authority
1. Ashok LavasaHe was a career bureaucrat but was also a target of surveillance as an election commissioner.
Academicians, lawyers, and activists
1. Hany Babu M.T. :An accused at Delhi University in the Elgar Parishad case is a professor
2. Rona WilsonAn activist for prisoners' rights who is also an accused in the Elgar Parishad trial.
3. Vernon Gonsalves:An activist for human rights. Elgar Parishad: He is also charged.
4. Anand TeltumbdeElgar Parishad: Academic and civil rights activist.
5. Shoma Sen:Retired professor, and one of the suspects in the Elgar Parishad trial.
6. Gautam Navrakha:Journalist and rights activist, Elgar Parishad is his case.
7. Arun FerreiraOne of the Elgar Parishad lawyers.
8. Sudha Bhardwaj:Activist, lawyer, and accused in Elgar Parishad case
9. Pavana:Varavara Rao is the daughter of a Telugu poet. She is charged in the Elgar Parishad trial.
10. Minal GadlingSurendra Gadling's spouse is being charged in the Elgar Parishad trial.
11. Nihalsing Rathod:Surendra Gadling's associate and lawyer.
12. Jagadish Mehram:Surendra Gadling has another lawyer.
13. Maruti Kurwatkar:He was charged in several cases under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Surendra Gadling represented him.
14. Shalini Gera:Sudha Bharadwaj has been represented by an attorney.
15. Ankit GrewalSudha Bharadwaj is a close associate in law.
16. Jaison Cooper:Anand Teltumbde's friend, a Kerala-based rights activist.
17. Rupali Jadhav:Kabir Kala Manch, a member of the cultural troupe.
18. Lalsu Nagoti:Mahesh Raut is close to a lawyer, and he is being accused in the Elgar Parishad matter.
19. Soni Sori:Bastar-based tribal rights activist.
20 Lingaram Kodopi:Soni Sori's nephew, a journalist.
21. Degree Prasad ChouhanA Chhattisgarh state president for the People's Union for Civil Liberties.
22. Rakesh Ranjan:A Sri Ram College of Commerce assistant professor
23. Ashok BhartiChairman of All India Ambedkar Mahasabha (an umbrella organization of Dalit rights' groups).
24. Umar KhalidJawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), former student. During the notorious JNU sloganeering trial, he was first arrested for sedition. He is currently being held in prison, and is awaiting trial for the Delhi riots conspiracy case.
25. Anirban Battacharya:Khalid, a former JNU student was also taken into custody on suspicion of sedition.
26. Banjyotsna Lahiri:You can also be a JNU student.
27. Bela BhatiaChhattisgarh's lawyer and human rights activist.
28. Shiv Gopal MaishraA leader of the railway union.
29. Anjani Kumar:Delhi-based labour rights activist.
30. Alok ShuklaA prominent anti-coal mining activist who was also the convenor of Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan.
31. Saroj GiriA Delhi University professor.
32 Shubhranshu Choudhary:Bastar-based peace activist.
33. Sandeep Kumar Rai:Former BBC journalist and trade union activist.
34 Khalid Khan:Sandeep Kumar Rai's friend.
35 Ipsa ShatakshiA Jharkhand-based activist.
37. S.A.R. GeelaniProfessor at Delhi University who was later convicted in the Parliament Bombing Case. His phone was forensically analyzed and showed signs that it had been infected by Pegasus.
38. G. HaragopalHe was a retired professor at the University of Hyderabad. He was also chairman of the Saibaba Defence Committee. Three of his smartphones were forensically examined, and the results were non-conclusive.
39. Vasantha Kumari:G.N., an ex-university professor from Delhi, was married to G.N. Saibaba was convicted in connection with a banned Maoist group.
40 Jagdeep Chhokar:Co-founder of Association for Democratic Reforms.
Civilians : Pegasus India List
1. A former Supreme Court staffer:The woman had accused Ranjan Gogoi (then chief justice of India) of sexual harassment. Her family members were also possible targets.
Figures taken from the Northeast
1. Samujjal Bhattacharjee:Assistant to the All Assam Students Union. Also member of the high-level advisory committee for the Assam Accord.
2. Anup Chetia:The leader of the United Liberation Front of Assam.
3. Malem NingthoujaManipuri writer based in Delhi.
Naga leaders
1. Atem VashumAn assumed successor to Th. Muivah, the leader of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim. Muivah.
2. Apam Muivah:Th. is another NSCN (I-M), leader. Muivah is Muivah’s newphew.
3. Anthony Shimray:The commander-in-chief of the Naga Army of NSCN. (I-M).
4. Phunting ShimrangFormer commander-in-chief of the NSCN's Naga Army (I-M).
5. Kitovi Zhimomi:Convenor, Naga National Policy Groups (NNPGs). Narendra Modi was in talks with the groups to find a 'one solution to the Naga question'.
Scientists or others in the health sector
1. Gagandeep Kang:One of India’s top virologists was involved in fighting the Nipah disease.
2. Hari Menon:The Indian head for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
CBI officers, and those who are related to them
1. Alok Verma:Verma, who was the former chief of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), was added to the list shortly after Modi was removed from office. It would be possible to add the personal phone numbers of his wife and daughter as well as his son-in-law to the list. This would make it 8 numbers total from this family.
2. Rakesh Athana:Verma was also added to the list at the same time Asthana, a former senior CBI officer. He is close to Modi and currently leads the BSF.
3. A.K. SharmaAn additional CBI official of high rank was added to this list along with Asthana, Verma, and Verma.
Businesspersons
1. Anil AmbaniReliance ADAG chairman. Anil Ambani used the phone number in 2018. This was after controversy over Rafale had intensified.
2. Tony JesudasanADAG is the corporate communications chief. Ambani also added his number. Jesudasan’s wife also has a number.
3. Venkata Rao Posina:India representative of Dassault Aviation.
4. Inderjit Sial:Ex-head of Saab India.
5. Pratyush Kumar:Boeing India boss.
6. Harmanjit Nagi:EDF is the head of the French energy firm.
India's Tibetan activists, officials and clerics
1. Tempa Tsering:Long-term Envoy for Dalai Lama in New Delhi
2. Tenzin Taklha:Senior aide of Dalai Lama.
3. Chimmey Rigzen:Senior aide to Dalai Lama.
4. Lobsang Sangay:Former head of exile Tibetan government.
Figures from Kashmir
1. Bilal Lone:An independent leader and brother to Sajad Loone, Peoples Conference leader. His phone was forensically analyzed. The forensic analysis of his phone revealed Pegasus spyware, even though it is different from the one he used to be targeted in the leaked database.
2. Tariq Bukhari:Altaf Bukhari is the brother of Apni Party leader. He is a businessman, and political leader. In April 2019, he was questioned by NIA for a 'terror financing' case.
3. Syed Naseem GeelaniSyed Ali Shah Geelani, a prominent separatist leader, is a scientist.
4. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq:Separatist leader, head of Hurriyat Conference. He is also chief cleric at Jama Masjid.
5. Waqar BhattiProminent human right activist.
6. Zaffar Akbar Bhat:Influential Shia cleric, associated with Hurriyat and prominent separatist leader.
Figures of national security : Pegasus India List
1. K.K. SharmaWhen he was identified as a possible target of surveillance, he was the head the Border Security Force (BSF).
2. Jagdish Mathani:BSF inspector General who was integral in the Union home ministry’s comprehensive integrated border management (CIBMS), smart fencing project.
3. Jitendra Kumar Ojha:A senior official in the Research and Analysis Wing. He was made a target of surveillance in the wake of his January 2018 retirement.
4. Colonel Mukul dev:An army officer who refused to accept the government's request that rations be cut for officers posted in peace-areas.
5. Colonel Amit Kumar:Another army officer, who petitioned the Supreme Court in support of 356 Army personnel for relief from what they had discovered was an imminent dilution under the Armed Forces Special Forces Act (AFSPA), filed a Petition.
Bureaucrats and officials of investigating agencies
1. Rajeshwar Singh:His agency had several high-profile, high-profile investigations led by a senior enforcement directorate officer. Potential targets for surveillance included his wife and both of their sisters.
2. Abha Singh:Rajeshwar Singh's brother is a Mumbai-based lawyer. Although her mobile phone was forensically analyzed, the results were not conclusive.
3. V.K. JainA former officer in the Indian Administrative Service, who was a personal assistant of Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of Delhi.
Official Bihar cricket
1. Rakesh Tiwary:The current chief of Bihar Cricket Association.
PSU bureaucrats, lobbyists and businesspeople
1. NareshGoyal:Jet Airways ex-boss who ran into legal problems.
2. Ajay Sing:SpiceJet managing director and chairman
3. Prashant Ruia:Director of Essar Group.
4. Vikramkothari:Associated with Rotomac Pens - a group that was investigated as a suspect in loan fraud.
5. Rahul Kothari:Vikram Kothari is Vikram's son.
6. C. SivasankaranAircel maverick entrepreneur and former promoter, who was also under surveillance.
7. B.C. TripathiFormer head of GAIL India state-run GAIL India. As non-executive chairman, he joined Essar January 2020.
8. V. Balasubramanian:Reliance Industries' long-time lobbyist.
9. A.N. Sethuraman: A lobbyist associated the Reliance AD Group.
Tamil politicians and activists
1. SeemanLeader of the Naam Thaamizhar Katchi, this man is vocal in support of Sri Lankan Tamils.
2: Thirumurugan Gandhi:The founder of the May 17, which fights for Sri Lankan Tamils' rights, He was also a supporter of the anti-Sterlite protests, and other civil rights movements.
3. K. RamakrishnanAn activist with decades of expertise. He was with Dravidar Kazhagam but later left to create the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam.
4. Kumaresan:Periyar founded the Dravidar Kamhagam as its treasurer.
Supreme Court Judges, Officials and Lawyers
1. N.K. Gandhi:Former Supreme Court registrar, who worked in the crucial "writ" section.
2. T.I. RajputAnother Supreme Court Register.
3. Justice Arun MishraRetired Supreme Court Judge who is now the head of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). The potential target of surveillance was a number that had been registered in the name and address of the judge. Sources at the BSNL said that there were no sources. Justice Mishra had the number registered from September 18, 2010 to September 19, 2018. The judge stated that he had given it up on April 21, 2014.
4. Vijay Agarwal: Counsel for fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi. After signing on as Modi’s lawyer, he was chosen as a target of surveillance. His wife's number was also a potential target.
5. Aljo P. Joseph:Lawyer representing Christian Michel in the Agusta Westland fraud. Amnesty's tech group says that preliminary indications point to Pegasus targeting his iPhone data.
6. M. Thangathurai:A junior lawyer working for Mukul Rohatgi, the former attorney general. He stated that his telephone number is listed under the name of his boss in many places, such as the bank, so that the senior advocate doesn't get disturbed by "routine".
The world's leaders
1. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador:While he is currently the president of Mexico, he was also targeted before his election in 2018 His aides also were targeted.
2. Emmanuel MacronFrance's president.
3. Imran Khan:The prime minister, Pakistan.
4. Mostafa Madbouly:The prime minister in Egypt.
5. Saad-Eddine El Othmani:The prime minister of Morocco.
6. Barham Salih:The president of Iraq.
7. Cyril RamaphosaThe president of South Africa.
8. Mohammed VI:Morocco's King.
9. Saad Hariri:Former prime Minister of Lebanon.
10: Ruhakana Rugunda:Former prime Minister of Uganda.
11. Noureddine Beoui:Former prime Minister of Algeria.
12. Charles Michel:The current president of European Council is a former prime minister of Belgium.
13. Panah Huseynov:Former prime minister, Azerbaijan.
14. Felipe Calderon:Former Mexican president
Jamal Khashoggi-related people
Jamal Khashoggi was a Saudi dissident and wrote for the Washington Post. Assassins sent by the Saudi government allegedly murdered him at the Saudi embassy. His associates or the investigation into their deaths were all targets or potential targets of surveillance.
1. Hatice CengizTurkish doctorate student engaged to Jamal Khashoggi Her phone was forensically analyzed.
2. Hanan Elatr:Khashoggi was the man she married. Her phone was also forensically examined.
3. Wadah Khanfar:The former director-general ofAl JazeeraTelevision network. His phone was forensically examined.
4. Turan Kislakci:Cengiz was introduced by a Turkish journalist.
5. Irfan FidanChief Turkish prosecutor responsible for investigations into Khashoggi’s murder.
Dubai rulers are individuals who are connected
1. Sheikha Latifa:A member the Dubai royal family, and the daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum (the UAE's prime minister). She attempted to flee from her father's care but was captured by Indian forces in Goa and brought back to Dubai.
2. Haya bint Hussein:Estranged spouse of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum
3. David Haigh:British activist and lawyer who participated in the campaign for Sheikha Latifa's release. Pegasus was confirmed by forensic analysis of his phone.
It was the Pegasus India List and will be updating it when we have new information.
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thegulfindians · 3 years
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7 killed in Railway building fire in Kolkata
7 killed in Railway building fire in Kolkata
At least seven people were killed in an inferno in a multi-storeyed building in Kolkata, which houses zonal offices of Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway on Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said. Two more persons were also feared dead, said Banerjee who has gone to the spot. Out of the seven deceased, four were firefighters, one assistant sub-inspector posted at the Hare…
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bbcbreakingnews · 3 years
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Not terming Indian people outsiders; attempts on to destroy Bengal’s self-pride: Mamata
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West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee during ‘Administrative Review meeting’, at Shantiniketan in Bolpur on Monday. (ANI Photo)
BOLPUR (WB): Facing attacks from the BJP on how she can call people visiting West Bengal from other states “outsiders”, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that she does not attach that tag to “our countrymen” but is against alleged attempts to impose an alien thought process on the people of India. Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, claimed that attempts are being made to break the backbone and self- pride of Bengal. Interacting with reporters here in Birbhum district, she asserted that efforts are on to destroy the political fabric of the state by creating disturbances. Banerjee and her party often accuse the BJP of bringing in “outsiders” to the state ahead of the assembly polls due in April-May next year. Asked about the saffron party questioning how people from other states coming to West Bengal can be termed as outsiders, she said, “We do not term our countrymen as outsiders. Definitely we all can go to any state. “What we are saying is that our culture is that of Indianness and not the alien thought process they are propagating,” the chief minister said without elaborating. Banerjee claimed that attempts are being made to break the foundation of all institutions and centres of culture and knowledge in the country, “from Pondicherry to Nalanda University to Jawaharlal Nehru University”, by people who, she said, do not know anything about Rabindranath Tagore. Union home minister Amit Shah recently visited Visva- Bharati university set up by Tagore near Bolpur where she held an administrative meeting before talking to the media. “Efforts are on to break the backbone, self-pride and history of Bengal. Efforts are on to disrespect the culture of Bengal by spreading lies and misinformation,” the TMC chief alleged. Without naming any person, she said that anyone can speak in any language with the assistance of a teleprompter but it does not help one learn the culture of a state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week addressed the Visva-Bharati university’s centenary celebration via video-conference, in which he quoted extensively from Tagore’s works in Bengali. Bengal is the cultural capital of India and that it is her pride as a Bengali that she can go along with the people of all states, religions and languages, Banerjee said. The TMC supremo said that she knows Bengali, English, Hindi and several other languages. She said that if she goes to Gujarat and does not visit the Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati, it will be a blunder on her part and the same will be the case if she travels to Maharashtra but decides not to pay a visit to a Ganapati temple. Maintaining that the Trinamool Congress will be with the protesting farmers, she said, “We want all the three laws to be withdrawn.”
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source https://bbcbreakingnews.com/2020/12/28/not-terming-indian-people-outsiders-attempts-on-to-destroy-bengals-self-pride-mamata/
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swedna · 4 years
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Government and private hospitals are finding it difficult to recruit new and additional healthcare workers to care for Covid-19 patients even as the number of people testing positive continues to grow--1.59 million as of July 30, 2020--our reporting in five cities found.
The Covid-19 pandemic has added to the stress of an overburdened healthcare workforce. India has one medical doctor for every 1,404 people and 1.7 nurses per 1,000 people, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). This is lower than the World Health Organization (WHO) benchmark of one doctor and three nurses per 1,000 people.
During the early weeks of the outbreak in India in March and April, a combination of caution and fear pushed many healthcare professionals to return home. At the same time, small hospitals and healthcare facilities, which were shut for varying periods during the lockdown, cut down staff due to reduced revenues and uncertainty. This led to a shortage of personnel when they reopened.
As a result, nurses, ward boys, lab technicians, sanitation workers and other staff have been finding themselves stretched due to longer shifts and inadequate protection against Covid-19, medical and healthcare professionals told IndiaSpend in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata. At the same time, fewer people are applying for vacancies for such jobs because of short-term contracts, low wages and poor working conditions, we heard from hospital staff, union representatives and city authorities.
State and private healthcare facilities that IndiaSpend reached out to have each sought to add at least a few hundred healthcare workers to ramp up care in Covid-19 wards since May.
“Not many people are applying for ancillary health positions possibly due to fears of Covid,” Abhishek Agarwal, a senior professor in the Department of Medicine at the Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS), a dedicated Covid-19 facility in Jaipur, Rajasthan, told IndiaSpend. “In some private hospitals, the number of staff has decreased, and doctors did not receive salaries for the lockdown months. In some other hospitals, doctors’ contracts have been changed from monthly salary basis to per patient basis.”
Low pay, short-term contracts
Hiring new health workers in the early days of the pandemic and the lockdown was difficult because of the fear of the infection spreading, said M. M. Prabhakar, superintendent of the state-run Ahmedabad Civil Hospital in Gujarat.
In West Bengal, more than 300 nurses quit their jobs in the early weeks of the Covid-19 outbreak to return to Manipur. To prevent a full-blown crisis, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced on May 18 that locals would be hired as helpers to replace nurses and trained to perform their basic functions in seven days.
In the same month, Ahmedabad was becoming a Covid-19 hotspot. The city's biggest Covid-19 facility, the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, which has a daily requirement of 1,600 nurses according to hospital superintendent Prabhakar, had to rely on a pool of 125 nurses roped in from nearby hospitals and districts to complement their 1,308 nurses.
In June, the hospital attempted to recruit nurses on a three-month contract at a salary of Rs 13,400 per month, doctors and local nurses unions told IndiaSpend. The candidate turnout, they said, was low.
ALSO READ: Par panel may submit final report on Code on Social Security on Friday “This [Rs 13,400 per month] is not commensurate with the risk associated with [Covid-19] work,” said Vanraj Chauhan, general secretary of the All Gujarat Nursing Union (AGNU); the union has 7,000 members across the state from public and private hospitals.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has since offered incentives along with salaries, and the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital has been able to hire staff to replace the healthcare workers who had been pooled from nearby districts, Prabhakar told IndiaSpend. The recruitment is still ongoing and salaries are in line with those specified by the state government, he said.
The southern states have been facing similar challenges. In June, the Telangana government sought to hire 509 healthcare workers, including 88 staff nurses, five pharmacists and 59 lab technicians, on contract for a year. The salaries on offer were Rs 23,000 per month for nurses, Rs 21,000 per month for pharmacists and Rs 17,000 per month for lab technicians, as per the state’s notification.
Starting salaries for trained nurses in Hyderabad range between Rs 35,000 and Rs 40,000 per month, Shrikant Kalaskar, a Hyderabad-based public health professional, told IndiaSpend. “Government hospitals cannot expect staff nurses or doctors to work at a low salary in a metro city,” he said. “Raising the salary is a general requirement to hiring a professional, and this becomes more important during a pandemic.”
IndiaSpend reached out to J. Venkati, the district medical and health officer for Hyderabad, to understand the challenges in recruiting healthcare workers during the Covid-19 outbreak. This report will be updated as and when we receive a response.
In Karnataka’s capital, Bengaluru, the civic body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), announced on July 21 that it would host walk-in interviews to hire doctors, nurses, health assistants and other medical staff--on a “purely temporary” basis--to manage Covid-19 patients in primary health centres. The BBMP hired 58 people in one day, N. Manjunatha Prasad, the BBMP Commissioner, noted in a tweet a day after the first walk-in interviews were held.
IndiaSpend reached out to Prasad and the BBMP to find out how many healthcare workers the city needs and the challenges in recruiting them. This report will be updated if and when they respond.
Recruitment announcements from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike. A similar recruitment drive was conducted in Hyderabad.
Delayed salaries
Existing healthcare workers are unwilling to take on Covid-19 work due to poor working conditions in many public and private hospitals including long shifts and delayed and reduced salary payments, IndiaSpend found. This is despite guidelines issued in June by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to prevent workers from being exposed to Covid-19 and the Supreme Court’s June 17 order on the timely payment of salaries.
There has been a reduction in salaries in several private hospitals across India. Healthcare staff in private hospitals in Kerala are facing a “forced loss of pay”, since the lockdown because private hospitals have restricted the number of days that staff work so that they are paid for fewer working days, said Roshan Radhakrishnan, a Kochi-based consultant anaesthesiologist. “This has been going on since March-April. We do not see an end to this.”
In April, the United Nurses Association (UNA), a national union representing 380,000 nurses, filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking the government’s intervention to frame a policy for their welfare, including regarding non-payment of salaries, lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) in hospitals, long shifts and lack of access to adequate testing and quarantining. The court disposed of the petitions on April 15 after noting that the Central government had already established a helpline number for healthcare workers’ grievance redressal.
Later, in a judgement on a separate petition by Arushi Jain, a doctor, the Supreme Court on June 17 directed the central government to issue a notification so that health workers facing delayed salary payments could file a complaint against the hospital management under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, making the delayed payment of salaries a criminal offence.
“However, we still do not have established mechanisms for grievance redressal,” said UNA’s legal counsel Subhash Chandran K. R.
For instance, Chandran pointed out, the Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences & Research (HIMSR) and its associated Hakeem Abdul Hameed Centenary Hospital (HAHC) in New Delhi had “abruptly fired 84 nurses on July 11 and that on the same day, it issued a walk-in interview notice to recruit nurses for a 12-month period at a lower pay scale”. The ousted nurses challenged their dismissal in the High Court of Delhi.
The nurses’ contracts had already expired and could not be renewed due to the lockdown, HAHC’s medical superintendent Sunil Kohli said in a letter to the Delhi government.
Subsequently, Kohli said, 30 of the 84 nurses were given offers to extend their contracts after a reassessment.
“A lot of healthcare workers are jobless. The hospitals are using the pandemic as an opportunity to make more profits,” said Chandran, citing reports of hospitals overcharging for Covid-19 treatment. “But they are not paying their staff in time.”
The pandemic has also brought to the fore the differences in salaries and facilities that contracted healthcare workers and their peers employed on a permanent basis are entitled to. For instance, in Bihar’s capital, over 700 contract nurses at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, struck work on July 23, bringing hospital operations to an absolute halt.
The strike came nearly a week after the contract workers sent a letter to the Institute’s director, Prabhat Kumar Singh, seeking provisions that are already available to the 120 regular nurses, including higher standard of care if they were to fall sick, increased remuneration and provision for leaves similar to that of permanent workers.
The central government, not the hospital director, is responsible for decisions regarding conversion to permanent status and salary hikes, Sanjeev Kumar, nodal officer for Covid-19 at AIIMS Patna, told IndiaSpend. The strike was called off after the hospital administration guaranteed that workers could avail free Covid-19 treatment at AIIMS Patna, increased the number of leaves for contract workers to eight days per month (four weekly offs and four leaves for doing night duties, which are carried out by all staff) and assured them that their contracts would be reviewed for the next one to two years barring disciplinary action, said Kumar.
Nurses will willingly work provided the government does not cut salaries, Prasanth Narayan, UNA general secretary in Karnataka, told IndiaSpend.
ALSO READ: Gilead raises sales outlook to include Covid-19 treatment remdesivir Lack of PPE usage guidelines
Healthcare workers across cities told IndiaSpend that they are bristling at the insensitivity regarding usage of PPEs and the absence of PPE guidelines.
The use of N95 respirator masks, which are a part of the PPE, should be avoided for longer than four hours, state the WHO guidelines on the rational use of PPE for coronavirus disease. The guideline does not specify any such usage limit for the complete protective suit.
The nursing staff often get dehydrated and suffer from low-blood pressure due to long and continuous wearing of PPEs, M. Rajeswari, a professor and president of the Telangana branch of the Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI), told IndiaSpend.
“I work for 8-10 hours daily. We are given a replacement only if our PPE tears,” Akash Pillai, a nurse with Global Hospital, a private facility in Mumbai, and the general secretary of UNA Maharashtra, told IndiaSpend.
There is no shortage of PPEs in the hospital, an official from the branding and communications department of Global Hospital told IndiaSpend, on condition of anonymity. “We follow all protocols issued by the government but there is no standard guideline regarding the minimum time of usage for a complete PPE kit.” She refused to comment when IndiaSpend asked how many PPE suits one worker could use on a single shift.
“I work for 8-10 hours daily. We are given a replacement only if our PPE tears,” says Akash Pillai, a nurse with Global Hospital, Mumbai, and the general secretary of UNA Maharashtra.
In West Bengal, the government capped the price that hospitals could charge patients for PPE in June. “Some private hospitals have since been limiting the availability of PPEs to health workers as they are unable to pass on the cost to the patients,” said Ranjith K. Raju, president of the UNA’s Kolkata chapter.
Quarantine measures are crucial to prevent transmission of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 from those believed to be exposed to it. Healthcare workers told IndiaSpend that they do not have space to isolate themselves as they live with their families. Across Karnataka, including in state capital Bengaluru, for instance, “there are no separate quarantine zones or accommodation facilities provided to nurses and doctors”, said Karnataka UNA’s Narayan. “This puts everyone at the hospital as well as their own families at risk.”
“Unless hospitals provide quality safety kits and implement quarantine protocols, health workers will not turn up for work even if they wish to,” said Kolkata UNA’s Raju.
Right incentives
Some states have managed to retain and recruit healthcare employees by offering incentives, increased salaries and boarding and lodging facilities.
In Maharashtra’s capital, Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) calculated the bed-to-doctor and bed-to-nurse ratio to calculate the additional staff requirement, said Daksha Shah, the civic body’s deputy health officer. “We offered a strong remuneration package, ensured the availability of PPEs and guaranteed the safety of doctors and nurses. I think this strategy worked,” Shah told IndiaSpend. The BMC also recruited qualified ayurvedic and unani doctors for supervision purposes and hired nurses who were qualified and waiting for their degree, Shah said.
Shah was unable to state how many vacancies the civic body had filled, nor could she state the number of additional recruitments that have been made due to Covid-19. IndiaSpend also contacted Mangala Gomare, the BMC deputy executive health officer, but did not receive a response. This report will be updated if and when we receive a response.
One of the civic body’s recruits, Namrata Roy, explained how and why she ended up as a healthcare worker with the BMC. The 29-year-old has been working as a nurse at the Korba Mithaghar Municipal school, an isolation centre for asymptomatic patients in central Mumbai’s Wadala neighbourhood since May. She was employed a day after she sent an application to the BMC on May 21, and was asked to report for duty from the following day.
Roy is on a six-month contract with the BMC on a salary of Rs 50,000 per month. The civic body provides her free accommodation and food in a three-star hotel near the isolation facility, she said. “I am happy with the salary. I feel everyone is doing their best in this difficult time and so am I,” Roy told IndiaSpend on July 23, adding she is yet to receive her salary for the month of June. “I would have worked even if the salary was lower but as long as the government provided us with basic facilities and ensured our safety.”
Namrata Roy works as a nurse at a civic body-run centre for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients in Wadala, central Mumbai. She is on a six-month contract with the civic body, and receives free accommodation and food.
In Telangana, the state government provided a one-time incentive to employees of the health and medical departments, including to sanitation staff, under the Telangana Chief Minister’s Special Incentive plan in April. This has since been extended. “We received the 10% initiative,” said K. Vijayesh Kanth, a staff nurse at the Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad. “This was a good boost for permanent employees but not so much for contract employees as their gross salary is low.”
ALSO READ: Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine protected monkey in single shot Gujarat too relied on one-time incentives for doctors and nurses in government hospitals. “The AMC has brought in an incentive programme where doctors receive Rs 25,000 per month in addition to their salaries, and nurses and other medical staff get an additional Rs 15,000 per month,” Ahmedabad Civil Hospital’s superintendent Prabhakar told IndiaSpend.
When the Rajasthan state government faced difficulties in recruiting lab technicians to join the state’s Covid-19 labs in April, it chose to recruit them at more than double the pay grade under a different title. “The pay for technicians is Rs 7,000 but the government advertised for a research assistant position with a salary of Rs 18,000 and was then able to fill all vacancies,” said Sudhanshu Kakkar, the principal and controller of RUHS, the dedicated Covid-19 facility in capital Jaipur.
In Jaipur, timely provision of on-demand testing for Covid-19, quarantine facilities, protective gear, and humane work conditions with fixed shifts and on-time salary ensured that the health workforce stayed motivated through the ongoing pandemic, as IndiaSpend reported on July 27.
Private hospitals can hire staff on longer contracts or recruit on a permanent basis to deal with the shortage of staff, say many healthcare professionals. Permanent hiring at increased salaries will also incentivise experienced professionals to apply for new positions, as opposed to the majority of current applicants who are fresh graduates with little-to-no experience, said AGNU’s general secretary Vanraj Chauhan, adding that Gujarat has 6,000-8,000 trained nurses that enter the workforce every year.
Longer contracts would also incentivise applicants. “Job security is important for everyone. Even if it is a contract position, it should be for a longer duration, say three or four years, to create a sense of security for the person,” said Hyderabad-based Kalaskar.
Those working in intensive care units should get special incentives as they work with the most critical patients, said Kakkar of RUHS.
Healthcare workers should also be provided with term life insurance and pay as per the Central Government Health Services (CGHS) scale, Giridhar Babu, professor and head of Life Course Epidemiology at the Public Health Foundation of India, told IndiaSpend. “They should be able to access dedicated beds, and new recruits should get incentives.”
“The pandemic is highlighting the importance of nurses worldwide,” and the WHO has declared 2020 the year of nurses and midwives, said Rajeshwari of TNAI Telangana. “If nurses are paid better, we will be better respected in society. Their status will rise, and there will be more people taking up nursing as a profession.”
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liveindiatimes · 4 years
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New Post has been published on https://www.liveindiatimes.com/urine-filled-bottles-thrown-at-delhi-flats-holding-mosque-event-attendees/
Urine-Filled Bottles Thrown At Delhi Flats Holding Mosque Event Attendees
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More than 1,000 coronavirus cases have been linked to the Tablighi Jamaat
New Delhi:
Bottles filled with urine were thrown at a COVID-19 quarantine centre in Delhi’s Dwaraka neighbourhood at 6 pm on Tuesday. The bottles were thrown at three flats in the Sector 16B locality in which members of the Tablighi Jamaat – the controversial Islamic sect linked to more than 1,000 novel coronavirus cases across the country – had been isolated.
Two urine-filled bottles were recovered from the water pump located behind the flat.
A FIR (first information report) registered and a case has been filed, against unknown persons, at the Dwaraka North Police Station based on a complaint by the Assistant-Director of quarantine centres.
Across India there are more than 4,300 active COVID-19 cases, with Maharashtra alone reporting more than 1,000. Of the total number of cases, the government has said, at least 1,445 cases have been linked to the religious gathering held by the Jamaat in south Delhi’s Nizamuddin last month.
In addition, more than 25,500 people – local workers of the missionary group and people who came in contact with them – have been isolated, the government said on Monday.
By the time the scale of the Tablighi Jamaat crisis – the gathering was held in defiance of social distancing protocols in place to check the spread of the virus – was realised late last month, thousands of its members had dispersed across the country.
States were instructed to identify and isolate them in their respective territories; Tamil Nadu has been among the worst hit states in this regard.
The Health Ministry has declared Nizamuddin, where the Jamaat congregated at a 100-year-old mosque complex – a coronavirus hotspot and containment zone (one of three in the national capital – the others are Dilshad Gardens and South Moti Bagh).
Backlash against Jamaat attendees has been reported from other parts of the country as well, with reports that Muslim members of Punjab’s Gujjar community have been discriminated against – they have been stopped from buying groceries and milk – in Hoshiarpur district.
The district administration has warned of strict action against those found guilty.
At least three Chief Ministers – Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee, Andhra’s Jagan Mohan Reddy and Maharashtra’s Uddhav Thackeray have urged against communal attacks in this time of crisis.
The Tablighi Jamaat event has also been linked to more than 1,300 foreign nationals currently in India on tourist visas. Today eight of them – traced to a mosque in Maharashtra’s Nagpur – were booked for violating the Foreigners Act and visa norms.
Last week another eight foreigners – Malaysian citizens – linked to the group were caught at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport as they were about to board a relief flight back home. They had been hiding at different places around the capital.
The authorities have urged Tablighi Jamaat members – domestic and foreign – who have yet to be traced to identify themselves and go into quarantine to halt the spread of one of the most infectious viruses in recent times.
Worldwide over 1.4 million people have been infected and more than 82,000 killed by the COVID-19 virus that originated in China’s Wuhan district in December last year.
Live India Times
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todaybharatnews · 4 years
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via Today Bharat While it lifts East Bengal, the intervention could potentially also bring the Chief Minister political rewards in the 2021 Assembly elections. In the year it is celebrating its centenary, East Bengal Club was struggling without a sponsor, Now, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has intervened personally to help it secure an investor, Shree Cement. While it lifts East Bengal, the intervention could potentially also bring the Chief Minister political rewards in the 2021 Assembly elections. What have elections got to do with an investment? On the face of it, East Bengal getting an investor is not directly connected to politics. Then again, as an East Bengal official observed, football is part of Bengali culture. The Chief Minister helping the red-and-gold team rope in an investor — in the process paving the way for them to play in the Indian Super League (ISL) — can strike a chord with East Bengal fans. In which part of the state can this make an impact? By a rough estimate, East Bengal have around three crore fans, a big chunk of them based in North Bengal. Football-wise, North Bengal became an East Bengal stronghold after Partition, followed by the 1971 Bangladesh War. A huge number of migrants came and settled in North Bengal. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Mamata’s Trinamool Congress was routed in North Bengal, failing to win a single seat out of eight. Seven of the eight seats went to the growing BJP, and Congress won the eighth. North Bengal has 56 Assembly constituencies, a crucial chunk of the 294 in the state. Can there be an impact in areas outside of North Bengal? Mamata’s initiative can, in fact, win her the goodwill of East Bengal fans beyond North Bengal. In the Ghoti-vs-Bangal (West vs East) divide of Bengal football, East Bengal have a bigger chunk of rural-based supporters. Mohun Bagan, on the other hand, have more urban fans, and a lot of them are now settled outside their home state. mamata banerjee, east bengal sponsor, east bengal football club, mohun bagan, bengal elections, indian express Mamata Banerjee with East Bengal officials on Wednesday. Why were East Bengal struggling? In July 2018, East Bengal went into a partnership with Quess Corp, selling it a 70% stake. As the club’s assistant general secretary Dr Shanti Ranjan Dasgupta said, Quess had inserted a clause that if East Bengal did not play the Indian Super League within three years, the partnership would be terminated. But in autumn 2019 itself, Quess wrote to the club management saying it would not be continuing beyond May 31, 2020. Without a sponsor, the club was on the brink. The operating expenses for a club/franchise to play in the ISL are in excess of Rs 40 crore per season, including a Rs 15 crore franchise fee. But let alone the ISL, East Bengal would have struggled to play in the I-League too. The annual I-League budget for a top team like East Bengal is in excess of Rs 12 crore. After the departure of Quess, the club had been finding it difficult to meet day-to-day expenses. Basic monthly expenditure for East Bengal is close to Rs 50 lakh including staff payment and the upkeep of their academies and football school. For the last three months, officials had been paying out of their own pocket. What led to the CM’s initiative? Mohun Bagan merged with ATK earlier this year, which paved the way for their playing in the ISL. With East Bengal stuck in the I-League for want of a sponsor, it was an affront to many East Bengal fans to see arch rivals Mohun Bagan playing in the Super League. East Bengal officials approached Mamata, who promised help. Now that East Bengal are likely on par with their arch rivals — in terms of playing in the ISL — red-and-gold officials and supporters are expressing their gratitude to the CM. How have fans reacted? After Mamata announced East Bengal’s tie-up with the new investor at the state secretariat on Wednesday, TV cameras captured some red-and-gold fans outside the club tent. “Joy East Bengal, joy Mamata Banerjee (victory to East Bengal, victory to Mamata Banerjee),” they chanted. Beyond East Bengal, the Chief Minister has been extending support to various sporting organisations since she assumed office in 2011. Last year, Mamata sanctioned Rs 2 lakh each to 4,300 clubs and announced financial aid of Rs 1 lakh each for 221 sports coaching centres. She also announced that the clubs would be eligible to get “financial assistance” for the next three years if they “submit their annual audit report”.
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brajeshupadhyay · 4 years
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Coronavirus Updates: BMC sero-survey in three wards shows 57% prevalence of COVID-19 in slums, 16% in other areas
23:18 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Updates
Bengal govt cancels lockdown on 2, 9 Aug
Respecting the sentiments of the people we are withdrawing complete lockdown announcement for 2 August and 9 August(2/2)
— HOME DEPARTMENT - GOVT. OF WEST BENGAL (@HomeBengal) July 28, 2020
21:48 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates
Mumbai sero-survey findings:
A press release by the BMC on the sero-survey conducted in three wards of Mumbai listed the results as following:
- Results suggest that asymptomatic infections are likely to be a high proportion of all infections.  
- Higher prevalence in slums could be possibly due to population density and shared common facilities (toilets, water points etc.).
- Taking together the current prevalence (estimated here) and records from BMC on reported deaths, the infection fatality rate (IFR) is likely to be very low (0.05-0.10%). Among others, this could be attributed to effective containment efforts and active measures to isolate symptomatic cases by MCGM.
- Lower prevalence in non-slums could be due to better social distancing and access to better hygiene in addition to interventions by MCGM to stem the spread of infection.
- These results will be valuable to learn more about herd immunity. Although it is still unclear what level of prevalence leads to herd immunity, findings indicate that at least in slums this could be attained sooner than later, if the immunity exists and persists in a significant proportion of the population. 
20:54 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates
7,717 new COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra
7,717 fresh COVID-19 cases, 10,333 discharges and 282 deaths were reported in Maharashtra on Tuesday. 
Total number of positive cases is now 3,91,440 including 2,32,277 discharged,14,165 deaths and 1,44,694 active cases. Recovery rate is 59.34 percent, the state health department said.
20:28 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates
Sero-survey undertaken in 3 wards in Mumbai, says BMC
The BMC on Tuesday said that a serological surveillance for COVID-19 infection was commissioned by NITI-Aayog, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
"In the first round, 6936 samples were collected from 3 wards in slum&non-slum areas. Systematically conducted study estimates around 57 percent sero-prevalence in slums and 16 percent sero-prevalence in non-slums, on an average, in the three wards that were studied," the statement said.
19:27 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates
France gives India ventilators, test kits
France on Tuesday gave India ventilators, test kits and other medical equipment, The Times of India reported.
"The medical equipment was handed over to the Indian Red Cross Society by French ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain at the Palam Air Force Station after the assistance material was flown here on board a French Air Force aircraft," the report said.
18:32 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates
Only 700 COVID-19 cases in Mumbai today, says Aaditya Thackeray
Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday said that only 700 new cases of coronavirus were reported in Mumbai on Tuesday, which was a "major relief" after three months.
The good news: Only 700 cases today in Mumbai & that too with highest testing till date in Mumbai in a single day(8776).This is chase the virus in full capacity. A major relief after 3 months. Caution: don’t let the guard down! Don’t let your mask down! Only get numbers down!
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) July 28, 2020
18:10 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates
No COVID-19 death reported in Delhi's LNJP yesterday, says Kejriwal
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that no death due to coronavirus was reported in the National Capital's COVID-19 dedicated hospital, LNJP, on Monday.
No death in our biggest COVID hospital LNJP yesterday
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) July 28, 2020
17:41 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Himachal Pradesh Latest Updates
Himachal CM, family test negative for 2nd time
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur and his family members tested negative for the second time on Tuesday, a week after their first test also came negative.
Thakur and his family members were in self-quarantine after an aide tested positive for COVID-19.
17:21 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Updates
List of dates of August lockdown in Bengal:
Complete lockdown will be observed in the state on 2, 5, 8, 9, 16, 17, 23, 24, and 31 August, said West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday.
17:07 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Updates
Bengal govt extends partial lockdown till 31 Aug
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced the extension of partial lockdown in state till 31 August.
"We are extending the partial lockdown in the state, which was in force till 31 July, till 31 August," she said. However, the state government made an exception for 1 August, on the occasion of Bakri Eid.
16:41 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Tripura Latest Updates
Door-to-door COVID-19 survey begins in Tripura
Tripura government on Tuesday launched a door-to-door COVID-19 survey, simultaneously with imposing three days total lockdown in the state. Health department staff along with local panchayat members are conducting the survey, ANI reported.
16:19 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates
Centre says Itolizumab not part of national treatment protocol
The Union health ministry on Tuesday said that Itolizumab, which was approved for emergency use by the Drug Controller General of India, "has not been included in the national treatment protocol," The Indian Express reported.
"According to a statement issued by the Health Ministry, the National Task Force on Covid-19 contended there was “very little evidence in favour of this medicine," the report said.
15:59 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates
Test children, elderly, pregnant women on priority, says UP CM to officials
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday directed officials to test children, pregnant women and elderly for COVID-19 on priority.
He stressed on enhancing the testing capacity and ordered the officials to everyday conduct one lakh rapid antigen tests, 40,000-45000 RT-PCR and 2,500 to 3,000 tests through truenat machines.
The chief minister asked doctors and researches to study the case history of fully recovered patients to develop an effective treatment for the infected persons. He said the skill mapping of the labourers and workers, who have returned to the state due a nationwide lockdown, has been done. He stressed on providing them employment according to their skills.
(PTI)
15:36 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Madhya Pradesh LATEST Updates
If detected early, COVID-19 not incurable, says MP CM
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who tested positive for coronavirus, on Tuesday chaired the first virtual cabinet meeting from hospital and said if the infection is detected early, then it is not incurable and is like any other cold, cough and fever.
Sharing his experience with his ministerial colleagues while chairing the cabinet meet from hospital through video conferencing, Chouhan said there is no need to panic about coronavirus and it can be controlled by remaining alert.
15:23 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra LATEST Updates
138 Maharashtra Police personnel test positive for COVID-19
138 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths were reported in the Maharashtra Police department in the last 24 hours. The total confirmed cases stand at 8,722, including 6,670 recoveries and 97 deaths in the police force.
15:09 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra LATEST Updates
Mumbai only city to allow citizens to 'test at will', says Aditya Thackeray
Mumbai will see more testing with chase the virus initiative of the BMC, said Aditya Thackeray, adding that it is also the only city to have liberalised testing and allowed citizens to “test at will”. 
Chase the Virus model of Mumbai is being implemented in MMR region actively that has seen a ramping up of facilities in the past few weeks. Along with MMR, rest of Maharashtra too is taking all efforts to tackle covid pandemic effectively
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) July 28, 2020
15:04 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra LATEST Updates
Only 700 new cases in Mumbai today, says Aditya Thackeray
Mumbai Suburban district’s minister Aaditya Thackeray has tweeted that the city has reported “only” 700 new COVID-19 cases today. "Don’t let the guard down! Don’t let your mask down! Only get numbers down!" he added.
The good news: Only 700 cases today in Mumbai & that too with highest testing till date in Mumbai in a single day(8776).This is chase the virus in full capacity. A major relief after 3 months. Caution: don’t let the guard down! Don’t let your mask down! Only get numbers down!
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) July 28, 2020
14:55 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi LATEST Updates
221 personnel infected in Delhi prisons
The total number of  COVID-19 cases in Delhi Prisons stand at 221, reports ANI. Out of the 60 infected inmates, there are 55 recoveries, 2 active cases, 2 deaths while one inmate has been released and are under home quarantine. Out of 161 staff members, 122 have recovered and 39 active, a prison official told ANI
14:51 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Gujarat LATEST Updates
60 inmates test COVID-19 positive in Vadodara jail
At least 60 inmates of Vadodara Central Jail in Gujarat have tested positive for coronavirus infection in the last two days, reports PTI. The jail authorities are in the process of setting up an 80-bed COVID-19 care centre inside the premises to ensure proper treatment for infected prisoners, the official said.
14:36 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in India LATEST Updates
India's fatality rate now at 2.25%
The country's toll due to the virus rose to 33,425 with 654 deaths being reported in a 24-hour span, data updated at 8 am showed. According to the data, the recovery rate among COVID-19 patients is 64.24 percent, while the fatality rate is 2.25 percent.
14:26 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Puducherry LATEST Updates
Puducherry reports 141 new cases, 4 deaths in past 24 hours
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, his cabinet colleagues and legislators of various political parties here tested negative for coronavirus on Tuesday.The results came negative after testing of the swabs collected from them at a special camp held on the premises of the Assembly Monday.
Meanwhile, 141 fresh COVID-19 cases and four related deaths were reported in the Union Territory during the last 24 hours ending 10 a.m. on Tuesday, taking the tally to 3,011.
14:15 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Odisha LATEST Updates
Odisha to conduct last rites of COVID-19 suspects without waiting for test report
The Odisha government has asked all district collectors, SPs, municipal commissioners and health officials to conduct the last rites of coronavirus suspects without insisting on testing of swab or waiting for the report, an official told PTI.
14:12 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in India LATEST Updates
India reports over 30,000 recoveries for fourth day in a row
India has reported more than 30,000 recoveries per day for the fourth consecutive day today, as per data from the Union Health Ministry.
13:55 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar Pradesh LATEST Updates
Chief medical superintendent of hospital tests COVID-19 positive
The Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of the district hospital here has tested positive for coronavirus, a senior officer said on Tuesday. CMS of the district hospital PP Pandey has tested positive, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) AK Srivastava said.
Besides, the SHO of Lalganj Kotwali Rakesh Bharati has also tested positive for coronavirus, the CMO said. So far, 268 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the district of which 155 people have been discharged after recovery. As many as 11 deaths have been reported so far, the CMO added.
13:39 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Mizoram LATEST Updates
22 Assam Rifles personnel test positive in Mizoram
Twenty-two Assam Rifles personnel are among 23 more people testing positive for COVID-19 in Mizoram, officials said on Tuesday. The new infections have taken the northeastern state's caseload to 384, they said.
Twenty-two Assam Rifles personnel posted at Zokhawsanga near Aizawl and a civilian who had recently returned from Nepal have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Zoram Medical College on Monday night, a statement issued by the State Information and Public Relation Department said.
13:33 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Tripura LATEST Updates
Tripura's COVID-19 caseload reaches 4,067
Tripura's COVID-19 caseload breached the 4,000-mark on Tuesday after 147 more people tested positive for the infection, reports PTI. West Tripura district reported 40 fresh cases, Sepahijala 41, Gomati 22, Khowai 12, North Tripura 18, Dhalai nine, South Tripura district three and Unakoti two.
Of the total 4,067 COVID-19 patients in the state, 2,467 have recovered and 18 migrated to other states. The number of active cases in the state stands at 1,565 and fatalities at 17, they said.
13:20 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Arunachal Pradesh LATEST Updates
81 fresh COVID-19 cases in Arunachal Pradesh as count rises to 1,239
Eighty-one more people, including 14 BRTF and two Assam Rifles personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, taking the northeastern state's caseload to 1,239 on Tuesday, reports PTI.
13:00 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Tamil Nadu LATEST Updates
Two cops arrested in connection to Thoothukudi custodial deaths test positive
Two police constables, arrested in connection with the Thoothukudi custodial deaths, test positive for the coronavirus, ANI reports.
12:39 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi LATEST Updates
Plea against police fines for COVID-19 norms violation: HC seeks AAP govt's reply
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought response of the AAP government on a plea challenging a provision which empowers police officers of sub-inspector rank or above to impose fines on anyone violating COVID-19 regulations.
A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan issued notice to the Delhi government seeking its stand on the plea by a lawyer, who has contended that imposing of a fine amounts to handing down a punishment which can only be awarded by a judge, not a police officer.
The bench, however, declined to pass any interim orders for now staying operation of the regulation as was sought by counsel for petitioner – Sonia Rana.
12:28 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra LATEST Updates
Maharashtra records highest COVID-19 recoveries
Maharashtra reported 7,924 new COVID-19 cases on Monday to take the state's total cases to 3,83,723. However, the surge was more than offset by a record-high discharge of 8,706 patients, as the cumulative number of recoveries rose to 2,21,944.
With 227 more deaths, the COVID-19 toll in the state has reached 13,883.
12:11 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in India LATEST Updates
India readies five sites for final phase of human trials of Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine
Five sites across the country are ready for the third and final phase of human trials of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Department of Biotechnology (DBT) Secretary Renu Swarup said on Monday.
"This is an essential step because it is necessary to have data within the country before the vaccine is administered to Indians," Swarup told PTI.
The Serum Institute of India, the largest vaccine maker in the world, has been chosen by Oxford and its partner AstraZeneca to manufacture the vaccine once it is ready. Trials results for the first two phases were published earlier in July.
Read full article here...
  12:10 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Mizoram LATEST Updates
23 new COVID-19 cases in Mizoram
At least 23 fresh COVID-19 infections were reported in Mizoram on Monday, according to the Department of Information and Public Relations, Government of Mizoram.
11:39 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Odisha LATEST Updates
Odisha registers over 28,000 cases, 154 deaths
Odisha’s coronavirus caseload on Tuesday rises to 28,107 with 1,215 new cases, PTI reports. The state’s toll rises to 154 with seven more deaths
11:33 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Telangana LATEST Updates
Telangana reports over 1,600 new cases, 9 deaths
Telangana recorded 1,610 fresh COVID-19 cases and nine more deaths, pushing the tally of infections in the state to 57,142.
Out of the 1,610 new cases, 531 were from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) , followed by Ranga Reddy 172, Warangal Urban 152 and Medchal-Malkajgiri 113, a state government bulletin said on Tuesday, providing data as of 8 PM on July 27.
With nine more fatalities, the coronavirus toll mounted to 480.
11:15 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra LATEST Updates
Pune reports India's first documented vertical transmission of COVID-19
The Sassoon General Hospital in Maharashtra has claimed to have reported the country's first case of 'vertical transmission' of the coronavirus infection from a mother to her child through the placenta.
Vertical transmission takes place when the baby is in the uterus. If the mother is infected, the transmission of the virus takes place through the placenta- an organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy and provides oxygen and nutrients to your growing baby.
Read full report here
10:48 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in India LATEST Updates
Maharashtra, Tamil remain worst-affected
As per the latest date provided by the ministry on Tuesday, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state from the infection with 1,48,905 active cases and 13,656 deaths due to Covid-19. Tamil Nadu has a total of 53,703 active cases and 3,494 deaths. Delhi has a total of 11,904 active cases and 3,827 deaths.
10:11 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in India LATEST Updates
India's recovery rate rises to 64.23%
According to the Government on India, the recovery rate among COVID-19 patients has increased to 64.23 percent. The recoveries/deaths ratio is 96.6%:3.4% now.
09:48 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in India LATEST Updates
India registers over 47,000 new cases, 654 deaths in past 24 hours
India registers 47,703 new cases and 654 fresh fatalities in the last 24 hours. With this, the country’s tally is now 14,83,156 and toll stands at 33,425.
09:45 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in India LATEST Updates
Serum Institute conducting phase-III clinical trial of BCG vaccine: DBT
The Serum Institute of India is conducting phase III clinical trial of BCG vaccine candidate VPM1002 to evaluate its ability in reducing infection and severe disease outcomes of COVID-19 among high-risk persons of advanced age, comorbidities and high-exposure healthcare workers (HCWs), the Department of Biotechnology has said.
09:19 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates
WHO says COVID-19 pandemic 'continues to accelerate'
The World Health Organization said the coronavirus pandemic “continues to accelerate”, as the number of cases have doubled over the last six weeks. The global coronavirus count has now gone up to 1.64 crores while the toll has crossed 6.52 lakh, according to the Johns Hopkins University. More than 95.25 lakh people have recovered.
08:41 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in India LATEST Updates
More than 5 lakh COIVD-19 tests conducted everyday for past 2 days
More than 5 lakh COVID-19 tests conducted in a single day over two consecutive days. On 26 July, India tested a total of 5,15,000 samples and on 27 July, a total of 5,28,000 samples were tested, according to Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
08:16 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates
Moderna, Pfizer start decisive COVID-19 vaccine trials
Moderna Inc and Pfizer Inc launched two 30,000-subject trials of COVID-19 vaccines that could clear the way for regulatory approval and widespread use by the end of this year, the companies said on Monday.
The trials, both announced on Monday, are the first late-stage studies supported by the Trump administration's effort to speed development of measures against the novel coronavirus, adding to hope that an effective vaccine will help end the pandemic.
Moderna stock rose 9%. Pfizer shares rose 1.6% in afterhours trade and its partner BioNTech, which developed the vaccine, rose 4.2%.
08:05 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in US LATEST Updates
2,866 COVID-19 insurance claims, 48 deaths among federal workers
Nearly 3,000 federal workers have filed compensation claims for having contracted COVID-19 on the job, a number that is expected to double by early next month, according to a Department of Labor review, reports AP. Through mid-June, families of 48 federal workers had filed death claims with the Division of Federal Employees'' Compensation.
07:59 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra LATEST Updates
3,044 new cases reported in Pune in one day
Maharashtra’s Pune district reported 3,044 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking its count to 72,782 yesterday, a health department official said. The official said that the death toll rose to 1,737 with 38 more patients succumbing to the infection in the district.
07:49 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in Assam LATEST Updates
Assam reports 1,348 new cases, seven more deaths
Seven more COVID-19 patients died in Assam on Monday, taking the toll to 86, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The state also reported 1,348 new cases, following which the tally climbed to 33,567.
📌 Discharge Alert 1⃣3⃣6⃣2⃣ patients have been discharged today. Happy to see rising numbers of discharged cases. Salute to the medical team. 😊Total Discharged Patients: 25402 😑Active Patients: 8085 10:20 PM/July 27#AssamCovidCount pic.twitter.com/W3775ovrqu
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 27, 2020
07:46 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in J&K LATEST Updates
J&K admin to allow 'home quarantine' of asymptomatic patients with no comorbidities
The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday decided to allow home quarantine of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients with no comorbidities, provided they can have a separate room for themselves in the house and download the Aarogya Setu app, officials said.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam to review COVID-19 mitigation measures in Jammu and Kashmir.
07:39 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak in China LATEST Updates
China reports 68 new coronavirus cases, including 57 in Xinjiang
China reported 68 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for July 27, up from 61 cases a day earlier, the health commission said on Tuesday, reports Reuters.
Of the new infections, 57 were in the far western region of Xinjiang, six were in the northeastern province of Liaoning and one in Beijing, while the remaining four were imported cases, according to a statement by the National Health Commission. China reported 34 new asymptomatic patients, down from 44 a day earlier.
07:27 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates
Google to keep most of its employees at home until July 2021
Google has decided that most of its 200,000 employees and contractors should work from home through next June, a sobering assessment of the pandemic's potential staying power from the company providing the answers for the world's most trusted internet search engine.
The remote-work order issued Monday by Google CEO Sundar Pichai also affects other companies owned by Google's corporate parent, Alphabet Inc. It marks a six-month extension of Google's previous plan to keep most of its offices closed through the rest of this year.
Coronavirus LATEST Updates: The BMC on Tuesday said that a serological surveillance for COVID-19 infection was commissioned by NITI-Aayog, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
"In the first round, 6936 samples were collected from 3 wards in slum&non-slum areas. Systematically conducted study estimates around 57 percent sero-prevalence in slums and 16 percent sero-prevalence in non-slums, on an average, in the three wards that were studied," the statement said.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that no death due to coronavirus was reported in the National Capital's COVID-19 dedicated hospital, LNJP, on Monday.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced the extension of partial lockdown in state till 31 August.
"We are extending the partial lockdown in the state, which was in force till 31 July, till 31 August," she said. However, the state government made an exception for 1 August, on the occasion of Bakri Eid.
The Union health ministry on Tuesday said that Itolizumab, which was approved for emergency use by the Drug Controller General of India, "has not been included in the national treatment protocol," The Indian Express reported.
"According to a statement issued by the Health Ministry, the National Task Force on Covid-19 contended there was “very little evidence in favour of this medicine," the report said.
India has reported more than 30,000 recoveries per day for the fourth consecutive day today, as per data from the Union Health Ministry, while the fatality rate is 2.25 percent.
Twenty-two Assam Rifles personnel are among 23 more people testing positive for COVID-19 in Mizoram, reports PTI. The fresh infections have taken the northeastern state's caseload to 384.
Maharashtra reported 7,924 new COVID-19 cases on Monday to take the state's total cases to 3,83,723. However, the number of recoveries were higher with 8,706 patients being discharged. The cumulative number of recoveries rose to 2,21,944.
According to the Government on India, the recovery rate among COVID-19 patients has increased to 64.23 percent. The recoveries/deaths ratio is 96.6%:3.4% now.
India registers 47,703 new cases and 654 fresh fatalities in the last 24 hours. With this, the country’s tally is now 14,83,156 and toll stands at 33,425.
Moderna Inc and Pfizer Inc launched two 30,000-subject trials of COVID-19 vaccines that could clear the way for regulatory approval and widespread use by the end of this year.
India registered a single-day jump of 49,931 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, taking the overall caseload to 14,35,453. The toll rose to 32,771 with 708 fatalities being recorded in 24 hours, the Union health ministry's 8 am update showed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched three testing facilities in Noida, Mumbai and Kolkata through video conferencing and asserted that India is in a much better position than other countries in the fight against COVID-19 as a result of "right decisions taken at the right time".
Meanwhile, a human clinical trial of the indigenously developed Covaxin, a potential vaccine against the novel coronavirus, began at the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) and SUM Hospital in Odisha's Bhubaneshwar.
Amid rising numbers in many states across the country, the Chhattisgarh government decided to extend lockdown in COVID-19 hotspots in the state till 6 August. Nagaland— where Kohima and Dimapur districts are already under lockdown —imposed restrictions on Mon district, which has the third-highest number of active cases in the state.
India reports over 45,000 cases for fifth consecutive day
India reported over 45,000 new cases for the fifth consecutive day, propelling the total coronavirus cases in the country past 14 lakh, while the toll increased to 32,771, according to the Union health ministry's data.
The recoveries also increased by 31,991  to 9,17,567, pushing the recovery rate to nearly 64 percent, said the health ministry.
Separately, the ministry said that the case fatality rate has been progressively falling and currently stands at 2.28 percent which is among the lowest in the world. The focused efforts of the Centre, state governments and Union Territory administrations on early detection and isolation through aggressive testing and efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases have shown results with continuously falling case fatality rate and improving recovery rate, it said in a statement.
As a result of low mortality and more people recovering, the recovered cases exceed the active cases (4,85,114) by 4,32,453 as on Monday, it stated.
Narendra Modi launches three testing centres
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also remarked on the steadily improving recovery rate, adding that India has reported lesser fatalities than many big countries.
Speaking after the virtual launch of three "high throughput" testing facilities in Noida, Mumbai and Kolkata, Modi said that in the fight against coronavirus, India has come to a point where it does not lack in awareness, its scientific data is expanding and resources are also increasing. Reeling off the progress in the country's health infrastructure, Modi said that the country now has more than 11,000 COVID facilities and more than 11 lakh isolation beds.
"While the country had only one COVID testing centre in January this year, there are almost 1,300 such labs now," he said. At present, more than five lakh tests are being conducted in the country daily, and efforts are underway to increase this capacity to 10 lakh in the coming weeks, he said.
He also spoke about the country's progress in manufacturing equipment such as PPE kits, N95 mask, ventilators and oxygen cylinders, observing that this has not only helped save lives but has also converted India from an importer to an exporter.
He said that the new hi-tech testing facilities will give will boost the testing capacity by almost 10,000 daily tests in each of the three cities and will help West Bengal, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh in the fight against COVID-19.  These labs will not be limited to testing for COVID, but in future they will also be able to test for Hepatitis B and C, HIV, Dengue and several other diseases, Modi noted.
Covaxin human trials start in Odisha
Meanwhile in Odisha, human trial of BBV152 COVID-19 vaccine or Covaxin commenced at the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) and SUM Hospital in Bhubaneshwar —one of the 12 centres selected by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for conducting phase one and two of the process.
Covaxin, which is being developed by Bharat Biotech, was administered to volunteers who were selected through a rigorous screening procedure, E Venkat Rao, principal investigator of the trial process, told PTI.  Those who were administered the vaccine have been kept under observation and all of them are "absolutely fine", he said.  The selected volunteers will be given two doses within a fortnight, Rao said.
Covaxin is the first indigenous vaccine developed by India against COVID-19 and is derived from a strain of SARS-CoV-2 isolated by ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune.
State-wise updates
Through the day, several states and Union Territories continued adding new infections to their overall case counts.
The COVID-19 tally in Maharashtra increased to 3,83,723 on Monday with addition of 7,924 new cases while the toll mounted by 227, including 39 fatalities in Mumbai region, to 13,883, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands reported its first COVID-19 death as a 49-year-old government employee who also had comorbid conditions, lost his life on Monday, officials told PTI. The Union Territory also detected 34 new cases of COVID-19, taking the total to 324.
Goa saw a record single-day spike of 258, pushing the COVID-19 infection count to 5,119. With 133 people getting discharged during the day, the state now has 1,673 active cases, while 36 have succumbed to the infection.
Uttar Pradesh reported its biggest single-day jump of 3,505 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total to 70,493, while 30 more fatalities pushed the death count to 1,456. There are 26,204 active cases in the state as a total of 42,833 patients have been discharged after treatment,  Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said.
The national capital recorded 613 fresh coronavirus cases on Monday, the lowest in the last two months. With 26 more fatalities, the toll climbed to 3,853 while the coronavirus count in Delhi reached 1,31,219.  Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the the situation has improved significantly due to hard work and prudence of Delhi people. He also claimed that the Delhi model was being widely discussed and appreciated across the country and the world.
However, the decline in fresh cases also coincided with lesser number of tests.  According to Monday's health bulletin, which details information about the fresh cases registered in the last 24 hours, 11,506 tests (7,685-PCR, CBNAAT and True NAAT tests figures; 3,821 - Rapid Antigen), the second lowest in July.
In the south,  Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka crossed the grim milestone of one lakh COVID-19 cases while Tamil Nadu logged nearly 7,000 fresh infections for the third straight day, taking its case count to 2,20,716.  Chennai accounted for 95,857 of the state's cases.
Telangana saw the total infection count breach the 55,000 mark while the cumulative cases rose to 2,872 in the Union Territory of Puducherry.
Kerala recorded 702 fresh cases, taking the total cases to 19,727. The state government however ruled out a complete lockdown, stating that it was not a solution to halt the spread of coronavirus.  The common opinion during a Cabinet meeting was to strengthen the restrictions in clusters to check local transmission, said chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, adding that Police will intervene and take strict action in case of violations. However, as a 'serious' situation continued in Thiruvananthapuram district the existing lockdown would remain in place there, he said.
Chhattisgarh extends lockdown in hostpots till 6 August
Many areas across the country have been punt under lockdown restrictions of varying degrees and durations.  In Meghalaya's capital Shillong, a 72-hour-long shutdown kicked in on Monday. The lockdown in Shillong agglomeration — localities within the Shillong municipality and scheduled areas— was announced after 56 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the last two days.
"The lockdown reimposed in the entire Shillong city agglomeration will continue till Wednesday midnight," the district's Deputy Commissioner Matsiewdor W Nongbri said. During this period, health workers will be working extra time to track all primary and secondary contacts of positive patients, and conduct random tests to break the chain of infection, she said.
Total lockdown has been extended to Nagaland's Mon district and will remqain in force till 2 August, said a notification. The lockdown protocol will be followed and all shops, business establishments, offices, schools will be closed except pharmacies and there will be total ban on movement of people barring medical emergencies, it said. However, trucks from Assam carrying essential commodities were permitted entry into the district only for Monday so that the general people can get them during the lockdown, officials said.
Mon currently has 132 cases out of the total 1384 confirmed cases in Nagaland. It also has 124 active cases, the third-highest number in the state, it said. State capital Kohima and commercial capital Dimapur are the other two places where total lockdown has been clamped.
The Chhattisgarh government decided to extend the ongoing lockdown in coronavirus- hit areas, including capital Raipur, Bilaspur and Durg, till 6August to check the spread of the infection. Briefing the media after a Cabinet meeting, Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey said, that instructions have been given to district collectors to ensure strict compliance with lockdown rules in coronavirus hotspots and take effective steps to check the spread of the infection.
Chhattisgarh, where the infection has spread in all the 28 districts, has reported 7,613 COVID-19 cases till Sunday night. The state has recorded over 5,000 cases in just the last one month. With 2,187 cases so far, Raipur district tops the case count in the state.
With inputs from PTI
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We MPs Were Given 2 Days To Fly Home. What About Migrants?
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Earlier this week, all of us woke up to a nightmare - to the horrific news of 17, at last count, migrant workers being run over by a goods train in Aurangabad. They were walking home, hundreds of miles, from Maharashtra to their villages in Madhya Pradesh. Exhausted, they had dropped to sleep on the tracks and hadn't heard the train coming.This tragic episode was the culmination of weeks of apathy shown by the centre towards stranded migrant workers. The heart-wrenching visuals of migrant workers and their families walking down highways, with hunger in their eyes and blisters on their feet, were enough to shake any conscience. The central government, however, offered only a blind eye.Between the time parliament was adjourned and the restrictions began, MPs were given two days to board flights and return to their home states. But for the rest, a 21-day lockdown was announced with just four hours' notice. Whodunit? Somebody must be answerable. The sudden firman led to panic for millions, and a mad scramble to find any means to get home. Jobs dried up overnight, leaving workers destitute. With no respite in sight, the only request such workers had was to be allowed to go home.But for weeks, such pleas fell on deaf ears. The centre was so far removed from ground reality that on March 31, the Solicitor General told the Supreme Court there were no migrants on the streets and highways. This at a time when reports and pictures were flooding in from across the country - of thousands of migrants trudging desperately.  For the Trinamool Congress, it has really hurt. We have been flagging the issue of migrant workers - or guest workers, as we prefer to call them - virtually from Day One when the lockdown began. Our party has done many digital press conferences in the past few weeks, both at the national and state levels,  on a variety of subjects including the plight of migrant workers. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was the first to write to 18 other Chief Ministers requesting that migrant workers from Bengal be looked after in their states. She assured them that guest workers from other states in Bengal would be taken care of adequately.The Trinamool government in Bengal started the Sneher Porosh scheme to provide financial assistance of Rs 1,000 each to around 100,000 guest workers stranded in other states. Two trains carrying Bengal's guest workers back reached the state a few days ago. Over the next few days, many more are boarding trains from different states to return home. In total, approximately 80,000 people have been brought back to Bengal. As Mamata Banerjee has assured some weeks ago, she will personally oversee welcoming back our heroes.The centre has arranged chartered flights to bring back Indians stranded in other countries. This must be appreciated, but when it comes to millions from the poorest and weakest sections of society, the BJP government has no solution and no heart. After being called out for its callous attitude by opposition parties and by civil society at large, the central government finally decided to start trains to send migrant workers home. Not one to give up on a gimmick, the trains started on May 1, Labour Day. Do note this was five weeks after the lockdown was initiated.Alive with hope, the eyes of migrant workers turned to despair at the railway stations. They realised they had to pay for their train tickets. Besides the full sleeper class fare, an additional charge of Rs 50 per passenger was levied. Train tickets averaged between Rs 700-800, plus there was the bus fare to reach train stations. Workers also had to get a medical certificate, clearing them to travel. Each migrant worker had to spend about Rs 1,200. And a majority of them had not earned a rupee for weeks.The central  government has tried to spin it by saying it is paying 85 per cent of the cost of the ticket. What does this mean? The Railways always offer a notional subsidy - 45 per cent - on a passenger ticket. This is cross-subsidised by freight traffic. That notional subsidy has gone up to 85 per cent for the migrant workers' tickets due to social distancing and limited passengers per compartment. But there is no concession on the actual ticket price. Instead, the centre  has tried to shift the burden and the actual collection of fare to state governments. On May 2, the Ministry of Railways issued a letter that clearly said: "The local state government authority shall hand over the tickets to the passengers cleared by them and collect the ticket fare and hand over the total amount to Railways."Indian Railways is a public sector undertaking. It has both an economic mandate and a social responsibility. During the 2015 Nepal earthquake, it arranged special trains for evacuees and gave them free travel facilities. What happened this time? The PM CARES fund was set up on March 28, apparently dedicated to the Covid-19 pandemic. (Conveniently, it has been kept out of the ambit of the Comptroller and Auditor General, but let's discuss that another day.) What has been done with the funds collected under PM CARES? Why could some of this money not be used to support train journeys of migrant workers?The Prime Minister has repeatedly said COVID-19 is a national effort and this is no time for politics. Trinamool and Mamata Banerjee entirely agree and have participated in the challenge to overcome the pandemic by delinking it from partisan politics. We are all equal stakeholders and we have to work together. These are noble thoughts, but frankly the BJP has let us down. The central government has shown this propensity of taking credit every time something good happens, and blaming the states for any mishap or failure. The migrant workers' issue is only one such. Please Mr Prime Minister, can you show more leadership? Or are you only a Prime Time Minister!P.S. As I send this piece to press, I am picking up news that the Home Minister has surfaced after 45 days. What's the first thing he does in the middle of a national health emergency? Leaks a letter written by him (riddled with lies) attacking his favourite foe: Bengal. That will be the subject of my next column.(Derek O'Brien, MP, leads the Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha)Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. Read the full article
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