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COVID-19: All schools in Delhi to remain closed till October 5

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New Delhi (NVI): All schools in the national capital will continue to remain closed till October 5 in view of the rising number of the cases, the Delhi government today announced.

“All government and private schools will remain closed for all students till October 5. However, online teaching and learning activities will continue as usual,” an official order issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE) said. School principals are authorised to call “staff as per requirement for smooth conduct of online classes or any other work”, it said.

Previously, the government had said it would allow senior students to come to schools if they need any guidance from their teachers. But now the government has made it clear that there will be no partial reopening of the schools — not for any student.

Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as part of measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

However, from September 21, schools in a few states are resuming as Centre has given a go-ahead in its Unlock 4 guidelines.

The national capital on Thursday recorded 4,432 new cases of the coronavirus disease.

-CHK

9.1 mn passengers have flown since domestic flights resumed in May: Puri

Philippines
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New Delhi (NVI): A total of 9.1 million passengers have flown since the domestic flights recommenced in May with 1.16 lakh passengers flying today, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said.

He said that the domestic aviation sector is nearly witnessing pre-coronavirus figures return with increase in the number of bookings.

“Domestic civil aviation operations continue smoothly. With 1,16,398 passengers on 17th Sept 2020, we are slowly flying towards the Pre-COVID figures. More than 9.1 million passengers have now flown since operations recommenced on 25 May 2020,” said Puri.

Ministry of Civil Aviation said a total of 2,759 flight movements took place across the country on 17 September and that over 2.33 lakh footfalls were recorded at airports across the country on 17 September.

1,376 flight arrivals took place across the country on 17 September, the ministry said.

Furthermore, Airports Authority of India (AAI) said on Twitter that a total of 31,861 passengers flew across the country from northern India on 17 September, making it “one of the progressive days” for AAI’s northern region airports since the resumption of domestic flights on May 25.

The government had earlier this month allowed airlines to sell seats up to 60 per cent of their seat capacity on domestic flights.

The aviation sector has been significantly impacted due to the travel restrictions imposed in India and other countries in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

All airlines in India have taken cost-cutting measures such as pay cuts, leave without pay or firings of employees in order to conserve cash.

-CHK

Centre rushes team to Jammu to assist in containing Covid-19

India reports less than 50,000 daily Covid cases for 8th day
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New Delhi (NVI): The Centre has decided to send a high-level team from National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to Jammu to help contain Covid-19, as the district has reported a surge in new coronavirus cases in the past few days, Union Health Ministry said today.

The team of experts comprises of S K Singh, Director, NCDC and Vijay Hadda, professor of pulmonary critical care at AIIMS-Delhi as its other member.

This comes after a special team led by Dr V K Paul, member (health), NITI Aayog visited Srinagar recently. The team had reviewed the status of preparedness for COVID-19 management with the district collectors of the valley.

The current central team will interact with the district collectors and health officers of Jammu and also visit hospitals in Bakshinagar and Gandhinagar.

“The team will support the state efforts towards strengthening containment, surveillance, testing and efficient clinical management of the positive cases,” the Ministry of Health in a statement said.

The team will also guide in effectively managing the challenges related to timely diagnosis and follow up, it added.

Meanwhile, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Jammu stands at 9,428. Of these, 3196 have recovered. COVID-19 deaths are reported to be 117, the ministry said.

There are 6,115 Active Cases in the district and the total cases one week ago were 6,878, it added.

According to the ministry figures, Jammu has been reporting doubling time of 15.4 days, while the recovery rate of 33.9 per cent and case fatality rate (CFR) stands at 1.24 per cent

The ministry informed that an ongoing effort to strengthen efforts of various state/UT governments for COVID-19 management, the central government has been deputing teams from time to time to visit.

“These teams interact with the state or Union Territory authorities and get a first hand understanding of the challenges and issues being faced by them so as to strengthen their ongoing activities and remove bottlenecks if any,” it added.

-RJV/ARK

First International Equal Pay Day 2020 calls to end gender pay gap

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New Delhi (NVI): Under an initiative of the United Nations, today the world is observing its first-ever International Equal Pay Day, with an aim to highlight the importance of ending sexual discrimination in relation to gender pay gap which refers to the difference in earnings between men and women in paid employment.

On November 15, 2019, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming September 18 as International Equal Pay Day.

The resolution was introduced by the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC), with the support of Canada, Australia, Germany, Panama, New Zealand, South Africa and Switzerland.

EPIC is led by the International Labour Organization, UN Women and partners. Its goal is to achieve equal pay for women.

The day is intended to promote further action towards the achievement of equal pay for work of equal value.

It is estimated that the gender pay gap is 23 per cent globally. According to Statistics Canada, on average, full-time working women in Canada earn 32 per cent less than men. This gap is wider for Indigenous women (35%), women with a disability (46%), and racialized women (33%). This gender pay gap is a major contributor to women’s poverty.

Women are paid less than men across the world. In India, women earn 19 per cent less than men, according to a survey conducted by Monster Salary Index.

It is imperative that we reflect upon this figure as it exposes the injustice meted out to nearly half of the Indian population.

Equal pay for equal work is a human right to which all women are entitled. As a society, it should be ensured that nobody is left behind due to discrimination.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a gendered impact. Women disproportionally represent those in low-wage jobs and consequently are most at risk. This again displays the need for pay equity.

To recognize the first International Equal Pay Day, the Equal Pay International Coalition is hosting a virtual global Call to Action — Building back a better future of work by ensuring pay equity. The Call to Action is encouraging all labour market actors to take the necessary steps to ensure that equal pay is at the heart of recovery efforts worldwide.

-CHK

PM Modi inaugurates Kosi Rail Mega Bridge in Bihar

(Pic Via Twitter)

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Ministers Narendra Modi today dedicated ‘Kosi Rail Mahasetu’ to the nation along with a dozen of other rail projects worth Rs 3,000 crore in Bihar, aimed at electrification of railways, promoting Make in India in this sector as well as providing employment in the same.

“Today, new history has been created in the field of rail connectivity in Bihar. The dozen of projects worth Rs 3000 crores including the Kosi Mahasetu and Kiul Bridge launched today will strengthen the rail network in the State,” PM Modi said in his virtual address while inaugurating the projects.

A new railway bridge on the Kiul River, two new railway lines, five electrification projects, one electric locomotive shed at Barauni and a third line project between Barh-Bakhtiyarpur are some of the other projects inaugurated by PM through video conferencing today.

He said that around 4 years ago, two Mahasetu connecting North and South Bihar were started, one in Patna and the other in Munger. “The commissioning of these two rail bridges, makes conveyance easier and comfortable for people between North & South Bihar,” PM said.

Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal was also present at the event. He said that Kosi Rail Mega Bridge will not only connect two places but also help the state’s economy grow. “This will aid in the overall development of the state,” he said.

On the occasion, PM Modi said: “In Bihar today, most powerful electric engines of 12,000 horsepower are being made. Another big achievement for Bihar is that at present, more than 90 per cent of railway network is electrified. In the last six years, electrification of more that 3000 km of railway track has been done.”

The historical project to build the bridge, which is 1.9 kilometres long and has been constructed at a cost of Rs 516 crore, was sanctioned by the Centre in 2003-04. The bridge also has strategic importance along the India-Nepal border.

-ARK

Google removes Paytm app from Play Store

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New Delhi (NVI): Google removed digital payments major Paytm app from its Play Store today for allegedly violating its gambling policies.

The search giant hasn’t specifically revealed the reason behind taking down the Paytm app, which has over 50 millions of active users in India. But in a blog posted today the Google cites policy on gambling.

According to the reports, in a blog post, Suzanne Frey, Vice President, Product, Android Security and Privacy said that Google does not allow online casinos or support any unregulated gambling apps that facilitate sports betting.

“We don’t allow online casinos or support any unregulated gambling apps that facilitate sports betting. This includes if an app leads consumers to an external website that allows them to participate in paid tournaments to win real money or cash prizes, it is a violation of our policies,” Frey said in a statement.

Frey further said when an app violates these policies, the developer is notified and the app removed from Google Play “until the developer brings the app into compliance”. These policies protect users from potential harm.

“We actively engage with our developer community for feedback while we define and refine our policies. Together, we will continue to create a safe and secure mobile app ecosystem for everyone,” added the statement.

Acknowledging the issue, the company took to Twitter and wrote, “Paytm Android app is temporarily unavailable on Google’s Play Store for new downloads or updates. It will be back very soon.”

“All your money is completely safe, and you can continue to enjoy your Paytm app as normal,” it added.

Paytm’s main app has been taken down, however, other apps like Paytm for Business, Paytm Money, Paytm Mall and a few more are still present for Google Play.

This is the first time Google has removed the digital payments behemoth Paytm from the Play store. Meanwhile, the Paytm app for iOS is still available for download through Apple App Store.

-RJV

6.6 million white-collar jobs lost during May-August: CMIE

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New Delhi (NVI): Around 6.6 million white-collar professionals, including engineers, physicians and teachers lost their jobs between May and August during the coronavirus lockdown, washing away all employment gains made since 2016, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).

The white-collar jobs employed in the country fell sharply to 12.2 million during May-August 2020, from a peak of 18.8 million during the same period last year.

According to CMIE, this is the lowest level of employment of these professionals since 2016 and all the gains made in their jobs over the past four years were washed away during the lockdown.

These white-collar salaried employees, including engineers, physicians, teachers, accountants, and analysts, were hardest hit due to large scale job losses during the lockdown months.

However, the lockdown did not impact white-collar clerical employees such as desk-work employees ranging from secretaries and office clerks to BPO/KPO workers, and data-entry operators, the CMIE report said.

Interestingly, the lockdown did not impact white collar clerical employees. These include largely, desk-work employees ranging from secretaries and office clerks to BPO/KPO workers, data-entry operators and the types.

Possibly, their work shifted to the Work-from-Home mode, says the report. This category of workers has not been seeing any growth since 2016. In fact, it has slid quite sharply since 2018 from about 15 million to less than 12 million by 2020. Interestingly, it did not slide any further during the lockdown.

Furthermore, the lockdown has hit the industrial workers’ job on a large scale too. “By a similar year-on-year comparison, nearly 5 million industrial workers lost their jobs. This reflects a 26 per cent fall in employment among industrial workers over a year,” as per the CMIE report.

The month of April saw a humungous job loss of 121 million. Also, the decline in employment of industrial workers is likely to be largely in the smaller industrial units, reflecting the distress in the medium, small and micro industrial units in recent times.

However, the relaxation of lockdown has brought some hope that the economy and business condition may improve.

-RJV/ARK

Vistara becomes first Indian airline to introduce WiFi on-board

New Delhi (NVI): In a first for Indian carriers, Vistara will offer in-flight Wi-Fi internet connectivity onboard international flights operated on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from today.

The service will initially be available on flight between Delhi and London Heathrow.

As part of Vistara’s introductory offer the service will be available free of cost to all flyers for a limited period.

Furthermore, Vistara is also planning to introduce the in-flight Wi-Fi internet service on its Airbus A321neo aircraft as well.

The wireless connectivity system by Panasonic Avionics on Vistara’s Dreamliner allows passengers to access the internet on all Wi-Fi enabled mobile phones, tablets, and laptops.

Passengers can now stay seamlessly connected at 35,000 feet above the ground, send an email, access information, use social media, and more.

During the limited period of the free offering, Vistara will gather information on system functionality and feedback on the overall customer experience to further fine-tune the service. The airline will announce the tariff plans for the service in due course.

In addition to this, Vistara has the In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) system. Through this, flyers can also access a rich multimedia library of nearly 700 hours of wide-ranging engaging content that includes movies, TV shows, and audio compilations of various genres as well as games.

“We are delighted to offer on-board WiFi internet connectivity which takes our on-board travel experience to truly global standards. We are also glad to be the first Indian carrier to be able to offer this service to our customers. We truly hope our customers enjoy this new addition as we continuously strive to surpass their expectations,” Vistara’s Chief Commercial Officer Vinod Kannan said.

Vistara has a fleet of 43 aircraft, including 34 Airbus A320, one Airbus A321neo, six Boeing 737-800NG, and two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

-CHK

Rajya Sabha passes Homeopathy Central Council Amendment Bill

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New Delhi (NVI): The Rajya Sabha today passed the Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020, after a long discussion.

The Bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha on September 14, which is now an Act, amends the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973.

The Act sets up the Central Council of Homoeopathy which regulates education and practice of Indian medicine system, including ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy. However, the Bill replaced the Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 which was promulgated on April 24 this year.

Speaking on discussion of the Bill, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in the Upper House that the Centre is committed to ensuring that all kinds of medicines are available to the citizens.

“The government is committed to ensure that all kinds of medicines are available to the citizens. We also have the National Digital Mission and new medical institutes are opening under which there are blocks dealing with Indian medicines,” he said.

Vardhan also said that Yoga and Naturopathy need a separate national medical commission, adding that, the National Medical Commission for modern medicine will be functional soon. He said Yoga and Naturopathy will be promoted in due course as these are the ancient medicine systems and have the scientific basis.

Apart from this, the Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020 has also been passed in the Rajya Sabha.

 

Putin dials PM Modi on his B’day

Russia
(File)

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a telephone call from Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday as the latter conveyed his greetings to PM on his 70th birthday. The two leaders also reiterated their strong commitment to further strengthen the ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’ between India and Russia.

Prime Minister Modi expressed his warm appreciation for the gesture. During the conversation, both the leaders expressed appreciation for the continued momentum in bilateral interactions despite the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, they referred to the recent productive visits to Moscow by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

PM Modi thanked President Putin for the successful Russian Chairmanship of the SCO and BRICS this year. He conveyed his eagerness to participate in the forthcoming SCO and BRICS Summit later this year, as well as the Council of SCO Heads of Government to be hosted by India, the PMO said.

Modi also thanked Putin for his personal commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with India, and said that he looked forward to welcoming President Putin in India for the next bilateral summit at a mutually convenient date.

This is the second time that the two leaders have spoken since July, in this year. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and EAM S Jaishankar attended the SCO summit in Moscow recently where they also met their Chinese counterparts to resolve the tense border situation along LAC.

-ARK

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