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Delhi clears proposal for doorstep delivery of ration

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi (NVI): The Delhi government today cleared a proposal to allow doorstep delivery of ration in the national capital.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who made the announcement during an online media briefing, said the scheme will be known as “Mukhya Mantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojana” and will be implemented within six to seven months.

“The scheme has been accorded approval by the Cabinet this morning,” the chief minister added.

Kejriwal further added, “Under the scheme, wheat, flour, rice and sugar packed hygienically in bags will be delivered to the doorstep of people. Implementing it will take six to seven months as it involves tendering, appointing consultants and other formalities. Taking ration from a PDS shop will be optional.”

The Delhi CM called the decision a “revolutionary” one.

With the implementation of the doorstep delivery of ration scheme, the Centre’s “One Nation One Ration Card’’ scheme will also come into effect in Delhi.

-CHK

Amarnath Yatra: As Covid threat looms large, Shrine Board to take final call today

Amarnath Yatra
File pic of Amarnath Yatra

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): A crucial meeting of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) is scheduled to be held late this afternoon to take a final call whether to allow the annual pilgrimage this year or to cancel it in the wake of huge a spike in the Covid-19 cases along with deaths.

As per earlier reports, the tentative date for commencement of annual pilgrimage was July 22 and only 500 pilgrims were supposed to travel to the cave shrine of Lord Shiva located at the high altitude in the Himalayan mountain range.

Sources told NVI that given the spurt in pandemic related cases followed by deaths, the SASB headed by Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu, has decided to deliberate one last time at 3 PM today, along with the officials of SASB, on whether to allow the pilgrimage amid pandemic or to call it off this year.

“A meeting is scheduled to be held at 3 pm at Rajbhavan, where it will be decided whether to allow the Yatra this year,” a senior official of the SASB told NVI, requesting anonymity.

Religious scholars and civil society activists had criticized the government’s earlier decision where it was stated that the pilgrimage will commence from July 22 amid Covid-19 pandemic. Many doctors too had urged the government to cancel the yatra as it would pose huge risk to the pilgrims as well as locals, including ponywallas who facilitate the pilgrimage. Besides, a huge number of security forces are involved in the pilgrimage every year to ensure smooth and incident-free pilgrimage.

Special Director General of CRPF, Zulfikar Hassan, said that they have kept the forces in ready mode to guard the twin tracks of pilgrimage—Baltal in Sonmarg, in Ganderbal district of Central Kashmir and Chandanwari area of Pahalgam area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district. “All measures have been taken and we are waiting for the final call from the government,” Hassan said.

However, in the wake of spurt in the cases related to Covid-19 despite lockdown in major towns and the summer capital of Srinagar, the SASB has decided to deliberate on the issue yet again, for the last time, to take a final call. “The final announcement whether the Yatra would commence from tomorrow will be taken this evening,” an official said. “The final announcement will be made at 6 pm today.”

It is pertinent to mention here that at least 15,000 positive cases and 260 deaths have been reported in J&K so far, majority of whom have been witnessed from the Kashmir region.

-ARK

Pakistan gives final warning to TikTok over ‘obscene’, ‘immoral’ content

New Delhi (NVI): Pakistan has issued a final warning to Chinese app TikTok over its “obscene, “immoral” and “vulgar” content on social media platforms while issuing a notice to the China-based video-sharing social networking service owned by ByteDance.

The warning came after Pakistan blocked Live streaming app Bigo on “complaints of immoral, obscene and vulgar content.”

Bigo Live is a live streaming platform where users are able to share live moments with followers. It is owned by a Singapore-based company called BIGO Technology, which was founded in 2014.

“On complaints of immoral, obscene and vulgar content, streaming app Bigo has been blocked in Pakistan. TikTok has also been served with final warning on same grounds,” Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said in a tweet.

In a press release, PTA said: “Number of complaints had been received from different segments of the society against immoral, obscene & vulgar content on social media applications particularly Tik Tok and Bigo, & their extremely negative effects on the society in general & youth in particular.”

“PTA has issued necessary notices to the aforementioned social media companies under law to moderate the socialization and content within legal and moral limits, in accordance with the laws of the country. However, the response of these companies has not been satisfactory,” the Authority said in its statement.

“Therefore, in exercise of its powers under PECA, PTA has decided to immediately block Bigo and issue final warning to Tik Tok to put in place a comprehensive mechanism to control obscenity, vulgarity and immorality through its social media application,” the PTA in its statement said,” read the PTA statement.

Pakistan’s action on these two apps comes days after it temporarily banned online game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG).

In an earlier statement, PTA had said it had received several complaints about the game being “addictive”, a waste of time and its potential negative impact on children’s physical and psychological health. Multiple petitions have been filed against the ban, reports the Dawn.

Interestingly, India banned 59 Chinese mobile apps last month including TikTok, Shareit, UC Browser, WeChat, saying that these are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity, defence, security and public order of India.

The development came in the backdrop of India and China border row which escalated after the violent clashes in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley in which 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives.

-ARK

Veteran Odia actor Bijay Mohanty passes away in Bhubaneswar

Bijay Mohanty

Subrat Kumar Sarangi

Bhubaneswar (NVI): Veteran Odia actor Bijay Mohanty passed away last night following prolonged illness in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The 70-year-old actor was suffering from heart disease & underwent treatment at Hyderabad from where he was brought back to Bhubaneswar last month in a special ambulance.

Bijay Mohanty was very well known for his natural performances in Odia cine industry and had performed in more than 180 movies.

Mohanty was born in 1950 and started his acting career during school days and passed out from National School of Drama.

After making his debut in 1977 he worked in more than 180 movies. He had also joined National Congress and contested for Lok Sabha seat from Bhubaneswar.

After his demise, condolences started pouring in from several political parties and industry fraternity especially from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi.

-CHK

PM Modi to address ‘India Ideas Summit’ tomorrow

PM expresses happiness over rise in India's leopard population
Prime Minister Narendra Modi (File photo)

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver the keynote address at the ‘India Ideas Summit’ tomorrow on the 45th anniversary of the US-India Business Council which is hosting the event this year.

The Summit will focus on India-US cooperation and their relationship in a post-pandemic world. The theme for this year’s India Ideas Summit is ‘Building a Better Future’, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

The virtual Summit will feature high-level presence from Indian and US government policymakers, state-level officials, and thought leaders from business and society, it added.

Other key speakers at the Summit include Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Senator of Virginia and co-chair of Senate India Caucus Mark Warner, Former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, among others.

Last year, India US Ideas Summit was organized at the US Chamber of Commerce at Washington DC on June 12 and Mike Pompeo (US Secretary of State) addressed the 44th summit.

-RJV/ARK

Bahamas bans US tourists in an effort to contain Covid-19 spread

New Delhi (NVI): The Government of Bahamas banned travelers from the United States and other countries where coronavirus cases are rising, in an effort to contain further spread of the virus.

All international commercial flights are banned from entering the Bahamas, effective from July 22, according to media reports.

In addition to this, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis while addressing a media briefing said that, the only exemptions are visitors from the United Kingdom, European Union and Canada who have been tested negative.

Minnis further said, “Our current situation demands firm action if we are to avoid being defeated by this virus.”

So far, Bahamas has a total of 153 confirmed coronavirus cases out of which 49 have been identified since the Bahamas reopened its borders on July 1.

The national airline Bahamasair have halted flights to the US with immediate effect and a number of beaches and parks have been closed until further notice.

However, private international flights, charters and yachts from all countries will be allowed.

Bahamas, which is mostly dependent on tourism, reopened its borders earlier this month amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Bahamas’ move to ban most international travelers, especially Americans, is significant as 50 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) of USD 5.7 billion comes from tourism alone, with the majority of the 5.5 million tourists who visit the Bahamas each year coming from the US.

But with the US beating its own daily record of new coronavirus cases at least nine times in a month, Minnis stated that the Bahamas needed to focus on saving lives and limiting spread of the virus.

“The better we are at this, the more our economy could open up and people could make a living,” he said.

-RJV

State-wise details of Covid-19 cases in India

New Delhi (NVI): India registered a spike of 37,148 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 11,55,191, according to Union Health Ministry data.

Meanwhile, the death toll has climbed to 28,084 with 587 new fatalities being recorded since yesterday.

In worst-affected Maharashtra, the COVID-19 cases increased to 3,18,695, followed by Tamil Nadu with 1,75,678 cases and Delhi with 1,23,747 cases.

Total positive cases in States/UTs:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands- 207

Andhra Pradesh- 53,724

Arunachal Pradesh- 790

Assam- 25,382

Bihar- 27,646

Chandigarh- 737

Chhattisgarh- 5,561

Dadar Nagar Haveli & Diu – 297

Delhi- 1,23,747

Gujarat- 49,353

Goa- 3,853

Haryana– 26,858

Himachal Pradesh- 1,631

Jammu and Kashmir- 14,650

Jharkhand- 5,756

Karnataka- 67,420

Kerala- 13,274

Ladakh- 1,195

Madhya Pradesh- 23,310

Maharashtra- 3,18,695

Manipur- 1,925

Meghalaya- 466

Mizoram- 297

Nagaland- 1,021

Odisha- 18,110

Puducherry- 2,092

Punjab- 10,510

Rajasthan- 30,390

Sikkim- 305

Tamil Nadu- 1,75,678

Telangana- 46,274

Tripura- 3,079

Uttarakhand- 4,642

Uttar Pradesh- 51,160

West Bengal – 44,769

State/UT wise total death toll:

Andhra Pradesh- 696

Arunachal Pradesh- 3

Assam- 58

Bihar- 217

Chandigarh- 12

Chhattisgarh- 25

Delhi- 3,628

Goa- 23

Gujarat- 2,162

Haryana- 355

Himachal Pradesh- 11

Jammu and Kashmir- 254

Jharkhand- 53

Karnataka- 1,403

Kerala- 43

Ladakh- 2

Madhya Pradesh- 738

Maharashtra- 12,030

Meghalaya- 4

Odisha- 97

Puducherry- 29

Punjab- 262

Rajasthan- 568

Tamil Nadu- 2,551

Telangana- 422

Tripura- 7

Uttar Pradesh- 1,192

Uttarakhand- 55

West Bengal- 1,147

A total of 7,24,578 people have been cured or discharged. Total active cases stand at 4,02,529.

-CHK

Coronavirus cases surpass 14.7 million worldwide

Coronavirus cases

New Delhi (NVI): More than 14.7 million people around the world have been diagnosed with coronavirus and 6,08,637 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The United States has recorded nearly 141,000 deaths, the most in the world. Meanwhile, the total number of cases have surpassed 3.8 million in the country.

In Brazil, the number of infected cases have exceeded 2.1 million while the death toll has crossed 80,000.

In addition to this, France has reported up to 500 virus clusters. Despite the clusters, authorities say there are no signs of an imminent “second wave”. The total number of cases stands at more than 2,14,000 in the country.

The hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia will begin on July 29. The drastically scaled back event will include only around 1,000 Muslim pilgrims due to the pandemic.

South Africa has reported a total of 3,64,328 coronavirus cases so far and has the fifth most confirmed Covid-19 infections in the world.

The World Health Organziation (WHO) voiced alarm at the spread in Africa. It warned that South Africa’s surging numbers could be a “precursor” for outbreaks across the continent.

-CHK

Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine triggers immune response

Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): The first set of results from early-stage clinical trials of the University of Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows the vaccine is safe and induces a good immune response.

Trials involving 1,077 people showed the injection led to them making antibodies and T-cells that can fight coronavirus.

According to findings published in the scientific journal, The Lancet, results of the Phase I/II trial indicate no early safety concerns and induces strong immune responses in both parts of the immune system.

The vaccine provoked a T-cell response within 14 days of vaccination (white blood cells that can attack cells infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus), and an antibody response within 28 days (antibodies are able to neutralise the virus so that it cannot infect cells when initially contracted).

A UK Phase I/II trial began in April testing the Oxford coronavirus vaccine – ChAdOx1 nCoV-19.

The project has started Phase III of the human trials to assess how the vaccine works in a large number of people over the age of 18, and how well the vaccine works to prevent people from becoming infected and unwell with Covid-19.

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom also tweeted in this regard and said, “This is very positive news. A huge well done to our brilliant, world-leading scientists & researchers at @UniofOxford. There are no guarantees, we’re not there yet & further trials will be necessary – but this is an important step in the right direction.”

Oxford University is working with the UK-based global bio-pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for further development, large-scale manufacture and potential distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine, with plans for clinical development and production of the Oxford vaccine progressing globally.

Meanwhile, after the initial results of Oxford’s vaccine candidate came out positive, the Serum Institute of India is reportedly eyeing the license for production of the vaccine.
Headed by Adar Poonawala, SII is likely to apply for local trials within a week.

-CHK/ARK

MP governor Lalji Tandon passes away

Lalji Tandon

New Delhi (NVI): Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon passed away today at the age of 85, after a prolonged illness. His son Ashutosh Tandon confirmed the news.

Lalji was admitted to the hospital in Lucknow on June 13 after he complained of breathing problem, urinary problems and fever.

He, thereafter, developed complications in kidney and liver and even underwent a surgical procedure.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, took to Twitter to pay condolences to the family of Lalji Tandon.

“Shri Lalji Tandon will be remembered for his untiring efforts to serve society. He played a key role in strengthening the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. He made a mark as an effective administrator, always giving importance of public welfare. Anguished by his passing away,” the prime minister tweeted.

Tandon has served as a member of the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Parishad for two terms and also as the Leader of House of the Council.

He was elected to the 15th Lok Sabha from Lucknow by a margin of more than 40,000 votes in May 2009.

In 2018, he was appointed as Bihar’s Governor and shifted to Madhya Pradesh in the same capacity a year later.

-RJV

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