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PM speaks to S Korean President

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New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today had a telephonic conversation with President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, as both the leaders discussed COVID-19 global pandemic and the challenges it posed to the global health systems and economic situation.

During the conversation, PM Modi warmly recalled his visit to the Republic of Korea last year, and expressed satisfaction at the increasingly close ties between both countries, PMO said in a statement.

The Prime Minister expressed appreciation for the technology-based response deployed by the Republic of Korea for managing the crisis, said an official statement.

President Moon Jai-In also appreciated the way Indian authorities have motivated the vast Indian population for fighting the pandemic with unity of purpose, it added.

The Korean President thanked PM Modi for the support being provided by Indian authorities to Korean citizens in India.

Responding to this, the PM expressed appreciation to the ROK government for facilitating supplies and transport of medical equipment being sourced by Indian companies.

The two leaders agreed that their experts would continue to consult each other and share experiences, as they research solutions for COVID-19, the PMO stated.

PM Modi also conveyed his best wishes to President Moon for the forthcoming National Assembly Elections in ROK.

Bangladesh: Rohingya camps under ‘complete lockdown’ amid COVID-19 spread

New Delhi (NVI): Bangladesh has imposed a “complete lockdown” in Cox’s Bazar district — home to over a million Rohingya refugees from neighbouring Myanmar — to halt the spread of coronavirus, according to media reports.

Experts have warned that the disease could spread quickly through the cramped, sewage-soaked alleys where the persecuted Muslim minority are housed in canvas and bamboo shacks.

No cases have been confirmed in the camps but one infection has been recorded.

The total number of positive cases jumped by 112 in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases to 330 in the country.

Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 fatalities reached 21 after another person died due to the novel coronavirus pandemic today, according to the country’s Health Ministry.

J&K: 24 more test positive in Kashmir, tally mounts to 184

Srinagar (NVI): The Covid-19 positive cases continue to show a spurt in J&K as 24 more cases were tested positive for the virus taking the total number of positive cases in the UT to 184.

Today’s figure comes just a day after J&K witnessed 33 cases, the highest single-day rise in the UT.

J&K government spokesperson, Rohit Kansal said that 24 more persons have been tested positive in Kashmir, taking the total toll of positive cases across Valley to 152.

“#COVID19 #JammuAndKashmir 24 more positive in Kashmir. Total 184. 32 in Jammu, 152 in Kashmir. All are contacts. A result of aggressive testing,” Kansal tweeted.

He also informed that 24 who have been tested positive today are all contacts of those found positive already.

Pune company to scale up oxygenator equipment to treat COVID-19 patients

New Delhi (NVI): A Pune-based company is being funded by the Centre to scale up membrane oxygenator equipment (MOE) that it has developed to treat COVID-19 patients, Ministry of Science and Technology said today.

Based on innovative, indigenous hollow-fiber membrane technology, the MOE enriches oxygen in the air up to 35% under pressure (4-7 bar, using oil-free compressor).

With an urgent requirement of respiratory interventions to treat breathlessness, one of the critical symptoms of COVID 19, the equipment can be used to treat patients who have been released from Intensive Care Units (ICU).

The equipment consists of membrane cartridge, oil-free compressor, output flowmeter, humidifier bottle, nasal-cannula, and tubing & fittings.

The compressed, filtered air from the compressor is fed to the membrane cartridge, which selectively permeates oxygen over nitrogen offering oxygen-enriched air as the product at the ambient pressure.

The membrane cartridge capable of distinguishing oxygen and nitrogen restricts the passage of viruses, bacteria, and particulate matter. The product air is of medical grade.

This MOE is being developed by Genrich Membranes, a spin-off company, based on proprietary technology licensed from CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune.

The device is safe, does not require trained manpower for its operation, needs minimum maintenance, is portable, compact, and with plug-and-play facility provides on-site, quick-start oxygen-enriched air.

“Medical grade oxygen-enriched air is needed in a variety of patient care settings including COVID-19 situations where the global experience in about 14 per cent infections require some kind of respiratory support, but only about 4 per cent need ICU based ventilators. The rest of this population, as well as in many other conditions involving  chronic breathing problems, this innovation promises to be of excellent value”, Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST said.

The device can also be helpful for patients suffering with chronic breathing problems like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Asthma, Interstitial lung disease (ILD), pre-term babies, snake bite, and so on.

The Ministry has said that the testing and validation of prototype have been demonstrated in a relevant environment. Genrich, the startup that has been supported by DST, is now is planning to join hands with established medical device companies to mass manufacture MOE which can get this device ready, within three months, it added.

Rlys produce about 6 lakh reusable masks, over 40k litres hand sanitiser

New Delhi (NVI): Stepping up its efforts to supplement the health care initiatives of the Government to combat COVID-19 outbreak, the Railways has produced total 5,82,317 number of face masks and 41,882 litres of hand sanitiser till April 7, said an official statement.

Railways is producing these masks and sanitizer in-house in all its Zonal Railways, Production Units and PSUs, the rail ministry said in a statement today.

“Some of the Indian Railway Zones have taken lead in this regard like Western Railway(WR) with 81008 no. of reusable face covers and 2569 litres hand sanitiser, North Central Railway(NCR) with 77995 no. of reusable face covers and 3622 litres hand sanitiser, North Western Railway (NWR) with 51961 no. of reusable face covers and 3027 litres hand sanitiser, Central Railway(CR) with 38904 no. of reusable face covers and 3015 litres hand sanitiser, East Central Railway(ECR) with 33473 no. of reusable face covers and 4100 litres hand sanitiser and West Central Railway(WCR) with 36342 no. of reusable face covers and 3756 litres hand sanitiser,” Ministry of Railways said.

It added that since freight operations are running 24X7 to maintain essentials and goods supplies, operation and maintenance staff are working round the clock.

Apart from this, the Railways has also taken up the in-house production of Personal Productive Equipment (PPE) on a mission mode. The national transporter has said that it will produce 1000 PPE-type overalls for its doctors and paramedics.

Revised version of Swachhata App launched to handle COVID-19 queries

New Delhi (NVI): The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) yesterday announced the launch of a revised version of the existing Swachhata-MoHUA App.

The app which is a highly popular grievance redressal tool for citizens and already has a wide user base of over 1.7 crore urban users, has now been modified and strengthened further in order to enable citizens to get their COVID-related complaints also redressed by their respective ULBs.

This announcement was made by Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary – MoHUA, at a video conference (VC) held with all States, Union Territories (UTs) and cities, on the COVID 19 crisis.

The revised version of the Swachhata App essentially leverages the popularity and huge user base of the app to better support citizens during this COVID pandemic. However, the addition of these new categories has no impact on the existing categories of the App and citizens may continue to post their grievances in either of the categories.

Speaking at the VC, Mishra said, “Under Swachh Bharat Mission- Urban (SBM-U), we are collectively working to ensure the safety and well-being of citizens during the COVID-19 crisis. To provide further support to States, UTs and Cities in this respect, MoHUA has introduced nine additional categories of complaints specific to COVID-19 on the Swachhata-MoHUA App to make it more responsive to the needs of the present times.”

These nine categories are:

Request for Fogging/Sanitation during COVID-19
Violation of Quarantine during COVID-19
Violation of Lockdown during COVID-19
Report Suspected case of COVID-19
Request Food during COVID-19
Request Shelter during COVID-19
Request Medicine during COVID-19
Request assistance for COVID-19 patient Transport
Request Waste Pickup from Quarantine Area

J&K: FIR registered after locals defy Covid lockdown to attend militant’s funeral

Representational Image

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Police has registered a case against those who took part in slain Jaish-e-Muhammad commander’s funeral at Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district for violating the Covid-19 guidelines that prohibit assembly of more than four people.

Police has registered an FIR number 70/2020 under section 188 of Indian Penal Code (IPC). Investigations are being done on fast track basis and according to police, many people who uploaded videos and pictures of funeral procession of slain militant, have already been identified.

Sopore police in a statement issued here said that it has started investigations and subsequent identification of those who participated in the funeral of slain Jaish commander at Saidpora area of Sopore in Baramulla district.

A senior police officer, privy to the investigations, told NVI that matter is being investigated on fast track basis. “We have identified some people who had uploaded videos and pictures of Jaish commander’s funeral on social media sites,” he said. “Those who took part in funeral of the militant commander didn’t only violate the Covid-19 guidelines but put hundreds of people to a risk of getting infected to the deadly pandemic.”

A source in the police said that once the identification of the people who participated in the funeral of Jaish commander Sajad Nawab Dar, would be over, those involved in the act will be arrested and action as per law will be initiated against them.

“So far it is an open FIR against all those who participated in Dar’s funeral,” he said. “The body of Dar was handed over to this family against a written assurance that they will maintain social distancing and there would be no crowd at the funeral. Yet, people assembled at the funeral without bothering they may catch Covid-19.”

On Wednesday, security forces had laid a siege in Arampora area of Sopore in Baramulla district after acting on a specific lead about the presence of militants in a residential house. The contact with the militant was made in the wee hours (yesterday) and in the exchange of fire, a Jaish commander Sajad Nawab Dar, who according to police was active since 2018 in the north Kashmir belt and was involved in luring youth into militancy, was killed. Dar’s funeral was attended by hundreds of people amid slogans as evident in the pictures making rounds on Facebook and Twitter.

After the killing of a young militant commander Burhan Wani in July 2016, attending militant funeral was a new craze in Kashmir that had forced the security grid to formulate a strategy to ensure no mass gatherings take place on the slain militants’ funeral. To a great extent, security forces succeeded over the past three years, but the funeral of Jaish commander has once again pushed the security grid of Kashmir into a huddle to ‘carve a joint strategy’ to ensure that no major gathering or a massive funeral process takes place if a local militant is killed.

Gurdwara attack: US concerned over safety of Sikhs in Afghanistan

The terror attack on a Sikh shrine in Kabul left 25 dead and 8 injured. (Photo Credit: Twitter @TOLOnews)

New Delhi (NVI): Two weeks after a Sikh shrine was attacked by terrorists in Kabul, the US has voiced concern over the safety of the minority community in the country and asked Afghans to come together to ensure their security.

Terrorists stormed a Sikh Dharamshala in Kabul on March 25, firing at the devotees gathered there and killing 25 people and injuring eight others.

“I remain deeply concerned about the safety of the Sikh community in #Afghanistan. Afghan Sikhs have long been an integral part of the multicultural tapestry of Afghanistan, and Afghans must come together now to ensure the security of religious minorities,” Alice Wells, US State Department’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, tweeted.

 The ISIS Khurasan had earlier issued a statement, claiming responsibility for the attack. It said the attack was carried out by Abu Khalid al-Hindi, implying an Indian national.

The Indian national, who carried out the terror attack, was later identified as Mohammad Muhsin of Kerala.

The real name of the Indian attacker of the Sikh temple in Kabul city was Mohammad Muhsin, Khaama Press News Agency had reported, quoting unnamed officials of the Intelligence Bureau.

“Originally hailing from Kerala of India, Muhsin left for Afghanistan in 2018 to join the offshoot of the Islamic State terror group or the ISIS Khurasan,” it said.

The report said Muhsin’s mother had confirmed that she received a message that her son was killed during the attack on Sikh temple in Kabul.

According to Indian investigators, 21-year-old Muhsin had worked in worked in Dubai for some time before going to Afghanistan to join the ISIS.

Govt launches online training portal ‘iGOT’ for management of COVID-19

New Delhi (NVI): The Government has launched a training module for management of COVID-19 named ‘Integrated Govt. Online training’ (iGOT) portal on Ministry of HRD’s DIKSHA platform for the capacity building of frontline workers to handle the pandemic efficiently.

“Courses on iGOT have been launched for Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics, Hygiene Workers, Technicians, Auxiliary Nursing Midwives (ANMs), State Government Officers, Civil Defence Officers, Various Police Organisations, National Cadet Corps(NCC), NehruYuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), National Service Scheme, Indian Red Cross Society, Bharat Scouts and Guides and other volunteers at the stage,”the Ministry of Human Resource Development said in a statement.

“India is fighting against covid-19 Pandemic and India’s first line of workers is already engaged in COVID relief and doing commendable job. However, a larger force will be needed to replace the first line and to tackle the exponential or geometric increase in positive COVID cases in the subsequent stages of the pandemic,” the MHRD said while highlighting the crucial role iGOT can play in training healthcare workers or those at the forefront of fighting COVID-19.

“MHRD’s ‘Digital Infrastructure Knowledge Sharing’ (DIKSHA) platform – an initiative for education & training has been leveraged by Government of India to launch iGOT portal to train all frontline healthcare and COVID Warriors of India to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to care for those ‘who care for the nation’,” the ministry added.

DIKSHA’s population scale infrastructure was launched by the Vice President of India on Teacher’s Day in 2017 and is already being used by more than one crore teachers and students across the country in 30+ states & UTs for curriculum-based education and training.

The unique platform already has explanation, practice and assessment content linked to NCERT and state curriculum.

WATCH | Chinar Corps Commander on Rangdori Behak Op in Kupwara

Lt. Gen BS Raju, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Srinagar-based Chinar Corps (15 Corps), has said that the recent ‘Rangdori Behak’ Operation by Indian Army at Keran sector in Kupwara along the Line of Control clearly shows the complicity of Pakistan in aiding and abetting infiltration.

“This operation clearly shows the complicity of Pakistan in aiding and abetting infiltration and as a consequence, terrorism in the Valley. This act of Pakistan is especially reprehensible as when the whole world is fighting COVID-19 and its aftermath, here is Pakistan which is aiding and abetting infiltration,” he said in a video message shared by Chinar Corps on its official Twitter handle.   

“Operation Rangdori Behak was an operation conducted over five days by our formation in which we were successfully able to neutralise five terrorists who had infiltrated from Pak Occupied Kashmir,” he added.

The officer has also complimented the forces for successfully completing the operation in extremely challenging conditions. Five militants were killed and Army lost 5 soldiers of elite Special Forces in the 5-day operation.

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