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J&K Govt orders reopening of schools in Feb

Manoj Sinha

Jammu (NVI): The Jammu and Kashmir government today ordered reopening of schools in the Union territory in February in a staggered manner while issuing directions in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.

As per the official order, summer zone areas of Jammu Division may open schools for Class 9 to 12 with effect from February 1, 2021.

In case of elementary classes, teachers shall attend the schools with effect from February 1 for preparation and students shall physically attend classes from February 8.

Apart from that, Kashmir division and winter zone  areas of Jammu division will open as per their schedule, read the order.

The J&K administration also issued SOPs for reopening of schools for students and teachers. All teachers and students will need to wear masks.

“The students can sit almost 2 meters apart from each other. In case of non-availability of such space, staggered schedule/shift timings and student rotation can be an option,” as per the SOPs issued.

In addition to this, the SOPs stated that hand washing points with proper soap should be made available for students and teachers. “Everybody should wash hands frequently maintaining proper physical distance. Safe water, cleaning supplies and, wherever possible, establish or expand sex-segregated toilets or latrines. In case of absence of washing stations, hand sanitisers of standard prescribed by Government be used as hand rub (for staff and older children who can safely use hand sanitiser),” read the order.

The letter further stated that touching of surfaces by the students and teachers in and around the area of the school should be prohibited.

“Disinfecting, sanitizing and cleaning the learning spaces and surfaces in convergence with the concerned department and local volunteers should be a daily affair,” the government said in the order.

“Personal hygiene and hygiene of surroundings should be ensured,” it added.

In addition to this, while coming and leaving school, students and teachers should maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from each other and no student or teacher should breach this distance rule either during the schooling or while coming or leaving the school and in all cases, gathering or grouping should be avoided and everybody should come and leave school individually, the J&K government said.

-ARK

Engagement with ASEAN a critical element of India’s Act East Policy: Riva Ganguly

Riva Ganguly Das

New Delhi (NVI): Engagement with ASEAN and Oceania Region will remain a critical element of India’s Act East Policy, Riva Ganguly Das, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs said today.

The MEA Secretary emphasised on the importance of India’s relations with ASEAN and Oceania countries for enhancing collaboration in areas such as digital connectivity, information technology, fintech, healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

While addressing the session ‘India’s Engagement with World’s Growth Centre – ASEAN and Oceania Region’, organised by FICCI, Das highlighted the centrality of these two regions in terms of India’s vision for Indo-pacific.

She urged the industry to explore opportunities in emerging areas of cooperation like blue economy, disaster management and sustainable development, defence cooperation, building connectivity through India- Myanmar- Thailand Trilateral Highway.

Das further said that key principles of Act East Policy are promotion of economic cooperation, cultural ties, and development of strategic relationship with countries in Indo Pacific region.

Also present on the occasion, Uday Shankar, President, FICCI highlighted that in order to build new and resilient supply chains with ASEAN and Oceania region, we must upgrade the skilling, improve logistics services, and strengthen the infrastructure connectivity with ASEAN and Oceania region.

He further added that sectors such as start-ups and innovation, E-commerce, Infrastructure, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, etc. hold the maximum promise for collaboration between India and the countries in the ASEAN and Oceania region.

Shankar also laid emphasis on business and economic cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as start-ups, and innovation, empowerment of youth and women and the development of MSMEs for elevating the plateau of our relationship with ASEAN and Oceania countries.

India’s economic relations with ASEAN and Oceania countries have evolved over the years. Although India shares a dynamic relationship, there is still huge untapped potential in trade and investment aspects that can be achieved.

India can play a key role in reforming and creating new partnerships with these regions for enabling economic growth. The session also talked about how India can become the next potential alternative to the world, for de-risking business, bringing an opportunity to be part of global value chains, as per an official release.

-ARK

NEP to provide opportunities to youth to create Aatmanirbhar Bharat: LG

New Education Policy
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha

Samba (NVI): The New Education Policy (NEP) will ensure that the coming generation is given opportunities to leave the old, fixed path and take up new and innovative challenges to create Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said today.

With the New Education Policy, youth can follow their passion and most importantly focus on ‘how to think’ instead of ‘what to think’ as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the J&K LG said during his visit to the Central University of Jammu at Samba.

“Youth is the agent of change. With the transformation of youngsters into knowledge powerhouse, the entire country can be transformed,” LG Sinha said.

While addressing the gathering, the Lt Governor spoke on the length and breadth of the New Education Policy and new dimensions it will bring in the education system.

Making a special mention of the teaching fraternity, the LG said that teachers can freely take new initiatives to focus on job-oriented education. Teachers are nurturing the powerhouse of the nation. They should encourage students to take up new research, tread new path of innovation which nobody has ever taken to explore, he added.

“New generation is thinking of spending vacation on the moon. Our teachers will have to share this dream and create a new tomorrow, a new future and a new vision”, the LG said.

He also urged the teaching fraternity to focus on the quality of education so that “we may see the likes of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam coming out of the universities”.

Expressing satisfaction that students from as many as 13 states are studying in the Central University of Jammu, the Lt Governor asked the University authorities to enrol more students for various courses, providing opportunity to more local students and at the same time, ensuring quality of research.

The LG also narrated how Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya with his lofty ideals, reformative spirit and vision, established Banaras Hindu University (BHU), “one of the best universities in the world.”

“At the time of independence, we had only five universities, but those few universities produced many great scientists, engineers, doctors and scholars. Today, we all need to introspect where we stand in terms of quality of education and research,” Sinha said.

He called upon all stakeholders to contribute towards the development of “New and Aatmanirbhar Jammu Kashmir.” Terming Teachers’ role as most crucial at this juncture, he observed that with new generation under the able guidance of teachers, the potential of youth can be developed for bringing in the revolution in every sector.

-RJV/ARK

Covid-19 vaccines from India reach Casablanca

New Delhi (NVI): 20 lakh doses of Indian manufactured Covid-19 vaccine today reached Casablanca in Morocco as part of India’s first consignment of vaccines under contractual supplies category.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted as the vaccines reached the African country. “Indian vaccines land in Casablanca. India & Morocco – a Beautiful Friendship,” he said in a tweet.

Notably, being one of the largest manufacturers of Covid vaccine in the world, India has adopted vaccine diplomacy as part of its efforts to help needy countries combat the Covid-19 pandemic and providing them a ray of hope for immediate immunisation.

Apart from Morocco, commercial shipments of the vaccines have already been dispatched to Brazil. India is also undertaking contractual supplies to Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Bangladesh and Myanmar, Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Anurag Srivastava said during a press briefing today.

So far, India has dispatched vaccine consignments to Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Seychelles– all six key partner and neighbouring countries to which India had promised supplies under grant assistance.

-ARK

PM Modi pays tributes to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on eve of his birth anniversary

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tributes to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on the eve of his birth anniversary while recalling the freedom fighter’s special connection to Haripura, a town in Gujarat.

In a series of tweets, PM Modi remembered Subhash Chandra Bose’s visit to Haripura in 1938.

“Tomorrow, India will mark #ParakramDivas, the Jayanti of the great Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Among the various programmes being organised across the nation, one special programme is being held at Haripura in Gujarat. Do join the programme, which begins at 1 PM,” he tweeted.

The Prime Minsiter said that Haripura has a special relation with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. “It was at the historic Haripura Session of 1938 that Netaji Bose took up the Presidentship of the Congress Party. Tomorrow’s programme at Haripura will be a tribute to Netaji Bose’s contribution to our nation,” he said.

“On the eve of Netaji Bose’s Jayanti, my mind goes back to 23rd January 2009- the day we launched e-Gram Vishwagram Project from Haripura. This initiative revolutionised Gujarat’s IT infrastructure and took the fruits of technology to the poor, in the remotest parts of the state,” PM Modi said.

“I can never forget the affection of the people of Haripura, who took me through an elaborate procession on the same road as Netaji Bose was taken, in 1938. His procession included a decorated chariot drawn by 51 bullocks. I also visited the place where Netaji stayed in Haripura,” the PM said in another tweet.

“May the thoughts and ideals of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose keep inspiring us to work towards building an India that he would be proud of…a strong, confident and self-reliant India, whose human-centric approach contributes to a better planet in the years to come,” PM said ahead of Netaji’s birth anniversary tomorrow.

-ARK

Covaxin shows enhanced immune response, no side effects in Phase I trials: Lancet

Covaxin
Representational/file image

New Delhi (NVI): India’s indigenous COVID-19 vaccine candidate ‘Covaxin’ showed no side effects and enhanced immune responses during the Phase 1 trials, according to the results published in The Lancet journal.

The study evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine candidate at 11 hospitals across India on 375 healthy adults aged between 18 to 55 years.

“This is a randomised, double-blind, multicentre, phase 1 trial to assess the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of the whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (BBV152) in healthy adult volunteers,” the study said.

According to the study, BBV152 led to tolerable safety outcomes and enhanced immune responses. The vaccine was well tolerated in all dose groups with no vaccine-related serious adverse events.

It added that the most common adverse event was pain at the injection site, followed by headache, fatigue, and fever. The only serious adverse event of viral pneumonitis which was reported, has been deemed unrelated to the vaccine.

The phase 1 trials of Covaxin took place between 13 and 30 July last year. It involved 375 participants, of which 100 each were assigned to 3 different groups that were administered different vaccine doses.

Notably, these are interim results and they do not indicate the long-term safety outcomes or antibody responses. They also cannot help assess the efficacy of the vaccine, warranting and necessitating phase 3 trials, as per the study.

The vaccine which is now undergoing Phase 3 trials and had raised concerns among
experts over its emergency approval. Under the Phase 3 trials over 25,000 participants are underway, the recruitment for which was completed only in early January this year..

Earlier this month, Covaxin became India’s first indigenously produced vaccine against the coronavirus to get emergency approval for public health interest.

The vaccine has been developed by Hyderabad-based drug manufacturer Bharat Biotech in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

-RJV

India also undertaking contractual supplies of Covid vaccines to some countries: MEA

MEA

New Delhi (NVI): Apart from the supply of Covid-19 vaccines to key partner countries under grant assistance, India is also undertaking contractual supplies to Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil, Morocco, Bangladesh and Myanmar, the Ministry of External Affairs said today.

Addressing weekly press briefing here, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that commercial shipments of the vaccines have already been dispatched to Brazil and Morocco.

He said that the grant assistance of vaccines to the neighbouring countries commenced on January 20. So far, the vaccine consignments have been sent to Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Seychelles– all six key partner and neighbouring countries to which India had promised supplies under grant assistance.

“On the first day, 1.5 lakh doses of vaccines were supplied to Bhutan and 1 lakh doses to Maldives as grant assistance,” Srivastava said.

“Yesterday, supplies of 10 lakh doses to Nepal and 20 lakh doses to Bangladesh were undertaken. Today, consignments of 15 lakh doses for Myanmar, 1 lakh doses to Mauritius and 50,000 doses to Seychelles are being airlifted,” he added.

On any plans to send Covid vaccine assistance to Pakistan, the MEA spokesman said, “I am not aware of any request for the supply of Indian made vaccines to Pakistan on a G2G basis or commercial basis. The other part of the question is hypothetical at this stage and I would not like to respond”

He further informed that supplies as grant assistance to Sri Lanka and Afghanistan will be undertaken after receiving confirmation of regulatory clearances from these two countries.

Srivastava said that keeping in view the domestic requirements of the phased rollout, India will continue to supply COVID-19 vaccines to partner countries over the coming weeks and months in a phased manner. “It will be ensured that domestic manufacturers will have adequate stocks to meet domestic requirements while supplying abroad,” he said.

The MEA spokesman further informed that the supply of Indian made vaccines are underway both as gifts as well as on commercial basis. “There are consultations involving a number of Ministries preceding such supplies the exact nature of which I do not have information on,” he said.

“In terms of quantities and types of vaccines, the supplies abroad on G-to-G, G-to-B and B-to-B basis would be based on availability and regulatory approvals in the countries concerned,” he added.

-ARK

Fact check: Claim that Railways will start all trains from Feb 1 is fake

Fact check

New Delhi (NVI): A morphed picture claims that the Railway Board has made an announcement to start all passenger trains, local trains and passenger special trains from 1 February 2021.

The Fact Check Unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has investigated the claim and found it to be fake and said that Railway Ministry has not made any such announcement.

Debunking the fake news, PIB took to Twitter and wrote in Hindi, “Claim: It is being claimed in the picture that the Railway Board has announced to start all passenger trains, local trains and passenger special trains from 1 February 2021.

#PIBFactCheck : This claim is fake. @RailMinIndia Has not made any such announcement.”

The Press Information Bureau launched this fact-checking unit in December 2019, to identify misinformation related to government’s policies and schemes that are circulating on various social media platforms.

-CHK

Bird flu in poultry confirmed across 9 states in India

Bird Flu
Representative/file image

New Delhi (NVI): The Central Government today said that bird flu in poultry birds have been confirmed so far in nine states, while twelve states have reported the avian influenza in crows, migratory and wild birds.

In a statement, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said, “Till 22nd January outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird flu) have been confirmed in 9 States (Kerala, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab) for poultry birds.”

“12 States namely Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab have reported Avian Influenza (AI) for crow/migratory/ wild birds,” it said.

The bird flu also been confirmed in poultry samples from Almora, RKPura, Hawalbagh district of Uttarakhand and in Somnath (Dolasa, Kodinar) district of Gujarat.

Further, it has also been confirmed in crows in the States of UT of Jammu and Kashmir (Kulgam, Anantnag, Budgam and Pulwama) and in Kaliji Pheasantbird in Tehri range of Uttarakhand.

However, crow samples submitted from Alwar district of Rajasthan have been found negative for avian influenza.

According to the Ministry, the control and containment operations (cleaning and disinfection) are going on in the affected epicentres of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Kerala.

Besides, all the States are reporting to the department on daily basis regarding the control measures adopted by the States and UTs based on the Revised Action Plan for preparedness, control and containment of Avian Influenza 2021.

The Animal Husbandry Department is also taking continuous efforts to generate awareness about Avian through platforms including social media platforms, the statement added.

-RJV

India delivers Covishield vaccine to Myanmar, Seychelles, Mauritius

Covishield vaccine
Covishield vaccine arriving in Myanmar.

New Delhi (NVI): A day after fire broke out in Serum Institute of India (SII), consignments of Covishield vaccine were delivered to Myanmar, Seychelles and Mauritius as part of the donation program to its neighbours and key partners.

The flight for Myanmar took off at 6:40 am today from Mumbai while the vaccine consignment for Mauritius and Seychelles were sent via one flight which departed at 11 am.

A consignment containing 1.5 million doses of Covishield vaccine was dispatched to Myanmar, 50,000 doses were sent to Seychelles and 1 lakh doses to Mauritius, according to media reports.

Bhutan, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Seychelles, Myanmar and Mauritius are part of India’s initial rollout of vaccines as grant assistance.

Under India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, India has already dispatched vaccines to Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and the Maldives as India has assured that friendly nations get every form of support.

Meanwhile, Brazil, Morocco, South Africa and Saudi Arabia also will receive vaccines from India under the commercial agreement signed with SII.

-CHK

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