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India’s COVID-19 tally surge to 94.62 lakh with 31,118 new cases

COVID-19

New Delhi (NVI): India has reported 31,118 fresh coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the overall caseload to 94,62,810, Union Health Ministry said.

The country’s death toll has reached to 1,37,621 with 482 fatalities reported during this period.

So far, 88,89,585 patients have been cured and recovered all over the country while active cases stands at 4,35,603 .

In worst-affected Maharashtra, the COVID-19 cases surpassed 18,22,890 followed by Karnataka with 8,8,897 cases, and Andhra Pradesh with 8,68,064 positive cases.

Other states with a high virus hit included Tamil Nadu (7,81,915), Kerala (6,02,982) and Uttar Pradesh (5,43,888).

Meanwhile, of the total deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 47,151 fatalities, followed by Karnataka with 11,778 deaths.

Delhi has registered 5,70,374 cases of coronavirus, while the death toll from the virus has reached 9,174 in the national capital.

According to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), more than 14.13 crore samples tested for COVID-19 up to November 30. Of these, 9,69,322 samples were tested yesterday.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday asked pharma companies developing vaccines against COVID-19 to come up with suggestions on regulatory processes and make efforts to create awareness among people about the vaccine and its efficacy.

-RJV

Modi greets BSF on its Raising Day

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today greeted all the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel on their 56th Raising Day.

Taking to Twitter, PM Modi wrote, “Best wishes to all Border Security Force personnel and their families on the special occasion of their Raising Day.”

“BSF has distinguished itself as a valorous force, unwavering in their commitment to protect the nation and assist citizens during natural calamities. India is proud of BSF!,” he added.

India’s Border Security Force (BSF) was first ‘Line of Defence’ raised on December 1, 1965. It is paramilitary force tasked with guarding India’s land border with Pakistan and Bangladesh during peacetime and preventing transnational crime.

BSF currently stands as the world’s largest border guarding force.

-RJV

India calls upon SCO nations to eradicate safe havens supporting terrorism

India calls upon SCO nations to eradicate safe havens supporting terrorism

New Delhi (NVI): India today called upon SCO Member States to enforce internationally recognized legal statutes to comprehensively eradicate safe havens, infrastructure and financial networks supporting terrorism.

In his virtual address at the 19th session of the SCO Council of Heads of Government, hosted by India, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said that India condemns terrorism in all its manifestations.

In an indirect reference to Pakistan, the Vice President expressed his concern about States that leverage terrorism as an instrument of State policy.

“We remain concerned about threats emerging from ungoverned spaces and are particularly concerned about States that leverage terrorism as an instrument of state policy. Such an approach is entirely against the spirit and ideals and the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,” he said.

Stressing that peace was an essential prerequisite for progress, Naidu said that the most important challenge faced by the region was terrorism, particularly cross-border terrorism. “Terrorism is truly the enemy of humanity. It is a scourge we need to collectively combat”, he added.

“Elimination of this threat will help us realize our shared potential and create conditions for stable and secure economic growth and sustainable development,” he said.

The Vice President also raised the issue of deliberate attempts being made at SCO platform to rake bilateral issues.

“It is unfortunate to note that there have been attempts to deliberately bring bilateral issues into SCO and blatantly violate the well-established principles and norms of SCO Charter safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of SCO Member States. Such acts are counterproductive to the spirit of consensus and cooperation that define the SCO as an organization,” he said.

“India is committed to take our cooperation within SCO to new heights by playing a proactive, positive and constructive role in the organization,” he added.

To recall, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had walked out of virtual meeting of top security officials of SCO member states in mid-September, after Pakistan deliberately displayed its new political map at the meeting, in blatant disregard to the advisory by the host against it and in violation of the norms of the meeting.

In his virtual address, the Vice President further said India was emerging as an economic force at the global level and the country’s GDP was expected to reach $ 5 trillion by 2025.

To ensure stable economic growth, he said India has launched a new economic strategy: Atmanirbhar Bharat or Self-reliant India. “It prioritizes building the national economic strength, resilience and enhanced capacities to be a trusted partner and a responsible global player”, he added.

Minister of External Affairs, Dr S Jaishankar, Secretary to the Vice President, IV Subbarao, Secretary (West) at MEA, Vikas Swarup and other senior officials from MEA were also present at the virtual summit.

-ARK

321 candidates in fray for 2nd phase of J&K DDC polls: SEC KK Sharma

321 candidates in fray for 2nd phase of J&K DDC polls: SEC KK Sharma

Jammu (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir State Election Commissioner (SEC) KK Sharma today said that the Union Territory is all set for the second phase of voting for DDC polls that will see 321 candidates in the electoral fray, including 196 from Kashmir division and 125 from Jammu division.

While speaking at a press conference here, SEC KK Sharma briefed the media about the arrangements being made to conduct the DDC elections and Panch/Sarpanch by-polls in a smooth and peaceful manner.

While giving details, the SEC said that there are total 280 constituencies in J&K (14 in each district) out of which voting will be conducted in 43 constituencies, including 25 from Kashmir Division and 18 from Jammu Division,  from 7 am to 2 pm in Phase-2.

Regarding Sarpanch by-poll elections, KK Sharma said that these will be conducted in 83 constituencies and a total of 223 candidates are contesting including 151 male and 72 female candidates. Similarly, in Panch by-polls, which are going to be held in 331 constituencies, total 709 candidates are in the electoral fray including 552 males and 157 females on 331 vacant seats of Panchs during 2nd phase of Panchayat elections. He also informed that 58 sarpanches (29 males, 29 females) and 804 panches (548 males, 256 females) have been elected unopposed.

Sharma further said that more than 57 lakh voters in J&K are eligible to cast their votes, out of which more than 7 lakh 95 thousand voters shall use their right to vote in phase 2. He added that out of 7,95,118 lakh voters, more than 3,88,273 are from Jammu division and 4,06,845 are from Kashmir division. Kashmir division has 2,12,024 male voters and 1,94,821 female voters where as Jammu division has 2,04,721 male voters and 1,83,553 female voters.

2,142 polling stations including 837 in Jammu division and 1,305 in Kashmir division have been setup to conduct the Phase II polls in a smooth manner, he said.

Sharma said that all the arrangements regarding elections have been completed. Security arrangements have also been already put in place, he said.

Regarding the SOPs related to COVID 19 pandemic, the SEC urged the people to follow the guideline issued by the Election Commission, besides putting their face masks and maintaining social distancing during polling. He also said that sanitisers, thermal scanners and face masks shall also be provided to the voters, in case they forget to carry their own face masks/sanitizers. The SEC appealed to the people to come forward to participate in the “biggest festival of democracy” and urged them to go to their polling stations and cast vote.

The SEC said that special polling booths have also been created for Kashmiri migrants at Jammu and Udhampur.

It is pertinent to mention here that DDC elections & Panchayat by-polls 2020 are being held in 8 phases commencing from November 28 to December 19. The counting of votes shall be conducted on December 22.

-ARK

Delhi govt reduces Covid-19 RT-PCR test price to Rs 800

File photo

New Delhi (NVI): Delhi government today announced a price cut of COVID-19 RT-PCR test in the national capital to Rs 800 from Rs 2,400.

As per the latest order issued by the state health department, RT-PCR tests from all private laboratories in Delhi will cost Rs 800, whereas home collection of samples will cost Rs 1,200.

Until Sunday, the cost of an RT-PCR test was capped at Rs 2,400 irrespective of whether a person visits the laboratory or testing centre or gets the test done at home.

All labs and hospitals have also been asked to display the revised rates at a prominent place within 24 hours.

However, these tests are being conducted free of cost in government hospitals.

The order came after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted earlier in the day, “I have directed that the rates of RT PCR tests be reduced in Delhi. Whereas tests are being conducted free of cost in govt establishments, however, this will help those who get their tests done in pvt labs.”

So far, Delhi has recorded more than 5.66 lakh COVID-19 cases with 5,22,491 recoveries. The death toll in the national capital stood at 9,066, as per the Health Ministry data.

-CHK

162 Hindu, Christian girls forcibly married in Pak since 2013

162 Hindu, Christian girls forcibly married in Pak since 2013

Islamabad (NVI): In the last 7 years, at least 162 girls and women belonging to Hindu and Christian communities were forcibly married and converted to Islam in Pakistan, highlighting the problems being faced by minorities in the country.

The highest number of 49 such cases was reported last year, according to Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), a non-governmental organisation of Pakistan, which came out with the figures reported in the media between 2013 and November 2020.

These are just those cases that were reported while many are not even reported because of fear imposed by the perpetrators of such crimes in collusion with the police and other authorities.

According to the CSJ, more than 54 percent of victims (girls and women) were Hindus while 44 percent belonged to the Christian community.

Over 46 percent of the victims were minors, with nearly 33 percent aged 11-15 years, while only 17 percent of victims were above 18 years.

Around 52 percent of the forced conversions occurred in Punjab province and 44 percent in Sindh.

In 16 cases, victims approached the Sindh High Court for relief from forced marriages.

In Punjab, in just one case, the Lahore High Court took into protective custody a Christian girl named Charlotte, who had been married off and converted against her will in April last year.

The CSJ said the Chief Justice of Pakistan should consider sensitisation of judiciary and judicial officers on the issue of forced conversions.

“An amendment bill in the criminal law should be introduced that makes all religious conversions be acknowledged, verified and validated by a senior civil judge to ascertain the presence of free will, consent, in addition to the appropriateness of age and marital status of the parties,” it recommended.

Reflecting the apathy or collusion at the level of the lawmakers, a law was proposed in 2017 to make forced marriage with a non-Muslim woman an offence, punishable with five to seven years in prison, as well as a fine. The legislation — Criminal Law (amendment) Act IV — failed to get through the Senate (upper House of Pakistan Parliament) although the National Assembly (lower House) approved it.

Moderna covid vaccine found 94% effective, to seek FDA emergency approval

Argentina first in Latin America to approve Russian Sputnik V vaccine

New Delhi (NVI): Moderna today said it will request emergency clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its coronavirus vaccine after new data confirms the vaccine is more than 94 per cent effective in preventing Covid-19 and was safe.

Moderna is the second drugmaker to seek emergency use from the FDA after Pfizer applied for the same authorization on November 20.

The new analysis from Moderna in the Phase 3 COVE study for mRNA-1273, evaluated 196 confirmed Covid infections among the late-stage trial’s 30,000 participants.

The company said 185 cases of Covid were observed in the placebo group versus 11 cases observed in the group that received its vaccine. That resulted in an estimated vaccine efficacy of 94.1 per cent, the company said.

It also appears to prevent volunteers from getting severely sick from the virus. Of the 30 severe cases of Covid-19 in the trial, none were in the group that received the vaccine, Moderna said. Additionally, there was one Covid-19 related death in the study that occurred in the placebo group, according to the company.

The safety profile of the Phase 3 study of mRNA-1273 was previously described on November 16. A continuous review of safety data is ongoing and no new serious safety concerns have been identified by the Company. Based on prior analysis, the most common solicited adverse reactions included injection site pain, fatigue, myalgia, arthralgia, headache, and erythema/redness at the injection site. Solicited adverse reactions increased in frequency and severity in the mRNA-1273 group after the second dose, the statement read.

“This positive primary analysis confirms the ability of our vaccine to prevent COVID-19 disease with 94.1% efficacy and importantly, the ability to prevent severe COVID-19 disease. We believe that our vaccine will provide a new and powerful tool that may change the course of this pandemic and help prevent severe disease, hospitalizations and death,” Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement.

Moderna said the vaccine’s effectiveness was consistent across age, race and gender. The 196 confirmed cases included 33 adults over the age of 65 and 42 people from Black, Latino and other “diverse” communities.

The vaccine was also well tolerated with the most common side effects being fatigue, muscle pain, headache and pain at the injection site, the company said.

Additionally, FDA’s review of Moderna’s vaccine is expected to take a few weeks. The agency will likely schedule an advisory committee meeting to review the vaccine on Dec. 17, Moderna said. It has already initiated rolling submissions with several regulatory agencies around the world, including the European Medicines Agency.

-CHK

New agricultural reforms empower farmers, give them new options: PM in Varanasi

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that his government’s new agricultural reforms have empowered the farmers and given them new options and legal protection. He said that the benefits of these new laws will be experienced in the coming days.

The Prime Minister made the remarks during his visit to his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on the occasion of Dev Deepawali and Guru Nanak Jayanti where he inaugurated the six-lane widening project of Handia (Prayagraj)-Rajatalab (Varanasi) section of National Highway 19 in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

He dedicated the 73-km stretch of the newly-widened and six-laned NH-19, made with a total outlay of Rs 2,447 crores, to the nation. It is expected to reduce the travel time between Prayagraj and Varanasi by approximately an hour.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said we are now seeing the outcome of the work of connectivity along with the beautification of Kashi done in the past. He added that the unprecedented work has been done on new highways, pull-flyovers, widening of roads to reduce traffic jams in and around Varanasi.

“Varanasi is getting improved infrastructure on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti and Dev Deepawali. This will benefit both Varanasi and Prayagraj,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister remarked that our farmers would benefit greatly when modern connectivity expands in the area. He said over the years, efforts have been made to create infrastructure like cold storage alongwith modern roads in the villages. A fund of 1 lakh crore rupees has also been created for this.

“The new agricultural laws have been brought in for benefit of the farmers. We will see and experience benefits of these new laws in the coming days. Efforts are on to double farmers’ incomes, new options being offered to them to sell their crops,” said Modi.

Hitting out at the Opposition for misleading farmers on the new farm laws, PM said, “There’s new trend now, earlier decisions of govt were opposed, now rumours have become basis for opposition. Propaganda is spread that although decision is fine, it can lead to other consequences, about things that haven’t happened or will never happen. Same is with farm laws.”

The Prime Minister said India’s agricultural products are famous all over the world. He asked why farmers shouldn’t have access to this big market and higher prices. He said new agricultural reforms have given farmers new options and new legal protection and at the same time the old system also continues if someone chooses to stay with that.

He said earlier, transactions outside the mandi were illegal but now the small farmer can take legal action on the transactions outside the mandi also.

Modi said decades of deceit make farmers apprehensive but now there is no deceit, work is being done with intentions as pure as Gangajal. He remarked that the truth of those who spread illusions on the basis of mere apprehensions is being constantly exposed before the country. When farmers understand their lies, then they start spreading lies on another subject.

He added the government is also constantly answering those farmer families who still have some concerns. He expressed confidence that those farmers who have some doubts on agricultural reforms today, will also take advantage of these agricultural reforms in future and increase their income.

-CHK

1 killed, 6 injured as Pak forces open fire at Pashtun traders at Chaman border

New Delhi (NVI): One person was killed and six others were injured including small children, after Pakistani troops opened fire at a group of Pashtun traders and their families who were trying to cross over to Afghanistan via Chaman border.

Pakistan daily The Dawn reported that there was a hot exchange of words between the traders and Frontier Corps troops which turned ugly after which the FC personnel opened fire at the crowd.

The incident took place at the Friendship Gate at the Pak-Afghan border as the traders protested when they were not allowed to cross over to Afghanistan. The Dawn reported that the protesting traders allegedly engaged in stone-pelting while one of them also fired on the troops, after which the FC troops opened fire.

The news website said that the injured were rushed to Chaman’s district hospital, where one of them died during treatment.

The footage of the incident was shared by several activists and Human Rights experts, showing smoke at the border crossing with sounds of gunshots amidst a crowd.


Meanwhile, the security has been tightened in the border town of Chaman after the incident.

Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Mohsin Dawar also condemned the attack on unarmed civilians while asking the Pakistan government whether action will be taken against those who targeted civilians or not.

“Strongly condemn FC’s firing on unarmed civilians in Chaman. Security forces continue to attack our people mercilessly. What laws allow the FC to open fire on unarmed civilians? Will the FC personnel who attacked civilians be arrested and prosecuted?” he tweeted.

However, this is not the first time that Pakistan’s security forces have opened fire on innocent civilians on the sensitive border with Afghanistan. In July this year, at least three persons were killed after Pakistani troops opened fire at minority Pashtun people who were staging a sit-in at Chaman border for crossing over to Afghanistan for Eid celebrations.

Pakistani police and military had, however, denied the firing and said that the “mob” got violent and attacked a checkpost at the Chaman border crossing.

Pakistani forces have always harassed and intimidated its minorities like Pashtuns, Ahmadiyyas, Sindhis, and Baloch population, apart from minority Sikhs, Hindus and Christians in the country.

-ARK

Depression forms over southeast Bay of Bengal, to intensify soon

New Delhi (NVI): Days after Cyclone Nivar wreaked havoc in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, another depression has formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal and it is likely to intensify further into a deep depression in the next 12 hours and bring widespread rainfall over parts of South India, according to IMD.

“At 8:30 hours, the Depression moved west-northwestwards during past 3 hours and lay centred about 710 km east-southeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) and 1120 km east-southeast of Kanyakumari (India). It is very likely to intensify further into a Deep Depression during next 12 hours and into a cyclonic storm during subsequent 24 hours,” IMD tweeted.

The low pressure area on November 28 over south Andaman sea and adjoining areas of southeast Bay of Bengal organised into a well marked low pressure area on Sunday and further concentrated into a depression today.

According to India Meteorological Department, due to the influence of the depression, scattered to widespread rainfall activity has already been forecast over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala, Mahe, Lakshadweep, south coastal Andhra Pradesh and south Rayalaseema from December 1 to 3.

The IMD also had said that isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall with moderate thunderstorms and lightning is very likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during the first three days of December and isolated extremely rainfall over south Tamil Nadu and south Kerala on December 2.

A red warning has been issued for the same.

Furthermore, the weather department has issued an advisory for the fishermen to not venture into southeast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal from December 1 night.

-CHK

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