Month: December 2020

By Priyanka Sharma

The Health Ministry said on Tuesday that guidelines for estimation of cold chain equipment have been issued to all states and they have received at least 240 walk-in coolers, 70 walk-in freezers, 45,000 ice-lined refrigerators, 41,000 deep freezers and 300 solar refrigerators for COVID-19 vaccination.

Speaking about preparations for COVID-19 vaccine, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, said that guidelines for estimation of electrical and non-electrical cold chain equipment and its strengthening have been issued to all states and union territories.

He said all states have already received 29,000 cold chain points and cold chain equipment which includes “240 walk-in coolers, 70 walk-in freezers, 45,000 ice-lined refrigerators, 41,000 deep freezers and 300 solar refrigerators”.

The guidelines for the management of cold chain at last points and session sites have also been issued.

The Centre has constituted a multi-level governance mechanism which will aid the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Bhushan said at least 36 states and UTs have concluded meetings of the state steering committee as well as state task forces. About 633 districts have concluded meetings of the district task force.

He said about 23 ministries/departments in the state and central governments have been identified and assigned roles (planning, implementation, social mobilization, awareness generation) for the vaccine-roll out.

Bhushan said the Health Ministry has also finalised the training modules for medical officers, vaccinator officers, alternative vaccinator officers, cold chain handlers, supervisors, data managers, ASHA coordinators and added that physical as well as online training has started in all states and union territories.

He said that detailed instructions have been issued on infection prevention and control practices during vaccination.

The Health Secretary said that instructions have been issued to states for management of minor, severe or serious Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI).

“States have to identify at least one AEFI Management Centre in each block – primary health centres, community health centres, districts hospitals, private health facilities or any other fixed health facility with medical officers and para-medical staff as AEFI Management Centres,” he said, adding that every session sites would be linked to a designated AEFI Management Centres.

AEFI reporting will be done through Co-WIN, a digital platform for real-time monitoring of COVID-19 vaccine. It will enable people to get themselves registered for vaccination. (ANI)

Former President Pranab Mukherjee’s son Abhijit and daughter Sharmishtha have sparred over the publication of his last memoir which is slated for release next month.

While Abhijit Mukherjee has written a letter to the publishers to stop the publication of memoir without his written consent, Sharmishtha Mukherjee has requested her brother “not to create any unnecessary hurdles in the publication of the last book written by our father.”

She has also said the views expressed by Pranab Mukherjee are his own and “no one should try to stop it from being published for any cheap publicity”. “That would be the greatest disservice to our departed father,” she said. The spat between the two took place over twitter.

A small excerpt from the memoir ‘The Presidential Years’ had been released by Rupa Publications last week and was widely reported in the media. Pranab Mukherjee, who was president from 2012 to 2017, had died in August this year. The publication had said that the memoir will be released in coming January.

The small excerpt contained Pranab Mukherjee’s views on the party’s drubbing in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and had critical views on the handling of the Congress party and the government by Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Abhijit Mukherjee, a former Congress MP, made a series of tweets and termed the excerpts as “motivated” and asked the publisher to stop its publication of the memoir.

“I, the son of the author of the Memoir ‘The Presidential Memoirs’ request you to kindly stop the publication of the memoir as well as motivated excerpts which is already floating in certain media platforms without my written consent,” he said.

Abhijit said he wants to go through the final copy of the book before its publication and said his father would have done the same.

“Since my father is no more, I being his son want to go through the contents of the final copy of the book before it’s publication as I believe, had my father been alive today, he too would have done the same. Therefore, I being his son request you to immediately stop it’s publication without my written consent till I go through its contents! I have already sent you a detailed letter in this regard which will reach You soon! Regards,” he said.

Sharmistha, who is Congress spokesperson, however, strongly disagreed with her brother.

She also pointed out that the title of the book is ‘The Presidential Years’, not ‘The Presidential Memoirs’ as written by Abhijit.

“I, daughter of the author of the memoir ‘The Presidential Years’, request my brother not to create any unnecessary hurdles in publication of the last book written by our father. He completed the manuscript before he fell sick,” she said.

“The final draft contains my dads’ hand written notes and comments that have been strictly adhered to. The views expressed by him are his own & no one should try to stop it from being published for any cheap publicity. That would be the greatest disservice to our departed father. Btw bro, the title of the book is ‘The Presidential Years’, not ‘The Presidential Memoirs’,” she added.

The book will be the fourth volume of memoirs of the former President.

According to the excerpt, the former President has talked of the Congress debacle in the 2014 Lok Sabha election after 10 years of two UPA governments.

“Some members of the Congress have theorized that, had I become the PM in 2004, the party might have averted the 2014 Lok Sabha drubbing. Though I don’t subscribe to this view, I do believe that the party’s leadership lost political focus after my elevation as president. While Sonia Gandhi was unable to handle the affairs of the party, Dr Singh’s prolonged absence from the House put an end to any personal contact with other MPs,” the excerpt quotes him saying.

According to the excerpt, Pranab Mukherjee has also written that the overall state of the nation is reflective of the functioning of the Prime Minister and his administration.

“I believe that the moral authority to govern vests with the PM. The overall state of the nation is reflective of the functioning of the PM and his administration. While Dr Singh was preoccupied with saving the coalition, which took a toll on governance, Modi seemed to have employed a rather autocratic style of governance during his first term, as seen by the bitter relationship among the government, the legislature and the judiciary. Only time will tell if there is a better understanding on such matters in the second term of this government,” the excerpt quotes him saying.(ANI)

A Delhi court on Tuesday acquitted 36 foreigners in connection with a case related to attending Tablighi Jamaat religious congregation in Nizamuddin Markaz here amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Arun Kumar Garg acquitted the 36 people from 14 different countries of all charges levelled against them.

The 36 foreign nationals were facing charges under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Section 3 (disobeying regulation) of Epidemic Act, 1897, and Section 51 (obstruction) Disaster Management Act, 2005.

Around 955 foreign nationals were charge-sheeted by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police for participating in the Nizamuddin congregation in March this year, which allegedly had become an epicentre of coronavirus spread across the country.

So far, 48 chargesheets and 11 supplementary chargesheets have been filed in the matter. Earlier, trial courts in Delhi allowed hundreds of foreign nationals to walk free on plea bargaining process after they accepted mild charges in connection with the congregation cases. (ANI)

In a bid to enhance the firepower of its warships, the Indian Navy has moved a proposal to acquire 38 extended range BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles which would be able to hit targets at around 450 kilometres.

The missiles are to be fitted on the under-construction Vishakhapatnam class warships of the Indian Navy which are going to join active service in the near future.

“A Rs 1,800 crore proposal for acquiring 38 extended range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is with the Defence Ministry and is expected to be approved soon,” government sources told ANI.

The BrahMos would be the main strike weapon of the warships and is already installed on several warships of the maritime force.

The Indian Navy had also carried out the test firing of the Brahmos missile from its warship INS Chennai to showcase its capability to strike targets at ranges more than 400 km in high seas.

India is also working on finding export markets for the supersonic cruise missile which has been indigenised to a large extent by the DRDO under its project PJ 10.

After the launch of the joint venture between India and Russia in the late 90s, the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile has become a potent weapon for all three armed forces which are using them for different roles. (ANI)

Urging the government and farmers’ organisations to resolve the impasse over new agri laws, industry body ASSOCHAM said on Tuesday the ongoing protests are dealing a big blow to inter-connected economies of the region.

A daily loss of Rs 3,000 crores to 3,500 crores is resulting in economies of the region from the value chain and transport disruption because of protests, according to ASSOCHAM rough estimates.

Though the economies of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh are predominantly based on agriculture and horticulture, several industries like food processing, cotton textiles, automobile, farm machinery, IT have become their lifeline.

Besides, vibrant services sectors including tourism, trading, transport and hospitality, have added to the strength of the regions, known for their enterprising farmers, entrepreneurs and innovators.

”The size of the combined economies of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and J&K is about Rs 18 lakh crore. With the ongoing farmers’ agitation and blockade of roads, toll plazas and railways, the economic activities have come to a halt,” said ASSOCHAM President Niranjan Hiranandani.

“Industries like textiles, auto components, bicycles and sports goods which cater significantly to the export markets will not be able to fulfil their orders ahead of Christmas, harming the goodwill among global buyers,” he said in a statement.

ASSOCHAM Secretary General Deepak Sood said the supply chain disruptions are also taking a toll on retail prices of fruits and vegetables across the country as the region is a major producer of these items.

“Industries, farmers and also the consumers are paying a heavy price for the serious disruption in the supply chain. Ironically, these disruptions have come about when the economy had started unlocking from the COVID-19 impact,” he said. (ANI)

At a time when farmers are protesting against the three farm laws, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Tuesday that a conspiracy is going on in and around Delhi to confuse farmers.

The Prime Minister was speaking at Dhordo in Kutch, Gujarat during foundation stone laying ceremony of several development projects in the state. These projects include a desalination plant, a hybrid renewable energy park, and a fully automated milk processing and packing plant. Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani was present on the occasion.

“Farmers are being misled about the new agrarian reforms. They are being told that others will occupy their lands. The agriculture reforms that have taken place are exactly what farmer bodies and even Opposition have been asking over the years. Government of India is always committed to farmer welfare and we will keep assuring the farmers and addressing their concerns,” he said.

“People who are sitting in the opposition and misleading farmers today were in the favour of these farm reforms during their government. They could not make a decision during their government. Today when the nation has taken a historical step then these people are misleading farmers,” he added.

Remembering the 2001 earthquake in Kutch that caused huge destruction in the area, the Prime Minister said people of Kutch have turned disappointment into hope, and it is one of the fastest developing areas in the country today.

“Today Kutch has taken a big step towards new-age technology and new age economy. It is one of the fastest developing areas in the country. Connectivity is improving here day by day. People of Kutch turned disappointment into hope,’ PM Modi said.

He said that even a big earthquake couldn’t shatter the morale of Kutch residents and over the last 20 years, Gujarat introduced many farmer-friendly schemes.

“Everyone stood-up again after the quake and now look where have they taken Kutch…Gujarat was among the earliest to work on strengthening solar energy capacities…Today Kutch has the world’s largest hybrid renewal energy park. It is approximately as big a Singapore and Bahrain. It is built on 70,000 hectare land, larger than many big cities in the country,” the PM added.

The Prime Minister said India featured in the top three among 144 countries in the Clean Energy Investment rankings. He added, the country is showing a path to the entire world and leading the fight against climate change.

He also remembered Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 70th death anniversary and said the late leader’s statue in Kevadia district inspires the people of the country to work harder every day and take the country forward.

As per an official release of Prime Minister’s Office, PM will also undertake a visit to the White Rann and witness a cultural programme. (ANI)

Giving fans a glimpse of her gym session, Bollywood actor Taapsee Pannu on Tuesday dropped an aesthetic picture showcasing her chiselled physique on social media.

It seems like Bollywood actor Taapsee Pannu is leaving no stone unturned to keep up her body toned for the upcoming sports drama ‘Rashmi Rocket’.

The 33-year-old star shared a picture, working out in the gym, on her Instagram along with a caption that reads, “Bad hair day in a gym looks like ….. #oneMoreRep #RashmiRocket #AlmostThere”.

With one lakh likes on the post, the actor also got appreciations from Bollywood actors Dia Mirza and Tisca Chopra in the comments section. Where, Dia wrote, “No one is looking at the hair,” using fire and flexed shoulder emoticons; Tisca took a fancy to Taapsee’s muscles and wrote, “Girl those muscles,” with a heart exclamation emoticon.

The fitness maniac is currently working her fingers to the bone for her upcoming sports flick ‘Rashmi Rocket’ which she actively posts on her social media for her fans.

Directed by Akarsh Khurana and co-produced by Ronnie Screwvala, Neha Anand, and Pranjal Khandhdiya, the sports-drama that chronicles the story of a girl Rashmi and her journey from a tiny village to athletic contests is expected to release sometime in 2021. (ANI)

Since last year, China has been introducing new policies to promote the centralised and large-scale transfer of ‘rural surplus labourers’ to parts of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), as well as other provinces of the People’s Republic of China in repeated attempts to change the demography of the region.

The policy mandates that the pastoralists and farmers are to be subjected to centralised “military-style” vocational training, which aims to reform “backward thinking”, while also including training in the Chinese language, and training in “work discipline”, according to a report by Adrian Zenz in The Jamestown Foundation.

The draconian system of the policy shows a disturbing number of similarities to the system of coercive vocational training and labour transfer suffered by Uyghur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang.

Furthermore, it is likely that these policies will promote a long-term loss of linguistic, cultural and spiritual heritage, given the context of Beijing’s ethnic minority policy.

In Tibet’s Chamdo region, militarised training regimen is supervised by Chinese Armed Police drill sergeants, while training photos depict Tibetan trainees dressed as military fatigues.

The recruitments of such trainees involve village-based work teams and a social control mechanism used in Xinjiang to identify Uyghurs to be sent to internment camps. Key policy documents also inform that cadres who fail to achieve mandated quotas are subject to ‘strict punishments’.

The report stated that the goal of the scheme is to achieve Chinese President Xi Jinping’s goal of eradicating absolute poverty by increasing rural disposable incomes.

From 2012, the Chamdo region initiated a ‘military-style training for surplus labour force transfer for pastoral and agricultural regions’, and by 2016, the region had established 45 related vocational training bases.

This scheme has numerous similarities to Xinjiang’s training practices, such as a high-powered focus on mobilising a ‘reticent’ minority group to change their traditional livelihood mode and employ military-style management to produce discipline and obedience, further reported The Jamestown Foundation.

In the first seven months of this year, Tibet trained 543,000 rural surplus labourers, out of which 49,900 were transferred to other parts of the region and 3,109 to other parts of China.

The report stated that there were clear elements of coercion during the trainees’ recruitment, training and job matching, as documents describe poverty alleviation as a ‘battlefield’, with huge pressure on local governments to round up poor populations and feed them into the scheme.

The training plan also establishes strict administrative procedures, and mandates the establishment of dedicated workgroups and the involvement of top leadership cadres, to ensure that the target tasks are completed on schedule.

Another troubling aspect of the training plan is the directive to promote a “poverty alleviation industry” scheme by which local nomads and farmers are asked to hand over their land and herds to large-scale, state-run cooperatives, in order to increase the disposable incomes of nomads and farmers through share dividends and by turning them into wage labourers.

“As with the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, overcoming Tibetans’ resistance to labor transfer is an integral part of the entire mechanism,” said The Jamestown Foundation.

Such a radical transformation is not achieved without encountering resistance from the locals. A government report from Shuanghu County stated that during the early stages, most herders were not enthusiastic about participating in the program, after which the county government organised cadres to deeply penetrate township and village households, and convened meetings to mobilise people.

“Given that this scheme severs the long-standing connection between Tibetans and their traditional livelihood bases, its explicit inclusion in the militarized vocational training and labour transfer policy context is of great concern,” said The Jamestown Foundation in its report.

While some Tibetans may voluntarily participate in several aspects of the training scheme, the presence of clear indicators of coercion and indoctrination, along with a potentially permanent change in the livelihoods is a matter of high concern, according to the report.

Since its forceful settlement of Tibet, the CCP has relentlessly pushed for the persecution of religion, especially Tibetan Buddhism. By employing its state machinery, it has executed several campaigns to meet its objective, each being more brutal and oppressive than the last. (ANI)

As farmer protests continue on the borders of the national capital, Congress leader PL Punia, on Tuesday, said that the Centre is trying to end the unity of the agitating farmers.

Speaking to ANI, the Congress leader said, “20 days have been completed in this farmer protest. The people of India, unlike the Centre, are supporting the agitation. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Centre are trying to demolish the image of this protest.”

He said that the Centre is trying to end the unity of protesting farmers.

“Farmers’ hunger strike at Delhi borders was a success. Farmers are trying not to associate with any political party’s agenda. This protest is in the interest of the farmers in the long run. The Centre is just trying to end their unity,” Punia said.

Farmers have been protesting on different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws- Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The Central government has held several rounds of talks with farmers’ organisations over the past few days in an effort to resolve the issue. (ANI)