Month: January 2021

Farmers protesting at the Singhu Border burnt copies of the three central farm laws on Wednesday in a symbolic way during the Lohri festival.

Lohri marks the beginning of the new harvest season and it’s one of the most widely celebrated festivals of Punjab.

Protesting farmers at the Ghazipur border also burned copies of the three farm laws on this occasion.

Farmers have been protesting at the different borders of the national capital since November last year, 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.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of three farm laws and asked the committee formed by it concerning the laws to submit its report within two months.

The court said the first sitting of the committee, formed to listen to the grievances of farmers and views of the government, should be held within 10 days. (ANI)

The Chinese Sinovac vaccine has been found to be far less effective than vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, according to a Brazil government statement on Tuesday, which raised questions about the lack of transparency of Chinese-made vaccines.

The efficacy of the Chinese-made vaccine was 50.38 per cent in Brazil’s late-stage trials.

While the number exceeds the threshold required for regulatory approval, it falls far below the 78 per cent previously announced, raising questions as to the veracity of the data and fueling skepticism over the apparent lack of transparency regarding Chinese vaccines, CNN reported.

The Butantan Institute, which has been conducting the trials in Brazil, announced that the vaccine had a 78 per cent efficacy against mild to serve COVID-19 cases.

“The Butantan Institute and the Government of Sao Paulo reported that the coronavirus vaccine achieved a 50.38 per cent overall efficacy rate in the clinical study conducted in Brazil, in addition to (an efficacy rate of) 78 per cent for mild cases and 100 per cent for moderate and severe cases of Covid-19. All rates are higher than the 50 per cent level required by the WHO (World Health Organization),” according to a statement published by the government of Sao Paulo.

The Sinovac vaccine is also less effective than its domestic Chinese competitor, developed by the state-owned Sinopharm, which it says is 79.34 per cent effective, CNN reported.

“Regarding the overall efficacy of the analysis, we met the requirements of the WHO with 50.38 per cent,” CNN quoted Ricardo Palacios, medical director for clinical research at the Butantan biomedical center in Sao Paulo as saying.

Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the US-based Council on Foreign Relations, described the 50.38 per cent efficacy of the Sinovac vaccine as a “disappointing” result.

Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine is 91 per cent effective, while the United Kingdom’s vaccine, developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, has an average efficacy of 70 per cent.

According to CNN, the Chinese Sinovac vaccine has signed deals to provide 46 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine to Brazil. (ANI)

Eleven coal miners from Hazara community were killed in a brutal attack in Balochistan last month and the members of the community continue to be targeted due to Pakistan’s appeasement of anti-Shia militancy.

The Diplomat writes that the Hazaras have been victims of ethnic cleansing and pogroms in the region for almost two centuries since they were recruited in the First Anglo-Afghan War in 1839.

After the 9/11 attacks in the US, the Hazara population of Balochistan has been regularly targeted by Taliban and anti-Shia outfits such as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP). The two groups have now been turned into political fronts after military ruler Pervez Musharraf was globally pressured into outlawing numerous jihadist groups.

In the next decade, the Hazara population in Pakistan saw its worst bout of terror, with back-to-back bombings in Quetta at the start of 2013 that killed at least 165 people. In the period from 2012 to 2017, over 500 Hazaras were killed in terror attacks in Balochistan alone. Over 2,000 Pakistani Hazaras have been killed since 2004.

After a series of terror attacks targeting the local Hazaras in 2018, the community members went on a hunger strike, which ended after reassurances from Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. However, less than a year after Bajwa’s promises, a bomb blast in Quetta’s Hazarganji area killed at least 20 people and wounded 48 others.

Attacks on the Hazaras continued in 2020 with the latest instance being the massacre in which 11 coal miners were killed. The incident pushed the community once again to demand what has been repeatedly promised.

Most of the attacks against the Shia Hazaras and even other religious minorities like the Christian communities in Balochistan have been perpetuated by the LeJ and the Islamic State, writes Kunwar Khuldune Shahid for The Diplomat.

The Islamic State, responsible for attacks such as the Quetta hospital bombing in 2016, Bethel Memorial Methodist Church attack in 2017 and Mastung rally blast in 2018, has upheld the anti-Shia jihadist policy of fellow ideologues like LeJ, with the Hazara community being its most vulnerable prey, writes The Diplomat.

LeJ and the Islamic State immediately converged after the latter announced its Khorasan faction in the region in 2015. The convergence started with the Safoora Chowrangi massacre in Karachi, in which 46 Ismaili Shia were killed, The Diplomat reported.

The Pakistan state has been simultaneously allowing anti-Shia hysteria to be propagated across the country during the last year even as attacks against the minority community continued in the country.

The Punjab Assembly passed the anti-Shia Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam (Protection of Foundation of Islam) Bill in July, and anti-Shia rallies in urban centers like Karachi have been permitted. The state was a bystander at best, and an accomplice at worst, in gory Sunni supremacism, says The Diplomat.

A wide array of causes, such as Saudi subservience, political parties forming Islamist electoral alliances and the Pakistani military creating Islamist pressure groups against civilian rulers, has led to the country adopting a decades-old policy of appeasement towards anti-Shia militancy.

The Pakistan Army has also actively deployed groups like LeJ to counter insurgency in Balochistan. Furthermore, given the jihadism long endorsed by the military, there are many sympathizers of anti-Shia terror outfits within the Army ranks as well.

The army chief Bajwa and Prime Minister Imran Khan have both underscored how the military and intelligence have fueled anti-Shia radicalism in Pakistan.

During the army chief’s meeting with Hazara protestors in April 2018, Bajwa even conceded the possibility of military collaborators in attacks on the community, saying “such a mindset has existed in the institution for 40 years.”

Pakistan is unlikely to abandon its ‘strategic assets’ or the jihadist infrastructure that make it an inalienable stakeholder in the lucrative theatre of bloodshed and militancy along the Af-Pak border, even as the US continues peace talks with the Taliban, writes The Diplomat.

Following the massacre of the coal miners in December last year, Imran Khan was widely criticised on social media as amidst countrywide protests and rising political pressure, he suggested that the protesters were “blackmailing” him by refusing to bury their loved ones until he visits them, Dawn reported.

Pakistan opposition has also condemned Imran Khan for his remarks, calling him a “stone-hearted man”. (ANI)

In a bid to revive centuries-old Kashmiri art form known as “Ladishah”, Syed Areej Safvi, a 25-year-old woman hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, performs the traditional folk ballad to tell tales in a satirical and humorous way.

Safvi writes and performs Ladishah, which makes commentaries on social and political conditions in the society. Humour forms an essential part of its presentation.

For hundreds of years, this storytelling musical genre was performed only by men and but now Safvi has taken the mantle to revive this art form.

Talking about her journey, Safvi said she has written all of her Ladishah’s in Delhi but told tales of Kashmir. “I stay in Delhi but my heart stays in Kashmir. I am always updated on what is happening in Kashmir,” she said.

Safvi said that confidence is essential for performing this art form. “Performing Ladishah is unlike giving speech or singing. It is part of a traditional folk ballad. If a one does not have confidence one cannot perform this art form,” she told ANI.

From her school days itself, Safvi was into extracurricular activities like debating and acting which later led her towards Ladishah.

“From my school days itself, I was into extracurricular like debating and acting. I have won several awards at the national level in these activities. …After my graduation, I leaned towards public speaking and writing. I love to write. I love poetry as well. And through ‘Ladishah,’ I got a common platform for all my talents,” she said.

On the history of Ladishah, Safvi said that not much literature is available on this subject. “Certain reports say that there used to be an old man who used to spread social commentaries from one village to another in a humorous and sarcastic way. Other reports say that this person came from either from Pulwama or Sopore. His surname was Shah. And hence came the name.”

Emphasising her aim to revive the art form, she said, “I am the first lady of this generation who performs Ladishah. I don’t see any person from my generation who performs this art. My foremost task is to revive this art form.”

Safvi said she is trying to give Ladishah a wider audience and make people realise how this art form is part of the rich cultural heritage of Kashmir.

“I want to do this full time and I need support for this from the administration because I am not doing this for my own good. This is something associated with Kashmir and this is a part of its culture that I want to take forward,” she said. (ANI)

In a major boost for Make in India in defence, the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the largest indigenous defence procurement deal worth about Rs 48,000 crores to buy 83 LCA Tejas Mark1A fighter jets.

The deal to be signed in the next few days with HAL would strengthen the Indian Air Force’s fleet of homegrown fighter jet ‘LCA-Tejas’ and overall combat capability.

“The CCS chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi today approved the largest indigenous defence procurement deal worth about Rs 48000 crores to strengthen IAF’s fleet of homegrown fighter jet ‘LCA-Tejas’. This deal will be a game-changer for self-reliance in the Indian defence manufacturing,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted to announce the final approval given to the mega deal.

The deal would be a major boost for the IAF and help it to arrest the fall in the number of its fighter aircraft squadrons.

Light Combat Aircraft Mk-1A variant is an indigenously designed, developed and manufactured state-of-the-art modern 4+ generation fighter aircraft. This aircraft, which is equipped with critical operational capabilities of Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Missile, Electronic Warfare (EW) Suite and Air to Air Refuelling (AAR), would be a potent platform to meet the operational requirements of Indian Air Force.

It is the first “Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)” category procurement of combat aircraft with an indigenous content of 50 per cent which will progressively reach 60 per cent by the end of the programme.

The Cabinet has also approved infrastructure development by IAF under the project to enable it to handle repairs or servicing at their base depot so that the turnaround time would get reduced for mission-critical systems and would lead to the increased availability of aircraft for operational exploitation.

This would enable IAF to sustain the fleet more efficiently and effectively due to the availability of repair infrastructure at respective bases.

The indigenous Tejas fighter plane had been praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech last year.

The initial version of LCA has already joined the Air Force. While the first squadron of the planes is of the Initial Operational Clearance version, the second 18 Squadron ‘Flying Bullets’ is of the Final Operational Clearance version and was operationalized by the IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria at the Sulur airbase on May 27 last year.

The deal for the 83 LCA Mark1A aircraft has been made possible by the efforts done by the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar when he got the specifications approved in the Defence Acquisition Council. (ANI)

The Border Security Force (BSF) has detected two tunnels here in Kathua and Sambha districts on Wednesday.

“Border Security Force detects a tunnel along the international border in Hiranagar sector of Kathua. More details awaited,” officials said.

In another tweet, the BSF said, “Alert BSF troops detected a tunnel in the Samba Sector of Jammu; thwarting the nefarious designs of Pakistan.”

This news comes around a time when Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat is on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

Rawat on Tuesday called on Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhawan here.

He was accompanied by Army Commander of Northern Command, Lieutenant General YK Joshi.

Yesterday, Bipin Rawat and YK Joshi had visited the Ladakh sector and reviewed operational preparedness at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). (ANI)

The Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) has issued a fact-sheet to answer frequently asked questions (FAQs) that vaccine beneficiaries might have. The factsheet details information that would enable recipients to understand the benefits and common side-effects of the Covishield vaccine, to prevent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2.

What is the Covishield vaccine?

The Covishield is approved for restricted use in emergency situation vaccine that may prevent COVID-19 disease in individuals 18 years of age and older.

What should you mention to your healthcare provider before you get Covishield vaccine?

Tell the healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including:

• If you have ever had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) after any drug, food, any vaccine or any ingredients of COVISHIELD(tm) vaccine
• If you have fever
• If you have a bleeding disorder or are on a blood thinner
• If you are immunocompromised or are on a medicine that affects your immune system
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• If you are breastfeeding
• If you have received another COVID-19 vaccine, you should consult your healthcare provider before deciding to take the vaccine.

Who should get the Covishield vaccine?

Covishield vaccine has been approved for restricted use in emergency situation in individuals 18 years of age and older.

Who should not get the Covishield vaccine?

You should not get the Covishield vaccine if you:

• Had a severe allergic reaction after a previous dose of this vaccine
• Had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient of this vaccine.

What are the ingredients in the Covishield vaccine?

The Covishield vaccine includes the following ingredients:

L-Histidine, L-Histidine hydrochloride monohydrate, Magnesium chloride hexahydrate, Polysorbate 80, Ethanol, Sucrose, Sodium chloride, Disodium edetate dihydrate (EDTA), Water for injection.

If you receive one dose of the Covishield vaccine, then the second dose should be administered between 4 to 6 weeks after the first dose. However, there is data available for administration of the second dose up to 12 weeks after the first dose from the overseas studies.

If you miss your second dose

If you forget to go back at the scheduled time, ask your healthcare provider for advice. It is important that you return for your second dose of Covishield vaccine.

Has the Covishield vaccine been used before?

The Covishield(tm) is used in clinical trials, a number of participants received one or two doses in overseas and Indian trials.

What are the benefits of the Covishield vaccine?

In ongoing clinical trials, the Covishield vaccine has been shown to prevent COVID-19 disease following 2 doses given between 4 and 12 weeks apart. The duration of protection against COVID-19 disease is currently unknown.

You may get protective immune response 4 weeks after the second dose of Covishield vaccine.

What are the risks of the Covishield vaccine?

Side effects that have been reported with the Covishield vaccine include:

Very Common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)

• Tenderness, pain, warmth, redness, itching, swelling or bruising where the injection is given
• Generally feeling unwell
• Feeling tired (fatigue)
• Chills or feeling feverish
• Headache
• Feeling sick (nausea)
• Joint pain or muscle ache

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

• A lump at the injection site
• Fever
• Being sick (vomiting)
• Flu-like symptoms, such as high temperature, sore throat, runny nose, cough and chills

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)

• Feeling dizzy
• Decreased appetite
• Abdominal pain
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Excessive sweating, itchy skin or rash

These may not be all the possible side effects of the Covishield vaccine. Serious and unexpected side effects may occur. Covishield vaccine is still being studied in clinical trials.

What should I do about side effects?

If you experience a severe allergic reaction, call or go to the nearest hospital. Call the healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away. In addition, you can report side effects after vaccination to Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd who is the manufacturer of Covishield vaccine as below.

• 24 x 7 Call Center Toll-Free Number (For Medical and Adverse Event Related Queries Only):

+91-1800 1200124

• pharmacovigilance@seruminstitute.com

What if I decide not to get the Covishield vaccine?

It is your choice to receive or not receive the Covishield vaccine. You may prefer to consult your healthcare provider.

Can I receive the Covishield vaccine with other vaccines?

There is no information on the use of the Covishield vaccine with other vaccines.

What if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?

You may discuss your options with the healthcare provider.

Will The Covishield vaccine give me Covid-19 infection?

No. The Covishield COVID-19 vaccine does not contain SARS-CoV-2 and cannot give you COVID-19 infection.

(ANI)