Month: February 2022

Karnataka High Court’s single bench of Justice Krishna Dixit referred petitions challenging the ban on hijab in colleges to a larger bench on Wednesday.

The Court also said that a plea relating to seeking interim relief will also be considered by a larger bench.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Karnataka High Court appealed student community and the public at large to maintain peace and tranquillity while hearing various pleas challenging a ban on hijab in the state.

The HC’s appeal came after the Advocate General apprised the court that there are some parallel agitations.

Advocate General urged the High Court to issue an interim order that there should be no public protests or demonstrations.

Appearing for petitioners, Senior Advocate Devadatt Kamat, also apprised the Court about a video where a girl in hijab was being chased by boys. He also said that it agreed with Advocate General that law and order should be maintained and assured that as far as petitioners are concerned, they will not hold any protests on the streets.

Advocate General said that since the court is already ceased the matter, the law should not be taken in hand by anyone.

The Court said that it requests the student community and the public at large to maintain peace and tranquillity. “This Court has full faith in the wisdom and virtue of public at large and it hopes that the same would be put to practice,” the Court said.

The Hijab protests in the state began in January this year when some students at the Government Girls PU college in Udupi district in Karnataka alleged that they had been barred from attending classes. During the protests, some students claimed they were denied entry into the college for wearing hijab.

Following this incident, students of different colleges arrived at Shanteshwar Education Trust in Vijayapura wearing saffron stoles. The situation was the same in several colleges in the Udipi district

The pre-University education board had released a circular stating that students can wear only the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious practices will be allowed in colleges.

Following these protests, a three-day holiday from February 9 has been declared in all the universities under the Department of Higher Education and colleges under the department of Collegiate and Technical Education (DCTE).

On Tuesday, the Karnataka High Court also appealed to the student community and the public at large to maintain peace and tranquillity while hearing various pleas challenging a ban on hijab in the state. (ANI)

Karnataka Police on Wednesday prohibited gatherings, agitations or protests of any type within the area of 200-metre radius from the gates of schools, PU colleges, degree colleges or other similar educational institutions in Bengaluru city for a time period of two weeks with immediate effect, following developments around the hijab controversy in the state.

The order will remain in effect till February 22.
The official order read, “Kamal Pant, IPS, Commissioner of Police and Additional District Magistrate, Bengaluru City, hereby prohibit any gathering, agitation or protest of any type within the area of 200 mtrs radius from the gate(s) of the Schools, PU Colleges, Degree Colleges or other similar Educational Institutions in Bengaluru City, for a period of two weeks with immediate effect i.e. from 9-2-2022 to 22-2-2022.”

The order highlighted that, in the last few days, protests and agitations have been held in connection with strict enforcement of schools/colleges Uniform Rules. “Whereas, at some places, these protests have lead to violence, disturbing public peace and order. Since the possibility of similar agitations/ protests being held in Bengaluru city cannot be ruled, it is very essential to initiate proper security measures to maintain public peace and order in Bengaluru city,” it read.

The Hijab protests began in January this year when some students at the Government Girls PU college in Udupi district in Karnataka alleged that they had been barred from attending classes. During the protests, some students claimed they were denied entry into the college for wearing hijab.

Following this incident, students of different colleges arrived at Shanteshwar Education Trust in Vijayapura wearing saffron stoles. The situation was the same in several colleges in the Udipi district

The pre-University education board had released a circular stating that students can wear only the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious practices will be allowed in colleges.

Following these protests, a three-day holiday from February 9 has been declared in all the universities under the Department of Higher Education and colleges under the department of Collegiate and Technical Education (DCTE).

On Tuesday, the Karnataka High Court also appealed to the student community and the public at large to maintain peace and tranquillity while hearing various pleas challenging a ban on hijab in the state. (ANI)

Social activist and Gandhian Anna Hazare announced an indefinite hunger strike from February 14 over the Maharashtra government’s decision to sell wine in supermarkets and walk-in stores.

Hazare has written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister announcing the hunger strike.
“If the government does not take back the decision to sell wine considering the sentiments of the workers and the people across the state, then we have to agitate…I will have to start an indefinite hunger strike from February 14 at the Yadav Baba temple at Ralegan Siddhi,” stated the letter.

“The decision appears to have been taken solely in view of the growing revenue of the state and the interests of wine growers and sellers. But the government does not seem to think that this decision can lead to young children becoming addicted to young people and women may also suffer due this decision,” it added.

Hazare said that he has already sent two ‘reminder letters’ to the Chief Minister over the issue but no reply has been received yet.

Hazare also informed in the letter that a meeting of like-minded activists of various social organizations in the state will be held at Ralegan Siddhi soon. “At that time the direction of the movement will be decided,” said the letter.

Maharashtra government has cleared a proposal to sell wine in supermarkets and walk-in stores across the state at a flat annual licensing fee of Rs 5,000.

According to the state cabinet, the decision is aimed at ensuring a more accessible marketing channel for Indian wineries. (ANI)

Nearly 50,000 paramilitary personnel from 412 companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed at different locations to maintain poll-bound state’s law and order as the election campaign for the first phase of assembly polls in western Uttar Pradesh ended on Tuesday evening.

The police have sealed the borders of the State and strict vigilance is underway to maintain peace in 58 assembly constituencies which will go for polling on Thursday.

“The highest deployment will be seen in Muzaffarnagar, Aligarh and Meerut. In Mathura alone, 75 coys of paramilitary have been deployed and the total force deployed is 21,000 in this constituency,” the security officials told ANI about the deployment of troops in sensitive areas.

The officials also informed that thorough vigilance is being done at the state borders of both Haryana and Rajasthan where police officials are listing the car numbers. Amidst tight security, polling officers and the teams have started assembling at Krishi Utpanna Bajar Samiti to collect all the required election materials since 7 am on Wednesday.

“There will be movement of force throughout and voting will be held amidst tight security. Duty cards were allotted. The liquor shops have been closed for 48 hours and will open only once the voting is over,” the officials added.

Moreover, if hoardings, banners or posters of candidates will be seen within a radius of two hundred meters of the polling booths it will be taken down immediately. At the election booths, candidates who will put more than three by four and a half feet banner will be considered as a violation of the Model code of conduct, the official said.

Earlier, the governments of all the poll-bound states have been instructed not to misuse the official machinery.

Shamli, Mathura, Agra, Muzaffarnagar, Bagpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr and Aligarh will go for polling tomorrow.

In Uttar Pradesh, elections will be held in 403 assembly seats in seven phases from February 10 to March 7. The votes will be counted on March 10.

The term of the current assemblies in Uttar Pradesh will expire on 14 March 2022. (ANI)

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Elamaram Kareem has written to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urging him to intervene “on unfortunate incidents happening in Karnataka” saying that Muslim girl students in Udupi are being “deprived of their right to attend classes” for wearing Hijab.

“You may kindly note the fact that an unnecessary controversy is being created in the state with an intention to make communal polarisation” CPI(M) MP alleged in his letter.
He said the issue began with some government educational institutions in the Udupi district not allowing the students wearing Hijab from entering the campus.

“This has resulted in widespread protest among the Muslim community. Till now the Muslim girls were wearing the headscarves without any objection. It was disallowed saying that they are not following the common dress code,” the letter said.

“It is completely a misleading statement. The students have been wearing Hijab along with the uniform for so many years. In some educational institutions, the colour of the headscarf is also prescribed for the students to follow uniformity in the dress code. In other words, for decades there was no controversy. This is being deliberately manufactured to cause division and arouse communal sentiments,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.

He said it was expected that the state government will take initiatives to curb this fuming controversy by retaining the status quo, but the same has not happened.

“I would request you not to deprive Muslim girls of their right to education and their right to attend classes by wearing headscarves as they have been doing till this controversy erupted,” he said.

“The right of students to attend classes should be the primary concern and it should be protected at any cost. Any move to spread hatred and division among the people should also be dealt with stringent measures. In this scenario, I am requesting your urgent intervention on this matter,” he added.

The Hijab protests began on February 4 at the Government Girls PU college in Udupi district when some students alleged that they had been barred from attending classes.

Protests have erupted in several parts of Karnataka. Following these protests, a three-day holiday from February 9 has been declared in all the universities under the Department of Higher Education and colleges under the department of Collegiate and Technical Education (DCTE) in the state. (ANI)

The Centre has paid a compensation of Rs 808 crore to families of 1,616 deceased healthcare workers from 33 states and UTs, who were involved in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

The Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19 was launched on March 30, 2020, to provide comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs 50 Lakh to 22.12 lakh health care providers including community health workers and private health workers who may have been in direct contact and care of COVID-19 patients and may be at risk of being impacted by this.

“201 compensation claims amounting to Rs 100.5 crore had been paid in Maharashtra, 160 claims amounting to Rs 80 crore were paid in Andhra Pradesh and 134 claims amounting to Rs 67 crore were paid to Uttar Pradesh,” said Mandaviya.

Responding to a question by Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien, Mandaviya said though states were to keep disaggregated records, only a handful shared such records with the Centre when asked.

The Union Minister said that only six out of 36 states and union territories maintain separate records of health workers who died due to COVID-19 in the last two years.

These states are Maharashtra and Gujarat, along with Sikkim, Chandigarh, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura.

“COVID-19 has so far claimed the lives of 67 doctors, 19 nurses in Maharashtra. 20 doctors, 20 nurses, 6 ambulance drivers, and 128 paramedics have lost their lives due to COVID-19 in Gujarat,” he said.

“Health is a State subject. The government of India has maintained data of total cases and deaths as reported by States/UTs on a regular basis. Disaggregated data by profession is required to be maintained by the States. Accordingly, Union Government has requested States/UTs to furnish the requisite details. In response, details from a few States/UTs have been received and are submitted,” he said.

The Health Minister said that private hospital staff/retired/ volunteer/local urban bodies/contract/daily wage/ad-hoc/outsourced staff requisitioned by states/central hospitals/autonomous hospitals of central/states/UTs, AIIMS and Institute of National Importance (INI)/hospitals of Central Ministries specifically drafted for the care of COVID-19 patients are also covered under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP).

He further said that the PMGKP Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19 was extended from time to time and was last extended was for a period of 180 days with effect from October 20, 2021. (ANI)

India reported 71,365 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday.

The active caseload mounted to 8,92,828, which is 2.11 per cent of the total COVID-19 cases reported so far.
The daily positivity rate in the country dropped to 4.54 per cent while the weekly positivity rate also dipped to 7.57 per cent.

As many as 1,217 people lost their lives due to coronavirus, taking the death toll to 5,05,279.

According to the health ministry, as many as 1,72,211 recoveries were reported in the last 24 hours taking the total recoveries to 4,10,12,869. The recovery rate of the country is at 96.70 per cent.

A total of 15,71,726 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. Over 74.46 crore tests have been conducted so far in the country, said the ministry.

Meanwhile, under the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive, 170.87 (1,70,87,06,705) crore vaccine doses have been administered so far. (ANI)

In the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive, over 5 crore children aged between 15-18 years have received the first dose of the vaccine, said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday.

Taking to Twitter, he shared the achievement of the country while extending greetings and said that country’s youths are fighting the pandemic with full vigour.
“Congratulations to the youth power. More than 5 crore youth in the age group of 15-18 got the first dose of the vaccine. Young India is fighting the pandemic with full vigour. Great going, my young friends!” he tweeted with the hashtag ‘SabkoVaccineMuftVaccine’.

Notably, the vaccination drive for those aged between 15-18 years commenced on January 3 this year.

Meanwhile, India’s cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage exceeded 170.21 crores on Tuesday morning.

The Ministry said that more than 168.08 crore vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through the government’s free-of-cost channel and through direct state procurement category. More than 11.81 crore balance and unutilized COVID vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered, it added.

The nationwide COVID-19 vaccination was started on January 16, 2021. (ANI)