The Omicron variant does not escape RT-PCR and rapid antigen testing (RAT), the Centre has underlined while advising states to immediately ramp up testing. A senior official said 764 samples were genome-sequenced between November 26 and November 30 and no case of the Omicron variant was detected till Tuesday.
A confrontation over the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha opposition MPs ensured Parliament remained stalled on Tuesday with Rajya Sabha chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu refusing to reconsider his decision and opposition parties staging a walk out in protest even as they forced adjournments in the Lok Sabha.
BSF director general Pankaj Kumar Singh on Tuesday said the “demographic balance has been upset to a great degree” over a period of time in border states like Assam and West Bengal and the Centre possibly extended the border force’s jurisdiction to 50 km in these states and Punjab so that it could help and coordinate with state police to catch hold of infiltrators.
A day after repeal of the three farm laws in Parliament, the government on Tuesday informally reached out to protesting farmer unions seeking five names of their representatives for a proposed committee, which is to be constituted to deliberate on different issues, including minimum support price (MSP).
A meeting of 32 farm groups was held at Singhu border on Monday. BKU Ekta Dakaunda president Buta Singh Burjgill and BKU Kadian president Harmeet Singh Kadian said an emergency meeting of 42 representatives from Punjab and other states — who used to participate in talks with the Centre — will be held on December 1 to formally discuss the issue of protests at Delhi borders. They refused to comment on the longevity of their struggle but hinted at lifting it after December 1.
National grid operator POSOCO (Power System Operation Corporation) has red flagged overdrawing of electricity by five northern states, a practice that had precipitated the world’s largest blackout in history by affecting half of India’s population for almost 48 hours in 2012.
n a hard hitting judgment, the Supreme Court on Monday said that mere change of regime cannot lead to mindless cancellation of public contracts entered into by the previous regime by parroting the specious grounds of public interest, loss to public exchequer and irregularities.
The share of government spending in total health expenditure increased significantly to 40.8% in 2017-18, up from 32.4% in previous year, and went up from 28.6% in 2013-14 during the UPA regime, the National Health Accounts estimates show. The findings show government spending on health as a share of total government expenditure increased to 5.1% from 3.7% between 2013-14 and 2017-18, indicating higher investments in the sector as compared to previous years.
As many people who lost their dear ones to Covid-19 have not filed an application for compensation, the Supreme Court on Monday said that online portals should be created by all states so that people can apply online and upload documents instead of going to the office of collector and district authorities.
With the emergence of the Omicron variant, public health experts want laboratories to conduct RT-PCR tests in whole for all the three genes, particularly on international travellers, to help detect the absence of the ‘S’ gene. Maharashtra state task force member Dr Shashank Joshi on Monday told TOI that a complete RT-PCR report for Covid included that of the ‘N’ , ‘S’ , ‘E’ and ‘ORF’ genes.
Expressing support for Africa, which has been rattled by the discovery of Covid-19 variant Omicron, the government on Monday announced it had cleared all orders placed so far by the UN-backed Covax programme for supplies of Covishield vaccines, including to African countries like Malawi, Ethiopia, Zambia, Mozambique, Guinea and Lesotho. The government expressed solidarity in a statement with countries, particularly in Africa, that have so far been affected by Omicron.
Shifting focus of anti-air pollution drive to the states, the Supreme Court on Monday gave a 48-hour ultimatum to Delhi, Haryana, UP, Rajasthan and Punjab to execute directions of the Commission on Air Quality Management in the NCR. It said failure to do so will force the court to set up an implementation force. The direction came after SG Tushar Mehta said that the commission had in September directed the states to take measures in anticipation of rise in pollution.
Isro has been actively considering creation of new infrastructure to cater India’s human spaceflight programme, including for its first mission Gaganyaan in Gujarat. No formal decision is made as of November 29. Isro chief K Sivan said, “Gaganyaan is much bigger involving many national agencies and labs. For optimal utilisation of resources and considering various technical aspects and human safety, it’s necessary to spread facilities across many places. It’s a creation of new infrastructure.”
Amid mounting fear over the new SARS-COV2 variant Omicron, an expert committee on Covid immunisation is considering to recommend an “additional dose” to those who are immunocompromised or are elderly and at high risk of infection or death due to Covid-19 infection, an official source said. A final decision on the issue will be taken by NTAGI next week, which will be then considered by the health ministry for approval.
If their passage was contentious and unleashed a trail of tumultuous events, the burial of the three farm sector reform laws was not a quiet affair either. On the opening day of winter session of Parliament on Monday, the government secured approval of both Houses for the repeal amid protests by the opposition parties which insisted on a debate.
CJI N V Ramana, a diabetic for 30 years, said governments should provide “support and subsidy for diabetic care” as the cost of getting treated for this life-long disease is beyond the reach of common patients. Justice Ramana said scientists could find vaccine for Covid within months but there has been no breakthrough in curing diabetes for centuries and that it has to be managed by observing a strict restrictive regimen for control of sugar levels, diet and lifestyle.
Turning the spotlight on the importance of startups, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the country, in a way, is leading in the world in this domain and this could be a turning point in India’s growth story. The country now has more than 70 startups or unicorns that have crossed the $1-billion valuation.
In view of the possible threat that Omicron can pose to the country, the Centre has further beefed up preparations. The health ministry advised states and UTs to immediately focus on intensive containment, active surveillance, increased vaccination coverage as well as enforcement of Covid appropriate behaviour.
All international passengers, except those under five years of age, flying into India from Covid at-risk countries must undergo RT-PCR test on arrival, starting from 12.01am (IST) of December 1, 2021. This will include those transiting from these places too. Those testing negative must home quarantine for seven days and then re-test on the eighth day.
Sixty-two residents of an old age home in Bhiwandi, including 55 inmates, five staffers and two of their relatives, have tested positive for Covid-19, district health officials informed on Sunday. Another five inmates who are suspected to be infected have also been hospitalised. The area has been declared a containment zone. Importantly, 60 of the 62 infected were fully vaccinated, the health department said.
The newly emerged variant of concern B.1.1.529 (Omicron) may not respond to monoclonal antibody therapy or cocktail treatment, experts fear. Based on preliminary analysis of Omicron infections in South Africa and elsewhere, experts suggest that it has six times higher potential to spread (R value) than the Delta variant that had triggered the second wave in India. It could also evade the immune system. It may also cause vaccine breakthrough infections.
A BJP landslide buried the opposition in the Tripura civic polls on Sunday, with 329 out of the 334 seats at stake in 13 urban local bodies going to the saffron party in a poll that both Trinamool Congress and CPM termed “murder of democracy”. While BJP grabbed the lion's share of votes overall with 59%, TMC emerged as the strongest opposition party in the seats it contested with a 24% vote share.
US-based IT firm, Cohesity, and first-time recruiter Glean, are likely to make the coveted US offers on day one of the placement season at IIT Bombay. Cohesity is expected to offer the highest package of Rs 1.46 crore, followed by Glean, that has a package of Rs 1.12 crore on offer. These packages include incentives and stock options. The annual placement season will kick off virtually at all major IITs on December 1. Students are expecting this year’s placements to start on a good note.
The UP teachers eligibility test (TET) scheduled for Sunday was cancelled after it was found that a question paper had leaked and cops rounded up 29 people of a network of exam frauds from various places in the state, prompting CM Yogi Adityanath to direct stern action against the suspects, including pressing charges under National Security Act and Gangsters Act.
The opposition indicated that it plans to raise several issues ranging from fresh demands put forward by agitating farm unions such as removal of junior home minister Ajay Mishra over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence to the Pegasus controversy even as the government is set to move for repeal of the new farm laws in Parliament on Monday. The all-party meeting on Sunday, which was not attended by PM Narendra Modi, saw the opposition listing several issues they intend to raise in the winter session.
With the proposed resumption of international flights on December 15 under review, the government issued fresh guidelines on Sunday, mandating RT-PCR test on arrival for all passengers from Covid at-risk countries. While those testing positive will be isolated and their samples sent for genomic testing, those testing negative will have to home-quarantine for a week and test on the eighth day.
About 9% of girls and women aged 15 years and above surveyed had used tobacco in some form with the percentage of users in rural India higher at 10.5%, according to the the National Family Health Survey -5 (2019-21). Tobacco usage among males across India was at 38% with men in rural areas accounting for 42.7% of users. The urban users of tobacco among men and women accounted for 28.8% and 5.4% respectively.
Bihar, with its dismal scores across key development indicators such as nutrition, child and adolescent mortality, maternal health, years of schooling, sanitation and electricity, has topped the list of states with the largest share of population who are poor, according to think tank Niti Aayog’s report, which has identified 25.01% of the country’s population as “multi-dimensionally poor”.
The Supreme Court commuted capital punishment to a 30-year jail term for two persons convicted of killing eight persons in Jharkhand in 2007. This comes a fortnight after the court held that capital punishment should not be awarded when there is hope for “reformation and rehabilitation” of a convict and commuted death sentence to life imprisonment in a case of rape and murder of a five-year-old girl.
The first cyclone over the Bay of Bengal (BoB) in the 2021 post-monsoon season could develop in the south Andaman Sea in a few days and hit India’s eastern coast in the first week of December, several weather models indicate. India Meteorological Department said a low-pressure system is likely to develop over south Andaman Sea around November 29-30.Top opposition figures, including Congress's Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar and Le...
