• Home

  • Documents

  • The Pioneer...2020/12/25  · Jharkhand Tourism Policy 2020, Jharkhand Sports Policy 2020 will be...
12
T he Union Health Ministry on Thursday allayed fears that new strain of the coron- avirus has entered India and said that to be sure of its pres- ence, it is necessary to establish a genome sequencing, which could be done only through designated labs identified by the Government. “There is no proof that the new variant has entered India, and it is too early to jump to any conclusions,” said a state- ment here by the Ministry even as new Covid positive cases of the UK flyers contin- ue to be reported from various airports in the country. The Ministry also said that the genome sequencing of pas- sengers from the UK has not been completed yet. “Genome sequencing has not so far been done in respect of the 15 passengers of the 590 who landed in Mumbai from the UK on December 22. Therefore, it’s incorrect to say that the new strain of the coro- navirus has entered India until it is established by a designat- ed laboratory, “ it said. Notably, as many as 22 pas- sengers flying from the United Kingdom to different cities in India over the past few days have tested positive for coron- avirus. As per experts, nearly 50 per cent of these UK travellers could be potential carriers of the new more infectious Covid- 19 strain. Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has reviewed the sta- tus of passengers coming from the UK to India and directed States and Union Territories to send samples of those found coronavirus positive to six lab- oratories identified for genome sequencing. “The respective States and Union Territories have been advised to access the details of the passengers from the UK to India from the online portal AIR-SUVIDHA and Bureau of Immigration,” said the state- ment. The laboratories that have been identified for genome sequencing are, the CSIR- Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology in New Delhi, the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad, the DBT- Institute of Life Sciences in Bhubaneswar, DBT-InStem- NCBS in Bengaluru, the DBT- National Institute of Biomedical Genomics in West Bengal and the ICMR-National Institute of Virology in Pune. This week, NITI Aayog member (health) Dr V K Paul also said that there was no need to panic over the mutated vari- ant of SARS-CoV-2. Paul said the mutated strain detected in the UK will have no impact on the potential of emerging vac- cines. “As of now, based on our discussions, deep understand- ing of data available and our deep assessment, there is no need to panic but it is a cause to be more vigilant,” he said. So far at least 20 air pas- sengers from the United Kingdom have tested positive for coronavirus in India. The swab samples of infected patients have been sent to Pune's National Institute of Virology, in order to check if anyone had been infected from a different virus strain. On Wednesday, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan reviewed the status of travellers coming from the UK to India who were found Covid-19 positive before the temporary flight bans came into effect from December 23. The States for which the detailed review was carried out included Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Goa, Punjab, Gujarat and Kerala. New Delhi: The Hyderabad- based Bharat Biotech, which is developing the country’s indigenous coronavirus vaccine in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has again applied to the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for the emer- gency use authorisation. New Delhi: The Delhi Government is fully prepared to receive, store and adminis- ter Covid-19 vaccine to 51 lakh priority category persons in the city in the first phase of vaccination, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday. D espite the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issuing detailed stan- dard operating procedures (SOPs) with regard to travellers from the United Kingdom, two passengers who tested pos- itive on arrival from London at the IGI Airport in Delhi went missing from isolation centres and reached their hometowns in Andhra Pradesh and Punjab. According to reports, five passengers went missing after landing from the UK, but three of them were traced by Tuesday night and admitted to Lok Nayak Hospital in the nation- al Capital. According to officials, a 46-year-old woman, teacher by profession, arrived on Monday and tested positive for Covid in a Rapid Antigen Test at the Delhi airport. Her 22-year-old son tested nega- tive. She was handed over to the Safdarjung Hospital. However, she fled from the hospital and reached Rajahmundry via the AP Special Express in the wee hours on Thursday. Meanwhile, the process to bring back the passenger has started. Railway police and health officials took her straight from the railway sta- tion to the hospital. In the second case, a man who recently flew down from the UK and tested Covid-19 positive escaped from an iso- lation centre in Delhi and reached Ludhiana where he checked himself into a private hospital. He is from Amritsar’s Pandori village. He was sent back to Safdarjung Hospital on Wednesday night. When asked, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday said the State Government will speak to air- port authorities. HAPPY CHRISTMAS C hief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting with senior officials of the State Government regarding preparations for the grand ceremony that is set to be organised at Capital City’s Morhabadi ground on the first anniversary of the Government on December 29. The State Government will gift people of Jharkhand with schemes worth 2,500 crore on the occasion. The CM in the meeting directed officials to celebrate the occasion following all nec- essary guidelines related to COVID-19. He was told by the officials that the programme will be conducted in two phas- es. During the two-hour-long programme several new pro- jects will be inaugurated, foun- dations will also be laid for dif- ferent projects and assets will be distributed among benefi- ciaries. All districts connected with the State level programme live and institutions, which have done better work during the Corona period will be felicitated. In the ceremony, the CM will inaugurate 19 schemes worth 1,458.95 crore, lay the foundation stone of 11 schemes of 1091.92 crore and launch 15 schemes. During this time, assets will also be distributed among 5.33 lakh beneficiaries. All schemes are to be implemented under sev- eral departments. Under the Urban Development and Housing department Giridih Urban Water Supply Scheme, Chakulia Urban Water Supply Scheme, Ranchi Municipal Corporation Building, Command Control and Communication Center, Jupami Bhavan will be inau- gurated, while under the Industry department Electronics Manufacturing Cluster in Adityapur will be inaugurated. Under the Drinking Water and Sanitation department Digital Inauguration of 38 Rural Water Supply Schemes will be held, while under the Building Construction depart- ment inauguration of newly constructed building of Collectorate Hazaribagh, Subdivision Court at Chandil and Seraikela Kharsawan, Quarter for Chandil and Seraikela Kharsawan Subdivision Court, Upkara in Barhi Subdivision of Hazaribagh will be done. For Higher and Technical Education department State Polytechnic at Khunti, Chatra, Lohardaga, Jamtara, Godda, Bagodar and Hazaribagh alongwith inauguration of newly constructed buildings at BIT Sindri will be done, while for Rural Development department Digital Inauguration of 23 Block cum Zone Office Building will be performed. Under the Agricultural Animal Husbandry and Cooperation dpeartment Dairy plant in Sarath of Deoghar, newly constructed Cooperative Management / Training Institute building at Khunti's Fudi will be held, while under the Energy department Grid Sub Station at Bahragowda of East Singhbhum will be inaugu- rated. Some of the prominent schemes, whose foundation will be laid during the even include Renovation and Beautification of Nehru Park in Dhurwa, Ranchi, Ranchi Urban Water Supply Scheme Phase II, , Pharma Park in Bijupada, Leather Park in Nirsa, Dhanbad, Rimi Mahani Producer Company Limited at Kudu, Lohardaga under SFURTI scheme, Baidik Lah Foundation at Bundu in Ranchi and Swavlambi Cooperative Society at Lari, Ramgarh, Eco Tourism Circuit Service Delivery Scheme for Caste Certificate, Residential Certificate, Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate and Income Certificate, High Level Committee to decide Reservation Formula for Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes and Minorities. Jharkhand Tourism Policy 2020, Jharkhand Sports Policy 2020 will be launched and MoU signing between All India Football Federation and SAJHA will be held. Also, Women's Helpline No. 181, Universal Older Welfare Scheme will be launched. Home entry of one lakh ben- eficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana will be held. P romotions in all services and posts of the State Government have been banned with immediate effect till further orders. Chief MinisterHemant Soren, today ordered to stop promotions in government services and posts after its review in a special committee meeting of the Legislative Assembly relating to the promotion of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes. The Department of Personnel Administrative Reforms and Official Language has issued a letter in this regard. Instructions have been issued in this regard to all departmental heads, divisional commis- sioners and deputy commis- sioners of districts. The CM today held a meeting with members of the special com- mittee of the Legislative Assembly related to the mat- ter of promotion of Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste officials and employees and took information about the entire situation. T wo more Covid-19 patients died during treatment in Ranchi on Thursday, taking the Covid toll in the state up at 1016 and that in Ranchi to 211, figures compiled by the state health department revealed. As many as 177 people were found infected across Jharkhand on the day, while 213 patients recovered. As per government data, the number of active cases dropped to 1595 after Thursday's findings. While recoveries outnum- bered fresh cases of infection on the day, Ranchi continued to report the highest count of cases among the 24 districts even on Thursday. However, the number of patients dropped in the district as it reported 82 recoveries against 78 cases, stated a bulletin released by the National Health Mission (NHM). In terms of recovery too, Ranchi achieved the top spot among the districts in Jharkhand, the bulletin fur- ther stated. As many as 750 people were battling the infec- tion in Ranchi by the end of Thursday. Pakur, where the number of active cases had come down to zero on Wednesday, did not report any fresh case of infec- tion on Thursday. The number of Covid patients increased in Simdega from nine to 12, while Godda and Giridih had nine and six active cases respective- ly. At least seven districts did not report even a single case of Covid-19 infection on Thursday, while only three dis- tricts – Ranchi, East Singhbhum and Bokaro – reported a double-digit-spike. East Singhbhum reported 24 cases against 30 recoveries, while 17 people were found infected in Bokaro and 13 recovered there. The Government tested swab samples of 16,485 peo- ple on the day and more than 1 per cent of them were found infected. So far, health work- ers have collected swab sam- ples of 47.10 lakh people and tested 46.97 lakh of them. Of the 11,3786 people infected by the virus in Jharkhand, at least 1,11,175 have recovered, reveals government data. The NHM bulletin on Thursday stated that it would take 465.44 days for the num- ber of cases to double in Jharkhand. In India, the dou- bling rate was 333.58 days. As per Government fig- ures, the growth rate of the virus in Jharkhand was 0.15 per cent against the national average of 0.21 per cent. The recovery rate for Covid-19 in the state was 97.70 per cent, which is better than the national average of 95.70 per cent. The mortality rate in Jharkhand, however, has remained close to 0.9 per cent in the past one month.

The Pioneer...2020/12/25  · Jharkhand Tourism Policy 2020, Jharkhand Sports Policy 2020 will be launched and MoU signing between All India Football Federation and SAJHA will …

  • Upload
    others

  • View
    0

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

  • ������������������������������������������� ��������

    The Union Health Ministryon Thursday allayed fearsthat new strain of the coron-avirus has entered India andsaid that to be sure of its pres-ence, it is necessary to establisha genome sequencing, whichcould be done only throughdesignated labs identified bythe Government.

    “There is no proof that thenew variant has entered India,and it is too early to jump toany conclusions,” said a state-ment here by the Ministryeven as new Covid positivecases of the UK flyers contin-ue to be reported from variousairports in the country.

    The Ministry also said thatthe genome sequencing of pas-sengers from the UK has notbeen completed yet.

    “Genome sequencing hasnot so far been done in respectof the 15 passengers of the 590who landed in Mumbai fromthe UK on December 22.Therefore, it’s incorrect to saythat the new strain of the coro-navirus has entered India untilit is established by a designat-ed laboratory, “ it said.

    Notably, as many as 22 pas-sengers flying from the UnitedKingdom to different cities inIndia over the past few dayshave tested positive for coron-avirus. As per experts, nearly 50per cent of these UK travellerscould be potential carriers ofthe new more infectious Covid-19 strain.

    Meanwhile, the HealthMinistry has reviewed the sta-

    tus of passengers coming fromthe UK to India and directedStates and Union Territories tosend samples of those foundcoronavirus positive to six lab-oratories identified for genomesequencing.

    “The respective States andUnion Territories have beenadvised to access the details ofthe passengers from the UK toIndia from the online portalAIR-SUVIDHA and Bureau ofImmigration,” said the state-ment.

    The laboratories that havebeen identified for genomesequencing are, the CSIR-

    Institute of Genomics andIntegrative Biology in NewDelhi, the CSIR-Centre forCellular and Molecular Biologyin Hyderabad, the DBT-Institute of Life Sciences inBhubaneswar, DBT-InStem-NCBS in Bengaluru, the DBT-National Institute ofBiomedical Genomics in WestBengal and the ICMR-NationalInstitute of Virology in Pune.

    This week, NITI Aayogmember (health) Dr V K Paulalso said that there was no needto panic over the mutated vari-ant of SARS-CoV-2. Paul saidthe mutated strain detected in

    the UK will have no impact onthe potential of emerging vac-cines.

    “As of now, based on ourdiscussions, deep understand-ing of data available and ourdeep assessment, there is noneed to panic but it is a causeto be more vigilant,” he said.

    So far at least 20 air pas-sengers from the UnitedKingdom have tested positivefor coronavirus in India. Theswab samples of infectedpatients have been sent toPune's National Institute ofVirology, in order to check ifanyone had been infected from

    a different virus strain.On Wednesday, Union

    Health Secretary RajeshBhushan reviewed the status oftravellers coming from the UKto India who were foundCovid-19 positive before thetemporary flight bans cameinto effect from December 23.

    The States for which thedetailed review was carriedout included Maharashtra,Karnataka, Telangana, TamilNadu, West Bengal, Goa,Punjab, Gujarat and Kerala.

    ������������

    ����������������������New Delhi: The Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, which isdeveloping the country’sindigenous coronavirus vaccinein collaboration with the IndianCouncil of Medical Research(ICMR), has again applied tothe Drug Controller General ofIndia (DCGI) for the emer-gency use authorisation.

    New Delhi: The DelhiGovernment is fully preparedto receive, store and adminis-ter Covid-19 vaccine to 51lakh priority category personsin the city in the first phase ofvaccination, Chief MinisterArvind Kejriwal said onThursday.

    ���������������������������������������� ��!���"��#�

    ����� ��������

    Despite the Union Ministryof Health and FamilyWelfare issuing detailed stan-dard operating procedures(SOPs) with regard to travellersfrom the United Kingdom,two passengers who tested pos-itive on arrival from London atthe IGI Airport in Delhi wentmissing from isolation centresand reached their hometownsin Andhra Pradesh and Punjab.

    According to reports, fivepassengers went missing afterlanding from the UK, but threeof them were traced by Tuesdaynight and admitted to Lok

    Nayak Hospital in the nation-al Capital.

    According to officials, a46-year-old woman, teacherby profession, arrived onMonday and tested positivefor Covid in a Rapid AntigenTest at the Delhi airport. Her22-year-old son tested nega-tive. She was handed over tothe Safdarjung Hospital.However, she fled from thehospital and reachedRajahmundry via the APSpecial Express in the weehours on Thursday.

    Meanwhile, the processto bring back the passengerhas started. Railway police

    and health officials took herstraight from the railway sta-tion to the hospital.

    In the second case, a manwho recently flew down fromthe UK and tested Covid-19positive escaped from an iso-lation centre in Delhi andreached Ludhiana where hechecked himself into a privatehospital. He is from Amritsar’sPandori village. He was sentback to Safdarjung Hospitalon Wednesday night.

    When asked, Delhi HealthMinister Satyendar Jain onThursday said the StateGovernment will speak to air-port authorities.

    ��������������������������������������������

    ����������������������������������������������������

    ������������� �������������������!�����������������������

    ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������!������"� �!#

    ������ ���������������������������������������

    ���������� ��������� ���������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������� ��!�� �������� ��������������������������"�#$%����& ������������ ��������������������������!�%� �������� ����� ���������!%�$� �������� �������������������������'���� ��!�� �������� ���������������������������!���(!�)�% �������� ��������������������������*�$��� �������� ����� ��������+�,������ �������� ��������������������������"!%��)��� �������� ��������������������������-�����$�)�� �������� ����������������������������.��� �������� ��������������������������($���� �������� ����� ��������/&,��� �������� ��������������������������

    ���.�� ��!���������� �������� ��������������������������

    ������ �����������������������������������������������������������������

    ����$�%�&��&'�(���

    ����������������� ���!�"������������#$%&'()*)� ����'0�&�����!���������/12!�#!���1�"�&���.�3$���!3�$����$)��4&5!3�1�!���1&��6!51!�$�3����1�41#!�$��1�!55!4�7�"�!�!4$�$1���1�$#81�!��$)���4&5!351��$�!���.��51#����8#��1���#�����$�)�51#�"�&���.�3�����!��1���!��!���.�$��%$�!�3$����!��-!��!9����2$4!���#$�41�4!���12!����!3�-12$�0��2�$�����8!��$�)�$����!�'�7

    ��������!����#+�"���������� �""����$,��$(-.� �!%�$�:�%�(1��;�:(!4�$1������15- -�$�������1&��� !�!2$%%�)!�3�!!���!�A:�.�>��#6�B;C$4�1.� $%%���

    �0+*�1��2

    (--�� +*C�>���0"��� ��@+*�����

    �����������������������������������

  • their regulation finals with arch-rivals Hindu College. Theauthor's five years stay in StStephen's expanded his knowl-edge of cricket, and of cricket lit-erature. It was here that Guhafirst heard of cricket's finestwriters like Ray Robinson, JackFingleton, E.W. Swanton andSujit Mukherjee and read theirseminal works in the collegelibrary which boasted of a finecollection of books on cricket.

    Ram Guha's wistful accountof growing up in cricket and hisidolizing of the Ranji and Testcricketers of the early 1970swould remind the reader of thedelectable book by SujitMukherjee titled Autobiographyof an Unknown Cricketer (1996).Mukherjee briefly played forBihar in Ranji Trophy in the1960s and later worked as pro-fessor of English literature inPatna University. He wrote sev-

    eral critically acclaimed books oncricket but his charming auto-biographical account of his grow-ing up as a cricket obsessed boy- at St Xavier's High School,Science College and across manyother grounds, back-gardensand by-lanes in Patna - seems tohave inspired his acolyteRamchandra Guha to pen hisown cricket memories.

    The palpable imprint ofC.L.R. James's writing, however,becomes apparent when Guhadescribes the impact of SachinTendulkar's cricket on Indiansociety. Tendulkar played his ini-tial years in Test cricket amidstrising social and political conflictin the country.

    The reviewer is a JointSecretary rank Officer in theGovernment of Jharkhand. Singhis a bibliophile having a voracious appetite for reading.

    To be continued ...

    AJAY KUMAR SINGH

    'What do they know ofcricket who onlycricket know?'. Incricket's literature, this para-

    phrase of Rudyard Kipling is per-haps the most famous challengeposed by the Trinidad historianC.L.R. James in his 'Beyond aBoundary' (1963), often consid-ered the best book on cricket

    ���������� �! � "�"#$"�%&'%(%(

    ����������������������������������

    �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������!����������������"��������������

    ��������������������������������������������������������������������

    ������������������������������������������#�������������������������������

    ����$���

    �%����&����������������������������������������������������������������'��������������������������������������������������"��������������������(�����������������������������

    ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� !"�#�����$�%�����#��������������#���#����&' "!!'�(���!)* " !!* ��&���+������������,-����������������.#/01��21/��3%�/��(/40��.(��(1�����0�� "*� ""��������%����

    #��#����&' "!!'�5������2�����+����������#�������2�����+�������������#0/#�-��56�2078*!!'8**) !�#271�0��#0&9"*8*!!'��/#�3#�6�#72��#��9�!!2��+�������%�����:��0����+���;���+����<�����

    ������+%�-����<�������������+��$�����1����4�����+0��=�%�����7��

    %�:��%�������>����-�0�:1����&99!!!*������+!99&"!99!"??�������������4�����+@& 9�������=�04/1��7���%���0-�&*!9 !9�3��������+!9*!&"'A)'!!<"'A))!!�������:4�����+"��@���������������-�������@�B

    �#���������:**=!9=�(���������+!?**&* "="" �* "="""�* "=""?�

    +��%�����,

    �������������������������������������-../�0�12�3

    ever written. James uses this chal-lenge as the basis for describingcricket in the historical and

    social context and the way itshaped his understanding of theissues of class and race. GideonHaigh, the Australian cricketwriter and one of the finest schol-ars of the game, sees decided par-allels in Ramchandra Guha'swriting on cricket with the great

    Trinidadian's: "For the mostpart, cricket writing remainsfirmly in the cliché factory, awholly owned subsidiary ofthe sporting-industrial com-plex. Only occasionally is onereminded of C.L.R. James'injunction - such as while read-ing almost anything byRamchandra Guha".

    Guha's latest book on crick-et quite vindicates the senti-ments of Gideon Haigh. It'sprimarily the author's com-ing-of-the-age story in hisbeloved game of cricket. Guha'slifelong love affair with 'themost subtle and sophisticatedgame known to mankind'began in the Himalayanfoothills of Dehradun where hewas born and raised. His crick-et loving father was a scientistat the local Forest ResearchInstitute and Guha learnt thebasics of the game watching andplaying cricket in the beautifulsporting fields of Dehradun,more particularly at the crick-et grounds of the Survey ofIndia and the Indian Military

    Academy. The author furtherhoned his cricketing skills(though a handy off-spinner, hebatted mostly as tail-ender andfielded pathetically!) at DoonSchool, Dehradun's most famousinstitution.

    Guha's bonding with thegame reached its climax when hejoined St Stephen's College in1974. The college's cricketground was situated at MoriGate, about a mile and halfaway from its campus in northDelhi. He became a regularthere, practiced and becamefriends with senior college crick-eters like Arun Lal and KirtiAzad, and went on to play for theSt Stephen's team - especially in

  • ���������� �! � "�"#$"�%&'%(%( ��$�������4

    2!�--02�5������ ��1��������#8�����/���#���8���15�$���>3�4����� ���3����81)�##!��-�+0�(�$��1)��$�$�)����3$�)�41#8!�$�$1����!#!��I-%!�����$��/!!����$�J�51��4�11%4�$%�!��1���!4!#6!���7��!!8$�)���!�-*C��!��$4�$1���$��#$������!�$�����2!�6!!�����!���1�8!8�!���!$�8�$��$�)������1#!������!�����!�15��418$!�7�@$��%��&6#$��$1���3$%%�6!����!��!��6.���!�8$�4$8�%��4$!��$�����-�+0�+/��+��4�$7�������1�!��15�!�)�)!#!����8$K!��31&%��6!����!��1&���1���!�4�$%�!�7

    �������������������"���0��

    ���������>�!!%��&��1$�.�15���$���$#$�!��;>�����-181��!�3����51��?4!%%!�4!�����L��&$�)���2$�&�%�5&�4�$1���!%�����$��4181��!�155$4!�$���!3��!%�$��1��.7�>���-��$#�����$%���-��&���.�!3��!����!�3$��$�)�8!�1��!%�$����!�8!�!�4!�15��?!4&�$2!�$!4�1�7��&$�)���!��3���4!!#1�.����$%����-��&���.��>��-��$#����>1#������%���$!4�1�;-1##!4$�%!�4��51��!3���$��&�$�)��$)$��%��!2$4!�7����3��$�$�$��!��6.�/12!�#!���15���$������-(>��$�����14$��$1��3$����-�+"����C$�,����(����$7��!2�����;�$��$4��+��������!��!2!%�-�#87

    !1���� ���!���!������0���1����"31�*55$4!��15�(>���#$������������>��������>�!���������$��3$5!'#����$��$��$6&�!��6%���!�����1�8������1��!�$�!#���#1�)��!!�.8!18%!�$��-����%14�%$�$!������1��!��!���15�(1��1�>�!!%�-$�.7�"�!.��!!�)�)!��$���&4���14$�%��4�$2$�$!��51�#1!�������!��.!��������.$�)���!$%!2!%�6!����1��!%8�811�8!18%!�!�8!4$�%%.��&$�)���!�8!$1��15�-*C�0��7

    1� ����+����:�1����0�#�������������!�8%!��!���C$�&�%�!)�� 1,!4�M�1�!%��?�$6$�$1��3���1)��$K!��6.�!%�$� &6%$4�>4�11%�+��4�$�1��"�&���.7�"�!� 1)�##!�3$��!��!��4�$2!�8��$4$8��$1��51#�61���:&�$1�����>!�$1��$�)��15���!��4�11%7

    �,1�16,!4�$2!�15�1)��$K$�)���$��!?�$6$�$1��3����1�812$�!���!�8%��51#����&�%!������!�81�!��$�%�15���!���&�!����6.���134��$�)���!$�$��12��$2!81,!4�������812$�!����1881�&�$�.��1���!#��1��!#1�����!���!$%!��$�)�!?8!$!�4!7�>!4!��.0"�M��0/12!���4!��+�,!�����>��#��)�4!����!�144��$1�����-�$!5�/&!��7

    ���������#8����/���'��!���!��&�8$4!��15�+1&���"�6%!���$�0�����1����!�144��$1��15-�$��#���5!��$2�%�1��"�&���.���4�11%�6�)��3!!��$��$6&�!���#1�)4�$%�!��$��811��%��!��%!#!��������8!18%!�3!!�)!!�!��51-�$��#��7�*����$��144��$1�����$�.��C$��#�:�$�3�%��8!�$�!���15:�������� ��!��� 15!��$1��%�-1�)!���-1##$��!!�����!#6!�15+1&���"�6%!���$��3���8!�!��7���$���1�6!���13���������!�#�$��8&81�!15���!�1&�����6%!�$���1�4!��!��4�11%��51�811������!!�.�4�$%�!�7�

    �����+�8��������������#����!��������8��!���$1��%�/!!���:�.���$�3����!%��6.�>�%��($%��'�$2!�$�.B���!8��#!��15����$�$!���G1)���������&18���.7������!�-�$!5�/&!��������!.�1�!>8!��!��>�$�+�#��$���������#�1��6��$��>3�#$����������,$

    ����,�15�+��4�$�3�$%!�)$2$�)��$��%!4�&!�$���$#8%!�31���1����!�!�1�!$4�!4!���15�>$#���(��)3���/$�������$���!%!2��4!�$����$%.�8�4�$4�%�%$5!����$������$���1��.B��4���)$�)��14$�%��4!��$1���!�$#81���4!�15�/$���>!!#��2!.&�!5&%7

    1���!��+�8��!1���� +��-�

    The State Government iscommitted to provide easycredit system to the farmers ofthe State so that they canincrease their income, saidChief Minister, Hemant Sorenduring a seminar organised byNational Bank for Agricultureand Rural Development(NABARD), Jharkhand as theChief Guest here on Thursday.

    The CM in his addressspelt out the State Governmentplans and interventionstowards development ofAgriculture, Rural Connectivityand Social sector in Jharkhand.The CM called upon all banksto devise ways to enhanceground level credit flow inJharkhand. In his concludingremarks, the CM thankedNABARD for its financial assis-tance and developmental inter-ventions and assured the StateGovernment’s commitmenttowards agriculture and ruraldevelopment.

    Soren suggested to thebanks that they should spend

    most of their income fromhere in the development of thisState. He said that banks con-tribute to the development ofthe State. In such a situation,banks should cooperate withthe Government at every stepso that the needy can get itsbenefits.

    The CM said that the prod-ucts produced by the farmersand women's groups of theState will be made available to

    the market. He said that theseproducts are being made avail-able in the market through thePalash brand on behalf ofJharcraft. He said that the gov-ernment would also take stepsto sell goods produced by thewomen's group in malls andshopping complexes. He saidthat food processing will alsobe encouraged in the State.

    The objective of the semi-nar was presenting macro per-

    spectives on the present andemerging potentials in priori-ty sectors like Agriculture,Medium Small and MicroEnterprises, Export Credit,Education, Housing, SocialInfrastructure, RenewableEnergy and others.

    Other dignitaries in theprogramme included Officer-in-charge, Reserve Bank ofIndia, Sanjeev Dayal, GeneralManager, SLBC, RajendraMan Pandey and others.

    In his welcome address,Chief General Manager,NABARD Jharkhand, AKPadhi spelt out the role ofNABARD in formulation andpresenting macro-perspec-tives on agriculture and ruralcredit. He highlighted thesignificance of NABARD’sState Focus Paper (SFP) inproviding an impetus to for-

    mulation of the AnnualCredit Plan by SLBC forBanks in Jharkhand.

    Padhi highlightedNABARD’s assessment ofcredit potential of Rs 28644Crore for the financial year2021-22 under priority sectorfor the state of Jharkhand. Heinformed the audience onsub-sectoral trends in creditflow, the road map for devel-opment of Agriculture andallied sectors, critical infra-structure required and others.

    In his concludingremarks, CGM NABARDcal led upon the StateGovernment and all Banks forconcerted action to translatethe credit projections inNABARD State Focus Paper(SFP) into reality.

    Secretary, Planning cumFinance Department Himani

    Pande, deliberated upon thecredit plan, as per the SFPprepared by NABARD andshe appealed to the banks thatthey should improve the cred-it deposit ratio of the State.

    Addressing the gatheringVice Chancel lor, BirsaAgriculture University, O NSingh chaired the technicalsession and appealed to allstakeholders to work togeth-er for the welfare of farmersand agriculture community inJharkhand.

    On the occasion,NABARD presented the SFPand also felicitated the farm-ers in the State Level FPOAward Ceremony and LeadDistrict Manager(LDM) alongwith District DevelopmentManager (DDM) for theircontribution in KCCSaturation drive.

    ����������������������������������������

    �����$������%���������������������������������������������������������������!�����������������+�)���������������������.������������������������"�(������������)�������!������" 2��"�$�����/������

    ����� +��-�

    Not more than 200 peoplewill be allowed inChurches across Ranchi forChristmas mass on Fridaymorning owing to Covid-19restrictions, while revelers havebeen requested to keep childrenbelow the age of 10 years andsenior citizens away from thereligious gatherings as theywere vulnerable to the virusand more likely to developsevere symptoms, officials fromthe Ranchi district adminis-tration said on Thursday.

    “The Government’s latestdecision of allowing only 200people at religious gatheringswill be followed duringChristmas mass and gatheringstoo,” said acting Ranchi subdivisional officer Manoj

    Kumar.Earlier, huge gatherings

    were organised at grounds andchurches for prayers and feaston Christmas. However, in thewake of the pandemic, revelershave been asked to attend thegatherings in groups. “Separatetimings have been set for resi-dents of different localities toattend the prayers in theChurch in order to avoid over-crowding,” said Rohit Murmu,who visits Harmu St. FrancisChurch every Christmas.

    Officials said that the gov-ernment was unlikely to comeup with a fresh set of guide-lines for Christmas and NewYear, and the latest notificationissued from the Home, Prisonsand Disaster ManagementDepartment earlier this monthwill be applicable across the

    State.The acting SDO said that

    all the police stations acrossthe city have also beeninstructed to intensifypatrolling and make sure thatunmonitored gatherings onthe roads are avoided duringthe festival. “The cops havealso been asked to keep awatch on drunken drivingand inebriated revelers on theroads,” he said.

    The Jharkhand StatePollution Control Board(JSPCB) has also set a timelimit on bursting crackers dur-ing Christmas and New Year.Revelers will be allowed toburst crackers only from11.55pm to 12.30am onChristmas and New Year’sEve, latest directive from thepollution watchdog States.

    ������������344������������

    ��������������������&�����

    ����� +��-�

    The BJP has termed the coali-tion Governmentannouncement to waive farmers’loan upto �50,000 as cheatingand fraud with people of theState. State BJP spokespersonand former MLA Kunal Sarangisaid that the Government hasturned its back from its ownpromises.

    The BJP spokespersonclaimed that the Soren govern-ment has failed in fulfilling itspromises and there are severalinstances where the govern-ment has taken U-turn from itspromises. He said that the JMM,Congress alliance in their pollmanifesto has announced towaive �2 lakh farm loan butactually they are waiving farmloan upto �50,000 only.

    The coalition Governmentpassed a proposal in the Cabinetto waive farm loans of up to�50,000, benefitting around 9lakh farmers of the State onThursday, partly fulfilling thepromise made by the rulingcoalition ahead of the 2019Assembly elections.

    The Government said thatan allocation of �2,000 crore hasbeen made in the current finan-cial year for the waiver.

    Sarangi also said that theJMM, Congress governmenthad also announced to providefive lakh jobs to youths withinsix months, but the governmentnow is announcing to providegovernment jobs to only 15,000youths.

    Meanwhile, in anotherdevelopment, the State BJP unithas hailed and congratulatedNDA government headed byPrime Minister Narendra Modifor launching a centrally spon-sored post-matric scholarshipscheme for the Scheduled Castestudents.

    State President of BJP SCMorcha and ChandankiyariMLA Amar Kumar Bauri saidthat through the scheme, morethan 4 crore SC including 40lakh SC students fromJharkhand will be benefited.He said that the CentralGovernment decision providingscholarship to SC students willhelp in uplift of students fromdeprived communities. He saidthat around �59,000 crores willbe spent on the scheme out ofwhich Centre will bear morethan �35,000 crores while restwill be borne by the State.

    -1�%$�$1���$4�!�8!18%!�1��5�#%1���3�$2!N�(:

  • ��������&���������� �! � "�"#$"�%&'%(%(

    ����� ��������

    Hitting out at Centre over itshandling of the farmers’protest, former Congress pres-ident Rahul Gandhi onThursday demanded immedi-ate Parliament session to repealthe controversial farm Bills .

    Rahul said there is nodemocracy in India after hemet President Ram NathKovind as part of Congress del-egation with two crore signa-tures against the farm laws.Rahul Gandhi, senior partyleaders Ghulam Nabi Azadand Adhir Chowdhury wereallowed to visit the RashtrapatiBhawan while all others,including Priyanka Gandhi,were detained.

    After meeting with thePresident, Rahul Gandhi said,“I want to tell PM Modi thatfarmers will not go back homeif there’s no repeal of the farmlaws. The Centre should call ajoint session of Parliament andrepeal the laws. All oppositionparties are with the farmers.”

    Rahul Gandhi told thePresident the laws were “anti-farmer” and would make farm-

    ers suffer huge losses. He saidthe Opposition stood with thefarmers who have been camp-ing at Delhi’s borders for overa month now demanding therepeal of the legislations.

    “We took crores of signa-tures… the voices of farmers.The PM will have to listen tothem. The entire country iswatching. It is cold, and thefarmers are suffering, dying. Iam warning you. Nobody canstand against the farmers,” theGandhi scion said.

    Rahul Gandhi alleged thatonly three-four people arerunning the system and saidthe Congress is fighting this.

    “It is an assault on the ideaof India. The government isstopping our MPs from mov-ing out of our office...There isno democracy in India, it isonly in imagination, not inreality,” said Rahul Gandhi,after coming out of the meet-

    ing.Expressing solidarity, the

    Congress leaders said theOpposition stands with farm-ers. “The protesting farmerswill not stop the protest till thelaws are repealed. There is nodemocracy in India,” he saidflanked by party leaders.

    As the march was stopped,Priyanka Gandhi said, “Anydissent against this govern-ment is classified as havingelements of terror. We areundertaking this march tovoice our support for the farm-ers.”

    Priyanka Gandhi also said,“We’re living in a democracyand they are elected MPs.They have the right to meet thePresident and they should beallowed. What is the problemwith that? Government is notready to listen to voices oflakhs of farmers camping atborders.”

    ���������������������������� ����������

    ����� ��������

    The Hyderabad-based BharatBiotech, which is developingthe country’s indigenous coro-navirus vaccine in collaborationwith the Indian Council ofMedical Research (ICMR), hasagain applied to the DrugController General of India(DCGI)for the emergency-useauthorisation.

    E m e r g e n c y - U s eAuthorisation is a mechanism tofacilitate the availability anduse of medical countermea-sures, including vaccines, dur-ing public health emergencies.

    Bharat Biotech had firstapplied for the emergency useauthorisation of its vaccine on7 December and presented itsproposal, along with the inter-im safety and immunogenicitydata of Phase 1 and 2 clinical tri-als.

    The Central DrugsStandard Control Organisation’s(CDSCO) expert panel had,however, recommended thatthe firm should present the safe-ty and efficacy data from theongoing Phase 3 clinical trial inthe country for further consid-eration, said the sources in theUnion Health Ministry.

    Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN,an inactivated vaccine candi-date, is currently undergoingPhase 3 human clinical trials on

    26,000 volunteers over 25 cen-tres across India, after havingundergone Phase 1 and 2 trialsinvolving 1,000 volunteers.

    Meanwhile, the SerumInstitute of India (SII) has alsosubmitted the additional dataasked by the DCGI determin-ing safety and immunogenicityof its COVID-19 vaccine can-didate, Covishield.

    America’s Pfizer was thefirst to apply on 4 December,followed by Pune-based SII andBharat Biotech who applied on6 and 7 December, respective-ly. Pfizer had, however, request-ed more time to make a pre-sentation before the committee.

    India is likely to have aCovid-19 vaccine approved foremergency use beforeDecember end as CDSCO’sexpert panel is set to review theapplication of SII, BharatBiotech and Pfizer for emer-gency use authorisation.

    Meanwhile, AurobindoPharma Limited and Covaxx, aUS-based company, haveentered into an exclusive licenseagreement to develop, com-mercialize and manufactureUB-612, the first MultitopePeptide-based vaccine to fightCovid-19, for India and the UNChildren’s Fund (Unicef )agency. COVAXX is currentlyconducting a Phase 1 clinicaltrial for the vaccine candidate.

    5������5����������������������"��������������������

    ����� ��������

    The EnforcementDirectorate (ED) has pro-visionally attached fixeddeposits along with the cashrecovered from the bank lock-ers totalling to �1.85 crore inKerala Gold Smuggling Case.Among the attached assets,properties worth �1 crorebelongs to IAS officer and for-mer Principal Secretary toChief Minister of Kerala, MSivasankar.

    The ED had initiatedinvestigation under Preventionof Money Laundering Act(PMLA) on the basis of NIA’sFIR filed before the SpecialCourt for NIA cases in Kochiagainst Sarith P S, SwapnaPrabha Suresh, Faisal Fareed

    and Sandeep Nair under vari-ous sections of the UnlawfulActivities (Prevention) Act(UAPA).

    The CustomsCommissionerate (Preventive),Cochin had seized 30 kg goldworth �14.82 crore atTrivandrum InternationalAirport on July 5, 2020.

    The seized gold was cam-ouflaged as diplomatic baggageto UAE Consulate, which hasimmunity from checking atairport as per Vienna conven-tion.

    The consignment was tobe received by the accusedSarith P.S, who worked in UAEConsulate earlier as PublicRelations Officer in complici-ty with Swapna Prabha Suresh,Sandeep Nair and others.

    “During the course ofinvestigation under PMLA, itwas revealed that the accusedpersons namely Sarith P S,Swapna Prabha Suresh, FaisalFareed and Sandeep Nairindulged in illegal smugglingof gold to India and hugeamount of Proceeds of Crime(POC) were generated,” the EDsaid in a statement.

    Identified POC totalling to�1.85 belonging to the accusedpersons have been provision-ally attached under PMLA, itfurther said.

    Accused Sivasankar wasarrested by the ED on October28 and is presently undergoingjudicial custody. Earlier a pros-ecution complaint(chargesheet) was filed in thecase.

    � ������������+67�����-�������&�������8������������������

    ����� ��������

    The EnforcementDirectorate (ED) has pro-visionally attached assets worth�4,109 crore under Preventionof Money laundering Act(PMLA) in Agri Gold Ponzifraud Case involving fraud of�6,380 crore.

    The attached assets include2,809 landed properties,Haailand Amusement Park ofArka Leisure andEntertainments Private Limitedin Andhra Pradesh spread over48 acres, shares of variouscompanies, plants and machin-ery.

    These attached propertiesare located in Andhra Pradesh’sAnantpur, Kurnool, Krishna,Chitoor, Guntur, Kadapa,Vizianagaram, East and WestGodavari, Visakhapatnam,Nellore, Prakasam, Srikakulamand Kadapa districts.

    The properties attached inKarnataka are located inBengaluru, Kolar, Yadgir andMandya.

    In Odisha, it is in Khurdadistrict. Krishnagiri District ofTamil Nadu.

    In Telangana, propertieswere attached in MahaboobNagar, Narayanpet,Khammam, Mahboob Nagar,Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy,Vikarabad , Medchal,Malkajgiri, Nalgonda andMahabubnagar districts

    The ED had initiated inves-tigation under PMLA based onmultiple FIRs lodged in the

    States of AP, Telangana andKarnataka.

    “The scam was perpetrat-ed by accused Avva VenkataRama Rao through Agri GoldGroup of Companies. AvvaVenkata Rama Rao hatched awell planned conspiracy andalong with his seven brothersand other associates settingup more than 150 companiesand started collecting depositsfrom general public with apromise of providing devel-oped plots/farm lands or with-drawal at a high rate of returnon maturity/pre-term,” the EDsaid in a statement.

    Thousands of commissionagents were engaged to lurepeople with various schemesfor hefty commission and man-aged to collect �6,380 crorefrom 32,02,628 investoraccounts, it said.

    In the end, the gullibleinvestors neither got plots norcould recover their deposits.Investigation under PMLA fur-ther revealed that Agri GoldGroup companies used to lurethe gullible public to join asdepositors in their schemeseither directly or through theiragents under the pretext of realestate deal.

    The ED probe furtherrevealed that Avva VenkataRama Rao and his family wenton a siphoning spree and ille-gally diverted the publicdeposits and invested in myr-iad verticals and in privatecompanies which were direct-ly owned by their family.

    ����!$K!���������41!���!��&��!� ���$���)$�/1%�� 1�K$�4��!�

    ����� ��������

    Air India pilots have refusedto accept the paltry 5 percent rollback in “illegal pay cut”and asked Air India CMD todonate it towards funds forbuilding of the new Parliamentbuilding or PM CAREs fund.

    In a letter to Rajiv Bansal,Air India Chairman andManaging Director, the twopilot associations — IndianPilots` Guild and IndianCommercial Pilots`Association – said, “We do notaccept this paltry 5 per cent rollback in illegal pay cut and youmay advise the concerned todonate this 5 per cent towardsfunds for building theParliament or PM CARES”.

    The pilots said that theywould be forced to resort to‘industrial action’.

    They said they have giventhe management every benefitof doubt as well as ample time

    to redress the issue of dispro-portionate pay cut for Air Indiapilots and its subsidiaries. “If wedo not see a timely substantialreduction in this dispropor-tionate pay cut, we will beforced to seek justice throughharsher means including‘Industrial Action’,” they added.

    The letter stated that par-liamentarians also have onlytaken 30 per cent cut on grossemoluments and vehementlyrefused to take a higher cut.“While the parliamentariansthemselves have taken a cut ofonly 30 per cent on grossemoluments and vehemently

    refused to take a higher cut, wethink it is completely egregiousfor us pilots to continue tol-erating this arbitrary massivepay cut of 55 per cent on ourgross emoluments,” stated theletter.

    “This pittance in the formof a 5 per cent decrease in thecurrent wage cut is an outrightinsult, its sting magnified inlight of our unwavering sup-port and trust in this compa-ny. This ‘generosity’ amountsto a reduction of approxi-mately 3 per cent in the cur-rent gross pay cut for pilots,”they said.

    ����� ��������

    To make the Government’sDigital India initiative saferand robust in rural India, theCommon Service Centre (CSC),an SPV under the Ministry ofElectronics and IT, has launcheda cyber security course in col-laboration with French institute-- Ecole Superieure Robert deSorbon.

    “Both the courses will runthrough our education andvocational training arm – CSCAcademy – and these courseswill be specially be available toour rural youths across India.Our partnership with EcoleSuperieure Robert de Sorbon, anot-for-profit, prestigious insti-tution of higher education fromFrance, will add more value toour courses which have beendesigned keeping mind theimprove chances of employ-ment and to promote entrepre-neurship among our youths inrural areas,” said CSC ManagingDirector Dr Dinesh Tyagi.

    The French Institute willsupport CSC to enable CyberSecurity Course at CSCAcademies across India. TheCSC has also started CAD and3D Printing courses in collabo-ration with the French compa-ny to enhance skills and improveemployability of rural youths.

    The CSC Academy, an armof CSC, is a not-for-profit soci-ety which is committed to teach-ing, delivering of specializedcourses/ training programmes,leadership, communication skillsand promotion of entrepre-neurship among the rural mass-es in India.

    ����� ��������

    Union Agriculture MinisterNarendra Singh Tomar onThursday lashed out atCongress leader Rahul Gandhi,alleging that his claim that thememorandum he submittedto the President was signed bymore than 2 crore farmers hadno signatures in it from thecommunity,.

    He also asserted that noone from the Congress partyhad even met kisan leaders forthat. Tomar said that severalfarmers have denied signingany document sent by theCongress party.

    “Whatever Rahul Gandhisays, even Congress doesn’ttake it seriously. Today when hewent to register his protestwith the President with signa-tures, these farmers told methat no one from Congresscame to them to get their sig-

    nature. Farmers from Baghpathave given me a letter in sup-port of Centre’s Farm Laws.They have told me that theGovernment shouldn’t buckleunder any pressure to makeamendments to farm bills,”Tomar said after meetingRashtriya Kisan MazdoorSangh members from Baghpat.

    A delegation of 60 farmersbelonging to Kisaan MajdoorSangh, Baghpat met Tomar atKrishi Bhawan and gave a let-ter in support of centre’s farmlaws. Besides, a delegation ofthe Kisan Sena also met Tomarand discussed the farm laws.

    ����� ��������

    As India prepares for mas-sive roll out of coronavirusvaccine across the country, theAssociation of Private Detectiveand Investigators (APDI) haswritten to Prime MinisterNarendra Modi offering help indealing with the problem ofcounterfeit and fake items.

    “During the Corona pan-demic we saw the marketflooding with fake sanitizers,medicines, health supplementsand other critical items. Weactively worked with variousstate governments and helpedin seizure of such fake items.Now we have offered our helpto government and variousagencies who will be in-chargeof distribution and adminis-tration of vaccine to checkcounterfeiting and supply offake vaccines which is a highpossibility in a big country likeIndia,” said APDI Chairman

    Kunwar Vikram Singh at theInternational CorporateInvestigators Summit.

    “The Union Governmenthad written to state govern-ments about this crucial issueand later our investigatorsworked with various statepolice and local administra-tions in dealing with the situ-ation. Our direct interven-tion had laid to seizure of fakeitems in big quantity,” headded.

    Singh also said theInternational CorporateInvestigators Summit was firstof its kind in the world whereleaders from corporate worldfrom India and abroad gath-ered to discuss the issues andchallenges that the corporateworld in facing in varioussectors. Challenges and prob-lems of sectors like pharma,healthcare, hospitality, tourand travel, services and ITwere thoroughly discussed inthe Summit.

    )�������"�����93������������������:����

    ��(�����������;���>*���C��*��G"�������� �+�-��"�-'"�*��/+*>>�*�'��">�����C�����"�G+�@'>���"*�"�������/��+�-'"

    �"(���������"����������������

    ����� �����#���

    ������������

    ����� ��������

    The Kerala Government hasmoved the Supreme Courtchallenging the State HighCourt’s verdict which haddirected it to increase the num-ber of pilgrims to the historicSabarimala temple to 5,000per day, saying it will put a“great strain” on police per-sonnel and health officials inview of the Covid-19 pandem-ic.

    The state government, inits petition filed in the apexcourt against the December 18judgement of the Kerala HighCourt, has said the state hadconstituted a high-level com-mittee headed by the chiefsecretary which had set thenumber of pilgrims per day to2,000 on weekdays and 3,000on weekends respectively.

    It said that to control theCOVID-19 pandemic duringthe Sabarimala temple festivalseason between December 20and January 14 next year, the

    state had constituted the high-level committee to consider allaspects and to fix the numberof pilgrims who can be per-mitted per day to visit theshrine.

    It said the committee, in ameeting convened onDecember 14, considered thereport submitted by revisedhealth advisory of the Healthand Family WelfareDepartment and enhanced thenumber of pilgrims per day to2,000 on weekdays and 3,000on weekends.

    “The high court disposedof the writ petitions filed bysome of the respondents here-in, with a direction to thegovernment to increase thenumber of pilgrims per day to5,000. The enhancement ofpilgrims was done by the highcourt without considering anyproper report or other docu-ments. The number of policeofficials, health officials andpilgrims affected by COVID-19 in the Sabarimala temple sofar is on the higher side,” the

    State Government said in itspetition, filed through advo-cate G Prakash.

    It said that entry to thetemple is controlled by a vir-tual queue managed by policeand pilgrims are tested forCOVID-19 before allowingthem to enter the temple.

    “Increase in the number ofpilgrims will put police per-sonnel and officials of thehealth department in greatstrain and difficulty in con-trolling the pilgrims of thismagnitude,” it said.

    “It is also reported on themedia that a new COVID-19virus was detected in Englandand considering the spread ofnew virus, Government ofIndia cancelled all flights toand fro from England. Thisbeing the situation theGovernment of Kerala, seeksurgent interference of thiscourt with the impugned judg-ment to control the spread ofCOVID-19 during theSabarimala festival season,” itsaid.

    �!�%��#12!��>-��)�$�����-�1�!�$�4!��$�)�!�15�8$%)$#���1�>�6�$#�%���!#8%!

    ����� ��������

    Aplea was filed Thursday inthe Supreme Court seekingdirection to the Centre to declarethe Law Commission as a “statu-tory body” and appoint thechairperson and members to thepanel within a month.

    The PIL has been filed byBJP leader and lawyer AshwiniUpadhyay and made the min-istries of Home Affairs and Lawand Justice as well as the LawCommission of India as parties.

    The plea said the cause ofaction arose on August 31, 2018and is still continuing when thetenure of the 21st LawCommission ended but theCentre has neither extendedthe tenure of its Chairperson andMembers nor notified the 22ndLaw Commission.

    Although, on February 19,2020, Centre approved consti-tution of Twenty-second LawCommission but it has notappointed the Chairperson andMembers till date.

    �#.��������������

    �����������������&����(�����

    33���.��������

    ���������������������������������������������������������

    ����� ��������

    Bharatiya Kisan Union (LokShakti) has moved theSupreme Court challengingthe three new farm laws,against which various farmerunions are staging protest atseveral border points of Delhi,and sought impleadment inthe matter pending in theapex court.

    In an application seekingimpleadment in the pendingpetition, Bharatiya KisanUnion (Lok Shakti) hasclaimed that the new farmlaws “promote corporateinterest” and are not con-cerned with the “interest offarmers”.

    The plea, filed throughadvocate A P Singh, allegedthat these acts are “unconsti-tutional” and anti-farmer as itwould “dismantle the

    Agriculture ProduceMarket Committee (APMC)system intended to ensurefair prices for farm products”.

    “The implementation ofthe acts in its current form willspell disaster for the farmingcommunity by opening a par-allel market which is unregu-lated and gives enough placefor exploitation of the Indianfarmers,” the application said.

    It claimed that farmers are“very much scared that theseacts also lead to corporatisa-tion of the entire agriculturemarket and the prices can bedriven up or down by the cor-porates”.

    While hearing the matterrelated to farmers protest, abench headed by Chief JusticeS A Bobde had on December17 said that farmers' agitationshould be allowed to contin-ue “without impediment” andthe apex court will not inter-fere with it as the right toprotest is a fundamental right.

    Several farmer unions,including the BKU, have beenimpleaded as respondents inthe matter pending in the topcourt.

    (�'�;�1��>����$-4��%%!�)$�)�5�#�%�3����!!��$#8%!��#!���$��8!��$�)�#���!

  • ��������'���������� �! � "�"#$"�%&'%(%(

    Jaipur: Chief Minister ShriAshok Gehlot said that the coun-try and the world in Rajasthanhas every ability to attractinvestors.

    All you need is a friendlyenvironment of doing. He saidthat the immense potential forenergy production in solar andwind sector, efficient humanresources, wide land bank, favor-able geographical location, withbetter law and order Policiesand decisions formulated in theinterest of investors are suchstrong aspects, whose branding isbig.

    A number of entrepreneurscan be encouraged to invest. He

    instructed that these character-istics and merits of AdhikarRajasthan are given at nationaland international investmentconferences, Show case throughother platforms including roadshows.

    One stop shop systembrought for the convenience ofinvestors in Shri Gehlot State,delhi-Mumbai IndustrialCorridor (DMIC) and Industryrelated topics on Wednesdayevening were reviewing. Hesaid that more and more jobs areavailable to the people ofRajasthan bringing investment toget it done is the priority of thegovernment.

    ������� ���� ����������������

    ������������������������%�&'�!$

    ��� � �*-�

    The CPI(M)-led KeralaGovernment and theCongress-led UDF, the princi-pal Opposition in the State aregetting ready for another standoff with Governor ArifMohammed Khan over con-vening the special session of theLegislative Assembly to passresolutions demanding thescrapping of the AgricultureLaws enacted by the Centre.

    Taken aback by theGovernor’s refusal to convenea special session of theLegislative Assembly whichhad been scheduled forThursday, the Government ledby Vijayan decided to sendanother missive to the formerseeking to convene a specialsession of one-hour durationon December 31 to adopt res-olutions demanding the Centreto declare the Agriculture Billsnull and void. PNS

    /12!�1��C$,�.�������0155��1$��!��$5.�$���!�%�

    KOCHI: A senior BJP leader hascharged that the LDF Governmentin Kerala was projecting “manipu-lated victory” against its fightagainst Covid-19 pandemic. “Therecent developments in the Stateprove that the CPI(M)-led LDFGovernment was hiding real newsand spreading manipulated newsabout its handling of Covid-19. Thisis a sign that Kerala’s health caresector has to improve a lot,” said CP Radhakrishnan, BJP leader incharge of Kerala.

    He was speaking to reporters atKochi on Thursday after the corecommittee meeting of the State unitof the BJP. Radhakrishnan said thathis party’s focus would be to winpower in the State and not to win‘few more seats’.

    “The recent Local Body elec-tions in the State proved that the wehave been accepted by peoplebelonging to all sections of the soci-ety. We wrested power inPandhalam Municipality wheretwo Christian brethren won as urcandidates. Yes, we are againstIslamic terrorism but not againstIslam. Our objective is to isolateIslamic terrorism and integrate theMuslims with us,” saidRadhakrishnan.

    The BJP leader said that the lastfive year’s of CPI(M) rule hasruined Kerala’s development in allfields. “Kerala needs to develop itsinfrastructure, agriculture, indus-trial sector and heath care. Whatthe CPI(M)-led LDF is projectingis manipulated victory againstCovid-19. The BJP would befocussing only on Kerala’s devel-opment as well as to improve thestandard of living,” saidRadhakrishnan, who is no strangerto Kerala.

    He also dismissed reports aboutinternal fights in the Kerala unit ofthe party. PNS

    ��! ������ !����� �*���"�

    With political temperature inBengal beginning to soar aheadof next year’s Assembly electionsChief Minister Mamata Banerjee onThursday hit out at CentralGovernment-controlled ViswaBharati University for not inviting herin its centenary celebrations in whichPrime Minister Narendra Modi deliv-ered a virtual speech.

    The Prime Minister’s speech toowasn’t free from factual errors, herTrinamool Congress said. The TMChad earlier slammed the BJP forputting Home Minister Amit Shah’spictures above that of Poet LaureateRabindranath Tagore during hisBolpur rally.

    “Today is the foundation day ofthe Viswa Bharati but there was notelephone call, no invitation from thatside … There was a phone call say-ing they wanted to meet me … theyasked whether I could visit theUniversity any time soon… this is notan invite … still I must congratulateall those who attended the pro-gramme,” the Chief Minister said.

    “I don’t mind anything becausethose who have joined the meetingtoday are mostly religious bigots …their term is of temporary nature, theyare there for very few days … theirdays are numbered,” Banerjee who

    announced a huge investment of Rs15,000 crore in East Midnapore dis-trict said.

    Slamming her detractors shesaid “there are people who keep onhumiliating me and attacking meevery time thinking that this lady doesnot react because she is sure that ulti-mately she will win (the elections) …today things have reached such a passthat apart from humiliating me theyhave started humiliating the icons ofBengal.”

    However, refuting the chargesbrought by the Chief Minister, BengalBJP leader Samik Bhattacharya said“the Chief Minister’s absence from theprogramme was unfortunate … suchthings should be kept out of politics… today Bengal’s honour was loweredbefore the entire nation.”

    Earlier State Minister and drama-tist Bratya Basus too alleged that theChief Minister could not join theshow as she was not invited. “MamataBanerjee did not receive any invita-tion for the centenary meet of VisvaBharati,” he said adding, “even if theinvitation, as you suggest, was sent lastnight, should that be the decorum?After all, she (Ms Banerjee) is theChief Minister of a State.”

    On the alleged factual errors in

    the Prime Minister’s speech he saidin his address Modi put down Bengaliculture and tradition by confiningTagore to Gujarat.

    “Why one should restrictRabindranath Tagore to Gujarat? Hesaid Satyen Tagore’s wife(Rabindranath Tagore's sister-in-law)learnt how to drape sarees in a cer-tain fashion from Gujarati women.The fact is that she learnt it from theGujaratis as well the Parsis. But thePrime Minister wouldn't mentionParsis,” Mr Basu said.

    He also said that “Tagore’s broth-er who was in Gujarat was not theeldest sibling. His wife’s name wasGyanadanandini and not what Modisaid. The story about Gyanadanandiniand the sari pallu is a myth, not true,”he said.

    He also questioned the reasonbehind the Prime Minister not men-tioning Calcutta University whiletaking the names of Delhi and LahoreUniversities in the same breadth.

    “The PM also spoke about thevarsities of Delhi and Lahore duringhis address, but failed to make a men-tion of Calcutta University, whichplayed an important part in thecountry's freedom movement,” Basua noted dramatist said.

    Faulting the Prime Minister forhis wrong interpretation of the PoetLaureate he said how Tagore’s phi-losophy had gone beyond national-ism to internationalism and human-ism. He said “Tagore was of the opin-ion that nationalism was a divisiveidea,” adding Tagore’s famous novelGora was not about divisive religion.

    Meanwhile in a parallel develop-ment, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikarion Thursday iterated the BJP wascoming to power in Bengal with aforceful majority.

    Addressing a massive rally at hishome town Contai in East Midnaporehe said “the overwhelming presenceof the crowd here only shows that

    “Didi is going and a new era ofnationalism is coming to Bengal.” Therally was so big that it took three hoursto cover a distance of 5 km.

    Picking up from where HomeMinister Amit Shah left last Sundayat Bolpur Adhikari said promised towin all the 35 seats from East andWest Midnapore for the BJP.

    “The rule of Bhaipo (nephew) isover, the rule of the coal, cow andstone mafia is over … the people willthrow them out because if theyreturn to power they will not turn intoa kidney mafia,” Adhikari said in anapparent reference to TMC MP andthe Chief Minister’s nephew AbhishekBanerjee.

    !������ "����#���������������

    ����� !���� �'(�

    Maharashtra’s Coivid-19 toll breached 49,000mark on Thursday, as 89 more people diedof the pandemic, while 3,580 others tested pos-itive for coronavirus.

    A day after Maharashtra logged 3913 moreinfections and 93 new deaths, the infectionsdropped to 3580 and deaths came down to 89.

    With 3580 fresh infected cases, the totalinfections in the stare climbed from 19,06,371to 19,09,951. Similarly, with 89 new deaths, thetotal toll in the stare rose from 48,969 to 49,058.

    As 3171 patients were discharged from thehospitals across the state after full recovery, thetotal number of people discharged from the hos-pitals since the second week of March this yearwent up to 18,04,871. The recovery rate in thestate dropped marginally from from 94.51 percent to 94.5 per cent.

    With 12 new deaths, the total number ofdeaths went up from 11033 to 11045, while theinfected cases rose by 643 to trigger a jump inthe total infections from 2,88,561 to 2,89,204.

    Meanwhile, the number of “active cases”total cases in the state rose marginally from54,573 top 54,891. The fatality rate in the statestood at 2.57 per cent. Pune district, which con-tinued to be the worst-affected city-district inMaharashtra, saw the total number of casesincrease from 3,68,447 to 3,69,065, while the totalnumber of deaths in Pune increased from 7708to 7713. Thane district remained in the third spot--after Pune and Mumbai – after the total num-ber of infections rose from 2,51,430 to 2,51,880,while the total deaths climbed from 5516 to 5527.

    ������#���������������8����#�������

    �(.&'*-��>11���%$)���3$%%�)!����!)$5��15���!�5$���>��;>���!���$�&�!�15��1�!%����)!#!��

  • Democracy depends uponobjective interactions,respectful dialogues andmutual trust. People maydiffer in their viewpoints but theyneed not resist combined efforts tofind solutions and settle differences,no matter how serious these maybe. The year 2020 shall be remem-bered for the Shaheen Bagh dhar-na and Kisan Satyagrah. Normally,the word “Satyagrah” reminds oneof Gandhiji who had modified theoriginal term “Sadagrah” to“Satyagrah”. Democracy allowsprotests; Gandhiji gave the weaponof Satyagrah not only to India butto the entire world, and its poten-tial was never in doubt. It tookroots not only in India but was alsoused by luminaries like MartinLuther King Jr and NelsonMandela. As the inheritors ofGandhian legacy, India and Indianshave a special responsibility toensure that it is not converted into‘Asatyagrah’. In umpteen agitationsorganised within India, Satyagrahgets reduced to a mockery.

    No one cares for the truth, non-violence invariably becomes a casu-alty and human lives are wastedwithout any hesitation or a sense ofshame. These days, the “leaders” goon hunger strike — Upvaas — forjust a few hours! The literal mean-ing of Upvaas is “being near the soul”but most demonstrations andprotests are hijacked by politicians.India seriously needs its intellectu-als to play their role: Get out of theslumber of callousness and take astrictly objective view of nationalaspirations, expectations of theyoung as well as to ensure that theprinciple of trusteeship is strictlyupheld in thought and deeds ofthose who have the reins of author-ity. It is their obligation to name andshame all those who have forgottenabout human values, social obliga-tions, the responsibility to give dig-nity to every human being, to be spe-cially concerned and supportive ofchildren, women and those stand-ing last in the line. While the devel-oped and modern countries may beoverwhelmed in their materialisticpursuits, India just cannot abandonits eternal responsibility to moveahead in spiritual quest, and there-by place the right path in front ofhumanity. Indians are inheritors ofa civilisation which respects the crit-icality of the sensitive man-naturerelationship and believes in meetinghuman survival needs from nature;and despises its wanton destructionto meet his greed. India alone couldget the humanity out of concerns likeenvironmental destruction, climatechanges, water scarcity, air pollution,

    soil degradation, melting of glac-iers, vanishing of species, flora andfauna, and much more. The ide-ology of progress has to be rede-fined in national context, keepingin view the global considerationsand treating the world as one fam-ily. India must rise and presentbefore the world a working modelof “science with humanity” and“knowledge with character”. It istime that the contours of civilisa-tion are incisively delineated andthe march towards a world ofpeace is guided by humanism,welfare of all and a practising civilsociety that cares for everyone. Itwould require a long-term strat-egy and it shall have to be imple-mented through education. Thereis no other way out.

    What is civilisation? Thisquery was once posed by SwamiVivekananda, and his own answerwas: “It is the feeling of thedivine within.” And how does onediscover that divinity? Througheducation that is both secular andspiritual. He gave us that illustri-ous eternal statement: “Educationis the manifestation of perfectionalready in man.” He was con-vinced that what India needsmost is “education, educationand more education”! The firstduty of the nation is to educatepeople, extricate them out of igno-rance and self-negation: “Educatepeople and they would be able tosolve their own problems.” Tohim, education was of no use ifit didn’t prepare the masses for thestruggles of life. More important-ly, it was to bring out the strengthof character, spirit of philan-thropy and the courage of a lion.India has suffered enough in theway of negative education.Delinking of Indians from Indiawas a deliberate strategy imposed

    by the alien rulers and, unfortu-nately, the model was perpetuat-ed by those who inherited powerand authority at the time ofIndependence. Over the decades,people have realised the gravity ofthe folly and there are enoughindications in the NationalEducation Policy (NEP), 2020,that things shall change. The pol-icy formulates: “A holistic andmulti-disciplinary educationwould aim at developing allcapacities of human beings —intellectual, aesthetic, social, phys-ical, emotional and moral, in anintegrated manner.” The formu-lation is further augmented by theemphasis on value-based educa-tion “which will include thedevelopment of humanistic, eth-ical, constitutional and universalhuman values of truth (satya),righteous conduct (dharma),peace (shanti), love (prem), non-violence (ahimsa) and others”.One fervently expects all this toequip every learner to discover thetreasure within him. This is thepath to a truly civilised world.

    There, however, are seriousimpediments to traverse thenewly chalked out pathway.Prime Minister Narendra Modi,in the virtual mode, unveiled thestatue of Swami Vivekananda onthe campus of the JawaharlalNehru University (JNU). Therewas sustained opposition to thevery installation of the statue, andit was not a rare occurrence. Inthis university, the activities, agi-tations and full-throated supportof certain ideologically con-strained groups of students andteachers to even the groups andindividuals who do not believe inIndia’s unity and integrity as anation often baffle those whothink independently, have the

    national welfare uppermost intheir mind and retain objectivi-ty even in provocative situa-tions. JNU is a great institutionthat should be the melting pot forvaried thought, ideas and imag-ination. In a world torn by con-flicts, violence, wars and weapon-isation, universities have a greatrole to play in augmenting socialcohesion and religious amity.They have to work for the cultureof acceptance, far ahead of toler-ance. This is the Indian traditionwhich has to be strengthened.

    Universities, including JNU,just cannot afford to ignore thestirring words of JawaharlalNehru who considered these asthe pace setters of peace andprogress at the national level, andfrom there it must extend to theglobal scenario: “A universitystands for humanism, for toler-ance, for reason, for the adven-ture of ideas and for the searchof truth. It stands for the onwardmarch of the human racetowards higher objectives. If theuniversities discharge adequate-ly, all is well with the people andthe nation.” Great universitieswould never relish the tag ofbeing politically or ideological-ly oriented. The people and thenation expect JNU to become acentre of nourishing civilisa-tion. It could really work serious-ly on comprehending the cultureof acceptance of diversity.

    In his 1932 book, Remakersof Mankind, Carl Washburnewrites that when asked “What isyour goal in education whenIndia obtains self-rule”, Gandhijireplied: “Character building. Iwould strive to develop courage,strength, virtue, the ability to for-get oneself in working towardsgreat aims. This is more impor-

    tant than literacy; academiclearning is only a means to thisgreat end.” Character formationwas the strength of the tradition-al Indian system of knowledgequest that included creation,generation, utilisation and trans-fer of knowledge to the futuregenerations. With all the expe-riences gained globally in vary-ing contexts and approaches, itis now accepted globally thateducation in every country mustbe rooted in culture and com-mitted to progress. Characterbuilding just cannot be envi-sioned in isolation to culture. Noculture would flourish in isola-tion and there can be no barri-ers erected in the way of childrenbeing made aware and conver-sant with their own culturebefore being introduced to theothers. India painfully sufferedas the transplanted system thatdeliberately kept young educat-ed Indians debarred from get-ting familiar with the nuances oftheir own culture; they were sys-tematically indoctrinated in the“superiority of the western cul-ture”. This was very comprehen-sively articulated by Gandhiji inthe Young India of September 1,1921: “It is my firm opinion thatno culture has treasures so richas ours. We have not known it;we have even been made todepreciate its value. We havealmost ceased to live it.”

    Let us hope that the pro-posed educational reformswould prepare the young withcredentials and they wouldlook after the masses.Education must lead to humandignity for one and all.

    (The author works in educa-tion and social cohesion. Theviews expressed are personal.))�����������������������*#�+,-.�(/0�������������������������������(���������������������������������

    ������������������������������������ ���������� ��������)��� �� ���������

    �������������������������������������(����������������������������������������(����1�������������������.����������������������������������������������������2����������3����4����5������&������������(

    ���#��������������(�������67�8/6+,-.�(/0�������9/6�����������������.����&���������(������/�:/�69�88;���������������/�7�����������������I���J�

    #������

    ���CJ#�D���������������������������������������������������������������#�������������+��������������

    �����.������������������3A����������������2�������������������;:���������������������������

    ���������

    ���������2��������������������

    ���������������������������������,����������������+���������A�������$���������������������������$���5������A����5����������$���5������ ������5������

    ���F��7�,���������5����������������5�����������������������������(���������������������+����������������������������������

    �������������

    ���������������Sir — By no stretch of imagina-tion can the results of the DistrictDevelopment Council (DDC)elections in Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) be seen as an endorsementof the Centre’s abrogation ofArticle 370. On the contrary, ifanything, it was an unequivocalverdict against the move. Theclaim of victory by the BJP isbelied by actual results. However,it is gratifying to see some sem-blance of democracy broughtabout by the DDC polls.

    Overall, the constituent par-ties of the Gupkar Alliance thatare opposed to the abrogation ofArticle 370 and insistent on theirdemand for regaining what theybelieve is rightfully theirs, haveemerged the clear winner andgained legitimacy as the people’svoice. They still occupy much ofthe political space in the State andremain vibrantly relevant there.

    The argument that theGovernment can unilaterally dowhatever it wants on the strengthof its parliamentary majority isof dubious legitimacy. The peo-ple of any region cannot bemainstreamed or integrated bydisempowering them.

    G David MiltonMaruthancode, Tamil Nadu

    �����������

    ��������Sir — After being a caged parrotof the powers that be, the inabil-ity of the Central Bureau ofInvestigation (CBI) to take probesand prosecution in sensationalcases to their logical conclusionis dismaying. That the courts areincreasingly questioning theCBI’s integrity is a shocking

    indictment of the latter.In this context, a recent ver-

    dict of the Madras High Courtquestioning the competency,expertise and integrity of CBIofficers should come as anotherwake-up call. The CBI “lost” inits custody 103 kg of the 400 kggold it had seized from a corpo-rate giant in 2012 and which waskept in its vaults. In the absence

    of any plausible explanation fromthe CBI, the High Court told theState CB-CID to probe the mat-ter, a move fiercely opposed bythe CBI but to no avail.

    Generally, the CBI isentrusted a case after a State’sprobe agencies fail but, in thiscase, the reverse happened.

    Ganapathi BhatAkola

    ������������Sir — With time, the Indiandemocracy has become suffi-ciently mature to enable us tothink about evolving politicalsystems that suit the needs, sizeand population of our nation.Reforming the polling system isone of them.

    In this particular sphere, wehave been able to develop anelection machinery by way ofthe Election Commissionwhose robust and efficient sys-tem has become an envy of notonly the smaller countries butalso of the developed ones.

    But we must end the situ-ation wherein the nation iscontinually in election mode,thereby creating an atmos-phere of political upheaval.We must also eliminate polit-ical corruption in the form ofmidterm defections and AayaRams and Gaya Rams. Also, itwill help if the problems of aparticular State get sufficientattention in its Assembly elec-tions and not get overshad-owed by national issues.

    BP SrivastavaNoida

    � $ � % � & ' � ( � $ � � ' ) *

    ###)$�����������)��"5�4!611�741#E��$%.8$1�!!��O D"�!��$%. $1�!!��O $����)�#741#E��$%.8$1�!!E

    ������������������ �! � "�"#$"�%&'%(%( �

    �������������������������������������

    '�$1�� @$���4!� $�$��!� �$#�%�� >$����#��� $��13���.�� �1%�$�)� 41��&%���$1��� 3$��� 2�$1&�����!�1%�!��!)��$�)���!�'�$1��(&�)!��51�����0��7�����$���14!�����31&%��!?8!4���8!4$�%�812$�$1��51��!�$1�4$�$K!����1�!��!���!$�816%!#�7

    "�!�-!��!����� ��!�+!�!2!�(����15� ��$�� ;+(<��1&%��,1$��%.�$��1�&4!����8!4$�%�%1�)0�!#�$�2!��#!���4�!#!�3$���$��!!���8�.�6%!�#1���%.�51��!�$1�4$�$K!���

    !8%�4$�)���!�!?$��$�)�>!�$1�-$�$K!���>�2$�)��>4�!#!;>->>

  • / ����������������

    ���#+����������� �/�� ��������8�������������������1����������������

    ����!������� !������

    �����4�A!�������1��������

    ������������������

    ��������"�+�11!�:����1��������������������! ��1�+���8�������8������������B������������"C��! !����������4�A"�1���+:�����"�1��������1����#�!

    ���

    �+�,&�.�!��0�+�,&�

    It was late at night when Seema Kumari, anaccredited social health activist working inBihar’s Sitamarhi district, heard the news. The16-year-old daughter-in-law of her neighbour hadgiven birth at home earlier than expected.Despite the late hour, she rushed to their houseto see if she could be of any help. Unfortunately,the infant, weak and born prematurely, did notsurvive. In Sitamarhi, 106 newborn babies die forevery 1,000 live births according to theGovernment’s statistics. Early marriage furtherexacerbates the vulnerability of adolescents.According to the fourth National Family HealthSurvey (NFHS-4), in Sitamarhi, 50.5 per cent ofthe women aged between 20-24 years had beenmarried off before the age of 18 and 11.7 per centof girls/women aged 15-19 years were alreadymothers or pregnant at the time of the survey in2015-16.

    Although she was deeply saddened by theirloss, Kumari took the opportunity to convincethe mother-in-law that she would not insist onanother grandchild until her teenaged daughter-in-law had recovered physically and mentally. Infact, Kumari extracted a promise that they wouldwait for at least three years before trying foranother baby. By this time not only would Pinkyturn 19 and be better prepared for motherhood,it would also reduce the risk of infant mortali-ty. Over the next three years, Kumari kept an eyeon the family. It meant daily visits, talking to themother-in-law and constantly reminding her ofthe promise. She also provided reproductive andsexual health information and aids to Pinky sothat she could plan her family and delay moth-erhood till she was ready for it. In January thisyear, Kumari’s hard work bore fruit when Pinkygave birth to a healthy girl at the local primaryhealth centre.

    Women like Kumari are among the manyfrontline health workers who are making a dif-ference between life and death for mothers andbabies. Pinky was fortunate that Kumari was ableto persuade her conservative marital family thatthere was a need to wait before the next pregnan-cy. The likelihood of girls aged between 10-14dying during pregnancy and childbirth is fivetimes higher than for women aged between 20-24. An estimated 6,000 adolescent mothers dieevery year in India. The underlying reasons areearly marriage coupled with a lack of sexual andreproductive health information. It was to dis-rupt the vicious circle of having too many chil-dren, too quickly and provide adolescents withappropriate information on reproductive and sex-ual health that the Rashtriya Kishor SwasthyaKaryakram (RKSK) was launched by theGovernment in 2014.

    Although the RKSK prioritised sexual andreproductive health as one of its six strategic areasof adolescent well-being, talking about thissensitive issue remains a taboo. In Bihar,entrenched patriarchy has made RKSK even morecritical as adolescents, especially girls, are forcedto remain invisible and refrain from being seenor heard. It becomes difficult for them to con-fide in their parents. Hence, they desperately needsomeone they can turn to for advice. But thereis a shortage of trained, skilled human resourcewho can be their friend and guide.

    Many girls on the brink of puberty know lit-tle about menstruation as no one prepares themfor it when they reach puberty. In fact, menstru-ation comes as a shock for many and affects theirmental health as they are unable to grapple with

    this major change in their bodies.There is also an acute shortage of

    medical counsellors as well as womendoctors. Though the biology textbookhas a chapter on reproductive health,most teachers in rural areas skip it. Thistrend was more prevalent in co-educa-tional schools where the teacher was tooembarrassed to teach this importantchapter to a class full of boys and girls.

    Eighteen-year-old Fatima, whotravels 20 kilometres daily to a collegefrom Sherghati block of Gaya District,admitted that she wanted to know moreabout sexual and reproductive health.Fatima said the only information shehad gleaned on this subject was fromtelevision programmes but that was notenough. Neither was it comprehensive.Under the RKSK, peer educators andAdolescent Friendly Health Clinics(AFHCs) are supposed to bridge thisinformation gap. For a population of1,000 people, there are supposed to befour peer educators, two boys and twogirls. The Accredited Social HealthActivists (ASHAs), panchayats andlocal Non-Government Organisationsare part of the group to select and trainthe peer educators or “Sathiyas” as theyare called. It is their responsibility toremove all doubts and fears of the ado-lescents by bringing them to theAFHCs.

    Unfortunately, in many villages ofrural Bihar, such clinics remain onpaper. During a social audit conduct-ed to assess the ground realities, it wasfound that even where they did exist,the absence of qualified serviceproviders including counsellors man-dated under the RKSK, made these clin-ics mostly non-functional.

    One such AFHC is at the BelsandPrimary Health Centre in Sitamarhi.The signage on the board outside

    mentions the services the clinic offers.The dilapidated board and the fadedwriting is the first sign of the clinic’s pre-sent state of health. The clinic doublesup as an Outpatient Department sincethere is no other room. Adolescentsprefer not to come to this clinic primar-ily because there is an acute shortageof staff and privacy. Apart from a lackof a counsellor dedicated solely for ado-lescents, the Auxilliary Nurse Midwife(ANM) was on contract from the sub-centre!

    The clinic was supposed to haveseven doctors but it had only two. Thelack of a woman doctor meant that fewabortions were conducted there.According to ANM Rakhee Kumar, thelack of a woman doctor was the reasonwhy very few came to seek abortion ser-vices at the clinic. The fact that parentsand girls preferred to visit quacks forabortions underlines just how vitalfunctioning AFHCs are for adolescentsto access sexual and reproductive infor-mation and safe abortion services.Sadly, girls visit trained healthcareworkers only when abortions arebotched up by the quacks. And some-times it is too late to help them.

    When mothers are well-informedthere are better chances that adoles-cents, both girls and boys, will betterunderstand the changes their bodies areundergoing. In turn, well-informedteenagers are able to help their friendscope with their problems.

    The three daughters of AnganwadiWorker (AWW) Anita Devi are differ-ent from their friends. They understandthe importance of education and thepitfalls of early marriage. They haveaccurate information on puberty and itsrelated changes. They have taken on theresponsibility of sharing this knowledgewith their friends.

    Adolescents between 10-19 yearscomprise 22 per cent of Bihar’s popu-lation. The RKSK strategy was to pro-vide a continuum of care for the healthand development of adolescents. Also,envisioned was a convergence model ofservice delivery by involving ANMs,ASHAs, AWWs and volunteers of theNehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan.

    Several Union Ministries were toprovide various components for ado-lescent development through specialprogrammes like the Integrated ChildDevelopment Services. Adolescenthealth programme managers at theState and district level were to overseethe initiative based on project imple-mentation plans.

    Further, at the community level theintervention was to be through peereducators, holding quarterly AdolescentHealth Day meetings, providing week-ly iron and folic acid supplements andthrough a Menstrual HygieneManagement scheme. The facility-based intervention was through sett


JHARKHAND STATE ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION, …jserc.org/sldcregulation.pdf · 2020. 7. 17. · Draft SLDC Fees and Charges Regulations 2020 Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory

JHARKHAND STATE ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION, …jserc.org/sldcregulation.pdf · 2020. 7. 17. · Draft SLDC Fees and Charges Regulations 2020 Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory

Documents
Government of Jharkhand Rural Development …jharkhand.20govt.com/files/2019/02/17.pdfGovernment of Jharkhand Rural Development Department (Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society)

Government of Jharkhand Rural Development …jharkhand.20govt.com/files/2019/02/17.pdfGovernment of Jharkhand Rural Development Department (Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society)

Documents
Jharkhand Circle d YYYYYYXYYYYYYYYY …jrecruitment.in/wp-content/uploads/Jharkhand-postal-Circle-GDS...Jharkhand Circle d Jharkhand Circle NOTIFICATION FOR THE POSTS OF GRAMIN DAK

Jharkhand Circle d YYYYYYXYYYYYYYYY …jrecruitment.in/wp-content/uploads/Jharkhand-postal-Circle-GDS...Jharkhand Circle d Jharkhand Circle NOTIFICATION FOR THE POSTS OF GRAMIN DAK

Documents
GOVERNMENT OF JHARKHAND Jharkhand …jharkhandtourism.gov.in/Application/uploadDocuments/...GOVERNMENT OF JHARKHAND Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

GOVERNMENT OF JHARKHAND Jharkhand …jharkhandtourism.gov.in/Application/uploadDocuments/...GOVERNMENT OF JHARKHAND Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Documents
Jharkhand Circle d YYYYYYXYYYYYYYYY Jharkhand Circle ... · Jharkhand Circle d Jharkhand Circle NOTIFICATION FOR THE POSTS OF GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS IN THE CIRCLE Applications are invited

Jharkhand Circle d YYYYYYXYYYYYYYYY Jharkhand Circle ... · Jharkhand Circle d Jharkhand Circle NOTIFICATION FOR THE POSTS OF GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS IN THE CIRCLE Applications are invited

Documents
Chief Minister of Jharkhand | Government of Jharkhand, Ranchi

Chief Minister of Jharkhand | Government of Jharkhand, Ranchi

Documents
letter - Jharkhand

letter - Jharkhand

Documents
JHARKHAND FACTSHEET 2020

JHARKHAND FACTSHEET 2020

Documents
Jharkhand Tribal Development Societyjtdsjharkhand.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/JTELP_Internal_-Audit-_2020.pdf · Jharkhand Tribal Development Society or JTDS (hereinafter called

Jharkhand Tribal Development Societyjtdsjharkhand.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/JTELP_Internal_-Audit-_2020.pdf · Jharkhand Tribal Development Society or JTDS (hereinafter called

Documents
jharkhand tourism

jharkhand tourism

Travel
Govt. of Jharkhand Energy Department Jharkhand …jreda.com/tenders/pdf/2017/03_06_2017_document_nit_05.pdfGovt. of Jharkhand Energy Department Jharkhand Renewable Energy Development

Govt. of Jharkhand Energy Department Jharkhand …jreda.com/tenders/pdf/2017/03_06_2017_document_nit_05.pdfGovt. of Jharkhand Energy Department Jharkhand Renewable Energy Development

Documents
ARI JAIN University Jharkhand · ARI JAIN University Jharkhand . Title: Untitled-1 Author: Designer Created Date: 9/19/2020 5:57:35 PM

ARI JAIN University Jharkhand · ARI JAIN University Jharkhand . Title: Untitled-1 Author: Designer Created Date: 9/19/2020 5:57:35 PM

Documents
Jharkhand · 2020. 7. 17. · Created Date: 7/16/2020 5:13:44 PM

Jharkhand · 2020. 7. 17. · Created Date: 7/16/2020 5:13:44 PM

Documents
Jharkhand NTSE 2020 Stage 1 MAT and SAT Question Paper and

Jharkhand NTSE 2020 Stage 1 MAT and SAT Question Paper and

Documents
Jharkhand State Food Commision · Jharkhand State Food Commision ... 6

Jharkhand State Food Commision · Jharkhand State Food Commision ... 6

Documents
Jharkhand Govt Jobs Site- 2021 Govt Job Vacancy Jharkhand

Jharkhand Govt Jobs Site- 2021 Govt Job Vacancy Jharkhand

Documents
Vision Jharkhand

Vision Jharkhand

Travel
JeevanPramaan Jharkhand Installation Guide · JeevanPramaan Jharkhand Installation Guide Aug. 17 3. Select Government of Jharkhand in Sanctioning Authority and bank / Jharkhand Treasury-Sub

JeevanPramaan Jharkhand Installation Guide · JeevanPramaan Jharkhand Installation Guide Aug. 17 3. Select Government of Jharkhand in Sanctioning Authority and bank / Jharkhand Treasury-Sub

Documents
Government of Jharkhand Jharkhand Combined Entrance ... · For Admission in 1st Year in B.Ed for Academic Session-2020-2021 Jharkhand Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board,

Government of Jharkhand Jharkhand Combined Entrance ... · For Admission in 1st Year in B.Ed for Academic Session-2020-2021 Jharkhand Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board,

Documents
RANCHI, JHARKHAND

RANCHI, JHARKHAND

Documents
Jharkhand Envis

Jharkhand Envis

Documents
The Pioneer...2020/12/20  · Jharkhand Sports Policy 2020 and Jharkhand State Tourism Policy 2020 on its first anniver-sary. At least two of the initiatives announced by the government

The Pioneer...2020/12/20  · Jharkhand Sports Policy 2020 and Jharkhand State Tourism Policy 2020 on its first anniver-sary. At least two of the initiatives announced by the government

Documents
JHARKHAND URBAN PLANNING & MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE …juidco.jharkhand.gov.in/MIS/home/newsfiles/22_Proposed JUPMI Scheme.pdf · jharkhand urban planning & management institute jharkhand

JHARKHAND URBAN PLANNING & MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE …juidco.jharkhand.gov.in/MIS/home/newsfiles/22_Proposed JUPMI Scheme.pdf · jharkhand urban planning & management institute jharkhand

Documents
REFORM -JHARKHAND

REFORM -JHARKHAND

Documents
Govt. of Jharkhand Jharkhand Staff Selection commission Notice … of... · 2017-09-15 · 2 Govt. of Jharkhand Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Kalinagar, Chaibagan, Namkom,

Govt. of Jharkhand Jharkhand Staff Selection commission Notice … of... · 2017-09-15 · 2 Govt. of Jharkhand Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Kalinagar, Chaibagan, Namkom,

Documents
Government of Jharkhand Jharkhand Combined Entrance

Government of Jharkhand Jharkhand Combined Entrance

Documents
Govt. of Jharkhand Energy Department Jharkhand Renewable ... · Govt. of Jharkhand Energy Department Jharkhand Renewable Energy Development Agency (JREDA) 3rd Floor, S.L.D.C. Building,

Govt. of Jharkhand Energy Department Jharkhand Renewable ... · Govt. of Jharkhand Energy Department Jharkhand Renewable Energy Development Agency (JREDA) 3rd Floor, S.L.D.C. Building,

Documents
4 Years Achievement Booklet Jharkhand English...RAILWAYS’ DEVELOPMENT IN JHARKHAND (2014-PRESENT) 05 JHARKHAND - A STATE WITH RICH HERITAGE AND ABUNDANT MINERAL RESOURCES Jharkhand,

4 Years Achievement Booklet Jharkhand English...RAILWAYS’ DEVELOPMENT IN JHARKHAND (2014-PRESENT) 05 JHARKHAND - A STATE WITH RICH HERITAGE AND ABUNDANT MINERAL RESOURCES Jharkhand,

Documents
case study on sajha bus service

case study on sajha bus service

Documents
Government of Jharkhand Jharkhand Combined Entrance …jceceb.jharkhand.gov.in/IMP_l/475.pdf · 2019-07-06 · Government of Jharkhand Jharkhand Combined Entrance Competitive Examination

Government of Jharkhand Jharkhand Combined Entrance …jceceb.jharkhand.gov.in/IMP_l/475.pdf · 2019-07-06 · Government of Jharkhand Jharkhand Combined Entrance Competitive Examination

Documents