Washington, Jun 30,2021: The US House of Representative on Tuesday passed a resolution recognizing the devastating impact of novel coronavirus in India and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives to urgently facilitate assistance.
Congressman Brad Sherman, the Democratic Co-Chair of the House Caucus on India and India Americans, was joined by Rep Steve Chabot (R-OH) in introducing the resolution last month.
“The resolution stands with the people of India as they collectively work to stem the spread of COVID-19,” Mr Sherman said.
“The US must work with our partners around the world to quell the virus everywhere it persists,” he added.
“The resolution recognizes the efforts of the Biden administration to deliver urgently needed medical supplies to India, and urges the delivery of additional, much needed medical supplies and in-kind medical supply donations to help India quell this devastating second wave of COVID-19. The resolution also recognizes the efforts of Indian Americans and American firms to support India’s health care system during this time of need, including the delivery of 1,000 ventilators and 25,000 oxygen concentrators to health care facilities across India,” according to a statement issued by Brad Sherman’s office on Tuesday.
As a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as the Democratic Co-Chair of the India Caucus, Congressman Sherman has worked, alongside the Republican Co-Chair Steve Chabot, to address the devastating effects of this second COVID-19 wave in India.
In April, Reps Steve Chabot, Ro Khanna, Michael Waltz and others joined Congressman Sherman in formally requesting that the White House increase its assistance for India’s battle against COVID-19. By early May, the United States had provided more than $100 million worth of medical supplies to India, including oxygen support, personal protective equipment (PPE), rapid diagnostic tests, and therapeutics. USAID also facilitated the delivery of 440 oxygen cylinders and regulators to India, donated by the State of California.
Working directly with the Indian Ambassador in Washington D.C., Congressman Sherman along with Congressman Chabot led another letter to President Biden, joined by over 50 Members of Congress, again requesting the White House to further increase aid and provide specific, needed medical equipment to support India through the COVID crisis.
Congressmen Sherman and Chabot also hosted a Member briefing with the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to discuss the United States’ efforts to assist India with their devastating second wave of COVID-19 infections, the statement concluded.
Jammu, Jun 30,2021: For the third consecutive day on Wednesday, Army troops spotted flying objects hovering over Military Station and Air Force signal here.
Security agency sources said that around 0440 hours, the Army troops noticed one drone over Military Station near Goswami enclave at Kaluchak.
Soon after around one hour of its spotting, another drone was seen hovering over the Air Force signal in the Kunjwani area at the height of 800 to 1000 meters.
“Both the spots have already been cordoned off and high alert is sounded,” sources said.
Army troops on Tuesday also spotted the drone near Military Station in Ratnuchak-Kunjwani areas here in the city outskirts.
Earlier on Monday, Army had successfully thwarted the drone activity near Ratnuchak-Kaluchak Military Station along the Jammu-Pathankot national highway.
Two blasts occurred at Jammu Air Force Station in the early hours of Sunday in which the explosive was believed to be airdropped from the drones, leaving two Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel injured and portion of the building damaged in the high security zone.
The teams of National Investigation Agency (NIA), Special Forces, Police, Senior IAF officers, had reached the spot soon after the attack.
Patna (Bihar), June 29,2021: Bihar Education Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary on Monday said the educational institutions in the state will reopen in a phased manner after July 6 if the Covid-19 situation continues to improve at the same pace.
“We think that if the situation continues to improve at the same pace as now, life would gradually start becoming normal after 6th July. In that situation, our department thinks that our institutions should open. We’ll have to open them phase-wise,” said Bihar Education Minister.
Choudhary said that the final decision of opening educational institutions will be taken only after assessing the situation at that time.
“In the first phase, we’ll open universities, in the second phase we will open secondary and higher secondary schools, in the third phase, we will open primary and middle schools. But the final decision will be taken only after assessing the situation at that time,” said Vijay Kumar Choudhary.
He further said that the state government has started an initiative, a program ‘Hamara Doordarshan, hamara vidyalaya’ for class 1 to 5.
“We started an initiative, contacted Doordarshan and a program ‘Hamara Doordarshan, hamara vidyalaya’ started for class 1 to 5. Web portal e-LOTS offers online textbooks on all subjects for students up to class 12. Students can access books through this portal,” Bihar minister.
Educational institutions in the state have remained closed in the state since April following the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In wake of decline in COVID infections, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on June 21 announced partial relaxations of lockdown curbs.
Complete lockdown in the state was imposed on May 5 after the state witnessed a surge in COVID infections.
Bihar, one of the worst-hit states in the country, has been reporting a decline in daily COVID-19 cases.
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) , June 23,2021: Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Wednesday urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to establish centres for entrance examinations to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI), Delhi University, and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) for Kashmiri students in Srinagar amid the COVID-19.
Issuing a statement, the spokesperson of the Association, Nasir Khuehami, said that it is not possible for the students to afford air tickets to travel to other states and appear for exams as most of the them are hailing from marginalised communities.
“Hundreds of students from the Kashmir Valley are appearing for the entrance examinations for JNU, Delhi University (DU), JMI, and AMU. The problem is that students from Kashmir have their centers in Delhi and Aligarh. The present circumstances of COVID-19 could prove fatal for the aspirants. The students said that it is not possible for them to afford air tickets to travel to other states and appear for exams. Most of the students are hailing from marginalised communities,” Khuehami stated.
Khuehami also expressed the parents’ fear, who said that their wards are being compelled to travel for appearing in these upcoming examinations.
As the examinations will be conducted from the next month, many students fear contagion, are giving second thoughts to traveling. It is going to be a lot of a hassle for students to travel to Delhi and other places when most of the students are not vaccinated as yet, and there is also a possibility of the third wave, he added.
Despite the pandemic, no centre has been allotted to Kashmir by these universities which has left the local students high and dry.
JKSA Secretary Davood Ahmad said: “It will be very inconvenient for the Kashmiri students to travel all the way and spend money on accommodation in other states if their examination centres are not arranged locally. This is a grave situation especially for the students belonging to the average income group who can not afford the travel and accommodation expenses.”
He further requested LG Sinha to urgently look into the matter and hoped that he will take up this issue at the appropriate level.
New Delhi, Jun 23,2021: Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday informed that it has transferred attached assets worth Rs 9,041 crore to Public Sector Banks (PEBs), who suffered losses due to the bank fraud by fugitive businessmen Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.
In an official statement, the federal financial probe agency said “As on date, out of total attached and seized assets of Rs. 18,170.02 crore under provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), assets worth of Rs 329.67 crore has been confiscated and assets worth Rs 9,041.5 crore which is 40 percent of total loss to the bank have been transferred to the PSBs”.
The Debts Recovery Tribunal (DRT) has sold shares worth over Rs 5,800 crore of United Breweries Limited (UBL) that were earlier attached under the provisions of the PMLA as part of an alleged bank fraud probe against Mallya, the agency further said, adding that further realisation of Rs 800 crore by sale of shares is expected by June 25.
Recently, the ED had transferred shares attached by it (worth about Rs 6,600 crore) to the SBI-led consortium as per order of the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Mumbai.
The agency also said due to the cooperation and help extended by the agency, PSBs have already recovered Rs 1,357 crore by selling the shares earlier. “Thus, the banks shall be realising a total amount of Rs 9041.5 crore through sale of a part of assets attached and seized by ED under the provisions of PMLA,” it added.
The agency said, liquor baron Mallya and diamontaire uncle-nephew duo (Modi and Choksi) have defrauded Public Sector Banks by siphoning off the funds through their companies, which resulted in total loss of Rs. 22,585.83 crore to the banks.
Consequent upon the FIRs registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the ED said, it took swift action by unearthing “myriad web of domestic and international transactions and stashing of assets abroad”.
The officials in ED said, “as sequel to FIR by CBI, the agency had taken swift action by unearthing myriad web of domestic and international transactions and stashing of assets abroad.”
Investigation has also irrevocably proved that these three accused persons used dummy entities controlled by them for rotation and siphoning off the funds provided by the banks, they added.
Jun 22,2021: The Assam government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Survey of India for implementing the Svamitva scheme in the state, which aims to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural areas.
The MoU was signed between Assam, Director of Land Records and Surveys, Shantanu P Gotmare and Director Assam and Nagaland, Survey of India on Monday.
The Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj, and Assam Government’s Department of Revenue and Disaster Management will implement the scheme with the support of the Panchayat and Rural Development.
Survey of India, as the technology partner, will take steps for survey of inhabited rural land by drone as well as establishment of ground based control stations to enable a detailed spatial database of properties in rural areas.
It is expected to reduce property related disputes in rural areas and legal cases.
The Svamitva scheme was launched on a pilot basis on April 24, 2020, on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day, and was rolled out across India on April 24 this year.
The scheme would provide the ‘record of rights’ to village household owners possessing houses in inhabited rural areas in villages which, in turn, would enable them to use their property as a financial asset for taking loans and other financial benefits from banks.
Srinagar, Jun 20: Hectic activities were witnessed on Sunday in Kashmir valley where political parties discussed the invitation from the Centre for an all-party meeting which will be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 24.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) despite holding detailed meeting is yet to announce any final decision as the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), which is the highest decision making body of the party, has authorised president Mehbooba Mufti to take final call on the invitation.
The National Conference (NC) said party leadership will hold consultations with senior party leaders, including from Ladakh, till Monday before announcing final decision about the invitation to the meeting.
Similarly, Peoples Conference (PC) headed by Sajad Gani Lone is expected to meet in the summer capital on Monday to discuss whether they will take part in the meeting or not.
Senior CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said the party leaders have started discussion over the invitation and will soon take a call.
Meanwhile, Peoples’ Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) — National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), CPI(M), Awani National Conference (ANC) and Peoples Movement — is meeting on Tuesday to discuss the invitation from the Centre.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting of 14 leaders from eight political parties in J&K on June 24 to discuss the future course of action for the Union Territory.
Mehbooba has been very vocal against the BJP-led NDA government after the abrogation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, when hundreds of mainstream and separatist leaders besides trade union leaders and political activists were detained while all communication networks were suspended.
Mehbooba, who headed a coalition government with BJP from 2016 to 2019, had said nothing short of restoration of pre-August 5 position will be acceptable. She had even said she will not contest elections till the time the demands were fulfilled.
Meanwhile, the PAGD alliance has time and again said they will fight for the restoration of pre-August 5 position in Jammu and Kashmir.
Chief spokesperson and media advisor to PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba, Syed Suhail Bukhari on Sunday told reporters after the PAC meeting that the invitation from the centre was discussed in detail. “Finally it was left to Ms Mehbooba to take a final call on the invitation,” he said.
However, he said a meeting of Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) is being held on Tuesday to discuss the invitation. PAGD had recently held a meeting at the residence of Ms Mehbooba, where it was decided to avail every opportunity to raise the issue of abrogation of special status of J&K at every forum, including Parliament.
NC president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday started consultation with senior party leaders on the invitation by centre to mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir for the meeting. “Dr Abdullah, who was invited as a former chief minister, will continue consultation with the party leaders, including those from Ladakh, till Monday before taking a final decision about the party’s participation in the meeting,” Provisional President of Kashmir Nasir Aslam Wani told reporters.
“Few senior leaders met with the party president today and discussed in details the invite to Dr Abdullah and Omar Abdullah to the all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 24. Some more leaders will meet Dr Abdullah in the evening and on Monday morning,” Mr Wani said.
However, he said the NC has not so far called any ‘structured or organized meeting’ to take a decision over the issue. “So far no decision has been taken and we will be able to inform you about the further course of action by tomorrow evening,” he added.
The centre has invited four former chief ministers – Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mehbooba Mufti, besides four Deputy Chief Ministers – Muzafar Hussain Beigh, Tara Chand, Nirmal Singh, Kavinder Gupta. Leaders of six other political parties — Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami of CPI(M), Sajad Gani Lone of Peoples Conference, Mohammad Altaf Bukhari of Apni Party, Prof Bhim Singh of Panthers Party, Ravinder Raina of BJP and G A Mir of Congress – were also invited in the meeting.
The meeting by the Centre is the first such initiative since August 5, 2019, when the BJP-led NDA government abrogated Article 370 and Article 35 A, besides dividing Jammu & Kashmir into two Union Territories.
Vijayawada, Jun 19: Ms. Sreelekha Bhuvaneswari, a BSc physics final year student in SRM University-Andhra Pradesh, filed a patent for her work titled “A fibre material with moisture retention capacity with thermal tolerance and a method for manufacture”, under the guidance of Dr Sabyasachi Mukhopadhyay, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, SRM University-AP.
The project develops a methodology to design a fabric cloth that would replace the use of air conditioners.
This cloth design is inspired by Saharan silver ants which regulate their body temperatures in the scorching desert heat and also from the cooling properties of clay. This research would significantly scale down the usage of AC and other cooling devices in warm places, thus reducing the use of electricity and emission of greenhouse gases to the environment.
As this cloth would be environment friendly with long durability and cost-efficiency, Sreelekha hopes that this research would bridge the socioeconomic divide of haves and have-nots between communities.
“There were several failed models, but he believed in the concept and that inspired me to go forward with the project. The facilities at the University made the process seamless; once the proposal was made, the procedure was automated.
I thank the officials of SRM University-AP for believing in my proposal and helping me get through the procedures smoothly. If it were not for the facilities available at my university, I could not have finished the design,” She added.
I am grateful to Dr.Sabyasachi for his constant help and guidance along the way”, Ms. Bhuvaneswari said.