Dangerous Floods in Kerala Kill 27 People

The News Cover: At least 27 people have been killed in floods in Kerala. Due to heavy rains, rivers overflowed and washed away bridges connecting many small villages. The floods caused people to become stranded amid the dangerous floods. This has happened in various parts of Kerala. Five children are among the dead. How devastating. On 18 October, a number of dams across Kerala state were opened to reduce the risk of dangerous overflows Kottayam and Idukki are two of the worst affected districts in the state, where days of heavy rainfall have caused deadly landslides. 

Since the weekend, rescue teams have been moving families from flooded areas to safety. 184 relief camps have been set up across Kerala, where more than 8,000 people are being provided food, bedding, and clothing. The government has also announced financial aid for those who have lost houses and crops. The Indian meteorological department has predicted heavy rainfall in Kerala for up to four more days. There is another tragic story. 

In Kottayam, a family of six - including a 75-year-old grandmother and three children - were confirmed dead by drowning in the floods. The bodies of three children - aged eight, seven, and four - were also found buried under the debris in the Idukki district. The State Government will provide ₹4 lakh each as financial assistance to the kin of landslip victims.
 

Cricketer Yuvraj Singh Arrested & Released on Bail

 The News Cover: In June 2020 Cricketers Rohit Sharma & Yuvraj Singh had both gone live on Instagram. During life, they were making fun of each other. The two cricketers were mocking Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal's TikTok videos. Rajat Kalsan is an activist advocating against the discrimination of the Dalit community. Kalsan was enraged when he saw that Yuvraj used a casteist slur against Chahal. Netizens flooded the comments sections and were enraged over the inappropriate comment. After the incident, Yuvraj posted a statement on his official Twitter handle saying, "I am very sorry. 

It was never my intention to insult any community. We were just joking around with each other. If I have unintentionally hurt anybody's sentiments or feelings, I am very sorry. I love India and its people. I never intended to insult anyone. Once again I am very sorry." Kalsan in February 2021 filed a complaint against Yuvraj Singh for his casteist slurs. On 16 October, in Hansi, Haryana, the police summoned Yuvraj Singh. Singh who was staying in Chandigarh appeared before the police in Hansi. Singh was accompanied by four to five staffers and his security personnel. 

The cricketer was questioned by the police for 2-3 hours after which he was arrested but he was immediately released on bail. The case will start in the SC/ST court in Hansi where Yuvraj will have to attend the hearing. The court will decide if Yuvraj was wrong and what punishment to give him.

2-Finger Test Performed on IAF Officer

 The News Cover: There is an Air Force Academy in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, wherein training is conducted. It also has a medical facility. A woman officer was raped by a 29-year-old Flight Lieutenant. Let me tell you what happened. After a day's work, the woman was asleep in her room when the male officer entered her room and raped her. She kept pushing him away but since she had hurt her ankle the previous day she could not push him off and he raped her. After raping her, the man left the room. The woman was very angry and the next day she confronted him and the officer apologized. 

The woman then filed a complaint with the Air Force Officials who sent her for a medical checkup at the Air Force medical facility. The woman agreed and went to the medical facility. The woman narrated her story at the hospital. A 2-Finger test was conducted on her in which the doctor inserts two fingers inside the woman’s vagina to check if she was really raped. This was an old method used to ascertain rape. The woman was not at all comfortable with this. This test has been banned by the Supreme Court of India. There are many other tests used to ascertain whether a woman has been raped or not. The 2 finger test was banned as it violates the dignity of a woman. The woman filed a complaint with the police. 

She was asked, to either withdraw her complaint or sign a complaint letter with changes made to it. She, however, refused to do that as the letter mentioned that she wasn't raped and there was a misunderstanding. She refused to sign the letter. The officer was then arrested and sent to jail. However, a high court handed over the case to the IAF and the officer has been sent to an IAF jail. Now the Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said that it is impossible that a "two-finger test" was conducted on a woman officer. The IAF and Indian Army are known to support men and oppress their women staff. Hopefully in this case a proper investigation is conducted to find the truth.

COVAXIN Vaccine Approved for Children in India

 The News Cover: Bharat Biotech submitted data from clinical trials in the 2 - 18 age group for Covaxin to CDSCO. CDSCO studied the data and said that it is safe to use on children and will help protect them against the Coronavirus. That final approval - viewed as a formality - will be given by the DCGI. 

Zydus Cadila's three-dose was the 1st vaccine that was approved for children and adults above the age of 12. the second vaccine cleared Covaxin for use on kids in India. Serum Institute of India’s Novavax was cleared for conducting trials on children between seven and 11 years last month by the DCGI. The 4th could be Biological E's Corbevax which is being tested on children above the age of five.

Pakistani Terrorist Planning to Attack Delhi Arrested

 The News Cover: The festive season is in full swing with Dussehra & Diwali soon approaching. Terrorists were planning a terror attack during this time but the terror module was busted by the Delhi Police. They had received a tip-off about this and were able to arrest Mohammad Ashraf. An AK-47 rifle, one hand grenade and two pistols with 50 rounds of bullets were found on him. Do you think Ashraf enter India recently? No! This will come as a shock to you that Ashraf has been staying in India for 10-15 years. 

He was a terrorist from Pakistan and was associated with their intelligence agency ISI. He had entered India through the Siliguri border in West Bengal via Bangladesh. He had obtained Indian fake identity cards like Aadhar card, PAN card, etc. Mohammad Ashraf had been living under a fake name, Ali Ahmed Noori. The police siezed all the fake documents. He even married an Indian woman in Ghaziabad to acquire Indian citizenship. 

Ashraf even acquired an Indian passport to traveled to Thailand and Saudi Arabia. He was currently staying at Ramesh Park in Delhi's Laxmi Nagar area. Now he has been arrested by the Delhi Police. Last month, six terrorists were planning to carry out a series of blasts in metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, etc. However, the 6 of them were arrested and the blasts were prevented.

Heart Attack Among Youth Cause Worry

 

The News Cover: are unable to understand this. It was generally thought to be common in people above the age of 65. However, now people below the age of 50 are getting heart attacks. This is very shocking! So what causes heart attacks? A heart attack is a condition in which the flow of the blood to the heart is blocked. There can be several possible reasons. Like accumulation of fat, cholesterol, eating unhealthy oily food and other substances can be the cause of heart attack. Doctors say there is an increase in heart attacks among people in their 30s and 40s. Earlier it only affected senior citizens but now times have changed. Doctors say the reason for this is unhealthy lifestyle & diet. The main problem is smoking and it is the most dangerous. Excessive smoking can cause heart attacks. Plaque build-up can occur by eating unhealthy substances that can block arteries causing a heart attack. 

This can cause a big problem. What are the signs of a heart attack? For example a runny nose, cough, sore throat, loss of taste, smell are symptoms of coronavirus. Now let me tell you the signs that a person is having a heart attack. 1. Tightness, pain, and pressure in the chest. 2. Nausea & heartburn. 3. Shortness of breath after doing small physical activities. 4. Cold sweat 5. Fatigue, anxiety, or sweating. 6. Uneven heartbeat These are signs of a heart attack. The severity of these symptoms may vary from person to person. Here are some doctor-advised tips to reduce heart attack risk: Doctors recommend once a year or once in 6-month full body checkups. Blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol which occur due to eating unhealthy foods must be checked to avoid heart attacks. 

Regular tests must be done so doctors can prescribe medicines & exercises. India is becoming the center of heart attacks in the world. This is because of pollution, unhealthy dietary habits, sedentary lifestyle eating oily food and fats like trans fats are causing heart attacks. So how do you prevent heart attacks? Doctors say a healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, that is eaten at the right time reducing oil intake, stopping the intake of trans fat by checking food labels, and eating healthy foods will help. Exercising once a day for half an hour will be beneficial for health and prevent heart attacks.

Wrestler Bites Ravi Kumar Dahiya at Tokyo Olympics

 

News Cover: The 2020 Olympics are currently being held in Tokyo, Japan. Indian wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya reached the semi-finals to play against Kazakhstan's Nurislam Sanayev. It was a strong bout and Sanayev was in the lead. Dahiya did not lose hope and put up a strong fight. At one point, Dahiya pinned Sanayev down. Sanayev tried very hard to push him off and then bite Dahiya on his upper arm. Still Dahiya did not let him go. 

Dahiya won and has now qualified for the finals. He is the 2nd Indian wrestler to qualify for the finals in the Olympics after Sushil Kumar who qualified in the finals back in the 2012 London Olympics. Dahiya will now take on Zaur Uguev of Russia in the final on 5 August. Abhinav Bindra was the first Indian to win a gold medal back in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 

Dahiya could potentially bring home India's second gold medal. In the latest new updates, India's mens hockey team secured a bronze medal after beating Germany. The team was ecstatic on winning a medal after 41 years.

9-Year-Old Girl Gang Raped, Murdered & Cremated

News Cover: There is a village called Nangal in the Delhi Cantonment Area. A 9 year old girl told her parents that she wanted to go to the Peer Baba Dargah to play. They, however, asked her to fetch some cold water from the water cooler at the crematorium. The father told her that they would drink the cold water after dinner. The girl agreed. The father dropped the child at the crematorium at 5:30pm. The father then asked the girl to wait there for half an hour while he went to buy vegetables. The girl agreed and went to collect the water. He then left to buy vegetables. The girl was found unconsious. The priest Radhe Shyam called the mother, asking her to “come quickly”. The mother quickly reached the crematorium and found the 9-year-old child’s lifeless body on the ground. Her lips had turned blue. Shockingly, there were injuries on her wrists and elbow, and there was blood coming from her nose. The mother asked the priest what had happened to the child. 

Radhe told her that the girl got electrocuted while filling water and that is why he called her quickly. The mother was in shock and did not know what to do. Radhe Shyam told her that they must cremate the body immediately otherwise the cops will conduct a post mortem and doctors will steal her organs. The mother was completely shocked and couldn't say a word. The priest and three of his employees started getting logs. They didn’t even ask the mother for Aadhaar card or money and went on with the cremation. Radhe Shyam and his employees arranged everything for the cremation. They even got the red cloth to wrap the child and started cremating her. As the pyre burned, the mother started wailing and 200 village people gathered at the spot. Her husband too reached there and extinguished the fire off the body. Sadly, of her body, only the child’s legs could be salvaged from the pyre. 

The family of the girl and the villagers now claim that the girl was gangraped by the priest and his employees and then murdered. A woman neighbour of the girl’s family said, “We want the strictest punishment for the four culprits. If according to the priest, it was a case of electrocution, why was she cremated in a hurry? Why did they not inform the police so they could take her to the hospital for autopsy? Why did they rush to perform the cremation? Something is fishy. Its a case of gangrape and murder. Why did they cremated the girl without the consent of the girl’s parents? The priest knows that as per rules, no cremation is done after 6 pm. 

Still why was she cremated in hurry? We are sure that the girl was gangraped by the four men and then murdered." The police reached the spot and lodged a case of murder against the accused. The furious villagers demanded that they lodge a case of rape as well. In the end, the police gave in and filed a case of rape as well. The villagers said the police did not file the complaint because the girl was from a Dalit family. Police are investigating the matter and forensic evidence has been collected from the crematorium. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has demanded death sentence if the accused are found guilty.

 

Aadhaar: No fingerprint, Eye Scan for Children Under 5 yrs

 News Cover: Everyone across India have Aadhar Card & it is a unique number that is issued to all. Aadhar acts as an identity proof and contains all information of an individual. The UIDAI's official Twitter handle posted a Tweet on 26 July 2021. In the Tweet it said that : the Fingerprints & eye scans are not required to apply for Aadhaar card for children aged below five years. Only a photograph is taken. Let me tell you the documents required to enroll for the Aadhar card. After birth of the child, take the discharge slip from the hospital and obtain the birth certificate. 

Go to the Aadhar centre, hand in the birth certificate along with the parent or guardian's Aadhar card. This is one way of enrolment. Another way is to provide the hospital discharge slip in case there is a delay in obtaining the birth certificate, along with the parent or guardian's Aadhar. In this way, you can obtain Adadhar for a child below 5 yrs. NRIs are Indians living abroad and want an Aadhar for their children below 5 years. Such children and individuals are Indian citizens but continue living abroad. 

Such children with an Indian passport will be granted the Aadhar card. All children below the age of 18 need to provide a parent's Aadhar card for enrolment. However, once children attain the age of 5 years, an update of their biometrics is mandatory. Children below the age of 5 will be given a blue Baal Aadhar Card.

PM Modi : ISL Will Be Taught As A Language in Schools

 

News Cover: PM Modi had launched the National Education Policy On 29 July 2020. It was launched to make education affordable, accessible, and provide quality education. He had launched this innitiative last year. Yesterday on 29 July 2021, PM Modi announced that, Indian Sign Language (ISL) will be taught as a language subject in schools as it is very important. This will be done to promote ISL. Just like how Languages such as Hindi, English, Marathi, etc are taught as subjects, now even ISL will be taught to hearing students as it is very important. 

Once hearing individuals will learn ISL, it will create an inclusive space and ease communication. If ISL is not taught, the Deaf Community will also remain excluded & there will be a communication barrier. Hence, learning ISL is very useful. The Deaf Community will also benefit when they share their thoughts with the hearing. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment informed that an MoU has been signed between the ISLRTC and NCERT. 1200 educational video programmes for Class 1 to 12 have been translated into Indian Sign Language. It will be available on this link. The Deaf Community was very happy and see it as a step towards quality and accessible education.

Australia Returns Stolen Artifacts to India

News Cover: The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) is a museum that houses various historical artifacts. Between 1989-2009 Subhas Kapoor sold artifacts to the NGA while living in New York, USA. However, later they found that Kapoor had a trafficking ring that looted thousands of artifacts on his orders from across the world and illegally sold it to various museums. Thousands of artifacts were sold by him across the world. He looted artifacts from India, Afghanistan, Pakistan among many other countries. 

More than 2,000 trafficked artifacts have been seized from storage locations Kapoor rented in USA. Kapoor was arrested in 2011 and is currently in jail in India awaiting trial. The NGA were shocked to learn that he had trafficked artifacts from across the world and said they would be returning all of them. In 2014, the NGA handed over a $ 5 million bronze statue of Lord Shiva to PM Narendra Modi. 

Even in 2016, they had returned more artifacts. They have now returned 14 artifacts to India such as bronze and stone sculptures, a painted scroll and photographs. These are worth around $ 3 million. Nick Mitzevich, who is the director of NGA said that, "We are dissappointed to have purchased the looted artifacts from Subhash Kapoor and soon return all items belonging to India." The Indian government is very happy to receive the artifacts back.
 

How Much Money Do Indian Olympic Winners Make? Tokyo Olympic 2021

 News Cover: Indian athletes at the Olympics are given the highest prize money in the world Yup you heard that correctly. In this episode, I will be breaking down the maths of it all Who makes what, And is India really upping its game? I would love to see you there. especially on WhatsApp, and let cheer the Indian contingent on as they make their way to the Tokyo Olympics 2021 The International Olympic Committee doesn’t give any prize money, the athlete gets the medal, and of course, the glory that one brings to their nation. was researching the media was talking about this chart – which shows Singapore awarding its medallist’s with the highest amount in the world Gold $1 million and this much for the others And so I got wondering how much does India give its athletes in our country medalists get awarded twice - once from the ministry and once from the state that they represent. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in India – gives its athletes 75lakhs for gold medal 50lakh and 30 lakhs respectively. 

Additionally, the central government will also give Rs 10 lakh to each athlete for participating in individual and team events. And they have been giving our athletes a monthly stipend of Rs50,000 since 2017, in preparation for the Olympics. now when it comes to the different states and their cash prizes we see the amount ranging from 6 crores to 10lakhs. This year in the Indian contingent there are many bright prospect’s and wrestlers Bajrang Punia and archer Atanu Das are two of the brightest. If Bajrang clinches the gold, he will pocket Rs 6 crore as cash award from his state while Das will have to be satisfied with just Rs 25 lakh. Other states like. UP, Odisha and Chandigarh are offering Rs 6 crore for gold followed by Karnataka and Gujarat and then you have Delhi Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan Punjab has 26 athletes heading to the Olympics this year one of the highest across India. A monetary boost of Rs. 5 lakhs has also been given to all athletes who qualify. 

While their winners will get 2.5crores. So yes India is awarding its athletes more than any other country in the world other than Singapore for that gold. So if you do get here and you do achieve this then all the sacrifices and hard work make financial sense. Last Olympics 2016 – PV Sindhu ultimately walked away with 10crores for her win. She got 5 crores and 3 crores from. these states along with her national cash prize. In fact, even Sindhu’s coach P Gopichand was awarded Rs 1 crore. So let’s understand that not all countries even give these rewards The United Kingdom, for example, does not offer specific medal bonuses but rather devotes approximately $162 million USD of government and lottery funds to Olympic sports each year. But compared to the rest of the world India doesn’t win many medals and so the high amount for gold is usually there for nations that don’t top the list of medal-winning countries. Take Singapore for eg: they won 1 gold in 2016 – and have won 5 medals till now in the history of their participation. Compare that to the united states which have won this many medals. Legendary swimmer Michael Phelps himself has walked away with 28 Olympic medals. that’s the total number of medals that India has even won at the Olympics When you see this table you realize that the countries that have won lots of medals offer lesser prize money to their athletes. 

The medals and bonuses may be worth a fortune, but in some countries, the money does not go straight to athletes' accounts. In India, Abhinav Bindra was first taxed for his Olympic win but he moved to the courts for an appeal ultimately he wasn’t. Hopefully the same applies to our athletes this year. American medalists have to pay taxes on the prize money awarded to them but they also get taxed on the value of the medals themselves In Singapore, 20% of the cash prize the medalists make has to go back to the NSA This year in India the bets seem much higher, we have a contingent of 119 athletes this will be India's largest-ever contingent at the Olympics. Despite all these numbers, the sad truth is that even though in the last handful of years investing in athletics and sports has seen an increase in govt and corporate funding the truth is that a lot of national state level and ex-international level athletes are not taken care of by us. Being an athlete means you are dedicating your life to the hope of bringing glory to your country, it is my humble opinion that we should be doing more for all our sportsmen who are not a part of ip l. Are we finally taking sports other than cricket more seriously? Who are you rooting for at the Olympics? Let's send them all the good vibes and wish them all the luck. Here’s to the Indian contingent at the Tokyo Olympics 2021.

UP Population Control Bill Explained

The News Cover: We know not how big of a role actor Ravi Kishan has had in population explosion - it's difficult to know. But come monsoon session... Ravi Kishan will propose Private Member Bill as a politician - Population Control Bill. Will 'Hum Do Hamare Do' aKa Family planning finally lead to Vikas aKa Development? Ironically, Ravi Kishan is father to four children. Sounds hard to believe, right? Be ready to be surprised more. The latest masterstroke, after 15 Lakh deposits, retrieval of black money, doubling farmer income, 2 crore jobs, vaccination record, 5 trillion economy... ...The law that will revolutionize the most populous Uttar Pradesh, for the better? But what is this UP population control bill? Does it have to do anything with the upcoming election? Is our population under control?? If not, who is responsible - anti nationals? Jumla or Masterstroke?  UP chief minister Adityanath dreams of making his state 1 trillion USD economy (The rest 4 trillion has been taken care of) Governance in UP is world-class already... Now if only the population could be controlled, foreign companies would invest here. A major step thus has to be taken - something that never has been done once in the past 70 years. Sanjay Gandhi did try widespread sterilization - though to no avail. Also, Indira Gandhi lost all her powers, as a result. Now, latest masterstroke - Uttar Pradesh Population (Control, Stabilization and Welfare) Bill 2021. 

It's voluntary or so is claimed. Basically, if one has 2 or less children, they can avail government benefits, subsidies, rebate. Meaning, Acche Din soon for smaller families? But seriously, the new bill shall provide incentives to small families - schemes already prevalent in other states. UP population bill goes one step further - strict penalty on three or more children. Like: no government job, no promotion in a government job to existing employees, can vote but cannot contest local election. Who will suffer most from the new bill if passed? Not them the one you have in mind. Because there is hypocrisy in this bill - Let me explain. Firstly... If population is such a major issue that this bill is so necessary... then MLA elections should also be included in this bill? No, because 50% MLAs have 3 or more children - 80 MLAs have 3 and one even has 8 children. So if this bill when passed, is implemented honestly, then these MLAs will be disqualified. Second... such a big masterstroke, that too to rectify Nehru's mistake, but announced in such haste? Why no consultation with public? Why talk about it now and not in the last 4 and a half years? And why this bill shall only be valid after one year of its passing in the house? Why only after election? Third... Ravi Kishan who is father to 4 children will propose the bill in the Parliament as Private Members bill. The last pvt mem bill that passed was in 1970 So ultimately it seems that the aim is to create hype on media and elsewhere - wherever possible. They might decide not to pass the bill? Why would they want that? Former Chief Election Commissioner of India S. Y. Quraishi thinks - election. He wrote for The Print: This is their latest way to scratch fault lines in the state. Makes sense? Because what else have they to fight election on if not for development... Discrimination? You know well it's an old game. But interestingly the public enjoys it - This game of blaming something or someone else for poor show. 

will argue... 'Is there no truth to population explosion... due to one community?' News channels think so, but here on we believe in facts. Stats and maths reveal that our population peaked in the 80s and has fallen ever since. Thanks to awareness, education, healthcare, family planning. This is true for the rest of the world as well. The IT cell is trying to blame large population for failures of the system. So how did we develop before 2014 - you get my point? According to National Family Health Survey in 2015-2016, total fertility rate in Uttar Pradesh was 2.7 children per woman. A little better than replacement rate of 2.1 - below which population will start declining. In the last 15 years, fertility rate has decreased from a high of 4 to 2.7 already. Experts say that come 2025, this rate will further fall to 2.1 in UP - without the need for a new bill. Next, S. Y. Quraishi writes that Muslim women's fertility rate is more in UP. Whereas in Bihar, Hindu women's fertility rate is more. Not religion... It has more to do with education, finances and access to healthcare - which if made available, will resolve the problem, if any. The most fascinating part - let's talk facts - as shown by the National Family Health Survey... ...80% women, mother to more than 2 children are Hindu. 

How sad that news channels keep on misleading the innocent public. Truth is population problem has nothing to do with religion. Before, our large population was celebrated... That it will beat China (also a largely populous country). But now, the system is blaming population for its failure? The large population is India's demographic dividend. If you compare worker GDP of India and China - there is equality. So if we give more incentives to workers we can surely give China a run for its money. But where are jobs? Where is work for the worker? Demographic dividend was India's blank cheque. Alas, too busy infighting we failed to cash it. We have already made an episode on demographic divided - so check that out. Unfortunately, we worry about population and not about unavailable jobs. It seems that the aim is only to create publicity. But at least the courts will have a word on the bill. Because Supreme Court of India considers right to reproductive freedom inalienable. It is linked to personal liberty guaranteed in Article 21. It says that government cannot interfere with women wanting to have kids.
 

100 Farmers Face Sedition Case in Haryana

 The News Cover: For a year, farmers have been protesting against three farm laws. Several rounds of talks between the farmers and the government have remained inconclusive. In Haryana's Sirsa district on 11 July, farmers were protesting against the BJP Government. The farmers allegedly attacked the vehicle of Deputy Speaker Ranbir Gangwa during the protest. The Police in Haryana have now filed a FIR case under Section 124A of IPC. 

The charges are of sedition against the government and an attempt to murder. Surprisingly a day before this, on 10 July, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana had said Section 124A was made during the British Raj. It was intended to stop people like Gandhiji and other freedom fighters from protesting against the government. After independence, the laws have been misused to stop people from voicing their opinions. 

The CJI questioned the need for such a law in 2021. Two farmer leaders Harcharan Singh and Prahlad Singh - were among those named in the FIR and 5 people were arrested. Samyukt Kisan Morcha slammed the charges, calling them cooked up and vowing to contest them in court.

Narendra Modi: 'Well done India'! Modi said in 'record number' vaccination! Congratulations to the health workers ...

 

The News Cover: All records have been broken on the first day of free Covid-19 Vaccination. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated all those who have been vaccinated today. Modi also thanked the frontline Coronavirus Frontliners fighters and health workers for this unprecedented success. He also said, "India has done a very good job."

After the day-long corona vaccination across the country, Modi (PM Narendra Modi) wrote in a Twitter message on Monday evening, 'It is a great pleasure to have a record number of vaccinations today. Vaccines are the most powerful weapon in the fight against coronavirus. Congratulations to those who have been vaccinated. Thanks to all the front line fighters for working hard to vaccinate so many civilians (Covid-19 Vaccine). India has done a great job.

Free immunization of 18-year-olds has started in different parts of the country from Monday. According to the Centre's (Corona Vaccine Dashboard-dashboard.cowin.gov.in) statistics, 60,97,417 people in the country have been given corona vaccine doses till 8:30 pm on Monday. In all, a total of 26,33,13,942 corona tick doses have been given so far. The first dose was given to 23,26,44,613 people. The second dose was given to 5,05,69,129 people. The last time India's one-day vaccination hit a record high was on April 2. 42,75,158 covid doses were given that day.

However, this program has not been started in West Bengal yet. In this case, the state government has not provided enough vaccines. Mamata Banerjee's government has said that free immunization of all 18 seniors will be started on the basis of how many vaccines will be available tomorrow.

West Bengal Health Officer Ajay Chakraborty said, “The state now has 1.4 million doses of corona vaccine. It is not possible to vaccinate above 18 years of age with that amount of vaccine. The government will be able to take steps in this regard only if the supply of ticks increases. In that case we will take some time. He added, "We will continue vaccination on the basis of need. If we start vaccinating all adults now, the vaccines will not be available as needed.

School Principal Raises 40 Lakh To Pay Students Fees

The News Cover: Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, when the lockdown was announced, you all are aware that schools all over India too have been closed since then. However, the teacher never refused to teach citing difficulties. Instead, they have been using different methods and conducting online classes. Teachers are working hard to ensure that the students do not miss out on their education. Shirley Pillai is the Principal of Powai English High School in Mumbai. She has been an educator for 35 years. Recently she noticed that students' final exam report cards kept piling up. Ms. Pillai informed the parents of the students to come to the school and collect the report cards. None of the parents turned up and Ms. Pillai wondered why is it so? She realised that the parents avoided coming to the school to collect the report cards as they would have to pay the school fees. Due to the lockdown, pay cuts, and financial constraints, parents were finding it difficult to pay school fees. 

That is why they avoided coming to the school. Seeing the plight of the parents, the Principal announced a 25% reduction in the school fees. Some of them paid, but some families from the weaker sections, still could not pay the fees. Ms. Pillai was worried as many children in the school, were poor and their parents were daily wage workers. She understood that this was because of the lockdown but she was worried because of the difficulty in paying fees, girl students would first be forced to drop out of schools. If parents have two kids - a boy and a girl, the parents would somehow try to adjust and pay the fees for the boy. However, the girl would first be forced to drop out. The Principal did not want any of the students whether boy or a girl to drop out. Ms. Pillai was aware of the difficulties and decided to take matters into her own hands. 

She began spreading messages to sponsor children’s education on social media. She contacted corporates through her personal network. She was able to collect Rs. 40 lakh from investors and other companies. She is glad and the money collected was to pay the fees of 200 students. These 200 students did not have to pay any fees for their education. The amount collected was for the year 2020. They are now looking at sponsors for students for the academic year of 2021-22. The school wants the students to remain stress-free about the fees. The Principal says she will continue to look out for funds so students can have a stress-free education. These students are truly blessed and happy to have an educator like her.
 

Where does India Stand with COVID-19 Vaccination?

 

The News Cover: India has the second highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world and has had the third highest death toll by the disease globally. Although the case to death ratio in India is lower than that of other countries, India has been reporting over 11 deaths per thousand cases, meaning that lakhs of lives have been lost to COVID-19 already. The World Health Organization has told us that we can protect ourselves through physical distancing, wearing masks and vaccination. 

But a lot of fake news is going viral on social media, telling people that vaccination is dangerous. This is called vaccine hesitancy. The other side of this is that the demand for vaccines is growing because of the severity of the second wave of the pandemic. But we are also seeing a shortage of vaccines in India while other countries are making rapid strides with their vaccination coverage. So, we need to ask—what is the difference between our country's vaccine policy and the vaccine policies of other countries? 

We will also discuss timelines for the vaccination of the Indian population. Before we get into the numbers, let us first understand why we need to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. Although vaccines are unlikely to eradicate the virus, they will reduce the severity of the infection and increase herd immunity in the population. Research by Oxford University and England’s Office for National Statistics found that a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine reduced the risk of coronavirus infection by 65%. Another study by Public Health England found that a person's ability to infect others reduces by half when vaccinated. 

So, vaccination can reduce the number of deaths, the burden on hospitals and also stop the virus from mutating further. Let us now focus on the vaccine policy followed in the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Many of the world's richest countries placed orders for COVID-19 vaccines in advance. The US government launched Operation Warp Speed ​​in May 2020. The purpose of the operation ​is to accelerate research on vaccines, manufacture, and distribution. 

As part of this, the government reached agreements with various pharmaceutical companies for research funding and advance purchase contracts. As of August 2020, the US government concluded deals worth Rs 44,700 crore, which greatly reduced the market risk for companies. The government also invoked the Defense Production Act that was designed to protect the country. With all these measures, the US plans to have 60 crore doses of vaccine available to the public by July 2021. 

The country’s population is around 33 crore. The US government aims to give at least one dose of the vaccine to 70% of people over 18 by 4 July, the American Independence Day. Similarly, in the UK, that has a population of about 7 crore, the government reached agreements with various companies for 46 crore doses of vaccines until April 2021. On the contrary, the government of India has not provided any financial support to the Serum Institute of India, or SII, or Bharat Biotech, the two producers of vaccine in our country. The SII used its own money of Rs 2,000 crore, with financial assistance of Rs 2,200 crore from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to increase its manufacturing capacity. Bharat Biotech also invested its own money. 

However, with the intensification of the second wave in India, on 19 April 2021, the government of India paid a combined Rs 4,500 crore in advance to all vaccine companies. While some argue that India cannot be compared to rich countries like the US and the UK, critics argue that our government has sufficient financial resources to get everyone vaccinated, with the central government allocating Rs 35,000 crore just for vaccines in the 2021-22 budget, and thousands of crores in the PMCARES fund. Also, India has experience of successful large-scale vaccination in the past, as seen in the polio campaign. In addition to this, the pharma sector in our country is highly developed. 

The SII is the largest vaccine manufacturing company in the world. So, what does India’s vaccine policy in the days ahead look like? So far, the SII’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin have been the main vaccines available to Indians. According to the current vaccine policy, these companies must sell 50% of the vaccine produced to the central government, and the remaining 50% must be sold to state governments and private hospitals at a higher price. The central government stated that although the prices of these vaccines vary from buyer to buyer, this will make the vaccine available to the public faster. 

However, critics say that the centre should buy 100% of the vaccine and distribute it to the states, all at subsidised rates. Vaccination for all people in various phases has already begun. Healthcare and frontline workers were eligible for vaccination in the first phase, which began on 16 January 2021, followed by people over 60 and those between 45 and 60 who had comorbidities from 1 March, followed by the opening up of vaccination to everyone above 45 from 1 April, and, finally, with everyone aged 18 and above being eligible for vaccination from 1 May. 

Let us now look at how many of the 89 crore people who are eligible for vaccination as of 24 May have been vaccinated and how many more doses are needed. As of 24 May, 97% of healthcare workers have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while about 75% of frontline workers have received a single dose. However, healthcare and frontline workers only amount to 3 crore of the population. Of the remaining 86 crore people, vaccination is currently very slow. 

Less than 5% of the total population eligible for vaccination received a complete vaccination of two doses, while only 17% received the first dose. This means that 83% of those eligible are yet to receive the first dose. Based on this, we can see in this graph how many doses of vaccine will be required for people in each category so far. While the lowest requirement is for healthcare workers, who need 36 lakh doses, the maximum requirement is 117 crore doses, for those between 18 and 45. 

A total of 158 crore 41 lakh doses are required for all categories combined. So, how much supply is required to meet this demand? The SII and Bharat Biotech have agreed to deliver all orders placed by the government of India by the end of July. Until now, the central government has ordered over 35 crore doses of Covaxin and Covishield in three separate orders. The first two orders have already been delivered. The third order of 16 crore doses is yet to be delivered. Of these 35 crore doses, a total of 20.39 crore doses of vaccines have already been used, including exports and vaccines administered to Indian citizens. 

Of the remaining 14.7 crore doses, some are already with the central government, and the remaining will be available by the end of July 2021. As part of the third-phase vaccine policy, a number of doses equivalent to what the centre has received should be given to state governments and private hospitals. So, vaccine companies will have to supply another 16 crore doses to state governments and private hospitals, in line with the 16 crore doses ordered by the central government.

 By the end of July 2021, the central government, state governments and private hospitals will have a combined supply of over 30 crore doses of vaccine, in addition to what has already been administered. However, this supply is not enough to meet the current demand of over 160 crore. Even if it is only for priority groups like healthcare workers, frontline workers and those above 45, the current supply will be less. 

Experts predict that it will take a year for all categories of eligible people to have received two doses of vaccine if vaccines from outside sources are not significantly available in the next few months. The Russian vaccine, Sputnik-V, was recently approved for usage in India. 1.5 lakh doses of Sputnik-V arrived at Hyderabad airport on 1 May. But it is not yet clear how many Sputnik-V doses will be available over the next three months. Zydus Cadila is also rumoured to be applying for emergency approval. 

Other vaccines are also undergoing clinical trials and are likely to be approved soon. The SII, Bharat Biotech and Sputnik V also have plans to increase production capacity significantly by July 2021, according to an affidavit submitted by the central government to the Supreme Court. However, the situation at present remains that although everyone who is older than 18 is technically eligible for vaccination, there is simply not enough supply to vaccinate them all. Our intent behind making this video is to dispel the confusion regarding vaccination and give a clear picture of where India stands right now regarding the numbers related to supply and demand of COVID- 19 vaccines. 

WhatsApp Twitter Instagram Facebook Banned in India from Today?

 

The News Cover: There is a chance that by the time you wake up in the morning and watch my video in India, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter may have gone off your mobile screens. Yes, Social media giants like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and Instagram may face a ban in India if they fail to comply with the new intermediary guidelines for social media platforms in India. 

The three-month deadline given by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology to accept these guidelines ends today, that is on 25th May but none of these internet giants have so far accepted the new regulations. The rules will be effective from tomorrow despite these companies seeking a total six-month delay in their implementation. But what is this entire issue? 

Let me explain as simply as I can Look, facebook, twitter, instagram and whatsapp are platforms - they merely carry the content posted by us. But the new rules announced in February require these large social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to follow additional due diligence, including appointment of a chief compliance officer, a nodal contact person and a resident grievance officer. Because right now, there is no one in their offices that the Indian govt can hold accountable if any objectionable content is posted on these platforms. 

The Indian Govt officials say that appointment of a grievance officer would be a key requirement from the day-one of these rules coming into effect. This is because of the growing importance of public interface for complaints, and need for an acknowledgement system for such requests.

The Indian government had set 50 lakh registered users as the threshold for defining them as a 'significant social media intermediary', meaning that all these big players like Twitter, Facebook and Google would have to comply with the new rules because they all have a lot more than 50 lakh users. They all had 3 months to comply, which got over tonite at 12. And it's not that simple. These big social media companies will also have to publish a monthly compliance report disclosing details of complaints received by them and the action that they have taken. 

They also have to give the details of contents they remove proactively to the Indian govt. They also need to have a physical contact address in India, which has to be published on their website or app, or both. As per the government, India has 53 crore WhatsApp users, 44.8 crore YouTube users, 41 crore Facebook subscribers, 21 crore Instagram users, and 1.75 crore account holders on Twitter. 

Koo, India's asnwer to Twitter, is the only platform that has so far accepted the governmemt's new rules. Koo has close to 60 lakh users, making it a major social media intermediary under the new guidelines. Interestingy, Facebook is the only foreign platform that has indicated that it'll comply with the IT rules, but say they want to continue to discuss a few of the issues, which need more engagement with the Indian government. 

Ironically, Twitter was exploding this evening with hashtag Twitter Ban, trending on the no.1 spot. Many memes have already started becoming viral on the internet hillariously making light of the situation, which in fact is pretty serious, if it actually happens. After all, we all saw apps like TikTok, going away in a flash. 

Cyber Experts, however, say that it's very unlikely that social media giants like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Whatsapp will stop being available in India from tomorrow. Simply because the new rules won't stop them from functioning...they will just make them extremely vulnerable and liable to be prosecuted, as their protection will be taken away by the Indian government. 

What are your thoughts on this baffling peice of news? Can you imagine life without Twitter, Instagram, facebook and most importantly WhatsApp? Many would say it's their worst nightmare come true. Is it the same for you too? Let me know what you feel in commments. 

Black and White Fungus: The Next Deadly Infections?

 

The News Cover: The Social media users who were then posting requests for hospital beds and oxygen support are now requesting for Anti-fungal drugs. The Black fungus which is now becoming more deadly has a death rate of 50 percent even more than the COVID-19 which has a death rate of 3.4 percent and the recent white fungus cases are even more lethal. So what are these fungal infections? Many people who recovered from COVID- 19 or who are on medication of COVID- 19 are found to be affected by the black fungus also known as the Mucormycosis. 

The most important fact to note here is it is not contagious like the Covid19 is. This is basically a fungal infection which spreads by molds which is already present in our air, soil, decaying vegetables and fruits. These molds enter our body through our nose and then may spread to our brain and eyes. 

Once it reaches your eyes there is a high possibility of going blind. So how is this caused and who are the ones at risk? COVID-19 patients with a history of diabetes are one of the main targets of this fungus. In simple words immunity suppress people which means the ones who are under medication of cancer, hiv or diabetes are easily targeted. 

During COVID-19 treatment steroids are given to patients to strengthen their lung functionality. This changes the blood sugar levels in both diabetic as well as non-diabetic patients . Once you recover from COVID-19 you will still be immunosuppressed which makes it very easy for the fungal infections to infect. 

What i mean by immunosuppressed is your basic ability to fight the environmental pathogens is very less And in case it's left untreated it may result in blindness, removal of nose and jaw bones and even death. In some cases to save the patients lives their eyes had to be removed through surgery which totally defines the title the Black fungus. 

Now coming to the new cases of white fungus this is considered to be even more deadly than the black one as it directly attacks our lungs, brain, nails and most of the vital organs. The strange thing about white fungus is its symptoms are exactly similar to that of COVID- 19. The patients diagnosed with this fungal infection were in fact tested COVID negative even though they had the symptoms similar to that.

 One more thing to note here is this fungal infection can only be diagnosed by undergoing X-ray scans or CT scans. Experts say that women and children are more easily targeted to this white fungus as the main reason is leucchorea. This is commonly experienced in reproductive stage of a woman and in the form of diaper candidiasis in kids. Even the COVID positive patients on oxygen support have been tested for white fungus. 

So basically immunosuppressed patients are vulnerable to both white and the black fungus. The biggest question is how do we save ourselves from this? Prevention is better than cure! This fits perfectly to the situation the best way to save ourselves from this fungal infection is to identify the symptoms early. 

Let's have a look at major symptoms of black fungus. Symptoms may include redness and swelling of eyes just like the conjunctivitis disease, swelling of cheeks, blackish discharge from the nose, blurred or double vision and rarely headaches and toothaches as well. And in the case of white fungus as mentioned earlier respiratory problems very similar to Covid19 can be experienced, For example shortness or difficulty in breathing chest pain etc. So the safest way to avoid further danger is to identify these signs very early. 

Now coming to few more things which can be done to avoid these fungal infections at a very early stage. First and foremost the steroids must be used in an effective manner timings and doses must be properly maintained. The next main reason is the use of unhygienic water in humidifiers and oxygen cylinders, instead sterile clean water must be used. And coming to the third point blood-glucose levels must be monitored regularly in covid patients who are under medication. 

As we all know these cases are increasing at a rapid pace. The need of antifungal injections will soon suffer the same fate of the oxygen availability in india. Shortage of these injections have now led to black marketing as well Amphotericin- B injections used to treat infected patients are now being sold at a higher price. So let's keep ourselves safe and hygienic.

Air India Data breach | Air India customers' data leaked in major cyber attack; credit card details compromised

 

The News Cover: Air India reported on Friday that there was a cyberattack on its server. Hackers have stolen the data of about 4.5 million passengers of the world by hacking the company's servers. This includes data on credit cards and passports etc. 

Air India data breach

Air Lines issued a statement saying that hackers have obtained the personal information of hundreds of passengers. Data are stolen from the Passenger Service System also includes credit card and passport details. This may affect about 4.5 million passengers around the world. The statement said that in our passenger service system, the personal information of passengers is stored. There has been a cyberattack on it recently. Due to this hackers have captured the personal data of some passengers. 

 The data hacking incident took place between 26 August 2011 to 3 February 2021. The company said that it includes personal information of consumers including name, date of birth, contact number, passport information, ticket information, Star Alliance, Air India Frequent Flyer data (password data is not affected), and credit card information. The government airline said that the first information about data leaks from its data processor was received on 25 February 2021. However, what data was stolen was identified between 25 March and 4 May 2021. 

Air India cyberattack

Regarding the credit card, the company said that our data processors do not have CVV / CVC numbers. After this our data processor ensured that no abnormal activity of any kind was observed on the affected server.

Air India said that after receiving information about the cyber attack it was investigated immediately. The servers affected by the attack were secured. The password for the Air India FFP program was reset. 

the company said that the data should be safe, so we have asked the passengers to change the passwords of the credit card, etc. We will take further steps to secure our data processor. Keeping the personal information of the passengers safe is our priority.