A history-sheeter was arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar district on Friday along with a former Bharatiya Janata Party office bearer, who allegedly helped the criminal escape from police custody, officials said.

The criminal, Manoj Singh and BJP's Narain Singh Bhadauria, were arrested on Thursday.

Apart from Singh, who had a cash reward of Rs 25,000 on information leading to his arrest, three other men, including the BJP leader, were arrested for helping him escape, Additional Commissioner of Police, Kanpur, Akash Kulhari said.

So far, five people have been arrested in connection with the forcible freeing of Singh on Wednesday.

Singh had gone to a private guest house on Hamirpur road to attend Bhadauria's birthday party.

Acting on a tip-off, the Naubasta Police reached the spot and arrested him.

The videos, shot by onlookers, showed some police officers in plain clothes and others in uniform dragging Singh towards a police car, followed by hundreds of people, who were arguing with and pushing the cops, officials said.

Initially, eight people were named in the FIR following Singh's escape but names of three more, including the BJP leader, were added later.

The videos confirmed Bhadauria's presence in the area when Singh escaped.

On Thursday, Bhadauria was dismissed from his post and an inquiry ordered against him.   -- PTI

The government has declared one-day state mourning on Saturday as a mark of respect to former President of Mauritius Anerood Jugnauth, who passed away on Thursday.

A Union Home Ministry statement said the national flag will be at half-mast on the day of the mourning throughout India on all buildings where the tricolour is flown regularly, and there will be no official entertainment.

As a mark of respect to the departed dignitary, the government of India has decided that there will be one day's state mourning on Saturday throughout India, the statement said.

Jugnauth was also a former prime minister of Mauritius.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had described Jugnauth, who was given India's second highest civilian honour Padma Vibhushan, as a statesman who was the architect of modern Mauritius.

"A proud Pravasi Bharatiya, he helped forge the special bilateral relationship that will benefit from his legacy," Modi had said.  -- PTI

Facebook suspends former United States President Donald Trump's accounts for two years, effective from the date of the initial suspension on January 7 this year.

More details awaited.  -- ANI

Mumbai recorded 973 new COVID-19 cases on Friday to take its infection tally to 7,09,941, while 24 fatalities pushed the death toll to 14,989, a civic official said.

It was the fifth day in a row when the rise in the cases was less than 1,000, including Thursday when 961 infections were reported along with 27 deaths.

The discharge of 1,207 people in the last 24 hours took the recovery count to 6,76,400, or 95 per cent of the overall tally, leaving the country's financial capital with active caseload of 16,347.

With 27,351 samples being examined in the last 24 hours, the number of tests in Mumbai went up to 63,71,996.

The number of cases grew by 0.13 per cent between May 28 and June 3, while the time taken for the caseload to double stood at 515 days, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation data showed.

There are 31 containment zones and 126 sealed buildings in the city.

The highest single-day addition of cases in Mumbai was on April 4 this year when 11,163 people were detected with the infection, while May 1 saw a record 90 deaths.   -- PTI

All nine proposals received for the supply of COVID-19 vaccines for Mumbai have been rejected for lack of necessary documents, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Friday.

The civic body is now in talks with Dr Reddy's Laboratories, the distributor of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, and the firm has agreed to supply some doses on an experimental basis before June-end, it said in a statement.

On May 12, the civic body had invited global 'Expression of Interest' for supplying one crore vaccine doses.

The deadline was extended twice, on May 18 and May 25, before 10 suppliers submitted proposals.

But one of them withdrew from the race before the deadline of June 1, 2021.

After a scrutiny of documents, the civic body disqualified other nine potential suppliers.

"None of the suppliers could qualify due to lack of complete documents," the BMC said.

'It is important to examine the business relationship between suppliers who are willing to supply vaccines and companies that actually produce vaccines,' it added.

The scrutiny focused on four points -- assurance about timely supply, the period needed to deliver doses, the quantity, and terms and conditions about rates and payment.

Civic officials held a meeting with Dr Reddy's Laboratories, and the pharma major agreed to supply some doses of Sputnik V on an experimental basis before month-end, it said.

'Criteria for cold storage of Sputnik vaccine are different. Therefore, after receiving this stock, its cold storage (needs) will be tested,' the statement said.

The next round of talks with the company is expected to be held in 8-10 days, it said.  -- PTI

The government is helping vaccine manufacturers get more production units, financing and supply of raw materials, the Prime Minister's Office said on Friday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the progress of the country's COVID-19 vaccination drive.

While reviewing the status of vaccine wastage in various states, Modi said the wastage numbers are still on a higher side and that steps need to be taken to bring them down.

He was briefed by officials about the current availability of vaccines and the roadmap for ramping it up.

He was also apprised about the efforts being taken to help various vaccine manufacturers ramp up the production of vaccines.

"Government of India is actively working with vaccine manufacturers ad helping them in terms of facilitating more production units, financing and supply of raw materials," the PMO said.

The prime minister also took stock of the status of vaccination coverage in healthcare workers as well as frontline workers, besides those in 45-plus and 18-44 years age groups, the PMO said.

Officials also briefed him on various measures being taken on the tech front to make the process of vaccination more people-friendly.

He was briefed on advance visibility being provided to states on vaccine availability, with officials noting that states have been asked to pass on this information to the district level so that there is no inconvenience to people.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal and I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar, besides a number of top bureaucrats, attended the meeting, the PMO said.   -- PTI

Aam Aadmi Party MLA Atishi said on Friday that it has been 12 days since the stock of Covaxin was over for the 18-44 age group and now Delhi will run out of vaccine supply for the 45-plus category by Sunday.      

During her daily vaccination bulletin, Atishi said that the Delhi government had about 10,000 Covaxin shots till Friday morning.

"We have about six lakh doses for the 45-plus group, majority of which are Covishield. We think most of the stock of 10,000 Covaxin shots must be over by today evening.

"We are estimating that most of our centres that were administering Covaxin will be shut from tomorrow," she said.

"And by the day after tomorrow (Sunday), Covaxin will not be available at any centre," the AAP MLA added.

According to official data released by the Delhi government, it had 11,290 Covaxin shots, 5,87,760 Covishield shots available for the 45-plus age group till Friday morning.

The national capital administered 53,018 vaccine doses on Thursday, out of which the first dose was given to 37,747 people and 15,271 people received the second dose.

"The Covishield stock for the 45-plus age group will last us 28 days," Atishi said.

She added that those who were administered the first dose of Covaxin a month ago will need the second dose in two weeks.

"It's an urgent requirement to replenish the stock of Covaxin in Delhi. We request the Centre to supply the vaccine. We will require as many Covaxin doses as we had a month before so we can vaccinate those who need it for the second dose," Atishi said.

"Delhi can't do with five lakh vaccines, we need 50 lakh vaccines in the month of June," she added.   -- PTI

The state health department issued a notification to this effect, asking all charitable hospitals registered under the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950, to follow the capped charges while treating mucormycosis patients.

The state government has identified 28 types of surgeries for mucormycosis or black fungus treatment, it said.

For surgeries, the minimum charges are fixed around Rs 6,000 in tier three cities, and the amount can rise up to Rs 1 lakh, depending on the region and the complexity of the treatment, said the notification, which will remain in force till July 31.

The notification mentioned the charges as per the region and the type of treatment.

A senior official of the public health department said, "There are some multi-disciplinary private hospitals in metro cities like Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, where experts of brain, nose, eyes, ears, among others, are available to handle mucormycosis cases. Such hospitals are commonly known as super speciality hospitals."

If a patient wants to get treatment at such hospitals, the fees are generally huge. But this notification now caps the charges and patients can seek treatment in such multi-disciplinary hospitals as well, he said.

The government notification also mentioned that mucormycosis patients, who are not covered under any third party administrator, medical insurance or government scheme, had registered their grievances regarding exorbitant fees being charged by healthcare providers registered under the Bombay Nursing Home (Amendment) Act, 2005.

It caused hardships to the people suffering from mucormycosis or suspected to be suffering from the disease, it said.

The notification warned the doctors of having to face penal action under various statutes if healthcare service or healthcare package is denied to patients.

The notification also asked all the district collectors and municipal commissioners to appoint auditors in hospitals to issue a pre-audited bill to mucormycosis patients and their relatives.

If excess charging is found, the amount will have to be reimbursed to the patient, the notification said.   -- PTI

Data sharing is going on with World Health Organisation to give recognition to Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, the government said, noting that it wants to achieve this 'milestone' as soon as possible.

Responding to a question on recognition of Covaxin by the WHO, NITI Aayog Member (Health) V K Paul said the government is pursuing it.

"We have been working with both Bharat Biotech and the WHO to make it happen. There is data sharing going on and we are very keen that this milestone is achieved as soon as possible. We are pursuing it," he said.

On May 24, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) conveyed to the government that it has already submitted 90 per cent of the documents to the WHO for obtaining emergency use listing (EUL) for the Covaxin vaccine.

The latest 'Status of COVID-19 Vaccines within WHO EUL/PQ evaluation process' guidance document dated May 18 on the WHO website said.

Bharat Biotech submitted EOI (Expression of Interest) on April 19 and that 'more information (is) required'.

A pre-submission meeting is expected 'to be planned May-June 2021', the guidance document said.

According to the WHO, submissions to it for prequalification or listing under the emergency use procedure are confidential.   -- PTI

"Keeping the safety and security of our students on priority, NIOS cancels class 12 examinations. Students will be evaluated based on objective criteria to be announced soon. This will benefit around 1.75 lakhs students," the minister tweeted. 

According to S K Prasad, Director (Evaluation, NIOS), students who are not satisfied with the assessment will be given the option to appear in a public examination or an On-Demand Examination (ODE) when the situation becomes conducive. 

"In such circumstances, the result of the concerned learner in public examinations or ODE will be treated as final," he said.

Gautam, 32, and Dhar, 38, who worked together on 2019 blockbuster movie Uri: The Surgical Strikes, shared the news in a statement posted on their social media handles. 

Quoting Persian poet Rumi's line 'In your light, I learn to love', the couple also shared their photo from the wedding ceremony. 

"With the blessings of our family, we have tied the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony today. Being very private people, we celebrated this joyous occasion with our immediate family," they said. 

"As we embark on the journey of love and friendship, we seek all your blessings and good wishes. Love, Yami and Aditya," they added. 

On the work front, Gautam, who was born in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, and was brought up in Chandigarh, will next be seen in Dasvi, co-starring Abhishek Bachchan. 

Dhar, who hails from Delhi, is currently working on The Immortal Ashwatthama, which marks his reunion with Uri star Vicky Kaushal. 

The Punjab government on Friday withdrew its earlier order of providing 'one-time' limited vaccine doses to the 18-44 age group population through private hospitals after allegations by opposition of 'diverting' Covaxin doses at 'hefty margins', sparked a row.

A brief letter -- signed by Vikas Garg, the state-in-charge for vaccination -- said the order 'has not been taken in the right spirit and is hereby withdrawn'.

'Further, it has been decided that the private hospitals should return forthwith all the vaccine doses available with them. The doses which they have utilised as of date should also be returned, once they get supplies from the manufacturers,' the order added.

Addressing a press conference, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said, 'Chief Minister ordered to recall the decision and recall all vaccines which were given to private hospitals, the government will rectify its mistake as soon as possible.

'The rate was not decided, we will vaccinate people free of cost, Covaxin was given to them, we received through you this news and we returned the order.'

"The number of vaccines we received through the centre which we used and in future we received more vaccine and we will use. 42,000 vaccines were given to the private hospitals but only 600 vaccines are used by them," he added.

Earlier, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had demanded a High Court-monitored probe into the alleged selling of COVID vaccine doses by the Punjab government to private hospitals for profit.

"The Punjab government is getting vaccines at Rs 400 but selling them to private hospitals at Rs 1,060. And private hospitals are administering vaccine on higher prices. A case should be registered against Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu for diverting vaccines meant for the common man to private institutions," Badal said.

He added that if this corporatization of vaccine distribution is not stopped, the SAD would be 'forced to approach the courts for justice'.

Responding to allegations by the opposition Punjab health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said his department does not have 'control over vaccines' but and an inquiry will be made for the same.

Balbir Sidhu said, "Opposition has only one job to make allegations against the ruling government do they are doing the same."

While speaking to reporters, Singh said that it was not his department, and an inquiry will be made for the same.

"I don't have control over vaccines. This comes under the chief secretary and other officials. I just look over treatment, testing, sampling of COVID-19 and vaccination camps. We will definitely set an inquiry, I myself can inquire about the matter," he said.

He also said that they will release as statement once they get a full idea into the matter.

"We do not have the full picture. We will get to know will release a statement. Purchasing is not my department. We have appointed several nodal officers for different departments. We will get a report and inform you." -- ANI

The surge of COVID-19 cases in the country in the last two months shows a correlation with the rise in B.1.617 variant of the SARS-CoV-2, according to INSACOG, a grouping of 10 national laboratories.

April and May witnessed a deadly second wave of coronavirus cases that swept through the country stretching the healthcare infrastructure to its limits.

According to INSACOG, the B.1.1.7 lineage of the virus, which was first identified in the United Kingdom is declining in proportion across India in the last one and half month.

The B.1.1.7 variant of the coronavirus has been named 'Alpha'.

The B.1.617 lineage of SARS CoV-2 was first reported from Maharashtra but it is now seen in other states such as West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Telangana.

"The current surge in cases seen over the last two months in some states shows a correlation with the rise in the B.1.617 lineage of SARS CoV-2," the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG) said.

The B.1.617 lineage has further evolved into three sublineages B.1.617.1, B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.3.

Early data shows B.1.617.2, dubbed as Delta by WHO, has higher transmission advantages over the other two sub-lineages.

B.1.617, initially termed as double mutant, has three new spike protein mutations.

Two mutations -- E484Q and L452R -- are in the area important for antibody-based neutralisation.

The third mutation -- P681R in B.1.617 -- along with the reversion of E484Q allows its sub-lineage to be more infectious.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has termed it as 'Variant of Concern'.

B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.3 sub-lineages have two receptor binding domain mutations --- L452R and E484Q.

The former has seven spike mutation while the latter has seven to eight.

In the case of B.1.617.3, it has nine to 10 spike mutations and two receptor binding domain mutations --- L452R and T478K.

In the case of all the three sub-lineage, it has the potential to reduced antibody efficacy and potential reduced neutralisation by vaccine sera, which, however, remains to be established.

The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG) is a grouping of 10 National Laboratories that was established by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on December 25 last year.

It has been carrying out genomic sequencing and analysis of COVID-19 viruses and correlating epidemiological trends with genomic variants.

Genomic variants of various viruses are a natural phenomenon and are found in almost all countries.   -- PTI 

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Friday constituted a 13-member committee to work out an objective criteria for assessment of class 12 students after their board exams were cancelled.

The panel will submit its report within 10 days.

"In view of the uncertain conditions due to Covid and the feedback obtained from various stakeholders, it was decided that class 12 board exams of CBSE will not be held this year. It was also decided that CBSE will take steps to compile the results as per a well defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner," said CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj.

"A 13-member committee has been constituted for the purpose. The panel will submit its report within 10 days," he added.

The government on Tuesday cancelled the CBSE class 12 board exams amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic across the country with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserting that the decision was taken in the interest of students and the anxiety among students, parents and teachers must be put to an end.   -- PTI

 Top TMC sources said Banerjee, who is the party supremo, will take a final call on allowing those TMC men and women who had crossed over to the saffron party, re-entry into party. While analysts predicted that the party would allow a return very selectively to drive home the message to its cadre ahead of general elections in 2024, that rebellions would not be tolerated. Er shirsho sidhanta, Netri nijei nite paren (only the Leader (Banerjee) can take a final decision on this issue), said a senior TMC leader, on conditions of anonymity. 

"We are now preoccupied with fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and organising Cyclone Yaas relief," he added. 

 Several former TMC MLAs in cluding Dipendu Biswas and Sonali Guha have in recent past sent letters regretting their decision to join the BJP and sought to return back to the partys fold. Guha, who at one time was considered close to Banerjee, made an impassioned plea on camera seeking the chief ministers forgiveness.

 Guha, a four-time legislator from Satgachia in South 24 parganas, has also written in a letter the way fish cannot stay out of water, I will not be able to live without you, Didi.

 Mishra wrote a letter to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, drawing his attention towards news reports about the wastage of vaccines and seeking a high-level inquiry in the matter, an official release said. 

 He also asked the government to prepare an effective action plan to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the state and take action to make use of each dose of the vaccine as a protective shield for each person, the release added. 

"We have submitted a memorandum to Governor that vaccines should be provided free to all. The Centre is defaming Congress govts in 5 states by saying we failed to stop vaccine wastage. The vaccine wastage of our state is 2% while national average is 6%," Rajasthan Minister Govind Singh said.

 Additional District Judge Ajay Goel passed the order in a suit filed against Jayalal for allegedly starting a defamatory campaign against the Hindu religion by way of promoting Christianity, in the garb of proving superiority of Allopathic medicines over Ayurveda in treatment of COVID-19 patients. 

 Complainant Rohit Jha stated that Jayalal is taking the umbrage of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), misusing his position and misleading the nation and its citizens in order to convert Hindu to Christian religion.

 Citing articles and interviews of the IMA president, Jha sought a direction from the court to restrain him from writing, speaking in media, or publishing any content which is defamatory to Hindu religion or Ayurveda.

 Noting that the suit seems to be an offshoot of a verbal duel with respect to Allopathy vs Ayurveda, the court said on Thursday that no injunction is required based on the assurance given by the Jayalal that he will not indulge in such kind of activity.

 He shall not use the platform of IMA for propagating any religion and rather shall concentrate for welfare of the medical fraternity and progress in the medical field, the Additional District Judge directed in an order passed on June 3. He further asked him not to indulge in any activity contrary to the principles enshrined in the Constitution of India and maintain the dignity of the position chaired by him. 

 The district judge pulled up the chief and said, Any kind of unguarded or loose comment cannot be expected from someone chairing the responsible post. IMA is a prestigious institution...such a platform cannot be used to propagate an individual's views on any religion. He also cited a couplet written by poet Mohd. Iqbal - Mazhab Nahi Sikhata Apas Mein Bair Rakhna; Hindi Hai Hum Watan Hai Hindustan Humara; Saare Jahan se Acha Hindustan Humara [Religion does not teach us to fight against each other. We are all Indians. Our India is the best.] The word Hindi in this couplet, written by a Muslim poet, does not refer to Hindus but is referred to all Hindustanis irrespective of caste, colour and religion, which is the beauty of secularism, judge Goel said in a seven-page order.

 During the course of proceedings, the litigant told the court that Jayalal took advantage of his position for Chirstian missionary activities and also used the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to convert medical students, doctors and patients to Christianity. Rohit Jha added, Even in the criticism of Ayurveda, defendant does not lag behind. He alleged that the Modi Government believes in Ayurveda because of its cultural values and traditional belief in Hindutva. 

He claimed that for the last 3-4 years, efforts are being made to replace Ayurveda with modern medicine. Jha averred that an article of March 30, 2020 published in Nation World News read with TV debate of defendant with Baba Ramadev on various TV news channels in May 2021 have seriously disparaged and denigrated his reputation in the society being a Hindu.

Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) today announced this decision following a "rigorous review" of the safety, and effectiveness of the vaccine in this age group.

 "We have carefully reviewed clinical trial data in children aged 12 to 15 years and have concluded that the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective in this age group and that the benefits of this vaccine outweigh any risk," said Dr June Raine, MHRA Chief Executive.

"We have in place a comprehensive safety surveillance strategy for monitoring the safety of all UK-approved COVID-19 vaccines and this surveillance will include the 12- to 15-year age group," Dr Raine added.

The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is already approved for use in adults and adolescents aged 16 years and above.

 The 30-share BSE Sensex ended 132.38 points or 0.25 per cent lower at 52,100.05, a day after closing at its lifetime peak. On similar lines, the broader NSE Nifty slipped 20.10 points or 0.13 per cent to finish at 15,670.25. Nestle India was the top laggard in the Sensex pack, declining 1.97 per cent, followed by SBI, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Titan, HUL and Reliance Industries. On the other hand, Bajaj Finserv, ONGC, L&T, Bajaj Finance and HDFC were among the gainers, climbing up to 2.53 per cent.

Plaintiff Juhi Chawla circulated the link of the hearing on social media which created disruption thrice. Delhi Police shall identify the persons and take action against those who created disruption.

Bollywood actor Juhi Chawla, who has been actively creating awareness on harmful effects of radiofrequency radiation, had filed a lawsuit against implementation of 5G mobile technology in India.

The actor said that 5G technology exposes people and animals to RF radiation that is 10 to 100 times greater than it exists today.

 The decision was taken by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, an official release issued on Friday said. All government offices will remain open on Saturday (June 5), it added. 

 Private as well as government offices in Gujarat have been functioning with 50 per cent staff since the beginning of May, when the state witnessed a substantial rise in infection cases. 

The state government had allowed only half the work force in offices in a bid to curb the spread of the virus. However, the number of daily infections has come down drastically in the last couple of weeks. On Thursday, Gujarat recorded 1,207 new cases and 17 deaths. PTI

Dr. Manushree Gupta, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC) and Safdarjung Hospital said, "Post Covid patients are also exhibiting a unique symptom of cognitive dulling or mental slowing where they are experience slowing of mental activity, inability to think clearly and feeling dejected or fatigued for 2-3 months after recovery from Covid infection.

The Centre submitted affidavits saying, "The Companies manufacturing COVID-19 vaccination in India have given only "Emergency Use Authorization for vaccinating people of 18 years age and above, therefore, COVID vaccines are not recommended for persons/children less than 18 years of age. This is also because of the fact that the clinical trial group during phase 1, phase 2 and phase 3 did not cover the children below 18 years of age."

The affidavit has been filed in Delhi HC in response to a petition seeking direction to vaccinate all students of class 12 appearing for board exams.

The study also shows that levels of these antibodies that are able to recognise and fight the virus are lower with increasing age, and that levels decline over time, providing additional evidence in support of plans to deliver a booster dose to vulnerable people. 

 It supports current plans in the UK to reduce the dose gap between vaccines since they found that after just one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, people are less likely to develop antibody levels against the B.1.617.2 variant as high as those seen against the previously dominant B.1.1.7 (Alpha) variant, first found in Kent. 

 The team, led by researchers from the Francis Crick Institute in the UK, noted that levels of antibodies alone do not predict vaccine effectiveness and prospective population studies are also needed. 

 Lower neutralising antibody levels may still be associated with protection against COVID-19, they said. The study analysed antibodies in the blood of 250 healthy people who received either one or two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, up to three months after their first dose. 

 Saraswat further said that India's epidemiologists have made very clear indications that the third wave of COVID-19 is inevitable and is likely to start from September-October, so the country should vaccinate as many people as possible. "I think we have done reasonably well. We have managed the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic very well, as a result COVID-19 numbers have come down significantly. "... we have been able to manage (the second wave COVID-19 ) with the help of our science and technology activities, creating oxygen banks, making large number of industries to support oxygen supply. 

Using railways, using airports, using the military for transporting liquid oxygen," he told PTI. From a daily case count of over 4 lakh, the number of new COVID-19 cases has been hovering around 1.3 lakh in the last few days.

 Saraswat said India's management of the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic was good and the kind of discipline which had been introduced at that time, gave the country a lot of confidence to control the second wave of the pandemic. 

 "We did a fantastic job (of managing the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic), what we call emergency management," he asserted. The Niti Aayog member pointed out that all indications were there that there might be a second wave of COVID-19, but epidemiologists' studies did not show it was going to be such a strong wave.

 During the second wave of coronavirus, there was an oxygen crisis and there were reports that the oxygen shortage led to deaths at some hospitals, Sisodia said in an online briefing. "We took the issue seriously and took a decision to form a four-member committee to look into the matter. It is a committee comprising medical experts. We have sent the file for the L-G's approval," he said. 

 "This committee will meet twice a week and will look into each case and decide whether the death happened due to the shortage of the life saving gas. As soon as the L-G approves the file, this committee will start functioning," he said. The government has also announced that it will give a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of those victims who succumbed due to the shortage of oxygen. PTI

 Addressing a meeting of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Society via video conferencing, he cited India's experience in the previous century to say that it used to wait for years to lay its hands on innovations achieved abroad, but its scientists are now working shoulder to shoulder with their counterparts outside. 

 They are working at the same quick pace, he said. Noting that the world is grappling with the biggest challenge in a century, the prime minister praised the scientific community, saying it is perhaps unprecedented that vaccines were prepared within a year.

 On the occasion, Modi reiterated his call for an "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" (Self-reliant) and strong India, saying the COVID-19 crisis may have slowed its pace but our resolve remains the same. --  PTI

 The decision was taken at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The DAC is the Defence Ministry's highest decision-making body on procurement. 

 The sources said the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the make-in-India project named 'P-75 India' will be issued soon. 

 The sources said the groundwork like specifications of the submarines and other critical requirements for issuance of the RFP for the mega project has been completed by separate teams of the Defence Ministry and the Indian Navy. PTI

"A reply from Alapan Bandyopadhyay has been received last night and it is being examined. The further course of action will be decided soon," top central government sources told ANI. 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's newly appointed Chief Advisor, Alapan Bandyopadhyay was issued a show-cause notice by the central government under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 asking him to write within three days.

"West Bengal former Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay had to brief Prime Minister Narendra Modi and follow up. But when Prime Minister arrived at the briefing he was not present. And after being contacted by Prime Minister's entourage he came for the meeting room and left without attending the review meeting," official sources had told ANI on Wednesday.

On Monday also, a show-cause notice was served to Alapan Bandyopadhyay for failing to report to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) as directed by the central government.

The development took place after Banerjee along with the state chief secretary skipped the review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28 aftermath of Cyclone Yaas. Bandyopadhyay was to retire on May 31 and had earlier been given three months extension.

According to the police, the troopers were going for COVID-19 deployment duties when they were pelted with stones in the area. No damage or injuries was reported in the incident, said the police.

"Some miscreants pelted stones upon CRPF vehicle early morning who were going for covid deployment duties near Kralpora Chadoora. To disperse miscreants, 2/3 shots were fired in air by troops. No damage or injuries is reported," read a statement issued by the police today. -- ANI

The B.1.617 variant and its lineage B.1.617.2 were primarily responsible for surge in cases with high transmissibility of 50% more than Alpha variant (B.1.1.7), as per the study. 

The Delta variant is present in all states, but has infected most in Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha and Telangana, which were the worst hit in the second surge.

The facility has been established at Trishna Banquet in the city by an organisation named Smile Please, Sparsh Hospital, and Odisha Society of America's - Health and Wellness Group (OSA-HWG) in a collaborative effort.Smile Please organisation, which is headed by actor-turned-philanthropist Sabyasachi Mishra, said that the facility currently has 30 beds and there is scope for more.

The RBI had earlier forecasted 10.5 per cent GDP growth for FY22. For Q1, RBI had expected growth at 26.2 per cent, for Q2 at 8.3 per cent, for Q3 at 5.4 per cent and for Q4 at 6.2 per cent.

The central bank also projected consumer price index (CPI) inflation at 5.1 per cent for FY21-22. -- PTI

Rukmini Callimachi reports in the The New York Times that Milloni Doshi, a 25-year-old student from India, who is due to start her master's degree this fall at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, has been administered two doses of Covaxin. Now, Columbia has told her that she will need to be revaccinated with a different vaccine once she arrives on campus.

 "I am just concerned about taking two different vaccines. They said the application process would be the toughest part of the cycle, but it's really been all of this that has been uncertain and anxiety-inducing," Doshi wrote via a messaging app.

Campuses are proposing different measures, out of which the more complicated scenario is if students received a vaccine that has not been approved by the WHO, like Sputnik or Covaxin. Many colleges are proposing that those students will need to be revaccinated, which presents both medical and logistical conundrums.

This is primarily because no data exists on whether combing vaccines from different companies is safe. "Since Covid-19 vaccines are not interchangeable, the safety and effectiveness of receiving two different Covid-19 vaccines have not been studied," said Kristen Nordlund, spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Nordlund also advised that people vaccinated outside the US with a vaccine not authorised by WHO should wait for a minimum of 28 days before taking the first dose of one of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-sanctioned vaccines.

American students have access to the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, three of the eight doses authorised by the global health body. This disparity could hinder colleges that have made it a major priority to retain international students, who brought in close to USD 39 billion in tuition dollars in the year before the pandemic, according to an analysis.

 "The CM will meet the expert committee at 11 and the preparation committee at 3," the CM's office said in a tweet. 

 The Delhi government had on May 27 set up a 13-member committee to prepare an action plan for a possible third wave of COVID-19 after assessing the current status and projected requirement of the health infrastructure such as hospitals, oxygen plants and drug supplies in the city. Another eight-member expert committee was set up to devise a strategy for mitigation and management of the third wave of COVID-19. PTI

"Now everyone, even the so-called 'enemy', are beginning to say that President Trump was right about the China Virus coming from Wuhan Lab," said former US President Donald Trump. 

He also called for imposing a fine on China for the death and destruction they have caused due to this 'lab leak'.

"The correspondence between Dr Fauci and China speaks too loudly for anyone to ignore. China should pay USD 10 trillion to America, and the world, for the death and destruction they have caused!" added Trump.

After US top coronavirus advisor, Dr Anthony Fauci private emails were revealed to the press the debate over coronavirus coming from Wuhan Lab has sparked once again.

Over 3,000 pages of emails were obtained by the Washington Post, Buzzfeed News and CNN through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, date from January to June 2020.

The emails revealed about early days of the US Covid outbreak. Dr Fauci and his colleagues took notice, in the early days, of the theory that COVID-19 may have leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan, China.

With regard to the "lab leak" email, the doctor told CNN he still finds it unlikely that a Wuhan laboratory released the virus. "I don't remember what's in that redacted [email], but the idea I think is quite far-fetched that the Chinese deliberately engineered something so that they could kill themselves as well as other people," he said. "I think that's a bit far out."

Total cases: 2,85,74,350 

Total discharges: 2,65,97,655 

 Death toll: 3,40,702 

 Active cases: 16,35,993 

 Total vaccination: 22,41,09,448

 ONGC was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising over 1 per cent, followed by L&T, IndusInd Bank, Axis Bank, M&M, Bajaj Finance and HDFC. On the other hand, Nestle India, Dr Reddy's, HUL, Titan and ITC were among the laggards.

India will be a "significant recipient" of United States vaccines, the country's envoy to the US has said as President Joe Biden announced details of his administration's decision to send 25 million COVID-19 shots to countries across the globe.

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced that the US will allocate 75 per cent -- nearly 1.9 crore of the first tranche of 2.5 crore doses -- of unused COVID-19 vaccines from its stockpile through the UN-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing programme to countries in South and Southeast Asia as well as Africa.

The move is part of his administration's framework for sharing 80 million (8 crore) vaccines globally by the end of June.

According to a White House fact sheet, nearly 19 million vaccines will be shared through COVAX. 

Of these approximately six million for South and Central America to the following countries: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay, Bolivia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Haiti, and other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, as well as the Dominican Republic.

Approximately seven million for Asia to the following countries: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, and the Pacific Islands, it said. 

"India will be a significant recipient of US vaccines as India has been included in both the identified categories in the allocation announced today- direct supply to neighbours and partner countries, and under the COVAX initiative," India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, told PTI.

Vice President Kamala Harris personally made a call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday to inform him about the administration's decision.  

"I deeply appreciate the assurance of vaccine supplies to India as part of the US Strategy for Global Vaccine Sharing. I also thanked her for all the support and solidarity from the US government, businesses and Indian diaspora," the prime minister said in a tweet. 

Officials in New Delhi said that Modi and Harris discussed ongoing efforts to strengthen the health supply chain between the US and India, including in the area of vaccine manufacturing. They highlighted the potential of the India-US partnership as well as the QUAD vaccine initiative in addressing the long-term health impact of the pandemic. 

The prime minister also said he hopes to welcome Vice President Harris in India soon after the normalisation of the global health situation. -- PTI

Antigua and Barbuda prefers that fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi be directly repatriated to India from Dominica, the Cabinet of the Caribbean island country decided in a meeting, according to local media.

 

The Cabinet minutes published by the local media showed that "Choksi matter" was one of the agenda items discussed during the meeting on Wednesday. 

It was held that the business was now the "problem" of Dominica and if he were to come back to Antigua and Barbuda, the "problem reverts" to it.

The meeting chaired by Prime Minister Gaston Browne and attended by all his ministers decided that law enforcement officials would continue to gather intelligence on the circumstances of Choksi's "departure" from Antigua, said media outlet Antigua Breaking News.

"The preference of the Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda is for Choksi to be repatriated to India from Dominica," the Cabinet minutes said.

Later, speaking to media, Information Minister Melford Nicholas also said the government prefers that pending cases before Antiguan courts related to the revocation of Choksi's citizenship and his extradition to India be heard much sooner in the light of developments in Dominica and expedited, AntiguaNewsroom reported.

The case will come up for hearing in November.

Nicholas said intelligence agencies briefed the Cabinet on the circumstances leading to Choksi's disappearance from Antigua and Barbuda but refused to say anything further, calling the information classified, it reported.

When asked about the mystery woman allegedly involved in Choksi's disappearance, he said he couldn't speculate on the matter.

Choksi had mysteriously gone missing on May 23 from Antigua and Barbuda, where he has been staying since 2018 as a citizen since he fled Delhi.

He was detained in neighbouring island country Dominica for illegal entry after a possible romantic escapade with his rumoured girlfriend.

His lawyers alleged that he was kidnapped from Jolly Harbour in Antigua by policemen looking like Antiguan and Indian and brought to Dominica on a boat.

A Dominica high court is hearing a habeas corpus petition filed on behalf of Choksi challenging his illegal detention.

The Delta variant of COVID-19, or the B1.617.2 highly transmissible variant of concern (VOC) first identified in India, has now become the dominant VOC in the United ingdom as infections rose by 5,472 in a week to hit a total of 12,431, health officials in Britain said on Thursday.

Public Health England, which monitors all COVID variants in the country, said that experts now believe that Delta has now overtaken Alpha -- the VOC first detected in the Kent region of England. 

PHE also said that early evidence suggests there may be an increased risk of hospitalisation with Delta compared to Alpha, although more data is needed to have a more definitive view on that.

"With this variant now dominant across the UK, it remains vital that we all continue to exercise as much caution as possible," said Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive, UK Health Security Agency.

"The way to tackle variants is to tackle the transmission of COVID-19 as a whole. Work from home where you can, and practice 'hands, face, space, fresh air' at all times. If you are eligible and have not already done so, please come forward to be vaccinated and make sure you get your second jab. It will save lives," she said.

According to the breakdown of official figures, this week 278 people with the Delta variant attended hospital in an emergency. 

Last week, 201 people attended hospital.

"Once again, the majority of these had not been vaccinated," PHE said.

The areas most affected by the Delta variant remain in the north west of England with Bolton, where cases have risen by 795 to 2149, and Blackburn with Darwen which has seen 368 new cases, bringing it to 724 in total. 

PHE said there are "encouraging signs" that the transmission rate in Bolton has begun to fall and that the actions taken by residents and local authority teams have been successful in reducing spread. -- PTI

A gas leakage from a chemical factory in the Badlapur area in Maharashtra's Thane was reported on Thursday night, creating panic in the area.

People in the area were having trouble breathing.

According to Thane Municipal Corporation, the incident took place around 10:22 pm on Thursday.

"A overheat caused a chemical reaction between sulfuric acid and benzyl acid in the company and caused a gas leak. People in the area were having trouble breathing and squinting their eyes," Thane Municipal Corporation said.

"The fire brigade rushed to the factory as soon as they received the information and the leakage was stopped around 11:24 pm. The situation is under control," it said.

According to the Badlapur Fire Station, no one was injured in the incident. -- ANI

America's top infectious disease specialist Dr Anthony Fauci on Thursday said his country is eager to involve Indian investigators in global clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 therapeutics.

 

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has a long history of collaboration with its counterpart agencies in India, Dr Fauci said during a conversation organised by the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum.

 

"Under the long-standing Indo-US vaccine action programme, we will continue to work with India on research related to SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) vaccines. We also are eager to involve Indian investigators in sites in global clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of various COVID-19 therapeutics," he said. 

 

The partnerships between the NIH and India's Department of Biotechnology as well as what the Indian Council of Medical Research have helped produce important scientific and public health discoveries in the past.  

 

"I am confident they will continue to do so in the future. India's contributions to global scientific knowledge are well known to all. With strong governmental support and a vibrant biopharma private sector, this knowledge already is yielding solutions to COVID-19 prevention and care," Dr Fauci said. 

 

India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu said as India ramps up vaccine production to cater to its needs and those of the world, it relies on the support of the United States in ensuring raw materials and component items are available in good supply.  

 

"Vaccinating the world is our best bet against another wave of the pandemic, and the ideal way to speed economic recovery," he said.  

 

Observing that India-US health collaboration is not new, he said under the longstanding Vaccine Action Programme between both nations, they developed a vaccine against rotavirus, which causes severe diarrhea in children.  

Indian companies have also manufactured, highly cost-effective HIV drugs for use in African countries, building on cooperation between US organisations and the private sector, he said.

 

"Looking ahead, we need to invest in preparing for the future. Future global resilience will depend on how well prepared we are in dealing with future pandemics. We need to work to further expand our bilateral programmes in areas such as epidemiology, digital health and patients' safety to tackle communicable, and non-communicable diseases and improve infectious disease modelling, prediction and forecasting.  

 

Similarly, the sharing of clinical expertise, standards, and experiences of hospitals, in the management of infectious diseases, especially COVID-19, would add to the knowledge base," Sandhu said.

 

"I think it's important to understand when the US went through a crisis last year, it was India which kept up to support the US from critical medicine. And India is going through his own challenges us stepped up. So, it is a reciprocal partnership," USISPF president Mukesh Aghi said.

 

Sandhu said last year, as the pandemic hit, India ensured the integrity of health supply chains, providing essential medicines to the US.  

 

"This year, when the US supported India during the second wave, President Biden recalled India's help. Companies such as Gilead and Merck present here today have been critical in supplying essential medicines to India which has helped us fight the pandemic and saved innumerable lives," he said. -- PTI 

John Hopkins university has confirmed that more than two billion vaccine doses have been distributed worldwide.

Israel remains the country with the most vaccinated, with nearly six-in-10 people in the country fully inoculated against Covid.

It is followed by Canada (59 per cent of the population have had at least one jab), the UK (58.3 per cent), Chile (56.6 per cent) and the US (51 per cent), according to AFP.

Six out of 10 of the injections have been administered in the worlds three most populous countries China (704.8 million doses), the US (296.9 million) and India (221 million).

Only six countries in the world have not yet started vaccinating - North Korea, Haiti, Tanzania, Chad, Burundi and Eritrea.