VACCINATE ALL 45-PLUS IN SURGE DISTRICTS IN 2 WEEKS: CENTRE TO STATES

With several parts of the country reporting a second wave of Covid-19 cases, the Centre Tuesday warned that the situation is going from “bad to worse” and urged states to achieve 100 per cent vaccination coverage of those above the age of 45 years in surge districts within the next two weeks.

The Government will roll out the third phase of its vaccination drive from April 1 to cover all those above the age of 45. On Saturday, during a meeting with 46 districts that reported 70 per cent of the total cases over the last month, the Centre conveyed that 90 per cent of Covid-linked deaths in the country continue to be in the category of those aged above 45.

“All districts with high caseload and fast growth of cases must ensure 100 per cent saturation vaccination of the priority age group of 45 years and above in the coming two weeks. Any complacency at this stage, at any level, will have heavy costs,” Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote in a letter sent to all states and UTs.

On Tuesday, the Health Ministry said that seven states — Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat — continue to report a surge in daily cases and account for bulk of the new cases overall.

“The situation is becoming bad to worse. There is a serious cause for concern. In some states, in particular, there is a huge cause of worry. But no state can be complacent. What the trends show is that the virus is still very active and can penetrate our defences. And when we think we have found ways to control the virus, it strikes back. The active cases, which were above a lakh, is now at 5.4 lakh…. It’s a five-time rise,” Dr V K Paul, who heads the country’s Covid task force, said.

Bhushan, meanwhile, pointed out that the average positivity rate during the last week in Maharashtra stood at a staggering 23.44 per cent against the national mark of 5.65 percent. Except for Bengaluru and Delhi, all the top ten districts with maximum active cases in the country are from Maharashtra.

In his letter, Bhushan also asked all states to focus on mortality reduction. “Do an analysis to understand system-related issues of why deaths happened: whether it was due to late detection (surveillance failure), or late admission (delay in referral), or due to clinical care at hospital,” he wrote.

KEY COVID NUMBERS:

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 5,49,085

New Cases in last 24 hours: 53,152

Recovered in last 24 hours: 41,223

Increase in Active cases in last 24 hours: 11,574

No. of deaths in last 24 hours: 355

Most Affected States:

(S. No. / State / No. of Active Cases / New Cases in last 24 Hrs / Deaths in Last 24 Hrs)

1          Maharashtra     3,40,542           /           27,918  /           139

2          Karnataka         25,541  /           2,975    /           21

3          Kerala              24,646  /           2,389    /           16

4          Punjab              23,731  /           2,188    /           64

5          Chhattisgarh     22,057  /           3,108    /           35

6          Madhya Prad    16,034  /           2,173    /           10

7          Tamil Nadu       14,846  /           2,342    /           16

8          Gujarat             12,263  /           2,220    /           10

9          Haryana           9,437    /           980       /           4

10        Uttar Pradesh   9,195    /           918       /           10

11        Rajasthan         8,155    /           665       /           NIL

12        Delhi                7,429    /           992       /           4

13        Andhra Prad     6,614    /           993       /           3

14        West Bengal     5,303    /           628       /           2

15        Telangana        4,678    /           463       /           4

16        Him Pradesh     2,830    /           339       /           6

17        JnK                  2,293    /           359       /           1

18        Jharkhand        2,254    /           418       /           3

19        Odisha             1,716    /           218       /           NIL

20        Uttarakhand      1,696    /           128       /           2

21        Bihar                1,455    /           74        /           1

22        Goa                  1,419    /           127       /           1

23        Puducherry       1,011    /           115       /           1

IMRAN REPLIES TO MODI; OPEN FOR TALKS, RAISES KASHMIR

Prime Minister Imran Khan has written a letter to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, saying creation of an “enabling environment” is imperative for a constructive and result-oriented dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues between Pakistan and India, in particular the J&K issue.

Khan's letter was in reply to Prime Minister Modi's letter to him last week to extend greetings on the occasion of Pakistan Day. In his letter, Modi had said India desires cordial relations with Pakistan but an atmosphere of trust, devoid of terror and hostility, is “imperative” for it.

In his reply to Prime Minister Modi's letter, Khan thanked him and said the people of Pakistan also desire peaceful cooperative relations with all neighbours, including India.

While PM Modi talked about a terror-free environment for peace, Khan said that peace was possible only if outstanding issues like Kashmir were resolved.

Meanwhile reports from Pakistan said the government might soon take a decision on reopening trade with India.

ARMY CHIEF MM NARAVANE: HAVEN’T LOST AN INCH OF LAND DURING CHINA STANDOFF

India has not lost even “an inch of land” to China during the standoff in eastern Ladakh that began in May 2020, Army Chief General M M Naravane said in an interview yesterday.

The Army Chief said after the ninth round of talks between Corps Commanders on January 24, “we agreed for phased disengagement from friction areas” and “10th February onwards disengagement started and went as per plan, from north and south banks of Pangong Tso and Kailash Range”. He said “people have gone back to their nearest permanent locations”.

“Thereby the face-to-face deployment which was there and because of which there could have been chances of miscalculation has now receded. Now there is relative peace and tranquility on the LAC,” he said.

Senior military commanders met for the tenth round of talks on February 20 to discuss disengagement from other friction points and eventual de-escalation, but there has not been any progress.

On the situation with Pakistan, in the wake of the recent joint statement by Directors General of Military Operation and Indian and Pakistani armies to adhere to the ceasefire agreement, Naravane said, “Terror camps and infrastructure still exist on other side of LoC.”

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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COVID-19 REPORT DID NOT ADEQUATELY ANALYSE POSSIBILITY OF A LAB LEAK: WHO

The World Health Organization’s chief said a mission to study the origins of the coronavirus in China didn’t adequately analyse the possibility of a lab leak before it concluded that the pathogen probably spread from bats to humans via another animal.

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said even though the international team of scientists determined that a leak is the least likely hypothesis for the origin of the pandemic, it requires further investigation. He said he’s ready to deploy additional missions involving specialist experts as he doesn’t believe the assessment was extensive enough. He made the comments in a briefing to WHO member countries Tuesday. These comments mark the first time he’s openly speculated about the possibility of a leak.

Meanwhile,. leaders of 23 countries and the WHO on Tuesday backed an idea to create an international treaty that would help deal with future health emergencies like the coronavirus pandemic by tightening rules on sharing information.

In a joint article published in newspapers across the world, leaders including the UK prime minister, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, warn that a future global pandemic is an inevitability and that Covid has served as “a stark and painful reminder that nobody is safe until everyone is safe”.

GERMANY AND CANADA PUT RESTRICTIONS ON ASTRA VAX USE

German health officials agreed on Tuesday to restrict the use of Astra-Zeneca’s vaccine in people under 60, amid fresh concern over unusual blood clots reported in a tiny number of those who received the shots. On Monday, Canada suspended use of the AstraZeneca jab in people under 55, citing concerning data from Europe.

The move follows the recommendations of Germany’s independent vaccine expert panel and comes after the country’s drug regulator released new data showing a rise in reported cases of an unusual form of blood clot in the head — known as sinus vein thrombosis. Several German regions, including the capital Berlin and the country’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, had already suspended use of the shots in younger people earlier Tuesday. That decision came after the country’s medical regulator said its tally of the blood clots reported by March 29 had increased to 31, out of some 2.7 million doses of AstraZeneca administered in Germany so far.

In a statement ahead of the announcement, AstraZeneca said tens of millions of people worldwide have received its vaccines, and noted that the EU regulator and the WHO concluded that the benefits of the shot outweigh the risks.

THE REST

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HOTSPOT NANDIGRAM POLL DIN ENDS WITH MASSIVE ROADSHOWS

Road shows, public meetings, fiery speeches Tuesday in Nandigram, from where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is seeking a third term in office, marked the end of the high-octane campaign by the ruling TMC and rival BJP for the second phase of Assembly elections in West Bengal.

The two parties, led on the ground by Banerjee and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, went all out Tuesday, firming battlelines for the vote Thursday.

Addressing a press conference after the road show, Shah exuded confidence: “I have spoken to the local leaders. Seeing the enthusiasm of the people of Nandigram, I am confident that Suvendu Adhikari will win by a huge margin… There is a mood to bring about poriborton (change) in Bengal. And an easy way to do this is to defeat Mamata Banerjee by a big margin. One needs to have a huge margin so that no political leader dares to undermine people’s aspirations.”

“I could have contested from any seat but I chose Nandigram since I saw the people’s enthusiasm here. During the Nandigram agitation, I hit the streets, they (Suvendu and his father Sisir Adhikari) did not. Ask the people who were present then. I am here to stay. My credibility is my commitment. I may die, but I will always keep my word,” Mamata said.

She also clarified on her phone conversation with local BJP leader Pralay Pal, seeking his help for her campaign. “As a candidate, I can call anyone and appeal. I told him to be well and healthy. I will make many such calls. If a person records any such call and makes it viral, it is a criminal offence. That person should be punished,” she said.

MODI CAMPAIGNS IN TN

In a veiled attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday dubbed former union telecom minister A Raja an “outdated 2G missile” of the Congress and DMK that targeted Tamil Nadu women and slammed the opposition parties for their “anti-women” mindset.

In his first poll rally for the April 6 Assembly polls, in Dharapuram yesterday, Modi rooted for the Tamil language, culture and invoked the welfare legacies of MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, late Chief Ministers and AIADMK icons.

Meanwhile, in Puducherry he took a swipe at former Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy saying the election to the UT was unique as the sitting CM had been denied a ticket by his party.

DELHI COVID SPIKE MAINLY AMONG YOUNG, SAYS AIIMS CHIEF

The Covid surge in Delhi has mainly affected the younger population with most of the patients reporting “relatively milder symptoms”, according to AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria. But there is a need to remain vigilant, he said, because the infection can “spread to the elderly” and trigger “serious symptoms”, which would once again put healthcare resources under strain.

And, while some states are considering the option of imposing another lockdown, Guleria said that having more containment zones within a city would be a better strategy in containing the spread.

“As of now, most of the patients who are coming in are those with relatively milder symptoms but that is related to the fact that currently we are witnessing a surge in cases in the younger age group. But this will spread to the elderly, as has been seen in Maharashtra, where it started with milder cases and then we found an increasing number of cases, and more serious symptoms, with hospital resources getting strained. We need to be vigilant about this,” he said.

“There is an increase in the number of patients getting admitted but it’s not that we are running out of beds yet. As the cases go up, we will reach a situation where more and more patients will get admitted and that is the cause of concern,” he said.

Delhi has been witnessing over 1,500 daily cases over the past five days as a result of which the city is now in the top 10 across the country with a high burden of disease.

KARNATAKA CD CASE: JARKIHOLI FACES ARREST

BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, who had to step down as Karnataka Water Resources Minister earlier this month after TV channels played a video CD allegedly featuring him and a young woman, faces the prospect of arrest. The woman, who accused him of sexual assault and harassment, recorded a statement Tuesday before a magistrate in Bengaluru.

The woman, untraceable since March 2, the day the video CD was played by TV channels, appeared before a magistrate Tuesday afternoon after being brought to the court by her lawyers.

In her complaint to the Cubbon Park police, the woman alleged that Jarkiholi coerced her into a sexual relationship by offering her a government job, and that he later reneged on the promise. She alleged that Jarkiholi enticed her into sexually explicit conversations on video calls and later lured her to meet him at his apartment in Bengaluru where he forced her into sexual intercourse.

After she recorded her statement Tuesday, her lawyer, K Jagadish, said: “We have fulfilled our promise to produce the victim in court to provide her statement. The police should now fulfil their duty and arrest the accused who is roaming around freely.”

NO CHARGING OF PHONES, LAPTOPS IN TRAINS FROM 11 PM TO 5 AM: RAILWAYS

Passengers will not be allowed to charge phones, laptops and other electronic devices in trains between 11 pm and 5 am in view of the recent spate of fire incidents in trains.

Railways has taken this decision as a precautionary measure, officials said.

The Western Railway already put things in motion on March 16 by cutting off supply to these charging ports.

NO AUTOMATIC RECURRING PAYMENT FROM TOMORROW

Come April, there will be no automatic recurring payment for various services, including recharge and utility bill as RBI has made Additional Factor of Authentication (AFA) mandatory after March 31.

However, banks and payment gateways are seeking additional time to comply with the RBI directive on automatic recurring payment.

On December 4, RBI had directed all banks including RRBs, NBFCs, and payment gateways that the processing of recurring transactions (domestic or cross-border) using cards or Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) or Unified Payments Interface (UPI) under arrangements/practices not compliant with AFA would not be continued beyond March 31, 2021.

Non-readiness of some of the players could impact recurring payment such as of utility bills, recharge of phone, DTH and OTT, among others, post March 31.

GOVT READY TO EXTEND VIVAD SE VISHWAS TO SETTLE CAIRN ENERGY DISPUTE

Amid the international arbitration with Cairn Energy, the government is open to extending “Vivad se Vishwas, the direct tax dispute resolution scheme, beyond March 31 if the UK oil major shows an interest in settling litigation under it.

In the meeting with finance ministry officials last month, Cairn was offered an immediate refund of $300million in case it chose to settle the tax dispute under the ongoing scheme.

Under it, the principal tax demand on Cairn will go down by half to Rs 5,100 crore and there will be a waiver of interest and penalty. In addition, the Indian side had offered to return the 1.8 per cent company shares it had seized.

As the government had sold Cairn Energy shares of around Rs 6,500 crore, it will refund the remaining amount, the proposal said.

Meanwhile, India filed an appeal against the Cairn Energy arbitration verdict at The Hague last week, challenging the $1.2-billion award on grounds of sovereignty and tax avoidance by the UK oil major.

“The only way to resolve the dispute immediately is through the Vivad Se Vishwas scheme. Cairn will get a refund in a matter of days. The arbitration process will take its own course and will go on for years. Although the scheme is closing on March 31, India will not hesitate to extend it in case Cairn wants to participate in it. But it must show an inclination,” said a government official.

Cairn did not respond to the government’s specific offer. “Cairn has full confidence in its position. As previously advised, Cairn will continue to take all steps necessary in order to protect the interests of its shareholders,” the company said in a statement.

LIFE IS NOT ALWAYS FAIR, SAYS MISTRY AFTER SC LOSS

Four days after the Supreme Court dismissed all the appeals of Shapoorji Pallonji (SP) Group, scion Cyrus Mistry expressed disappointment over the judgment and said that “life is not always fair” and would take the “knocks on our chins”. Mistry also said that while in hindsight he may have had “many imperfections”, he has “no doubt or erosion of conviction about the direction I (he) chose, the integrity behind my (his) actions and their consequences”.

Last week, the SC had upheld Tata Sons’ decision to remove Mistry from the chairmanship of the company, ending a four-year legal battle between the two. Mistry, who was handpicked by Tata Sons chairman emeritus Ratan Tata, served as its chief from December 29, 2012 to October 24, 2016, when he was unceremoniously removed in a boardroom coup. The SC also denied SP the right to have a representation on the board of Tata Sons in proportion to its minority stake of 18.4%, which it has been holding for decades.

In a statement titled ‘Grateful for the opportunity — My conscience is clear’, Mistry said, “Every member of society looks to institutions such as courts to validate and endorse the appropriateness of his or her actions and beliefs. As a minority shareholder of Tata Sons, I am personally disappointed by the outcome of the judgment with respect to our case.”

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude. - William James

OFF TRACK

Thief - Quick, the police are coming. Jump out of the window.

Accomplice - But we're on the thirteenth floor.

Thief - This is no time to be superstitious.