STATES ASK FOR MORE VACCINES, CENTRE ACCUSES THEM OF PLAYING POLITICS

The coordinated Covid-19 battle plan between the Centre and states came under strain Wednesday when the Union Health Ministry, being pushed by several states to supply more vaccine doses and open up the vaccination process to all individuals above the age of 18, reacted sharply, accusing the surge states of “politicizing” a public health issue and “spreading lies”, and of not doing enough in terms of testing, contact tracing and ramping up the health infrastructure.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, who came down heavily on Maharashtra, Delhi and Punjab, the states contributing most to the second surge of Covid-19 cases, said they were “trying to divert attention from their poor vaccination efforts by just continuously shifting the goalposts”. Yet he acknowledged, in an official statement, that “the supply of vaccines remains limited” and so long as the situation continues, “there is no option but to prioritize” age groups in the country.

His remarks came a day ahead of an all-important meeting of the Prime Minister with the Chief Ministers scheduled Thursday.

The Health Minister, in his statement, slammed Chhattisgarh for refusing to use Covaxin and for “being perhaps the only govt in the world to have incited vaccine hesitancy”.

He said “quality of testing needs to improve in Karnataka, Rajasthan and Gujarat”.

Harsh Vardhan criticised Maharashtra, Punjab and Delhi over their poor vaccination coverage among the priority groups. He said Maharashtra has vaccinated only 86 per cent and 46 per cent of health workers with first dose and second dose respectively; Delhi has vaccinated 72 per cent and 41 per cent of health workers with first and second dose respectively; and Punjab has vaccinated 64 per cent and 27 per cent of health workers with first and second dose, respectively.

“On the other hand, 10 Indian states/UTs have done more than 90% (first dose to health workers)… There are 12 Indian states/UTs that have done more than 60% (second dose to health workers),” Harsh Vardhan said.

He also flagged low coverage among senior citizens in these states. “When it comes to senior citizens, Maharashtra has vaccinated just 25%, Delhi has vaccinated 30%; Punjab has vaccinated only 13%. There are 4 states/UTs that have already vaccinated more than 50%,” he said.

“Doesn’t it seem evident that these states are trying to divert attention from their poor vaccination efforts by just continuously shifting the goal-posts? Politicizing such a public health issue is a damning indictment of certain political leaders who should know better,” he said.

The Health Minister said the “lackadaisical attitude” of the Maharashtra govt has “singularly bogged down the entire country’s efforts to fight the virus”.

KEY COVID NUMBERS:

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 9,05,021

New Cases in last 24 hours: 1,26,218

Recovered in last 24 hours: 59,146

Increase in Active cases in last 24 hours: 66,388

No. of deaths in last 24 hours: 684

Most Affected States:

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

1          Maharashtra     5,01,559           /           59,907  /           322

2          Chhattisgarh     58,883  /           10,310  /           53

3          Karnataka         49,254  /           6,976    /           35

4          Uttar Pradesh   31,987  /           6,002    /           40

5          Kerala              31,491  /           3,502    /           16

6          Tamil Nadu       27,743  /           3,986    /           17

7          Madhya Pradesh           26,059  /           4,043    /           13

8          Punjab              25,855  /           2,963    /           62

9          Delhi                19,455  /           5,506    /           20

10        Gujarat             18,684  /           3,575    /           22

11        Rajasthan         18,146  /           2,801    /           12

12        Haryana                       15,237  /           2,366    /           11

13        West Bengal     14,290  /           2,390    /           8

14        Andhra Pradesh            13,276  /           2,331    /           11

15        Telangana        11,617  /           1,914    /           5

16        Jharkhand        7,872    /           1,312    /           7

17        Bihar                5,925    /           1,527    /           3

18        JnK                  5,035    /           812       /           6

19        Uttarakhand      4,526    /           1,109    /           5

20        Himachal Pradesh         4,171    /           653       /           9

21        Odisha             4,009    /           791       /           1

22        Chandigarh       3,121    /           399       /           2

23        Goa                  2,858    /           527       /           2

24        Puducherry       1,820    /           173       /           1

CHINA HAS CAPABILITY TO LAUNCH CYBER ATTACKS: CDS GENERAL BIPIN RAWAT

China is ahead in imbibing technology but India is catching up, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday, as he identified the neighbouring country’s capability to carry out cyber attacks as one of the biggest threats. He said India is focusing on cyber defence, and working on offensive cyber capabilities as well, to counter such threats.

“We have been a little slow on the start, therefore over the years a capability differential has come in,” said General Rawat, while speaking at an event at the Vivekananda International Foundation. “China has been able to invest a lot of funds, allocated a lot of funds in ensuring that they imbibe technology. Therefore, they certainly have a lead over us… we are also evolving technologies to make sure we come on par with them.”

“Most important, where the biggest differential lies, is in the field of cyber,” he said. “We know that China is capable of launching cyber attacks on us, and that can disrupt a large amount of our systems.”

“What we are trying to do is to create a system in which we ensure cyber defence. And we have been able to, therefore, create a cyber agency, which is our own agency within the armed forces. Each service also has its own cyber agency to ensure that even if we come under a cyber attack, the down time and the effect of the cyber attack does not last long. We should be able to overcome that cyber attack and continue with the systems either through an alternate means or preventive means through firewalls,” General Rawat said.

PARIKSHA PE CHARCHA: MODI’S PEP TALK TOP CLASS X, XII STUDENTS

Ahead of the upcoming Class X and XII board examinations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday gave a new formula “Involve, Internalise, Associate and Visualise” to students to sharpen memory.

Addressing the fourth edition of ‘Pariksha pe Charcha’, PM Modi said when things are visualised in mind, it becomes easy to memorise them. “Memory by association concept works well in the early years so involve yourself in whatever you are doing. If you are sitting at home with a book in hand but thinking about friends, school, food, then you will not remember anything,” he said in the virtual discussion on upcoming board examinations.

The one-and-a-half-hour plus session saw students, parents and teachers asking the prime minister questions ranging from exam fears to tackling difficult subjects to inculcating values systems in children and their food preferences and also how the COVID-19 pandemic had affected education during the year. 

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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ASTRAZENECA CLOT WORRIES ARE COMPLICATING THE RACE TO VACCINATE THE WORLD

Growing worries that AstraZeneca Plc’s Covid-19 vaccine causes rare blood clots could hinder immunization campaigns across the world, from London to Seoul.

Reviews by U.K. and European Union regulators finding potential links to the unusual side effects are another blow for the shot, a cheaper and easier-to-deploy product that many nations are counting on in a bid to end the pandemic.

Scrutiny of the vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, has been particularly intense in Europe, where skepticism about shots was already running high in places such as France and Poland. The U.K. on Wednesday recommended that people under the age of 30 should be offered alternatives to Astra’s vaccine, and countries across the EU have also imposed age restrictions.

Govts and regulators elsewhere are watching closely, too, and in some cases taking action. There’s a lot at stake, with AstraZeneca’s shot accounting for almost a quarter of the total supply deals signed for 2021.

Covax, an initiative designed to level global access that’s backed by groups including the World Health Organization, is highly reliant on the AstraZeneca vaccine. Shots from Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. are more expensive and harder to store.

TAIWAN SAYS WILL FIGHT TO THE END IF THERE’S WAR AS CHINA SENDS JETS

China sent more fighter jets into Taiwan’s air defence zone on Wednesday in a stepped up show of force around the island Beijing claims as its own, and Taiwan’s foreign minister said it would fight to the end if China attacks. Taiwan has complained of repeated military activities by Beijing in recent months. Taiwan’s defence ministry said 15 Chinese aircraft, including 12 fighters entered its air defence identification zone, with an antisubmarine aircraft flying to the south through the Bashi Channel. Taiwan’s air force sent up aircraft to intercept and warn the Chinese away.

Speaking earlier in the day, Taiwan foreign minister Joseph Wu said the US was concerned about the risk of conflict. “From my limited understanding of American decision makers watching developments in this region, they clearly see the danger of the possibility of China launching an attack against Taiwan,” he said. “We’ll fight the war if we need to fight the war. And if we need to defend ourselves to the very last day we will defend ourselves to the very last day.” China’s Taiwan affairs office and the US state department did not respond to requests for comment on Wu’s remarks.

THE REST

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RBI KEEPS REPO RATE UNCHANGED AT 4%, PEGS 10.5% GDP GROWTH

The RBI on Wednesday expectedly kept interest rates unchanged and said it would help out the govt by buying Rs 1 lakh crore of its bonds during this quarter.

As a result, the RBI’s key lending rate (repo rate) stays at 4 per cent and borrowing rate (reverse repo) at 3.35 per cent. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said the policy panel decided to continue with low interest rate regime to sustain durable growth and mitigate the pandemic’s impact on the economy.

The RBI retained its GDP growth outlook for the current fiscal at 10.5 per cent after a 7.5 per cent contraction in last fiscal. The central bank also committed to buy Rs 1 lakh crore of govt bonds in the first quarter.

The RBI also red-flagged the recent surge in Covid-19 infections as a threat to the economic recovery. “The recent surge in infections has… imparted greater uncertainty to the outlook and needs to be closely watched, especially as localised and regional lockdowns could dampen the recent improvement in demand conditions and delay the return of normalcy,” said Das.

EC ISSUES NOTICE TO MAMATA OVER 'COMMUNAL REMARKS'

The Election Commission on Wednesday issued notice to West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee for appealing to Muslims in the state that “their votes should not be divided”, which the poll panel claimed prima facie appeared to be in violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

She has 48 hours to explain her stand to the election watchdog.

The development comes just a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the TMC chief claiming her comments indicate that the Muslim vote bank is slipping from the TMC’s grasp. “Didi recently asked all Muslims to vote en bloc for her. It shows that the Muslim vote bank is slipping out of her hands. Had we said the same thing that all Hindus should unite, everybody would have criticised us. The EC would have sent us notices. We would have been censured,” the Prime Minister had said while addressing an election rally in Bengal on Tuesday.

CHHATTISGARH ENCOUNTER: MAOISTS RELEASE PHOTO OF MISSING COBRA SOLDIER

The Communist Party of India (Maoist) on Wednesday demanded negotiations with the govt for the release of Commando Rakeshwas Singh Manha. While releasing a picture of the missing CRPF man from the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), the Maoists claimed that the Commando was in the captivity of the Naxals.

Along with the picture, the Maoist party also shared a two-page letter and said that it was willing to negotiate with the central govt, and also asked to appoint a mediator to negotiate the release of Manhas.

IN LETTER TO COURT, SACHIN WAZE CORROBORATES PARAM BIR’S CHARGE AGAINST DESHMUKH, NAMES ANOTHER MINISTER TOO

In a letter he tried to submit to the Special NIA Court on Wednesday, suspended assistant police inspector Sachin Waze supported former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh’s allegations against ex-home minister Anil Deshmukh, while also levelling charges against Transport Minister Anil Parab of the Shiv Sena.

Waze alleged that Parab had asked him to initiate talks with a trust facing an inquiry and to get Rs 50 crore from the trustees to close the probe, as well as asked for collections from alleged fraudulent contractors on a BMC list.

The Special NIA Court did not take the letter, dated April 3, on record, directing Waze’s legal team to follow proper legal procedure, said Waze’s lawyer Rounak Naik.

Parab denied the allegations and said he would not be resigning, adding that he was ready to face any inquiry. He called the charges part of a conspiracy by the BJP to defame him, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the MVA govt. “These are false allegations. I swear in the name of Balasaheb and my two daughters and want to tell the people of the state that the allegations are false,” Parab told the media.

In his letter, Waze said that then Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had told him that “certain agitators” had objected to Waze’s reinstatement with the Mumbai Police in June last year. He said Deskmukh told him that while NCP chief Sharad Pawar wanted him to be suspended again. he would convince Pawar not to remove him — “and for that purpose he asked me to pay Rs 2 crore”. “I expressed my inability to pay such an amount. On this, the Home Minister sir asked me to pay in later course.”

Waze also made allegations against Deshmukh similar to what Param Bir Singh had mentioned in his letter written to Thackeray after his transfer last month. Waze claimed that in January, Deshmukh had called him to his official residence. “(His) PA (personal assistant) Mr Kundan was present there. The Home Minister told me that there are 1,650 bars and restaurants in the city and asked me to collect Rs 3-3.5 lakh each from these for him,” the letter claims.

Waze said that when he said this was beyond his scope, Kundan told him he should comply if he wished to retain his job, but that he again refused. Waze said he informed Singh, who instructed him not to get involved in such activities.

WHITE GOODS, SOLAR MODULES GET RS 10,738 CRORE WORTH OF PLI PUSH

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes for white goods (air conditioners and LED lights) and high-efficiency solar photovoltaic (PV) modules with a total budgetary outlay of Rs 10,738 crore in a bid to boost domestic manufacturing.

While incentives worth Rs 6,238 crore would be provided over five years for manufacturing of white goods in India, the outlay for solar PV modules is Rs 4,500 crore.

“India’s growth story will be led by its flagship PLI scheme, boosting capability of local industry and job growth,” Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said. “This means that minimum production in India as a result of PLI schemes is expected to be over $500 billion over the next five years.”

Last year, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced an outlay of Rs 1.97 trillion for PLI schemes.

COVID-19 VACCINATION CENTRES TO BE LAUNCHED AT WORKPLACES FROM APRIL 11

The govt on Wednesday allowed Covid-19 vaccination at both public and private offices that have at least 100 eligible and willing beneficiaries over the age of 45.

The workplace management would designate one senior staff as the nodal officer who will coordinate with the district health authorities and private vaccination centres. The nodal officer would also oversee registration, physical and technical infrastructure.

Every vaccination centre would be tagged to the nearest private or govt vaccination centre. Once at least 50 beneficiaries are registered, a vaccination session will be planned and the schedule can be made up to 15 days in advance, according to guidelines issued by the govt.

WEAR MASK EVEN WHILE DRIVING ALONE IN PRIVATE VEHICLE: DELHI HC

Pointing out the rapid increase in Covid-19 cases in the capital, Delhi High Court on Wednesday said that wearing masks while driving alone in private vehicle will be mandatory from now on.

The order was pronounced by Judge Pratibha M Singh while hearing a case involving fines for not wearing a mask while driving alone. “Even if you are alone in the car, why object to wearing a mask? It is for your own safety,” she said. “Scientists and international govts advise wearing of a mask. The challenge of the pandemic was enormous and the wearing of face masks is necessary whether a person is vaccinated or not,” the Court added.

NON-FUNGIBLE TOKENS: THE NEW KID IN TOWN

The market for crypto art, also called non-fungible token (NFT), is the latest craze online. In February, a crypto art named Nyan Cat meme sold for 300 Ethereum, or about $590,000. Twitter’s Jack Dorsey sold his first tweet for millions.

NFT is a unique digital asset that can be bought and sold like any other piece of property. It can be artwork, music, video footage, and the like. Think of these digital tokens as certificates of ownership for virtual or physical assets.

Creators can place their digital assets for auction over the blockchain-based NFT marketplace. If you are an artist, you can create a piece of art, create an NFT for it, and then sell it. Buyers can buy these creations, either as collectibles or for the purpose of trading.

You get digital ownership (copyright). If you buy art in the real world, there’s a paper which states that the piece of art belongs to you. On blockchain, unlike paper, there’s no chance of forgery.

NFT and blockchain also make the asset liquid and easily tradeable.

INDICATORS

Sensex 49,662 (+460), Nifty 14,819 (+136), Trading Value NSE (Rs.crores) 72350.04

Nasdaq 13,689 (-10) Dow 33,446 (+16), S&P 4080 (+6)

US$-Rs. 74.12 GBP-Rs. 102.16, Euro-Rs. 88.03, UAE Dhm-Rs.20.17, Can$-Rs. 58.80, Aus$- Rs. 56.56

GBP 0.72 /US$, Euro 0.84 /US$, Jap.Yen 109.79 /US$, Aus$ 1.31 /US$, Sing 1.33 /US$, Bang Taka 83.14 /US$, Can$ 1.26 /US$, Mal Ring 4.12 /US$,

Pak Re 152.12 /US$, Phil Peso 48.64 /US$, Russian Rouble 77.28 /US$, NZ$ 1.42 /US$, Thai Baht 31.31 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 27.61 /US$

Bitcoin - USD 56,265

Dollar Index 92.46 Brent Crude 62.71  BDI 2,092

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,735 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,530 / 4,430, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 70,500

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Champions know there are no shortcuts to the top. They climb the mountain one step at a time. - Judi Adler

OFF TRACK

A woman, searching for a job, inquired about the benefits. The Personnel Manager informed her they had group health and life insurance, but the costs were deducted from the employee's pay.

She said, "My last employer had full health coverage, as well as five years salary for life insurance and a month's sick leave AND they paid the full premiums."

"I can't help but asking madam why you would leave a job with such benefits," the interviewer replied.

The woman shrugged her shoulders and said, "The company went bankrupt."