POSSIBLE THIRD COVID WAVE UNLIKELY TO AFFECT CHILDREN, WHO-AIIMS SURVEY REVEALS

A third possible wave in India by the prevailing Covid-19 virus variant is unlikely to disproportionately affect children than adults, a seroprevalence study conducted by the World Health Organisation and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences has revealed.

The SARS-CoV-2 sero-positivity rate among children was high and were comparable to the adult population in the survey, which conducted in five-selected states with a total sample size of 10,000.

Data of 4,500 participants were taken for the results of the time of midterm analysis from four states of India and more results are likely to come in the next two to three months.

It was found that in resettlement colonies in South Delhi's urban areas which have a very congested population had a very high (highest reported yet in any sero-assessment) seroprevalence of 74.7 per cent. Even before the second wave, children below the age of 18 in South Delhi had as much seroprevalence (73.9 per cent) as the below 18 years (74.8 per cent).

"In congested Urban areas of Delhi, since children already have high seroprevalence, opening schools, may after all not be a very risky proposition. During the second wave, the NCR region of Faridabad (rural area) has a seroprevalence of 59.3 per cent (almost equal in both age groups), could be considered high compared to previous national surveys," the survey said.

Gorakhpur Rural has a very high seroprevalence of 87.9 per cent (2-18 years) with 80.6 per cent and above 18 years with 90.3 per cent. These levels are likely to ward off the "third wave". The survey says Gorakhur is mostly affected in rural areas that means more chances of herd immunity

The accelerated peaks and precipitous decline in Covid-19 cases in Both Delhi and Uttar Pradesh could be explained partially by these findings.

Overall, more than half (62.3 per cent) of the rural population surveyed showed evidence of past infection.

KEY COVID NUMBERS

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 7,93,708

New Cases in last 24 hours: 62,383

Recovered in last 24 hours: 88,477

Change in no. of Active cases in last 24 hours: -27,684

No. of deaths in last 24 hours (Total Covid Deaths so far): 1,590 (3,83,521)

Daily Tests (Wednesday): 19,31,249

Daily Positivity Rate (Proportion of Positives among total Tested): 3.5%

Percentage of Population Vaccinated (At Least One Dose / Two Doses): 16.2% / 3.7%

Most Affected States:

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

1          Karnataka         1,46,726           /           5,983    /           138

2          Maharashtra     1,39,960           /           9,830    /           636

3          Kerala  1,08,557           /           12,469  /           88

4          Tamil Nadu       1,00,523           /           9,118    /           210

5          Andhra Pradesh            69,831  /           6,151    /           58

6          Odisha 39,569  /           3,631    /           39

7          Assam  36,793  /           3,477    /           41

8          West Bengal     22,073  /           3,018    /           64

9          Telangana        19,521  /           1,492    /           13

10        Chhattisgarh     10,682  /           590       /           7

11        Jammu and Kashmir     10,602  /           656       /           9

12        Punjab  9,479    /           728       /           40

13        Manipur            9,102    /           495       /           13

14        Gujarat 7,749    /           283       /           6

15        Uttar Pradesh   6,019    /           275       /           67

16        Tripura 5,159    /           487       /           5

17        Meghalaya        4,609    /           478       /           4

18        Puducherry       4,333    /           326       /           8

19        Rajasthan         4,262    /           205       /           10

20        Goa      3,824    /           254       /           9

21        Bihar    3,803    /           385       /           4

22        Uttarakhand      3,471    /           264       /           14

23        Himachal Pradesh         3,430    /           292       /           10

24        Mizoram           3,430    /           236       /           3

25        Haryana           3,227    /           232       /           38

26        Madhya Pradesh           2,984    /           145       /           30

27        Sikkim  2,907    /           90        /           2

28        Arunachal Pradesh        2,713    /           295       /           3

29        Delhi    2,554    /           158       /           10

30        Nagaland          2,368    /           76        /           5

31        Jharkhand        1,946    /           146       /           3

32        Lakshadweep    399       /           38        /           Nil

33        Chandigarh       395       /           32        /           3

CBSE TO ADOPT 30:30:40 FORMULA FOR EVALUATION OF CLASS 12 MARKS

The marks in Classes X, XI and XII will be considered in 30:30:40 ratio to prepare the final result of Class XII students of CBSE as the Supreme Court on Thursday accepted 'in principle' the evaluation criteria submitted to it.

Presenting a set of "objective criteria" for evaluation of Class XII students, Attorney General KK Venugopal told a Bench led by Justice AM Khanwilkar that marks in the best of three subjects would be considered for the purpose for Class X, XI and XII.

While 30 per cent weightage will be given for Classes X and XI, for Class XII the weightage would be 40%, he said, adding that for Class XII the marks obtained by a student in his unit, term and practical examinations will be considered.

CBSE proposed to declare the results by July 31.

However, Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) proposed to compute marks based on performance of students in the last six years.

Students dissatisfied with the marks or grades awarded to them through this mechanism will have the option of improving upon their marks/grades by appearing in physical examinations after the Covid situation gets under control.

The Centre had on June 1 cancelled Class 12 examinations in view of the Covid pandemic.

While hearing a PIL on the issue, the top court had on June 3 asked the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) to place on record in two weeks “well-defined objective criteria” for assessment of students.

AMID STANDOFFS, INDIA IS RAMPING UP INFRA ON CHINA BORDER ON WAR FOOTING

From construction of roads, tunnels and bridges to early opening of mountain passes despite formidable terrain and weather challenges, India has worked on a war footing over the last year to ensure swifter mobility of troops and weapon systems in forward areas amid the continuing military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh.

India is still quite behind China in terms of border infrastructure but “all-out efforts are being made to narrow the gap”, even as 50,000 to 60,000 troops continue to remain forward deployed along the frontier, say officers.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday e-inaugurated 12 roads built by Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which includes a 20-km Kimin-Potin double lane road and nine others in Arunachal Pradesh as well as one each in Ladakh and J&K. “India seeks peace but knows how to respond befittingly if anyone shows us an aggressive attitude,” he said at the event in Assam’s Lakhimpur.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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US GOVT TO INVEST $3.2BN TO DEVELOP PILLS TO TREAT COVID

The US is taking another medical moonshot to beat the pandemic, plowing in $3.2 billion to develop antiviral pills to treat Covid-19 infections. If all goes well, some of those pills might become available by the end of this year.

The new programme, coming on top of the $18 billion success story that resulted in effective vaccines in record time, will create platforms that will initially target coronaviruses, and then could be expanded to other viruses with pandemic potential – helping to better prepare the nation for future viral threats, the US department of health and human services announced on Thursday.

The new funding appears in part to be a course correction after the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed invested heavily in vaccines with less emphasis on other treatments. Oral therapies will be easier to produce, transport, store, and administer. “New antivirals that prevent serious Covid-19 illness and death, especially oral drugs that could be taken at home early in the course of disease, would be powerful tools for battling the pandemic and saving lives,” said Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to US President, whose experience in helping develop anti-HIV pills underscores the current initiative.

1ST CREW BOARDS CHINA’S SPACE STATION

Three Chinese astronauts on Thursday flew to an unfinished space station in China’s first crewed mission since 2016, expanding the country’s already growing near-Earth presence and challenging US leadership in orbital space. The astronauts rode to Tianhe — the module that will be the living quarters of China’s completed space station Tiangong — on Shenzhou-12. The crew boarded the module, where they will live for three months, the longest stay in low-Earth orbit by any Chinese national.

China’s space station, due to be finished by end-2022, will be the only alternative to the two-decade-old, US-led International Space Station, which may be retired in 2024. If the ISS — backed mainly by US, Russia, Japan, Europe and Canada — is decommissioned, China would be the operator of the only active space station.

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INDIA AGAINST PAKISTAN MUNICIPAL COURTS DECIDING ON JADHAV APPEAL

India has expressed dissatisfaction with the law passed by Pakistan providing the right to appeal to Kulbhushan Jadhav, and called upon it to correct the infirmities as they amount to municipal courts sitting in appeal over the judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

"The Bill codifies into law the earlier Ordinance-with all its shortcomings. It does not create a piece of machinery to facilitate effective review and reconsideration of Jadhav’s case, as mandated by the judgment of the ICJ,’’ said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

Reacting to reports relating to the Review and Reconsideration Bill 2020 passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan on June 10, Bagchi noted that the Ordinance, now the Bill, invites the municipal courts in Pakistan to decide whether or not any prejudice has been caused to Jadhav on account of the failure to provide consular access.

"This is clearly a breach of the basic tenet that municipal courts cannot be the arbiter of whether a State has fulfilled its obligations in international law,’’ he observed.

The ICJ had ruled that Pakistan was in breach of its international obligations because of the failure to provide consular access to Jadhav. "We call upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address the shortcomings in the Bill and to comply with the judgment of the ICJ in letter and spirit,’’ said the MEA spokesperson.

STUDENT ACTIVISTS WALK OUT OF JAIL AFTER HC STEPS IN AGAIN

The high court had granted bail to JNU students Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal and Jamia Millia Islamia student Asif Iqbal Tanha on June 15 but the order by the trial court directing their immediate release from the jail came on Thursday, not before they rushed to the high court complaining about the delay in completing the formalities.

The high court swung into action and asked the trial court to decide with 'promptitude' and 'expedition' the issue of release from jail.

Subsequently, a Delhi court ordered their immediate release noting that delay in the verification process by the police cannot be a plausible reason for the accused to be kept imprisoned.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police have approached the Supreme Court challenging the high court bail orders.

In the hurriedly filed appeals, the investigators have dubbed the High Court bail orders as 'mini trial' and said such observations were unfounded and perverse insinuation.

Further, the Delhi Police contended that the bail was granted to the three accused on an irrelevant consideration which will have far reaching consequences for cases investigated by National Investigation Agency and other investigating agencies. It said the High Court's findings are 'perverse and contrary to record' and appeared to be based 'more on the social media narrative'.

KERALA BJP CHIEF BOOKED ON BRIBERY CHARGES

A case was registered against Kerala BJP chief K Surendran on Thursday for allegedly bribing tribal leader and Janadhipathya Rashtreeya Party (JRP) president C K Janu to contest as an NDA candidate in the April 6 state Assembly elections.

The development comes a day after a court directed the police to register the case against Surendran over the bribery allegations.

Recently, audio clips of the purported conversation between Surendran and JRP leader Praseetha Azhikode on paying the amount to Janu had gone viral on social media. Although Surendran and his party had denied the charges, the court has, prima-facie, been convinced about the veracity of the tapes.

Surendran is alleged to have paid Janu Rs 10 lakh to get her to return to the NDA before the Assembly elections this April.

PRIVATE AGENCY, 2 LABS BOOKED FOR FAKE COVID REPORTS DURING KUMBH

The Uttarakhand Police Thursday lodged an FIR against a private agency and two laboratories for allegedly issuing fake rapid antigen test reports during the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar.

This comes over a month after the state health department was forwarded a complaint from ICMR on May 14.

As per the  complaint, the inquiry panel found that the firm made a large number of entries on the same sample ID: such as 3,825 samples being collected from a single address and 56 people registered with a single phone number. The complaint mentioned people’s Aadhaar and mobile numbers being used for a Covid-19 test despite no collection of samples.

GOVT AMENDS CABLE TV NETWORK RULES

Paving the way “for a strong institutional system for redressing grievances while placing accountability and responsibility on the broadcasters and their self-regulating bodies”, the government on Thursday amended the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 to give legal recognition to the self-regulatory bodies for television. The self-regulatory bodies for television content will be registered with the government.

In a statement, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said the amendment will provide “a statutory mechanism for redressal of grievances/complaints of citizens relating to content broadcast by television channels in accordance with the provisions of the Cable Television Network Act, 1995”.

This is expected to bring the television’s self-regulatory mechanism at par with that being set-up for OTT players and digital news publishers.

MADE IN INDIA TAG: GOVT SLAPS 148 NOTICES ON E-COMMERCE FIRMS IN 3 MONTHS

The Centre has slapped as many as 148 notices on e-commerce players in the past three months for not complying with the mandatory display of the ‘country of origin’ tag on products sold.

“Of the 148 notices, 56 have compounded it (the offence) and paid up around Rs 34 lakh,” a senior official said. In the case of e-commerce companies, these details have to be clearly displayed on their portals. “Companies are given a chance to explain their case and asked exactly where one can find the product details (online),” the official said.

Traders’ associations such as the Confederation of All India Traders had in January urged the government to take action against e-commerce behemoths for violating norms pertaining to mandatory display of the ‘country of origin’ tag.

KANGANA LASHES OUT AT MAHARASHTRA GOVT OVER 'INDIRECT HARASSMENT'

Kangana Ranaut has reacted sharply to her plea for passport renewal being denied by the local passport authority in Mumbai.

On her Koo handle, she wrote: “Mahavinashkari government has started my indirect harassment again, my request for passport renewal has been rejected because a tapori/roadside romeo called Munnawar Ali filed a sedition case (deshdroh case yes the irony of it is hilarious) on me by the way the case was almost dismissed by the court yet the court rejected my request for passport and the reason given is ‘my request is vague’ hmmmmmm.”

Kangana also took to her Instagram stories, and further stated that how when Aamir Khan had offended the BJP government back in the day, his passport wasn't held back nor were his shoots stopped.

On Monday, Kangana had moved the Bombay High Court seeking directions to the regional passport authority for passport renewal, as her plea had been denied by the local passport authority due to an FIR against her on charges of sedition.

NADAL PULLS OUT OF WIMBLEDON AND TOKYO OLYMPICS

Rafa Nadal pulled out of Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday, saying he took the decision after consultations with his team in a bid to prolong his career.

The 35-year-old Spaniard said the two-week gap between the French Open and Wimbledon -- which starts on June 28 -- was not enough time for him to recuperate after a demanding claycourt season where he played in five tournaments.

"I have decided not to participate at this year's Championships at Wimbledon and the Olympic Games in Tokyo," Nadal said on Twitter.

"It's never an easy decision to take but after listening to my body and discussing it with my team I understand that it is the right decision."

Nadal played at the Monte Carlo Masters, Barcelona, Madrid Masters and Rome Masters before the French Open, where he made a run to the semi-final and was knocked out by eventual champion Novak Djokovic.

"The fact that there has only been two weeks between RG (Roland garros) and Wimbledon, didn't make it easier on my body to recuperate after the always demanding clay court season," he added.

JADEJA AND ASHWIN IN FIVE-MAN BOWLING ATTACK FOR WTC FINAL

India will field two spinners at the WTC final, naming both Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin in their XI on the eve of the match that gets underway in Southampton on June 18. In all, Virat Kohli will have five bowlers to work with, with Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah also in the XI. That also means India have only five specialist batters in the line-up, followed by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

India's XI for the WTC final

Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hanuma Vihari/Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah

From the 15 India named on June 15, pacers Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav, wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha and batter Hanuma Vihari missed out.

India announcing their XI on the eve of the game - as opposed to waiting till toss time - might come as a mild surprise to some, considering the very poor weather forecast for Friday and the consequent changes that might occur to conditions.

INDICATORS

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Pak Re 156.96 /US$, Phil Peso 48.37 /US$, Russian Rouble 72.40 /US$, NZ$ 1.42 /US$, Thai Baht 31.34 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 27.00 /US$

Bitcoin - USD 37,538

Dollar Index 91.84 Brent Crude 72.49  BDI 3,267

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,783 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,835 / 4,735, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 75,100

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned. - Peter Marshall

OFF TRACK

Millions of years ago, there was no such thing as the wheel. One day, some primitive guys were watching their wives drag a huge dead animal to the food & fire area. It was exhausting work; the guys were getting tired just watching. 

Then they noticed some large, smooth, rounded boulders and they had a great idea! They could sit on top of the boulders and get a better view of their wives working. This was the first in a series of breakthroughs that ultimately led to television...and later to the remote control.