DELTA PLUS IS NOW ‘VARIANT OF CONCERN’, 3 STATES TOLD TO KEEP A WATCH

The Union Health Ministry on Tuesday categorised the Delta Plus variant of the novel coronavirus, so far detected in three states in the country, as a ‘variant of concern’ and directed states to take up immediate containment measures in clusters where the variant has been detected.

The decision comes after INSACOG, a consortium of 28 laboratories of the Health Ministry that is involved in genome sequencing, informed the Centre on Tuesday that the Delta Plus variant has three worrying characteristics: increased transmissibility; stronger binding in receptors of lung cells; and potential reduction in monoclonal antibody response.

Delta Plus variant is closely related to the Delta variant, a major contributor to the second wave of Covid-19 in India. Like Delta, the Delta Plus variant has mutation in the spike protein region of the RNA virus, which potentially makes it more transmissible.

On Tuesday, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said the Delta Plus variant has been detected in 22 samples across six districts in the country. “In India, Delta Plus variant has been detected in 22 samples. Sixteen of them have found in Jalgaon and Ratnagiri districts in Maharashtra; the remaining have been detected in Kerala (Palakkad and Pathanamthitta) and Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal and Shivpuri)… But we don’t want this to assume significant proportions,” Bhushan said.

He also emphasised that the Delta Plus variant has been detected in nine other countries: : USA, UK, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Poland, Nepal, China, and Russia.

On Tuesday, the Health Ministry issued an advisory to the Chief Secretaries of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerala, asking them to take up immediate containment measures, and enhanced testing, tracking and vaccination in districts and clusters where the Delta Plus variant has been detected.

KEY COVID NUMBERS

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 6,38,038

New Cases in last 24 hours: 54,373

Recovered in last 24 hours: 74,120

Change in no. of Active cases in last 24 hours: -21,170

No. of deaths in last 24 hours (Total Covid Deaths so far): 1,423 (3,90,691)

Daily Tests (Monday): 16,64,360

Daily Positivity Rate (Proportion of Positives among total Tested): 2.4%

Percentage of Population Vaccinated (At Least One Dose / Two Doses): 18.1% / 4.0%

Most Affected States:

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

1          Maharashtra     1,23,340           /           8,470    /           482

2          Karnataka         1,18,592           /           3,709    /           139

3          Kerala  1,00,435           /           12,617  /           141

4          Tamil Nadu       56,886  /           6,895    /           194

5          Andhra Pradesh            53,880  /           4,169    /           53

6          Assam  31,628  /           2,869    /           37

7          Odisha 30,806  /           2,957    /           38

8          West Bengal     22,508  /           1,852    /           47

9          Telangana        16,640  /           1,175    /           10

10        Manipur            9,214    /           575       /           10

11        Chhattisgarh     8,007    /           482       /           7

12        Jammu and Kashmir     7,181    /           428       /           7

13        Punjab  5,968    /           405       /           34

14        Gujarat 5,159    /           135       /           3

15        Meghalaya        4,273    /           421       /           3

16        Mizoram           4,124    /           374       /           1

17        Tripura 3,948    /           421       /           4

18        Uttar Pradesh   3,910    /           202       /           58

19        Puducherry       3,214    /           284       /           1

20        Goa      2,920    /           303       /           11

21        Uttarakhand      2,896    /           171       /           8

22        Bihar    2,810    /           268       /           6

23        Arunachal Pradesh        2,548    /           289       /           1

24        Sikkim  2,430    /           137       /           3

25        Rajasthan         2,388    /           137       /           3

26        Himachal Pradesh         2,271    /           188       /           5

27        Haryana           2,200    /           146       /           20

28        Delhi    1,918    /           397       /           8

29        Nagaland          1,757    /           64        /           2

30        Madhya Pradesh           1,707    /           65        /           20

31        Jharkhand        1,417    /           110       /           2

32        Lakshadweep    315       /           33        /           1

33        Chandigarh       278       /           23        /           Nil

COME CLEAN ON DEATHS, PREPARE FOR 3RD WAVE, SET UP COVID FUND: CONGRESS

Alleging “mismanagement” by the Centre in handling the Covid-19 pandemic, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday that “90 per cent” of the deaths in the second wave were “needless” and the total toll was “at least five-six times” more than the official estimate.

He accused the government of “hiding the truth”, and asked it to “appoint an independent public commission to enumerate all Covid-19 related deaths”.

Releasing a “white paper” prepared by the Congress on the government’s “disastrous” performance during the first and second waves, Rahul urged the Centre to prepare for the third wave by improving medical infrastructure and increasing the pace of vaccination.

“It is pretty clear that the third wave is coming, and I would even go so far as to say that you might even have waves after the third wave, because this virus is continuously mutating and changing form… So, it is important that the government prepares itself for what is going to come,” he said.

“In the second wave in India, 90 per cent of the people died needlessly. I have spoken to many doctors. And all of them said… if you look at the needless deaths… which means the people who should not have died… who would not have died had they got support… the biggest reason for that (was) oxygen limitation. We could not provide them oxygen on time,” he said.

“So the needless deaths… the Prime Minister’s tears will not be able to wipe away the tears of those families. All those families know that (when) one of the family members died… the Prime Minister was not there… the Prime Minister’s tears could not save them….but oxygen could have saved them,” he said.

“But the Prime Minister did not take it seriously. He was fighting elections in Bengal and his focus was in a different direction. And the whole country knows that,” he said.

In its “white paper”, the Congress said the government should ensure accurate collection of case and mortality data. “News reports and scientific analyses have shown that there is massive undercounting of deaths,” it said.

Saying that vaccination was the only solution, Rahul said: “This is a matter of life and death. The government must not view Indian states as BJP states versus Opposition states… All states must be provided with the same assistance… with the same quantity of vaccines required,” he said.

PAGD, CONG ACCEPT PM’S INVITE, STICK TO FULL STATEHOOD DEMAND

The stage is set for comprehensive discussions on Jammu and Kashmir with all major parties invited for PM Narendra Modi’s June 24 outreach on the issue accepting the invitations.

Both the Congress and the six-party People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) held internal deliberations on Tuesday and decided to send their representatives for the government meeting. The outfits, however, clarified that their demand for full statehood to J&K was intact. Noting that the position of the PAGD was clear and need not be repeated, alliance chairman and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said, “We are confident we will be able to put forth our stand before the PM and Home Minister (Amit Shah) at the meeting.”

PAGD vice-chairperson and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said her party favoured a dialogue to resolve long-standing issues. “We will talk about what has been snatched from us, that it was a mistake and was illegal and unconstitutional…. They are talking to the Taliban in Doha. They should talk to everyone in J&K and with Pakistan also for the resolution,” she said. The PDP chief also said political prisoners should be released and those lodged outside of J&K should be brought back to restore confidence.

The Congress reiterated its demand for full statehood to J&K and said its stand on Article 370 abrogation remained the same as articulated in the CWC resolution dated August 6, 2019, which said, “Article 370 is the constitutional recognition of the terms of the Instrument of Accession between the State of Jammu & Kashmir and India. It deserved to be honoured until it was amended, after consultation with all sections of the people, and strictly in accordance with the Constitution.”

The People’s Conference led by Sajjad Lone had yesterday accepted the government invitation for the June 24 meeting. Fourteen leaders invited for talks include four former CMs (Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Ghulam Nabi Azad), four former Deputy CMs (Nirmal Singh, Kavinder Gupta, Muzaffar Beg and Tara Chand) and presidents of mainstream J&K parties.

The government has not spelt out any agenda and said discussions would be freewheeling.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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AMID TALIBAN GAINS, US COULD SLOW AF PULLOUT

The US military could slow down its withdrawal from Afghanistan due to the gains made by the Taliban insurgents, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Monday. Kirby stressed that President Joe Biden’s deadline of a full withdrawal by September remains in place.

“The situation in Afghanistan changes as the Taliban continue to conduct these attacks and to raid district centers as well as the violence, which is still too high,” he told reporters. “If there needs to be changes made to the pace, or to the scope and scale of the retrograde, on any given day or in any given week, we want to maintain the flexibility to do that,” he said. “We’re constantly taking a look at this, every single day. All of these decisions are literally being made in real time.” AFP

Taliban insurgents have captured more than 50 of 370 districts in Afghanistan since May, the UN special envoy said on Tuesday, warning that increased conflict posed a risk of insecurity to many other countries.

HARCH SPOTLIGHT ON CHINA JABS

Mongolia promised its people a “Covid-free summer.” Bahrain said there would be a “return to normal life.” The tiny island nation of the Seychelles aimed to jump start its economy. All three put their faith, at least in part, in easily accessible Chinese-made vaccines, which would allow them to roll out ambitious inoculation programmes. But instead of freedom from the coronavirus, all three are now battling a virus surge.

China kicked off its vaccine diplomacy campaign last year by pledging to provide a shot that would be safe and effective at preventing severe cases of Covid-19. Less certain at the time was how successful it and other vaccines would be at curbing transmission. Now, examples from several nations suggest that the Chinese vaccines may not be very effective at preventing the spread of the virus, particularly the new variants.

In the Seychelles, Chile, Bahrain and Mongolia, 50% to 68% of the populations have been fully inoculated, outpacing the US, according to Our World In Data, a data tracking project. All four ranked among the top 10 countries with the worst Covid outbreaks as recently as last week. And all four are mostly using shots made by two Chinese vaccine makers, Sinopharm and Sinovac Biotech.

In a statement, China’s foreign ministry said it did not see a link between the recent outbreaks and its jabs. It cited the WHO as saying that vaccination rates in certain countries had not reached sufficient levels to prevent outbreaks.

THE REST

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COVAXIN SHOWS 77.8% EFFICACY IN PHASE-3 TRIALS

Regulatory experts on Tuesday reviewed and accepted Bharat Biotech’s phase-3 data that shows 77.8 per cent jab efficacy in a trial on 25,800 persons.

The study results are significant as they come on the eve of an important meeting Bharat Biotech representatives are expected to attend at the WHO today as a step towards Covaxin’s emergency use listing by the world body.

Sources in the drug regulator’s office said Biotech had submitted vaccine efficacy data from phase-3 trials on the weekend and it was reviewed by subject experts yesterday and accepted.

The regulator had in January this year granted emergency use approval to Covaxin in clinical trial mode with phase-3 data awaited.

NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT OPPN MEET AT PAWAR’S PLACE

The host of Tuesday's meeting of the Rashtra Manch, NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar made a "blink and miss" appearance for a group photo before retreating indoors and leaving it to others to face the media.

The discussion of "like minded" people was bereft of any heavyweight presence apart from Pawar himself. In fact, some of the key attendees were at pains to emphasise that the two-and-a-half hour meeting was not another "front" in the making ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and that Congress's absence was just incidental.

Former BJP dissident and now Trinamool Congress vice president Yashwant Sinha, founder of Rashtra Manch and in whose name the invites were sent out, also made a hurried exit, leaving it to NCP’s legal eagle Majeed Memon and Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ghanshyam Tiwari to fend questions about the purpose of the meeting seen to be the result of Pawar's deliberations with political consultant Prashant Kishor.

There seemed an attempt to downplay the political significance of the meeting, perhaps in the light of some of the faultlines such as Trinamool-Left and Congress's absence at the discussions.

SC JUNKS PLEAS AGAINST CLASS XII EXAM CANCELLATION

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed petitions challenging the decisions of the CBSE and the CISCE to cancel Class XII examinations and go for separate formulae for evaluation of students, saying it's a well-informed decision taken at the highest level to protect interests of over 20 lakh students.

"We hold that there is no need to interfere with the scheme propounded by the CBSE and CISCE. It takes into account concerns of all students," said a Bench led by Justice AM Khanwilkar.

Rejecting petitions challenging the decision by the CBSE and CISCE against cancellation of Class XII board exams, the Bench also gave its final approval to the formulae proposed by the two Boards to evaluate students.

Regarding compartment and private students, it said they would be allowed to take physical examination to be conducted between August 15 and September 15, 2021.

There should be a finality regarding the status of examinations as uncertainty was affecting the psychology of students, it noted.

Attorney General KK Venugopal assured the Bench that the UGC would instruct colleges to take into account the schedule and complete the process of admission after declaration of results by all Boards.

SC AGREES TO HEAR BENGAL PLEA AGAINST HC REFUSAL TO ACCEPT AFFIDAVITS IN NARADA CASE

The Supreme Court Tuesday agreed to hear a plea by the West Bengal government against the Calcutta High Court’s refusal to accept the state government’s affidavits in the Narada scam case. A bench comprising Justices Vineet Saran and Dinesh Maheshwari will hear the case on June 25.

Earlier in the day, the case was listed before another bench of the SC comprising justices Hemant Gupta and Aniruddha Bose. But Justice Bose, whose parent HC is the Calcutta High Court, recused himself from hearing the matter after which it was listed before another bench. He did not state any reasons for the recusal.

This is the second time that an SC judge from the Calcutta HC has recused from hearing cases involving the West Bengal government — Justice Indira Banerjee recused herself from a case related to post-poll violence in West Bengal last week.

On Tuesday, the bench Justices Vineet Saran and Dinesh Maheshwari said, “We hope the High Court will not take up the matter on any date prior to the 25th.”

A five-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, headed by acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal, in an order on June 9, had refused to accept the state’s affidavits since the arguments by the state had concluded. The HC had remarked that the state had taken a “calculated risk” by choosing not to put its stand on record earlier and the court did not allow the government to file the affidavit later.

EX-PM GOWDA TOLD TO PAY RS2-CRORE DAMAGES TO NICE

A court here has directed former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda to pay Rs 2 crore as damages to the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) for his “defamatory statement” against the company in a television interview 10 years ago.

The court found basis in the plaint filed by the NICE, whose promoter and managing director is Ashok Kheny, a former Bidar South MLA.

Referring to the interview telecast by a Kannada news channel under the caption “Gowdara Garjane” on June 28, 2011, the court directed Gowda to pay damages of Rs 2 crore to the company for the loss of its reputation on account of defamatory comments made by him.

TRP CHARGESHEET: POLICE NAME ARNAB GOSWAMI AS ACCUSED

For the first time since investigations into the alleged TRP scam began nine months ago, Mumbai Police Tuesday named Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami as an accused in the case.

In a supplementary chargesheet submitted by the Mumbai Crime Branch in the Esplanade Court, police named seven persons, including Goswami. This is the third chargesheet filed in the case.

In the first chargesheet and a subsequent supplementary chargesheet, police had named “Republic owners” as wanted accused.

WTC FINAL PROMISES A TENSE DAY 6

Mohammed Shami’s incisive swing bowling brought India back into the contest but New Zealand nosed ahead by removing both the openers as World Test Championship final headed towards an engrossing ‘sixth’ and final day.

If Shami brought India back with a four-wicket haul that helped the side dismiss New Zealand for 249, Rohit Sharma, after all the hardwork, made an error in judgement trying to leave a Tim Southee in-dipper which trapped him plumb in-front.

With Shubman Gill also back in the hut, India finished the fifth day at 64/2 with a lead of 32 runs.

While a draw seems the most likely outcome, a win for either side is yet to be ruled out.

INDICATORS

Sensex 52,589 (+14), Nifty 15,773 (+26), Trading Value NSE (Rs.crores) 64956.26

Nasdaq 14,253 (+112) Dow 33,946 (+69), S&P 4,246 (+22)

US$-Rs. 74.12 GBP-Rs. 103.13, Euro-Rs. 88.30, UAE Dhm-Rs.20.17, Can$-Rs. 59.96, Aus$- Rs. 55.78

GBP 0.71 /US$, Euro 0.83 /US$, Jap.Yen 110.53 /US$, Aus$ 1.32 /US$, Sing 1.34 /US$, Bang Taka 83.27 /US$, Can$ 1.23 /US$, Mal Ring 4.15 /US$,

Pak Re 157.19 /US$, Phil Peso 48.66 /US$, Russian Rouble 73.04 /US$, NZ$ 1.42 /US$, Thai Baht 31.65 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 27.08 /US$

Bitcoin - USD 33,824

Dollar Index 91.84 Brent Crude 75.23  BDI 3,119

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,781 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,712 / 4,612, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 73,200

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

If all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be contented to take their own and depart. – Socrates

OFF TRACK

A lady had a height problem, she was TOO tall, being excatly 2 meters tall. She hated the way she had to duck to walk through a doorway, the way she felt so uncomfortable in a car. So she visited an expert.

The expert said, "Go visit the Dwarven Town. It's full of dwarfs. Find any dwarf, and ask him if he'll marry you. Every time a dwarf says 'no,' you grow 10 cm shorter!"

The lady did as she was told. She went to the Dwarven Town, and found a dwarf, and asked if he would marry her. He refused. She found herself 10 cm shorter.

She quickly repeated this act another time on another dwarf. Now 180 cm tall, she decided to ask one more dwarf then go home.

She boldly walked up to a dwarf and asked if he would marry her.

The dwarf replied,: "No, no, no, no, no...! I don't want to marry a tall person like you! You're too tall! No, no, no, no, no!"