UK PM under pressure to sack top aide for coronavirus lockdown breach

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under pressure to sack his top aide after reports that he breached the coronavirus stay-at-home lockdown rules by travelling to his parents’ home.

Dominic Cummings, who is Johnson’s Chief Strategy Adviser at No. 10 Downing Street, had developed coronavirus symptoms around the same time the UK prime minister tested positive for the deadly virus at the end of March. According to UK media reports, he and his wife travelled from London over 260 miles to his parents’ home in Durham, north-east England, during that time.

In a statement, Downing Street on Saturday said Cummings believed he “behaved reasonably and legally” and that his actions were in line with the coronavirus guidelines.The government’s strict social distancing rules in place at the time called on people not to travel as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. And, the advice for anyone with coronavirus symptoms remains to self-isolate at home and not leave “even for essential supplies” for seven days.

A member of the public is understood to have seen Cummings and made a complaint to the local Durham police, a joint investigation by the ‘Guardian’ and ‘Mirror’ newspapers revealed.

“On Tuesday, March 31, our officers were made aware of reports that an individual had travelled from London to Durham and was present at an address in the city”, a spokesperson for Durham Constabulary said.

“Officers made contact with the owners of that address who confirmed that the individual in question was present and was self-isolating in part of the house. In line with national policing guidance, officers explained to the family the guidelines around self-isolation and reiterated the appropriate advice around essential travel”, the spokesperson said.

Opposition parties demanded a “clear explanation” from Downing Street for Cummings’ actions.

“Owing to his wife being infected with suspected coronavirus and the high likelihood that he would himself become unwell, it was essential for Dominic Cummings to ensure his young child could be properly cared for”, a Downing Street spokesperson said.

“His sister and nieces had volunteered to help so he went to a house near to but separate from his extended family in case their help was needed. His sister shopped for the family and left everything outside. At no stage was he or his family spoken to by the police about this matter, as is being reported”, the spokesperson said.

Durham Police and Crime Commissioner Steve White, however, branded the move “unwise”. “Given the whole ethos of the guidance and regulations which were designed to reduce the spread, regardless of reason, by travelling to County Durham when known to be infected was most unwise”, White said.

“To beat this crisis we need to be selfless as millions have been. The response by the people of Durham has been exemplary which makes this most frustrating and concerning,” he said.

The Opposition Labour Party called for more answers at the daily COVID-19 briefing held every evening at 10 Downing Street. “The public have made extraordinary sacrifices during this pandemic and the lockdown. It cannot be one rule for those who set them and another for the British people,” a Labour statement said.

The Scottish National Party’s Leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, said Cummings’ position was “untenable” and that the UK Prime Minister has “serious questions” to answer about the reports. “Dominic Cummings has to do the right thing, and if he doesn’t resign, Boris Johnson should sack him and he should do that this morning,” Blackford told the BBC.

“When you have a situation that at the highest level of government that [lockdown] rules aren’t being followed then I think people expect action to be taken”, he said.

A source close to Cummings denied a breach of the coronavirus rules, saying the couple needed childcare help and that they had stayed in a separate building at the property in Durham.

The latest revelations follow other high-profile figures in the UK having to resign after breaches of the pandemic lockdown, including Scotland’s former Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood and leading scientist Neil Ferguson.

Dr Calderwood resigned in April after making two trips to her second home during the coronavirus lockdown and Prof. Ferguson quit as a government scientific adviser on coronavirus after it was reported that a woman he was in a relationship with visited his home soon after he had coronavirus symptoms.

Int'l flights likely before Aug

Days after announcing the resumption of some domestic commercial passenger flights from May 25, Union Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Saturday said the ministry will try to start some percentage of international passenger flights as well before August this year. “We will try to start a good percentage of international passenger flights before August,” he said. “I can’t put a date on it (restarting international flights). But if somebody says can it be done by August or September, my response is why not earlier depending on what is the situation,” he added. All scheduled commercial passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 25 when the Modi government imposed a lockdown to contain the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Bajaj Auto to enter Thailand with premium motorcycle brands

Bajaj Auto Ltd plans to enter Thailand with its premium motorcycle brands, including KTM, Husqvarna, Dominar and Pulsar NS series, by July 2020, said a senior company executive.

“Asean in an important geography for us wherein, apart from Philippines, we are not really present in the other countries. We are now focusing on Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Mayanmar, Cambodia, Laos and others," Mr Rakesh Sharma, executive director at Bajaj Auto said.

"We plan to enter that market (Thailand) by July combining our forces with KTM. We are delayed due to the pandemic as earlier the plan was to enter that market in April," added Mr Sharma.

The company intends to enter the sports category with premium brands such as Dominar and the Pulsar NS range leading the charge, he added.

A new distributor for Thailand has been appointed by Bajaj Auto who will be responsible for setting up the local network and build the business for KTM as well as other brands.

“We have also identified some dealers and dealer appointment and setting up of the network is underway," said the senior company executive.

The company targets to strengthen its presence in the region, which is largely dominated by the Japanese automakers.

Bajaj Auto has local subsidiary PT. Bajaj Auto Indonesia in the country for local presence, which overlooks operations of the local distributor appointed for retail and distribution of KTM bikes.

“We are front-ending KTM and Husqvarna brands in Indonesia and will venture with premium Bajaj brands in a year from now," Mr Sharma said.

The company also has a strong presence in Philippines where it is present along with its partner Kawasaki. He added that Bajaj Auto entered Malaysia 18-20 months ago with the Pulsar series, which is doing well.

“On the three-wheeler business, we have created the market in Philippines, Cambodia and Mayanmar," Mr Sharma said.

Mr Aditya Jhawar, auto analyst at Investec Capital Services (India) Pvt Ltd said, some of the African countries are facing stress, which are key export markets for Bajaj Auto, and the risk of currency devaluation, the company is aiming on ramping up its presence in the other important regions.

“Asean countries are horizon-one markets for Bajaj Auto, which means they are being looked at with urgency," Mr Jhawar said.

The company’s domestic sales in FY20 was supported by a 10 per cent growth in motorcycle exports. Though, Bajaj Auto reported 8 per cent y-o-y decline in its consolidated revenues for the March quarter at Rs 6,816 crore (US$ 966.95 million). There was also a drop of 4 per cent y-o-y at Rs 1,354 crore (US$ 192.08 million) in consolidated net profit for the period.

For FY20, Bajaj Auto reported 6 per cent growth in its consolidated net profit at Rs 5,212 crore (US$ 739.40 million) despite a decline of 1.44 per cent in its revenue from operations, which stood at Rs 29,919 crore (US$ 4.24 billion).

The company exported 47 per cent of motorcycles and 45 per cent of three-wheelers produced in FY20.

Textiles Committee comes up with fully indigenous Design and Make in India PPE Testing Equipment

Textiles Committee, Mumbai too will now test and certify PPE body coveralls required for healthcare workers and other COVID-19 warriors. The inclusion of Textiles Committee as the ninth approved laboratory to test and certify body coveralls has been announced by the Ministry of Textiles yesterday evening.

Speaking on the development, Secretary, Textiles Committee and Additional Textile Commissioner, Ministry of Textiles, Ajit Chavan explained how the Committee rose up to the occasion to surmount the challenge of non-availability of reputed domestic manufacturers of PPE testing equipment: “Transparency, objectivity and professional service is not new to The Textiles Committee. This is just one more initiative by the Committees' dedicated workforce to rise up to the occasion and do our bit in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. We faced the humungous challenges of non-availability of domestic manufacturers of repute and incessant delay/long gestation period to import machine from China as also challenges of ever-increasing prices by the opportunist companies in China due to demand for such equipment the world over. We therefore decided to do it indigenously. We got the machine conceptualized and designed completely in-house and ourselves produced the vital equipment viz. Synthetic Blood Penetration Testing equipment, required for Determination of the resistance of Protective Clothing materials to penetration by blood and body fluids.”.

The Textiles Committee team took almost 45 days of painstaking work to accomplish this feat. The National accreditation body NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories) has audited the lab facility and has approved it under three test standards: ASTM F1670/ 16an70M:17a, ISO 16603: 2004 & IS 16546: 2016.

The Secretary informed how the testing equipment will help the nation during the crisis: “With the acquisition of this equipment and with a concrete plan to add some more equipment as per need, we will be able to address not only the quantitative but also the qualitative requirements involved in the testing of Body Coveralls worn by the frontline health workers and other COVID-19 warriors”.

Shri Chavan assured: “As a serious and professional testing organisation with the mandate for quality, we will work overtime to uphold the Textiles Ministry’s directives on quality and would also evolve our own initiatives to further bolster these efforts”.

The Ministry of Textiles, under the leadership of the Textiles Minister Smt Smriti Zubin Irani, has been taking several steps to ensure that both quality and quantity of PPE coveralls going up to the desired levels within a very short span of time of two months, thereby catapulting India into the world’s second largest manufacturer of body coveralls, next only to China. The Ministry has taken steps to ensure that only certified players across the entire supply chain can supply body coveralls to governments. Several officials have been posted in the field for onsite facilitation and oversight of quality of material meant for government supplies and for ensuring traceability and ownership of quality by these manufacturers. A Unique Certification Code (UCC) is issued for each passed / cleared prototype sample submitted by the manufacturers of the PPE Coveralls. This is required to be embossed on each manufactured Coverall along with the name of the manufacturer, date of manufacture and name of the client. This procedure has been fully implemented in respect of procurement by M/s HLL Lifecare Limited, which is the procurement agency for the hospitals and healthcare organisations under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. The manufacturers are also required to submit an affidavit along with their submitted sample, stating details of their manufacturing unit, GSTIN number, company registration number, Udyog Aadhar number or DIC registration number and other relevant details. They are also required to declare that they are textile manufacturers and not traders. The affidavit is to form a part of the UCC Certificate.

Details of all UCC Certificates are available on the official websites of DRDO, OFB (Ordnance Factory Board) and SITRA, for verification by the public.

The eight other labs are: (i) South India Textiles Research Association (SITRA), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (ii) DRDO-INMAS, New Delhi, (iii) Heavy Vehicle Factory, Avadi, Chennai (iv) Small Arms Factory, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (v) Ordnance Factory, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (vi) Ordnance Factory, Muradnagar, Uttar Pradesh (vii) Ordnance Factory, Ambernath, Maharashtra and (viii) Metal & Steel Factory, Ishapore, West Bengal. All these laboratories have been accredited by NABL.

About Textiles Committee

The Textiles Committee is a statutory body established in 1963 through an Act of Parliament and is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. It has been formed to ensure the quality of textiles and textile machinery both for internal consumption and export purpose. The Committee is tasked with the functions of establishing laboratories for the testing of textiles and textile machinery and providing for their inspection and examination, besides other functions which flow from the main objective of ensuring quality of textiles products and textiles machinery.

IIT Guwahati discovers new ways to prevent memory loss due to Alzheimer

Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has worked on out-of-the-box ideas that can help prevent or reduce short-term memory losses associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

The research team was headed by Prof Vibin Ramakrishnan, Professor, Department of Biosciences & Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati, and Prof Harshal Nemade, Professor, Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, IIT Guwahati. They studied the neurochemical principles of Alzheimer’s and explored new ways to prevent accumulation of neurotoxic molecules in the brain that are associated with short-term memory loss.

The IIT Guwahati team reports interesting methods such as application of low-voltage electric field, and the use of ‘trojan peptides’ to arrest aggregation of neurotoxic molecules in the brain. The scientists are assisted by research scholar’s Dr Gaurav Pandey and Mr JahnuSaikia in their work. The results of their studies have been published in reputed journals such as ACS Chemical Neuroscience, RSC Advances of Royal Society of Chemistry, BBA and Neuropeptides.

The development of a cure for Alzheimer’s disease assumes importance India as it has the third highest number of Alzheimer’s patients in the world, after China and US, with more than four million people falling prey to the memory loss associated with it. While current treatments only alleviate some of the symptoms of the disease, there is no disruptive therapeutic approach yet that can treat the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s.

“Approximately hundred potential drugs for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease have failed between 1998 and 2011, which shows the gravity of the problem,” says Dr Ramakrishnan, who participates in worldwide efforts at finding cures for the disease.

A defining hallmark of Alzheimer’s is the accumulation of amyloid beta peptides in the brain. Dr Ramakrishnan and Dr Nemade seek methods to reduce the accumulation of these peptides, in order to arrest the progression of Alzheimer’s.

In 2019, the IIT Guwahati scientists found that application of a low-voltage, safe electrical field can reduce the formation and accumulation of toxic neurodegenerative molecules that cause short-term memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease.  They found that external electric/magnetic field modulates the structure of these peptide molecules, thereby preventing aggregation.

“Upon exposure to electric field, we could retard the degeneration of nerve cells to an extent of 17–35 per cent. Objectively, this would translate to about 10 years delay in the onset of the disease”, says Dr Ramakrishnan.

Working further in this area, the scientists explored the possibility of using ‘Trojan peptides’ to arrest aggregation of these neurotoxic molecules. The idea of using ‘Trojan peptide’ comes from mythological “Trojan Horse” used as subterfuge by the Greeks in the battle of Troy. The researchers have designed Trojan peptides by adopting a similar approach of ‘deceit’ to impede the aggregation of the amyloid peptide, arrest the formation of toxic fibrillar assemblies, and reduce poisoning of nerve cells that leads to memory loss.

“Our research has provided a different path that may extend the onset of the Alzheimer’s disease. However, it would take testing in animal models and clinical trials before bringing in such new therapeutic approaches into human treatment” say project coordinators, Dr Ramakrishnan and Dr Nemade.

RNA extraction kit Agappe Chitra Magna launched commercially for detection of COVID 19

Dr VK Saraswat, NITI Aayog member and President of Institute body of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) announced here today the commercial launch of Agappe Chitra Magna, a magnetic nanoparticle-based RNA extraction kit for use during testing for detection of COVID-19. The announcement was made by Dr VK Saraswat, at a programme attended by Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST, Dr Asha Kishore, Director SCTIMST, Dr HK Varma, Head Biomedical technology and scientists of the institute, through a video conference.

The RNA extraction kit was developed by Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Trivandrum, an Institute of National Importance of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) along with Agappe Diagnostics Ltd, an in vitro diagnostics manufacturing company based in Cochin. 

“The commercial launch of the kit is a major step to make India self-reliant in detecting COVID-19 and can help increase the rate of testing and bring down its costs, a crucial step for combating the pandemic. It can also be an example of rapid commercialization and implementation of a state-of-the-art technology for the world to emulate,” said Dr Saraswat while announcing the launch.

He said, “The transformation of R&D from purely generation of knowledge to generation of value demands increased investment and a strong, empowered R&D management system. Synchronising the efforts of academia, national laboratories and industries would be most essential in this transformed ecosystem. Only when this symphony is played, India will emerge as a technologically and economically strong nation”.

Professor Ashutosh Sharma said, “this is an example where scientists and industry worked in tandem with a purpose to serve an urgent need. The innovative process of conjugating the RNA with magnetic nanoparticles and increasing their concentration in one place by applying a magnetic field is a breakthrough that allowed the high sensitivity of RT-LAMP test from SCTIMST. Multidisciplinary lateral thinking and industry involvement right from the beginning allowed the technology to be developed into a product that was suited to meet the need of the hour”.

Dr Sarawat and Prof Sharmacongratulated the entire team of Sree Chitra and AgappeDiagnostics for coming out with such a wonderful solution for addressing the need ofthe country.

“Promotion of indigenous medical technologies is the primary mandate of the Institute.Besides in vitro diagnostics and development of point of care, devices is a segment that we recently forrayed into. The molecular medicine division headed by Dr Anoop Kumar, Senior Scientist, has been working on such diagnostic platforms and we are excited at the prospect of having developed the magnetic nanotechnology-based RNA extraction technology that will reduce our import dependence and facilitate cost-effective confirmatory testing of COVID-19” said Dr Asha Kishore, Director, SCTIMST.

The launch programme was organized by SCTIMST in collaboration with Agappe Diagnostics Ltd at the Biomedical Technology Wing of SCTIMST, and it was followed by the first sale of the product by Mr Thomas John, Managing Director, Agappe Diagnostics, to officials from Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi.

Inexpensive, fast, and accurate testing for COVID-19 virus is the cornerstone of containing its spread and providing appropriate help to the infected. The Chitra Magna, an innovative RNA extraction kit developed by SCTIMST under the leadership of senior scientist, Dr Anoop kumar Thekkuveettil, was transferred to Agappe Diagnostics in April 2020, and will now be available in the market as Agappe Chitra Magna RNA Isolation Kit. This product has been independently validated at National Institute of Virology for Covid19 RNA isolation. Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has given approval for the commercialization of this kit. The kit can be used for RNA extraction for RT-LAMP, RT-qPCR, RT-PCR and other isothermal and PCR based protocols for the detection of SARS-COV-2.

It uses an innovative technology for isolating RNA using magnetic nanoparticles to capture the RNA from the patient sample. The magnetic nanoparticle beads bind to the viral RNA and, when exposed to a magnetic field, give a highly purified and concentrated RNA. As the sensitivity of the detection method is dependent on getting an adequate quantity of viral RNA, this innovation enhances the chances of identifying positive cases.

It is estimated that India would require about 8 lakh RNA extraction kits per month during the next six months, and Agappe Chitra Magna RNA Isolation Kit priced around Rs 150 (US$ 2.12) per kit is expected to reduce the cost of testing and the country’s dependence on imported kits which cost around Rs 300 (US$ 4.25). Agappe Diagnostics has a manufacturing capacity of kits for performing 3 lakh kits per month. 

6.8 crore free LPG cylinders distributed among the PMUY beneficiaries so far

As part of the economic response to COVID-19, the Government of India has launched a pro-poor scheme “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package” (PMGKP), under this scheme, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is providing free of cost LPG cylinders to over 8 crore PMUY beneficiaries for 3 months w.e.f 1.4.20. During April 2020, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have delivered 453.02 lakh cylinders to PMUY beneficiaries under PMGKP. As on 20.5.20, OMCs have delivered total 679.92 cylinders to PMUY beneficiaries under the package. The beneficiaries were given funds in advance through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in their accounts, so that there was no difficulty in availing this facility. The Corona Warriors- personnel working in the supply chain of LPG cylinder delivery- have not only been ensuring timely supply of cylinders, but also creating awareness amongst the beneficiaries about the hygiene and various health guidelines.

US$ 575 billion investment opportunity in transport infra in next 5 years: Kearney

According to a report, transport infrastructure sector in India holds an investment opportunity of US$ 575 billion in the next five years. There has been advancement in transportation landscape over the last two decades, but much remains to be done to meet the increasing demand now and, in the years, ahead, as per the report by management consulting firm Kearney.

The report titled 'Harnessing the opportunities in India's transportation infrastructure' said, "Roads and Railways constitute 80 per cent of the total investment opportunity driven by investments in flagship projects such as Bharatmala Pariyojana, Dedicated Freight Corridor, High Speed Rail, etc".

Though, factors such as delays in land acquisition, clearance, constraints in funding for infrastructure projects, lack of efficient dispute resolution mechanism were identified as major challenges in realising the investment opportunity.

"Significant opportunities exist in various transportation infrastructure in India, prioritizing the most important ones is of paramount importance.

"Although there are obstacles to realizing the vast potential, these challenges can be overcome with a concerted and coherent strategy across the key stakeholders: government authorities, concessionaires and contractors, and financial institutions," said Mr Manish Mathur, Partner and Head Asia Pacific, Transportation and Infrastructure Practice for Kearney.

The report also added the key steps for overcoming the difficulties and maximizing the opportunities as the government authorities need to focus on identifying the right funding model, confirming robust cash flow management with comprehensive viability assessment, and enabling a vibrant ecosystem of concessionaires and contractors while designing their transport infrastructure development strategies.

Strategic partnership between the concessionaires and contractors will benefit in identifying the right markers for decision-making and ensure the quality and timeline of project delivery with the increase in infrastructure investments and greater participation from the private sector.

The report added about financiers, "In addition to re-evaluating the risk-reward spread in the infrastructure sector, financial institutions should collaborate with government authorities and concessionaires to develop innovative products for financing."

"With a concerted effort, today's challenges can be transformed into an opportunity that will not only boost organic growth, drive job creation, and aid a whole gamut of industries but also help fulfil one of the most basic tenets of economic and social activity: mobility to serve the common good," added Mrr Mathur.

 

Kearney is a top global management consulting firm with offices in more than 40 countries. The firm focusses on strategic and operational CEO-agenda issues facing businesses, governments, and institutions around the globe. The firm was founded in 1926 and has been ranked among the top management consulting firms globally.

In Asia, Kearney India is among the largest and fastest growing Kearney units and works across industry verticals consisting Automotive, Aerospace, Industrial Goods, Transportation, Consumer Products, Retail, Healthcare, Oil & Gas, Metals & Mining, Chemicals, Communications, Media, Technology, IT & BPO, Private Equity, among others.

Siemens AG sells 24 per cent stake in Indian unit for Rs 8,520 crore to group firm

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, the German conglomerate, sold shares worth over Rs 8,500 crore (US$ 1.21 billion) in its listed Indian subsidiary Siemens Ltd, amounting to about 24 per cent stake, to another group firm Siemens Gas and Power Holding BV.

The parent company of Siemens Ltd, which is listed in India, is Siemens Aktiengesellschaft.

Although, there was no official word from the company, but reports indicated that Siemens AG was in the process of carving out its gas and power business, which had dragged its overall performance, into a separate subsidiary.

As per the block deal data available on the BSE, Siemens Aktiengesellschaft sold 8,54,68,862 shares of Siemens Ltd at an average price of Rs 996.9 (US$ 14.14) apiece.

At this price, the transaction is valued at Rs 8,520 crore (US$ 1.21 billion) and the shares sold in the block deal amount to about 24 per cent stake.

Siemens AG held 71.70 per cent stake in Siemens Ltd, while another group firm held 3.3 per cent stake, taking the total promoter stake to 75 per cent as of March 2020.

Dr Harsh Vardhan participates in NAM Health Ministers' meeting through VC; Highlights the doctrine of 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam'- the whole world is our family

Shri Hardeep S, Puri, Minister of State (I/C) for Housing and Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare participated in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Health Ministers’ meeting through video conference, here today.

The meeting was chaired by Mr Ogtay Shiraliyev, Minister of Health, Republic of Azerbaijan.

The NAM Summit is being organized at a time when the international community has been faced with a pandemic which has disrupted lives and livelihood of millions of people around the world. NAM expressed its concern at the global threat posed by COVID-19 and resolved to fight it with proper preparedness, prevention, resilience-building, and greater national, regional and international collaboration.

The address delivered by Dr Harsh Vardhan is as follows:

“Mr Chairman, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen!

I would like to begin by congratulating the Chair, the Minister of Health for the Republic of Azerbaijan for organizing this important and timely Conference.

This is undoubtedly an unprecedented time in our planet’s history. COVID-19 has claimed more than three hundred thousand (3,00,000) precious lives, infected over four million and snatched away the livelihoods of billions. Let me express my heartfelt condolences to those families across the world who have lost their near and dear ones to this deadly disease.

Mr Chairman, COVID-19 has made us realize that we are more interconnected and interdependent than ever before. It has made us realize that the man-made challenges that our planet faces today - such as Climate change and public health emergencies - can only be faced together, not when we are divided. It requires collaboration, not coercion.

The present pandemic crisis also reminds us that the global institutions of governance need to become more democratic, transparent and representative to be credible and effective, and a reformed multilateralism is the need of the hour.

On its part, India has been fighting the COVID battle with a firm political will. Our Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi has ensured speed, scale and determination in the handling of this crisis. India took every possible step to ensure that we contain the spread of the virus. We also ensured that focus on COVID should not mean neglect of patients of other diseases.

Armed with a political will to ensure that we defeat this dreadful disease, 1.35 billion Indians came together to honor the decisions on nationwide lockdowns that have kept our mortality rate down and contained the spread of the disease. Our policy of micro Identification, mass Isolation and quick Treatment reaped good dividends in preventing large scale spread and deaths due to COVID-19.

Although India has a robust healthcare system, we swung into action and added capacity in terms of infrastructure as well as manpower. With a fleet of 10,000 dedicated COVID hospitals and Care Centers and a trained healthcare workforce of over two million, there was no looking back.

As we care for our citizens, we have also extended help to other countries. In our immediate neighborhood, we have promoted coordination to counter COVID-19 and organized capacity building by sharing India’s medical expertise.

India is living up to its reputation as the pharmacy of the world, especially for affordable medicines. Besides meeting our domestic needs, we have provided medical supplies to over 123 partner countries, including 59 members of NAM. We are taking active part in the global efforts to develop remedies and vaccines.

We remain sincerely committed to solidarity among the NAM Member States to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. During the video conference of NAM Contact Group on 4th May, Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi expressed our country’s solidarity with not only the NAM countries but with the entire world as we believe in the doctrine of ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’ - which means that the whole world is our family.

Mr Chairman, I would like to sum up by saying that as developing countries, it is our people that stand to be the most profoundly affected by these changes. We must all realize that our destinies are linked like never before. India looks forward to a collective journey, of constructive deliberations, cooperation and collaboration in the spirit of solidarity and fraternity that characterizes NAM.

Before I close my speech, let me honor those who have honored mankind. Let us all stand up to clap for all frontline COVID warriors - our doctors, our nurses, our paramedics, our sanitation and security staff, our army, police and paramilitary forces, our journalists, all those who are putting their lives at risk for us, and for their families who are sending their members to the battlefield with all the risks. They have taught us a lesson, and that lesson is; to never forget that human welfare must be the basis of all economic growth.

Thank you.”

Coir Geo textiles gets nod for Rural Road Construction

Coir Geo textiles, a permeable fabric, natural, strong, highly durable, resistant to rots, moulds and moisture, free from any microbial attack, has finally been accepted as a good material for rural road construction.

Coir Geo textiles will be used for construction of rural roads under the PMGSY-III says a communication from the National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency under Union Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India.

Speaking about the development, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of MSME and Road Transport & Highways, who has been behind the move to explore alternative usage of coir fibre, has said, "This is a very significant development as we have now been successful in deploying coir geo textile in road construction. The decision will give a big boost to the coir industry especially in these difficult times of COVID-19 pandemic."

As per the PMGSY new technology guidelines for road construction, 15 per cent length in each batch of proposals, is to be constructed using new technologies. Out of this five per cent roads are to be constructed using IRC accredited technology. The IRC has now accredited coir Geo textiles for construction of rural roads.

As per these instructions, five per cent length of the rural roads under PMGSY-III will be constructed using Coir Geo textiles. Accordingly, 164 Kms of road will be constructed using coir geo textiles in Andhra Pradesh, 151 kms in Gujarat, 71 kms in Kerala, 328 kms in Maharashtra, 470 kms in Odisha, 369 kms TN and 121 kms in Telengana. Thus 1674 km road will be constructed using Coir Geo textiles in 07 states for which there will be a requirement of one crore sq. mtrs of coir Geo-textiles, estimated cost of which would come to Rs 70 crore (US$ 9.93 million).

The decision opens up a huge market potential for Coir Geo-textiles in the country and will be a boon to the COVID-19 hit Coir Industry.

Government of India launches scheme for 100 per cent solarisation of Konark sun temple & Konark town

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has taken up the complete solarisation of Konark sun temple and Konark town in Odisha. Speaking about the Scheme, Shri R K Singh, MoS(i/c) for Power and MNRE has said, "Government of India  launched the Scheme with an objective to take forward the Prime Minister’s vision to develop the historical Sun temple town of Konark in Odisha as 'Surya Nagri', to convey a message of synergy between the modern use of solar energy and the ancient Sun Temple and the importance of promoting solar energy", .

The Scheme envisages setting up of 10 MW grid connected solar project and various solar off-grid applications like solar trees, solar drinking water kiosks, off-grid solar power plants with battery storage etc with a 100 per cent Central Financial Assistance (CFA) support of around Rs 25 crore (US$ 3.55 million) from Government of India through Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE). Implementation of this Project will be done by Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA).

The Scheme will meet all the energy requirements of Konark town with solar energy.

Indiabulls Housing raises Rs 1,030 crore via bonds on private placement basis

Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd has raised Rs 1,030 crore (US$ 146.12 million) by issuing bonds on a private placement basis.

According to the company’s regulatory filing, on May 18, 2020, the company allotted 10,300 secured, redeemable, non-convertible debentures of face value Rs 10 lakh (US$ 14,186.4) each, aggregating to Rs 1,030 crore (US$ 146.12 million), on a private placement basis.

The coupon rate on the bonds with three years tenor is 9.10 per cent per annum (payable annually).

Shares of Indiabulls Housing Finance closed 10.87 per cent down at Rs 118.85 (US$ 1.68) on BSE on May 18, 2020.

Ministry of Tourism organises 20th webinar titled 'Uttarakhand Simply Heaven' under

The 20th session of the Dekho Apna Desh webinar series on 16th May 2020 titled “Uttarakhand Simply Heaven” highlighted the potential of tourism in Uttarakhand’s two regions namely Kedar Khand (Garhwal Region) and Manu Khand (Kumaon Region) and touched upon the popular destination like Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Hemkhund Sahib and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Valley of Flowers.

This webinar session was presented by Dr PushpeshPant, an eminent scholar, Food Historian and an expert in International Relations, Ex-Professor of JNU, Mr Ganesh Saili a renowned author, notable photographer and an authority on the history of Uttarakhand and Mr Shashank Pandey, a certified outbound trainer, MD of Aspen Adventures, Rishikesh. The session was moderated by Ms Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism and

Uttarakhand’s Adventure Tourism Potential such as river rafting at Rishikesh and Pittoragarh, winter sports and skiing in Auli, Paragliding at Tehri Dam and Kaushani, innumerable options for trekking available such as Chopta and Pindari Glacier and India’s highest bungee jumping facility in Rishikesh were highlighted by the presenters.

Besdies adventure activities, the session also presented options for experiencing the best of nature by paying a visit to the oldest national park of the country- Jim Corbett National Park, Rajaji Tiger Reserve and UNESCO site of Nanda Devi National Park-exploring the rich diversity of flora and fauna of Himalayan Region.

Uttarakhand’s immense opportunities for developing and exploring rural tourism offerings, the best options for homestays wherein one can experience and feel the real hospitality of the people serving the best of local cuisine also was highlighted by the presenters.

Ms Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General concluded the session stating Uttarakhand ‘Dev Bhoomi’, the Land of Gods is a mesmerizing destination for tourists of all tastes. It is a multi-faceted destination, i.e. from being a sacred and religious site to be an adventure land with rich biodiversity in its purest form.

The Dekho Apna Desh Webinar Series sessions are conducted with active support of National e-Governance Division (NeGD) of Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) for those who had missed these webinars, the sessions are now available on the https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbzIbBmMvtvH7d6Zo_ZEHDA/featured and also on all social media handles of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

The next episode of the webinar scheduled Tuesday 19th May 2020 at 11.00 am, is titled ‘Photowalking Bhopal’ and participants can join the webinar be registering at https://digitalindia-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wLHXyRTGTrK3Vb-ljK8sxQ

Dr Harsh Vardhan participates in the 73rd World Health Assembly through VC

Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, participated in the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) through Video Conference and highlighted the timely, graded and pro-active measures taken by India towards COVID-19 management.

Union Finance Minister announces several initiatives to boost Education Sector

Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Ms Nirmala Sitharaman has announced several initiatives to boost education sector on 17th May in New Delhi. The Minister said that investing in the human capital is equivalent to an investment in productivity and prosperity of the nation. The present pandemic situation has presented new challenges and several opportunities for our education system.

The Minister highlighted that the education sector has taken this opportunity to plan several interventions, particularly in the area of adopting innovative curriculum and pedagogies, concentrating energies on the gap areas, being more inclusive and integrating technology at every stage, to usher in a new era of focussed investment in the human capital.

Finance Minister further said that the government is committed to ensuring learning for all, with equity, so as to cover all students at all levels of education and in all geographical locations, even in the remotest parts of the country.

Union Human Resource Development Minister ‘Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank’ expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for giving priority to education sector. He also thanked Union Finance Minister for the initiatives and hoped that they will transform the education system and bring out holistic development of students of the country.

Shri Pokhriyal said that the “One nation, one digital platform” and “one class one channel” will ensure that quality education material will reach the students present in farthest areas of the country. He said that the initiatives will boost the access and equity in education and improve the gross enrolment ratio in the times to come. He also said that due consideration is being given to the Divyang children also and the measures will usher in a new paradigm in the creation of New India.

Union Finance Minister announced the immediate set of initiatives in this direction includes:

1. A comprehensive initiative called PM e-VIDYA will be launched which unifies all efforts related to digital/online/on-air education. This will enable multi-mode access to education, and includes: DIKSHA (one nation-one digital platform) which will now become the nation’s digital infrastructure for providing quality e-content in school education for all the states/UTs; TV (one class-one channel) where one dedicated channel per grade for each of the classes 1 to 12 will provide access to quality educational material: SWAYAM online courses in MOOCS format for school and higher education; IITPAL for IITJEE/NEET preparation; Air through Community radio and CBSE Shiksha Vani podcast;  and study material for the differently abled developed on Digitally Accessible Information System (DAISY) and in sign language on NIOS website/ YouTube. This will benefit nearly 25 crore school going children across the country.

 

2. In this time of global pandemic, it is vital that we provide psychosocial support to students, teachers and families for mental health and emotional wellbeing. The Manodarpan initiative is being launched to provide such support through a website, a toll-free helpline, national directory of counsellors, interactive chat platform, etc. This initiative will benefit all school going children in the country, along with their parents, teachers and the community of stakeholders in school education.

 

3. Government is expanding e-learning in higher education – by liberalizing open, distance and online education regulatory framework. Top 100 universities will start online courses. Also, online component in conventional Universities and ODL programmes will also be raised from present 20 per cent to 40 per cent. This will provide enhanced learning opportunities to nearly 7 crore students across different colleges and Universities.

 

4. There is a need to promote critical thinking, creative and communication skills, along with experiential and joyful learning for the students focussing on learning outcomes. The curriculum must be rooted in the Indian ethos and integrated with global skill requirements. Therefore, it has been decided to prepare a new National Curriculum and Pedagogical Framework for school education, teacher education and early childhood stage to prepare students and future teachers as per global benchmarks.

 

5. A National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission will be launched, for ensuring that every child in the country necessarily attains foundational literacy and numeracy in Grade 3 by 202 For this, teacher capacity building, a robust curricular framework, engaging learning material – both online and offline, learning outcomes and their measurement indices, assessment techniques, tracking of learning progress, etc. will be designed to take it forward in a systematic fashion. This mission will cover the learning needs of nearly 4 crore children in the age group of 3 to 11 years.