Category: National

  • Navy’s senior-most submariner vice admiral Srikant dies of COVID-19

    PTI

    Vice Admiral Srikant died on Tuesday morning at the base hospital in New Delhi due to COVID-19-related complications, officials said.

    Photograph: @CaptDKS/Twitter

    The vice admiral, the navy’s senior-most submariner, was due to retire on December 31.

    Expressing his condolences, defence minister Rajnath Singh tweeted, “Deeply pained at the untimely and sudden demise of Director General Seabird, Vice Admiral Srikant.”

    The ministry of defence and the Indian Navy will always remember his stellar contributions and remarkable service to the nation, Singh said.

    “My deepest condolences to his bereaved family and friends. Om Shanti!” the minister stated.

    Srikant was admitted at the base hospital in Delhi after he contracted COVID-19, said a junior Navy officer who had worked under him.

    Subsequently, the vice admiral tested had negative for COVID-19 on Sunday morning, but developed breathing difficulties by evening, the officer said.

    “He was shifted to ICU and was subsequently put on a ventilator,” the officer mentioned.

    Previously, he had held charge as Inspector General of Nuclear Safety and Commandant of the National Defence College, officials said.

    Source: PTI

  • Food rich in nitric oxide can help to defend COVID-19 infectivity: Researchers

    Food rich in nitric oxide can help in fighting with COVID-19 besides other benefits said two researchers who have published their research papers recently.

    Dr Jan Mohammad Mir currently working as an Assistant Professor at the Islamic University of Science and Technology and his research supervisor Prof. R. C Maurya Head of department of Chemistry and Pharmacy and Dean Faculty of Science, Rani Durgavati University Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh has recently published two research papers insisting the use of nitric oxide containing food can act as a defensive mechanism against COVID-19.

    The duo first published hypothesis in world-famous journal, Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics and later it’s perspective paper got accepted by RSC journal, New Journal of Chemistry where they highlighted the suitable nitric oxide-based treatment of Covid- 19 besides mechanistic details.

    Dr Jan Mohammad Mir said that besides helping in fighting with COVID-19, the associated complications like breathlessness, hypertension or hypotension, loss of smell or taste, skin rashes, sexual dysfunction, heart problems etc may also remain checked by keeping an optimal level of nitric oxide in the body.

    “Since, in this disease remarkably nitric oxide deficiency elicited by dysfunction in endothelial tissue and eventually concurrence of suppressed thrombotic events, restoration of nitric oxide may prove highly beneficial,” he said, adding that nitric oxide sensitivity of proteases of the virus causing the Covid-19 has caught considerable attention in fighting this disease.

    Mir said that nitric oxide gas is under clinical phase second to find its use in the treatment of Covid-19.

    “In the sudden outbreak of pandemic coronavirus disease, it is necessary to be cautious in maintaining hygiene,” he said.

    Mir said some kitchen based inventions may prove helpful in boosting immunity power as the liquid intake and naturally no-boosting agents may enter a human body in this way.

    “The self-made items include gingery drink, lemon grass tonic, turmeric, honey and garlic preparations. Beets represent rich source of dietary nitrates, which can get converted to nitric oxide,” he said.

    “Similarly, consuming garlic activates enzymatic action to produce nitric oxide from the L-arginine he said, adding that meat, poultry, seafood, spinach, cabbage, arugula and citrus fruits enhance nitric oxide level,” he said.

    “Pomegranate is loaded with potent antioxidants that can protect your cells against damage and preserve nitric oxide,” Mir said, adding that nuts and seeds are high in arginine, a type of amino acid that is involved in the production of nitric oxide besides that watermelon is one of the best sources of citrulline, an amino acid that’s converted to arginine and, ultimately to nitric oxide—(KNO)

  • ‘I’m a farmer first’: Punjab DIG Prisons resigns in support of farmers’ protest

    Srinagar: Punjab’s Deputy Inspector General, Prisons, Lakhwinder Singh Jakhar on Sunday tendered his resignation from the service, in protest against the contentious farm laws.

    A file photo of Punjab Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) Lakhminder Singh Jakhar.

    According to Kashmir News Service (KNS) monitoring, Jakhar was suspended in May 2020 for allegedly taking bribe from jail officials, however the 56-year-old officer was reinstated two months ago.

    In his resignation letter, as reported by The Indian Express, Jakhar wrote: “I am a farmer first and a police officer later. Whatever position I have got today, it is because my father worked as a farmer in the fields and he made me study. Hence, I owe my everything to farming.”

    “I have completed all the formalities and hence, I don’t think that there will be any hassle in accepting my resignation,” he added. He said he would join the farmers’ protest in Delhi soon, after, he said, his mother encouraged him to resign so as to sit with farmers in Delhi. (KNS)

  • India China standoff: India’s relations with China in worst phase ever: Foreign Minister

    Srinagar: India-China relations have suffered ‘great damage’ due to the ongoing tension along the border with East Ladakh. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said in an online discussion with the Australian thinktank Lowy Institute that China has so far given ‘five different safes’. The tension is now going to be 8 months, but there is no hope of its going away. China’s strange stance is a major hindrance in this.

    Jaishankar says that the two sides have talked several times till now but are unable to understand the basic issue that “agreements are not being followed”. The External Affairs Minister even went on to say that India’s relations with China were “in the worst phase ever”.

    Jaishankar referred to the movement of the Chinese army in the Galvan valley in which 20 Indian soldiers were martyred. He said, “Today we are probably in the most difficult phase of relations with China, at least in the period of 30 to 40 years, maybe more than that.” The Foreign Minister explained how the Goodwill that had formed in the last 30 relations with China was ruined in a few days.

    He said that China had emerged as our second largest trading partner, which was made possible because both countries had agreed to maintain peace in the border areas and were simultaneously trying to resolve the border dispute issue.

    He said “Now, I do not know what is the reason for which China has given us five different safes till date as to why they have violated (the agreements). Thousands of Chinese troops came to LAC in Ladakh with full preparation”.

    He added It is obvious that this will have a deep impact on the relationship. Debates and skirmishes had taken place earlier as well, the agreement was not such a big violation. This year, soldiers on both sides came very close, not surprisingly, something went terribly wrong.

    Jaishankar said that bringing back the relationship with China is ‘a big issue’. He said that there is no problem in negotiations.

    According to Jaishankar, he has spoken to Chinese counterpart Wang Yi himself. The two leaders also met at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference in Moscow. There have been several interactions between the Defense Ministers, military commanders and diplomats of the two countries.

    According to Jaishankar, “Negotiations are not the issue, the issue is that we have some agreements and those agreements are not being followed.” (PTK)

  • 5G services possible by mid-2021: Mukesh Ambani

    Srinagar: Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, has indicated to start 5G services in the second half of next year i.e. 2021.

    Ambani, while addressing the India Mobile Congress-2020 on Tuesday, said that policy steps are needed to start 5G services at a fast speed. He said that this will make 5G services available to all at a reasonable price.

    Ambani’s telecom venture Jio has reached the first position in four years. Jio gives voice calls for free and its data rates are also very low.

    Mukesh Ambani said that ‘I assure you that Jio will lead the 5G revolution in the country in the second half of 2021’.

    He said that Jio’s 5G will hinge on the network, hardware and technology equipment developed in the country. (PTK)

  • Bharat Bandh | Farmers leaders to meet Amit Shah

    Strike to be effective from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. but no kind of essential or emergency services are to be disrupted.
    File Photo

    There was a mixed response to the Bharat Bandh called by farmers groups on Tuesday, with normal life affected in large parts of northern India, especially Punjab, as well as in Odisha, and the southern states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Large numbers of protesters and leaders were detained during the day, including Members of Parliament, both pre-emptively and during agitations. Major highways around Delhi, and parts of northern India were blocked in a chakka jaam until 3 pm.

    Farm unions under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha have been agitating for more than two months, demanding the repeal of three contentious laws aiming to reform agricultural marketing. They fear the laws will affect government procurement at minimum support prices and benefit large corporates to the detriment of the small farmer. The Bandh call was supported by at least 25 political parties, as well as a wide range of society, including major trade unions, traders and transport associations as well as professional bodies such as the Bar Association of the Supreme Court.

    With inputs from The Hindu

    (Except for the headlines, this story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

  • Chargesheet filed against Arnab Goswami in 2018 suicide case

    Mumbai: The police on Friday filed a charge sheet against Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami and two others in a 2018 abetment of suicide case.

    The charge sheet was filed before a court in Alibaug in neighbouring Raigad district, where the case for alleged abetment of suicide of interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud has been registered.

    Incidentally, Goswami had moved the Bombay High Court on Thursday seeking a stay to the filing of charge sheet, but the petition is yet to be heard.

    Goswami, Sheikh and Sarda were arrested by Alibaug police on November 4 in the case, but they got bail from the Supreme Court on November 11.

    Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud committed suicide in 2018, allegedly because of non-payment of dues by firms of Goswami and other two accused.

    The case, closed for want of evidence in 2019, was reopened in May this year, with Goswami alleging that the Maharashtra government was pursuing a vendetta against him for his work as a TV journalist.

  • India will get safe, cheap COVID-19 vaccine soon; public health topmost priority: PM Modi

    Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday assured that Indians will soon get a safe, cheap and effective vaccine against the deadly coronavirus. The PM added that public health remains the topmost priority of his government. “COVID-19 vaccine will be first given to healthcare workers then frontline workers,” the PM suggested at the all-party meeting today.

    PM Narendra Modi also lauded the Indian scientists and researchers and said that they are very sure of success in developing an effective COVID-19 vaccine and their confidence is very high.

    The PM added that the COVID-19 vaccine will be made available only after approval from top scientists. “India will start COVID-19 vaccination programme after experts give nod,” the PM said. He added that there will be ”no compromise on safety.”

    “Centre is in talks with State governments over the price of vaccine and decision regarding it will be taken keeping public health as the topmost priority,”’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

    The central Govt is working with the state government on the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, the PM said. “Teams of Central & State governments are working together for vaccine distribution. India has the expertise & capacity in vaccine distribution & fare better compared to other nations. We have a very big & experienced network in the field of vaccination. We will fully exploit it,” PM Modi said.

    The PM also cautioned that rumours are being spread at times, they are against public and national interests. “Our responsibility is to spread awareness,” the PM stressed at the meeting on coronavirus. He also asked the representatives of various parties to send their suggestions in writing too.

    He made these remarks while chairing an all-party meeting with ministerial colleagues and select opposition leaders to discuss the ongoing battle against the coronavirus pandemic and the potential availability of the coronavirus vaccine in the near future and its distribution in India.

    The virtual meeting began at 10.45 am, in which Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, apart from Health Ministry Secretary, were also present.

    The leaders of opposition parties were taken into confidence on the measures taken by the central government so far to prevent more coronavirus cases in the country etc. Only leaders of those parties which have four to five MPs have been invited to the meeting.

    Once the meeting is over, an official statement will be issued on behalf of the Prime Minister`s Office to inform the public about its outcomes. Earlier also, PM Modi had convened all-party meetings on coronavirus and the India-China border tensions in eastern Ladakh.(PTK)

  • 30-Year-Old Man Killed Over Rs 200 In Uttar Pardesh

    Aligarh : A 30-year-old man was shot dead in a crowded market in the Civil Lines area in Aligarh after he allegedly refused to lend Rs 200 to an acquaintance, police said on Sunday.

    Ansar Ahmad, a father of three, owned a tyre repair shop at Shamshad Market under Civil Lines Police Station and was killed on Saturday by Asif, police said.

    The accused is a drug addict and managed to flee the spot after committing the crime, Superintendent of Police (City) Abhishek Kumar told reporters.

    According to police, Asif had on Saturday approached Ansar Ahmad wanting to lend his motorcycle, however, the request was turned down.

    Later in the day, the accused again landed at Ansar Ahmad’s shop and demanded Rs 200 from him. As soon as the victim refused, Asif took out a countrymade pistol from his pocket and before any of the bystanders could react, shot Ansar Ahmad in the head.

  • In 2021 First ‘wave’ of COVID-19 vaccination to cover 30 crore Indians

    First ‘wave’ of COVID-19 vaccination to cover 30 crore Indians

    About 30 crore people will be part of the first “wave” to get the COVID-19 vaccine in India. They consist of health care workers, police personnel, those above 50 and those younger with underlying illnesses that make them vulnerable, said Principal Scientific Adviser K. VijayRaghavan.

    He was speaking at a meeting organised by the Science Ministry and the Confederation of Indian Industry on Thursday. Mr. VijayRaghavan said the national vaccine committee, headed by Dr. V.K. Paul, had finalised a broad blueprint.

    He said from “March to May” vaccines were likely to be available in significant numbers and would be progressively rolled out over the years using the national immunisation programme.

    “There are one crore health workers, frontline workers such as State and central police, armed forces, home guards, civil defence about 2 crore; priority groups above the age of 50 because you are including those with significant challenges as India has a large fraction of those with cardiovascular disease and diabetes — that’s about 26 crore — and finally those below 50 with significant comorbidities, about 1 crore. So that’s nearly 30 crore,” Mr. VijayRaghavan said.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked State governments to set up steering committees and block-wise task forces to prepare for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and disbursal.

    Vaccines will be available when they pass regulatory stages and it still wasn’t clear which vaccine candidates would pass all the required criteria and by what date, Mr. Modi had said at his meeting with Chief Ministers.

    “It will be a large scale enterprise looking at the size of our country and keeping in mind our experience with large immunisation campaigns, we want this to be a smooth exercise with great co-ordination with State governments, who are the best judge of how things are to be done in particular States,” he had said.

    First quarter of 2021

    Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has said a COVID-19 vaccine was likely to be available by the first quarter of 2021 and that the Centre estimates to receive and utilise 40-50 crore doses covering around 25 crore people by July next year.

    There are five potential vaccines are under different phases of clinical trials in India with the Serum Institute of India conducting phase-3 trial of the Oxford-Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine while the indigenously developed Bharat Biotech and ICMR vaccine have already started the phase III clinical trials.

    An indigenously developed vaccine by Zydus Cadila had completed phase-2 clinical trial in the country and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories would be beginning combined phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine in India. Biological E. Ltd has started early phase 1 and 2 human trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

    (with inputs from The Hindu and PTI)

    (Except for the headlines, this story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)