Archives for 2021

KOZHIKODE: The extension of the ban on international flights to Gulf countries till June 30 has come as a major blow to tens of thousands of expatriates in the state who have been hoping to return to their places of work at the earliest.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation had on May 28 announced that international passenger flights will not restart operations until June 30. At the same time, the restriction was not applied to international all-cargo flights, and flights scheduled under the travel bubble arrangements. Since March 2020, there has been a ban on regular international flights. According to experts, though over 14 lakh expatriates had reached the state since March last year, some, mainly healthcare workers, had returned. Though the Saudi government had extended visas and duration by up to six months during the first wave of the pandemic last year, it has not announced any such relaxation this time. The situation in other countries is no different. 

According to the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC), while over eight lakh expatriates from Kerala are waiting to return to the UAE, nearly two lakh Malayalis are awaiting return to Saudi Arabia, 1.5 lakh to Qatar, 1.25 lakh to Oman and over 50,000 to other countries. Ibrahim Murichandi, state vice-president of Dubai KMCC, said, “Several Gulf countries were willing to ply special flights in the previous wave due to pressure from various organisations.” According to him, the expatriates were initially worried about not receiving the vaccine on time. “The state government has addressed this issue by prioritising people who work and study abroad for the vaccine jabs. But the decision to extend the ban has affected people’s plans further,” he said. 

Norka Roots CEO Harikrishnan Namboothiri told TNIE, “Soon after the decision to extend the flight ban to Jun 30 was received, Norka Roots have contacted the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to rethink the further extension as several lakhs of expats currently in Kerala are waiting to return back to their work place. Last year, when a similar flight ban was imposed, a few countries tried to take the healthcare workers from India to their respective countries. This time, even that is not happening.” He said more than 1.4 lakh expatriates were given Rs 5,000 each to support them financially during the previous lockdown. 

“Additionally, more than Rs 75 crore was distributed among the general expats. Loan assistance was even provided to the expats coming back. The surge of expats seen here last year has tripled during the second wave. Hence, we are doing our best to help them return to their work place,” he said.

NEW DELHI: The Centre had a tough time at Supreme Court on Monday, being criticised for its unclear vaccination policy. A three-judge bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud questioned Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on the steps being taken and the digital divide between rural and urban India.

On the Centre’s submission that the court should not interfere in policy, Justice Chandrachud told Mehta this is a platform for dialogue across the spectrum. 

“The idea is not to criticise, but to strengthen the arms of the government. The fact that MEA went abroad, had dialogue shows the seriousness of the situation,” said Justice Chandrachud.

The Centre also informed the court it is confident of vaccinating all eligible persons above 18 by the year end. The matter was adjourned on Monday, as the court gave two weeks to the Centre to file an affidavit with its response to the questions raised in the hearing regarding the country’s vaccine policy.

The court also questioned the reason behind not supplying vaccines for people below 45 and said: “Our question is, what is the rationale. For the population above 45 we will supply vaccines, but for those under 45, states are left to make arrangements.”

The court also questioned how is the Centre addressing the digital divide and its constraints in rural India. To this, Mehta said: “Every village has a service centre. If I’m a villager who doesn’t have a cell phone, the common service centre will register me and then I will get vaccinated.” 

The bench did not seem impressed by this. “You must keep your ear to the ground. You keep saying digital India, but see what’s happening. A poor agricultural worker from Jharkhand, who works in Rajasthan, has to go back to Jharkhand to get registered,” asked the court.

To this, Mehta replied: “No. Registration is where he stays. Registration is such so that tracing can be done if you have one dose or two doses.”

​The court stuck to the digital divide aspect. “We are asking how are you answering the digital divide. How are you ensuring that migrant agricultural labourers going from one state to other are getting vaccinated,” asked the court. However, Mehta objected and said it is a policy decision.

CHENNAI: After several alumni of Kendriya Vidyalaya, CLRI, raised allegations that a language teacher had sexually abused and misbehaved with them, the school management on Monday said that it has set up a committee to inquire into the matter.

A group of 22 alumni of Kendriya Vidyalaya, CLRI, Chennai wrote a letter to the school’s principal T Rama Prasad on Sunday, alleging that a language teacher from the school had sexually abused them while they were students. Asking for immediate suspension of the teacher, the alumni said, “Now that the school has been made aware of child sexual abuse allegations against Mr Mahendra Kumar, the school is legally bound to inform the police about the same, as per the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 as even apprehension that an offense under the Act maybe committed ought to be reported.”

The alumni have also sent copies of the letter to the Tamil Nadu Childline, the CBSE, the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights and the Tamil Nadu Commission for the Protection of Child Rights.

Responding to the allegations, the school principal Prasad told that they have constituted a three-member committee to “verify” the claims. “If children currently studying in our school raised allegations, we would follow different protocols. Since it is alumni, who passed out many years ago, who have raised the complaints, we have to verify the claims,” he said. Prasad said that the committee will send its findings to the Commissioner of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, who will decide the course of action.

One of the victims, in the letter, said that the faculty member in question sexually misbehaved with her on several occasions. “On one particular occasion, he grabbed my buttocks in the middle of a class when I went to distribute chocolates for my birthday. This was witnessed by a friend of mine, who had come along with me,” she said.

After she spoke about the alleged incident on social media, several alumni reached out to her sharing similar experiences with the same teacher. “In one instance, he has touched a student inappropriately multiple times. He made her sit next to him during tuition classes and touched her in various parts of her body,” the alumni said, adding that ultimately the student decided to change her second language at school to distance herself from the teacher.

These instances span a timeframe of close to 18 years. Urging the school to respond swiftly, the alumni said in the letter, “Several current students may be victims of the faculty member and may be fearful of complaining about his conduct or coming forth with a complaint or testifying as witnesses as he is still in a position of authority.”

CHANDIGARH: President of the Punjab Congress unit Sunil Jakhar along with 25 party MLAs, including 11 state cabinet ministers, met the three-member panel recently constituted by the party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi to resolve the brewing factionalism ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections.

After the meeting, Randhawa appeared visibly upset. He told the media that he cannot disclose what transpired behind the closed doors, but reiterated his “firm view” that action must be taken in the sacrilege case. MLA Raj Kumar Verka, who was among those who met the panel on Monday, said the high command will soon announce a big responsibility for the Dalits.

Apart from Randhawa and Channi, the state Cabinet ministers who met the panel include Brahm Mohindra, Manpreet Singh Badal, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, and Rana Sodhi. Another delegation led by Navjot Singh Sidhu and MLAs loyal to him will meet the panel on Tuesday.

The panel is expected to meet all the 80 Congress MLAs. It will also meet Congress MPs from the state, most likely on Wednesday.

Later, on Thursday, the panel is expected to meet the chief minister. After all the meetings, it will submit a report to Sonia Gandhi, who is then expected to take a decision to resolve the infighting.

NEW DELHI: As the country is battling the second wave of COVID-19, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party led NDA government at the Centre for the mismangement in tackling the pandemic and said that 97 per cent Indians have witnessed depreciation in their income due to the arrogance of the Central leadership.

The Congress leader shared a report that stated that lockdowns imposed in various parts of the country to contain the second wave has left 97 per cent of Indians poorer.

“One man and his arrogance + One virus and its mutants,” tthe Congress leader tweeted.

According to the report shared by Gandhi, the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic seems to be impacting jobs in India. It is reported that there has been a drop in the number of salaried jobs in India largely. In addition, 97 per cent Indians have witnessed depreciation in their income as well, stated the report.

The report quoted Mahesh Vyas, chief executive officer, Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), stating that over 97 percent of India’s population has become poorer compared to where they were in terms of income (a year ago) while accounting for inflation.

As per the report, Vyas stated that salaried jobs in India have declined by 11-12 million. He stated that pre-COVID-19, there were around 85 million jobs and now that has dropped to around 73-74 million today.