Archives for May 2022

NEW DELHI: India’s COVID-19 caseload increased to 4,31,19,112 on Saturday with 2,858 fresh infections, while the number of active cases came down to 18,096, according to Union health ministry data.

The active cases comprise 0.04 per cent of the total infections.

The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.74 per cent, the ministry said.

A decrease of 508 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.59 per cent and the weekly positivity rate stood at 0.66 per cent, the ministry said.

The number of people who have recuperated from the viral disease surged to 4,25,76,815.

The case fatality rate was recorded at 1.22 per cent, it said.

The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide inoculation drive has exceeded 191.15 crore.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.

It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

India crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore on May 4, 2021, and 3 crore on June 23.

CHANDIGARH: Haryana may make singing the national anthem mandatory in all madrassas in the state, Education Minister Kanwar Pal indicated here on Friday, a day after neighbouring Uttar Pradesh made it compulsory.

Singing of the national anthem has been made compulsory at all madrassas in Uttar Pradesh starting Thursday.

The Registrar of the Uttar Pradesh Madrassa Education Board issued an order to this effect to all the District Minority Welfare Officers on May 9.

Kanwar Pal was also asked to comment on Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala demanding on Wednesday that the Haryana government withdraw a new Class 9 history book that mentions the Congress’ “policy of appeasement” as one of the reasons for the country’s Partition in 1947.

“You cannot make history sugar-coated. When the book gives credit to Congress on many things, mistakes will also be highlighted. Accepting partition of the country was a mistake and that will find a mention,” he said.

Responding to a question, the education minister said lessons on freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar were being taught in schools earlier and that will continue.

Young generation is being given correct information about history, he said.

He said great men in their own way contributed significantly to liberate the country from the British.

“These are the events that happened in history and the younger generation is being made aware of them,” he said.

Meanwhile, he also said there is a lot of enthusiasm among the people regarding the Pragati Rally to be organised in Yamunanagar on May 15.

He said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will dedicate development projects worth crores of rupees to the public in this rally.

Meanwhile, with singing of national anthem made compulsory in all madrassas in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Friday said a similar step could be considered in the state.

He made the statement in response to a query asked by reporters here.

Speaking separately, Madhya Pradesh BJP chief Vishnu Dutt Sharma said ‘Jana Gana Mana’ should be recited in all educational institutions across the country.

Singing of national anthem “Jana Gana Mana” has been made compulsory at all madrassas in Uttar Pradesh starting Thursday.

The Registrar of the Uttar Pradesh Madrassa Education Board issued an order to this effect to all the District Minority Welfare Officers on May 9.

Talking to reporters, minister Mishra said the national anthem should be sung everywhere.

“It is a good thing. It is a national anthem and it can be sung everywhere,” he said.

When asked whether a similar decision could be implemented in MP, Mishra said, “It is matter of consideration. It can be considered.”

Replying to a query whether the national anthem should be sung in madrassas in Madhya Pradesh as well, state BJP president Sharma said, “We are not asking anyone to sing the national anthem in Pakistan.

We are just asking for educational institutions situated in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and all corners of the country to sing the national anthem and national song and slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.”

“If such a thing is happening and such a decision has been taken, then it is a welcome step,” he said.

The national anthem was sung in madrassas across the state on Friday after it was made mandatory by the Uttar Pradesh government, according to reports.

Though the decision came into effect from Thursday, most madrassas in the state had remained closed due to low attendance of children on the first day of classes after the end of Ramzan holidays.

Friday is a holiday in most of the madrassas, but in those that were open, ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was sung as part of the morning prayers, the reports said.

“The government wants the students of madrassas to remember that legacy forever. When they sing the national anthem in the morning, the nation will be strengthened,” the state’s Minister of State for Minority Welfare Danish Azad Ansari told PTI.

“Its purpose is to further promote the feeling of patriotism among the children studying in madrasas,” he said, adding that madrassas played an important role in the country’s Independence.

According to reports received from the Muslim-dominated Saharanpur district, minority welfare officer Bharat Lal Gond said all the students and teachers in the madrassas that were opened sang the national anthem “with enthusiasm”.

In Badaun, ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was sung during the morning prayers, and teachers explained the national anthem’s importance to the children.

Rashid Khan, director of Madrassa Hikmat Khan, said the national anthem has already been sung in madrassas on Independence Day, Republic Day and Gandhi Jayanti.

“This country belongs to all and the national anthem is a symbol of the country’s honour. There is no objection by any madrassa in singing it. They have always respected the national anthem,” Khan said.

Gorakhpur district minority welfare officer Ashutosh Pandey said most of the 243 madrassas sang the national anthem along with the traditional prayers in the morning.

Diwan Sahab Zaman Khan, General Secretary of Teachers’ Association Madaris Arabia, said Hamd (praises to Allah) and Salam (salutations to Muhammad) used to be recited before the start of classes in madrassas until now.

“In some places, the national anthem was also sung but it was not compulsory. Now it is.”

After the singing of the national anthem was made compulsory at all madrassas in the state from Thursday, Registrar of the Uttar Pradesh Madrassa Education Board, SN Pandey, had issued an order to all the district minority welfare officers in this connection on May 9.

At present, there are 16,461 madrassas in Uttar Pradesh, out of which 560 receive grants from the government.

SIDHI: A man allegedly beheaded his 60-year-old maternal uncle over black magic suspicion and walked around two kilometers with his severed head and axe in hands in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh before being nabbed by the police, an official said on Saturday.

The incident occurred on Friday in Karimati village located in the jurisdiction of Jamodi police station, around 10 kms from the district headquarters, he said, adding that the 26-year-old accused suspected his uncle to be creating problems for him by performing black magic on him.

Jamodi police station in-charge Sheshmani Mishra said that the accused, Lalbahadur Gaud, went to his maternal uncle Maksudan Singh Gaud’s house on Friday and hit him on the neck with an axe following an argument.

“The attack was so intense that his uncle’s head got severed from the body,” he said.

Mishra said that after the killing, the accused started walking towards to the police station by holding the severed head and the axe in his hands, but the cops arrested him midway after being alerted.

The accused said his uncle was creating problems for him through black magic and that he had asked him many times not to do so.

However, his uncle was not ready to relent, the official said quoting the accused.

After he reached his uncle’s house on Friday, both of them entered into an argument, following which the accused attacked him in a fit of rage, he said.

Mishra said the accused was arrested for murder and investigation into the case is on.

UDAIPUR: Asserting that the state of the economy is a cause of “extreme concern”, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday said taking into account global and domestic developments, it may be necessary to contemplate a reset of economic policies.

Chidambaram, who heads the panel on economy constituted by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to lead discussions at the three-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ here, also said the time is ripe for a comprehensive review of fiscal relations between the Centre and the States.

The consequences of the poorly drafted and unfairly implemented GST laws brought in by the Modi government in 2017 are there for everyone to see, the Congress leader said.

“The States’ fiscal position is fragile like never before and needs urgent remedial measures,” said the former finance minister, flanked by some other members of the panel such as Gourav Vallabh and Supriya Shrinate.

Noting that the Congress-led government ushered in a new era of liberalisation in 1991, Chidambaram said the country has reaped enormous benefits in terms of wealth creation, new businesses and new entrepreneurs, a huge middle class, millions of jobs, exports and lifting 27 crore people out of poverty during a 10-year period.

“After 30 years, it is felt that taking into account global and domestic developments, it may be necessary to contemplate a reset of the economic policies.

“A reset of economic policies must also address the questions of rising inequalities, extreme poverty among the bottom 10 per cent of the population, India’s rank in the Global Hunger Index 2021 (101 out of 116 countries), and evidence of widespread nutritional deficiency among women and children,” he said.

The external situation has added to the pressures on the economy, he noted.

“The government appears clueless on the ways to deal with these developments,” he added.

Chidambaram further said, “I am confident that our deliberations over three days and the decisions that will be taken by the CWC in the days and weeks ahead will make a significant contribution to the nationwide debate on the economic policies that will best serve the interests of the country and its people.”

The discussions at the ‘Chintan Shivir’, which began on Friday, will continue on the second and third day as well and the conclusions will be recorded in the form of a declaration.

A draft of the declaration will be discussed at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting to be held here on the third and last day of the conclave.

JAIPUR: A member of Jaipur’s former royal family and BJP MP Diya Kumari has claimed that the land on which the Taj Mahal was constructed originally belonged to Jaipur’s ruler Jai Singh. In an interaction with the media on Wednesday, Diya Kumari also asserted that the land was acquired by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and records of the same are available with the erstwhile Jaipur royal family.

Diya Kumari has virtually claimed that the Taj Mahal, a symbol of love of and one of the seven wonders of the world, was built on property that originally belonged to the former royal family of Jaipur. The BJP MP has claimed that she has documents to show that earlier the Taj Mahal used to be the palace of the old royal family of Jaipur which was captured by Shah Jahan.  When Shah Jahan took that palace and land of the Jaipur family, the family could not oppose him because it was then ruled by him.

Diya Kumari remarked that people have the right to know what was there before the monument was built and the entire issue should be investigated. The member of the erstwhile Jaipur royal family further said that there are records available with the Jaipur family to prove all her claims and it would provide them if the need arises.

The BJP MP asserted, “this was the land of our royal family and Shah Jahan had occupied it. At that time the government belonged to him.  I have heard that he was compensated in return, but at that time there was no law to appeal against him or do anything against him.”

MP Diya Kumari further added, ‘I will not say that the Taj Mahal should be demolished but its rooms should be opened.  Some rooms in the Taj Mahal are closed and some parts are sealed there for a long time.  It must be inquired and opened so that it can be known what was there and what was not.  All those facts will be established once we have a proper inquiry.”

As is well-known, Ayodhya’s BJP leader Dr Rajneesh Singh has filed a petition in the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court in UP regarding the Taj Mahal.  In his petition, Dr Singh has demanded a survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to open those 22 rooms of the Taj Mahal which have been closed for a long time.  The petitioner says that the Taj Mahal may contain sculptures and inscriptions of Hindu gods and goddesses.  If the survey is done, then it will be known whether there are Hindu idols and inscriptions in the Taj Mahal or not.

BJP MP Diya Kumari has openly supported that plea and said “it is good that someone raised his voice and filed a petition in the court.” Diya Kumari said that the truth must come out from this and asserted that Documents present in their possession can help to bring out the truth and they are ready to give the same. The BJP MP promised that “if documents are needed, then our royal family of Jaipur is ready to share them.  If the court orders, we will give them all the documents.”

It is worth noting that even when the issue arose regarding the descendants of Ram during the Ayodhya temple, it was claimed by the Jaipur Royal Family that they are the descendants of Ram.  For this, the BJP MP had said that she is ready to testify in court as well.

On the question of whether a petition will also be filed in the court on behalf of the former royal family of Jaipur, Diya Kumari said that we are looking into it now and we will examine what steps should be taken.

Ramesh Latke

Mumbai: Shiv Sena MLA from Mumbai, Ramesh Latke, died of a cardiac arrest in Dubai, a party functionary said on Thursday.

He was 52.

“Latke died late night on Wednesday in Dubai, where he had gone with his family on a vacation,” the functionary said.

Latke was a two-time Sena legislator from Andheri East assembly constituency in Mumbai city. Prior to his becoming an MLA, Latke was also a corporator in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

His mortal remains are likely to be brought back to Mumbai on Thursday.

“We have informed Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other senior party leaders about initiating the procedure to bring back his body. We hope that the mortal remains would be brought back on Thursday,” the Sena functionary added.

Expressing grief over Latke’s death, party spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi remembered him for his work during the pandemic and his connect with the people from his constituency.

“Saddened and shocked to hear about the passing of Shri Ramesh Latke ji. His constant energy, his dedicated work during COVID & his connect with the constituency was immense. He will be missed& he has gone too soon. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and colleagues,” she tweeted.

BJP MLA Nitesh Rane said in a tweet, “Shocked to hear the news of Shiv sena MLA Ramesh Latke’s sudden demise! I Remember meeting him on a flight to kokan for angnewadi jatra just few months back. I praised him for losing so much weight because of dieting.. He was a friend beyond party lines.Unbelievable!!”

The Shiv Sena currently shares power in Maharashtra with the NCP and the Congress.

New Delhi: As temperatures started soaring again in many parts of the country, the Ministry of Education on Wednesday issued protective guidelines to schools for combating ill-effects of heatwave, asking them to relax the uniform norms, restrict outdoor activities and modify timings.

A torrid heatwave had sent the mercury soaring across large swathes of India with the temperature in Delhi rising to 46 degrees Celsius. The national capital also recorded its second hottest April in 72 years with a monthly average maximum temperature of 40.2 degrees Celsius.

The guidelines by the Ministry of Education asked the schools to modify timings and reduce the number of school hours each day.

“School hours may start early and get over before noon. Timing may be from 7.00 AM onwards. Number of school hours per day may be reduced. Sports and other outdoor activities which expose students directly to the sunlight may be appropriately adjusted in the early morning.

“School assembly should be conducted in covered area or in classrooms with reduced timing. Similar care may be taken during dispersal after school is over,” the guidelines said.

The ministry has also advised schools to ensure that the school bus or van should not be over-crowded and should be parked in shaded area.

“It should not carry students more than the seating capacity. Drinking water and first aid kit should be available in the bus. Students coming to school on foot or bicycle should be advised to keep their head covered. Parents should be sensitised to pick-up the students themselves, to the extent possible, to avoid public transport and minimise their time out in the sun. School bus or van may be parked in a shaded area,” it said.

The guidelines stated that schools should ensure that all fans are functional and that all classrooms are properly ventilated.

“Availability of power back-up may be arranged, if possible. Curtains, blinds, newspaper, etc. may be used to stop the sunlight entering directly into the classroom. If any local traditional practices are being followed by the school to keep the surroundings cool such as khus’ curtains, bamboo/jute chiks, they may be continued.

“Heat can spoil food therefore hot-cooked meals under PM POSHAN must be served hot and fresh. In-charge teach8er may check the food before serving. Children carrying lunch box may be advised not to carry food that can turn stale quickly.

Canteens in schools should ensure that fresh and healthy food is served. Children may be advised to have light food during lunch time,” the guidelines said.

The ministry also said that schools may relax norms about uniforms and canvas shoes may be allowed instead of leather ones.

“Students may be allowed to wear loose and light coloured cotton material dress. Schools may relax norms regarding uniform such as neck ties. Canvas shoes may be allowed instead of leather ones. Students may be advised to preferably wear full-sleeve shirt,” it said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had last week said a fresh spell of heatwave is likely to begin over northwest India from May 7 and over central India from May 8.

However, closing schools due to heatwave is not an option as suggested by experts as offline classes have started from the new session after nearly two years due to the Covid pandemic.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on May 5 chaired a meeting to review preparations for heatwave management and monsoon preparedness in which he stressed the need to take all measures to avoid deaths due to heatwave or fire incidents.