India News – Jan 16-31, 2022, Vol 2 Issue 13

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PM's security breach in Punjab: SC announces name of judge to head probe panel IANS

New Delhi, January 12 (IANS): The Supreme Court on January 12 announced the name of the retired top court judge who would head the committee to investigate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security breach in Punjab.

Australia sees India logs nearly two lakh fresh Covid cases, 442 deaths in 24 hours daily Covid deaths

With the addition of the new deaths, the death toll has climbed to 4,84,655.

The active caseload has jumped to 9,55,329 which constitutes 2.65 per cent of the country's total positive cases.

The Omicron infection tally has reached 4,868 across the nation.

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New Delhi, Jan 15 (IANS): Within months after he opted to step down as India's T20I skipper and was sacked from leadership role in ODIs, Virat Kohli has now relinquished the captaincy of the Test side as well.

The shocking announcement came a day after India's 1-2 Test series defeat to South Africa in Cape Town. Kohli, who first captained India at the Adelaide Test in 2014 against Australia, was appointed to the full-time role after M.S. Dhoni announced his retirement from the format following the drawn third Test against Australia in Melbourne in December 2014.

On January 10, after a detailed hearing in the matter, a bench, headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, said the court will set up a committee headed by a retired top court judge to probe the PM's security breach and asked both the Centre and Punjab government to not move ahead with their respective inquiries into the matter.

New Delhi, January 12 (IANS): India reported 1,94,720 fresh Covid cases on January 12, a rise of around 26,000 from the previous day. In the same time, a total of 442 deaths were also reported, said the Union Ministry of health and family welfare on January 12.

Kohli steps down as Test captain: 'He quit, or was asked to...?' Millions of fans stunned

However, out of the total Omicron positives, 1,850 have been discharged from the hospitals.

So far a total of 28 states have reported the Omicron infection, said the Union health ministry on January 12.

The recovery of 60,405 patients in 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally to 3,46,30,536.

Consequently, India's recovery rate stands at 96.01 per cent.

Also in the same period, a total of 17,61,900 tests were conducted across the country. India has so far conducted over 69.52 crore cumulative tests.

Continued on Page 3

hit 15-month high

Canberra, January 12 (IANS): Australia has recorded its highest number of daily Covid-19 deaths in more than 15 months. There were 42 deaths reported across the country on January 12 -- 21 each in the country's two biggest states, New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria.

This is the highest number of Covid deaths reported in a day since September 4, 2020 when Victoria recorded 59 fatalities, and second-most since the start of the pandemic, Xinhua news agency reported citing Daily Mail Australia.

Continued on Page 3

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"It's been seven years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance everyday to take the team in the right direction.

I've done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it's now. There have been many ups and also some downs along the journey, but never has there been a lack of effort or lack of belief," Kohli posted on social media on Saturday.

Continued on Page 3

Djokovic loses appeal; Australian Federal Court upholds cancellation of Serb's visa

Melbourne, Jan 16 (IANS): World No.1 tennis player Novak Djokovic's last hope of defending his Australian Open singles title went up in smoke on Sunday after the Serbian lost his Federal Court appeal to have his visa cancellation overturned.

The winner of nine Australian Open men's singles titles initially had his visa annulled on January 14 by Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, who had used his discretionary powers to cancel the visa given to Djokovic.

The 20-time Grand Slam

champion is not vaccinated for COVID-19 and is an opponent of people being forced to take the jab.

Continued on Page 3

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Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

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Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

COVER STORIES

PM's security breach in Punjab: SC announces India logs nearly two lakh fresh Covid cases, 442 deaths in 24 hours name of judge to head probe panel Continued from Page 1

The bench said it will pass a detailed order in the matter.

During the hearing, it orally proposed that other members of the committee would be Director General of Police, Chandigarh, Inspector General, National Investigation Agency (NIA), Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and Additional DGP, Security, Punjab.

report to it within a short span.

The bench said: "We are taking the PM's security breach very seriously." It added that it will ask the committee to submit its

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, defended the show-cause notices

Advocate General D.S. Patwalia, representing the Punjab government, complained against show-cause notices to its Chief Secretary and the DGP. He urged the top court to form an independent committee to probe the matter. "Hang me if I am guilty but don't condemn me unheard," submitted Patwalia.

issued by the Central government.

However, the top court expressed its displeasure at Centre's stand, questioning what is the point of asking the court to examine the matter if the Centre wanted to go ahead on its own.

Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing the Delhibased petitioner Lawyer's Voice, emphasised on the importance of protection to the PM of the country and cited previous top court ruling that looked at the SPG Act.

Continued from Page 1

cases. The daily positivity rate stands at 11.05 per cent.

With the administration of over 85 lakh vaccine doses in 24 hours, India's Covid inoculation coverage has reached 153.80 crore as of January 12 morning.

Meanwhile, the weekly positivity rate has climbed to 9.82 percent amid the sudden spike in the

More than 16.50 crore balance and unutilised Covid vaccine doses are still available with the states and union territories to be administered, according to the health ministry as of January 12 morning.

Australia sees daily Covid deaths hit 15-month high Kohli steps down as Test Continued from Page 1

Australia on January 12 reported more than 100,000 locallyacquired Covid infections, according to the health department figures from states and territories.

Department of Health data published on January 11 night reported that there were 3,869 cases being treated in hospitals around the country, including 342 in intensive care units.

Nearly 60 per cent of Australia's 1,042,293 confirmed Covid cases were active as of January 11.

Djokovic loses appeal; Australian Federal Court upholds cancellation of Serb's visa Continued from Page 1

The 34-year-old Djokovic was initially given medical exemption by the Victorian state and Melbourne authorities for competing in the Australian Open after he declared that he had COVID-19 in December last year.

But the Federal authorities cancelled the medical exemption and the visa. Djokovic's lawyers had then appeared before a single-judge bench, which had reinstated the ace player's visa.

But the Immigration Minister used his special powers to again cancel the visa.

As a last recourse, Djokovic again appealed his deportation from Australia before a three-member Federal judge panel, which upheld the Immigration Minister's January 14 order. The player now faces the ignominy of being deported from the country.

Immigration Minister Hawke had cancelled the Serbian player's visa on the grounds that it was in the public interest to do so because of Djokovic's COVID-19 vaccination

stance.

A report on sen.com.au said on Sunday that, "The hearing took four hours, with the government claiming the 34-year-old's presence in Australia would excite anti-vaccination sentiments, while Djokovic's lawyers argued that the 20-time grand slam champion was no risk to public order.

"Chief Justice James Allsop and the court came to the decision at 5:45pm (Aus time) in a unanimous verdict, while written reasons will be given at a later date," said the report.

Djokovic was scheduled to play country-mate Miomir Kecmanovic on the Rod Laver Arena on January 17. He will now be replaced by a lucky loser from the qualifiers.

Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios expressed his frustration at the drama surrounding Djokovic's detention and his

legal battle with the Australian government, saying that the world No. 1 simply wanted to play tennis and was "not doing anything to anyone".

"I'm waking up and it's just reading the media and there's something new every day. I feel like we're just trying to fight things that aren't right, it's not about the vaccination any more, it's just about him not being here on the right visa or his visa being cancelled," Kyrgios told SEN's 'No Boundaries' podcast on Sunday.

"I feel like if it's not that, it's something else. I just think it's crazy. I feel so sorry for him.

Preparing for an Australian Open or grand slam is enough for someone and the pressures that he has are so unique, he's going for 21 slams, being Novak Djokovic preparing is already enough. It's an absolute s--show.

How we deal with this stuff is just embarrassing. He's here to play tennis, he's not doing anything to anyone," added Kyrgios.

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captain: 'He quit, or was asked to...?' Millions of fans stunned As per the numbers, he steps down from Test captaincy as the most successful skipper in the longest format of the game for India and fourth overall. Under his time as captain, India played 68 Tests, winning 40, losing 17 and drawing 11 matches, with a win percentage of 58.82 while registering memorable wins in overseas and home conditions.

Despite such a good record, Kohli has stunned everyone with his announcement. There could be multiple reasons for his sudden decision.

BCCI vs Kohli There was a time when Kohli had absolute power in Indian cricket.

During that period, BCCI was run

by Supreme Court-constituted administrators and the duo of Kohli and then then chief coach Ravi Shastri controlled the Indian cricket setup.

Kohli's form with the bat also backed his decisions. But times have changed and now with Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah at the helm, the star batter has certainly lost that complete 'power'.

The 33-year-old's announcement came on the back of a recent saga between him and the BCCI, which started with his T20I captaincy resignation before the 2021 World Cup. Last year in early December, the BCCI removed Kohli from the ODI captaincy, naming Rohit Sharma as the new white-ball leader.

A day later, Ganguly said that he had asked Kohli not to step down as T20I captain, but Kohli soon contradicted the BCCI chief, saying his decision to quit was received well by BCCI top officials and that he wasn't told to reconsider his decision.

He even expressed his disappointment, saying he had been told about his removal as ODI captain just one-and-ahalf hours before the selection meeting to pick the Test squad for South Africa.

This became a major discussion point in the cricket world.

And it was believed that the BCCI might take action against

Continued from Page 1

Kohli. However, as the Test series progressed, the issue got sidelined.

But the controversy stretched further when chief selector Chetan Sharma - while announcing the ODI squad for the South Africa tour on December 31 - said, "Everyone who was present in the meeting asked him to reconsider his decision when Kohli stepped down as T20I captain."

India managed to win the first Test against the Proteas and the officials praised Kohli and his side. But after the second and third Test, reports of removing Virat as captain again gained momentum.

But before any further news, the captain announced his decision on Twitter.

Virat & Co's over-reaction and rant on stump mic The Indian cricketers, including captain Kohli, came under fire after they reacted with dismay and anger when a decision against South Africa captain Dean Elgar was overturned on review at a crucial stage during the third Test at Cape Town. Kohli and his teammates did not mince words and they expressed their frustration over the decision.

On Day 3 of the Test, Dean Elgar reviewed a decision off the bowling of Ravichandran Ashwin on the fourth delivery of the 21st over of South Africa's inning, after being given out LBW by on-field umpire Marais Erasmus, and the decision was overturned in Proteas skipper's favour.

As far as the replay is concerned, it showed the ball pitched in line and hit Elgar in the middle.

However, quite mysteriously the trajectory of the ball showed that it was going over the leg-stump.

Even the umpire expressed his shock and was heard as saying “that is impossible” on the stump mic.

Vice-captain KL Rahul was also heard immediately afterward complaining, “It’s the whole country against 11 guys,” while Ashwin also blasted the broadcaster.

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Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

ADVERTORIAL

Springfield Lions Club members growing as city's population grows A n increase in the number of men keen to join the Springfield Lions cricket team is no surprise, with mental health and physical activity the primary focus of the Springfield Lions Club.

The Club has been running for almost two years, with two teams involving male players aged between 20-45 years old.

ourselves and surrounding cricket teams to excel,” he said.

“There is a lot of interest in the game - 70% of the players from most of the participating teams are from the Greater Springfield region like Springfield, Springfield Lakes, Spring Mountain, Augustine Heights, Redbank Plains, Bellbird Park, Goodna, Yamanto, and Ripley.”

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He said the support from families to play cricket and have fun was “immense”.

Mr Yelisetti said the Springfield Lions Cricket team provided men of all ages a safe place for better mental health and the opportunity to play in regular tournaments.

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Mr Yelisetti said there were not many cricket clubs in the Springfield area and the reason many players had showed a keen interest in the sport.

“The convenience of a close cricket ground and culture of the club has helped attract more people,” he said.

“Cricket has been an important part of the Australian way of life for over a century. Communities that participate in a social sport

develop strong social bonds, are safer places and the people who live in them are generally healthier and happier than places where physical activity isn't a priority.

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Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

ADVERTORIAL

Mining business shines in renewables From engineering equipment to give solar panels a sparkling clean to designing class leading mining truck trays, regional Queensland has the mechanical know-how.

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dani Renewables Australia is working with Rockhamptonbased SMW Group to produce custom-designed equipment to clean the 247,000 solar panels at Rugby Run Solar Farm, near Moranbah.

Adani Renewables Australia’s Business Manager Derek Chapman said the new machine will help to maximise the panel’s energy production and improve operational efficiency.

“There’s a large mining services knowledge base in our region, so it is great to see companies like SMW Group who have always been focused on traditional mining use their capability for renewable projects as well,” Mr Chapman said.

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nd in other news, in what is central Queensland’s first ‘Agri-solar’ arrangement Adani Renewables Australia is working with local farmers on a sheep grazing trial on Rugby Run solar farm's 600-hectares.

Trying to keep the grass in check around the 247,000 solar panels was expensive and quite difficult using mowing and slashing equipment, so in August last year, Adani Renewables put out a call to local farmers for sheep, and shortly after started a trial with 70 sheep with self-shedding coats.

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During the day the sheep are able to use the panels as shade while they graze and several have now successfully lambed, which shows us that they are happy and healthy.

The joint exercise between Adani Renewables Australia and local farmers has shown that combined land use can have positive outcomes for both the agricultural sector and solar operators.

It has been a real winner as

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Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

NEWS FROM INDIA

'Worse than expulsion': SC on Maha DMK looting under the BJP MLAs' one year suspension pretext of Pongal gift hampers: Palaniswami unrepresented in the House. It added that one-year suspension will amount to a punishment on the constituency of these elected representatives. Citing constitutional provisions, the bench said a constituency cannot go unrepresented for beyond six months.

New Delhi, January 11 (IANS): The Supreme Court on January 11 orally observed that suspension of 12 BJP MLAs from Maharashtra Assembly in July, for a year, for misbehaving with the presiding officer in the chair, both inside and outside the Assembly, was "worse than expulsion".

issued notice to the Maharashtra Assembly through its Secretary.

A bench, headed by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar was hearing a petition filed by MLAs challenging their suspension. On December 14, last year, the top court had

During the hearing, the bench orally observed that the suspension for one year was "worse than expulsion" as the constituency would remain

The bench, also comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and C.T. Rajkumar, expressed an inclination to interfere with the resolution passed by the Assembly suspending the BJP MLAs, on July 5, last year.

Citing relevant rules, the top court pointed out that the Assembly lacks power to suspend a member beyond 60 days. It referred to Article 190(4) of the Constitution which says a seat will be deemed to have become vacant if a member remains absent in the House without its permission for a period of 60 days.

A battery of senior advocates -- Mahesh Jethmalani, Mukul Rohatgi, Neeraj Kishan Kaul, and Siddharth Bhatnagar - argued for the suspended legislators.

They were assisted by advocates Siddharth Dharmadhikari and Abhikalp Pratap Singh.

Third Covid wave in India: Omicron or Delta?

New Delhi, January 11 (IANS): While the recent surge in Covid cases seen in India is largely due to Omicron, it does not mean that Delta has weakened, experts contended on January 11.

India on January 11 recorded 1,68,063 new Covid cases, taking the total tally to 8,21,446. Although the fresh infections were 6.4 per cent less than January 10 when the country logged 1,79,723, the weekly positivity rate has climbed to 8.85 per cent and the daily positivity rate has declined to 10.64 per cent. On the other hand, 4,461 Omicron cases were recorded from 28 states.

So can we say this is an Omicron wave? While it is relatively easy to test for Covid-19 through a RT-PCR or RAT test, figuring out which variant is responsible requires genome sequencing.

Data sent to the open access GISAID genomic surveillance showed that more than 30 percent of the sequenced samples from India were Omicron during the month of December.

Health experts noted that going by the trend, the majority of the positive cases are likely to be Omicron but confirmation is pending.

"Currently we can sequence only a small fraction of daily cases, so the question is what percentage of those viruses that are sequenced turn out to be Omicron. That's how we know that we are in an Omicron wave, since most of the sequences have turned out to be those of Omicron," Gautam I. Menon, Professor at Departments of

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Physics and Biology, Ashoka University, told IANS.

yet been found of anyone being infected twice by Omicron itself.

Global data, particularly from South Africa, the UK and the US show that over time as new variants emerge, the one which has better transmissibility and immune evasion takes over the preceding variant.

It was "too early" for people infected with Omicron to have cleared the virus and then caught it again, Kingston Mills, Professor of Experimental Immunology at Trinity College Dublin, was quoted as saying to Financial Times. It may be clear in six months' time, he said.

"The same happened with Omicron which is now causing more than 90 per cent of new cases in the US and the UK, India is soon set to follow suit," Dr Dipu T.S., Associate Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases Amrita Hospital, Kochi, told IANS. "This just means that there is a variant with better survival advantage and immune evasion ability compared to the previous variant i.e. Delta. But it doesn't mean that Delta has become weak, rather it gave way to a better evolved variant in time," he said.

However, Menon disagreed, saying: "Because Omicron is much more transmissible than Delta, it has effectively displaced Delta while spreading. Delta was largely on the decline in the country anyway, so this was not a surprise."

Further, the health experts said the surge in cases may also be reinfections, or breakthrough infections as seen in other countries. A recent study showed that the risk of reinfection with Omicron is 5.4 times greater than Delta. So far, nearly all reinfections have been among people who originally caught another strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and there has no evidence

Moreover, the Omicron variant is also known to be able to evade prior immunity. While vaccines can effectively prevent hospitalisation and death due to Covid, they are less effective in preventing infections.

"With luck, the severity of this wave will be less than that of the previous wave, mainly because vaccination levels are high and many were infected in the previous Delta wave. But whether there will be a surge in cases which the health system cannot cope with remains to be seen and this is the main worry at the moment," Menon said.

Several modelling studies, including from IIT-Kanpur, show that India will soon see a peak in Covid cases by the end of January.

"We believe that the peak in cases in the metros of India should come between January 20 and February 10. The rest of India may see later peaks, but it is unlikely that we will continue to see substantial numbers of cases by March. That will mean an end to this wave, but there may be more surprises in store for us," Menon said.

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Deccan Herald

Chennai, January 11 (IANS): Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K. Palaniswami on January 11 said that the DMK government was indulging in loot under the pretext of providing Pongal gift hampers. He was speaking to reporters at the AIADMK office.

He said that the items were overpriced and procured from North India even though they were abundantly available in Tamil Nadu. Most of the ration card owners had not received all the 21 items promised in the gift hamper, he added.

Palaniswami said that corruption to the tune of Rs 30 crore had taken place in the procurement of sugarcane for the gift hampers and added that the bags given with the gift hampers cost a maximum of Rs 30 but the pricing of the government was Rs 60.

The AIADMK leader charged that not all rice cardholders are

receiving all the items promised in the gift hampers. He said that while some were receiving 15 items, others were getting 18 items, and rarely anyone was getting all the 21 items. He said the items to be included in the gift hampers were purchased from North Indian businessmen for the sake of commission.

Palaniswami said that Chief Minister Stalin was interested only in publicity. He claimed that when Stalin was cycling, 500 policemen were on guard and the same was the situation when he was visiting a tea shop.

The AIADMK leader said that the present government was taking undue credit for the 11 government medical colleges that are to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister as 60 percent of the work on these medical colleges was completed during the period of the previous government.

HC notice on scribe Aarti Tikoo's plea against Twitter's decision to 'lock' her account New Delhi, January 11 (IANS): The Delhi High Court on January 11 issued a notice on journalist Aarti Tikoo's plea challenging Twitter's decision to lock her account and deleting her tweet allegedly in violation of its rules on hateful conduct.

Seeking the response of the Centre and Twitter Inc, a single bench of Justice Rekha Palli granted three weeks' time for filing a counter-affidavit and two weeks' time for filing of the rejoinder in the matter.

The journalist, identified as a member of the Kashmiri Pandit community, in her petition approached the court following the ban on her account in the microblogging platform after she raised an alarm about Islamic terrorists from Kashmir issuing death threats to her brother.

It further contended that the action of Respondent 2A (Twitter Inc) has perhaps the intended effect of silencing the voice of the petitioner who is a Kashmiri Pandit at the behest of Islamists.

This is in effect a violation of her right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and forces

her to relive the trauma that she experienced as a refugee in her own country.

The petition contended that on December 14, the petitioner's cousin Sahil Tikoo had a discussion in a Twitter space wherein he was called an Indian agent, and a lot of other allegations were made against him.

On December 15, tagging the Home Minister Office's handle on Twitter, Aarti Tikoo - founder and editor of 'The New Indian' had posted a tweet which read: "My brother @TikooSahil_ who lives in Srinagar, is being openly threatened by jihadi terrorists sitting in Kashmir-India, and their handlers in Pakistan, UK and US. Is anyone watching? Are we sitting ducks waiting to be shot dead by Islamists or will you crackdown on them?".

Her plea stated that it is clear that the arbitrary action of Respondent No.2 in suspending the account of the Petitioner for merely calling out radical Islamism is something that deserves to be censured and quashed.

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Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

NEWS FROM INDIA

No lockdown to be imposed in Delhi: CM Amarinder's Punjab Lok Congress gets 'hockey stick & ball' as party symbol DNA India

New Delhi, January 11 (IANS): Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on January 11 reiterated that the Delhi government is fully prepared to deal with any kind of problem posed by the Covid-19 situation. However, it will not impose a lockdown.

"We are fully prepared. We have the ability to extend up to 37,000 beds if necessary. Our 37,000-bed capacity has yet to be utilised.

If necessary, we may prepare 10000-11000 ICUs in Delhi by preparing 37,000 beds. However, there isn't much of a need for that right now," the CM said in a statement after reviewing the

compulsion. I understand that we have to maintain a very delicate balance at this time. On the one hand, it concerns the employment of people, and if restrictions are imposed, people's jobs will be jeopardised. On the other hand, if we do not impose limitations, your health and life will be jeopardised."

Covid preparedness at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital on January 11 afternoon.

He added: "Today, I held a meeting with Dr Suresh Kumar, Director, LNJP and the entire team at LNJP Hospital. I came here to take stock of the Covid preparations.

It treated the highest number of patients successfully. More than 22,000 patients have returned home after receiving treatment at this facility."

Speaking on the Covid-19 restrictions, he said, "I would like to convey to them that these restrictions were imposed under

Talking about the restrictions in the areas surrounding Delhi he said, "This I will appeal to the central government. We also requested the central government representatives who attended the DDMA (Delhi Disaster Management Authority) meeting that imposing limitations simply in Delhi would not work; you would have to include the entire NCR. They have assured that these limits would be implemented throughout the NCR." Delhi reported a 25 per cent surge in Covid-19 cases after recording 19,166 fresh cases. With this, the infection tally has climbed to 15,68,896. Meanwhile, the city has recorded 17 Covid deaths on the second consecutive day, pushing the death toll to 25,177.

Yogi asks officials to sell assets of sugar mills to pay farmers

around 45 lakh sugarcane growers supply their produce.

On an average, at least 40,000 farmers are associated with each mill.

The defaulter mills are owned by four groups. They not only owe a total of Rs 1,600 crore from last year's crushing season to cane growers in their respective areas but have not paid a penny for the current season either, he added.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

Lucknow, January 12 (IANS): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to recover the dues of cane growers by immediately liquidating "other assets of these mills that have failed to clear the arrears".

As many as 20 sugar mills, all in the private sector, still owe over Rs 1,600 crore in dues from the previous crushing season to farmers across 50 Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.

The move is aimed at ensuring

that non-payment of dues does not adversely affect the BJP in the Assembly elections.

Most of these mills are based in west UP, the sugar bowl of the state, spanning Lakhimpur Kheri, Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Pilibhit, Saharanpur, Baghpat, Meerut, Hapur and Bulandshahr, among other districts.

Sugar, in this region, remains the focal point of politics.

According to an official of the cane department, there are 119 sugar mills in the state to which

As expected, opposition parties are ready to cash in on the mood among these cane growers, many of whom participated in the agitation against farm laws.

RLD's senior leader Praveen Deshwal said, "These farmers will give a fitting reply in the upcoming polls."

However, Uttar Pradesh minister and senior BJP leader Bhupendra Singh said, "It is only the BJP government which ensured cane payments in time and launched several schemes to double farmers' income."

Actor Sonu Sood's sister joins Congress, to contest polls from Moga Chandigarh, January 10 (IANS): Actor Sonu Sood's youngest sister Malvika Sachar on January 10 joined the Congress and would be the party's candidate from her hometown Moga in the February Punjab Assembly polls.

"The aim of politics is to serve the people and I am sure that Malvika would serve the people with full honesty and integrity," Channi said, adding "Now there should be no doubt about who will be the Congress candidate from Moga."

State Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and Chief Minister Charanjit Channi reached Sood's residence and met the brothersister duo.

Describing her induction into the party as a game-changer, Sidhu told the media that her presence would leave a positive impression on other seats too.

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"It is very rare that a party chief and the Chief Minister both have gone to someone's home to grant the honour, and she deserves it," he added.

Sachar, 38, who is married and running her parental family business in Moga, said she has taken the political plunge to dedicate herself to serve the people.

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New Delhi/Chandigarh, January 10 (IANS): Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) party has been allotted ‘hockey stick and ball as party symbol.

In a tweet, PLC said, "Happy to inform that Punjab Lok Congress has received its Party Symbol - Hockey Stick and Ball. #Bas_ Hun_Goal_Krna_Baki (Now only left to score the goal)."

Singh's PLC is jointly contesting next month's Assembly elections in Punjab with the BJP and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa's Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt).

Quoting the PLC tweet, Union minister and BJP's election in-charge for Punjab, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, tweeted, "Congratulations @capt_ amarinder ji & @plcpunjab.

Together let's pave the way for development of #Punjab. Chak

de!."

Amarinder Singh floated his own party after he was forced to resign from the office of Chief Minister.

After resigning from office, he quit the Congress and formed his own party.

In the last week of December, three parties officially announced to jointly contest the Punjab Assembly polls and formed a sixmember committee, comprising two members from each party, to decide the seat-sharing formula.

The three parties will also issue a common manifesto.

Hockey is one of the most popular sports in Punjab and many players from the state have been integral parts of the national team.

The 117-member Punjab Assembly will go to the polls on February 14, while the counting of votes will be taken up on March 10.

DRDO flight tests Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile New Delhi, January 11 (IANS): The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on January 11 successfully flight tested the final deliverable configuration of Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM), officials said.

The indigenously developed anti-tank missile is a low weight, fire and forget missile, and is launched from a man portable launcher, integrated with thermal sight.

The missile impacted the designated target and destroyed it.

The final impact event was captured on camera and the test has validated the minimum range successfully.

An official said the present test was to prove the consistent performance for the minimum range, and all the mission objectives were met.

The missile has miniaturised

IANS

infrared imaging seeker and advanced avionics for on-board control and guidance.

The missile performance has been proven for the maximum range in earlier test trials.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has congratulated the DRDO for the consistent performance of the anti-tank missile, and said that this is an important step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat in advanced technology-based defence system development.

Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy congratulated the team for the excellent performance of the missile during the test.

Monkeys snatch baby & throw in water tank Baghpat (Uttar Pradesh), January 10 (IANS): In a shocking incident, a group of monkeys grabbed a two-month-old infant from the terrace of his house and flung the baby in a water tank.

The incident took place on January 9 and the baby died.

According to reports, the baby Keshav Kumar, was sleeping next to his grandmother in a room on the terrace and the door was left open.

The monkeys entered the room and dragged out the baby.

When the grandmother found the baby missing, she raised an alarm and the family began searching for the toddler. He was later found floating in the water tank.

The baby's parents said that the monkeys had tried to take away their baby on an earlier occasion too but alert relatives had thwarted the attempt.

O.P. Singh, Station House officer (SHO) Chandinagar, said, "The monkey menace is a major issue and we are informing forest officials to take necessary action."

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NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA

Bushfire rages in Western Australia Australia must push wearing long sleeves and trousers made from cotton or wool, as well as strong leather boots.

through Covid surge: PM

"If your home catches on fire and the conditions inside become unbearable, you need to get out and go to an area that has already been burnt," the DFES warned.

The fire started near the township of Dunsborough then spread to neighbouring coastal communities in Eagle Bay and Naturaliste.

Canberra, January 11 (IANS): Emergency authorities in Western Australia have issued warnings to residents on the state's southwest as a bushfire continues to rage on January 11.

The blaze is tearing through the Margaret River Region, a popular

tourist destination renowned for its scenic beauty and wineries, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) advised people to ensure their windows and doors were closed and to protect themselves by

An evacuation centre has now been set up in the township of West Busselton.

The fire is the latest to have hit the state this summer as two fires burned through hundreds of hectares of bushland and destroyed one home late last month.

Cyclone Tiffany hit Australia Meteorologist from the University of Technology Sydney Milton Speer told Xinhua that the cyclone is likely a result of high sea surface temperatures.

"Tiffany developed over sea surface temperatures in the Coral Sea of about 29 degree Celsius. which are up to 1 degree Celsius above average and will likely reintensify over similar sea surfaces in the Gulf of Carpentaria," said Speer.

Canberra, January 10 (IANS): Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said that the tropical Cyclone Tiffany hit the coast of the northern tip of the state of Queensland.

The BoM issued a warning on January 10 morning that the cyclone showed wind speeds of 130 km per hour and was moving west at 18 km per hour just 30 km from the coast, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Tiffany will weaken slightly over land but may maintain tropical

Canberra, January 10 (IANS): Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on January 10 that the country must "push through" surging coronavirus infections.

"There are 78 patients who are on ventilators which are well within capacity. The major stresses on the hospital system relate to workforce issues," he said.

Speaking to reporters, Morrison said that despite record infection numbers, Australia's hospital system was coping with outbreaks of the Omicron variant, reports Xinhua news agency.

Australia's coronavirus vaccine rollout on January 10 opened up to more than 2.3 million children aged five to 11.

"You've got two choices here. You can push through or you can lock down. We're pushing through," he said.

"The whole pandemic has been tough and Australians have shown resilience and patience and determination."

cyclone strength as it moves westward across the Cape," said the warning.

"As Tiffany approaches landfall today, damaging winds can be expected in the Cooktown area."

Australia on January 10 reported more than 60,000 locallyacquired Covid cases for the sixth consecutive day and 20 deaths, 18 in New South Wales and two in Victoria.

Residents have been asked to expect and prepare for gale force, destructive winds, up to 250 mm of heavy rainfall and abnormally high tides along the coast.

He said the cyclone is part of an active monsoon trough which has caused torrential rainfall near the coast of northern Queensland.

Governor-General David Hurley was among the new cases. Hurley confirmed he tested positive in a statement on January 9 night.

On January 7, a 22-year-old man died after his vehicle was submerged in flood waters, and a 14-year-old girl also went missing, after it was believed she was swept away in floodwaters.

Morrison revealed that 5,097 patients were currently hospitalised.

"Tropical cyclones can intensify very quickly, and shift direction, so we will be updating our warnings and advice to the community and our emergency services colleagues as this system progresses."

A police search was underway.

There were reports of general practitioners cancelling vaccination appointments for children on January 10 due to a lack of supply, prompting Vaccine Task Force Commander Lieutenant General John Frewen to call for patience.

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) on January 10 endorsed a new set of national guidelines for close contacts in vital industries.

Under the new rules, close contacts of confirmed cases who work in critical supply chains, emergency services and food processing, production and distribution will be able to continue working as long as they remain asymptomatic.

Australia reports record number of Covid cases for 5th straight day

Retailers hiking rates of Covid test kits to face jail time Canberra, January 8 (IANS): Australian retailers who hike prices of Covid-19 test kits will face prison time and fines under a new law.

The federal government on January 8 listed rapid antigen test (RAT) kits for Covid-19 on Australia's biosecurity determination, making price gouging on the product illegal, reports Xinhua news agency.

In a statement, Health Minister Greg Hunt and Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said exporting RATs from Australia has also been banned "unless a valid exception applies".

"These measures are consistent with those implemented for masks and other personal protective equipment in March

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2020," they said.

"These measures will prevent people who have purchased RAT's at retail settings to on-sell them at extortionate prices, which is assessed at more than 120 percent more than the price for which they were purchased."

Penalties for failing to comply with the new requirements include up to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to A$66,000 ($47,384), or both.

The measures will be in place until at least February 17.

It comes amid ongoing supply shortfalls of RATs around the country, with individual kits being reportedly sold for up to A$50, Australia on January 8 reported more than 100,000 new locally-

acquired Covid cases for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Among the new cases were former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who announced his diagnosis one day after Treasurer Josh Frydenberg confirmed he tested positive.

"Like hundreds of thousands of other Australians I have tested positive for Covid. Symptoms moderate so far. Isolating as required," Turnbull, who served as prime minister between 2015 and 2018, wrote on social media.

"This pandemic and especially this latest wave has put our health professionals under enormous pressure -- please be polite and considerate when dealing with the front-line health workers."

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Canberra, January 7 (IANS): For a fifth consecutive day, Australia on January 7 reported a record number of daily Covid-19 cases amid an unabated resurgence fuelled by the Omicron variant, according to health authorities.

With more than 78,000 Covid cases, the country's overall infection tally increased to 762,458, reports Xinhua news agency.

Six of Australia's eight states and territories reported record numbers of infections on January 7, with Victoria and Western Australia the only exceptions.

New South Wales led all

jurisdictions with a record high of 38,625 cases, while for the first time the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) recorded a fourdigit increase of daily cases.

A total of 1,246 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in the ACT on January 7.

The Northern Territory (NT), which entered a snap lockout on January 6 whereby unvaccinated people are subject to strict lockdown rules, reported 412 new cases on January 7, setting a new record for the third consecutive day.

The country's death toll stood at 2,321.

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Covid vax rollout for kids in Aus starts well: Health official 11 said more than 35,000 children were jabbed on the first day and the government was confident that the rollout would gather momentum ahead of schools returning in late January.

Canberra, January 11 (IANS): Australian authorities welcomed a "fantastic" start to the coronavirus vaccine rollout for children on January 11 as the country is still in a battle against the surging Covid-19 infections.

From January 10, children in Australia aged five to 11 were eligible to get vaccinated against the virus, reports Xinhua news agency.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Michael Kidd on January

"And this is a fantastic start to the five to 11-year-old program, getting those children obviously back to school safely for this year," he told Seven Network television.

Parents have reported issues booking vaccine appointments for their children and doctors cancelling appointments due to supply shortfalls.

"We currently have over 6,000 sites where children can receive the Pfizer paediatric Covid-19 vaccine, which will be increasing to 8,000 sites over the coming few

days," said Kidd.

Australia on January 11 reported over 80,000 new Covid-19 cases and more than 20 deaths, according to the health department figures from states and territories.

"What we are doing is watching very closely to see what's been happening in countries around the world, which have started their Omicron outbreak ahead of when we first saw Omicron in Australia," he said.

The vaccine rollout will open up to children aged between five and 11 years old January 10.

Australia on January 6 reported a new record of more than 70,000 coronavirus cases and 13 deaths, which marks the fourth consecutive day the country has set a new record for infections.

The new figures increased the overall infection tally and death toll to 684,614 and 2,302, respectively.

He said that a record of 222,565 booster vaccines were administered on January 5,

two days after the minimum recommended interval between second and third jabs for the population was reduced from five to four months, reports Xinhua news agency.

"So the booster program is up and running," Morrison told reporters in Canberra.

Morrison on January 5 evening revealed a plan to make rapid antigen tests (RATs) free for pension and welfare recipients amid supply shortfalls as a result of unprecedented demand.

Responding to the announcement, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said it was "too little, too late".

2021 was Australia's coldest year in a decade Canberra, January 6 (IANS): 2021 became Australia's coldest year in almost a decade after the La Nina phenomenon caused wetter and cooler conditions across the country, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said on January 6.

The BoM said that summary and contextual information regarding temperatures, rainfall, and significant weather for the 2021 calendar year shows no large parts of the country were experiencing rainfall deficits and drought conditions throughout the year, reports Xinhua news agency.

For Australia, the mean temperature in 2021 was 0.56 degrees above the 1961 to 1990 climate reference period

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(average).

It has been the 19th warmest year since national records began in 1910, but also the coolest year since 2012.

"2021 was actually almost 0.4 degrees cooler than the average temperature on record from 2011 to 2020," said BoM senior climatologist Simon Grainger.

"It was actually much cooler in 2021 than the last decade."

It has also been the wettest year since 2016, as the rainfall in 2021 was 9 per cent above the average.

"After three years of drought from 2017 to 2019, above-average rainfall last year resulted in a welcome recharge of our water storages but also some significant flooding to eastern Australia," Grainger said.

Australia divided over Darwin Port lease to Chinese firm Landbridge

"If you can't get an appointment there over the coming week, if you look around, there are pharmacies in your local area, the state and territory vaccination clinics are opening up and offering appointments."

Australia sets Covid booster dose record: PM

Canberra, January 6 (IANS): Australia has set a new record for Covid-19 booster vaccines amid successive record days of surging infections across the country, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on January 6.

NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA

The above-average rainfall was observed for many areas in Australian states, causing significant flooding that occurred across eastern Australia, particularly in March, November and December.

Grainger explained the phenomenon was majorly influenced by the impacts of a negative Indian Ocean Dipole, a period of warmer than usual temperatures in the western Indian Ocean, and La Nina, a period of cooling of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

"The cooler and wetter conditions because of that meant we continued our recovery from the really extreme drought we had over the 2017-19 period."

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New Delhi, January 5: A review

by Australia's Department of Defence has not found any national security risk that justifies canceling the 99-year-lease of the Darwin Port to Chinese company Landbridge.

The Australian media reported that Defence Minister Peter Dutton had pushed for a review of the port deal as relations between the two nations deteriorated in the last two years over investigating the 'origins of the coronavirus'. Handing over the Darwin Port to the Chinese company had sounded like a security threat as the port is used by both civilian and naval ships.

The US$367 million lease for 99 years to the Chinese company had been approved by the provincial government of the Northern Territory in 2015.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison told the Australian media that the federal government will intervene only "if there is advice from the Defence Department or our security agencies that change their view about the national security implications of any piece of critical infrastructure".

The lease for the Darwin Port has cleaved opinion in Australia as many believe that the port is strategically important for defence and navy purposes. India Narrative had reported earlier how the port is important not just for Australia but the US also.

The Australian government is still reviewing the matter, though many experts, and also the opposition parties, disagree with the review by the department of defence.

Labor defence spokesperson Brendan O'Connor said that the deal should have never happened.

O'Connor was quoted by the Australian Associated Press as saying: "The Port of Darwin is a critical strategic asset for Australia. Australians know this foreign privatisation deal should never have happened on Mr Morrison's watch - that's just common sense".

The port deal is viewed with suspicion in Australia as the winning company, the Landbridge Group, is owned by billionaire Ye Cheng who is believed to have close ties to the Communist Party of China. Many experts say that Chinese companies cannot say no to the dictates of the Communist party.

Moreover, the Darwin Port which lies to the north of Australia is believed to be strategically important as it lies next to an American military base. The then American president, Barack Obama had criticised Australia over the decision to lease the strategic port to China.

Canberra-based think tank, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute had noted that the Darwin Port is a "crucial strategic asset" that would be strategically valuable in the event China invades Taiwan.

The Darwin Port handles the maritime exercises of Australian forces as well as visits by foreign navies. It also handles military equipment and materials which are used by the Australian military and the US defence forces stationed in Australia.

Increasing trade tensions between Beijing and Canberra have put the Darwin Port deal in the limelight. The Morrison government is in a dilemma as the deal has been signed by the provincial government and now it is up to Morrison to sort it out.

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Disaster assistance extended for flooded Queensland communities eligible costs associated with recovery from ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth will be covered.

Brisbane, January 12( IANS): Additional disaster assistance is being provided to Bundaberg, North Burnett and South Burnett Regional Councils following the recent floods associated with exTropical Cyclone Seth.

The assistance is being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience, Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie said personal hardship assistance was being extended to the community of Dallarnil in North Burnett, which had been hit hard by the major flooding.

“The persistent heavy rainfall brought on by ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth from 7 to 10 January flooded the local Tawah Creek, inundating homes in the township,” Minister McKenzie said.

“This assistance means that eligible residents who have suffered the effects of ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth can now access grants of up to $180 per person, to a maximum of $900 for a family of five or more, as well as grants to safely reconnect essential services.

“Assistance is also being made available through the DRFA to help the Bundaberg, North Burnett and South Burnett local councils cover the cost of cleanup efforts and the repair of essential public infrastructure.

“The effects of this event are still being realised but we will continue to work together with the Queensland Government to extend assistance wherever it is needed.”

Queensland Minister for Fire and Emergency Services Mark Ryan said today’s announcement meant the local governments of Bundaberg, North Burnett and South Burnett can rest assured

“I am pleased to reassure these local councils that they will have help on their road to recovery from this flooding, in the form of Counter Disaster Operations assistance and funding for the Repair of Essential Public Assets,” Minister Ryan said.

“In addition, I am also pleased to extend personal hardship assistance to the hard-hit township of Dallarnil in North Burnett, who will not only access immediate support grants, but also up to $200 towards safety inspections for essential services and up to $4,200 towards repair work to enable these essential services such as electricity, gas, water and sewerage or septic system to be reconnected.

“The Australian and Queensland governments are continuing to work together to support ongoing recovery efforts in the region to ensure all communities hit by these floods have the best support available at this difficult time."

Information on disaster assistance can be found on the Queensland Reconstruction Authority’s website at www.qra. qld.gov.au

2022 school year to start on February 7 Brisbane, January 9: The start of the 2022 school year in Queensland will move from January 24 to February 7 to avoid opening schools during the predicted peak of the Omicron wave and to allow more time for children to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said modelling showed the likely peak of Omicron cases would be in the last week of January and the first week of February.

“This is a common sense move to avoid students heading back to primary or secondary school just as the rapidly rising number of Omicron cases in Queensland hits its peak,” the Premier said.

“As the Chief Health Officer has said, there is no way to completely stop this virus from spreading.

“But we can take steps to protect the community – including our children – as much as possible.

“I know parents are concerned about sending children back to school at a time like this, so I want to assure them that delaying the start of the school year by just two weeks is a sensible solution.

“This is especially important to give more time to vaccinate 5-11 year olds, who only become eligible to be vaccinated tomorrow, Monday 10 January.”

Education Minister Grace Grace said students will not miss out on any essential content due to the delayed start of term, with teachers to review lesson

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plans to deliver the curriculum accordingly.

Ms Grace said schools would still open for vulnerable children and the children of essential workers. Years 11 and 12 students will participate in learning from home from January 31. To ensure other cohorts do not miss out on learning, the end of the school year will be extended for them by one week until 16 December.

“Principals will implement staffing arrangements to ensure only the minimum number of staff are on site, but we will ensure vulnerable children and children of essential workers can still attend,” she said.

“This is the first time most of us in Queensland are experiencing widespread community transmission of COVID-19, and it’s challenging for everyone.

“I have been working closely with my Department and key stakeholders on a number of plans and scenarios for months, but the emergence of the Omicron variant has seen cases rise much more quickly than expected.

“An extensive range of resources and activities will be available to students via our comprehensive learning@home site.

“However, school staff – like the wider workforce – are likely to be significantly impacted by the number of COVID cases, so direct remote learning won’t be offered at this stage other than for years 11 and 12.

“Parents and carers can decide what their children do over these two weeks.

“Staff who are able to work will be carrying out a range of duties, just as they would on other student free days.

“The Department will continue to work closely with key stakeholders and will ensure that our school communities, parents and carers are kept informed.”

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said using the time to get vaccinated was vital.

“January and February are going to be tough months for Queensland, with a significant impact expected on all our workforces – including teachers.

“But the more people who are vaccinated, the smaller the impact on our health service.

“I cannot emphasise enough, getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself against COVID-19.

“Whether it’s your first or second jab, or your booster, do not delay.”

The new term start date of February 7 will apply to all Queensland primary schools, secondary schools, including Catholic and independent, and state delivered and sessional kindies.

Long day care will stay open subject to workforce capacity.

More information can be found here on the Department of Education website.

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NEWS FROM QUEENSLAND

Children aged 5 to 11 become eligible for vaccination Brisbane, January 10: From January 10, children aged five to 11 became eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urged Queenslanders to book in or visit walk-in vaccination clinics throughout the state on January 10.

“The Omicron variant is spreading rapidly in our community but particularly among our young people,” the Premier said.

“If your child is aged five to 11, I encourage you to get them vaccinated as soon as possible.

“It’s up to us to protect our most vulnerable.

“The last thing I want to see are Queensland children sick in hospital with COVID-19.

“Vaccinations remain our best defence. Whether it’s your local GP, pharmacy, vaccination clinic or Aboriginal Health Clinic – please take your child to get vaccinated.”

Health and Ambulance Services Minister Yvette D’Ath said parents should book their children in as soon as possible.

“It’s really critical you take your kids to get their COVID-19 vaccination as soon as you can, so they have a layer of protection before school begins for 2022,”

she said.

“By logging on to the Queensland Government’s website, a parent, carer or guardian is able to easily book a vaccination appointment for their child.

“We’ve already seen an excellent uptake in vaccination bookings from this age group, with more than 26,666 kids in this cohort scheduled to receive their first dose over the next two weeks.”

Ms D’Ath thanked the community in advance for their patience while the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination continued.

“Protecting Queenslanders has been our number one priority,” she said.

“The continued rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination is no small feat, however, with the help of the community, our stakeholders and vaccination partners we have reached 87.8 percent double dose for people aged 16 and older.

“This high double dose percentage figure shows we have consistently been putting jabs into arms.

“I’d also like to remind parents we are in the middle of summer, so it is really important to bring your hat and some water for the family, as well as any activities that might help pass the time for the little ones.”

Non-urgent elective surgeries postponed Brisbane, January 8: Queensland’s public hospitals are postponing all non-urgent elective surgeries until March 1.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the decision to postpone category 3 and some category 2 elective surgery had been made to help ensure the system had sufficient capacity to deal with the expected peak of Omicron cases in coming weeks.

“Throughout the pandemic, our healthcare services have continually adapted to meet demand and deliver life-saving care,” Minister D’Ath said.

“Postponing non-urgent elective surgeries is an unfortunate but necessary step to ensure Queenslanders can continue to access urgent and critical healthcare if and when they need it.

“Our public hospitals will also be looking to either postpone, or deliver by telehealth, all non urgent outpatient appointments, whether new or follow up, for the same period of time to enable our valuable workforce to be redeployed to support critical service delivery.

“Emergency and trauma surgery and category 1 urgent planned surgery will proceed as normal as will critical services like chemotherapy and renal dialysis.

“Our healthcare workers are continuing to work hard to respond to this unprecedented demand on our services.

“We need to do what we can to help our frontline heroes, particularly when, as expected, more and more of our healthcare workers will be away from work due to being infected with COVID-19 or quarantined as a close contact. ”These changes will ensure we still have enough staff available to continue providing essential healthcare to the Queenslanders who need it.”

Minister D’Ath said the decision mirrored the national postponement of routine elective surgery in the early part of the pandemic in 2020, with the same types of surgeries postponed, including for example, hip and knee replacements, cataracts and tonsillectomies.

“We will review the situation at the end of January, to determine if we are in a position to recommence non urgent category 2 and 3 elective surgeries earlier than planned,” she said.

“As part of our long-standing COVID response plan we are working to harness private sector capacity to support our COVID-19 response.

“Options being considered include using private bed capacity for public patients. ”We will continue working with our private hospital partners to finalise these arrangements so they can be implemented over the coming days.”

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Medi-hotels to ease pressure on hospitals Melbourne, January 14: Two medi-hotels will be set up to help care for the growing number of COVID-19 patients needing lower-level care, easing pressure on Victoria’s hospital system.

Hotel quarantine sites are being transformed into medihotels, from Monday providing hospital in the home style care for low acuity patients in a highly controlled environment and with all the amenities of existing health hotels. The medi-hotels will have capacity to provide care for over 300 patients at a time – in partnership with Northern Health and Royal Melbourne Hospital.

The medi-hotels will alleviate pressures on the hospital networks by freeing up beds for patients with higher-care needs, while making good use of existing space in the hotel quarantine network.Patients eligible for transfer will be those well enough to be relocated from a general hospital ward for the final stages of their clinical care.

medical emergencies.

This triaging process will be carefully managed by authorised health professionals from the coordinating hospital.

Transitional care and support will be provided to people in the medi-hotel, with clinical teams available to respond to any

Hotel quarantine for unvaccinated returned overseas travellers and emergency accommodation for community members and frontline workers will continue at separate hotels not being used as medi-hotels.

As with Hospital in the Home, medi-hotel patients will remain under the care of the coordinating hospital and will still be considered an inpatient of that facility.CQV will retain operational management of the hotels and Victoria Police will continue its on-site security function.

COVIDSafe Event Plan for Australian Open updated when eating or drinking, and the event will align with Victoria’s state-wide COVIDSafe settings.

This includes a density limit of one person per two square metres for all indoor hospitality.

Melbourne, January13: The COVIDSafe Event Plan for the 2022 Australian Open will be amended to ensure the health and safety of fans attending Melbourne Park from Monday.

Ticket sales will be paused at 50 per cent of capacity – where a session has not already sold to that level.

All tickets purchased to date remain valid, and no tickets will be cancelled or changed. There will be no changes to ground pass access. Face masks will be mandatory for all patrons, except

Ventilation will be improved in indoor areas of Melbourne Park, with HEPA filters to be installed in some spaces after a ventilation assessment is completed for the venue. As COVID-19 hospitalisations and cases continue to rise in Victoria, these mitigation strategies are proportionate and designed to assist in limiting the spread of COVID-19. The Australian Open is a pillar of the state’s major events calendar and delivers a major boost to Victorian businesses.

The 2020 tournament attracted 812,714 spectators and injected $387.7 million into state’s economy. The Andrews Labor

Government has invested $1 billion into the redevelopment of Melbourne Park, securing the Australian Open in Melbourne until at least 2044.

Ticket holders at the maiden Grand Slam of 2022 will enjoy not only the tennis action on court, but entertainment aplenty including a packed line-up of live music, food and wine from the biggest names in Melbourne’s world-class restaurant scene and family friendly activities.

The Labor Government is also making sure tennis fans get fair-price tickets, with the Major Events Act making it illegal to sell, or advertise for sale, a ticket to a declared event for more than 10 per cent above the face value of the ticket. The 2022 Australian Open commences on Monday, 17 January and wraps up with the Men’s Final on 30 January.

Australia Day 2022 Program launched Melbourne, January 12: Victorians will be able to enjoy a wide range of free, inclusive, accessible events as part of the newly released Australia Day 2022 program.

Family friendly activities and a free public concert featuring some of Australia’s most iconic artists are just a small part of the jam-packed 2022 program – which has been developed to encourage reflection, togetherness and everything that makes our state and country strong.

Victorians will experience a day of family-friendly entertainment

and free food at Fed Square, with Bananas in Pyjamas and Bluey taking the stage, while the Roulettes provide a spectacular flyover and aerial display overhead. A free public concert will bring live music to picnickers at Flagstaff Gardens, featuring Daryl Braithwaite, Pierce Brothers, Darlinghurst and more.

Australia Day is a day for all Australians, no matter where we’ve come from or where our personal stories began. On Australia Day, we recognise First Nations people as the traditional custodians of our land as part of a respectful reflection on

what makes our state and nation special to us.

It’s also an opportunity to show our gratitude to our frontline workers – those who go above and beyond every day to keep our state safe. These Victorians have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to protect our communities, and continue to do so with bravery and compassion.

The Official Flag Raising Ceremony and Australia Day Reception at Government House this year will honour frontline workers, with many in attendance.

New pandemic declaration to support Omicron response Melbourne, January 9: As part of Victoria’s continued response to the global coronavirus pandemic, Premier Danial Andrews has extended the pandemic declaration to apply to the state of Victoria from 11.59pm Wednesday 12 January for three months.

The declaration was made under section 165AE of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008

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after consultation with and consideration of advice from the Minister for Health and Acting Chief Health Officer. In making the declaration the Premier was satisfied on reasonable grounds there was a serious risk to public health throughout Victoria due to the coronavirus disease, including the rapid spread of the Omicron variant leading to significant

case numbers not previously experienced in Victoria.

This risk requires continued public health and other protective measures.In particular, the Acting Chief Health Officer noted Omicron had become the dominant strain, estimated to account for more than 75 per cent of newly diagnosed cases.

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NEWS FROM VICTORIA

A woman and a girl dies following Mill Park double homicide Melbourne, January 14: It’s just the beginning of 2022 and Mill Park-Victoria has lost a 38-yearold Mrs Poonam Sharma and her daughter Vanessa Sharma following an incident at their residence in Mill Park last night.

Emergency services were called to an address in Kellaway Crescent about 7.50pm after reports of a stabbing. On arrival police located a man, woman and a girl with critical injuries.

The 38-year-old woman died at the scene; she was stabbed

multiple times by her husband Prabhal (Raj) Sharma, 40-year-old who was later taken to hospital under police guard in a critical condition.

Vanessa Sharma (6) was also taken to hospital in critical condition where she later died. The eldest daughter Angela Sharma (10) miraculously escaped unharmed in this incident. At this stage detectives believe all parties are known to each other and the matter is being investigated by the Homicide Squad.

Chinook lands in Victoria’s aerial firefighting fleet Melbourne, January 11: The new CH47 Chinook firefighting helicopter, capable of holding 11,000 litres of water, landed last week for Victoria’s high-risk weather season and forms part of a 50-strong fleet which has greater flexibility and firebombing capacity than ever before. It can operate through the hottest part of the day and continue into the night, to give firefighters the best chance to put fires out.

The fleet includes two Large Air Tankers (LAT), one of which is new to Victoria. Minister for Emergency Services Jaclyn Symes joined Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp to inspect the new LAT at Avalon Airport.

The new LAT can travel faster and

require less room for take-off and landing than previous air tankers, making it more accessible to smaller regional airfields and therefore more agile to respond to changing risks across the state.

The new additions ensure a more modern fixed wing and helicopter fleet, with technically advanced systems, critical to supporting our firefighters to keep communities safe.

The Andrews Labor Government has invested $29 million in the 2021-22 fleet, which includes a mix of firebombing aircraft, air supervision and air intelligencegatheringaircraft, with a surge capacity of up to 100 that can support the Victorian core fleet and be called upon when needed.

Boosting local schools, GPs and pharmacies in vax blitz Melbourne, January 11: The Victorian Government is helping local doctors and community pharmacies deliver more doses for kids between 5 and 11 on school grounds as part of the Commonwealth’s coronavirus vaccination program.

Through a new $4 million grants program, the Victorian Government is encouraging GPs and community pharmacists to establish additional minivaccination clinics at schools in areas that need more uptake, due to identified access challenges or increased risk of transmission.

As part of the new Primary Care Vaccinations in Schools program, grants will help local and trusted health professionals deliver vaccinations to students in the familiarity and comfort of their own school environment, outside of school hours.Applicants will nominate the local government areas and number of schools and students they can help vaccinate – then successful applicants will be matched with schools in priority areas.

Successful applicants can receive up to $6,500 to cover staffing, travel and equipment costs and more. An additional $5,000 clinic establishment fee per school is also available, plus additional loadings for specialist schools or

small, rural or regional schools.

In addition, the Victorian Government will roll out 30 pop-up vaccination clinics at primary schools across the state. The pop-ups will be open to all children aged 5 to 11, not just those attending the school hosting the clinic. The pop-up school vaccination sites will be rolled out over the coming weeks, with bookings available soon.

Families are encouraged to make a booking now at one of the many state-run sites currently open for five to 11 doses, or at one of the many local GPs and pharmacists delivering kids vaccines across the state.

Being vaccinated protects children and reduces transmission within families, schools and in the community including those we care most about such as grandparents.

Some 22 priority LGAs have been reached, with 51 grants so far awarded to regional providers.

Among the successful recipients are a general practice in Melbourne’s inner north who estimate they’ll be able to deliver a 200 per cent increase in weekly doses thanks to the grant, and a pharmacy in the City of Knox that can extend service by an extra 10 hours a week and open its doors to walk ups.

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at 1300 859 066

INDIA NEWS

Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13 Mr Jim Varghese addressing the guests

Perth celebrates Chariot Festival of India

COMMUNITY NEWS

Mr Stephen Illidge, Dr Ashutosh Misra and Prof Shaun Star presenting the India Champion Award to Mr Jim Varghese

Dance, marches through Forrest Place with the possibility to also pull the Chariot, Kirtan Meditation, live music performances, Spiritual Books & Gift Shop, Henna Art, Face Painting, and much more were among the various activities at the Perth Festival in 2021.

The event, which offered free admission as well as complimentary food and refreshments to all attendees, drew throngs of individuals with their families and friends.

Ratha-yatra, or the Festival of Chariots, has been held in India’s sacred city of Jagannatha Puri for thousands of years, and more recently in cities around the world, including the streets of London, Paris, Sydney, Tokyo, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York’s renowned Fifth Avenue.

Jagannatha is another name for Krishna, and it refers to the Lord’s ecstatic form with huge eyes and rough features, which

is carried on a massive chariot during the festival and venerated in an old temple in Jagannath Puri’s centre.

Free food distributed in Brisbane Holidays camp for school13

by Seva Dharma Mission children organised in www.indianews.com.au

On December 22, Seva Dharma Mission delivered free food at the Adra Community Centre car lot in Woodridge, Brisbane, providing relief to the underprivileged, disabled, and low-income community members.

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Apples, bananas, zukini, semolina, sweet potato, avocado, and a variety of breads were among the fresh fruits, vegetables, and basic necessities supplied to them.

Anyone interested in volunteering

or contributing should contact Dada at 0422 823 341.

Every second Saturday of the month at 11.45 a.m., the mission serves lunch at Loganlea Community Centre.

Queensland

From the 13th to the 16th of December, the Forest Lake State High School in High St. Forest Lake hosted a school holiday camp.

The head coach for the School Holidays Volleyball Camp 2021 was Steven Burton, a Level 3 coach. Steven has coached Queensland Junior Teams for over 20 years and has twice served as an assistant coach for Australian

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Junior teams.

He’s also the host of Queensland Volleyball’s Coaching and Refereeing courses.

Steven has visited all of Queensland’s current clinics at high schools and elementary schools.

The Volleyball Camp 2021 participants had a great time and gained a lot of valuable skills.

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INDIA NEWS

Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

COMMUNITY NEWS

ICGC holds Retro Night, launches newsletter

I

ndian Community of Gold Coast (ICGC) held a funserving evening for new year celebration with Retro Night on January 8, 2022 at Croatian Sports Centre. The evening was marked with kids magic show, dance performances, live DJ and food catered by The Indian Place Restaurant at Chevron Island, Gold Coast.

During the event, an exciting yet free service for the community was also launched: monthly ICGC Newsletter. The newsletter will carry informative and usable contents for the Indian community, from news to details about upcoming social and sports events to movies, astrology, cooking recipes and much more.

The newsletter will be available at ICGC's website, www.incgc.org. au, and will also be sent to the Indian community database of emails.

Anyone who would like to share anything exciting happening around, event flyers, business promotions, etc, can contact ICGC at 1300970020 or email themt info@incgc.com.au.

Vishwa Hindi Divas celebrated in Springfield

U

nder the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, High Commission of India, Canberra, in association with Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland (FICQ), celebrated the Vishwa Hindi Diwas on January 8 at Vedanta Centre, Springfield, Queensland.

The event, hosted by FICQ President Mr Shyam Das, was organised by the Honorary Consul of India in Queensland, Mrs Archana Singh. Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding was the chief guest.

Among the prominent people who attended the event were Dr Ashutosh Misra, CEO, Institute for Australia India Engagement (IAIE); Ms Sweta Misra, Senior Academic and Student Administrator, University of Queensland; Garima Shekhawat; and Hindi poetess Mrs Madhu Khanna, who also did the oral recitation of her Hindi poems.

With prayers by Swami Atmashanand of the Vedanta Centre, the event started, and the Hindi students of the Vedanta Centre as well as the students from the Bal Seva Kendra of Vishwa Hindu parishad read Hindi poems and shlokas in their sweet voices and mesmerised the audience.

GOPIO Qld elects new President and Executive Committee Also, little Ayeshi recited Vande Matram and historian and academic Prof Sarvadaman Singh, OAM impressed all with his Hindi speech. Josh, a Hindi student from the Vedanta Centre, recounted the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi in Hindi as well as read a Hindi poem.

Drama Bhediya aur Gadaria by Irani, Suyati, Aviyukta and Ishan entertained those present at the hall, and a question and answers session by Sampada impressed all as well.

World Hindi Day or Vishwa Hindi Diwas is celebrated every year on January 10, with an aim to promote the use of the Hindi language worldwide. January 10 marks the first World Hindi Conference that took place in 1975, in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

In 2006, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared January 10 as the World Hindi Day. Another objective of the occasion is to present Hindi as an international language.

G

OPIO Queensland elected their new president Prof.

Prasad KDV Yarlagadda OAM and also finalised their new Executive Committee members for 2022.

The organisation also issued a formal statement thanking their past presidents: "We would also like to thank all our past presidents and trustees of GOPIO QLD, namely Mrs Usha Chandra, Mr. Yousuf Ali Khan, Mr Umesh Chandra OAM, Mrs. Vinita Khushal and our longterm committed members like Mayuresh Lande, Vikas Sinha and others, who attended our AGM last Thursday to show their clear engagement and support to this prestigious organisation."

New Team President: Prof. Prasad KDV Yarlagadda OAM Immediate Past President: Mr. Rakesh Sharma

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Vice President 1: Mr. Sunil Gurram Vice President 2: Mr. Arpit Singh Secretary: Ms Irene Bayldon Asst. Secretary: Mrs. Rani Sharma Treasurer: To be advised Asst. Treasurer: Ms. Sheetal Wakale Public Relation Officer: Dr. Jyoti Sharma Business Council Chair: Mr. Umesh Chandra OAM Women Council Chair: To be advised Youth Council Ambassadors: Mr Sahil Sinha and Mr. Sarthak Sharma Patron: Dr. Mahalingam Sinnathamby AM Women Council's Patron: Lady Mayoress, Mrs. Nina Schrinner

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INDIA NEWS

Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

COMMUNITY NEWS

Special event by Rich virsa Bhangra Academy

R

ich Virsa Bhangra Academy organised a successful event at Aspley State School recently.

The well attended and well organised event corroborated the exemplary work done by the management and the volunteers.

The President of the Indian Council of Australia, Queensland attended the event.

RIC organises Bollywood musical event R hythm India Club (RIC) held a musical event, “A December to Remember” at the Ron Hurley Theatre, Camp Hill on 18th December, 2021. The event, which was attended by the President of the Indian Council of Australia, Queensland, featured live music of 50 years of Bollywood music from the 1970s onwards. Talented singers Chandan Das, Hemant Dua and Tanvi Goel presented an impeccable performance.

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INDIA NEWS

Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

COMMUNITY NEWS

Three-day ‘Kashi Film Festival’ with cultural events and movie screening held in Varanasi Net India

I

ndian Ministry of Information & Broadcasting inaugurated a three-day ‘Kashi Film Festival’ in Varanasi under the Divya Kashi campaign. The festival was launched on 27th December 2021 by UP Tourism Minister Neelkanth Tiwari and Apoorva Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of

Information & Broadcasting at Rudraksh Convention Center.

The opening day of the film festival featured live shows by singer Kailesh Kher, comedian Raju Srivastava and actor Manoj Joshi. The thought-provoking movie “Toilet-Ek Prem Katha” was also screened. A cultural

performance by veteran actress Hema Malini was the most enticing among all the features lined up for the following day while a panel discussion on “Varanasi-Journey from a cultural, mythological and historical heritage to a modern city” and “Music and Songs-

Virasat of Banaras” also proved to be quite enlightening. Bhojpuri film “Humke Disha Mil Gaya” added a regional twist to the special event. On 29th December, the final day of the film festival, another panel discussion on ‘Uttar Pradesh as an important center for film production and

the potential of regional cinema’ was conducted. Performances by singer Ravi Tripathi and actor Ravi Kishan held the audience enthralled while the day as well as the three-day long festival culminated with the airing of the historical movie “Manikarnika”.

he Queensland Multicultural Council (QMC) celebrated the highs and lows of an eventful 2021 with an end of the year dinner at The Golden Palace on

December 9, 2021. The spots were strictly limited for the 10-course sumptuous feast and there were various entertainment programs planned along with the meal.

Lord Ganesha temple in Brisbane marks QMC bid farewell to New Year with sacred food offering 2021 with special dinner T Continued from page 1

The Census shows that the migration of Tamils to the State of Queensland started only very recently. Prior to 1985 there were only a few Tamil families living in the state. Only in 1983 some of the Hindu families felt the need for community worship so monthly congregational prayer meetings were conducted first at homes and then at the SWARA Hall. Since then, regular prayer meetings have been conducted at this hall at Spring Hill.

From the survey it is clear that the worship of Vinayakar in Brisbane was originally started in the form of congregational worship.

As this congregational worship continued to expand, the building of a traditional Hindu temple in Brisbane became a necessity for obvious reasons. As a result a Convening Committee was formed on 25 April 1986 and subsequently this committee registered under the name, 'Hindu Ahlaya Sangam.' The members of the first Management Committee were unanimously elected on 12 October 1986 and the second in March 1998. The subsequent Committees continue to be elected yearly.

The major task for the Management Committees during the period 1987 to 1990 was to raise sufficient funds to purchase a suitable block of land to build the temple. Finally in 1990, the Management Committee succeeded in purchasing 4.5 acres of elevated, virgin bushland at South Maclean, 35 km South of Brisbane. Similar to the locations of the Hindu temples in India, this virgin land in Brisbane is also situated in the midst of areas of natural scenic beauty, in proximity to the Logan River at South Maclean.

An application seeking special consent to build Selva Vinayakar Temple was submitted to the Beaudesert Shire Council in July 1991 and permission was granted through the Planning and Environment Courts, Brisbane in May 1992. At the initial stage the committee started building a centre for Selva Vinayakar and additional shrines for Siva, Vishnu and Navagraha.

The building plans were approved by the council in August 1992 and a plan for the centre began to unfold with the laying of the foundation on 10 June 1993. As the

first stage the Maha Mandapam (main hall) was completed and the major shipment of the deities, shrine doors etc. was received from South India. At the same time stapathies and the three sculptors arrived from South India.

The construction of the shrines commenced on 24 June 1994 and after completion of the Brisbane Selva Vinayakar Kovil the consecration ceremony was held on 5 February 1995. This traditional Kumbabishekam was witnessed by hundreds of devotees and well-wishers from the other states and territories also.

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Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

INDIA NEWS

India, South Korea set $50 billion bilateral trade target before 2030

New Delhi, January 11 (IANS): India and South Korea set a bilateral trade target of $50 billion before 2030, as South Korea's Trade Minister Yeo Han-Koo held talks with Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on January 11.

The two ministers held wideranging discussions covering the whole gamut of bilateral trade and investment-related aspects.

They also agreed to impart fresh momentum to the discussions on the Comprehensive Economic

Cooperation Agreement (CEPA) upgradation negotiations and also promote extensive B2B interactions on trade and investment between industry leaders of the two countries, a Commerce and Industry Ministry statement said.

The two ministers agreed to address difficulties expressed by industry from both sides and instructed their respective negotiating teams to meet on a regular basis in order to conclude the CEPA upgradation negotiations, as soon as possible, in a time-bound manner, building upon support from relevant stakeholders, so as to try to achieve the target of $50 billion before 2030 which was agreed at the summit meeting in 2018.

These regular negotiations

shall be a forum to discuss the difficulties of the business community from both countries and emerging trade-related issues including supply chain resilience. The ministers agreed to boost bilateral trade to achieve growth in a fair and balanced manner to the mutual advantage of both sides.

According to data from South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, bilateral trade in the first half ( JanuaryJune) of 2021 was recorded at $10.97 billion, an increase of 38 per cent compared to the same period of the previous year. South Korea's exports to India increased 38.5 per cent ($7.4 billion), imports increased 37.4 per cent ($3.6 billion), and the trade balance recorded a surplus of $3.8 billion.

New Zealand reports 28 new community cases of Covid Wellington, January 12 (IANS): New Zealand reported 28 new Covid-19 cases in the community on January 12, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country's current community outbreak to 11,210.

Among the new infections, 17 were recorded in the largest city of Auckland, one in nearby Waikato, four in Bay of Plenty, four in the Lakes district, one in Christchurch, and one in South Canterbury, Xinhua news agency reported citing New Zealand's Ministry of Health.

The ministry confirmed two people have succumbed to the virus recently.

A man in his 30s, who died at his

home on January 5, tested positive for Covid post-death. Another man who was in his 60s, died due to Covid on January 9.

A total of 31 cases are being treated in hospitals, including two in intensive care units or high dependency units, a ministry statement said.

The total number of confirmed cases of Covid in New Zealand stands at 14,473 currently, according to the health ministry.

Forty per cent of the eligible population have now received their booster shot, it said, adding boosters are strongly recommended for anyone over the age of 18 who had their second vaccine dose at least four months

ago.

On January 12, the ministry also reported 65 people at the border with Covid-19, reflecting the growing number of Omicron cases globally, the ministry said.

Till date, 196 Omicron cases have been detected at the New Zealand border since December 1, and 11 cases of the Delta variant.

As many as 217 Covid cases, caught at the border, are still undergoing whole genome sequencing. The expectation is that the vast majority will be the Omicron variant, it said.

To date, over 92 per cent of the eligible people in New Zealand are double-dosed or fully vaccinated.

N. Korea claims success in final test-firing of hypersonic missile TOI

Seoul, January 12 (IANS): North Korea said on January 12 that it has successfully conducted the "final" test-firing of a new hypersonic missile a day earlier as its leader Kim Jong-un called for the strengthening of the country's "strategic military muscle both in quality and quantity" during an on-site inspection.

"The superior maneuverability of the hypersonic glide vehicle was more strikingly verified through the final test-fire," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. "The test-fire was aimed at the final verification of overall

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technical specifications of the developed hypersonic weapon system," reported Yonhap News Agency.

The hypersonic glide vehicle demonstrated "glide jump flight", "corkscrew maneuvering" and hit "the set target in waters 1,000 km off," it added with regard to the launch on January 11. It marked the third known test-firing of what the secretive North claims to be a hypersonic missile, with the second one conducted recently.

Kim attended the firing in an activity which Pyongyang usually describes as field guidance. He previously oversaw such a major missile test in March 2020.

A photo released by the country's tightly controlled state media showed Kim's influential sister, Kim Yo-jong, accompanying him.

The North's latest saber-rattling

came as nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang remain stalled since the no-deal Hanoi summit in February 2019.

Kim urged officials in the missile research sector to "bolster the war deterrent of the country with their continued ultra-modern scientific research achievements" and stressed the need to build up "strategic military muscle both in quality and quantity."

Omicron wave to hit unvaccinated in Europe: WHO Regional Director Copenhagen, January 12 (IANS): World Health Organisation (WHO) European Regional Director, Hans Kluge has warned that the Omicron variant could become more prevalent in Europe as the "tidal wave" of infections spreads eastward.

"I am also deeply concerned that as the variant moves east, we have yet to see its full impact in countries where levels of vaccination uptake are lower. We will see more severe disease in the unvaccinated," said Kluge on January 11.

According to him, the Omicron variant, now spreading into the Balkans, is already present in 50 of the 53 countries in the region spanning Europe and Central Asia, Xinhua news agency reported.

"At this rate, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) forecasts that more than 50 per cent of the population in the region will be infected with Omicron in the next 6 to 8 weeks," he added.

Kluge said the hospitalisations were rising due to the unprecedented scale of transmissions in the region.

To better manage the coronavirus's destructive impact on health services, economies and societies, the WHO official called for practical actions, including acting immediately and planning for contingencies, and prioritising response systems during the "closing window of opportunity".

He also emphasised the importance of protecting the vulnerable and "minimising

disruption to health systems and essential services".

The WHO official also urged schools to remain open.

"Keeping schools open benefits children's mental, social and educational well-being significantly. School buildings should be the last to close and the first to reopen," Kluge added.

Additionally, he outlined his five pandemic stabilising mantras: vaccination, third doses or boosters, increased mask use, ventilation of crowded or enclosed spaces and the continued use of new clinical protocols to guide the response to Delta or Omicron.

And the WHO Europe also said it's "way off" from treating the Covid-19 as endemic.

"We're still a way off. Endemicity assumes, first of all, a stable circulation of the virus at predictable levels and potentially known and predictable waves of epidemic transmission," said Catherine Smallwood, Senior Emergency Services Officer at WHO Europe, when asked about opinion on Spain's recent request to the European Union to discuss the possibility of Covid-19 being classified as an endemic illness, similar to the flu or malaria, which is always present in a particular population or region.

"What we're seeing at the moment coming into 2022 is nowhere near that. We still have a virus that's evolving quite quickly and posing quite new challenges, and there's still a lot of unpredictability, " she added.

Uproar in Nepal over Modi's announcement to build road in Lipulekh Kathmandu, January 11 (IANS): A fresh diplomatic spat has brewed between Nepal and India after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent announcement to expand the road across the Lipulekh area which Nepal claims as its own.

Addressing an election rally organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Haldwani in Uttarakhand on December 30, Modi had announced that his government is further widening the road built in the Nepali territory of Lipulekh.

South Korea's military initially downplayed the North's hypersonic missile claims as "exaggeration" but stated later the latest launch demonstrated "improvement" from the previous tests.

Nepal has already protested the Indian government's ongoing construction of roads in Lipulekh and Kalapani areas. Nepal had protested on May 8, 2020, when Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had virtually inaugurated the newly-constructed road in Lipulekh.

The White House also condemned North Korea's latest launch and urged the North to engage in dialogue.

Following strong protests and criticisms within Nepal over the expansion of roads by India, the government of Nepal had issued

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new maps covering the areas including Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani.

Immediately after that, Nepal tried to hold bilateral talks to amicably resolve the issue of the territory 'encroached' by India, but New Delhi did not show any interest in it. Until now, there has been no formal discussion on the topic.

Nepal and India have been indulging in boundary row after India unveiled its new political map in November, 2019. Nepal protested India's decision to incorporate the disputed areas in its territory. In response, the then K.P. Sharma Oli government in Nepal unveiled a new political map incorporating Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura.

Though both sides have vowed to settle the boundary dispute through diplomatic and political talks and channels, no concrete bilateral negotiations have taken place yet.

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INDIA NEWS

Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

Stalin urges Tamil diaspora to overlook divisions, invites them to TN Chennai, Jan 12: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday called for unity among the global Tamil diaspora and urged them to overlook all the divisions among them. He said the Tamil diaspora should consider the Tamil Nadu government as their own government.

Stalin was addressing the Tamil diaspora during the World Tamil Diaspora Day celebrations organised by the Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils and Rehabilitation Department on Wednesday.

Many eminent Tamils from around the world, including Dr Rajan Natarajan, Commissioner, Mary Land Transportation Commission and former Deputy Secretary of State, U.S., were thanked by Mr Stalin for their good work. Dr Natarajan spoke on the Tamil diaspora’s contribution in business and trade as well as touched on the farmer’s issues and supported them.

In his address, the Chief Minister invited the diaspora to visit Tamil Nadu with their children and show them the rich Tamil cultural heritage that has been in existence for the past 3,000 years.

“Many of you may not have voting right in Tamil Nadu, but you have the right to call this government your own government. This was why I had made several announcements in September last

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin (Credit - M K Stalin Twitter)

year for the welfare of the Tamil diaspora,” the Chief Minister said in his address.

Stalin called upon the diaspora not to abandon Tamil Nadu and to be rooted in Tamil culture and legacy.

He also called upon the diaspora not to have divisions with other Tamil people and to live united as brothers and sisters in foreign countries and to make maximum use of the situation prevailing in those countries for academic and industrial growth.

Citing the rich heritage of Keeladi and Adichannalur, Stalin said that these are glowing examples of the existence of a rich Tamil culture even 3,000 years ago. He said that people from Tamil Nadu are spread in several countries across the globe.

He said the late Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi, wanted to set up a welfare board for non-resident Tamils as

Dr Rajan Natarajan

early as in March 2011, but the government that had succeeded the Karunanidhi government did not pursue the issue further.

Stalin said that within five months of coming to power, he had announced the setting up of the board in the state Assembly.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister also said that the state government is implementing schemes worth Rs 317 crore for the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamils

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INDIA NEWS

Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

WORLD THIS WEEK Contributed by the National Institute for Advanced Studies, Bengaluru

Compiled by Keerthana Nambiar, D. Suba Chandran, Avishka Ashok and Ashwin Dhanabalan

North Korea: Pyongyang tests its second hypersonic missile

TRT World

posture and strategic planning.

In a broader aperture, South Korea walks on a tightrope and questions the sustainability of South Korea's strategic ambiguity.

The US: Remembering 6 January

What happened?

On 6 January, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the state media, reported North Korea testing of the second 'hypersonic missile' on 5 January. The KCNA stated: "The successive successes in the test launches in the hypersonic missile sector have strategic significance in that they hasten a task for modernizing the strategic armed force of the state."

It read: "The missile made a 120 kilometres lateral movement in the flight distance of the hypersonic gliding warhead from the initial launch azimuth to the target azimuth and precisely hit a set target 700 kilometres away."

KCNA confirmed the details of the test such as the ability of operation in the winter season and flight control. In addition, the missile demonstrated its ability to combine "multi-step glide jump flight and strong lateral manoeuvring."

On 5 January, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said: "Since last year, North Korea has repeatedly launched missiles, which is very regrettable." South Korea's National Security Council convened an emergency meeting addressing the concern on the launch.

What does this mean?

First, Pyongyang's lack of interest in rejoining denuclearization talks. For a country that is struggling with food shortages and economic crisis, North Korea shows no signs of resurrecting the long-stalled talks with the US. Despite the UNSC resolutions banning nuclear missile tests, Pyongyang continues to develop and test weapons.

North Korea wishes to deliver a clear message to the US that the regime will not succumb to the idea of reunification of the Korean peninsula and allow US intervention like in Iraq and Libya.

Second, the North Korean upper hand. Pyongyang has been pushing for the development of nuclear weapons with ICBMs as its priority. The North here gains supremacy over South Korea, paralyzing Seoul's defense

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What happened?

On 6 January 2022, observing the first anniversary of the attack on the US Capitol Hill, President Biden said: "To state the obvious, one year ago today, in this sacred place, democracy was attacked simply attacked. The will of the people was under assault. The Constitution - our Constitution - faced the gravest of threats.

Outnumbered and in the face of a brutal attack, the Capitol Police, the DC Metropolitan Police Department, the National Guard and other brave law enforcement officials saved the rule of law. Our democracy held. We the people endured. And we the people prevailed. For the first time in our history, a president had not just lost an election, he tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol."

On the same day, the Wall Street Journal, in its editorial, took a less alarmist, and positive note: "One lesson is that on all the available evidence 6 January was not an "insurrection," in any meaningful sense of that word. It was not an attempted coup. America's democratic institutions held up under pressure. They also held in the states in which GOP officials and legislators certified electoral votes despite Mr. Trump's complaints. And they held in the courts as judges rejected claims of election theft that lacked enough evidence. Democrats grudgingly admit these facts but say it was a close run thing. It wasn't. It was a near-unanimous decision against Mr. Trump's electoral claims."

Earlier, on 4 January, Trump cancelled his proposed speech on 6 January. According to a news report, he said: "In light of the total bias and dishonesty of the 6 January Unselect Committee of Democrats, two failed Republicans, and the Fake News Media, I am cancelling the January 6th Press Conference."

democrats would want to fix Trump and his supporters for what had happened that day, it would remain a tough task to do it legally. Biden instead has to look at addressing the larger fallouts and implications of 6 January to American democracy instead of trying to fix Trump.

The second one is less likely to result in the first. His speech on 6 January 2022 is an attempt to fix Trump, rather than a road map to address the issues at hand.

Equally important are questions over racial inequality, women's rights, economic recovery, and pandemic fallouts. The decline in American democracy has global implications.

ALSO IN NEWS

Japan and Australia sign Reciprocal Access Agreement

On 6 January, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met at a virtual summit and concurred to sign the Reciprocal Access Agreement. The two countries will strengthen their defence and security cooperation through the agreement. Prime Minister Kishida was scheduled to visit the US and Australia but cancelled the trips after a sudden surge in coronavirus cases. The agreements signed with Australia further enhance the cooperation between the countries to counter the influence of China in the region.

Japan: Foreign and Defence Ministers meet with the US on the Indo-Pacific On 7 January, the Foreign Ministers and Defence Ministers of Japan and the US issued a joint statement and voiced their concerns regarding China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Both countries pledged to cooperate and fight against China in the future. The statement reiterated their commitment to work together and respond to any destabilizing activities undertaken

by China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin responded: "We deplore and firmly oppose the gross interference in China's internal affairs by the US, Japan and Australia and the fabrication of false information to smear China and undermine the solidarity and mutual trust of countries in the region."

Australia: Canberra cancelled Djokovic's visa for vaccine exemption Hindustan Times

On 6 January, the world's number one Tennis player Novak Djokovic had his visa revoked when he arrived in Melbourne to play in the Australian Open.

Tournament organizers said he had been granted a medical exemption by medical panels of the organizing body of Tennis Australia. However, the Australian border force said: "Non-citizens who do not hold a valid visa on entry or who have had their visa canceled will be detained and removed from Australia." The decision received a backlash from Serbia as president Aleksandar Vucic said Djokovic was a victim of "harassment."

Vietnam: Indian Defence Minister to discuss the sale of Brahmos On 2 January, the Economic Times reported that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh would be visiting Vietnam in the coming days to celebrate the golden jubilee of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The top leaders of the two countries will discuss major military deals, including the sale of the Brahmos missile jointly produced by India and Russia.

The meeting between Singh and the Vietnamese delegation will be discussing defence exports, joint collaboration, training and maintenance of defence equipment.

India: China renames 15 territories in Arunachal Pradesh

On 6 January, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi referred to China's action of renaming numerous locations in the Indian territory of Arunachal Pradesh and called it a "ridiculous exercise." He said: "Calling Tuting and "DouDeng" or River Siyom as "XiYueMu" or even Kibithu as "Daba" does not alter the fact that Arunachal Pradesh has always been and will always remain an inalienable part of India." The Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian also reacted to the statement by Bagchi and said: "For standardized management of the area, the competent authorities in China in accordance with relevant regulations have published the names for the relevant area.

These are matters that are within China's sovereignty."

Afghanistan: Pakistani Foreign Minister pledges to resolve Durand Line issue via diplomatic channel On 4 January, the Taliban government in Afghanistan announced that the Durand Line issues would be handled through the diplomatic channel. On 3 January, the Pakistani Foreign Minister had also confirmed a

What does it mean?

First, there is less likely to be "justice" to what had happened on 6 January 2021. Though the

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WORLD THIS WEEK similar stance on the issue and said: "Afghanistan is our brotherly and friendly country. Some quarters want to unnecessarily raise this issue, which is not in Pakistan's interest." The Taliban deputy spokesperson also commented on the issue and said: "We don't want our relations to be strained with neighbouring countries over such small issues.

We will work together to prevent such incidents in the future."

Iran: Trump must face justice for the killing of Soleimani On 3 January, Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said that the former US President Donald Trump should face justice for his role in the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani. Raisi urged the formation of a 'fair court' that would take action against Trump or else he said: "don't doubt, and I tell this to all American statesmen, that the hand of revenge will come out of the ummah's [nation's] sleeve." Iran also called upon the UN General Assembly and the Security Council to take action against the US and Israel for their involvement in the killing of Iran's top General.

France: Google and Facebook fined in France for over tracking cookies On 6 January, France's data privacy watchdog, the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL) fined Google and Facebook. This is because they made it difficult for users to refuse cookies that tracked their activity. Both the giants were fined a combined sum of EUR 210 million. CNIL's head of data protection and sanctions said: "Rejecting cookies should be as easy as accepting them."

France had given three months to companies to comply with the country's orders and had warned them to face a penalty of EUR 100,000 for every day delayed.

P5 countries pledge to prevent nuclear war On 3 January, China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US pledged to prevent nuclear war and said: "We strongly believe that the further spread of such weapons must be prevented."

They also mentioned that a nuclear war "cannot be won and must never be fought."

The statements resonated with Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev's ideas when a nuclear arms race was at its zenith. The five countries also affirmed that "nuclear weapons — for as long as they continue to exist — should serve defensive purposes, deter aggression, and prevent war."

About the Authors Keerthana Nambiar is a Postgraduate scholar at the University of Mysore. D Suba Chandran is Dean and Professor in the School of Conflict and Security Studies at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS). Avishka Ashok and Ashwin Dhanabalan are Research Associates at NIAS.

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Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

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INDIA NEWS

Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

EDITORIAL

From the editor's desk India's security scenario has some worrying new Novak’s deportation is dimensions extraordinary, but so is the time we live in

N

ovak Djokovic has made world headlines this time in Australia in a different type of court.

The world no.1 tennis player Novak Djokovic landed in Australia on 6 January to find that the visa based on the medical exemption granted by the Independent Medical Exemption Review Panel appointed by the Victorian government, has been revoked by the Australian Border Force.

Australian Open Chief Craig Tiley shared that over 26 players and support staff had asked for medical exemption on various grounds, out of which only few were granted. Indian rising tennis player Aman Dhaiya was one of the unlucky ones, despite arguing with the Australian authorities that being 17 years old, he was not allowed to have vaccination, as the Indian government had approved vaccines for the 15-18 years old only on January 3, leaving little time for Dahiya to be vaccinated.Naturally, Dahiya was questioning exemption being granted to Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic’s controversy triggered a massive backlash from his fans both back home and in Australia, leading to a police action in Melbourne. From the angry Serbian President to the world no.1’s parents, the brickbats have unrelenting on Australia.

Djokovic’s lawyers filed an appeal in the Federal Circuit Court where Judge Anthony Kelly ruled on 10 January against Djokovic’s visa cancellation and ordered his release from Immigration detention, saying, “the government had conceded Border Force’s decision to interview Mr Djokovic and subsequently cancel his visa was unreasonable in the circumstances”.

His lawyers had argued that because he had contracted Covid on December 16, and so he was not eligible for vaccination for 6 months, and hence, the exemption from Tennis Australia and Department of Home Affairs was granted. It is a different matter that Djokovic is against vaccination in principle.

Seeing the adverse publicity and backlash, that too in an election year, in which the federal government had its own set of fumbling to cover over the vaccine roll out, return of Australian citizens and students stranded overseas, and shortage of Rapid Antigen Tests, Prime Minister Scott Morrisson intervened for some damage control saying that the matter was being carefully reviewed

by Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, Alex Hawke.

On 14th January, after much

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By D.C. Pathak

speculation, Alex Hawke revoked his visa for the second time under Section 133C(3) of the Migration Act in “public interest”, and to prevent a “civil unrest” by the “talisman of anti-vaccination sentiment”. PM Morrisson said the Djokovic’s visa has been revoked ‘in the public interest’ and since the Australians have made ‘many sacrifices’ during the pandemic their interests and safety needed to be protected.

PM’s stand has apparently stuck the right chords amongst the larger Australian community. In the past 12 months thousands of Australians and businesses have suffered unfathomable hardship and pain due to “heartless” border closures and restrictions, strict isolation and quarantine regulations, and vaccination requirement. Families have been separated, and many have been unable to bid goodbyes to their near and dear ones due to border restrictions, despite being fully vaccinated. Children have been separated with mothers, and Australian citizens have been stranded overseas unable to return for months. This exemption flew in the face of them all.

Djokovic’s lawyers challenged the Minister’s decision in the full Federal Court where Chief Justice James Allsop announced the court’s unanimous decision of dismissing the world no.1’s application, with costs to be paid borne by him.

“It sends an appalling message to millions seeking to reduce #COVID19Aus risk to themselves & others. #Vaccination shows respect, Novak,” tweeted Stephen Parnis, a former vice-president of the Australian Medical Association. “I don’t care how good a tennis player he is. If he’s refusing to get vaccinated, he shouldn’t be allowed in,” he tweeted Even the Indian and English cricketers have been subjected to strictest of quarantine and Covid regulations, and therefore, granting exemption to Novak was definitely making a mockery of all those who made the “sacrifices” and went through a lot of pain to abide by the Covid rules and regulations, and do their bit to entertain in a safe manner.

Sport now days is not just a sport, but is closely linked with the well-being of thousands who congregate to watch it.The pandemic does not discriminate, and so shouldn’t we!

That he has been deported is not the key issue, but that he was allowed to enter in the first place, is. Novak’s double visa revocation and deportation is extraordinary indeed, but so is the time in which we all live.

I

ntelligence being the anchor of security, two fundamentals of national security provide the reasons for a periodical examination of whether the Intelligence infrastructure and its methodology were in need of an upgrade and expansion.

First is the reality that the threat perspectives were never static since geo- politics could alter and new adversarial fronts shape up. The second is the principle that says 'Security is a matter of degree' implying that it should never be presumed to be perfect and should be constantly improved.

Our Intelligence agencies have performed very well with their existing resources and outreach but they might need a further backing, technological advance and new levels of coordination to measure up to the emerging challenges. Some of the new features of the contemporary security environs can be easily identified.

There is a shift from open warfare to 'covert' offensives in the postCold War world and nearer home use of terrorism by Pakistan as an instrument of 'asymmetric war' against India in Kashmir and elsewhere has necessitated induction of the armed forces in security operations on our own soil. This has pushed civil- military cooperation to an entirely new level, called for close functional rapport between DIA and civilian Intelligence set-up and made it vital for the Army to train for adherence to Intelligence-based operations for minimising collateral damage.

AFSPA may still be needed in the situation that was developing, but would require strict compliance in accordance with the spirit of law so as to avoid any charge of heavy handedness against the Army. Its operations fall under the umbrella of 'aid to civil authority'. The Army has generally performed its duties in difficult areas, quite well.

Another prime threat to national security is the exposure to Cyber attacks of the adversary carried out by way of hacking of vital systems -- this is a new dimension of 'proxy war'. Cyber defence has an intrinsic challenge because the breach was detected only after the attack had occurred and mitigation therefore had to be prompt and effective. Civil military cooperation on research and Intelligence production in the sphere of cyber security has to be built on solid foundations. The 'jointness' of Defence forces being established by the CDS should help in evolving shared protocols for Intelligence agencies, NTRO and DIA under the auspices of NSCS. It is necessary to focus on prevention of cyber attacks -however difficult it might be.

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Also, it is now well known that social media has become the new instrument of combat and wherever it is used in a planned way to influence public opinion through a 'covert' operation, Intelligence will be required to get into its roots and identify the adversary behind the scene operating from within the country or outside. There are laws against the misuse of social media but Intelligence is now needed about the elements and forces who could be directing an 'information warfare' using this medium for false propaganda, fake news and 'radicalisation'.

A new phenomenon -- going beyond the problem of NGOs with a hidden agenda -- is the advent of sponsored civil society forums and tinted writings designed to turn public opinion against a democratically elected dispensation. They sometimes acted in concert with the antiIndia lobbies at home and abroad that played up vague issues like 'majoritarianism', 'authoritarianism' and 'minority' rights to destabilise a constitutional set up.

Intellectualism could even become the new tool of politics by proxy. This facet of civil society activity adversely impacting on the national security belonged to the deeper layers of 'unconventional war' in which even an open challenge to national integrity and sovereignty and ridiculing of the idea of paying respect to national flag and national anthem, were sought to be legitimised in the name of freedom of expression and democratic right. This is what NSA Ajit Doval warned against while addressing the IPS Probationers at Hyderabad recently. All of this however, does not detract from the fact that a large number of NGOs in this country are engaged in purposeful social and philanthropic endeavours to the benefit of India as a nation.

Last but not the least, a potent strategic threat to national security of India now is attributable to the SinoPak military alliance -- an axis of a Marxist state and a fundamentalist regime -- that rests on a huge 'give and take' made by the two adversaries of India at the cost of the latter.

These two hostile neighbours have a certain capability of

Another prime threat to national security is the exposure to Cyber attacks of the adversary carried out by way of hacking of vital systems

playing mischief on India's domestic front and are expectedly acting together even more closely following the scrapping of Article 370 relating to Jammu and Kashmir, by the Indian Parliament. The anti- India lobbies have also become active in this period encouraged to an extent by the leaders of the valley-based parties who always interpolated Pakistan in the equation between the citizens of Jammu & Kashmir and the Centre -- they never said a word about the terrorist violence instigated by that country from across the PoK using faith-based motivation to recruit terrorists. The policy of 'terror and talks don't go together' has been appreciated by the world outside. In the fitness of things Centre should initiate measures to deter those who promoted proPak separatism in Kashmir.

Apart from an examination of the needs of individual Intelligence agencies for organisational expansion and added resources, the matters of coordination -- in both operational and long term endeavours -- within the entirety of national security set up covering civil, military and technological segments, may have to be given special attention.

Moreover, the internal security front has made the police an important first responder in many situations and the collaboration between the Central security agencies and the State Police has therefore acquired a new-found importance.

As threats to security like terrorism translate closer to the ground, the role of state and even District Intelligence has come into sharp focus. The recent DGPs conference demonstrated how the Centre- State cooperation in the sphere of Intelligence for national security could be kept above party politics. The Prime Minister's call for establishing a National Technology Mission for Policing under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister, paves the way for advancing in this direction. Comprehensive arrangements for Centre- State coordination can be evolved for serving the national objectives considering the fact that Police responsibility now goes beyond maintenance of law and order to include active participation in the safeguarding of Internal Security. Also, an important point for national security is to ensure that our Intelligence agencies attract the best of available talent from within and outside of the government.

(The writer is a former Director of Intelligence Bureau)

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Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

MAKE IN INDIA

MAKE IN INDIA

As world economies restart their engines in a bid to regain lost ground due to the Covid-19 pandemic, India too shows signs of economic buoyancy and promise. India’s Make in India initiative holds a key to the global economic revival, something that should interest Australian government ministries, corporate sector, entrepreneurs, institutions seeking R&D collaborations and Australia Inc in general, among others.

India assumes greater importance as several major world economies including American, Japanese, German, British and South Korean look to move out and diversify their businesses from China. India has jumped to 63rd rank in the World Bank’s Ease of Development 2020 report, and has also been ranked as the 9th largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment destinations in 2019 by the World Investment Report 2020 of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Innovation Led Indian Economy

By Kanika Verma and Bhakti Jain, Strategic Investment Research Unit (SIRU)

I

ndia's vision of becoming a $ 5 trillion economy is complexly connected with an innovation-oriented approach to economic expansion. While most governments are looking inward, in the current Covid-19 crisis-hit world, India is utilising this opportunity to create its innovative capacities to fulfil future international demands by delivering a spectrum of new approaches, services, and products.

India has climbed two places and has been ranked 46th by the World Intellectual Property Organization in the Global Innovation Index 2021 rankings.

India has been on a rising course over the past several years in the Global Innovation Index (GII) from a rank of 81 in 2015 to 46 in 2021.

Innovation is a vital driver of economic advancement that helps customers, industries, and the economy in its entirety.

In financial terms, innovation defines the development and application of visions and technologies that enhance goods and services or make their production more efficient.

India is moving towards an innovation-led economy, because inventions bring new concepts and technologies, and produce more important outputs with the same input. This results in better-made goods and services, boosting earnings and business profitability.

India fosters innovation by executing structural standards such as improved spending on research and development,

funding in education, and facilitating entrepreneurs to initiate an enterprise more efficiently and for failed businesses to retire the market more quickly. It is also carrying its intricacy to its benefit by utilising the extensive and heterogeneous user segments in India that are keen on exploring new solutions to their unmet needs. The combination of strong capabilities and mature varieties makes India a productive innovation base.

India is comprehensively prepared to steer in a new age of creation and expansion in the current scenario. Compelled by 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make in India' endeavours, there is a solid stimulation to empower the regional manufacturing sectors that would, in turn, contribute to the production of innovative products at economical rates.

Along with improving the production scale, India has also strived to enhance its study capabilities by introducing new Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy 2020. These efforts play a critical part in promoting the country's innovative power.

The government's Atal Innovation Mission, DST-NIDHI's PRAYAS, Digital India and Startup India have also uplifted the entrepreneurial spirit. These initiatives have facilitated access to the essential resources to harness the youthful vibrancy of the country. The current innovation ecosystem has been made a part of India's policy plan to expand, bolster and drive a positive impact.

The past decade has seen numerous Indian harboured brands (startups or otherwise)

tapping into the global market with their product and service.

Whether it's a premium skincare brand like Forest Essentials or an affordable brand like Lenskart, this approach is still impeccable.

They create an ingenious solution to an existing void and ensure that they craft high-quality products and services. Service brands like Ola and Zomato are positively expanding their offerings across nations after having perfected their product through numerous rotations of iteration with user segments in India. Indian creators are creating services and products designed to provide an increase in complex capabilities related to technological constraints, user segmentation, and competitive prices. This allows for the advantageous transfer of innovations to different markets with parallel potential demands.

India is an invention creator among emerging countries, and it demonstrates its innovation leadership in other developing countries in a unique way.

As India steers into an undetermined future where the global economy is still staggering from the pandemic, innovation harbours the key to transitioning any developing economy toward the developed class. India has the potential and ability to be such a country that alters its economic originality by leaning on innovation.

Paper and Packaging

Packaging is among the high growth industries in India and developing @ 25% per annum

By Shruti Chandra

T

he fastest growing packaging segments are laminates and flexible packaging, especially PET and woven sacks.

India’s paper and paperboards market to grow at 6-7% pa. The per capita consumption of paper in India is 15 kgs.

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India is the export market leader in packaging materials sub-segments such as Biaxially-oriented Polyethylene Terephthalate (BOPET) and Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container (FIBC) film.

The India Packaging Market was valued at $50.5 bn in 2019, and it is expected to reach $204.81 bn by

2025, registering a CAGR of 26.7% during the period of 2020-2025.

Major export markets for Indian production of PE bags is US (~50% share of all exports), UK and all Western European countries 100% FDI is permitted under the automatic route in Paper & Packaging industries in India.

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Digitisation of Indian Railways

By Bhakti Jain and Karishma Sharma, Strategic Investment Research Unit (SIRU)

I

ndian Railways has the fourthlargest rail grid globally, after only the US, Russia, and China.

The railway sector of India has 123,542 km of total tracks over a 67,415 km route and approximately 7,300 stations. In the fiscal year ending March 2020, Indian railways took 8.1 billion passengers and hauled 1.23 billion tonnes of freight in FY2020-21.

Indian Railways is the single largest employer in India and the eighth-most extensive globally, employing nearly 1.3 million people.

Developing an innovative environment and user-friendly mobility system is among the main priorities for worldwide transportation expansion. Rail transport is acknowledged as an integral component of this process. Meanwhile, a revolutionary advancement in the business environment stimulated by the ICT technologies demands the existing business prototypes and strategies adopted by rail operators to be brought up to date. A comprehensive understanding of digital transformation is essential in developing rail transport in the contemporary economy.

Digitalisation, as a continuous cycle of convergence of the physical and virtual worlds, is tied towards cyber-physical systems and is accountable for the creation and transformation in numerous sectors of the economy. The leading technologies and solutions that have accelerated digital transformation in the railway sector are the internet of things, cloud computing, extensive data analytics, and mechanisation and robotics.

The transformation to the current necessities of the digital economy is visibly characterised by the emergence of the notion of industry 4.0 as well as lately, Railway 4.0 and digital railway. The fundamental areas determined by the Indian railways for digital transformation include a partnership with technology and logistics partners for technological advancements, passenger-friendly applications, application integration for a cooperative Indian railways platform, freight consumer convenience, data analytics, cashless commerce, dashboards and alerts, mobile applications.

The Indian Railways has adopted digitalization in all aspects of

its functions: passenger data systems, passenger car factory mechanization, predictive maintenance, train signals, ground control systems, procurement, and unreserved ticketing methods.

Real-Time Train Information System (RTIS) associated with ISRO is being enforced by the Indian railways for computerised chart preparation and passenger train data. 2700 electric locomotives have been supplied with 3800 diesel locomotives provided with RAMLOT; thereby, automated management charting for 6500 locomotives is being carried out. In a year, a balance of 6000 electric locomotives is to be supplied with RTIS equipment.

Through Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) terminals, automated unreserved tickets are made available to passengers at rest stations. This is done through the nearest node station.

By enforcing the Modern Train Control system with Long Term Evolution (LTE) based Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC) system, Indian Railways is revamping its signal system.

The railway implemented Industry 4.0 in modern passenger car factories to increase productivity. Indian railways have also employed drone-mounted cameras and 3D scanning of river beds in 2019 to examine bridges and are designing to utilise drones for rail maintenance in the future.

Indian railways have achieved the end-to-end digitisation of procurement procedures. All the processes from the processing of requests, generation on-demand, publication of tenders, tender finalisation, preparation, and the issue of letter of approval, agreements, and changes, an assessment of material by RITES, specialised evaluation of proposals, accountability of supplies, online receipt, and processing of dealer’s accounts, issue of material to consignees are digital. All this is beneficial to purchasing.

The Indian Railways has continuously improved its methods and methods by deploying advanced technologies and mechanisms that comply with global benchmarks and regulations. Its long-term goal is to improve functional implementation and consumer satisfaction.

SOURCE: Invest India, National Investment Promotion & Facilitation Agency, Government of India

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INDIA NEWS

Punjab leads in 532.86 LMT paddy procured in KMS 2021-22

New Delhi, January 10 (IANS): Over 532.86 LMT (lakh metric tons) of paddy has been procured in Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2021-22 in 22 procuring states/ UTs up to January 9 with about 64 lakh farmers benefited with Minimum Support Price (MSP) worth over Rs 1 lakh crore.

The highest quantity has been procured from Punjab (1,86,85,53 MT) followed by Chhattisgarh (67,65,986 MT) and Telangana (65,54,739 MT) while the highest number of farmers who benefited are Chhattisgarh (16,90,459), Telangana (9,67,134) and Punjab (9,24,299).

The paddy procurement is progressing smoothly in KMS 2021-22 at MSP as was done in the

previous years in Chandigarh, Gujarat, Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Rajasthan, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, NEF (Tripura), Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, a release from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said.

About 64.07 lakh farmers have been benefited with the MSP value of Rs 1,04,441.45 crore for KMS 2021-22 up to January 9 (as on January 10).

Quantity wise, the top 10 states are Punjab (1,86,85,532 MT), Chhattisgarh (67,65,986 MT),

Telangana (65,54,739 MT), Haryana (55,30,596 MT), Uttar Pradesh ( 46,50,290 MT), Madhya Pradesh (31,84,827 MT), Odisha (17,29,048 MT), Andhra Pradesh (15,31,087 MT), Bihar (13,87,525 MT), and Uttarakhand (11,56,066 MT).

For the same season, the states from where more than 1 lakh farmers have benefited with MSP procurement are Chhattisgarh (16,90,459), Telangana (9,67,134), Punjab (9,24,299), Uttar Pradesh (6,56,162), Madhya Pradesh (4,67,771, Odisha (3,35,678), Haryana (3,10,083), Andhra Pradesh (2,14,729), Bihar (1,81,612), Maharashtra (1,88,643), West Bengal (1,86,696) and Tamil Nadu (1,01,218).

User-friendly durable Braille maps soon for visually impaired students New Delhi, January 10 (IANS): Visually challenged students from all over India will soon have the access to Braille Maps designed and developed using Digital Embossing Technology, enabling them the ease to use these maps that are user friendly, better feeling, and durable in terms of quality.

The digital embossing technology is a technology which eliminates the need for printing plates, moulds, chemicals, and solvents, emitting no pollutants or waste and reduces overall energy usage.

This innovative technology has been introduced, designed, and implemented for the first time in India by National Atlas & Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO) functioning as the attached office of the Department of Science & Technology.

The maps produced using this technology are not only useful for high-speed production of the maps but can also produce Braille Maps that can be used by more people for years together. "It has been experienced that the maps produced with earlier technology have lost their readability and feeling experience within a very short span of time. Feedback from experts and students

of the Braille community has encouraged and motivated us to prepare the low-cost state-of-art product in terms of reduction of volume of the atlas, enhancement of the readability features, ease of carrying the maps and atlas etc.," NATMO said.

NATMO started the journey in the year 1997, however, it has become popularised with the publication of Braille Atlas for Visually Impaired (India), edition 2017 in English Braille Script which received a huge response from the visually impaired community, a release from the Department of Science & Technology under the Ministry of Science & Technology said on January 10.

In continuation, NATMO received unexpected and overwhelming demands for Braille Atlases from different corners and it has been recognized that NATMO is the pioneer organisation in this domain. This has encouraged NATMO to prepare Braille Atlases in Hindi and other regional languages. Also, this organisation has started preparation for Braille Atlases of different states of India in consultation with experts and organisations.

With encouragement and support

from the Department of Science & Technology, NATMO has developed a Braille Unit with state-of-art cutting edge solutions such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and spot UV coating methods for Digital Embossing Solution.

The complete process undergoes different stages with end-to-end solutions in digital platforms.

Braille Atlas of India were distributed in 323 schools of India as a proof of concept (PoC).

The unique Braille Solution Unit will be launched soon with the expectation to fulfill the demands of the larger community at panIndia level.

"Primarily thematic maps are prepared on digital platforms using GIS technology. The hard copy products are then laminated with soft sheets. The soft laminated maps are placed onto the embossing digital devices with perfect registration for spot UV coating. Soft copy maps are masked in the area of interest for embossing. AI technology is used for 3D embossing to get the final Braille Maps. Complete map sets are bound spirally for the easy use of the visually impaired students," the release said explaining the process.

India Inc's EBITDA margin to get impacted in Q3FY22: Crisil Mumbai, January 11 (IANS): India Inc's profitability margin will likely drop during Q3FY22 on a year-on-year (YoY) and sequential basis.

As per Crisil Research's analysis of 300 companies, excluding those in the financial services, and oil and gas sectors indicated a 100-120 basis points (bps) dip onyear and 70-100 bps sequentially during the period under review.

The trend marked the first onyear decline in 12 quarters. The

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analysis showed that as many as 27 of 40 sectors tracked by Crisil Research are likely to see their Ebitda margins shrinking.

In terms of sectors, margins in consumer discretionary sector likely fell 130-150 bps on-year, and in export-linked by 200250 bps. Besides, information technology services likely saw margins contract 230-250 bps due to increased subcontracting, while steel products and pharmaceuticals may log a contraction of 110-130 bps each

due to rising input costs.

"Companies were unable to fully pass on soaring input costs, especially key metals and energy prices. Flat steel prices were 48 per cent higher on-year in the third quarter, while aluminium was up 41 per cent," said Hetal Gandhi, Director, Crisil Research.

"The price of Brent crude surged nearly 79 per cent while those of spot gas and coking coal rocketed almost '5.4x' and '2.4x', respectively, on-year."

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BUSINESS & TRADE

World Bank downgrades 2022 global growth forecast to 4.1% Washington, January 12 (IANS): The global economy is on track to grow by 4.1 per cent in 2022, down 0.2 percentage point from a previous projection, the World Bank Group said in its latest Global Economic Prospects release.

"The global recovery is set to decelerate markedly amid continued Covid-19 flare-ups, diminished policy support, and lingering supply bottlenecks," the semiannual report added on Tuesday.

The global outlook is "clouded by various downside risks," including renewed Covid-19 outbreaks due to new virus variants, the possibility of unanchored inflation expectations, and financial stress in a context of record-high debt levels, according to the report.

After rebounding to an estimated 5.5 per cent in 2021, global growth is expected to decelerate markedly to 4.1 per cent in 2022, the report noted. The latest projection for 2021 and 2022 is 0.2 percentage point lower than the June forecast, respectively.

The report also noted that the Covid-19 pandemic has raised global income inequality, partly reversing the decline that was achieved over the previous two decades, Xinhua news agency reported.

By 2023, annual output is

expected to remain below the pre-pandemic trend in all emerging market and developing economy (EMDE) regions, in contrast to advanced economies, where the gap is projected to close.

Preliminary evidence suggests that the pandemic has also caused within-country income inequality to rise somewhat in EMDEs because of particularly severe job and income losses among lower-income population groups, according to the report.

"The world economy is simultaneously facing Covid-19, inflation, and policy uncertainty, with government spending and monetary policies in uncharted territory," said World Bank Group President David Malpass.

Noting that rising inequality and security challenges are "particularly harmful" for developing countries, Malpass added that putting more countries on a favourable growth path requires concerted international action and a comprehensive set of national policy responses.

Guj CM launches 'Student Startup and Innovation Policy' Gandhinagar, January 5 (IANS): The Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on January 5 launched 'Student Startup and Innovation Policy' (SSIP 2.0), which will have provision of setting up active innovation and incubation centre in all universities. The policy was launched during the inauguration of a pre-vibrant event of a two day conference on education.

The Gujarat Chief Minister inaugurated the International Conference of Academic Institutions (ICAI) as a precursor to the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS) to be held between January 10 and 12 in Gandhinagar. The VGGS will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The version 2.0 of the SSIP intends to educate 50 lakh students across 1,000 higher education institutes and 10,000 schools for innovation and entrepreneurship. The policy intends to give assistance to 10,000 proof of concepts/ prototypes developed by students.

The policy also proposes creation of a strong pre-incubation support system in minimum 500 educational institutes and universities.

Under the policy, Rs. 5 crore will be provided to the beneficiaries

in the next five years for setting up incubation centres and encouraging the innovation activities in universities of the state through the new policy.

186 institutions and universities are mentioned as SSIP grantees.

The new policy will remain in force till March 2027.

Meanwhile, at ICAI, around 120 panel speakers, including 40 from abroad, will be sharing their experiences across 21 different sessions during the 2-day conference. Australia, Canada, Norway, the UK and France have joined as partner countries for this conference, while the British Council, Australia India Business Exchange and Institute of International Education are among the key institutions which have joined as international participants.

Over 2,000 MoUs will be signed between various government entities, universities and institutions during the event.

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ENERGY & RESOURCES

Indian Environment Minister speaks Extreme weather events cost US $145bn in 2021: report with US Climate Envoy on phone New Delhi, January 10 (IANS): India's Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav on January 10 had a telephonic call with US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry where the two of them discussed wide range of issues including India's ambitious climate action targets announced during the COP26.

Taking to Twitter after he spoke with Kerry late in the evening, Yadav tweeted: "Productive phone call with US Climate Envoy Mr John Kerry. We agreed to take forward India-US Climate Actions & Finance Mobilisation Dialogue.

India is on track to achieve Paris Accord & COP26 commitments in accordance with PM Shri

Narendra Modi ji's LIFE mantra. (sic)"

Both the leaders discussed taking forward the India US Climate Action and Finance Mobilisation Dialogue (CAFMD) through the four identified pillars, Climate Ambition, Finance Mobilisation, Adaptation and Resilience, and Forestry, a statement from the Environment, Forests and Climate Change Ministry said.

Yadav highlighted the importance and need to focus on L.I.F.E i.e., Lifestyle For Environment, the one-word campaign championed

by Prime Minister Modi at Glasgow during the high-level segment at the annual climate change summit COP26.

upcoming meeting of the Major Economies Forum (MEF), the statement said.

The US on November 10 had joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as the 101st member country. Kerry had signed the framework agreement of the ISA to catalyse global energy transition through a solar-led approach.

Prior to it, on September 13, Yadav and Kerry had jointly launched the CAFMD, which is one of the two tracks of the India-US Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 partnership launched at the Leaders' Summit on Climate in April 2021 by Prime Minister Modi and US President Joe Biden.

The leaders also discussed the

High-level meeting of all Science Ministries, Departments held

involving Science Ministries and Departments from the Centre and all states and UTs to deliberate upon pressing problems facing India and effective solutions for the same.

New Delhi, January 11 (IANS): Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on January 10 called for closer Centre-State coordination for technological solutions and science-based remedies for statespecific or UT-specific problems and requirements.

An extensive exercise is being undertaken separately with each of the states and Union Territories to identify the areas where technological interventions can help in resolving diverse problems to enable ease of living for common man, Dr Singh said and cited the example of how the Jammu and Kashmir government will be assisted through the latest snow clearing technology while Puducherry and Tamil Nadu are being assisted in restoration and renovation/rejuvenation of sea beaches.

Singh was presiding over a high-level joint meeting of all the Science Ministries and Departments, in hybrid mode, at Prithvi Bhawan here.

The meeting was attended by Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government, Prof. K

VijayRaghavan, Secretary, Earth Sciences, Dr M Ravichandran, Secretary, Science & Technology, Dr S. Chandrasekhar, Secretary, Biotechnology, Dr Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, Space and ISRO Chairman, Dr K. Sivan, Secretary, Atomic Energy, Dr K.N. Vyas; Secretary, CSIR, Dr Shekhar Mande, Secretary, Capacity Building Commission, Hemang Jani, and other senior officials, a release from the Science and Technology Ministry said.

Dr Singh said that a series of meetings with state governments are planned, for Centre-State collaboration for 'solutionbased' approach to identify S&T problems and to improve the use of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) in states and local governments.

"The Ministry will soon write to all Chief Secretaries along with a proforma for specific proposals or requirements by the state governments and to designate a Nodal Officer for smooth coordination," he said, adding that he is planning a National Science Conclave after completion of round table meetings with states

He said that the move comes in the wake of the success of such an experiment with Central Line Ministries and Departments, wherein 168 proposals/requirements were received from 33 Ministries for providing technological support and solutions by all the six S&T departments including Space and Atomic Energy.

Science Ministries and Departments concerned have started working on different scientific applications for sectors like agriculture, dairy, food, education, skill, railways, roads, Jal Shakti, power, and coal.

With the help of the Capacity Building Commission, a template is also being prepared to take up theme-wise deliberations between Centre and States/UTs depending on specific needs, from place to place, the Minister said.

This initiative was launched by him in September last year, wherein representatives from all the Science Ministries including Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, Atomic Energy, Space/ ISRO, CSIR, and Biotechnology separately engaged in extensive brainstorming with each of the different Ministries of the Centre to work out which scientific applications could be utilised in which sector.

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New York, January 12 (IANS): A total of 20 weather events occurring in the US in 2021 that were chronicled by the US National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) collectively cost the country at least $145 billion.

Each of those climate or weather events individually led to losses of at least $1 billion and they in all contributed to the deaths of 688 people across the US, showing that "we're not going to be able to adapt our way out of the increasingly violent climate," said the agency in its report released on January 10.

Tropical storms had by far the largest economic impact in 2021, causing $78.5 billion in damage; of that, $74 billion alone came from Hurricane Ida, with the storm leaving a trail of destruction from Louisiana to New York, according to the report.

Winter storms followed their tropical counterparts, causing $24 billion in damage. Severe storms and wildfires cost the country $20.4 billion and $10.6 billion, respectively.

The deadliest weather event of 2021 was the drought and series of heat waves that rippled across the West, killing 229 over the course of the year, Xinhua news agency reported.

"There was no shortage of apocalyptic weather disasters plaguing the US in 2021, from pipe-bursting freezes in Texas to road warping heat in the Pacific Northwest to an endless parade

of wildfires mixed in for good measure," said Gizmodo, a US design, technology, science and science fiction website, while reporting about the NCEI data.

Those figures are made even worse when put in context with previous years. The 20 weather events costing more than $1 billion in 2021 far eclipsed the average of roughly seven similar weather events annually between 1980 and 2021.

"Of the 310 weather events topping $1 billion in damage recorded over the past 41 years, 2021 alone accounted for over 15 percent of them," Gizmodo cited NCEI. In just the past five years, weather and climate disasters cost the US economy $742.1 billion and left some 4,519 people dead. The staggering toll reflects a few trends. One is an increasingly violent climate where heat waves are more intense, hurricanes can do more damage, and wildfires are more voracious due to burning fossil fuels.

"Climate change is also playing a role in the increasing frequency of some types of extreme weather that lead to billion-dollar disasters," the authors of the NCEI report noted.

"Most notably the rise in vulnerability to drought, lengthening wildfire seasons in the western states, and the potential for extremely heavy rainfall (are) becoming more common in the eastern states."

BHU Prof selected for Atlantic ocean discovery programme Varanasi, January 12 (IANS): Dr Komal Verma, assistant professor in the department of Geology, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has been invited to participate in the prestigious International Ocean Discovery Programme (IODP) Expedition 397 in the Atlantic Ocean as a micropalaeontology, during October-December, 2022.

According to the BHU spokesperson, she will be representing India in this expedition and will be carrying out research onboard 'JOIDES RESOLUTION' along with international scientists from 17 countries including the UK, the US, Germany, Japan, China and others.

This international team will be exploring the potential of marine energy resources.

Her participation in this upcoming expedition will provide an unprecedented opportunity for advanced research and teaching in ocean science at international standards to the university and nation by the international collaborations with eminent shipboard scientists.

According to the spokesman, the laboratory of the department

of Geology of BHU, working in the field of oceanography and micropalaeontology, is the centre for the study of global oceanic and climate change and its impact of this change on marine evolution and organisms.

Several programmes of IODP are going on here under the supervision of Prof Arun Deo Singh.

The selection of Dr Verma is a great honour not only for herself but also for the Banaras Hindu University, as IODP is the most prestigious and premier international organisation in the world directed towards advanced ocean research and technologically the most advanced research vessel, he added.

The participating scientists are selected from international groups of experts in marine sciences.

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11 new govt medical colleges inaugurated across Tamil Nadu "Establishment of these medical colleges is in line with the Prime Minister's constant endeavour to promote affordable medical education and improve health infrastructure in all parts of the country," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in a statement said.

New Delhi, January 12 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated 11 new government medical colleges across Tamil Nadu and the new campus of Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT) in Chennai, on January 12.

The new medical colleges are being established at an estimated cost of about Rs 4,000 crore, out of which around Rs 2,145 crore has been provided by the Centre and rest by the Tamil Nadu government.

The districts in which the new medical colleges are being established are Virudhunagar, Namakkal, The Nilgiris, Tiruppur, Thiruvallur, Nagapattinam, Dindigul, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Ramanathapuram and Krishnagiri.

The new medical colleges, with a cumulative capacity of 1,450 seats, are being established under the centrally sponsored scheme of 'Establishing of New Medical Colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals'.

Under the scheme, medical colleges are established in districts, which do not have either a government or private medical college.

"The establishment of a new campus of CICT in Chennai is in line with the Prime Minister's vision to protect and preserve Indian heritage and promote classical languages," the PMO said.

The new campus is fully funded by the Union Government and is built at a cost of Rs 24 crore.

CICT, which was operating from

a rented building so far, will now operate from a new three storey campus. The new campus is equipped with a spacious library, an e-library, seminar halls and a multimedia hall.

An autonomous organisation under the Union Ministry of Education, CICT is contributing to the promotion of classical Tamil by doing research activities so as to establish the ancientness and uniqueness of Tamil language.

The institute library has a rich collection of over 45,000 ancient Tamil books. To promote classical Tamil and support its students, the Institute indulges in academic activities like holding seminars and training programmes, granting fellowship etc. It also aims to translate and publish 'Thirukkural' in various Indian as well as 100 foreign languages.

"The new campus will provide an efficient working environment for the institute in its pursuit of promoting classical Tamil across the world," the PMO added.

HEALTH

Secretary Generals of Parliament asked to suggest measures for safe conduct of Budget session New Delhi, January 11 (IANS): Concerned with the rising number of Covid cases in the national capital, Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on January 10 directed the Secretary Generals of both the Houses to suggest measures for the safe conduct of the upcoming Budget session.

Sources said that Naidu and Birla have asked the Secretary General of both the Houses to review the prevailing Covid situation and suggest measures for the safe conduct of the Budget session.

"Both Naidu and Birla have asked the Secretary Generals to review the adequacy of the Covid protocol followed during the last Winter Session. Both the Secretary Generals have been asked to submit a proposal in this regard at the earliest," sources said.

After over 400 Parliament staff tested positive for Covid-19 during random testing and with

the rise in the number of cases in the national capital, meetings of several parliamentary committees were cancelled on January 10.

The Parliamentary standing committees on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, Urban Development, and Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology decided to cancel their meetings on January 10, the sources said.

Over 400 Parliament staff have tested positive for Covid-19 during random testing. Among those who tested positive, 65 are from the Rajya Sabha, 200 from the Lok Sabha and 133 belong to allied services.

Random testing was conducted after a sudden spike in cases in the national capital, and most of the staff who tested positive did not show any symptoms.

"More random testing will be conducted for those coming to the Parliament to control the spread of the infection," sources said.

7 mn Omicron cases 'Virgin coconut oil dissolves Covid virus': SC detected in Europe in first junks plea on seeking addendum to NDMA week of January: WHO New Delhi, January 10 (IANS): The Supreme Court on January 10 junked a plea by a lawyer seeking directions to make a certain addendum to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) following research claiming that virgin coconut oil dissolves Covid-19 virus.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M.M. Sundresh noted that the petitioner, who appeared inperson, wants certain addendums to the NDMA, based on a claim that a respectable scientist who had conducted research on a solution for Covid-19, claims virgin coconut oil dissolves the virus. "We cannot let every person who thinks he has a solution to the virus to come up in a petition under Article 32", said the bench.

The petitioner had made the

prime minister and others as respondents in the petition.

The petitioner Krishnaswamy Dhanabalan, who claimed to be an advocate enrolled with the Karnataka Bar Council, also sought top court's intervention to direct the Centre to take action against China for spreading Covid-19, as a biological weapon.

The bench said: "To say the least, this is misconceived as it is for the elected government to take action, if any action has to be taken."

In another prayer in the petition, the petitioner sought court to pass direction to make certain addendums to NDMA, based on research claiming virgin coconut oil dissolves the virus.

Dismissing the plea, the bench said it was convinced that the

petitioner was pulling off a publicity stunt by filing such a petition, however it allowed the petitioner to make suggestions before the concerned authority.

"Nothing had prevented him from making suggestions to the appropriate authority." noted the bench.

During the hearing, the petitioner, seeking admission of the plea, submitted that the petition is in the interest of the people amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

At the beginning of the hearing, the bench told the lawyer, "What kind of petition is this? You are a lawyer; you say that India has some right to control China. What is going on?" After a brief hearing in the matter, the top court dismissed the plea.

Air quality in Delhi improves to 'good' after rains

New Delhi, January 12 (IANS): Continuous rains since January 7 night have brought Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) to a "good" category of 77, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research's (SAFAR) showed January 10 morning.

The level of both PM 2.5 and PM 10 pollutants at 10 a. m. stood in the "good" category of 46 and 63, respectively.

An AQI between zero and 50

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is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", then 401 and between 500 is considered "severe."

According to the air quality and weather bulletin, the air quality over Delhi-NCT was likely to deteriorate marginally but remain in the "moderate to poor category" on January 11. The winds were likely to be relatively slow and thereby low ventilation causing the air quality to deteriorate.

The air quality was likely to remain in the "poor" category on January 12. "The predominant surface wind was likely to remain

calm during morning/day time but likely to be coming from the northwest direction of Delhi with wind speed upto 04 kmph during evening/night, mainly clear sky and moderate fog in the morning on January 11. The predominant surface wind was likely to be coming from the northwest direction of Delhi with wind speed upto 04 kmph, mainly clear sky and moderate fog in the morning on January 12," it added.

The air quality was likely to remain largely in the "poor" to the lower end of the "very poor" category for the five subsequent days.

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Brussels, January 11 (IANS): There were more than seven million new cases of the Omicron variant across Europe in the first week of January, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on January 11.

According to Hans Kluge, WHO Europe Director, 26 countries in the region reported that more than 1 per cent of their populations are being infected with Covid each week, The Telegraph reported.

Kluge warned that there is now a "closing window of opportunity" for countries to prevent their health systems from being overwhelmed.

He cited estimates from the Institute of Health Metrics at the University of Washington which projected that half of the population in Western Europe will be infected with Covid in the next six to eight weeks.

"Omicron moves faster and wider than any (previous) variants we have seen," he was quoted as saying at a media briefing.

Kluge also called for countries to mandate the use of masks indoors and to prioritise vaccination, including booster dose of at-risk population, including health workers and elderly people.

Further, he said that as Omicron moves east across the European continent, the variant will take a much higher toll on countries with lower vaccination coverage rates.

Covid hospitalisation rate, in Denmark, was six times higher in people who weren't vaccinated compared to those who had been immunised, Kluge noted.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had previously pleaded with the rich countries not to offer booster doses and to donate them instead to poorer countries where vulnerable groups are yet to be immunised.

"No country can boost its way out of the pandemic," he said, adding that the current vaccines "remain effective against both the Delta and Omicron variants".

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SPORTS

SA v IND, 3rd Test: Petersen shines as South Africa come from behind to win series 2-1 Cape Town, Jan 14 (IANS): Keegan Petersen shined with a classy 82 as South Africa defeated India by seven wickets to win the series-deciding third Test at the Newlands Cricket Ground on Friday.

Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah asked many questions while beating the outer edges but co'ldn't get a wicket early on.

After Petersen fell, Rassie van der Dussen and Temba Bavuma combined for an unbeaten partnership of 57 off 105 balls to chase down 212, scripting a remarkable series victory from being 0-1 down, losing tosses to acing 200-plus chases twice to win by 2-1

Van der Dussen pounced on everything with width and also survived a caught behind appeal off Shami as the bat touched the ground while looking to drive.

Petersen continued to impress with his off-side play and had a reprieve at 59 when Bumrah found his outer edge with a peach of a delivery but Cheteshwar Pujara couldn't hold onto the catch at the first slip.

The play on Day 4 began with Petersen reaching his second half-century of the match with a brace on thick edge going through third man. It also meant that Petersen has crossed fifty thrice in the series, including twice in the ongoing match. India pacers

Van der Dussen clipped Umesh Yadav through mid-wicket while Petersen took two more boundaries through the off-side off Shami and Bumrah. The 54run partnership was broken by Shardul Thakur, who got Petersen to chop onto his stumps and fell

18 runs short of his maiden Test hundred.

Petersen's knock of 82 off 113 balls, his career-best effort, comes after he made a sparkling 72 in the first innings. The 28-year-old signed off from the three-match series as the highest run-scorer with 276 runs in six innings, which should be good enough for him to seal the number three spot for himself in So'th Africa's Test eleven.

Petersen's departure got India to keep things tight till Temba Bavuma punched off backfoot and then creamed a drive-through extra cover off Bumrah to restart the run-flow for South Africa.

Thakur almost had van der Dussen's wicket but the righthander survived via umpire's call on an lbw appeal as South Africa went into lunch on the verge of a win.

Djokovic forced to issue clarification after ‘misinformation’ on COVID-19 test emerges in media Djokovic, in his Instagram posts on January 12 admitted he did conduct an interview in the knowledge he was infected with COVID-19 and said that his agent, who had filled the visa application, had erroneously ticked the wrong box.

Melbourne, January 12 (IANS): World No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic has issued an exhaustive clarification on social media after reports emerged that he was part of a children’s event on December 17 and also gave an interview to L’Equipe on December 18, knowing that he was infected with COVID-19.

Even since reports of Djokovic taking part in a children’s function and giving an interview have emerged, questions are being raised about the validity of his positive test and the fact that he did not care he had tested positive.

The ace Serbian player’s defence team, in order to secure his release from detention as soon as he arrived to compete in the Australian Open, had stated that the defending champion had tested positive on December 16, two weeks before his arrival in Australia. They used it as a ground for his medical exemption to play in the opening Grand Slam of the year.

However, records submitted by his defence lawyers suggest that the test was taken more recently, on December 26.

Djokovic has not revealed his vaccination status and had sought medical exemption from Tennis Australia (TA) on the grounds that he had tested positive for COVID-19 in December. Only fully vaccinated and a “miniscule number” of medically exempt players can compete in the Australian Open.

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“I want to address the continuing misinformation about my activities and attendance at events in December in the lead up to my positive PCR COVID test result,” said Djokovic.

“This is misinformation which needs to be corrected, particularly in the interest of alleviating broader concern in the community about my presence in Australia, and to address matters which are very hurtful and concerning to my family. I want to emphasise that I have tried very hard to ensure the safety of everyone and my compliance with the testing obligations.

“I attended a basketball game in Belgrade on December 14 after which it was reported that a number of people tested positive with COVID 19. Despite having no COVID symptoms, I took a rapid antigen test on December 16 which was negative, and out of an abundance of caution, also took an official and approved PCR Test on that same day.

“The next day I attended a tennis event in Belgrade to present awards to children and took a rapid antigen test before going to the event, and it was negative.

I was asymptomatic and felt good, and I had not received the notification of a positive PCR test result until after that event.”

However, Djokovic admitted he knew he was positive before his interview on December 18 but did it because of commitment, apologising for the “error of judgement”.

“The next day, on December 18 I was at my tennis centre in

Belgrade to fulfil a long-standing commitment for a L’Equipe interview and photoshoot. I cancelled all other events except for the interview. I felt obliged to go ahead and conduct the L’Equipe interview as I didn’t want to let the journalist down but did ensure I was socially distanced and wore a mask except when my photograph was being taken.

“While I went home after the interview to isolate myself for the required period, on reflection, this was an error in judgment and I accept that I should have rescheduled this commitment.”

Speaking about the administrative error made by his agent, the ninetime Australian Open champion said, “On the issue of my travel declaration, this was submitted by my support team on my behalf -- as I told immigration officials on my arrival -- and my agent sincerely apologises for the administrative mistake in ticking the incorrect box about my previous travel before coming to Australia,” Djokovic said.

“This was a human error and certainly not deliberate. We are living in challenging times in a global pandemic and sometimes these mistakes can occur. Today, my team has provided additional information to the Australian Government to clarify this matter.”

The documents submitted by Djokovic about his PCR test conducted by the Institute of Public Health of Serbia, which was used as part of his court defence, suggests the test was taken more recently on December 26, according to sen.com.au.

“Immigration Minister Alex Hawke still has the ‘personal power’ to deport Djokovic from the country,” according to the website.

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Post lunch, Bavuma and van der Dussen continued their smooth run-making spree. Ravichandran Ashwin was swept over backward square leg by van der Dussen while Bavuma punched sweetly through cover off Yadav. Bavuma latched onto flight offered by Ashwin to nail the sweep through square leg.

Van der Dussen's dab to point off Ashwin for a single resulted in four overthrows before Bavuma finished off in style with a slogsweep over deep mid-wicket.

The roar and punch in the air from Bavuma after hitting the winning runs showed the emotions of a team who weren't the favourites to win the series but did it.

India, who were the overwhelming favourites to

clinch a maiden series win in the Rainbow Nation, will be left wondering where they faltered after winning in Centurion.

Brief scores: India 223 and 198 lost to South Africa 210 and 212/3 in 63.3 overs (Keegan Petersen 82, Rassie van der Dussen 41 not out; Shardul Thakur 1/22, Mohammed Shami 1/41) by seven wickets

Novak Djokovic 'playing by his own rules', says Tsitsipas Melbourne, Jan 13 (IANS): World number four Stefanos Tsitsipas said on Thursday that Novak Djokovic has been 'playing by his own rules' and has put his Grand Slam at risk, adding that the Australian Open defending champion has made vaccinated tennis players 'look like fools'.

The star player from Serbia was on Thursday drawn to start his campaign in the Australian Open against compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic, the World No 78.

However, there is uncertainty over his participation as Djokovic's visa saga continues in Australia.

Djokovic, who had reached Australia for the year's first Grand Slam with a certificate claiming exemption from vaccination as he had tested positive for Covid-19 in December, had his visa cancelled by the Australian government before a Federal Court in the country intervened to give him respite.

There were still doubts over his participation in the event and there was intense speculation on Thursday when the draw ceremony for the event was delayed for some time. However, the organisers went ahead with the formalities with the Serbian's name being included in the draw.

"For sure, he's been playing by his own rules and has been doing what not many players had the guts to do, especially after the ATP announced certain criteria for players to enter the country," Greece's Tsitsipas told WION. "No one really thought they could come to Australia unvaccinated and not having to follow the protocols... it takes a lot of daring to do and putting the Grand Slam at risk, which I don't think many players would do," he added.

The ATP, which governs men's tennis, has said 97 of the top 100

male players are vaccinated.

Notably, American world number 93 Tennys Sandgren had said earlier this month that he had pulled out of the Australian Open because of the vaccine mandate and he opted not to apply for a medical exemption.

Asked if Djokovic should defend his title at Melbourne Park next week, Tsitsipas said: "There are two ways to look at it. One way is that almost every single player is vaccinated and did what they had to do in order to come and perform and play in Australia."

"On the other sense, it seems not everyone is playing by the rules...a very small (minority) chose to follow their own way, which kind of makes the majority look like fools," he added.

Djokovic, the nine-time Australian Open winner, is hoping to become the most successful player in the Grand Slam by claiming his 21st men's singles title in the Australian Open, which starts on January 17, breaking a tie for most titles with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

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Australian Border Force cancel Czech player Renata Voracova's visa

IANS

"We submitted through our embassy in Canberra a protest note and are asking for an explanation of the situation," it added.

The government in Prague also said that Renata will now withdraw from the tournament and leave Australia.

Melbourne, January 7 (IANS): Australian Border Force (ABF) has cancelled the visa of female Czech tennis player Renata Voracova, who had entered the country to take part in this month's Australian Open.

The 38-year-old Voracova, who has already played in a warmup tournament in Melbourne, has been detained in the same immigration hotel as Serbian star Novak Djokovic. She was detained

by ABF officials on January 6 and taken to the Park Hotel in Carlton, an abc.net.au report said.

The tennis player was reportedly informed by the ABF officials that she must soon leave the

country, but it is still unclear if she intends to challenge the decision. She is believed to have entered Australia last month with a vaccine exemption granted by Tennis Australia because she had recently contracted and recovered from Covid-19.

Meanwhile, the Czech diplomats are in contact with the player and the country's embassy has launched a formal protest with Australian authorities.

"However, Renata Vorácová decided to drop out of the tournament due to limited possibilities for training and to leave Australia," the statement further said.

The Australian government said on January 7 that a recent infection with the Covid-19 virus does not mean a foreign national can enter the country without being fully vaccinated.

"We can confirm that Czech tennis player Renata Vorácová is in the same detention as Djokovic, together with several other players," the Czech Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

More than 90 percent of Australia's adult population has had at least two doses of the coronavirus vaccine, but many still face restrictions as Covid case numbers rise. The initial decision to issue a visa to Djokovic caused anger amongst many Australians, who said that sports stars should be treated the same as everybody else.

to take the jab in the interest of public safety and his own health.

in December in the lead up to his positive PCR COVID test result.

In a statement issued on Friday, Hawke said, “Today I exercised my power under section 133C(3) of the Migration Act to cancel the visa held by Mr Novak Djokovic on health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so.

“This is misinformation which needs to be corrected, particularly in the interest of alleviating broader concern in the community about my presence in Australia, and to address matters which are very hurtful and concerning to my family. I want to emphasise that I have tried very hard to ensure the safety of everyone and my compliance with the testing obligations.

Australian minister cancels Djokovic’s visa; world No. 1 cannot defend his title

Melbourne, Jan 14 (IANS): World No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic will not be able to defend his Australian Open crown this year after the Australian Immigration Minister, Alex Hawke, annulled his visa on Friday afternoon.

The nine-time Australian Open champion, who has won consecutive titles at Melbourne Park since 2019, had initially been granted a medical exemption to compete in the tournament.

The 34-year-old Djokovic, winner of 20 Grand Slam titles, had earlier this week won the legal battle in his bid to remain in Australia, with a court ordering his immediate release from immigration detention.

However, lawyers for the federal government had told the court that the country’s immigration minister was reserving the right to exercise his personal powers to again revoke Djokovic’s visa.

Hawke used his discretionary powers on Friday to cancel the visa given to Djokovic, who has not declared his COVID-19 vaccination status despite a groundswell of demand for him

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“This decision followed orders by the Federal Circuit and Family Court on 10 January 2022, quashing a prior cancellation decision on procedural fairness grounds. In making this decision, I carefully considered information provided to me by the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force and Mr Djokovic.

“The Morrison Government is firmly committed to protecting Australia’s borders, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Djokovic had sought medical exemption on the ground that he had tested COVID-positive recently (December 26), and so should be allowed to play in the opening Grand Slam of the year.

Reports soon emerged that he had tested positive for the virus on December 18 and had given an interview to L’Equipe knowing well that he had COVID-19.

Djokovic, a strong opponent of COVID-19 vaccination, then issued a clarification on social media, saying, he wanted to address the “continuing misinformation” about his activities and attendance at events

Djokovic admitted he knew he was positive before his interview to L’Equipe on December 18 but did it because of commitment, apologising for the “error of judgement”.

“I felt obliged to go ahead and conduct the L’Equipe interview as I didn’t want to let the journalist down but did ensure I socially distanced and wore a mask exempt when my photograph was being taken… this was an error in judgment and I accept that I should have rescheduled this commitment.”

World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas has said recently that Djokovic has been “playing by his own rules” and has put his Grand Slam at risk, adding that the Australian Open defending champion has made vaccinated tennis players “look like fools”.

On Thursday, the Serbian was included in the draw and was scheduled to start his Australian Open campaign against world No. 78, compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic.

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SPORTS

Win in Australia will go down as one of the greatest in Indian cricket history: Gavaskar Mumbai, Jan 12 (IANS): Remembering India's comefrom-behind triumph in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2021 in Australia, former India captain and legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar stated that the series will go down as 'one of the greatest wins' in Indian cricketing history.

Gavaskar's comments come ahead a docuseries titled 'Down Underdogs - India's Greatest Comeback' that will premiere on of Sony Sports on January 14, to commemorate the one-year anniversary of India's historic series win.

India, led by Ajinkya Rahane after Virat Kohli flew back home for paternity leave and many firstchoice picks were unavailable due to injuries, defeated Australia 2-1 in a tightly-contested four-

match series. After Australia won the day-night Adelaide Test, mainly on the back of bowling out India for 36, the tourists won in Melbourne, batted out for a nailbiting draw in Sydney and then staged a remarkable win at the Gabba in Brisbane.

"India's win in Australia early last year will go down as one of the greatest wins in Indian cricket history. To pick themselves up after the dismissal with their lowest ever Test score of 36 and then to beat a rampant home team is a tribute to the determination shown by the players and the leadership roles played by the captain Rahane, coach Ravi Shastri and his support group. I was privileged to be there and see a golden chapter being written in the history of Indian cricket," said Gavaskar.

PV Sindhu among sports stars that call on world leaders to ensure equitable access to Covid vaccines

Lausanne, January 11 (IANS): Olympians and Paralympians from across the world, including India's two-time Olympic medallist shuttler PV Sindhu, have called on the world leaders to ensure equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines.

In a video produced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), athletes called on world leaders and decision-makers to ensure free and equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines. The call comes a few weeks before the start of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, which will take place from February 4-20.

Launched by the International Olympic Committee on January 11, the video features more than 20 Olympians and Paralympians from all corners of the world.

These include Olympic champions Federica Pellegrini (swimming, Italy) and Seung-min Ryu (table tennis, South Korea), three-time Olympic medallist Pau Gasol (basketball, Spain), two-time Olympic medallist Maja Martyna Wloszczowska (cycling, Poland), and Humphrey Kayange (rugby, Kenya), who are all members of the IOC At'letes' Commission.

Many other Olympic and Paralympic champions are also included: Olympic champions Valerie Adams (athletics, New Zealand), Alistair Brownlee (triathlon, UK), Osea Kolinisau (rugby, Fiji), Gianmarco Tamberi (athletics, Italy), and IOC President Thomas Bach (fencing); Paralympic champions Martina Caironi (athletics, Italy), Ellie Cole (swimming, Australia), Jakub Krako (Alpine skiing, Slovakia), Tatyana McFadden (athletics, Nordic skiing, USA), Jitske Visser (wheelchair basketball, The Netherlands) and Annika Zeyen (cycling, Germany).

Other athletes featured are: Olympic medallists Danka Bartekova (shooting, Slovakia), PV Sindhu (badminton, India) and Luiza Zlotkowska (speed skating, Poland); Olympians Gaby Ahrens (shooting, Namibia), Jonathan Borlée (athletics, Belgium), Uche Eke (gymnastic, Nigeria), Ann-Christin Goliaß (sailing, Germany), Alex Hua Tian (equestrian, China), Niluka Karunaratne (badminton, Sri Lanka), Silvia Mittermüller (snowboarding, Germany), Alexi Pappas (athletics, Greece), Akiko Thomson (swimming, Philippines) and Gabriela Trana (athletics, Costa Rica), the IOC informed in a release.

In their message, the athletes stressed the importance of staying united to continue to fight the pandemic effectively: "As athletes, we can bring the world together through the power of sport. Now, more than ever, we stand united to use that power of sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Movement to help win the battle against COVID because we go faster, we aim higher, we are stronger when we stand together".

They continue: "We have been given a way forward with a safe and effective vaccine that can help save precious lives and protect our friends and our families.

So we call on governments, foundations, philanthropists, health organisations and social businesses to join hands in giving free and equal access to the vaccine for everybody across the world to pledge our collective responsibility to protect those who are the most vulnerable because everyone on this planet has a right to live a healthy life.

We are stronger together when we stand in solidarity and care for each other.".

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CULTURE

Artwork put up in Kumbh 2019, Hyderabad: Popular carnival 'Numaish' is back to be preserved in Prayagraj renovation work in order to maintain murals, sculptures or similar art works at the predefined spots.

The firm will also undertake structural repairs and take care of leakages and maintain the focus lights (electricity fitments) and railings where these creations have been put up, he added.

Its additional responsibility will be to maintain and upkeep the plants/saplings within the green area around the crossing.

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he murals and other artwork, that had been painted and installed during Kumbh 2019 in Prayagraj, will now be preserved by an expert agency.

These murals and artwork had been put up at different roads and crossings of the city, but were, thereafter, lying neglected.

The Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) has now initiated efforts to repair and maintain murals, sculptures and other artworks put in place at 60 prominent spots in the city.

PDA vice-chairman Arvind Kumar Chauhan, said: "The Prayagraj Development Authority had invited e-bids and the technical bids were opened a fortnight ago with technical presentations held at the PDA meeting hall. Now a second round of presentation is set to be held. The aim of the exercise is to maintain the aesthetic value of all the 60 spots in Prayagraj, thereby, contributing to the beautification of the city."

The selected firm will undertake regular maintenance and periodic

It may be recalled that before the Kumbh 2019, Prayagraj was given a facelift and a massive beautification drive was launched.

Then, murals had come up on the walls along the streets, on the pillars of flyovers and bridges and even on tree trunks across the city, depicting events from the Ramayana and Mahabharata that was the theme for these murals.

Art installations were erected on the theme 'Spiritual, Cultural, Religious, and Mythological Aspects of Kumbh and the other rich heritage of Uttar Pradesh'.

When the physical world is in disarray, virtual becomes my alternative space: Shovin Bhattacharjee new medium to work on."

Although the show was scheduled to be held earlier, it had to be postponed owing to the Pandemic. Now, despite the new variant crating havoc, he continues to remain optimistic.

"Let us not forget that survival is our natural instinct, as humans we have and always will have the ability to look at things with a positive lens."

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reated from the thought of humans beings an extension of nature, the idea of us, who we are as a connecting factor between the natural and manmade world, and how we are able to strike a balance between the two is what went behind the conception of 'Between Body and Imagination, Shovin Bhattacharjee's Inner Quest,' an exhibition of sculptures, physical and digital installations inaugurated recently at Dhoomimal's renovated and expanded gallery space in the capital.

Curated by the artist himself, the exhibition covers the works done over the period of the last four years and is an amalgamation of his thematic concerns.

A BFA and MFA holder from Assam University, Bhattacharjee who works across mediums with sculptures in stainless steel, wood and aluminum, primarily trained

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as a painter. This solo show features his sculptures, physical and digital installations.

This Assam-born and Delhibased artist asserts, "Being a multidisciplinary artist, I have no favourite medium. I am able to utilize one more than the other which gives me respect and admiration for each medium I work with."

One of the pioneers of digital art in the country and among the first Indians to list his work as an NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens), he tells IANS that there have been numerous challenges in this realm. "The biggest one is the idea that digital art is often not seen as a serious medium in the art space, something that pushes me further. Digital art is important for me as being born in this era, the artworks I create always reflect my surroundings and documented time. I want to utilise what is currently available as a

For him, the previous lockdowns were an opportunity to introspect and look at it from a point of creating something new. "I never felt suffocated and had a very optimistic view of the future.

Through this came 'Body and Imagination'," he says.

For someone practicing in the physical and virtual world, the shift to the hybrid model which most galleries have adopted did not come as a shock. "If the real world is in disarray the virtual world becomes my alternative space. So, a hybrid model works well. We cannot deny that we are in a digital era which must be utilised.

Physical shows and virtual shows are equally important. Both come with challenges, but also opportunities."

Ask him if he finds it amusing when people try to look for his self-portraits in his work, and he replies, "Yes, seeing the curiosity from them is something that makes me glad. Sometimes, when I don't put my image in a work of art, I get questioned about where I am. I mostly reply - 'In your heart'."

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despite Omicron scare

Hyderabads favourite trade fair is back after a gap of one year but the spike in Covid-19 cases and the threat of the new variant Omicron may dampen the spirits of visitors to the annual event, which has been an integral part of the citys culture for eight decades.

Last year, the city had missed the trade fair, popular among Hyderabadis as 'Numaish' due to the pandemic and this year the 81st edition of the event is starting at a time when the fear of a third wave has gripped the city.

Though the organizers have promised strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols and announced that they will follow a no-mask no-entry policy, ensuring social distancing may be a challenge for them.

The number of visitors may come down as many people are likely to skip the event to avoid the crowds and thus run the risk of contracting infection.

The All India Industrial Exhibition Society (AIIE), which organizes the annual event at Numaish Maidan at Nampally in the heart of the city, is not taking any chances.

The Society is taking steps like checking the vaccination status of the stall owners and daily sanitisation. Its teams will also patrol the venue to ensure conformity with Covid protocols.

"We are not issuing identity cards to stall owners till they produce their two-dose vaccine certificate," said AIIE secretary Aditya Margam.

loss of life.

As the fire was caused by a short-circuit, the authorities this time have taken several safety measures including installation of a junction box for every 10 stalls.

They have also arranged a 3-km pipeline with 81 fire hydrants that can spray water to a distance of 150 feet with a three lakh litre storage capacity.

The police issued a no-objection certificate to conduct the fair for 45 days after the Society obtained permissions from all other departments including the fire service.

This historic city rings in the new year with Numaish, which has not lost its charm despite the changing times, new lifestyles and mushrooming swanky shopping malls.

Last year, the Society initially postponed the exhibition to January 31. Though the Covid-19 situation was under control and the number of cases in Hyderabad had dropped, the Society took the decision as a measure of abundant caution.

As thousands of people throng the exhibition every day and the guidelines which were then in force did not permit gatherings of more than 200 people, the Society deferred the event. The Society was hopeful that 'Numaish' would begin in March-April but the second wave forced them to drop the plans.

Traders from various parts of the country set up their stalls during the exhibition, which is visited by around 45,000 people every day.

The society has also made arrangements to give a second dose to the stall owners who require it.

Every year 'Numaish' begins on January 1 and goes on till February 15. Over 20 lakh people had visited the exhibition in 2019.

The organisers have appealed to the visitors that they visit Numaish only after getting fully vaccinated. Vaccine doses will also be made available at the venue for the unvaccinated visitors.

A unique blend of economy and culture, the event is organised on the sprawling grounds and revenues from the fair are spent on a group of educational and charitable institutions run by the Society.

Cultural shows, which used to be an important part of the annual fair, will not be held this time in view of the Covid situation.

AIEE officials said to prevent the gathering of a large number of visitors at one place, they decided not to have cultural programmes.

Unlike in the previous years when there used to be 2,200-2,500 stalls, the organisers this time have reduced the number to 1,600 to ensure space between stalls.

This has also been done to widen the pathways for safety.

The society claimed that it has taken all safety measures to prevent fire accidents. A massive fire during the exhibition on January 30, 2019, had gutted over 100 stalls, leading to a huge property loss. The incident had led to a near stampede situation but luckily it did not result in any

The exhibition draws people not just from the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad but from other parts of Telangana and even neighbouring states.

Numaish-e-Masnuaat-e-Mulki or in short numaish made a humble beginning in 1938 as an event to promote locally produced goods.

Beginning with just 50 stalls, it has evolved into one of the biggest industrial exhibitions in the country.

The seventh Nizam of Hyderabad State, Mir Osman Ali Khan, inaugurated the first 'numaish'.

Enthused by the good response, it was decided to make it an annual event and use the earnings to promote education.

With each passing year, the event grew in size and popularity.

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BOOKS & LITERATURE

Kerala Literature Festival rescheduled Jaipur Literature Festival rescheduled to March 5-14 Festival.

The sixth edition of KLF is a coming together of the community after a year of virtual existence, hence the theme 'Come Together'.

Set along with the shores of the Arabian Sea, the 4-day festival brings artists, actors, celebrities, writers, thinkers, and activists closer to people of different backgrounds and interests.

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he sixth edition of the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF 2022) has been rescheduled to March. It will now be held at the beaches of Calicut (Kozhikode) from March 17 to March 20, 2022.

It was earlier scheduled to be held from January 20 to January 23.

Organised by the DC Kizhakemuri Foundation, KLF is supported by the Kerala government and the Kerala Tourism Board.

"Taking in view the surge in a number of infections of Omicron variant, we have rescheduled

the festival. It hasAbeen done keeping in mind the interest of our speakers, participants, audiences, the general public, and our patrons. The current discourse is that the numbers may peak between the latter part of January and fall by mid of February. We are hoping that the Pandemic will recede in time.

We are determined on hosting an in-person festival with the active support of our patrons, speakers, and partners," says Ravi Deecee, Chief facilitator, Kerala Literature

With an aggregate footfall of more than 3 lakh people, KLF is the second largest festival of its kind in Asia, combining the best of literary and popular cultures.

Jeffrey Archer, Ada Yonath, Abhijit Banerjee, Arundhati Roy, Remo Fernandes, Sagarika Ghose, Wendy Doniger, Shashi Tharoor, Manu S Pillai, Devdutt Pattanaik, Chris Kraus, Sudhir Kakar, Pawan Varma, Perumal Murugan, Prakash Raj, William Dalrymple, Paula Richman, Anita Nair, M Mukundan, Benyamin, TM Krishna, KR Meera, Sunil Ilayidom, Paul Zacharia among others are the prominent speakers at the event.

Covid Blues: World Book Fair 2022 postponed New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS): The World Book Fair 2022 that was scheduled to be held from January 8 to 16 at the new International Exhibition Centre at Pragati Maidan has been postponed due to the guidelines laid down to contain the surge in Covid 19 cases.

"In view of the latest DDMA guidelines, and the requests made by various stakeholders, the New Delhi World Book Fair 2022 has been postponed. The fresh dates will be announced separately," the National Book Trust said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) had on Tuesday decided to impose a weekend curfew in the capital in the wake of the Covid-19 resurgence.

In a virtual meeting chaired

by Lieutenant Governor Anil

Baijal, the Authority suggested a weekend curfew during which no non-essential movement will be allowed.

The meeting also discussed imposing more restrictions in the city in an effort to curb the unabated surge.

According to the DDMA order, staff of all government offices, except those dealing with essential services, will work from home. A 50 per cent occupancy cap has been imposed on private offices.

On Wednesday, city doctors advised residents not to panic but to strictly adhere to the Covid norms such as maintaining social distance, wearing masks, maintaining proper sanitisation, and getting vaccinated.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday morning

iven the Covid-related government restrictions in place in New Delhi and to ensure health and safety, the India Art Fair has been rescheduled to April 28 – May 1, 2022.

The venue, the selection of the best South Asian modern and contemporary art and artists on display, and the huge celebration of culture remains the same.

Helmed by Jaya Asokan for the first time since her appointment in April 2021, this edition of the fair is a testament to the resilience of the Indian and South Asian art market and the art community at large. The fair spotlights the next generation of artists alongside modern masters through initiatives including Auditorium talks, performances, film screenings, outdoor art

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projects, artist-led workshops, and an online symposium in the run up to the fair. Continuing the fair's enduring relationship with the region's pioneering institutions, the forthcoming edition will see participation from Kochi Biennale Foundation, Chennai Photo Biennale and Serendipity Arts Foundation, among others.

Extending its role beyond that of an annual event, India Art Fair is making greater inroads into the local and international art scene by expanding its digital presence through website editorial and films, a range of online talks, workshops and exhibition walkthroughs, as well as the IAF Parallel programme including events and exhibitions of Indian and South Asian art taking place in cities across India and the

he 15th edition Jaipur Literature Festival ( JLF), originally scheduled to take place in January end, has been rescheduled to March 5 to 14 in view of the rising Covid cases in the country.

Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, which produces the Jaipur Literature Festival, said, "Keeping in mind the advent of the new Covid variant and the sharp rise in

the number of cases across the country, we have thought it best to reschedule the festival and hold it in March 2022. We remain committed to bringing the festival back to Jaipur as an on-ground, immersive experience, promoting dialogue, discussion and debate on books and ideas."

The festival will take place in a hybrid avatar with both onground sessions as well as virtual presence.

KLF launches Bhasha Utsav to promote India's global dialogue

announced the start of a third Covid wave in the national capital, and warned the cases can jump to close to 10,000 with the infection rate nearing 10 per cent by the evening.

By evening, as predicted by Jain, Delhi reported 10,665 fresh Covid-19 cases - the highest since May 12 - and eight deaths, and the positivity rate also shot up to 11.88 per cent. The number of active cases in the capital now stands at 23,307.

The rapid increase in cases could also be due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant of Covid that is reportedly driving the third wave in the national capital. Delhi on Wednesday reported 464 Omicron cases, the second-highest in the country after Maharashtra (653).

India Art Fair rescheduled to April 2-May 1, 2022

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world.

Jaya Asokan, Fair Director of India Art Fair, commented: "With an unwavering commitment to its home base, the 2022 fair will welcome participants that extend beyond the traditional art hubs of New Delhi and Mumbai, such as Kolkata, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai and Ahmedabad. The past year has presented immense opportunities for learning and experimentation prompting discussions on the future development of South Asian art. Along with a fast-growing digital presence and year-round programming, the return to a physical fair will be a show of our determination and a reminder that India Art Fair is the first place to see and discover artists from the region."

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he Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) has decided to launch Bhasha Utsav to strengthen dialogue among languages and literature within India and beyond.

The Utsav will have awardwinning laureates and young minds in literary fields to blend rich experience with new energy to take forward the task of dialogue among languages and literary traditions, thereby promoting dialogue among societies, nations and civilisations. All major Indian and global languages including those official languages recognised by the Indian government and the United Nations will have dedicated sessions.

The Bhasa Utsav is a unique initiative, first-ever, conceptualized by any literary festival platform to include all major Indian and global languages to map their existing dialogue and

contribute to positively shaping the future of their dialogues.

KLF Founder and Director, Rashmi Ranjan Parida said that many non-Indian and diaspora writers have contributed to Indian languages and literature and deserve their due place in the annals of Indian literature.

Similarly, he thinks many Indians have contributed to foreign language and literature and they need their due place as well.

He added that a platform like Bhasha Utsav which is an attempt to remedy the above anomalies and create a unique platform for vibrant cross-cultural dialogue.

The Utsav, which will include 30 Indian and global languages will have perspectives from rural life, gender equality, children and the differently challenged.

It will partner with societies, foundations, government agencies and academic institutes.

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Haridwar's hidden gem, Pilibhit House graceful suites are wrapped around a serene courtyard, with balconies offering panoramic views of the Ganges and the Shivalik mountains. The alfresco seating ensures unmatched views.

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hink of Haridwar, and your first thoughts are of a pilgrimage destination. But beyond the temple visits there's a lot this city in the Shivalik range has to offer. A realm of tranquility, Pilibhit House sits charmingly by the Ganges overlooking the glorious Shivalik Himalayas. This heritage residence houses the largest private bathing ghat of the region for the customary dip and some quiet moments with the river.

Tread past the arched doorway into this ancestral mansion, and the constructs of time & regulation melt away. You are led

into artfully designed rooms and suites across 3 levels, that either face the open courtyard or offer views of the Ganges. In either case you stay pampered and blissful.

For an authentic experience, check into the century old aristocratic mansion on the banks of the Ganges, a living heirloom and Haridwar’s most luxurious address. This noble house that belongs to Pilibhit’s first family since 1913, has been meticulously restored by IHCL SeleQtions.

Guided by the traditional Indian principle of Purushārtha- the 35 artfully restored rooms and

The luxury destination tailor makes experiences to your needs, whether you're travelling solo or with the family. From the welcome aarti till your departure, staff at the property customize the itinerary to ensure you're pampered from the moment you check in. Everything from a dip in the Ganges, to the sunset Aarti, cable car rides to hilltop temples, a trip to the Beatles ashram and traditional Gadwali cuisine are arranged with the utmost attention to detail.

With the largest private bathing ghat in the city, one can enjoy a Ganga Aarti or Yoga at the Ganges Deck. As the Ganges calls, take a guided walk alongside the holy river, followed by the must have dip in the holy water and a meditation session. Complete the pilgrimage with visits to the Chandi Devi and Mansa Devi temples, via cable car, an adventure in itself.

A luxury bohemian hideaway nestled in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

The Desert Detox

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ith holistic and natural health getaways, Qatar Tourism welcomes visitors to renew and rejuvenate in the new year with a plethora of spas, activities, and relaxing trips work for a 'desert detox' healthy vacation.

A kayak excursion through Al Thakira’s mangrove reserves, one of Qatar’s most spectacular natural vistas, will help you reconnect with nature. Paddle through a diverse range of flora and fauna, including seasonal flamingos and herons, in a kayak.

For those looking for a 'desert detox,' a list of the best healthful activities to choose from include a desert getaway, nutritious food, luxurious downtime in a tranquil setting, or a full-fledged wellness programme.

Stay beautiful, stay happy

For the Mind Stretch, tense, relax Enjoy Ashtanga, Hatha, and stretch yoga in both group and private courses at Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara for a day or a complete integrative weekend retreat. Visitors can also nourish their bodies with a juice cleanse or relax in the beautiful spa with a sound bath. Those who want to stay in the city can go to the W Doha, which recently opened the world’s largest Sisley Spa, bringing Parisian luxury to Doha.

Dining in health On a trip to Qatar, treat your body to a fantastic array of nutritious, delicious, and locally sourced foods. Start the day with a delicious breakfast or a cleansing meal at Evergreen Organics, Doha’s first 100 percent vegan café (there are now three). Then have lunch at Chef’s Garden or Baladna restaurant for a farm-totable experience before stopping

by Green and Go for a nutritious snack for the day.

Paddle your energy with kayaking at Purple Island

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he Nautilus in the Maldives is cosy and intimate hideaway, allowing couples to spend their time however they choose during a romantic getaway. 'Anytime, anywhere, and as you please' are the guiding principles of the property. Encouraging one to disconnect from the outside world and enjoy a romantic Maldivian getaway for two.

There are no set rules or timetables to follow. Instead, your personal House Master (a dedicated, thoroughly trained professional private butler) co-creates highly personalised experiences with guests that are catered to their every whim and natural rhythm.

Couples can dine in truly magical locations, such as on a secluded sandbank with millions of stars shining overhead, on their own private patch of beach, on a luxury yacht with champagne and live music while sailing the Indian Ocean, or with a lovely floating breakfast in their home's private infinity pool.

While guests can build their own menu if they so wish, chief chef Michael Pataran has created some

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imaginative speciality dishes to make the most romantic time of the year even more memorable, including: local spiny lobsterfilled beet “culurgiones” dumpling with celeriac, saffron, oyster foam, shaved bottarga, fennel pollen and toasted egg yolk; for the beef lovers, Kagoshima beef A5 striploin tartare with imperial caviar, shaved black truffles and 62 degree quail egg; and for those craving something bold and hearty, a roasted lamb loin with foie gras, roasted beet and crimini in rosemary puff pastry with bittersweet chocolate-amarena cherry reduction.

To end the meal, a canvas of passions will be served: peanut caramel praline, mango passionfruit-vanilla compote, milk chocolate mousse, raspberry sorbet, white chocolate powder, raspberry air and orange tulipliquor bon bons.

Days can be as relaxing or as action-packed as desired.

The menu at Naiboli includes a chocolate truffle lesson with the pastry chefs, a fresh pasta-making session, wine tastings, shared aphrodisiac

TRAVEL

Botany’s organic products will restore your skin’s radiance, as all of their products are locally sourced and made with natural ingredients.

For the soul Full moon yoga Evolve Mind Body Soul’s yoga classes will help you connect, deepen, and re-energize your body by absorbing the moon’s vibrations and energy. Under the moonlight, the training cultivates heightened self-awareness and mental clarity.

Sound healing Niya Yoga offers a meditation class with live Tibetan singing bowls, gongs, chimes, and other musical instruments to help you awaken your soul. The goal of the experience is to guide the mind into a peaceful meditative state.

The digital detox The Mandarin Oriental, Dohaoffers a Digital Wellness Escape for individuals who are always on the go and attached to their screens to relieve stress and strains caused by frequent usage of digital devices.

Spa under the stars Enjoy one of Qatar’s most unique experiences, “Under The Stars,” designed by the Saray Spa at the Marriott Marquis Doha — on their 50th storey helipad.

cocktail concoctions, oyster and champagne indulgences, and ultra-romantic sunset cocktails.

As couples enjoy their romance around the island and beyond, live musical entertainment will regale every cherished moment.

If free-spirited activities are more your style, a variety of diving and watersports, inter-island excursions, big game fishing, and skydiving choices are guaranteed to strengthen your love.

After a long day of activities, relax and rejuvenate with chocolate and cocoa-based treatments at Solasta Spa. From the inside out, the Derma Drop TDA Facial is highly recommended for radiantly attractive skin. TDA also provides a variety of non-invasive holistic treatments, including facial and hair treatments, as well as a variety of body treatments.

From dining on a luxury yacht in the middle of the Indian Ocean to wine tastings, big-game fishing and skydiving and ending with indulgent spa treatments, celebrations at The Nautilus cater to all whims and fancy.

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INDIA NEWS

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Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

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WHAT’S ON

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Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

INDIA NEWS

'Looop Lapeta' trailer shows a thrilling cut to the chase Instagram

worldwide on Netflix."

Expressing his excitement on the trailer launch, Tahir said, "I am so excited to have my second project release with Netflix within a span of a month and to now begin the adrenalin rush of Satya and Savi's rollercoaster ride against time. Their electric chemistry will make you laugh, cry and leave you on the edge through the consequences of the couple's wild choices."

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he trailer of Taapsee Pannu and Tahir Raj Bhasin's comedy-thriller 'Looop Lapeta' was released on Thursday.

It shows an exhilarating journey of Savi, essayed by Taapsee Pannu as she tries to save the life of her boyfriend Satya, played by Tahir Raj Bhasin, when he loses cash belonging to a mobster in a gambling bid. The film, which is based on the German experimental thriller 'Run Lola Run', is helmed by debutant director Aakash Bhatia.

Taapsee said, "'Looop Lapeta' is a film that will always be very close to my heart. I fell in love with the characters and the story the moment I read the script! The film is about the choices that Savi makes and how her decisions carve out her journey with the one she loves. A perfect combination of comedy and thriller, 'Looop Lapeta' will keep you at the edge of your seat, while you rejoice at the comical situation that Savi and Satya have gotten into. Can't wait to bring this to audiences

Talking about his debut venture, director Aakash Bhatia said, "I am enthralled to share a peek into the world of 'Looop Lapeta'.

I'm hoping that this makes for a thrilling and enjoyable ride for the viewers. My approach has been to experiment with form and style while navigating through this time twisting journey, and also to tightly hold on to the emotional core of our story and characters. Taapsee and Tahir lead an ensemble of fantastic performers in our show of sound and visuals."

'Looop Lapeta' produced by Sony Pictures Films India and Ellipsis Entertainment along with Aayush Maheshwari, will premiere on February 4, on Netflix.

NCW objects to trailer of Mahesh Manjrekar's upcoming film NCW on behalf of the Bharatiya Stree Shakti regarding the trailer of this film.

ENTERTAINMENT

Jubin Nautiyal and Payal Dev's romantic single 'Meri Tarah' out now

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opular singers Jubin Nautiyal and Payal Dev have come together for newly-released track 'Meri Tarah'. The romantic track features Himansh Kohli, Gautam Gulati and Heli Daruwala.

Instagram

Speaking on featuring in the song 'Meri Tarah', Himansh says: "When you have a song by Jubin Nautiyal and Payal Dev and co-stars like Heli and Gautam, you know you are in the best hands possible.

Shooting in Rajasthan for this song was an amazing experience and I am excited to see how everyone reacts to it."

Himansh is known for his movie 'Yaariyan', Heli has done several TV shows including 'Naagin 3', 'Humse Hai Life' and others.

Heli expresses her happiness at reuniting with Himansh after a gap of ten years.

"I am reuniting with Himansh, who is also a dear friend, after a gap of 10 years. We made our debut together and it feels like life has come a full circle from newcomers to acting again. Jubin is a personal favourite of mine so it's surreal to be in this video as well," she adds.

Former 'Bigg Boss 8' contestant Gautam is looking forward to receiving positive feedback from

those who listen to this song.

He shares: "'Meri Tarah' is one more smashing product that does it best. I look forward to seeing what the reaction will be like."

Penned by Kunaal Vermaa and composed by Payal Dev, 'Meri Tarah' is directed by Navjit Buttar and has been shot in the quaint bylanes of Rajasthan. Produced by Bhushan Kumar, the song is now out on T-Series' Youtube channel.

Veronica Vanij talks about shooting in Haridwar for upcoming film 'Dreamy Singh'

Instagram

In the complaint, it was alleged that the trailer of the film, which was released on January 10, 2022, showed objectionable scenes and obscenity related to women.

Rekha Sharma has urged the Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to intervene immediately and censor the explicit sex scenes in the trailer and the film.

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he National Commission for Women (NCW) has expressed displeasure over the trailer of filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar's Marathi film "Nay Varan Bhat Loncha Kon Koncha".

written a letter to the Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, to censor the bold and sexually explicit scenes in the film's trailer.

The commission has received a complaint from an organisation in Maharashtra over the trailer of the film.

A copy of the letter has also been sent to the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Prasoon Joshi.

NCW chief Rekha Sharma has

A complaint was made to the

The NCW has also expressed displeasure over the fact that the trailer is being circulated to the viewers on social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter etc., without any age restrictions.

Also, the NCW has urged the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the CBFC to provide updates on the action being taken on the issue.

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A

ctress Veronica Vanij shoots for her upcoming film 'Dreamy Singh' starring Ashmit Patel along with her. Veronica is super excited as she plays a journalist.

to see the audience's reaction to the various dimensions of the characters in the movie. I love the winters and shooting in Haridwar at peak winters has a different high."

The film is currently being shot in the beautiful locales of Haridwar.

She shares further: "I am having a gala time here. It's been a difficult time with the pandemic and we are again seeing a surge in the cases. Let's stay safe and try to keep indoors as much and stick to protocols. Love to all. Can't wait to bring Dreamy Singh to you all."

Veronica, who has done several web series like 'Smartphone' and 'Jo Hukum Mere Aaka', says: "This was a super exciting project and I did not wait for a second to say a yes to the project. The script is always the king for me and I truly believe that the magic is in the writing. I am super excited

'Dreamy Singh' stars Ashmit Patel alongside Veronica and Kashmira Shah.

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INDIA NEWS

Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

'Outsider who broke down barriers': 'Vanity Fair' puts Priyanka on its cover Instagram

The magazine, previously edited by celebrity journalists such as Tina Brown and Graydon Carter (who's played by Jeff Bridges in the film 'How to Lose Friends and Alienate People'), is now helmed

by Radhika Jones, an Indian American.

ENTERTAINMENT

Culture, language barriers blurring: Rashmika Mandana on 'Pushpa' success Instagram

Describing her as "a driven woman who has transcended what's previously been possible for an Indian actor in Hollywood," the 'Vanity Fair' cover story goes on to say: "She is an outsider who broke down barriers and built a place for herself within the walls of Hollywood. Now she's on a mission to welcome others in."

Priyanka, notes the article that traces her life's story from her days at the Army Public School, Bareilly, will finally be playing lead film roles as she had in India" with the rom-com 'Text for You' and Amazon's ambitious spy series 'Citadel' later this year.

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riyanka Chopra has achieved what every star anywhere in the world aspires for -- to be on the cover of 'Vanity Fair'. She's on the cover of the February 2022 edition of the magazine celebrated internationally as much for its in-depth articles as for its cutting-edge photography.

Unveiling the cover, 'Vanity Fair'

tweeted: "After a journey into 'The Matrix', the actor enters 2022 with her cup overflowing --reflecting on her storied Hindi film industry career, marriage, and creating a path for herself in Hollywood."

Looking artfully messy, a sultry Priyanka appears on the cover in an off-shoulder, off-white ruffled dress from Fendi.

And about her own story, especially her rise to stardom in Hollywood, Priyanka says: "It's taken a lot of pavement pounding to be able to get people's attention, and to be able to get an acceptance of the fact that someone like me can be the lead of a Hollywood feature."

She adds (and the sentiment will go down well back home): "There's very few of us from South Asia who get to do that. I hope that the part that I play in it will sort of push the envelope a little bit."

Pooja Hegde set to have five releases in 2022 Instagram

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ctress Pooja Hegde, who dabbles in different film industries, will have a busy 2022 as she has five films lined up for release.

Her upcoming films for this year include Vijay Thalapathy's 'Beast', 'Cirkus' opposite Ranveer Singh, 'Acharya' with Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan, 'Radhe Shyam' opposite Prabhas and a yetuntitled film opposite Mahesh Babu.

Thrilled about launching into a happening year, Pooja shares, "Despite the challenges, last year has been so giving and inspiring for me. All the love that 'Most Eligible Bachelor' got in theatres was overwhelming. It made me feel like a newcomer."

Her goal for 2022 is to work with people with a knack for brilliant storytelling, "As for 2022, I'm more determined to jam with brilliant minds and give the audience cinema that is worth remembering. I want to explore spaces of my craft that excite the audience, makers and me."

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R

ashmika Mandanna, lead actress of 'Pushpa: The Rise', is overwhelmed by the positive response garnered by the surprise blockbuster of 2021.

for Pushpa.. only makes us want to work harder.. and we promise you.. Pushpa 2 will only be better and bigger! ?????? Pc: @thisisdsp"

"I'm really grateful that all the hard work that the cast and crew had put in the film, is finally being seen and appreciated by viewers all across. There's so much love and positivity that the audience has showered upon the film, its characters, and the story, which is super encouraging".

Having its roots in Telugu, 'Pushpa: The Rise' has made its mark in every corner of the country. Directed by Sukumar, it was released on December 17 and has scored massive success at the box-office with its collections.

The sequel 'Pushpa: The Rule' is expected to go on floors in March this year.

Rashmika is also very happy to see the film, being appreciated by audiences from different regions of the country. Adding to this she says "The humongous applause that the film has received, only shows us that the culture and language barriers are now blurring and fading away." It seems the film has broken all the cultural differences and sets an example of unity in diversity.

Meanwhile, expressing concern over the rising cases of COVID in the country, the actress has urged the audience to be safe and take necessary precautions to avoid any kind of spread of the virus.

Talking about the grave situation Rashmika says "Also, would urge everyone to take all the necessary precautions at this crucial point, and take good care of themselves and their loved ones".

She promises that 'Pushpa 2' will be bigger than ever. Earlier, taking to social media, Rashmika wrote, "Thank you for all you love

The pan-Indian actress will now be debuting in Bollywood with 2 big-ticket films - 'Mission Majnu' and 'Goodbye'.

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INDIA NEWS

Luxury, lifestyle, location — welcome to Dress Circle

Jan 16-31, 2022 - Vol 2, Issue 13

Located in the heart of one of Australia’s fastest growing regions, Brookwater is Brisbane’s best kept secret for luxury living. Crafted around the Greg Norman designed golf course, Brookwater provides a rare combination of prestige golf-side living and natural bushland beauty.

With over 800 families already calling Brookwater home, we are pleased to introduce the next stage of this exclusive community — your own architecturally designed piece of paradise — Dress Circle.

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We welcome you to experience Brisbane’s best kept secret when it comes to luxury living, and choose from our leading architectural collaborators to design your dream home — with all architectural fees complimentary with your Dress Circle land purchase.

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Life on Brookwater’s Dress Circle is within 10 minutes of everything you need — commuter rail to the city, private and public schools, childcare centres, a university, a private hospital, shopping centres and a thriving commercial precinct.

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