SUNDAY www.thestatesman.com 17 JANUARY 2021 FIND US ONLINE Scan this with your smartphone twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd facebook.com/thestatesman1875 Pages 12 | `5.00 |LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR UGANDAN PRESIDENT WINS 6TH TERM ‘VACCINATIONALISM IS SELF-DEFEATING’ P10 Fog/mist in the morning. Mainly clear sky later. Temperature most likely to be in the range of 23-14 degrees Celsius. P8 P12 PM launches pan-India inoculation drive, warns against complacency urging people to continue with practice of wearing masks STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Min. 53 % Max: 23.3°C (-3) Min: 14.6°C (1) SUN RISES SUN SETS 06:18 hrs 17:14 hrs MOON RISES MOON SETS 08:45 hrs 20:18 hrs Moon first quarter on 21 January THUMBNAILS Gangasagar Mela pilgrims on their way home, in Kolkata on Saturday. SAILENDRA MAL Ex-CEO of BARC held in TRP scam hospitalised: C Partho Dasgupta, a former CEO of TV ratings agency BARC who was arrested in the Television Rating Points (TRP) rigging case, has been admitted to the ICU of a hospital in Mumbai after his sugar level shot up, officials said on Saturday. His daughter took to Twitter to allege that he was tortured in prison. Dasgupta, 55, a diabetic, was rushed to state-run J J Hospital . Satabdi Roy to remain in TMC: Satabdi Roy said that those having problems should discuss the issues with the party instead of looking for other options. Roy, an actor-turned-politician and a leading face in the Mamata Banerjee's cultural brigade, said it would be “unethical to look for other options” when the party is P3 facing a tough fight. US retains terrorist designation of LeT: Partho The USA has reviewed and maintained the terrorist designations of Pakistan-based Lashkar-eTayyiba (LeT) and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ), along with ISIL Sinai Peninsula (ISIL-SP) and several other organisations. Ahead of the transition of power, the US Department of State said that it has amended terrorist tags of LJ and ISIL-SP. PM announces `1,000-cr ‘Startup India Seed Fund’ he world’s largest vaccination drive against Covid-19 got underway here on Saturday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanking scientists for developing two made in India vaccines and urging people to continue with the practice of wearing masks, maintaining hand hygiene, social distancing even after vaccination. In the national capital the vaccination was rolled out with sanitation worker Manish Kumar becoming the first recipient of the vaccine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), according to the Health Ministry. The vaccination drive came as the country continued to witness a decline in number of Covid-19 patients and increase in rate of recovery. The vaccination drive preceded a concerted campaign by the government seeking to allay peoples’ fears about its side effects. In his address to the nation before launching the countrywide drive Prime Minister Modi had also urged people to come forward and join the campaign fearlessly. He sought to reassure people that emergency use authorisation was given to the two ‘made in India’ vaccines only after scientists were convinced of their safety and effectiveness. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the vaccines would ensure a decisive victory over the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. He T HYDERABAD, 16 JANUARY Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the launch of the pan-India rollout of Covid-19 vaccination drive via video conferencing, in New Delhi on Saturday.  PIB urged people to get them vaccinated while strictly following the Covid health protocols. At one point of time during his speech, Modi’s voice choked as he narrated the sacrifices made by healthcare and frontline workers and hundreds others falling prey to the virus. He pointed out how the coronavirus killed people and the disruptions in its wake denied opportunity to their near and dear ones to perform last rites as per the tradition. The Prime Minister pointed out that as against normal years of preparations for the development of a vaccine the two made in India vaccine was ready in a short span of time. “Our vaccination programme is driven by humanitarian concerns, those exposed to maximum risk will get priority,” Modi pointed out. He said it normally takes years to make a vaccine but in India two vaccines were ready in a short span of time and work on other vaccines was also progressing at a These vaccines are ‘sanjivani’ in our fight against this pandemic. We have won the battles against polio and small pox. Now, we have reached the decisive phase of winning the war against coronavirus. fast pace.Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, who was at the AIIMS at the time of vaccinations welcomed the occasion with an applause. He said the two vaccines are a sanjivani, life infusing, in the fight against the pandemic. “We have won the battle against polio and now we have reached the decisive phase of winning the war against Covid. I want to congratulate all frontline workers on this day,” Vardhan said shortly after the first vaccine shots were administered. Shots of the Covishield and Covaxin vaccines are being administered at medical centres across the country. AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria, NITI Aayog member V K Paul, who is also head of an empowered group on medical equipment and management plan to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. Serum Institute of India’s Adar Poonawallah and West Bengal minister Nirmal Maji, also received their first shot of the two-dose vaccine. This is a proud moment for every Indian and I would like to convey my deepest appreciation to all the scientists for the remarkable speed with which the vaccines were developed in a record time HARSH VARDHAN M VENKAIAH NAIDU VICE PRESIDENT UNION HEALTH MINISTER Bharat Biotech, which has received a government purchase order for supply of 55 lakh doses of Covaxin, a Covid-19 vaccine, said the company will pay compensation to recipients in case of any serious adverse effects experienced after receiving the antidote. A consent form to be signed by the vaccine recipients said, “In case of any adverse events or serious adverse events, you will be provided medically recognised standard of care in the government designated centres and hospitals.” “The compensation will be paid by sponsor (BBIL) in case if the SAE is proven to be causally related to the vaccine,” the PTI form said. Manish Kumar (34) after taking the first jab of Covaxin at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, becoming the first person in the country to be vaccinated against coronavirus. DAY ONE  Over three lakh healthcare workers are targeted for inoculation in 3,006 sites across all states and union territories.  The shots are first being offered to an estimated one crore healthcare workers, and around two crore frontline workers.  With a Covishield jab on his forearm, BJP leader and Gautam Buddh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma on Saturday got vaccinated for coronavirus as a 'healthcare worker', becoming among the first parliamentarians in India to get inoculated for the infection. 15K gets Covid jabs in WB KOLKATA, 16 JANUARY Around 15,000 health workers including doctors, nurses and other support staff were administered Covid-19 intramuscular vaccines on Day One of the first phase immunisation programme today at 210 centres in the city and districts. No major report of adverse effect after immunisation (AEAI) was reported anywhere in the state so far. While launching the Covid-19 vaccination drive in the state today, chief minister Mama- ta Banerjee reiterated that the state government will make all arrangements for providing vaccines free of cost to all the people of West Bengal. Bengal logs 609 Covid cases: West Bengal added 609 fresh Covid cases while 15 deaths linked to the virus were recorded. The total Covid case count is 5,64,707 with the death toll standing at 10,041 while there are 7,151 active cases. Kolkata recorded 150 cases and 2 deaths. More on Pg 2,3 PRESS TRUST OF INDIA NEW DELHI, 16 JANUARY A farmer union requested the Supreme Court on Saturday to remove the remaining three members of the committee it had set up to resolve the impasse over the three contentious farm laws, and select people who can do the job “on the basis of mutual harmony”. The Bhartiya Kisan Union Lokshakti said the principle of natural justice is going to be violated as those appointed to the four-member committee “have already supported these laws”. In an affidavit, it also sought dismissal of a plea of the Central government, filed though the Delhi Police, seeking an injunction against the proposed tractor march or any Ex-servicemen join the kisan protest against the Centre’s farm laws at Delhi’s Gazipur border on Saturday.  SNS other kind of protest by farmers which seeks to disrupt the gathering and celebrations of Republic Day on 26 January. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde had agreed to hear on 18 January the Centre’s application against the proposed tractor march. The Bhartiya Kisan Union Lokshakti is one of the 40-odd farmer unions spearheading the agitation against the farm laws on various border points of Delhi for about 50 days now. In an “extraordinary” interim order, the top court had stayed the implementation of the new farm laws till further orders and had constituted the four-member committee to resolve the impasse. The committee comprised Bhupinder Singh Mann, national president of Bhartiya Kisan Union; Dr Parmod Kumar Joshi, Director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute; Ashok Gulati, agricultural economist and former chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices; and Anil Ghanwat, president of Shetkari Sanghatana. However, on 14 January, Mann recused himself from the committee. The Bhartiya Kisan Union Lokshakti urged the top court “to remove all these three members from the committee and appoint those persons who make the report on the basis of mutual harmony....” NEW DELHI, 16 JANUARY Nepal will never accept external interference in its domestic politics as it is capable of handling internal problems, Nepalese Foreign minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said on Saturday in the backdrop of China wading into the political turmoil that erupted in the Himalayan nation after dissolution of its Parliament. At the end of his three-day India visit, the Nepalese foreign minister also said that both New Delhi and Kathmandu have a “common commitment” to resolve the boundary issue and suggested that both sides are working on modalities to address it. MANISH KUMAR WHO IS A SANITATION WORKER, BECOMES FIRST PERSON IN DELHI TO GET VACCINE SHOT World virus toll 2 million 1,05,42,841 2,11,033 15,158 16,977 1,52,093 UNION HEALTH MINISTRY FIGURES AS OF 8.00 A.M. SATURDAY 16 JANUARY 2021 More than two million people have lost their lives to the Covid-19 pandemic worldwide, with the United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, lamenting the impact of the “vicious virus”. “Our world has reached a heart-wrenching milestone,” Guterres announced on Friday. Data from Johns Hopkins University showed the latest Covid milestone was reached on Friday, with an average of 11,900 daily deaths being recordAP ed in 2021 so far. questions over PM-CARES Fund PRESS TRUST OF INDIA NEW DELHI, 16 JANUARY A group of 100 former civil servants wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday raising questions over transparency in the PM-CARES Fund. They said it is necessary that, for reasons of probity and adherence to standards of public accountability, the financial details of receipts and expenditures be made available in order to avoid doubts of wrongdoing. “We have been keenly following the ongoing debate about the Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations, or ‘PM- ‘Nepal will never allow interference in domestic politics’ PRESS TRUST OF INDIA She (wife) even asked me not to take the vaccine. I told her it is just an injection. After taking the dose, I asked my mother to tell my wife that I am safe. Farmers urge overhaul of SC agri laws panel 100 former civil servants raise NEW DELHI, 16 JANUARY Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced the launch of Rs 1,000-crore ‘Startup India Seed Fund’ to support startups and help budding entrepreneurs pursue innovative ideas. Addressing the ‘Prarambh: Startup India International Summit’, Modi exuded confidence that the growth of startups will help in generating jobs and improving lives of people in the region. “In order to provide initial capital for startups, the nation is launching a Rs 1,000 crore Startup India Seed Fund. This will help in setting up new startups,” the PM said. The government, he added, has been implementing the Fund of Fund Scheme to help startups PTI raise equity capital. LIGHT AT THE END OF 10-MONTH TUNNEL Covaxin side effects: Biotech to pay solatium NEW DELHI, 16 JANUARY RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY TEMPERATURE P11 India rolls out largest vaccination drive WEATHER Max. 90 % BIG BOYS PUT TO THE TEST IN BRISBANE ‘COMMITTED TO TAKE STEPS TO SUPPORT GROWTH’ Gyawali, who held extensive talks with External Affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday, told a group of journalists that Nepal has “excellent” relations with both India and China, adding it never compares ties with each other. “We never accept interference in our domestic politics. We are able to settle our own problems. As a close neighbour, there may be some concerns or questions but we never accept interference,” the Nepalese foreign minister said when asked about China’s attempts to play a role in defusing the political crisis in the country. Nepal plunged into a political turmoil following Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s sudden decision last month “We are able to settle our own problems. As a close neighbour, there may be some concerns or questions but we never accept interference,” the Nepalese foreign minister said when asked about China’s attempts to play a role in defusing a political crisis in the country to dissolve Parliament and call for fresh elections in view of internal feud in the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP). As the crisis deepened, China rushed a high-level team headed by vice minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Guo Yezhou to Kathmandu hold talks with the rival factions within NCP. The Chinese meddling triggered a strong criticism within Nepal. Asked about allegations by NCP leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ that Oli split the ruling party and dissolved Parliament at India’s behest, Gyawali did not give a direct reply, saying as Nepal’s foreign minister he represents everyone including Prachanda. At the same time, the Nepalese foreign minister justified Oli’s decision to dissolve Parliament, saying he followed the democratic principle of seeking a fresh mandate from the people whose decisions are supreme in a democracy. “In democracy, people are the final authority to decide about who will govern. I think dissolution of the Parliament is a reflection of the internal issue. It is not wise to blame anybody,” Gyawali said. “Prime Minister Oli thought that time has come to seek a fresh mandate in line with universally accepted practice of seeking people’s views,” he said. Asked about the boundary row between Nepal and India, Gyawali said both the countries have common commitment to resolve the issue. “The sanctity and security of the border is extremely important for expanding the overall developmental cooperation...We both have realised the urgency (to resolve the border issue),” he said. Gyawali suggested that both sides are working on the modalities in mapping the areas concerned. The former civil servants wrote to Modi asking for financial details of receipts and expenditures to be made available CARES’, ~ a fund created for the benefit of people affected by the Covid pandemic. Both the purpose for which it has been created as well as the way it has been administered have left a number of questions unanswered,” they said in the letter. “It is essential that the position and stature of the Prime Minister is kept intact by ensuring total transparency in all dealings the Prime Minister is associated with,” they said. The letter was signed by former IAS officers Anita Agnihotri, S P Ambrose, Sharad Behar, Sajjad Hassan, Harsh Mander, P Joy Oommen, Aruna Roy, former diplomats Madhu Bhaduri, K P Fabian, Deb Mukharji, Sujatha Singh and former IPS officers A S Dulat, P G J Nampoothiri and Julio Ribeiro among others. In March last year, the Centre set up the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund with the primary objective to deal with any kind of emergency situation like the Covid-19 pandemic. WhatsAppdelays policy update rollout to 15 May PRESS TRUST OF INDIA NEW DELHI, 16 JANUARY WhatsApp has decided to delay the rollout of its new policy update to 15 May after massive criticism from users globally, including India, over concerns that data was being shared with its parent company Facebook. The move assumes significance for users in India given that the country is among the biggest markets for WhatsApp with over 400 million users. In a blog post, WhatsApp said it is moving back the date on which people will be asked to review and accept the terms. “No one will have their account suspend- ed or deleted on 8 February. We’re also going to do a lot more to clear up the misinformation around how privacy works on WhatsApp. We’ll then go to people to review the policy at their own pace before new business options are available on 15 May,” it said. A raging debate ensued after WhatsApp said it will update its terms of service and privacy policy around how it processes user data and partners with Facebook to offer integrations across the social media giant’s products. Concerned about the data privacy, many users have thronged to rival messaging platforms such as Signal and Telegram. Details on Page 8