TUESDAY www.thestatesman.com 22 JUNE 2021 FIND US ONLINE Scan this with your smartphone twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd facebook.com/thestatesman1875 Pages 12 |` 5|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WON’T MEET WITH BIDEN: IRAN’S PRESIDENT-ELECT BEAR’S EMBRACE P6 WEATHER Partly cloudy sky. The maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 38 and 29 degrees Celsius respectively. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max: 87% P5 India administers 80L vaccine doses in 1 day SNS & PTI TEMPERATURE Max: 37.4°C (-1) SUN RISES 05:25 hrs MOON RISES 16:49 hrs P9 Record inoculation on the first day as revised guidelines come into force Min: 45% NEW DELHI, 21 JUNE Min: 25.5°C (-3) SUN SETS 19:22 hrs MOON SETS 03:44 hrs M THUMBNAILS Security personnel during an encounter at Sopore in Baramulla district on Monday resulting in three militants being killed. (P5) Fresh trouble for Alapan: Centre is mulling to hold 'major penalty proceedings' against former state chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay. West Bengal Chief minister's top adviser's reply has been sought within 30 days, failing which an inquiry may be held against him ex-parte. Mamata challenges HC order on Narada in SC: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta High Court's denial for filing of affidavits by her and state Law Minister Moloy Ghatak on their role on the day of arrest of four TMC leaders on 17 May by the CBI in connection with the Narada sting tape case. A bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Aniruddha Bose will be hearing the separate appeals filed by the chief minister, Ghatak and the West Bengal Government on Tuesday. Earlier, the top court had said that it would hear on 22 June the appeal filed by Ghatak. On 9 June, a five-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court had said it will decide later on considering the affidavits by the Banerjee and Ghatak on their respective roles on the day of the arrest of four leaders in connection with the case. ore than 80 lakh vaccine doses were administered across the country till Monday evening on the first day of the revised guidelines for Covid-19 vaccination coming into effect, the Union Health Ministry said. It is the highest number of doses administered in a day since the vaccination drive started on 16 January. India’s cumulative Covid19 vaccination coverage is now nearly 28.7 crore. “Central Government is beginning the ‘Free Vaccination For All campaign’ for every Indian from today. The biggest beneficiary of this phase of India’s vaccination drive shall be the poor, the middle class and the youth of the country. All of us should pledge to get ourselves vaccinated. Together we will defeat Covid-19,” Prime Minis- Today’s recordbreaking vaccination numbers are gladdening. Vaccine remains our strongest weapon to fight Covid-19. Well done India. PM NARENDRA MODI ter Narendra Modi said. According to the revised guidelines, vaccine doses provided free of cost by the Centre will be allocated to states and UTs based on criteria such as population, disease burden and the progress of vaccination, and all above the age of 18 will be eligible for the free jabs. Any wastage of vaccine will affect the allocation negatively, they said. The Centre will now procure 75 percent of the vaccines being produced by the manufacturers in the country. It had earlier allowed states and private hospitals to procure 50 percent of the vaccines following demands REVISED NORMS According to the revised guidelines, vaccine doses provided free of cost by the Centre will be allocated to states and UTs based on criteria such as population, disease burden and the progress of vaccination, and all above the age of 18 will be eligible for the free jabs. The Centre will now procure 75 percent of the vaccines being produced by the manufacturers in the country. for decentralisation of the process. However, after several states complained of problems including funding, PM Modi announced the revision of the vaccine guidelines on 8 June. In order to incentivise production by vaccine manufacturers and encourage new vaccines, domestic vaccine manufacturers are given the option to also provide vaccines directly to private hospitals. This would be restricted to 25 percent of their monthly production, the new guidelines stated. The private hospitals may charge up to a maximum of Rs150 per dose as service charges. State Governments may monitor the price being so charged, the guidelines said. All citizens irrespective of their income status are entitled to free vaccination. Those who have the ability to pay are encouraged to use private hospital’s vaccination centres, the guidelines said. “To promote the spirit of ‘Lok Kalyan’ (public good), use of non-transferable Electronic Vouchers, which can be redeemed at private vaccination centers, will be encouraged. “This would enable people to financially support vaccination of EWS category at private centres,” the revised guidelines said. Active count declines; 53K new cases STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 21 JUNE The Covid-19 cases in India continued a declining trend with the country recording 1,422 deaths and 53,256 new cases on Monday, lowest since 24 March, Union Health Ministry data showed. On 24 March, India had recorded 53,476 cases of Covid. The overall tally of Covid-19 cases in the country now stands at 2,99,35,221. The active cases have now come down below 8 lakh. The country has 7,02,887 active cases presently and has witnessed 3,88,135 deaths so far. According to the Union Health Ministry, daily recoveries outnumber daily new cases for 39th consecutive day. A total of 78,190 people have been discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the total discharge to 2,88,44,199 till date. Current recovery rate in the country has increased to 96.36%, the data showed. Delhi sees 89 cases, lowest this year: The national capital today reported 89 fresh coronavirus cases — the lowest this year so far — and 11 Covid-relat- ‘LACK OF EXPERIENCE PROBABLY HURT INDIA’ ‘AAP’S CM FACE FOR PUNJAB WILL BE A SIKH’ ed deaths while the positivity rate dipped to 0.16 per cent, according to the Delhi government’s latest health bulletin. This is the first time since 16 February, when 94 people were diagnosed with the Covid infection, that the number of single-day infections has dropped below the 100-mark. Since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic in the country early last year, Delhi has recorded a total of 14,32,381 Covid cases till date. Of this caseload, over 14.05 lakh patients have recovS ered so far. (See P2) P12 Has PM-led NDMA decided not to pay ex-gratia to kin of Covid victims: SC to Centre SNS & PTI COMPENSATION NEW DELHI, 21 JUNE The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre whether NDMA, headed by the Prime Minister, has taken a decision not to pay Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia to families of victims of Covid, and observed that to avoid heart burn among beneficiaries, framing of a uniform compensation scheme may be considered. The Centre, which in its affidavit said that paying exgratia compensation was beyond the fiscal affordability and the finances of central and state governments as they were under severe strain, told the top court however that it was not the case of the government that it does not have money”. Our case is that we are utilising the funds available for other things like utilising funds to build health infrastructure, ensure food to all, vaccinate the entire population and provide financial stimulus to boost the economy. The top court observed that to avoid heart burn among beneficiaries, framing of a uniform compensation scheme may be considered The Centre in an affidavit had said that paying ex-gratia compensation was beyond the fiscal affordability Saying that the Central Government has no money has very wide repercussions, a special vacation bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and M R Shah told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta while reserving verdict on two pleas seeking ex-gratia compensation for dependents of those who died of Covid-19. Observing that the Finance Commission’s recommendations on dealing with disasters cannot override statutory schemes on compensation under section 12 of the Disaster Management Act, the bench asked the Centre KEEPING COVID AT BAY 2,99,35,221 7,02,887 53,256 78,190 3,88,135 UNION HEALTH MINISTRY FIGURES AS OF 8.00 A.M. MONDAY 21 JUNE 2021 A health worker administers Covid vaccine during a vaccination drive in Bhopal. HC dismisses Bengal govt’s plea; ‘Third Front?’ Pawar calls meeting of Opp leaders NHRC to probe post-poll violence SNS & AGENCIES MUMBAI, 21 JUNE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 21 JUNE A larger bench of Calcutta High Court today rejected a petition of state government seeking a review of the HC order directing National Human Rights Commission to set up a committee to look into post-poll violence in the state. In all, 541 allegations have been filed before NHRC but not a single one before State Human Rights Commission, Justice Harish Tandon said. “This is alarming,” Justice Tandon observed. Even one and a half month after the elections, allegations are being made, acting The NHRC will simply investigate the incidents which in no way prejudices the state CALCUTTA HIGH COURT Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal pointed out. Police is allegedly not taking complaints, Bindal said. Will it raise the confidence on the administration, he asked. The bench while hearing the recalling prayer filed by the government of West Bengal, prima facie found that there has been violence and violation of human rights across the state and also found that the state machinery has failed to redress the NSA unlikely to meet Pak counterpart at SCO meet STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 21 JUNE There is virtually no possibility of a meeting between National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Moeed Yusuf on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet in Dushanbe, sources said today. The two NSAs will be attending the 16th meeting of the Secretaries of the Security Council (SCO) in the Tajikistan capital on 23-24 June. The participation of both Indian and Pakistani NSAs in the session had sparked speculation that they could also hold bilateral talks on the same. During the pendency of these PILs, large numbers of complaints were received by the committee already formed, alleging displacement of people from their residences, physical assault, destruction of property and ransacking of places of business owing to post-poll violence in the state and that the police authorities are still not maintaining law and order. The NHRC will simply investigate the incidents which in no way prejudices the state, it was directed. The recalling application was dismissed as the order dated 18 June, 2021 requires no interference. gress of Mamata Banerjee just before the Bengal election. “Sharad Pawar and Yashwant Sinha are co-chairing a discussion on the present national scenario. Yashwant Sinha has requested your kind presence and participation in the meeting,” says the invite sent out by Rashtra Manch, Mr Sinha’s outfit. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Manoj Jha, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s Sanjay Singh and Congress leader Kapil Sibal are some of the invitees. Mr Sibal has reportedly declined, so has Mr Jha. Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK says it is not aware of the meeting. Poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Monday met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar here, their second meeting this Poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Monday met NCP chief Sharad Pawar, their second meeting this month amidst heightened speculation about the possible formation of a Third Front month amidst heightened speculation about the possible formation of a Third Front to take on the BJP. The closed-door discussions between Kishor and Pawar at the latter’s residence lasted for about one-and-ahalf hours, sources said. The meeting comes a day before the NCP’s general body meeting scheduled to be held at Pawar’s residence. Kishor, who was a key architect of the TMC’s victory in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections, had also met Pawar on 11 June, fuelling the talk of Opposition parties coming together against the BJP Kishor, who had been part . of the BJP’s 2014 Lok Sabha campaign, later became a poll strategist for several nonNDA parties. He had handled the poll strategy of the TMC in the Bengal Assembly polls and for the DMK in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections this year. He had also been a poll strategist for the JD-U and RJD alliance in the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls. Yoga remains ‘ray of hope’ as world fights Covid: PM SNS & PTI NEW DELHI, 21 JUNE margins of the SCO meet amidst increasing pressure on the two countries by some Gulf nations to open channels of communication. The SCO comprises Russia, China, India, Pakistan and Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Last year in September, Doval had walked out of the SCO’s virtual meeting of NSAs after Pakistan showed a “fictitious” map violating the agenda of the gathering. The meet coincides with PM Modi’s all-party meet on J & K, the first such outreach since the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state into two UTs. Ahead of Prime Minister’s meeting on Jammu and Kashmir, Opposition leaders in Delhi are scheduled to hold a meeting at Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar’s residence on Tuesday at 4 p.m. The Opposition parties meeting has been called to explore a common front against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP not just , in the 2024 Parliamentary election but also in Uttar Pradesh, where elections are due next year. Invitations have gone to several parties on behalf of Sharad Pawar and former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, who joined the Trinamul Con- On the seventh International Yoga Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the ancient Indian discipline remains a “ray of hope” and a source of strength for the people in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The prime minister said frontline warriors and doctors have told him that they made yoga their “protective shield” while fighting the pandemic. Addressing a Yoga Day programme, Modi also announced that in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), India has taken another important step as the world is going to get the power of ‘M-Yoga’ application, PM LAUNCHES ‘M-YOGA’ APP: In collaboration with WHO, India has taken another important step as the world is going to get the power of ‘MYoga’ application, which will have many videos of yoga training. The PM expressed hope that the M-yoga app will help in spreading yoga world over which will have many videos of yoga training based on Common Yoga Protocol available in different languages. Terming this as a great example of fusion of modern technology and ancient science, the PM expressed hope that the M-yoga app will help in spreading yoga world over whether the National Disaster Management Authority, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has taken any decision that no compensation should be given as ex-gratia. Mehta referred to some decision taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the nodal agency for disaster management, saying that he was not aware of any such decision of the NDMA. The top court termed as prima facie more complicated the present process of issuing death certificates and asked the Centre to simplify it to enable the dependents of Covid victims to get such certificates so that they can avail welfare benefits. When humanity is gone and black marketing is happening, what can be said? the bench said. On being pointed out that states do not give uniform compensation to victims’ families, it asked whether uniform guidelines on compensation can be framed under the Act otherwise there will be heartburn. and contribute to the efforts of ‘One World, One Health’. Talking about yoga’s role during the pandemic, Modi said there were several instances of yoga sessions conducted by doctors and nurses in hospitals and experts were stressing the importance of breathing exercises Students perform yoga in Srinagar on the International Day of Yoga. like pranayama and anulom-vilom in strengthening the respiratory system. “At a time when the whole world is fighting the coronavirus pandemic, yoga remains a ray of hope,” Modi said. The Prime Minister noted that there may not have been any major public events in countries across the globe and in India for around a year and a half, but the enthusiasm for Yoga Day has not diminished. In the last oneand-a-half years, lakhs of new yoga practitioners have been added in every corner of the world, Modi said. “When the unseen coronavirus knocked on the doors, no country was prepared for it in terms of resources, capability and mental toughness. We all have seen that in such difficult times, yoga has become a great source of inner strength,” he said. The prime minister said despite the pandemic, this year's theme for the International Yoga Day “Yoga for wellness” has raised the morale of people. IANS ‘Optional Class 12 exams for those unhappy with grading criteria’ The examinations for such candidates shall be conducted any time between 15 Aug to 15 Sept provided situation is conducive NEW DELHI, 21 JUNE The CBSE informed the Supreme Court on Monday that the optional examinations for Class 12 students, who are unsatisfied with its assessment criteria, would be held between 15 August to 15 September. The exams would be conducted if the environment is conducive amidst the ongoing Covid pandemic. On Monday, a bench headed by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar agreed to hear on Tuesday a plea for holding physical examinations for Class 12. The CBSE after the cancellation of Class 12 examination, developed an assessment process with theory and practical components. Earlier, the apex court had asked the CBSE to develope a dispute resolution mechanism. The CBSE said, disputes regarding computation of results will be referred to a committee constituted by the board. “After declaration of result by 31 July, if the candidates are not satisfied, CBSE will provide online facility for registration for the examination. The exam will be conducted by the board only in the main subjects as and when conditions are conducive for holding the examinations,” said the SNS affidavit.