RIVANCH

Washington: The US will rapidly deploy additional support to India and its health care heroes amidst the horrific COVID-19 outbreak, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said. Blinken's remarks came as pressure grew on the Biden administration to ship COVID-19 vaccines along with several life-saving medical supplies to India. “Our hearts go out to the Indian people in the midst of the horrific COVID-19 outbreak,” Blinken said in a tweet on Saturday night. “We are working closely with our partners in the Indian government, and we will rapidly deploy additional support to the people of India and India's health care heroes,” Blinken said. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the United States is deeply concerned by the severe COVID outbreak in India. “We are working around the clock to deploy more supplies and support to our friends and partners in India as they bravely battle this pandemic. More very soon,” Sullivan said. With a record single-day rise of 3

New Delhi: Supreme Court judge Justice Mohan M Shantanagoudar died at a private hospital in Gurgaon, sources said on Sunday. He was 62. Justice Shantanagoudar was admitted to the Medanta hospital due to a lung infection and was in the ICU, the sources said. His condition was stated to be stable till late Saturday night but around 12.30 am, the doctors attending him broke the sad news to the family, a court official told PTI. The sources did not confirm or deny whether the judge was suffering from COVID-19. Justice Shantanagoudar was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court on 17 February, 2017. He was born on 5 May, 1958 in Karnataka and got himself enrolled as an advocate on 5 September, 1980. He was appointed as an additional judge of the Karnataka High Court on 12 May, 2003 and became a permanent judge in the court in September, 2004. Later, he was transferred to the Kerala High Court, where he assumed charge as the Acting Chief Justice on 1 August, 2016. He became the Chi

Chandigarh: In a bid to tackle the coronavirus situation, deputy commissioners of six worst-hit districts in Haryana may prohibit the gathering of four or more people and order "work from home" in all corporate and IT offices, an official statement said. Deputy commissioners of Gurgaon, Faridabad, Hisar, Karnal, Sonipat and Panchkula have been asked to impose, if needed, Section 144 of the CrPC to control the COVID surge, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar told reporters after chairing a state-level meeting of the coronavirus control committee. He, however, ruled out the imposition of a lockdown in the state but said there will be "lockdown-like conditions" in place in the worst-hit six districts, if needed. IT and corporate offices should avoid crowding, he said, asking employees to adopt the "work from home culture" to break the chain of the coronavirus infection. The chief minister also ordered a restriction on gatherings in functions with the maxi

What is ‘normal’? In this fortnightly column, Srinidhi Raghavan explores the understanding of bodies-minds and navigating spaces as disabled, chronically ill and sick people. Read more from the series here . *** It was in early March when I was scrolling through Twitter that I found this tweet by @AutSciPerson talking about #DisabledPeopleDeserveEqualEducation . When have you, as a disabled person, not received equal education? Tell us when and how, and use the hashtag #DisabledPeopleDeserveEqualEducation — AutisticSciencePerson (@AutSciPerson) March 10, 2021 I spent the next few hours scrolling through the hashtag, reading stories of barriers, lack of any accommodations, and the subsequent high rates of drop-outs among disabled students. Most of these stories were from across the globe, yet there was so much resonance among the community. This made me think about the situation back home. Even pre-pandemic, the education system in India had many hurdles for disabled students.

09:49 (IST) Coronavirus LATEST Updates Centre asks Twitter to take down dozens of tweets critical of its COVID-19 handling The Indian government asked social media platform Twitter to take down dozens of tweets, including some by local lawmakers, that were critical of India’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak, reports Reuters. Twitter has withheld some of the tweets after the legal request by the Indian government, a company spokeswoman told Reuters on Saturday. The government made an emergency order to censor the tweets, Twitter disclosed on Lumen database, a Harvard University project. In the government's legal request, dated 23 April and disclosed on Lumen, 21 tweets were mentioned. Among them were tweets from a lawmaker named Revnath Reddy, a minister in the state of West Bengal named Moloy Ghatak and a filmmaker named Avinash Das. 09:28 (IST) Coronavirus LATEST Updates Centre increases Remdesivir production, allotment to states Union minister Sadananda Gowda on

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday attacked the BJP for allegedly organising campaign rallies flouting the Election Commissions COVID-19 safety protocols amid surging cases, and urged the poll panel to take note of it. While the TMC has announced cancellation of public meetings the day EC banned road shows, rallies and allowed meetings only with a maximum of 500 people, the BJP is refusing to obey the rules endangering people's lives, the TMC youth wing president claimed in a live interaction on Facebook. He alleged that 10,000 people attended a BJP rally at Malda on Saturday. "The EC allowed rallies with 500 people, but did nothing to monitor the restriction. The EC should have clubbed the remaining phases (of the election)," the nephew of party chief Mamata Banerjee said. The saffron party has no concern for people's lives, he alleged. "The prime minister deprived 130 crore people of the country and sent the COVID-19 vaccine to 8

Mumbai: The CBI has registered an FIR against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in connection with allegations of bribery against him and carried out searches at various locations in Mumbai and his hometown Nagpur on Saturday, officials said. The NCP leader told reporters in Nagpur that he co-operated with the searches at his residence. The probe agency had carried out a preliminary enquiry on the orders of the Bombay High Court to look into bribery allegations against him levelled by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, officials said. According to the officials, during the enquiry, the CBI got enough prima facie material to start a formal probe by registering a regular case against Deshmukh and other unidentified persons under the Prevention of Corruption Act. After registering the case, the CBI started a search operation at a number of locations including the premises of Deshmukh in Mumbai, Nagpur and other places, they said. On 25 March, Param Bir S

Mahavir Jayanti is the most important and auspicious festival of the Jains as it is marked to celebrate the birth of Lord Mahavir. Devotees commemorate this religious festival in loving memory of the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, who was the last spiritual leader. As per the Gregorian Calendar, Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated in March or April and this year, it will be observed on 25 April. On the special day, members of the Jain community engage in charitable acts, prayers, pujas, and vratas. Many devotees visit temples dedicated to Mahavir to offer prayers but this year due to the coronavirus pandemic it would not happen. Lord Mahavir was named Vardhaman, which means "one who grows," because of the increased prosperity in the kingdom at the time of his birth. He was born in the 6th century in Bihar, to queen Trishala and king Siddhartha. According to Jain scriptures, Lord Mahavir was born on the 13th day of the bright half of the moon, in Chaitra month. While growing up, h

Former chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian said that India's vaccination strategy is "complicated and politicised", and asserted that it is the Central Government, and not states, that should bear the "fiscal costs of vaccines". Subramanian listed three reasons to support his argument: First, he stated that the "virus doesn't respect state borders". Secondly, he added, the Centre has better access to resources than states. And thirdly, the former CEA added, "Fiscal 'costs' are trivial compared to lives saved and economic activity preserved." In a series of tweets, Subramanian also said that free vaccination is the only way to avoid politicisation of the COVID-19 vaccine and that the government should pay manufacturers a reasonable price for the vaccine. Subramanian's remarks have come amid a row over the pricing of the Covishield vaccine. The Centre had on Saturday said that it would pay only Rs 150 per dose of Covi

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the answer key of NDA/NA Exam 2020. Candidates, who appeared for the exam, can check the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (I) and (II), 2020 answer keys on the official website —  upsc.gov.in . The Commission has released the answer keys for both mathematics and GAT paper. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the examination was conducted on 6 September last year. Below are easy steps to download the answer key: Step 1: Go to the official website, upsc.gov.in Step 2: Search for ‘UPSC NDA/NA Exam Answer Key 2020’ and click on the link available on the home page Step 3: After clicking on the link, a new PDF file will open where candidates can check the answers Step 4: Remember to download the answer key PDF file Step 5: After downloading, keep a hard copy for further need or reference Here’s the direct link. Details on UPSC NDA/NA Exam: The examination was held for 300 marks last year and the result wa

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir administration announced a 34-hour curfew from 8 pm on Saturday amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the Union Territory. "Complete corona curfew to be observed in the Union Territory from 8 pm, 24 April (Saturday) till 6 am, 26 April (Monday). Essential and emergency services to be allowed. All market, commercial institutions will remain closed," the office of Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha said in a tweet. On 8 April, a night curfew from 10 pm to 6 am was imposed in the urban areas of eight districts, which was extended to the municipal and urban local body limits of all the 20 districts in the Union Territory on 20 April. Jammu and Kashmir's tally of COVID-19 cases surged to 1,56,344 on Friday as 1,937 more people tested positive for the viral disease, while the death toll due to it climbed to 2,111 with a record daily jump of 19 fatalities, officials said. Besides extending the night curfew on 20 April, the administration had or

Silchar: A total of 98 air passengers fled a hospital to avoid mandatory COVID-19 testing after landing at Silchar airport in Assam's Cachar district, a health department official said on Saturday. The incident occurred on Friday, two days after 385 air passengers created disorder at the airport and a hospital and fled without undergoing the test. The Assam government has made it mandatory for all air passengers arriving in the state to undergo a free Rapid Antigen Test followed by an RT-PCR test for Rs 500 even if the report of the RAT comes negative. The passengers are tested at the Kumbhirgram Airport in Silchar and the nearby Tikol Model Hospital. Click here for LATEST updates on the COVID-19 pandemic On Friday, altogether 511 passengers landed at the airport by various flights, and 76 among them were exempted from testing as they were transit passengers going to other northeastern states, the District Media Expert, Health Department, Suman Choudhury, told PTI . While 337

The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) has released a notification for the recruitment of executive and other posts. Interested and eligible candidates can apply for 1,074 posts by visiting the official site dfccil.com . The application process started today (24 April) while the last date to apply for the vacancies is 23 May. Below are details on the vacancies, eligibility, and selection process: Of the 1,074 vacancies, 111 are for the post of junior manager, 342 for executive and 521 for the post of junior executive. Eligibility criteria To apply for the vacancies, candidates should have the essential qualification as of the closing date of application (23 May). They shall be required to produce mark sheets and degree/certificate, at the time of document verification/interview. Age limit For the post of junior manager, the age limit is between 18 to 27 years, whereas candidates between 18 to 30 years are eligible for the posts of executive and ju

The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) Global has rescheduled the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) dates from 14 June to 29 May. The decision has been taken due to the postponement of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 examinations that are likely to take place in June now. The council does not want the LSAT to clash with the board exams, hence the exam will be held on multiple days and slots starting from 29 May. The last date to register has been extended to 14 May. Till now, more than 5,000 students have already applied for the test. Aspirants can follow these steps to apply: Step 1: Visit discoverlaw.in Step 2: Click on the ‘LSAT India’ section in the main menu Step 3: Click on the link ‘Register for LSAT’ Step 4: Register and apply Step 5: After submitting, save a copy of the form and take a printout (if required) for future reference Commenting on the change in the dates, Yusuf Abdul-Kareem, vice president of LSAC said that earlier the exam wa

The last date to apply for the Tripura Joint Entrance Examination (TJEE) 2021 has been extended by the Tripura Board of Joint Entrance Examination. Those who want to apply can now do so till 30 April by visiting the official website tbjee.nic.in . The exam will take place on 23 June. All applications must be submitted only through the online mode . The examination board has also modified the schedule as the examination will now be held only on a single day instead of two days. As per the latest notification, the time slot is as follows: 11 am to 12.30 am: Physics and Chemistry paper 1.30 pm to 2.15 pm: Biology 2.45 pm to 3.30 pm: Mathematics The exam is scheduled to be conducted for admission to engineering, technological, veterinary, agriculture, paramedical, fisheries, and other professional degree courses in Tripura. Those seeking admission to engineering or technological degree courses (Group-A) will have to appear for physics, chemistry, and mathematics papers. For veterina

The South Central Railway (SCR) has started the online application process to fill the vacancies of medical staff. Interested candidates can apply by visiting the official website scr.indianrailways.gov.in . This recruitment drive will fill 60 posts while the registration process will close down on 27 April, the South Central Railway said in a notification . Applicants should be aware that the number of positions may increase or decrease as per administrative needs. The details of the vacancies are as follows: Specialist doctor (one post) Contract medical practitioners (13 posts) Nursing sisters (21 posts) Pharmacist (2 posts) Hospital attendants (23 posts) Aspirants can follow these steps: Step 1:  Visit the official website, scr.indianrailways.gov.in Step 2:  On the home page, go to the ‘recruitment’ tab and find the notification Step 3: Read the notification before applying Step 4: Click on the Google form link given in the notification and submit it Step 5: Mail t

The Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI) has decided to exempt all types of training programmes that are required to be completed before appearing for the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) June 2021 exam. The decision has been taken as many students have not been able to complete their training due to COVID-19. The institute has earlier exempted the practical training for the June 2021 term. The June exam will now be held in July this year. The Foundation Course exam will be conducted on 23 July while the Intermediate and Final Course examinations will start on 26 July and will go on till 2 August. Eligibility for Foundation Course A candidate must have cleared the 10+2 examination from a recognised educational board or equivalent, or An applicant should have passed the National Diploma in Commerce Examination held by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) or any State Board of Technical Education, or An aspirant must have passed the Diploma in Rura

The Karnataka State Police Department is inviting applications for the recruitment of 4,000 constable (civil) posts. The application process started on 23 April and the last date to apply is 31 May. Candidates can read all the instructions and start the registration and application process by visiting the official website ksp.gov.in . Aspirants can follow these simple steps to apply Step 1: Go to the official website ksp.gov.in Step 2: On the homepage, click on the required notification in the ‘advertisement’ section Step 3: A new page will open. To apply, click on the link ’SP Constable Recruitment 2021’ Step 4: Log in using credentials and fill the application form Step 5: Upload the required documents, make payment and submit the application Step 6: Save the successfully submitted page. If required, take a printout for future reference Eligibility criteria A candidate should have passed the 10+2 examination from a recognised education board or equivalent A candida

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Jammu, has opened its online application process for admission to different PhD programmes. Candidates can apply for the required post on the official website, iitjammu.ac.in . The last date to submit the application is 15 May. According to an official notification , shortlisted candidates will receive their call letters by 26 May. The tentative dates for the selection process are 3 to 11 June while the first admission round will be conducted from 28 June to 5 July. IIT Jammu is offering PhD programmes in computer science and engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, chemical engineering, materials engineering, humanities and social sciences, mathematics, chemistry and physics Admission Process Candidates will be selected under two categories which are institute research student/candidate (full time) and externally funded student. Eligibility Criteria Candidates should have a Master’s degree in engin

The Company Secretary Executive Entrance Test (CSEET) 2021 conducted by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) will be held on 8 May. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, ICSI has decided not to conduct this exam in offline mode. Instead, it will be held through remote proctored mode. Candidates can undertake the test in their homes. The exam cannot be taken through a smartphone or a tablet. The institute has also cancelled the viva for CSEET this year. The admit cards will be released 10 days prior to the exam. Examination: There will be 200 marks for 2 hours examination. It will have 140 objective type multiple choice answer questions. The syllabus includes: 1. Business Communication 2. Economic and Business Environment 3. Current Affairs 4. Legal Aptitude and Logical Reasoning 5. Presentation & Communication Skills It is mandatory to pass the CSEET to take admission in the Executive Programme of Company Secretary course. Each candidate is requi

With an unprecedented COVID-19 crisis raging across India, a group of Indian think tanks have urged the United States to ease the global vaccine supply chain. The article, addressed to the Biden administration, was written by Arvind Gupta, director of the Vivekananda International Foundation, Rudra Chaudhuri, director of Carnegie India, Harsh Pant, director of studies and the head of the Strategic Studies Programme at the Observer Research Foundation, Reuben Abraham, CEO of the IDFC Foundation and IDFC Institute, and Nitin Pai, co-founder and director of the Takshashila Institution. The authors urged the US administration to “consider exceptions” to the Defense Production Act (DPA) of 1950, under which Washington has halted the export of raw materials critical for the production of COVID-19 vaccines. While the DPA was first invoked by Donald Trump in early 2020, it continues to be in force during the term of Joe Biden. This issue received global attention in recent days after Adar

Due to the current COVID-19 situation in the country, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has decided to postpone the Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test or the INI-CET 2021. The exam was scheduled to take place on 8 May. Candidates, who have registered for the exam, can visit the official website aiimsexams.ac.in to check the details. The new dates for the entrance exam will be announced soon. The notice reads: "In view of the evolving situation related to COVID-19 outbreak, the competent authority of AIIMS has decided to postpone the conduct of INI-CET entrance examination schedule in May 2021." This exam is conducted for admissions to the postgraduate medical courses which include MD, MS, DM (6 years), MCh, and MDS for the July session. Recently, AIIMS also postponed the Supplementary exams and Practical tests . The hall tickets will be released on 30 April on the official website. Candidates need to properly check the admit card

Hanuman Jayanti is a religious festival of the Hindus which is largely celebrated throughout India and Nepal. On this day, devotees celebrate the birth of Lord Hanuman. The day falls on the Purnima Tithi (Full Moon day) of Chaitra month. The festival will be observed on 27 April this year . What is Purnima Tithi? According to the Hindu calendar, the Purnima Tithi is of great significance. On this day, followers who worship Lord Hanuman celebrate his birth anniversary. He was a devotee of Lord Rama. Purnima Tithi's timings: This year, the Chaitra Purnima Tithi will commence at 12.44 pm on 26 April and will end at 9.01 am on 27 April. Hanuman Jayanti significance: As per Hindu mythology, Lord Hanuman was the greatest devotee of Lord Rama. He was always by his side as a friend and believer, because of which, Hanuman is also referred to as Ram Bhakt Hanuman. People believe that by offering prayers to Lord Hanuman on this special day, one will seek his and Lord Rama's bles

The General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) on Friday, 23 April announced that they have postponed the Officer Scale I Exam 2021. This decision has been taken considering the present coronavirus pandemic situation in the country. The examination was scheduled to be conducted on 9 May. Candidates, who are set to appear for the exam, can check the official notification on the official website gicofindia.com. The notice reads, “Considering the present pandemic situation, the online examination for the Recruitment of Assistant Manager (Scale I) scheduled for 9th May 2021 is postponed till further instructions. All candidates are requested to constantly visit our website www.gicofindia.in for further updates in this regard”. Meanwhile, the new dates will be announced soon on the website. Examination details: The exam was scheduled to take place in the afternoon at various exam centers across the country. A few days back, the reputed conducting body had released the admit card on t

The last date to register for the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) Class 11 Admissions 2021 (Jammu division) has been extended. Students can now register till 30 April. Earlier, the deadline was 25 April. Candidates can visit the official website jkbose.ac.in to check the details and notification. Important Dates: 30 April : Last date to apply with a fee of Rs 1,060 10 May: Last date for the submission of fees 20 May: Last date to submit the fees which will get increased to Rs 2,770 All the students need to pay Rs 10 as an extra fee in addition to the above fees. The board earlier revised the Class 11 syllabus as per the new education policy. While choosing subjects, students are advised to opt for such subjects/ combinations of subjects that are available in the institution. You can check the entire syllabus here: In another notification , the board announced the cancellation of the Class 11 examination for the Jammu Division (Summer Zone) recently. The

The Staff Selection Commission has declared the result for Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), and Assistant Sub Inspector in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) examination 2018. A total of 1,272 male candidates and 161 female candidates have been selected after all stages of the recruitment. As per the notification, they have been allocated to the following posts: A - Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police B - Sub-Inspector in Border Security Force (BSF) C - Sub-Inspector in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) D - Sub-Inspector in Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBPF) E - Sub-Inspector in Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Candidates can follow these steps to check the result: -Visit the official website https://ssc.nic.in/ -On the homepage, click on the ‘Result’ notification -The result will be displayed on the screen. Check it -Save a copy. If required, take a printout for future reference Alternatively, this direct link can be used to check the sc

From every political rally in Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been talking about Bengal icons such as novelist and reformer Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Paramhans, Raja Rammohan Roy, and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, among others. While the history of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has no direct connection with these cultural icons, the seed of the formation of the RSS can be traced from the Hindu Revivalism movement of the late 19th Century and these Bengali reformers indeed played a key role in that movement. The "Hindutva" of the RSS is very different from the "Hindu Revivalism" movement but with time the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is considered as the political front of the RSS , has adopted various cultural icons to connect itself with the cultural Hinduism of India. In the poll-bound state of West Bengal, this is helping BJP which is slammed by Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee as a party of "outsiders"

With India in the midst of an unrelenting second wave of the novel coronavirus, the demand for RT-PCR tests has shot up. The RT-PCR test is considered as a ' gold standard ' for COVID-19 testing, and several state and city authorities presently allow people entry only if they have tested negative using this method. Here are the costs of RT-PCR tests in several states across India — Maharashtra On 1 April, the Maharashtra government capped the prices of RT-PCR tests for the sixth time. The new rates for RT-PCR test are fixed at Rs 500, Rs 600 and Rs 800. For giving samples at the collection centre, Rs 500 will be charged. For the same test at a COVID Care Centre or a quarantine centre, the charges will be Rs 600 and to collect the swab from home, the labs can charge Rs 800, as noted by an article in Mint . Initially, the charges for an RT-PCR test in the state were Rs 4,500, which were slashed from time to time by the state government to ease the burden on people. Delhi