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ˇˇ ˚ rni regn. no. chheng/2012/42718, postal reg. no. - ryp … · 2021. 1. 1. · young country...

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  • ˇˇ ˚ RNI Regn. No. CHHENG/2012/42718, Postal Reg. No. - RYP … · 2021. 1. 1. · young country and that youth brings us hope, but after a bru-tal year in which millions have
12
A fter successfully conduct- ing the coronavirus vacci- nation dry run in four States, a similar mega-drill will be kicked off across the country on January 2. This is aimed at preparing the entire administration and management of vaccine supply, storage, and logistics, including cold chain management, as Covid-19 vaccines are likely to get approval any time soon. The dry run will be con- ducted by all the States and UTs in their respective Capitals in at least three-session sites. Some States will also include districts that are situated in dif- ficult terrain/have poor logis- tical support and Maharashtra and Kerala are likely to sched- ule the dry run in major cities other than their Capital, a senior official from the Union Health Ministry said. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan chaired a high- level meeting to review the pre- paredness at session sites for Covid-19 vaccination with respective Secretaries (Health), NHM MDs and other health administrators of all States/UTs through video conference. The planning for the vac- cine introduction will be as per the operational guidelines issued by the Ministry on December 20. For each of the three session sites, the medical officer in-charge will identify 25 test beneficiaries (healthcare workers). The States/UTs have been asked to ensure that the data of these beneficiaries is uploaded in CoWIN. These beneficiaries will also be available at the ses- sion site for the dry run. The States and UTs shall prepare the facilities and users to be creat- ed on CoWIN application including uploading the data of healthcare worker beneficiaries. The States/UTs also been asked to ensure physical veri- fication of all proposed sites for the adequacy of space, logisti- cal arrangements, internet con- nectivity, electricity, safety, etc. As the vaccine adminis- trators will play an important role in the vaccination process, training of trainers and those who shall administer the vac- cine has been taken up across various States. Around 96,000 vaccinators have been trained for this purpose. The official said an impor- tant focus of the dry run will be on management of any possi- ble adverse events following immunisation, besides adher- ence and management of infec- tion control practices at the ses- sion site to prevent disease transmission. He said, “The mock drill will include concurrent moni- toring and review at block and district levels, and preparation of feedback. The State Task Force shall review the feedback and share with the Ministry.” The first round of the dry run was conducted in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Punjab on December 28-29 in two districts each where five- session sites with 25 beneficia- ries each were identified. No major issues were observed in the operational aspects of the dry run. T he Centre on Thursday announced the dates for CBSE Class X and Class XII board examinations, which will be held in May-June 2021 against the normal schedule for March every year. Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal “Nishank” said the CBSE board exams for Class X and Class XII will be held between May 4 and June 10, and the results will be announced around July 15. “CBSE will conduct Classes X, XII board exams from May 4 to June 10. The Board will announce the results of Classes X, XII board exams by July 15,’’ Pokhriyal said during his scheduled live session with the students. The Minister said that the CBSE Board will release the date sheets online at the board’s official website soon. “Students should also check the official CBSE website cbse.nic.in for final 2021 datesheets for both theoretical and practical board examina- tions,” he said. With the CBSE board exams announcement, other boards like States and ICSE will now also schedule their exam- inations accordingly to put in line the next admission process. Sources in ICSE said that it will also announce the schedule of Class XII and X examinations next week for greater convenience of stu- dents and other stakeholders to plan the session and the offline mode of examinations accord- ingly. The Minister told the stu- dents that the Board has reduced the curriculum for Class X and XII by 30 per cent. He also wished the students good luck for the upcoming exams as he concluded the live session. The announcement of dates by the Union Education Minister was streamed live on his official Twitter handle and Facebook page. The CBSE 2021 board exam date sheets will be avail- able for Class X and Class XII exams separately, containing date and time of examination along with other important instructions at the official web- site of CBSE. R esults from the primary analysis of the ongoing phase 3 clinical trial of the US biotechnology company Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine have shown 94.1 per cent effi- cacy in preventing sympto- matic infections, according to a peer-reviewed study pub- lished in The New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers said while the results were encouraging, they were limited by the short dura- tion of follow-up so far. The study found that among over 30,000 partici- pants randomised to receive the vaccine or a placebo, 11 in the vaccine group developed symp- tomatic Covid-19 compared to 185 participants who received the placebo. The researchers said this demonstrates 94.1 per cent efficacy in preventing sympto- matic Covid-19, adding that cases of the severe disease occurred only in participants who received the placebo. “Our work continues. Over the next months, we’ll have increasing amounts of data to better define how this vaccine works, but the results so far show a 94.1 percent efficacy. These numbers are compelling,” said Lindsey Baden, an infectious diseases specialist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the US where the trial took place. “And, importantly, the data suggest protection from severe illness, indicating that the vaccine could have an impact on preventing hospi- talisations and deaths, at least in the first several months post-vaccination,” said Baden, co-principal investigator for the study, and lead author of the paper. The study enrolled 30,420 participants at 99 sites in the US, including over 600 par- ticipants enrolled at the Brigham. F ollowing the Covid-19 and its highly transmissible United Kingdom (UK) strain, the Delhi Government has imposed night curfew from 11 pm on December 31 to 6 am on January 1, and again from 11 pm on January 1 to 6 am on January 2 to prevent large gath- erings during New Year cele- brations. According to an order issued by Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Dev, the night curfew will also be imposed from 11 pm on January 1 to 6 am on January 2. No gatherings will be allowed in open public places like Connaught Place and India Gate during the night curfew. New Jersey: China has deployed a fleet of underwa- ter drones called Sea Wing (Haiyi) glider in the Indian Ocean, which can operate for months and make observa- tions for naval intelligence purposes, according to defence analyst HI Sutton. Writing for the Forbes magazine, HI Sutton said that these sea gliders, which the Chinese are deploying “en masse”, are a type of Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (UUV) which were launched in mid-December 2019 and recovered in February after making over 3,400 observations. Citing the government sources, HI Sutton in his report said that these gliders are similar to those deployed by the US Navy, one of which was seized by Beijing in 2016 to ensure “safe navigation of passing ships.” T o avoid inconvenience to highway commuters on account of the mandatory roll- out of FASTag from Friday, hybrid lanes at toll plazas on National Highways will remain operational till February 15, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement on Thursday. Payments can be made through FASTag as well as cash at the hybrid lanes, the MoRTH said, in apparent bid to ensure there was no panic- like situation from Friday. “Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has mandated fitment of FASTag with effect from January 1 in M and N categories of motor vehicles sold before December1, 2017,” the Ministry said in a statement. T he Kerala Legislative Assembly on Thursday saw the ruling LDF and the Opposition UDF unanimous- ly adopting a resolution con- demning the Centre for the threee farm laws enacted by Parliament and expressing sol- idarity with the farmers agi- tating against the legislation. Moving the resolution, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleged, “The three contentious agri laws were passed even without sending them to the standing committee of Parliament. If this agitation continues, it will severely affect Kerala, which is a consumer state,” he said. Stating that the reforms in the field of agriculture should be implemented as carefully envisioned, he said with the implementation of the laws, the bargaining power of farmers would be weakened, giving an advantage to the corporate. Detailed report on P5 A s a child who grew up in the 1990s, like so many Indians we saw hope in our country after the economy was opened up. Things have not quite panned out according to plan over the past three decades, but it would be falla- cious to argue that India has not progressed. We had hoped that by 2020, India would be standing tall among other nations on earth, yet the natural fault lines of caste, religion, creed and sex still divide us. It is no point blaming one side over anoth- er, as every side is responsible. We are told that India is a young country and that youth brings us hope, but after a bru- tal year in which millions have lost their income and education has come to a standstill, India faces a challenge like no other nation on earth. It is a challenge that each and every one of us must stand up to and do our part and, in this regard, we can take some inspiration from India’s premier sports team, the men’s Test cricket team which, after being pummeled to the ground in Adelaide, saw each and every team member on the field and off the field stand up and do his part in achieving a victory a few days ago that no one — not one commentator or one fan — saw coming. It was a comprehensive victory, and when we are told that sports is but an imitation of life, this Test victory which might not eclipse the dramatic win at Eden Gardens of 2001, is one that should teach all of us the power of resilience and that together, we can overcome even the toughest situations. But while many of us will want to write off 2020 as a lost cause, we should not do that. Yes, many of us lost loved ones during the year, many millions have died due to the accursed pandemic, and others lost jobs and opportunities. But new life has also come into the world, there were children born in trains taking migrants back home; it has also been a blessing that the pestilence that has overtaken our lives has by and large spared young ones. Most of us were very care- ful in the early days of the lock- down in the months of March, April and May, deserted streets in major cities made them look like ghost towns as if an apocalypse has wiped out humanity, well, thankfully it had not. Of course, there has also been the indiscretion and stupidity of youth on display of late, crowding bars, beaches and, in Goa right now, the dance floor. Yet, most of humanity has stepped up to the plate, microbiologists and vac- cine scientists have worked around the clock for the past nine months to ensure that a safe and successful vaccine can be developed. Others such as frontline medical staff, emer- gency workers, police and even municipal staff have put their own lives at risk to ensure that things do not collapse. Over here, one must thank the countless number of delivery men and women who ensured that the wheels of commerce stayed on and did not fall off altogether. It is dismaying to many of us to see people gathering with little or no worry at large gatherings where social dis- tancing norms go for a toss and mask compliance is non-exis- tent. The development of vac- cines is not the same as deploy- ment and the eventual deploy- ment of a vaccine in a country of 1.3 billion will be a logisti- cal and administrative chal- lenge like no other. It is also true that Central, State and municipal governments have made mistakes, several of them in fact, indeed early celebra- tions of “management” in some areas and States were premature. RNI Regn. No. CHHENG/2012/42718, Postal Reg. No. - RYP DN/34/2013-2015

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    After successfully conduct-ing the coronavirus vacci-nation dry run in four States,a similar mega-drill will bekicked off across the countryon January 2.

    This is aimed at preparingthe entire administration andmanagement of vaccine supply,storage, and logistics, includingcold chain management, asCovid-19 vaccines are likely toget approval any time soon.

    The dry run will be con-ducted by all the States andUTs in their respective Capitalsin at least three-session sites.Some States will also includedistricts that are situated in dif-ficult terrain/have poor logis-tical support and Maharashtraand Kerala are likely to sched-ule the dry run in major citiesother than their Capital, asenior official from the UnionHealth Ministry said.

    Union Health SecretaryRajesh Bhushan chaired a high-level meeting to review the pre-paredness at session sites forCovid-19 vaccination withrespective Secretaries (Health),NHM MDs and other healthadministrators of all States/UTsthrough video conference.

    The planning for the vac-cine introduction will be as perthe operational guidelinesissued by the Ministry onDecember 20. For each of thethree session sites, the medicalofficer in-charge will identify25 test beneficiaries (healthcareworkers).

    The States/UTs have beenasked to ensure that the data ofthese beneficiaries is uploaded

    in CoWIN. These beneficiarieswill also be available at the ses-sion site for the dry run. TheStates and UTs shall prepare thefacilities and users to be creat-ed on CoWIN applicationincluding uploading the data ofhealthcare worker beneficiaries.

    The States/UTs also beenasked to ensure physical veri-fication of all proposed sites forthe adequacy of space, logisti-cal arrangements, internet con-nectivity, electricity, safety, etc.

    As the vaccine adminis-trators will play an importantrole in the vaccination process,training of trainers and thosewho shall administer the vac-cine has been taken up acrossvarious States. Around 96,000vaccinators have been trainedfor this purpose.

    The official said an impor-tant focus of the dry run will beon management of any possi-ble adverse events followingimmunisation, besides adher-ence and management of infec-tion control practices at the ses-sion site to prevent diseasetransmission.

    He said, “The mock drillwill include concurrent moni-toring and review at block anddistrict levels, and preparationof feedback. The State TaskForce shall review the feedbackand share with the Ministry.”

    The first round of the dryrun was conducted in AndhraPradesh, Assam, Gujarat,Punjab on December 28-29 intwo districts each where five-session sites with 25 beneficia-ries each were identified. Nomajor issues were observed inthe operational aspects of thedry run.

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    The Centre on Thursdayannounced the dates forCBSE Class X and Class XIIboard examinations, which willbe held in May-June 2021against the normal schedule forMarch every year.

    Union Education MinisterRamesh Pokhriyal “Nishank”said the CBSE board exams forClass X and Class XII will beheld between May 4 and June10, and the results will beannounced around July 15.

    “CBSE will conduct ClassesX, XII board exams from May4 to June 10. The Board willannounce the results of ClassesX, XII board exams by July 15,’’Pokhriyal said during hisscheduled live session with thestudents.

    The Minister said that theCBSE Board will release thedate sheets online at the board’sofficial website soon.

    “Students should alsocheck the official CBSE websitecbse.nic.in for final 2021datesheets for both theoreticaland practical board examina-tions,” he said.

    With the CBSE boardexams announcement, otherboards like States and ICSE willnow also schedule their exam-inations accordingly to put inline the next admissionprocess. Sources in ICSE said

    that it will also announce theschedule of Class XII and Xexaminations next week forgreater convenience of stu-dents and other stakeholders toplan the session and the offlinemode of examinations accord-ingly.

    The Minister told the stu-dents that the Board hasreduced the curriculum forClass X and XII by 30 per cent.He also wished the studentsgood luck for the upcomingexams as he concluded the livesession.

    The announcement ofdates by the Union EducationMinister was streamed live onhis official Twitter handle andFacebook page.

    The CBSE 2021 boardexam date sheets will be avail-able for Class X and Class XIIexams separately, containingdate and time of examinationalong with other importantinstructions at the official web-site of CBSE.

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    Results from the primaryanalysis of the ongoingphase 3 clinical trial of the USbiotechnology companyModerna’s Covid-19 vaccinehave shown 94.1 per cent effi-cacy in preventing sympto-matic infections, according toa peer-reviewed study pub-lished in The New EnglandJournal of Medicine.

    Researchers said while theresults were encouraging, they

    were limited by the short dura-tion of follow-up so far.

    The study found thatamong over 30,000 partici-pants randomised to receive thevaccine or a placebo, 11 in thevaccine group developed symp-tomatic Covid-19 comparedto 185 participants whoreceived the placebo.

    The researchers said thisdemonstrates 94.1 per centefficacy in preventing sympto-matic Covid-19, adding thatcases of the severe disease

    occurred only in participantswho received the placebo.

    “Our work continues.Over the next months, we’llhave increasing amounts ofdata to better define how thisvaccine works, but the resultsso far show a 94.1 percentefficacy. These numbers arecompelling,” said LindseyBaden, an infectious diseasesspecialist at the Brigham andWomen’s Hospital in the USwhere the trial took place.

    “And, importantly, the

    data suggest protection fromsevere illness, indicating thatthe vaccine could have animpact on preventing hospi-talisations and deaths, at leastin the first several monthspost-vaccination,” said Baden,co-principal investigator forthe study, and lead author ofthe paper.

    The study enrolled 30,420participants at 99 sites in theUS, including over 600 par-ticipants enrolled at theBrigham.

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    Following the Covid-19 andits highly transmissibleUnited Kingdom (UK) strain,the Delhi Government hasimposed night curfew from 11pm on December 31 to 6 am onJanuary 1, and again from 11pm on January 1 to 6 am onJanuary 2 to prevent large gath-erings during New Year cele-brations.

    According to an orderissued by Delhi Chief SecretaryVijay Dev, the night curfew willalso be imposed from 11 pm onJanuary 1 to 6 am on January 2.

    No gatherings will beallowed in open public placeslike Connaught Place and IndiaGate during the night curfew.

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    Ne w Jerse y : China hasdeployed a fleet of underwa-ter drones called Sea Wing(Haiyi) glider in the IndianOcean, which can operate formonths and make observa-tions for naval intelligencepurposes, according todefence analyst HI Sutton.

    Writing for the Forbesmagazine, HI Sutton said thatthese sea gliders, which theChinese are deploying “enmasse”, are a type ofUncrewed Under waterVehicle (UUV) which werelaunched in mid-December2019 and recovered inFebruary after making over3,400 observations.

    Citing the governmentsources, HI Sutton in hisreport said that these glidersare similar to those deployedby the US Navy, one of whichwas seized by Beijing in 2016to ensure “safe navigation ofpassing ships.”

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    To avoid inconvenience tohighway commuters onaccount of the mandatory roll-out of FASTag from Friday,hybrid lanes at toll plazas onNational Highways willremain operational ti l lFebruary 15, the Ministry ofRoad Transport and Highwayssaid in a statement onThursday.

    Payments can be madethrough FASTag as well as cashat the hybrid lanes, theMoRTH said, in apparent bidto ensure there was no panic-like situation from Friday.

    “Ministry of RoadTransport & Highways hasmandated fitment of FASTagwith effect from January 1 inM and N categories of motorvehicles sold beforeDecember1, 2017,” theMinistry said in a statement.

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    The Kerala LegislativeAssembly on Thursday sawthe ruling LDF and theOpposition UDF unanimous-ly adopting a resolution con-demning the Centre for thethreee farm laws enacted byParliament and expressing sol-idarity with the farmers agi-tating against the legislation.

    Moving the resolution,Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayanalleged, “The three contentiousagri laws were passed evenwithout sending them to thestanding committee ofParliament. If this agitationcontinues, it will severely affectKerala, which is a consumerstate,” he said.

    Stating that the reforms inthe field of agriculture shouldbe implemented as carefullyenvisioned, he said with theimplementation of the laws, thebargaining power of farmerswould be weakened, giving anadvantage to the corporate.

    Detailed report on P5

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    As a child who grew up inthe 1990s, like so manyIndians we saw hope in ourcountry after the economy wasopened up. Things have notquite panned out according toplan over the past threedecades, but it would be falla-cious to argue that India hasnot progressed.

    We had hoped that by2020, India would be standingtall among other nations onearth, yet the natural fault linesof caste, religion, creed and sexstill divide us. It is no pointblaming one side over anoth-er, as every side is responsible.We are told that India is ayoung country and that youthbrings us hope, but after a bru-tal year in which millions havelost their income and educationhas come to a standstill, Indiafaces a challenge like no othernation on earth. It is a challengethat each and every one of usmust stand up to and do our

    part and, in this regard, we cantake some inspiration fromIndia’s premier sports team, themen’s Test cricket team which,after being pummeled to theground in Adelaide, saw eachand every team member on thefield and off the field stand upand do his part in achieving avictory a few days ago that noone — not one commentator orone fan — saw coming. It wasa comprehensive victory, andwhen we are told that sports isbut an imitation of life, this Testvictory which might not eclipsethe dramatic win at EdenGardens of 2001, is one thatshould teach all of us the powerof resilience and that together,we can overcome even thetoughest situations.

    But while many of us willwant to write off 2020 as a lostcause, we should not do that.Yes, many of us lost loved onesduring the year, many millionshave died due to the accursedpandemic, and others lost jobsand opportunities. But new

    life has also come into theworld, there were childrenborn in trains taking migrantsback home; it has also been ablessing that the pestilencethat has overtaken our lives has by and large spared youngones.

    Most of us were very care-ful in the early days of the lock-down in the months of March,April and May, deserted streetsin major cities made themlook like ghost towns as if anapocalypse has wiped outhumanity, well, thankfully ithad not. Of course, there hasalso been the indiscretion andstupidity of youth on display oflate, crowding bars, beachesand, in Goa right now, thedance floor. Yet, most ofhumanity has stepped up to theplate, microbiologists and vac-cine scientists have workedaround the clock for the pastnine months to ensure that asafe and successful vaccine canbe developed. Others such asfrontline medical staff, emer-

    gency workers, police and evenmunicipal staff have put theirown lives at risk to ensure thatthings do not collapse. Overhere, one must thank thecountless number of deliverymen and women who ensuredthat the wheels of commercestayed on and did not fall offaltogether.

    It is dismaying to many ofus to see people gatheringwith little or no worry at largegatherings where social dis-tancing norms go for a toss andmask compliance is non-exis-tent. The development of vac-cines is not the same as deploy-ment and the eventual deploy-ment of a vaccine in a countryof 1.3 billion will be a logisti-cal and administrative chal-lenge like no other. It is alsotrue that Central, State andmunicipal governments havemade mistakes, several of themin fact, indeed early celebra-tions of “management” insome areas and States werepremature.

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    Haryana Chief MinisterManohar Lal Khattar onThursday announced that fromMarch 31, next year, a specialcampaign will be launched toprovide skill training, employ-ment and financial assistance touplift the economic status ofaround one lakh families hav-ing least or no income source.

    "The objective of this spe-cial campaign is to strengthenthe economic status of suchfamilies," Khattar said, address-ing a Press Conference on thelast day of the year. On thisoccasion, the Chief Ministeralso released the calendar ofHaryana Government for theyear 2021.

    The Chief Minister saidthat from March 31, as many asone lakh families will be iden-tified through Parivar PehchanPatra portal and after theiridentification, efforts will bemade to increase the income ofthose who are having least orno income source. “For this,the State Government willemphasize on the skill devel-opment of members of suchfamilies, providing employ-ment opportunities to theunemployed members and alsoproviding financial assistance.Besides this, employmentavenues will also be explored to

    generate employment. If anyfamily needs help to promotetheir ancestral business, thenefforts will be made in thatdirection as well,” he asserted.

    Extending greetings on theeve of New Year, Khattar saidthat like previous year, during2021 as well, the StateGovernment would strive towork harder for further all-round development andprogress of the state and itspeople. He said that newschemes and programmes forwelfare of people belonging toall sections of the society wouldbe launched.

    The Chief Minister alsoannounced that while consid-ering recommendations of thecommittee headed by JusticeDaya Chaudhary, the StateGovernment has decided toextend the special parole peri-od of 2471 prisoners tillFebruary 15, 2021, and specialparole of as many as 2117 tillMarch 31, 2021. He said thatparole will be extended forthose who have been sen-tenced for seven years orundertrials who are accused ofoffences punishable upto sevenyears.

    Highlighting key schemesand projects being launched bythe State Government in 2020,the Chief Minister said that in

    a bid to ensure delivery of pub-lic welfare schemes being runby Government at thedoorstep of the people, asmany as 30 portals and vari-ous digital programmes havebeen started. People are takingadvantage of all the public wel-fare schemes through Atal

    Seva Kendras, Antyodaya SaralKendras and e-Disha Kendras.

    Khattar said that takingthe lead in the country in ren-dering efficient public servicedelivery for all Government toCitizen (G2C) services andschemes, on December 30,

    2020, President Ram NathKovind had conferredPlatinum Award under thecategory ‘Excellence in DigitalGovernance - State/UT’,Digital India Awards 2020,for Antyodaya Saral Portal tothe State Government.

    He said that in this year,

    various e-Governance initia-tives have been taken for mak-ing delivery of citizen-centricservices to the people in atime-bound and hassle-freemanner for ensuring no delaysin the work and fixing account-ability. Furthermore, even dur-ing the tough times of ongoing

    COVID-19 Pandemic, almostevery department meticulous-ly incorporated InformationTechnology in their day to dayfunctioning so as to ensuredelivery of health, food, edu-cation, financial assistance tillthe grass root level, Khattarsaid.

    Lauding the efforts of var-ious departments for takinginnovative steps during thisPandemic, the Chief Ministersaid that 'e-Sanjeevani', onlinemedical services and coun-selling services were launchedby the State Government.Besides this, the Chief Ministeralso announced that facility forregistration of property docu-ments in any tehsil within thedistrict will commence fromApril 1, 2021. With this facili-ty, any owner would be able toget an option to get their prop-erties registered in any othertehsil located within the district.

    He said, “In order to curbdiscrepancies in the registry ofthe land, e-registration portalhas been launched.Furthermore, through theIntegrated Haryana LandRecords Information System(WEB HALRIS), land recordsare being completely digitalizedand this system has alreadybeen implemented in alltehsils.”

    Sharing HaryanaGovernment’s plans forincreasing the farmers’ income,the Chief Minister said that theKisan Kalyan Pradhikaran hasbeen directed to advise thefarmers to use specific agri-culture techniques which areeconomically viable for them.He said that recently theHorticulture Department hasbeen directed to explore thepossibilities for cultivation ofFig in the State.

    The Chief Minister saidthat under the ‘PragatishilKisan Samman Yojana’, theState Government has decidedto register such progressivefarmers who will motivate atleast 10 farmers to adopt theirbest agricultural practices. Heshared that Pashu Dhan CreditCard Yojana has been launchedunder which till now 1.07 lakhcards have been approved byvarious banks and as many as21,000 cards have been dis-tributed, and the rest will soonbe distributed.

    Chief Principal Secretaryto Chief Minister, D. S. Dhesi,Deputy Principal Secretaries toChief Minister, Amit KumarAgrawal and Ashima Brar andDirector General, Information,Public Relations andLanguages Department, P.CMeena were also present onthis occasion.

    ����������������������������������������������������

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    Punjab Chief Minister CaptAmarinder Singh onThursday dedicated theChandigarh-Kharar elevatedcorridor to the citizens as aNew Year gift, paving the wayfor further economic develop-ment of the region while eas-ing the perpetual traffic con-gestion along the route.

    The Chief Minister termedthe corridor project — fromSector-39 roundabout(CH.0+000), Chandigarh toKhanpur (CH.10+185) — asthe fulfillment of a long-pend-ing need of the people of theregion.

    With the opening of thethird phase of the corridor onDecember 28, the project is now96 percent complete, with theremaining (one side of the roadat Khanpur) expected to becompleted by mid January 2021.

    On the occasion, CaptAmarinder congratulated thecivil administration for ensur-ing peaceful acquisition of landand resettlement of land own-ers, and also appreciated theNational Highways Authorityof India (NHAI) for the expe-ditious completion of the pro-ject, which had been extreme-ly delayed due to the bottle-necks created as a result of theprevious Akali-BJP govern-ment in the State.

    “When our Governmenttook over, it inherited the

    messy legacy of the erstwhileregime, in terms of failure todivert the traffic, non-shiftingof high tension wires by theElectricity Board and non-vacation of acquired structuresby land owners due to non-payment of land compensationamount, along with multiplecourt cases and stay orders,”said the Chief Minister.

    Capt Amarinder said thatthe Congress Governmentstarted addressing variousproblems, including gettingElectricity Board to shift thehigh tension lines, ensuringpayment of 99 percent com-pensation for acquired land, aswell as vacation and razing ofall 50 acquired structures.

    “Efficient legal teamremoved the legal hurdles andgot the stay orders vacated,while deployment of specialpolice teams under eightMarshalls was also ensured fortraffic diversion,” he added.

    To enable the work to con-tinue during the COVID lock-down, special arrangementswere made for labourers at the

    site, said the Chief Minister.Notably, the project was

    started on June 9, 2016, and thefirst phase from Sector-39roundabout-Verka Chowk toBalongi Underpass was openedto the public on September 25,2020; the second phase ofFlyover (Desu Majra toKhanpur) towards Ludhiana onDecember 12, 2020, followedby the third phase from Daunto Desumajra on December 28,2020.

    The Chief Minister, in aninformal interaction with themedia later, thanked the UnionMinister Nitin Gadkari forundertaking this national high-way project in Punjab.

    To a question about othersuch national highway pro-jects, Capt Amarinder saidthat Katra-Delhi 16-laneexpressway and other projectswere in the pipeline with landacquisition process underway.He also said that Rs 27 crorehad been sanctioned for thestate highway project atLandran.

    ������������������������������������������������������������ � �*,&)+9,�*

    Haryana Chief Minister,Manohar Lal Khattarsaid that he is hopeful thatthe next meeting scheduledfor January 4 between theprotest ing farmers andCentral Government will cer-tainly yield positive results.

    Talking to reporters here,Khattar said, “I am happythat the recently held meetingseemed to be productive andI am hopeful that soon a pos-itive solution will come out onthis issue.” He also urged theagitating farmers who areprotesting in this severe coldto return to their homes as theissue of Farm Laws is expect-ed to be concluded on a pos-itive note.

    “We consider farmers asour own and have alwaysbeen sympathetic towardstheir interests. A lot of effortis being made towards resolv-ing the issue through mutualdialogue,” said the Chief

    Minister.Taking a jibe at Congress

    and other leaders who havebeen "misleading" famers overthe newly introduced FarmLaws, Khattar said thatthough many have tried theirbest to mislead the innocentfarmers but soon these lead-ers will also get a befittingreply like they have got in theresults of MunicipalCorporation, Council andCommittees elections.

    He said that in the last sixyears the kind of positivework and the number offarmers’ welfare schemeslaunched by Haryana havenot been launched by anyother state. Be it procure-ment of Mi l le t , Maize,Groundnut, Moong at MSPor implementat ion ofBhavantar Bharpai Yojana toensure that farmers get fairprices for their produce, sev-eral steps have been taken bythe State Government toensure farmers' welfare.

    The Chief Minister saidthat in Haryana procure-ment of Millet is done at Rs.2150 per quintal, whereasthe Rajasthan Governmenthad procured the same at�1,200 and �1,300 per quin-tal.

    While strongly defendingthe New Farm Laws, theChief Minister said that ifsomeone tries to do awaywith Minimum Support Price(MSP) in Haryana then hewill quit politics.

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    Lashing out at the State BJPpresident for spreading“false” propaganda to furtherhis party’s political agenda,Punjab Chief Minister CaptAmarinder Singh on Thursdaysaid that Ashwani Sharma’sdesperate attempts to falselyproject a law and order prob-lem in Punjab reflected theparty’s fear of complete anni-hilation in the upcoming civicpolls.

    “The State BJP’s request tothe Governor for postpone-ment of the civic polls on thebaseless grounds of law andorder situation collapse showsthat the party leadership is incomplete panic at the prospectof facing the elections at a timewhen the people are angry atthem over the black FarmLaws,” said the Chief Ministerwhile interacting informallywith mediapersons after dedi-cating the Chandigarh-Khararelevated corridor to citizens.

    Faced with the people’swrath, Ashwani Sharma andhis party colleagues were now

    resorting to desperate measuresto wriggle out of the polls, hesaid.

    Pointing out that Punjabhad been voted as Number #1state in India on the law andorder front in the ‘States ofState’ annual survey conduct-ed by India Today, the ChiefMinister said that the bogey oflaw and order problems inPunjab was being created byBJP only to save itself from theanger of the farmers. Theirfrustration was evident fromtheir bid to pass off pictures ofhis old meetings with somecorporate leaders as a collusionagainst the farmers, he added.

    Dismissing as “atrocious”BJP state leadership’s chargesthat the Congress was respon-sible for the damage to mobiletowers, and the resultant loss ofstudies to the students, theChief Minister asked, “Are weresponsible for the farmers’angst against the BJP?”

    “We were not the oneswho enacted the Farm Laws, itwas the BJP-led CentralGovernment. We, in fact,negated them by passing the

    amendment Bills in theAssembly,” he added.

    Noting that following hisappeals and the strict warningto those damaging property,the number of such incidentshad come down drastically,Capt Amarinder said that thisclearly exposed the lies beingshamelessly mouthed bySharma.

    Only a couple of incidentsof minor damage were report-ed today, he said, adding thatthe State Government wouldensure that not a single case ofdamage takes place in the com-ing days. The situation was nowunder control, with most of thedamaged towers alreadyrepaired, he added.

    “While these incidents areunfortunate, the fact is thatthese are happening as a resultof the spontaneous outburst offarmers as their genuinedemands have not been con-ceded so far,” said the ChiefMinister, trashing Punjab BJPleaders’ claims that theGovernment of India had beenaccepted the demands of thefarmers from the outset.

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    State BJP Spokesperson PratulShahdeo today said thateven at the end of the year, theissue of threatening to kill the

    Chief Minister has not beenresolved, putting a questionmark on the system. Pratul saidthat through two emails on 8and 17 July, the Chief MinisterHemant Soren, his familymembers and close officialswere threatened to be mur-dered. A case was registered atthe cyber police station inRanchi and the case was thenhanded over to the CID.

    Shahdeo said that theservers for both the emailswere Germany and Switzerland.Now after about five and a halfmonths CID has decided tourge the court to send a requestletter to Germany andSwitzerland. When the researchon the threat of assassination ofthe CM is going on at such aslow pace and even after morethan five months, the situationof common people cannot bethought about. Whatever theofficials claim, there is anatmosphere of chaos in theState, he said. Pratul said thatthe police personnel are takingon the Naxalites even today inthe rugged areas under adverseconditions. But due to the stateof uncertainty at the govern-ment level and not taking con-crete decisions, their moralemay go down.

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  • STAFF REPORTER nRAIPUR

    Chhattisgarh’s folk musicwill resonate on theRajpath on Republic Day inNew Delhi. A special commit-tee of the Defense Ministryhas selected Chhattisgarh'stableau for a second time in arow for the annual paradewatched by millions in thecountry and abroad.

    Chief Minister BhupeshBaghel has congratulated offi-cials on the tableau selection.

    After going through fiverounds of tough selectionprocess, the state tableau,depicting the folk instrumentsused in tribal areas ofChhattisgarh, was selected.

    The tableau made its entryin the final list of tableaux,leaving behind big states suchas Madhya Pradesh, Odisha,Jharkhand, Bihar, Rajasthanand Telangana.

    The tableau will depictfolk instruments used on vari-ous occasions from Bastar inthe south of Chhattisgarh to

    Surguja in the north. Culturalvalues inherited in the state’slocal customs and festivalshave been highlighted withthe help of these instruments.

    There was a toughcompetition between the

    states. The Defense Ministrypanel picked the tableauafter going through a 3Dmodel design, preparedafter three months of researchon the music and attire ofartistes.

    RAIPUR | FRIDAY | JANUARY 1, 2021chhattisgarh 03

    Tender NoticeContractors, Registered appropriate class in Unified Registration

    System [e-Registration] invited Online tenders for the following works :-

    Note :- All eligible/interested contractors are mandated to getenrolled on the e Procurement portal (https://eproc.cgstate.gov.in)in order to download the tender documents and participate in thesubsequent bidding process.

    OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDING ENGINEERPUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, CIRCLE NO-1 RAIPUR (C.G.)

    Superintending EngineerP.W.D. Circle No-1, Raipur (C.G.)G- 85990/4 Ryp/Dtd 31.12.20

    NIT.No./System

    Tender No.

    Name of Work Probableamount of

    contract

    Last date oftender Download

    1 2 3 4124/69888 Various Approach Road Under Mukhyamantri

    Sugam Sadak Yojna Under Sub Division No.-1Raipur (Name Of Work : - Canal Link Road,Nurani Chowk, Ravi Nagar, Sanjay Naharpara,Bhagat Singh Hss & Karma School.) (2nd Call)

    Rs.93.43Lakh

    up to 12.01.2021Time 17:30 PM

    123/69889 Various Approach Road Under MukhyamantriSugam Sadak Yojna Under Sub Division No.-1Raipur (Name Of Work : - Telibandha Gali No.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Shyam Nagar, Shanti Nagar &Kashiram Nagar.) (2nd Call)

    Rs.118.45Lakh

    up to 12.01.2021Time 17:30 PM

    130/70296 B.T. Patch Repair Work on Various Roadat- Khiloral Section Under sub DivisionAbhanpur (Year 2020-21) (2nd Call)

    Rs.40.00Lakh

    up to 12.01.2021Time 17:30 PM

    70/70298 White/Colour Washing Of Various ResidentialAnd Non Residential Building Under Sub Div.,Tilda, Distt.- Raipur (C.G.) (2nd Call)

    Rs.26.89Lakh

    up to 12.01.2021Time 17:30 PM

    132/70299 B.T. PATCII REPAIR WORK IN VARIOUSROAD UNDER P.W.D. SUB DIVISION NO.2,RAIPUR (C.G.) (2nd Call)

    Rs.50.00Lakh

    up to 12.01.2021Time 17:30 PM

    79/70301 Construction of Approach Road from Ringroad no. 3 & Mandher to Grihnirman samitiTekari at District Raipur. Iength 1.45 Km.(4th Call)

    Rs.195.45Lakh

    up to 07.01.2021Time 17:30 PM

    148/70302 Record Room (Tubular Structure Shed) AtAbove Office Building Of Chief Engineer E&MRaipur At 4th Floor At Sirpur BhawanCampus Civil Lines, Raipur C.G. (1st Call)

    Rs. 48.99Lakh

    up to 18.01.2021Time 17:30 PM

    116/70304 ACOUSTICS, SOUND SYSTEM & INTERIORWORKS AUDITORIUM AT DR. RADHABAINAVEEN GIRLS COLLAGE AT MATHPARARAIPUR C.G. (PART-2) (2nd Call)

    Rs.22.49Lakh

    up to 12.01.2021Time 17:30 PM

    Notice Inviting TenderNo. PHQ/Sec-10/Kit-Clo/14/ 5800 /2020 Raipur, Dated: 30/12/2020

    Sealed tenders are being invited by the Director General of Police,Chhattisgarh on behalf of Governor of Chhattisgarh from manufacturers(OEM) for the following items.

    Note - Lab test can be performed by the department from any government lab.The tender offer in the prescribed tender form along with all the relevant

    documents sealed and completed in all the respect, must be submitted each itemin separate envelop, as per the schedule below -

    SCHEDULE FOR TENDER

    Note:-l. In case of tender opening date being declared as holiday, tenders will be

    opened on next working day.2. Tender documents can be downloaded from our website

    www.cgpolice.gov.in and at the time of submission of document tender feeRs. 2000/- (for each item) will be paid in the form of DD of State Bank ofIndia/Scheduled Bank (other than Cooperative Bank) payable at Raipur infavour of Assistant Inspector General of Police (Accounts), PoliceHeadquarters, Chhattisgarh, Atal Nagar Raipur Or State Govt. Challan ofRs. 2000/- to be deposited in the Head of A/c-0055-Police- 800- other receipt.Tender fee is non refundable and can't be exempted in any condition.

    3. Modification/Amendments/Corrigendum, if any shall not beadvertised on the news paper but shall be published in the aforesaid website only.

    4. If any bidder sends tender documents through Courier/Speed post, thetender documents will be accepted till 03.00 pm on 30/01/2021 at Blockno.3, Room No.309 Police Headquarters, Chhattisgarh, Sector 19, NavaRaipur only. Received tender documents in any other address at PHQon stipulated date and time, will not be accepted.

    POLICE HEADQUARTERS, CHHATTISGARH, POLICE HEADQUARTERS, ATAL NAGAR, NAVA RAIPUR

    G- 85984/3 Ryp/Dtd 31.12.20A.I.G. of Police (P&P)

    For-Director General of Police

    a) Address for submission of TenderDocument:-

    AIG of Police(P&P), Block no 03, Room No.309Police Headquarters, Chhattisgarh, Sector 19, Nava Raipur.

    b) Last Date and Time of Submission onBids

    30/01/2021 till 03.00 pm Block no 03, Room No.309 Police Headquarters,Chhattisgarh, Sector 19, Nava Raipur.

    c) Place, Time and Date of openingTechnical Bid :-

    Block no 03, Room No.309 Police Headquarters,Chhattisgarh, Sector 19, Nava Raipur.30/01/2021 at 04.00 pm

    d) Place, Time and Date of openingFinancial Bid

    Shall be intimated later.

    e) Date till which the Bid to remain valid 120 days from the scheduled date of submission of the Bid.

    SI.No.

    Name of Item Qty Specification EMD inRs

    Remarks

    1 CombatCloth (NYCOFabric)

    9625Mtr.

    As per section IV(Tender documentPage No. 12 to 14)

    1,63,700/- 2 Mtr. advance Sample(STFPattern), as per specification, mustbe submitted before opening of bid.

    2 CombatTrack Suit

    2750Set.

    As per section IV(Tender document

    Page No.15)

    1,40,250/- 2 set advance Sample, as perspecification, must be submittedbefore opening of bid.

    3 Ponchu 2750Nos.

    As per section IV(Tender documentPage No. 16 to 20)

    1,65,000/- 2 Nos, advance Sample, as perspecification, must be submittedbefore opening of bid.

    4 T-Shirt (OG) 5500Nos.

    As per section IV(Tender document

    Page No.21)

    66,000/- 2 Nos, advance Sample, as perspecification, must be submittedbefore opening of bid.

    STAFF REPORTER nRAIPUR

    The Chhattisgarh govern-ment is going to conducta Covid vaccine dry run inseven districts on January 2.

    The mock drill will beheld in capital Raipur andsix districts includingSurguja, Durg, Bilaspur,Rajnandgaon, Bastar andGaurela Pendra Marwahi fortesting the preparedness ofvaccine delivery, a pressrelease said.

    Mission DirectorNational Health Mission DrPriyanka Shukla reviewedthe dry run preparationsthrough video conferencing.

    Interacting with theconcerned Collectors andDeputy Collectors, she toldthem that the mock drill wasscheduled on January 4 butit was preponed by two days.

    This drill aims atchecking the cold chain

    management, vaccinesupply, storage and logistics.Also, it will check accessibil-ity of vaccination centres,entry, registration, vaccina-tion process and observationreadiness at the centre. Howmuch time is the vaccinationprocess taking will be moni-tored through co-win app.

    State vaccination officerDr Amar Singh Thakur saidthe Health Department hasbeen constantly monitoringpreparedness throughvirtual conferences. In thefirst phase 2.34 lakh peopleworking in the health caresector will be administeredvaccines.

    STAFF REPORTER n RAIPUR

    Chhattisgarh Chief MinisterBhupesh Baghel onThursday telephonically briefedPrime Minister Narendra Modiover non-receipt of permissionfor the state’s quota for deliveryof rice to the Food Corp ofIndia (FCI) for Kharif market-ing year 2020-21.

    On basis of the permissionfrom Department of Food andPublic Distribution, paddy pro-cured from farmers in the statewill be milled as rice anddeposited.

    Baghel pointed out that dueto lack of permission, the paddygot from the farmers has piledup at the procurement centresas it is not being lifted. If theissue is not resolved at the earli-est, chances of damage to storedpaddy will increase.

    It will indirectly impact the

    livelihood of the registered21.52 lakh farmers, an officialstatement said.

    Modi assured the ChiefMinister to take the necessarysteps.

    The communication saidthat for Kharif year 2020-21, the

    Central government under pro-curement for central pool hadin principle accepted to procure60 lakh tonnes of rice. Afterthis, Chhattisgarh beganprocuring paddy fromDecember 1 on minimumsupport price.

    Till date, 47 lakh tonnes ofpaddy have been procured from12 lakh farmers.

    On Wednesday, it wasstated that the Chief Ministerhad written to the PrimeMinister on the issue seekingearly approval for delivery ofrice to FCI.

    The shortage of gunny bagswas also highlighted. It hasdirectly impacted the paddyprocurement, mainly storage ofpaddy in procurement centres,causing shortage of space. If thesituation continues, it willdirectly impact paddyprocurement in the state.

    STAFF REPORTER nRAIPUR

    BJP leader and Leader ofOpposition in theAssembly Dharamlal Kaushikon Thursday said theChhattisgarh governmentdid not deposit 28 lakhtonnes of rice in the FCIdespite getting permissionfrom the Centre.

    Chief Minister BhupeshBaghel and AgricultureMinister Ravindra Choubeyare openly intent on cheatingthe farmers by lying, he said.

    Kaushik said that paddyprocurement is being stopped

    in the entire state today dueto the wrong intention and

    policy of the state govern-ment.

    He said the governmentfailed to deposit 28 lakhtonnes of rice with FCIby September 30 as perthe Centre's permission lastyear.

    After September, thegovernment asked time tillOctober and then November,now it is again asking timeuntil December, he added.

    Kaushik said there is stillspace to keep 6 lakh tonnes ofrice in FCI’s warehouse butthe government has started ahue and cry over the timingto deposit rice.

    STAFF REPORTER nRAIPUR

    The Chhattisgarh govern-ment on Thursday said itwas ready to extend the timelimit for paddy procurementdue to insufficient gunny bagssupplied by the Union gov-ernment and non-deposit ofrice in the Food Corporationof India (FCI) godowns.

    A ministerial sub-com-mittee consisting of MinistersRavindra Choubey

    (Agriculture), AmarjeetBhagat (Food, Civil Suppliesand Consumer Protection),Mohammed Akbar (Forest),Dr Prem Sai Tekam(Cooperative), Shiv KumarDahariya (UrbanAdministration) and UmeshPatel (Higher Education) metrepresentatives of farmers atMantralaya and helddiscussions over the currentscenario, a press release said.

    “Paddy procurement ishappening well in the state

    and about 11.50 lakh regis-tered farmers have alreadysold 50 lakh tonnes paddy tothe government,” MinisterChoubey said.

    Till date the Central gov-ernment has not issued permis-sion for depositing rice in FCI’sgodowns due to which custommilling has halted. If the situa-tion persists, then paddy pro-curement will be affected,Choubey told the farmers.

    He said Chief MinisterBhupesh Baghel had talked to

    Prime Minister Narendra Modiover phone regarding deposit-ing rice in FCI godowns.

    The Centre had providedin principle approval to pur-chase 60 lakh tonnes ricefrom Chhattisgarh but hasnot given permission todeposit it with FCI, Choubeysaid.

    Due to this, the gunnybags are not recycled leadingto their shortage. Since cus-tom milling has stopped,paddy stock at procurementcentres is surplus. The gov-ernment is trying to arrangemore jute bags on its own, theMinister added.

    The farmers said thatthey will hand over memo-randums to the Governor forthe Union government. Theywill also request MPs fromtheir regions to urge theCentre for cooperation overthe matter.

    Baghel seeks permission fromModi to deliver rice to FCI

    RAIPUR: ChhattisgarhHealth Minister T.S. SinghDeo on Thursdayvolunteered for coron-avirus vaccine.

    He tweeted his deci-sion and said that Covidvaccine will be soon avail-able in India.

    “It's a matter ofimmense joy that Coronavaccine will be soon avail-able in India. To removeany doubts about the vac-cine, I would like to volun-teer myself for its trial,” hesaid.

    “For nationwide vacci-nation, it's pertinent thatpeople have faith in thequality and effectiveness ofthe vaccine,” he said.

    Jan 2 will see Covid vaccine dry runSingh Deovolunteers forCovid vaccine

    Chhattisgarh ready to extendpaddy procurement time limit

    Splendorous sound of Chhattisgarh’sfolk music to resonate on Rajpath

    Govt failed to deposit 28Ltonnes rice in FCI: BJP

    Former cabinetMinister and BJPleader BrijmohanAgrawal on Thursdaysaid the Chhattisgarhgovernment hasbecome financiallybankrupt due to whichit neither had money tobuy gunny bags nor topurchase paddy.

    He said that due tofinancial bankruptcy,neither the governmentissued any order norinvited any tender tobuy gunny bags.

    STAFF REPORTER nJASHPUR

    The Chhattisgarh TourismBoard has sacked theManager of the resort atBalachapar in Jashpur withimmediate effect fornegligence and organizing aNew Year party without itspermission, it was announcedon Thursday.

    The Board PRO said thenews regarding the event wasput in various news portals, apress release said.

    No event is being organ-ized at the resort by the Boardnor any permission has beensought in this regard, it said.

    Any event in the resorton the occasion of New Year

    is considered illegal by theBoard, the release said,

    adding the Manager has beensacked.

    C’garh Tourism Board sacksManager for negligence

  • �������)+��������������� ��������� �������

    ��1���������� &'()'�*+

    New Year’s revelries willremain muted by coron-avirus strain this year. Wherecan one take part in public cel-ebrations as the clock strikes12 to usher in a New Year?That was the question doingrounds on Thursday with theannouncement of a night cur-few and imposition of section144 in several states and unionterritories, throwing plansinto disarray for those plan-ning to celebrate outside theirhomes.

    Amid the scare of the newcoronavirus strain,Maharashtra, Delhi, Kerala,Punjab, Odisha, Rajasthan,Uttarakhand, Gujarat, TamilNadu and Karnataka haveimposed renewed restrictionsahead of the New Year cele-brations to help prevent thespread of coronavirus. Hotels,restaurants, pubs, public placesand beaches were closed to thepublic for late-night celebra-tions on Thursday. Even thefireworks display was notallowed.

    As many as 25 passengersall of whom recently returnedwere found to be infectedwith the new United Kingdomvariant genome of SARS-CoV-2 so far.

    According to hotel indus-try sources, hotels, restaurantsand pubs, big and small, saidthey received many calls can-celling their pre-bookings even

    though there was really noneed to. The Hilton GardenInn, Saket, for instance, whichwas offering a stay for two,along with a full-fledged fes-tive treat, at a discounted priceof Rs 12,500 said many non-resident’ guests had cancelled.The ITC, Maurya, New Delhi,was giving an array of offersfor the festive meal, includinga special ‘midnight buffet’from 12.30 am to 3 am.

    But that probably standscancelled and senior stafferssaid they are still discussingthe order with concernedauthorities and would abide byall guidelines imposed by thegovernment. According toPublic App, one of India’slargest location-based socialnetwork, “78.82 per cent” —out of over one lakh Delhi res-idents surveyed — said theywould prefer celebrating NewYear at home over any hotel orrestaurant.

    In Maharashtra, a night

    curfew in all the municipalareas was imposed from 11 pmto 6 am and will remain inforce till 5 January. Gatheringsin restaurants, bars and pubshas not been allowed post-11pm, Loudspeaker/DJ musicbeyond permissible decibellimit and fireworks are alsoprohibited. The StateGovernment has also imposedrestrictions on parties inrestaurants, pubs, bars, beach-es, rooftops, and boats.

    In Delhi, the governmenthas been imposed night cur-few beginning 11 pm onDecember 31 to 6 am onJanuary 1. For January 2, thenight curfew will begin at 11pm on January 1 and contin-ue till 6 am on January 2. Anorder issued by DDMA statedthat not more than five peoplewill be allowed to assemble atpublic places in Delhi duringnight curfew to avoid largegatherings.

    The Karnataka

    Government, through guide-lines and orders, has also pro-hibited parties, and specialevents at clubs, pubs, restau-rants, and other places thatattract people in large num-bers without social distancing.

    The Kerala Governmenthad set a 10 pm deadline forNew Year’s Eve celebrations inthe state in view of the coro-navirus pandemic situation.No public gatherings wasallowed.

    The Odisha Governmentalso closed all shops, com-mercial establishments, offices,institutions and movement oftill 5 am on Saturday.

    The Punjab Governmenthas imposed night curfew tillJanuary 1, 2021 so that revel-ers could not be celebrated.

    In Tamil Nadu, theauthorities have barred largegatherings beaches and roadsand banned midnight partiesin restaurants, hotels, clubs,

    resorts and similar places.Amid concerns over the

    new, more infectious coron-avirus strain, the Centre onWednesday issued an adviso-ry to all states and UnionTerritories to keep strict vigilon New Year celebrations thatcould be potential “super-spreader” events. A total of 25people in the country havetested positive for the newUnited Kingdom variantgenome of SARS-CoV-2 so far.

    In West Bengal, theKolkata Police have takenmeasures to ensure that allCOVID-19 safety protocolsare maintained and there is nolarge gathering for celebratingthe New Year eve, as orderedby the Calcutta High Court tocheck a spike in infections.

    Uttarakhand’s CapitalDehradun has banned publiccelebrations like parties athotels, bars and restaurants onNew Year’s Eve and New Year.

    ���������������������������!��������� &'()'�*+

    Prime Minister NarendraModi on Thursday saidthat preparation for a coron-avirus vaccine was in the laststages and that people willsoon get vaccines manufac-tured in India even as he cau-tioned against rumours aboutcoronavirus vaccination.

    “In 2020, there was a ques-tion mark from all sides due toCovid-19 pandemic. But 2021is coming with the hope of atreatment for Covid-19,” saidModi after laying the founda-tion stone of a new All IndiaInstitute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS) in Gujarat’s Rajkot viavideoconference.

    He said that while he washopeful that the way in whichIndia fought unitedly againstthe infection, it would similar-ly work hard to make the vac-cination programme successful.

    “The country is preparingto undertake the world’slargest vaccination driveagainst the infection,” he saidwhile cautioning people to notget carried away by rumoursagainst vaccine.

    Modi said: “In our coun-try, rumours spread quickly.Different people, for theirpersonal gains or due to irre-sponsible behaviour, spreadvarious rumours.

    “Maybe, the rumours willbe spread when the vaccina-

    tion drive begins; some havealready begun,” the PrimeMinister said.

    He appealed to the peopleto refrain as responsible citi-zens from forwarding mes-sages on the social mediawithout checking.

    The Prime Minister saidthat when India faced anyproblem, the entire nationunited to help each other.“The way in which peopletook proper steps is the reasonwhy we are in good a situationeven amid the pandemic,despite a 1.3-billion popula-tion. More than one crorepeople have fought the pan-demic and won.

    “India’s record is muchbetter than other countries inthe fight against Covid-19.”

    He said that the numbersof infections in India weregoing down. “India hasemerged as the nerve centre ofglobal health. In 2021, wehave to strengthen India’s rolein healthcare,” he said.

    Modi said that ‘dawai bhiaur kadaai bhi’ should be ourmantra for 2021. “Earlier, Isaid ‘dawai nahi toh dhilainahi’ (no relaxation till nomedicine). Now, I am saying‘dawai bhi aur kadaai bhi’(strictness even with medi-cine). Our mantra for 2021 is‘dawai bhi aur kadaai bhi’.”

    Pointing out that ‘health iswealth’, Modi said: “this year

    taught us this maxim. Whenthere is any attack on health,it affects the family and theentire society comes in itsgrip.” The Prime Minister alsosaid that it was time toremember on the last day ofthe outgoing year the frontlinewarriors who safeguardedpeople while risking theirlives.

    “I pay my humble tributesto all frontline warriors wholost their lives in the line ofduty,” Modi said, adding thatthe country also paid tributesto scientists, workers, doctorsinvolved in the fight againstCovid-19 and those workingtirelessly for developing a vac-cine for coronavirus.

    Later at a webinar, Dr VGSomani, Drug ControllerGeneral of India, hinted thatapproval for coronavirus vac-cine in the country couldcome soon.

    “Probably we will have ahappy new year, with some-thing in hand,” he said

    Somani also said that theapproval process for the vac-cines was expedited by pro-cessing the applications quick-ly and allowing phase 1 and 2trials simultaneously, withoutwaiting for the complete data.“There has been no compro-mise on the safety of efficacyof the data,” he clarified. “Theonly thing is that the regula-tor has accepted partial data.”

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    Ahead of rolling of the UnionBudget, the ruling BJP has sug-gested tax relief to the middle-classby increasing standard deductionsand providing benefits to small andmedium businesses by loweringraw material cost.

    BJP specialist in economicaffairs and National SpokesmanGopal Krishna Agarwal said theparty has given proposal duringmeeting with the Finance Minister

    Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday. Talking to The Pioneer,

    Aggarwal said the Union Budgetwill be presented on February firstand hoped the suggestions onreducing income tax and raw mate-rial prices would provide relief tothe middle class and small businessrespectively. He pointed to the risein commodity prices.

    The middle-class would bene-fit if the standard deductions arebroad-based.

    As unprecedented Coronavirus

    pandemic did not allow the wintersession of the Parliament, the gov-ernment hopes that the budgetsession in January would make upfor the winter session.

    In the background of econom-ic squeeze caused by the pandem-ic, the budget 2021-22 may involvespecial economic announcementsfor the segments particularlyimpacted by an year-long lock-down.

    As the Modi-Government hadearlier announced some succour topoor in terms of free ration andloan relief to businessmen, theBJP has proposed that some taxrelief to middle-class too wouldmake a happy economic proposi-tion.

    “The middle-income group isfeeling a lot of pinch, and they needsome support” said Agarwal.

    “Incentivising consumption bythem would also help the indus-try,”I can say the Budget will takecare of the middle class.”

    Last time, the Budget hadmaintained the status quo withoutmaking any major change thatwould have effectively benefited thetax-paying middle-class.

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    Prime Minister NarendraModi will lay the founda-tion stone of Light HouseProjects (LHPs) under GlobalHousing TechnologyChallenge-India (GHTC-India) at six sites across sixStates on January 1, via videoconferencing. PM Modi willalso announce winners underAffordable SustainableHousing Accelerators - India(ASHA-India) and give outannual awards for excellence inimplementation of PradhanMantri Awas Yojana - Urban(PMAY-U) Mission.

    During the event, thePrime Minister will also releasea certificate course on innov-ative construction technologiesnamed NAVARITIH (New,Affordable, Validated, ResearchInnovation Technologies forIndian Housing) and a com-pendium of 54 innovativehousing construction tech-nologies identified throughGHTC-India. Besides thehousing and urban affairs min-ister, chief ministers of Tripura,Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh,Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat,Tamil Nadu and AndhraPradesh will be present on theoccasion.

    The Light House Projects(LHPs) showcase the best ofnew-age alternative globaltechnologies, materials andprocesses in the constructionsector for the first time in thecountry at such a large scale.

    “They are being con-structed under GHTC-Indiawhich envisages to provide anecosystem for adoption ofinnovative technologies in thehousing construction sector in

    a holistic manner. The LHPsare being constructed at Indore(Madhya Pradesh), Rajkot(Gujarat), Chennai (TamilNadu), Ranchi (Jharkhand),Agartala (Tripura) andLucknow (Uttar Pradesh).They comprise about 1000houses at each location alongwith allied infrastructure facil-ities.

    These projects will demon-strate and deliver ready to livehouses at an expedited pacewithin twelve months, as com-pared to conventional brickand mortar construction, andwill be more economical, sus-tainable, of high quality anddurability,” the PrimeMinister’’s Office said.

    These LHPs demonstrate avariety of technologies, includ-ing Prefabricated SandwichPanel System in LHP at Indore,Monolithic ConcreteConstruction using TunnelFormwork in LHP at Rajkot,Precast Concrete ConstructionSystem in LHP at Chennai, 3DVolumetric Precast ConcreteConstruction System in LHP atRanchi, Structural Steel Framewith Light Gauge Steel InfillPanels in LHP at Agartala andPVC Stay In Place FormworkSystem in LHP at Lucknow.The LHPs will serve as live lab-oratories for facilitating trans-fer of technology to the fieldand its further replication.This includes planning, design,production of components,construction practices and test-ing for both faculty and stu-dents of IITs, NITs, otherEngineering colleges, Planningand Architecture colleges,builders, professionals of pri-vate and public sectors andother stakeholders.

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    BJP president J P Nadda onThursday gave new respon-sibilities to RSS leaders in theBJP.

    V Satish, joint general sec-retary, is to look afterParliamentary office, ST mor-cha and ‘vishesh sampark”.

    Suadan Singh, vice-presi-

    dent, to be stationed atChandigarh, to overseeHaryana, Punjab, HimachalPradesh and Chandigarh.

    Shiv Prakash, Joint-General Secretary, is to lookafter Madhya Pradesh,Chattisgarh, Maharashtra,Andhra Pradesh, Telanganaand west Bengal. He Will be atBhopal.

    ���� &'()'�*+

    The cold wave in North India willcontinue till January 2 and it willget intense from the next week.Parts of northwest and central Indiaappear set to begin the New Year ona wet note, as isolated rains and thun-derstorms have been forecast acrossthe region starting Friday, January 1.

    The India MeteorologicalDepartment (IMD) has issued a yel-low watch over Punjab, Haryana,Chandigarh, Delhi, and UttarPradesh, thereby urging residents to‘be aware’ of their local weather sit-uation and remain wary of the light-ning and thunderstorms.

    The IMD also predicted light rainin eastern Rajasthan, Delhi, westernUttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryanabetween January 2 and January 6.Immediately after this rain spell, afresh western disturbance—a stormthat originates as low-pressure sys-tems over the Mediterranean Sea andpushes moist, high-altitude westerlywinds towards India—is likely toaffect the north Indian weather fromJanuary 3 onwards.

    The system is expected to bringlight/moderate scattered to fairlywidespread rainfall/snowfall overthe Western Himalayan region fromJanuary 3-5.

    “Cold Day to Severe Cold Dayconditions in isolated to some pock-ets very likely over Punjab, Haryana,Chandigarh & Delhi, Uttar Pradeshand West Madhya Pradesh duringnext two days and over HimachalPradesh during next 24 hours,” theIMD said.

    According to Kuldeep Srivastava,the head of the IMD’s regional fore-

    casting centre, clear skies over Delhi-NCR, multiple western disturbancesaffecting the Himalayan region andthe global impact of La Nina were themajor reasons behind such low min-imum temperatures. “After December12, western disturbances mostlyaffected the western Himalayanregion, leading to significant snow-fall and rain over Jammu andKashmir and Himachal Pradesh,”Srivastava said.

    After the wind system with-draws, cold north-westerly windsblow from Jammu and Kashmir andHimachal Pradesh to Delhi-NCR,bringing the minimum temperaturedown, he said.

    “Uplifted fog” over Punjab andHaryana made the winds even cold-er, he added. “ The global factor ofLa Nina further contributed to the fallin temperatures,” Srivastava said.

    “Dense/very dense fog in somepockets over Punjab, Haryana,Chandigarh & Delhi and UttarPradesh and dense fog in isolatedpockets over Bihar, Assam &Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur,Mizoram & Tripura during next 2days and over Uttarakhand, WestMadhya Pradesh during next 24hours,” the IMD said.

    The IMD said a trough in lowerlevel easterlies is expected to bringisolated rain and thundershowersover the plains of northwest India andadjoining West Madhya Pradesh onFriday and Saturday, January 1-2.

    According to the IMD, groundfrost conditions in isolated pocketsvery likely over Punjab, Haryana,Chandigarh & Delhi and northRajasthan during next 24 hours.

    The cold wave sweeping Kashmir

    intensified as the mercury fell sever-al notches to settle well below thefreezing point across thevalley,Srinagar city -- the summercapital of Jammu and Kashmir --recorded a low of minus 5.9 degreesCelsius, which was over three degreesbelow the previous night’s minus 2.2degrees Celsius.

    Gulmarg tourist destination innorth Kashmir recorded 10.4degrees Celsius as against the pre-vious night’s low of minus 11 degreesCelsius.

    The ongoing cold wave condi-tions in Haryana and Punjab inten-sified at many places, with Hisar reel-ing at minus 1.2 degrees Celsius. Athick blanket of fog again envelopedmost places in the two States early inthe morning, reducing visibility lev-els. The minimum temperatureshovered well below normal limits asa few places experienced the season’scoldest night so far. Hisar in Haryanarecorded the season’s coldest night sofar and the mercury dropped eightnotches below the normal.

    Cold wave conditions also per-sisted in many places inPunjab.Bathinda reeled under severechill recording a minimum temper-ature of 0 degree Celsius, the season’slowest so far, while Amritsar andFaridkot, too, braved the chill at 1.6degrees Celsius and 1.2 degreesCelsius, respectively.Pathankot,Halwara, Adampur, Ludhiana andPatiala also recorded below normalminimums at 2.2, 3.1, 4.8, 4.1 and 4.8degrees Celsius, respectively. Intensecold conditions prevailed inRajasthan where over a dozen dis-tricts recorded night temperaturesbelow 5 degrees Celsius.

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    The EnforcementDirectorate has seized goldand diamond jewellery worthover �4 crore after it raidedpromoters of a Tamil Nadu-based company in a moneylaundering probe linked to analleged bank loan fraud. Thesearches were conducted underprovisions of the Prevention of

    Money Laundering Act(PMLA) and the residentialpremises of K Subbaraj, chair-man of Tiruchirappalli-basedCethar Ltd, its managing direc-tor K Pothiraj and director ofNSK Builders Pvt Ltd N S KKalairaja were covered, it said.

    Gold and diamond jew-ellery worth � 1.77 crore alongwith several property docu-ments were seized in raid.

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    Amid reports of Covid-19 vaccine hesitancyas the country gears up forvaccination drive, theUnion Health Ministryhas prepared a three-pronged strategy to alle-viate apprehensions aboutthe vaccine, ensure itsacceptance and encourageuptake.

    Vaccine hesitancyrefers to delay in accep-tance or refusal of vaccinesdespite availability of vac-cine services and variousstudies have shown that itcould be a challengingissue for the governmentto address forthwith.

    In its 88-page docu-ment released onThursday, the UnionHealth Ministry haschalked out detailed com-munication strategy tosupport the vaccine rolloutin India that seeks to dis-seminate accurate andtransparent informationby alleviating apprehen-sions and ensuring itsacceptance.

    The Health Ministryintends to achieve chal-lenges of vaccine hesitan-cy in three ways. Firstly,using the social influenceor endorsements fromexperts and official voicesto spell out the process ofimmunisation (where,how, who, when – dateand time); emphasise onthe safety and efficacy ofvaccines and explain thedecision to conduct thedrive in a phased manner.

    Secondly, the ministry

    intends to establish aNational Media RapidResponse Cell (NMRRC)under its ambit to ensurepreparedness throughmedia monitoring andsocial listening to respondin real time. It will alsounfold media and publicdiscourse through exten-sive monitoring of print,electronic and digitalmedia.

    Thirdly, this will beachieved by involvingcommunity mobilisersand frontline workers toengage with the commu-nity at various levelsthrough community con-sultations, faith leadersand religious meetings,engaging youth, civil-soci-ety organisations, self-helpgroups, panchayats andother community-basedplatforms.

    “The communicationstrategy that supports theCovid-19 vaccines rolloutin India seeks to dissemi-nate timely, accurate andtransparent informationabout the vaccine(s) toalleviate apprehensionsabout the vaccine, ensureits acceptance and encour-age uptake,” it said.

    According to the doc-ument, the strategy aimsat managing and miti-gating any potential dis-appointment expressedby unmet demand for thevaccine or ‘eagerness’amongst people andaddressing vaccine ‘hesi-tancy’ that could arisebecause of apprehensionsaround vaccine safety,efficacy apart from any

    other myths and miscon-ceptions.

    It also aims to provideinformation on potentialrisks and mitigate unin-tended crisis during theintroduction and rollout.

    “The strategy alsoseeks to build trust andenable greater confidencein the COVID-19 vaccineamongst all people byemploying transparencyin communication, whilealso managing anymis/disinformation andrumours around it,” itsaid.

    In case of any adverseeffects following immu-nisation (AEFI), the strat-egy emphasises on sup-porting the mobilisersand health workforce inmanaging crisis situationsby appealing to the com-munity to stay calm whilewaiting for a proper diag-nosis and prevent aggres-sive behaviour againsthealth workers.

    In an online studyconducted by AbdulGhafur, Coordinator ofthe Chennai Declaration,and infectious diseasesconsultant at ApolloHospital, Chennai,among 1424 health pro-fessionals, only 45 percent said they will takethe COVID vaccine assoon as it becomes avail-able. “Fifty-five per centwill either defer the vac-cination or are yet todecide what to do. Aboutone-tenth of the respon-dents said they will nevertake the vaccine,” Ghafursaid, as per a report.

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    The Government onThursday said that inless than ten monthsIndia has become self-dependent in the ventila-tors manufacturing sectorwith at least 36,433 cost-affordable ‘Make in India’ventilators supplied to allthe public health facilitiesin the country. The UnionHealth Ministry said thatall public health facilitiesin the country had onlyaround 16,000 ventilatorsfrom the Independencetill pre-Covid times.

    The average cost ofventilators now rangesbetween Rs 2-10 lakh asthe domestic industrytook up manufacturingof the equipment.

    All export restrictionson ventilators have nowbeen removed and ‘Makein India’ ventilators arebeing exported.

    The year witnessedtremendous achievements

    in the medical suppliessector in the country, theMinistry said pointingout that at the beginningof the pandemic, Indiawas almost totally depen-dent on imported venti-lators, PPE kits and N-95masks. “There were, infact, no standard specifi-cations for these productswhich are essential in thefight against the pan-demic.”

    However, now morethan adequate availabili-ty and supplies of essen-tial medical items acrossthe country has beenensured, according to theMinistry.

    In the case of person-al protective equipment(PPE), India has nowbecome the world’s sec-ond-largest manufacturerfrom a miniscule domes-tic production capacityin March. There is a pro-duction capacity of morethan 10 lakh PPE cover-alls per day and it is also

    exported to several coun-tries, it said.

    There are alreadynearly 1,700 indigenousmanufacturers and sup-pliers registered on thegovernment e-market-place, with dozens alreadycertified by the Bureau ofIndian Standards.

    Nearly 1.7 crore lakhPPE kits have been dis-tributed free of cost to thestates, Union territoriesand central institutions.

    “The buffer stock ofPPE kits available with thecentral and state govern-ments has grown fromabout 2 lakh in March tomore than 89 lakh at pre-sent. The average pricehas come down substan-tially from nearly �600 toabout �200 per kit in 9months,” the Ministrysaid.

    There were only threesuppliers of N-95 maskswith a production capac-ity of less than 1 lakhmasks per day.

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    More than 40 top com-manders headingPakistan based terror outfitswere eliminated among 225 ter-rorists in over 100 encountersby the joint teams of securityforces across Jammu &Kashmir in 2020, DirectorGeneral of Police DilbaghSingh said on Thursday.

    Compared to 2019, thesecurity forces gunned down65 more terrorists in 2020. Atotal number of 160 terroristswere gunned down in 2019.Meanwhile, the number oflocal recruits inducted by dif-ferent outfits in its ranksrecorded an upward trend in2020. However, the shelf life ofthese terrorists was reducedbetween 3 days to 3 months in2020.

    Addressing an annual Pressconference in the lawns of thePolice headquarters in JammuDGP Dilbagh Singh toldreporters the total number of

    infiltration bids, incidents relat-ed to terrorist violence andcivilian killings have also comedown.

    Sharing details DGP said“We undertook over 100 suc-cessful operations in J&K.Ninety operations took place inKashmir and 13 in Jammu. Asmany as 225 terrorists werekilled — 207 in Kashmir and 18in Jammu division.”

    He said that among theslain terrorists, 46 were topcommanders belonging to var-ious outfits. “Today, all topcommanders of various outfitshave been eliminated,” headded.

    The DGP said 16 Jammu &Kashmir Police personnel — 15in Kashmir and one in Jammu— and 44 security forcesjawans — 42 in Kashmir and

    two in Jammu — were killedwhile fighting terrorism thisyear. Singh said that police andsecurity agencies have crackeddown on overground workers(OGWs) of terror outfits, whothrow grenades or work as messengers and couriers.

    “As many as 635 OGWswere arrested and 56 out ofthem were booked under thePublic Safety Act (PSA),” hesaid.

    During the year, 299 ter-rorists and their associateswere arrested and 12 terroristssurrendered, he said.

    The police chief said that426 weapons, over 9,000ammunition and magazines,and a huge cache of explosivematerial were recovered andseized during anti-terror oper-ations.

    There has been a decreasein the number of civiliankillings this year. “As many as38 civilians were killed this yearas compared to 44 last year,”Singh said.

    He, however, said that therehas been a slight increase in ter-rorist recruitment this year ascompared to last year. “But 70per cent of them have eitherbeen eliminated or have left ter-

    ror outfits and returned. Asmany as 46 terrorists havebeen arrested and 76 havebeen killed (among newrecruits). Their shelf life isvery less,” the DGP said.

    He said that there is alarge scale decrease in the levelof infiltrations this year. Due tothe strong anti-infiltration grid,the infiltration is down, he said.Singh said that Pakistan is try-ing to increase the arch of ter-rorism to Jammu region andfoment communal troublehere.

    “There were a dozen ter-rorists active in the Jammuregion, the number hasreduced to three now. They arein Kishtwar district, we aretracking them,” Singh said.

    The police chief furthersaid that despite severalattempts by Pakistan, cases ofinfiltration this year is the low-est in the last three-four years.

    “So, they (Pakistan) had torely on local recruits and theytried to supply weapons, explo-sive materials and cash to themthrough drones, most of thesewere foiled,” he said.

    “The best thing is that thetrend of local youths joiningterror group is constantlydecreasing,” he added.

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    Pakistani troops opened fireand shelled mortars inunprovoked violations of aceasefire agreement along theLine of Control (LoC) inKupwara and Rajouri districtsof Jammu & Kashmir, officialssaid on Thursday.

    In the Tangdhar sector ofKupwara, Pakistani troopsspecifically targeted mosquesand houses in border villages,an Army official said inSrinagar.

    “Pakistan initiated anunprovoked ceasefire violation

    along LoC in Tangdhar Sector,Kupwara by firing mortars andother weapons yesterdayevening,” the official said.

    In the Nowshera sector ofRajouri, Pakistan Army per-sonnel engaged in heavy firingand mortar shelling on forwardposts.

    “At about 1,515 hourstoday, Pakistan Army initiated

    unprovoked ceasefire violationby firing with small arms andintense shelling with mortarsalong LoC in Nowshera sectorin Rajouri district,” a defencespokesman said in Jammu.

    Indian Army personnelguarding the LoC retaliatedbefittingly to the unprovokedceasefire violations, officialssaid.

    Jammu and Kashmirrecorded 5,100 instances ofceasefire violations by Pakistanalong the LoC in 2020 — thehighest in the past 18 years —in which 36 people were killedand over 130 were injured,

    official sources said. Twenty-four security personnel wereamong the 36 killed.

    Security forces officialssaid that shelling and firing byPakistani troops was “veryheavy” in 2020, virtually mak-ing the 2003 India-Pakistanborder truce “redundant”.

    “Pakistani troops repeat-edly targeted forwards postsand villages along the Line ofControl (LoC) and theInternational Border (IB) tocreate a fear psychosis amongthe people and destabilise thepeace along the borderline,” asenior police officer said.

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  • As we see off a rather tur-bulent and difficult year,it would be worthwhileto review how well themilitary faced up to the nation’ssecurity challenges and, moreimportantly, where it goes fromhere. As has been the case withthe vast majority of peoples andcountries around the world, theCOVID-19 impact has been quitedisruptive and debilitating for ourmilitary as well. A situation nodoubt further compounded by theunprovoked aggression by theChinese People’s Liberation Army(PLA) in Eastern Ladakh alongthe Line of Actual Control (LAC),which undoubtedly caught themilitary by surprise.

    The year had started on anexcellent note with theGovernment finally biting thebullet and announcing theappointment of General BipinRawat as the first Chief of DefenceStaff, two decades after it was firstofficially mooted following theKargil conflict. It went a step fur-ther by carving out a Departmentof Military Affairs, to be headedby the CDS as its ex officio sec-retary, to deal with issues pertain-ing exclusively to military matters.While a year is insufficient tocomment on the efficacy of thesechanges, suffice it to say thatGeneral Rawat has not distin-guished himself in his new role.

    However, the unilateral andpartially successful attempt byChina to alter the status quoalong the LAC thrust a whollyunprepared military into the deepend, pushing all other concernsout of the window. Till the com-mencement of this imbroglio, thesubstantial tract of disputed ter-ritory that we claim was regular-ly patrolled by our security forcesas per the mutually accepted pro-tocols that have been in place forover two decades. Also, make nomistake, despite all the talk ofmutual withdrawal and easing oftensions, there is little doubt thatthe Chinese have no intention ofwithdrawing from the occupiedareas, especially in the Depsangand Galwan sub-sectors, withoutmaking us pay a heavy price.

    The PLA now poses a clearand present danger to our posi-tions at Daulat Beg Oldi. Its lossin any future conflict wouldadversely impact our ability tocontinue holding on to the SaltoroRidge, west of the Siachen Glacier.That would be a serious strategicsetback as currently our occupa-tion of the Saltoro Ridge allows usto dominate the entire region up

    to the Karakoram Pass, includ-ing the Shaksgam Valley thathas been illegally ceded toChina by Pakistan. Our exist-ing posture threatens the secu-rity of the China-PakistanEconomic Corridor (CPEC)passing through this region asit is vulnerable to interdiction.Its importance to both Chinaand Pakistan cannot be overes-timated given the massiveinvestments made, which couldbe motivation enough for col-lusive or collaborative action bythe two neighbours.

    Despite the Army havingbeen caught napping in the ini-tial stages, its speedy and robustresponse — especially after thehorrendous loss of lives atGalwan — was commendable.Subsequently, under the ambitof “Operation Snow Leopard”, itraised the stakes considerably byoccupying dominating heightsalong the Kailash Range in theChushul and Pangong Tso sub-sectors which has negated someof the PLA’s earlier advantages.While these heights are well indepth within our territory andhave never been claimed by theChinese, they do dominate bothbanks of the Pangong Tso aswell as the important Chineseadministrative base at Moldo.Most importantly, it allows us tochoke off the Spanggur Gap, thearea through which the PLA’smechanised elements could oth-erwise have advanced towardsour positions at Chushul, there-by opening up an approach toLeh. However, the shoe is now

    on the other foot, as it providesus a suitable launch pad for ariposte towards Moldo and theChinese depth areas, if the sit-uation so warrants.

    However, we should not bemisled by the selective rhetoricwhich suggests that the Chineseare on the back foot, the PLAis demoraled and their leader-ship floundering for a way outof the impasse without loss offace. While our action does giveus a tactical advantage and hasstabilised the situation, it has byno means robbed the PLA ofthe inherent advantages itenjoys, given the superior eco-nomic strength and its militarysize. However, they may be infor an unpleasant surprise,given the extended lines ofcommunication and difficultiesof combat at such high alti-tudes, apart, of course, from thefact that they face an extreme-ly tough and battle-hardenedopposition with ample experi-ence in mountain warfare.

    On our part, we have toaccept that our Governmenthas always had a very defensivemindset when it comes toChina. In fact, the ModiGovernment has shown exces-sive restraint at the present time,not only refusing to name Chinabut going so far as to try anddelink the Depsang intrusionfrom the transgressions else-where in an attempt to justify theongoing negotiations, whichappear to be restricted to troopwithdrawals from the Chushul-Pangong Tso sub-sector. Even

    our occupation of the KailashRange was only in response tothe PLA’s transgressions in thevain hope that it would deterfurther attempts at ingress orescalation. On that occasion, thePLA probably miscalculated ourwillingness to stand up to theirprovocative behaviour and wasthus caught off guard by ourrobust response. At that time,they just did not have the req-uisite force levels in place to reactbefore the onset of winter.

    In similar circumstances, amore determined Governmentwould probably have respond-ed to such aggression by mirror-ing the Chinese and resorted to“salami slicing” actions along theLAC by occupying disputedareas along our claim line wherethe PLA has no permanentpresence. This could have thenbeen used as a bargaining chipduring negotiations to ensure anequitable delineation of the LACwhich, in time, would haveallowed the Prime Minister tonegotiate and resolve the borderissue to our advantage.

    The Government’s unwill-ingness to take the initiative ispartly explained by its fear ofChinese reaction as well as dri-ven by the fact that it has no illu-sion as to the poor state our mil-itary is in; something that can-not be rectified in short order byloosening the purse strings.Unfortunately, misperceptions,lack of clarity and sheer disinter-est in strategic affairs have beenthe hallmark of our political lead-ership, which finds little time for

    anything other than domesticpolitics. This has resulted in asuperficial understanding of thegeopolitical complexities sur-rounding the issue of nationalsecurity at the institutional level.

    The Armed Forces haveborne the brunt of this igno-rance, being subjected to neglectby successive Governments overthe years. In all likelihood, it hasbeen premised on the belief,however misconceived, that apowerful military poses an exis-tential threat to the politicaldispensation in power. It must,therefore, be kept in check andout of decision making.However, far more damaging hasbeen the political leadership’sbelief that the military’s utility hasbeen severely constrained, if notrendered irrelevant, as chances ofa conventional conflict havegreatly diminished with theadvent of nuclear weapons in theregion. A belief which has beengiven considerable boost by theArmy leadership’s almost single-minded focus on counter-insur-gency operations; even to theextent of accepting a gradualdegradation of our convention-al capabilities without protest.

    As to the future, there is lit-tle scope for optimism as a fewmonths from now will herald thestart of a new campaigning sea-son along the LAC as the snowmelts. Given our defensive mind-set, our choices will be whollylimited to dancing to the PLA’stune. Their options are many;they could, for example, play awaiting game and do nothing atall for now, having already forcedus to concede territory. On theother hand, they could exertpressure elsewhere along theLAC to ensure that we respondin much the same manner wedid this year. In fact, their biggesterror would be to escalate the sit-uation to teach us a lesson asthen Modi would be forced torespond in kind, to avoid his rep-utation being tarnished.

    However, if PresidentJinping does not cross thatRubicon, the Modi Governmentwill continue to do what it doesbest, focus on increasing itsfootprint by winning the forth-coming Bengal elections.Undoubtedly, it will resort to dis-simulation regarding the LACsituation, using every means atits disposal to push the narrativethat our borders are quiet, safeand inviolate. It will then be backto business as usual and the CDScould then return to the oner-ous task of simplifying militaryuniforms and badges of rank.

    (The writer is a military vet-eran, who is a consultant with theObserver Research Foundationand Senior Visiting Fellow withThe Peninsula Foundation,Chennai. The views expressed arepersonal.)

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