Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand), Oct 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed puja at Kedarnath Temple on Friday.
Prime Minister donned a traditional pahadi outfit at the holy shrine. PM Modi’s handmade attire was made by the women of Chamba, Himachal Pradesh. The dress is popularly called ‘Chola Dora’.
It was gifted to Prime Minister during his recent visit to the state.
PM was accompanied by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at the temple.
Prime Minister is on a visit to the Himalayan state to lay the foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 3,400 crore.
PM Modi arrived at Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun and was received by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Gurmeet Singh.
PM will lay the foundation stone of the Kedarnath Ropeway Project. After that, he will visit the Adi Guru Shankaracharya Samadhi Sthal. He will also review the progress of development works along Mandakini Asthapath and Saraswati Asthapath.
Later on the day, Prime Minister will reach Badrinath where he will perform darshan and pooja at Shri Badrinath Temple.
He will then review the progress of the development work of the riverfront, followed by laying the foundation stone of road and ropeway projects at Mana village. He will review the progress of development work of arrival plaza and lakes.
The ropeway in Kedarnath will be around 9.7 Km long and will connect Gaurikund to Kedarnath, reducing the travel time between the two places from 6-7 hours at present, to only about 30 mins. The Hemkund ropeway will connect Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib. It will be around 12.4 km long and will reduce the travel time from more than a day to only about 45 mins. This ropeway will also connect Ghangaria, which is the gateway to Valley of Flowers National Park, said the PMO statement.
The ropeways, which will be developed at a cumulative cost of around Rs 2,430 crore, are an environmental friendly mode of transport that will provide a safe, secure and stable mode of transport. This major infrastructure development will give a boost to religious tourism, which will give a fillip to the economic development in the region and lead to creation of multiple employment opportunities as well.
Foundation stone of road widening projects worth around Rs 1000 crore will also be laid during the visit. The two road widening projects – from Mana to Mana Pass (NH07) and from Joshimath to Malari (NH107B) – shall be another step towards providing last-mile all-weather road connectivity to our border areas. Apart from boosting connectivity, these projects will also prove beneficial from a strategic point of view as well.
Kedarnath and Badrinath are one of the most important Hindu shrines. The area is also known for one of the revered Sikh Pilgrim site – Hemkund Sahib. The connectivity projects are aimed to ease access and improve basic infrastructure in places of religious significance. (AGENCIES)
PM Modi performs puja at Kedarnath Temple
Dengue patient dies after allegedly being tranfused fruit juice instead of platelets in Prayagraj, hospital sealed
NEW DELHI, Oct 21: A private hospital in Prayagraj was sealed on Thursday for allegedly transfusing fruit juice instead of blood platelets to a dengue patient who later died, police said.
After a video of the alleged incident went viral on social media, the district administration swung into action and on the direction of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, the hospital was sealed.
The patient, Pradeep Pandey was shifted to another hospital, where he died after his condition deteriorated, officials said. However, no FIR has been registered at the local police station.
The owner of the private hospital claimed that the platelets were brought from a different medical facility and the patient had a reaction after three units were transfused.
In a tweet, Deputy CM Pathak said, “Taking cognisance of the viral video at the hospital where a dengue patient was transfused with sweet lemon juice instead of platelets, on my directive the hospital was sealed and the platelet packets have been sent for testing.”
“If found guilty, strict action will be taken against the hospital,” he said.
According to sources, the patient died due to the transfusion of “wrong platelets” and the samples of those will be examined.
Asked about the reason for sealing the hospital, an officer, on condition of anonymity, said it has been done on the instructions of the chief medical officer and will remain so till the sample is tested.
Saurabh Mishra, the owner of the hospital, said that since the patient Pradeep Pandey’s platelets level dropped to 17,000, his relatives were asked to arrange blood platelets for him.
“They brought five units of platelets from SRN Hospital. After transfusion of three units, the patient had a reaction. So we stopped it,” he said.
Mr. Mishra said that the platelets should be examined and their origin should be traced because they had the sticker of SRN hospital on them.
District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Khatri, said, “An inquiry is underway and the platelets will also be tested.” (Agencies)
Military chopper crashes near Upper Siang district in Arunachal
Arunachal Pradesh, October 21: A military chopper crashed on Friday near Mingging village, 25 kilometres away from the Tuting headquarters in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) crashed near Tuting area in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district today at around 10:40 am today, according to Defence PRO, Guwahati.
Jummar Basar, Superintendent of Police Upper Siang, said over phone, “The site of the accident is not connected through road. A rescue team has been rushed and all other other details are awaited.”
Further details are awaited.
Earlier on October 5 this year, an Indian Army pilot lost his life in a Cheetah helicopter crash near Tawang area of Arunachal Pradesh.
“The Cheetah helicopter flying in forward areas near Tawang crashed at around 10:00 AM during a routine sortie. Both the pilots were evacuated to the nearest Military Hospital,” Army officials had said. (Agencies)
Last leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra to resume in K’taka, Priyanka likely to join
The last leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi will be taken up in Karnataka from Friday. The padayatra will enter the Raichur district of Karnataka from Mantralaya in Andhra Pradesh.
Meanwhile, party sources confirmed that another scion of the Gandhi family, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is most likely to take part in the padayatra on Saturday.
The padayatra resumed from Mantralaya Temple Circle in Andhra Pradesh at 6 a.m. It will enter Karnataka’s Gillesegur in Raichur district at 10 a.m.
The Congress leaders will take up padayatra for three days in the district. The padayatra will cross the Tungabhadra bridge and pass through Yaragera, Raichur city and Shakthinagar.
Rahul Gandhi is interacting with the farmers and local people during the Yatra. He is staying at the Ranganatha Swamy Temple at Yaragera village.
On October 23, the padayatra will enter Telangana. The Congress leaders have been tasked with gathering 20,000 to 30,000 people during the yatra.
The police department has deputed 2,000 police personnel to ensure security. Padayatra has so far got a good response from the people in the state. Sonia Gandhi had also taken part in the padayatra briefly in Mandya district of south Karnataka.
The Congress party leaders are upbeat about the padayatra and they maintain that the party has gained right momentum in the run up to the state Assembly elections. The elections are scheduled to be held in another six months in Karnataka.
The internal survey conducted by the Congress leaders has shown that it will obtain a simple majority in the state Assembly elections.
The padayatra entered Karnataka on September 30. It will cover 511 kilometres of distance in the state.
World Osteoporosis Day Observed at MBBS Girls Hostel GMC Jammu
World osteoporosis day observed in mbbs girls hostel GMC jammu
Bone mineral density assessment was done and female students were made aware the concept of peak bone mass
A lecture was delivered by Dr Bias Dev Associate professor department of orthopedics in which Dr Bias suggested students to get involved in more physical and sports activities which will make their peak bone mass better as Peak bone mass is the maximum amount of bone a person has during their life It typically occurs in the early 20s in females and late 20s in males. Peak bone mass is typically lower in females than males
It can’t be attained in later life.
Indonesia bans all syrup and liquid medicines after death of 99 children
Jakarta, Oct 20: The deaths of nearly 100 children in Indonesia have prompted the country to suspend sales of all syrup and liquid medication, the media reported.
It comes just weeks after a cough syrup in The Gambia was linked to the deaths of nearly 70 children, the BBC reported.
Indonesia said some syrup medicine was found to contain ingredients linked to acute kidney injuries (AKI), which have killed 99 young children this year.
It is not clear if the medicine were imported or locally produced.
On Thursday, Indonesian health officials said they had reported around 200 cases of AKI in children, most of who were aged under five.
Earlier this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global alert over four cough syrups that were linked to the deaths of almost 70 children in The Gambia.
The WHO found the syrups used there — made by an Indian pharmaceutical company — contained “unacceptable amounts” of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol. The syrups have been “potentially linked with acute kidney injuries”, said the organisation.
Indonesia’s Health Minister on Thursday said the same chemical compounds were also found in some medicines used locally.
“Some syrups that were used by AKI child patients under five were proven to contain ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol that were not supposed to be there, or of very little amount,” said Budi Gunadi Sadikin, BBC reported.
However, he did not disclose how many cases involved the toxic medicines.
Indonesian authorities said the cough syrups used in The Gambia were not sold locally.
One epidemiologist said the true death toll could be even higher than reported.
“When cases like these happen, (what we know is) the tip of the iceberg, which means there could be far more victims,” Dicky Budiman, an epidemiologist from Griffith University told BBC Indonesia.
Chief Justice inaugurates medical aid centre at High Court Complex in Srinagar
Srinagar, Oct 20: Chief Justice, High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey, today inaugurated Dispensary cum Medical Aid Centre at High Court Complex here in presence of companion Judges Justice Tashi Rabstan, Justice Sanjay Dhar, Justice Javed Iqbal Wani, Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi, Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal and Justice Rajesh Sikhri.
The Medical Aid Centre has been updated to provide facilities like basic and emergency medical services like ECG, Blood Sugar Test, Covid testing, Vaccinations and related facilities to the Judges, Advocates, employees and litigants of High Court of J&K and Ladakh. The dispensary will also have an in-house pharmacy to provide free of cost specific medicines besides conducting regular necessary vaccination drives, Covid testing from time to time and other necessary exigencies.
The Centre, which has been developed on the directions and under guidance of the Chief Justice, will cater to needs of members inside the High Court premises which see a heavy footfall on daily basis and will definitely help to avoid emergencies.
The Medical Aid Centre has been a long pending demand of Advocates and the opening of this healthcare unit has been highly hailed by the Judges, Registry Officers, Advocates, staff and general public. Advocates and staff members conveyed their gratitude to the Chief Justice for redressing their concern and long pending demand of having such type of infrastructure in terms of Medical Aid Centre in the High Court premises.
Chief Justice also inspected Institution Counter, Lawyers room and Lawyers Library and gave certain on spot directions.
On the occasion, Register General, Sanjeev Gupta, Principal Secretary to Chief Justice, Rajeev Gupta, Registrar Vigilance, Shahzad Azeem, Registrar Judicial Srinagar, Joint Registrar Judicial, Joint Registrar Inspection, Convenor Bar Association, Srinagar, Deputy Director Health Services, Kashmir, CMO Sgr., Senior Medical Officers, Advocates, registry officers and other staff members of High Court of J&K and Ladakh were also present.
Closely tracking Pulitzer Prize winner Sanna Irshad Mattoo’s case: United States
WASHINGTON: The United States is aware of reports of Pulitzer-winning Kashmiri journalist Sanna Irshad Mattoo allegedly being prevented from travelling to the country, a State Department official has said.
Sanna Mattoo had on Tuesday said she was stopped at the IGI Airport in Delhi from flying to the US to received the prestigious award.
“We are aware of the reports of Ms Mattoo being prevented from travelling to the US and are tracking these developments closely,” State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at his daily news conference.
“We are committed to supporting press freedom. And as the secretary has noted, a shared commitment to democratic values, including the respect for the independence of the press, is a bedrock of the US-India relationship,” he said.
“But I don’t have any other specifics to offer… we are tracking this closely,” Patel said in response to a question.
Mattoo, a freelance photojournalist, was part of a Reuters team that won the Pulitzer Prize for feature photography for their coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
In a statement, the Committee to Protect Journalists urged Indian officials to let Mattoo travel to the US to attend the Pulitzer awards ceremony.
“There is no reason why Kashmiri journalist Sanna Irshad Mattoo, who had all the right travel documents and has won a Pulitzer–one of the most prestigious journalism awards–should have been prevented from traveling abroad,” said Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia programme coordinator, in Frankfurt, Germany.
“This decision is arbitrary and excessive. Indian authorities must immediately cease all forms of harassment and intimidation against journalists covering the situation in Kashmir,” Beh said. (Agencies)
PM Modi to launch drive to recruit 10 lakh people
New Delhi, Oct 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch ‘Rozgar Mela’, a drive to recruit 10 lakh people, on October 22 via video-conference and appointment letters will be given to 75,000 candidates during the ceremony, the PMO said on Thursday.
The PMO said this will be a significant step forward towards fulfilling the continuous commitment of the prime minister to providing job opportunities for the youth and ensuring welfare of citizens.
According to Modi’s directions, all ministries and departments are working towards filling up existing vacancies against sanctioned posts in a “mission mode”, the statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The new recruits, selected from across the country, will join 38 ministries or departments of the Government of India. The appointees will join the government at various levels in Group A and B (Gazetted), Group B (Non-Gazetted) and Group C. The posts on which appointments are being made include the central armed force personnel, sub-inspectors, constables, LDC, steno, PA, income tax inspectors and MTS among others, it read.
These recruitments are being done by ministries and departments either by themselves or through recruiting agencies such as UPSC, SSC and the Railway Recruitment Board. For expeditious recruitment, selection processes have been simplified and made tech-enabled, the PMO said. (Agencies)
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella receives Padma Bhushan in U.S.
WASHINGTON, Oct 20: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has said it is an honour for him to receive the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award and he looks forward to continuing to work with people across India to help them use technology to achieve more.
Nadella, who plans to visit India next January, formally received the award for distinguished service, from India’s Consul General in San Francisco, Dr T.V. Nagendra Prasad, last week.
The 55-year-old CEO of Microsoft was named one of the 17 awardees earlier this year.
On receiving the award, Mr. Nadella said: “It’s an honour to receive a Padma Bhushan Award and to be recognised with so many extraordinary people. I’m thankful to the President, Prime Minister, and people of India, and look forward to continuing to work with people across India to help them use technology to achieve more.”
Discussion on India’s growth trajectory
During the meeting, Mr. Nadella discussed with Mr. Prasad the critical role digital technology plays in empowering inclusive growth in India. The discussion focused on India’s growth trajectory and the country’s potential to be a global political and technology leader, according to Microsoft.
“We are living in a period of historic economic, societal and technological change,” said Mr. Nadella following his meeting with Dr. Prasad.
“The next decade will be defined by digital technology. Indian industries and organisations of every size are turning to technology to help them do more with less, which will ultimately lead to greater innovation, agility and resilience,” Mr. Nadella said.
Hyderabad-born Nadella was named CEO of Microsoft in February 2014. In June 2021 he was also named the company’s Chairman, an additional role in which he will lead the work to set the agenda for the board.
The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.
The Awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service). The award seeks to recognise achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved.
The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
Mr. Nadella plans to visit India in January 2023, his first visit to the country in nearly three years, Microsoft said. (Agencies)