NEW DELHI, Sept 26:With 4,129 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India’s tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 4,45,72,243, while the active cases declined to 43,415, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Monday.
The death toll climbed to 5,28,530 with 20 fatalities, including 13 fatalities reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The active cases comprises 0.10 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.72 per cent, the health ministry said.
A decline of 579 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.51 per cent. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.61 per cent, according to the health ministry.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,40,00,298, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.
According to the ministry, 217.686 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive.
India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.
It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.
India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4, three crore on June 23 last year and four crore on January 25 this year.
The seven fatalities reported in the last 24 hours include two each from Maharashtra and Nagaland and one each from Karnataka, Kerala and West Bengal. (AGENCIES)
Active Covid cases decline to 43,415
Security up for Amit Shah’s three-day J&K visit
Jammu:
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who will be on a three-day UT visit from September 30, has chosen to visit Rajouri and Baramulla which have been neglected for many years, said BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh on Sunday.
After reaching Rajouri on September 30, Shah will hold a rally next day. On October 2, he will address a rally in Baramulla. He is expected to announce the scheduled tribe (ST) status for the Pahari community. Intelligence and security agencies are keeping a close eye on terror organisations’ activities. Security meetings of the police, the CRPF, the BSF, the Army and intelligence agencies are taking place on a regular basis in Jammu and Srinagar keeping in mind Shah’s rallies.
Party insiders say that after nominating Ghulam Ali Khatana (from Gujjar community) to the Rajya Sabha, the BJP now wants to woo the Pahari community which can turn the tables in many constituencies in the Assembly polls. BJP’s J&K chief Ravinder Raina said preparations had been made. BJP men are also seeing the rallies as the beginning of the party’s electioneering.
TN to accelerate campaign for free Covid booster dose
The Tamil Nadu health department is planning to accelerate a campaign across the state for people to take the Covid-19 booster dose vaccine.
The Tamil Nadu health minister, Ma Subramanian while speaking to IANS said, “We have already directed the district medical officers and district health departments to conduct campaigns so that a maximum number of eligible people are taking the booster dose of vaccine.”
He said that till September 30 the booster doses are free and that it will be available at 11,333 facilities of the state medical health department. The minister said that the people must take up the booster dose within the next five days as it is not known whether the booster dose vaccines would be available freely after the cut-off date of September 30.
Tamil Nadu has vaccinated 96.55 per cent of its population with the first dose of Covid vaccine and 91.39 per cent of the people with the second dose of vaccine. Ma Subramanian said that these were made available due to the relentless efforts of the health department officers, including doctors, nurses, and other staff. The minister told IANS that people were still hesitant to take the booster dose and that there were still 3.40 crore people eligible for the vaccine.
The state on Sunday conducted the 38th mega vaccination drive in 50,000 camps across the state and the minister said that Tamil Nadu was the only state that conducted such mega vaccination camps in the country. The mega vaccination camps in the state commenced on September 12, 2021.
The state health department, it is learned, will conduct a door-to-door campaign using the services of primary health centres, which are situated across the state. The services of Anganwadi teachers and SC/ST promoters will also be used to reach out to yje maximum number of people for the booster dose of vaccine.
Partly cloudy sky, light rain likely in J&K: MeT
Jammu, Sep 26: Partly cloudy sky with light rain is likely in Jammu and Kashmir during the next 24 hours, the Meteorological (MeT) department said on Monday.
“Partly cloudy sky with chances of light rain is likely in J&K during the next 24 hours”, an official of the MeT department said.
Meanwhile, Srinagar recorded 14.6 degrees Celsius, Pahalgam 6.4 and Gulmarg 4 degrees as the minimum temperature this morning.
Kargil in Ladakh region clocked 8.2 degrees, while Jammu recorded 19.7, Katra 17.7, Batote 11.2, Banihal 10.8 and Bhaderwah 9.8 degrees.
IHRO J&K announce Akash Bhagat as youth President Jammu Province
Akash Bhagat a very active youth leader and social activist has been appointed as the Youth President (Jammu Province) of the International Human Rights Organisation (IHRO) Jammu Kashmir for the year 2022-2024.
“The IHRO Jammu Kashmir is confident that with your background, experience, expertise and keen interest, you would justify your job for the just cause of safeguarding human rights as per the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948,” IHRO J&K chairman Pardeepak Singh Chib said during occasion
Shubham Langer State Youth President J&K said we hope that he will exercise his responsibilities with honesty and dignity for the best interest of humanity. We welcome him to the IHRO family and look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration with you,”
youth from many colleges and Jammu University namely Samarth bhatia,anish bhagat,nikhil parihar, rohit panshotra, arif khan, harsh singh, satyam pansotra,amit kunqr, anurag, manish bhagat, sourav, danish parihar also present on the occasion
Skill-based programmes on the rise to bridge tech talent shortage
The recent debate around moonlighting in the IT industry has highlighted the growing demand for skilled talent in the ICT sector. The global shortage for tech talent has been fuelled amid the rapidly changing technology landscape.
Companies are looking at leveraging the best of tech talent to not only improve user and client experience but also for exploring new growth avenues.
With companies considering an appetite to skill and learn to be a highly desirable trait among employees, skilling focused start-ups and organisations are rapidly coming up to bridge the gap.
Rishi Khemka, Founder and CEO, MindBox India, a leading STEM Accredited organisation dedicated towards creating functional literacy in 6-18 years old students said that “As the world changes, the need for skills changes too. With technology being at the centre of everything in the future, kids today will need to develop competencies and skills around this space which shall help them excel in whatever profession they choose.”
“At present, 90 per cent of the jobs are skill based and we should aim at developing a range of future skills across domains such as AI, ML, drone technology, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, electric vehicles, 5G technologies and mechatronics to improve the employability quotient of India’s vast young population,” Khemka added.
Skilling will help the youth in bolstering their CVs with knowhow of new technologies.
Vikram Kumar, co-founder of career platform MyTat said that, “The advent of new-age technologies has changed the overall hiring landscape in India. This has created a substantial talent demand and supply gap across key tech domains. There’s a need to ensure relevant skilling opportunities so that youngsters can harness their true potential through adequate skilling, upskilling and reskilling avenues.”
MyTat has collaborated with AICTE to provide AICTE-approved internships/apprenticeships for youngsters as well as professionals. “81 per cent of individuals who have enrolled with us for professional development have reported career benefits like increment, promotion, increased pay, etc,” Kumar added.
As telcos in India gear up to launch 5G services, it will not only give us faster communication networks but will have a cascading impact on multiple other sectors which need fast, low latency, reliable networks to function. This will in turn lead to a surge in demand for skilled talent.
Arvind Bali, CEO, Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) said that the rollout of 5G in India will lead to adoption of new-age technologies across sectors, “and it is crucial that the graduating population is skilled and made job-ready”.
“TSSC has curated courses in cutting-edge technologies like drone technology, 5G, AI/ML, etc. and has established numerous Centers of Excellence and training facilities across the nation to cater to this demand,” Bali noted.
As companies look at future growth-engines they want talent which helps them stay ahead of the curve. The need for future skills has never been felt as much in India before as now, with multiple disruptive technologies impacting everything from banking to pharma to manufacturing and more.
Devotees offer prayers to Maa Durga on first day of Navratri
The nine-day long Hindu festival of Navratri began with much fervour on Monday.
The Shardiya Navratri festival is dedicated to Goddess Durga and her nine avatars and today marks the first day of the festivity (Kalash or Ghatsthapna). The festival is celebrated with much fervour all across the country by Hindus. Devotees flocked to the Mata Vaishno Devi Mandir atop the Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir’s Katra on the first day today.
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has put in place all necessary arrangements to meet the heavy rush of devotees, officials said.
Similar scenes were also seen at the Mumbai Devi Temple in Mumba, where the early morning ‘Aarti’ was performed on the first day of the Navratri.
Visuals from Delhi’s Jhandewalan temple in Delhi showed devotees offering prayers to Maa Durga.
The priest of Chhatarpur Temple Delhi while talking to ANI, talked about the significance of the festival.
“Today is the first day of Navratri, we worship in the name of Shailputri. Today, Maa Durga fulfils the wishes of those who worship her. Chhatarpur temple is not just famed in the country, but across the world. It was Sant Baba Nagpal Ji. We have done all the arrangements so that the devotees can worship the goddess, langar, security and sanitation arrangements have also been done,” the priest said.
Navratri means ‘nine nights’ in Sanskrit. Hindus observe a total of four Navratris throughout the year. Only two of them, Chaitra Navaratri and Shardiya Navaratri see widespread celebrations, as they coincide with the beginnings of the seasons.
From Ashwin Shukla Paksha’s Navami until the Pratipada, Shardiya Navratri is observed. While the holiday is celebrated with great fanfare across the nation, distinct traditions are more commonly practised in different states.
Navratri 2022 Timeline:
This year, Navratri will last nine days, starting on September 26 and concluding on October 5.
Navratri 2022 History:
The festival of Navratri honours the defeat of the demonic Mahishasura and the triumph of good over evil. Because of Mahishasura’s unwavering devotion to him, Lord Brahma bestows the gift of immortality upon him at the beginning of the narrative.
The blessing did, however, come with one stipulation: only a woman would be able to overcome him. The demon began terrorising people on Earth because he didn’t think any woman would be strong enough to overcome him. Gods were unable to halt him.
Since Mahishasura was to be demolished, Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva pooled their efforts to create the goddess Durga. They gave her a number of weapons. Ten days passed during Maa Durga and Mahishasura’s conflict. However, Maa Durga was able to overcome him when he at last transformed into a buffalo.
Navratri 2022 Significance:During the nine-day Navratri festival, devotees worship Maa Durga’s nine incarnations in order to obtain her blessings. There is a goddess manifestation linked with each day of Navratri. During these nine days, people maintain ritualistic fasts, recite shlokas dedicated to each goddess, wear new clothing, offer bhog, and clean their homes. In their prayers, they ask the goddess for her favour in order to have prosperous, joyous, and fulfilled lives.
Ramlila is organised extensively during Navratri in North India, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. During the Ramlila, the tale of Lord Ram’s triumph over Ravana is acted out. The effigies of King Ravana are burned on Dussehra to commemorate the triumph of good over evil.
In fact, on the tenth day of Navratri, also known as Vijayadashami, a large procession is organised during which clay figurines of Maa Durga are ceremoniously submerged in a river, sea, or ocean. Popular places to do this practice include West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, and Bihar. The most significant day for Maa Durga’s worship is thought to be the day of Durga Visarjan.
Navratri 2022 Celebrations:
Numerous dances, including Garba and Dandiya Raas, are performed during the nine-day festival. While Dandiya Raas involves dancing with dandiya sticks to the beat of the music, Garba is a traditional dance in which participants clap their hands and move in a circle while making rhythmic gestures.
In India, Navratri is celebrated in a wide range of ways. Ramlila, a celebration in which scenes from the Ramayana are performed, is organised in North India, mainly in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. The burning of King Ravana’s effigies marks the conclusion of the story on Vijayadashami.
Ghulam Nabi Azad reaches Jammu; likely to launch his party
JAMMU: Veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who ended his more than five-decade-long association with the Congress last month, is likely to launch his party in the next couple of days.
“I am inviting the media on (Monday) before the launch of the party. I am here to meet workers and leaders,” Azad told reporters in a brief interaction at his residence here upon his arrival from Delhi.
A close aide of the former J&K chief minister has confirmed the news.
“He is having two back to back separate meetings with senior and second rung leaders later today,” he said, adding Azad is visiting Srinagar on September 27.
He said the name and the flag of the new party have been finalised and it is now a matter of a day or two before the new party becomes a reality on the political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir.
Azad, 73, quit Congress on August 26, terming the party “comprehensively destroyed”. He also lashed out at Rahul Gandhi for “demolishing” the party’s entire consultative mechanism.
Over two dozen prominent Congress leaders including former deputy chief minister Tara Chand, several former ministers and legislators also resigned from the Congress in support of Azad. Two former legislators, one each of the PDP and Apni party, also followed suit.
He has earlier spelt out that the top agendas of his party will be to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and protect the land and job rights of its residents.(Agencies)
Tarun Chugh To Chair High Level Meeting At 5:30 Pm; Likely To Announce Names Of New Mayor & Deputy Mayor
JAMMU, Sep 24: BJP J&K Incharge Tarun Chugh to chair high level meeting at 5:30 PM today at party Headquarters in Jammu.
After the meeting Chugh is likely to announce names of new Mayor & Dy Mayor.
JMC Mayor and Deputy Mayor resign
JAMMU, Sept 24: Chander Mohan Gupta and Advocate Purnima Sharma resigned from Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) on Saturday.
While talking to media persons in Jammu, J&K BJP President Ravinder Raina informed that both the leaders wanted to provide their services for the well-being of J&K BJP, and they resigned.
He further informed that new names for the post of Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be announced in consultation with the party’s senior and core committee members in due course of time.