India
India's Modi to unveil $1.35 trillion infrastructure plan
India will soon launch a $1.35 trillion national infrastructure plan that will boost the country’s economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Sunday as part of independence day celebrations, reports The Washington Post.
Wearing a flowing bright saffron-colored turban, Modi addressed the nation from New Delhi’s 17th century Mughal-era Red Fort to mark the 74th anniversary of India’s independence from British rule. He said the infrastructure plan will create job opportunities for millions of Indian youth.
Read:UAE flights: Indian Embassy working with authorities to address vaccination concerns, says envoy
“It will help local manufacturers turn globally competitive and also develop possibilities of new future economic zones in the country,” he said.
India’s economy, pummeled by the coronavirus pandemic, contracted 7.3% in the fiscal year that ended in March. Economists fear there will be no rebound similar to the ones seen in the U.S. and other major economies.
In his 90-minute speech, Modi also listed his government’s achievements since 2014 and hailed India’s coronavirus vaccination campaign.
“We are proud that we didn’t have to depend on any other country for COVID-19 vaccines. Imagine what would have happened if India didn’t have its own vaccine,” he said.
India has given more than 500 million doses of vaccines but its vaccination drive has been marred by its slow pace. About 11% of eligible adult Indians have been fully vaccinated so far.
Modi also said India was committed to meeting targets for the reduction of its carbon footprint. He said his government would invest more in electric mobility, solar energy and “green hydrogen” — which does not emit carbon dioxide — as part of its goal to make India energy independent by 2047.
Modi began his speech by praising India’s athletes who took part in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics. India won one gold, two silver and four bronze medals at the games.
Read:Over 2,000 evaluated as landslide blocks India river
India celebrates its Independence Day a day after its neighbor Pakistan. The two separate states came into existence as a result of the bloody partition of British India in 1947.
The process sparked some of the worst communal violence the world has seen and left hundreds of thousands dead. It triggered one of the largest human migrations in history and some 12 million people fled their homes.
On Saturday, Modi announced that August 14 will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.
UAE flights: Indian Embassy working with authorities to address vaccination concerns, says envoy
The Indian Embassy is working closely with the UAE authorities to address the concerns of stranded Indian residents, a top envoy said.
Amid uncertainty over whether stranded residents having taken vaccines in India can return, Pavan Kapoor, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, assured that proactive steps have been taken to address such concerns, reports Khaleej Times.
Read:India's Modi to unveil $1.35 trillion infrastructure plan
“The return of residents began about 10 days ago. Although it is currently for those who were vaccinated in the UAE, we are working closely with the UAE authorities to expand this. And we hope that other categories will also start coming back soon,” he said in his address made during the 75th Indian Independence Day.
While Covid-19 vaccination certificate is not a must to fly into Dubai, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways requires a fully vaccinated UAE resident to furnish proof of having received both doses of the vaccine in the UAE no less than 14 days before travel.
“Dubai authorities have already extended those visas of people that expired during the time they were stuck in India. We are hoping the Abu Dhabi authorities will follow suit soon. We are hoping more residents will be able to come back to their second home,” he said during a ceremony held at the embassy auditorium.
Read:Over 2,000 evaluated as landslide blocks India river
Kapoor also added that the mission is trying to support and empower people who lost their jobs amid the pandemic and had to return home.
“We are trying to see how we can upskill and reskill our people and see that they can come back with other kinds of opportunities,” the ambassador added.
Inspired to protect the values Bangabandhu stood for: India
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami has paid tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as Bangladesh observes the National Mourning Day.
"We're inspired to protect the values Bangabandhu stood for," the Indian High Commission in Dhaka tweeted.
Read:FM pays tributes to Bangabandhu
Over 2,000 evaluated as landslide blocks India river
Authorities on Friday evaluated some 2,000 people from over a dozen villages in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh after a landslide triggered by torrential rains blocked the flow of a river posing a flood threat.
The landslide occurred in the hilly district of Lahual-Spiti district, bordering the district of Kinnaur where a similar tragedy a couple of days back claimed at least 14 lives.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur tweeted to inform people about the evacuation in Lahual-Spiti district, claiming that the idea was to ensure that "no one is harmed" in case of a sudden flood.
Read: India landslide death toll rises to 14
"Based on information received, now the flow of the river is opening. We have given instructions to the district administration to ensure no one is harmed due to this. I also humbly request local people not to go near riverbanks and landslide-prone areas," Thakur tweeted.
On Wednesday, another landslide in neighbouring struck a passenger bus and few other vehicles on the Reckong Peo-Shimla highway in Kinnaur, some 200 kms from state capital Shimla.
"A total of 14 bodies have been recovered so far. Rescue operations are still on," a senior government official told the media.
Read: 11 die in India landslide
"At least 20 to 30 people are still feared buried at the site."
Himachal Pradesh is experiencing the heaviest monsoon rains in recent decades. Just last month, another landslide claimed the lives of nine tourists visiting the state.
Not only Himachal Pradesh, the western Indian state of Maharashtra also witnessed heavy monsoon rains in July. More than 100 people lost their lives in the state in last month alone due to rain-related incidents like floods and landslides.
India landslide death toll rises to 14
The death toll in the northern India landslide has risen to 14, with the recovery of three more bodies from the hilly site in the past 24 hours.
"The three bodies were recovered during the day as rescue operations had to be halted last night due to the fear of more landslides in the state of Himachal Pradesh," a senior government official said on Thursday.
"At least 20 to 30 people are still feared buried at the site," he added.
Read: 5 of a family killed in Cox’s Bazar landslide
The huge landslide struck a passenger bus and few other vehicles on the Reckong Peo-Shimla highway in Kinnaur district, some 200 kms from Himachal Pradesh's capital Shimla, on Wednesday afternoon.
Apart from the local police, the para-military Indo-Tibetan Border Force (ITBP) was soon pressed into rescue operations.
The Indian Prime Minister's Office later tweeted to say that Narendra Modi had taken stock of the situation.
Read: Landslides hit Chattogram, no casualties reported
"PM @narendramodi spoke to Himachal Pradesh CM @jairamthakurbjp regarding the situation in the wake of the landslide in Kinnaur. PM assured all possible support in the ongoing rescue operations."
Himachal Pradesh is experiencing the heaviest monsoon rains in recent decades. Just last month, another landslide claimed the lives of nine tourists visiting the state.
Not only Himachal Pradesh, the western Indian state of Maharashtra also witnessed heavy monsoon rains in July. More than 100 people lost their lives in the state in last month alone due to rain-related incidents like floods and landslides.
11 die in India landslide
At least 11 people were killed and more than 30 others feared buried after a huge landslide struck a passenger bus and few other vehicles in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday.
The tragedy occurred on the Reckong Peo-Shimla highway in the state's Kinnaur district, some 200 kms from Himachal Pradesh's capital Shimla.
Apart from the local police, the para-military Indo-Tibetan Border Force (ITBP) was soon pressed into rescue operations. So far, 13 people have been rescued, officials said.
Read: 5 of a family killed in Cox’s Bazar landslide
"A landslide reported on Reckong Peo- Shimla Highway in #Kinnaur District in Himachal Pradesh today... One truck, a HRTC Bus and few vehicles reported came under the rubble. Many people reported trapped," the ITBP tweeted.
"The bodies of the deceased have been sent to a nearby hospital. Those rescued were also taken to the same medical facility for treatment," a police official told the media.
The Indian Prime Minister's Office tweeted to say that Narendra Modi had taken stock of the situation.
Read: Landslides hit Chattogram, no casualties reported
"PM @narendramodi spoke to Himachal Pradesh CM @jairamthakurbjp regarding the situation in the wake of the landslide in Kinnaur. PM assured all possible support in the ongoing rescue operations," it said.
Himachal Pradesh is experiencing the heaviest monsoon rains in recent decades. Just last month, another landslide claimed the lives of nine tourists visiting the state.
Not only Himachal Pradesh, the western Indian state of Maharashtra also witnessed heavy monsoon rains in July. More than 100 people lost their lives in the state in last month alone due to rain-related incidents like floods and landslides.
India begins evacuating its nationals from Afghanistan
India has started evacuating its nationals from Afghanistan as the Taliban advance escalates in the war-ravaged country.
In a tweet on Tuesday, the Indian consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif asked all its nationals in the largest city of northern Afghanistan to leave the country on a "special flight" and urged them to contact the diplomatic mission at the earliest.
"A special flight is leaving from Mazar-e-Sharif to New Delhi. Any Indian nationals in and around Mazar-e-Sharif are requested to leave for India in the special flight scheduled to depart late today (Tuesday) evening," the Indian consulate tweeted.
Also read: 2 more Afghan provincial capitals fall to Taliban on MondayAll Indian diplomatic staff and their family members have already been evacuated from the three other consulates in Afghanistan -- Kandahar, Jalalabad and Herat, foreign ministry sources told UNB.
There are still 1,500 Indian nationals staying in Afghanistan, according to official data.
Meanwhile, in a security advisory on Tuesday, the Indian Embassy in Kabul asked all Indian nationals visiting, staying and working in Afghanistan to keep themselves updated on the availability of commercial flights and make immediate arrangements to return to India.
The Taliban are, in fact, advancing at a rapid pace in Afghanistan as American troops embark on a withdrawal mode. US President Joe Biden has already confirmed that the American troops will end their 20-year military presence in Afghanistan by this month-end.
Also read: Dhaka seeks UN role in Afghanistan to avert people’s sufferings
India is worried about the implications of the American troops leaving Afghanistan, given the fact that it has so far infused over three billion US dollars worth development aid into that country and the horrific memories of the Taliban's role in the hijacking of an airliner in 1999.
Indian visa centres to reopen Wednesday
In view of the lifting of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, Indian Visa Application Centers in Bangladesh will resume operations from Wednesday.
Applicants do not need to take any appointment or permission to apply for visa at IVAC, said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
Read: India extends visa validity of stranded foreigners till Aug 31
All applications except for tourist visa are being accepted, it said.
Better immune response from mixing Covaxin, Covishield, says ICMR study
A GROUP of 18 people, who had “inadvertently received Covishield as the first jab and Covaxin as the second”, showed better immunogenicity — the ability to generate an immune response — than those who received two doses of the same vaccine, according to a new study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), reports The Indian Express.
In May, 18 villagers in Siddarthnagar, Uttar Pradesh, had received Covaxin as the second dose, six weeks after they got Covishield. The study compared their reaction to 40 recipients of two doses of Covishield and 40 recipients of two doses of Covaxin.
Read:India approves Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use
“We compared the safety and immunogenicity profile of them (the group of 18) against that of individuals receiving either Covishield or Covaxin. Lower and similar adverse events following immunisation in all three groups underlined the safety of the combination vaccine-regime,” said the study which is yet to be peer reviewed.
“Immunogenicity profile against Alpha, Beta and Delta variants in the heterologous group was superior; IgG antibody and neutralising antibody response of the participants was also significantly higher compared to that in the homologous groups,” it said.
“Overall, this study demonstrates that immunisation with a heterologous combination of an adenovirus vector platform-based vaccine followed by an inactivated whole virus vaccine is safe and elicits better immunogenicity than two doses of homologous vaccination, using the same vaccines,” it said.
While Covishield is built on a viral vector vaccine platform and uses a weakened version of adenovirus, a common cold virus that causes infection in chimpanzees, Covaxin is built on an inactivated whole virus vaccine platform.
Read: BMRC clears Indian Covaxin’s clinical trials in Bangladesh
The study is the first scientific evidence emerging from India on superior immunogenicity profile demonstrated in mixed-vaccine doses. However, the researchers have underlined that to conclusively prove these preliminary findings, “multi-centre” randomised control trials need to be carried out. They have also flagged the study’s limitations: the sample size of 18 participants is small; follow-up period is only 60-70 days after first dose; baseline serological and immunological data of participants is not available.
According to the study, the findings have an “important implication” for the Covid-19 vaccination programme wherein “heterologous immunisation will pave the way for induction of improved and better protection against the variant strains of SARS-CoV-2”.
“This is the first report of heterologous immunisation with an adenovirus vector based and an inactivated whole virion vaccine in humans demonstrating safety and significantly improved immunogenicity… Immunogenicity profile studied against the variants of concerns, Alpha, Beta and Delta variants, demonstrates significantly higher titers in the heterologous group,” it said.
The researchers have said such mixed regimens will help to “overcome the challenges of shortfall of particular vaccines” and “remove hesitancy around vaccines in people’s mind that could have genesis in programmatic ‘errors’ especially in settings where multiple Covid-19 vaccines are being used”.
Read:World's highest motorable road is now in India
On safety, reactogenicity analysis showed that in the heterologous group, 11 per cent reported pain at the injection site; however, during the second dose, no such local adverse event was reported, it said.
The most commonly reported systemic adverse event was pyrexia (raised body temperature) and malaise (discomfort): 33.3 per cent reported this during the first dose, and 5.5 percent during the second dose. “No other systemic AEFI like, urticaria, nausea, vomiting, arthralgia or cough was reported,” said the study.
Currently, the Indian drug regulator has granted permission to CMC Vellore to conduct Phase 4 clinical trials to assess the efficacy of a combination of Covishield and Covaxin doses as compared to the current protocol of using two doses of the same vaccine.
India approves Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use
India has approved Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use on Saturday, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in a tweet, reports Gulf News.
The pharmaceutical giant had applied for emergency use approval of its vaccine, the company had said on Friday. The shot will be brought to India through a supply agreement with homegrown vaccine maker Biological E Ltd, J&J had said.
Read: Indian state to name roads & schools after Olympic medal winners
Indian health authorities have so far approved the use of vaccines developed by AstraZeneca (AZN.L), Bharat Biotech, Russia’s Gamaleya Institute and Moderna.
Coronavirus cases worldwide surpassed 200 million earlier in the week, according to a Reuters tally, as the more-infectious Delta variant threatens areas with low vaccination rates and strains healthcare systems.
Read: World's highest motorable road is now in India
India has reported an average of 30,000 to 40,000 new coronavirus cases every day since July, and the federal government has warned that although cases have dipped from a high of 400,000 daily at the peak of the deadly second wave, the danger has not abated yet.