Jammu: Jammu & Kashmir Health Department has started a special drive to identify people who have received the COVID vaccination certificate despite being administered with only one dose. In each case, authorities are collecting inputs from such beneficiaries and ensuring actual administration of vaccines to each at the earliest. At the same time, the Department has issued strict and necessary instructions in this manner to avoid such incidents in future.

During campaign mode of covid vaccination such isolated incidents of unintentional wrong entries have happened because of the sudden increase in data uploads into the Cowin portal and unintentional mistakes by support staff. It may be mentioned that Jammu and Kashmir has administered close to 2 crore doses and is the forerunner in the country in vaccinating its eligible population. Such cases constitute a microscopic minority, maybe in single digits.

In a recent incident, it was noticed that two beneficiaries aged 51 and 49, belonging to Block Sogam, District Kupwara, were inadvertently marked as vaccinated with second dose as of 11th September 2021, while actually they were yet to receive their second dose physically. Upon identification of the cases, immediate arrangements to administer missed vaccine doses at the beneficiaries’ home were made.

New Delhi: Even as India has successfully handed over the BRICS Chair to China from January 2022, it will be hosting five international events through the year, it was decided at the 15th meeting of the BRICS Science Technology Innovation (STI) Steering Committee.

BRICS STI is a forum for the scientific community from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to discuss and deliberate on topics of common interest in the field of science and technology.

The calendar of BRICS STI activities and expected deliverables were discussed at the meeting organised virtually on Monday, a release from the Ministry of Science & Technology said on Tuesday.

The five high-level events that India will host are: BRICS Startups Forum’s Working Groups meeting on Energy; Biotechnology & Biomedicine; ICT & High-Performance Computing and the STIEP (Science, Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Partnership) Working Group Meeting, which will also witness the launch of BRICS innovation launchpad as a microsite (Knowledge Hub).

The BRICS STI Steering Committee meeting was attended by representatives from BRICS scientific ministries and foreign missions. The Indian delegation was led by Sanjeev Kumar Varshney, Advisor and Head, International Cooperation, Department of Science and Technology, the release said.

The Chinese side presented a broad outline of activities to be carried out during the entire year, which would mainly include thematic meetings, BRICS Young Scientist Conclave, senior official and ministerial-level meetings.

A total of 25 events have been planned, of which India will host five. The Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is the main executing agency for the BRICS Startups Forum and creation of innovation Knowledge Hub.

The BRICS Young Scientist Conclave will be held in September 2022 in a virtual format, and thematic focus areas will possibly be carbon peak neutralisation, biomedicine, artificial intelligence, material science and modern agriculture.

China has proposed to host the 10th BRICS S&T ministerial-level meeting and the Senior Official Meeting in September 2022. On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, an exhibition will be organised to showcase the outcomes of successful projects supported under the BRICS Framework Programme (2015-2022). (IANS)

Srinagar: A low intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast took place in south Kashmir on Tuesday evening, official sources said.

They said an IED planted under a bridge at Quimoh went off without causing any damage or injuries to anyone. “The IED was intended to target forces,” they said.

Top security officials rushed to the blast spot.

Earlier in the day a suspicious bag was found here on Tuesday creating a bomb scare but it contained nothing dangerous.

Officials said the bag was discovered near Qamarwari locality, which was sealed off. A bomb disposal squad was called to check it.

“Nothing objectionable was found in the bag,” said an official.

Four days ago, a grenade was found in a suspicious bag in downtown Srinagar and was defused. (UNI)

Srinagar: Kashmir Valley including Srinagar received light rains while some plains and higher reaches had light to moderate snowfall since overnight, officials said on Tuesday.

Amid cloud cover, the night mercury increased across J&K and Ladakh with only three weather stations set up by the meteorological department here recording below sub-zero temperature.

A meteorological department official said that Srinagar received 0.2mm of rain in last 24 hours till 0830 hours while the summer capital of the J&K recorded a low of 1.1°C against last night’s 1.0°C.

Kashmir is presently under the grip of 40-day long harshest period of winter, known locally as ‘Chillai Kalan, which started from December 21. It is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd’ and a 10-day-long ‘Chilla Bachha’.

Gulmarg had about 4 cms of fresh snowfall during the time and recorded a low of minus 6.0°C against minus 4.6°C on previous night, he said. The temperature was 1.7°C above normal for this time of the year in the famous resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, had 1.9 cms of fresh snowfall and recorded a low of minus 0.7°C against minus 3.6°C last night, he said.

Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, received 0.6mm of rainfall and recorded a low of 0.2°C against minus 1.0°C on the previous night, he said.

Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, received 0.6mm of rainfall and recorded a low of minus 0.2°C against minus 2.0°C on the previous night, the official said.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir received 5.4cms of fresh snowfall while as it recorded a minimum of 0.2°C against 0.5°C on the previous night, the official said.

Jammu recorded a low of 9.3°C against previous night’s 9.0°C which is 2.2°C above normal for the J&K’s winter capital during this time of the year, he said.

Banihal recorded a low of 0.4°C, Katra 6.2°C and Bhaderwah saw a minimum of 0.9°C, the official said.

Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 11.0°C against last night’s minus 13.1°C while mercury at automatic station in Kargil settled at minus 12.3°C. Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 16.1°C against last night’s minus 16.2°C, official said.

For next 24 hours, the weatherman has forecast isolated very light rain or snow over Jammu and Kashmir with “mist/fog over the plains of Jammu division.”

The weatherman has said that there was no forecast of any major rain or snow till the end of January in J&K.

“There will fairly widespread light to moderate rain/snow on January 19th,” the official added. (GNS)

Srinagar: Jammu-Srinagar highway, the only surface link connecting Kashmir Valley with the outside world, shall remain open for only one-way traffic on Wednesday, officials said here.

“On (Wednesday), subject to fair weather and better road condition LMVs(Passenger)/private cars shall be allowed from Jammu towards Srinagar (strictly one way) on Jammu-Srinagar highway,” a traffic department official said. TCU Srinagar shall liaise with TCU Ramban before releasing the traffic, he said.

He said cut off for LMVs and private cars from Nagrota (Jammu) is 0800 hours to 1200 hours  and from Jakheni (Udhampur) at 900 hours to 1300 hours. “No Vehicle shall be allowed before and after cut off timings,” he said.

Regarding HMVs and load carriers, he said, they shall be allowed to move from Jakheni (Udhampur) towards Srinagar after the tail of up LMVs cross Jakheni (Udhampur).

Meanwhile, Mughal Road, connecting Shopian with Poonch and Rajouri districts, remained closed for vehicular movement in view of snow accumulation at Peer Ki Gali.

Also,Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road remained shut for vehicular movement in view of snow accumulation on Zoji la axis and has been closed till further orders. Kishtwar-Sinthan road also remained closed in view of snow accumulation, the traffic department official said.