New Delhi: India is willing to supply Covishield and Covaxin vaccines to all the countries, said Union Health Minister Mandaviya at a meeting with the ambassadors of Latin American and Caribbean nations on Thursday.

He said, “India is driven by the philosophy of ‘Vasudaiva Kutumbakam’ which has inspired us to gift COVID-19 vaccines, HCQs and other medical necessities to all our friends. Further, India is willing to supply Covishield and Covaxin to all the countries.”

Mandaviya in his address underlined the need to strengthen the public health system to fight outbreaks in the future. He stated, “India has been able to fight COVID-19 under a ‘whole of government’ approach where provincial and local governance provided a fillip to the efforts of the Government of India”.

Explaining India’s strategy of curbing the pandemic, he said of the 6 vaccines approved in India, 2 are indigenously developed. Nearly 1.2 billion doses have been administered with 82% of Indians receiving at least one dose of the vaccine and 44% of Indians being fully vaccinated.

The Minister thanked the representatives of the countries for easing people to people contact by recognising india’s vaccines. Vaccination in India is recognised by 110 countries at present. “Mutual recognition of vaccinations increases ease of travel for tourism and business thereby boosting economic recovery the world so desperately needs,” he said.

Highlighting how India helped other countries throughout the pandemic, he said, “Being the Pharmacy of the World, India has generously supplied HCQ tablets and other medical equipment to 27 countries. Under the Vaccine Maitri initiative, 6.63 crore doses were sent to 95 countries.”

Speaking on the possible areas of convergence, Mandaviya noted that more than 70 million teleconsultations have been recorded in eSanjeevani — India’s flagship telemedicine portal. He said that with India’s expertise in Information Technology, India could quickly deploy the CoWIN platform for its vaccination programme. He added that India has already shared the technology with partner nations willing to adopt the technology and will help all nations looking to scale up their vaccination.

The Minister also focused attention on India’s triumphant march towards Universal Health Care. The four pillars of Ayushman Bharat: envisioning 1.5 lakh Health and Wellness Centres at the primary level, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana that provides insurance to targeted population categories, the Health Infrastructure Mission with an outlay of Rs 670 million that will strengthen India’s public healthcare system along with diagnostic and surveillance capabilities, the Digital Mission which will provide all Indians with a unique health ID and make their medical history available to approved clinicians in seconds.

He said, “Under Prime Minister Modi, India’s healthcare is witnessing a revolutionary transformation which can be adopted by her friends.”

The Union Minister exhorted the assembled nations to study the possibility of an exchange programme for health professionals. Besides skill upgradation and exposure to specializations of health in the American continent for Indians, students of these countries would have high quality world-class medical practices in India in the fields of Cardiology, Oncology, Nephrology, Neurology, Ophthalmology. He also highlighted the possible areas of co-operation in medical tourism.

The event was officiated by Paraguay ambassador Fleming Duarte. Ambassador of Chile, Juan Angulo, Ambassador of Mexico, Federico Salas, Ambassador of Colombia, Mariana Pacheco offered their thoughts on behalf of the formation and thanked India for her valuable contribution in fighting the pandemic. (IANS)

SWD to organize ‘Kuposhan Mukt J&K’ campaign to promote balanced, healthy diet

Jammu: Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta chaired a meeting to review the status of malnourishment and the need for community kitchens in Jammu and Kashmir.

Administrative Secretaries of departments of Finance, Health & Medical Education, School Education, Labour & Employment, Social Welfare, and Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs participated in the meeting.

It was informed that the Social Welfare Department has distributed child growth monitoring devices to all Anganwadi Workers and Supervisors and the Department is continuously monitoring the growth parameters to identify the cases of stunting, malnourishment, and underweight requiring urgent intervention.

The Chief Secretary directed the Department to fully switch over to fortified food which will be distributed free of cost to all the beneficiaries of Anganwadi Centres and the Mid Day Meal scheme.

The Department was further asked to organize a month-long campaign for ‘Kuposhan mukt J&K’ to promote a healthy and balanced diet and healthy habits in collaboration with the local government bodies. The campaign will be aimed at identifying the cases of malnourishment to be subsequently taken up in an outcome-based targeted manner.

Dr. Mehta directed the establishment of a food grid at the concerned Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies to identify and monitor the cases of malnourishment and recommend the opening of community kitchens under their jurisdictions through the concerned Deputy Commissioner.

The Chief Secretary directed the district administrations that any identified case of malnourishment or starvation must be immediately brought to the notice of the concerned Tehsil Supplies Officer for immediate assistance.

The Department of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs was asked to focus on the food supply under National Food Security Act, Mid-Day Meal, and Integrated Child Development Scheme and accordingly top up the existing food entitlements to check malnourishment in the targeted population. Besides, the Department was also directed to cover the left out beneficiaries under the relevant schemes.

Similarly, Labour & Employment Department was asked to assess the food requirement of the floating worker population during the transit period, besides working out the modalities of establishing emergency community kitchens – one each in Jammu and Srinagar, during crisis situations and disasters.

By: Nadeem Nadu

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir reported 182 fresh covid-19 cases even as there was no death due to the virus in the last 24 hours, officials said on Thursday.

Among the fresh cases, 33 were reported from Jammu Division and 149 from Kashmir, taking the overall tally to 336063.

There was no death either from Kashmir and Jammu division due to the virus during the last 24 hours, they said. So far 4466 persons—2184 in Jammu and 2282 in Kashmir—have died due to the pathogen, they said.

Giving district wise details of the fresh cases, the officials said that Srinagar reported 69 cases, Baramulla 32, Budgam 17, Pulwama 3, Kupwara 11, Anantnag 1, Bandipora 5, Ganderbal 6, Kulgam 5, Shopian 0, Jammu 11, Udhampur 4, Rajouri 3, Doda 1, Kathua 2, Samba 0, Kishtwar 2, Poonch 0, Ramban 0 and Reasi 10.

A number of these cases were confirmed at CD hospital’s diagnostic labouratory and include male (40) (NA) from Gojwara, male (65) (NA) from Hyderpora, male (43) (NA) from BSF Handwara, male (41) (NA) from Laderwan Kupwara, female (20) (NA) from Kunan Kupwara, male (30) (NA) from Hundi Kupwara, female (40) (NA) from Chowkibal Kupwara, female (25) (NA) from Gulgam Kupwara, male (37) (NA) from Sheikh bagh sgr, male (55) (NA) from Sheikh bagh sgr, male (33) (NA) from Nowgam, male (63) (NA) from Nowhatta, male (61) (NA) from Pattan, female (65) (NA) from Tailbal and male (22) (NA) from Budgam.

Moreover, 160 Covid-19 patients recovered during the time, 32 from Jammu Division and 128 from Kashmir, they said.

So far 329891 patients have recovered, leaving active case tally at 1706—248 in Jammu and 1458 in Kashmir.

They said there was no new confirmed case of mucormycosis (black fungus) reported today. So far 49 black fungus cases have been confirmed in J&K, the officials said.

The officials also informed that 52369 doses of covid-19 vaccine were administered during the time in J&K. (GNS)

By: Faizan Wani

Srinagar: The property registration is likely to be brought under the ambit of the Public Service Guarantee Act (PSGA), a legislation guaranteeing time-bound delivery of services to the public.

Documents reveal that property registration in Jammu and Kashmir is being brought under the PSGA.

“The chair was informed that two services viz. encumbrance certificate and demarcation/measurement of land has already been notified though PSGA. Further the incorporation of property registration in the PSGA is already under process in GAD,” reads the record note of a meeting chaired by Commissioner Secretary, Revenue Vijay Kumar Bidhuri on November 22 to review the State and District Business Reform Action Plan/ Ease of Doing Business.

According to the record note, the commissioner secretary, Revenue, directed the department to seek feedback from both divisional commissioners to bring more services of the Revenue department under the law.

“The chair directed to have feedback from the divisional commissioners for identification of services provided by the Revenue department which can be notified under PSGA and provided through an online portal,” it states.

It is worthwhile to mention that PSGA was enacted by the NC-Congress regime in 2011 for expediting the delivery of services to the people of the State. (KNO)

By: Bhat Imran

Srinagar: Much to the embarrassment of the education department, the fresh Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) report has revealed that six per cent of the students enrolled in government schools across Jammu and Kashmir had no textbooks for their current grade.

According to the report, only 94 percent of the students studying in government schools were having textbooks in the current grade during 2021.

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) reads that among both private and government schools, a total of 95.1 percent of the students were having textbooks for their current grade that includes 94 percent among government school students and 97 percent of private schools.

ASER in the recently published report further said that in the year 2018, a total of 96.4 percent of students in Jammu and Kashmir were having textbooks.

In the year, only 95.7 per cent of students enrolled in government-run-schools were having textbooks while in the private schools of Jammu and Kashmir around 97.3 percent of students were having textbooks during the academic year.

In an overall percentage across India, the ASER report says that in the year 2021, a total of 91.9 percent of students enrolled were having textbooks for their current grade that includes 92.3 percent from government and 90.7 percent from private schools. (KNO)

By: M S Nazki

Poonch: A 14-year-old minor from Pakistan administered Kashmir was apprehended by army along Line of Control in Poonch district, officials on Thursday said.

They said that the minor, Asmad Ali son of Mohammad Banaras Sudan, a resident of Tatrinote tehsil in district Rawalakote (PaK), was apprehended near Chhabila Post of Indian Army.

The boy is currently in the custody of Indian Army, they further said. (GNS)

Srinagar: Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K, and most other places in Kashmir recorded rise in minimum temperature amid cloud cover on Thursday.

Two days after experiencing the coldest night of the season with temperature plummeting as low as minus 2.3°C, Srinagar witnessed 0.4°C against previous night’s 0.3°C, a meteorological department here said.

Qazigund recorded a minimum temperature of 0.0°C against minus 0.6°C on the previous night, he said. It was minus 0.1°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, the official said.

Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 0.2°C against minus 2.0°C on previous night and it was the second coldest place across J&K.

Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a low of 1.2°C against minus 0.1°C on previous night and normal of 0.6°C, the official said.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a low of 0.1°C against minus 0.3°C on the previous night, the official said.

Gulmarg, the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus1.2°C against 0.0°C on the previous night, the official said.

Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 4.0°C against last night’s minus 7.1°C while Kargil town recorded a low of minus 1.6°C. Drass in Kargil, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 6.4°C, the official said.

Weatherman has said that freezing cold conditions will increase in the next few days even as there was no forecast for snowfall till the first week of next month.

“The cold conditions will increase and as far as the possibility of snowfall is concerned, the weather is likely to remain dry till the first week of December,” the official added. (GNS)

Anantnag: Four persons, three of them from Bihar, were injured in a collision between a private car and a tipper in southern Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Thursday evening.

Official sources said Tipper (JK03E-7521) and private car (DL7CF-4775) collided near Shankerpora Shahabad, leaving at least four Peoples injured.

The injured identified as Parvaiz Alam son of Mohammad Alam of Bihar ,(2) Mohammad Sajid  son of Mohammad Alam of Bihar, Mohammad Noushad son of Shamshar Ahmad of Bihar and Amir Rasheed son of Abdul Rasheed of Downipawa Anantnag were removed to hospital.

A police officer said that a case has been registered and investigation started. (GNS)