The News Minute भारत

'Amit Shah only leader to grow in stature of Sardar Patel': BS Yediyurappa - The News Minute

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Sunday equated Union Home Minister Amit Shah with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, country's first Deputy Prime Minister after India achieved independence and formed its own government at the Centre. "Shah is the only leade…

: "Under Modi and Shah, the ruling BJP will win over 150 seats in the state's next assembly elections in 2023," Yediyurappa said.Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Sunday equated Union Home Minister Amit Shah with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, country's first Deputy Prime Minister after India achieved independence and formed its own government at the Centre. "Shah is the only leader who has grown in stature of Sardar Patel. Like Patel, Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are ushering in revolution and taking the country to greater heights," said Yediyurappa in Kannada at a public rally in Karnataka's Bagalkot. Patel (1875-1950) was also the country's first Union Home Minister and like Shah and Modi, hailed from Gujarat. "Under Modi and Shah, the ruling BJP will win over 150 seats in the state's next assembly elections in 2023, as our government is doing its best to ensure all-round development, especially of farmers despite the COVID-19 pandemic," asserted Yediyurappa at the party's Jansevak Samavesh (public gathering). Lauding Yediyurappa's leadership at an official event in Bengaluru on Saturday, Shah said the BJP government would complete its term and return to power with absolute majority in the next assembly elections. Though Yediyurappa formed the government on May 17, 2018, he resigned three days later on May 19, as the BJP fell 9 seats short of simple majority (113) in the 225-member House, as it won only 104 seats in the last assembly elections. Putting rest to speculation over Yediyurappa's continuation in the Chief Minister's post due to allegations against him by 'dissidents' in the party, Shah said the state government had done well in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. "I want to tell all those, including opposition Congress leaders that our government would complete its term under Yediyurappa's leadership and come back to power for another 5 years with an absolute majority," said Shah in Hindi. The Home Minister advised Yediurappa's detractors and critics in the party to work for the people, as the BJP is a party that works for the people's welfare. "As the nodal agency in our fight against COVID-19 across the country, my ministry gets all the data on COVID-19 management from all state governments. I have no hesitation in saying that Karnataka under Yediyurappa's leadership, has done a great work in controlling the pandemic," asserted Shah. Show us some love! Support our journalism by becoming a TNM Member - Click here.

Bengaluru achieves 65% vaccination target on day one, better than state average - The News Minute

An estimated 62% of the designated beneficiaries earmarked for Saturday were administered the COVID-19 vaccine, the Karnataka government said, as the first phase of the vaccination drive began in the state. The exercise began at 243 sites across the state, in…

The health department said that Covishield was being administered in 237 centres and Covaxin in six centres in the stateAn estimated 62% of the designated beneficiaries earmarked for Saturday were administered the COVID-19 vaccine, the Karnataka government said, as the first phase of the vaccination drive began in the state. The exercise began at 243 sites across the state, including 10 in Bengaluru and the number of sites is said to "exponentially" raise from Monday. "Today the vaccination drive began at around 11:30 am instead of 9am due to the PM's programme, and ended at 5 pm. On the first day 62% have undergone vaccination voluntarily till 4pm, it was promising and a happy thing," Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said. "Highest 84% vaccination was in Kodagu district, second is Uttara Kannada with 80 %. The least is Dakshina Kannada with only 37%. Of the targeted 600 people, only 223 were vaccinated... reason is not known..people there are educated,I appeal to them," Dr Sudhakar added. In Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike limits it was 65% and 53% in Bengaluru urban, he said, adding that as per observation big facilities or places have seen less turnout, while small centres or places have more turnout. Speaking to reporters, he said 21,658 people were earmarked for vaccination on the first day, of whom 13,408 have been vaccinated. "No serious complications or side effects was reported from anywhere.A few people had slight pain or swelling at the spot where they were injected, but it was fine without any treatment in 30 minutes time, and they have left for home," he said, adding that both Covishield and Covaxin administered. The health department said Covishield was being administered in 237 centres and Covaxin in six centres in Ballari, Shivamogga, Hassan, Chikmagalur, Chamarajnagar and Davanegere. Expressing confidence that more people will get vaccinated in the coming days, the Minister said vaccination would be done at more sites from Monday in a full fledged way, as it was Sunday tomorrow. Some private hospitals who did not start the drive today would join from Sunday, he said. The Minister noted that 7,43,000 people have been identified for the vaccination in the first phase and about 8 lakh doses of vaccine have been received. Dr Sudhakar said the Karnataka government has requested the centre to provide an additional eight lakh doses of vaccine. Nagaratna K (28), a ward attendant at Victoria Hospital, was the first to receive the shot in the presence of Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, among others, at Bangalore Medical College, soon after PM Narendra Modi launched the drive nationally through video conferencing. Yediyurappa and other dignitaries greeted Nagaratna, who hails from a village near Bidadi, with rose flowers after she received the vaccine. "....no one needs to worry or fear about the vaccine, and we should be proud that they are produced in the country," Yediyurappa said. Asked when he will take the vaccine, the 77-year-old CM "Whenever they ask me to take,at that time I'm going to take," he said. Several doctors and health experts, including noted nephrologist and chairman of Manipal Hospitals Sudarshan Ballal, Dr M K Sudarshan, Chairman of the Karnataka government's COVID-19 technical advisory committee and Dr V Ravi, former HOD, Department of Neurovirology at NIMHANS also got vaccinated. Show us some love! Support our journalism by becoming a TNM Member - Click here.

Photo of Vijay Sethupathi cutting cake with a sword goes viral, actor expresses regret - The News Minute

A photo of Actor Vijay Sethupathi cutting cake with a sword has led to a massive debate on social media, with several people criticising him for setting a poor example. Now, the actor who is celebrating his 43rd birthday has put up a statement on the same, an…

"Several people have told me that this is setting a bad example. In future, I would be more careful with these things," Vijay Sethupathi said.A photo of Actor Vijay Sethupathi cutting cake with a sword has led to a massive debate on social media, with several people criticising him for setting a poor example. Now, the actor who is celebrating his 43rd birthday has put up a statement on the same, and expressed his regret. Vijay Sethupathi explained that the photo was taken three days back at a shooting spot of his upcoming film with director Ponram, in which the sword "plays an important role." "According to the story of the film, a sword plays an important part. So I used it to cut the cake with the crew. Several people have told me that this is setting a bad example. In future, I would be more careful with these things." pic.twitter.com/dRRrYrmRd1 VijaySethupathi (@VijaySethuOffl) January 16, 2021 Vijay Sethupathi played the antagonist in the recently released Vijay film 'Master'. It was also recently announced that he will star in the Hindi remake of Maanagaram, which will be directed by Santosh Sivan. In Tamil, Vijay Sethupathi has teamed up with Vetrimaaran for the first time for an upcoming project with Soori in the lead. Apparently, the actor has already joined the sets and hes believed to be playing a very pivotal role. He also has Tamil projects like Tughlaq Darbar and Vignesh Shivns Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kadhal, which also stars Samantha Akkineni and Nayanthara. Vijay Sethupathi also has SP Jananathans Laabam, which also stars Shruti Haasan. Bankrolled by Vijay Sethupathi Productions in association with Arumuga Kumar, who had produced Sethupathis Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren, It will be a fresh pairing to see Sethupathi and Shruti coming together on screen. Show us some love! Support our journalism by becoming a TNM Member - Click here.

Farmers unions stick to demand of repealing farm laws after 9th talk with govt - The News Minute

Protesting farmer unions stuck to their demand for a complete repeal of three contentious farm laws at their ninth round of talks with three Union ministers. However, the government asked them to be more flexible in their approach and expressed willingness fo…

The two parties have decided to meet for a further round of discussion on January 19.Protesting farmer unions stuck to their demand for a complete repeal of three contentious farm laws at their ninth round of talks with three Union ministers. However, the government asked them to be more flexible in their approach and expressed willingness for necessary amendments, as the two parties decided to meet again on January 19. Farmer leader Joginder Singh Ugrahan told reporters after the meeting that the unions urged the government to repeal the three laws, but the government was unwilling to do so. "We decided to meet again on January 19 at 12 pm," he said. Ugrahan said the union leaders also raised the issue of NIA raids on transporters in Punjab, who are supporting farmers' protests and were providing logistic support for the agitation. At the meeting that lasted for nearly five hours, including a lunch break, farmers unions said they are committed to continuing holding direct talks to resolve the over-a-month-long deadlock over the farm laws, even as a committee has been formed by the Supreme Court to resolve the issue. In his opening remarks, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar urged farmer leaders to be flexible in their approach as has been done by the government. Besides Tomar, Railways, Commerce and Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash were part of the talks with around 40 farmers unions representatives. "Both the government and farmer unions have reaffirmed their commitment to continue with the direct dialogue process," All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee member Kavita Kuruganti, who was part of the meeting, said. "In his opening remarks, Tomar ji said you keep saying that the government is adamant and making it an issue of ego, even though we have accepted several demands. Don't you think you should be flexible and not stick to one single demand of repealing the laws," said Baljit Singh Bali of Punjab Kisan Morcha. Farmer leader Darshan Pal said there was a good discussion on all three laws. "There is a possibility of some resolution. We are positive," he added. Another leader Rakesh Tikait said, "Government has told us that solution should be found through dialogue and not a court. Everyone is of the same views. There is a possibility of some solution." Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at various border points of Delhi for over a month now against the three laws. On January 8, the eighth round of talks had remained inconclusive as the Union ruled out repealing the three contentious laws, claiming nationwide support for the reforms. However, farmer leaders had said that they were ready to fight till death and their 'ghar waapsi' would happen only after 'law waapsi'. In the sixth round held on December, 2020, some common ground was reached on two demands -- decriminalisation of stubble-burning and continuation of power subsidies. Enacted in September 2020, the government has presented these laws as major farm reforms aimed at increasing farmers' income. However, the protesting farmers have raised concerns that these legislations would weaken the minimum support price (MSP) and "mandi" (wholesale market) systems and leave them at the mercy of big corporations. The government has maintained that these apprehensions are misplaced and has ruled out a repeal of the laws. The Supreme Court on January 11 had stayed the implementation of the three laws till further orders and appointed a four-member panel to resolve the impasse. Bhartiya Kisan Union president Bhupinder Singh Mann, however, on Thursday recused himself from the committee. Shetkari Sanghatana (Maharashtra) president Anil Ghanwat, International Food Policy Research Institute's Pramod Kumar Joshi and agriculture economist Ashok Gulati are the other three members on the panel. Show us some love! Support our journalism by becoming a TNM Member - Click here.

10 women travelling to Goa for vacation die in accident in Karnataka - The News Minute

Ten women who were travelling to Goa on vacation and their driver were killed on Friday in a road accident in Karnataka’s Dharwad district after a minibus collided with a tipper truck along the Hubballi-Dharwad bypass near Itigatti. Among the deceased include…

Six people including the driver of a tipper truck involved in the accident have been hospitalised.Ten women who were travelling to Goa on vacation and their driver were killed on Friday in a road accident in Karnatakas Dharwad district after a minibus collided with a tipper truck along the Hubballi-Dharwad bypass near Itigatti. Among the deceased include the daughter-in-law of a former BJP MLA from Davangeres Jagalur, Preethi Ravikumar. She is the daughter-in-law of former MLA Guru Siddanagouda. Dharwad Sub-urban Police Inspector Yaligar said that the accident took place around 8 am on Friday when the mini bus collided with the tipper truck, which was coming from the opposite direction.  A group of 16 women from Davangere, who were members of the Ladies Club, were travelling to Goa for a vacation, when the incident occurred. The Dharwad Rural Police said that the women had decided to visit the residence of their friend in Dharwad for breakfast and had decided to take a detour. The minibus was crossing the Hubbali-Dharwad bypass, when it collided into the tipper truck as there was not enough room on the road to maneuver, Inspector Yaligar said.  The driver of the minibus along with 10 women in the minibus died on the spot, the police said. The deceased include the driver Praveen, and the 10 women including Asha, Meerabai, Paranjyoti, Rajeshwari, Shakuntala, Usha, Veda, Veena, Manjula, Nirmala, Rajaneesh, Swati and Preethi Ravikumar. Five women and the driver of the tipper truck have sustained critical injuries and are currently undergoing treatment at KIMS Hospital in Hubballi.  The 32-km Hubballi-Dharwad bypass is a single lane located along NH 48 between Bengaluru and Pune. Inspector Yaligar said that the residents of Dharwad had been complaining of the bypass being dangerous as the stretch is narrow and that it was not being used as a one-way. He said that the road widening work had been delayed for the last few months due to differences between the contractors and the government. An accident case has been registered. We are still investigating the case, he added.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of the 11 people. In a tweet, he said, Saddened by the loss of lives due to a road accident in Karnatakas Dharwad district. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray for a quick recovery of those injured.  Saddened by the loss of lives due to a road accident in Karnatakas Dharwad district. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray for a quick recovery of those injured: PM @narendramodi PMO India (@PMOIndia) January 15, 2021 Show us some love! Support our journalism by becoming a TNM Member - Click here.

Bengaluru metro line to airport to get green signal from Union govt soon - The News Minute

Union Urban Affairs and Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said that the 56-km Outer Ring Road metro line to Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport has been finalised by the Urban Affairs Ministry. The project plan was sent to the Public I…

The Urban Affairs Ministry has sent the project plan to the Public Investment Board (PIB) for clearance.Union Urban Affairs and Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said that the 56-km Outer Ring Road metro line to Bengalurus Kempegowda International Airport has been finalised by the Urban Affairs Ministry. The project plan was sent to the Public Investment Board (PIB) for clearance by the Ministry of Urban Affairs. The Union Minister was speaking to the media after participating in the inaugural event of the Yelachenahalli-Silk Institute metro line from New Delhi through video-conferencing. Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited Managing Director Ajay Seth told the media that the PIB would send a memorandum to the Union Government after they approve it. We are expecting to receive clearance in two-three months, Seth told reporters during the same event. The airport line includes two phases Central Silk Board to KR Puram (Phase 2A) and KR Puram to Kempegowda International Airport (Phase 2B).  Meanwhile, the Yelachenahalli-Silk Institute line of the metro is the first corridor under Phase 2 of Namma Metro. Phase 2 was sanctioned in 2014 and was supposed to be completed by 2018, but got delayed. This line is an elevated extension of the pre-existing Green Line route. The development comes days after the South Western Railways started train services to the international airport in the city from January 4, 2021. A total of five trains are being run between the city and the airport halt station. By the end of 2023, another train line to the airport as part of the recently approved dedicated suburban rail project is also expected to be ready. That line is expected to run trains faster and frequently. Show us some love! Support our journalism by becoming a TNM Member - Click here.

Seven new ministers in Karnataka: Why the BJP chose them - The News Minute

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday announced a list of ministers who will be inducted into the state cabinet. The oath-taking ceremony will be held at 3.50 pm at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday. The list of new ministers has been sent to Governor Va…

The new list has a combination of BJP leaders and newly-inducted members.Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday announced a list of ministers who will be inducted into the state cabinet. The oath-taking ceremony will be held at 3.50 pm at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday. The list of new ministers has been sent to Governor Vajubhai Vala for approval.  The new ministers include Hukkeri legislator Umesh Katti, Bilgi MLA Murugesh Nirani, Members of Legislative Council MTB Nagaraju, CP Yogeeshwar and R Shankar alias Pendulum Shankar, Mahadevapura MLA Aravind Limbavalli and Sullia MLA S Angara.  When Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced his new cabinet in August 2019, one of his closest and long-time friends: Umesh Katti, was kept out. The Hukkeri MLA had not shied away from expressing his disappointment openly. He had even called several rounds of meetings with leaders from north Karnataka as a show of strength and rebellion. At the time, BS Yediyurappa had openly promised that Umesh Katti would be given a ministerial berth when the cabinet expansion takes place.  Sugar baron from Bagalkote district and chairman of Nirani Sugars Group, Murugesh Nirani also finds a place in the cabinet. A former minister and businessman belonging to the Panchamashali Lingayat community, Murugesh Nirani was one among the leaders from north Karnataka, who was disappointed in not being offered a ministerial portfolio when the cabinet was formed in August 2019.  In January 2020, the seer of Panchamashali Guru Peeta, Vachanananda Swami, had warned Yediyurappa of the Lingayat community turning against him if Murugesh Nirani was not offered a ministerial berth. At a public event in Harihara, Vachananda Swamy was caught on camera saying, Chief minister, you are a good person, Murugesh Nirani (BJP MLA) has helped you a lot, he has stood by you... If you leave his hands this time, the united Panchamasali community will leave your hands. The incident had caused quite a stir but BS Yediyurappa had stood his ground and in turn told the seer, If you speak like this, I will go away... What are you speaking... Kindly pardon me, I will leave, you should not speak like this; if you speak like this, I can't work... You can give me suggestions, you cannot threaten me.  BJP sources said that ever since the incident occurred, Yediyurappa and the high command have been mulling over Niranis induction into the cabinet. There was apprehension that the community would turn against the BJP and the Lingayat community forms the partys primary vote bank. Sources said that Nirani and Yediyurappa had tried to bridge their differences last year and that the Chief Minister recommended Niranis name to the partys leaders in New Delhi.  MLCs MTB Nagaraju, Pendulum Shankar and CP Yogeeshwar were given the portfolios as promised to them in 2019. MTB Nagaraju and R Shankar were among the 17 MLAs who defected from Congress to BJP and helped bring down the coalition government. BJP sources said that CP Yogeeshwar facilitated the talks between BJP leaders and the former rebels at the time due to which he is being rewarded with a ministerial post.  The party, however, has kept Rajarajeshwari Nagar MLA Munirathna Naidu out of the cabinet and instead picked loyalist Aravind Limbavali. BJP sources said that the high command did not want to give Munirathna a portfolio as he has several criminal cases pending against him. Besides, the cabinet currently has several ministers from Bengaluru. There was also a demand for more experienced and indigenous BJP leaders to be put in a position of power, the source said.  S Anagara was chosen as a ministerial candidate as the BJPs cadre and leaders from coastal districts have been lobbying for a minister to be chosen from the region. Sullia is a BJP stronghold in Dakshina Kannada and leaders from the district had met with party state President Nalin Kumar Kateel on several occasions demanding that a leader from Dakshina Kannada district be appointed as a minister. Dakshina Kannada is a BJP stronghold and it was a wise decision to appoint a minister from the region to retain the vote bank, the source added. Show us some love! Support our journalism by becoming a TNM Member - Click here.

Sony PS5 pre-orders go live in India: 4 things to know - The News Minute

The Sony Playstation 5 (PS5) has finally arrived in India and is available for pre-order from Tuesday, January 12. The PS5 is the successor to the popular PS4 and its starting price has been fixed at Rs 49,990 for the standard edition. The digital edition wil…

If you pre-order it, the Sony Playstation 5 is likely to ship on February 2 the date when the product officially launches in the country.The Sony Playstation 5 (PS5) has finally arrived in India and is available for pre-order from Tuesday, January 12. The PS5 is the successor to the popular PS4 and its starting price has been fixed at Rs 49,990 for the standard edition. The digital edition will cost Rs 39,990, but it is not clear when the digital edition will be made available.  Here are a few things to know about the PS5:  Where to pre-order The next-gen console went live for pre-booking for all customers on Amazon India from 12pm. The PS5 can also be purchased from Flipkart, Sony Center, Reliance Digital, Croma, Vijay Sales and a few authorised Sony retail partners. Once you pre-order the console, the product is likely to ship on February 2 the date when the product officially launches in the country.  Customers can opt for no-cost EMI plans using HDFC, ICICI, SBI, and Axis banks, starting from Rs 8,332 on Amazon India. However, the PS5 was showing temporarily out of stock on Amazons site at the time of writing as the stock ran out within minutes. Sony said the PS5 will be back in stock soon but didnt specify when.  PS5 has met with unprecedented enthusiasm by PlayStation fans in India, resulting in a stockout during the pre-order period. Keeping the current situation in mind, we kindly urge all customers to keep their health and safety first and refrain from visiting any retail store to pre-order a PS5. Please stay in touch with retailers for the next pre-order phase, Sony India said in a statement.   Specifications The Sony PS5 comes with x86-64-AMD Ryzen Zen 2 CPU, consisting of eight cores with variable frequency up to 3.5 GHz; AMD Radeon RDNA 2-based graphics engine GPU, with variable frequency up to 2.23 GHz (10.3 Tflops); 16GB GDDR6 system memory; SSD of 825GB, 5.5GB/s read bandwidth.  It also comes with Tempest 3D AudioTech for audio; Ultra HD Blu-ray, up to 100GB/disc for the game disk; and video out support for 4K 120Hz TVs, 8K TVs.  Accessories The PS5 ships with first-party accessories including DualSense charging station, Pulse 3D wireless headset, media remote, HD camera and the standalone DualSense wireless controller. Out of these, only the DualSense wireless controller and media remote are available for pre-orders in India. The DualSense wireless controller is priced at Rs 5,990, while the media remote for the PS5 will cost Rs 2,590. PS5 vs PS4: Should you upgrade?  The PS5 may not be the worlds fastest console but it represents a significant upgrade over the PS4 with a completely new architecture and faster storage due to the SSD. The PS5 offers better capabilities with faster compute parts, more efficient storage, support for large capacity disks as well as higher resolutions.  The PS5 comes with twice the number of CUs (compute units) as well as appreciably higher clock speed. The PS5s GPU has more cores, which will be faster and more efficient. The PS5 supports 4K at 120Hz and 8K, both with variable refresh rate, while the PS4 can output at 4K.  With backward compatibility, all the old PS4 games will still run on your PS5. Moreover, the PS5 boasts of some standout games in its line-up including Marvel Spider-Man: Miles Morales; Demons Souls: A Ruthless Combat; and Sackboy: A Big Adventure with the promise of more first-party titles that will be coming to the console.  Show us some love! Support our journalism by becoming a TNM Member - Click here.

Karnataka to get COVID-19 vaccine shipment by Sunday: How the logistics will work - The News Minute

The vaccines for COVID-19 are expected to reach Bengaluru airport by Sunday, the Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department said on Friday. According to state Health Department sources, 1,13,400 vials of the vaccine would arrive at the Kempegowda Internat…

The state government will store the vaccines at all Primary Health Centres, taluk and district hospitals for easy disbursal.The vaccines for COVID-19 are expected to reach Bengaluru airport by Sunday, the Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department said on Friday. According to state Health Department sources, 1,13,400 vials of the vaccine would arrive at the Kempegowda International Airport and an additional 25,800 vials would arrive at the airport in Belagavi by Sunday. The first phase of vaccines will be provided to frontline workers and the Health Department said that 6,35,986 healthcare workers registered themselves for the vaccination in the first phase on the Cowin app. Other than healthcare workers, police and Revenue Department officials with comorbidities will also be identified for vaccination, the official said. All PHCs and medical institutions will have to send back the used and unused vials to keep check. In Bengaluru, all the vaccines will be first brought to Anand Rao Circle from where the vaccine will be taken to all other centres. No private infrastructure will be used for logistical purposes for the first phase of vaccination, a senior Health Department official said.  According to the Health Department, as many as 24 lakh syringes will arrive in Karnataka, which are provided by the Union government. To store the vaccine vials and syringes, the state government has 10 walk-in coolers, four walk-in freezers, 3,201 ice-lined refrigerators (ILRs), 3,039 deep freezers, 3,312 cold boxes, 46,591 vaccine carriers and 2,25,749 ice packs across the 30 districts in the state. Health Department sources said that the government has ILRs with the capacity ranging between 50 litres to 200 litres with each litre having the capacity to store 287 doses of the vaccine.  In addition, the Union government has provided 64 Large ILRs, with a storage capacity of 225 litres each. The state government is also awaiting the arrival of two walk-in coolers and one walk-in freezer from the Union government, Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said.  Karnataka also has 2,870 cold chain points spread across the 30 districts under the universal immunisation programme, which comprises 10% of the total number of such units in the country. These cold chain points will be beneficial for logistical support, the health department official added.  The government has identified two primary storage facilities in Bengaluru and Belagavi for the disbursal of the vaccine to districts located in the northern and southern parts of the state. Apart from these two primary facilities, five regional storage facilities have been set up in Chitradurga, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Kalaburagi and Bagalkote districts in order to ensure that the vaccine disbursal occurs smoothly.  "All the 30 districts have adequate number of ice-lined refrigerators and deep freezers to store vaccines. The cold chain points are located in district hospitals, medical colleges, taluk hospitals, community health centres, primary health centres to ensure that vaccines are available in all regions, Minister Sudhakar said, while adding that the cold chain facilities will have adequate capacity to even store the polio vaccines along with COVID-19 vaccines.  Health Department officials said that each district has been allocated insulated vans to supply vaccines to taluk hospitals, community health centres and primary health centres.  Sources said that the state has requested the Union government to provide additional cold chain kits, deep freezers and freeze ice packs for transporting the vaccines from cold chain points as it would be required for the next phases of vaccine disbursal.  Health Department officials said that the government is equipped to handle the logistics as it had implemented the measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign in 2017. At the time, the state had received around 1.8 crore doses of the vaccine in just two months and the department had ensured its disbursal in a timely manner. "We have experience in managing storage and transportation of vaccines. Besides, we will have an electronic vaccine intelligence network at all cold chain points to monitor stocks, the official said.  However, health activists expressed apprehensions regarding the disbursal of Covaxin without adequate data regarding its side-effects. Already a lot of regulations have been diluted given this is a pandemic but even then it is unacceptable that Bharat Biotech has presented no data of efficacy yet it has received emergency use authorization. Even in the Serum Institute vaccine has been tried out in populations outside the country and this is the level of efficacy. But the Indian arm where 7,500 Indian participants were given the vaccine, that data has not been disclosed. Both these incidents will not give the people any confidence as the regulators have allowed political compulsions  to override the scientific aspects, said Akhila Vasan a health activist with Karnataka Janaarogya Chaluvali.  Show us some love! Support our journalism by becoming a TNM Member - Click here.

Six crows die in Karnataka, samples sent for testing avian influenza - The News Minute

In the wake of a new strain of avian influenza being reported in India, six crows were found dead in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district. Samples have been sent in order to identify whether or not the birds died of the virus. The districts in Karnataka bord…

Karnataka State Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar has advised people to take precautions and not to panic.In the wake of a new strain of avian influenza being reported in India, six crows were found dead in Karnatakas Dakshina Kannada district. Samples have been sent in order to identify whether or not the birds died of the virus. The districts in Karnataka bordering Kerala, where bird flu cases were first reported in the south, are on alert.  According to reports, the state Animal Husbandry Department has issued a general alert to all District Collectors. Dakshina Kannada, Mysuru, Madikeri and Udupi districts are on high alert after birds in Alappuzha and Kottayam districts in the neighbouring Kerala were declared to have been affected with the H5N8 strain of bird flu. Officials have directed for the culling of over 69,000 domestic birds in Kerala districts, and according to reports, over 17000 ducks have died. Besides Karnataka, Tamil Nadu has constituted guidelines to contain the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, Karnataka State Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said that there is no need to panic regarding the bird flu, but precautions must be observed. Addressing the media, he said "Six crows have died in Dakshina Kannada district and samples are sent for testing. Precautionary measures have been taken in border districts to prevent the bird flu. We should not spread unnecessary panic as lakhs of students are attending schools. Government has taken all safety measures. A three-member team of experts from the Union Health Ministry has visited the two districts in Kerala, to study the possible mutation of the virus and potential risk for humans. The team consists of experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the National Institute of Virology. The Union government has identified as many as 12 epicentres of the bird flu across the country. Besides Kerala, cases have been reported from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.  Though several reports claim the virus has made inroads into the country through the migratory birds, official confirmation from the concerned bodies is yet to come.  Show us some love! Support our journalism by becoming a TNM Member - Click here.