Name: Nationwide bank strike: Banking operations hit
Uploaded: 2018-12-26T03:51:41.fff+05:30
Duration: T00M30S
Channel: editorji

Nearly 10 lakh employees from public, private and foreign banks are on the streets, due to a nationwide strike call given by the United Forum of Bank Unions to protest

Nationwide bank strike: Banking operations hit

Nearly 10 lakh employees from public, private and foreign banks are on the streets, due to a nationwide strike call given by the United Forum of Bank Unions to protest against the merger of Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda. The strike has affected banking operations like deposits and withdrawal at branches, cheque clearances and issuance of demand drafts. The merged entity of the 3 banks will have a combined business of ₹14.82 trillion, emerging as the third largest bank after the State Bank of India (SBI) and HDFC Bank.

As Kashmir Valley reports a surge in Covid-19 cases, a houseboat owner has started a floating ambulance service that comes equipped with healthcare facilities

As Kashmir Valley reports a surge in&nbsp;Covid-19&nbsp;cases, a houseboat owner has started a floating ambulance service that comes equipped with healthcare facilities on Dal Lake.
Brainchild of boat owner Tariq Ahmad Patloo, the floating ambulance comes equipped with PPE kits, stretchers, wheelchair and other healthcare amenities. Patloo also told the news agency that he came up with the idea of the ambulance last year when he tested positive for the virus.

The World Health Organisation has classified B.1.617 or the Indian variant of the novel coronavirus as a global variant of concern after studies showed that variant app

The World Health Organisation has classified B.1.617 or the Indian variant of the novel coronavirus as a global variant of concern after studies showed that variant appears to have higher rate of transmission. The variant, they say, has been found in 44 countries.
What is a &lsquo;variant of concern&rsquo;?
When a distinct strain of a virus is found in the samples it is classified as a &lsquo;variant of interest&rsquo;. Such a variant is classified as a &lsquo;variant of concern&rsquo; when it is more transmissible or causes more severe illness or reduces the neutralisation by anti-bodies or reduced efficacy of vaccines, other drugs and treatment.With B.1.617, the WHO found that virus spreads faster and easier leading it to be categorised as a variant of concern
Do existing vaccines work against it?
Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's technical lead on COVID-19, has said that they have not found anything to suggest that existing diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines don't work against the Indian variant. Top US scientist Dr Anthony Fauci too has said that lab studies suggest that India-made Covaxin is effective against the new variant. Public Health England has said that while it is still conducting studies on the matter, so far there is no evidence that B.1.617 makes existing vaccines less effective
How is the Indian variant different?
B.1.617 or the Indian variant is the fourth variant to be classified as variant of concern &ndash; the other three are B.1.1.7 or the UK variant, B.1.351 or the South African variant, and the P2 or the Brazilian variant. The Indian variant is also the first one in India to be reported as a double mutant variant. According to the Indian SARS-CoV2 Genomic Consortia, two mutations of the virus, E484Q and L452R, have been found in the B.1.617. It is also reported to contain a third mutation.
Is it behind the surge in India?
The govt so far has steered clear of stating that this particular variant is driving the surge of Covid-19 cases in India. Also, sampling has revealed the presence of highly transmissible UK and South African variants in India.
What does it mean for India?
In April, UK classified the Indian variant as a variant under investigation and asked India to send samples so that they conduct studies on its virulence and impact on vaccines. Now with WHO classifying it as a variant of concern, there will be greater international scrutiny. Several countries had banned travel to and from India even before the WHO statement.

- The Australian government has been accused of racism after threatening five-year prison sentences for citizens who breach a temporary ban on travel between India a

- The Australian government has been accused of racism after threatening five-year prison sentences for citizens who breach a temporary ban on travel between India and Australia.
&nbsp;
- From Monday, May 3, people who have been to India in the past 14 days will be banned from entering Australia due to the concerns over India's growing coronavirus epidemic, which saw almost 400,000 cases in a single day on Sunday.

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Wednesday said that due to the acute shortage of Covid-19 vaccines, the state government has decided to temporarily susp

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope&nbsp;on Wednesday said that due to the acute shortage of Covid-19 vaccines, the state government has decided to temporarily suspend its drive to vaccinate people in the age group of 18 to 44. He said the vaccines available&nbsp;with the government will be diverted to&nbsp;above-45 age group.&nbsp;
This decision was taken during the state cabinet meeting.
The minister also revealed that the Serum Institute of India has informed the Maharashtra government that it would be able to provide 1.5 crore Covishield vaccines to the state only May 20 onwards.

The family of a 30-year-old Kerala woman, Soumya Santosh who lost her life in a deadly Palestinian rocket attack in Israel, is yet to recover from shock. Her husband, a

The family of a 30-year-old Kerala woman, Soumya Santosh who lost her life in a deadly Palestinian rocket attack in Israel, is yet to recover from shock. Her husband, a resident of Kerala&rsquo;s Idukki district, is struggling to console their nine-year-old son, who could not cope with the situation.
Ron Malka, Israel's ambassador to India, spoke to the family and expressed grief that Soumya&rsquo;s young son had lost his mother. Soumya&rsquo;s family is yet to come to terms with her tragic end. It happened at a time when Soumya was planning to return to Kerala, for a better life back home.
The Indian embassy authorities in Tel Aviv are making efforts to bring Soumya's mortal remains to India.

Veteran actor Anupam Kher has reacted to criticism the BJP government is facing over their alleged failure to manage the Covid-19 crisis i

Veteran actor Anupam&nbsp;Kher&nbsp;has reacted to&nbsp;criticism&nbsp;the&nbsp;BJP&nbsp;government is facing over their alleged failure to manage the Covid-19 crisis. Kher&nbsp;who has often defended Prime Minister Narendra&nbsp;Modi&nbsp;said it's time for the&nbsp;govt rise up to the occasion&nbsp;and do things that people expect them to do.
Speaking about it to NDTV, Kher&nbsp;said it is important to hold the government responsible and it is time for them to understand that there is much more to life than just image building.&nbsp;
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A doctor couple from Mumbai has started Meds For More, a citizen initiative to collect unused medicines from Covid-19 recovered patients and donate it to primary health

A doctor couple from Mumbai has started Meds For More, a citizen initiative to collect unused medicines from Covid-19 recovered patients and donate it to primary health care centres in rural areas. Dr Marcus Ranney and Dr Raina from Cuffe Parade&nbsp;collected 20kg of unused medicines in just 10 days and have partnered with multiple non-government organisations for distribution.
Along with medicines like antibiotics, steroids, vitamins, antacids among others, which are being prescribed to Covid patients, the couple is also collecting equipment like oximeters and thermometers. Al medicines are segregated and checked for expiry dates. At present they are sending consignments to Maharashtra and Gujarat but they aim to gradually expand to other states as well. Those interested in donating can contact via mail at medsformoreindia@gmail.com or through their Instagram page @medsformore.

The National Students Union of India has filed a ‘missing person report against BJP leader Amit Shah with the Delhi Police, over what it called the &lsq

The National Students Union of India has filed a &lsquo;missing person report against BJP&nbsp;leader&nbsp;Amit Shah with the Delhi Police, over what it called the &lsquo;disappearance of the country's Home Minister at the time of the pandemic'.
The Congress' student body&nbsp;filed the complaint against Shah with the Parliament Street police station.
NSUI general secretary Nagesh Kariyappa said when the country is suffering from a deadly pandemic, it is the duty of the politicians to be accountable, not only towards the government of India or the BJP, but also towards the people of the country.

Leaders of 12 opposition parties Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a free mass vaccination campaign against coronavirus, and suspending the centra

Leaders of 12 opposition parties Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a free mass vaccination campaign against coronavirus, and suspending the central vista revamp project and utilise that money in fighting the pandemic.
In a joint letter to the prime minister, the opposition leaders, including some chief ministers, have also demanded providing foodgrains to the needy, and giving Rs 6,000 per month to the unemployed.
The leaders have also demanded a repeal of the three central farm laws which, they said, will help protect lakhs of 'annadatas' from becoming the victims of pandemic. The signatories include Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister and JDS leader H D Deve Gowda and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.

Madhya Pradesh Culture Minister, Usha Thakur has made yet another controversial statement. This time, she has exhorted all the need to perform a yagya,

Madhya Pradesh Culture Minister, Usha Thakur&nbsp;has made&nbsp;yet another controversial statement.
This time, she has exhorted all the need to perform a&nbsp;yagya, terming it as an 'ancient practice since time immemorial to purify our environment for keeping the third Covid wave at bay'.
On April 11 this year, Thakur without wearing a mask performed puja before the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar idol at the Indore airport, sitting along with airport authority officials to ward off the&nbsp;pandemic.

On today's episode of Ask The Doctor, Vikram Chandra talks to Prabhat Jha, Professor of Global Health, University of Toronto, Scientist, Unity Health Toronto, who expla

On today's episode of Ask The Doctor, Vikram Chandra talks to Prabhat Jha, Professor of Global Health, University of Toronto, Scientist, Unity Health Toronto, who explains why without accurate data mapping the Covid curve is difficult. He says it is crucial to have not just test data, but also mortality &amp; hospitalisation data. He suggests all municipal bodies to release total death counts, not just covid deaths, that will give us a better sense of the direction the pandemic is taking.

On today's episode of Ask The Doctor, Vikram Chandra talks to Prabhat Jha, Professor of Global Health, University of Toronto, Scientist, Unity Health Toronto, suggests

On today's episode of Ask The Doctor, Vikram Chandra talks to Prabhat Jha, Professor of Global Health, University of Toronto, Scientist, Unity Health Toronto, suggests ways in which the govt can ramp up its vaccination strategy. First and most important, he says, the govt must speed up approval process, if a vaccine is approved globally, it should be introduced in India right away. Second, on an emergency basis, govt should declare&nbsp;vaccine and their components as essential goods. Third, he says to tackle cases in hot spots in terms of vaccine delivery, India needs to release data.&nbsp;ICMR&nbsp;needs to make testing data public. He says data must drive decisions and&nbsp;not politicians.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has hit out at the ‘positivity push’ by an RSS-affiliate outfit amid the ongoing Covid crisis in India. In a tweet Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has hit out at the &lsquo;positivity push&rsquo; by an RSS-affiliate outfit amid the raging Covid crisis. In a tweet Rahul said, &lsquo;the false assurance of positive thinking is a joke on those families and health workers who have lost their loved ones and are suffering this crisis of oxygen, hospitals and medicines&rsquo;.
Referring to the &lsquo;Positivity Unlimited&rsquo; series of lectures being coordinated by 'Covid Response Team' (CRT), an outfit formed by the RSS and its affiliates, Rahul said &lsquo;burying one's head in the sand is not positivity&rsquo; but a betrayal of citizens.
Besides RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, the series will feature lectures and speeches by motivators, religious gurus and prominent industrialists.

The Hyderabad-based firm Bharat Biotech on Wednesday said it is quite disheartening to listen to some states complaining about the company's intentions r

The Hyderabad-based firm Bharat&nbsp;Biotech&nbsp;on Wednesday said it&nbsp;is quite disheartening to listen to some states complaining about the company's intentions regarding supply of Covaxin.&nbsp; In a tweet, Joint Managing Director Suchitra Ella said 50 of Bharat Biotech&nbsp;employees are off work due to Covid, yet the company has already dispatched Covaxin lots to 18 states on May 10. The comment comes after Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said Bharat Biotech has informed his government that it cannot provide 'additional'&nbsp;Covaxin doses to the national capital.

Supreme Court judge Justice DY Chandrachud has tested positive for Covid-19. A staff member of the judge had been infected by the virus earlier. The senior judge is rep

Supreme Court judge Justice DY Chandrachud has tested positive for Covid-19. A staff member of the judge had been infected by the virus earlier. The senior judge is reportedly recovering well. However, the bench headed by the judge will not assemble for the coming few days. He is currently heading the apex court Bench which is hearing suo motu case concerning the pandemic. In April, four judges of the Supreme Court had tested positive for coronavirus with one of the judges being admitted to hospital for a few days

A cyclonic storm is likely to form over Arabian Sea in next few days. If such a formation indeed takes shape, then it would be the first cyclonic storm of 2021 an

&nbsp;A cyclonic storm is likely to form over Arabian Sea in next few days. If such a formation indeed takes shape, then it would be the first cyclonic storm of 2021 and would be named &lsquo;Tauktae&rsquo;.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that India&rsquo;s western coast is likely to witness the cyclonic storm by May 16.
As per the IMD, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the Southeast Arabian sea around May 14 and intensify further into a cyclonic storm over the east-central Arabian Sea around May 16
Areas like Lakshadweep, the coast of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra are likely to be impacted.
&nbsp;

Dr Dimple Arora Chawla tested positive for coronavirus in April while 7 months pregnant with her second child. After her oxygen level started dipping, she was hospitali

Dr Dimple Arora Chawla tested positive for coronavirus in April while 7 months pregnant with her second child. After her oxygen level started dipping, she was hospitalised and given Remdesivir and administered two rounds of plasma therapy. Two weeks after testing positive her unborn baby died in the womb, and the next day she too passed away.
The 34 year old dentist made a video for her family and friends to not take the virus lightly. Her husband shared her message on social media to honour his wife&rsquo;s last wishes- to spread awareness about the virus.
According to the government gudileines, pregnant and lactating women are&nbsp; advised to not take the Covid vaccine and both groups have not been part of any vaccine trial so far.&nbsp;

Dr. Balram Bhargava, head of the Indian Council of Medical Research, has told the Reuters that districts reporting a high number of infections should remain locked down

Dr. Balram Bhargava, head of the Indian Council of Medical Research, has told the Reuters that&nbsp;districts reporting a&nbsp;high number of infections&nbsp;should remain locked down for another six to eight weeks to control the spread of the rampaging disease.&nbsp; He told the news agency that lockdown&nbsp;should remain in place in all districts where the rate of infection is above 10% of those tested.
Of 718 districts, three-fourth have a test-positivity rate above 10%, including major cities like New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Bhargava's comments are the first time a senior government official has outlined how long lockdowns, which already encompass large parts of country, need to continue to rein in the crisis in India.
Also Read | <a href="https://www.editorji.com/story/over-100-vaccination-centres-shut-as-covaxin-shots-over-delhi-govt-1620805746041">Bharat Biotech refused to give us vaccine, Centre calling shots : Delhi govt</a>

The govt has objected to the labelling of the B.1.617 Covid variant as an "Indian variant". The central govt has stressed that word "Indian" was never used by the World

The govt has objected to the labelling of the B.1.617 Covid variant as an "Indian variant". The central govt has stressed that word "Indian" was never used by the World Health Organisation.
"This is to clarify that WHO has not associated the term 'Indian Variant' with the B.1.617 variant of the coronavirus in its 32-page document. In fact, the word "Indian" has not been used in its report on the matter," said the government statement.
The WHO on Tuesday said that the B.1.617 variant of Covid, first found in India last October, has "increased transmissibility" or spreads more quickly. According to the WHO, tt has been found in 40 countries.
The B.1.617 strain is called a double mutant because of the presence of two changes in the virus's genome, called E484Q and L452R.

A sessions court in Goa on Wednesday said it will pronounce the verdict in the Tarun Tejpal case on May 19. The former Tehelka editor-in-chief, who was present in the

A sessions court in Goa on Wednesday said it will pronounce the verdict in the Tarun Tejpal case on May 19.
The former Tehelka editor-in-chief, who was present in the court on Wednesday, is accused of sexually assaulting a female colleague inside the elevator of a luxury hotel in Goa in 2013.
While moving out of the court room after the judge adjourned the verdict to next week, Tejpal refused to talk to reporters, saying the matter is sub-judice.
A number of media-persons and lawyers were present in the court.
The Goa police registered an FIR against Tejpal in November 2013 following which he was arrested.
He has been out on bail since May 2014.

Nationwide bank strike: Banking operations hit

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Verdict in rape case against Tarun Tejpal on May 19

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