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First ever human space flight signalled ‘new era for humanity’

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Observed annually on 12 April, the International Day commemorates the date in 1961 when Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin carried out the first-ever human space flight, opening the way for space exploration for the benefit of all humanity.

In a message, Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA), said that 60 years ago, “a new era for humanity began – with sky no longer the limit”.

“Astronauts are envoys of humankind in outer space, embodying talent, skills, and bravery; and stretching the boundaries of what we can achieve as a civilization.”

“Human space flight has changed our perspectives about the Earth, the universe and ourselves”, Di Pippo added.

Advancing sustainable development

In 2011, the UN General Assembly declared 12 April as the International Day of Human Space Flight to celebrate “the beginning of the space era for mankind, reaffirming the important contribution of space science and technology in achieving sustainable development goals and increasing the well-being of States and peoples, as well as ensuring the realization of their aspiration to maintain outer space for peaceful purposes.”

Directly or indirectly, space applications contribute to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For instance, space technologies can help optimize crop production and make the use of land, water, seeds, fertilizers and other resources more efficient, advancing Goal 2 on ending hunger.

Such innovations are all the more crucial given estimates that the coronavirus pandemic could push a further 132 million into hunger, adding to the 690 million globally who already do not have enough to eat.

FAO envoy to bring ‘unique perspective’

To highlight the importance of the world’s agri-food systems, and help make them more resilient, inclusive, efficient and sustainable, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) designated European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet as its Goodwill Ambassador on Monday.

An advocate for climate action, Pesquet highlighted the effects of climate change and called for more respect for the environment during his 196 consecutive days onboard the International Space Station (ISS) in 2016 and 2017.

The ESA astronaut brings “a unique perspective, from the vantage point of space”, Qu Dongyu, FAO Director-General said.

“Over the years, Thomas has helped raise awareness of the impact of climate change on agriculture, of the importance of access to nutritious foods, and of how critical it is for us to manage our natural resources wisely and reduce food loss and waste”, Qu added.

‘Earth is also a spaceship’

Accepting the nomination, the French ESA astronaut said his first space flight drastically changed his perception about the challenges the world is facing, drawing parallels between planet Earth and a spaceship.

“After all, Earth is also a spaceship, flying through space with limited resources. The problems are the same – a hostile environment that you have to deal with, limited resources that you have to share and there is a need to get along with crew members and work together to achieve your goals”, he said.

Pesquet is preparing for his second mission to ISS, which is scheduled to be launched on 22 April and to last for six months.

Government should assure financial stability to self-employed people

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Maharashtra government may impose lockdown by defining areas as red, green and orange based on the level of infection in that particular area. Total lockdown means no work, shops, beauty parlours; salons, gym and many more establishments would remain closed. Some IT companies and private firms yet to recover from backlash are paying half salaries to their employees now would be shut permanently. Private sectors have another challenge.

The Common public feel that the Lockdown is not a good measure, maybe for a few days it is fine but frequent lockdown has its repercussions. More difficult it would be to cope up with the general public. All commercial and economic activity should be resumed with rules and regulations. Mask wearing; maintaining social distancing and isolation far as possible should be followed.

Only sitting at home with no earnings is not fair. People even require money to fight coronavirus as well as their lives ahead. For example, one small cobbler or a beautician, they are fetching their livings and also paying GST to all other taxes to the government, without making any financial obligations.

These people are huge in numbers, they earn and save in banks and in the end banks are emptied by governments. Also, these are the people who have suffered huge losses during the corona lockdown. They can’t take another pinch to their pocket. Government has no planning for rendering hands to such sectors.

No plans for regulating small self-sustaining, business groups and self-employed people. Just by saying the Indian economy is fine, how can anyone assure financial stability to these people? It’s more than individual states, the centre should tell people of India how they are going to give hands to all after lockdown.

We should lock down the Corona, not ourselves. Are the doctors and nurses locking themselves down? What about the vegetable vendor? What about the police? There are many such entities working 24/7 knowing the threat, but they are taking precautions too. The central government’s job is to take care of people who are suffering from day one ever since BJP won elections.

In the month of May 2019, it was demonetization and sudden closures of banks, thereafter GST and other slabs followed by ten long month’s lockdown. Middle-class families are suffering from all sides. The government is passing the economic burden heavily on the salaried class people to fight the Corona pandemic by freezing the DA and deducting one day of salary per month till March 2021.

No country in the world has done this so far. Many small businesses are shut due to lockdown. They are unable to afford to pay salaries. They are randomly firing all employees. This is what is happening and if lockdown is imposed again people will die of starvation.

Almost all small businesses are at risk of collapsing, if businesses collapse, they won’t be able to ensure our economy can get better. These small businesses will be lost forever. Permitted non-essential goods to be transported but due to lack of truck drivers and manpower the entire market is still. A good chunk of the economy is still locked out.

Mining is mostly closed. Construction is totally stopped. Most factories that produce automobiles, machinery, consumer durables and so on are shuttered. Millions of small factories and enterprises are non-functional. Almost all of the retail trade, transport, travel and hospitality businesses are down and out.

Their workers are suddenly out of job. More than 2/3rd of the production system has either stopped production totally or scaled down substantially. On average, about 8-9 per cent of GDP is produced in a month.

The measures to save human lives from the COVID-19 epidemic can result in making the economy a casualty – making both the nation and her people poor. If the COVID-19 risk to the economy is not managed properly, India might see crores of people becoming jobless and fall back into poverty.


(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us at feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Haridwar Kumbh Mela: Government does not have guts to implement its own policies

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Maharashtra state board exams for classes 10, 12 postponed amid COVID surge, the government says “Your health is our priority”. On the other hand, hundreds of Mumbaikar left for Haridwar to take a holy dip in the Ganges.

Most of the devotees were seen without masks or safety precautions while approaching the river Ganges. Uttarakhand’s Haridwar is densely packed with crowds for prayers during the Kumbh Mela – one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.

Many devotees have been claiming that COVID-19 is not a major concern anymore since the state government has made a negative RT-PCR result mandatory for those visiting Haridwar.

A day ahead of the Shahi Snan – considered being an auspicious day to take a holy dip in the river – more than one lakh devotees were seen on the banks of the river, in clear violation of the COVID-19 rules issued by the Health Ministry.

Along with devotees, scores of seers representing 13 Akhadas were also seen taking a dip in the Ganges. Held every 12 years; this year’s Kumbh Mela is taking place in extraordinary circumstances, at a time when the second wave of the pandemic has gripped the country with over 1.5 lakh COVID-19 cases being reported in the last 24 hours.

Even as warnings against violation of COVID-19 rules have been installed at almost all the ghats and experts have urged the general public to avoid large gatherings and maintain social distancing to avoid further spread of the coronavirus, several devotees say it is practically impossible to adhere to these guidelines during the pilgrimage.

386 people have tested positive in the last 24 hours in Haridwar. There are 2056 active COVID-19 cases in the city. It has witnessed a 100 per cent jump in both the daily and active cases in just a week. On April 4, the city recorded 173 cases while the active cases stood at 837.

Meanwhile, several traffic diversions have been made across the city and separate timings have been allotted to all 13 Sadhu Akhadas, during which No devotees will be allowed access to the bathing ghats. The biggest challenge is to allow these people back home without the COVID test.

Let us get rid of the thinking that women are meant to serve and men are meant to provide

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Let us get rid of the thinking that women are meant to serve and men are meant to provide 5

WCD and NCW should be shut down with immediate effect… It’s their failure that they haven’t generated any jobs for housewives and now making husbands accountable with such idiotic law… If Husband is forced to pay then he will stop treating her better half thereafter. He will not buy any more gold or valuables for her and no more Insurance Policy. The husband will treat her like one of the imposed employees rather than a companion. He can demand Work without any mistakes. She will brand herself as a worker. He has the right to fire her. She will not get anything more than just a salary. She has to pay rent for staying in her husband’s house. She has to pay for the food he provides. The alternative is yours; either you want 10% of your salary or happy married life with free benefits. How about the men living alone? How about the men with grievous injuries who can no longer work and hence have to stay at home? Yes, there are such families where women are the breadwinners. Laws like this automatically assume that a homemaker is inferior, which is against the basic tenets of equality, to begin with. Nobody considers a homemaker as inferior, what the government is doing with such moves is actively suppressing women instead of empowering them, housewives to get a salary.

Minister Krishna Tirath’s proposal may be appreciated as an attempt to assign an economic value to women’s domestic labour. But is it possible to measure a woman’s love and care for her family? In lower-income groups, women handle multiple roles from dawn to dusk. They work at home, on farmlands, construction sites, etc. But their income is taken away by their menfolk who spend it on their pleasure and entertainment without contributing anything to the family. The government should do something for such women by getting them at least a small share of their husband’s income. Instead of asking a man to pay his wife, the state can provide women with a source of income (within the home) which they can earn independently of their husbands. It cannot be said that women love to serve their family without any expectations. The least they expect is appreciation. But women hardly receive any word of praise from their husband and children. Most women are taken for granted.

Marriage has all its good, bad and ugly sides, but this is one of the most respected social institutions. As time changed towards the so-called developed state and liberal society, the family values have reached a compromised position. One should not ignore the fact that women tend to have a privileged inclination to do savings. The government’s proposal to transfer a part of men’s salaries to the bank accounts of their wives may not change things much but it will lead to a slight improvement in the overall family savings. If such a proposal is passed, this will directly cause grievous harm to the status of women in Indian society.

It assumes a homemaker as being inferior, it establishes a firm suggestion that a woman needs to be dependent on her husband’s salary, it tags on her the status of “worker” in the household, as it is when the wife is dependent on the male dominating society tries to dictate woman a lot. But with such a bill may interfere with love and family structure, it butts into your personal lives, and perhaps more importantly – it gives off a mild vibe that women are supposed to be housewives and thus actively tries to suppress women working outside their homes for a good career. This will lead to the total and complete subjugation of women in many and especially backward households, thus damaging the whole cause of gender equality. I have seen many schemes but things like this can never help women. My belief says that women should be as self-determining as men, financially or otherwise. However, even from a “feminist” point of view, all that this movie achieves is to spoon-feed someone because they are assumed to be delicate and dependent, none of which is true. For this very reason and to avoid grievous exploitation of wives in future Indian society, I never supported such bills, well there is no further discussions or dialogues about the same.

Many women who are career-oriented and successful will agree with me here – even the current situation did not come about easily. Moves like this will take women back to an older era very quickly. The women who quit the workforce to take care of kids at home, don’t want to let their professional skills rust. Most of them start solo, and when business starts booming, they are joined by their husbands. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes, the spouses brainstorm, come up with a viable idea and decide to set up shop together.

While there may be plenty of upsides to having a spouse as a business partner, there are several downsides as well. You can, however, overcome these if you follow the guidelines listed below and ensure matrimonial bliss even as you make your business a success. While the emergency amount for a two-income family is usually worth three months of expenses, in the case of EcoPreneurs, it should be at least double this amount. You should also hedge for 2-3 months’ worth of business expenses if a client doesn’t pay on time.

Another tactic to save cost is to convert a room in your house or garage into an office. In the initial days, you don’t need to rent an expensive office space to impress clients. So, save on rent and use the money to upgrade the equipment and technology that you will require to run the business. To avoid the misconception of being a ‘family business’, coroners sometimes don’t reveal that they are married. However, hiding the truth can put their VC funding at risk. Funders are also wary of another arrangement. Divorce, death and disability these three ‘Ds’ can be dangerous for coroners. Small arguments, personal or professional, can escalate to a divorce. While chalking out a business plan, take into account such worst-case scenarios. Make a partnership agreement outlining job household tasks, the profit each will take, how you will handle disputes, and who will have veto power if you lock horns. Also, since an illness or disability can severely impact the business, make sure to get disability insurance to cushion your company against hardship. If both husband and wife, putting in an equal amount of work, you should draw the same salary. The Shahs have found their financial balance to deal with this issue.

Snapping at your partner at work due to an argument at home would be completely unprofessional. Don’t take your partner for granted and make sure that any criticism is constructive and worded carefully.


Don’t count waves, count the jobless: Mumbai traders to government

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This week has gone in lock down, restrictions and redundancy. Mumbai traders took to the streets against the rigorous restrictions forced in the wake of surge in coronavirus cases. Their business has already destroyed and small-time street side vendors closed their shops and looked for a bread arrangement.

Small trader who sells Gudi Padwa related items said, “Gudi Padwa is a new year festival for Maharashtrians and most Hindus. Ahead several weddings are coming up. If we keep the business closed in such a situation, we will all perish of starvation. Where will the people go and without a job, starvation may kill us before COVID.”

In a commercial city like Mumbai, there are 70-80 thousand small big shops where lakhs of employees earn their living. Following this lockdown, we are asking our people to go out of job and starve. How will we survive the week, how will we provide salary to them?”

The traders demanded that the state government relax the norms and give them the ease of doing business. Meanwhile, a partial lockdown was imposed in Maharashtra on Sunday which is quite similar to the country-wide clampdown enforced last year.

The curbs will remain in place till April 30 also Section 144 will be imposed all through the day. Citizens cannot leave their home without a valid reason between 8 pm and 7 am. Only essential services are excluded from these curfew rules.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray indicated the imposition of a strict lockdown in the state due to rising COVID-19 cases in the state. The decision regarding the lockdown is likely to be taken in the next two days after the Chief Minister’s Meeting with the task force. Speaking at an all-party meeting held virtually, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis raised the issue of COVID test reports coming in at intervals of three to ten days, shortage of oxygen and Remdesivir.

Fadnavis said that there should be restrictions, but the outrage among people should also be considered. Meanwhile, Mumbai city reported 9,327 new cases and 50 deaths, while 8,474 people were also discharged in the last 24 hours. In Thane, 1,464 people tested positive for the virus.

Corona situation ‘very serious’, people shouldn’t avoid going out unless necessary, says Delhi CM Kejriwal

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Corona situation 'very serious', people shouldn’t avoid going out unless necessary, says Delhi CM Kejriwal 8

The COVID-19 situation in Delhi is “very serious” with 10,732 fresh cases of the infection being reported in the last 24 hours, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday.

He asked people not to go out of their homes unless it is urgent, and use face masks and sanitisers and maintain social distance.

The chief minister said his government does not want to impose lockdown.

“I believe lockdown is not a solution to deal with COVID-19. It should only be imposed if the hospital system collapses,” he said.

He, however, asked people to remain in home isolation if infected with the virus instead of rushing to hospitals.

“The hospital beds should be left vacant for serious patients. It should not be so that people rush to hospitals and all beds are occupied and then lockdown is to be imposed,” he said in a press conference.

Kejriwal asked all political parties to work together to fight the coronavirus spread, saying it was not time to do politics and point fingers.

Prince Philip, a longest-lived male member of the British royal family

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Prince Philip, Husband of Queen Elizabeth II, passes away on Friday. Queen almost 94-years-old and Prince Philip departed at the age of 99; this must be really very painful for the queen who lived each moment with her since she got married to him. He was a constant presence at Queen Elizabeth II’s side for decades. Their fairytale love story was a constant reminder. The outspoken former navy commander devoted much of his life as the queen’s consort to charity work — but was tarnished for numerous gaffes, many deemed downright offensive.

Philip was born into the Greek and Danish royal families. He was born in Greece, but his family left the country when he was a newborn. He was the only son and fifth and final child of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. A member of the House of Glücksburg, the ruling house of Denmark, he was a prince of both Greece and Denmark by virtue of his matrilineal descent from George I of Greece and Christian IX of Denmark and he was from birth in the line of succession to both thrones.

Philip’s four elder sisters were Margarita, Theodora, Cecilie, and Sophie. He was baptized in the Greek Orthodox rite at St. George’s Church in the Old Fortress in Corfu. Shortly after Philip’s birth his maternal grandfather Prince Louis of Battenberg, and then known as Louis Mountbatten, Marquess of Milford Haven died in London.

 Louis was a naturalized British subject who, after a career in the Royal Navy, had renounced his German titles and adopted the surname Mountbatten—an Anglicised version of Battenberg—during the First World War, owing to anti-German sentiment in Britain. After visiting London for his grandfather’s memorial service, Philip and his mother returned to Greece, where Prince Andrew had remained to command a Greek Army division embroiled in the Greco-Turkish War.

The war went badly for Greece, and the Turks made large gains. The new military government arrested Prince Andrew, along with others. The commanding officer of the army, General Georgios Hatzianestis, and five senior politicians were arrested, tried, and executed in the Trial of the Six. Prince Andrew’s life was also believed to be in danger, and Princess Alice was under surveillance. Finally, in December, a revolutionary court banished Prince Andrew from Greece, for life.

The British naval vessel HMS Calypso evacuated Prince Andrew’s family, with Philip carried to safety in a cot made from a fruit box. Philip’s family went to France, where they settled in the Paris suburb of Saint-Cloud in a house lent to them by his wealthy aunt, Princess George of Greece and Denmark.

After being educated in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, he joined the British Royal Navy in 1939, aged 18. From July 1939, he began interacting with the thirteen-year-old Princess Elizabeth, whom he had first met in 1934.

During the Second World War, he served with distinction in the Mediterranean and Pacific Fleets. After the war, Philip was granted permission by George VI to marry Elizabeth. Before the official announcement of their engagement in July 1947, he discarded his Greek and Danish titles and styles, became a naturalized British subject, and adopted his maternal grandparents’ surname Mountbatten.

 He married Elizabeth on 20 November 1947. Just before the wedding, he has granted the style His Royal Highness and created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich by King George VI. Philip left active military service when Elizabeth became queen in 1952, having reached the rank of commander, and was made a British prince in 1957.

Philip and Elizabeth had four children, Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. Through a British Order in Council issued in 1960, ancestry of the couple not bearing royal styles and titles can use the surname Mountbatten-Windsor, which has also been used by some members of the royal family who do hold titles, such as Anne, Andrew, and Edward.

Philip was a sportsman who helped develop the equestrian event of carriage driving. He was a patron, president, or member of over 780 organizations and he served as chairman of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a self-improvement program for young people aged 14 to 24. He was the longest-serving consort of a reigning British monarch and the longest-lived male member of the British royal family.

Prince Philip retired from his royal duties on 2 August 2017, meeting Royal Marines in his final solo public engagement, aged 96. Since 1952 he had completed 22,219 solo engagements. On 20 November 2017, he celebrated his 70th wedding anniversary with the Queen, which made her the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary.

 Philip died on 9 April 2021, aged 99. His death starts Operation Forth Bridge, a plan for his funeral which is commensurate with his wish for minimal “fuss”.

Social distancing norms on toss; Mumbai suburban markets are overcrowded

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Social distancing norms on toss; Mumbai suburban markets are overcrowded 11

The Borivali west market to the east side, from one end of the Railway Bridge to another end of the railway bridge markets are overpopulated breaking the COVID-19 norms.

Dadar’s flower and vegetable market were seen overpopulated, violating the norms of social distancing likewise. Hundreds of people gathered early in the morning in the main vegetable market of Navi Mumbai.

Several people in the crowd were seen without face masks and some were hanging their masks at chin and neck. Vegetable vendors continued to sell their fresh produce by the roadside disregarding COVID norms and buyers too congregated near them to purchase vegetables.

BMC official said, “People need to take their responsibility as CM Uddhav ran a campaign called “Mi Javabdar” (I am responsible). People are fed up with restrictions and the fear of COVID has gone from their minds.”

Vegetable vendor Surekha Kapase said, “People gather in political rallies in thousands of numbers. Why does no one object to that? The same politicians who implement rules forget the fact that they should not invite crowds. But when people come to market to shop for their daily needs, we object that, how fair is this?”

Mumbai on Thursday reported 8,938 new cases of coronavirus, taking the city’s caseload to 4,91,698. As many as 23 people succumbed to the infection and with that, the death toll surged to 11,874. The city also has over 86,000 active cases at present.

The Maharashtra government had recently said that the state is running out of oxygen and Remdesivir – a drug being used to treat COVID patients – as cases continue to swell even after repeated warnings. But people of Mumbai are not much panicked with rising cases and they are not only risking their own lives but the lives of other people.

In a bid to contain the spread of the virus, the state government as well as the city’s civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a slew of restrictions to be followed till April 30. Movement of not more than five persons is allowed in the city from 7 am to 8 pm on weekdays. From 8 pm to 7 am, a strict night curfew has been put into effect, besides the complete lockdown on weekends.

Areas like Worli sea face, Bandra bandstand and joggers park too are overstuffed with health-conscious people but hardly any social distancing norms being followed.

When we asked a police constable on duty, why no strict implementations of rules, he said, “Police are chasing people, there are law and order. BMC has assigned martial to fine people if they don’t wear masks. But educated people should also cooperate with the government and state by following the norms.”

COVID trap leaves none; medical students frown over offline exams

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Highlight: On Thursday, the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) has announced the final dates for the 2020 winter examinations for the first, second, and third-year undergraduate health science courses. The exam will now begin on April 19 and continue till May 12.

After much delay, the MUHS has announced the offline exams for the first, second, and third year of MBBS students. According to the government circular, the examination will begin on April 19 and continue till May 12. 

The exams for the first, second and third year were supposed to take place in December 2020 but due to the prevailing COVID situation, the authority had postponed to February and then again to March, and now finally the MUHS has declared new dates. 

However, rising COVID-19 cases across Maharashtra has left the students worried about the risks of appearing for physical exams in the current scenario, the students have urged the government to take the exam online.

Afternoon Voice spoke to several MBBS students from across the state about their issues and demands; here is what they have to say.

“Risking our and other’s lives for mere examinations is not justified. If they could postpone the exams when the numbers were comparatively much lower as of today, why not now?”

– 3rd-year, MBBS student of Dr Vasantrao Pawar Medical College, Nashik

“Since January, the MUHS has been postponing the date of the exams of 2nd and 3rd-year MBBS, stating COVID to be the reason, (cases were far less and manageable earlier). According to the circular, the exam will begin on 19th April. At this moment, the cases are skyrocketing, students are testing positive. Despite repeated pleas and requests from students, MUHS continues to be adamant about not considering a postponement this month. Is it fair on their part to neglect the pleas of affected students with so many disregards?”

– 2nd-year MBBS student of BJMC, Pune

“The authorities are risking the lives of students and their families. Students all over the country would need to travel back to their hostel and stay for around a month for offline exams. Though MUHS claims to carry out exams with all safety precautions what about the safety of students in the overcrowded hostels? The government needs to understand the plight of medical students especially those who are currently fighting for their lives in hospitals due to COVID infection and at the same time dreading the upcoming examination.”

– 2nd-year MBBS student of Terna Medical College, Navi Mumbai

“The condition of the COVID pandemic is worsening day-by-day especially in our state of Maharashtra. Young adults of our age are falling prey to the virus and we could do nothing but take precautions. And in such a scenario, MUHS has declared its offline final exams of the 2nd and 3rd-year students, which they are not ready to postpone or find a solution for despite the infectivity reaching its peak. Several students living in the hostels and even at their homes are testing positive every day. We feel helpless right now.”

3rd-year MBBS student of Sion Medical College, Mumbai

“My whole family has been tested positive in this second wave. At this very moment, I am a COVID positive patient who is fighting against this virus physically and mentally. I have been gone through a lot of miserable situations. The government should understand the circumstances through which students are going. Can’t even imagine about the breakdowns I had to suffer because of this.”

2nd-year MBBS student of Dr VMGMC, Solapur

“Our final offline exams for the 2nd and 3rd-year were supposed to take place in December 2020 but due to the prevailing COVID condition, it was postponed to February and then to March and now April due to the same reasons. But now when the COVID cases are rising to an extent like never before, MUHS expects us to appear for offline exams in 10 days. We live in hostels and most of our colleagues have tested positive and are hospitalised, most of us have severe symptoms but are afraid to get tested due to the fear of losing an academic year if tested positive and this can prove very harmful. Despite all this, MUHS is so stubborn and in any way wants us to give offline exams without considering what the students are going through physically and mentally.

– 2nd-year MBBS student of GMC, Gondia

“Majority of the Medical students have received only one dose of vaccine. The number of students testing positive is increasing day by day. The University postponed the exams when the situation was better as compared to now. They are forcing us to give exams. The University needs to reconsider its decision. If the medical staff and people at power wouldn’t understand the situation, then who will?”

– 3rd-year MBBS student of Grant Medical College, Mumbai

“We have to eat (without mask) in the same room full of the crowd who have COVID-19 symptoms and or are already tested positive. My roommate has tested positive but I have nowhere to go because I can’t risk my parent’s life. We are sitting hours and hours in the library where many students can be heard coughing. Second-year and third minor examinations are not examinations that will decide our branch or degree it’s just an up-gradation exam which makes it unworthy of risking our life. We expect taking examinations online if possible because we were taught for the past 11 months online.”

– 2nd-year MBBS student of Indira Gandhi Government Medical College, Nagpur

“We as students are not fearing exams. But, exams during COVID that too when cases are so steeply rising in which many young budding medical students are falling prey just in the scenario of offline exams is not appreciable at all. Many of us are fearing to get infected with the virus. Already the curriculum is lengthy to which another 6 months get added just because being COVID positive is not sensible. Also, this is not the deciding exam, so exams can be held later when after the situation gets better in the coming days; till then the authority can start the syllabus of next semester.”

– 3rd-year MBBS student from Solapur 

As per the data by the data of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, more than 40,000 students of government and private colleges affiliated to appear for UG, PG, CCMP and MBBS courses.

Politics on vaccination to divert people’s attention: Devendra Fadnavis

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Politics on vaccination to divert people's attention: Devendra Fadnavis 14

The former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Devendra Fadnavis has alleged that corona vaccination is being politicised to divert the attention of the people from both the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and its mismanagement in various cases.

Corona and vaccination both are important issues in the state. But today there are no ventilators, no remedies, no oxygen, no simple beds and all these are under the jurisdiction of the state government. The state government is not fulfilling its responsibility. Vaccines coming from the central government will continue to come. However, not being able to provide even basic services can lead to dire situations. Fadnavis has raised the question of whether the Chief Minister and the Minister will pay attention to this.

Devendra Fadnavis spoke to Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan over the phone and later said that only three states have received more than Rs 1 crore worth of vaccines. It consists of three states, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan. Gujarat and Rajasthan have the same population. The supply of vaccines is not based on population, so it is based on the performance of each state in vaccination.

“Maharashtra received 1.06 crore vaccines. The tweet was made by DGIPR on April 6. 91 lakh vaccines were used. That means 15 lakh vaccines are left. So, what is the reason for deliberately closing down the vaccination centre today and spreading false news about vaccines? In the states that have been given quotas today, as many vaccines are in the supply route (in the pipeline), the supply will be from 9 to 12 April. Maharashtra will again get an additional 19 lakh vaccines.”

Devendra Fadnavis said, “Uttar Pradesh is the largest state. They have received doses of 92 lakh vaccines. The state used 83 lakh doses and has a balance of 9 lakh vaccines. Haryana did not get many doses in the first pipeline. They are now receiving doses. The Union Minister has assured me that there will be no discrimination against Maharashtra and immediate supply based on performance.”

“Shri Sharad Pawar also called on Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and discussed the issue. The Union Health Minister informed him of the whole scenario and assured him. From the very first day of the battle against Corona, the Central Government has fought this battle with all the states and has given maximum assistance to Maharashtra. Even today, the central government is helping Maharashtra with utmost concern”, Fadnavis further added.