PNS n VIJAYAWADA

The sight of Justice VKanagaraj, a retired judge ofthe Madras High Court,assuming charge as theAndhra Pradesh State ElectionCommissioner, has once againraised questions whether rulesand regulations are only forthe common man and not forpolitical leaders and VIPs.

The 74-year-old Kanagaraj,retired judge travelled all theway from Chennai toVijayawada by car to assumecharge as the SEC, despite thelockdown being in place. Howdid the retired judge reachVijayawada from Chennai bycar when not only the inter-state borders, but district bor-ders are also sealed?

According to sources JusticeKanagaraj arrived inVijayawada two days prior tothe swearing ceremony andwas received by the officialsprotocol department and wasput up in a private star hotel.

His reception by officials ofthe protocol department twodays ago indicated that per-

mission for his travel wasgiven by the AP government,despite the fact that he is a 74-year-old retired judge, an agethat puts him in the highly

vulnerable group, with regardto Covid-19.

While it is not clear whetherJustice Kanagaraj suffers fromlifestyle disorders like hyper-

tension or diabetes, he doesappear hale and hearty.

It is learnt that prior to hisswearing-in, Justice Kanagarajmet with several top govern-

ment and YSRCP functionar-ies, including MP V Vijaya SaiReddy. Assuming that he wasindeed given special permis-sion to enter the state andreach Vijayawada, why was henot sent to a quarantine facil-ity for 14 days, when studentsfrom Telangana who enteredAP were quarantined at theIIIT-Nuzvid even after com-pleting 14-day quarantine inTelangana?

According to an official inI&PR department who accom-panied the new SEC, both for-mer and sitting Judges andbureaucrats who exemptedfrom lockdown rules.

A very important point tobe remembered here is thatJustice Kanagaraj reached APfrom Tamil Nadu, a state that

has reported the second high-est number of Covid-19 infec-tions in the country. The entireepisode resulted in Congress,BJP and CPI leaders raisingobjections and posed somequestions against the stategovernment.

The State Government isalso accused of applying oneyardstick for the commonman and another to VIPswhile sending them to quar-antine. The Chief Ministerand his Cabinet colleagues,who have adopted a toughposture against the ordinarypeople crossing over to AP,have soft corner for ministers,officials and MLAs, even ifthey violate lockdown rules.

Published FromVIJAYAWADA DELHI LUCKNOWBHOPAL RAIPUR CHANDIGARHBHUBANESWARRANCHI DEHRADUNHYDERABAD

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VIJAYAWADA, SUNDAY APRIL 12, 2020; PAGES 12 `3

INDIA RESPONSE TO CORONA GETS 100MARKS FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen wearing a cotton scarf as a facecover during a video meet with chief ministers of different states this

morning to discuss the way forward in fight against novel coronavirus orCOVID-19, which has infected more than 7,400 people inIndia, killed at least 239. Photos from the meetingshowed PM Modi wearing a gamcha - a cotton scarf heusually wears - as a face cover for the first time in publicsince the COVID-19 outbreak was first reported. Afew days back, he had urged BJP Varanasi chiefHansraj Vishwakarma to wrap the gamcha - ascarf usually worn by people in villages.

CHINA REPORTS RISE IN CORONAVIRUSCASES, MOST FROM ABROADChina reported on Saturday a rise in new coronavirus infections, mostly

in travellers arriving from abroad, as doctors in the central city ofWuhan, where the virus initially emerged, warned itsbehaviour was still not well-understood. Tough curbsimposed in China since January have reined ininfections sharply since the height of the pandemic inFebruary, although it has spread worldwide to infect1.6 million people with 100,000 deaths. ButChinese authorities fear the possibility of asecond wave triggered by arrivals fromoverseas or asymptomatic patients.

The Council of Ministers, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi andincluding Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Nirmala Sitharaman, will resume

work at their ministries from Monday, a day before the end of the lockdownto contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, sources saidthis evening. Senior officials entitled to official transports,i.e., from the rank of Joint Secretary and above, will reportin as usual, sources said, adding that a third of all essentialstaff had to be present. Junior officials will continue towork on rotation basis. Each ministry has also beentold to plan for post-lockdown and come up withideas to kick-start the economy.

UNION MINISTERS ALL SET TO RETURN TO OFFICES FROM MONDAY ONWARDS

MODI WEARS HOMEMADE COTTONMASK AT VIDEO MEET WITH CMS

India’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most stringentin the world, according to a tracker that calculates the response of

governments across the globe to COVID-19, based on data from 73countries. India has scored a perfect 100 on the “Oxford COVID-19Government Response Tracker” that aims to track and comparegovernment responses to the outbreak. Created by researchersfrom Blavatnik School of Government at the University ofOxford, the OxCGRT systematically collects information onseveral different common policy responses governmentshave taken, scores the stringency of such measures, andaggregates these scores into a common Stringency Index.

World emergesvictorious infight againstCOVID-19: Naidu

5

Screen damageaccounts for 71 pcof smartphoneproblems: OnsiteGo

8

Extendinglockdown is theonly way forward

4

Current Weather ConditionsUpdated April 11, 2020 5:00 PM

ALMANACTODAY

Month & Paksham:Chaitra & Shukla PakshaPanchangam:Tithi: Panchami: 05:15 pmNakshatram: Jyeshtha: 07:12 pmTime to Avoid: (Bad time to start

any important work)Rahukalam: 04:55 pm – 06:28 pmYamagandam: 12:16 pm – 01:49 pmVarjyam: 03:09 am – 04:44 am,

05:40 pm – 07:12 pmGulika: 03:22 pm - 04:55 pmGood Time: (to start any

important work)Amritakalam: 10:46 am – 12:18 pmAbhijit Muhurtham: 11:52 am – 12:41 pm

VIJAYAWADAWEATHERForecast: Partly cloudyTemp: 40/24Humidity: 45%Sunrise: 06:02 amSunset: 06:31 pm

12

Hollowness of AP lockdown exposedl Justice Kanagaraj's arrival from Chennai to Vijayawada during curbs raises some uncomfortable questions

WOMANOF HE

WARRIOR CLASS

HC to hear PILon removal ofRamesh KumarPNS n VIJAYAWADA

A PIL was filed in AP HighCourt on Saturday by oneYogesh, challenging the ratherunceremonious removal ofNimmagadda Ramesh Kumarfrom the post of AP StateElection Commissioner. TheHigh Court will hear the PILon Monday.

Retired judge V Kanagarajreplaced Ramesh Kumar, aformer judge of Madras HighCourt, as the SEC on Fridayafter the State Governmentbrought in an Ordinanceslashing the term of RameshKumar from five years tothree.

According to sources Justice Kanagaraj arrived inVijayawada two days prior to the swearingceremony and was received by the officialsprotocol department and was put up in a private star hotel

Jagan favours partial lifting oflockdown, to back PM decisionPNS n VIJAYAWADA

While favouring continuation ofthe lockdown in the designatedred and orange zones in AndhraPradesh and relaxation in areasunaffected by Covid-19, ChiefMinister YS Jaganmohan Reddyon Saturday assured his supportto implement Prime MinisterNarendra Modi's decision onthe matter. During the course ofthe PM's interaction with ChiefMinisters across the country,Jagan appraised Modi of themeasures taken in the stateand the impact of Coronaviruson farming activities in AndhraPradesh. Pointing out that thestate is largely agrarian con-tributing to 35 per cent ofGross State Domestic Product(GSDP) and employing nearly65 per cent of the workforce,Jagan apprehended that lakhs offarmers and their families stareat destitution, if the present cir-cumstances continued.

Speaking about the state'sCovid-19 strategy, the ChiefMinister said 141 clusters havebeen identified for focused con-tainment measures. He pointedout that of the 676 mandals inthe state, 37 are red zones orseverely affected areas, and 44are orange zones which arepartially affected. In all, 81mandals are categorised as redand orange zones. The remain-ing mandals are unaffected anddenoted as green zones, Jagan

explained to the Prime Minister."Lockdown should be limit-

ed to red zones. Restrictions canbe continued in places withmass gathering. Social distanc-ing can be continued in otherplaces. While I have given myopinion, the country shouldmove ahead with one singlestrategy. Whatever strategy yousuggest, we will go ahead withit," he assured the PrimeMinister.

HCQ-AZ cocktail a potential curefor Covid-19, finds French Prof PNS n HYDERABAD

Hydroxycholorquine has beenclaimed to be a game-changerin the fight against the NovelCoronavirus and a study byFrench professor seems toback this claim.

Professor Didier Raoultshowed in a study that a com-bination ofHydroxychloroquine andAzithromycin can be used tocombat Covid-19.

More than 9 out of 10 (91.7per cent) of patients showed nosigns of carrying any viralload, just 10 days after gettingthe treatment.

The drug has been used totreat malaria which is causedby a parasite, not a virus.

The study concludes thatHCQ-AZ combination, whenstarted immediately after diag-nosis, is a safe and efficienttreatment for Covid-19. The

study done at IHUMéditerranée Infection,Marseille, France also findsthat it avoids worsening andclears virus persistence andcontagiousness in most cases.

Covid-19 infectionscross 400 markPNS n VIJAYAWADA

Coronavirus infections inAndhra Pradesh crossedthe 400 mark onSaturday, with 24more persons test-ing positive for thevirus, as per thelatest bulletinreleased by the stategovernment.

With these 24 cases, thetotal number of infectionsrose to 405 in the state.Authorities said that 17 new

cases were registered inGuntur district, f ive inKurnool, while Prakasam and

YSR Kadapa districtsreported one positive

case each. Meanwhile,one more patient wasdischarged after hemaking a full recov-ery from the virus.

Kurnool remains theworst-hit among the dis-

tricts in the state with 82 pos-itive cases, followed by Gunturat 75.

Covid-19cases mountto 503 in TS PNS n HYDERABAD

The number of Covid-19cases in Telangana mountedto 503 on Saturday. The statereported two more deaths onSaturday. The silver lining isthat 51persons have beendischarged.

Telangana CM KChandrashekar Rao said thatthere were 393 positive casesin the state. In all, 1,654 peo-ple have been quarantined.

PNS n BENGALURU

A Karnataka BJP MLA wasseen celebrating his birthday onFriday with hundreds of sup-porters in brazen defiance of theongoing nationwide lockdownto curb the spread of coron-avirus. M Jayaram, the legisla-tor from Turuvekere inKarnataka's Tumakuru district,cut a large chocolate cake wear-ing white gloves and passed itaround to people includingchildren.

The guests, who were seen in

photographs and video tightlypacked with little regard for thedeadly pandemic, were servedbiryani in Gubbi town, around90 km from Bengaluru.

BJP MLA throws mega birthdaybash amid Covid-19 lockdown

NAVEEN KUMAR n HYDERABAD

As the number of cases ofCoronavirus positive patientscrosses 1,00,000 globally, ThePioneer takes a look at the someof the other deadly viral infectionsand diseases that have plagued thehuman race, particularly thosewhich still raise their ugly headevery now and then

The Spanish Flu of 1918 isamong the deadliest pandemicsthat have hit humankind.

Influenza is caused by a virus thatis transmitted from person to per-son through airborne respirato-ry secretions. An outbreak canoccur if a new strain of influen-za virus emerges against whichthe population has no immuni-ty. The influenza pandemic of1918–19 resulted from such anoccurrence and affected popula-tions throughout the world. Aninfluenza virus called influenzatype A subtype H1N1 is nowknown to have been the cause ofthe extreme mortality of the

Spanish Flu pandemic, whichinfected an estimated 500 millionpeople and killed at least 50 mil-lion worldwide. India is believedto have suffered at least 12.5 mil-lion deaths during the pandem-ic. Of course, weighing the impactof one virus against that of anoth-er is not fair, given the variablesare involved, including the modeof transmission, host defencemechanisms, virus infectivity,even the weather plays a factor.

WE’LL OVERCOME COVID-19 TOO

Deadlier viruses have plagued human race

2 more weeksof lockdown,indicates ModiNEW DELHI: Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, who held afour-hour meet with at least 13chief ministers on videoconference today, has indicatedthat the lockdown amid theCOVID-19 pandemic would beextended by two weeks afterconsidering the request of thechief ministers, who preferred alonger containment period. Thelockdown was scheduled to endon Tuesday. PM Modi alsomarked a shift in tackling thepandemic, from saving lives tosaving both lives and theeconomy. Three week ago,while announcing the lockdown,PM Modi had said, "Jaan hai tojahaan hai (the world exists iflife exists)." Towards the end ofthe meeting today, however, hestressed on "Jaan bhi jahaan bhi(life and economy)" as thelockdown has put severe stresson businesses. "PM has takencorrect decision to extendlockdown. Today, India'sposition is better than manydeveloped countries because westarted lockdown early. If it isstopped now, all gains would belost.

KCR extendsTS lockdowntill April 30PNS n HYDERABAD

Chief Minister KChandrasekhar Rao onSaturday announced extensionof lockdown in Telangana tillApril 30. The ongoing 21-daynationwide lockdown is set toend on April 14 but theTelangana Cabinet onSaturday unanimouslyapproved the proposal toextend the restrictions in thestate till April 30, saying thatit was the only weapon to con-tain the spread of Coronavirus.

The Cabinet also approveda resolution urging the Centreto extend the lockdown acrossthe country till April 30.

The Cabinet also approvedthe proposal to promote allstudents, from Class I to IX, inthe state without conductingany annual exams. A decisionon SSC public exams (ClassX), which were postponedearlier due to lockdown, willbe taken later.

A scene at a hospital during the Spanish Flu of 1918.

Justice V Kanagaraj, a retired judge of the Madras High Court, assumes charge as the Andhra Pradesh State ElectionCommissioner, in Vijayawada on Saturday

l HydroxyCholorquineand Azithromycincombination does

not work on elderly,says study

l 9 out of 10 patients showed no signs of carryingany viral load after treatment

Jagan apprehendedthat lakhs of farmersand their familiesstare at destitution,if the presentcircumstancescontinued

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Although every possible care and caution has been taken to avoid errors or omissions, this publication is being sold on the condition and understanding that information given in this publication is merely for reference and must not be taken as having authority of or binding in any way on the writers, editors, publishers, and printers and sellers who do not owe any responsibility for anydamage or loss to any person, a purchaser of this publication or not for the result of any action taken on the basis of this work. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent court and forums in Delhi/New Delhi only. Readers are advised and requested to verify and seek appropriate advice to satisfy themselves about the veracity of any kind of advertisement beforeresponding to any contents published in this newspaper. The printer, publisher, editor and any employee of the Pioneer Group's will not be held responsible for any kind of claim made by the advertisers of the products & services and shall not be made responsible for any kind of loss, consequences and further product-related damages on such advertisements.

VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | APRIL 12, 2020 vijayawada 02

Chilli farmers demand waiverof cold storage charges in APCHINNAM PRADEEP n VIJAYAWADA

Farming is like gambling as thefate of farmers depends onnature. Sometimes, Rain Godbrings smile on the faces offarmers with bountiful rains,while some days, unseasonalrains destroys crops when theywere ready for harvesting. Butthis time, farmers are facing adifferent problem as they areunable to get labourers due tothe lockdown. As the crop isready for cutting, red chillifarmers in Guntur and sur-rounding areas are facing acuteshortage of farm labourers.

As the Central governmenthas announced the lockdownto contain the spread of Covid-19, the harvest was halted dueto non-availability of agricul-ture labourers. Red chilli wascultivated in 3.15 lakh acres thisyear, and Rs 1.5 lakh wasinvested by each farmer peracre. But unfortunately, thecrop is being withered.

A few farmers brought theirproduce to the home but couldnot transport to the cold stor-

age due to lack of transport andlabour issues. It may be notedthat the cold storage ownersincreased the charges to storethe produce.

The lockdown came as a boltfrom the blue forcing farmersto stay indoors, saidVishnuvardhan, a farmer.

This year cultivation wasdone in large extent in Guntur,Prakasam, Krishna andKurnool districts, he added."Due to lockdown since March22, we could not venture intofields as there was relaxationonly for a few hours. Similarly,authorities did not allow them

to venture intofields," he said.

The farmerfurther statedthat for cut-ting andtransport of

the harvest tothe yard, it will

cost Rs 5,000 andwithout a penny, in

the hand, it would bevery difficult. Moreover, thechilli yard is also closed onaccount of the lockdown,which left them in the lurch.He on behalf of the chilli farm-ers appealed to the governmentto come to their rescue andwaive off the cold storagechartges.

l As the Central government hasannounced the lockdown to contain the

spread of Covid-19, the harvest washalted due to non-availability of

agriculture labourers

l A few farmers broughttheir produce to the homebut could not transport tothe cold storage due to lackof transport and labourissues. It may be noted thatthe cold storage owners

increased the charges tostore the produce

l Red chilliwas cultivated in 3.15

lakh acres this year, andRs 1.5 lakh was investedby each farmer per acre.

But unfortunately, thecrop is being

withered

PNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

The nation goes into lock-down when a health pandem-ic occurs and latter puts every-one on edge. The outbreak ofthe coronavirus is having aserious impact on cancerpatients, their families andcaregivers. Meanwhile, oncol-ogists around the world havebeen struggling to help alltheir patients and protectthem from the virus.

“There is a higher (oddsratio 4.5 times) chance ofboth contracting Coronavirusand suffering from Covid-19.Unlike general public, cancerpatients are among those athigh risk of serious illnessfrom an infection becausetheir immune systems areoften weakened by cancer andits treatment,” said Dr DRaghunadha Rao, formerDirector of Homi BhabhaCancer Hospital and ResearchCentre (HBCH & RC).

However, those suffering

from cancer, especially, thoseon chemotherapy must takeextra care with social isolationand personal protection. Riskfor health care personal ofcontracting Coronavirus isequally high. Hence, wearingof appropriate personal pro-tection equipment, appropri-ate for their roles in the hos-pitals is required. Need of thehour is reducing the numberof radiation fractions, whileincreasing the dose per frac-

tion. Also, oral drugs are pre-ferred to intravenous drugs.

While categorising the riskfactors for cancer treatmentsDr Rao said patients sufferingfrom lymphomas, chronicleukaemia, breast cancer withlow risk of progress over nextthree months no definitivetreatments started. Whileimmediate risk of progres-sion, patients can go on treat-ments that are not likely toincrease their risk of dying

from Corona infection otherthan cancer.

For the patients sufferingfrom cancers like cervical,ovarian and acute leukaemiaand intermediate and high-grade lymphomas, they shouldinitiate and complete treat-ment.

He also said hospitalsshould postpone all kinds oftreatments that are not life-saving. Palliative chemother-apy and radiation, secondand third line drugs that arevery toxic and produce fall incounts, may need intensivecare after surger y and

chemotherapy. Homi BhabhaCancer Hospital & ResearchCentre, Visakhapatnam,which receives a footfall ofover 16,000 patients, strong-ly advised cancer patients andtheir families to avoid unnec-essary travel to the hospitaland postpone any OPDappointments at this time.Because, overcrowding at thehospital will not only increasethe risk of infections in can-cer patients but also the hos-pital staff and the cancerpatients that are currentlybeing treated at the hospital,said Dr Rao

IAF ensuring timelydelivery of essentialsPNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

The Indian Air Force (IAF)continues to be ready round-the-clock to undertake anytask for complementing theefforts of the Central govern-ment to containing the spreadof the novel Coronavirus.

All efforts are being made toensure timely delivery of theessential medical supplies andration to the nodal points ofvarious States, thereby equip-ping the State governmentsand supporting agencies tocombating the contagioneffectively and efficiently.

During the last few days, theIAF has airlifted essential med-ical supplies and commoditiesfrom nodal points to variousStates across the country,including Maharashtra,Kerala, Telangana, Nagalandand the Union Territories ofJ&K and Ladakh.

The Indian Air Force flewdedicated sorties for theDRDO and airlifted around9,000 kg of raw material fromvarious nodal points for pro-ducing PPE at the productionfacilities of the DRDO. It alsoairlifted N95/99 masks man-ufactured by the DRDO.Meanwhile, the IAF is ensur-ing that all necessary precau-tions as specified by the Centreto prevent the spread of thecontagion, are put in placewhile undertaking these tasks.

The IAF is ever ready andgeared up to meet all theemerging needs to support thefight against prevailing pan-demic situation in the country.

In case the lockdown isextended, then one crucialchallenge will be to restart

economic activity. While thereare not many precedents torely upon, some findings fromsmall-scale examples, such asthe operations of the IndianInstitute of Corporate Affairs(IICA) during March/April2020, can be upscaled to com-munity level. Based on thelearning, some ways to contin-ue the lockdown as well asresume economic pursuits aregiven below.

Spatial cordon sanitaireapproach

In this approach a sanitarycordoned area will be identi-fied in three steps, (1) divisionof districts/cities into areas,and (2) classifying these areasinto red (hot), orange (medi-um) and green (free) zonesdepending on the start, spreadand control of Covid-19 in thearea, (3) change in classifica-tion at periodic intervalsdepending on the nature andspread of Covid-19. Once thezones are demarcated, differ-ent interventions will berequired for each zone. Forexample, the IICA interven-tions showed that the follow-

ing actions will be required inthe red zone, (1) entry/exit ofall visitors has to be regulated.In case some people have toenter to stay in the zone, thentheir movement history for thepast 15 days needs to be ascer-tained. Moreover, they shouldrecord their temperaturesevery four hours and send tolocal officers (e.g. Asha work-ers, patwaris, ward officers) onWhatsApp, (2) movement ofpeople will be minimised, nooutside vehicles will be allowedto enter the zone and all peo-ple will have to wear masks, (3)daily spraying (e.g. bleachingpowder) of all public placeswill be done, (4) door deliveryof essentials will be done - bestis to use existing e-commercecompanies - and all materialentering the red zone will becleaned and sanitised at theentry point to the zone, (5)telemedicine services will beintroduced for all households,and (6) people working inhouseholds will reside withinthe zone in order to reduce thedaily movement of people intothe zone.

The households in the zonewill provide food and otheressentials to the workers, inaddition to their wages.

Similar or a variation ofinterventions will be imple-mented in the orange andgreen zones. Depending on thelocal context, the interventionswill be modified and adapted.For example, kirana shops willbe allowed to open in orangeand green zones and restau-rants and hotels will be permit-ted to open in green zones forlimited periods during the day.

Economic activity

To start the economic activ-ity connected to harvest of rabicrop: This will be permitted in

villages categorised as orangeand green category. E-com-merce platforms will beallowed to procure farm pro-duce from anywhere in Indiaand sell directly to consumers.At the same time, specialefforts will be made to enablevillages in the red category totransit to orange/green cate-gories so that economic activ-ity resumes seamlessly.

Small and medium industrylocated in industrial areas(e.g. estates, business parks)will be allowed to start oper-ations and the estate, whichwill be treated as a cordon san-itaire and completely insulat-ed from their surroundings.Therefore, workers will haveto reside in the estate or fac-tory premises. Similarly, large

industry and essential manu-facturing (e.g. oxygen, phar-maceuticals) will again beallowed to form a cordonsanitaire and permitted tooperate independently.Furthermore, inspection ofall factories and shops will besuspended for six months,and all returns will be sent dig-itally and based on self-decla-rations. This will also lead toreduction in supervisory lev-els in governments.

All hospitals and clinics,not completely involved inCovid-19 prevention and cura-tive operations, should starttele-medicine services forsymptomatic treatment of peo-ple based on the ubiquitousmobile phone. This should bepart of Ayushman Bharat. Atthe same time, delivery ofmedicines by e-commerceagencies will also be allowed.

For restoring supply chainsto delivering household items,e-taxi platforms will be inte-grated with producers (e.g.kirana stores, restaurants).

All educational institutionsshould start to use and famil-iarise with learning manage-ment systems (mobile andcomputer enabled) for theproviding full range of peda-gogy - classroom instruction(including activity) and mate-rial, assignments, online test-ing, tutorials and proctoredadmission tests. The presentreliance on WhatsApp andcomputer cameras should bereplaced with learning man-agement systems (LMS). Thiswill ensure that there is no

delay in scheduled academicactivities.

Financial services and out-sourcing services willrestart/continue and areaswhere they are locateddeclared as cordon sanitairezones. Employees will operatein shifts, for instance 15 daysat a time. For instance, ONGCin offshore areas has suchshifts.

Government business

Simply, there are two basicactivities in government offices- meetings and paper dispos-al (e.g. files, policy-making).All governments have devel-oped versions of e-office andvideo-conferencing and theseshould be fully used withoutany face-to-face interactions.Careful protocols will have tobe developed for work-from-home (WFH).

Some of the elements of rel-evant work-from-home proto-cols rolled-out in IICA are, (1)all meetings are recorded onthe platform, Blackboard, thusdispensing the need for

preparing meeting minutes,(2) every day in the morning,tasks are identified by theHeads for their teams andcompletion is again reviewedat the of the day, (3) meetingsfor the week are decided inadvance and standardisedagendas prepared, (4) all theabove (e.g. attendance in meet-ings and work turned out byeach human resource) aremonitored daily by the humanresource department.

Actions based on thesesmall-scale examples need tobe employed to jumpstart theeconomic activity at variouslevels. What is required, in thewords of Dr. Michael Ryan, isto move quickly, not hesitate toalways be right before moving,not be afraid to make mistakesor worry about its conse-quence. Because the greatesterror will be not to move.

(Author is a Ph.D. fromUSA and a D.Litt. fromKanchi University. The

article is based on hisresearch and practice and

views are personal)

SAMEER SHARMA, IAS

How to kickstart economic activity in lockdown timesTo start the economic activityconnected to harvest of rabi crop: This will be permitted in villagescategorised as orange and greencategory

l During the last few days,the IAF has airliftedessential medical suppliesand commodities fromnodal points to variousStates across the country,including Maharashtra,Kerala, Telangana,Nagaland and the UnionTerritories of J&K andLadakhl The IAF is ever readyand geared up to meet allthe emerging needs tosupport the fight againstprevailing pandemicsituation in the country.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Digitisation in India will dra-matically rise in a post Covid-19 scenario, which in turn willincrease demand for greatercybersecurity and privacy,experts said on Saturday.

Amid the Covid-19 crisis, asbusinesses are still coping up,cybersecurity is being seen as acore technology to keep compa-nies secure as they go online andvirtual, and as emerging deeptech such as ArtificialIntelligence, Machine Learning,Blockchain evolves, investment

in cybersecurity will be a key dif-ferentiator for companies offer-

ing such services."We have joined hands with

DSCI (the Data SecurityCouncil of India) in establishinga National Centre of Excellenceto accelerating innovation andmake India an attractive cyber-security market," Ajay Sawhney,

Secretary, Ministry ofElectronics and InformationTechnology (MeitY), said dur-ing a virtual conference.

"Currently, all focus lies onCovid-19 management and

innovation challenges are run-ning to help us tackle the pan-demic but all this will possiblytransform into something larg-er, and we should never waste acrisis but take it as an opportu-nity," he added.

The National Centre ofExcellence for Cyber SecurityTechnology Development andProduct Entrepreneurship, ajoint initiative of DSCI andMeitY, hosted the ‘SecurityInvestors Conference’ to accel-erate funding and transformIndia into a hub of cybersecu-rity innovation.

Demand for cybersecurity to rise in post Covid-19

Krishna dist gets 1 morelab to test for Covid-19PNS n VIJAYAWADA

Collector A Md. Imtiaz onSaturday confirmed that onemore Covid-19 testing labhas been made functional inKrishna district and verysoon, the diagnostic capaci-ty would be increased byanother 100 samples per day.

Thus far, the districthad only one labwith the testingcapacity of 200samples perday. Samplesfrom Guntur,W e s tGodavari andPrakasam dis-tricts, in addi-tion to Krishnadistrict, were beingreceived at this lab.

With the setting up of anadditional lab, the capacitywould go up to 250 per day.

The collector told medicalofficers that the Central gov-ernment suggested observa-tion of SARI cases in thesociety to curb spread ofCovid-19 cases.

Government GeneralHospital superintendent DrNancharaiah and DMHO DrRamesh informed that the

Severe Acute RespiratoryInfections (SARI) patientswould never remain isolatedbut come to the hospital.They said that the tests arebeing conducted to themalso as suspected Covid-19cases.

The medical officers saidthat the rapid testing kits

would arrive on Sundayand once they are

avai lable, 1 ,000tests per daycould be con-ducted. Theysaid theC o r o n a v i r u stests are stream-

lined and all thesamples would be

registered at the gov-ernment hospital before

being sent to the lab.The collector instructed

the municipal commissionersand the district revenue offi-cer to make sure that plentyof hypochlorites is availablein all the municipalities andvillage panchayats. The gov-ernment has released Rs 9crore for the chemical, hesaid and instructed the offi-cia ls to display boardsregarding the availability ofN-95 masks, and PPE kits.

Cancer patients more vulnerable to Coronal “There is a higher (odds ratio 4.5 times) chance ofboth contracting Coronavirus and suffering fromCovid-19. Unlike general public, cancer patients areamong those at high risk of serious illness from aninfection because their immune systems are oftenweakened by cancer and its treatment,” said Dr DRaghunadha Rao, former Director of Homi BhabhaCancer Hospital and Research Centre (HBCH & RC)

l Amid the Covid-19 crisis, as businesses are stillcoping up, cybersecurity is being seen as a coretechnology to keep companies secure as they go onlineand virtual, and as emerging deep tech such as ArtificialIntelligence, Machine Learning, Blockchain evolves,investment in cybersecurity will be a key differentiatorfor companies offering such services

Disinfection tunnel set up at DRM officePNSn VISAKHAPATNAM

Continuing its efforts to com-bating the spread of pandem-ic Covid-19 infection, theWaltair Division of East CoastRailway was adopting preven-tive measures. Under the guid-ance of Divisional RailwayManager Chetan KumarShrivastava a DisinfectionChamber was set up at the

entry of the Divisional RailwayManager’s office.Disinfection Chamber atDondaparthi was designed andfabricated by Civil Engineeringdepartment from the in-houseavailable resources. The entryand exit points of the DRMoffice are directed in such waythat the staff and visitors shouldpass through this disinfectionchamber.

Amazon extendsAmazon ReliefFund to deliverypartnersPNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

As the Covid-19 pandemiccontinues, Amazon and itsnetwork of partners across thecountry are helping communi-ties in a way that a few candeliver critical supplies direct-ly to people, who need them.

To support those who areenabling Amazon India to ful-fil customer orders during thistime, it has extended the‘Amazon Relief Fund’ to asso-ciates part of the DeliveryService Partner Program,Amazon Flex program and it’strucking partners.

This protects thousands ofassociates not employed byAmazon but who play an inte-gral role in the logistics net-work, said Akhil Saxena, VP,Customer FulfillmentOperations, APAC & EmergingMarkets, Amazon.

VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | APRIL 12, 2020 vijayawada 03

PNS n VISAKHAPATNAM

Police are now using drones inarterial and narrow roads of afew cities and towns to enforcethe lockdown to contain thespread of the Coronavirus.

A senior officer with thepolice department said thatdrones have been installed at afew areas in the State as of nowand in the coming days droneswill be deployed at majorpolice stations across the State.

The drone technology givesthe police to understand anddeploy the police forces quick-ly to manage evolving situa-tions, he added.

“The unmanned aerial vehi-cles (drones) give us a bird’s eyeview of who are defying thelockdown in the narrow laneswhere the police vehicle can’tgo. Despite our repeated appealto people to stay in homes toprevent the spread of the virus,some are defying the lockdownand coming on to the roads

without any purpose,” saidInspector of Anakapalle townin Vizag district Bhaskar Rao.

At least 150 cases for defyingthe lockdown norms are beingregistered everyday in the cityseizing over 120 vehicles a dayfor the past few days during theCovid-19 lockdown.

“We have set up check-postsand pickets along main roadsand other arterial roads. Butthere are reports we get from

some of the youngsters defyingthe lockdown. We can’t deployour police personnel to every-where so that we are usingdrones for monitoring purpos-es as remote monitoring is akey factor for effective enforce-ment of the lockdown,” said asenior police officer. Thedrones fly a couple of times inthe morning and evening toreduce the response time in thecrisis, they further added.

Drones come in handy forcops to enforce lockdown

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

TDP Whip in LegislativeCouncil Budhdha Venkannaon Saturday lashed out atYSRCP leaders for violating thelockdown rules.

Demanding action againstthem, he dashed an open let-ter to DGP Gautam Sawangobjecting to travel of YSRCPVijayasai Reddy in Srikakulam,Vizianagaram andVisakhapatnam districts.

In the letter, he objected toVijayasai Reddy violating thelockdown rules in the State ata time the police are workinghard to rein in the spread ofCoronavirus.

He charged the MP withholding a meeting inVellampet under the GreaterVisakha MunicipalCorporation limits withoutadhering to social distancingand the same mistake wasrepeated in Srikakulam andKota Bommali.

Police are not allowing tomove out even in some mostemergency cases, he said butVijayasai Reddy is no exceptionas he is freely touringSrikakulam, Vizianagaram andVisakhapatnam districts. Doesit not amount to violation oflockdown rules, he questioned.

Instead of setting an exam-ple as an MP for others to fol-low, he emerged as one of therisk factors for people contract-ing the virus, the TDP leadersaid and sought to know what

kind of message the MP ispropagating.

The police did not allow for-mer minister of TDP KolluRavindra to proceed in his car,along with four of his follow-ers, to help the affected andarrested him, a case was filedagainst them and the car wasseized, he pointed out andwondered at no action wastaken against the MP even if headdressed a meeting attendedby hundreds without observ-ing social distancing.

He sought to know why nocases were filed againstVijayasai Reddy, why his carwas not seized. He sought toknow whether the law isapplicable to those who are inpower or not.

He demanded stern actionagainst Vijayasai Reddy. Whatis the intention of the MP inholding meetings with the par-ticipation of hundreds of peo-ple in Srikakulam andVizianagaram district, where

not a single case of Coronavirushas been reported.

He charged the YSRCP lead-ers with putting the lives ofpeople of the two districts atstake for their party’s politicalmileage.

Anticipating that the rulersof the State should work withresponsibility for people’s wel-fare, he said objecting toVijayasai Reddy’s activities,which he described as risky topeople’s lives.

He sought legal actionagainst Vijayasai Reddy fortrying to put the lives of peo-ple in danger.

BUDHDHA VENKANNA’S OPEN LETTER TO DGP

Take action against Vijayasaifor violating lockdown rules

After days of media chat-ter and speculationsabout extending the

lockdown or exiting strategi-cally from it, a distinct strate-gy is discernible from theexchange of ideas betweenPrime Minister NarendraModi and the Chief Ministersof various states. Many ChiefMinisters argued in favour ofan outright extension, whileothers wanted a nuanced exit.

Until details of the four-hour-long video conferenceare officially announced, whatcan be gleaned from the inter-actions is the broad consensusreached in a true spirit of fed-eralism between the Statesand the Centre to fight thevirus by extending the lock-down. With the number ofcases rising alarmingly, manyStates announced two-weekextension of the lockdownwithout awaiting the PrimeMinister's view. They appear

convinced that it would beweeks for the curve of coronacases to flatten.

Extending the lockdown isnot, however, as simple as itappears. At the individuallevel, any expectation ofresuming a pre-coronaviruslifestyle after the lockdownends would be day-dreaming.The future will be all abouthow we reshape our personallives, reorient our work cul-ture, or the way we run ourbusiness amid the gloom anddoom.

At another level, whatevermay be its inevitability, thelockdown will adverselyimpact daily-wage earners.Cab, truck and auto-rickshawdrivers, cleaners, coolies atagriculture yards and whole-sale markets, constructionworkers, farmhands, house-maids, daily labour, smallshopkeepers and besides lakhsof migrants spread across Indiacannot withstand another doseof stay-at-home. Their rations

are depleting and they have lit-tle or no cash left.

Millions of farmers areidling when the Rabi crop isready for harvesting -- anactivity that will trigger a sup-ply chain from the farm to themouth. Punjab, though astrong votary of extending thelockdown, wants restrictionson farm activities lifted, whileother states plumped forreopening agro-based indus-tries.

The more challenging ques-tion is how much longer theformal and informal sectors ofindustry can sustain the lock-

down without hurting India'seconomy in the long run. It isthe manufacturing sector thatrequires special attention torejuvenate the ecosystem.Millions of workers have to betransported every day fromtheir homes to their factories,but opening up public trans-port will defeat the goal ofsocial distancing.

Such problems requireinnovative solutions. Call it'jugaad' if you like. When con-tainment zones can be creat-ed for virus- infected localities,why can't areas totally fire-walled from coronavirus be

created. Factories could beopened and every staffer test-ed for corona before enteringthe premises with somewhatsimilar arrangements forincoming raw material andoutgoing finished products.The workers could be provid-ed accommodation within thefactory, which can be sealedfor everyone else, includingtheir families.

All this activity is subject toNew Delhi taking quick deci-sions to move thousands oftrucks carrying goods worthan estimated Rs. 35,000 croresthat are stranded on nationaland state highways by usingdrivers of para-military forces.This is essential to replenishstocks of wholesale and retailshops selling groceries, besidespharmacies whose invento-ries are running out fast.

Normalcy is a long way offwith a management consultinggroup projecting that the lock-down may have to last tillSeptember. Until then, a newnormal is unfolding in ourlives. Equipment for scanningbody temperature at malls,theatres and airports willbecome ubiquitous like themetal detectors did after 9/11.Public cameras installed onstreets may not just be devicesfor viewing our mugs butmeasuring our body heat too.Home delivery of grocerieswill become the norm.

The pandemic has thrownat our faces the questionwhether lives are more impor-tant or livelihoods. The prog-nosis is bad for both. Around2,000 new cases surfaced injust three days -- from 4,421on April 7 to 6,412 on April 10.The primary objective of thelockdown was to prevent Indiafrom slipping from Stage 2(local transmission) to Stage 3(community transmission).We failed to achieve this objec-tive -- a fact hidden from pub-lic. The third stage was reachedin March itself, according to astudy of the Indian Council ofMedical Research.

There are differing views onthe efficacy of lifting the lock-down, including one that therewould be a spike in case onceit ends. However, the viewworth noticing is that even ifthe growth curve flattens, thereis no guarantee that it will godown completely. The lock-down may only prolong theflat curve, meaning that fatal-

ities will be postponed orspread out over a longer peri-od.

What is heartening is thatthe Centre and the State gov-ernments are gearing them-selves for the worst-case sce-nario where lakhs may beinfected. They are identifyingcontainment zones, exchang-ing successful experiencesfrom Kerala and Rajasthan,and creating more hospitalbeds and ICUs -- things thateven the US could not do intime. As many as 20 compa-nies are manufacturing per-sonal protection equipment,while orders have been placedfor 1.7 crore PPEs and 49,000ventilators.

The strategy for tacklingCOVID-19 has to be dynam-ic and suited to the changingsituation without being a copyof the South Korea experimentof testing millions or the herdimmunity theory of Britain.Another meeting may be war-ranted between PrimeMinister Modi and the ChiefMinisters to finalise an exitstrategy when they wouldagain be confronted with exist-ing and fresh challenges.

S NAGESH KUMARFormer Resident Editor,

The Hindu

‘ALL ANDSUNDRY’

Extending lockdown is the only way forwardThe more challenging question is howmuch longer the formal and informalsectors of industry can sustain thelockdown without hurting India's economyin the long run. It is the manufacturingsector that requires special attention torejuvenate the ecosystem

anA senior officer with thepolice department saidthat drones have beeninstalled at a few areas inthe State as of now andin the coming daysdrones will be deployedat major police stationsacross the State

n The drone technologygives the police tounderstand and deploythe police forces quicklyto manage evolvingsituations, he added.

n “We get reports statingthat some youths defyingthe lockdown. We can’tdeploy our policepersonnel to everywhereso that we are usingdrones for monitoringpurposes,” said a seniorpolice officer

n Budhdha Venkannacharged the MP withholding a meeting inVellampet under theGreater VisakhaMunicipal Corporationlimits without adheringto social distancing andthe same mistake wasrepeated in Srikakulamand Kota Bommali

n Instead of setting anexample as an MP forothers to follow, heemerged as one of therisk factors for peoplecontracting the virus, theTDP leader said andsought to know whatkind of message the MPis propagating.

YSRCP MP seeksESIC reserves forwage paymentPNS n NEW DELHI

YSRCP MP Lavu Sri KrishnaDevarayalu has asked theLabour Ministry to pay twomonths' wages of employeesfrom the reserves of Employees'State Insurance Corporation(ESIC) as immediate relief toabout 3.5 crore workers, whohave not been paid their wagesduring the lockdown. In a let-ter to Minister of Labour andEmployment SantoshGangwar, the MP from AndhraPradesh, has said that ESIC issitting on reserves of Rs 84,000crore with 70 per cent of thefunds not earmarked for anypurpose. This, he said, couldprovide two months' salary to3.5 crore employees registeredunder ESI scheme, who are fac-ing starvation due to non-pay-ment of wages during the cur-rent Covid-19 outbreak.

PNS n VIJAYAWADA

The Fisheries department isarranging the supply of freshfish (Ragandi variety) at threepoints in the city for the retailtraders, who could deliverdirectly to customers at theirhomes. It may be noted thatpeople could not get fresh fishdue to the lockdown.

G Somasekharam, Commi-ssioner for Fisheries depart-ment, said in a statement hereon Saturday that retail traderscould collect the fish at BabburiGrounds at Bhavanipuram,BRTS lane bus shelter and nearthe football stadium of IndiraGandhi Municipal CorporationStadium by paying fixed priceon Sunday from 6 am to 9 am.

Traders could sell the fish topeople at their homes from 6am to 9 am. However, cleaningof fish at the sale points wouldnot be allowed. Retail tradersshould submit their passportsize photographs for purchas-ing the fish.

Crop procurement centres tobuy agri produce from farmersPNS n VIJAYAWADA

Joint Collector K MadhaviLatha informed that author-ities have made arrange-ments to buy five lakh tonnesof rabi crop across Krishnadistrict. She informed thatfor more details about theprocurement of crop farmerscan call ‘Dial your JointCollector’ and clarify theirdoubts.

She said that farmers cancontact the nearest CropProcurement Centre (CPC)and furnish their details andget registered. By selling theirproduce at the procurementcentres farmers would get theMinimum Support Price(MSP) as decided by thegovernment. She said that 35

calls have been receivedthrough ‘Dial your JC’ tilldate.

She said that farmers fromGampalagudem, Tiruvuru,Ibrahimpatnam, Nandigama,G Konduru, Movva, Pedana,Ramavarappadu, PamidiMokkala and K Tadepallivillages called to know moreabout the procurement

details, MSP and all theirdoubts were clarified. Sheinstructed officials con-cerned to cater to any issueon procurement of the crop.

Meanwhile, she said thatthe district administrationwas fully equipped to tackleany situation pertaining tothe Covid–19 virus. She saidthat personal protectionequipment (PPEs) kits areavailable for doctors, para-medical staff, ambulance ser-vice personnel in the district.

As per the standards pre-scribed by APDME, 3,000kits are being arranged perday. She visited DiamondMedicare at Madhura Nagarin the city and expressedher satisfaction on prepara-tion of masks and PPEs.

Fisheries deptto providefresh fish

BJP MLAthrows megabirthday...

Continued from Page 1

Jayaram is not the firstpolitician in the state seenflouting the rules withimpunity amid the ongoingcrisis that has claimed over200 lives and affected 6,000across the country. Lastmonth, days after banning allsocial gatherings includingweddings, Karnataka ChiefMinister BS Yediyurappaattended the marriage cere-mony of a BJP leader atBelgavi on March 15.

HC to hear PILon removal ofRamesh Kumar

Continued from Page 1

Retired Justice Kanagarajhas delivered crucial judg-ments on education, womenand senior citizens’ welfarematters. It may be recalledLeader of the Opposition NChandrababu Naidu has writ-ten to the Governor protestingagainst the easing out ofRamesh Kumar from theConstitutional post.

Covid-19 cases mount to 503 in TSContinued from Page 1

The Chief Minister expressedhis hope that all the patients wouldbe cured by April23.KCR said thatevery person who had been toMarkaz from the state and theirfamily members had been tracedand quarantined. "None of the

COVID-19 patients are (in) seri-ous (condition) and none ofthem are on ventilators. Almost allthem are expected to be dis-charged by April 24 if everythinggoes well," he observed. In all,243containment areas have beenidentified in the state, of which 123are in GHMC jurisdiction and the

rest in the districts. KCR said,"One of the biggest problems is theperson infected by the virus is notaware of it. Our issue is with con-tract tracing itself. We will give100percent door delivery in con-tainment zones. Government-approved suppliers will go anddeliver at door."

Continued fromPage 1Drawing parallel

to the influenza epi-demic of 1918,which affectedIndia's economy fornearly two years, theChief Minister saidthat India shouldprepare for a long-haul strategy now.He called attentionto the state's lack ofstorage for agricul-ture and aqua prod-ucts.

Jagan favours partiallifting of lockdown...

2 more weeks oflockdown...

Continued from Page 1

To consolidate, it is imp to extend it," DelhiChief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweetedminutes after the meeting. Odisha andPunjab have already announced an extensionof the lockdown. The Bihar government in aletter to the centre has raised no objection toextending the lockdown; however, it wants anexception for rural construction and floodrelief work to continue, sources said. Biharsaw massive floods last year and rebuildingprojects are still going on.

Hollowness of AP govt exposedContinued from Page 1

A majority of those whodonated to the CMRFs of APand Telangana reside inHyderabad. Industrialists, realestate developers, educationalinstitutions have donated moneyto corona fund.

In fact, AP has sealed its bor-ders with Telangana and otherstates. This would mean nomovement of vehicles betweenthe states. However, this does notappear to hold good for high-ranking officials and politicians.

What is attracting criticism isfailure to apply the rules toministers, officials and people’srepresentatives of ruling party.

The AP government is actingtough with the ordinary peoplein enforcing rules, but theredoes not appear any rigidity withregard to Ministers and VIPscrossing over the state bound-aries.

It may be recalled thatMinister MopideviVenkataramana threatened tosend Chandrababu Naidu, whois camping in Hyderabad, toquarantine facility if he tried toenter AP during the lockdown.

However, MEIL chairmanKrishna Reddy recently travelledfrom Hyderabad to Tadepalliand presented a cheque to theCM. If video evidence is any con-sideration, for the past two days

industrialists from Hyderabadhave been presenting cheques tothe CM Jagan at his Tadepalli res-idence. One may wonder howthey are allowed to meet Jaganwithout being first sent to quar-antine or not even tested fordeadly virus.

Recently, Minister AdimulapuSuresh spent two days inHyderabad and addressed a pressat the Lake View Guesthouse andthen returned to AP.

While migrant workers arebeing sent to quarantine, VIPsare being extended a red carpetwelcome. The series of such inci-dents clearly demonstrate thatthe rules do not apply to thepowerful.

KCR extendsTS lockdown...

Continued from Page 1

Announcing the Cabinetdecisions at a press confer-ence at Pragathi Bhavan,KCR exuded confidence thatthere was every possibilitythat Telangana would beCoronavirus-free by April24, going by the presenttrend. “The lockdown, how-ever, was being extended as aprecautionary measure and tocheck the spread of the virus.The lockdown will be imple-mented very strictly,” he said.The Chief Minister said theState had recorded 14 deathsand the number of activecases was 393 till Saturday.

Covid-19 infectionscross 400 mark

Continued from Page 1

SPS Nellore reported 48 casesand Prakasam district 41 whenlast reports came in.

Krishna district reported 35positive cases followed by 30 inYSR Kadapa, West Godavarireported 22 cases, Chittoor andVisakhapatnam 20 cases each,East Godavari 17 andAnantapur 15. Srikakulam andVizianagaram districts remainuntouched by the contagiousvirus. Meanwhile, Patient-11, a28-year old from Vijayawada inKrishna district who was admit-ted to GGH in the city on March19 with virus symptoms and wassubsequently confirmed positivefor Covid-19 on March 20 wasdischarged on April 9. TheGGH Superintendent, doctorsand the paramedical staff gave

their best for the recovery of thepatient. As per protocol, thepatient was tested negative thriceand discharged, according to theinformation given by StateNodal Officer Dr A Srikanth.

Meanwhile, Vijay KumarReddy, Commissioner, I&PRand Member, State level TaskForce Committee (MediaManagement) informed thatthe Government of AndhraPradesh has launched “CovidWhatsApp Chatbot” using state-of-the-art technology thatensures hassle-free updates forthe convenience of any citizen inboth Telugu and English lan-guages.

“Right information at theright time to right authorisedchannel is the need of the hourin the current crises,” VijayKumar Reddy said.

Deadlier viruses haveplagued human race

Continued from Page 1

Still, one gets a reasonable per-spective of the challengesinvolved in taming a pandemic.

As for Tuberculosis, in 2015alone there were an estimated10.4 million cases of tubercu-losis disease globally, includ-ing 1.2 million (11 percent)among people living with HIV,a report said.

According to the latest reportreleased by the World HealthOrganisation (WHO) Indiaaccounted for 27 percent of thetotal, followed by China with 9percent, Indonesia at 8 percent,Pakistan (6 percent) andBangladesh (4 percent). As perthe report, 10 million people hadTB in 2018. While 26,90,000people had TB in India, out ofwhich 19,90,000 were notified.

According to the report, TB kills1.5 million every year and is theleading killer of people livingwith HIV/AIDS and a majorcause of deaths due to anti-microbial resistance.

Nearer home, the number ofTB cases in the city has gone upby nearly 40 percent -- from10,836 in 2018 to 16,481 in 2019,as per the data available onNikshay portal, a websitelaunched by the Union govern-ment under the NationalTuberculosis EliminationProgramme (NTEP). The grav-ity of the situation can be under-stood from the fact that 15-20TB patients (from Hyderabadand other parts of Telangana)seek admission every day at TBand Chest Hospital in the city,apart from another 20-40 whoare diagnosed with TB every day.

HCQ-AZ cocktail apotential cure...

Continued from Page 1

Prof Raoult administeredthe treatment HCQ-AZ for"at least three days" to a totalof 1,061 patients who hadtested positive for Covid-19.Of these 1,061 patients, fivewho were aged between 74and 95 (0.5 percent) died, andthe health of 46 patients dete-riorated. The study pointsthat the combination ofHCQ-AZ doesn’t work forolder persons.

His research team has pub-lished data showing that pooroutcome was observed in 46patients; 10 were transferredto intensive care units and 31required 10 days of hospital-isation or more. It includes thestatement “98 per cent ofpatients cured so far” and saysalso “No cardiac toxicity wasobserved.”

VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | APRIL 12, 2020 nation 04SHORT READSLockdown, social distancing

are ‘social vaccines': VardhanPNS n NEW DELHI

Given the size of India's pop-ulation, coronavirus testingneeds to be scaled up in a man-ner that can be sustained,Union Health Minister HarshVardhan has said, noting thatthe lockdown and social dis-tancing are the most effective"social vaccines" available tofight the pandemic.

At the same time Vardhan,in an interview to The Weekmagazine, dispelled concernsthat India might be testingfewer people than requiredand said the testing has beenextended in a manner to pri-oritise individuals who areprimarily at risk of the infec-tion.

As of April 8, a total of1,04,764 tests were carried outin India, he said, adding thepresent capacity of testing is20,000 per day.

On the issue of paucity ofventilators, the health minister,citing official data, said that 80per cent of the infections aremild or asymptomatic, 15 percent are severe requiring oxy-gen, and only 5 per centpatients under critical catego-ry require ventilation.

He said around 17,000 ven-tilators are available for thevirus-infected people whileanother 48,538 units are being

procured in the coming weeks.On the availability of per-

sonal protective equipment(PPEs), Vardhan said it hasbeen a worldwide problemand is more acute in Indiabecause they were not manu-factured locally. He said a totalof 1.57 crore PPEs are beingprocured.

Talking about the overalltrend of coronavirus infec-tion, Vardhan said more than80 per cent of the cases werereported from 71 districtsacross 17 states.

It is vital that community-led interventions to ensuresocial distancing, quaranti-ning and isolation of sympto-matic persons are initiated toaugment the scale of the lock-down in place, he said.

Everything depends on the

people and their discipline tostrictly follow all public healthmeasures being outlined,Vardhan said, cautioning thatany single break in the chaincan prove counterproductive.

"Although the world, includ-ing India, is striving hard todevelop a vaccine for COVID-19, I strongly feel that lock-down and social distancing arecurrently the most effective'social vaccines' available to themasses," he said.

India went under a 21-daynationwide lockdown on mid-night of March 24. There havebeen indications that the cen-tral government may extendthe lockdown beyond April 14with some possible relaxations.

"I have coined this term'social vaccine' for lockdownand social distancing as a com-

bined intervention strategy tonot only contain, but also mit-igate this dreadful pandemic,"Vardhan said.

He said the upcoming fewdays will be critical for India inthe fight against the pandem-ic.

"The experience, as is evi-dent from the global response,tells us that even with stringentlockdowns and public healthmeasures in place, the trans-mission dynamics of COVID-19 are such that it takes abouttwo to four weeks to bend thecurve," he said.

The death toll due to thenovel coronavirus in India hasrisen to at least 239 and thenumber of cases to at least7,447, according to the UnionHealth Ministry.

Let's work together toadvance common goodof entire humanity: Prez

PNS n KOLKATA

Musicians from West Bengalhave taken the online route toprovide mental succour topeople during the lockdownimposed to contain the spreadof novel coronavirus.

Renowned musician UstadRashid Ali Khan and his sonArmaan recently hosted anonline 'bhajan' programmefrom their south Kolkata resi-dence while 'bauls' of Birbhumdistrict sang songs on the fightagainst coronavirus, all tryingto uplift the spirits of the peo-ple of the state where 116coronavirus have been report-ed so far.

Ustad Rashid Khan and hisson presented a medley ofthree bhajans 'Dheere dheere remana', 'Yeh andhiyara mitjayega' and 'Subah ho shaam hotera naam japu'.

"We can overcome any cri-sis if we seek solace in music,"

Khan told PTI on Friday.Narayan Baul of Khairasol

and Ananda Khyapa ofSantiniketan, both in Birbhumdistrict, have created awarenessabout coronavirus throughtheir songs and urged people tofight the disease together anddefeat it.

Their songs have been wide-ly shared on social media.

"Baul songs can send mes-

sages to the people and can beused as a tool for generatingawareness. I have done my job,"Khyapa said.

On Ustad Rashid Khan'sbhajans, Imam of Kolkata'sNakhoda Masjid, ShafiqueQasmi said, "Doesn't thestrains of shehnai played byUstad Bismillah Khan appealto everyone at Durga Pujamarquees and on weddings?

The creation of a person, irre-spective of his or her religiousbeliefs, is for everyone."

A spokesperson of the SriChaitanya Math in Sodepursaid, "When a musician singsa devotional song, be it a kir-tan, bhajan, qawwali or choir,it ultimately connects with thesoul."

Bengal musicians go online to upliftspirits of people during lockdown

Narayan Baul ofKhairasol andAnanda Khyapa ofSantiniketan, both inBirbhum district,have createdawareness aboutcoronavirus throughtheir songs andurged people to fightthe disease togetherand defeat it.

Supriyo criticises Mamata'sdecision to open flower marketPNS n KOLKATA

Union minister Babul Supriyo onSaturday criticised West BengalChief Minister MamataBanerjees decision to allowopening of a big flower marketamid the lockdown to controlthe COVID-19 pandemic andclaimed that it would endangerpublic safety. The senior BJPleader said the opening of theflower market would send a"wrong signal" that the state is notfacing coronavirus threat.

Supriyo, who had been criti-cising the CM in a series of postson his Twitter handle on issuesranging from supply of testingkits to the state to alleged loot inration items, on Saturday tweet-ed that by opening the Howrahflower market "he CM is endan-gering public safety and thisreflects the dangerous state ofaffairs in West Bengal."

"If I say this, I will be blamedof doing politics. But you tell me

if this should be allowed to hap-pen. This is becoming an issueas the Mamata Banerjee govern-ment has allowed flower, sweet,paan (betel) shops - everythingto remain open. "This gives thewrong message to public thatWest Bengal has been able todefeat corona. This makes pub-lic presume that COVID-19 is athing of past," the UnionMinister of State for Forest andEnvironment tweeted in Hindi.

"Hum bolega toh bologe kiPolitics karta hai par aap logbataiye, aisa hona chahiye kya?Yeh issliye ho raha hai kyunkiPhool, Mithai, Paan, sab kuchallow karke @MamataOfficial jine public ko yeh galat sanket jode di ke CORONA ko WB harachuki hai- #Covid_19 ab pasthai," Supriyo tweeted.

In another tweet earlier on theday, Supriyo also asked people to"defy their CM on issues likeattending flower markets" whichhas large gathering and insteadstay at home. Attaching a photo,he claimed to be the scene ofHowrah flower market on Fridayevening, Supriyo said, "This isHowrah Flower Market -TODAY!Cant blame them cuzthe Mamata Govt has allowed itto operate! Such sad & danger-ous State of affairs Plz PlZ Bengal,defy your CM & #StayHome-India - the worst may be yet tocome Actually, the saying isPrevention is better than Cure."

PNS n THANE/MUMBAI

A BJP corporator and 10 oth-ers were arrested at Panvel inRaigad district of Maharashtraafter they were found assem-bled at one place for his birth-day celebration despite theongoing lockdown, police saidon Saturday. The incident tookplace late on Friday night, theysaid. All of them had gatheredon the terrace of a residentialbuilding at Takka village inPanvel for the birthday celebra-tion of Ajay Bahira (42), the BJPcorporator in Panvel MunicipalCorporation (PMC), they said.

"The police received a tip-offthat some people have gatheredon the terrace to celebrate hisbirthday. A police team rushedto the spot and 11 persons,including the corporator, wereheld when the celebration wason," senior inspector of PanvelPolice Station, AjaykumarLandge, said.

Corporator among11 held forbirthday partyamid lockdown

PNS n THANE

A senior police officer fromThane city of Maharashtrahas tested positive for coro-navirus and is undergoingtreatment in Nashik, an offi-cial said on Saturday.

The patient is attached tothe Thane PoliceCommissionerate and worksas a senior police inspector,he said.

"He hails from Nashik dis-trict. He had recentlyreturned to his hometown,where he fell sick. His testreports confirmed that he iscoronavirus positive," theofficial said. "He has beenadmitted to a hospital inNashik," he added. Policesources said that the officerconcerned had probablycome in contact withCOVID-19 patients in Thane.

PNS n PUNE

Following the rise in the num-ber of coronavirus cases anddeaths in Maharashtra's Punedistrict, the administrationon Saturday urged privatedoctors to help them formu-late a "treatment protocol" forCOVID-19 patients.

District collector NavalKishore Ram said the admin-istration was working on atreatment protocol forCOVID- 19 patients and con-ducting an assessment of casu-alties so far.

"We are probing to find outif patients had died onlybecause of comorbidity orthere were other factorsinvolved. We are taking help

from private doctors," he said.Experts are also trying to

understand how a patient'shealth deteriorates in the iso-lation period and the causesbehind it, the collector said.

Citing the factors that leadto COVID-19 deaths, Ramsaid not all patients died ofpneumonia and every casewas different.

COVID-19: Pvt doctorsasked to help withtreatment protocol

Police officerfrom Thanetests positive

Modi has taken correctdecision to extendlockdown: KejriwalNEW DELHI: Prime MinisterNarendra Modi has taken acorrect decision to extend thenationwide lockdown, ChiefMinister Arvind Kejriwal saidafter a video conference ofchief ministers with the PM onSaturday. However, there hasbeen no official announcementof the extension of the 21-daynationwide lockdown, whichends on April 14, yet. "PM hastaken correct decision to extendlockdown. on Sunday, India'sposition is better than manydeveloped countries becausewe started lockdown early. If itis stopped now, all gains wouldbe lost. To consolidate, it isimp(ortant) to extend it,"Kejriwal tweeted.

Not in favour of liftinglockdown in MP:Chouhan tells PM

Arunachal MLA seeksPM's help to stopattacks on NE people

Some CMs urged PMto stop governors, LGsfrom interfering

ITANAGAR: A Congress MLA inArunachal Pradesh on Saturdaywrote to Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, seeking hisintervention to stop incidents ofracial discrimination andattacks on those from thenorth-east in various parts ofthe country in the wake of thecoronavirus outbreak.Lawmaker Ninong Eringexpressed his concern over "illtreatment" meted out to thepeople from the region in manystates, violating the ethics ofthe country.

NEW DELHI: Puducherry ChiefMinister V Narayanasamy onSaturday said the chiefministers of some states urgedPrime Minister Narendra Modito stop governors andlieutenant governors frominterfering in the functioning ofstate governments. During ameeting held by the primeminister with the chiefministers of various statesthrough video-conferencing,most chief ministers urged theCentre for financial aid as thestates are facing a fund crunchin the absence of any economicactivity due to the ongoing 21-day nationwide lockdown,Narayanasamy said.

BHOPAL: Madhya PradeshChief Minister Shivraj SinghChouhan on Saturday toldPrime Minister Narendra Modithat he was not in favour of thewithdrawal of the ongoingcoronavirus lockdown, whichends on April 14, in his state.Chouhan shared his views oncontinuation of the restrictionsduring the PM's meeting withchief ministers which wasconducted through a videoconference. "Today we are notin favour of removal oflockdown. It should not beremoved now. Life of thepeople is more important andto save it the lockdown isnecessary," Chouhan'sspokesperson quoted the CMas telling Modi.

PNS n KATHUA/DODA/JAMMU

Setting an example, about 2,500residents of a panchayat inKathua district Saturday decid-ed to skip their one meal every-day to feed the hungry as thecoronavirus lockdown hassnatched livelihoods of manyand left them without food,despite best government efforts.

Sarpanch Shiv Dev Singh ofPanchayat Baira-Buorthiansaid a resolution to this effectwas passed by the Panchayat,which has a population of over2,500, at a special meeting

“The 2500 residents imple-mented it immediately,” hetold PTI, raising the slogan

“save food - save the nation”.“It is a token contribution

from our panchayat in thecountry's fight against coron-avirus.”

Jammu and Kashmir wasput under complete lockdownon March 22, two days aheadof the 21-day nationwide shut-down announced by the Prime

Minister Narendra Modi tocombat the spread of novelcoronavirus.

A total of 207 people - 168in Kashmir and 39 in Jammu

- have tested positive in theUnion Territory, out of whomfour have died, three in theValley and one in Jammu.

After the lockdown wasannounced, migrant labourersworking in J&K got strandedwith no work. Also, local dailywage-earners lost their liveli-hoods as all commercial activ-ities and labour work came toa halt.

Although the governmenthas taken various steps toreach out to the affected peo-ple, complaints about under-privileged sections runningout of ration and money havebeen coming from differentparts of Jammu region.

A total of 207people - 168 inKashmir and 39 inJammu - havetested positive inthe Union Territory,out of whom fourhave died, three inthe Valley and onein Jammu

Kathua panchayat skips a meal everyday to feed the hungry

Srinagar-Leh highway reopens after four monthsPNS n KARGIL

The 434-km Srinagar-Lehnational highway, considered asthe lifeline of the UnionTerritory of Ladakh, wasreopened on Saturday to ferryessential commodities afterremaining closed for over fourmonths owing to heavy snow-fall along the Zojila Pass.

In view of the coronavirusoutbreak, the Ladakh adminis-tration on Friday had decided toonly allow limited traffic, includ-ing trucks and oil tankers, toreplenish essential supplies inthe cold desert which usuallyremains cut off from the outsideworld during the wintermonths.

“The strategic highway, theonly road connecting Ladakhwith Jammu and Kashmir, wasreopened to carry essentialcommodities to Ladakh region.The highway was closed inDecember last year due to inces-sant snowfall at 11,500 feet

high Zojila Pass,” an official ofthe Border Roads Organisation(BRO) said.

As per the directions fromDivisional Commissioner,Ladakh, Saugat Biswas, therewas an emergent need to carryessential commodities toLadakh UT, the official said,adding, “Keeping that in mind,a team of project Beacon clearedthe fresh snow at the Zojila Passand made the road motorable.About 18 oil tankers and otheressential commodities have

been allowed to move towardsLadakh from Sonamarg.”

He said the snowfall thisyear had broken all records ofthe past decade but the clearanceoperations were undertaken byproject Beacon of BRO fromGagangir to zero point and thesame was done by projectVijayak from Drass towardszero point to ensure earlyreopening of the highway.

“The BRO was very muchdetermined to open the highwaykeeping in view the impor-

tance of this road and hadmanaged to clear the road of theaccumulated snow by March15,” the official said.

However, he said the Ladakhadministration decided againstopening the road in view of thecoronavirus outbreak, while theZojila pass again received heavysnowfall on April 1 and 2 whichresulted in its closure again.

According to an order issuedby the Divisional Commissio-ner, Ladakh, only a limitednumber of trucks and oil tankerscarrying essential commoditieswill be allowed to cross throughZojila Pass till further orders.

The traffic on the highwaywill ply alternatively fromLadakh and Sonarmag side, agovernment official said, quot-ing the order, which also setseveral conditions for the truck-ers like they will camp atSonamarg on the previousevening of movement or earlymorning by 8:00 am on the dateof movement.

OFB starts manufacturingtwo-bed tents for screening,isolation, quarantinePNS n NEW DELHI

The Ordnance Factory Board(OFB) has started manufactur-ing two-bed tents for screening,isolation and quarantine of peo-ple suspected or infected withthe novel coronavirus, theDefence Ministry said onSaturday. These tents with a floorarea of 9.55 square metre aremade up of waterproof fabric,mild steel and aluminium alloy,it said.

"These tents can be set up in

any place and terrain and helpin creating additional facilitiesother than those in convention-al hospitals within a short peri-od of time," the ministry said ina statement.

Ordnance equipment factoryin Kanpur has manufacturedthese tents, it said, adding 50 suchtents have been sent to theArunachal Pradesh government.More than 7,000 people havebeen infected and over 230 peo-ple have died due to the novelcoronavirus in India till now.

Talking aboutthe overall trendof coronavirusinfection,Vardhan saidmore than 80per cent of thecases werereported from 71districts across17 states

PNS n NEW DELHI

President Ram Nath Kovindon Saturday asked people tolearn from the teachings ofJesus Christ and work togeth-er to advance the commongood of the entire humanity.

In his message on the eve ofEaster, he hoped that this fes-tival instil in us the sense ofunity and reinforce our com-mitment to the well-beingand prosperity of our nationand a shared society.

In these testing times, whenwe are fighting COVID-19, letus all resolve to celebrate thissacred festival with our fami-lies while staying at home, fol-lowing 'social distancing'norms and other government

instructions, Kovind said.It is believed that Jesus

Christ resurrected on this veryday which is celebrated asEaster.

A very sacred festival for theChristians, Easter inspirespeople to follow the path oflove, sacrifice and forgive-ness. Let us learn from theteachings of Jesus Christ andwork together to advance thecommon good of entirehumanity, the president said ina statement issued by theRashtrapati Bhavan.

Kovind also extended greet-ings and best wishes to all thefellow citizens, especially to themembers of the Christian com-munity in India and abroad onthe auspicious occasion.

100-memberteam treatingpatients inIndore hospitalPNS n INDORE

The coronavirus pandemic isgiving sleepless nights to a100-member medical team,led by a chest specialist, whoare hard-pressed with thetask of treating patients attheir hospital in the city,which has emerged as one ofthe COVID-19 hotspots inMadhya Pradesh.

Dr Ravi Dosi (39), who isheading this team of doctors,nurses and paramedical staff,says keeping himself and theteam motivated in thesetough times is necessary asthe fight against the virus isgoing to be "longish".

Dr Dosi and his teammembers are often seen run-ning from the Intensive CareUnit (ICU) to different wardsof 1,150-bed Sri AurobindoInstitute of Medical Sciences(SAIMS). The hospital man-agement claims that the num-ber of coronavirus patients itis treating simultaneously isthe highest in India.

Wearing a PersonalProtective Equipment (PPE)suit, Dr Dosi took some timeoff his busy schedule and toldPTI, "Our hospital's COVID-19 admissions are 130 rightnow. Of them, seven coron-avirus patients are in ICU.Twenty-five of them havebeen discharged."

VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | APRIL 12, 2020 nation 05

SHORT READS

Allow states to carryout economic activitieswithin bordersNEW DELHI: Chhattisgarh ChiefMinister Bhupesh Baghel onSaturday urged Prime MinisterNarendra Modi to permit statesto carry out economic activitieswithin their borders. Interactingwith the prime minister at avideo conference of CMs, hesaid the ban on inter-state road,air and rail traffic be continuedbecause of the increasingnumber of coronavirus cases.But it would be appropriate toleave it to the stategovernments to decide whethereconomic activities within theirborders should be relaxed ornot , Baghel said in astatement. "Given the currentsituation, we will definitely facean economic crisis," hecautioned. The chief ministeralso urged the prime ministerto increase the number ofpersonal protective equipmentavailable and called for rampingup testing facilities to curb thespread of the disease.

Delhi govt shiftsNajafgarh vegetablemarket to new site

Male nurse attendingto COVID-19 patientsdies in road mishapTHRISSUR: A 23-year-old malenurse, rushing home to meethis mother with his first salaryearned after taking care ofpatients in a COVID-19 isolationward, was killed in a roadmishap near here on Friday.Kerala Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan on Saturday paid tributeto the youngster in his Facebookpage. After slogging day andnight at the isolation ward of thetaluk hospital at nearbyKunnamkulam, the nurse wason his way home with his salarywhen his motorcycle collidedwith a rice-laden lorry. Ashif wasa temporary nurse and hadjoined for work in mid-March.The hospital authoritiesremembered him as anenthusiastic youth ever willingto help the COVID-19 patients,when many others wouldhesitate.

NEW DELHI: The Delhigovernment has shifted theNajafgarh wholesale vegetablemarket to Haibatpura village inview of its earlier location,because of which it used todraw a huge crowd. The moveis aimed at ensuring appropriatesocial distancing at the marketin the wake of the coronavirusoutbreak. An official said theNajafgarh "mandi" used to drawa huge crowd due to its locationon the main road, which poseda risk to public health. In herorder, Najafgarh Sub-DivisionalMagistrate (SDM) SaumyaSharma directed the stationhouse officer (SHO) of the areato ensure adequate policedeployment at the new site ofthe "mandi" for effective crowdmanagement. The SDM alsomade it clear that no vendor willbe allowed to operate at theearlier site of the vegetablemarket. On Friday, DelhiDevelopment Minister Gopal Raicommissioned the "disinfectanttunnel" set up at the entrance ofthe Azadpur wholesale vegetablemarket.

COVID-19:

Discussion was regarding vitalstrategies: PM meets CMsPNS n BENGALURU

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa who attendedvideo conference with PrimeMinister Narendra Modi aboutCOVID-19 situation and lock-down to control it, on Saturdaysaid the discussion was regard-ing "vital strategies" and"actions" to be implemented inthe state.

He assured that the govern-ment was doing everything totackle the pandemic andrequested people to stay athome to get rid of the coron-avirus outbreak at the earliest.

"My cabinet and I attendedthe video conference about#covid19 with PM@Narendramodi today. Wediscussed vital strategies andactions to implement aroundthe state. We are doing and willdo everything in our control totackle this pandemic,"Yediyurappa tweeted.

"I humbly request you to doyour part and #StayAtHome sowe can get out of this at the ear-liest. #Covid_19india," he saidin another tweet.

Home Minister BasavarajBommai, Health MinisterSriramulu, Medical EducationMinister K Sudhakar, Primaryand Secondary Education

Minister Suresh Kumar, alongwith top officials of the stategovernment were part of thevideo conference that Modi hadwith all state chief ministers todiscuss the situation arising dueto the COVID-19 pandemicand to take their feedback onwhether the 21-day shutdownshould be extended.

During the video conferenc-ing, several Chief Ministers aresaid to have suggested forextension of the national lock-down by at least a fortnightafter April 14.

The video conference, whichbegan at 11 am, came amidstindications that the Centralgovernment may extend thenationwide lockdown withsome possible relaxations.

Yediyurappa on Thursdayhad said all his cabinet col-leagues were of the unani-

mous opinion to extend thelockdown for about fifteendays after April 14, and a finaldecision in this regard will betaken after consulting thePrime Minister on Saturday.

A committee of healthexperts tasked with devising anexit strategy for coronaviruslockdown in Karnataka onWednesday had recommendedfor its continuation in "hotspots"along with some relaxations.

In its recommendations sub-mitted to Yediyurappa, it hassaid schools and collegesshould remain shut till May 31and advocated restrictions onpublic transport to continue forsome more time even whilesuggesting odd-even formulafor private vehicles.

While non-air conditionedshops can be allowed to func-tion and IT/BT companies,

government offices providingessential services and factoriescan operate with 50 per centstaff, the committee has said.

The recommendations werefor a period of next 15 daysfrom April 14 after the currentnational lockdown.

The committee comprisingamong others Narayana Healthfounder-chairman Dr DeviPrasad Shetty, JayadevaInstitute of CardiovascularSciences director Dr C NManjunath was set up fordevising the exit strategy forthe lockdown.

PNS n NEW DELHI

The railways transported 20litres of camel milk to a family inMumbai after a woman tweetedabout its non-availability for herthree-and-a-half-year-old autis-tic child, who is allergic to goat,cow and buffalo milk.

This good deed of the railwayscame to light on Saturday whensenior IPS officer Arun Bothratweeted about it.

"20 lts. camel milk reachedMumbai by train last night. Thefamily has kindly shared part ofit with another needy person inthe city. Thanking Sh.Tarun Jain,CPTM, North-West Railwayswho ensured an unscheduledhalt to pick the container," Bothrasaid in a tweet.

Renu Kumari, the mother ofthe child, had tagged PrimeMinister Narendra Modi in atweet, in which she highlightedher son's plight.

"Sir I have a 3.5 yrs old child

suffering from autism and severefood allergies. He survives onCamel Milk and limited quanti-ty of pulses. When lockdownstarted I didn't have enoughcamel milk to last this long. Helpme get Camel Milk or its pow-der from Sadri (Rajasthan)," shehad said in the tweet.

People from all across thecountry put forward several sug-gestions on Twitter, includingBothra, who contacted AdvikFoods, the first brand of camel

milk products in the countrybased in Rajasthan.

The company offered its camelmilk powder for the child.However, sending it to Mumbaiwas an issue. "The matter cameto our notice when Bothra tweet-ed about it. I discussed the issuewith senior DCM, Ajmer,Mahesh Chand Jewalia. Wedecided that parcel cargo trainno. 00902, running betweenLudhiana and Bandra inMumbai, will be stopped at the

Falna station in Rajasthan,although it does not have ascheduled halt there, the packagewill be picked up from Falna anddelivered to the woman inMumbai," Chief PassengerTraffic Manager, North WesternRailway (NWR), Tarun Jain said.

After tweet from mother, rlys deliverscamel milk for her autistic child

PNS n NEW DELHI

As many as 52 people out of the102, who were found living in 13mosques in Delhi's ChandniMahal area, have tested positivefor the novel coronavirus andmany of them had last monthattended a congregation inNizamuddin, a COVID-19hotspot, officials said onSaturday.

There are 30 COVID-19hotspots in the national capitaland Chandni Mahal wasdeclared one on Friday.

In the last four days, at leastthree people from the centralDelhi area have succumbed tothe coronavirus disease, a seniorgovernment official said.

During intensive verificationdrives conducted in the last fivedays, government agencies foundthat 102 people, including foreign-ers, were living in 13 mosques inthe Chandni Mahal area. Afterpreliminary medical examina-

tions, 52 of them tested COVID-19 positive, the official said.

All of them were sent to dif-ferent quarantine centres.

Many of these 102 people hadattended the congregation ofthe Tablighi Jamaat at the

Nizamuddin Markaz last month.The authorities have launched

a sanitisation drive in ChandniMahal and introduced a contain-ment plan after the detection ofsuch a large number of peopleliving in religious places.

Those who came into contactwith the three people who diedand those who tested positivehave been put under home quar-antine. No resident of the local-ity is allowed to go out of theirhomes and essential items arebeing delivered at home, anoth-er official said.

So far, over 500 COVID-19positive cases and about 20deaths in the country have beenfound to have links to theNizamuddin congregation.

52 of 102 people who stayed at 13mosques in Chandni Mahal test positive

PNS n NEW DELHI

Greeting people on Eastereve, Vice President MVenkaiah Naidu on Saturdaysaid everyone must derivecourage and optimism fromthe spirit of the festival as theworld strives to overcome thechallenge posed by coron-avirus.

"As we celebrate Easter athome with our loved ones, letus pray that our nation andthe world will emerge victo-rious in this fight againstCOVID-19," a statementissued by the Vice President'sSecretariat said.

The vice president alsosaid everyone must be grate-ful to all the people, especial-ly healthcare workers, whoare working tirelessly to tideover the crisis, the statementsaid.

World emergesvictorious infight againstCOVID-19: Naidu PNS n NEW DELHI

In view of a sharp decline in taxcollection, a Delhi governmentemployees' association hasrequested Lt. Governor AnilBaijal and Chief Minister ArvindKejriwal to use religious institu-tions' premises to accommodatedoctors, nurses and suspectedCOVID-19 patients.

Earlier this week, Kejriwal hadsaid that all departments havebeen directed to stop all expens-es except salary of employees. Hehad said the Delhi governmentwill have to cut its expenses dras-tically in view of the current rev-enue status.

According to the association,the government has madearrangements for accommoda-tion of doctors treating COVID-19 patients at five-star hotels,which puts extra burden on theexchequer at a time when the taxrevenue has drastically gonedown.

Umesh Batra, general secretaryof Delhi Government EmployeesWelfare Association, said thegovernment can save money insuch financial crises by payingattention to the association'sdemand. "Our religious institu-tions in Delhi have good spacewhere government can makeaccommodation arrangementsfor doctors, nurses, suspectedCOVID-19 patients," he said.

Committees and manage-ments of most temples, gurd-waras, churches and mosqueswill not deny requests for thisnoble cause, he added.

In his letter to Baijal andKejriwal, Batra said the movewill not only help the govern-ment avoid "unnecessaryexpenses" on five-star hotelsand resorts, but also give reliefto government servants as com-munity centres and schools intheir areas are being used toquarantine suspected COVID-19 patients.

Keep doctors, suspects atreligious institutions'premises: Employees' body

Kerala govt launches WhatsAppnumber to report domestic violencePNS n THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

The Kerala government onSaturday launched a WhatsAppnumber to report cases ofdomestic violence in the state,which have been on the rise dur-ing the coronavirus lockdown.

Kerala Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan said complaints can bemade to the number--9400080292--, which will beavailable 24 hours.

"In the wake of reports of anincrease in domestic violenceduring the lockdown, the SocialJustice Department has beenurged to take immediate steps toprevent them. Subsequently, aWhatsApp number waslaunched to make it easy forwomen and children to com-plain," Vijayan said in a Facebookpost.

The 24-hour helpline hasbeen started by the Directorateof Women and ChildDevelopment with the help ofthe technical cell of the National

Service Scheme."Similarly, complaints can be

made on the child line number1098 and women helplineMitra's number, 181, and sternaction will be taken in the mat-ter," Vijayan said.

The National Commissionfor Women (NCW) has received123 complaints of domestic vio-lence in the last 18 days, with thepanel saying it has observed aspike in such cases during thelockdown imposed to control thespread of coronavirus.

According to the data shared

on Friday by the NCW, fromMarch 23 till April 10, a total of370 complaints related to womenissues were received by the panel.

Of the 370 complaints, thehighest 123 were of domesticviolence, the data said.

The NCW had also launcheda WhatsApp number —7217735372 — to report cases ofdomestic violence.

The NCW said the whatsappnumber is in addition to theonline complaint links andemails which are also opera-tional.

PNS n MUMBAI

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya onSaturday demanded strictaction by the CBI againstDHFL promoters Kapil andDheeraj Wadhawan, bothfacing non-bailable warrantsin a Yes Bank-related case,who are currently underquarantine for travelling dur-ing the coronavirus lock-down period.

Somaiya said he spoke withMinister of State in the PrimeMinisters Office (PMO)Jitendra Singh earlier in theday and requested that theCentral Bureau ofInvestigation (CBI) takes strictaction against the brothers. Acontroversy erupted recentlyover the travel of theWadhawan brothers and theirfamily members and friendsfrom Khandala in Pune dis-trict to Mahabaleshwar inneighbouring Satara district.

Somaiya seeksstrict actionagainst Wadhawanbrothers

PNS n SINGRAULI (MP)

Two persons, including a boy, diedwhile four others washed awaywhen the storage pond of a privatecoal power plant developed abreach in Harrahwa village inSingaruli district of MadhyaPradesh, an official said onSaturday.

District Collector KVSChoudary said the pond of theSasan Ultra Mega Power Project(UMPP), located around 20 kmsfrom the district headquarters,broke around 5 pm on Friday.

At least six people washed awayin the sludge, he said, adding thatthe bodies of Abhishek KumarShah (8) and Dinesh Kumar (35)have been recovered.

He said efforts were on to traceSeema Kumari (9), Ankit Kumar

(3), Chunkumari (27) and RajjadAli (28).

When asked about the causebehind the incident, the collectorsaid, "It is a sheer negligence onthe part of Reliance (Power, whichowns the plant)".

When asked about the actionthe administration is proposing toinitiate, the collector said, "Ourpriority right now was to searchfor the four missing people.

Guj: Tally of COVID-19 patientsrises to 432 with 54 new casesPNS n AHMEDABAD

The number of coronavirus pos-itive patients in Gujarat rose to432 after 54 new cases emergedon Saturday, a state health depart-ment official said. As many as 31new cases were reported fromAhmedabad, 18 from Vadodara,three from Anand, and one eachfrom Surat and Bhavnagar dis-tricts, Principal Secretary(Health) Jayanti Ravi said

Of the total, 379 are activecases. The condition of 376 ofthem is stable, while three oth-ers are critical and put on venti-lator support, she said. After a 53-year-old man from Gandhinagarwas discharged from hospital onSaturday, the number of persons

who have returned home afterrecovery has gone up to 34. Sofar, 19 people have died in thestate due to the infection.

In the last 24 hours, 1,593 sam-ples were tested, she said, out ofwhich, 1,187 tested negative,while 124 others were positive.The test results of 282 others arestill pending. A total 8,331 sam-ples have been tested in the state

so far, she added.Ravi said that the number of

COVID-19 patients has risensharply in the last few days.

"But there is no reason topanic. We had deliberately decid-ed 4-5 days ago at a high-pow-ered meeting that we will conductintensive testing in hotspot areaswhere cases are likely to befound in large numbers. We willfind each and every case in suchareas so as to control the spreadof the virus, she said.

"It has now been decided at themeeting chaired by ChiefMinister Vijay Rupani that thehealth department will proactive-ly collect and test samples in areasof districts where no positivecases have been found," she said.

PNS n BENGALURU

Following the spread of coron-avirus, noted ophthalmologist KBhujang Shetty has advised thosewearing contact lenses to switchto eye glasses as a preventivemeasure.

"Though facial mask ismandatory as a preventive mea-sure against the dreaded coron-avirus, not many know that thevirus can also enter the bodythrough eyes. Wearing glasses orspectacles reduces the spread ofthe virus," said the Chairman ofNarayana Nethralaya.

Although it is more likely thatpeople may catch coronavirusinfections through mouth andnose, there are chances of thevirus also entering through theeyes, according to him.

"In a day, humans tend totouch their face and eyes almost20 times an hour knowingly orunknowingly. Users of contactlenses end up touching their eyesand face frequently, increasingthe risk of infections. Therefore,it is advisable that they switch toeye glasses until the situationimproves," Shetty said.

"Wearing spectacles, likemasks, will protect you fromcoronavirus by preventing thevirus droplets from coming incontact with your eyes. As a pre-cautionary measure, we shouldalso wear eyeglasses as an addi-tional protection gear when westep out of our homes," headded.

Switch to eyeglasses from contactlenses until coronavirus subsides

PNS n BAGHPAT

A man, who was wanted inseveral cases in UttarPradesh, was shot dead by hisnephew at Jivana Guliyana inBaghpat district, police saidon Saturday.

The incident took placelate on Friday night. Subodhhad bullet injuries to hishead and chest, InspectorRavindra Singh said.

He was shot dead by hisnephew when he was sleep-ing, the officer said, addingthat the body has been sentfor post-mortem. Singh saida case was registered on acomplaint from Subodh'sfather and the nephew,Nikhil, has been arrested.Seventeen cases were regis-tered against Subodh, he said.

7 booked,1held aftergroup clashPNSnMUZAFFARNAGAR

Seven people werebooked and onearrested after a violentfight between twogroups here in whichone person had died,officials said onSaturday.

A former villagehead is among thosebooked in connectionwith the incident, theysaid.

One person wasshot dead and threeothers injured in aclash between twogroups in Aminagarvillage on Thursday,they said.

Man shot deadby nephew in UP

2 die, 4 missing as dyke of powerplant develops breach in MP

"My cabinet and Iattended the videoconference about#covid19 with PM@Narendramoditoday. We discuss-ed vital strategiesand actions toimplement aroundthe state. We aredoing and will doeverything in ourcontrol to tacklethis pandemic,"Yediyurappatweeted

"Sir I have a 3.5 yrsold child sufferingfrom autism andsevere food allergies.He survives on CamelMilk and limitedquantity of pulses.When lockdownstarted I didn't haveenough camel milk tolast this long. Helpme get Camel Milk orits powder from Sadri(Rajasthan)," she hadsaid in the tweet

VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | APRIL 12, 2020 money 06

CAPSULE

UCO Bank to reopensealed Kolkatabranch fromMonday

Cashew industry criesfor help from govt

Kolkata: State-run UCO Bankwill reopen one of its branchesin the city on Monday, whichwas sealed after the branchmanager's mother wasdiagnosed with thecoronavirus infection, anofficial said. The lenderdecided to resume work at itsLala Lajpat Rai Sarani branch,located at Bhawanipore area inthe city, by deputing staff fromother units, the bank's MD andCEO A K Goel told PTI. Thebranch was sealed on Fridayas a precautionary measure tocontain the spread of COVID-19, he said. "The branchmanager's mother was foundto be infected withcoronavirus. The branch isnow sealed and beingdisinfected and sanitised,"Goel said. All the employees ofthe branch have beenquarantined, he said. "Todaybeing the second Saturday,banks across the country areclosed.

Thiruvananthapuram: Alreadyreeling under various issues,the cashew industry in Keralais on the verge of a totalcollapse due to the ongoinglockdown.The cashew industryhas sought the immediateintervention of Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, seeking help toexport nuts to the US, Japanand the Middle East. TheCashew Industry ProtectionCouncil (CIPC) in their letter tothe Prime Minister has pointedout that of the 10,000 MT ofcashew that Japan imports,Kerala's share is around 8000MT. "We seek your immediateintervention to lift the exportcurbs. If we are not able to doit, then we will be losing thesemarkets to other countries likeChina, Vietnam. Another issueon which we want yourintervention is - Kerala isalways dependent on rawcashew nuts from Africancountries like Ivory Coast andGhana.

Coronavirus-driven debt crisisthreatens poor countriesPNS n UNITED NATIONS

As governments strug-gle to cope with theCOVID-19 pandemic,billions of people livingin countries teeteringon the brink of econom-ic collapse are beingfurther threatened by alooming debt crisis,according to a UNreport.

In its report, the UN-led Inter-Agency TaskForce on Financing forDevelopment exploresthe steps that govern-ments must take to avertdebt overload andaddress the economicand financial havoccaused by the pandem-ic.

"The global commu-nity was already fallingbehind in efforts to endpoverty, take climateaction and reduceinequalities," UNDeputy Secretary-General AminaMohammed said.

"We have one chanceto build back bettertogether for people andfor the planet."

With recommenda-tions based on jointresearch and analysisfrom more than 60 UNagencies and interna-tional institutions, the2020 Financing forS u s t a i n a b l eDevelopment Reportoutlines measures toaddress the impact ofthe unfolding globalrecession and financialturmoil – particularly in

the world's poorestcountries.

The COVID-19 crisishas shaken global finan-cial markets with heavylosses and intensevolatility that hasprompted investors tomove around USD 90billion out of emergingmarkets – the largestoutflow ever recorded.

Particularly alarmingfor many LeastDeveloped Countries(LDCs) is the prospectof a new debt crisis. Tomitigate this, 2020

Financing forS u s t a i n a b l eDevelopment calls,among other things,suspending debt pay-ments from LDCs andother low-income coun-tries; strengthening theglobal financial safetynet; and reversing thedecline in official devel-opment assistance.

“We are far from hav-ing a global package tohelp the developingworld to create the con-ditions both to suppressthe disease and toaddress the dramaticconsequences in theirpopulations,” UNS e c re t a r y - G e n e r a lAntonio Guterres saidduring the recent

launch of his report onthe SocioeconomicImpact of the COVID-19.

“What is needed is alarge-scale, coordinatedand comprehensivemultilateral responseamounting to at least 10per cent of global GrossDomestic Product,” headded.

Beyond the immedi-ate crisis response, thecoronavirus pandemicshould prompt theimplementation oflong-overdue measuresto reset the world on asustainable develop-ment path and makethe global economymore resilient to futureshocks.

The crisis has shaken globalfinancial markets with lossesand intense volatility that hasprompted investors to movearound $90 bn out of markets

Screen damage accountsfor 71 pc of smartphoneproblems: OnsiteGoPNS n NEW DELHI

Lax handling of smartphonesthat lead to screen damage isthe most common reason forwhich people have to run torepair centres, according to areport by after sales servicesfirm OnsiteGo.

Besides, a small mistake ofinstalling a third party mobileapplication can also makeone's pocket bleed, it added.

The role of mobile deviceshas become important in sup-porting work from home dur-ing the lockdown.

Around 71 per cent cases ofmobile phone repairs are relat-ed to screen damage, followedby issues related to starting (8per cent), device damage (6per cent), water logging (3 percent), software and charging (2per cent each), the reportsaid.

It also cautions againstinstallation of third partyapplications as it can crash thesmartphone due to non-com-patibility with the operatingsystem of the device.

According to the report,smartphones with thin bezelsor curved screens, which alsocost high, are most susceptibleto damage.

"A cracked screen is unsa-vory to look at and it alsoposes danger to other parts ofyour phone. The crack allowsthe dust and moisture to get

inside the phone easily, whichdamages other componentsthat are intrinsically puttogether inside the device.

"A cracked screen or dam-aged display is most com-mon, and is reported to bealmost 71 per cent of all issuesin smartphones," the reportbased on the January-Februaryrepair trend said.

Motherboards are the mostexpensive part of a mobilephones, accounting for around39 per cent of the device'sprice, followed by screens (23per cent), camera (8 per cent),back cover (7 per cent), battery(6 per cent) and speaker orreceiver (around 2 per cent),according to the report.

"As the most common part,the screen is repaired 77 percent of the time. A mother-board is repaired 14 per centof the time. Battery and cam-era are repaired 4 and 3 percent of times respectively.Speaker-receiver gets repaired1 per cent of the time, so isfull-body replacement of thephone," the report said.

Chances of repair orreplacement of the mother-board are found to be high incase the device faces problemsin switching on or liquiddamage.

The average cost of repairis the highest in case thephone faces problems inswitching on.

PNS n NEW DELHI

The government may soonannounce more steps -- likecheaper working capital andlower tariff -- for power dis-coms to ensure uninterruptedelectricity supply during thelockdown to contain COVID-19. "The Power Ministry isworking on a proposal to pro-vide relief to discom to keepthem afloat during the lock-down, especially when thedemand is low and their billscollections is negligible,"according to a source.

The power demand hascame down by almost one

third during the lockdown.The demand met was down

by about 29 per cent at 121.38GW on April 10 compared to170.52 GW on the same daylast year. The demand was

down mainly due to lowerrequirements from industryand state power distributioncompanies (discoms).

The peak power demandmet is the actual highest ener-

gy supply during the day acrossthe country. According to thesource, the discoms are facingliquidity crunch and thereforethe efforts of the central gov-ernment would be to providethem working capital at lowerinterest rates.

Besides, the governmentmay direct central and statepower regulators to reducetariff for the discoms, thesource added. However, thesemeasures may require UnionCabinet approval as it hasfinancial implications.

The proposal could be sentfor the Cabinet approval nextweek, the source said.

PNS n RIYADH

Top oil producers struggled tofinalise production cuts duringa virtual summit held by G20energy ministers on Friday,despite US President DonaldTrump's mediation efforts toend a standoff with Mexico.

The final G20 communiqueappeared to gloss over simmer-ing divisions over energy pol-icy, making no mention of out-put cuts and pledging simplyto ensure oil "market stability"amid the coronavirus pan-demic.

Mexico was the lone holdoutin a record OPEC-led agree-ment reached a day earlier thatwould see output slashed by 10million barrels per day in Mayand June followed by a grad-ual reduction in cuts untilApril 2022.

The standoff had cast doubton efforts to bolster oil prices,pushed to near two-decadelows by the demand-sappingpandemic and a Saudi-Russiaprice war that rattled global

markets.The subsequent G20 meet-

ing -- hosted by Riyadh -- wasexpected to seal the deal morewidely with non-OPEC coun-tries in the group includingMexico, the United States andCanada.

But there was no sign of anagreement in the group's finalstatement.

"We commit to ensure thatthe energy sector continues tomake a full, effective contribu-tion to overcoming COVID-19and powering the subsequentglobal recovery," said the state-

ment released early Saturday."We commit to take all the

necessary and immediate mea-sures to ensure energy marketstability." There was no signthat countries such as Canada-- the world's fourth largestproducer -- had committed tospecific cuts, with NaturalResources Minister SeamusO'Regan saying the G20 sum-mit "didn't discuss numbers".

Under the OPEC deal,Mexico was expected to cutproduction by 400,000 barrelsper day but it resisted the sug-gestion.

Centre mulls more steps to keep discoms afloat

Lupin donates Rs 21 cr forCOVID-19relief effortsPNS n NEW DELHI

Pharma major Lupin onSaturday announced contri-bution of Rs 21 crore for reliefefforts directed towards mit-igating the COVID-19 crisis.

The company's global giv-ing program comprises threeseparate contributions madeby its employees, the compa-ny and the promoter family,Lupin said in a statement.

Lupin's employees havegiven their two days' salaries,together contributing a sumof Rs 5.5 crore to the PrimeMinister's Citizen Assistanceand Relief in EmergencySituations Fund (PM CARESFund), it said.

"The company hasmatched an equal sum of Rs5.5 crore for direct initiativesthat the company will imple-ment to support overbur-dened national and statehealthcare systems throughdonation of personal protec-tive equipment, medicinesand providing meals forfront-line workers and theneedy," Lupin said.

Fiinovation & SMSIndia Partner forrelief project PNS n NEW DELHI

Innovative Financial AdvisorsPvt. Ltd. (Fiinovation) andSMS India Pvt. Ltd.,Gurugram (SMS groupGermany subsidiary), a lead-ing plant supplier to the met-allurgical industry, have joinedhands and designed a commu-nity level CSR project for fos-tering awareness for COVID-19 and aiding the marginalizedsection of the society. The pro-ject will be implemented inWard Slum No. 38 in Kolkatawhich include areas such as,Gas Street, Nakibulla Lane,Antony Bagan Lane, RamnathBiswas Lane, Kali ShomeStreet, Patwar Bagan Lane,Harshee Street, Canal EastRoad, Canal West Road,Chamru Singh Lane, Harinath

Dey Road and WardInstitution Street. The inter-vention aims to provide basicand essential supplies to thedestitute and financially weaksection of the society.

The project will benefitapproximately 1500 slumhouseholds of the targetedregion. Dr. Nikhil VihariMemorial Foundation, a civilsociety organization that hasbeen working towards devel-opment of health, livelihoodand education in the underprivileged and backward sec-tions of the society in Kolkatawill handle the on-groundrequirements.

As part of the project, var-ious temporary distributioncentres will be set up in theslum areas for the distributionof pre-packaged food ration.

G20 ministers struggle to finaliseoil output cuts despite US efforts

Paytm collects Rs 100 cr for PM-CARES PNS n NEW DELHI

Digital payments platformPaytm on Saturday said contri-butions for the PM-CARESFund for the COVID-19 crisishave crossed Rs 100 crore on itsplatform.

Paytm had earlier announcedit aims to contribute Rs 500crore to the PM-CARES Fund.It had said for every contribu-tion or any other payment madeon Paytm using the wallet, UPIor Paytm Bank debit card, it willcontribute an extra up to Rs 10.

"In a little over 10 days, con-tributions have crossed Rs 100crores on the Paytm app and theinitiative is still going strong,"Paytm said in a statement on

Saturday. The company said its employ-

ees have also come together andcontributed their salaries for thefund.

"Over 1,200 employees havecontributed their 15 days, onemonth, two months to even

three months'salary for thisnoble cause," thestatement said.

Amit Veer,senior vice presi-

dent at Paytm said every citizenin the country needs to cometogether to fight this globalpandemic.

"We urge fellow Indians tocontribute wholeheartedly forthis cause. We hope our hum-ble contribution to this great

cause helps us come out strongeras a nation," he added.

Paytm also said it is seekingdonations for meals for dailywage earners and is working onthis initiative in association withthe KVN Foundation.

Corporate India has beenrushing in to help the govern-ment and citizens fight theCOVID-19 pandemic in India.

Tata Trusts and Tata grouptogether have pledged Rs 1,500crore -- by far the highest by anycorporate.

Wipro Ltd, WiproEnterprises Ltd and AzimPremji Foundation have togeth-er committed Rs 1,125 crore,while Reliance Industries' chiefMukesh Ambani had also com-

mitted a further Rs 500 crore tothe Prime Minister's COVID-19 fund, topping up over themulti-crore initiative of India'sfirst coronavirus hospital, mealsto the needy, and fuel to emer-gency vehicles.

Infosys Foundation, the phil-anthropic arm of Infosys, hascommitted Rs 100 crore, whilea number of other companiesare also extending supportefforts like providing sanitizers,masks and meals to people.

The pandemic -- which haskilled over 1,00,000 peopleacross the world -- hasclaimed 239 lives in India sofar. There are over 7,440 peo-ple infected with coronavirusin the country.

Its employees have alsocome together andcontributed theirsalaries for the fund

Tata Consumer Productsdistributors to join assellers on FlipkartPNS n NEW DELHI

Walmart-owned Flipkart onSaturday said it has partneredTata Consumer Products Ltdunder which the latter's dis-tributors will list as market-place sellers on the e-com-merce platform.

The partnership will allowconsumers to use the Flipkartplatform to buy differentcombo packs of essential prod-ucts such as beverages (TataTea and coffee) and food items(Tata Sampann spices, pulses,and Nutri mixes) offered byTata Consumer Products, astatement said.

The partnership is alreadyoperational in Bengaluru, and

the companies plan to expandthese facilities in Mumbai andDelhi in the coming weekand tier-II towns in the future.

The product combinationshave been curated keeping inmind specific needs of Indianconsumers, while also offeringthem significant cost benefits,it said.

"The partnership hasbrought together two iconicIndian companies that havecreated a unique distributionmodel, leveraging their com-bined strengths to solve forIndian consumers' need foraccess to essential commodi-ties as they stay indoors andpractise social distancing," itadded.

PNS n MUMBAI

As India steps up to fight coro-navirus, Bisleri – India's mosttrusted brand has introducedthe Bisleri@Doorstep initiativein its commitment to fulfil theincreasing demand for safeand healthy mineral water.The initiative also emphasizeson the importance of stayinghydrated at all times and scal-ing up immunity with addedminerals.

Through this initiative, con-sumers across cities can opt toorder directly on the compa-ny website - www.bisleri.comor by calling the customer caretoll free number - 1800-121-1007 to indicate their require-ment across a range of sizes.The order will be delivered bythe company via its distribu-tion network within 48 hours.

With this direct-to con-sumer approach, Bisleri wants

to assure its consumers thatpure and safe mineral waterwill be delivered to theirdoorstep as and whenrequired. It also aims to edu-cate consumers about howhydration plays a key role inkeeping one healthy andboosting immunity. Mineralsand trace elements in water isalso essential for health whichone may not find in tap wateror commonly used purifica-tion methods like RO & UVpurifiers.

Bisleri Mineral water goesthrough rigorous 10 STEPquality process and 114 tests toensure every bottle meets thehighest possible standards inhygiene. Required Mineralswhich are essential to ourhealth is added and the wateris subjected to 'ozonisation', aprocess that has the ability tokill bacteria and othermicrobes of any kind.

Bisleri launches homedelivery service forconsumer safety

Cooking oilproductiondown 40 pc:Adani WilmarPNS n NEW DELHI

Adani Wilmar, which sellsedible oi ls under theFortune brand, on Saturdaysaid production of cookingoils has declined by 40 percent due to labour shortagein the current lockdown,resulting in tight supplies ofthe essential commodity.

Sales of cooking oils toohave fallen 25 per cent withclosure of all hotels, restau-rants and cafeterias becauseof the lockdown to controlCovid-19, said AngshuMallick, deputy CEO ofAdani Wilmar.

In the packaged edible oilsegment, Adani Wilmar is amarket leader with over 20per cent share.

"We used to process andproduce around 8,000tonnes of edible oil per day.The production level hascome down by 40 per centbecause of the labour short-age," Mallick told PTI.

Mechanism tocredit govt'scontributiontowards EPFPNS n NEW DELHI

Retirement fund body EPFOhas put in place a mechanismto credit employers' andemployees' contributiontowards its social securityschemes by the governmentunder the PM Garib KalyanYojana amid the lockdown tocontain COVID-19.

The move would benefitaround 79 lakh subscribersand 3.8 lakh firms with a totaloutgo of Rs 4,800 crore fromthe government.

"Employees ProvidentFund Organization (EPFO),has put in place an electron-ic mechanism for creditingEPF and EPS accounts of itssubscribers as per the pack-age announced by the UnionGovernment under PMGareeb Kakyan Yojna onMarch 26, 2020 for helpingthe poor to fight Coronapandemic," a labour min-istry statement said.

Accordingly, the reliefannounced by the govern-ment can be claimed by eli-gible organisations/establish-ments by filing electronicchallan-cum-return (ECR).

The due amount on behalfof employers and employeesreflected in the ECR onaccount of EPF and EPS (24per cent wages) will be cred-ited by the central govern-ment for three months inuniversal account number.

China autosales sink48.4% inMarch PNS n BEIJING

China's auto sales sank 48.4%in March from a year ago asthe economy reeled from thecoronavirus, according to anindustry group, adding tostrains for the strugglingindustry in its biggest globalmarket. Sales of SUVs, sedansand minivans totaled justover 1 million, the ChinaAssociation of AutomobileManufacturers said. Totalvehicle sales, including trucksand buses, declined 43.3% to1.4 million.

The decline was animprovement over February'srecord-setting 81.7% salesplunge after auto dealershipsand other businesses wereshut down to fight the try tostop the virus's spread.

The ruling CommunistParty started reopening facto-ries, restaurants and stores inMarch after declaring victoryover the outbreak. But con-sumers who are uneasy aboutpotential job losses or a resur-gence of the virus are reluctantto make big purchases.

The doctors and nurses are busy treatingCOVID-19 patients. Away from hospitals,entrepreneurs, IITs and even school stu-dents are busy giving their ideas wings tocome up with gadgets that will keep peo-

ple safe and healthy during and after the epidemic.Their motto: Prevention is better than cure.

D Venkatesh, an entrepreneur from Tirupur,Tamil Nadu, who runs a water treatment business(WTT Technology Services India Pvt Ltd), is one suchperson. Even though Venkatesh was staying homebecause his factory is shut, it didn’t stop him and hisfriends from talking about the Coronavirus impact.Long phone chats led him to explore optionsthrough which he could contribute. It was not untilMarch 29, 2020 that he finally decided to do some-thing about it.

“It was a Sunday. I had not stepped out of thehouse since the lockdown was announced. We need-ed some household items and went to the market. Thescene shocked me. It looked like a mela. There musthave been over 1,000 people at the farmers’ marketin total disregard to social distancing. I had seen atunnel structure on YouTube spraying people inTurkey with a disinfectant using the humidifyingmethod. That fascinated me and got me thinking.Next day, on Monday, I opened my factory andworked on a tunnel that suited us. On March 31, 2020,the 16-foot tunnel was ready,” Venkatesh says.

Making the structure was easy but what camenext, to figure out how to spray the disinfectant onthe people was tricky. The tunnel uses one of the twodisinfectants — hypochlorite and Chlorine. “I hadstarted my career working with an Italian companyand hence the attitude that human safety comes first.I had to ensure that the spray didn’t affect the eyes,nose and skin. This meant that no water dropletstouched the skin. I made a system with a pump of70 bar pressure with tiny holes of three microns. Withsuch high pressure and tiny holes, the solution of waterand hypochlorite becomes a mist. Another challengewas to ensure that the mist covered the entire humanbody — from hands to feet,” Venkatesh tells you.

The test was done in the local market afterVenkatesh managed to speak with the Collector whogave him the go-ahead. He used hypochlorite witha PPM of 0.5, what is used in swimming pools.Venkatesh also had to ensure that this misty disin-fectant actually killed the virus and people didn’t carryit with them. So, people needed to raise their handswith palms out when they walked through the tun-nel. Just like one has to take a shower after a swim,a shower after the tunnel walk is also must after onegets home. But Venkatesh was not sure how manypeople would actually do so, hence the low PPM.

“It is judicious to shower once you are home. Thecontact time inside the tunnel is three seconds —enough to kill the virus but not harmful to humansif they don’t shower. There is also a reason why I keptthe tunnel that long. I know that people don’t havethe time or patience to stand in a queue. The 16-foottunnel means that there is a steady flow of peopledoing away with long queues,” Venkatesh explains.

Since his test run on April 1, 2020, Venkatesh hasbeen busy and has sold 50 such tunnels that cost`85,000 each to various cities, including Bengaluru,Kochi, Calicut and Hyderabad. His idea was to makefive such tunnels and donate them. But the over-whelming response that his invention got ensured thathe is working long hours to make many more. He isgetting queries from mall owners, the Railways andcinema hall owners. He is also getting calls fromMinisters, Collectors and MLAs.

Up North, 2,845 km away, a team at LovelyProfessional University (LPU) in Phagwara, Punjab,has been busy trying to find answers on how to ensuresocial distancing. Prabin Kumar Das, a BTech student(Electronics Communication and Engineering) at theuniversity, along with his professors, has developedan IoT device — Kawachh — to promote safe socialdistancing. The device, a pendant, vibrates and glowsin case someone breaches the user’s safe space of ametre. Not only that, the device is equipped with a

handwash reminder that beeps every 30 minutes aswell as a temperature sensor that alerts via an SMSin case their body temperature crosses the prescribedlimit.

Dr Lovi Raj Gupta, Executive Dean of Scienceand Technology, LPU, tells you that, at present, thereare three pressing issues to COVID-19. First, to main-tain distance. Second, to wash and sanitise hands.Third, and most important, to monitor one’s health.

“People forget to maintain social distancing withfamily and friends. The battery-operated device helpson all three counts. It gives an alert after a specifictime to wash hands and beeps if the one-metre dis-tance is breached. The device also keeps a record ofone’s health because we know it is not possible forpeople to monitor their temperature every few hours.To get an alert on one’s health, one needs to pair itwith a device like one would do with a Fitbit,” Guptaexplains.

He also tells you that they realised theCoronavirus doesn’t discriminate and it was neces-sary to keep the cost low. Building the prototype costthe team approximately `500. Gupta and his teamhope once the lockdown opens, they will be able tointroduce this locket at a cost of `400.

It is not just the safety of masses that is in ques-tion here. Several doctors too, who had been work-ing with COVID-19 cases, fell prey to the virus. Inorder to keep the medical staff safe, three students— two from KIIT World School in Pitampura andone from Modern School, Barakhamba Road in theCapital, have come up with an innovative idea.

Saurav Maheshkar of Class XII, Nishant Chandnaof Class X and Aditya Dubey have conceptualised,designed and built the robot — Prithvi — a batteryoperated prototype, a programmable board and basicmotors at a cost less than `5,000. Due to the lock-down, the trio had to make the bot with cardboard.However, when it goes for mass production, the botwould require a sturdier built. The aim here is toreduce contact between healthcare workers andCOVID-19 patients.

Maheshkar tells you that the idea came after theirprincipal asked students to come up Corona fight-ers. “The robot is meant to deliver food and medi-cine to those in quarantine. It can be programmedto go to the patient deliver food, medicine and if theperson under quarantine wants, he can speak withhis family via video conferencing. We have used —arduino controller — openly available chips that peo-ple use to make codes with motors to run the bot witha 25-volt battery that can run for an hour of contin-uous work. One can increase the battery volt toincrease the working hours,” Maheshkar says. Thethree are now looking for help from universities tobetter their bot. Interestingly, Maheshkar andChandna met Dubey at an activist meet to protestagainst the rising air pollution levels in New Delhi,last year.

Chandna tells you that there were some challengeseven though this was not the first bot they had builtfor the healthcare sector. “The challenge came whenI had to make the body. I had to use cardboard. Wehave been working on robotics for the last two-threeyears. Our team had won the nationals — we had ear-lier made a bot for the physically challenged. But thisbot has been modified keeping in mind the viruspatients. It took me around two weeks to completethe bot,” Chandna says.

Then there is the problem of keeping track ofthose people who have recovered from COVID-19but their movement needs to be restricted. To meetthis challenge, start-ups and entrepreneurs from IITRoorkee have come up with a surveillance system.Raven Eye, an incubated start-up founded byProfessor Kamal Jain, Department of CivilEngineering, IIT Roorkee, has developed a system tofight COVID-19 through a tracking mobile applica-tion. Using geo-fencing technology, the system gen-erates alerts if any individual violates quarantine.

There are some in-built guards against hacking.In case the network is not available, the app will sendan alert through SMS. In case the phone is switchedoff, it will send a message to the main server. If theperson steps beyond the Lakshman rekha, it will senda message. If the person tries to delete the app, it willsend a message. “In no case can the person try to side-step the system which we have been using in track-ing vehicles even before GPS came to India. So, track-ing COVID-19 patients will not be a big task. Thesurveillance system is a plug-and-play device whichallows tracking with an accuracy of +/- 5 metresthrough notifications at two, 10 or 20 seconds. Besideslive tracking, the administrator can view the entiremovement history of an individual,” Jain says.

The IIT Roorkee has also developed a low-costportable ventilator. Named Prana-vayu, the closed-loop ventilator has been developed in collaborationwith AIIMS, Rishikesh, and is equipped with state-of-the-art features. The manufacturing cost per ven-tilator is estimated at `25,000.

Helyxon, a health tech start-up that works in closecollaboration with IIT Madras Healthcare TechnologyInnovation Centre, has come with AI-enableddevices for better management of the pandemic. Vitalhealth parametres like temperature, oxygen satura-tion as well as heart rate offer critical clues to the healthcondition of the patient and this can be done via twodigital solutions – OXY-2 and 98.6 Fever Watch pricedat `5,799 and `2,499, respectively. “The AI-backedbiosensor devices reliably capture trend of parame-tres like temperature and alerts the remote medicalstaff or an attendant in case of anomaly. This allowsimmediate intervention when needed. It also cutsdown the work of regular manual monitoring whichis, in any case, impossible for thousands of patients,”Vijai Shankar Raja, founder, Helyxon, says.

In the North-East, the Indian Institute ofTechnology Guwahati has developed a low-cost UVCLED-based disinfectant system for surfaces. DrSenthilmurugan Subbiah, Department of ChemicalEngineering, IIT Guwahati, says that the aim is to dis-infect surfaces — be it homes, hospitals or malls andeven water. “This system works the same way a vac-uum cleaner works. It has wheels at the bottom andone needs to move it to clean the floor. There is avelocity at which it needs to move. Anything fasterand it won’t work. A certain area needs to be exposedfor 30 seconds for the UVC LED light to kill the virusat the dosage that has been pre-set,” explains Subbiahwhose team had started working on the mop backin mid-February.

The normal UV rays can damage the eyes, butthis device will stop working the minute one lifts itfrom the floor. The idea is to protect people from theharmful rays. The rechargeable in-built battery-oper-ated system will have variants depending on whereit has to be used. Unlike for home where the mop willbe manual, the ones for commercial areas will be auto-mated and programmed to go wherever necessary.The team is also in the process of making a devicethat can be used to clean doorknobs. The team ainsat ensuring that the device is not expensive by keep-ing the cost under `1,000.

“The COVID-19 is protein-based with RNA andDNA. The UVC LED system interchanges thestructure of the protein. Once its changed, it is moreor less dead. If 36 Joules of a dose is given to a cer-tain surface, it kills 90 per cent of the virus sitting onit. This mop gives 4-log dose killing 99.99 per centof the virus. Whatever is left will not harm,” Subbiahsays.

special 07VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | APRIL 12, 2020

A tunnel that disinfects people before they enter a market, a locket that beeps if a person breaches thesix-foot Lakshman rekha of the wearer, a UVC LED mop to sanitise homes, a robot to minimise doctor-patient contact and a surveillance system to track the infected — the non-medical community is just asbusy trying to save lives from Coronavirus. A report by SHALINI SAKSENA

IN WAKE of the current Covid-19pandemic, the North Delhi MunicipalCorporation, in a test project, sprayedsanitiser through drones in ShakurBasti, Keshavpuram.

The special drone, Corona CombatDrone, is an agricultural applicationdrone which is used to spray pesticidesin the fields.

The drones have a capacity ofcarrying 10 litres of santisers and canfly up to a height of 20 metres.

The liquid sprayed by the droneshave no harmful effects on humans,essentially what a sanitiser does, butcan effectively kill the virus.

IT WAS one of its kind online hackathon inIndia to discover non-medical solutions tostop the spread of tOVID-19. It saw hugeparticipation with over 2,300 registrationsand close to 15,000 participants fromacross India and overseas. Over 300 topteams presented their innovative ideaswith a pre-recorded video pitch viawebinar. Out of the 300 submissions, 30of them topped the Mentor Board and top10 Leader Jury Board.

Gayatri Chhabria, South Asia headRobotex, Pune FLO member tells you thatthey aim to strengthen and bolster fightagainst COVID-19 for India. "It inspired byan event in the second week of March

2020 where a hackathon was organisedand invited non-medical staff to come up

with ideas to tackle COVID-19. PayalRajpal, the co-lead and I approached RituPrakash Chhabria, chairperson, FLO PuneChapter who gave us go ahead. Wepartnered with Garage 48 a privatecompany based out of Europe whichhandled the backend of the hackathon forus. We also support of many ministrieslike Ministry of Electronics and InformationTechnology, Make in India, MyGov, MEITYStart-up Hub, Maharashtra StateInnovation Society and Ministry of Skilland Entrepreneurship, Science andTechnology Park to name a few. We havenow been invited for a global hackathon torepresent India," Chhabria says.

T H E S E I D E A S D A Z Z L E T O O

IT HAS become imperative to identifytechnological opportunities and findunique solutions to contain or at leastmitigate the chances of spread ofCOVID-19. Log 9 Materials Pvt Ltd., aBengaluru-headquarterednanotechnology start-up, has come upwith an innovative, first-of-its-kindproduct -- CoronaOven -- that makesuse of UVC light (having wavelength of253.7 nm) in order to disinfect surfacesfrom germs including bacteria andviruses.

The system is lightweight andportable disinfection chamber (20 litresvolume) designed to kill Coronovirus.

What makes the product stand out is itsability to kill virus/pathogens within 10minutes from the time the object isplaced inside the chamber forundergoing disinfection.

Akshay Singhal, founder-CEO, Log9Materials tells you that that the producthas been specifically designed keepingin mind the cell structure andcharacteristics of the Coronavirus. "Wewere able to create this product andconduct simulations for the same withina couple weeks. Not only does theCoronaOven provide accurate andnecessary energy via multi-focal UVCradiation on each point on the surface

on an object to be disinfected/sterilised,but also guarantees 100 per centdestruction of the Coronovirus andother harmful microorganisms. It is ascalable and cost-effective solution builtwith easily available materials, and is assimple to use like a normal microwave,"Singhal says.

The principle on which it works issimple. Once a specific intensity of UVClight is exposed to Covid-19 virus, itpenetrates the virus shell, reaches itsRNA strand making a permanentalteration in its RNA structure, whichrenders the virus incapable of infectingor replicating inside a live cell.

HACK THE CRISIS DRONES TO RESCUE THE KILL ZONE

GADGETSGO VIRAL

PEOPLE FORGET TOMAINTAIN SOCIAL

DISTANCING WITH FAMILYAND FRIENDS. KAWACHH,THE BATTERY-OPERATED

DEVICE HELPS ON THEFOLLOWING COUNTS. IT

GIVES AN ALERT AFTER ASPECIFIC TIME TO WASH

HANDS AND BEEPS IF THEONE-METRE DISTANCE ISBREACHED. THE DEVICE

ALSO KEEPS A RECORD OFONE'S HEALTH

— DR LOVI RAJ GUPTAEXECUTIVE DEAN OF SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY, LPU

A tunnel that sanitise people in Tirupur and a possible ventilator created by the team at IIT Roorkee

Kawachh, tthe llocket

(above) The robot that reduces doctor-Covid-19 patient contact,(below) UVC LED system device (mop)

This week your emotional wellbeing would beovershadowed by tension and worries. Due tonegligence, a medical problem may intensify. BP andheart patients need to be careful. Some of you mayrequire immediate medical attention. Consider medicalexamination in case of any health issue. You need tostay calm and optimistic because anger and anxiety actlike slow poison. The key to a healthy life is happiness.On the career front, you will feel depressed due tounemployment. To those in a job, fear of losing theirjob will cause anxiety. Try to focus on what you cancontrol to ease your anxiety. You are happy at the wayyour relationship is progressing. Mutual understandingbetween couples will strengthen their bond.

Lucky number 13Lucky colour WhiteLucky day Saturday

ARIES March 21-April 19

In case a health issue arises, you may need to look backinto your family history to study the roots of yourphysical ailment. Genetic factors may be the reasonbehind your ailment. Keep a record of your family’smedical history. In case of any flu symptoms, consult thedoctor. The situation will be in control soon, prevention isbetter than the cure. On the work front, your peers andcolleagues will look for your guidance. Your advice willbe valued and put into action. You are on the right path.This is the time to stabilise your strength. Honour andrecognition will easily come to you this week. In yourlove life, some issues may take a negative turn and youmay feel stuck. One side attraction and feelings won’ttake you anywhere.

Lucky number 19Lucky colour MagentaLucky day Thursday

TAURUS April 20-May 20

You will be low this week due to loneliness anddepression. Disconnection and solitude are not goodfor mental wellbeing. Spend the time to make yourambience positive and cheerful. Follow meditation andif required seek advice from a spiritual Guru. Sharingyour experiences with close ones will bring relief. Onthe work front, you may find a new source of income.This will help you build your confidence. Some of youwill be able to meet the set target. Due to workload,your relationships will get affected. Though workingfrom home, you will not be able to pay attention to yourpersonal life. You need to bring a balance to yourpersonal and professional life. An auspicious event likechildbirth or news of pregnancy is on the card.

Lucky number 30Lucky colour Pastel GreenLucky day Monday

GEMINI May 21-June 20

This week will bring relaxation. You are likely to feelrejuvenated, chirpy and hopeful. Past negativity will bedissolved. Being with your near and dear ones willkeep you busy. People around you will be charmed byour personality. Stay well hydrated. Career-wise, this isa good week. All your wishes will come true and yourideas will be put to execution. Make the best use ofthis week. Students need to utilise this time tostrengthen their knowledge base. On the personalfront, be careful of the intervention of a third party. Itwill create misunderstandings and harm yourrelationship. Frustration and depression may hit you atsome point. This is just a temporary phase and willpass soon. Happier times await you.

Lucky number 24Lucky colour GreenLucky day Saturday

CANCER June 21-July 22

This week you will spend your time in spiritual pursuitsto find peace and inner calm. You will take to meditationand yoga to bring about balance and gather strength toface the challenges, and stay calm during the ongoingchaos in the world. You will experience new energy inyour body and that will make you a lively person.Professionally, you may come across a situation whereyou will face opposition. Your colleagues may not agreewith your viewpoint. This will make you impulsive andaggressive. Avoid such behaviour and try to understandthe psyche of others. Your impulsive actions will onlybring harm to you. Be a good listener and observer. Notjust on the career front, you need to control yourimpulsive nature in your personal life as well.

Lucky number 17Lucky colour CopperLucky day Tuesday

VIRGO Aug 23-Sep 22

You will be very charismatic this week. You will charmpeople with your attractive and pleasing nature. You arehigh on energy and are ready to face life with optimism.Those with health issues should not ignore anysymptoms, especially during this pandemic. Regulariseyour routine and lead a disciplined life. Your temptationsand desires would be on a rise and make you break therules of healthy living. Avoid alcohol and spicy food.Professionally, you will be satisfied. During work fromhome, try learning new skills, as they may prove fruitful inthe long run. This week affairs of the heart look a bitcomplicated. Misunderstandings and accusations willdisturb your mental peace. Try to have an openconversation with your partner.

Lucky number 2Lucky colour GreenLucky day Tuesday

LIBRA Sep 23-Oct 22

You will be very sensitive and emotional about yourhealth. Females may feel cranky, irritated and restricted.Take time out to open up to the magical energy of lifeand feel the love flowing all around you. Those with highBP and bile problems need special care. A woman mayhelp to lead you into a new and deeper spiritualunderstanding. Those in a family business need toaddress an important issue with a senior member in thefamily and seek their advice. Taking self-decision at thishard time won’t be appreciated and you may faceproblems. Those in a job, working in a group will bebeneficial for you. Staying at home will strengthen thefamily bond. You will enjoy the affection of family andyour relationship with your spouse will be satisfactory.

Lucky number 14Lucky colour PinkLucky day Thursday

SCORPIO Oct 23-Nov 21

This week you are full of energy. Those with healthissues will feel better and even healthier. With moretime to invest, you are getting ready to enter newrealms in your spiritual exploration. You will take allprecautions and remedial measures to remain healthy.The traditional ways of healing like yoga, Pranayam andmeditation will work best for you. Constructively useyour potentials. Work-wise, there is a breakthrough andyou are unstoppable. The more attempts you make, themore you accomplish. Those in media, this week isgood for you. Unfortunately, your personal life is not sobright. You may feel left out and lonely. Stay away fromany argument and affairs this week. Don’t worry, thingswill get better soon.

Lucky number 10Lucky colour TurquoiseLucky day Friday

AQUARIUS Jan 20-Feb 18

The week will see you in a partnership, either on spiritualor health regime issue. Take time to focus your energy onbalancing your charas, this will be helpful. Pay attentionto your mind, body and spirit. The benefits are far greaterthan any effort you can put out. Your health will be inbetter shape than you want it to be. Due to the ongoingpandemic, you may face hiccups on the career front.Deep inside you know what the need of the hour is. Youare likely to overcome the delays and hurdles in yourwork by your perseverance and connections with the highofficials. On the personal front, you may be feelingfrustrated at the speed of events you are focusing on. Youneed to have patience. Understand that if you wait thingswill materialise in your favour.

Lucky number 23Lucky colour PastelLucky day Wednesday

PISCES Feb 19-March 20

This week is a very spiritually oriented time for you. Thisis the right time to bring change in your life. Change isconstant and resisting change can be bad for your health.Follow whatever it takes to keep your stress level undercontrol. Practice meditation and yoga. A good diet andproper exercise are two main pillars of health. On thecareer front, challenges await you, but you have theenergy to take them on. In this chaotic scenario, adopt abalanced approach between your personal andprofessional life. Respond to emails and phone callscarefully with wisdom and forethought and you can winhalf the race. In matters of heart, be careful in who youplace your trust. Don’t judge people around you quickly.Understand, observe and then take decisions.

Lucky number 8Lucky colour RedLucky day Monday

CAPRICORN Dec 22-Jan 19

Those in a depressed state of mind will find relief thisweek. You will find ways to bring happiness in your life.You will value the importance of interacting with peoplewith whom you can share your sorrows. Find ways toentertain and rejuvenate yourself. Understand that changeis the only constant and this time too shall pass. Apositive state of mind will help you be happy and remainhealthy. On the career front, you need to be cautious inyour communication. Don’t discuss your working planswith anyone. Your competitors will try to put you in anirritable situation. On the personal front, with everyone athome, couples seem to be having the most interestingtimes. You will feel the passion, romance and findfulfillment in each other.

Lucky number 15Lucky colour GoldenLucky day Friday

LEO July 23-Aug 22

Staying calm is your key to happiness. You want a breakfrom the monotonous schedule and recharge yourself toface the life ahead. Your quest for wisdom will not allowyou to sit idle. You are likely to engage in learning newskills that will be an add-on to your multi-dimensionalpersonality. Since you are at home all the time, supportyour health with proper diet and physical exercise.Professionally, the week is satisfactory. It is a good timein terms of finance. An investment done in the past willpay you rich dividends now. Students need to utilise theirtime in gaining more knowledge. Invest in online coursesthat will help you in further studies. On the personalfront, resolve a long-standing problem at home. This isthe time to mend broken relationships.

Lucky number 22Lucky colour CoralLucky day Sunday

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22-Dec 21

YOURWEEK

AHEADMADHU KOTIYA

sundaymagazine

tarot 8YOUR SMILE WILL GIVE YOU APOSITIVE COUNTENANCE THAT

WILL MAKE PEOPLE FEELCOMFORTABLE AROUND YOU

— LES BROWN Vijayawada, April 12, 2020

Nobody, not even doctors wereaware of coronavirus before ittrapped the whole world into its

fold. Only after pandemic broke out thatthe medical scientists have begun theirresearch to find the right medicine andvaccine to checkmate this menace infuture. So remains true about astrologersalso. None could foresee this pandemic. Icould just see possibility of mass deathfrom eclipse chart of December 26, 2019.Now we are trying to analyse data relat-ing to pandemics in earlier times to fig-ure out planetary alignment pointing topossibility of such pandemics. Majorpandemic broke out every 100 years —1720, 1820, 1920, and now in 2020. Inbetween also, pandemic broke out onvarious occasions, already discussed inone of my earlier issues.

In course of the study, it came outthat the distant planets — Uranus, Pluto,and Neptune — play a very importantrole in so far as catastrophic events oflarge dimension are concerned.Unfortunately, most of Indian astrologersdon’t pay any attention to these planets.Fact, however, remains that but for tak-ing them into consideration, it would notbe possible to explain unusual happen-

ings of large scale. In fact, ever sinceUranus, in course of its periodic motion,entered Aries sign in April 2017, I havebeen wondering its probable implicationsin world matters during its seven years ofstay there. For, earlier during Uranus’stransit through Aries sign, have beenmarked with major issues confrontingthe world. Bear in mind, when astrologi-cal chart of the world is drawn, Ariessign is taken as lagna, as it is the firsthouse of natural zodiac.

From 1933 to 1940, Uranus wasthere in Aries. Second world war hap-pened during this period which tookabout 16 million valuable lives. In theprocess world economy was devastated.It took years to bring back the economyon rails. Period from 1849 to 1856 ismarked with Taiping rebellion in China,which cost more than 10 million lives.Second British Burma war took placeduring this period. Crimean war hap-pened. Period from 1765 to 1773 ismarked with American revolution. Nowwe are faced with the present pandemic.It is nothing short of a world war like sit-uation. During world wars, apart fromthe major players in the war theatre,about 20 to 30 countries would have

directly or indirectly been affected. Thepresent pandemic has overtaken theentire world.

Having said that, let me make itclear, Uranus alone can’t play that big adevil. Other planets carrying negativeimplications have to join hand. In thisrespect, Pluto is believed to be mostlethal. Saturn, Mars, Rahu, and Ketuforming adverse alignment further addon killing propensity. During allunprecedented events, the chart drawn atthe time of major eclipse during the year,Pluto has been found to be either withJupiter, Saturn, or Ketu.

During 1720 pandemic, Pluto wasthere with Jupiter and Uranus. In 1820,Pluto was with Saturn, another death sig-nifying planet. In 1920, Pluto was oppo-site Mars in the death indicating 8thhouse, which was ill-disposed off toUranus. The Sun and Moon were placedadverse to mischievous Neptune. Duringeclipse that happened on December 26,2019, Pluto, Jupiter, Saturn, and Ketuwere together on the eclipse axis. Theresult is there to see. More than a millionpeople have already been found infected.The death toll too has been mountingevery day. The economic recession there-of needs no elaboration. So, we need tokeep a watch on the movement of the

distant planets to figure out their futureimplications in the world and over ourcountry.

I am afraid, the impact of Uranuswon’t be over even after this pandemic isbrought under control. It has still to stayin Aries for another four years.Meanwhile, Saturn and Pluto are there inCapricorn sign. Jupiter too is there for awhile but will be soon back to Sagittariussign. Once again, Jupiter will enterCapricorn in November this year. So,during next year, Saturn will be degree-wise placed square to Uranus (an adverseplacement sometime in 2021. At somepoint of time, Mars may also join handswith them. Such planetary alignmentagain points to possibility of a difficultsituation, in what way, time ahead willspeak. So, we can’t afford to be compla-cent. The purpose of this deliberation isnot to scare you. It is, however, the needof hour to consolidate ourselves as muchas would be possible, so that we are wellprepared to take on the challenges aheadin strength.

The wwriter iis aan aastrologer, vvastu cconsultantand sspiritual ccounsellor. WWrite tto hhim aat

G-1102, BBharat NNagar, NNew FFriends CColony,New DDelhi-1110 0025

Tel: 991-111-449848475/9818037273Email: bbharatbhushanpadmadeo@gmail.com

ASTROTURFBHARAT BHUSHAN PADMADEO

Madhu Kotiya is a tarot card reader, spiritual healer, and Founder, MShezaim Institute of Tarot and Divination. Contact details: madhu@indiatarot.com, www.indiatarot.com, M: 9873283331

Implications of distant planets

TEAM AGENDA DESK > NAVNEET MENDIRATTA, CONSULTING EDITOR | H LAYOUT AND DESIGN > SATISH CHANDRA JAKHMOLA, SENIOR EDITOR (CREATIVE)

Now yyou ccan wwrite tto uus aat agendapioneer@gmail.com

sundaymagazine

11Finding peace in these timesMeditation is the process by which wetake our attention away from the world

outside and focus it within ourselves

F R O M T H E I N S I D E

Vijayawada, April 12, 2020

I learned that you can’thave any expectations

with life. You neverknow what’s going to

happen— Jennifer Lawrence

10

Have you lost track of whatday of the lockdown is it today?Or are you keeping a count? Intimes when there appears to be noimmediate solution to tackling

Coronavirus, except for physical distancing,have you wondered what is our biggestchallenge today? The answer really is a nobrainer. We just need to ensure that we followwhatever it takes to avoid a pandemic that haswreaked havoc all over the world fromspreading. So how does one stay safe ? Is thereeven a way? Well clearly information is the key.Thankfully, a few things have beensubstantiated by now. So it is only safe to followwhat is known and understood.

First of which, without doubt, is the factthat social distancing or staying away fromother humans is the best known way to avoidinfection. Simple solution for that is to stay putin your homes to stay safe. That’s the mantrathat needs to be taken very seriously — chant itand practice it, strictly. After all your life maydepend on it.

Secondly, soap and water are our first lineof defence. And a very effective one at that. Sowash your hands obsessively and don’t beembarrassed about getting obsessive abouthygiene. Washing with the soap is found to beeven more effective than using a sanitiser. Thevirus is a self-assembled nanoparticle and theweakest link is the lipid bi-layer. When youwash your hands with soap it dissolves the fattymembrane and the virus falls apart thusbecoming “inactive”. So please wash your handsand keep washing them!

Third, and equally important, is to eat cleanand right, Our body is under assault from adeadly virus. And if there is one thing one mustdo right, it is to begin eating clean. There areenough red flags about processed foods toconvince anyone who values their health, to gooff them. And this holds true specially now,when we need to give the body all the helppossible to avoid and fight the virus. Eatingclean is truly the most effective way to go, togive our body a fighting chance.

Clean eating means cutting down onprocessed foods and eating only real foods. Sofocus on local produce — fresh fruits andvegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds and wholegrains, keep an eye on sodium, and cut downon sugar, and meat consumption. And just stopeating out of packets, cans and tins. This willalso help to keep the weight in check.

Another benefit you can score during thistime is that you be able to break your addictionto processed foods. All processed foods aredesigned to be addictive, to attack the rewardcentre of the brain, and not really to provideyou nutrition. So be careful, take a good look atwhat you are eating, and start pruning the toxicfoods from your diet. Understandably, a blanketban is not possible, and not even needed, just abit of pruning will go a long way in taking to

healthyhabits. Watchclosely both the portions and the frequency ofthe processed foods that you consume. Make arule, for instance, to consume no more than oneprocessed food item a day. That should be agood start.

Fourth, boost your immunity. Strongimmunity helps. It could well be the differencebetween you catching the infection or not, andif you do catch it, then in deciding the severityof the symptoms and your pace of recovery. Athriving immunity is, in fact, your best ally inthese trying times. It is the body’s ability toprotect itself from foreign invaders like viruses,disease and infection. It is a system thatconstantly patrols our body to detect anddestroy infectious microbes.

Since we can’t just depend on the naturalimmunity that we are born with, speciallybecause we keep devaluing it due to our toxiclifestyle, it is important to keep optimising itsfunction — all the time, and specially now withthe threat of coronavirus on our heads.

We must take this crisis as a wake up call tobegin working on our immunity proactively. Toshare a food list that would help you boost yourimmunity, people who eat the most fruit andvegetables have the healthiest lung function.Our lungs need all the support as this organ isthe biggest casualty in this pandemic. Theconnect is due to vitamins C and E that thisfood group delivers in plenty — both areknown immunity boosters and thus help wardoff flu. Here’s a list of easy, inexpensive foodsthat you need to include regularly in your dietto boost your immunity:l Amla: This humble, inexpensive food isactually the richest natural source of vitamin C.It is a powerful antioxidant and due to itsantibacterial and astringent properties, it helpsto fight against various infections, thus, makingthe immune system strong. l Flaxseeds: These have always been reveredand for good reason. They contain alpha-linolenic acid, omega-3 fatty acid andphytoestrogens called lignans — all theseingredients are important for an efficientimmune system.l Lemons: Lemons are the ideal food forrestoring acid alkali balance. It helps maintainthe body’s internal “climate” at a pH whichsupports healthy bacteria instead of the virusesand harmful bacteria which thrive in moreacidic environment. Get lemons and makesome lemonade everyday.l Carrots: Bugs Bunny rarely came down withthe flu, and for good reason. Carrots, his foodof choice, contain loads of beta carotene, whichgets converted into vitamin A in the body, a

powerfulnutrient that boosts the productionof infection-fighting natural killercells and T cells. Carrots also delivervitamin B6 which boosts the production ofantibodies. Gajar ka halwa anyone!l Barley: This grain, that has all butdisappeared from our kitchens, needs to make acomeback. First because it contains beta-glucan,a fibre with potent immunity boostingproperties and second because it delivers thedifficult to score trace mineral selenium thathas a powerful positive effect on our immunesystem.l Chickpeas: Time to bring back khatte choleon the menu. That’s because chickpeas deliver alot of antioxidants and mineral zinc that helpsto control inflammation in your body.l Garlic: Swallowing a clove, or two of crushedgarlic every morning was a norm earlier, andfor good reason. Garlic stimulates the activity of“natural killer cells” and thus helps destroyviral-infected cells. Garlic also contains sulfurwhich assists the body with zinc absorption.l Sweet potato: There’s a reason whyshakarkandi ki chaat was so popular. Sweetpotato is high in vitamin C, which is a brilliantantioxidant and also delivers a lot of vitamin A,an ace immunity-boosting vitamin. In fact, onemedium sweet potato provides your body withthe complete recommended daily allowance ofvitamin A and then some.l Mushroom: This food was probably not partof your traditional food platter, but it makessense to include it now. This is one of the rarefood sources of vitamin D, a vitamin essentialfor good immunity. Plus it helps increase theproduction of cytokines in the body, the cellsthat help fight off infection, and containspolysaccharides, compounds that support ourimmune system.

Back to the pointers, fifth don’t forget yourmood. It is important to understand that eatinghealthy is important not only for our physicalhealth, but our psychological well being as well.The best foods for our mental health aregenerally the healthiest foods. Just follow thesesteps, and you would be good: l Focus on complex carbohydrates, found infruit, vegetables, whole grains and lentils. Thesenourish our body and mind, as they releaseenergy slowly and help to stabilise our mood. l Eat foods high in vitamins A, B, C, D and E,as well as the minerals — iron, zinc andselenium. Get in enough B vitamins, found ingreen vegetables like broccoli and spinach,beans, bananas, eggs, poultry, fish and beetroot,as they are needed for the functioning of thehappiness chemicals, serotonin and dopamine.Their deficiency is in fact linked to depression. l Care for your gut. The state of our gut has animpact on our mood and how we behave.Score prebiotics and probiotics, throughfermented foods to cut inflammation, and stayhappier.

l

Doonecalmingactivityevery day —gardening,cooking, pickling,solving puzzles,craft, sewing,meditating, reading thatpile of books on yourbedside.

Sixth, sleep. Yes, it’s important. Just like ourschedules for eating, working and exercising, itis important to follow a regular sleep routine. Itcan help keep you calm, in a better mood andwith more stamina, plus help maintain a senseof normality. By the way, sufficient sleep doesn’tjust allow your body to recuperate, it alsoboosts the immune system. During the slow-wave sleep phase, neurotransmitters arereleased and the immune system springs intoaction. Sleep deprivation during this time canaffect your health negatively, seething you canafford these days.

Seventh exercise every day. Exercise makesus feel good and is also linked to better sleepand reduced stress and anxiety. Agreed youcan’t move out and all the gyms are closed, butthere lots that one can do at home. For instance,you can:l Walk in the house. Break that up into three10 minute sections — 10 minutes in themorning, 10 in the afternoon, and 10 in theevening. There are online classes being offeredfor everything — yoga, pilates, dance teachers— some for free. Look them up and follow.l Walk up and down the stairs in your home,or in your building.l Do some shadow boxing, or jumping jacks, orsit-ups, or push-ups.l Play hide and seek with your children.l Do gardeningl Housework — moping, cleaning, washingclothes etc are good workouts too.

Eighth, maintain social connection. Nowmore than ever, we need our friends — even ifwe can’t really go meet them. Social interactionsdon’t have to be face to face to be meaningful.The need of the hour is to invent and pursuenew ways social connectivity. Meet up throughvideo calls — you could organise a virtualdinner via apps like Zoom, Google Hangouts,or take a friend on a virtual walk or do ahousebound activity together, like craft ordrawing.

The writer is a Delhi-based weight manage-ment consultant, nutritionist and author of Don’t

Diet! 50 Habits of Thin People and UltimateGrandmother Hacks

As the lockdown situation is likely to extend, in some form or the other, till we are able to containCoronavirus COVID-19, there is an increasing need to maintain a disciplined lifestyle, saysKAVITA DEVGAN, as she shares a manual of dos and don'ts for everyone to keep in good health

RECAPPINGTHE LOCKDOWN SURVIVAL MANUAL

To enjoy the spirit of Easter as we remain indoors with family, the smell of fresh baking and aromatic curies will uplift the spirit!

SURVIVAL GUIDE TO THECOVID-19 PANDEMIC

WASH YOUR HANDS

ABOVE ALL TAKE CAREOF YOUR HEALTH

REMEMBER TO ONLYTOUCH YOUR FACEWITH CLEAN HANDS

STAY INDOORS

AND IF YOU CAN’T, PRACTICESOCIAL DISTANCING

HELP OUT THEELDERLY

Easy yet delightful Easter recipes

sundaymagazine

spirituality 10Vijayawada, April 12, 2020

IT’S NOT THE SITUATION, BUTWHETHER WE REACT NEGATIVEOR RESPOND POSITIVE TO THESITUATION THAT IS IMPORTANT

— ZIG ZIGLAR

HIDDENSOULSPRAMOD PATHAK

The threat from the tiniest of the creations of natureshows where homo sapiens stand in the scheme ofthings of the mighty universe. Pushed to the wall inside

the homes, the haughty humanity seems to be at its wits endtrying to tone down its ambitions of conquering the sun, themoon, the stars and the oceans. Once again, we learn thebasic lesson that survival of humanity is a formidable chal-lenge that economic prosperity may not help in fighting. Butagainst this backdrop comes an important realisation thatwhat our ancestors practiced during the ages which we lostin history and complacence made much more sense thanwhat we thought, inebriated by the power of modern sci-ence. As the pleasant and mild Namaste becomes the normreplacing a hot and vigorous handshake, we understand theimportance of social distancing. The present scenario takesme back more than 5 decades in the time machine when mymother had quarantined me after the infection from chick-en pox virus and those painful and itchy eruptions had madelife miserable. I was lodged in a room where only my moth-er would enter and give whatever was required. No outsiderwas allowed to visit the house nor anyone from the housewould leave station. It made little sense to me as I had start-ed studying everyday science in my standard 6 class. But myQuarantine was religiously followed in the name of GoddessShitala and no chappals were allowed. My clothes would betaken and dipped in boiled water. The treatment, thoughlargely palliative would involve warm water in which Neemleaves ware soaked to wash my face and body, and a fewbranches of thin Neem twigs with new leaves to brush andfan the rashes that had erupted. It all appeared so archaic.But I was given no option. The other regular feature of thosedays was that just in the beginning of first month of the Hinducalendar, the chaitra month, for the first 7 days we were allmade to drink a few spoonful of juice of Neem leaves whichwas too bitter to consume. Again no option. Of course tocounter bitterness we were given a few small pieces of sugarcandy or jaggery. Similarly, there were many such practicesthat appeared meaningless but were religiously followed. Onething was always emphasised. The religious significance ofthose practices that made us adhere to them. As modern sci-ence now explains the significance of many of those prac-tices we come to realise that our ancestors, too, had wisdomand scientific temper. It was our attitude towards those prac-tices and the assumptions ingrained in our minds that Westwas best led to dismissing our traditional knowledge as triv-ial. But we need to revisit the treasure trove of our tradition-al knowledge and use them scientifically. Traditional knowl-edge and modern scientific information need not be two dis-crete bodies of knowledge but a Continuum for the benefitof humanity. We need to understand, as we struggle to buyhand sanitisers, that the potash alum the village barber usedas after shave was quite effective and cheap. Similarly, theeveryday practice of lighting lamps at dusk, with camphorpieces, also had a scientific basis. The rituals which we prac-tice were not just rituals. They had meaning. It is time to reca-pitulate what has been gradually obliterated from our mem-ories as a result of interventionist informational onslaught.

Pathak is a professor of management, writer, and an acclaimed public speaker. He can be reached at ppathak.ism@gmail.com

Have you wondered about whythe world is in such a mess rightnow? Why has the climate

change become such a burning issue?Why has plastic become such a men-ace? Why are powerful nations compet-ing with one another rather than co-operating? The answer is that perhapsthey are trying to become bigger thanothers. Let us examine this issue usingan example that will shed light on thisquestion. Heady after the success of afew films, an upcoming actress beganaccepting whatever films were offeredto her. She became ambitious andwanted to be the biggest star. Some ofthese films were doomed to fail. Surely,her health suffered but she ignored thewarning signs and continued till therewas a serious breakdown. Her filmcareer was ruined by her ambition torace to the top.

Unfortunately for all those who aretrying to become big, there are readytraps opening up. A small soul will eter-nally remain small, a brief period of feel-ing big does not last long. We see themighty getting humbled on a regularbasis. Why don’t we try to become bet-ter or simply good, which will help allof us? What is wrong in doing that?Bigger does not help anyone, betterdoes; good does.

Similar is the problem of becomingcontrollers. It is a natural tendency forhuman beings. We try to control eventsand we are unable to do so in the ulti-mate sense. Couple of examples willhelp here too. Silver has been a targetfor many investors; they have tried topurchase large stocks of the preciousmetal, and have hoped to manipulate itsprice to their advantage. Time and againthey have failed in their attempts. Onthe other hand, Bill Gates has chosento serve the humanity in a sincere way

and has succeeded beyond belief. Intoday’s virus affected world, who is ableto control the situation? Big leaders areeither themselves stricken or are cryingin public regarding their helplessness.Sooner we realise the reality of oursevere limitations, being small souls,better for everyone that will be. God isthe only controller and will remain theonly one. Have you ever wondered whyso few people genuinely take God’s shel-ter? Because they want to control and,therefore, endlessly keep on thinkingabout different matters hoping to con-trol.

This brings me to the third majorfault of us, we humans wish to beabsolutely independent. Being indepen-dent as far as maintaining self goes isfine, because one should, but when wedon’t wish to accept God’s position, weare in serious trouble like right now.Why is social distancing necessary intoday’s troubled time? Why not contin-ue to do what pleases us as we weredoing. Why submit to lock downs? Whyeven Presidents and Prime Ministers aresubmitting to restrictions on what theycan do and they shouldn’t? The same

reality applies here also. God is the oneand only independent entity and wisepersons take His shelter. In theBhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna has stat-ed very forcefully this fact. In case any-one wants peace, etc. he or she must takeGod’s shelter, otherwise they be readyto suffer, just as humanity is sufferingpresently.

God has given us a wake up call. Wehave become godless and damaging thevery nature, which sustains us. We havebecome too addicted to sense pleasures.We are in a self-destruct mode. We mustchange our attitude. A small soul cannever either become big or become con-troller or absolutely independent. Godoccupies that position. We, small souls,should accept this reality. It is never toolate. God gives ample opportunities toreform ourselves. As a small soul, ourhope to exist well in this impermanentmiserable world (9.33) is to take God’sshelter. (18.62) I have personally real-ized this truth and am beginning to reapsome of its benefits. Please take advan-tage of God’s instructions.

Bishnoi is a spiritual writer and can be reachedat spiritual@ajitbishnoi.com

There is a lot of turmoil in theworld right now. Television,newspapers, magazines,blogs, the internet, smart-phones, tablets, and all

other devices, are buzzing with break-ing news about the catastrophe that weare dealing with today. It’s hard to gothrough any social media withouthearing of the suffering that people areundergoing around the world.

NEWS THAT WORRIES USThe news seems to be filled with

the tragedies being faced by the world.We are continually hearing of existingand impending financial and econom-ic calamity. The stock markets havecrashed. The very thought of healthdanger to us and our close ones is caus-ing immense worry and anxiety.

A lot of us have started believingthat life brings nothing but sorrows.People facing these challenges accuselife of bringing only suffering. Is thatall life is but a series of disasters strungtogether? Is there any cure for the sor-rows of life?

BREAKING NEWS THAT’S GOODThere is a place of safety where

you can find refuge from the sorrowsof life. There is a life raft to make itsafely through the stormy seas of life.You can sail away from the sorrows oflife to attain the happiness that is your

birthright. There is a place you can goto relax far away from the sadness andsuffering. You can renew your spiritsand come in contact with a place freefrom sorrows.

Where can you find that place freeof sorrows? That place free of sorrowsis within you. It is a place where youcan connect with the peace of yoursoul. You can find relief from the suf-ferings of life. You can find the peacewithin you by sitting in meditation.

In meditation, you have a periodof time during which you are not bom-barded with news of the sorrows of theworld. It is a concentrated time whenyou can focus on your soul, on thespiritual treasures within. Immersedwithin, you are filled with peace andjoys.

MEDITATION CAN HELP PASSTHOUGH THE DIFFICULT TIMES

In meditation, you can experiencecalm and bliss. You realise that with-in you is a place where there is no painand suffering. Meditation can help youawaken to the realisation that yourexistence is more than the outer worldin which your body and mind under-go suffering. You have a spiritual sidewhich is connected to the peace andhappiness within you.

When you emerge from medita-tion, you see the world in a differentlight. You know that the outer sorrows

of life are temporary. They will pass.When you see for yourself that thereis a place of peace and joy within, youare strengthened with fortitude to passthrough the difficult times knowingthat happiness is accessible to youwithin.

Through meditation you can findrelief from the sorrows of life. Whilethe wheel of life keeps spinning, youcan take some moments to jump offthe wheel to enjoy relief during thetime you meditate. You can enjoy a fewminutes, a half hour, or an hour or two,free from breaking news of the world’ssufferings. You will get a boost to helpyou soar above the realm of suffering,in order to experience realms free ofpain and sorrow.

MEDITATION CAN ALSO HELP USDEAL WITH ANXIETY AND FEAR

These are stressful and confusingtimes for many of us. Fear and anxi-ety can be overwhelming and causestrong emotions in people. Daily lifeis disrupted completely for everyoneacross the globe. People are feelinguncertain about what could happen inthe coming weeks. Feelings of anxiety,uncertainty and fear are very commontoday. People are worried about theirown health and the health of theirloved ones. How can we deal with allour fears under the current circum-stances?

We need to learn that our empow-ered soul is the one who is really fac-ing our challenges. If we connect withour empowered soul, we will overcomeall fears and gain a lasting sense ofpeace and security. Our empoweredsoul, being one with God, is there forus. It is there to help us through thechallenges of life. We just need to sitin silence and experience our empow-ered soul.

LET’S SPREAD POSITIVITYMeditation is the process by which

we take our attention away from theworld outside and focus it within our-selves. In doing so, we defocus from theturmoil of our surroundings and con-nect with our soul which is a part ofGod, source of all love and all joy. Wecannot put an end to life’s challenges.We have no control over the outer uni-verse. There is a lot happening in theworld currently that might not be with-in our control. But there is somethingthat is within our control. Amidst theuncertainty and ambiguity, we can con-trol our attitude. What we can do is facethese challenges with a sense of fear-lessness so that we are not incapacitat-ed by fear and despair. What we cando is take a break from constantly read-ing, watching or listening to news sto-ries, including social media and spendtime in meditation and experiencingour empowered soul. This is the timefor us to be positive, and to spread pos-itivity around us.

The upliftment we receive inmeditation stays with us throughoutthe day. This may not change the outersuffering of the world, but we are ableto spend some time daily in a place ofjoy and positivity that we can spreadto others. Our own spirits are lifted andwe can then make others feel good.When we realise there is a place freeof sorrows within, we can help othersto access that place too. We see lifefrom a different angle.

THIS TOO SHALL PASSThrough meditation we will also

realise that all things are transient inlife. This knowledge can help usmaintain a sense of balance when weface the highs and lows of life. We canstay at an even keel through thestorms and sunny days of life by find-ing a calm center. We can reach thisstill point through meditation.

So let us not forget that the cur-rent situation that we are facing is tem-porary. We will get through this. If wesit in silence and remember God daily,we will not be troubled by this tem-porary phase of life. We will find a stillcenter, filled with peace and balance,which will provide us with permanenthappiness despite the outer variationsof life.

The writer is a spiritual leader

Ancient practices

that made sense

FINDING PEACE IN THESE TIMES

Change your attitudeThe pandemic is a wake-up call by God to mend our ways, and that can bedone only if we change the way we operate, says AJIT KUMAR BISHNOI

Your dreams and your right to live a meaningful life is always worth a fight, saysKARAN VERMA, as he suggests a 3 step approach to bounce back from adversity

Meditation is the process by which we take our attention away from the worldoutside and focus within ourselves, writes SANT RAJINDER SINGH

Character and resilience of a humanspirit is truly tested in tough times.Those who capitulate in the face of

adversity become dispirited and there arealso those who tap into something deepdown and rise above the difficulties. In onevoice, they decide to be tougher than thetoughest times and rise above to realisetheir destiny. How do they do it? It is notbecause they are biologically or geneticallydifferent. What is different is their mentalconditioning and the will to win.

The reason some people give up tooeasily is that they either indulge in self-pityand paint themselves as victims or they justdon’t feel that their cause is worth fightingfor and so they choose the easy route of giv-ing up. Truth is that your dreams, yourhopes and your right to live a meaningfullife is always worth a fight. The moot pointhowever remains — how does one get the

strength to keep on going when nothing isworking out. As the author of the recentlyreleased bestselling novel titled Dhruv —Love Story of an Alchemist, which is an odeto everyone who has survived throughtough times, I believe that three things helpus immensely in bouncing back fromabysmal depths. Let’s be honest when we arehit by adversity in our gut, it pains and itpains hard. I suggest we should initiallyaccept the pain for what it is but we shouldbe quick to re-group ourselves and startpreparing for a bounce back.

The first approach that always helps ishaving gratitude. Stepping back and count-ing your blessings gives us immensestrength in bouncing back. As long as one’shealth is intact, gratitude is the key toimmense mental strength and it fires up ourspirit to soaring heights. It is the secret drugthat makes one fearless in the face of testing

times. As for the proverbial question ofglass half-full or half empty, I would alwaysbe grateful for it being half-full and be total-ly pumped up to make it completely full.

The second step that helps one bounceback is abandoning the fear of failure. Thetruth is that most of us are too afraid of fail-ure, too afraid of being labeled foolish ordumb. This fear never really allows us toexpress ourselves in a free-flowing manner.It is like driving a car with the hand-brakeon. Have you ever wondered why certainsports teams always choke under pressure ?Well the reason behind it is that they are tooover-awed by the occasion. Even when theyare in a winning position, the fear of losingcontinues to lurk in their minds. We have toabandon this fear of failure. There is a rea-son why Lord Krishna told Arjun on thebattle-field that ‘Karma’ (action) belongs tohim whereas the fruits of the action belongto the lord. This basic understanding of thefact that all we have control over is oureffort, instills in us a fearlessness. Itstrengthens our mind to a point where weare so consumed by the process that we stopthinking about the result.

The third approach is the one that cata-pults you to a league of the extraordinary. Icall it — loving the grind! Those whoaccomplish great tasks in life are the oneswho can take both the bouquets as well asthe brickbats with equal grace. They love thecrests as well as the troughs cause mostimportantly they love the game of life. Everyadversity for them is an opportunity to riseabove to the next level. They push the enve-lope, they are pumped up all the time andwhen the hovering dark clouds of adversitypass by, they shine like the stars above.

These hustlers keep hanging in thereduring the toughest times cause they knowthat the darkest nights produce the brighteststars!

The writer is a public speaker, author and entrepreneur

Steps to tackle stress

LET US NOT FORGETTHAT THE CURRENTSITUATION THAT WE

ARE FACING ISTEMPORARY. WE

WILL GET THROUGHTHIS. IF WE SIT IN

SILENCE ANDREMEMBER GOD

DAILY, WE WILL NOTBE TROUBLED BYTHIS TEMPORARY

PHASE OF LIFE

WHAT YOU NEED:n Cold pressed virgin

coconut oil: 4 tbspn Icing sugar: 450 gmsn Vanilla essence: 1 tsp n Cream: ¼ cup n Additionally you will

require: Shaping moulds,melted chocolate or edibleglue, a brush and filling ofyour choice for the egg.

HOW TO MAKE:n In a large mixing bowl add

virgin coconut oil and icingsugar, whip the ingredientstogether until light and fluffy

n Add the cream and vanillaessence, mix with hands tillit is smooth and doughy

n Roll the dough into ¼ inchin thickness and shape itover the egg moulds, coveronce done. Refrigerate tillhardened

n Repeat with another mould tomake the 2nd half of the egg

n You now have two halves,which can be filled usingyour choice of filling(Chocolate, cream cheeseetc). Joint the two halves ofthe egg together usingedible glue or meltedchocolate, apply it at theedges using a brush forprecision.

n Glaze the egg with an icingof your choice or dust itwith sugar.

K RAMYA SREE n HYDERABAD

veryyear,Eastercom-mem-orates

the resurrectionof Jesus Christafter 40 days ofLent (period offasting) and weall know its closeassociation withfood. You maybe cooking on asmaller scale thisyear, but yourEaster feast canstill be deliciouswith some simplerecipes curatedby us.

To enjoy thespirit of Easter aswe remainindoors withfamily, the smellof fresh bakingand aromaticcuries will upliftthe spirit!

To bring backthe mood of cel-ebration andfeast, CelebrityChef KunalKapur recom-mends theseeasy, healthy andnostalgic EasterSunday recipeswith basic ingre-dients!

TheCustomaryEaster Egg

E

Perfect RoastChickenServes – 4Prep time 10 minsCooking time – 1 hour 20 minutes

HOW TO MAKE:n Whole chicken: 1x1 kg/ 2lbs n Onions: 2 medium n Carrots: 2n Celery: 2 sticks n Garlic: 1 bulb n Infused Cold Pressed Virgin

Coconut oil – Curry Coriandern Lemon: 1 n 1 bunch of mixed fresh herbs –

thyme rosemary and bay

HOW TO MAKE:n Preheat the oven to 240 Cn Remove the chicken from the

fridge 30 minutes before youwant to cook it, to let it come upto room temperature. Wash androughly chop the vegetables –there’s no need to peel them.Break the garlic bulb intocloves, leaving them unpeeled.Pile all the veg, garlic and herbsinto the middle of a largeroasting tray anddrizzle withcurry

coriander infusedvirgin coconutoil

n Drizzle thechickenwith currycorrianderinfusedvirgin coconutoil and season wellwith sea salt and blackpepper, then rub all over thebird. Place the chicken on top ofthe vegetables. Carefully prickthe lemon all over, using the tipof a sharp knife. Put the lemoninside the chicken’s cavity, withthe bunch of herbs.

n Place the tray in the oven, thenturn the heat down immediatelyto 200 C and cook for 1 hour20 minutes. When the chickenis cooked, take the tray out ofthe oven and transfer thechicken to a board to rest for 15minutes or so. Cover it with alayer of tin foil and a tea toweland leave aside while you makeyour gravy.

n To carve your chicken,remove any stringand take offthe

wings.Carefully cut down between theleg and the breast. Cut throughthe joint and pull the leg off.Repeat on the other side, thencut each leg between the thighand the drumstick so you endup with four portions of darkmeat. Place these on a servingplatter.

n When you get down to thefussy bits, just use yourfingers to pullall the meatoff, andturn the

chickenover to get

all the tasty, juicybits from underneath. You

should be left with a strippedcarcass, and a platter full oflovely meat that you can servewith your piping hot gravy andsome delicious roast veg.

— By Chef Kunal Kapur

WHAT YOU NEED:n All-purpose flour: 2 ½

cupsn Cinnamon infused cold

pressed virgin coconutoil: 2 tbsp

n White sugar: ¼ cup n Eggs: 3 n Salt: 1 tsp n Ative dry yeast: 1 packet n Milk: 2/3 cup

HOW TO MAKE:n In a large mixing bowl

combine 1 cup flour,sugar, salt yeast and stirwell

n Combine the milk andcinnamon infused cold

pressed virgin coconut oilin saucepan. Heat untilthe milk is warm

n Gradually add the milkand coconut oil to theflour mixture: stirringconstantly. Add two eggsand ½ a cup flour, beatwell. Then add theremaining flour, ½ cup ata time, stirring well aftereach addition. When thedough is pulled together,take it out onto a lightlyfloured surface and kneaduntil smooth and elastic

n Use virgin coconut oil tooil a large bowl and placethe dough in the bowland turn to coat with theoil. Cover the bowl with a

dampcloth and let is rest in awarm place until doubledin volume

n Deflate the dough andremove in on to a lightlyfloured surface and divideinto two equal sizedrounds, cover and let itrest for 10 mins. Rolleach round into a longroll keeping it 1 ½ inchesthick. Using the two longpieces if dough, make aloosely braided ring. Seal

theends together

n Pre- heat the oven to 350degree F

n Place the loaf on abuttered baking sheet andcover loosely with adamp towel. Place theloaf in warm place and letit rise, for about 45minutes. Brush the loafwith melted butter

n Bake it in the pre heatedover for about 30 minutesuntil golden brown.

Traditional braidedEaster bread

Easy yet delightful EASTER RECIPES

GIN- JAM& BISCUITn Tanqueray

London DryGin: 60 ml

n Berry Jam:2tsp

n Lime juice: 20 ml

n Top with Tonicn Build up all

the ingredientin a tall glass,stir theingredientswell to mix inthe jam, topwith ice, topwith tonic, stir

n Garnish withfresh mint

romclassicmarti-nis tofruitymixes,

the brilliant bottleof gin can be ver-satile. Here’s howyou can makesome interestinggin fares withTranqueryLondon Dry Ginfrom the house ofDiageo and someeasily availableingredients.

F

Gin recipes

to try now

TANQ & TEA:n Tanqueray London Dry Gin: 60 ml n Lemon honey tea: 120 ml (Brew 1

tea sachet in 150 ml of water andchill)

n Lime juice: 15 ml n Honey water: 15 ml

(2:1 honey to warm water)n Stir all the ingredient in a

wine glass with icen Garnish- Lime Wheel and fresh mint

TANQUERAY TOM COLLINSn Tanqueray Gin: 50ml n 1 Lime, 2-3 tsp sugar or 20

ml Honey, Sodan Fill the shaker with ice

cubes, add Tanqueray,sweetener, squeeze lime,shake well, pour in a glass,top with soda

n Garnish with lime slice.Empty 300 gms Jam orHoney Bottle. Work reallycool for this drink, fill in allthe ingredients with ice,close the lid shake, open thelid, you can start sippingright away, you can usejams, Rooh Afza, LocalSherbets as alternativesweeteners for some coollooking drinks.

sundaymagazine

food 11Vijayawada, April 12, 2020

PRO TIP: KEEP EVERYTHING AT ROOM TEMPERATURE.CREAMING ROOM TEMPERATURE BUTTER WITH SUGARAERATES IT, GIVING YOUR CAKE THAT LIGHT TEXTURE.

ADDING COLD MILK OR EGGS WILL SOLIDIFY THATCREAMED BUTTER

VIJAYAWADA | SUNDAY | APRIL 12, 2020 12

orn inBengaluruin 1972,S u n i t h aKrishnan isa trained

medical and psy-chiatric socialworker. Herfather’s job tookhim acrossIndia. A Ken-driya Vidya-laya student,Dr Krishnanhad the com-plete support

of her parentsin whatever she did.

When she was just 8 yearsold, Dr Krishnan started teach-

ing dance to mentally-chal-lenged children. By 12, she wasrunning schools for the under-privileged and by 15, she wasworking on a neo-literacy cam-

paign for the Dalit community.However, Dr Krishnan’s social work

did not go well with many in a patri-archal society that expected women to

be subservient to men. She was sexu-ally assaulted and beaten up by eight men

when she was 15, meant to be a lesson for‘interfering’ in a man’s world with her work.

She was beaten up so badly that she was leftpartially deaf in one ear. For a vast major-ity of people, this attack would have bro-

ken them, but not Dr Krishnan. It servedas the catalyst for what she is today. A

survivor and a fighter, DrKrishnan decided to deal

with the world just theway it was.

She says find-ing joy and

c o n f i -

dence is akey part of the

recovery process.“Nobody can under-

stand how hard a victim’slife is. I know exactly what it

feels like. I can stand by them,give them love, fight for them and

rehabilitate them,” she says. “It hurtsme to think that this exploitation might

never stop as there is just too much easymoney in it,” Dr Krishnan says.

Early life and childhood“I was always an extremely high achiev-

er in school. I was a very competitive andidentity-focused person. I alwayshad an inclination to helping oth-ers and wanted to take care of peo-ple around me, I guess it’s in my DNA. I hadbeen a universal grandmother for everyone.I used to speak of morals, rights and wrongs,and also was pain tolerant, as a result ofwhich I was called Mother Teresa, amoniker that would offend me. I would tellthem that I did not want to be comparedto anyone and also didn’t want to beknown as someone else. I would say myfather played a huge role in my life. I usedto tell him about how people use to mockme and call me names due to my shortheight and asked him if there was anythingwrong with me, to which he said me nothaving a height is my greatest height. Withthat, suddenly I was comfortable with myheight and such positive thinking nurturedme, made me self appreciate and love myselffor who I am,” Dr Krishnan revealed.

She admitted that she was attention seek-er and sought it where others wouldn’t. “Theuniverse is so vast, it’s for everyone and everyone of us can find a special place in it,” DrKrishnan says. Hobbies and interests

“I have immense love for drama, theatreplays, dance, elocution, directing, writingand reading. Again, I don’t read anythingphilosophical or spiritual, only mushy-mushy romantc novels,” Dr Krishnanreveals.

She is also an avid filmmaker; her filmshave won accolades worldwide, and also sev-eral international, national, and state awards.They focus on issues like trafficking, reha-bilitation of survivors, rape etc. “In a big-time movie buff. I used to go for all the ‘first-day, first-shows’. As a consumer, I go for

light-hearted

r o m a n t i ccomedies and noth-

ing too violent or dark. Ienjoy such movies in my private time

as I unwind,” she added. Love for food

“I love cooking and experimenting withmy dishes, especially with ethnic cuisines.I cook everything that there is, a little dif-ferently. I add my own touch to the re-cipe that results in a different tastethan it should in the conventionalsense. Doing so, I have created aniche for things like this. Mymother was always proud ofmy recipes.”

Birth ofPrajwala

When one of theoldest red light areas of

Hyderabad was cleared upin 1996, thousands of hapless vic-

tims of prostitution found themselvesdisplaced and homeless. To rehabilitatethem, Bro Jose Vetticatil and Dr Krishnanstarted Prajwala as a small education initia-tive. “When I started, I was left nauseous andshocked by the sight of 15-year-old victims.Today, I am not surprised even when it isa 5-year-old. In my case, for two years I wasostracised, stigmatised and isolated becauseI was a victim. And that is what we do toall traffic survivors. We as a civil society, weall have PhDs in victimising a victim,” DrKrishnan says.

During Prajwala’s early years, DrKrishnan had to sell her jewellery and evenmost of her household utensils to make endsmeet.

Over the years, Prajwala’s community-based education programme has sensitisedmillions of people in gender relations. In2015, because of Prajwala’s efforts, a PIL(56/2004) filed in 2004, the Supreme Courtdirected the Central government to bringa comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation.Found love in the mostunexpected way

Dr Krishnan’s husband, Rajesh Touchriver,is a renowned filmmaker, production design-er and scriptwriter. How she met him is notsomething one hears often. “It was in 2004,I was in Hyderabad. Rajesh and I workedtogether for an event where he was the artdirector. After the event, I called to thank himas he did not accept money. It was around9:30 pm and it was his last call for the day.He told me that he was leaving for Kerala thenext morning by road. It was around 5 amof the next day when I received a call fromhis phone but nobody was

speaking. I could

h e a rpeople in

the backgroundshouting ‘acci-dent’. I was toldlater that Rajesh’sphone had con-nected the lastdialled number,which was mine, inthe collision. I couldhear his driver breathand nothing else. Soon

enough, a highway patrolpolicemen told me that they

had been in an accident. Hesaid that their vehicle came

under a truck. I told them toshift them to Yashoda Hospital,

Malakpet and I rushed there. Iarranged a meet with the hospi-

tal MD for better treatment andthe orthopaedic doctor told me

that he went into a coma and need-ed as many as 13 surgeries. The staff

needed a family member’s signature onthe documents and I signed there as his

wife. I guess it was fixed there that we wouldbe together forever. It took him about 6-7months to recover. We then became close andgot married on January 1, 2006,” Dr Krishnanrevealed. The couple decided not to have chil-dren and Rajesh supports her decision. "Iwant to dedicate my mind and body for mycause. I’m glad he feels the same,” she says.

Threats and stalkers “I have made many enemies, some who

are willing to harm and stop me at any cost,”she said. Mostly, these are traffickers, whotarget the centres, and her, for stopping theirbusiness. But even after multiple injuries,being attacked with acid, being assaultedaround 17 times, and witnessing the mur-der of a staff member, Dr Krishnan has stuckto her resolve of helping those who don’thave an option.

All she wants to do, is to break the silencearound human trafficking and to bringabout positive change. Her story is not ofa victim, but of a survivor and a fighter whois determined to bring about change andaddressing topics that no one talks about. Importance of education

She opines that in India, literacy has notresulted in education. “We have this notionthat those who know English or science areeducated. That is not always the case. Peoplewho are highly literate could be ones whoreinforce the caste system or the ones whoharass others for dowry. In fact, a lot of thefemale foeticide that happens in India takesplace in highly literate families. We have thelargest number of uneducated literates in ourcountry. A PhD or a Master’s degree does-n’t make you educated. It is important thatwe redefine literacy programmes tobecome education programmes in ourcountry. The need of the hour is toreform our system right from pre-school. We need to ideate andfind ways to change our liter-acy system to make it intoan education system,” shesaid.

WOMAN O FHE

WARR

IOR

CLASSIt would be safe to say that DrSunitha Krishnan defines endurance,perseverance, passion and success,among many other things. She hasproven this with her dynamism,having co-founded Prajwala, theorganisation that works to rescuetrafficked women and children froma life of sexual slavery and violence.Dr Krishnan opens up about herself,revealing in the process to THE PIONEER that she is a‘hopeless’ romantic, creative,dedicated and steadfast. She alsotells Naveen Kumar the storybehind the birth ofher cause, herdecision not tohave kids of herown and strongfamily support.

Milestones in life Drafted recommendations for rehabilitation of victims of sex trafficking in Andhra

Pradesh, which were passed by the State Government as a Policy for Rescue &Rehabilitation of Victims of Trafficking. Appeared in Ted Talks, media programmes, etcto talk about the sexual exploitation of women and children. Launched the MenAgainst Demand campaign with the slogan “Real Men Don’t Buy Sex” which hasreached 1.8 billion people worldwide through her words anddetermination. Was a member of the AP State Women'sCommission and contributed to India's new Bill onrape. Conceptualised and scripted 14documentaries on socially relevant issuessuch as HIV/AIDS, minor marriages, incest,prostitution, sex trafficking, communalriots, and all. Her documentaryAnamika—The Nameless won the ACaward under the “Best Foreign Award”category in 2005. Due to herconversations about minor marriagesand the exploitation of women byreligious fundamentalism, Dr Krishnanfaced threats from those communities.

Achievements andrecognition

Dr Krishnan has won many awards for herexemplary work. Her programmes onrescue and rehabilitation of victims of

trafficking are sought after around the world.She was bestowed with the Padma Shri for

her social work in 2016. The NationalCommission for Women conferred her with

the “Outstanding Woman Award” in 2013. Thesame year, the Government of Kerala gave

her”"Mahila Thilakam” Award. In 2014, shewon the Mother Teresa Award for SocialJustice. She received the Living Legends

Award by Human Symphony Foundation, theDiller-von Furstenberg award in New York City

and the Godfrey-Phillips National AmodiniAward.

B

Most proud of: Myself.

Favourite books: Mills and Boons novels.

Favourite colour: Blue.

Place: Mookambika.

Movie quote: "Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko dilse chaho ... to puri kainaat usse tumsemilane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai",from Om Shanti Om.

Worst fear: I'd say none as I live foreach day.

Web series: The fall.

Most prized possession: Transistor.

Best advice to give someone: Believe inyourself, you're the only certifying authority foryourself.

Biggest addiction: My cause, it drives me andpushes me.

Favourite flowers: Roses, Jasmine for thesmell and also Orchids, as my husband givesthem to me every year on Valentine’s Day.

Favourite superhero: I am my own superhero.

One food I can't give up: Sambar rice.

Desired superpower: To change the mindof a man, power to transform people bylooking at them. That would be reallycool and help the world big time.

Guilty pleasures: Mangoes! I nevershare them with anyone. Even if you hand

me a hundred kilos, I would devour them bymyself. But again, only organic ones. AlsoCadbury Gems.

RAPIDFIRE:

T

ReceivingPadmashree in2016

With life partner Rajesh Touchriver on Onam

Family time with parents