YK MYK PRANAB’S MEMOIRS GIVE INSIGHT INTO INDIAN POLITICAL HISTORY ARREST SHOULD BE THE LAST OPTION FOR POLICE: HIGH COURT OPINION NATION Morning India Rs. 3 KOLKATA SUNDAY, 10 JAN, 2021 PG-12, YEAR— 7, ISSUE—234 (RNI NO: WBENG / 2014 / 56803) MAX 28 C VACCINATION TO START IN INDIA ON JAN 16 MIN 15 C 3 CR HEALTHCARE, FRONTLINE WORKERS TO GET SHOTS FIRST WEATHER TODAY Sky will be partly cloudy. AT A GLANCE CHINESE SOLDIER CAPTURED IN EASTERN LADAKH NEW DELHI: A Chinese soldier was apprehended by Indian troops from an area south of the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh in the early hours of January 8, official sources said on Saturday. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldier had transgressed into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control and was taken into custody by Indian troops deployed in the area, they said. The capture of the Chinese soldier comes in the midst of an eightmonth-long bitter border standoff between the two armies in eastern Ladakh. NEW DELHI: India will launch its COVID-19 vaccination drive from January 16 in what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called the world's largest inoculation programme with priority to be given to nearly three crore healthcare and frontline workers. The decision, the government said on Saturday, was taken at a high-level meeting where Modi reviewed the status of COVID-19 and vaccine preparedness across states and union territories. "After the detailed review, it was decided that in view of the forthcoming festivals including Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Magh Bihu etc, the COVID-19 vaccination will start from 16th SET BEANT SINGH'S KILLER FREE: SUKHBIR BADAL CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal on Saturday urged the Union government to set free Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was sentenced to death in 2007 for the assassination of former Chief Minister Beant Singh, to put a decisive end to his unending incarceration. "This humanitarian gesture would be in conformation with civilised values and justice as Bhai Rajoana had already served more than the effective equivalent of a life sentence," he said in a statement. Badal asked the Congress leaders to rise above political opportunism and back the release of Rajoana. CORONA METER INDIA TOTAL CASES: 1,04,40,932 TOTAL DEATH: 150,893 WORLD TOTAL CASES: 89,480,116 TOTAL DEATH: 1,924,550 January 2021," it said. After healthcare and frontline workers, priority will be given to those above 50 years of age and the under-50 population groups with co-morbidities, together numbering around 27 crore, a government statement said. According to the Health Ministry guidelines on COVID-19 vaccination, the latest electoral roll for Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly elections will be used to identify the population aged 50 years or more. The prime minister said that India will take a landmark step forward in fighting COVID-19 on January 16. "Starting that day, India's nationwide vaccination drive begins. Priority will be given MAHARASHTRA HOSPITAL BLAZE KILLS 10 NEW-BORNS BHANDARA: In a shocking tragedy, at least 10 new-born infants were suffocated in a fire that erupted in the children's ward of a government hospital in Maharashtra's Bhandara district early on Saturday morning, officials said. The fire, due to a suspected electrical short-circuit, erupted around 1.45 a.m. when the mothers and relatives of the infants were fast asleep and quickly engulfed the Sick & Newborn Care Unit of the Bhandara District General Hospital. Around that time, a nurse on duty happened to pass by the ward, noticed the smoke inside and raised an alarm as other hospital staffers rushed to the spot. At least 10 infants -- a majority of them less than 3-months-old -- had perished due to suffocation and another 7 were saved. Though the police have not declared the cause of the blaze, it is suspected that an electrical short-circuit led to an air-conditioner blast, followed by a fire with thick smoke billowing in the ward and the resultant deaths due to suffocation. Taking strong note of the shocking incident, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray ordered an investigation into the cause of the fire in the district, around 900 km from Mumbai. Expressing anguish over the tragedy, the Chief Minister also discussed the matter with Health Minister Rajesh Tope and district authorities and said stringent punishment must be given to those found responsible. Thackeray and Tope have also spoken to the Collector and Superintendent of Police of Bhandara and directed them to take up immediate relief measures. District Surgeon Dr. Pramod Khandate told mediapersons that the hospital staff and fire brigade managed to rescue 7 infants from the 'inbound ward' after battling the blaze with fire-extinguishers. Meanwhile, President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, District Guardian Minister Vishwajeet Kadam, Maharashtra Leaders of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and Pravin Darekar, other senior leaders have expressed grief over the incident. "I am deeply shocked by the fire incident in Bhandara. My heartfelt sympathies with the families of those who have lost their infants in the tragedy," Kovind said. WORLD WAITING FOR INDIA'S VACCINES, WATCHING HOW IT PG 7 RUNS WORLD'S BIGGEST VACCINATION DRIVE: PM to our brave doctors, healthcare workers, frontline workers including Safai Karamcharis (sanitation workers," Modi tweeted. The prime minister is scheduled to interact with chief ministers of all states via video conferencing on Monday where they will dis- cuss the COVID-19 situation and the vaccination roll-out. India had recently granted emergency use authorisation to two vaccines, Oxford's Covishield being manufactured by Serum Institute in India and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin. Both vaccines, the statement from the Health Ministry said, have established safety and immunogenicity. At least seven other vaccines are being developed in India, while some others can be imported from abroad, including the one developed by global pharma giant Pfizer which has already applied for import and sale in India of its vaccine for emergency use authorisation. MORE ON PG 5,7 Nadda holds roadshow in Bardhaman in West Bengal PURBA BARDHAMAN : Stepping up the party's campaign for assembly polls in West Bengal to be held later this year, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadda held a roadshow in the district on Saturday. Nadda was accompanied by party leaders including Kailash Vijayvargiya, Dilip Ghosh, Babul Supriyo and SS Ahluwalia during the roadshow which started from Bardhaman Clock Tower in the town. The truck carrying Nadda had slogan 'aar noy anyay' (no more injustice). Hundreds of BJP supporters took part in the roadshow and some of them raised 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans. Earlier the day, Nadda addressed a rally at Jagadanandapur village ground and said West Bengal was yearning for change. "The warmth with which you have welcomed me and your huge presence clearly shows that you have decided to end the rule Mamata Banerjee and vote for BJP. We will form the government in West Bengal and work for the welfare of the farmers here," he said. Nadda also launched Krishak Suraksha campaign, an outreach to farmers, at the rally. BJP plans to directly connect with the farmers of West Bengal through the 'ek mutho chaal' programme and party leaders and workers will take part in it. He later had lunch at a farmer's house in Jagadanandapur. The BJP president started his day-long Bengal tour by offering prayers at Radha Govind Temple near Katwa in Purba Bardhaman. A worker sprays disinfectant at birds enclosure in Lucknow on Saturday. ANI Bird flu confirmed in 7 states, test reports from elsewhere awaited NEW DELHI: Bird flu has been confirmed in seven states of the country so far, namely Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, while test reports of unsual death of birds received from Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Delhi are awaited, the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said on Saturday. As per a statement issued by the ministry, after confirmation of avian influenza (AI) positive samples by the ICAR-NIHSAD from two poultry farms in Panchkula district in Haryana, positive cases of bird flu in migratory birds were reported in Shivpuri, Rajgarh, Shajapur, Agar and Vidisha district in Madhya Pradesh, the zoological park in Kanpur, and Pratapgarh and Dausa districts of Rajasthan. The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAH&D) has issued an advisory to the affected states so as to avoid further spread of the disease. ‘JDU PAID PRICE FOR DELAY IN SEAT-SHARING WITHIN NDA’ TMC women cell protest against the rape of Anganwadi staff at Badayun, UP. THIS IS HOW WINTER IMPACTS HEART PATIENTS NEW DELHI: Winter is often pleasing but it can also be bothersome when it comes to your heart. Winter is the time when high-risk people or those with heart issues, may get a heart attack. To top it all, people with heart problems are in the high-risk category and may get sick due to Coronavirus. The sudden drop in the temperature causes narrowing of peripheral vessels thus putting extra pressure on your heart. This will result in the low supply of oxygen to the heart because of the increased demand of the heart. As a result, your heart will have to make extra efforts to pump oxygen and blood. Hence, those suffering from heart failure can have symptoms which may also lead to loss of life. According to a study, there is about a 2 per cent increase in the risk of getting heart attacks for every 1.8-degree Fahrenheit decrease in temperature. In 2015, another study revealed that if you compare the coldest month of the year to the warmest month of the year there is a 31 per cent increase in heart attacks in the coldest months. It is the time when one's blood vessels may contract and this can shoot up your blood pressure putting you at the risk of a heart attack or even a stroke. Even the ones who are unaware of their pre-existing heart conditions are prone to heart diseases in this season. If one's body temperature goes below 95 degrees then they will suffer from hypothermia that can take a toll on the heart muscle. Thus, people who spend maximum time in cold weather, especially sports enthusiasts can suffer from accidental hypothermia. This is the stage when the body loses heat Reports of unusual mortality of birds in the past two days have also been received from Balod district in Chhattisgarh. The state has constituted RRT teams for emergency situation and has also sent the samples for testing to the designated laboratory. Further, reports of unusual mortality in ducks have been received from Sanjay Lake in Delhi. The samples have been sent to the designated laboratory for testing. Samples of dead crows have also been sent to NIHSAD from Mumbai, Thane, Dapoli, Parbhani and Beed districts of Maharashtra for confirmation of AI. Meanwhile culling operations have been completed in both the affected districts of Kerala and post-operational surveillance programme guidelines have been issued to the state. Central teams deployed to visit the affected states in Kerala, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh for monitoring and for epidemiological investigation have reached their destinations, the DAH&D said. weather if you have any existing heart problems. Try to take frequent breaks and stay warm. Wear woollen clothes, caps, and gloves. Or wear layers and even full socks. Keep your house wellheated. Beware of heart attack symptoms like chest pain, nausea, and even drowsiness. Avoid exercising in cold weather. Instead opt for indoor exercises. Do not do any exercises that pressurize your heart. faster than it can produce heat causing a dangerously low body temperature; it can prove fatal. People who are more than 60 years with hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, smokers, or tobacco chewers can get chest pain. Another important factor is that emotional stress which will invite a heart attack. Here's a plan to keep your heart in top shape during those chilly days. Stay warm during those colder days: you should exertion in cold Monitor your blood pressure on a daily basis: If you are one of them who has a high blood pressure problem, then it is imperative for you to keep an eye on your numbers, as doing so can minimize your risk of a heart attack. Hence, you must take the medications prescribed by the doctor on time. Restrict alcohol and completely avoid smoking: alcohol may expand the blood vessels in the skin and make you feel warmer by taking out heat from your body's vital organs. Similarly, smoking leads to atherosclerosis. Not only this, those who smoke can also encounter a heart attack. Smoking reduces the oxygen flow towards the heart, raises your heart rate and blood pressure. Eat well: Opt for fresh fruit and vegetables, seeds, nuts, legumes, and pulses. Drink a warm soup or eat hot meals. Avoid eating food jam-packed with salt or sugar. Say NO to processed, junk, and oily foods. Cut down on saturated fats and maintain an optimum weight. Try relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation as it will reduce your stress and help you cool down. ALSO SEE PG 10 PATNA: Making an indirect attack at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday said that the seat distribution within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the recently concluded assembly elections should have been done five months prior to the poll, adding further that the Janata Dal (United) had to pay a price since it was not done. "The seat distribution within the NDA should have been done five months prior to the elections but that was not done and as a result, JDU had to pay a big price for it. I was not in favour of becoming the chief minister but because of the pressure of BJP and my party, I agreed to assume the post," Kumar said at the JD(U) state council meeting. "People voted for us wherever we asked them and there was no confusion from our side. But false propaganda was spread against me and my party," he added.