YK MYK BUDGETING FOR JOYFUL AND RESILIENT SCHOOL EDUCATION OPINION KOLKATA MONDAY, 15 FEB, 2021 PG-12, YEAR—7, ISSUE—270 (RNI NO: WBENG / 2014 / 56803) MAX 31 C MIN 18 C Sky will be clear. AT A GLANCE DONALD TRUMP ACQUITTED IN 2ND IMPEACHMENT NEW YORK: Former US President Donald Trump has been acquitted for a second time by the Senate after Republicans overwhelmingly voted against convicting him on the charge of inciting the January 6 riot at the Capitol, but senior party leader Mitch McConnel blasted him soon afterwards for provoking it. The Senate voted 57 to 43 to convict him on Saturday and although seven Republicans went over to the Democrat's side to convict him, it was 10 votes short of the 67 needed for the two-thirds majority needed for conviction. 50 BODIES RECOVERED, 25 IDENTIFIED IN UTTARAKHAND GLACIER BURST DEHRADUN: A total of 50 bodies have been recovered so far in Uttarakhand glacier burst, out of which, 25 have been identified, Uttarakhand police informed. "A total of 12 bodies have been recovered on Sunday. Five from Tapovan tunnel, six from Raini village, and one from Rudraprayag," said an official statement. The statement added that so far 32 FIRs have been registered in Joshimath police station in connection with all the missing peoPG 5 ple. CORONA METER INDIA TOTAL CASES: 1,09,05,753 TOTAL DEATH: 155,689 WORLD TOTAL CASES: 109,171,880 TOTAL DEATH: 2,406,721 SPORTS Morning India Rs. 3 WEATHER TODAY 2ND TEST: ASHWIN, ROHIT PUT INDIA IN COMMAND ON DAY TWO Left, Congress should join Trinamool to take on BJP: TMC Minister BANKURA (WEST BENGAL): West Bengal Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Tapas Roy has said that the Left-Congress alliance doesn't have the strength to put up a fight against the BJP and claimed that only his party chief Mamata Banerjee can take them on. The TMC MLA from Basirhat also indicated the Left-Congress alliance should join Trinamool Congress to contest the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from coming to power in the State. Speaking at a public meeting in Bankura's Onda, Tapas Roy said, the Congress and Left cannot put up a fight against the BJP alone that's why they entered into an alliance. "They (BJP) are saying that they will rule Bengal. I West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh also reacted to Tapas Roy's remarks and said that TMC has understood that it cannot win against the BJP alone. want to tell Congressmen and Left party leaders that Arup Khan (Onda TMC MLA) will join your procession. Congress and the Left can't do it alone. You also know that this is not possible with your declining energy. That's why you two have come together," the TMC MLA said. "Don't stop Mamata Banerjee. Do not cut the canal and bring crocodiles. You also know that you do not have the strength to resist the Kapalik power (BJP). The name of the one who can is Mamata Banerjee. All BJP leaders are afraid of her," he added. CONGRESS REACTS Speaking from New Delhi, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury took a dig at Tapas Roy over his remark and advised him to leave his party and join either the Congress or the CPM. "I would like to advise the person who said so that leave TMC and join Congress/CPM because TMC will not be able to fight against BJP," Adhir Ranjan said. West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh also reacted to Tapas Roy's remarks and said that TMC has understood that it cannot win against the BJP alone. "TMC has understood that it cannot win against BJP if it fights alone. They all (Congress, Left and TMC) should fight together. We are ready to fight in Bengal and bring change," Ghosh said. Elections for 294 Assembly seats in West Bengal are scheduled to take place this year. In the 2016 West Bengal Assembly elections, out of the 294 seats, Congress had managed to win 44 seats while the Left Front bagged 33 seats. The ruling TMC secured 211 seats and BJP had won 3 seats. The BJP has emerged as a strong contender in the state after securing 18 Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 general elections. CRPF personnel stand guard near the nameplates of the martyrs who were killed in terror attack, at Pulwama on Sunday. ANI Major terror plan averted in Jammu on Pulwama attack anniversary, four held JAMMU: A major terrorist checking intensified," he told plan to set off an explosion at reporters here. Singh, who a crowded place here on the was also flanked by Director second anniversary of the General of Police Dilbag Pulwama attack was scuttled Singh, said a youth was found with the recovery of a power- moving in suspicious manner ful IED from a nursing stu- along with a bag in the generdent who was arrested along al bus stand area and it led to with three others, a top police the recovery of nearly seven officer said on kg of IED which Sunday. was, however, Inspector not activated as INSPECTOR General of yet. The IGP GENERAL OF Police, Jammu identified him as POLICE, JAMMU Range, Mukesh Suhail Bashir RANGE, MUKESH Singh also said Shah, a resident SINGH ALSO SAID six pistols and of Newa village SIX PISTOLS AND 15 small of Pulwama, who 15 SMALL Improvised was pursuing IMPROVISED Explosive nursing course EXPLOSIVE Devices (IEDs) in a college in DEVICES (IEDS) were seized Chandigarh and WERE SEIZED from Samba diswas assigned the FROM SAMBA DIStrict in a sepatask to plant the TRICT IN A SEPArate operation. IED in Jammu by RATE OPERATION. "Over the his Pakistanpast four days based handler we were on high alert affiliated with Al-Badr terror because there was general outfit. "He was given four tarintelligence input that terror gets including (the famous) groups want to trigger a Ragunath mandir, bus stand, major blast in Jammu city on railway station and Lakhdata the second anniversary of the bazar (jewellers market) and Pulwama attack. The security was scheduled to take a flight around all important loca- to Srinagar after completing tions were strengthened and his job,” he said. A general view of Tent city of Magh Mela on the river bank of Ganga in Prayagraj on Sunday. ANI Climate activist held in Bengaluru in ‘toolkit’ case NEW DELHI: Delhi Police Cyber Cell has arrested 21year-old climate activist Disha Ravi from Bengaluru for her alleged involvement in sharing 'toolkit' related to farmers' protest. Disha is one of the founders of the 'Friday for Future' campaign and allegedly edited the toolkit and forwarded it on the social media. She was picked up from her house in Soladevanahalli area of Bengaluru on Saturday. The Delhi Police had registered a First Information Report on February 4 on charges of sedition, criminal conspiracy and promoting hatred among groups under Sections 124-A, 120-A and 153-A of the Indian Penal Code against the "creators" of the toolkit, which was shared by climate activist Greta Thunberg. Activist Disha Ravi sent to 5 days Delhi police special cell custody, in New Delhi on Sunday. WHAT IS ‘TOOLKIT’ CASE Delhi Police had on February 4 registered a case against the "pro-Khalistan" creators of a "toolkit", which was shared by teen climate activist Greta Thunberg and others on Twitter in connection with the farmers' protest, alleging it aimed to wage a "social, cultural and economic war against the Government of India". According to police, the unfolding of events during farmers' protest around January 26, including violence near Red Fort, allegedly revealed copycat execution of the 'action plan' detailed in the toolkit. The police said that the intention of the creators appeared to create disharmony among various social, religious and cultural groups and encourage disaffection and ill-will against the central government and aimed at waging social, cultural and economic war against India. Meanwhile, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has reacted sharply to the arrest of Disha Ravi, the 21-yearold activist from Bengaluru, for her alleged involvement in sharing the 'toolkit' related to the farmers' protests. MORE ON PG 7 TRUCK MOWS DOWN LADY CISF CONSTABLE RANCHI: A lady constable of CISF, Munni Kumari (24), on way to Jagannathpur from her camp in Shurwat on her scooty, died after the rear wheel of a truck ran over her. The incident took place around 1 pm near the Assembly building under Nagri police station area. It could not be ascertained how come she came under rear wheel but a locality resident said it was due to poor traffic management. "It is a black spot. Accident often takes place here due to unplanned development work and crowd. Speeding truck and SUV run on the road uninterrupted without bothering small vehicles and pedestrians. Today when the accident took place traffic personnel were carrying out vehicle check drive," the resident said. The constable was resident of Jamshedpur. She was wearing good quality helmet when the accident took place but the helmet got damaged badly after the accident indicating how bad was the accident. The truck was seized but the driver escaped after the accident. The body was sent for autopsy at RIMS. A case was registered in this connection. FASTAG MUST FROM FEB 15-16 MIDNIGHT NEW DELHI: Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry on Sunday announced all lanes in the fee plazas on the National Highways shall be declared as 'FASTag lane of the fee plaza' with effect from the midnight of 15-16 February, informed an official statement. The statement added, "Any vehicle not fitted with FASTag or vehicles without valid, functional FASTag entering into the FASTag lane of the fee plaza shall pay a fee equivalent to two times of the fee applicable to that category." Earlier today, the Ministry clarified that this has been done to further promote fee payment through digital mode, reduce waiting time and fuel consumption, and provide for a seamless passage through the fee plazas. Side effects ‘theories’ pose challenge to Covid immunisation NEW DELHI: The first day for the second round of Covid vaccination remained disappointing by and large since a number of key hospitals failed to attract the beneficiaries who had received the first dose of Covid vaccination. The drive began on Saturday. A huge percentage of those who had undergone the partial vaccination with the first dose 28 days ago, did not turn up for full immunisation on Saturday. As per Union Health Ministry's data, only 7,688 beneficiaries turned up for their schedule. However, over 1.9 lakh vaccine recipients had taken vaccination on the first day of Covid immunisation drive that started on January 16. The doctors and public health experts observed a number of probabilities behind the less turnout on the basis of their interactions and follow up with the vaccine beneficiaries. Dr. Sunela Garg, member of Covid-19 task force in Delhi and advisor to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) told IANS that one of the reasons that could have resulted in low turnout for the second dose is hesitancy built after experiencing adverse reactions on receiving the first dose. "The second dose is expected to create sharper side effects. Since healthcare workers are aware of this fact, it may have discouraged them to come forward for the booster dose," she said. Dr. Ajeet Jain, medical superintendent and nodal officer for Covid vaccination governmentrun Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) concurred with Garg and said substantial number of the hospital's partially immunized healthcare staff, who suffered after-effects for a prolonged period, skipped their booster dose. Only five beneficiaries of the previous dose turned up to receive their scheduled second dose at the hospital on Saturday. "Many have reported adverse events following immunizations ranging from mild to moderate. While it is natural to experience them post vaccination, the impact it has made among the beneficiaries has caused the hesitancy to go for the second round of inoculation," she said. "The side effects like fever, pain at the injection site, weakness, etc. lingered for three to four days post the immunization in many healthcare workers. While interacting with us, they shared that they don't want to experience the side effects again," he shared. Meanwhile, another reason quoted by the health experts was the increasing pretension that the pandemic is over, triggered by the falling trajectory of new cases and deaths by Covid-19. Dr. B.L. Sherwal, director at RGSSH said that a psyche has developed among the healthcare workers that they need not go for the immunization since they believe that the pandemic is over now. "The current situation of the Covid-19 has improved tremendously from the crisis we witnessed in the final months of 2020 when the national capital took repetitive blows of surge in cases and fatalities. However, it has impacted the mindset of the people who now think why to take the pain of vaccination when the disease is over," he said.