YK MYK COVID RESURGENCE COMING AT CRITICAL STAGE OF DEMAND CURVE OPINION RANCHI MONDAY, 22 MARCH, 2021 PG-12, YEAR—10, ISSUE—316 (RNI NO: JHAENG / 2012 / 44137) MAX 33 C MIN 19 C Sky will be partly cloudy. AT A GLANCE PREZ BATS FOR INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTRY BHUBANESWAR: President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday emphasised that for the inclusive development of a country, strong socioeconomic structure is necessary along with the industrial advancement. The President said that Rourkela Steel Plant has played a major role in the industrial development of our country. He was addressing the inauguration of a Super Specialty Hospital in the Rourkela Steel Plant. Kovind said that Rourkela Steel Plant has made conscious efforts to bring changes in not only in the industrial activities but also in the fields of healthcare, education, culture and sports. The President noted that till now this area was deprived of super specialty medical facility. PM TO LAUNCH 'JAL SHAKTI ABHIYAN: CATCH THE RAIN' CAMPAIGN TODAY NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be launching the 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain' campaign on World Water Day, which is celebrated on March 22. The Prime Minister will be launching the campaign at 12:30 PM tomorrow through video conferencing. According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's office, The Campaign will be undertaken across the country, in both rural and urban areas, with the theme "catch the rain, where it falls, when PG 5 it falls". CORONA METER INDIA TOTAL CASES: 1,16,05,673 TOTAL DEATH: 159,821 WORLD TOTAL CASES: 123,581,422 TOTAL DEATH: 2,724,071 WORLD Morning India Rs. 5 WEATHER TODAY TAIWAN MIFFED AT LABELING IT AS 'PROVINCE OF CHINA' Shah releases BJP's Bengal manifesto with focus on border safety KOLKATA: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday released the BJP's manifesto for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. Shah said that it is not just a party manifesto but a resolution letter for West Bengal. "We have decided to call our manifesto a 'Sankalp Patra'. It is not just a manifesto but a resolution letter for West Bengal by the country's largest party.And at the heart of BJP's manifesto is 'Sonar Bangla'," the Minister said at EZCC here, while officially releasing the manifesto. Taking potshots at the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in Bengal, Shah said that the state's incumbent formation has only politicised its administration, criminalised politics and institutionalised the practice of corruptions. He said that Bengal has slipped from its position of leadership. The BJP's election manifesto stated that there would 33 percent reservation in state govt jobs for women. Shah also promised that no court permissions would be required for Durga Puja and Saraswati Puja across the state. "Infiltration will be completely stopped and border fencing will to be strengthened with the installations of CCTVs cameras," he pointed out, adding that all fishermen will get Rs 6000 every year. The party manifesto also mentioned that 75 lakh farmers in Bengal to benefit from Kisan Samman Nidhi. "The BJP's manifesto is not a mere document, it's been compiled with suggestions from people in every assembly segment. A dedicated vehicle toured across all the 294-Assembly constituencies.” LS speaker Om Birla tests positive for Covid-19, condition stable ‘CAA TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN BENGAL IF BJP COMES TO POWER’ KOLKATA: The Citizenship Amendment Act will be implemented in West Bengal and refugees staying in the state for 70 years will be granted citizenship if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power in Bengal, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday. Shah unveiled the BJP's poll manifesto for the West Bengal Assembly elections on Sunday. Speaking at the event, Shah said, "We have decided to call our manifesto a Sankalp Patra. It is not just a manifesto but a resolution letter for West Bengal by the country's largest party. We will create a Sonar Bangla." He further said, "The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will be implemented in the first Cabinet meeting and refugees who have been staying here for 70 years will be given citizenship. Each refugee family will get Rs 10,000 per year for five years." The Union Home Minister further said the border will be strengthened to prevent infiltration. MORE ON PG 5 Amit Shah releases BJP Manifesto of West Bengal election, in Kolkata on Sunday. ‘Where there is a scheme, there’s a scam in Bengal’ KOLKATA: Launching a blistering attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said 'asol paribartan' (real change) in the state would ensure that the benefits of Centre's schemes reach the poor. "BJP will bring the 'asol paribartan' in Bengal. The game of corruption, the game of syndicate and the game of cut money will come to an end. After the BJP forms the government, Maa'er pujo hobe, maatir tilak hobe aar manusher somman hobe! (The worship of Goddess Durga will happen, the land of Bengal and its people will be respected)," Modi said at an election rally in Bankura district. Urging the people of the state to vote for BJP, the Prime Minister said that the Trinamool Congress-led state government will go on May 2. He added that he will not let her kick out development in Bengal. "Where there is a scheme, there's a scam in Bengal...Didi, you keep saying 'khela hobe' (the game is on) while people of Bengal have decided that this time 'khela shesh hobe' (the game will end this Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets during an election rally, in Bankura on Sunday. ANI time)... Didi jacche asol paribartan ashche (Didi is going and real change is coming)," he pointed out, adding that development is necessary for Bengal. Modi said that the top priority would be given to development if BJP government comes to power in the state. Confident about BJP's win, he also said that the picture of Bankura is a witness that people of Bengal have decided that "Lotus" will bloom in the state on May 2. "Do May, Didi gai (Didi will go on May 2)...The entire region is proof that Didi and her state government has only played with the sentiments of people in Bengal for the last 10 years...Many of our tribal friends including late Ajit Murmoo have lost lives due to Trinamool's khela," he said. The Prime Minister added: "If you want to get rid of corruption, vote for the BJP. To bring development in Bengal, vote for BJP." Nitish’s photo missing in Bihar Deputy CM’s event, JD-U protests PATNA: Photographs of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar were missing in the ceremony, presided over by Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishore Prasad, to lay the foundation stone of development projects in Katihar district on Sunday, evoking protests from JD-U leaders. Prasad and Health Minister Mangal Pandey went to Katihar for laying the foundation stone of two hospitals worth Rs 49 crore in Katihar and Purnea districts. During the event, there were photographs of the two BJP leaders as chief guests on the posters, but those of Nitish Kumar was missing. Katihar Deputy Mayor Suraj Rai and other JD-U leaders protested, shouting slogans against the Deputy CM, Health Minister and BJP for conspiring against Nitish Kumar. Rai eventually walked out from the event, leaving ANI BJP leaders in shock. After the event, Rai told media persons that Nitish Kumar is heading NDA in Bihar and "all development projects in Bihar are due to him". "BJP trying to take credit for government projects. Hence, its leaders deliberately removed photograph of Nitish Kumar from the posters of the event," he said. The BJP, however, rejected the allegations of sidelining the Chief Minister. Prasad said: "It could be a lapse of the district administration. We are working under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. He is our leader and PM Narendra Modi is our guide." Meanwhile, the Nawada police in Bihar have claimed to have cracked a bank robbery case by arresting eight persons, a police officer said on Sunday. The accused persons had looted Rs 14 lakh from the Dakshin Bihar Gramin Bank at Basti Bigha near the Nardiganj police station on March 8. As per the robbery plan, six accused carrying firearms entered the bank while two others were present outside the bank. "After the robbery, the accused persons distributed the money among themselves. One of the accused donated the money to his brother to contest the state panchayat elections. Another accused tried to buy a bike from Gaya while another spent the money for his daughter's marriage," said Nawada SP D.S. Savlaram. NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has tested positive for Covid-19, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said on Sunday, adding that his condition is stable. "Om Birla, Hon'ble Member of Parliament and Speaker of the Lok Sabha, tested positive for Covid on March 19," AIIMS said in a statement. A day after testing positive, he was admitted to the AIIMS Covid Centre for observation. "He is stable and all his parameters are normal," said Aarti Vij, Chairperson, Media and Protocol Division, AIIMS. Amid apprehension of a second wave of coronavirus, the Rajasthan government on Sunday announced to impose night curfew in eight districts and also made negative RT-PCR report mandatory for visitors travelling to the state from across the country. The night curfew will be clamped from Monday between 11pm and 5am in Ajmer, Bhilwara, Jodhpur, Kota, Udaipur, Sagwara, Kushalgarh and Jaipur. However, all the emergency services are exempted from the curbs. The decision was taken in a meeting by a Corona Core Group committee on Sunday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. In an effort to curb the the spread of Covid-19, orders were also issued to close the markets across all the cities of the state from 10 pm. On the other hand, the RT-PCR negative report should not be more than 72 hours old for those travelling to Rajasthan from March 25. Earlier, visitors from Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh were mandated to carry the negative Covid report along with them. However, passengers coming to Rajasthan without negative report will have to stay quarantined for 15 days. POLITICS ON VACCINATION AND ITS SLOW PACE KEEP PEOPLE ON TENTERHOOKS PAGE 6 MVA shouldn't buckle under BJP pressure, :Cong MUMBAI: Ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituent Congress on Sunday called upon its partners, the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party, not to "buckle" under the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party's pressure aimed at destabilising the state government in the wake of the "letter-bomb" crisis. Congress state General Secretary and spokesperson Sachin Sawant said that since the last over six years, the BJP-led Centre has been making attempts to undermine all opposition parties' governments in different states. Administrative officers under the jurisdiction of the state are being pressured with the help of the Central investigation agencies and there are many examples like (then Comptroller and Auditor General) Vinod Rai before the country, he said. His comments came in the wake of the massive controversy triggered after former Mumbai Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh levelled allegations that Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had ordered arrested-suspended policeman Sachin Vaze to collect Rs 100 crore per month, leading to demands for the minister's sacking. "This is nothing new... An ex-DIG of Gujarat Police D.G. Vanzara had leveled serious allegations against the then Gujarat HM and current Home Minister of India Amit Shah. Did Amit Shah resign then?” Uncertainty looms on how frequently Covid reinfection occurs NEW DELHI: As India once again witnesses a surge in Covid-19 caseloads, health experts on Sunday warned people, especially those who have recovered from the deadly disease, to be extra careful as it is still uncertain how long someone is protected from getting reinfected. Various studies have shown people who survived a Covid-19 infection continue to produce protective antibodies against key parts of the virus from two months to almost a year. However, according to the health experts, there is still uncertainty to suggest that people are immune to Covid-19 after the first infection. "As per the current research evidence, there is uncertainty about the duration of protection acquired after natural infection," Harshal R. Salve, Associate Professor at Centre for Community Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi told IANS. According to the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), antibodies usually start developing within one to three weeks after infection. But the CDC does not have enough information yet to confirm how protected someone might be from being infected again if they have antibodies to fight the novel coronavirus. The confirmed and suspected cases of reinfection with the virus have been reported, but remain rare, according to the CDC. A view of deserted roads as a lockdown imposed due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, in Bhopal on Sunday. ANI According to Shiba Kalyan Biswal, Consultant, Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Narayana Hospital, Gurugram, people who have survived Covid-19 are safe for six to eight months from getting reinfected. "After Covid-19 infection immunity remains for nearly 6 to 8 months. As far as the antibodies are concerned it may depend upon person to person, but infected people potentially develop antibodies within around two weeks, and for the same reason, also a minimum of two weeks isolation is suggested for infected patients," Biswal informed. Recently, a study published in The Lancet medical journal stated that most people who get infected with SARS-CoV-2 are protected from catching it again for at least six months, however, people aged 65 and above are more prone to getting reinfected. The experts also emphasised that the production of antibodies may vary from person to person as it depends upon various fac- Various studies have shown people who survived a Covid-19 infection continue to produce protective antibodies against key parts of the virus from two months to almost a year. However, according to the health experts, there is still uncertainty to suggest that people are immune to Covid-19 after the first infection. tors such as age, overall health, etc. "Antibodies are produced in days to weeks after infection with the virus. The number of antibodies depends upon the severity of the disease, age, health, nutritional status and immunosuppressive conditions or medications," said Vikas Maurya, HOD, Pulmonology, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi. "But majority develop in the second week starting with Immunoglobulin M (IgM) and later on Immunoglobulin G (IgG) from the third week onward," Maurya told IANS. The cases of Covid-19 are rising amid the vaccination drive. As of March 20, India recorded 40,953 infections in a single day, the highest so far since November, taking the total tally to 1,15,55,284 on Saturday. A single-day spike of 41,810 new infections was recorded on November 28 last year. The country has been registering an increase in cases for more than 10 consecutive days.