YK MYK POLITICS IN 2022 LIKELY TO BE MARKED BY FURTHER VIOLENCE OPINION Rs. 3 KOLKATA MONDAY, 3 JANUARY, 2022 PG- 8, YEAR— 8, ISSUE— 223 (RNI NO: WBENG / 2014 / 56803) AT A GLANCE VAISHNO DEVI STAMPEDE: GOVT ASKS PEOPLE TO SHARE FACTS, ELECTRONIC EVIDENCE JAMMU: The J&K Government has invited the people to share facts, statements, or electronic evidence regarding the tragic incident at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji Shrine in Katra on January 1, officials said on Sunday. "It is for the information of the general public that any person who desires to furnish any facts, statements, electronic evidence etc. regarding the said incident; may share the same on the email id: divcomjmujk@nic.in or Whatsapp No: 09419202723 or Landline No: 01912478996 by or before January 5, 2022. Any person who desires to meet in person, may appear before the said Enquiry Committee in person between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on January 5, 2022 in the Office of Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Rail Head Complex, Panama Chowk; to furnish any statements/ facts/ evidence" a notice issued by Divisional Commissioner Office, Jammu, said. SA V IND, 2ND TEST: INDIA EYEING SERIES VICTORY AGAINST SHAKY SA NATION Morning India Partial lockdown, night curfew imposed in State MI NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA: In wake of the sudden spike in COVID cases, West Bengal on Sunday announced certain restrictions on the movement of people and public transport from Monday onwards. Though Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier said that there will not be a lockdown but keeping in view of the rising cases, the government decided to close all educational institutions and restrict the movement of local trains. Addressing a press conference, Chief Secretary H.K. Dwivedi said: "All academic activities in schools, colleges and universities shall remain closed. Only administrative activities shall be permitted with 50 per cent of employees at a time." This will continue till January 15. He said local trains shall oper- ate with 50 per cent seating capacity up to 7 p.m., metro services will 50 per cent seating capacity as per usual operational time, while movement of people and vehicles and public gatherings of any kind shall be prohibited between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and only essential and emergency services shall be permitted. Announcing the closure of all swimming pools, spas, gyms, beauty parlours, saloons, wellness centres, entertainment parks, zoos, tourist places, the Chief Secretary said: "All government offices including public undertakings shall function with 50 per cent of employees at a time. All private offices and establishments shall function with 50 per cent of employees at a time. Work from home shall be encouraged as far as possible." "Shopping malls and market complexes may function with restricted entry of people by not exceeding 50 per cent of the capacity at a time and up to 10 p.m. Restaurants and bars may operate with 50 per cent of capacity at a time and up to 10 p.m. Cinema halls and theatre halls may operate CORONA METER INDIA TOTAL CASES: 34,889,132 TOTAL DEATHS: 481,770 WORLD TOTAL CASES: 289,798,361 TOTAL DEATHS: 5,458,777 MI NEWS SERVICE People belonging to the Sikh community take part in a rally for the upcoming Guru Govind Singh birth anniversary celebrations in Kolkata on Sunday PARTIAL LOCKDOWN, NIGHT CURFEW IMPOSED IN WEST BENGAL KOLKATA: In wake of the sudden spike in Covid cases, West Bengal on Sunday announced certain restrictions on the movement of people and public transport from Monday onwards. Though Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier said that there will not be a lockdown but keeping in view of the rising cases, the government decided to close all educational institutions and restrict the movement of local trains. Addressing a press conference, Chief Secretary H.K. Dwivedi said: "All academic activities in schools, colleges and universities shall remain closed. Only administrative activities shall be permitted with 50 per cent of employees at a time." This will continue till January 15. He said local trains shall operate with 50 per cent seating capacity up to 7 p.m., metro services will 50 per cent seating capacity. as per usual operational time, while movement of people and vehicles and public gatherings of any kind shall be prohibited between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and only essential and emergency services shall be permitted. Announcing the closure of all swimming pools, spas, gyms, beauty parlours, saloons, wellness centres, entertainment parks, zoos, tourist places, the Chief Secretary said: "All government offices including public undertakings shall function with 50 per cent of employees at a time. All private offices and establishments shall function with 50 per cent of employees at a time. Work from home shall be encouraged as far as possible." "Shopping malls and market complexes may function with restricted entry of people by not exceeding 50 per cent of the capacity at a time and up to 10 p.m. Restaurants and bars may operate with 50 per cent of capacity at a time and up to 10 p.m. Cinema halls and theatre halls may operate with 50 per cent of seating capacity at a time and up to 10 p.m." Centre to retain existing EWS criteria for NEET-PG counselling NEW DELHI: For the NEETPG counselling, the Centre has decided to continue with the existing criteria of Economic Weaker Section reservation for the ongoing admission on the basis of recommendations made by expert committee. In the NEET-PG counselling which is pending before the Supreme Court, the Union government told the court that it has decided to retain the existing criteria for EWS as changing the cri- teria midway will lead to complications. The government in an affidavit dated on December 31 had informed the Supreme Court that it has accepted the recommendations of the Committee for Revisiting the Criteria Of The Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) Reservation for making candidates of those families whose annual income is up to Rs 8 lakh eligible for EWS reservation but excluding a person whose family has five acres of agricultural land and above from EWS irrespective of income. The expert committee in its report on Review of the Criteria for EWS Reservation has recommended that disturbing the existing system which is on going since 2019 would create more complications both for the beneficiaries as well as for the authorities. The expert committee has recommended that the revi- sion should be implemented in the next academic year, adding that changing the criteria midway will lead to more complications. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case on January 6. However, the resident doctors across the country protested against the delay in the NEET-PG Counselling 2021. The agitating resident doctors on December 31 called off their 14-day long nationwide agitation. Omicron doesn’t cause as much damage to lungs NEW DELHI: Omicron is less severe than the previous Covid-19 variants because it does not cause as much damage in the lungs, a spate of studies have suggested. A study by a consortium of US and Japanese scientists on hamsters and mice found those infected with Omicron had less lung damage, lost less weight and were less likely to die than those who had other variants, the Daily Mail reported. It found mice infected with Omicron had a tenth less of the virus in their lungs compared to those with other variants, the report employees and for compliance of stated directives and COVID appropriate norms. Work from home shall be encouraged as far as possible and practical," he said. The Chief Secretary said that home delivery of food and other essential products shall be allowed as per usual operational hours following proper COVID appropriate care and protocols. "Wearing of masks, maintenance of physical distancing and health and hygiene protocols must be followed at all times," he added. District administration, police commissionerates and local authorities shall ensure strict compliance of the stated directives, and any violation of the restriction measures will be liable to be proceeded against as per the provisions of Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the Indian Penal Code, the order said. State Minister Aroop Biswas’s condition stable GOVT TO FORMULATE AIR SPORTS POLICY NEW DELHI: The government plans to formulate a national air sports policy as well as set up an apex body for air sports. The civil aviation ministry has sought comments from the public on the draft National Air Sports Policy (NASP 2022) till January 31. The plan is to promote air sports by making it "safe, affordable, accessible, enjoyable and sustainable", according to the ministry. The policy will cover sports like aerobatics, aeromodelling, amateur-built and experimental aircraft, ballooning, drones, skydiving and vintage aircraft. Under the policy, an Air Sports Federation of India (ASFI) will be established as the apex governing body while associations for each air sport will handle day to day activities. with 50 per cent of seating capacity at a time and up to 10 p.m." Under the rules, meetings and conferences shall be allowed with a maximum of 200 people at a time or 50 per cent seating capacity of the hall, whichever is lower, while not more than 50 persons shall be allowed for any social, religious and cultural gatherings, as well as for marriage related ceremonies and not more than 20 persons for funeral/burial services and last rites. "Duare Sarkar camps starting 2nd January 2022 are hereby postponed and will be organised again from 1st February 2022". "Employers/management bodies/owners/supervisors of all offices, establishments and work places shall be responsible for provisioning of all COVID safety measures including regular sanitisation of work places, vaccination of said. The findings backed up another paper by researchers at the University of Hong Kong, who studied human tissue in Omicron victims. They found Omicron grew significantly more slowly in 12 lung samples than earlier strains of the virus, the report said. Experts believe the fact the super mutant variant tends not to replicate as much in the lower parts of the lungs means it causes less significant damage, which could be behind its reduced severity, the Daily Mail reported. Data from South Africa showed Omicron sufferers are up to 80 per cent less likely to end up in hospital than those with Delta. And a similar study by the UK Health and Security estimated the risk was 70 per cent A STUDY BY A CONSORTIUM OF US AND JAPANESE SCIENTISTS ON HAMSTERS AND MICE FOUND THOSE INFECTED WITH OMICRON HAD LESS LUNG DAMAGE, LOST LESS WEIGHT AND WERE LESS LIKELY TO DIE THAN THOSE WHO HAD OTHER VARIANTS, THE DAILY MAIL REPORTED. less. Roland Eils, a computational biologist at the Berlin Institute of Health, said there is an emerging theme in the literature suggesting the variant tends to stay outside the lungs. KOLKATA: Power Minister Aroop Biswas, who is currently undergoing treatment for Coronavirus is stable now. His physical condition has shown improvement. According to the hospital authorities, antibody cocktail therapy has been found to be beneficial on him. He is responding positively to treatment. However, it is unknown as to when he will be discharged. Coronavirus has already spread its tentacles in the State Cabinet since the beginning of the New Year. Aroop Biswas was admitted to a private hospital in Alipore after being tested positive. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly was admitted to the same cabin of the hospital till December 31 after being infected by Coronavirus. The Power Minister has been kept under strict surveillance. A three-doctor medical team has also been formed for him that includes Dr. Saptarshi Basu. According to the medical bulletin on behalf of the hospital, the Minister is stable at the moment. Now his physical condition has improved a lot. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation election has just been held. The work of providing service to residents of the city has started by forming a new board. It was learned on Wednesday that borough No. 4 Chairman Sadhana Basu and MLA Tapas Roy tested positive for Coronavirus. The two were present at the swearing-in ceremony of Mayor Firhad Hakim on Monday. 144 Kolkata councillors, several MLAs, MPs and Ministers were also present on the occasion. Meanwhile, at the end of the festive season, the killing virus is also making its dreadful presence felt in the Kolkata Police force. It is learned that a total of 50 officials including Kolkata's Joint CP Crime, DC Traffic and Additional CP (Metro) have been affected by Coronavirus.