CMYK Rs. 3 KOLKATA FRIDAY, 27 MAY, 2022 PG-12, YEAR—8, ISSUE—362 (RNI NO.: WBENG / 2014 / 56803) Morning India EC declares election date for panchayat polls MI News Service, Kolkata: The West Bengal State Election Commission has declared the dates and procedures of the upcoming Panchayat General Elections and Municipal Election in six Municipal Constituencies. For the Darjeeling district election, the number of Gram Panchayats is 22 and the numbers of gram panchayat seats are 462. Numbers of Panchayat Samities are 4 and panchayat samiti seats are 66. Number of mahakuma parishad is 1 and number A Thursday evening descends against a rosy sky spreading across the city. PIC: PRABIR BHATTACHARYA Mamata’s name proposed as chancellor of all universities in cabinet meeting MI News Service, Kolkata: In a new twist , it has been proposed in the state cabinet meeting that the Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee can be as the chancellor of all universities. This decision will be effective for all government universities in the state. The cabinet sealed the proposal to make Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee the chancellor of universities. The government is going to bring a Bill in the Assembly soon to make the chief minister the prin- 'Extraordinary order', SC sets aside Delhi HC order staying SFIO probe into Sahara group firms MI News Service, New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday set aside the Delhi High Court order, which stayed the investigation into companies related to the Sahara Group and also the look out circulars issued against Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy and his wife. A bench comprising Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Bela M. Trivedi said the high court order was unwarranted and also it passed an extraordinary order staying the investigation. On May 17, the top court had agreed to list a plea by SFIO challenging the Delhi High Court order. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the SFIO, submitted that total money involved ❑ Continue PG 3 cipal of the universities. On Thursday, Education Minister Bratya Basu said, "It has been unanimously decided in the cabinet that the government will bring a Bill in the Assembly instead of appointing the chief minister as the principal instead of the Governor." In fact, the conflict between the governor and the government on various issues is not new in West Bengal. In the field of education too, this conflict has repeatedly reached its climax. It has come to light that the governor wanted to hold a meeting with the vicechancellors of the university but the vice-chancellors did not go. After that, the governor openly expressed his anger. Apart from this, there is a precedent of conflict with the governor regarding the appointment of vice chancellor. In such an atmosphere, the idea of removing the Governor as Acharya started long ago in the govern- ment. At that time, Education Minister Bratya Basu had indicated that the government was going to think of the Chief Minister as ‘Acharya’. According to sources, the chief minister was proposed by a commission in 2010. This decision of the cabinet is based on that recommendation. At the time of writing, the Governor's House was called to inquire about the Governor's response to the matter. According to Raj Bhavan sources, the Governor will tweet about this. Police should treat sex workers with dignity, not abuse them: SC MI News Service, New Delhi: Observing that human decency and dignity extend to sex workers and their children, the Supreme Court has directed police forces in all states and Union territories to treat sex workers with dignity and not to abuse them, verbally or physically. Issuing a slew of directions, a bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao, B R Gavai and A S Bopanna said the constitutional protection that is given to all individuals in this country shall be kept in mind by the authorities who have a duty under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. Any sex worker who is a victim of sexual assault should be provided with all facilities available to a survivor of sexual assault, including immediate medical assistance, in accordance with law, it said. “It has been noticed that the attitude of the police to sex workers is often brutal and violent. It is as if they are a class whose rights are not recognised. The police and other law enforcement agencies should be sensitised to the rights of sex workers who also enjoy all basic human rights and other rights guaranteed in the Constitution to all citizens. Police should treat all sex workers with dignity and should not abuse them, both verbally and physically, subject them to violence or coerce them into any sexual activity,” the bench said. The court also said the Press Council of India should be urged to issue appropriate guidelines for the media to take utmost care not to reveal the identities of Continue PG 3 sex workers, ❑ Canada confirms 16 monkeypox cases MI News Service, Ottawa : The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has confirmed 16 cases of monkeypox in the country. All the cases have been reported in the province of Quebec, PHAC said in a statement, adding that samples are being received for confirmatory testing from multiple jurisdictions, reports Xinhua news agency. According to the statement, cases of monkeypox are being identified and treated by local health clinics. There is ongoing planning with provinces and territories to provide access ❑ Continue PG 3 Bihar girl travels 1 km on one leg to reach school MI News Service, Patna: Seema Kumari, a 10-yearold disabled school girl of Bihar's Jamui district has become a talking point due to her high spirit and willpower. Seema lost one leg as it came under the wheels of a tractor in her native village Fatehpur under Khaira block two years ago. During the treatment doctors sugCMYK gested that she may die if her injured leg would not be cut. Her parents agreed on it and the doctors chopped her left leg. Despite losing her one leg, Seema did not lost hope. She used to go to school. She uses long jump technique to travel the distance of 1 km from her home to school and that too with a school bag on her back. Continue PG 3 ❑ State Election Commissioner Sourav Das ,held a press meet at the Office of the West Bengal State Election Commision in connection with the ensuing Panchayat General Election to the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad and Municipal Elections to certain municipal constituencies, in Kolkata on Tuesday. of mahakuma parishad seats are 9. The total numbers of polling stations are 657 and total numbers of polling premises are 382. The numbers of electors are 527938. The details of the elections have been fully furnished in the web site of the commission. The Commission also mentioned that the election would be administered by additional state police only and would be cooperated by PFR and RAF. ❑ Continue PG 3 Germany approves Bharat Biotech's Covaxin MI News Service, New Delhi: Germany on Thursday ap- proved the 'Made in India' Bharat Biotech's Covid vaccine Covaxin. "Covaxin has been approved by Germany. The entrants will no longer need proof of vaccination as the Federal Cabinet relaxes restrictions," said Bharat Biotech in a tweet on Thursday. "The Federal Cabinet of Germany has approved Covaxin and relaxed restrictions on the entry for those vaccinated with WHO approved vaccines. The promulgation takes effect from June 2022," said the vaccine manufacturer in a statement. Walter J. Lindner, German Ambassador to India, on Thursday hailed the German government for recognizing the WHO-listed Bharat Biotech's Covid vaccine, Covaxin for travel to the country starting June 1. Taking to Twitter, the Ambassador said: "Very happy that GER government just decided to recognize WHO-listed Covaxin for travels to GER, starting June 1! This Embassy has been pushing very actively for such decision (because of Covid-backlogs visa sections have longer waiting periods than normal, please have patience)." The World Health Organization in November last year issued an emergency use listing (EUL) for Covaxin.