iTV Network has acquired a majority stake in The Real Kashmir News and consolidated its presence in the Kashmir Valley.

On this occasion, Kartikeya Sharma, Founder of iTV Network, said, “We are delighted to announce the acquisition of The Real Kashmir News. This is part of our strategic expansion in a hybrid system of print, digital and television to augment the presence of India News in Jammu & Kashmir. With this acquisition we will be sharing the news from different corners of Jammu and Kashmir to national and global audiences. Also, iTV Network will be launching India News Jammu & Kashmir”

The Real Kashmir News, founded with a vision to promote positive news from the Valley and cover first-hand news from Jammu and Kashmir, is dedicated to providing unbiased stories.

Expressing his views on the acquisition, Sajid Yousuf, CEO, The Real Kashmir News, said, “It’s really a proud moment for us all that we have merged with iTV Network, a brand in itself. By merging with iTV Network, we will become the voice of voiceless people.”

Yana Mir, Editor-in-Chief, The Real Kashmir News, said, “The Real Kashmir News is proud to announce that we are now a product of iTV Network. Proud moment!”

Speaking on this, Varun Kohli, CEO, iTV Network, said, “iTV Network has expanded further into the regional news space with the acquisition of The Real Kashmir News. We will be reaching out to a wider audience with this tie up.”

On this development, Meenakshi Singh, President – Government and Retail, iTV Network, said, “We believe that the partnership with The Real Kashmir News is in keeping with a continued focus to partner and invest into good ideas within the media space in India and globally.”

CHANDIGARH: In May, when Covid-19 cases were on peak, Punjab and Haryana High Court was on a vigil over States’ hospitals and had ordered Chandigarh, Punjab, and Haryana to set up ICU Control rooms to ensure the wellbeing of the patients infected with the virus, and so that the relatives remain in regular touch with the concerned authorities, as well as the respective patients. It has been two months so far, but none of the states except Haryana have set up such control rooms so far.

On 27 May, the HC ordered, “We also find that the ICU control rooms are a necessity as relatives of patients cannot be left in a state of anxiety if information regarding the medical condition of their kith and kin, who are admitted in the ICU is not available to them. This also leads to complaints by the relatives of the patients and the consequent fact-finding inquiries. We, thus, feel that state governments need to issue necessary directions in this regard on the analogy of PGIMER, Chandigarh and other reputed institutions”.

A division bench, comprising of Justice Rajan Gupta and Justice Karamjit Singh, passed these orders while hearing an ongoing petition regarding arrangements and facilities available in the region to tackle the pandemic.

Haryana was the only State which has been able to set up ICU Control rooms in even District-based Hospitals. Dr. Veena Singh, Directorate General Health Services, Haryana, told The Daily Guardian, “Orders or No orders, we made all arrangements for people who were anxious for their relatives admitted in ICUs. The relatives had words with doctors, they could see their patients on screen. Our Mahendergarh district-based Primary Health Care Centre was also been able to run an ICU where doctors worked tirelessly to fight the peak.”

As per sources, the Chandigarh Administration is still in process of setting up the ICU control rooms. The State Medical Research and Education Department has approved the file and 250 cameras are to be installed inside the ICUs pointing on the nursing stations, to make the ICU Control rooms functional. Whereas the court had asked to show patients on screen so that the relatives could be ensured of their patients’ well being.

The Daily Guardian tried to contact officials but they didn’t respond to the queries so far.

However, Dr. GB Singh, Director Health Services Punjab, said, “I will look into the matter, so far I am not aware of this”.

As per the orders of the Gujarat administration, standard 12 classes, polytechnic institutes and colleges in the state will be resumed from Thursday 15th July 2021 with 50% capacity, however the consent from the parents would be sought. Attendance of students in such institutions is optional.

In a meeting of the core committee, Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Chief Secretary Anil Mukim, Additional Chief Secretary of Home Department Pankaj Kumar, Frontline Secretary of Education S. J. Haider, Chief Minister’s Secretary Ashwini Kumar and Education Secretary Vinod Rao were present.

The Zydus Cadill corona vaccine for children between the ages of 12 and 18 in India may be available from September, stated the chairman of the expert committee on vaccine matters. The results of a trial of the Zydus Cadill vaccine on children are expected to be available before September.

The state government had initially decided to close direct education in all primary, secondary and higher secondary schools in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Surat, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Junagadh and Gandhinagar from March 19, 2021.

Educational work in schools-colleges, educational institutions was closed from March 16 last year. Subsequently, schools and colleges in Std 6 to 12 were reopened in phases from January to February.

Earlier, standard 10 and 12 schools were opened from January 11, following which standard 10 and 12, PG and last year’s college classes were started. Then in the state schools for standard 9th and 11th were started on 1st February as well as classes for standard 9th to 12th and competitive examinations were allowed. After the reopening of schools and colleges from 9 to 12, the state government’s education department announced the resumption of classroom education for first-year students in colleges from February 8.The Gujarat government had announced mass promotions for students of standard 1 to 9 and standard 11 in the state.

Gujarat Youth Congress Vice President Nikhil Savani has split with the Congress, sources said. Nikhil claims that like his elder brother, Hardik Patel’s position in Congress is not good. On the other hand, he has accused the Youth Congress of massive corruption in the elections. Amidst the sensational allegation that no one gives importance to Hardik in the party, Congress said that a person who has been in the party for two-four years has not made any contribution just after getting the post.

Some leaders of the Youth Congress and NSUI have now come face to face. Nikhil Savani has said that there is a controversy within the Congress and the acting president Hardik Patel is not being treated properly.

Savani has accused the leaders of his own party of conspiring to end the political career of Hardik Patel, the working president of the state. Savani said that factionalism is at its peak in Gujarat Congress and Congress leaders are conspiring to end the political career of party’s working president Hardik Patel. They allege that the party runs membership campaigns only to collect money. Elections for NSUI and Youth Congress President are also won on the basis of money, he alleged. He alleges that in Congress it is the tradition of the king’s son to become the king. The common worker is not allowed to progress.

Nikhil Savani was earlier in the BJP. After that, Nikhil, who was close to the Surat businessman, defected to the Congress and got the post as he was close to Hardik. Meanwhile, he had also given tickets to his wife Donica in the corporation elections, but sources said that Nikhil had suddenly split again after splitting with Congress.

Amid the allegations, Youth Congress leader Parthiv Rajsinh Kathwadia from the Congress said that the people were adopting a strategy of blackmailing by telling lies. Those who are alleging have only taken from the party itself, but given nothing to the party.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is expected to interrogate Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh in a money laundering case linked to his allegation of a Rs 100 bribery-cum-extortion racket in the state police establishment that led to the resignation of former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, officials said on Friday.

According to sources, Param Bir Singh was summoned by the ED last week. However, he had asked for more time as he was unwell and had to undergo surgery as well.

After being shunted out of the Mumbai Police, Param Bir Singh had alleged in a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in March that Deshmukh had asked Sachin Vaze to extort around Rs 100 crore a month. A majority of this amount was to be collected from bars and restaurants, according to Singh’s letter.

Following this, various petitions were filed seeking investigation into the allegations. On the directions of the Bombay High Court, CBI conducted a preliminary inquiry and then registered an FIR against Deshmukh.

Searches were conducted at Deshmukh’s residence, offices and the premises of his close associates. The CBI also recorded statements of various individuals including Deshmukh.

Ed will instigate suspended cop Sachin Vaze also at Taloja jail, as the court has granted permission to interrogate Vaze.

With the state’s Covid positivity rate sliding to 0.4%, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday ordered the lifting of weekend and night curfew, and allowed gatherings of 100 persons indoors and 200 outdoors from Monday, while directing the DGP to challan all political leaders violating the Covid rules while holding rallies and protest meetings.

Even as he hoped that better sense will prevail on the political parties and leaders brazenly violating Covid-19 curbs by holding massive protests, he asked DGP Dinkar Gupta to issue challans against those indulging in anti-Covid behaviour.

The Chief Minister also ordered the opening of bars, cinema halls, restaurants, spas, swimming pools, gyms, malls, sports complexes, museums, zoos etc., subject to all eligible staff members and visitors having taken at least one dose each of the vaccine.

Though schools will continue to remain closed, colleges, coaching centres and all other institutions of higher learning shall be allowed to open by the Deputy Commissioner concerned, subject to a certificate having been submitted, that all teaching, non-teaching staff and students have been given at least one dose of vaccination, at least 2 weeks ago. 

The Chief Minister, while reviewing the Covid situation virtually, said the situation will again be reviewed on July 20.  Strict use of masks must be ensured at all times, the Chief Minister directed, while announcing the easing of restrictions.

Heath Secretary Hussan Lal said four districts had shown positivity of 1 or less than 1%, but the districts that still needed vigilance were Ludhiana, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Firozpur and Roop Nagar.

Referring to the cases of Mucormycosis, which has been reported in 623 patients as of July 8, the Chief Minister asked the Health Department to work out a proposal for supporting and helping in the treatment of such patients. Of the 623 cases, 67 are from outside the state, the Health Secretary informed the meeting, adding that 337 cases were under treatment and 154 had been discharged while 51 patients had died. The maximum cases reported in day was 34 on May 27, while the average of daily cases in the first week of July stood at 5.

VACCINE SHORTAGE

With the state running out of Covishield and left with only one day’s stock of Covaxin, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday again stressed the need for an increase in vaccine supplies from the Centre.

An increase in supplies was critical given the gradual opening of sectors conditional to stakeholders having taken at least one dose, said the Chief Minister, directing the officials to continue pursuing aggressively the Centre for enhancement of the state’s quota.

Pointing out that Punjab had already vaccinated nearly 83 lakh eligible persons (approximately 27% of the population), the Chief Minister said that the stock was being utilised in the state without any wastage. Punjab was able to utilise more than 6 lakh doses in a single day when adequate supply was received, he said at the Covid review meeting. While the 1st dose has been administered to 70 lakh people, 13 lakh people have received the second dose, he added.

Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan said during the meeting that the administration was following up with the Government of India for more doses.