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IIT Kanpur to produce 30000 oxygen concentrators by June

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The Commune
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As the requirement for oxygen has increased in the last two weeks, the Indian Institute of Technology – Kanpur has decided to produce around 30000 oxygen concentrators by June.

This information was revealed by Shrikant Shastri, Professor IIT Kanpur. The manufacturing challenge task force will be led by Amitabha Bandyopadhyay, Professor in charge, Innovation & Incubation, IIT Kanpur, Srikant Sastri, President, TiE Delhi-NCR and Rahul Patel, Head of Strategic Initiatives, SIIC, IIT Kanpur.

IIT Kanpur director Prof Abhay Karandikar said, “IIT Kanpur carries a legacy of serving the nation in times of urgent need. When the first wave of COVID-19 hit India, SIIC incubated companies stepped up and delivered. As the second wave hits India, IIT Kanpur and SIIC have decided to support more indigenous innovators, this time to address the oxygen crisis in the country. I urge all eligible entrepreneurs to participate in Mission Bharat O2.”

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Tejasvi Surya busts beds allocation scam, asks Nandan Nilekani to create software for BBMP bed allocation

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The Commune
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Tejasvi Surya BBMP

After Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya exposed the artificial shortage of hospital beds in Bengaluru created by a nexus of Arogya Mithras stationed at various hospitals, he has now approached Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to ensure transparency with regards to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) bed allocation software.

“Had a conversation with Nandan Nilekani this morning and sought his help to revamp BBMP bed allocation software. Lots of gratitude to him for putting very best tech architects on the job immediately. Yet again, Nandan Nilekani has proved he is always available for Bengaluru!” Tejasvi Surya said in a tweet.

“This team of tech architects, also assisted by technology think tank iSpirit Product Nation, will redesign the bed booking software to make it efficient, transparent and minimise manual intervention. I thank the tech volunteers for helping this cause. People of Bengaluru will be grateful to you!” he added.

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Tuesday (4 May) alleged that there are enough beds in Bengaluru city but unfortunately they were running a racket of false blocking beds and then allocating them to those they please.

Surya was visibly upset and said those involved in this racket will surely face an unpleasant end themselves as they have compromised the lives of hundreds of people out of which many died due to lack of access to beds despite there being enough of them available.

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More than 100 priests who attended Church of South India conference test positive for Wuhan Virus

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The Commune
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Large number of priests of the Church of South India (CSI) who had attended an annual retreat last month in Munnar have reportedly tested positive for the Wuhan Virus.

As of now, two of the priests have died and five others are in serious condition. Among them are CSI moderator and Bishop of South Kerala Diocese Rev A Dharmaraj Rasalam, who is in-home quarantine. 

The annual retreat cum conference of priests and community members was held from April 13 to 17 at CSI Christ Church in Munnar despite requests for postponement in view of the pandemic. 

Those members who had said this meeting should be canceled were warned of disciplinary action if they failed to attend. 

Jacob Mathew, secretary of Church of South India Trust Association and member of the Joint Christian Council, alleged that “The annual retreats of Central Kerala Diocese and Kochi diocese were also scheduled last month and they were postponed due to a surge in Covid cases. But CSI South Kerala held the retreat secretly at Munnar without informing the government. As per the government instructions, only 50 people are allowed in a conference. But here all safety guidelines went for a toss,”.

However, T T Praveen, secretary of South Kerala Diocese of CSI, said “The retreat was organised adhering to protocol and we had got permission from the government. It is true that some of the priests have tested positive. But it has been proven that the infection was not spread from that conference. Two priests died due to the various diseases they had been suffering from. It is evident that it is the propaganda by anti-CSI lobbies to defame the Church, which is going to hold polls in the coming months,”.

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19 companies file application under PLI scheme for IT hardware manufacture

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The Commune
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Amid the rising pandemic cases in India, 19 companies have filed applications under the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for IT hardware manufacture.

Companies that have filed applications include Dell, Rising Stars Hi-Tech (Foxconn) ICT (Wistron) Flextronics, and Lava, and other electronics hardware manufacturing companies.

Further, 14 companies have filed applications under the category Domestic Companies which include Dixon, Infopower (JV of Sahasra and MiTAC), Bhagwati (Micromax), Syrma, Orbic, Neolync, Optiemus, Netweb, VVDN, Smile Electronics, Panache Digilife, HLBS, RDP Workstations, and Coconics.

Under the PLI all these companies are expected to ramp up and expand their manufacturing operations and grow into national champion companies in IT hardware production, said an IT Ministry statement.

Union Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “We are optimistic and looking forward to building a strong ecosystem across the value chain and integrating with the global value chains, thereby strengthening electronics manufacturing ecosystem in the country,”.

The PLI scheme for IT hardware was introduced on 3 March this year and gives an incentive of 4 per cent to 2 per cent/1 per cent on net incremental sales (over base year of FY 2019-20) of goods under target segments that are manufactured in India to eligible companies, for a period of four years (FY 2021-22 to FY 2024-25).

India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA) Chairman Pankaj Mohindroo said: “This is a testimonial to India’s capacity to become the manufacturing hub for IT hardware. The world is looking at India as a destination to manufacture and participation in the scheme by the global companies are a resounding vote of confidence to the current government’s policies.”

ICEA Chairman also added this is a big step towards “Atmanirbhar Bharat”.

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DMK goons thrash commoner for expressing concerns over crackers damaging his house

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The Commune
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With the DMK’s rise to power, Tamil Nadu is already witnessing atrocities being committed on the public by members of the DMK.

In yet another attack, DMK cadres thrashed a commoner who had expressed concerns over crackers damaging his house.

DMK cadres in Namakkal took to the streets to celebrate the victory of their party and the coming of their leader MK Stalin as Chief Minister. At a time when the second wave of the Wuhan Virus pandemic has been raging in the state, the DMK cadres were celebrating by bursting crackers with COVID-appropriate behaviour going for a toss.

They had burst crackers in front of the house which was having a ‘pandal’. Fearing that it may catch fire, the man had come out and expressed concerns over bursting the crackers outside his house for which he was thrashed by the DMK cadres.

In a video shared by AIADMK Spokesperson Kovai Sathyan that is going viral on social media, the man can be seen with blood dripping from his face. A few ladies (believed to be of his family) can be seen taking him away and consoling him. The video shows scenes of strong commotion with the DMK cadres wrecking havoc on the streets. The lady taking the video can be heard lamenting ‘Yesappa’ in fear. A police can be seen trying to bring the situation under control.

https://twitter.com/KovaiSathyan/status/1389575462762938369

Many on social media have been lashing out at the DMK for unleashing violence and plunging the state into anarchy.

https://twitter.com/Rowthiratamila/status/1389774288517877760

In another incident,  an ‘Amma Unavagam’ located in J.J Nagar near Maduravoyal, Chennai was attacked by DMK goons. On May 2 immediately after the DMK’s victory was confirmed, DMK cadres in Karur ransacked a shop belonging to an AIADMK cadre causing extensive damage to the property along with a person getting injured seriously.

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‘Traffic’ Ramaswamy passes away at 87

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The Commune
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‘Traffic’ Ramaswamy, one of Chennai’s iconic activists, passed away aged 87 on Tuesday. He had been diagnosed with lung issues, following which he got admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, and died due to a lung failure.

He earned his title ‘traffic’ after he had been instrumental in regulating the traffic in the central areas of Chennai in the 1990s and 2000s. His activism did not just stop with traffic regulation. Ramaswamy has also been credited with bringing about a lot of changes in society thanks to his PILs.  He helped abolish banner culture, recover a huge pocket of railway land in Velachery that had been encroached, and such. There were several NGOs and philanthropic organisations that have sought his aid many a time for sorting out social issues.

This was not to say that his motives were always scot-free. He had several run-ins with the local police since his PILs had, at times, affected iron and steel merchants. There was a point in his life where his family had abandoned him due to the various threats and warnings that he used to receive.

Needless to say, Ramaswamy passed away doing what he loved and lived a full life – that of an activist.

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“We will expose TMC and Mamata”, says BJP’s JP Nadda in West Bengal, after meeting bereaved mother of dead BJP worker

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The Commune
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West Bengal JP Nadda BJP

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda on 4 May said that the BJP will not tolerate the “blood-stained politics” of those wanting to stay in power in West Bengal. Nadda was speaking to the press after meeting with the bereaved family of dead BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar in Beliaghata, Kolkata. Sarkar was allegedly killed by supporters of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) after results of the West Bengal polls were declared on May 2.

“BJP will not tolerate the blood-stained politics of those wanting to stay in power. Mamata Banerjee’s political pretense and hypocrisy, and the manner in which she says that she wants to bring peace – is this how you bring about peace? We will expose this”, said Nadda.

“We will make the public of West Bengal aware on how the next five years will be spent in their [TMC’s] hands”, the BJP chief added. Nadda is on a two-day visit to the state.

The BJP chief was accompanied by Union Minister V Muraleedharan, state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh and state general secretary Locket Chatterjee.

There are an alarming number of reports of Hindu shops and residences – be they sympathisers of the BJP or the TMC – being attacked and looted by supporters of the TMC across the state of West Bengal. There are also reports of murders and rapes of Hindu women being allegedly perpetrated by the TMC.

Former MP and BJP leader Swapan Dasgupta said that over a thousand Hindu families in Nanoor, Birbhum district of West Bengal, have left their homes, fearing violence from TMC workers.

Meanwhile, the Indic Collective Trust has filed a plea in the Supreme Court, seeking a declaration from the court that the constitutional machinery in the state of West Bengal has broken down, so that President’s rule can be imposed in the State under Article 356 of the Constitution.

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Tejasvi Surya unearths irregularities in bed allocation by BBMP officials

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The Commune
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Tejasvi Surya BBMP

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya said that Bengaluru was not running out of hospital beds to treat COVID-19 patients, but was suffering due to the artificial scarcity of beds created by corrupt officials of the BBMP Covid War Room and their agents. Surya alleged that a major bed allocation scam was unearthed during a surprise audit of the centralised bed allocation system, along with three BJP MLAs from South Bengaluru on Tuesday.

The MP has demanded a thorough enquiry into the scam that has led to the loss of several lives and urged for stern action against the guilty officials.

“During the audit, we noticed that 4,065 beds had undergone auto-unblocking. After we called up the patients against whose name the bed was initially blocked (booked), we learnt that they were all in home isolation and had never got admitted to the hospital. The BU number of a single patient in home isolation is being used to block 5-20 beds, which are then sold to other patients for a hefty sum,” alleged Surya.

The ‘bed mafia’ calls up the COVID-19 patients with BU number to find out if they are asymptomatic and in home isolation. The beds are then booked against that particular BU number. These blocked beds automatically get unblocked if the patient does not turn up at the hospital within the next 12 hours. This bed is now manually re-alloted to the patients referred by the agents, who charge a hefty fee of ₹40,000 for a bed. These agents scout for patients on social media, where people are posting appeals for oxygen and ICU beds.

“When people are gasping for breath, these officials are denying beds to the patients. This bed blocking is not just a case of corruption. These are vultures. They are not just denying beds to emergency cases, but also selling these beds for exorbitant price. The chief minister has assured us that he will ensure these crooks are sent to jail,” Surya said.

Bommanahalli MLA Satish Reddy alleged that the ‘Arogya Mitras’ deployed by the government are working as agents to block the beds. “The agents are fleecing the helpless and needy people. In one case, a patient paid ₹25,000 to the agent through Google Pay to book a bed. We, as the elected representatives are unable to help people find a bed, but these agents can provide one for those who are ready to pay,” said Reddy.

The BJP legislator also expressed his ire against the apathy of the officers, who have no inclination to work. “The Centre has dispatched 750 ventilators over the last fortnight and 250 more are expected soon. But none of the ventilators have been installed in the hospitals. We could have saved many lives if only the officials were pro-active and behaved in a responsible manner,” Reddy rued.

Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subrahmanya also expressed his annoyance at the officials refusing to receive the calls from the elected representatives.

Chikpet MLA Uday Garudachar recounted his ordeal of finding beds for his electorate. “I had requested them to reserve five beds for each MLA as we get a minimum of 65 distress calls a day seeking beds. But the War Room does not respond to our calls. I urge the government to replace all the people in the War Room and bring in honest and efficient officers. We don’t want to feel helpless due to a corrupt system,” said Garudachar.

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Indic Collective’s plea in Supreme Court seeks declaration under Article 356 to consider imposing President’s rule in West Bengal

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The Commune
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West Bengal President's Rule

The NGO Indic Collective Trust has moved the Supreme Court seeking a declaration from the apex court that the Constitutional machinery in the State of West Bengal has broken down, so that President’s rule can be imposed in the State under Article 356 of the Constitution.

Furthermore, the petitioner association also sought directions to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to look into involvement of politicians, if any, in the targeted pogrom in West Bengal.

This petition was filed amid the surging reports of widespread violence across the state by supporters of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) against members and sympathisers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), after the results of Assembly elections were declared on May 2.

“Declare that the Constitutional machinery in the State of West Bengal has broken down within the meaning of Article 356 in order for His Excellency the President to take appropriate action under the said Article,” the petitioner submitted to the court.

The plea, drawn by advocate J Sai Deepak and filed through advocate Suvidutt MS, also urged the Court to direct the BJP-led Central government to deploy CRPF and army to contain the violence and restore law and order in the State.

The petition stated that there are several disturbing news reports and articles showing cruel and barbaric offences, specifically targeting towards members and supporters of the political parties that opposed the ruling party in the State election.

“It has come to the attention of the Petitioner based on credible news reports that since the declaration of the election result in West Bengal on 02.05.2021, several miscreants and violent elements belonging to the victorious political party have wreaked havoc and have created a state of unrest by committing heinous offences of, inter alia, bombing, murder, gang rape, outraging of modesty of women, arson, kidnapping, loot, vandalism and destruction of public property,” the plea said.

The petitioner contended that the West Bengal government has neglected its duties to either pass any directions to the State police authorities or to take any other measures to maintain law and order in the State of West Bengal.

“As such, the actions of the state of West Bengal herein have been instrumental in failing to uphold the principles of democracy,” the petition said.

The petition also sought directions from the Supreme Court for setting up a special court “to adjudicate and dispose of matters pertaining to the prosecution of political miscreants and/or any individuals involved in the commission of heinous offences”.

It was further submitted by the petitioner that there has been grave violation of the fundamental right to freedom of expression together with the fundamental right to life and liberty as enshrined under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India.

Regarding the maintainability and invocation of Article 32, the plea stated: “The power to issue prerogative writs under Article 32 of the Constitution of India is plenary in nature and is not limited by any other provision of the Constitution. This Hon’ble Court has time and again held that alternate remedy is not to operate as a bar in the contingency where a writ petition has been filed for the enforcement of any fundamental right.”

The association substantiated the need for an urgent intervention from the top court on the ground that “situation in West Bengal has become so volatile and politically charged, with severe consequences against the lives and liberty of individuals.”

Earlier, BJP Spokesperson, Senior Advocate Gaurav Bhatia had also approached the top court seeking CBI probe into poll violence.

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“Ready to fight democratically”, says JP Nadda in West Bengal, as bodies of BJP workers pile up

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The Commune
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JP Nadda West Bengal

As the massive surge of post-violence in West Bengal continues unabated, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President JP Nadda reached Kolkata to take cognisance of the situation in the state. According to several reports, there have been large-scale coordinated attacks against BJP workers and sympathisers across the state, carried out by members and supporters of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

JP Nadda, on his arrival at Kolkata, said that incidents seen in the aftermath of the West Bengal poll results are reminiscent of the partition-related violence in India.

“The incidents which we saw after the results of West Bengal polls shock us and make us worried. I had heard of such incidents during India’s partition. We had never seen such intolerance after the results of a poll, in independent India”, Nadda said. The BJP national president is on a two-day visit to the state.

“We are committed to fight this ideological battle and the activities of TMC which is full of intolerance. We are ready to fight democratically. I will go to South 24 Parganas now and visit the houses of those workers later whose lives ended a few hours after the results”, he added.

Nadda, along with state party chief Dilip Ghosh, visited the residence of a BJP worker, which was allegedly vandalised by TMC workers.

Nadda also visited the house of BJP worker Haran Adhikari, who was beaten to death allegedly by TMC supporters. They also allegedly attacked Adhikari’s wife and children.

“Mamata ji, what your party did after winning, speaks about your belief in democracy. TMC workers & leaders are saying that all these incidents on social media are fake. You’ve seen how Haran Adhikari’s wife & son were crying. I request media to tell truth to the nation”, the BJP chief said.

Nadda met the families of party workers who were affected in post-election violence, in Pratapnagar of South 24 Parganas. He was also accompanied by state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh, national general secretary Bhupender Yadav and state general secretary Locket Chatterjee.

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