Former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi's mother Shanti Gogoi passed away on Friday morning at a Delhi hospital. The wife of former Chief Minister Keshab Chandra Gogoi, Shanti Gogoi was ill for many days and was under treatment at a private hospital in Delhi and breathed her last in the wee hours today.
Deputy Chief Minister of Tripura Jishnu Debbarma tested positive for COVID-19. The deputy CM opted to take home isolation. Jishnu Debbarma wrote in his Facebook post, "Today I have tested positive for Covid-19 and have taken home quarantine. Let's all keep safe and be safe." Meanwhile, state Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has also been infected with the virus on Wednesday. He informed through social media platforms that he had tested positive for the virus. Through his post, Mr Deb had also asked those who have come in contact with him to put themselves into isolation. "I have been tested positive for Covid-19. I have isolated myself at home as per the advice of doctors. I request everyone to please follow all the covid appropriate behaviour and stay safe," Mr Deb had informed through his post.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed at Gauhati High Court against a massive scam of Rs. 200 core at Sarba Siksha Abhijan Mission, Assam. The court ordered the education department to reply for the alleged scam. The PIL was filed by Amguri Navanirman Samiti against a massive irregularity in the name of purchasing different school stuff. The samiti also alleged that the Sarba Siksha Mission also misused crores of rupees in the name of giving salary to fake teachers. The scam was reported in the financial years from 2011-12 to 2015-16.
In yet another unfortunate incident, an employee of defunct Cachar Paper Mill died at his residence on Thursday. The employee, identified as Fariz Uddin was an operator of the mill and was suffering from cancer. He was deprived of getting any medical attention due to an acute financial crisis. Fariz Uddin's death has increased the number of total employees' death to 84 out of which four had committed suicide while the others died due to lack of treatment. It may be mentioned that the employees of the two mills- Cachar Paper Mill and Jagiroad Paper Mill of the Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited are yet to get their salaries for the past several months. The general secretary of the Cachar Paper Project Workers and Employees Union (Independent), AR Mazumder, said that the Union registered a strong protest during the recent visit of the Prime Minister as the government has failed to revive these mills.
Twelve policemen who returned to Mizoram from Assam after election duty have tested positive for COVID-19, informed an official. The twelve policemen are among the 36 new COVID-19 cases reported in Mizoram on Friday. Of the 36 cases, seventeen were reported from the Aizawl district, 12 from Kolasib district, four from Champhai, two from Lunglei district and one case was detected in the Serchhip district, the official said. In all, 23 people who returned from different states are among the new patients. Eighteen patients have symptoms of COVID-19, while the rest are asymptomatic, he said.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday visited Dispur Hospital to take stock of the health situation of former minister and senior Congress leader Bhumidhar Barman. The former minister was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday and is under treatment at ICU. He is now under ventilation. Taking stock of the health condition, CM Sonowal said, "The senior Congress leader is under the supervision of doctors from different departments. I wish him a speedy recovery." In a statement issued by APCC earlier said, "Dr Barman has responded to people talking to him and is fine although he is in ICU. We wish him speedy recovery."
The Health & Family Welfare Department of Assam has issued a fresh set of COVID-19 guidelines for upcoming festivals and related programmes. Assam has geared up its COVID management strategies and is taking up various need-based steps to contain the spread of the pandemic, while keeping the core principles of COVID-19 management namely 'Testing, Tracing and Treating' along with ramping up of vaccination for the eligible categories.
The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has reportedly decided to send all its candidates outside the state by a chartered plane ahead of the counting of votes of Assam Assembly elections. Confessing about the possibility of horse trading, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal said that this has been done to close the horse trading trend. "All the MLAs have been kept in safe place," said Ajmal claiming that the alliance will form the next government in the state. According to reports, as many as 18 candidates including 3 sitting MLAs contesting the assembly polls left Guwahati early on Friday morning. As a preventive measure, the AIUDF candidates will be provided separate mobile phones so that they cannot be contacted by others and the talks are contained among party leaders.
A student of Pandu College was found COVID-19 positive on Friday morning days after she appeared for an exam at Gauhati University campus. The student identified as Priya Dey, appeared for the MA fourth semester examination. As per sources, the student presently is in home isolation. The authority of the Gauhati University has not yet decided whether to cancel the exam or not.
In a tragic incident, a ranger from the forest department was killed after a rhino attacked him inside Manas National Park on Friday. The ranger, identified as one Animesh Deka, was on duty when the incident took place at the Bhuyapara range of the national park. According to an official of the national park, Deka succumbed to his injuries on the spot. He was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Deka (34) was a resident of Dekapara area of Bhabanipur in Baksa district. He was married just few months back. After remaining closed throughout last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Manas National Park was reopened for tourism in October.
Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, died at the age of 99, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday. "It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle," the Buckingham Palace tweeted. Buckingham Palace said that further announcements will be made in due course. The Royal Family join people around the world in mourning his loss, the Palace said. Earlier, the Palace had said that Prince was being treated for a pre-existing heart condition. (ANI)
Former BJP MLA and Unnao rape convict Kuldeep Singh Sengar's wife, Sangeeta, will be contesting in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh panchayat polls on a BJP ticket. According to a list released by state party chief Swatantra Dev Singh, Sangeeta has been chosen to be the candidate of the district panchayat member from Ward No. 22 of Fatehpur Chaurasi. Earlier, she held the post of the district panchayat chairperson. On December 2019, her husband Kuldeep Sengar was awarded life imprisonment by a Delhi court for raping a minor in UP's Unnao. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury criticized her candidature and accused the BJP of adopting double standards.
Amid COVID resurge in the country, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while highlighting the concerns of the pandemic, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged him to open up vaccination program to everyone needs it. Gandhi said the inoculation program should move beyond and "individual's picture on the vaccine certificate" and towards "guaranteeing maximum vaccination". He also said his party will support a "well-planned, universalised and speedy vaccination drive". Reiterating the same, Gandhi said vaccine export should be put on halt considering the resurge in COVID cases in the country, adding that central allocation for vaccine procurement should be doubled. "Double central allocation for vaccine procurement from the existing Rs 35.000 crore. Give State governments a greater say in vaccine procurement and distribution. Provide direct income support to the vulnerable sections in the disastrous second wave," Gandhi said in his letter. "While our nation is facing vaccine starvation, more than 6 crore doses of vaccines have been exported. The state governments are repeatedly highlighting vaccine shortages only to receive intemperate statements by the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare targeting Opposition ruled states, undercutting cooperative federalism which you too have stressed as essential. Was the export of vaccines also an "oversight", like many other decisions of this government, or an effort to garner publicity at the cost of our own citizens?" he asked.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday condoled the death of Prince Philip, the husband of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. "My thoughts are with the British people and the Royal Family on the passing away of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He had a distinguished career in the military and was at the forefront of many community service initiatives. May his soul rest in peace," he tweeted. Earlier today, Buckingham Palace announced that the Prince had died at the age of 99. "It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle," the Buckingham Palace tweeted.
As many as 20 doctors, including 18 resident doctors and two faculty members, of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi have tested positive for COVID-19, ANI reported. Additionally, six MBBS students also contracted the virus, out of which three of them had taken the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. It is to be mentioned that the premier hospital have about 700 faculty members, more than 2500 resident doctors, around 4000 nurses and over 2,000 security guards. Meanwhile, India reported 1,31,968 new COVID-19 cases and 780 deaths in the last 24 hours.
