EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

DELHI THE HINDU 10 NEWS FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2020 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE DRDO develops bio suit, sealant for safety gear ₹50 lakh meant for PPE diverted, allege doctors Mass manufacture of the glue to help Railways to make protective suits ‘Money redirected to PM­CARES fund’ PPE production S. Vijay Kumar of the zonal railways and The PPE should conform to Special Correspondent concerns and requested New Delhi CHENNAI production units, the the approved design for that all personal protection Special Correspondent The All India Institute of equipment will have to meet NEW DELHI After converting coaches Railway Board said there standardisation. into isolation/quarantine was a huge requirement of The board said absolute Medical Sciences (AIIMS) the safety standards pre­ In a major breakthrough, the facilities, the Railways has PPE garments and the cleanliness should be Resident Doctors’ Associa­ scribed by the Health Minis­ Defence Research and Deve­ now decided to manufacture production/maintenance maintained in the tion (RDA) has alleged that try and that neither doctors lopment Organisation Personal Protection infrastructure could be used manufacture and the staff the administration and cor­ nor other patients should be (DRDO) has developed a spe­ Equipment (PPE) garment for their production. should wear the garment to porate social responsibility put at risk of catching the in­ cial sealant as an alternative for medical professionals, The Jagadhari workshop prevent cross (CSR) section had redirected fection. “Jugaad” PPE will to seam sealing tape which is service personnel and other in the Northern Railway had contamination. ₹50 lakh from Bharat Dy­ not work,” said AIIMS RDA critical in personal protec­ care­givers involved in the already developed a sample The goal is to produce namics under the Ministry general secretary T. Srinivas tive equipment (PPE). COVID19 pandemic. PPE garment which was in three sets per sewing of Defence to PM­CARES Rajkumar on Thursday. He A bio suit was also deve­ In a note to all Principal the process of approval by machine in one hour for 15 fund rather than the origi­ said the funds being re­di­ loped to keep medical and Chief Mechanical Engineers the appropriate authority. days across the network. nally assigned purpose of rected was a serious issue. other personnel engaged in The bio suit with seam sealing glue. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC buying personal protection combating COVID­19 safe equipment (PPE). Baseless, says AIIMS from the deadly virus, the India Textile Research Asso­ support the seam sealing ac­ ment said. “The current pro­ textile parameters as well as held Infra Red (IR) based The Prime Minister’s Citi­ Responding to the allega­ Defence Ministry said on ciation (SITRA), Coimba­ tivity by suit manufacturers. duction capacity is 7,000 protection against infection temperature sensor for zen Assistance and Relief in tion, AIIMS has said that the Thursday. tore,” the Ministry said in a suits per day,” the Ministry from synthetic blood. “The screening at its entry gates, Emergency Situations (PM­ statement is baseless. It said “The DRDO has prepared statement. Technology transfer said. protection against synthetic which have an average influx CARES) Fund, a public char­ that no funds have been re­ a special sealant as an alter­ It said bio suit production At present, Kusumgarh In­ Another vendor with ex­ blood exceeds the criteria of around 20,000 personnel itable trust, was set up in leased by Bharat Dynamics native to seam sealing tape in the country by DRDO in­ dustries, with technology perience in garment technol­ defined for body suits by the every day. The instrument response to the emerging to AIIMS. The AIIMS RDA based on the sealant used in dustry partners and other in­ transfer from the DRDO, is ogy is being brought in and Ministry of Health and Fami­ has been manufactured requirement for resources had informed the adminis­ submarine applications. Pre­ dustries was being ham­ producing the raw material, efforts are on to ramp up the ly Welfare,” the statement through in­house resources to defeat the novel coronavi­ tration that Bharat Dynam­ sently, bio suits prepared us­ pered due to non­availability coating material, and the capacity to 15,000 suits a said. at a cost of under ₹1000, a rus pandemic. ics was interested in helping ing this glue for seam sealing of seam sealing tapes. The complete suit is being manu­ day, the Ministry stated. Separately, Naval Dock­ fraction of the cost of the “We met with the admi­ to procure PPE. After talks by an industry partner has DRDO can mass produce this factured with the help of The bio suit has been sub­ yard, Mumbai, has designed temperature guns in the mar­ nistration on Wednesday with the firm, the funds cleared test at the Southern glue through the industry to another vendor, the state­ jected to rigorous testing for and developed its own hand­ ket, the Navy said. and told them about our were not released.

IN BRIEF IAF airlifts 6.2 tonnes of essential drugs to Maldives ₹500 in Jan Dhan The Army assisted in moving the 4 nations to use Air India accounts cargo to airports to repatriate their citizens Special Correspondent NCC cadets mobilised to Special Correspondent Mumbai augment relief efforts NEW DELHI NEW DELHI But flights won’t bring back Indians The Indian Banks’ The National Cadet Corps has An Indian Air Force (IAF) Association (IBA) has JAGRITI CHANDRA issued guidelines for C­130J transport aircraft on commenced. “This is a com­ said that women Thursday delivered 6.2 SUHASINI HAIDAR mercial contract between beneficiaries of the Jan temporary employment of its NEW DELHI cadets to augment relief tonne of essential medicines different countries and Air Dhan account can start efforts and functioning of and hospital consumables to Four countries — France, India,” Minister of State for withdrawing ₹500 from various agencies involved in Maldives under Operation Germany, Ireland and Cana­ Civil Aviation Hardeep Puri April 3, in the first of the battling COVID-19, the Sanjeevani. These medicines da — have chartered Air In­ said. three instalments of a Defence Ministry said on and consumables were pro­ dia’s services to repatriate However, India has no sum of ₹1,500 relief Thursday. The Department of cured from eight suppliers in their citizens from India. plans to mount any special announced by the Ex-Servicemen Welfare too India but couldn’t be tran­ However, none of the flights to bring back its citi­ Centre as part of the will join the efforts. sported through any other Hand of friendship: Essential supplies ordered by Maldives were transported by the Indian Air flights will bring any Indians zens until the lockdown is fight against COVID­19.

means due to the 21­day lock­ Force on Thursday. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT or other passengers strand­ over. “Resumption of flights “Under the Pradhan Doctor who wanted to down imposed to contain ed in these places back with from different countries will Mantri Garib Kalyan rope in quacks suspended the spread of COVID­19, an Among other things, ment, anticonvulsants, as import personal protective them due to the continuing be decided on a case­by­ package, ₹500 per PATNA official statement said. these medicines include in­ well as as catheters, nebulis­ equipment for frontline travel restrictions, officials case basis,” Mr. Puri said. month is being Siwan civil surgeon Ashesh “At the request of the go­ fluenza vaccines, anti­viral ers, urine bags and infant health workers. clarified. It is reliably learnt that a deposited into the Kumar was suspended for vernment of Maldives, the drugs such as lopinavir and feeding tubes, the statement “We have secured requi­ Air India will be mount­ few international airlines, accounts of women Jan issuing an official letter to rope in services of Jhola IAF aircraft activated Opera­ added. Last month, India site approvals from Shanghai ing 18 flights to Paris and including Gulf carriers, have Dhan Yojana Chhap doctors (quacks) to tion Sanjeevani and lifted had dispatched a 14­member for our flights on April 4 and Frankfurt and will fly Cana­ written to Indian missions beneficiaries by all combat COVID-19 pandemic these medicines from air­ Army medical team to Mal­ 5 and await clearances for dian and Irish citizens to in different countries seek­ banks. This is first of the in the district. The screenshot ports in New Delhi, Mumbai, dives to set up a viral testing flights on April 6,7 and 8. London, Air India Chairman ing permission to fly Indians 3 monthly instalments,” of his controversial letter had Chennai and Madurai before ritonavir — which have been lab there. Permissions have also been and Managing Director, Ra­ stranded there back to their IBA said in a statement. gone viral on social media. flying to the Maldives,” the used to treat patients with obtained for operations to jeev Bansal, said at a press home country, but their re­ To maintain physical The State’s Health statement said, adding the COVID­19 in other countries Cargo from China Hong Kong,” said Air India conference on Thursday. quests have been turned distancing and ensure department suspended him Army facilitated the tran­ —medicines for cardiac con­ Air India has received Chi­ Chairman and Managing Di­ A flight to London Heath­ down. “We have been ap­ efficient service, a with immediate effect. sport of these medicines and ditions, kidney ailments, hy­ na’s clearance to operate rector Rajiv Bansal. The row will depart daily from proached by several In­ schedule has been consumables from ware­ pertension, high blood pres­ cargo flights to Shanghai and flights are being operated on Delhi from April 4 to 7 and dians, including those from announced for the 11 Bangladeshi nationals houses across India to the sure, diabetes, arthritis, Hong Kong to help Indian a commercial basis following from Mumbai on April 5 and Kuwait,” an executive of an withdrawals. allowed to go home respective airports. allergies and cancer treat­ pharmaceutical companies requests from pharma firms. 7. Flights to Frankfurt have international airline said. GUWAHATI Eleven Bangladeshi nationals, who had returned from New Delhi more than a week ago, Na Corona Karo song have been sent to their Reveal post­lockdown plan, say scientists country through a land customs station on the India- Bangladesh border in goes viral on social media Meghalaya. Officials of the In a statement, 800 signatories ask the Centre to go beyond a ‘temporary solution’ Indo-Asian News Service Assistant High Commission of New Delhi Bangladesh in Guwahati said Shubashree Desikan costs without even seeing help, these measures are in­ matic cases — which consti­ the 11 were sent home after A song to make people Chennai any long­term epidemiologi­ sufficient by themselves. We tute the majority of infec­ medical examination and aware about taking precau­ Over 800 scientists, academ­ cal benefits,” says Suvrat Ra­ are deeply concerned that tions — will remain ascertaining that they had not tions against COVID­19, icians and public health pro­ ju from ICTS, Bengaluru, the government of India has undetected even at the end attended the congregation at composed by Pune­based fessionals issued a statement who is one of the persons co­ not released a roadmap, de­ of the lockdown period. So, the Tablighi Jamaat centre. classical khayal vocalist San­ on April 1, urging the govern­ ordinating this effort. tailing how it plans to deal we urge the ICMR and the deep Ranade, has mesmer­ ment to reveal a post­lock­ While emphasising that with the epidemic, once the Government of India to take Decongest jails ised celebrities and social Sandeep Ranade down plan to fight COVID­19. that the lockdown itself is lockdown is eased,” reads immediate steps to expand temporarily, say activists media users. The signatories include not a cure, the statement the statement. India’s testing regimen.” NEW DELHI The song was shared by went viral, I got messages scientists from TIFR, Mum­ says: “… models [of disease Expressing concern that The statement also ad­ The People’s Union for A.R. Rahman on his Insta­ from people all over the bai; NCBS, Bengaluru; IISc, progression] consistently The scientists have asked the government is not using dresses the problem of re­ Democratic Rights (PUDR) on gram account. world, saying they felt uplift­ the government to boost its Thursday asked the Bengaluru; the IITs and IIS­ suggest that, in the absence this precious interval of time verse migration. The state­ Mr. Ranade said, “When I ed, optimistic, and motivat­ testing regimen. government to decongest ERs, and doctors, including of other factors, the epidem­ to actually identify as many ment said, “ Rather than created Na Corona Karo in ed to fight the virus as a jails temporarily in order to members of Indian Doctors ic could bounce back once cases of COVID­19 as possi­ attempting to prevent the re­ prevent the spread of Raga Basant, we were yet to community.” for Peace and Development. the lockdown is lifted. If this The scientists urged the ble, the statement draws at­ verse migration, we urge the COVID-19. In a statement, the go into lockdown... I wanted Pandit Ajay Pohankar, “The lockdown is only a were to happen at the end of government to ensure that tention to a possible bounce­ government to use its stocks PUDR said jails should be to feel hope and optimism Pandit Suresh Talwalkar, temporary solution. Unless India’s lockdown, the epi­ the rate of new infections is back effect: “In particular, of food­grains and use ur­ decongested to not more and the song was simply an Daler Mehndi, Adnan Sami, this period of time is used to demic would hit a society al­ kept low in a sustainable the current restricted test­ gent cash transfers to ensure than 60% of their capacity to expression of this senti­ Shubha Mudgal and Nana prepare the healthcare sys­ ready under severe econom­ manner when the lockdown ing­policy creates the risk the food­security and wel­ allow segregation of inmates ment. After I shared the Patekar have hailed Mr. Ra­ tem, the country may end up ic distress, with potentially ends. “While social distanc­ that a large number of mildly fare of workers” so that they and maintenance of hygiene. song on social media and it nade’s effort. paying the lockdown’s social devastating consequences.” ing and better hygiene can symptomatic or asympto­ do not have to travel. India to raise Sheikh Saeed case at FATF if he walks free

The accused in the murder of a U.S. journalist had been released by India in 1999 in exchange for 155 hostages

Suhasini Haidar ment in exchange for 155 hos­ from the London School of Eco­ Laden’s plans for the Al­Qaeda’s NEW DELHI tages aboard the hijacked nomics, where he studied. He is attacks in the U.S. The decision by a Pakistani IC­814. then believed to have trained Another twist in the Saeed court in Sindh to acquit Ahmed The next FATF meeting is ex­ with the Harkat ul Mujahideen, tale came in 2008 on the night Omar Sheikh Saeed of murder­ pected in June, but may be post­ and was allegedly sent to India of the November 26 attacks in ing journalist Daniel Pearl will poned because of the COVID­19 in 1994 as part of a plan to have Mumbai. be raised by India at the next pandemic. According to the offi­ Masood Azhar released. Pakistani investigators meeting of the Financial Action cials, who spoke on the condi­ While in Delhi he is alleged to claimed Saeed used a cellphone Task Force, where Pakistan’s tion of anonymity, it wasn’t just have befriended, and then kid­ from prison to call then Pakis­ greylist status will come up for Saeed’s history with terrorism napped four British tourists and tan President Asif Ali Zardari discussion, officials said. The in India that would be raised, held them at a hideout in Gha­ and allegedly impersonated British­born Saeed has been in a but his links with Al­Qaeda and, Daniel Pearl ziabad. The police arrested him then India’s Foreign Minister Pakistani prison since he was more specifically, his role in the after he delivered a ransom Pranab Mukherjee, threatening arrested for the kidnapping and 9/11 attacks in the U.S. Saeed has tani reports suggest, it would al­ message calling for Azhar’s re­ a major Indian attack. The call killing of the Wall Street Jour- not yet been tried in that case so show how transnational lease to the BBC office in Delhi, had led to considerable panic in nal’s correspondent in Pakistan and the Pakistani government’s norms against “terror financ­ when he returned to the the Pakistani establishment, in 2002, but was in Indian pri­ actions in the next few days ing” were being flouted by Isla­ hideout. and President Zardari had sent sons from 1994­1999. In Decem­ would be closely watched. mabad, the officials indicated. Once he was released along a special plane to order back the ber 1999, Saeed was released If Pakistan’s federal govern­ Saeed is reported to have with Azhar at Kandahar, Saeed Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah along with Masood Azhar and ment doesn’t file a strong ap­ spent time in Afghanistan, Bos­ is believed to have become a Mehmood Qureshi, who hap­ another alleged terrorist Mush­ peal against the acquittal and nia and Chechnya, after he was key aide to Osama Bin Laden pened to be in Delhi for a bilat­ taq Zargar by the Indian govern­ Saeed walks free, as some Pakis­ recruited by the Hizbut Tahrir and was allegedly a part of Bin eral meeting at the time.

CM A ND-NDE YK