" ) 9 " $ : $ : : &)#'&-2345 *+,*, - .*/01 22 +*/ 23 " ' 7""7? 8 6 1 8615165#(56657?O6 #58 7 7"7' 81>7 (7"5(8(565? 7 A 17 ?7@?6 5 ? " 7 5 5 "?# ?58 5( ?51 ?5 "8? 15 5? ?58 )?5(5@ 25)55 1 $13.4&& 3; <56 5 6 7( 25(8982: 25; #!! #)$ )%#$ rom Goa to Meghalaya and ! " $!#"$"#)$ &) FJammu & Kashmir to down south Kerala, the vaccines +$%/#'&P $- -# against Covid-19 are being fer- ried to far corners of the coun- New Delhi: Any vaccine try for the vaccination drive maker, including Pfizer, which that will be launched on has sought emergency-use Saturday even as the authorisation for its Covid-19 Government on Wednesday shot in India, must conduct a reduced the number of inocu- local “bridging” safety and lation sites to almost half from immunogenicity study to be previous target of 4,895, citing considered for the country’s technical reasons. immunisation programme, a It means, coronavirus vac- senior government official told cine will be administered in Reuters. fewer sites than originally decided, at least for the first few are many people in the coun- days with fewer people getting try who can’t afford the life-sav- vaccinated. Earlier, the vacci- ing jab. In accordance with the nation was scheduled to take national priority list, the Covid- place through Government 19 vaccines will be given first hospitals — there was to be to healthcare and frontline 4,895 sites across the country. workers. Sources said that the num- The first consignment of ber has been slashed to almost about 94,000 doses of the half. For instance, in Punjab, Covishield vaccine reached the number of these sites has Bhopal on a scheduled flight been reduced from 110 to 59 from Mumbai, a State ! " # % for the opening day while Government official said. Assam has been asked to From the airport, insulat- copies of the three agri laws, 34-year-old farmer from reduce the number of sites ed vans of the health depart- were burnt at the Singhu bor- Punjab’s Barnala. “It is minus from 74 to 59, sources said. ment transported the boxes — armers protesting at Delhi der alone. the fun, the song and the dance Required cold supply chain which signals India entering a Fborders burnt copies of Lohri is widely celebrated we used to have back home on has been one of the challenges decisive phase in its fight Centre’s new agriculture laws at in Punjab and Haryana to Lohri. But I am happy to be for the delivery system, espe- & + '-. against the pandemic — to the all demonstration sites on the mark the harvesting of rabi here and celebrate it with my cially in the rural areas. ! %/0 State vaccine centre where festival of Lohri on Wednesday, crops. People traditionally cel- family of farmers this time.” “The Centre asked us to Medical Education Minister as a mark of protest against the ebrate it by circling around “Today, we have burned reduce the vaccine centres. to achieve a critical mass of vac- National Institute of Virology, Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, Chennai Visvas Sarang inspected the legislation. Meanwhile, All bonfires, throwing food items the copies, tomorrow the Now we have reduced it from cinated people with around 3 to 11 cities. It said it has donat- and Lucknow. arrangements. The doses will India Kisan Sangarsh — peanuts, puffed rice, pop- Centre will burn them. They 511 to 350. The Centre said, crore health workers and coro- ed 16.5 lakh doses to the As the vials began reaching be dispatched to eight districts Coordination Committee corn, etc — into the fire, have to, we will make them do ‘Don’t be in haste,” Maharashtra na warriors to get the shots in Centre. their destinations, in readi- from Bhopal. (AIKSCC) on Wednesday singing folk songs, dancing it,” he added. Health Minister Rajesh Tope the first phase beginning “After having received the ness for the pan-India vacci- Kerala, too, received its claimed farmers burnt copies of and feasting. Several bonfires were lined told the media. In Mumbai, the January 13. Government purchase order nation drive that will be first Covishield vaccine con- the Act at more than 20,000 “The celebrations can wait. up at the Delhi-Haryana bor- number of sites has been On their part, Serum for 55 lakh doses, the compa- launched on Saturday, States signment on Wednesday spots all across the country. We will celebrate all these fes- der stretch, the nerve centre of reduced from 72 to 50. The Institute of India has moved ny shipped the first batch of firmed up their plans and fine- morning on a Go Air flight that Many farmer leaders also tivals the day our demand of the farmers’ agitation. The numbers have been slashed in about 56 lakh doses of vaccines (each vial containing tuned logistical details. landed at Kochi. Sources in the threw copies of the farm laws repealing of these black laws are protesting farmers raised slo- Pune also, now vaccination Covishield to 13 cities. 20 doses),” Bharat Biotech said In Delhi, Chief Minister National Health Mission said of in the bonfire created on the met by the Centre,” said 65-year gans, sang songs of resistance will take place only in 39 sites. Hyderabad-based Bharat in a statement on Wednesday. Arvind Kejriwal said his AAP the 4.33 lakh doses of the vac- premises of the Kisan Andolan old Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and hope as they orbited the The authorities are hoping Biotech said it had successful- It added that the vaccine Government will provide the cine, 1,100 will be sent to office. who hails from Haryana’s bonfire, burning copies of farm to finish the vaccination of 30 ly transported the indigenous was sent to Ganavaram, vaccine free if the Centre fails Mahe, an enclave of According to Paramjeet Karnal district. laws and praying for the success crore people belonging to high- Covaxin, developed in collab- Guwahati, Patna, Delhi, to do so. He said he has already Puducherry. Singh of Samyukta Kisan “This Lohri is filled with of their protest. risk groups within six months oration with the ICMR and the Kurukshetra, Bengaluru, Pune, appealed to the Centre as there Continued on Page 11 Morcha, around one lakh struggle,” said Rajbir Singh, a Continued on Page 11 )* & !& ,& ' ' +'R ,-. # !" *() #$# % he Supreme Court on TWednesday issued a notice Allahabad (PTI): The & on a plea of the Centre which Allahabad High Court has urged that the 2018 judgment n a major boost to indigeni- ruled that a married daughter of a five-judge constitution Isation drive in defence man- of a government official dying bench decriminalising adul- ufacturing, the Government during his service is no less eli- 25##8 tery under the Indian Penal on Wednesday approved a gible than her married broth- Code (IPC) be not made 48,000-crore deal for pro- er for the state job on the com- he foot soldiers of the applicable to the armed forces. ducing 83 Tejas light combat passionate ground. TBorder Security Force Attorney General KK aircraft (LCA) by the Justice JJ Munir gave the (BSF) on Wednesday detected Venugopal said under the rel- Hindustan Aeronautics ruling on a plea by a state native a 150-metre long and 25 to 30- evant rules of armed forces, Limited (HAL). these jets are operating from Development of Infrastructure Manjul Srivastava challenging feet deep cross-border tunnel, adultery is a ground for court The induction of these air- the IAF base in Sulur, Tamil sanctions worth 1,202 crore. a June 2020 order of the the third in recent months, in martial for unbecoming con- craft will give a much-needed Nadu. The MK-1A variant is an Prayagraj’s district basic edu- Bobiya area of Samba sector in duct and therefore armed push to the IAF’s efforts to Given the current security indigenously designed, devel- cation officer, rejecting her the Jammu region. nel has been used by the ter- anti-tunneling drive the vigilant forces should be exempted modernise and stabilise its scenario where the armed oped and manufactured state- claim to the appointment on The tunnel originated from rorists to sneak inside the troops of BSF detected a tun- from the purview of 2018 ver- dwindling fighter jet strength. forces have to be ready to face of-the-art modern 4 plus gen- the compassionate ground fol- the Pakistani side of the inter- Indian territory with the help nel in BOP Bobiya Area in dict of the Constitution bench. While the sanctioned strength the possibility of fighting a two- eration fighter aircraft. This air- lowing her father’s death dur- national border and was from the Pakistani rangers. Samba Sector around 10.30 A bench comprising is nearly 40, the IAF has now front war simultaneously with craft is equipped with critical ing his service to the state detected by a BSF patrol party Inspector General of BSF, am on Wednesday”. Justices RF Nariman, Navin only about 30 squadrons. One Pakistan and China, the IAF operational capabilities of government. The district’s during its special anti-tunnel Jammu frontier, NS Jamwal, He said the tunnel was Sinha and KM Joseph, after squadron has 18 to 20 jets. urgently needs to shore up its Active Electronically Scanned Education Department had drive. The drive was launched who himself rushed to the detected about 90 metres from issuing the notice to the PIL If the production schedule number of fighter jets. Array (AESA) Radar, Beyond dismissed her claim saying she following intel reports about spot, told reporters that it was zero line and about 20 meters petitioner one Joseph Shine is on time, the fleet of 83 jets The Defence Ministry said Visual Range (BVR) Missile, was a married daughter of the presence of such tunnels in the a matter of investigation from the fence on our own side.