85 !" #$% &'$ ()*+ !" !,-."('$ ()*+ !") &)*+$,&-(.! 9#$#9$: ;9+<%!! 9+'!- 5%,*7" ( O 7 < < 8 8 9 7 8 9 8 4= 9 : 9 /-- #$%012&&'( 034 / "5"$".-"# ++$% / 0 / 12/ 1 3 4 Q Q R (vaccine)’ strategy. Modi made the comments rime Minister Narendra during a virtual meeting with PModi has said that rising the Chief Ministers of six States Covid-19 cases in some States — Tamil Nadu, Andhra Q remain a matter of concern and Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, asked them to take proactive Odisha and Maharashtra — " # measures to rule out a third with high Covid-19 positivity wave by moving forward with rates and reviewed measures to the ‘test, track, treat and tika tackle the evolving threat. $ % “There were 80 per cent !" new Covid cases last week and "&'(R 84 per cent deaths in these #$#$%#& States,” the Prime Minister (PM) said at the meeting and stressed on the ‘Test, Track, ttar Pradesh (UP) has the Treat and Tika’ strategy to deal option of cancelling the with Covid. He said funds U Kanwar Yatra in view of the were being provided to all Covid-19 outbreak or the States for making available Supreme Court (SC) will do so. ! new intensive care unit (ICU) Making it clear that the A Bench of Justices RF sions to hold a “symbolic” beds, increasing testing capac- over unmasked tourists flock- like Bangladesh, Indonesia, projects for medical oxygen court would not allow the UP Nariman and BR Gavai said the Kanwar Yatra with appropriate ity and for all other needs. ing to towns and cities, the Thailand and Myanmar. generation that had been allo- Government to hold the Right to Life under Article 21 Covid restrictions. States must use the 23,000- Prime Minister said the admin- “This is a warning and big cated. “I have been informed Kanwar Yatra in view of the of the Constitution is para- Appearing for the Centre, crore emergency response istration must remind citizens alert to the world and to us. We that of the 332 PSA plants allo- corona threat the SC on Friday mount and asked the UP Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta ! package announced by the that Covid-19 is not yet over. have to keep reminding people cated to your States to combat said: “All sentiments, including Government whether it was said, State Governments must Central Government, he said, To highlight the possible that the coronavirus has not the Covid-19 threat, only 53 religious, are subservient to the willing to reconsider its deci- not permit the yatra in view of ! to fill the gaps in the healthcare dangers of another wave of the gone,” Modi said, reiterating his have been commissioned,” Right to Life.” sion to hold the yatra at all in the outbreak and arrangements infrastructure. pandemic, he noted that posi- concern about scenes of crowds Modi highlighted. “I request The apex court asked the the midst of the pandemic. should be made for water from P !!! Modi said that the rising tive cases have been on the rise at many places across the coun- every State to complete all the UP Government to inform it by “We are of the prima facie the Ganga to be available Covid-19 cases across the in Europe and the US at a fast try. PSA plants that have been July 19 whether it would recon- view that this is a matter which through tankers at specified ! world are a warning sign for pace, and a similar worrying Modi also asked the six assigned on an emergency sider its decision to hold a concerns every one of us and places. Considering the age-old India to not take the threat trend is being witnessed in States to complete the pressure basis.” “symbolic” Kanwar Yatra. this is at the heart of Article 21 customs and religious senti- lightly. Reiterating his concern countries to the east of India swing adsorption (PSA) plants Continued on Page 11 The Uttarakhand of the Constitution. The health ments, State Governments Government had earlier this of citizenry of India and Right must develop a system so devo- week cancelled the annual rit- to Life is paramount and all tees can collect holy Ganga ual that sees thousands of Shiva other sentiments, including water and offer it at the near- devotees called ‘kanwariyas’ religious, are subservient to this est Shiva temple. Q$ 445 travel, mostly on foot, to collect fundamental right,” the Bench The Bench told Mehta, water from the Ganga river and said. “One thing is clear, we cannot bring it back to their villages. The apex court’s direction allow the UP Government to 5 ( 45 R However, UP is going ahead came after the UP Government hold the Kanwar Yatra in view with a pared down “symbolic” told the Bench that it had of Covid.” cases. version of the yatra. decided after relevant discus- Continued on Page 11 Breakthrough he Indian Council infections are those he Government on Friday said that Tof Medical cases where a person TIndia is yet to achieve herd immu- Research (ICMR) in gets infected even nity against Covid-19 — not even 555 its latest study found after getting vacci- through infection — and the next 125 that vaccination does nated. days would be crucial as the possibili- result in a reduction For the study, the ty of new outbreaks cannot be ruled out. in hospital admission ICMR collected 677 The Union Health Ministry also and mortality. clinical samples cautioned against the declining use of ( According to the (throat swabs/nasal masks among people and said that the ICMR study, the over- swabs) of individuals second wave of the Covid-19 pandem- 4 5 all majority (86.09 per who had received ic, though limited to a few pockets, is nity against Covid-19 as yet. We can see cent) of the break- two doses and one not yet over. new outbreaks of the viral infection but Lucknow (PNS): Chief through infections dose of vaccines Addressing a Health Ministry brief- we need to stop it now. This is possible Minister Yogi Adityanath were caused by the & (Covishield and ing, Niti Aayog Member (Health) Dr if we follow Covid-appropriate behav- announced a new Covid pro- Delta variant ' ( Covaxin,) and tested VK Paul said there was a need to stop iour to stay in the safe zone,” Dr Paul tocol for travelers coming to (B.1.617.2) and only positive for Covid- the contagion from transmitting now said, adding that the next 125 days are anish Siddiqui, a Pulitzer Uttar Pradesh from other 9.8 per cent of the Covid-19 patients 19, from 17 States and Union Territories and this is possible by adopting Covid- “very critical” for India in the fight DPrize winning Indian pho- states. This announcement required hospitalisation while fatalities of the country. appropriate behaviour. against Covid-19. tojournalist who worked for came after several states in the were observed in only 0.4 per cent of the Continued on Page 11 “We have not reached herd immu- Continued on Page 11 Reuters news agency, was killed country reported a spike in on Friday in Afghanistan while COVID-19 rate. covering the fierce fighting From now on, travelers between Afghan troops and the from the affected states coming Taliban terrorists near a border to Uttar Pradesh will be sub- ' ( ()*( " #P crossing with Pakistan in jected to a rapid antigen test at Kandahar province. railway stations, airports and Siddiqui, 38, was on an bus stations across the state. + assignment covering the clash- On Thursday, UP record- es in the volatile Kandahar ed 77 fresh coronavirus positive region, as the US withdraws its cases and one death, taking the forces from Afghanistan ahead total number of infections and party posts in Punjab. of the August 31 deadline set by fatalities to 17.07 lakh and ormer Congress president The Chief Minister’s President Joe Biden. ! " " #$ 22,705 respectively. FRahul Gandhi on Friday midst heightened political “explosive” letter, handed over Afghan special forces had Additional Chief Secretary virtually asked “fence sitters” to Aturbulence in Punjab by his OSD Narinder Bhambri, been fighting to retake the Galloni said in a statement. (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad leave the party, saying those Congress, the State Congress reached Congress interim pres- main market area of Spin He was embedded with said that 98 COVID-19 patients who were afraid of facing the party affairs Harish Rawat is ident Sonia Gandhi’s office Boldak in Kandahar province Afghanistan special forces in had recovered during the last reality and the BJP were free to rushing to Chandigarh on before she was scheduled to when Siddiqui and a senior Kandahar province when they 24 hours, taking the total num- leave. He also opened the door Saturday to meet Capt meet the Congress “firebrand” Afghan officer were killed in came under attack on Friday ber of recoveries to 16.83 lakh. for “fearless” leaders from out- Amarinder Singh — an appar- leader Navjot Singh Sidhu. what they described as Taliban morning. He said the recovery rate of the side, saying they should be ent move by Delhi Durbar to ) # # After Sonia Gandhi’s hour- crossfire, an Afghan comman- “Danish was an outstand- state was now 98.6 per cent brought in the party. the BJP to be later inducted into pacify the Chief Minister. " " long meeting with Sidhu in the der told Reuters. ing, Pulitzer prize-winning while the number of active Addressing social media the Modi Cabinet. The party high command # * presence of Congress vice- “We are deeply saddened journalist, a devoted husband cases stood at 1,399. There was workers of the party at an Rahul said Scindia, now asked Rawat to meet the Chief president Rahul Gandhi and to learn that our photograph- and father, and a much-loved a slight increase in the cases in online event, Rahul Gandhi Civil Aviation Minister in PM Minister to discuss the “for- Amarinder shot off a letter to Rawat, it was believed that er, Danish Siddiqui, has been colleague.