Heena Sharma Blog

  The Centre on Thursday said bird flu has been confirmed only in Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh so far, but all states should be prepared for any eventuality. States have been told to ensure sufficient stock of PPE kits and accessories required for culling operations. They have also been asked to create awareness among public that it is safe to consume poultry products after following boiling/cooking procedures. The Secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying held a meeting with the states to understand the status of the outbreak of avian influenza (bird flu) and to suggest measures for control, containment and prevention of spread of the disease, an official statement said. An unusual mortality of poultry, crows, migratory birds has been reported from Kerala, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. "So far, the disease has been confirmed only from four states (Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Prad...

  Ministry of Road Transport and Highways mandated fitment of FASTag with effect from Friday, in M and N categories of motor vehicles sold before December 1, 2017. Notably, category 'M' stands for a motor vehicle with at least four wheels used for carrying passengers, while category 'N' stands for a motor vehicle with at least four wheels used for carrying goods, which may also carry persons in addition to goods. The Ministry in an official release clarified that the Central Motor Vehicle (CMV) Rule stands in force as it is. However, the Ministry said that at hybrid lanes of fee plazas on national highways, fee payment can be made through FASTag as well as in cash mode till February 15, 2021. "Moreover, in FASTag lanes of fee plazas, payment of fees will continue to be through FASTag only," it added. Read More  

  Global pharma major Pfizer on Thursday said it remains committed to engaging with the Indian government to explore opportunities to makePfizer/BioNTech vaccine available in the country. The UK on Wednesday became the first country to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19 with the UK regulator Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)granting a temporary authorisation for its emergency use. "Right now we are in discussions with many governments around the world and remain committed to engaging with the Government of India and explore opportunities to make this vaccine available for use in the country," a Pfizerspokesperson said in a statement. Pfizer is committed to ensuring everyone has the opportunity to have access to the vaccine,and is working closely with governments, it added. Read More

Nearly 2.3 million people, who have moved within the country or arrived from international destinations during the ongoing nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic , are currently in quarantine facilities arranged by states and union territories. While majority of the state governments and union territory administrations have made at least seven days' quarantine compulsory for anyone arriving in their jurisdiction, a few of them have opted for home quarantine for those reaching their administrative limits. Read More

With Covid-19 cases continuing to soar in India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has issued new guidelines to increase testing and sampling at the district level. The MoHFW has issued new guidelines to increase testing and sampling at the district level. The new sampling procedure will act as a method of trend-checking and will be used to test healthcare workers, non-respiratory disease patients and pregnant women. "There is a need to establish systematic surveillance for Covid-19 infections in all districts of the country. This surveillance will be in addition to the routine testing under the current testing guidelines," the MoHFW note read. Read More

Telecom operators have demanded additional spectrum urgently on a temporary basis in order to cope with the unprecedented spurt in data usage as a result of “work from home” and “self-quarantine” at homes across the country due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak . In a letter to the department of telecommunications (DoT), the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has demanded additional spectrum both for “access and backhaul microwave” for a short term and temporarily as they need to augment their capacity to meet the growing demand. COAI director general Rajan Matthew however says they are still waiting for a response from the government. The telecom association has also asked DoT for expedited permission for tower enhancement from states (as thy ramp up capacity), extension in minimum roll out timelines by six months and permission for go for digital acquisition of new customers instead of physical documentation, especially as there has been a sharp rise in acq...

CRISIL RESEARCH expects the prospects of small and medium enterprises ( SMEs ) making bulk drugs to improve in the near term, because of their sharp focus on developing niche and complex molecules. These are difficult to manufacture but command a higher premium. Strong demand for formulations and increasing health insurance penetration would also support growth. Developments in China have been impacting bulk-drugs players in India. Recently,quality issues with Chinese active pharmaceutical ingredients in hypertension drugs had prompted a global recall. That prompted multinationals to look at alternative sources such as India. Further, the recent clampdown on polluting industries in China had led to a shutdown of several bulk-drug factories. Read More

Rajinikanth -starrer " Kaala " had a socio-political message on the plight of Dalits, but here's another "Kaala" -- a short film by Tarun Jain -- which aims to highlight the issue of racism in India, especially against Africans . "My film 'Kaala' is my response to the troubled nights and anger which pushed me every day to tell this story. It is a socio-political film about the uncompromising issue of racism in India. Between 2016 and 2017, reports on brutal assaults on the Africans in parts of Delhi and its close by areas was covered by almost all media houses. The incidents shook me to the core," Jain told IANS of the reason he chose the subject for a film. "Delhi is my home and I have fond memories attached to it, but this city failed to offer equivalent memories to people from other inhabitants. It became a city filled with gory reminders of murders, deaths, brutal attacks, abuses and so on. With over a decade of experience in ...