Riyadh:  Saudi Arabia has denied reports of freezing bank accounts of expatriates whose financial dealings are higher than their wages, it was reported on Tuesday.

No truth in reports: SAMA

“There is no truth in reports circulating in some media and social networking sites that banks operating in the Gingdom are directed to freeze accounts of expatriate workers whose transactions exceed the prevalent wages of their jobs,” the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) tweeted.

“Banks constantly apply the necessary measures to different clients’ banking accounts and take the necessary steps in line with relevant regulations and instructions,” SAMA added.

Migrant workers in Saudi Arabia

Migrant workers account for about 10.5 million of Saudi Arabia’s 34.8 million population, reports Gulf News.

In recent months, the Kingdom has taken a series of measures to shore up its economy and support the private sector hit by economic impact of an outbreak of the new coronavirus and low oil prices.

As of July 1, Saudi Arabia began applying a hike in the value-added tax (VAT), tripling the tax to reach 15 per cent.

It has also suspended a living cost allowance given to state employees.

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New Delhi: Just like in airlines, passengers of private trains could have to pay for preferred seats, baggage and onboard services, the earnings from which will be part of the gross revenue to be shared with the Railways.

The Railways recently floated a Request for Qualification (RFQ) inviting private entities to operate passenger trains on its network.

The decision on whether to charge passengers for these services will rest with the private parties, officials said.

In the document, it has said that bidders based on their financial capacity, will be required to offer share in the gross revenue at the request for proposal (RFP) stage for undertaking the project.

While the Railways has given private players the freedom to fix the fare to be charged from passengers, they will also have the freedom to explore fresh avenues to generate revenue, according to the RFQ.

Gross revenue

The definition of gross revenue, which is under consideration is as below. Any amount accruing to the concessionaire (private entity) from passengers or any third party from the provision of following services to the passengers on account of running of trains under the concession agreement: amount printed on ticket- fare; amount from preferred seat options, baggage/ luggage, cargo/ parcel (if not included in the ticket fare), the RFQ stated.

The amount from on board services such as catering, bed roll, content on demand, wi-fi (if not included in the ticket fare). Any amount accruing to the concessionaire on account of advertising, branding and naming rights pursuant to the concession agreement, the document stated.

Prices to inflate

The Railway Board chairman at a press conference had allayed fears that prices of tickets of private trains will be too expensive and said that they will be market driven and based on competitive pricing.

In a first of its kind initiative, the Indian Railways has invited proposals from private companies to run 151 modern passenger trains on 109 pairs of routes across the country in a project that would entail private sector investment of about Rs 30,000 crore.

The private entity shall be free to procure trains and locomotives from a source of its choice, provided such trains and locomotives are compatible with specification and standards specified in the concession agreement.

However, the concession agreement would include provisions relating to mandatory sourcing via domestic production in India over a period of time.

Trains to speed up running time

The Railways has also said that the running time taken by a private train from the originating station to the destination station shall be comparable to the fastest train of the railways operating between the same stations.

The Railways shall provide a non-discriminatory access to the trains operated by the private entities with no new similar scheduled train departing between the same stations within 60 minutes of the scheduled departure of the private train, the RFQ said.

Each train shall have a minimum of 16 coaches (equal to a length of 384 meter, buffer to buffer) and a maximum not exceeding the longest passenger train operating on the respective route.

The passenger trains to be operated by the private entities shall be designed to operate at a maximum service speed of 160 kmph.

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By Sruthi

Hyderabad:  In the wee hours of Tuesday (July 7), the Government of Telangana has begun the demolition of  Secretariat complex in less than ten days after the High Court paved the way for the same.

This also means that the 132-year old Saifabad Palace which forms the G-Block of the complex, a former seat of administration in the Nizam and the post-Nizam era would slip into history.

The palace, which was later renamed as Samhita (G-Block), was constructed in 1888 under the Sixth Nizam, Mir Mahaboob Ali Khan. The construction of the building was inspired by London’s Buckingham Palace and was dominated by European-style architecture. The plastering was done by a special kind of dung-based lime which kept the whole building cool during scorching summers.

The Nizam carried out the administration from this palace though he never formally moved there. The building remained in a dilapidated state ever since the then chief minister N T Rama Rao shifted his office to a different block.

The reason for the neglect of this historical structure can be attributed to superstitions. Ever since the palace has been constructed, it was considered jinxed. According to some sources it’s so called jinxed was attributed to rumours spread by some vested interest groups.

Heritage conversation expert Mohd. Safiullah says there is an interesting story behind the Sixth Nizam not staying in Saifabad Palace.

Mahboob Ali Khan had two nobles: One, Sir Afsar Ul Mulk, who was his commander-in-chief, who was gifted with a beautiful palace Rahat Manzil at Saifabad, which was later demolished to construct the present Reserve Bank of India building. The other was Fakhr Ul Mulk, who constructed another beautiful palace Errum Manzil at Khairatabad close to Saifabad Palace.

Both the nobles did somehow not like the idea of Mahboob Ali Khan constructing the Saifabad Palace, which was closer to their own mansions. “So, they hatched a plan to prevent the Sixth Nizam from occupying the new palace, taking advantage of his belief in superstitions,” he said.

One day, on coming to know that Mahboob Ali Khan was coming to Saifabad Palace to oversee the final stages of its construction, the two nobles hired a person and asked him to let a “monitor lizard” off on the road just before the Nizam passing that route.

As Nizam’s vehicle was approaching the palace, the person released the monitor lizard which crossed his path. On seeing the lizard, the Nizam stopped his vehicle and asked the driver to return. He believed that a monitor lizard crossing the path of a person was a bad omen. “That was how Mahboob Ali Khan did not realize his dream of staying in a beautiful palace on the banks of Hussain Sagar,” Safiullah said.

Decades later, N T Rama Rao shifted the entrance of the Secretariat Complex to face East away from the building which was towards the North, owing to Vaastu (Hindu science of architecture) which left the palace in a perpetual state of neglect.      

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Washington: Foreign students pursuing degrees in the United States may face deportation if their universities switch to online-only courses, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Monday.

Universities nationwide are beginning to make the decision to transition to online courses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The move may affect thousands of foreign students.

At Harvard, for example, all course instruction will be delivered online. Thus opening doors for International students to leave the US.

“There’s so much uncertainty. It’s very frustrating,” said Valeria Mendiola, 26, a graduate student at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

ICE on Monday said that students who fall under certain visas may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States. The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S. Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States.

The agency suggested that students currently enrolled in the US consider other measures, like transferring to schools with in-person instruction. There’s an exception for universities using a hybrid model, such as a mix of online and in-person classes.

Brad Farnsworth, vice president of the American Council on Education, said :”We think this is going to create more confusion and more uncertainty,” said Farnsworth, whose organization represents about 1,800 colleges and universities.

“What we were hoping to see was more appreciation for all the different possible nuances that campuses will be exploring. One concern with the new guidance,” Farnsworth said.

Visa requirements for students have always been strict and coming to the US to take online-only courses has been prohibited.”These are not some fly-by-night universities, these aren’t scams, these are legit universities who would normally have in-person curricula but for coronavirus,” said Theresa Cardinal Brown, director of immigration and cross-border policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center. 

“The bigger issue is some of these countries have travel restrictions on and they can’t go home, so what do they do then?” she added. “It’s a conundrum for a lot of students.

“We are deeply concerned that the guidance issued today by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement imposes a blunt, one-size-fits-all approach to a complex problem giving international students, particularly those in online programs, few options beyond leaving the country or transferring schools,” said Harvard University President Larry Bacow on Monday.

“The guidance undermines the thoughtful approach taken on behalf of students by so many institutions, including Harvard, to plan for continuing academic programs while balancing the health and safety challenges of the global pandemic,” Bacow added.

“We will work closely with other colleges and universities around the country to chart a path forward,” he said. Citing the coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration has made a litany of changes to the US immigration system.

Last month, the White House issued statement curtailing legal immigration to the US sending hundreds of people and businesses into a scramble. In the proclamation, the administration argued that the extraordinary circumstances posed by coronavirus called for the suspension of employment-based visas.

But immigrant advocates, industries and experts say the administration is taking advantage of the pandemic to make sweeping immigration changes and advance its agenda to slash legal immigration.

According to the Migration Policy Institute, a think tank based in Washington, DC, about 1.2 million students who fall under the affected visas were enrolled and registered at more than 8,700 schools nationwide as of March 2018.

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Hyderabad: Children are the assets of their parents but some ill-fated children instead of supporting their parents in old age abandon them on the mercy of others. In one such shocking incident a son instead of ensuring treatment to his ailing mother, snatched Rs 40,000 from her and abandoned her on the road.

The septuagenarian mother was forced to take refuge under a push cart. The incident occurred at Anujigudam village of Medchal, Ghatkesar Mandal, where 77-year-old Keshtamma was unwell for quite some time. His son brought her at a hospital in Bhongir five days ago. But on Sunday, he and his wife snatched away Rs 40,000 which the elderly woman had and left her on road near bus stand. The old woman took refuge under a push card and locals are providing food and water to her.

It is unfortunate to note such incidents occurring in the society. Parents whether they are rich or poor take care of their children with utmost love and affection. They cut short their necessities to provide luxuries to their children. But when children stand on their own feet they forget all the sacrifices made by their parents for them and consider their parents as a burden. This septuagenarian woman is the live example of this.

Quran and parents

Allah has asked human beings to recognize their parents after recognition of Allah Himself. Throughout the Quran, we notice that parents are mentioned with appreciation and with respect. Below are the verses of Quran mentioning parents:

“Your Lord had decreed, that you worship none save Him, and (that you show) kindness to parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age with you, say not “Fie” unto them nor repulse them, but speak unto them a gracious word. And lower unto them the wing of submission through mercy, and say: My Lord! Have mercy on them both, as they did care for me when I was young.”   [Quran 17:23-24]

“We have enjoined on humankind kindness to parents.”  [Quran 29:8 and 46:15]

“And (remember) when We made a covenant with the children of Israel, (saying): worship none save Allah (only), and be good to parents…” [Quran 2:83]

“And serve Allah. Ascribe nothing as partner unto Him. (Show) Kindness unto parents… ” [Quran 4:36]

“Say: Come, I will recite unto you that which your Lord has made a sacred duty for you; that you ascribe nothing as partner unto Him and that you do good to parents…” [Quran 6:151]

Islam and mothers

Although Islam asks children to honor and respect both parents, mothers are given particular gratitude and respect.

It was narrated by Abu Hurairah (R) that a man came to the Prophet   and asked him, ‘Who is to be close to my friendship?’ The Prophet (PBUH)  answered: Your mother, your mother, your mother, then your father, then the one closest to your kinship, and the one after.

“And We have enjoined upon man concerning his parents–his mother beareth him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years–Give thanks unto Me and unto your parents. Unto Me is the journeying. But if they strive with you to make you ascribe unto Me as partner that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not. Consort with them in the world kindly, and follow the part of him who repents unto Me. Then unto Me will you return, and I shall tell you what you used to do.–” [Quran 31:14-15]

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Mumbai: Two anaesthetists from Sion Hospital decided to tie the knot in front of just 10 family members on Doctor’s Day which is celebrated on July 1. Their colleagues celebrated the mehendi and haldi functions in the hostel in the hospital premises.

Sarjerao Sonune (30) and Rimpi Naharia (29) fell in love three years ago, when they came to Sion Hospital for post-graduation. Sonune did his MBBS from GMC, Aurangabad, and Rimpi hails from Haryana and did her MBBS from Kolhapur.

Sarjerao said, “We had planned to get married after our examinations. But now our examinations will be held in December. So we decided on not delaying the wedding. We had our haldi and mehendi in our new RMO hostel. Some of our friends are posted in Seven Hills and and their five rooms were vacant. Our colleagues decorated these rooms. We all maintained social distancing. The mehendi function was held on June 29 and the haldi was held the next day.”

Rimpi said, “Our wedding venue was my sister’s home in Virar where nine of my relatives attended. A pandit was brought in. We decided to rejoin work as there is a lot of pressure on doctors at Sion hospital. No one from the hospital came for the Virar ceremony. We just informed our seniors and took their blessings.”

“From my side, only my father Bajirao Sonune attended the ceremony. My mother is diabetic and asthamatic, hence we did not want to take a risk. We will have a proper celebration, hopefully in December, when the pandemic ends,” said Sarjerao.

They took just two days leave on July 1 and 2 and resumed duties on July 3. Sonune is in the emergency medical services while Rimpi is now in the CT – MRI section.

Dr Avinash Saknure of MARD said, “This is the first time in the history of Sion Hospital that the hostel for used for a marriage function.”

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Hyderabad: Even as the numbers of COVID-19 cases are on the rise, the Government of Telangana refuses to disclose the existing containment zones in Hyderabad.

This, incidentally, is a clear violation of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines issued on June 29 to demarcate containment zones and make them public.

Up until the end of April, the Government had declared the containment zones and put up posters in all the containment clusters.

But now, when the cases are more in numbers and the spread is imminent, it chose to keep this information a secret. Had it disclosed the containment zones or clusters, the spread would have been controlled.

When a journalist took to Twitter to ask about containment zones in Hyderabad, many of them were taken by surprise by the existence of such zones.

Regarding this, GHMC Commissioner Lokesh Kumar agreed that such zones exist and that the state government has decided not to reveal any details about them.

According to the government-released bulletin, there are 10,646 active Covid-19 cases in Telangana on the 6th of July, with the death toll of 306. Yet, the State Government believes it is safe to keep the containment zones information under the wraps.

Meanwhile, whenever any media person tries to reach for information either the phones are left unanswered or are switched off. Despite constant calls to the mayor’s office or the zonal commissioners of the city, nothing seems to be of help.

It’s baseless and strange to see how the citizens are always seen uninformed and unaware of everything.

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London: Chinese chort-video making app TikTok has said it will quit Hong Kong after China imposed a new national security law.

TikTok’s decision to stop operations in Hong Kong of its popular video app looks unusual but is strategic, reports BBC.

“In light of recent events, we’ve decided to stop operations of the TikTok app in Hong Kong,” a spokesperson was quoted as saying.

The short-form video app was launched by China-based ByteDance for users outside mainland China.

Douyin

It operates a similar short video sharing app in China called Douyin.

Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, Twitter and Telegram have said they will not process official requests from the Hong Kong authorities to hand over user data for the time being, in the wake of China imposing a controversial new National Security Law in Hong Kong.

TikTok, now banned in India along with 58 Chinese apps, has lately struggled to “fight off suspicions that it operates under Chinese law, or under the control of Beijing”.

National security law

The national security law, which Beijing put into effect and made public last week on the eve of the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover from British to Chinese rule, criminalises a wide range of behaviour and acts under four categories of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with a foreign power.

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Hyderabad: In a shocking incident, a family was asked to pay Rs 5.22 lakh to collect the COVID victim’s body in addition to Rs 5.30 lakh, which was deposited earlier.

Mohammed Abbas Ali, a resident of Talabkatta, Bhawani Nagar in Hyderabad, was admitted to KIMS Begumpet on June 19 after several government hospitals refused to admit him due to non-availability of beds.

Ali was found to be coronavirus positive upon admission. His son arranged an amount of Rs 5 lakh 30 thousand and paid to the hospital despite hailing from a poor family.

Ali passed away on July 4 after surviving for 15 days. Hospital authorities demanded Rs 5.22 from the victim’s family for handing over the dead body, as reported by Daily Hunt.

Amjed Ullah Khan

Ali’s son reached former corporator and leader of the Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT), Amjed Ullah Khan with regards to the matter.

Khan requested Telangana IT Minister KT Rama Rao and Minister for Medical, Health and Family Welfare Eatala Rajender to look into the matter.

Khan assured that Ali’s body will be released in some time without the family paying the additional amount.

“Stopping the dead body that to of a Covid-19 patient is a very grave crime but it has become common in every Corporate Hospitals in Hyderabad. In spite of daily complaints, the State Govt is not taking any action against this Corporate loot. No Govt Hospital is following the GO Rt No: 248 issued by the Govt of Telangana,” said Khan on his Facebook post.

After much persuasion by Amjed Ullah Khan the dead body was handed over to his family and his last rites were taken up.

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New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has rationalised the syllabus by up to 30 per cent for classes 9 to 12 for the academic year 2020-21 to reduce course load of students amid the COVID-19 crises, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ announced on Tuesday.

The curriculum has been rationalised while retaining the core elements,

“Looking at the extraordinary situation prevailing in the country and the world, CBSE was advised to revise the curriculum and reduce course load for the students of classes 9 to 12.

“To aid the decision, a few weeks back I also invited suggestions from all educationists on the reduction of syllabus for students and I am glad to share that we received more than 1.5K suggestions. Thank you, everyone, for the overwhelming response,” Nishank tweeted.

“Considering the importance of learning achievement, it has been decided to rationalise syllabus up to 30 per cent by retaining the core concepts,” he added.

The Union minister said the changes made in the syllabi have been finalised by the respective course committees with the approval of the curriculum committee and the Governing Body of the Board.

“The heads of schools and teachers have been advised by the board to ensure that the topics that have been reduced are also explained to the students to the extent required to connect different topics. However, the reduced syllabus will not be part of the topics for internal assessment and year-end board examination.

“Alternative academic calendar and inputs from the NCERT on transacting the curriculum using different strategies shall also be part of the teaching pedagogy in the affiliated schools,” a senior official of the HRD ministry said.

For classes 1 to 8, the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) has already notified an alternative calendar and learning outcomes.

Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the central government announced a nationwide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

A nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which came into effect the next day. While the government has eased several restrictions, schools and colleges continue to remain closed.

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Hyderabad: As the world’s scientists and researchers race to find an antidote for the novel coronavirus, which has infected over 11 million people globally. There is a pressing need for other solutions to tackle the virus right now. From experimental medicines to alternate therapies, all forms of treatments available are accepted by the citizens now.
“When we were kids, our grandmother used to treat us with items from the kitchen shelf for minor ailments. They mostly cured us of the ailment like an upset-stomach, burning urination, bee stings, cough and etc. They were very simple and effective. These grandmother remedies and the old ‘nuskha’ (prescription) have made a comeback with the situation.

Things like haldi (turmeric), honey, Ashwagandha, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, custard apple seeds, kanji and many dry fruits are being shelved off from the Dawasaaz stores in the city. The result of the pandemic fear prompted people to rush to these stores and their kitchens to boost their immune system.

“The demand for Unani powders and gadaas (elaborate on this term) have increased for immunity and strength. The stores and the dawasaaz centers are seeing a lot of people buying dry fruits and items that strengthen their body’s health. It’s good to know that the people are coming back to natural products as always advised by their ancestors,” said an official from AYUSH (The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy).

Meanwhile, Malepally Dawasaz owner said, “I usually have high sales during winter as the seasonal disease outbreak is seen. But this time the sales have surged amidst the pandemic outbreak. People have become cautious about their health and are trying out different remedies to keep their bodies fit.”

Additionally, the doctors are seen urging citizens to eat healthy and stay fit. This is one reason that even those who are not financially well are trying to meet their demand to buy at least some of the dry fruits or immunity boosters for the elder folks in their homes.

“I never knew the cost of almonds and dry figs until I went to buy them today. As the pandemic is only getting worse, we are ensuring that at least four soaked almonds are being eaten by each of my family members every day. Though almonds are Rs. 800 per kilogram, my husband managed to get 100 grams for the family,” said Prathiba, a Math teacher.

While the entire nation is experimenting with different means of boosting immunity on a daily basis during the quarantine period, leading FMCG players along with product companies are not behind in contributing to this current health trend.
As per the report shared by Euromonitor International Ayurvedic companies, such as Dabur India, Himalaya Wellness and Patanjali Ayurved, there is a high demand for products such as Chyawanprash, Guduchi, Giloy tablets, Septilin and other immunity syrups, along with vitamin C, fish oils, multivitamins and mineral supplements. Sales are expected to skyrocket further as consumers shift focus to inner-wellbeing.
Clearly, the old adage “Prevention is better than cure” it very much at work.

No doubt, Coronavirus has created a deep impact on our social and economic wellbeing. At the same time, it has caused some revolutionary changes by making people lead a healthy lifestyle

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Aligarh: Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) continues to celebrate its centenary year by getting its academic credentials recognised both at international and national levels. It has now been placed sixth among Indian universities and 22nd in all Indian educational institutions by the Centre for World University Rankings.

Top 25 All India Educational Institutions

1. Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
2. Indian Institute of Science
3. University of Delhi
4. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
5. Indian Institute of Technology Madras
6. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
7. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
8. Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
9. Panjab University
10. Jawaharlal Nehru University
11. Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research
12. Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
13. Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
14. Banaras Hindu University
15. All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
16. Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
17. Jadavpur University
18. Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research
19. University of Calcutta
20. Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science
21. Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research
22. Aligarh Muslim University
23. Visva-Bharati University
24. Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune
25. Anna University

According to Professor Salim Beg (Chairman, University Ranking Committee), CWUR, a leading consulting organization providing policy advice, strategic insights, and consulting services to governments and universities has ranked AMU on the basis of different variables that measure academics, citations, international collaboration and publications.

AMU VC congratulates faculty members, students

It is a moment of satisfaction for the whole AMU fraternity, said AMU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tariq Mansoor while congratulating faculty members and students for securing the top ranks.

Prof Mansoor added that the remarkable success, which has come due to the collective and sustained efforts of teachers and students, continues to raise the status of the University in India and abroad.

He urged the faculty members and students to keep striving hard for further improvements.

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New Delhi: As the number of coronavirus infections surge across the country, minority religious institutions, staying true to their values of humanism, have shown the way by offering their premises to be converted to quarantine centers or hospitals to strengthen the fight against the pandemic.

Masjid turned into oxygen center

In Mumbai, Pawan Dham and Paras Dham Jain derasars (temples) had been converted into hospitals, the Makkah Masjid had been turned into an oxygen center and the St. Michael’s church had been turned into an isolation facility, Mumbai Mirror reported.

These institutions, open to people of all faiths, these institutions have paved the way in showing that religion and caste do not matter in the fight against the pandemic.

The two Jain derasars in Kandivali and Ghatkopar respectively were converted into Covid-19 hospitals without ICU facilities last month, after their religious head Namramuni Jain Maharaj urged people to give back to the society, said Mumbai Mirror. Pawan Dham is a 75-bed facility that has already treated 230 patients from different communities. However, the facility only admits non-critical patients younger than 60 years of age as those with low oxygen saturation levels and co-morbidities need an ICU and ventilators. The daily expense at the facility is Rs. 3,500 of which the patient pays Rs. 1,000, a non-profit, Niramaya Health Foundation pays Rs. 1,000 and the remaining Rs. 1,500 is borne by MP Gopal Shetty, Mumbai Mirror reported.

At Paras Dham which has 40 beds and has plans to add 30 more, the patients have to pay Rs. 3,000 which towards additional services MLA Parag Shah told Mirror. He said that each patient receives a diet tailored for his / her body by a dietician and premises are disinfected thrice a day. The institution also holds entertainment sessions like mimicry performances and live music sessions for patients to keep their spirits up, Shah said.

In Bhiwandi, the Makkah Masjid was turned into an oxygen centre with the help of the Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind Movement for Peace and Justice and the Shanti Nagar Trust. Out of the 113 patients admitted there, 25 were Hindus. Riyaz Tahir Shaikh of the Shanti Nagar Trust told Mirror that the mosque was converted into an isolation facility and had five beds with oxygen cylinders for patients facing difficulty breathing.

In a press release, Ausaf Ahmed Falahi, President JIH Bhiwandi said, “Bhiwandi-Nizampur has been hit the hardest by Coronavirus. It’s a very congested city, resulting in the rapid spread of the disease. As it is, the city has a poor health infrastructure, and now even several general practitioners have shut their clinics due to fear of infection. A vast majority of people in the city lack awareness about the disease and are unable to afford treatment. Hence, we decided to start this facility to do our bit in these trying circumstances.”

Qaiser Mirza of the Shanti Nagar Trust said, “Khidmat-e-khalq (Service to humanity) is one of the basic tenets of Islam.A mosque is not merely a place of worship. Rather, its’s supposed to be a community centre working for the welfare of the people living in its vicinity. Makkah Masjid was shut to the worshippers and was lying idle due to the pandemic and the lockdown. Hence, we decided to use some of the premises of the mosque to help those who can’t avail treatment facilities elsewhere.”

In Mahim, the St. Michael’s church, opened its doors as an isolation facility for nurses from the Hinduja Hospital a month ago. Mirror reported that the decision was taken after the BMC requested the church to do so owing to its proximity to the hospital.

500-bed isolation complexes for corona suspects

In April, the Sant Gajanan Maharaj temple of Shegaon in Buldhana had created 500-bed isolation complexes for corona suspects and patients and sheltered migrant labourers in different schools and colleges in the district, The Times of India reported.

In March, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee had offered the inn at the Majnu ka Tilla Gurdwara to set up isolation wards and facilities for patients suffering from the infection.

It is heartening to see religious institutions like these opening their doors for the community at large, thus paving the path to communal harmony.

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MUMBAI: Amid spiralling unemployment in the COVID-19 pandemic, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday unveiled the ‘MahaJobs’ portal intended to connect employers and those looking for jobs.

However, with a key condition of ‘Domicile Certificate’, a majority of the jobs are likely to go to the locals, in tune with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government’s sons-of-the-soil policy for employment.

“It’s a major step that will bridge the gap between the employers and those needing jobs, including skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled workers. All companies or employers and the job-seekers can register on the portal for their requirements,” Thackeray said.

He pointed out that during lockdown, many migrant workers have left for their home states, though some are now returning in trickles to various industrial centres.

“This implies that there is work and jobs are available, but the workers are not. This is where the MahaJobs portal will be helpful to all in a transparent manner,” the CM said.

Thackeray reiterated his appeal to companies and industries not to effect layoffs or pay-cuts, especially when the government is striving to create more employment opportunities, laying out the red-carpet for investors and industries in the state.

Who can apply

Industry Minister Subhash Desai said that job-seekers will provide all their relevant information, their qualifications and skills, required documentation including Domicile Certificate and the employers shall provide details of their requirements.

Unlike the erstwhile employment exchanges, the MIDC will ensure full help to both till the final process is completed with full transparency.

The MIDC has already identified 950-plus trades/skills for 17 sectors including IT, medicine, engineering, logistics, chemicals, etc. and the Skill Development Department will start short-term courses for those who desire to develop skills.

Joint Venture

MahaJobs is a joint venture between the departments of Industry, Labour and Skill Development/Entrepreneurship intended to respond to the current crisis hitting both employers and job-seekers after the pandemic and lockdown.

Present on the occasion were Thackeray, Desai, ministers Dilip Walse-Patil, Nawab Malik, Aditi Tatkare, top officials like B. Venugopal Reddy, Dr. P Anbalagan, Harshdeep Kamble, officers from other departments and a large number of unemployed youngsters.

An MIDC official said that since several lakhs of migrants have left for their home states, there are huge job opportunities now available for the local people in the state and the portal – https://mahajobs.maharashtra.gov.in/ – will match the job-seekers with the job-givers for mutual benefit.

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NEW YORK: International students in the US are panicking and universities are scrambling to make sense of a new policy announcement by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that says foreign students in the US will be forced to leave the country or transfer to another college if their universities offer only online classes this Fall.

“Non-immigrant F-1 and M-1 students attending schools operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States”, the first line of the July 6 statement says.

‘Flood of enquiries from worried students’

Officials in the International Students Office at the University of Southern California told IANS they are still “analysing the new information” and swamped by a flood of enquiries from worried students.

According to immigration attorney Cyrus Mehta, the latest one pager policy announcement means three things: Students enrolled in US universities that are moving to an online-only education model will be barred from getting F-1 visas, they will be stopped from entering the US on F-1 visas and not allowed to maintain F-1 status in the Fall semester.

ICE is now turning the screws on universities to re-open despite the coronavirus roaring back across 40 of 50 states.

“So Trump is forcing foreign students to study in unsafe conditions during COVID-19″, Mehta tweeted.

Fall 2020 semester begins early September in the US, immediately after Labor Day weekend. By that time, America’s death toll is projected to have crossed the grim milestone of 170,000, according to at least a couple of predictive models.

The new policy incentivises in-person classes during the ongoing pandemic which has already killed 130,000 Americans. The ICE announcement comes amidst heated debate across the country on what the coming Fall school session is going to look like.

A vaccine against the coronavirus will not be available until at least year end or later.

‘Lose-lose situation’

The announcement leaves the door open for “hybrid” models of online plus in-person classes as a way for students to remain in the US.

It says, “Non-immigrant F-1 students attending schools adopting a hybrid model, that is, a mixture of online and in person classes, will be allowed to take more than one class or three credit hours online.”

Andrew Ng, co-founder of Coursera and a Stanford computer science faculty member described this latest development as a “lose-lose” situation for both students and universities.

Horrible decision

In a tweet, Ng termed the policy as a “horrible” one which will hurt the US, students and universities.

“Pushes universities to offer in-person classes even if unsafe or no pedagogical benefit, or students to leave US amidst pandemic and risk inability to return,” Ng tweeted.

“Most of my current PhD students are international. This is an unnecessary crisis” tweeted Paula Kagan, Professor at DePaul College of Science and Health.

The language of the ICE statement terms the new rules as “modifications to temporary exemptions for nonimmigrant students taking online classes due to the pandemic for the fall 2020 semester.”

“The US Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will US Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States. Active students currently in the United States enrolled in such programs must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status. If not, they may face immigration consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings.”

‘Temporary exemption’

The Trump administration says it had allowed only a “temporary exemption” for online courses limited to the spring and summer semesters.

The ICE announcement comes at a time when the US leads the world in coronavirus caseload. COVID-19 has sickened more than 2.9 million Americans and killed more than 130,000 till date.

According to US Department of Commerce 2018 data, the student population contributed $45 billion to the US economy.

Nearly 390,000 foreigners received student visas in Fiscal Year 2019, according to publicly available US government data. F-1 students pursue academic coursework and M-1 nonimmigrant students attend vocational courses in the United States.

(Nikhila Natarajan is on Twitter @byniknat)

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Hyderabad: In an attempt to expand its footprints in Bihar, All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has decided to contest 32 seats in the upcoming assembly election to be held in October-November in Bihar, the Hindi heartland. The party is headed by Hyderabad Member of Parliament Mr Asaduddin Owaisi.

Current MLA

The party will field its 32 candidates across 22 districts of Bihar. Currently it has one MLA, Qamrul Huda, who won the Kishanganj seat in the by-election, held last year.

Alliance with like-minded parties

President AIMIM Asaduddin Owaisi said he is ready to stitch an alliance with “like-minded parties” to put up a formidable challenge to the ruling NDA in the assembly elections.

Seats likely to contest from

According to an earlier report, MIM is likely to contest from Balrampur, Barari, Kadva, Amaur, Baisi, Jokihat, Keoti, Samastipur, Bisfi, Jhanjharpur, Bochaha, Sahebganj, Mahoba, Bettiah, Ramnagar, Dhaka, Narkatiaganj, Parihar, Bajopatti, Phulwari Sharif, Raghunathpur, Daraundha, Birauli, Sahebpur Kamal, Kahalgaon, Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Shahpur, Makhdumpur, Imamganj, Wazirganj, Aurangabad and Chainpur.

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Hyderabad: A 20-year-old youth was arrested by Rachakonda police for allegedly harassing a minor girl by sending sexually explicit photos through a social media platform.

“On July 6, Rachakonda Cyber Crime Police arrested Danaboina Shubham Yadav (20), a resident of Housing Board Colony, Bahadurpura, Hyderabad for harassing a minor girl by sending sexually explicit photos and messages through a fake Instagram account,” said Mahesh Bhagwat, Commissioner of Police, Rachakonda Commissionerate.

Booked under IPC, POCSO Act, IT Act

“Basing on the complaint given by the victim minor girl Rachakonda Cyber Crime Police has registered a case under section 354 (D), 506 IPC, Section 12 of POCSO Act & Section 66 (C) and 67 (A) of IT ACT,” he said.

He informed that Yadav was apprehended from his residence at Bahadurpura based on the evidence gathered by police during the course of investigation.

“On interrogation, he admitted to his guilt and confessed the crime. The accused stated that during his intermediate education victim’s sister was his classmate and they became good friends. At that time, he took photos together on his mobile phone. A few days later, he started blackmailing her to send her nude pictures and videos by threatening to upload the photos taken together on social media platforms,” Bhagwat said.

Fake Instagram account to blackmail

“Due to fear, she shared a video of her sister while changing her clothes through WhatsApp to him. Then he created a fake Instagram account on the name and he started sending blackmailing messages and screenshot pictures of that video to the victim’s Instagram with an intention to extort money from her, if she failed to give money, he threatened to upload her video on social media platforms,” he said.

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Hyderabad: The spike in the number of Covid-19 cases continued in Telangana with 1,879 new infections on Tuesday, pushing the states tally to over 27,000.

For the fourth time in five days, the state reported over 1,800 cases. With this, the total number of infections rose to 27,612.

Seven fatalities

According to the director of public health, seven fatalities on Tuesday increased the state’s death toll to 313.

Hotspot Greater Hyderabad continued to be the worst affected region, accounting for 1,422 of the cases reported on Tuesday, while Rangareddy and Medchal districts bordering Hyderabad saw 176 and 94 new cases, respectively.

Karimnagar and Nalgonda districts saw a jump in the cases with 32 and 32 infections, respectively. Officials said cases were reported from 27 out of the 33 districts in state.

For a second consecutive day, over 6,000 tests were conducted in the state. A total of 6,220 people were tested, taking the cumulative number to 1,28,438.

As many as 1,506 people recovered during the day, taking the total number of recoveries to 16,287. The number of active cases now stands at 11,012.

According to the media bulletin, the government hospitals as on Tuesday established a capacity of 17,081 Covid beds, of which 11,928 are isolation beds, 3,537 are oxygen beds, 1,145 are ICU beds and 471 are ventilator beds. The bed occupancy is only 7.8 per cent (1,335). A total of 15,746 (92.2 per cent) beds are vacant.

Centre of Excellence for COVID Care

The Gandhi Hospital, Secunderabad, is identified as the Centre of Excellence for COVID Care, where serious cases are admitted. The other major hospitals in Hyderabad where suspects and moderately symptomatic cases are admitted are District Hospital King Koti, Government Chest Hospital, and Sir Ronald Ross Institute of Tropical Medicine (Fever hospital).

The asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients requesting for institutional quarantine are admitted to the Nature Cure Hospital, Govt Nizamia Hospital, Govt Ayurveda Hospital and Govt Homeopathy Hospital.

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Washington DC: Students currently in the United States enrolled in online programmes must depart the country or take other measures, such as in-person instruction to remain lawfully in the US.

If not, they may face immigration consequences, including visa processing or travel restrictions, the Department of State said in response to new federal guidance on international students.

F1, M1 visa

“The Department of Homeland Security has announced its plan for temporary modifications to F-1 and M-1 non-immigrant visa requirements for the fall 2020 semester. This will allow a mixture of both in-person and some online coursework to meet the requirements for non-immigrant student status. This temporary accommodation provides greater flexibility for nonimmigrant students to continue their education in the United States, while also allowing for proper social distancing on open and operating campuses across America,” the spokesperson of the State Department said in a statement.

“International students will still have to obtain the appropriate visa and may still be subject to other visa processing or travel restrictions due to COVID-19,” the spokesperson added.

For seeking further details, the department said that foreign students should check with the local United States embassy or consulate for information specific to their country.

With universities closed due to the coronavirus pandemic — many in response to governors’ orders — federal agencies have granted the flexibility to existing requirements that international students must take classes in person.

The major associations of universities had asked federal officials to extend that flexibility into the fall, as the continued spread of coronavirus has led many schools to offer classes online only in an effort to prevent further spread of the disease, as per American media reports.

Universities must certify

Monday’s announcement requires universities to certify by July 15 whether they will be fully open, operate on a hybrid model or offer online-only classes, The Washington Post reported.

“Now universities have nine days to respond. There is just tremendous concern about trying to protect current students who are members of their communities and their educational investment,” Lizbet Boroughs, associate vice president of federal affairs at the Association of American Universities, which represents 63 leading research universities in the United States, was quoted as saying.

The University of Southern California dramatically revised its fall semester plans last week amid an “alarming spike” in cases in the region and intensified restrictions from the governor, recommending undergraduates to take all classes online and reconsider living on or near campus.

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Hyderabad: In Telangana State, final year university exams are likely to be held in the month of August.

In order to finalize the schedule for the examinations, the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) will conduct a meeting with authorities of State Universities.

Number of students

In the State, there are around 1.5 lakh students of the final year degree courses whereas, in UG professional courses, there are 50-60 thousand students.

In the current year, students will get ample choice in the examination paper. However, it will be ensured that the standard of the paper is up to the mark.  

Authorities may also reduce the duration of examinations from three hours to two hours.

Results

Examinations for final year students of UG and PG degree courses are likely to be held in second or their week of August. The results are expected to be released in the month of September.

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