Month: January 2022

** Dr. Reddy’s prices anti-COVID-19 molnupiravir capsules at ₹35 each

Molflu is expected to be available from early next week in pharmacies throughout the country, Dr. Reddy’s said

Pharma major Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories on Tuesday said it would launch molnupiravir capsules 200 mg, the anti-viral drug that India recently granted emergency use authorisation for COVID-19 treatment, at ₹35 each under the brand name Molflu.

Each strip would have 10 capsules. With the recommended dose 800 mg twice a day for five days, the total course of 40 capsules would cost ₹1,400, making it among the most affordable treatment options available to patients, Dr. Reddy’s said.

** Sri Lanka Cabinet clears Trincomalee oil tank farm deal with India

Ashok Leyland has won the bid for providing 500 new buses to Sri Lanka, while the Sri Lanka Police force will procure 750 jeeps from Mahindra and Mahindra

Sri Lanka’s Cabinet has given its nod for a new deal announced by the Energy Minister last week , to jointly develop the Trincomalee oil tank farm with India.

According to a press statement issued by the Department on Government Information, on decisions taken at the first cabinet meeting of the year held on Monday, India and Sri Lanka “have reached an agreement to implement a joint development project” through diplomatic talks.

** ICMR approves India-made kit to detect Omicron

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved a testing kit for detecting the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The kit is manufactured by Tata Medical and Diagnostics and is named OmiSure.

The RT-PCR kit, Omisure, was earlier sent to the ICMR for approval after continued testing. The kit will be used to confirm the Omicron in patients with its S-Gene Target Failure (SGTF) strategy.

** COVID-19 | India reports its first death due to Omicron in Rajasthan

Death of elderly person with comorbidities reported from Rajasthan, says Union Health Ministry

The Union Health Ministry on Monday confirmed the first death linked to the highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus, Omicron, in the country.

Joint secretary of the Ministry Lav Aggarwal said the death of an elderly person with comorbidities, including diabetes, had been reported from Rajasthan and that this was “technically” a Omicron-related death.

** ₹8 lakh income limit to determine EWS ‘best way forward’, Government tells Supreme Court

Let NEET counselling resume, it says

The Centre, in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, backed its committee’s recommendation to retain the ₹8-lakh annual income criterion to identify the economically weaker sections (EWS) of society as the “best way forward” and urged the court to let NEET counselling continue.

** Musk reveals how he hired Ashok Elluswamy as Tesla Autopilot Head

Ashok Elluswamy holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the College of Engineering Guindy, Chennai

Elluswamy was actually the first employee to be hired for Tesla’s Autopilot team, with Musk actually using Twitter to ask people to apply for the role back in 2015.

** National Film Archive of India to restore Satyajit Ray’s Pratidwandi

The film, released in 1970, formed the first in the legendary director’s ‘Calcutta Trilogy’

For most cinema aficionados across the globe, instant identification with legendary film-maker Satyajit Ray’s cinema comes with either the celebrated ‘Apu trilogy’ of films (1955-59), or other classics like Charulata, Mahanagar (The Big City) or Ashani Sanket (Distant Thunder).

** Launch of portal for unorganised workers key achievement: Labour Ministry

Another major step in 2021 was launch of all-India surveys on migrant workers

While the Union Labour and Employment Ministry launched surveys on unorganised sector workers and started a portal for registering such workers in 2021, welfare schemes for unorganised workers under the labour codes passed by Parliament in 2020 remained an unfulfilled promise.

The four labour codes — on wages, social security, occupational safety and industrial relations — were passed by Parliament in 2019 and 2020. However, they are yet to be implemented as the rules framed under provisions of the codes have not been notified. According to senior officials of the Ministry, the Central rules were ready before the start of financial year 2021-2022, but several States are yet to frame their rules under the codes.

** India gifts 5 lakh doses of Covaxin to Afghanistan

Wheat and medicines will also be sent as part of the humanitarian aid programme to the Taliban-ruled country

India began the new year by handing over half a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Afghanistan on Saturday. The consignment is part of a million-strong vaccine supply that will be completed within the coming weeks, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said. It will be one of the largest-ever humanitarian assistance projects from India to Afghanistan consisting of wheat and other medicines to be organised in coordination with U.N. agencies.

** V.S. Pathania takes over as Coast Guard Director General

V.S. Pathania took over as the 24th Director General (DG) of the Indian Coast Guard on December 31 from Krishnaswamy Natarajan who retired from service.

“The Flag Officer is an alumni of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and the National Defence College, New Delhi. He is a qualified helicopter pilot and holds a master’s degree in defence & strategic studies from the University of Madras,” the Coast Guard said. “He has also undergone specialisation in search and rescue and port operations with U.S. Coast Guard.”

Mr. Pathania is the recipient of President’s Tatrakshak Medal for Distinguished service, Tatrakshak Medal for gallantry and DG Coast Guard Commendation.