English हिन्दी
Connect with us

India News

India clears Russian vaccine for emergency use amid vaccine shortfall, Maharashtra delays board exams

India has authorised the emergency use of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V after reports that the country’s vaccination efforts are coming a cropper due to the shortage of Indian-made vaccines Covishield and Covaxin.

Published

5 years ago

on

Maharashtra Board exams

India has authorised the emergency use of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V after reports that the country’s vaccination efforts are coming a cropper due to the shortage of Indian-made vaccines Covishield and Covaxin.

While Covaxin is made by Bharat Biotech of Hyderabad, Covishield is the AstraZeneca once developed by the University of Oxford and manufactured in India by the Serum Institute of India. Emergency use authorisation usually precedes a formulation’s approval as a vaccine. The other big vaccines yet to be okayed for use in India are the ones made by Pfizer and Moderna, which are both double dose. Johnson and Johnson has also developed a vaccine which is said to be a single-dose product.

With almost a week-long incidence of over a lakh fresh cases being recorded, the vaccination efforts seem to have been hit. While the Government has insisted there is no vaccine shortage, social media is awash with posts of people being returned from hospitals without being vaccinated. The Centre has blamed a few states for the spike including Maharashtra, which has applied the brakes on state board exams as a result of the spike in cases.

Maharashtra Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad said state board exams for classes 10 and 12 will now be held in May and June respectively.

In an announcement on Twitter, the state education minister said, Given the current COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra, we’ve postponed state board exams for class 10th and 12th. The present circumstances are not conducive for holding exams. Your health is our priority.

The announcement was made after the consultation with the state chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, teachers, parents, and elected representatives from across parties, she said. In a video message, Gaikwad said that Covid cases have been on the rise for the past few days. She went on to state that there has been stress about preparing for the exams among the students and the pandemic affecting the health of stakeholders. 

The safety of the stakeholders is our utmost priority and hence have decided to postpone the board exams. The SSC exam is likely to be conducted in June and the HSC exams could be scheduled at the end of May so that a student’s higher education is not impacted, she added. 

The HSC and SSC exams in Maharashtra were slated to begin from April 23 and April 29 respectively.

Gaikwad said that various alternative assessment options were also evaluated during the consultation, keeping in mind the well-being, health, and future of our students. Thanking CM Thackeray for his guidance, she mentioned that postponing the exams seemed to be the most pragmatic solution amid the Covid-19 surge in the state. 

She said the government would also request other education boards to adopt similar solutions under the prevailing circumstances. We’ll also be writing to the CBSE, ICSE, IB, Cambridge boards, requesting them to reconsider their exam dates, she added.

Last week, the Maharashtra government had announced for all students in Class 9 and Class 11 that they will be declared to be passed without taking exams, while a similar decision for the students of Class 1-8 was taken earlier in the month.

Read Also: Deepika Padukone steps down as MAMI chairperson, says she has way too much work

Meanwhile, Maharashtra logged its highest-ever single-day spike of coronavirus cases on Sunday with the addition of 63,000 fresh cases in the last 24 hours. With 63,294 new Covid-19 cases, the state’s caseload has reached 34,07,245 since the outbreak of the pandemic. Also, 349 new deaths in a single day have increased the total fatalities to 57,987 in the state.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

India News

Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant among 32 inducted in Bihar cabinet expansion

Nishant Kumar entered the Bihar cabinet for the first time as 32 ministers from NDA allies took oath in a major expansion of the state government.

Published

3 hours ago

on

May 7, 2026

By

Bihar government cabinet

A major cabinet expansion took place in Bihar on Thursday, with 32 leaders from the ruling NDA alliance inducted into the state government. Among the prominent names was Nishant Kumar, son of former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who entered the cabinet for the first time.

The expansion included representatives from all major NDA allies in the state. According to reports, the BJP secured 15 ministerial berths, while JD(U) got 13 positions. Two ministers were inducted from Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), while Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha received one berth each.

The oath-taking ceremony was held in Patna in the presence of senior NDA leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Nishant Kumar’s induction comes weeks after he formally entered active politics. His entry into the Bihar cabinet is being viewed as a significant development for JD(U), which had long projected an anti-dynasty image under Nitish Kumar’s leadership.

The cabinet reshuffle follows Nitish Kumar’s move to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year and the formation of the government led by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.

Continue Reading

India News

PM Modi marks Operation Sindoor anniversary, calls it India’s firm stand against terrorism

PM Modi said Operation Sindoor showcased India’s firm response against terrorism while paying tribute to the armed forces on the operation’s first anniversary.

Published

8 hours ago

on

May 7, 2026

By

PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said Operation Sindoor demonstrated India’s firm response against terrorism and highlighted the country’s commitment to national security.

Marking one year of the operation, the Prime Minister praised the courage, precision and professionalism of the Indian armed forces. He said the military action was carried out in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that had claimed the lives of 26 civilians in 2025.

Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, 2025, as a calibrated tri-services operation targeting terror infrastructure linked to cross-border terrorism. Reports said the operation showcased coordinated action by the armed forces and was seen as a major counter-terror response by India.

On the anniversary of the operation, PM Modi also changed the display pictures across his social media platforms, including X, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The image carried the text “Operation Sindoor” along with the Indian tricolour design.

The Indian Air Force also shared visuals and messages recalling the operation and highlighting India’s military response. A video released by the force described the operation as a strong message against terrorism and referred to the precision strikes carried out during the mission.

Operation Sindoor was launched following the Pahalgam terror attack, after which India carried out strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, according to official statements and reports published at the time.

Continue Reading

India News

Vijay meets Tamil Nadu Governor again as TVK pushes to prove majority

TVK chief Vijay held another meeting with Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar as the party intensified efforts to secure majority support after emerging as the single-largest party in the Assembly elections.

Published

8 hours ago

on

May 7, 2026

By

Actor vijay

Actor-turned-politician Vijay met Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar again on Thursday as his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), continued efforts to prove it has enough support to form the next government in the state.

TVK emerged as the single-largest party in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly after winning 108 seats, but it remains short of the majority mark of 118.

The Congress has extended support to TVK, adding five MLAs to Vijay’s side. However, the alliance still needs additional backing from other parties or independents to comfortably cross the halfway mark.

According to reports, the Governor has not yet been fully convinced that TVK currently has the required numbers to form a stable government. This has delayed clarity over the swearing-in ceremony and the formal invitation to form the government.

Political activity intensified after reports emerged that some AIADMK legislators were moved to a resort in Puducherry amid speculation over possible support to TVK. AIADMK leaders, however, publicly denied any internal crisis.

TVK sources have expressed confidence that the party will be able to demonstrate majority support during discussions with the Governor.

The Tamil Nadu election results marked a major political shift in the state, with TVK breaking the long-standing dominance of the DMK and AIADMK in its first Assembly election contest.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com