Manish Sisodia urges Centre to allow Covid vaccination for all above 18, says that’s the only solution, not lockdown
Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday raised the issue of vaccination for adults and said it is the only solution to break the Covid chain, which is fast-spreading in India.
Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday raised the issue of vaccination for adults and said it is the only solution to break the Covid chain, which is fast-spreading in India. Speaking with reporters, he urged the Centre to lower the age for vaccination to 18 years to include all adults for inoculation.
Sisodia also urged the CBSE to think out of the box for such an extraordinary circumstance as the new Covid variant is affecting the young people more. He said Both, the career and life of students are at stake so there is a need to prioritise things which is more important
Criticising Centre’s policies on vaccination age criteria, Sisodia said that the Centre has to first acknowledge the problem to tackle the crisis of rapid spread of Coronavirus. Talking about the shortage of vaccines being reported from several states, Sisodia said that Delhi doesn’t have a separate store for the vaccine.
So far, Delhi has enough vaccines based on the supply but this is just for people above 45 years of age. The Delhi government is continuously requesting the Centre to relax the protocols to include 18-year-old adults for vaccination. This has to be done on a nationwide basis otherwise the chain of transmission cannot be broken.
Talking about the cancellation of CBSE examination, Sisodia said that the extraordinary circumstances demand extraordinary decision. He said this is unfair to judge a student’s capability based on a 3-hour exam at the end of the year. He said at least 10 to 15 cases are emerging from each school in Delhi. For the government, It is very important to keep children safe. For which the Delhi government is looking for other ways of conducting the CBSE exams without making students suffer. The schools had reopened to hold the practical exams, which resulted in scores of Covid-19 cases being reported from the schools.
Regarding the fear among migrant workers over another lockdown in Delhi, Sisodia said, when the lockdown was imposed last year, it was an unprecedented situation. He said lockdown is not the solution at this point of time but large-scale vaccination is the only solution. Assuring the people of the state, he said that the Delhi government is not looking for any lockdown.
Reeling under the fourth wave of Covid-19, the capital city on Tuesday recorded the highest-ever spike of 13,468 cases and 81 deaths due to the infection, giving it the dubious distinction of being the worst affected city in the county.
In the wake of an exponential rise in coronavirus cases in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to the Centre to cancel the Class 10 and 12 board exams and explore alternative methods, including online exams.
DMK leader’s son arrested after car rams family in Krishnagiri, one dead
A 20-year-old son of a DMK leader has been arrested for allegedly driving a car into four members of a family in Krishnagiri, killing assistant labour inspector Sivamoorthy.
A 20-year-old son of a leader from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has been arrested for allegedly mowing down four members of a family following a heated argument in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district. One person died in the incident, police said.
The deceased has been identified as Sivamoorthy, an assistant labour inspector and a resident of Krishnagiri. According to the police, the incident occurred outside his residence after the accused, identified as Adithya, objected to a two-wheeler parked on the road.
Police said Adithya was driving the car and began honking as the two-wheeler was blocking the road. Sivamoorthy and his family members reportedly stepped out to move the vehicle. During the exchange that followed, an altercation broke out.
Investigators allege that Adithya then rammed his car into Sivamoorthy, his son Kirubakaran, daughter-in-law Amsavalli and granddaughter Nilani. Sivamoorthy sustained severe injuries and later succumbed. The others were injured in the incident.
Besides Adithya, two of his friends — Rithik Kumar and Harish — who were present in the car at the time, have also been arrested. A case of murder has been registered against the trio and further investigation is underway.
Kirubakaran, recounting the incident, said the family had attempted to move the parked two-wheeler when the accused damaged it. He alleged that the men appeared intoxicated and tried to assault them with a stick before the vehicle was driven into the family.
Amsavalli said they had tried to defuse the situation peacefully but the confrontation turned violent, resulting in her father-in-law’s death and injuries to her child.
A police officer stated that Adithya’s father is a local functionary of the DMK in Krishnagiri district. The victim’s family has demanded strict action in the case.
Reacting to the incident, state BJP chief Nainar Nagendran criticised the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, questioning the state government over the episode and alleging that party functionaries were misusing their influence.
Security tightened across Delhi metro stations after bomb threat emails
Delhi is on high alert after bomb threat emails targeted metro stations, the Red Fort and the Assembly. Authorities confirmed the threats were hoaxes but tightened security as a precaution.
Security has been intensified across all metro stations and major installations in the national capital after a series of bomb threat emails were received on Monday. Authorities later confirmed that the threats were hoaxes following detailed inspections by security agencies.
According to officials, several key institutions — including the Delhi Secretariat, Delhi Assembly, the Red Fort and two schools — received threatening emails earlier in the day. Extensive searches were carried out at all the locations mentioned in the messages, but nothing suspicious was found.
A senior police officer said cyber teams are working to trace the origin of the emails. Preliminary findings suggest that the senders may have used Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in an attempt to conceal their identities and mislead investigators. Officials expressed confidence that those responsible would be identified.
Metro stations under heightened surveillance
Following specific references to metro services in the emails, security arrangements were strengthened across the entire network of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Additional personnel have been deployed at stations, and anti-sabotage checks are being conducted.
Police said random frisking of passengers and intensified CCTV surveillance are being carried out as part of precautionary measures. Bomb disposal squads and dog squads were stationed at sensitive sites, including the Red Fort, Delhi Secretariat and the Assembly complex.
The threatening emails reportedly included the slogan “Delhi banega Khalistan” and warned of explosions at an Army school, the Assembly and the Red Fort at specific times during the day. Officials stated that all mentioned locations were thoroughly checked and declared safe.
Authorities also coordinated with counterparts in neighbouring states to enhance security at metro stations falling under their jurisdictions.
While no explosives were found, officials said the tightened security arrangements will remain in place as a precaution. Cyber teams continue efforts to trace the IP addresses and identify those behind the threat emails.
Tension gripped the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University in the early hours of Monday after a protest march allegedly spiralled into violence, with rival student groups accusing each other of triggering the unrest.
Students claimed that the incident occurred around 1.30 am when a confrontation broke out during a march called by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union. The protest, named “Samta Juloos”, was headed towards the East Gate and was organised to demand the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit and the withdrawal of a rustication order.
According to protesters, several students were injured after alleged stone-throwing during the clash. They alleged that the university administration did not intervene during the march and instead permitted members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad to confront demonstrators.
However, the ABVP denied the allegations and countered that Left-affiliated organisations instigated the confrontation and were spreading misinformation about the events.
Left-backed groups, including the All India Students’ Association, claimed that ABVP activists targeted the JNUSU encampment and hurled stones at “unarmed students”, leading to multiple injuries.
Videos shared by students on social media reportedly showed chaotic scenes near the protest site, with members of rival groups engaged in heated exchanges and physical scuffles.
University authorities did not immediately respond to queries regarding the incident. Students said the situation on campus remained tense following the overnight clashes.
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