Since Wednesday, residents have spotted the dead fish floating on the lake. They have also informed the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the administrative body in the hills, about this development
Dead fish from Sumendu Lake in Mirik on Thursday: Picture by Passang Yolmo
Bireswar Banerjee, TT, 03.05.24: Shoals of fish were found dead and floating on Sumendu Lake in Mirik over the past few days, much to the concern of residents and the district fisheries department.
Mirik, a popular tourist destination nestled in Darjeeling hills, is known for its lake in the heart of the town. Hundreds of tourists flock to the lakeside or take a walk along the arch-shaped concrete footbridge that connects the two ends of the water body and feed the fish. Boating is yet another attraction for people visiting the town.
Fish like Cyprinus Carpio, commonly known as American Rohu, trout and silver carp, which can survive in cold water, are found in the lake.
Since Wednesday, residents have spotted the dead fish floating on the lake. They have also informed the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the administrative body in the hills, about this development.
“We have retrieved hundreds of dead fish from the lake here since yesterday (Wednesday). It is surprising that the fish are dying in the lake. The fisheries department should engage experts to find out what has led to the incident,” said Aita Rai, an official of the tourism department of the GTA posted in Mirik.
Rai, who also heads the Small Food Cart Association in Mirik, said local civic authorities, along with NGOs, regularly clean the lake and clear debris to keep the water body clean.
“But unplanned dumping of waste in a part of the lake by a section of residents seems to have polluted the water, leading to deaths of the fish. This practice must be stopped now and the municipality should act on it,” he added.
As the news spread, officials of Darjeeling district fisheries department which works under the GTA, has initiated a probe.
“We have instructed our staff to visit the lake and submit a report to us. We will also collect water samples and get those tested in a lab to ascertain what caused the deaths and if the water is contaminated,” said Kaushik Maity, the district fisheries officer of Darjeeling.
Courtesy & source- The Telegraph https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/shoals-of-dead-fish-float-on-miriks-sumendu-lake-raising-serious-concerns-among-residents/cid/2017343
Results of state’s Class X board exams, declared on Thursday, show maximum rise has been in mathematics and geography
Subhankar Chowdhury, TT, Calcutta, 03.05.24 : The number of students with scores above 90 per cent has surged in all subjects, except the second language and physical science, in Madhyamik this year, compared with last year’s results.
The results of the state’s Class X board exams, declared on Thursday, show the maximum rise has been in mathematics and geography.
As many as 22,951 students scored above 90 in mathematics in 2024, compared with 12,951 last year.
Students who scored above 90 in geography numbered 49,994, compared with 31,294 last year.
This year witnessed a significant rise in female candidates — 25.95 per cent more girls, compared with last year’s count, wrote the papers.
Of the 9,12,598 candidates, 7,65,252 students have passed the exams. The overall pass percentage is 86.31, a mild improvement from last year’s 86.15.
The number of students with scores above 90 per cent rose in history, life science and first language (vernacular) as well.
But the number of students with “AA” grade (90 per cent or more) — the highest grade — in the second language dipped to 9,922. Last year, the count was 11,229.
The number of AA scorers in physical science was 14,415, compared with 17,357 last year.
This year there was also a drop in the percentage of candidates who got first division, which is 60 per cent or above, in the aggregate.
This year 12.98 per cent of the examinees scored first-division marks, against 13.67 per cent last year.
When asked about the results, Ramanuj Ganguly, the president of the ad-hoc committee of the state secondary education board, said: “We have to study the reasons that led to the rise in the number of high scorers in some subjects and fall in some others. We will make a detailed analysis.”
Swapan Mandal, of the Bengal Teachers’ and Employees’ Association, said: “It is a matter of concern that the number of high scorers has dipped in two subjects despite a rise in the number of total candidates. This year, 9,12,598 appeared for the exams, against 6,82,321 last year. The percentage of first division also dipped.”
The secondary education board asked the school heads to open the URL https://www.wbbsedata.com after noon on May 2 for post-publication scrutiny (PPS) and post-publication review (PPR) of Madhyamik answer scripts.
The applications will be received till midnight of May 18.
The instruction tab for details of the login and application process has been uploaded on the board’s website.
The board also announced that applications for certified copies of answer scripts, under the RTI Act 2005, must reach the respective regional offices of the board within 75 days of the publication of the results (by July 16).
The board said that if such candidates apply for PPS/PPF as well, the RTI application for the certified copy will be processed after the publication of PPS/PPR results.
M.K. Maitra, the secretary of the Terai Indian Planters’ Association (TIPA), wrote to Bengal labour minister Moloy Ghatak on Thursday, saying the drought-like situation had hit the tea gardens across the Terai
Avijit Sinha, TT, Siliguri, 03.05.24 : The surge in mercury across north Bengal like other parts of the state and the absence of rainfall have badly hit the tea industry, prompting planters to appeal to the labour minister to announce subsidies and financial assistance for the sector.
M.K. Maitra, the secretary of the Terai Indian Planters’ Association (TIPA), wrote to Bengal labour minister Moloy Ghatak on Thursday, saying the drought-like situation had hit the tea gardens across the Terai.
“In April, there was a rainfall shortage of around 50 per cent in the Terai, which has directly affected the production. At a time when the cost of production has increased because of the rise in cost of different components, the decline in production has put several gardens in crisis,” said Maitra.
With no rainfall reported in the Terai in recent weeks, over 40 tea estates in the region are entirely dependent on irrigation to ensure that tea bushes don’t dry up. Also, the absence of rain has led to pest attacks in several gardens. In most gardens of the Terai, picking of tea leaves could be carried out only three to four days a week because of low yield, said a source.
“For irrigation purposes, the gardens had to pay huge power bills. That is why we have brought it to the notice of the state labour minister and have requested him to see that a substantial discount on electricity bills for irrigation is provided by the state from November to May,” said the TIPA secretary.
He said the central and state governments should come forward with other financial assistance, subsidies and additional relief and aid for the tea industry.
“Such assistance would help the industry tide over the current situation and contribute to the socio-economic well-being of the region,” added Maitra.
Those associated with the small tea sector, which contributes over 50 per cent of the total tea produced in Bengal, also articulated their distress.
“We don’t know when the weather conditions will improve. Most of the growers are dependent on the sale proceeds of tea leaves. These days, because of low yield, their earnings have deceased and many of them are finding it tough to pay the workers who pick tea leaves,” said Bijoygopal Chakraborty, president of the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers’ Associations.
Meetings called
Subhagata Gupta, the deputy labour commissioner of Jalpaiguri, has convened meetings in Jalpaiguri on May 6 to expedite the reopening of the Totapara tea estate.
The management of the garden in Banarhat block announced the suspension of work on Wednesday. As a result, 855 permanent workers became jobless.
Assistant Labour Commissioner Subhrajyoti Sarkar, stationed at the Jalpaiguri District Labor Office, disclosed that the Totapara plantation management has been summoned for a meeting scheduled for Monday to address the unfolding crisis.
Dibyendu Sinha, MP, 2 May 2024, Jalpaiguri: The management of the Totapara Tea Garden in Jalpaiguri abruptly suspended operations, leaving about 850 tea garden workers unemployed. Workers claim this action was illegal, while the owners blame a section of the workers.
Assistant Labour Commissioner Subhrajyoti Sarkar, stationed at the Jalpaiguri District Labor Office, disclosed that the Totapara plantation management has been summoned for a meeting scheduled for Monday to address the unfolding crisis.
Aside from the contentious issue of work suspension, workers at Totapara tea plantation are grappling with outstanding dues, including Provident Fund (PF), gratuity and unpaid wages.
Seeking redress, a cohort of workers converged at Banarhat Police Station on April 27, staging a sit-in protest to expedite the resolution of their dues. Despite efforts, a scheduled tripartite meeting convened at the Banarhat Block Development Officer (BDO) office found none of the management representatives in attendance.
However, the administration received a letter from the owners assuring settlement of one installment of the outstanding wages on Tuesday. Expressing his dismay, Ramesh Mahali, a plantation worker, lamented: “The garden owner pledged to settle the dues by Tuesday, only to abscond and post the notice of suspension overnight, leaving us unaware until Wednesday, a holiday.”
Punita Mahali, another worker, echoed the sentiment, stating: “From basic amenities like access to drinking water to essential medical treatment, the garden fails us.
Adding insult to injury, our PF and gratuity remain unpaid. We hold onto hope that the garden will reopen following administrative intervention, once these issues are addressed.”
The cash was being carried to Chanchal from Gazole for election purposes. The BJP worker could not produce any paper in support of his claim. On April 29 in English Bazar, Rs 2 lakh in cash was also seized from Shantanu Ghosh, general secretary of BJP South Malda organisational district by the flying squad.
Avijit Roy, MP, 2 May 2024, Malda: The flying squad of the Election Commission of India (ECI) seized cash worth Rs 8 lakh from a vehicle on the Bypass Road of Paharpur under the Chanchal Police Station on Wednesday from a worker of BJP.
The cash was being carried to Chanchal from Gazole for election purposes. The BJP worker could not produce any paper in support of his claim. On April 29 in English Bazar, Rs 2 lakh in cash was also seized from Shantanu Ghosh, general secretary of BJP South Malda organisational district by the flying squad.
Ghosh claimed it to be his funds of trade but failed to produce adequate documents so the amount was seized and forwarded to the District Grievance Committee for further verification.
A car was stopped on the Bypass Road of Paharpur on Wednesday carrying flags and logos of BJP by the officials of the flying squad. On further search, cash worth 8 lakh was found from the vehicle.
Tilak Ram, office in-charge of BJP in Chanchal Assembly constituency, said: “I have been carrying the fund for election purposes from Alampur to Chanchal BJP party office to meet several expenses of the election.
They seized the amount and I shall go to the committee to claim it back.” The officials said that the seized amount would be sent to the authorised committee and hearings will be made for verifying the source of money.
To implement the Model Code of Conduct in Malda, 64 flying squad teams, 42 video surveillance teams and 82 static surveillance teams have been formed. Afsar Ali, Chanchal Block president of TMC, said: “The BJP government has stopped the funds for Bengal in various schemes and is now sending money for their own election expenditure. This party is trying to buy votes on money power.
Severe heatwave situations will, however, continue in districts like Bankura, Jhargram, West Midnapore, East Burdwan and West Burdwan on Friday
MP, 3 May 2024, Kolkata: The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore held out a ray of hope for the heatwave situation to change from Sunday or Monday with the possibility of rains in the coastal districts on Saturday.
Severe heatwave situations will, however, continue in districts like Bankura, Jhargram, West Midnapore, East Burdwan and West Burdwan on Friday.
The MeT office also predicted that mercury will start sliding down in the next 48 hours. Many of the South Bengal districts will receive rainfall between Sunday and Tuesday. The MeT office said that heatwave conditions are very likely to continue till Sunday over south Bengal, which has been reeling under a scorching sun.
Several districts in the Western parts of Bengal have been consistently registering temperatures over 45 degrees Celsius for the past many days.
The MeT office prediction said severe heatwave is likely to continue in Bankura, Birbhum, Jhargram, West Midnapore, East Midnapore and West Burdwan. There will not be any large change in maximum temperature during the next two days and thereby it will fall gradually in the subsequent three days in the region.
The severe weather conditions in the southern and western districts of Bengal are being caused by dry westerly winds and strong solar insolation, the MeT office said. Kolkata is also bracing for severe heatwaves.
The city and its adjoining areas like Dum Dum, Salt Lake, Barrackpore, Barasat already witnessed the highest temperature of over 42 degrees in the past couple of days.
The Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Odisha are all reeling under the extreme heatwave conditions, according to reports.
Thunderstorms may hit districts like Nadia, Murshidabad, Birbhum, parts of North and South 24-Parganas and East Midnapore on Sunday. Rainfall may intensify on Monday.
A mild breeze may also sweep through several parts of South Bengal. North Bengal districts like Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri will receive thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds measuring around 30-40 kmph in the next 48 hours.
Kolkata on Thursday registered the highest temperature at around 40 degree Celsius, Salt Lake 39, Dum Dum 39, Diamond Harbour 39, Midnapore 43, Purulia 43, Asansol 42.
Out of the total number of candidates, 7,65,252 were successful while the results of two were withheld, 46 candidates’ exams were cancelled and 81 were exonerated
MP, 3 May 2024, Kolkata: Children With Special Needs (CWSN) performed well in the Madhyamik 2024 with a success rate of 86.90 per cent. “This proves that the urge for education is universally present among all school-goers” the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education stated on Thursday.
The result of the Madhyamik was announced on Thursday. A total of 9,12,598 candidates appeared. Exams were conducted in seven compulsory subjects, 12 first languages, three second languages and 47 optional elective subjects.
Out of the total number of candidates, 7,65,252 were successful while the results of two were withheld, 46 candidates’ exams were cancelled and 81 were exonerated.
Out of the total number of candidates, 962 CWSN candidates appeared for the examination. According to the data provided by the Board, 192 visually impaired candidates — 101 male and 91 female — 184 with hearing impairment — 94 male and 90 female — and 586 Orthopedic Physically Handicapped (OPH) candidates — 353 male and 233 female.
Out of 192 visually-impaired candidates, 182 were successful candidates out of which 99 were boys and 83 were girls. Out of 184 candidates with hearing impairment, 141 were successful candidates and out of 586 OPH candidates, 539 candidates were successful.
The visually impaired students were allowed one amanuensis (one substitute when required) during the examination and were allowed 45 minutes extra time.
The examination centres were requested to make provision for examinees suffering from Thalassaemia and those who are wheelchair-bound to take their examination on the ground floor. Orthopaedically handicapped examinees were allotted examination centres with ramps.
The court acknowledged the corruption allegations against the accused and the filed chargesheet, emphasizing the automatic nature of the grant. The court held the delay a “violation of orders” and an attempt to “subvert the criminal prosecution.
PTI, Kolkata, 2 May 2024 : The Calcutta High Court expressed dismay over the delay in granting sanction to prosecute former officials in the 2016 West Bengal school jobs case. Despite directing the decision by May 2, the state requested seven more weeks, which the court deemed “wilful delay.”
The court acknowledged the corruption allegations against the accused and the filed chargesheet, emphasizing the automatic nature of the grant. The court held the delay a “violation of orders” and an attempt to “subvert the criminal prosecution.” The accused were seen as too powerful to allow for a fair trial, raising concerns about institutional support and prosecution viability.
he Calcutta High Court on Thursday expressed ”pain” at the prolonged delay by the West Bengal chief secretary in deciding on the grant of sanction to prosecute former public servants arrested by CBI in the 2016 school jobs case.
The high court on April 23 directed the top official to decide on the matter by May 2 in the case. During the day, the state government prayed for seven weeks to decide on granting the sanction. The court termed it a ”wilful delay” and said a sanctioning authority ”cannot hold prosecution to ransom” by dragging its feet on taking a decision on sanction for prosecution.
Stating that it is pained at the delay despite repeated directions by it and setting guidelines on the issue of granting sanction to the chief secretary, a division bench presided by Justice Joymalya Bagchi said that it will hear out the parties and take a decision on bail applications by the accused persons on Friday.
Former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, one of the accused in custody, moved a bail application before the court along with other ex-public servants who were arrested in the case.
The chief secretary, through the state’s advocate general, prayed for seven weeks’ time to take a decision on the application for sanction by the CBI.
Maintaining that the accused persons were public servants and that there is an allegation of corruption against them and a chargesheet has been filed, the court said that it is an automatic course to take a decision on grant of sanction.
The bench said the court is being constrained to take a harsh view of it.
Advocate General Kishore Dutta submitted that this court should not have gone into the question of sanction as the issue to be decided in this matter is bail applications by the accused persons.
Holding that the matter before it is definitely whether the accused persons are enlarged on bail or not, the court said, ”If it comes to our light that a particular agency is subverting the process of criminal justice, will the court turn a blind eye?” Stating that constitutional democracy moves on trust, the bench said that this is not an expected stance of a constitutional democracy.
”We are constrained to observe that this has been a wilful effort not only to violate our orders, but suffered the administration of criminal justice,” the bench said.
The court said that it will be a relevant consideration for deciding the bail applications that there are roadblocks creating hindrances to trial.
Maintaining that it is an ”institutional conspiracy”, the court said that the accused persons seemed to be too powerful to subvert the criminal prosecution. The court said that it is ”really apprehensive whether the wherewithal and institutional support for a fair trial is possible here.” Stating that it is up to the prosecuting agency to take a call on that, the court said that it feels extremely distressed.
On April 9 also, the bench expressed its displeasure over the delay in grant of sanction and directed the chief secretary to take a decision by April 23.
The CBI had stated before the court during a previous hearing of the matter that the governor of West Bengal had granted sanction to prosecute former minister Partha Chatterjee.
The division bench is jointly hearing the bail prayers of the state’s former Education minister Partha Chatterjee, former secretary of West Bengal School Service Commission Ashok Saha, former SSC chairman Subires Bhattacharyya and former chairman of SSC’s advisory committee Santi Prasad Sinha, who are in custody for about two years in connection with the case.
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday expressed “pain” at the prolonged delay by the West Bengal Chief Secretary in deciding on the grant of sanction to prosecute former public servants arrested by CBI in the 2016 school jobs case.
Maintaining that the accused persons were public servants and that there is an allegation of corruption against them and a charge sheet has been filed, the court said that it is an automatic course to take a decision on grant of sanction. The bench said the court is being constrained to take a harsh view of it.
Advocate General Kishore Dutta submitted that this court should not have gone into the question of sanction as the issue to be decided in this matter is bail applications by the accused persons. Holding that the matter before it is definitely whether the accused persons are enlarged on bail or not, the court said, “If it comes to our light that a particular agency is subverting the process of criminal justice, will the court turn a blind eye?”
Stating that constitutional democracy moves on trust, the bench said that this is not an expected stance of a constitutional democracy. “We are constrained to observe that this has been a wilful effort not only to violate our orders, but suffered the administration of criminal justice,” the bench said. The court said that it will be a relevant consideration for deciding the bail applications that there are roadblocks creating hindrances to trial.
YOWAN MOTHAY, EOI, KALIMPONG, MAY 2, 2024: In this year’s Madhyamik Examination, the Kalimpong district has achieved the highest pass percentage in the state of West Bengal. The Kalimpong district has secured a pass percentage 96.2 in secondary examination this year.
This is considered to be the highest pass percentage in the state. Last year, the Kalimpong district was the second in pass percentage and this year it has reached first place. This year’s Madhyamik examination results have made Kalimpong proud and there is a wave of happiness throughout the district after the results.
Leeom Lenchyao Lepcha of St Philomena School in Kalimpong is the district topper, securing 90.2 percent marks. Leeom is a resident of Chibo under constituency no.33. She has attributed her success to God and Sisters, teachers and parents. She also said that hard work is behind her success.
“The bigger the goal, the harder it is to work and if you work hard, you will surely succeed,” she said. She said that she is planning to prepare for her NEET as her dream was to become a doctor.
Similarly, Norden Lepcha, her father, while expressing his happiness at his daughter’s success, said that instead of scolding the children, one should give advice and encouragement. Principal of St. Philomena School Sister Cricenta Rai, thanked God for the good results of the school in the secondary examination and Leeom Lencho Lepcha from the school for her score and for becoming the Kalimpong district topper.
A total of 3921 students took the exam from Kalimpong district this year.
The forest fire, which started on Thursday morning, was brought under control by the evening with the intervention by the fire operators and officials of the Forest Department, and with the help of local residents.
EOI, DARJEELING, MAY 2, 2024 : The
sudden forest fire at Topkey Dara,
near 3rd Mile, around 19 km from
Darjeeling, has posed an imminent
threat to the breeding center for red
panda and snow leopards at Topkey
Dara, just one km away.
The area
falls under the Senchal Wildlife
Sanctuary and is run by the
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan
Zoological Park (PNHZP).
The forest fire, which started on
Thursday morning, was brought
under control by the evening with
the intervention by the fire
operators and officials of the Forest
Department, and with the help of
local residents.
Ranger Uttam Pradhan of the
Darjeeling Wildlife Division
Sinchel East Range said: “The fire
might have started around 7 a.m. We
came to know about the fire only
after we got a phone call around 7.20
a.m. when a former forest staff
informed us about it, seeing smoke
coming out of the area. He had seen
the smoke from Mall Road in
Darjeeling.
Acting on the
information we went for inspection
and found that fire had started from
3rd Mile and was spreading
towards the Breeding Centre.
Another fire had also started at 6th
Mile on the road towards
Kalimpong. We had to face a lot of
difficulty trying to fight two fires.”
Pradhan said initially fire
extinguishers were utilized to fight
the spreading fire with the Fire
Department from Darjeeling town
also sending one fire tender to help
them.
A fire tender that has been
kept as reserve by the fire
department in the Dispersion Centre
and Receipt Centre (DCRC) set up
at Darjeeling Government College
(DGC) where strong rooms have
been made for the recently
concluded polls though could not
be utilized.
“We also requested
water tanks that sell water from
perennial water sources like
Kalikhola close by to this area to
help us in supplying water. They
helped by bringing water in 10
vehicles,” Pradhan said. Each of the
trucks which supply water to
Darjeeling town can carry 2000 litres
of water at a time. The local police
force, staff of the PNHZP and the
forest department along with locals
from nearby villages located in 3rd
Mile, Dabaipani, Naya Basti among
other places where the Joint Forest
Management Committee also exists
pitched in to fight the forest fire.
Fire lines were also made in places
by cutting grass to ensure that the
fire did not spread. When asked
about how the fire could have
started Pradhan stated, “The exact
reason for the fire starting is not
known but the month of April to
May is a very dry season with the
jungles also very dry. The few days
have also been excessively windy,
and a natural fire could have started
due to friction caused by the wind
and with the forest being dry a
small fire can get out of control.”
Pradhan also said that though more
than 80 percent of the fire had been
brought under control by the
afternoon, the day being windy and
with chances of ground fires still
burning underneath there, the
surface could ignite again. He said
that this fire was hard to detect.
“We
will stay on vigil throughout the
night and there could be the danger
of the fire starting again,” he said
while adding that the extent of area
damage could not be ascertained
right now
Refuse to be cowed down by engineered narratives….truth will triumph: Bose
EOI, KOLKATA, MAY 2, 2024 : In a sensational incident that stirred a political furore in the state a female employee of Raj Bhavan today put West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose in the dock for sexual harassment.
She filed a complaint against the Governor at Hare Street police station under Kolkata Police . The woman, who had been working as a temporary employee of Raj Bhavan used to live in the staff quarters of Raj Bhavan.
However the Governor refuted the charges vehemently. “Truth shall triumph. I refuse to be cowed down by engineered narratives If any body wants some election benefits by maligning me God bless them. But they can not stop my fight against corruption and violence in Bengal,’’
Governor Bose said in a statement. In expected fashion the incident triggered a political slugfest in the state. `
`A Governor is being accused of indulging in sexual harassment. What kind of state we are in,’’ fumed state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya.
Retorted Subhendu Adhikary, BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly. “It could be an attempt to divert people’s attention from the several scams the ruling TMC is reeling under. However the allegation should be probed. `
If it turns out to be a conspiracy the perpetrators should be punished. But if it comes out to be true action should also be taken,’’ Ashikary said.
However, according to constitutional experts a Governor, while in office enjoys immunity from all criminal proceedings under Article 361 of the Constitution.
The risks which are now causing paranoia have been known since 2021 – and experts believe they do not outweigh the benefits the vaccine brought at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, the adverse effects show up a few months after vaccine delivery, at the latest.
A vial of the Covishield vaccine candidate. Photo: Covid-19 vaccination/Flickr, CC BY NC 2.0
Banjot Kaur, The Wire, 01 May 2024 : New Delhi: The Telegraph‘s report that the maker of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was sold in India as Covishield, has “admitted” to an adverse event called ‘Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome’ or TTS in “very rare cases” has led to deluge of social media posts and a growing sense of paranoia among people.
TTS is a spectrum that involves blot clots along with a low platelet count in the body, which at times can cause serious injury or even death.
While there had been reported cases of deaths and serious adverse effects following the administration of the vaccine, all drug regulators and scientific bodies have categorised them as extremely rare occurrences. All of them have said there are risks, but the benefits of the vaccine, including saving lives, have outweighed the risks.
The Wire breaks down the risk v/s benefits scenario for those who took Covishield in India.
How rare is rare?
One of the keywords that was reported to have been used by AstraZeneca, in terms of adverse events occurring, was ‘rare’ – something that most of the commentary is now missing.
But how rare is it? By looking at the data from the UK and the European Union, the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety assessed that the risk was low. The committee consists of independent vaccine and other domain experts. It advises the World Health Organisation on vaccine safety.
“[The] data from the UK suggest the risk is approximately 4 cases per million adults who receive the vaccine, while the rate is estimated to be approximately 1 per 100, 000 in the European Union (EU),” it said back in 2021. It was in late 2020 and early 2021 that the Covid-19 vaccination drive picked up globally.
There are several other studies that looked into the rate of TTS caused by the AstraZeneca vaccine. One such study looked at the AstraZeneca Global Safety Database in 2022. They found the rate of this adverse event to be 7.5 per million vaccinated persons, while yet another meta-analysis, which studied two mRNA vaccines and the AstraZeneca vaccine, found the rate of severe adverse reactions with the latter as two per million vaccinated in 2020.
For how long does one run the risk of developing clots?
An Australian assessment says the serious adverse events may develop within four to 42 days of administration of the vaccine. The TTS can develop within a short stretch of duration, and not years after the vaccination. Hence any TTS event, or clotting, can’t occur with Covishield/Astrazeneca vaccine unless one has taken it in the immediate past.
“This time period may also stretch to 3-6 months,” Jacob John, an infectious diseases expert with Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore, told The Wire.
“The vaccine can’t cause an epigenetic effect. It is not something that it has altered your genes,” he explained, and so can’t lead to the development of clots years down the line.
Is this new information?
Another claim that is doing the rounds is that this is the ‘first time’ we have come to know that TTS could take place in rare instances due to the vaccine. While it may be the first time the information has reached such a wide audience, scientific papers had spoken of the issue back in 2021.
Moreover, the company too had put in the public domain something called a ‘package insert’ while rolling out the vaccine for use. That package insert, shared on the AstraZeneca website, mentions the occurrence of clotting as a rare event.
However, what did not happen was adequate publicising of this information. Neither governments around the world, including India’s, nor the company itself, made meaningful efforts to let the risks be known on a large scale. Therefore, people are now raising questions regarding the transparency of governments and vaccine companies – even if such adverse events were rare.
How does the rare clotting happen?
The British Heart Foundation says the exact pathway is still being studied.
Satyajit Rath, a noted immunologist who has also been associated with Institute of Immunology in India, says it may be due to an inadvertent event. Apart from making the antibodies against the Covid-19 virus, the autoantibodies against a protein found in blood called platelet-4 also got developed in some rare cases, he explained.
“This, in turn, seems to be contributing to triggering a cascade of platelet clumping, and, therefore, the clots,” Rath said.
He added that why it happens in the case of some people – even though rare – and not in others, is yet to be understood clearly.
Heart attack because of Covid-19
There are ample studies, like this long-term research, now, on Long Covid – a spectrum of diseases that many have developed even after patients have recovered from the initial infection. Heart attacks are the most common among them. The British Heart Foundation says the clots were far more common after a Covid-19 infection than after the vaccine.
This large-scale study looked into the records of 10.17 million vaccinated and 10.39 million unvaccinated people in the UK, Spain and Estonia. The researched concluded:
“[The] COVID-19 vaccination reduced the risk of post-COVID-19 cardiac and thromboembolic outcomes. These effects were more pronounced for acute COVID-19 outcomes, consistent with known reductions in disease severity; following breakthrough [or reinfection] versus unvaccinated SARS-CoV-2 [virus causing Covid-19] infection.”
Another study by a group of scientists from Oxford University published in 2021 compared the possibility of thrombocytopenia after Covid-19 infection, and after the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
They concluded that there was an ‘increased’ risk of thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) and venous thromboembolism (clotting in veins) in short time intervals after the administration of the first dose of the vaccine.
But they also wrote that these risks were much higher if one got the Covid-19 disease, as compared to the vaccine.
“Importantly, the risks of these outcomes after vaccination were much lower than those associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the same population,” they wrote.
Countries suspended/stopped use of AstraZeneca vaccine for young populations
More than a dozen countries, especially in Europe, suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for an interim period after reports of clotting surfaced in 2021. However, many of them resumed using it a month or so later.
The governments in the UK and Australia have maintained that younger people, especially those below 50, should not take the AstraZeneca vaccine. They recommended alternative vaccines for this age group; Australia recommended Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine for the younger cohort.
Should India have altered its strategy too? The answer heavily rested on the fact that the Indian government did not allow the import of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Therefore, it had limited the options for itself, should a change in strategy have been required.
Moreover, the Indian government had hardly initiated any study, like the other governments, to understand the adverse effects of the vaccine on the younger population after its rollout.
“In order to make a good determination of Covid risk versus vaccine risk to an individual, it would be necessary to have really robust evidence for local transmission situations and clinical risk profiles,” Rath said.
Even though the Astrazeneca vaccine-associated adverse effects were rare, Rath questioned whether India had collected reliable background information as the basis for any potential decision to halt vaccine use in a specific set of the population.
Lack of adverse events monitoring system in India
One of the reasons that a paranoia of sorts has taken over people after the reports of AstraZeneca’s admission is the lack of a proper monitoring mechanism for the side effects of Covid-19 vaccines, or Adverse Effects Following Immunisation (AEFI), in India.
Till date, there is no public platform that the Indian government has built where one can easily look into the data regarding this. As against this, many governments around the world have been transparent.
A case in point is this website of the UK’s drug regulator, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
On this website one can look for the number of adverse reactions caused by each of the three available vaccines in the country – two mRNA vaccines of Pfizer and Moderna, and Novovax. Not only have they put in the public domain how many adverse events occurred, they have also put a summary of how many events were reported and studied to be finally characterised as adverse events.
The US’s Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) gives anyone the opportunity to download data for the vaccine’s side effects.
The public availability of this information is one point. Another worrisome point in India, as far as Covid-19 vaccines are concerned, is how one should report if an adverse event has occurred.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India created a toll free number for this. But there were no efforts made to widely circulate that number – definitely much less than the efforts taken to convince people to take vaccines.
There have been reports how registering an AEFI event caused due to Covid-19 vaccination has been an uphill task in India. On the other hand, the MHRA has an easy-to-use ‘yellow card reporting’ website for this.
There have been 180 reported deaths in India following Covid-19 vaccination, but experts don’t rule out some sort of an undercounting here
“Our regulator really needs to learn regarding creating an efficient AEFI reporting system,” CMC’s John said. There have been no post-approval real-life long-term studies in India done by the government to understand how the vaccines performed.
“If such a system [of monitoring] isn’t created, then it is bound to hit the trust of the people in Science. Worse, should an epidemic occur again, how are people going to trust [the vaccines],” John asked.
Other vaccines causing side effects
A panic has now set in among common people. They are questioning why this ‘unsafe vaccine’ was rolled out in India. However, there has been no vaccine against any virus in history which was shown to have 100% safety. Rare side effects have been associated even with those jabs which have been in use for decades now.
“The oral polio vaccine can, in rare instances, lead to vaccine-induced poliomyelitis disease,” Rath explained. He cited another example of the BCG vaccine which, in rare instances, can cause severe inflammation and abscess formation.
It is then not entirely unsurprising – and perhaps not a cause for widespread panic – that the Covid-19 vaccine too can lead to rare adverse events.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is lying about the benefits of UCC that it will help everybody. Instead, if UCC is implemented, it will put at stake the existence of SCs, STs and OBCs. BJP will destroy the constitution, says the Bengal Chief Minister
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee.: File picture.
PTI, Tehatta (WB), 02.05.24 :West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government of attempting to marginalise the SCs, STs, and OBCs.
Speaking at a rally in support of TMC candidate Mahua Moitra at Tehatta in Nadia district, Banerjee criticised the BJP government’s ‘falsehoods’ about citizenship benefits for marginalised communities, warning that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) could jeopardise the rights of SCs, STs, and OBCs.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is lying about the benefits of UCC that it will help everybody. Instead, if UCC is implemented, it will put at stake the existence of SCs, STs and OBCs. BJP will destroy the constitution. But rest assured, we will not let it happen,” Banerjee said.
The TMC chief said for the past 10 years, the BJP has been spreading lies about Matuas and other backward castes getting citizenship through the CAA, which is a ploy to take away one’s already existing bona fide citizenship rights and deport them to concentration camps.
The Krishnanagar constituency has a large population of Matua population.
She also said the UCC will prevent different communities, tribes and sects from practicing their own customs and rituals.
The CM cautioned the electorate against BJP’s ploy “to inflate the voting figure after the actual date of polling by using the Election Commission.” She expressed bewilderment over the Election Commission’s announcement of an increased poll percentage four days after the actual voting took place, stating that while she wasn’t casting aspersions on the EC, she found it unfathomable.
Banerjee cautioned against BJP’s tactics to manipulate voting figures and alleged threats by BJP leaders to IAS and IPS officers in West Bengal and vowed to resist any attempts to undermine the state’s integrity.
“Intimidation, threat and pressure by the Narendra Modi government on state ministers, officials or people will not work in Bengal,” she said.
BJP sources said that Modi is scheduled to address election rallies in support of party candidates in Krishnanagar, Bardhaman Purba and Bolpur Lok Sabha constituencies on Friday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.: File picture.
PTI, Calcutta, 02.05.24 :
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to West Bengal from Thursday, during which he is scheduled to address several election rallies, a senior official said.
The PM is scheduled to arrive in Calcutta on Thursday evening and spend the night at Raj Bhavan, he said.
BJP sources said that Modi is scheduled to address election rallies in support of party candidates in Krishnanagar, Bardhaman Purba and Bolpur Lok Sabha constituencies on Friday.
“Tight security arrangements have put in place in the city for the prime minister’s visit. He will spend the night at Raj Bhavan,” the official told PTI.
Owing to the PM’s visit, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose cut short his personal visit to his home state Kerala to return to the city, he said.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Traffic Police has decided to regulate vehicular movement on certain stretches in the city in view of the PM’s visit.
Sources said the management had not been paying provident funds and gratuity for the past few months, much to the disgruntlement of the workforce
The factory premises of the Totapara tea estate on Wednesday. Biplab Basak
TT, Jalpaiguri , 02.05.24 : Around 850 people turned jobless on Wednesday when the world observed International Labour Day as the management of the Totapara tea estate in Jalpaiguri district announced the suspension of work, citing lawlessness in the garden.
The tea estate is located in Banarhat block and has around 855 workers.
Sources said the management had not been paying provident funds and gratuity for the past few months, much to the disgruntlement of the workforce.
“In the past few weeks, the management didn’t even pay the wages. We are yet to receive wages of three fortnights,” said worker Ravi Baraik.
A section of the labourers went to Banarhat police station on April 27 and held a demonstration, seeking the intervention of the law enforcers and the administration.
After their demonstration, a tripartite meeting was called in the BDO’s office
in Banarhat but none from the management’s side turned up.
“The management informed the administration that it would clear a fortnight’s wages on Tuesday. Accordingly, the wages were disbursed yesterday (on Tuesday) but later at night, a notice announcing the suspension of work from today (Wednesday) was issued,” said another worker Durga Oraon.
The workers saw the notice when they reached the factory on Wednesday morning to join their duties.
“The management was not paying the workers and when they demanded wages, the garden was closed down on the pretext of lawlessness. The administration should intervene immediately,” said Tabarak Ali, a vice-president of the Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union.
Jairaj Biswakarma, the Banarhat block president of the BJP-backed Bharatiya Tea Workers Union, said the management should have held talks with trade unions.
“Instead, they (management) decided to close down the garden at the beginning of the tea season because of financial constraints and put the blame on workers. We condemn such moves,” he said.
Those associated with the Dooars tea industry said the garden had closed down several times in the past over financial issues.
Amitangshu Chakraborty, the principal advisor of the Indian Tea Planters’ Association of which Totapara is a member, said the organisation had received a copy of the suspension notice.
Officials of the state labour department said they hadn’t received any official information about the suspension of work from the company that owns the Totapara garden.
“Even then, we are gathering information from various sources. If the garden has closed down, we will take appropriate steps so that it reopens at the earliest,” said Subhgata Gupta, the deputy labour commissioner of Jalpaiguri.
Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam, along with Justice Hiranmy Bhattacharyya, reviewed the CBI’s report and granted the agency’s request to keep the details confidential
Calcutta High Court: File
PTI, Calcutta, 02.05.24 :
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday expressed satisfaction with the progress of the CBI’s probe into allegations of crimes against women and land grabbing in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali.
The court permitted the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to be added as a party to the case, following its application.
Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam, along with Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, reviewed the CBI’s report and granted the agency’s request to keep the details confidential.
The court had on April 10 directed the CBI to probe the allegations of crimes against women and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali and directed it to file a progress report on Thursday.
The court, which is monitoring the investigation, had also directed the central agency to probe alleged illegal conversion of agricultural land into waterbodies for pisciculture after conducting a thorough inspection of revenue records and physical inspection of land alleged to have been converted.
Holding that its presence will assist the court in the present case, the bench granted permission to NHRC to be added as party to the matter.
The court is hearing a suo motu petition and other PILs with regard to the incidents in Sandeshkhali.
Stating that there are over 900 allegations of land grabbing, the CBI sought the court’s direction to the state authorities for cooperation.
The court directed the state authorities to extend “fullest cooperation” and said if there is any shortage of staff, appropriate authorities will deploy additional staff for the purpose and they will work in tandem with the CBI.
The court scheduled the next hearing for June 13, directing the CBI to submit a further progress report.
Noting that the state had moved a special leave petition before the Supreme Court on the matter, the division bench stated that the apex court has said that the pendency of the appeal cannot be used as a ground for any pause in the ongoing probe. The bench directed that the orders issued by this court have to be scrupulously complied with.
Petitioner-lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal argued that despite filing affidavits detailing the horrifying incidents, some victims of sexual assault were hesitant to speak the truth due to fear. She had previously submitted several hundred complaints, encompassing allegations of sexual violence, land grabbing, assault, and property destruction, to the court during an earlier hearing.
The court asked the CBI to take confidence-building measures in cases where the complainants seek adequate protection.
“As a premier investigating agency, they will have all the wherewithal and the expertise to record the correct statement of the victims,” the court said.
Another petitioner-lawyer, Alakh Alok Srivastava, suggested that deploying women CBI officers in the Sandeshkhali case could help the alleged victims feel more at ease and disclose the truth. The bench left the decision to the discretion of the CBI.
It directed the state to handover documents sought by the CBI from it within a week from this date.
Additionally, the court expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of compliance regarding the installation of LED street lights in certain places in Sandeshkhali, warning of contempt proceedings if not addressed.
It directed the authorities to ensure such installation and submit a compliance report on the next date of hearing on June 13.
The poll authority noted that some political parties and candidates have been engaging in activities that blur the lines between legitimate surveys and partisan efforts to register individuals for post-election beneficiary-oriented schemes
PTI, New Delhi, 02.05.24 : The Election Commission Thursday said it has taken a “serious view” of political parties and candidates seeking details of voters under the guise of various surveys for their proposed beneficiary schemes as it amounts to a corrupt practice under election law.
The poll authority noted that some political parties and candidates have been engaging in activities that blur the lines between legitimate surveys and partisan efforts to register individuals for post-election beneficiary-oriented schemes.
The Election Commission issued an advisory to all national and state political parties to immediately cease and desist from any activities that involve registering people for post-election beneficiary-oriented schemes through any advertisement, survey or mobile application.
It said the act of inviting or calling upon individual electors to register for post-election benefits may create an impression of the requirement of one-to-one transactional relationship between the elector and the proposed benefit, and has the potential to generate a quid pro quo arrangement for voting in a particular way, thereby leading to inducement.
