Night curfew back in Rajasthan

In Rajasthan, the Government has decided  to impose night curfew from Monday in 8 cities to contain the recent spike in the number of Covid cases. Night curfew will be imposed in Ajmer, Bhilwara, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Udaipur, Sagwara and Kushalgarh from 11 in night to 5 in the morning . Markets will remain closed in all the urban bodies of the state after 10 pm tomorrow. The decision was taken in a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. latest RT-PCR negative report of COVID 19 will be mandatory for all passengers coming to Rajasthan from other states from 25th March onward. Passengers who come without a negative report will be quarantined for 15 days. All district collectors have been instructed to start institutional quarantine again in their districts. A maximum of 200 people will be allowed to attend the wedding ceremony and only 20 people can attend the funeral. Primary schools in the state will remain closed till further orders.  About 100 cases of corona were being reported daily in the state in first week of March, which has now increased to more than 400.

-Government has  said that more than 67.5 lakh people have been brought back from around the world under the Vande Bharat mission so far.India commenced one of the world's largest evacuation operations from  May 7 last year to bring back stranded Indians  from abroad. Initially, Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express played a key role in the operations. Afterwards, other air carriers were allowed to take part in the programme. Besides, aerial evacuation, ships were also used to bring back Indian citizens. In a tweet, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri said, Vande Bharat is not just a mission that brought back stranded and distressed citizens but it is also a Mission of hope and happiness. He added that the Mission has let Indian people know that they will not be left behind by the government even in the most testing times. 

-In view of the surge in Covid-19 cases in some parts of the country, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar instructed health officials to ramp up vaccination and keep close watch on people returning home from other states either by train, bus or flight for the forthcoming Holi festival.Reviewing the Covid-19 scenario in the state at a high- level meeting, the Chief Minister asked officials to ensure Covid testing of passengers arriving at railway stations, bus stands and airports in the state. Nitish Kumar said at least 70 percent testing in the state should be conducted through RT- PCR method. He asserted that the report should be provided to the person concerned within 24 hours. He said schools in the state would remain open.The fresh surge in Covid-19 cases has so far not taken such an alarming proportion in Bihar that schools should be closed.

-President Ramnath Kovind said, Education and health care are two basic pillars of good governance. Apart from education, the entire world has diverted it's attention towards a good health care system.While inaugurating the Super Specialty Hospital and Ispat Post Graduate Institute at the Rourkela Steel Plant on Sunday, President said, the super speciality hospital will not only carter to the needs of the citizens but also people from neighbouring States like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh will be greatly benefitted.Earlier in the morning president had delivered the 18 th convocation speech at the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela. Kovind said that India has initiated a largest vaccination programme only due to the vigorous efforts of these scientists. “India has not only become ‘Atma Nirbhar’ in the development of vaccine, but it has supplied the same to other countries at free of cost .

-Union Environment and Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar has said that the new Nagar Van Scheme will help in creation of Urban forests in the cities. In a message on the occasion of International Day of Forests on Sunday,Javadekar said, the scheme will also fill the gap between the cities and villages in terms of having their own forest cover. He cited India's age old tradition of developing and caring for village forests in the vicinity of almost every rural patch. Under the Nagar Van Scheme , Urban forests will be developed in 200 cities in its first phase.The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21st March as the International Day of Forests in 2012. The Day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests.The  Minister also called upon people and organizations to create a mass movement towards conservation of forest  and revival of our rivers. Speaking at an event in Bengaluru the Minister has appreciated the efforts of Karnataka in increasing the forest cover.  He also added that to reduce animal human conflicts, water and fodder in forest programme has been initiated. One forest in every state will be selected under this programme and with the help of drone mapping water conservation and tree plantation will be taken up.