Over 50 countries show interest in India's COWIN Portal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed happiness over the significant landmark achieved by India in Covid vaccination drive.In a remarkable feat, India has surpassed the United States of America in administration of Covid vaccines.So far, over 32 crore 36 lakh doses of Covid vaccines have been administered in the country which is 33 lakh more in comparison to vaccines administered in the USA. In a tweet Modi has said, India’s vaccination drive keeps gaining momentum.Reiterating commitment for free vaccines to all, he congratulated those who are driving vaccination efforts. 

-COVID-19 Vaccine registration portal, CoWIN has become popular and foreign countries are showing interest in this technology.Over 50 countries from across Central Asia, Latin America and Africa, are interested in it.Chief Executive Officer of National Health Authority, Dr. R S  Sharma said, the Prime Minister's Office has directed to create an open-source version of CoWIN to be made available free of cost to any interested country.

-In Karnataka, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar has announced that the Standard 10th Board Examination will be conducted on 19th and 22th of July. Addressing media persons in Bengaluru on Monday, he said, all COVID-related protocols will be followed while conducting the examination. July 19 exam will be on core subjects and July 22 will be for the language papers. He said that all those deputed for the examination duty will be vaccinated on priority basis. Those with COVID symptoms will be given a separate room for writing of the exam. A COVID Care Centre with an ambulance will be provided at Taluk headquarters as a stand by. There are 8,76,581 students appearing for the exam. A total of 4,884 examination centres will be opened where 73,066 rooms will be made available to conduct the exam.

-In Tamil Nadu, the Minister for Higher Education K. Ponmudy said that all colleges should start admissions only after 31st of July. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had a meeting with the Higher Education Minister and other officials of the department on Monday. Speaking to the media after the meet, the Minister said that the colleges need to consider the CBSE and State Board Class 12th marks to rank the students for admission purposes. The admissions to polytechnic colleges which are based on Class IX marks commenced last week.As per the evaluation method for plus two this year, Class X board exams would carry 50 per cent weightage while Class XI marks would carry 20 per cent weightage.The Government gave 30 per cent weightage to Class XII internal assessment and practical exams.The Minister told that the Government would take steps to appoint Professors in Tamil Nadu as Vice Chancellors of Anna University and Annamalai University.He said that there was no link between cancellation of M. Phil by Madras University and National Education Policy. 

-In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, two drones were spotted at Kalu Chak Military Station in Jammu district during the intervening night of June 27 and 28.Defence Spokesperson said that the first drone was spotted hovering near the Military Station at around 11.45 p.m. while the 2nd drone was seen in the wee hours today at 2.40 a.m.Army personnel deployed on the duty fired several rounds on the hovering drones following which drones sped away from the spot. A major threat was thereby thwarted by the ness and proactive approach of the troops.Immediately, a high was sounded and search operations were launched by Army and Police.