India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed his desire to connect with the Indian fan Krishna Kumar, who was allegedly racially profiled and abused by a mid-ranking security officer at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) stands during the third Test between Ajinkya Rahane-led side and Australia. On Tuesday, India had won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series 2-1. For the first time in 32 years, Australia was defeated at the Gabba, Brisbane. Taking to Twitter Ashwin replied on Wide World of Sport’s tweet and wrote, “How can I reach you Krishna kumar?? Well done.”
The operators of the SCG have already launched an investigation into claims by an Indian cricket supporter who was told by the security officer to “go back to where you belong”. According to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald, Krishna Kumar, who lives in Sydney, was accompanied by a solicitor as he met Venues NSW legal personnel to lodge an official complaint, telling them he felt “stripped and naked” by the treatment — on the fifth and final day of the match. Kumar further alleged a group of spectators called him and members of the Indian team “curry munchers” on Saturday — the third day of the match — 24 hours before six men were ejected by police when Mohammed Siraj stopped play and complained to umpires.
Cricket Australia is continuing an investigation into reports by the Indian team that fast bowlers Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah were subject to racial taunts by crowd members in Sydney. The Indian supporter Kumar, who attended three days of the third Test, has told Venues NSW that he was targeted after attempting to bring four banners into the ground on the final day of the Pink Test. Written on paper roll, they said: “Rivalry is good, racism is not”, “No racism mate”, “Brown inclusion matters”, and “Cricket Australia — more diversity please”. “He told me, ‘If you need to address this matter, go back to where you belong. It was a very small banner. I made it out of my kids’ paper roll,” Krishna Kumar mentioned. Kumar left to return the banners to his car, he said the same official then told more junior guards to “make sure we give him a complete frisking when he gets back”.
We have launched an investigation in parallel with NSW Police following a crowd incident at the SCG today. Full statement 👇 pic.twitter.com/D7Qu3SenHo
“To me, this is a pure case of profiling. They changed their entire formation so the guy next to the boundary is standing right in front of me and facing me,” he had said. “I’m not looking for compensation, I’m not looking for free tickets, I’m not looking for a membership. I want justice. I want accountability. I was feeling stripped, feeling watched and I went there to fight racism. Why should I be stopped from addressing racism, especially at a ground where it was debatable whether it was happening or not?” Kumar had said. A Venues NSW had said it was “aware of the matter and has met with the complainant”. “We are investigating the complainant’s allegations and we’ll make no further comment until our investigation is complete,” a spokesperson had said.
A year ago, in late January 2020, Australia reported its first cases of COVID-19. Since then, we have seen almost 29,000 confirmed cases and 909 deaths.
As cases climbed in Australian cities in 2020, many students did their schoolwork from home. Australia, including Victoria, came out of lockdowns at the end of last year. But due to outbreaks in New South Wales and Queensland over Christmas and New Year, that impacted on Victoria, restrictions remain in some places.
So what now, for the new school year? Is it safe for students to go back to school?
What we learnt in 2020
Australian health officials, paediatricians, and federal and state education departments worked together to understand how SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — is transmitted in Australian schools.
They also kept updating, as more information came to light, what schools can do to provide a safe learning environment for children and staff.
Up to the end of term 3 in New South Wales, 49 student- and 24 staff- cases were linked to schools and early learning centres. Each of these cases, and their contacts, were followed since the pandemic began. Schools had low rates of transmission — with 51 transmission events (38 students, 13 staff) out of 5,793 contacts traced (<1%) — in terms 1, 2, and 3 when COVID-19 safe measures were in place.
Key measures were:
limiting adults in the school and early learning centre grounds
staying home when unwell with cold-like symptoms
getting tested early.
Most schools and early learning centres in NSW reopened after only a few days.
In Victoria, up until the end of August 2020, 1,635 cases were associated with early learning centres and schools. These consisted of 254 staff, 599 students and 753 household members, out of a total of 19,109 cases in Victoria during their second wave.
Two-thirds of infections in early learning centres and schools did not progress to outbreaks (two or more cases) and more than 90% were small outbreaks (fewer than ten cases).
While transmission has been connected with a Victorian school in the media, transmission events often have a more complex basis than just occurring in the classroom. Schools are often located in a multi-generational community and cases in this large school cluster were linked to high community transmission rates rather than infection in the school.
These studies confirm that when SARS-CoV-2 is detected in a student or staff member, it is very unlikely for other students or staff to be infected at school with the processes put in place in 2020 to provide a safe learning environment.
In Western Australia, almost 14,000 asymptomatic staff and students were swabbed at the school in terms 2 and 3. No cases of SARS-CoV-2 were detected, consistent with the absence of community transmission in that state.
But why are other countries closing schools?
Overseas, studies have shown schools can implement health strategies to safely keep schools open and minimise SARS-CoV-2 transmission risks.
In the US, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention noted that: “trends among children and adolescents aged 0–17 years paralleled those among adults”. However, the organisation also reported:
as of the week beginning December 6, aggregate COVID-19 incidence among the general population in counties where K–12 schools offer in-person education (401.2 per 100,000) was similar to that in counties offering only virtual/online education (418.2 per 100,000).
Other countries have chosen to close schools as a last resort in national lockdowns in the face of extremely high rates of community transmission and daily case numbers, which meant only widespread reductions in population movements could be effective. This is not the case in Australia at the start of term 1, 2021.
It is common for viruses to evolve and there have now been several new variants of concern such as those identified in the UK, South Africa and Brazil which are more transmissible. The potential of such variants entering Australia is uncertain, and so is the risk of transmission in schools.
Reassuringly, if community transmission of such a variant occurs in Australia, we have established experience to monitor, and hopefully halt, its spread.
So, what should Australia do?
Remote learning provides considerable challenges to keep students engaged, reduces the close supervision and support in the classroom, and provides an added disadvantage for children with mental-health conditions, disabilities or special needs.
For parents, it is difficult to work effectively, provide for the family and maintain their well-being when their child is learning from home.
Based on the above evidence, schools are safe to open. But states should adopt mitigation measures — including when to add masks, reduce attendance or close schools — according to a traffic light system from green (standard measures) to red (close schools) based on the degree of community transmission. The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute has recommended this approach for Victoria. Education departments around Australia can consider a similar approach.
It is important schools and early learning centres continue to adhere to their local COVID advice. Parents and guardians should check their contact details are up to date so they can be contacted easily, regularly check what restrictions are in place and, when unwell, get their child tested and stay at home.
In 2020, students and staff rapidly learned to regularly wash their hands, adapt to cleaners in the school throughout the day, socially distance and wear masks when required. These public health interventions, vaccination, and testing and tracing will remain the mainstay for the year ahead in Australia.
Monitoring well-being and building resilience will also be core educational activities in the months ahead.
After India dispatched two million doses of Covishield vaccines to Brazil on Friday, Brazilian President Jair M. Bolosonaro has thanked India for the vaccines and the “great partnership” during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Brazil feels honoured to have a great partner to overcome a global obstacle by joining efforts. Thank you for assisting us with the vaccines exports from India to Brazil. Dhanyavaad! धनयवाद”
Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Embassy in New Delhi, had made arrangements with India and SII for the transportation of the COVID-19 vaccines, following up on a letter from President Jair Bolsonaro to Prime Minister Narendra Modi dated January 8.
India is also supplying COVID-19 vaccines being manufactured in the country to neighbouring countries including Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Myanmar, and Bangladesh but has not received any request from Pakistan. Addressing the weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said there is an interest in accessing vaccines from India, which is the global hub of vaccine production. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had stated that India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used for the benefit of all humanity to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thank you PM @kpsharmaoli. India remains committed to assist the people of Nepal in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. The vaccines being made in India will also contribute to the global efforts to contain the pandemic. https://t.co/d6LpcbvKHg
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had stated that India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used for the benefit of all humanity to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. On January 19, New Delhi announced its grant assistance of vaccines to the neighbouring countries. On January 20, 1.5 lakh doses of vaccines were supplied to Bhutan and one lakh doses to the Maldives as grant assistance. On Thursday, New Delhi supplied 10 lakh doses to Nepal and 20 lakh doses to Bangladesh. Large consignments of Covishield vaccine doses were flown in special Indian aircraft to Seychelles, Mauritius, and Myanmar on Friday.
We applaud India’s role in global health, sharing millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccine in South Asia. India's free shipments of vaccine began w/Maldives, Bhutan, Bangladesh & Nepal & will extend to others. India's a true friend using its pharma to help the global community.
The United States on Friday “applauded” India for gifting COVID-19 vaccines to several countries including the Maldives, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, saying New Delhi is a “true friend” which is using its pharma industry to help the global community.
An official statement from Brazil’s Health Ministry said that the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine will be distributed to the Brazilian states within five days after the approval of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa). “Immunization all over the country will be carried out simultaneously and free of charge,” it added. Speaking on the India-Brazil relations, the Ministry said, “The successful acquisition of doses from the British parent company and the Indian vaccine producer demonstrates the excellent state of Brazil-United Kingdom and Brazil-India relations and the strength of the strategic relationships we have with both countries.”
A proposal to rename a street in Andrews Ganj area after Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput has been approved, said Abhishek Dutt, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s (SDMC) Congress councillor, on the 35th birth anniversary of the late star on Thursday.
“Six months ago I received a request to rename a street in Andrews Ganj area after Sushant Singh Rajput. The proposal has finally been approved,” Dutt told ANI.
“We will soon be inaugurating this street. It is very important to give him the respect he deserves,” he added.
Remembering the late actor on his 35th birth anniversary, many Bollywood celebrities took to social media to pay their tributes to him.
While the star’s celebrity friends shared heartfelt messages on social media, his sister Shweta Singh Kirti announced a special scholarship fund in his memory.
Sushant died by alleged suicide in his apartment on June 14, 2020.
His passing away triggered a massive controversy, with his family alleging foul play and leveling several allegations on his girlfriend and actor Rhea Chakraborty.
Currently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the matter surrounding SSR’s death.
The Partnership’s 2020 grant program (Grant Round 1) will consider proposals for practical cooperation and collaboration on cyber and critical technology, which will help shape a global technology environment that meets Australia and India’s shared vision of an open, free, rules-based Indo-Pacific region.
The AICCTP was signed by Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator the Hon Marise Payne and India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar as part of the Australia-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership announced during the Leaders’ Virtual Summit on 4 June 2020.
According to the grant framework, “India and Australia have a key role to play in contributing to the global development of critical and emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), next generation telecommunications (5G/6G), Internet of Things (IoT), quantum computing, synthetic biology, blockchain and big data.”
For any single grant proposal, the minimum is $150,000 per year and the maximum amount is $500,000 per year. Multiyear grants will be considered up to a maximum of $500,000 per year for up to two years from 2020-21 to 2021‑22. Grant funding for activities in 2021-22 will be contingent on funding becoming available to DFAT under the AICCPT.
Prospective grantees cannot use funding from other Commonwealth, state, territory or local government sources to fund your share of eligible expenditure. DFAT reserves the right to offer less funding than that requested by the applicant.
All AICCTP grant applications must be submitted through our online grants management systemSmartyGrants.
To apply you must:
have read and understand the AICCTP grant guidelines (docx/pdf)
complete the online application form on DFAT’s online grant application system SmartyGrants and provide all the information requested
submit your application/s by 3.00pm AEDT on Friday 5 February 2021.
The Passport Index, created by Arton Capital, has released a list of which passports are the most powerful in 2021.
According to Arton Capital, a passport is ranked as more or less powerful based on the freedom it grants its holders to travel and move around the world, called its “global mobility.”
The world map above shows geographically where the more powerful passports are located in 2021.
European passports remain the most powerful in the world, with Germany taking first place. Second place is shared between Sweden, Finland, and Spain.
Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and New Zealand are tied for third place.
Afghanistan and Iraq are tied for the last place, with visa-free scores of four and three, respectively.
According to Passport Index, this is based on the number of countries that grant visa-free access to each passport holder. The average mobility score globally is 77.
In 2021, Australia ranks 9th with a score of 127, with 84 visa-free countries and 43 offering visa on arrival.
Western Australia’s Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery today announced the development of three new languages for WA schools.
Pre-primary to Year 10 syllabuses for both Hindi and Korean will be adapted from the curriculum developed by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). Year 11 and 12 syllabuses for these two languages will be developed in Western Australia.
In 2021 every student in Year 3-6 at a Western Australian public school will learn a language.
The Year 3 syllabuses for Hindi, Korean and Tamil will be available from 2023, with transitional implementation through the academic years.
It is anticipated that Year 11 courses for these three languages will be available to students in 2023.
“I am very pleased to announce the development of these three new language courses for Western Australian students. Language and culture play an important role in a child’s development. We have an internationally diverse culture in Western Australia and these new subjects will give schools the opportunity to offer a broader choice to students in their local area. Western Australia’s engagement with Asia is a State priority, and giving students the opportunity to engage with these additional languages will set them up for jobs for the future. Parents often raise with me the choice of languages in WA schools so I am thrilled to be able to announce this today,” said Minister Ellery in her media release.
While, Citizenship and Multicultural Interests Minister Paul Papalia noted: “With more than 190 languages spoken throughout the State, linguistic diversity is one of Western Australia’s greatest strengths and provides social, cultural and economic benefits. The addition of Hindi, Korean and Tamil to languages taught at Western Australian public schools will work with the Government’s Community Languages Program. Community Languages Program, administered by the Office of Multicultural Interests, provides support and funding for language programs in the community. These programs are often staffed by volunteers and provide language and cultural maintenance programs. Today’s announcement means dedicated students of these programs will now have an opportunity to expand their learning in a school environment.”
Mr Anurag Saxena, the President of Hindi Samaj of WA said, “The initiative led by Hindi Samaj in last one year to include Hindi in state curriculum received wholehearted support from Consul General of India, Madam Dantu Charandasi ji and Mr Yaz Mubarakai, MLA for Jandakot. Achieving this significant milestone for our future generations is a proud moment for Hindi Samaj and all Indians in WA. I congratulate all Council members on this achievement and my personal thanks to all of you for your support to me.”
A sixth man is about to be charged with the alleged attempted murder of 53-year-old popular Punjabi radio host Harnek Singh in New Zealand.
Mr Singh was attacked in the driveway of his home on December 23, 2020.
It was the second attack on Mr Singh who was earlier assaulted in a restaurant on his birthday in July 2020.
According to New Zealand Herald, his friends told said that it was religiously motivated attack.
Harnek Singh is part of the team at Radio Virsa popular amongst the Auckland’s Sikh community.
In fact, till last year the Papatoetoe based station boasted of having more than 350k YouTube subscribers that at present stand at 397k.
(Source: Radio Visa Facebook page)
Detective Inspector Chris Barry told New Zealand Herald that five men, aged between 24 and 39, were arrested after police searched multiple addresses in Flat Bush and Papatoetoe.
Radio Virsa Facebook page had earlier confirmed that Mr Singh is recovering well.
In June 2020, Mr. Singh was ticked off by Broadcasting Standards Authority for calling for “collective violent action” against members of a community in India.
The BSA had upheld a complaint that Mr Singh’s comments made on Radio Virsa in 2019 breached broadcasting standards on violence, law and order and good taste and decency.
According to New Zealand Herald, a translation provided to the members of the BSA panel quoted Mr Singh as allegedly saying: “It is a request to Orthodox Sikhs, actually it is a threat but I would call it a request. Wait for a year friends. The day when we resolve to have a direct fight, the day we prepare our team by organising 500 people in Punjab …we know the Police officials, the people with sticks also know us, the rogues also know us, the goons also know us. They know how to infiltrate the houses and they also know how to (forcibly) pick-up people from their houses, if one day we resolve to fight and start to thrust ourselves by preparing 500-goons’ brigade in Punjab, life would be difficult. Be careful.”
Against this complaint, it was reported that Radio Virsa submitted that Mr Singh “did not threaten anyone but he used the word ‘we’ which was on behalf of all the innocent people and gave them a warning message.”
However the authority found that Mr Singh’s comments “called for collective violent action from his community in response to recent events” and “a segment of Punjabi talkback programme, Dasam Granth Da Sach breached the good taste and decency, violence and law and order standards.”
BSA noted in its judgement: “We find these comments, considering their specific and serious nature and the context in which they were made, were likely to incite or encourage violence or brutality and that Mr Singh and Radio Virsa did not exercise caution by broadcasting them” (SINGH AND RADIO VIRSA – 2019-081, 27 MAY 2020).
The BSA also noted that it recognises the value of Radio Virsa’s ‘right to freedom of expression’ but found the potential for harm justified a restriction of this right.
Did you know you could be charged with spying if you connect with someone who turns out to be a foreign spy on LinkedIn?
Apparently, not enough of us do. Australia’s domestic spy agency ASIO recently launched its first public awareness campaign, warning foreign spies are using social media and professional networking sites to recruit Australians as unwitting agents.
So, how easy is it to commit espionage by simply making connections on social media? How do we know when a line has been crossed between innocent social networking and a national security offence?
#ThinkBeforeYouLink before posting professional and personal information online. Remember the four Rs – Recognise, Realise, Report and Remove. If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. #ASIO#YourSecurityService
ASIO warns foreign spies are targeting Australians who have access to sensitive or valuable information, such as national security, government, intellectual property and commercial information.
This could potentially involve public servants, or others with a government security clearance, academics and researchers, and those in sectors like banking and commerce.
If you have access to this kind of information and/or work in one of these professions, then you are at greater risk of committing an espionage offence. But ASIO warns it is not just these professions at risk — everyone must be cautious about what they share online.
Australia’s espionage laws
The United Kingdom’s domestic spy agency, MI5, provides a good explanation of espionage as,
the process of obtaining information that is not normally publicly available, using human sources (agents) or technical means (like hacking into computer systems). It may also involve seeking to influence decision-makers and opinion-formers to benefit the interests of a foreign power.
In 2018, following revelations by ASIO about an “unprecedented” threat of espionage and foreign interference, the federal government introduced a complex scheme of 27 espionage offences. Penalties for these range from 15 years to life in jail.
Australia’s laws include an offence of “preparing for espionage” which makes it a crime to do something which could later result in espionage, such as buying a laptop that could be used for cyber hacking. So this offence could capture conduct with an innocent explanation, provided it could be shown from surrounding circumstances the person intends to later engage in espionage.
strong new laws against those who seek to undermine our national security and our democratic institutions and processes.
But they have been criticised by academics for their complexity and over-reach. For example, they can criminalise the legitimate conduct of journalists and whistleblowers, and rely on a definition of “national security” that not only includes traditional defence matters, but Australia’s diplomatic relations too.
How could you commit an espionage offence?
Unsurprisingly, you would commit espionage if you work for the government and knowingly revealed classified information to a foreign agent via a site such as LinkedIn.
You would also be committing espionage if you shared your employer’s trade secrets with a foreign spy via Facebook or WeChat — even if you didn’t think the recipient was a foreign agent.
This is the kind of conduct former CIA officer Kevin Mallory was convicted for in the United States in 2019. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison after selling classified US defence information to someone who messaged him on LinkedIn claiming to be a think tank representative. The representative was actually a Chinese intelligence officer.
Less obvious acts are also a problem
“Preparing for espionage” criminalises a much wider range of conduct. Its purpose is to give law enforcement the power to stop espionage before it occurs. This is the offence you are most likely to break unwittingly on social media.
Connecting with a foreign spy on any social media site opens the door for you to potentially reveal sensitive information to the spy in the future. This could be seen as doing an act in preparation for espionage.
"The Nevernight Connection" shows how foreign intelligence groups recruit former clearance holders through social media in order to obtain classified U.S. information. You can watch the film at https://t.co/1W97QXEEdN. #NatSecpic.twitter.com/KLoVHSxpjp
These offers usually seem too good to be true, lack detail, and are emphasised as time-sensitive or one-off opportunities. The “recruiter” may also be excessively flattering and focus on the role instead of scrutinising you as a candidate. This may involve emphasising the perks of the job rather than asking for referees to check your background.
Meanwhile, their real purpose is to gain as much information from you as possible.
They do this by requesting further information about you and your experience, and asking seemingly benign questions. Then they escalate to requests for more sensitive information. They will usually attempt to move you to a different communication platform or set up face-to-face meetings.
#ThinkBeforeYouLink, and before you post professional and personal information online. Foreign spies may be able to use it to identify and then target you. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. #ASIO#YourSecurityService
If a stranger reaches out online, ask yourself if you really know who you are talking to.
How can you protect yourself?
To protect yourself from becoming a target in the first place, there are some simple steps you can follow:
include only the lowest level of detail necessary on your online profile
only share your CV or details of specific projects with trusted and verified contacts
use website settings to control who can view your profile
if you have access to sensitive information, don’t make details of your sensitive job roles or employers public.
And if you are contacted by an online profile you suspect may be trying to get sensitive information from you, do not respond. Instead, report the contact to your company’s security adviser or ASIO, then remove them from your network. You cannot “prepare for espionage” if you are not connected to the spy and have not communicated with them.
Ultimately, the message is one of caution. Because the consequences of brief recklessness could include prosecution for a serious national security offence.
After the conclusion of an eventful Test series, Cricket Australia (CA) on Wednesday penned an open letter to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) thanking them for a memorable tour. “Australian cricket will forever be grateful to the BCCI for their friendship, trust and commitment in helping to deliver a series that has brought joy to many millions of people around the world at a time they needed it most,” CA said in the letter. “The unique challenges of international touring during a global pandemic are considerable and we thank India’s players, coaches and support staff for all they have given,” it added.
An open letter to our friends in Indian Cricket, and to everyone who played their part to help deliver this memorable series! 🤜🤛 @BCCIpic.twitter.com/rk4cluCjEz
Australia clinched the ODI series, but India came out all guns blazing to seal the T20I and Test series. “Over the past nine weeks, the Indian and Australian men’s teams completed outstanding One-Day International and Twenty2O International series, followed by one of the greatest Border-Gavaskar Test series ever contested,” CA said. Cricket Australia thanked BCCI for the cooperation India’s cricket governing body showed amid the coronavirus scare. “Despite the many public health and logistical challenges, the BCCI engaged with a spirit of cooperation befitting their status as one of the international sport’s greatest ambassadors. We will never forget the sacrifices made by our friends at the BCCI that made all this possible,” CA further said.
The tour witnessed some enthralling performances from players of both teams. From the sublime fast bowling of Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins to the wonderful batting of Ajinkya Rahane and Steve Smith to the exciting debuts of Shubman Gill and Cameron Green.
This is a win we’re never forgetting, this is a win for the ages! So proud of this team, Jai Hind 🇮🇳 CHAMPIONS🏆 pic.twitter.com/9KzLG28QaJ
India beat Australia by three wickets against all odds in the final Test at The Gabba on Tuesday to take the series 2-1. “On behalf of everyone at Cricket Australia, we congratulate Team India for the resilience. courage and skill demonstrated in retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in a series that will be talked about for generations to come,” CA said. India’s historic win has also ensured they toppled Australia in the ICC Test Team Rankings to claim the second spot.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has said that the return of international students in large numbers in 2021 would be “incredibly challenging”.
Recently, Mr Andrews has said that Victoria wouldn’t be able to help facilitate the arrival of international students stuck overseas.
Mr Andrews told a press conference, “We’ve still got people struggling to get home, or even if every Aussie who wanted to come home had already made it home, there is a huge capacity issue here.”
Many have considered this Mr Andrews’ blunt message to international students who have generated up to AUD10 billion/year for the higher education sector in fee.
Returning students and the sector have been let down by Premier Andrew’s statement yesterday that he “can’t see international students coming back to Victoria in 2021”. Compared to any other state, we are Victoria’s biggest industry!
“I’m not pleased about that – international education is our biggest export. But … the government is not spending hours and hours trying to make something that I think is, frankly, not possible, possible. Tens and tens of thousands of international students coming back here is going to be incredibly challenging, if not impossible, during this year,” he added.
It is important to note here that roughly 40,000 Australian citizens and permanent residents still stranded overseas.
According to Universities Australia, more than 140,000 international university-level students are unable to study domestically after borders were shut to them.
Meanwhile, a petition asking the Government for a travel ban exemption for international students has gained more than 12,000 signatures.
“International students contribute millions of dollars to [the Australian] community and benefit Aussie society in various areas … We appeal [for] exemptions for international students, not only for [the] student’s future and human right, but also for the recovery of [Australia’s] economy,” the petition notes.
Later, in another press conference Mr Andrews said, “I made some comments about international students [on Monday] and I’m sure some in that sector have not liked me being pretty frank and honest about this.”
The report has been prepared as a response to the India Economic Strategy Report, 2035, released by Australia in July 2018.
It has been put together by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) team, led by Ambassador Anil Wadhwa, Former Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, with contribution from KPMG in India.
Australian High Commissioner Barry O’Farrell with Ambassador Anil Wadhwa (Source: Australia in India Facebook page)
The report notes that “The current economic, political and business environment in India and Australia has created a platform to supplement collaborative efforts to give an impetus to trade and investment between the two countries.”
The report establishes that India has the potential to increase its exports of goods and services to Australia from USD 5 billion in 2018 to USD 15 billion in 2025 to USD 35 billion in 2035. This would mean that India’s goods exports to Australia could grow from USD 3.7 billion in 2018 to USD 10 billion in 2025 to USD 20 billion in 2035. This would also mean that India’s service exports to Australia could grow from USD 1.7 billion in 2018 to USD 5 billion in 2025 to USD 15 billion in 2035.
With successful programs such as ‘Make in India’ and focus on ‘Ease of Doing Business’ offered along with a strong track record of both economic growth by the Narendra Modi led government in its second term can boost the two nations’ future growth plans especially in natural and mineral resources, innovative technologies, agribusiness, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, IT, infrastructure, defence, space, tourism, etc.
Apart from these abovementioned areas, the AES report also looks at opportunities across certain emerging areas such as labour intensive services, defence, sports, textiles, digital gaming, water management, space collaborations and education technologies, which may have a definite relevance in the future aspirations of both countries.
It is hoped that this report would serve as critical action points for policymakers and governments of the world’s two leading liberal democracies by fostering growth and development of closer ties.
This fortress overcome as Pant, Pujara and Gill combine to complete one of India’s most remarkable Test and series victories.
Rishabh Pant’s incredible 89 not out was the decisive hand as India secured a record-breaking three-wicket win over Australia. The tourists chasing down 328 to earn an unforgettable 2-1 Vodafone Test Series triumph and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Heading into the final hour, India required a further 59 runs to complete what would be a record-breaking chase of 328 at the venue, while Australia was hunting the wickets of Rishabh Pant and Sundar Washington after Pat Cummins had Cheteshwar Pujara (56) lbw with his second delivery of the second new ball, then removed Mayank Agarwal for nine a short time later.
Shubman Gill fell nine runs short of his maiden Test hundred, skipper Ajinkya Rahane departed after a brisk 24 but Cheteshwar Pujara endured blows to the body and fought on with Rishabh Pant for company to keep India in the hunt to register back-to-back series wins on Australian soil at The Gabba on Tuesday.
India on 🔝
After the hard-fought win at The Gabba, India move to the No.1 spot in ICC World Test Championship standings 💥
Surviving the fiery spells of the Australian pace attack was the biggest highlight of the session. Pujara was hit not once but twice on the helmet on the fifth day but the warrior batsman stood tall like a rock. At the tea break, India’s score reads 183/3, still needing 145 runs to seal the tantalising poised match. Pujara and Pant are currently unbeaten on 43 and 10 runs respectively. While the session saw India score 100 runs from 25 overs, the hosts picked two important wickets.
Starting the session with the game evenly poised, Gill and Pujara added 49 runs in the second session before the opener fell short of what would have been a sensational hundred. Gill had taken on the Australian bowlers smashing 20 runs off a Mitchell Starc over, hitting three consecutive boundaries but Nathan Lyon got the big breakthrough. Pujara got his first boundary off the 103rd ball he’s faced in the innings. Rahane’s stroke play clearly indicated that India is not looking for a draw but the skipper departed after making a quick 24 off 22 balls. In what was not a surprising move, Pant was sent ahead of Mayank Agarwal with India requiring 161 runs to win the match. Pant became the fastest Indian wicket-keeper to 1000 Test runs when he hit the first runs of the bat on the fifth day of the series decider.
We are all overjoyed at the success of the Indian Cricket Team in Australia. Their remarkable energy and passion was visible throughout. So was their stellar intent, remarkable grit and determination. Congratulations to the team! Best wishes for your future endeavours.
Resuming the day from 4/0, Indian suffered an early blow as Rohit Sharma (7) was dismissed by Pat Cummins in the ninth over. Opener Gill was then joined by Pujara on the field. The duo played defensively and slow-paced innings. Gill looked in no trouble facing the hosts’ dangerous bowling attack and went on to complete his half-century before the lunch. On Monday, Australia was bundled out for 294, setting a target of 328 in front of India. For the visitors, Mohammad Siraj scalped five wickets in the second innings while Steve Smith top-scored for the hosts.
Starting school is an important event for children and a positive experience can set the tone for the rest of their school experience.
Some children are excited to attend school for the first time, yet others feel anxious. Back to school anxiety is a widely accepted phenomenon, but there is no data on exactly how many children feel anxious prior to starting school.
The data available indicates 6.9% of 4-11 year olds (278,000 children) have a diagnosed anxiety disorder in Australia.
Children who experience anxiety are more likely to have worse academic outcomes if it is not addressed. Therefore, it is critical to manage feelings of anxiety effectively to ensure children experience success in school. Parents can be comforted by the fact research shows exposure to our fears helps to reduce anxiety.
Fear of the unknown
Children can feel anxious about starting school due to uncertainty and a perceived lack of control. In one study, children said they felt shy or scared when they were starting school because they were unsure of their teacher, what was going to happen and where they would put their things.
Children also reported making friends and meeting “scary big kids” as a worry when they were starting school. However, some children were also excited about the possibility of making new friends.
This shows if children perceived the experience as a threat rather than an opportunity, they experienced anxiety.
The stories we tell
When children have not attended school before they rely on their parents’ stories to help them frame their expectations. Research indicates children have increased social anxiety when parents’ stories include a threat in the environment or suggest the child is vulnerable.
Conversely, when parents’ stories include encouragement and suggest the child is competent and can cope, the children have less anxiety.
Related to that is research showing children can experience anxiety due to either excessive reassurance from their parents or overprotectiveness. While excessive reassurance is done to encourage children, it can also communicate to them there is a threat. It can cause children to become reliant on their parents for comfort when they are stressed and believe they are unable to cope alone.
Separation from parents can cause anxiety too. The diagnosis of separation anxiety is characterised by excessive anxiety concerning separation from the home or from those to whom the child is attached. Separation anxiety is normal in children but can be exacerbated by divorce, stress, or the child’s temperament.
What helps children feel less anxious about starting school?
There are several things that can help children — and their parents — feel less anxious about starting school.
Schools can communicate well with parents so they have knowledge about the upcoming processes. When parents know how things work they have reduced anxiety, therefore their child also has less anxiety. Schools can explain where children are dropped off, how long parents can stay, and how they arrange meetings with teachers. If you are a parent, ask for this information if it is not provided
Parents and schools can provide children with skills and information. This can include positive advice on making friends, where things are located (such as the toilet), and how to access support. Some certainty and control can alleviate feelings of anxiety.
Research shows talking to children about future events and listening to their concerns can alleviate anxiety. This doesn’t mean you bring up potential threats, but address concerns on the children’s mind.
When parents make links between previous positive experiences and starting school, children are less anxious. Parents can remind children of the time they succeeded at swimming when they were nervous, or how they learned their alphabet. These small successes can provide a foundation for children’s school success.
Parents can also provide their child with some control and certainty over starting school. Let children select their bag and stationery. Walk around the school grounds with them. Introduce them to a child in the same year. Some certainty within uncertainty is healthy.
Finally, tell a good story. School can be exciting and filled with great experiences. Frame school as a potentially positive experience and one to look forward to. They may be nervous but they can overcome it.
Taking cognisance of the concerns expressed by viewers against his Amazon Prime Video-based show ‘Tandav,’ filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar on Monday extended apologies through an official statement. Zafar’s debut web-series ‘Tandav’ had been mired in controversy since its release as several viewers said the content hurt religious sentiments. The ‘Sultan’ filmmaker shared the official statement from the “cast and crew of Tandav” on Twitter and wrote, “Our sincere apologies” along with it.
Through the statement, Zafar shared that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had informed him about a large number of viewers filing petitions against the show. “Official statement from the Cast & Crew of Tandav. We have been closely monitoring viewer reactions to the web series ‘Tandav’ and today during a discussion,” the statement read. “The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has informed us regarding a large number of grievances and petitions received on various facets of the web series with serious concerns and apprehensions regarding its content hurting the sentiments of the people,” the statement further read.
The OTT platform is doing great damage to our country, Hindu culture.@PrakashJavdekar to regulate and implement censorship policy without further delay pic.twitter.com/oHAIueqGzJ
He also clarified that the web series is a “work of fiction” and that the cast and crew of ‘Tandav’ did not have any intentions of hurting sentiments of any community, caste, or religion.
“The web series ‘Tandav’ is a work of fiction and any resemblance to acts and persons and events is purely coincidental,” the statement read. “The cast and crew did not have any intention to offend the sentiments of any individual, caste, community, race, religion or religious beliefs or insult or outrage any institution, political party or person, living or dead,” the statement further read. Zafar ended the statement by taking cognizance of the concerns expressed by people and apologizing if the show “unintentionally” caused any hurt to the viewers.
“The cast and crew of ‘Tandav’ take cognizance of the concerns expressed by the people and unconditionally apologize if it has unintentionally hurt anybody’s sentiments,” the statement read. Earlier in the day, an FIR was registered at Lucknow’s Hazratganj Kotwali against Amazon Prime’s India head of original content Aparna Purohit, Zafar, producer of the show Himanshu Krishna Mehra, writer Gaurav Solanki and others for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.
Your apology is NOT accepted. It will be accepted only after you delete all the offending scenes and spend 1 year doing seva in a Shiv mandir.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has summoned Amazon Prime Video officials in India in connection with the controversy around the web series ‘Tandav’, sources had said on Sunday. This comes after two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders alleged that the Saif Ali Khan-starrer web series ‘Tandav’ hurts Hindu religious sentiments.
Are you planning to return to Australia? Do you know the steps involved in preparing a safe travel itinerary?
Before you travel to Australia, please complete the Australia Travel Declaration. This should be done at least 72 hours before your departure for Australia. According to the Department of Home Affairs, this information helps the Australian Government determine your quarantine arrangements.
The Australia Travel Declaration is for all travellers entering Australia, including:
people who have been granted an individual exemption to the current travel restrictions.
Before you commence the declaration you will need to have the following information ready:
Passport details
Trip information
Destination details
Contact details.
You will need to create an account, which will allow you to manage your current and future declarations in one place.
If you do not complete the declaration you may not be able to board your flight, or you may experience delays when you arrive in Australia.
Besides your passport, other documentation such as Medicare details, driver licence, and bank cards and statements will help if you need to set up accounts and access Government services.
Some of these documents must be presented at the airport when you check-in and when you arrive in Australia.
From 22 January 2021, if you are travelling to or transiting through Australia you must provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 (PCR) test to your airline, taken 72 hours or less before your scheduled departure.
If you do not have evidence of a negative COVID-19 (PCR) test, you should not go to the airport as your airline will not allow you to board the aircraft.
Masks must be worn on all international flights, including at airports.
Australian Government has created Green and red zones at airports to ensure the separation of passengers arriving on ‘quarantine-free’ flights, from other passengers who are required to enter 14 days mandatory quarantine.
Travellers to Australia must complete all relevant declarations and forms so we can arrange quarantine, if needed and undertake contact tracing, in the event of a positive COVID-19 case.
When the plane lands, border officials will board the plane and give you instructions. You’ll be guided through the airport and won’t have the opportunity to shop.
When you go through customs, you’ll receive a health screen, including a temperature check, to see whether you have symptoms of COVID-19. You should tell an official if you’re feeling unwell. They are there to look after you.
Transport to the quarantine facility will be arranged for you. You may not know which facility you’ll be quarantining in until you arrive there.
It can help to bring snacks and water with you (check what’s allowed by customs). You won’t be able to buy food in the airport and it may be some time before your first meal at the hotel.
Quarantine involves staying in a room for 14 days with no visitors. There will be other measures in place to keep you safe and prevent COVID-19 spreading.
Someone may contact you each day to check your health and wellbeing – but don’t wait if you need help. You’ll have access to various health services if you need them.
Also note, you might not be able to bring in or have alcohol delivered from elsewhere. There may be a limit on the amount of alcohol you can order from the hotel.
You can contact the hotel reception for matters related to the facility you are in.
Do gather all the information and write down your medical history ahead of time. Please keep your medications and other essential items necessary for your health in the handbag with prescriptions.
An Australian citizen or permanent resident who has been trying to return to Australia and have been unable to do so, can register his/her details with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT): https://covid19.dfat.gov.au/citizeninformation/s/
Austrlia's Josh Hazlewood bowls during a fourth test match between India and Austrlaia, in Gabba on Sunday. (Photo Courtesy: ICC Twitter)
India need 328 runs to win the fourth Test against Australia after Mohammed Siraj picked his first five-wicket haul to end the hosts’ second inning on 294 runs here at the Gabba on Monday. Australia began the third session from 243/7, with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc on the field. However, India did not take much time to get the first breakthrough of the session as Siraj dismissed Starc (1), bringing Nathan Lyon out on the field. Indian bowlers kept a tight rein on the tailenders, not allowing them to cause much trouble. The visitors took wickets at regular intervals and ended Australia’s second inning on 294. Siraj picked the final wicket, removing Josh Hazlewood, and took his tally to five. Shardul Thakur picked four wickets while Washington Sundar scalped one wicket.
Earlier, starting the second session with the game evenly poised, Steve Smith and Cameron Green played contrasting knocks. Smith looked brutal and went for anything that was in his slot. The right-handed batsman hit a quickfire half-century as Australia’s lead went over 200, bringing up the fifty-run partnership between Smith and Green. However, Siraj made up for the dropped catch and picked an important wicket Smith. Paine and Green then stitched a brief 31-run partnership before Shardul removed the all-rounder in the 61st over. Meanwhile, Paine kept ticking the scoreboard and took a calculative risk in order to score quick runs. Shardul dismissed Paine as Rishabh Pant took a sharp catch to reduce Australia to 242/7.
In the first session, Siraj struck two in one over while debutants Shardul and Sundar picked a wicket each as Australia faltered after a good start. Australia were ahead in the game with the lead of over 120 runs with 10 wickets in the bag after a couple of expensive overs from the visitors but a flurry of wickets after the first hour of play saw the hosts on the backfoot. Resuming day four at 21/0, Marcus Harris and David Warner added 68 runs to the overnight score before Shardul Thakur sent Harris back. Sundar trapped Warner in front of the stumps to reduce Australia to 91/2. Runs kept coming at a rapid pace and the departure of Aussie openers didn’t have any impact on the scoring rate. However, Mohammed Siraj struck two wickets in the first over of the new spell, dismissing both Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Wade. While Labuschagne scored a brisk 25 off 22 balls, Wade departed without troubling the scoreboard. On day three, Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur showed grit and determination to keep India in the game before Australia bundled out India for 336 in the first innings courtesy of a five-wicket haul by Josh Hazlewood. Brief scores: Australia 369 and 294 (David Warner 48, Steven Smith 55; Mohammed Siraj 5/73) vs India 336 (Shardul Thakur 67, Washinton Sundar 62; Josh Hazlewood 5-57).
India's Washington Sundar bats during a fourth test match between India and Austrlaia, in Gabba on Sunday. (Photo Courtesy: BCCI twitter)
After heroics against Australia on day three of the fourth Test, India’s Washington Sundar said it was a very special day and thanked his fans for all the love and wishes. The record-breaking partnership between Shardul Thakur and Sundar pulled India back in the contest on day three of the fourth Test against Australia at The Gabba on Sunday. “Thank you so much for all the love, prayers, and wishes. It was indeed a very special day that I will remember always! #TeamIndia @BCCI,” Sundar tweeted.
India was bundled out for 336, falling 33 runs short of the hosts’ first-innings total. Thakur top-scored for India as he made 67 runs while Sundar accumulated 62 runs. Thakur and Sundar’s 123-run resilient partnership enabled visitors to reach the 300-run mark after losing six wickets under 190 runs in the first innings. The duo also registered the highest seventh-wicket partnership for India at The Gabba, Brisbane. Thakur and Sundar broke Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar’s 58-run partnership record for the seventh-wicket set in 1991.
At stumps, Australia was at 21/0 in their second innings. The hosts are leading by 54 runs. David Warner is unbeaten on 20 runs while Marcus Harris is not out on one run.
Noor Khan was born on January 1, 1914, in the Russian capital Moscow.
Her father, Inayat Khan, a musician and Sufi preacher, and mother, Amina Begum (aka Ora Ray Baker).
Indian princess Noor Inayat Khan was captured by the Gestapo – the official secret police of Nazi Germany – and executed in the Dachau concentration camp.
Noor Inayat Khan (Source: Wikipedia)
She was aged 29 when captured in 1943.
Her life will be made into a TV drama series where Freida Pinto, star of the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire, will play Noor, the spy princess.
Freida Pinto
The series, Spy Princess, will be directed by Anand Tucker and produced by Andy Paterson. It is based on Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan by Shrabani Basu.
Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan by Shrabani Basu
Her contribution to the war came to light after Basu wrote Noor’s biography.
Noor Khan, codenamed Madeleine, became a significant target for the Nazi because of her work for the British.
Noor’s job was to send vital coded messages to London from Nazi-occupied France.
She was tortured before being shot in the head the following year, having revealed nothing to her captors.
In 2020, a biopic titled A Call To Spy paid tribute to the work of Khan where well-known Indian actress Radhika Apte portrayed khan in the film.
According to Noor Khan’s biography, she was a firm believer in non-violence and the oneness of all religions.
She was posthumously awarded the George Cross, the United Kingdom’s highest civilian award, in 1949, the French Croix de Guerre, a military honour awarded by France in 1946, and in 2014, a stamp was issued in her honour.
Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has appealed to Bihari entrepreneurs settled abroad.
Mr Kumar has offered a hassle-free experience if the diaspora chooses to set up a venture in their home state.
“You are like members of our family. If you choose to set up an industry here, you will be provided with all necessary assistance from our government. We will facilitate availability of land.” he said.
Bihar Government has also released an appeal to this effect.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar (Source: http://cm.bihar.gov.in/users/home.aspx)
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar briefed about this initiative while taking part in a webinar organized by BJANA (Bihar- Jharkhand Association of North America), as part of which he interacted with U.S.-based delegates with roots in the state.
“He (Mr Bill Gates) came and saw our efforts and, at a media interaction outside the state, expressed his profuse admiration.” Mr Kumar said.
The chief minister also updated the delegates about efforts in making local tourist spots safe and attractive.
“Please do plan a tour. We will be delighted to host you. You will return with memories to cherish,” Mr Kumar added.
The Chief Minister said that he believes in interacting with members of the Bihari diaspora. He values their contibution to the state since they brought with them a wealth of experience.
“I would like to listen to your suggestions even when it might not be possible (for me) to take active part,” Mr Kumar said during the interaction.
GDP of Bihar (Source: http://cm.bihar.gov.in/users/home.aspx)
Mr Kumar highlighted the fact that despite progress made in the areas of health, education and infrastructure, the state still lagged behind in key industries.
“In Bihar, everything is available but what is lacking is industries. After speaking to all of you, I’m now convinced that you will be helping in industrialization of the state,” he said.
Mr Kumar informed the Bihari diaspora that more than 450 acre of land is available at 68 key locations in the state to be used for industrial growth.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) does not rule out the introduction of immunisation passports for international travel if the situation with Covid-19 changes, Michael Ryan, director of the WHO health emergencies program, said on Friday.
Statement on the 6th meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee on #COVID19https://t.co/bBSBMMOorR
“If you look at the recommendation made by the committee on vaccination for travelers, it says “at the present time.” … Not because that won’t be a good idea in the future, but because we are lacking critical evidence regarding whether or not persons who are vaccinated could continue to transmit disease, and whether they can get sick again. … Nobody in the world, beyond health workers and very vulnerable people have access to vaccines,” Ryan said at a briefing.
OH NO!! Health passports! They knew it!! It’s an AGENDA!! Only kidding…I have to provide yellow fever immunisation proof for countries who specify it. So do you. 22 years I’ve had to keep my proof of immunity. #COVIDIDIOTS are easily triggered. https://t.co/TM9nZm9shU
He stressed that the emergency committee, therefore, does not currently consider it necessary to introduce additional barriers to the movement of people, at least until more data and more vaccines become available. “That will change over time, and there may be different reasons in the future to do this [to introduce immunization passports],” the expert added.
India's Shubhman Gill and Rohit Sharma running between the wickets on the second day of the Third Test Match at Sydney Cricket Ground, in Sydney on Friday. (Photo Courtesy: ICC Twitter)
The third session on the second day of the final Test between Australia and India was lost to rain at The Gabba on Saturday. The eagerness of the hosts to get back on the field was visible with skipper Tim Paine constantly speaking to the match officials, but it wasn’t to be as a wet outfield saw the umpires call for an early end to the day’s proceedings.
Update: Play on Day 2 has been abandoned due to wet outfield. Play on Day 3 will resume at 9.30AM local time. #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/dN2bt53lcf
At stumps, India’s score read 62/2 and the visitors still trail by 307 runs with eight wickets in the bag. Cheteshwar Pujara (8) and Ajinkya Rahane (2) will need to start afresh on Sunday and with Nathan Lyon sending the dangerous-looking Rohit Sharma (44) back to the hut before the tea break, the hosts definitely hold a slight edge.
The second session saw India score 62 runs, but they lost both the openers with Shubman Gill (7) being sent back first by Pat Cummins. The ball hit that corridor of uncertainty outside the off-stump and Gill had no answers as he edged it to Steve Smith at second slip. While Rohit looked like he had the game covered, he was dismissed against the run of play by Lyon as the off-spinner lured him to dance down the track and the opener did just that. Unfortunately, he didn’t reach the pitch of the ball and his attempted hit found Mitchell Starc at long-on.
Earlier, the Indian bowlers toiled hard to dismiss Australia for 369 in their first innings. Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan, and Washington Sundar picked nine of the ten wickets while Mohammed Siraj finished with one wicket. Unfortunately, the Aussie tail once again troubled the Indians as they added 56 runs for the last three wickets. While Starc was unbeaten on 20, Lyon used the long handle to good effect to hit a 22-ball 24.
Innings Break: Australia have been bowled out for 369. This morning, #TeamIndia picked up 5 wickets for 95 runs. #AUSvIND
Josh Hazlewood too tried his luck to manage 11 with two boundaries. Marnus Labuschagne top-scored for Australia as his fifth Test ton on opening day. Brief Scores: Australia 369 (Labuschagne 108; Natarajan 3/78); India 62/2 (Rohit 44; Lyon 1/10).
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched the country’s vaccination drive against the novel coronavirus via video conferencing. Billed as the world’s largest vaccination program, covering the entire length and breadth of the country, the drive aims to first inoculate millions of its healthcare and frontline workers and reach an estimated 3 crore people by the end of its first phase. A total of 3006 session sites across all states and union territories will be virtually connected during the launch. Around 100 beneficiaries will be vaccinated at each session site on an inaugural day, the union health ministry has said.
India begins the world’s #LargestVaccineDrive. This is a day of pride, a celebration of the prowess of our scientists and hardwork of our medical fraternity, nursing staff, police personnel and sanitation workers.
In the first phase government and private-sector health care workers, including Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) workers, will receive the vaccine. Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Friday termed the country’s vaccination drive as the “beginning of the end of Covid-19.” He also urged people to trust the indigenously manufactured vaccine, saying the government has given emergency use approval after proper scientific scrutiny.
In the next phases of the vaccination drive, people aged over 50, and those who are below 50 years but have serious health conditions or co-morbidities will be vaccinated, according to the health ministry. Dry-runs at vaccination centres across the country have been held with lakhs of healthcare staff across districts being trained. The drugs regulatory body of India has currently approved two vaccines. Pune-based Serum Institute of India has developed the Covishield vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University while the Covaxin has been developed by Hyderabad’s Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Medical Council of research (ICMR) and National Institute of Virology. The vaccination programme in the country will use Co-WIN (Covid Vaccine Intelligence Work), an online digital platform developed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which will facilitate real-time information of vaccine stocks, storage temperature and individualized tracking of beneficiaries for COVID-19 vaccine. This digital platform will assist programme managers across all levels while conducting vaccination sessions. A dedicated 24×7 call centre – 1075 – has also been established for addressing the queries related to Covid-19 pandemic, vaccine rollout and the Co-WIN software.
The full initial procurement amount of 1.65 crore doses of Covishield and Covaxin vaccines against Covid-19 have been allocated to all States/UTs in the proportion of Health Care Workers database, Union Health Ministry stated. India reported 15,158 new COVID-19 cases, 16,977 discharges and 175 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry’s data on Saturday. The cumulative caseload in the country reached 1,05,42,841 including 2,11,033 active infections and 1,01,79715 recoveries. The death toll has climbed to 1,52,093.
In the national capital Delhi, the drive is launched from the state-run LNJP Hospital by Chief Minister Kejriwal and Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain. Healthcare workers will get the jab in a total of 81 centres. The Union health minister will visit the new OPD Wing of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi to witness the launch of the inoculation drive. He will join doctors and around 100 potential vaccine beneficiaries at the centre.
— Prasar Bharati News Services पी.बी.एन.एस. (@PBNS_India) January 16, 2021
Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday received the first batch of Covishield from Serum Institute of India (SII), Pune. As many as 1,46,500 doses of the Covishield vaccine have been received out of which 79,000 are for the Kashmir division and 67,500 are for the Jammu division. Choppers were used to transport the vaccines to far-flung snow-capped areas. The vaccine is being stored at the Divisional cold chain stores at Jammu and Kashmir divisions from where it will be distributed to all districts maintaining the cold chain at all levels. Vaccination would begin today at 30 centres across the Union territory.
WhatsApp on Friday announced that it has postponed its planned privacy update, which will give users more time to review the policy and accept the terms of the Facebook-owned messaging app.
The decision to postpone the privacy update has been taken due to “misinformation causing concern” among people, the company said. “We’re now moving back the date on which people will be asked to review and accept the terms. No one will have their account suspended or deleted on February 8. We’re also going to do a lot more to clear up the misinformation around how privacy and security works on WhatsApp. We’ll then go to people gradually to review the policy at their own pace before new business options are available on May 15,” the blog post reads.
Thank you to everyone who’s reached out. We're still working to counter any confusion by communicating directly with @WhatsApp users. No one will have their account suspended or deleted on Feb 8 and we’ll be moving back our business plans until after May – https://t.co/H3DeSS0QfO
Media reports say that since the announcement of the privacy update many users and some media outlets interpreted the notification as a marked shift in WhatsApp’s data-sharing practices, mistakenly believing that the company could now read people’s conversations and other personal data.
The concerns resulted in people switching to other messaging services such as Signal and Telegram. This week, Signal became the No. 1 app in India, one of WhatsApp’s biggest markets, on Apple and Android phones, the NYT said.
Reassuring people on these concerns, the company said, “the update includes new options people will have to message a business on WhatsApp, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data. While not everyone shops with a business on WhatsApp today, we think that more people will choose to do so in the future and it’s important people are aware of these services. This update does not expand our ability to share data with Facebook.”
An Indian fast-food restaurant owner in Bath called Neeraj Gadher tried to send samosa and a wrap in space.
However, the package landed in France.
Gadher, the owner of Chai Walla Street Food, packed the snacks in a box and attached it to helium weather balloon along with GoPro camera and a GPS tracker.
His method to document the flight of the samosa malfunctioned when the GPS tracker stopped working.
A video of the entire experience of the humble samosa is now making global headlines.
After watching Gadher’s video, a viewer commented, “Guys in Other Nations: Sending explosive missiles to their neighbours This guy: Sending Samosa, to their neighbours!”
It hasn’t been the start to 2021 many of us wanted. In the past three weeks Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales have dealt with fresh COVID outbreaks, but it’s worth remembering each have faced unique challenges, and tackled them in different ways.
Despite their differences, however, all three have been clear about their intention to aggressively suppress transmission, and all have been effective in their responses.
Significant challenges remain, including the vexed issues of how we define hotspots, manage state borders and deal with threats posed by new COVID strains. And of course, how we deliver the vaccine en masse.
But triumphing over the challenges we’ve faced over the past few weeks should give us confidence as we move to the next phase of the pandemic.
Queensland’s precautionary approach
Queensland’s strategy was clear, decisive, and well articulated. As health authorities explained, the Greater Brisbane lockdown was a circuit breaker aimed at limiting interaction and buying time. This allowed contact tracers to do their job and authorities to learn more about the nature of the outbreak.
The fact it involved a new, more transmissible strain posed a significant threat. And it wasn’t clear, at first, how many chains of transmission had been initiated by the hotel quarantine cleaner who tested positive for it.
This was no doubt a cautious response informed by the precautionary principle. Given what was at stake, it was justified.
Masks 😷 are mandatory in certain premises in Greater Brisbane.
If you are in an impacted area or have been in an impacted area at any time since 2 January, you must carry a face mask with you at all times. You must wear a mask in indoor spaces, except in your home. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/jLSmxWS056
Greater Brisbane’s three-day lockdown ended at 6pm Monday night, and Queensland has recorded just one case of community transmission in the last four days — the partner of the cleaner, who has been in quarantine since January 7 (though could have been infectious in the community for two days prior).
The threat seems to have been averted for now.
We need to wait out the full incubation period for the cleaner’s more than 350 close contacts to see if there are any more cases connected to her, though all of these contacts are in quarantine, and so pose no threat to the broader community.
Victoria showcased its improvement
The Black Rock cluster in Victoria posed a significant risk and required an equally decisive response. It didn’t represent the level of threat Victorians faced at the beginning of its second wave, but given it occurred during Christmas and New Year’s plus the scars Victorians carried from the second wave, the threat couldn’t be underestimated.
The response to this cluster was rapid and decisive. It allowed the Victorian health department to showcase just how much their response capacities had improved in the previous six months. It was incredibly reassuring to see how quickly the public health team was able to establish links, and how quickly they were able to identify contacts of contacts in order to block chains of transmission.
Every test helps us protect everything we’ve achieved.
Keep catching up with mates. And keep doing the things we love.
It was a test they passed, and with six consecutive days of no locally acquired COVID cases, Victorians can breathe a collective sigh of relief — for now at least.
While the rapid closing of the border to NSW was an important element of the response, I remain uncomfortable with the scenes we witnessed at the borders, and the notion of Victorian residents being locked out of their homes. I hope that, as we have seen over the previous 24 hours with the new “traffic light” travel system, the government can continue to refine the way it handles this issue.
New South Wales less risk-averse
New South Wales has always appeared to have a greater tolerance for risk when it comes to COVID than other states. Its response has been characterised by a “test, trace and isolate” approach and a reticence to lock down huge areas of Sydney. Lockdowns have been localised and relatively brief.
Many restrictions, however, are still in place — residents of Greater Sydney, Central Coast and Wollongong, for example, can still only have five visitors to the home, including children, and masks are now compulsory in many places. Hotel quarantine remains a vulnerability and refinements continue to be made, in NSW and elsewhere.
Despite its challenges, time and time again the state has shown it can keep virus transmission under control.
The situation it faced with multiple new clusters over the past three weeks could be considered one of its biggest tests. And for the most part, the state seemed to have a reasonable understanding of chains of transmission.
Keep loved ones safe. If you feel unwell #GetTested for #COVID19 immediately.
— NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service (@mhcsnsw) January 10, 2021
The way authorities respond to threats must be proportionate, but it’s as much an art as it is a science. Judgement calls must be made, and striking the right balance is not easy when uncertainty is high and luck plays such a huge part.
NSW has seemed to walk this line successfully so far. The latest outbreak did call for more aggressive measures such as a targeted lockdown in the Northern Beaches and the introduction of mandatory mask wearing. Along with testing, tracing and isolating, this has helped bring transmission rates under control.
On the downhill run to the end of this pandemic
There’s still a way to go in the fight against COVID. But unlike other parts of the world, Australia is on the downhill run to the end.
As much as we should be thankful for the good leadership shown by those making decisions, the real thanks is to the community, who have followed the rules and made huge sacrifices to get us where we are now.
Although we will face many challenges over the next year, Australia remains one of the shining lights in the fight against COVID. We are seeing the benefits of our sacrifices now, and will continue to see them for many years to come.
Indian Australians at Airport, Picture Source: @CANVA
Australia has strengthened its biosecurity laws with new increased penalties.
This applies to travellers who fail to declare high risk biosecurity goods at the Australian border.
“It is important for all incoming travellers to correctly declare food, plant material and animal items on their incoming passenger card,” notes the Department of Home Affairs webpage.
People must remember that these biosecurity laws protect Australia from overseas pests and diseases that threaten the environment and local industries.
What diseases are we talking about?
Diseases like African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease are highly contagious and would have severe consequences if introduced into Australia.
Biosecurity controls at Australia’s borders minimise the risk of exotic pests and diseases entering Australia and protect our $32 billion agriculture export industries as well as our unique environment, native flora and fauna, our tourism industries and lifestyle.
From 1 January 2021, according to the Department of Home Affairs, the following visa holders may be liable for cancellation of their visa if they breach the Biosecurity Act:
Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) (subclass 400)
Temporary Work (International Relations) (subclass 403)
Training (subclass 407)
Temporary activity (subclass 408)
Working Holiday (temporary) (subclass 417)
Temporary Work (Skilled) (subclass 457) (closed to new applications)
Work and Holiday (temporary) (subclass 462)
Skilled – Recognised Graduate (subclass 476)
Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482)
Temporary Graduate (subclass 485)
Student (subclass 500)
Student Guardian (subclass 590)
Maritime Crew (subclass 988).
These rules already apply to Visitor visas holders.
DIBP may cancel your visa if you have:
knowingly provided false or misleading biosecurity-related information on incoming passenger cards;
knowingly provided a biosecurity officer with false or misleading documents;
failed to answer a biosecurity officer’s questions about goods or provide written information about goods requested by a biosecurity officer; or
failed to comply with the directions of a biosecurity officer in relation to the movement of goods.
DIBP notes that a decision to cancel a temporary visa on a biosecurity ground will take into consideration:
the seriousness of the breach,
the potential impact on Australian business and agriculture, and
According to WWF Australia, on average, Australians use 130 kg of plastic per person each year. And only 9% of this usage goes into recycling. That means up to 130,000 tonnes of plastic would find its way into a our foodchain, landfill or the ocean.
One man has started to change this and expects that others would follow in saving our environment.
His name is Ravi who runs a small seaside cafe called Chain of Fools in Mentone, Victoria.
Ravi says, “In 2017, over a Christmas dinner spent in the Gippsland bush, I was dismayed by the number of plastic bags we had packed. Chatting with Paul Rowlands and friends by the campfire I decided to stop using single use plastic bags at home and at the cafe.”
Ravi noticed that surprisingly on an average he was using “5 or 6 plastic bags a day for my supermarket shopping.”
“We organised a batch of light muslin cloth produce bags as a substitute. They’re strong and breathable and can be washed in the washing machine.,” adds Ravi.
Was this change helpful?
“I’ve reduced our plastic bag use to almost zero. Which means I have saved something like 5000 plastic bags since that 2017 Christmas dinner. I really feel great about it. It is it’s so easy to use plastic produce bags from the supermarket but equally, it is very easy to use your own cloth bags and reuse them” says a proud Ravi.
Let us all pledge that in 2021, we will do more to save our environment and fix this problem with small individual initiatives.
Ahead of the inauguration of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) convention today on January 9, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that event will be a ”great opportunity” to interact with the Indian diaspora around the world. “On 9th January will address the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention. This is a great opportunity to interact with our vibrant diaspora,” Prime Minister Modi tweeted. PBD convention is the flagship event of the Ministry of External Affairs and provides an important platform to engage and connect with overseas Indians, according to an official release.
At 10:30 AM tomorrow, 9th January, will address the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention. This is a great opportunity to interact with our vibrant diaspora. https://t.co/ZngBoH2ZKC
In view of the sentiments of our vibrant diaspora community, the 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is being organised on January 9, despite the ongoing covid pandemic. The Convention will be held in a virtual format, as were the PBD Conferences held recently in the run-up to the Convention. The theme of the 16th PBD Convention 2021 is “Contributing to Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.
The PBD Convention will feature a keynote address by the Chief Guest, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of the Republic of Suriname. The winners of the online Bharat ko Janiye Quiz for the youth will also be announced, the release said. The inaugural session will be followed by the two plenary sessions. The first plenary on Role of Diaspora in Aatmanirbhar Bharat will feature addresses by External Affairs Minister and Commerce and Industry Minister while the second plenary on Facing Post covid Challenges – Scenario in Health, Economy, Social and International Relations, will be addressed by Minister of Health and Minister of State for External Affairs. Both Plenaries will feature panel discussions inviting eminent diaspora experts. The finale would be the valedictory session where President Ram Nath Kovind will deliver his valedictory address to mark the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. The names of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awardees for 2020-21 will also be announced. Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards are conferred to select Indian diaspora members to recognize their achievements and honour their contributions to various fields, both in India and abroad.
1/2 Minister @priyancanzlp, New Zealand’s first Indian-origin Minister, was the Special Guest at the 5th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas conference today, speaking on 'Bringing Together Young Achievers from India and Indian Diaspora'. #NZIndia#PBD2021@MEAIndiapic.twitter.com/NDPui5bDz9
The youth PBD will also be celebrated virtually on the theme “Bringing together Young Achievers from India and Indian Diaspora” on January 8, 2021, and will be anchored by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The Special Guest for the event is Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Minister for Community and Voluntary Sector of New Zealand.
Distressed over the “torture” she has been receiving after her comments on the ongoing farmers’ protest, Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut on Thursday urged the nation to stand in her support. The ‘Queen’ star took to her social media handles and shared a video clip expressing her annoyance at the legal cases being filed against her for her social media activities. “WHY am I being mentally, emotionally, and now physically tortured? I need answers from this nation … I stood for you it’s time you stand for me … Jai Hind,” Ranaut wrote on Twitter.
Why am I being mentally, emotionally and now physically tortured? I need answers from this nation…. I stood for you it’s time you stand for me …Jai Hind 🙏 pic.twitter.com/qqpojZWfCx
The ‘Panga’ actor also shared a clip, wherein she said (roughly translated from Hindi), “Ever since I have spoken in the interest of the country, I am being tortured, that whole country is watching. My house was broken. For talking in the interest of farmers, numerous cases are being filed against me every day. I have also had a case for laughing.” She also defended her sister, Rangoli.
Revealing about the ‘torture’ she has been facing, the 33-year-old actor said, “…came an order that I have to go to the police station. And I have also been told that I cannot talk about the atrocities I have been facing.” Concluding the video, Ranaut questioned Supreme Court about the torture being faced by the women in the nation. “…the kind of tears of blood that the nation suffered during 100 years of slavery will have to be dealt with again if nationalist voices are asked to shut up,” she added. Meanwhile, Ranaut and her sister were recently spotted at the Bandra police station in Mumbai in connection to a case filed against them.
The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) on Friday announced that it will offer a free Internationalised Domain Name (IDN) in any of their preferred 22 official Indian languages along with every IN domain booked by the registrant. The applicant will also get a free email in the local language.
NIXI Offers free Domain in Local Indian Languages; the offer is valid for new .in users who register up to 31st January 2021.@rsprasad@SanjayDhotreMP
This offer has been created to stimulate the adoption of Bharat (IDN) domain name and proliferation of local language content, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said in a release. This offer is valid for new .in users who register up to January 31, 2021. This offer is also extended to those existing .in users who renew their domain in the month of January 2021. National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is a not for profit organization working since 2003 for spreading internet technology to the citizens of India through – Internet Exchanges through which the internet data is exchanged amongst Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and between ISPs and Content Delivery Network (CDNs), IN Registry, managing and operation of IN country-code domain and Bharat IDN domain for India and Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers (IRINN), managing and operating internet protocol (IPv4/IPv6).
Australia's Steven Smith plays a shot during a 3rd test cricket match between India and Australia, in Sydney on Thursday. (Photo Courtesy: ICCTwitter)
Steve Smith’s half-century enabled Australia to cross the 200-run mark despite losing three wickets on the opening session of day two of the third Test at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Friday. Australia is 7-280 after 96.4 Overs. Resuming the day from 166/2, Labuschagne and Smith added runs to their overnight partnership and helped the side to cross the 200-run mark. Spinner Ravindra Jadeja broke the 100-run stand for the third wicket as he bagged Labuschagne on 91. This is the first time that Labuschagne was dismissed between the scores of 81 and 143 in Tests. Matthew Wade joined Smith on the crease. The former took charge of the bowlers in pursuit of quick runs. meanwhile, Smith completed his half-century and marked his comeback to the form after flop shows in the first two Tests.
Wonderful shot from Smith! And he moves into the 90s.
While trying to chip the ball over midwicket off Jadeja, Wade found Bumrah at mid-on and walked back to the pavilion after scoring 13 runs. All-rounder Cameron Green came in to bat at number six. Smith held the end strong and kept the scoreboard moving. Green failed to open the scoring and finally Bumrah with the new ball ended his innings on a duck.
Nine short of a century, Marnus Labuschagne is OUT.
Umpires called the lunch after Green’s dismissal and Australia’s score reads as 249/5 in 84.5 overs. The first session also saw rain playing a spoilsport and interrupting the play two times but for the short period. Smith is unbeaten at 76 runs. Earlier, at stumps on day one, Australia’s score read 166/2 in 55 overs with Labuschagne and Smith unbeaten on 67 and 31 runs respectively. On a day when the Indian bowlers had to toil hard — for the first time in the Test series — 35 overs were lost due to rain. Brief Scores: 249/5 (Marnus Labuschagne 91, Steve Smith 76*; Ravindra Jadeja 2-43)
HC Barry O'Farrell: Lithium can Powering a new Australia-India Partnership
Australia and India both gain from the promise of expanding trade in lithium resources, said the Australian High Commissioner, Barry O’Farrell on Thursday. While speaking at a session of the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce on ‘Lithium: Powering a New Australia-India Partnership’, he said both the countries stand to gain from the promise of expanding trade in lithium resources. “Lithium, and Li-ion and other technologies, will play a key role. Indeed, India’s ambitious renewable energy targets have led to an expansion of its clean energy commitments,” he said.
Lithium, incl. other critical minerals, will play a key role in helping meet 🇮🇳’s EV and energy ambitions. This offers significant commercial potential for 🇦🇺 and 🇮🇳 firms. Was pleased to speak on this and WA’s great relationship with 🇮🇳 at the @IndoAustChamber Virtual Summit. pic.twitter.com/ELIVZdfewR
O’Farrell added, “Lithium metal-based battery technologies will form the key component of the push for the rollout of EV and hybrid vehicle–and Australia and India both stand to gain from the promise of expanding trade in lithium resources. “As many of you are already aware, Australia is a reliable and cost-competitive supplier of resource and energy commodities. Australia is the world’s largest producer of lithium–and has the second-largest lithium reserves in the world. And, as a market leader in Mining Equipment, Technology, and Services (METS), our firms can contribute to the development of India’s own lithium resources,” he said. The Australian High Commissioner mentioned that India’s ambitious renewable energy targets have led to an expansion of its clean energy commitments, recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambition to achieving 450-gigawatt renewable energy generation capacity by 2030, at the 4th India Energy Forum on 26 October last year.
“Australia’s resource endowment, and our mining capabilities and expertise, well place us to support Prime Minister Modi’s ambitions around the development of India’s new economy sectors,” he opined. He also said that there couldn’t be better timing for lithium-related trade and investment, in view of the need for both nations to diversify and strengthen the supply chain, and in recognition of India’s drive toward self-sufficiency and the remarkable growth of its new economy sectors.
In a bid to conduct the smooth implementation of a second dry run on the COVID-19 vaccination on Friday, Indian Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has directed all States/Union Territories to be vigilant against rumours and disinformation campaigns regarding the safety and efficacy of the approved COVID-19 vaccines. Vardhan chaired a high-level meeting with the entire health ministers of the states including UTs via video conferencing to review the preparedness for the nationwide mock drill on the COVID vaccination scheduled for Friday. The second nationwide mock drill on the COVID-19 vaccination will be held at three-session sites of 736 districts across 33 States/UTs. According to the Indian health ministry, the objective of the mock drill on COVID-19 vaccination is to simulate the actual vaccine administration event.
Watch Now! Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan holds a VC with Health Ministers of all States & UTs to review preparedness for nationwide dry run of administering #COVID19Vaccine to be conducted on Jan 8. @PMOIndia@MoHFW_INDIAhttps://t.co/5FBegk5Yns
There have been some rubbish and rumours being propagated on social media which are raising doubts in the mind of the public regarding the covid vaccine side-effects, Vardhan said. “These miscreants might derail the whole exercise, set the clock back by years.” Last week, the Drugs Controller General of India announced “restricted emergency use” for Bharat Biotech’s ‘Covaxin’ and Serum Institute of India’s ‘Covishield’, which has been developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. The Minister urged the State health authorities to work with the multiple stakeholders and the youth to spread the right information and dispel rumours and mistruths being spread about the COVID-19. “The dry run will also familiarise the state, district, block, and hospital-level officers on all aspects of COVID-19 roll out. This activity will help administrators in strengthening the linkages between planning, implementation and reporting mechanisms, identification of any residual challenges prior to the actual implementation and to provide confidence to the programme managers at all levels to carry out a smooth implementation of the vaccination drive,” said the health ministry in a statement.
Putting all hands on deck!
Held a resourceful VC with Health Ministers of States & UTs to review preparedness for the nationwide dry run of administering #COVID19vaccine to be conducted tomorrow.
Vardhan directed his state counterparts to ensure that the National Immunisation Day (NID) scheduled on Jan 17 should also be given due importance and non-COVID essential services are not adversely impacted. The Health Minister informed about the Co-WIN platform that will provide real-time information of vaccine stocks, their storage temperature, and individualised tracking of beneficiaries of the COVID-19 vaccine. “This platform will assist the program managers across all levels through automated session allocation for pre-registered beneficiaries, their verification, and for generating a digital certificate upon successful completion of the vaccine schedule. More than 78 lakh beneficiaries have been already registered on the platform,” he said. Meanwhile, the health minister reassured all his State counterparts that the country’s cold chain infrastructure has been sufficiently upgraded to ensure last-mile delivery and that adequate supplies of syringes and other logistics have also been provided. The earlier national mock drill on January 2 helped to iron out any glitches in the final execution and further refinement of the operational procedures. The feedback from most of the States/UTs was satisfactory conduct of the dry run.
Bollywood star and global icon Priyanka Chopra Jones was allegedly caught flouting COVID-19 lockdown rules in London. Miss Chopra is in the UK for the shooting of her upcoming film “Text For You.” Priyanka was snapped while visiting a salon owned by celebrity stylist Josh wood alongside her mother Dr. Madhu Chopra, and pet dog Dianna.
Priyanka Chopra insists she WAS following the rules after going for hair cut at Notting Hill salon for film shoot
Police arrived and pressed on the buzzer while Priyanka was inside peering through the letterbox
As per media reports, local citizens who are under strict lockdown for few months informed police, who were quick to react and attend the salon. Owner Josh Wood was given a ‘verbal warning’ however was left without a fine for this breach of COVID-19 protocol.
So Priyanka chopra is being clowned for taking an appointment at a hair salon that was "taking appointments" while a bunch of paparazzi click picture of her breaking law by stepping outside? #priyankachopra#london
As per Priyanka Chopra’s version, she needed her hair to be coloured for her next film, and salon was opened privately for the production with everyone present being tesed for coronavirus. The visit had been done following the DCMS guidelines for film production regulations.
London has allowed some activities including Film and Tv production in line with COVID-19 guidelines.
Australia, Jan 07 : Australia's Will Pucovski and Marnus Labuschagne during a 3rd test cricket match between India and Australia, in Sydney on Thursday. (Photo Courtesy: ICC Twitter
Riding his luck, debutant Will Pucovski combined with Marnus Labuschagne to put Australia on top on the first day of the Pink Test against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.
In the second session, 23.5 overs were bowled and Australia’s score reads 93/1. Pucovski and Labuschagne were unbeaten on 54 and 34 respectively when the umpires called for the tea break. While Pucovski did bring up a fifty on debut, he did get a few chances to help prolong his stay in the middle.
In the 21st over of the innings, wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant dropped a regulation chance off the bowling of Ravichandran Ashwin and India lost an opportunity to put the hosts in a spot of bother. The misery for Pant did not end there, as he dropped another catch off the bowling of Mohammad Siraj, and as a result, Pucovski got his second reprieve of the day. The opener kept riding his luck and after a couple of catching chances, he looked ready to get run out after a miscommunication with Labuschagne. But a poor throw from Jasprit Bumrah saved him again.
The second session also saw Indian pacers bowling on the shorter side, and as a result, Pucovski and Labuschagne had no problems in either leaving the ball or getting behind the line to defend it. Earlier, rain had forced an early lunch and David Warner’s wicket was the only gain for India after Tim Paine won the toss and decided to bat at the historic SCG. Brief Scores: Australia 93/1 (Will Pucovski 54*, Marnus Labuschagne 34*, Mohammad Siraj 1-33)
New season of Manoj Bajpayee's 'The Family Man' to release on Feb 12
After announcing the second season of his much-loved Amazon Prime Video-based show ‘The Family Man’ as a New Year gift to fans, actor Manoj Bajpayee on Thursday announced that the fresh season of the show will premiere on February 12. The Padma Shri award-winning actor who is seen playing the role of a middle-class man serving as a world-class spy in the show made the announcement by sharing a teaser of the new season on Twitter.
The teaser sees Bajpayee seated on a chair as a board behind his back holds several photographs and the face of an individual which is formed by connecting several bits and pieces together of several other pictures. ‘The Family Man’ is an edgy, action-drama series, which tells the story of a middle-class man, Srikant Tiwari, who works for a special cell of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The series plots Srikant’s tight-rope walk as he struggles to strike a balance between his secretive low paying, high-pressure, high-stakes job and being a husband and father or a ‘family man.’
The new season of the show will see Srikant Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee) and Sharib Hashmi (JK Talpade) taking on a bigger and deadlier mission. The series has been created and directed by Raj and DK and will see Bajpayee and Talpade reprising their roles along with Priya Mani and Sharad Kelkar. The series also marks the digital debut of southern superstar Samantha Akkineni in a never-seen-before avatar.
In 2018, of the 699 governing council roles across Australia’s 41 universities, 94% of the incumbents had Caucasian and British backgrounds. The top tiers of senior executives were 94% Caucasian and British in the background, as were 96% of vice-chancellors.
What are the risks of homogenous leadership?
When top leadership are strikingly WEIRD, the culture of their institutions is too. This reproduces curriculum, library systems, research and thought paradigms that are also WEIRD. This kind of sameness across universities has consequences.
Australian higher education has not been immune to tunnel vision. We see it in the discourse of “internationalisation” policy in Australian universities. There has been a lack of global vision in the construction of many university strategies.
The structural issues in Australia and Australian universities are entrenched, yet have been denied for decades, if not centuries. If we want Australian higher education to meet our aspirations and to prepare future generations, we need to confront this elephant in the room.
A deterioration of public trust in universities and expertise has forced many universities in the Western world to the brink of existential crises. WEIRD leaders are struggling to redefine what the purpose of the university should be.
Diverse leadership has many benefits
Diversity delivers a wide range of social, economic and policy benefits. Higher education needs diversity to continue to thrive, to open mindsets, to gain new viewpoints, to broaden paradigms and to widen ranges of solutions.
Research shows diverse groups outperform homogeneous groups in productivity and innovation over the long term. Universities need to play a long game too.
The pandemic is forcing Australian universities to transform. But if this transformation is to be successful, the voices of young people, women, Indigenous people, diasporas, and people of diverse abilities need to be heard across all levels. The sector needs to enable talents with all perspectives to co-create new insights and ideas to move forward.
Practical steps to diversify leadership
Beyond setting goals and informed targets, we can achieve a more diverse leadership with a few practical measures.
We can establish mentoring strategies and policies. These help ensure a more diverse range of people are in the leadership pipeline and have exposure to executive meetings.
We can create open and safe forums that promote dialogue about leadership issues. Universities need to have honest conversations about the complexities, challenges and barriers to achieving greater diversity in leadership. This includes being able to examine contested ideas such as decolonisation, quotas, and meritocracy within the university system.
We can engage young people and diverse groups using non-English media platforms to communicate key ideas to a wider and more diverse audience. This could shift attitudes toward the Anglophone-dominated status quo and create space for greater inclusion, both physically and intellectually.
The key to success will be empowering the “other” to advise leaders, become leaders and participate in problem-solving and decision-making.
We need to democratise workplaces through participation, to shift workplace relations and power dynamics. A mobilised and diverse university community could come up with more holistic, innovative and transformative solutions.
Diversity is integral to sustainability
More than ever, Australia’s higher education sector needs an intersectional lens, where leaders see the world through multiple perspectives and through the experiences of students and staff from different backgrounds.
Diversity in senior leadership is essential to give meaning to the assertion “we are all in it together” and to sustainable development. Acknowledging the interconnected nature of our society, universities need to reflect the ecology of knowledge that is integral to driving sustainable socio-cultural, environmental, economic and technological development.
Diverse leadership should be the norm as we imagine the “new normal”.
Condemning the violent situation that unfolded at the US Capitol in Washington, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday morning said the democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests and called for an orderly and peaceful transfer of power.
Distressed to see news about rioting and violence in Washington DC. Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests.
“Distressed to see news about rioting and violence in Washington DC. An orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests,” he tweeted.
A chaotic scene unfolded at the Capitol as supporters of President Trump swarmed the building to protest the Electoral College vote, forcing a lockdown and various confrontations with police.
Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison issued a statement on social media condemning the violence and called for a peaceful transfer of Government to the newly elected administration in the great American democratic tradition.
Very distressing scenes at the US Congress. We condemn these acts of violence and look forward to a peaceful transfer of Government to the newly elected administration in the great American democratic tradition.
US President Donald Trump’s supporters, who marched at the Capitol, reiterated his claims that the recently-concluded presidential election was ‘stolen’, and demanded their ‘voices be heard’. Several police officers sustained injuries, while one woman was confirmed dead after being shot in the chest.
The protesters managed to overpower the law enforcement officers and swarmed the House and Senate chambers, leading to the evacuation of several Congressional buildings. Several lawmakers slammed Trump for inciting violence, with some calling for his immediate impeachment and remo
Rain forced an early lunch on the first day of the third Test between India and Australia on Thursday here at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Mohammad Siraj sent the comeback man David Warner (5) back to the pavilion in just the fourth over of the innings and the hosts once again got off to a bad start in the ongoing series against India. But after this dismissal, Will Pucovski (14*) and Marnus Labuschagne (2*) ensured that the side does not suffer from hiccups in the first session.
The first session saw just 7.1 over being bowled and the persistent drizzle brought about an early call for lunch. Tim Paine-led Australia won the toss and elected to bat first against India in the third Test of the four-match series on Thursday here at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Rohit Sharma is finally back for the Indian side and he replaces Mayank Agarwal in the opening slot. Umesh Yadav, who was ruled out of the Test series after getting injured in the Boxing Day Test, has been replaced by Navdeep Saini in the playing XI. This will be the debut Test for Navdeep Saini. The pacer was handed the Blue cap from Jasprit Bumrah and as a result, Saini has become the 299th Test cricketer for India.
India got off to a perfect start as Mohammad Siraj dismissed David Warner (5) in the fourth over of the innings. Warner went for a drive, but he only managed to get an outside edge and a simple catch was given to Cheteshwar Pujara at first slip. This is the first time in four years that Warner has been dismissed for less than 10 runs in a home Test. With Australia’s score at 21/1 in the eighth over, rain played spoilsport and the play had to be halted and as a result, early lunch was called.
It continues to rain in Sydney!
Australia 21/1 after 7.1 overs after early Lunch was taken. #TeamIndia
For India, Navdeep Saini is playing his first Test while Pucovski is playing his first Test for Australia. India playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini. Australia playing XI: David Warner, Will Pucovski, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Tim Paine (c), Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood. Brief Scores: Australia 21/1 (Will Pucovski 14*, David Warner 5, Mohammad Siraj 1-14).
Whether it’s purchasing power parity or the Happiness Index, global comparisons require benchmarking. Sport does this well with World Cups and the Olympics, or better still the single ranking familiar to tennis and golf aficionados.
The problem with universities is there are around a dozen rankings. Each is a variable mix of research, reputation and teaching metrics, leading to quite different and confusing results.
University rankings certainly have their critics, who point to the potential to mislead students and distort research priorities. Our newly developed Aggregate Ranking of Top Universities (ARTU) overcomes the flaws of singling outperformance in any one ranking.
This aggregated ranking helps to broaden the range of assessment — from research citations (frequency referred to in the academic literature) and impact, through to reputation, and qualitative as well as quantitative measures. It also helps address the inherent imperfections of any one of the individual ranking systems, when seen on their own.
The ARTU orders universities by cumulative performance over the mainstream scoring systems. Condensing the three most influential — the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), Times Higher Education (THE) and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) — gives a single broad overview of a university’s position.
How does Australia fare?
Australia now has 13 universities in the global top 200. That’s an increase from just eight two years ago.
Australia ranks fourth in the world in 2020, after the US, UK and Germany. Indeed per head of population, Australia is well ahead of these nations, and second behind the Netherlands for nations of more than 10 million.
This is no new entrant fluke, as Australia has seven universities in the top 100. That’s 7% of the best universities for 0.3% of the world’s population (or 1.6% of global GDP). Two Australian institutions, Monash and UNSW, are among the five that jumped more than 20 places within the top 100 between 2012 and 2020.
Asia on the rise
Although rankings are compiled annually, performance is a lagging indicator assessed over severalyears. For instance, research citations can be judged between five to 11 years later.
On the one hand, this should help cushion our pandemic-affected universities from precipitous falls over the next few years. On the other, it conspires against rapid rises up the global ladder.
This makes the ascendancy of East Asian universities, and in particular those from China, all the more remarkable. The top two Chinese universities now come in at 18th and 27th internationally, ahead of Australia’s lead, the University of Melbourne at 29th. The next four Chinese universities have risen more than 100 spots since 2012 to crack the top 75. This is especially impressive given that research is largely judged on English-language outputs.
Australia has fared well in this battle of the old versus new order. Long-established universities benefit from major endowments, philanthropy and long-run reputation. Australia’s universities in the top 200 have an average age of 78, compared to over two centuries for overseas unis in top 200.
China has this disadvantage too. But China does have the benefit of a booming economy, which drives top-down investment in cutting-edge technologies and academic excellence through STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) research at scale.
A measure of the value of international students
It can be argued that Australian universities thrived on the back of 28 years of growth, a desirable location, political stability and relatively open borders to knowledge-based entrants. But the standout contribution has been from international students. In absolute terms universities in Australia have the second-highest number after the US.
Simply put, the margin between international and domestic student income covers the indirect costs of strategic investment in research, teaching, and other areas. Australian universities need to raise around an additional dollar in support and infrastructure spending for every dollar won in grant income. And all this while fulfilling the core mission of educating local students, with 43% of 25-to-34-year-olds now having a bachelor degree, up from 34% in 2010.
But coronavirus has laid bare the Achilles heel in this business model. Closed borders and geopolitical shifts have delivered a major blow to cross-subsidization, as well as to international collaboration so crucial for team-based research addressing the world’s grand challenges.
Vaccines now offer some light at the end of the tunnel, but it will be many years before the world resembles its former self, if ever. Trust in science and an R&D-led economy argue for a major role for universities in the recovery from COVID-19. But the only certainty is uncertainty.
So expect considerable volatility in higher education. How well our universities stack up will depend in part on how international competitors fare, and in particular their relative economies and resourcefulness. Australia looks well positioned here, but will need to weather the threats posed by contraction, domestic constraints and a challenging business model.
Rankings are not perfect. They do not assess all aspects of the mission of Australian universities and are rightly subject to criticism, often from institutions not doing so well. But rankings are the best surrogate measure of global standing that we have and they are here to stay, whether we like them or loathe them.
As the aggregate scoreboard for top universities around the globe, ARTU is well placed to track the shake-up from COVID-19 as it plays out in our universities over the next five to ten years.
In a big move, the microblogging site Twitter on Wednesday (local time) decided to lock US President Donald Trump’s account in wake of the violent situation at the US Capitol in Washington. Citing violation of its Civic Integrity Policy, Twitter said that it had required the removal of at least three of Trump’s tweets that were posted earlier regarding the situation in Washington, adding that his account will be locked for 12 hours following the removal of these tweets.
As a result of the unprecedented and ongoing violent situation in Washington, D.C., we have required the removal of three @realDonaldTrump Tweets that were posted earlier today for repeated and severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy. https://t.co/k6OkjNG3bM
And for the first time, the microblogging site Twitter on Wednesday (local time) officially removed several tweets from US President Donald Trump, where he spoke on the violent protests at the US Capitol. One of the deleted tweets was a video where Trump addressed his supporters, telling them to ‘go home’ while reiterating allegations of voter fraud, while another deleted tweet had him saying Vice President Mike Pence lacked the “courage” to do what was necessary. The removal comes after Facebook and YouTube removed Trump’s video to supporters, and amid calls by the Anti-Defamation League and the NAACP for Trump’s social media accounts to be suspended outright, reported CNN. In a tweet, Facebook’s VP of integrity Guy Rosen called this ‘an emergency situation’, and said that the video contributes to the risk of ongoing violence.
We've assessed two policy violations against President Trump's Page which will result in a 24-hour feature block, meaning he will lose the ability to post on the platform during that time.
“This is an emergency situation and we are taking appropriate emergency measures, including removing President Trump’s video. We removed it because on balance we believe it contributes to rather than diminishes the risk of ongoing violence,” tweeted Rosen. In the one-minute video on Twitter, Trump said: “I know you are pained, I know you are hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. That was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side. But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We’ve to have law and order. We don’t want anybody hurt.” “This was a fraudulent election, but we can’t play in the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home and go home in peace,” he added.
I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!
The tweet was immediately flagged by the microblogging site as the claim of election fraud was disputed. Twitter also restricted the post from being liked, retweeted or replied to, due to a risk of stoking violence. Trump later tweeted: “These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!”. This tweet was also deleted.
A chaotic and violent scene unfolded at the Capitol on Wednesday as supporters of Trump swarmed the building to protest the Electoral College vote, forcing a lockdown and various confrontations with police-reported The Hill. Rioters overpowered police and broke into the Capitol to protest as a joint session of Congress convened to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s win. The incident led to several condemnations of Trump for inciting the riots, with some calling for his immediate impeachment and removal.
Despite the extremely chaotic situation at the US Capitol on Wednesday following violent protests by supporters of President Donald Trump, lawmakers in both parties and chambers said that Congress will continue the work of certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory in the evening. “I have faced violent hatred before. I was not deterred then, and I will not be deterred now. Tonight, Congress will continue the business of certifying the electoral college votes,” House Majority Whip James Clyburn said in a tweet. In the upper chamber, Senator Kevin Cramer said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is also telling senators to expect the process to continue Wednesday night, reported The Hill.
States want to correct their votes, which they now know were based on irregularities and fraud, plus corrupt process never received legislative approval. All Mike Pence has to do is send them back to the States, AND WE WIN. Do it Mike, this is a time for extreme courage!
“We’re going to finish tonight. Everyone is committed to staying whatever it takes to get our job done,” said Senator Joe Manchin. Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed the decision, describing what happened at the Capitol as “a shameful assault” on democracy. “Today’s shameful assault on our democracy — anointed at the highest level of government — must not deter us from our responsibility to the Constitution. Tonight, we will move forward with the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s election,” she tweeted.
We’re 30 mins past curfew and police are working to move back protesters even further from the US Capitol. Some protesters put up the barricades, which were there originally to keep them out, to block the police. pic.twitter.com/9F08vYilZS
A chaotic and violent scene unfolded at the Capitol on Wednesday as supporters of Trump swarmed the building to protest the Electoral College vote, forcing a lockdown and various confrontations with police reported The Hill. Rioters overpowered police and broke into the Capitol to protest as a joint session of Congress convened to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s win. The incident led to several condemnations of Trump for inciting the riots, with some calling for his immediate impeachment and removal.
CNN reported that the Sergeant-at-Arms later announced that the US Capitol building was secure, as the National Guard was called in to disperse the rioters. The development comes as scores of Republicans had pledged to challenge the Electoral College’s vote for Biden when Congress convenes for a joint session on Wednesday.
Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif on Wednesday shared a power-packed video of her leg workout session, inspiring her fans to workout in order to stay fit. The ‘Namaste London’ star hopped on to Instagram and shared a video in which the actor is seen concentrating on her workout session in the gym.
Holding dumbbells in hands, the ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ star was seen dressed in a black T-shirt and matching shorts, which she paired with pink sports shoes. Of late, the ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ star has been quite active on social media and keeps on updating her fans on her activities by posting pictures and videos. Earlier, Kaif treated her fans with some refreshing pictures of herself as she spent the first day of the year with her sister Isabelle Kaif.
COVID-19 vaccines of Serum Institue of India and Bharat Biotech have been granted permission for restricted use in emergency situation, said Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Sunday.
“After adequate examination, CDSCO has decided to accept the recommendations of the Expert Committee and accordingly, vaccines of M/s Serum and M/s Bharat Biotech are being approved for restricted use in emergency situation and permission is being granted to M/s Cadila Healthcare for the conduct of the Phase III clinical trial,” said VG Somani, DCGI, during a media briefing today.
“We’ll never approve anything if there is slightest of safety concern. The vaccines are 100 per cent safe. Some side effects like mild fever, pain, and allergy are common for every vaccine. It (people may get impotent) is absolute rubbish,” he added. The SEC of Standard Drug Organisation met on 1st and 2nd Jan and made recommendations in respect of proposal of restricted emergency approval of COVID-19 vaccine of SII, according to DCGI.
COVID-19 vaccine administration dry run is being conducted, at a health care centre in Chennai on Saturday.
SII Pune has submitted safety immunogenicity and efficacy data generated on 23,745 participants aged more than or equal to 18 years or older from overseas clinical studies, he added. The overall vaccine efficacy was found to be 70.42 per cent. Further SII was granted permission to conduct phase 2/phase 3 clinical trial on 1,600 participants within the country, according to DCGI. “The firm also submitted the interim safety and immunogenicity data generated from this trial and the data was found comparable from the data from overseas clinical studies,” said Somani.
Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan visiting the GTB Hospital, Shahdara for reviewing the preparedness of Dry Run of Administering the COVID-19 vaccine, in New Delhi on Saturday.
“After detailed deliberations, SEC has recommended for grant of permission for restricted use in an emergency situation subject to certain regulatory conditions. The clinical trial ongoing the country by the firm will continue,” he added. Bharat Biotech has developed a vaccine named covaxin in collaboration with ICMR and the National Institute of Virology, from where they received the virus seed strains. This vaccine is developed on the Vero cell platform, which has a well-established track record of safety and efficacy in the country and globally.
Indin Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the country as Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) granted emergency use approval to Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech for their COVID-19 vaccines.
A decisive turning point to strengthen a spirited fight!
DCGI granting approval to vaccines of @SerumInstIndia and @BharatBiotech accelerates the road to a healthier and COVID-free nation.
Congratulations India.
Congratulations to our hardworking scientists and innovators.
The firm has generated safety and immunogenicity data in various animal species such as mice, rats, rabbits, Syrian hamster, and also conducted challenge studies on non-human primates (Rhesus macaques) and hamsters. All these data have been shared by the firm with CDSCO. Phase I and Phase II clinical trials were conducted in approx.800 subjects and the results have demonstrated that the vaccine is safe and provides a robust immune response. The Phase III efficacy trial was initiated in India in 25,800 volunteers and to date, 22,500 participants have been vaccinated across the country and the vaccine has been found to be safe as per the data available to date. The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) has reviewed the data on safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine and recommended for grant of permission for restricted use in an emergency situation in the public interest as an abundant precaution, in clinical trial mode, to have more options for vaccinations, especially in case of infection by mutant strains. The clinical trial ongoing within the country by the firm will continue, according to DCGI. Accordingly, the firm has sought permission to conduct a Phase-III clinical trial in 26,000 Indian participants, which has been recommended by the Subject Expert Committee. M/s Serum and M/s Bharat Biotech vaccines have to be administered in two doses. All the three vaccines have to be stored at 2-8° C, said DCGI.
Shrutika Mane, 20 years student of Bachelor of Health and Medical Sciences (Advanced) at the University of Adelaide has been announced as the Raj SuriMiss India Australia 2020 winner.
Born in the UK and brought up in India and Australia, Shrutika has a unique understanding of people and cultures from across the globe. In addition to English, Shrutika can speak Hindi and Marathi. A National Award-winning debater, aspiring actor and dancer, and selected TEDx speaker all by the age of 20.
Due to Covid 19, the 2020 Miss India Australia winner and the 7 finalists were selected via online auditions and interview process on the basis of their overall personality and talent performances with real casting experience and group training and mentoring session by Australian Indian talent mentor Raj Suri.
Miss India Australia 2020 will officially represent Australia in the 29th Miss India Australia Worldwide 2021 week at The Lalit Hotel, Mumbai, India in October 2021 (subject to covid restrictions at the time). The grand finale is on Sunday, 3 October 2021 in the same hotel in Mumbai.
Indian entertainment industry professionals are expected to attend including many Bollywood celebrities.
Also representing at the same time will be the 4th Mrs India Worldwide 2020.
The Mrs India Worldwide Australia 2020 was taken out by Mrs Anumeha Tomar, 29 years old post graduate in management and a working professional and content creator from Melbourne.
The 7 Miss India Australia 2020 Finalists, represented from around Australia are: RABIA Gill (NSW), RADHE Bavada – (NSW) AMANDA Shalau (NSW), NANSITA Charan (NSW), SHRUTIKA Mane (SA ), RADHIKA Botre (NSW), KIRTHI Dodla (VIC)
The Miss India Australia 2020 finalists showcased their talent ranging from dancing and public speaking.
The Miss India Australia 2020 titles announced are:
SHRUTIKA MANE – Miss India Australia 2020
RADHE BAVADA – Miss India Australia 2020 Photogenic and Best Talent
RABIA GILL – Miss India Australia 2020 Professional
AMANDA SHALAU – Miss India Australia 2020 – Social Impact
RADHIKA BOTRE – Miss India Australia 2020 Popular Choice
NANSITA CHARAN – Miss India Australia 2020 – Best Student
KIRTHI DODLA – Miss India Australia 2020 International Student (impact)
The Miss India Australia 2020 Winner will be trained, mentored by Sydney based image and personal development mentor Raj Suri and will be exclusively represented via Raj Suri associate talent office globally with the media firm, Karigar Australia.
Founded in 2001 by photographer/media/film producer Raj Suri, the Original Miss India Australia is the first ever-national talent search in Australia for women of Indian origin, affiliated to the Miss India Worldwide which will be celebrating its 29th year in 2021 represented by over 20 countries. “Miss India Australia embraces the best of Australian and Indian culture presenting a unique opportunity for Australian women to engage with and celebrate rich heritage with contemporary Australian identity. Miss India Australia does not follow a minimum height or weight criteria in women. It truly celebrates the “real woman” – the Indian Australian diversity.
The Miss India Australia by Raj Suri is now evolved into the platform of choice for the young culturally aware Australian women especially to make inroads into the Indian Films (Bollywood), Fashion industries and most importantly to cultivate role models to inspire diverse young women of Indian original in Australia and across the globe.
Over the years below are some of the known Miss India Australia WINNERS and Finalists in the Indian Australian Film and TV and Modelling Industries:
There are many other former Miss India Australia finalists and or subtitle winners who are pursuing successful careers in varied fields and professions and continue to inspire Indian Australian women from all walks of life.
Australia, Dec 28 (ANI): India's Umesh Yadav leaves the field injured during day three of the Second Test match between Australia and India at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on Monday. (Photo Courtesy: BCCI Twitter/ ANI Photo)
India fast bowler T Natarajan has been added to the Test squad for the remaining two Test matches against Australia. The left-arm pacer has replaced Umesh Yadav, who sustained a strain in his left calf muscle on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
“The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named T Natarajan as Yadav’s replacement. Ahead of the Boxing Day Test, Shardul Thakur was added to the Test squad as Mohd. Shami’s replacement after the senior fast bowler suffered a hairline fracture in his right forearm. Both Shami and Umesh Yadav will head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for further rehabilitation of their injuries,” the BCCI said in an official statement.
NEWS: T Natarajan to replace Umesh Yadav in India’s Test squad. #TeamIndia#AUSvIND
Earlier Indian media reported that Natarajan was the likely replacement for Umesh. “With limited options available, the team management can ask for Natarajan to be added to the squad,” the sources in the know of developments in the Indian camp had said.
Umesh left for India on Wednesday night and will now look to get fit in time for the home series against England.
Congratulations to @y_umesh on the birth of a baby girl today.
Team India Test squad: Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan.
Cricket Australia on Wednesday informed that the hosts will train in Melbourne on January 2 and 3 before moving to Sydney on January 4. India will also arrive in Sydney on the same day. The third Test between both teams will begin on January 7 at the Sydney Cricket Ground
