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Allahabad HC said that the UP Police is acting as law unto themselves as they detained a person unlawfully even before his arrest
Kolkata witnesses traffic snarls on the first day of the Durga Puja festival as revellers start pnadal-hopping
Neha Bora was subsequently released and Dipke is to appear before a magistrate today at noon
Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, Neha Bora of AISA, student leaders and supporters ahead of a rally in Connaught Place demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The protest followed the detention and jailing of two CJP leaders earlier in the week over demonstrations at Jantar Mantar
The Reserve Bank of India is considering further monetary tightening to counter capital outflows and increase the cost of betting against the rupee, according to bankers and analysts cited by Reuters. The measures follow recent rate increases and steps to drain liquidity as pressure on the currency and inflation concerns persist
India directed oil marketing companies to stop diverting sugar-based feedstocks for ethanol production in the 2026–27 supply year, according to a new tender issued on Friday. The companies have invited bids for 11 billion litres of ethanol made from alternatives including corn and broken rice, amid concerns about domestic sugar supplies and prices
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India's trade imbalance with China was growing sharply and attributed the problem partly to restrictions on Indian goods and services entering the Chinese market. China subsequently said it was ready to work with India to address mutual economic and trade concerns; India's trade deficit with China reached $69 billion in the first half of FY2026–27, up 27% year-on-year
Indian equity benchmarks extended their recovery on Friday, with the Sensex rising 413.66 points to close at 74,729.27 and the Nifty 50 gaining 148.80 points to settle at 23,146.15. Information technology shares, including Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS, helped lift the indices
India defeated Zimbabwe by four wickets in the opening women's T20 International in Raipur, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad combined in an 82-run stand after India's top order collapsed, helping the hosts chase down Zimbabwe's total of 114 for five
Indian wrestler Komal won bronze in the women's 59 kg category at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, defeating Kazakhstan's Viktoriia Khusainova 7–2. Fellow Indian Amruta Pujari advanced to the women's 72 kg final after recording two pinfall victories
Indian shuttler Jagsher Singh Khangurra secured a bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships in Cairo
The Supreme Court of India upheld the Bombay High Court's decision quashing the 2020 write-off of ₹8,415 crore in additional tier-1 bonds issued by Yes Bank (Yes Bank). The court ruled that the bank's administrator lacked the authority to extinguish the bonds under the final reconstruction scheme, strengthening bondholders' claims
The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India, Delhi Police and opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, in separate petitions concerning electoral-roll revision and protests held in Delhi on October 10–12. The court also directed the preservation of CCTV footage linked to allegations of police excesses
The Supreme Court ruled that a person converting from Hinduism to Islam cannot automatically claim backward-class reservation benefits in the new religious community solely on the basis of their previous caste status. The judgment upheld the Madras High Court's decision striking down a 2024 Tamil Nadu government order that permitted such certification for specified communities
The Election Commission of India ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 states and three Union Territories, using January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for voter eligibility. The draft rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, claims and objections will be accepted until December 11, and the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027

Delhi HC refuses to ban CJP's Tiranga rally at Central Park in Connaught Place today /////// Police says will control and regulate it /////// NDMC closes the park for the public on Friday and Saturday

oppn parties

Policy Change On Third Dose Of Covid Vaccination

By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2022-04-09 11:10:59

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The India Commentary view

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The Centre's change in the vaccination policy to allow all adults to take the precautionary (booster) dose at private clinics from Sunday is welcome. But this dose will have to be paid for, except for senior citizens, healthcare and frontline workers who will continue to receive free doses at government clinics. Also, the government has ignored studies that showed that better immunity is achieved in mix-and-match vaccination for the booster dose and has gone in for a homologous booster dose, meaning those jabbed with Covishield for the first two jabs will have to take the same vaccine as the third dose.

With cases surging again in many countries and experts saying that immunity wanes in six to nine months after the last dose or infection, there was no time to lose if booster doses were to be given. But the decision to make people buy the third dose, except for the select group of persons, is not right. The government had earmarked Rs 35000cr for vaccination. Till December 20, 2021 it had spent just Rs 19675cr. Hence, it still has a substantial amount for funding the third dose and it should do so, especially for the poor. Those who can afford and wish to avoid queues at government centres can always avail the paid facility at private clinics.

Further, it is doubtful that private clinics have the infrastructure and inclination to provide services in rural areas. Hence, the coverage will not be as per expectation. To start with, the government must make the third dose free for people in rural areas and jab them at government centres for better coverage and providing relief to the poor. Also, it must seriously consider the reports on the mix-and-match policy and allow people to take some other vaccine as third dose for better immunity.

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