oppn parties Wearing The Mask Perfunctorily Will Not Do

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  • Congress calls Election Commission's affidavit in the SC saying all decisions were taken unanimously as 'deceptive, deceitful and duplicitous'
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  • At least 89,000 people have been evacuated from vulnerable coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh as Cyclone Arnab intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal. The IMD forecast landfall on Wednesday morning with sustained winds of 115–125 kmph, gusting to 140 kmph, while 53 train services were listed for cancellation on October 27 and 28
  • Authorities deployed hundreds of additional security personnel in Arunachal Pradesh’s Siang Valley following violent protests against the proposed 11,200-megawatt Siang Upper Multipurpose Project near the Chinese border. Opponents fear the dam would submerge ancestral lands belonging to the Adi tribal community, while the project is also intended to address concerns arising from China’s planned upstream hydropower dam
  • The Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre on the Digital News Publishers Association’s challenge to provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act and its rules. The publishers argue that the absence of a specific journalistic exemption could undermine investigative reporting and expose confidential sources; the matter is scheduled for further hearing on November 17
  • The Supreme Court gave petitioners additional time to respond to the Election Commission’s affidavit defending decisions connected with the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and fixed November 17 for the next hearing. The court also issued notice on a separate petition by Trinamool Congress MP Dola Sen concerning alleged changes to Form 6 used for voter registration
  • The Bombay High Court quashed an FIR against a Pune college student who was arrested over an Instagram repost related to Operation Sindoor. The case arose from a social-media post concerning the 2025 India-Pakistan tensions
  • A Reuters poll of economists projected India’s GDP growth to slow from 7.7% in fiscal 2025–26 to 7.1% in 2026–27 and 7.0% in 2027–28. Economists cited higher energy costs and inflation risks linked to the conflict involving Iran, while warning that prolonged price pressures could constrain household demand and employment growth
  • Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan cautioned India against exhausting its foreign-exchange reserves to defend a particular rupee exchange rate. He said moderate depreciation could support exports, while warning that high oil prices and continued foreign investment outflows were adding pressure to the currency and the current account
  • Indian equity benchmarks ended nearly unchanged after a volatile trading session. The Sensex slipped 8.08 points to close at 73,598.67, while the Nifty 50 fell 3.45 points to 22,749.75, with elevated crude oil prices and caution ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s decision weighing on sentiment
  • Ranji Trophy: Bengal recover as Shahbaz Ahmed scores 121 and then took 2 wickets to put them in a commanding position versus Kerala. In other matches, Delhi were in a fine position against Jharkhand and Gujarat and maharashtra were evenly placed
  • India thrashed Bangladesh 13-0 in the Asian Champions Trophy hockey
  • Despite a brilliant come-from-the-back effort, India A were robbed of victory against New Zealand A in the first unofficial Test as the Kiwis ended at 187 for 9 (target 313) when play was stopped due to bad light
  • Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced that India plans to amend its anti-doping law to criminalise the supply and sale of banned substances, including penalties for coaches and other participants in doping supply chains. The proposal was announced at a UNESCO anti-doping conference in New Delhi as India seeks to strengthen enforcement and support its bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games
  • India defeated New Zealand by six wickets in Wellington to take an unassailable 3–0 lead in their five-match T20I series. Abhishek Sharma smashed 113 off 38 balls, reaching his century in 35 deliveries, while he and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi combined for a record 118 runs in the powerplay
A stunning 113 off 38 balls from Abhishek Sharma drowns New Zealand as India chase 199 in 13.2 overs to take an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the series
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Wearing The Mask Perfunctorily Will Not Do

By Anukriti Roy
First publised on 2021-04-23 07:59:08

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Anukriti is a student who dabbles in writing when she finds time.

Despite a ferocious second wave of Covid-19 running across India, many people are still treating the mask as an irritant that has to be worn just to escape punishment. This is highly irresponsible behavior. It is our collective duty to protect ourselves as well as fellow citizens by wearing a mask and wearing it properly.

The mask is the first shield against the dreaded coronavirus. It's efficacy in preventing infection has been proven. Thus, a mask is a must in public places (although it doesn't harm to wear one at home too, especially if one has visitors, and the visitors too should be asked to keep them on).

But wearing a mask just for the sake of wearing is the worst one can do. It has to be worn properly. Ever since Covid-19 infections started happening, the internet is full of graphics and pictures to show how a mask should be worn. Celebrities (the lead picture of this article shows Malaika Arora explaining proper use of the mask) have taken pains to educate people how to wear the mask properly. The government and the media have also taken the lead to educate people in this regard. 

Yet, many Indians do not care about their own health and well-being, let alone that of their fellow countrymen. There can be no other explanation of people pulling down the masks below their nose and mouth and wearing them on the chin.

Although administrations all over India conduct periodic drives to ensure that people wear the mask properly, these are not enough. There have to be regular and sustained drives to ensure compliance. For instance, policemen carry out a drive everyday outside a market and prod shopkeepers and customers to wear masks properly. But as soon as they leave, people once again revert to 'chin-wearing'. Wearing masks perfunctorily will not do. We have to follow this basic Covid precaution religiously to help in combating the spread of the virus. Administrations have to wield the stick to ensure compliance.

Pic courtesy: malaikaaroraofficial/Instagram

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