From scrunchies to Baby Yoda to plushies for grownups, retreating to childhood can be enticing — especially when it feels like everything is falling apart.
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We are seeing how the monopolistic repair and lobbying practices of medical device companies are making our response to the coronavirus pandemic harder.
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William Murphy was not the first pioneer of space-saving furniture, but thanks to some clever innovation, good timing and fortuitous funding, his surname has become the household name in foldout beds and a widely used generic applied to similar designs.
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Originated as a group of friends led by Humphrey Bogart in LA, by the turn of the 1960s it gave way to a new version, featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Joey Bishop, among others.
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As Washington State takes measures to slow the coronavirus outbreak, the toll to Seattle's service industry is apparent in boarded-up restaurants and a surge in unemployment claims.
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The United Nations has released its annual World Happiness Report on March 20, the UN's International Day of Happiness, revealing the happiest and least happy countries in the world.
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Patchwork social service departments are scrambling to address the fallout of coronavirus restrictions, and social workers say vast numbers of at-risk, elderly, sick and disabled Americans will be imperiled. "We are going to see some deaths."
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WNU Editor: Need to go back to Montreal this morning to check out the house. It has definitely been a surreal week isolated in my chalet in the Laurentians. When I reflect about it, it has been years since I have slept as much as I did this week. The fresh air always knocks me out, but I usually recover within 2 or 3 days. Not this week. I think it was all the phone calls and hearing what other people were going through that kinda/sorta drained me. When I think about it, in all fairness this experience is draining all of us. So far there is only one person that I know who has contracted the coronavirus virus. The husband of a very good friend of mine was diagnosed a few days ago. They live across the Hudson River from New York City in New Jersey, and he was going through a regimen of chemotherapy last week when he started to feel sick. Naturally she is very upset and scared on what they are going through. My prayers are with them.
Blogging will return later this afternoon when I get back, and I am going to set up a routine/plan to post as much as I can. There is a lot of news that is being ignored and/or under-reported, and it needs to get out there.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said this week his country managed to stop the mass spread of coronavirus -- and that the situation was "under control," thanks to early and aggressive measures to keep more people from getting the disease.
Does Russia have coronavirus under control? According to information released by Russian officials, Putin's strategy seems to have worked. The number of confirmed Russian coronavirus cases is surprisingly low, despite Russia sharing a lengthy border with China and recording its first case back in January.
The numbers are picking up, but Russia -- a country of 146 million people -- has fewer confirmed cases than Luxembourg, with just 253 people infected. Luxembourg, by contrast, has a population of just 628,000, according to the CIA World Factbook, and by Saturday had reported 670 coronavirus cases with eight deaths.
WNU Editor: Some doctors in Russia are saying that the Kremlin is covering-up the true numbers of Covid-19 cases .... Doctors in Russia are accusing the government of covering up its coronavirus outbreak and denying them protective equipment (Business Insider). I hope these doctors are wrong. But like these doctors I am also a skeptical person when it comes to news from the Kremlin. But I do know the following. Russia was one of the first to close its borders, and that when coronavirus cases do pop up quarantines are implemented right away. I also know that they are doing a lot of testing (one of my cousins and his daughter were tested a few days ago). I also know that everyone in Russia is telling me that they are preparing for the worst. That what the Russian government has been doing since the beginning of the outbreak is to buy time.
More News On The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic In Russia
Who would control the military's response if the coronavirus pandemic causes civil unrest? Arkansas National Guard and Arkansas State Police members participate in a training exercise as part of Operation Phalanx, held at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, March 30-31, 2019. The joint exercise specially trained service members on techniques used in responding to a civil disturbance. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Matlock
With the National Guard now active in 22 states and governors continuing to declare more severe emergency measures daily, the U.S. military is preparing forces to assume a larger role in the coronavirus response, including the controversial mission of quelling "civil disturbances" and enforcing the law, a mission that the military has not engaged in for almost 30 years.
Within military circles, opinion is split over whether federal forces should muscle their way in to do more. State governors and their respective National Guard units, not the federal government and the active duty military, are primarily responsible for handling domestic emergencies: that's the law and it's also common sense, since local officials are always closer to a crisis and generally more familiar with the people affected.
WNU Editor: There are going to be no mass civil disturbances with a pandemic raging outside. It is when the pandemic has passed that I can easily see protests and civil disturbances becoming the norm as economic hardships hits millions.
Watch: Sirens blared at the start of a curfew across #Jordan earlier in the day, limiting the mobility of 10 million citizens indefinitely to combat the spread of #COVID_19#coronavirus.
Measure barring people from moving except for emergencies will continue until further notice, government spokesman says.
A countrywide round-the-clock curfew has come into effect in Jordan as the country doubles down on efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus, barring people from moving except for in emergencies, the government said.
Sirens in the early hours of Saturday marked the beginning of the curfew, the exact duration of which was left unspecified during the official announcement by government spokesman Amjad Adaileh in a televised address a day earlier.
WNU Editor: They are not saying that it is martial law. But it is martial law. Jordan currently has 85 confirmed coronavirus cases, with no deaths so far.
One of the requests to Congress would allow the department to petition a judge to indefinitely detain someone during an emergency.
The Justice Department has quietly asked Congress for the ability to ask chief judges to detain people indefinitely without trial during emergencies — part of a push for new powers that comes as the coronavirus spreads through the United States.
Documents reviewed by POLITICO detail the department's requests to lawmakers on a host of topics, including the statute of limitations, asylum and the way court hearings are conducted. POLITICO also reviewed and previously reported on documents seeking the authority to extend deadlines on merger reviews and prosecutions.
WNU Editor: The U.S. Justice Department is not denying this story. Never let a crisis go to waste is something that I sense is going to be exploited a lot by many governments around the world in the coming weeks and months.
The acting director of the National Counterterrorism Center was removed Wednesday in what insiders fear is a purge by the Trump administration of career professionals at an organization set up after 9/11 to protect the nation from further attacks, according to two former U.S. officials.
Russell E. Travers, a highly regarded intelligence professional with more than 40 years of government service, told colleagues he was fired by acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell, said the former officials, who like others interviewed spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.
Travers, who took up the acting position last August, had been resistant to pressure to make personnel cuts at the center, which has been undergoing a review of its mission and effectiveness.
Also removed at the NCTC was Travers's acting deputy, Peter W. Hall, who is returning to the National Security Agency, the former officials said.
Contractors for the Defense Department need to stay on the job, Ellen Lord warned Friday. (Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew S. Masaschi/U.S. Coast Guard)
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Defense Department has declared that defense contractors are "critical infrastructure" to national security, a designation that comes with an expectation to maintain a consistent, normal work schedule amid the outbreak of the new coronavirus, COVID-19.
In a Friday memo to industry, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord made it clear that she wants defense companies to continue to deliver their products and services to the Pentagon on time.
"If you work in a critical infrastructure industry, as designated by the Department of Homeland Security, you have a special responsibility to maintain your normal work schedule," Lord wrote. "We need your support and dedication in these trying times to ensure the security of this Nation. I understand that this national emergency presents a challenge and we are dedicated to working closely with you to ensure the safety of the workforce and accomplishments of the national security mission."
Red faces in Red Square, again. Last July, I reported on the hacking of SyTech, an FSB contractor working on internet surveillance tech. Now, reports have emerged from Russia of another shocking security breach within the FSB ecosystem. This one has exposed "a new weapon ordered by the security service," one that can be used to execute cyber attacks on IoT devices.
The goal of the so-called "Fronton Program" is to exploit IoT security vulnerabilities en masse—remember, these technologies are fundamentally less secure than other connected devices in homes and offices. In fact, one of the breached technical documents reported by BBC Russia even explains that "the Internet of Things is less secure than mobile devices and servers." The security contractors highlight retained default "factory" passwords as the obvious weakness, one that is easy to exploit.
* Italy's 4,825 fatalities account for 38.3 per cent of the world's total 12,700 deaths * The number of coronavirus infections rose by 6,557 to 53,578, another record * Fatalities in the northern Lombardy regions around Milan surpassed 3,000
Italy's death toll has skyrocketed by 793 to 4,825 in just 24 hours in the worst daily rise the country has seen yet.
The number of coronavirus infections rose by 6,557 to 53,578, another record.
Italy's fatalities account for 38.3 per cent of the world's total.
France reported 112 more deaths from coronavirus over the last 24 hours bringing the total to 562.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will refuse to submit to what the Kremlin sees as oil blackmail from Saudi Arabia, signaling the price war that's roiling global energy markets will continue.
The unprecedented clash between the two giant exporters -- and former OPEC+ allies -- threatens to push the price of a barrel below $20, but Moscow won't be the first to blink and seek a truce, said people familiar with the government's position.
Putin's government has spent years building reserves for this kind of crisis. While Russia didn't expect the Saudis to trigger a price war, the people said, the Kremlin so far is confident that it can hold out longer than Riyadh.
Health workers in personal protective equipment work inside a new drive-thru coronavirus testing center in the Staten Island borough of New York City, March 19. REUTERS/Mike Segar
* The global coronavirus death toll has shot past 11,000 and nations are calling for citizens to remain indoors * Individual US states, including New York, Illinois and California are now ordering people to self-quarantine * WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned young people they 'are not invincible' to the coronavirus
Close to one billion people worldwide were confined to their homes on Saturday as the global coronavirus death toll shot past 11,000 and US states rolled out lockdown measures already imposed across swathes of Europe.
The pandemic has completely upended lives across the planet, restricting movement, shutting schools and forcing millions to work from home.
While President Donald Trump insisted the United States was 'winning' the war against the virus, individual states dramatically ramped up restrictions, with New York and Illinois joining California in ordering residents to stay home.
WNU Editor: This pandemic is now spreading into the world's heavily populated regions that include India/Pakistan/Bangladesh/Indonesia, and the continents of Africa and South America. This one billion number will probably be tripled in the next few weeks. And as for the lock-down being relaxed in Europe, from what I am reading that is still far in the future.
* Projectiles fired from North Pyongan province into Seat of Japan on Saturday * Launch was picked up by South Korea and Japanese defence ministry * Earlier this month, the North carried out similar launches on two occasions
North Korea has fired what are believed to be two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its eastern coast, the military in the South said.
The projectiles were fired from North Pyongan province into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, without providing further details.
'The military is monitoring for additional launches and maintaining readiness,' it added.
Burning debris seen on a road near Baghdad International Airport, which Iraqi paramilitary groups say were caused by three rockets, on January 3, 2020. Iraqi Security Media Cell via Reuters
It was the end of an otherwise unremarkable Thursday in January for service members stationed at the U.S. complex at Baghdad International Airport. But just minutes after midnight, Hellfire missiles broke the quiet as they rained down on a far corner of the sprawling site known as BIAP.
"It was like, 'oh s--- we got struck,'" an active member of the U.S. armed forces who was stationed at the airport told Newsweek. The member's named is being withheld because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the incident.
Iraqi personnel also scrambled in response to the shocking, mysterious strike on "one of the safest roads we have here in the capital," as one Iraqi official described it to Newsweek. But not far from where both military and civilian flights had been operating as usual, two vehicles were left smoldering on a road along the eastern stretch of the airport.
"It was surreal," the Iraqi official, who was not authorized to speak with the media, later told Newsweek.
The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill are among warships at risk of electromagnetic attacks while transiting the South China Sea. (U.S. Navy)
China has called for using electromagnetic attacks on U.S. warships transiting the South China Sea, according to a state-run Chinese outlet.
The Communist Party-affiliated organ Global Times, quoting a military expert, said the use of nonlethal electromagnetic and laser weapons should be used by the People's Liberation Army to expel American warships from the disputed sea.
The report followed China's potentially dangerous use of a laser against a Navy P-8A maritime patrol aircraft near Guam last month, and an earlier lasing two years ago of C-130 aircraft near China's military base in Djibouti on the coast of Africa.
The article was published Tuesday, the same day the Pacific Fleet announced on Twitter that the aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and the USS America, an amphibious assault carrier and leader of an expeditionary strike group, were conducting exercises in the South China Sea.
The training exercise for both strike groups included flight maneuvers, air defense tests and surface-support mission exercises, the fleet said in a report on the exercises. At one point, Marines carried out a simulated visit, board, search and seizure exercise on the guided missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill, according to the report.
WNU Editor: The world's focus is on the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic, and justifiably so. But within China itself Beijing's anti-American sentiment is building up .... from accusing the U.S. Army for starting the coronavirus pandemic, to now advocating attacks on US warships in the South China Sea. In normal times I would ignore this anti-U.S. message. But these are not normal times.
This image Analysis of photo of Chinese shipyard in December 2019 illustrates the scale of China's naval shipbuilding. H I SUTTON, With permission from @LOONGNAVAL
China's naval expansion seems unstoppable. New warships are being built at an incredible rate, radically modernizing the fleet and adding new capabilities. But the ongoing coronavirus pandemic could slow the momentum.
Multiple shipyards are building large numbers of air defense destroyers, frigates and even aircraft carriers. But work in yards has slowed as workers stay away due to the virus. Reports indicate that civilian construction has been impacted, which may be an indicator of the situation in naval yards.
In its March 16 situation report global marine insurer North reports that "the efficiency of the shipyards in Zhoushan decreased substantially." Offshore Magazine reported that "staffing and supply shortages in China, ... will in turn delay project deliveries by at least three to six months." Reuters also recently reported that "ship deliveries have been hit as yards in China struggle."
WNU Editor: I expect a slowdown for a few months on China's massive naval shipbuilding program. The supply chain in China has after-all been disrupted by this pandemic. But once this is all over, I for one would not be surprised if China doubles down on its naval and other military procurement projects to increase employment in order to mitigate the impact of the global economic slowdown that everyone is now expecting.
Back in December, someone in China made bat soup (at least according to the officially accepted narrative that doesn't get you banned on Facebook, Twitter, etc), and the rest is history: in the next three months, the global equity market has lost $24 trillion in value, more than the $22 trillion in US GDP. And here is a staggering chart from BofA putting the crash of 2020 in its historic context: in the past month, the US stock market has crashed faster than both the Great Depression and Black Monday, and in terms of the total drawdown, the crash of 2020 is now worse than 1929 and is fast approaching 1987.
Momentum appears to be building for a national shutdown to confront the coronavirus crisis, raising the prospect that President Trump could issue an order requiring people to stay at home.
Such an order would be unprecedented in American history, but some of Trump's top advisers have said publicly they would be open to it. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Sunday he had raised the prospect of such a dramatic step with the administration.
"I think we should really be overly aggressive and get criticized for overreacting," Fauci said Sunday on NBC's "Meet The Press." "I think Americans should be prepared that they're going to have to hunker down significantly more than we as a country are doing."
WNU Editor: This would be tantamount to declaring martial law, and I pray that such a declaration is not made. In the end it will all come down to what the medical experts will say need to be done, and if the consensus is to shut everything down, I am sure President Trump will sign onto it. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has already said that this prospect is being discussed. My prediction. If there is no "levelling of the curve" by next week or sooner, the U.S. will follow other European states to declare a shutdown. For my readers in Canada, I have a good source in Ottawa who is telling me the same thing. That while Canada may be a week or two behind the U.S. and Europe in the spread of this pandemic, if there is no progress a shutdown will happen at the end of this month or the beginning of April.
WNU editor: I have friends who live in New York City and across the Hudson River in New Jersey. All of them stocked-up in the past month to stay inside for a month or two. Among some of my former colleagues who work in the Russian mission at the UN in New York City. I have just learned right now that with the exception of one, they all left about 2 weeks ago to back home.
More News On New York State Being Declared A Major Disaster Area
Tens of thousands of Iraqi Shiites have turned out to commemorate a revered imam, defying curfews imposed to stem the spread of the #coronavirushttps://t.co/m5ooWwFWpg
The Rogers family is sad to announce that Kenny Rogers passed away last night at 10:25PM at the age of 81. Rogers passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family. https://t.co/adxAgiMW2spic.twitter.com/nggWiiotMT
A HUGE 5.3 earthquake has struck Croatia, leaving at least one dead and causing widespread damage across the capital Zagreb - after the quake was felt across five different European countries.
THE EUROPEAN UNION is attempting to "control society" amid growing concerns over the coronavirus and climate change, teenage campaigner Naomi Seibt argues.
GIBRALTAR's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has issued an impassioned appeal to young people living in the British overseas territory planning parties despite the coronavirus pandemic - telling them: "Don't be idiots".
THE BBC has revealed that an emergency meeting chaired by Angela Merkel could spark an immediate lockdown all across Germany by Monday, as Europe's biggest economy looks set to follow in the steps of Italy, France and Spain.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has warned trucks carrying necessary medical supplies and essential food items are stuck in huge traffic jams at certain borders in Europe.
A RUSSIAN doctor is facing jail amid allegations she put 1,200 people at risk of catching coronavirus after returning from a holiday in Spain with the disease.
Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020: Apply Online for 58 Safety Assistants & Fireman Jobs @ cochinshipyard.com!! Job Seekers, Alert – At the moment we have 58 vacancies are available for Safety Assistants & Fireman Posts. The Cochin Shipyard has published a job notification for 10th pass candidates!!. Cochin Shipyard Limited invites Online applications for the following posts on Contract basis in CSL. All the Interested candidates can start to apply for Cochin Shipyard Jobs from 18th March 2020. Candidates can find the eligibility details in the sections below. The last date to apply for Shipyard Jobs in Cochin is 02nd April 2020.
Cochin Shipyard Career 2020-21
Applicants may find all details about the Cochin Shipyard Jobs like eligibility, salary, application fee, application procedure. Candidates should refer to the Cochin Shipyard Ltd official notification for more details. Interested candidates should check the eligibility and apply for the Cochin Shipyard Jobs. Applicants meeting the notified requirements may do the One-time Registration in the SAP Online portal and submit their application. Applicants are advised to apply at the earliest to avoid any confusion and difficulties at the last minute. Contenders can also click on the website link to know more about Cochin Shipyard Limited.
The details of the vacancy as given in the Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020 is as below
Name of the Post
Number of Posts
Safety Assistants
24
Fireman
34
Total
58
Eligibility Criteria for Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020
Candidates interested in Cochin Shipyard Jobs can check their eligibility with the details below to apply online.
Academic Qualification:
Safety Assistants
Pass in SSLC
One year Diploma in Safety/Fire from a Government recognized institute or Public Sector Undertaking
Fireman
Pass in SSLC
Minimum four to six months training in Fire Fighting from a State Fire Force or Public Sector Undertaking or a Government recognized course from a reputed institute.
Knowledge in Malayalam is desirable
Read the official notification for more details on Cochin Shipyard Careers.
Experience:
Minimum one-year training or experience in safety in a Public Sector Undertaking or a Factory.
Age Limit:
The upper age limit as on 02nd April 2020 should be
Maximum Age – 30 Years
Age relaxation:
OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) candidates – 03 Years
SC/ST candidates – 05 Years
PwBD candidates – 10 Years
For the age limit as given in the Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020, refer to the official notification.
Selection Process:
Written Test
Practical Test
Physical Test
Pay Scale for Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020:
Contract Period
Consolidated Pay (per month)
Compensation for Extra Hours of Work (per month)
First-year
Rs. 22,100/-
Rs. 4,600/-
Second-year
Rs. 22,800/-
Rs. 4,700/-
Third-year
Rs. 23,400/-
Rs. 4,900/-
Refer to the official website for details on the pay scale for Cochin Shipyard Jobs
Cochin Shipyard Online Application Fee:
All candidates must pay Rs. 100/- plus bank charges as application fee
SC/ST/ PwBD Candidates – No fee
How to apply for Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020?
Go to the users manual published in the careers page of www.cochinshipyard.com
Read all the instructions carefully
Open the official notification
Read and check if you are eligible for the post
Go back to the careers page and register yourself if you are a first time user (One Time Registration) in the SAP online portal
Now, log in using your credentials
Fill the application form with all the details asked for
Attach a scanned copy of all the documents required
Submit the application form on the SAP online portal
Make sure to take a print out the application form and save the unique registration number immediately
Important Dates for Cochin Shipyard Jobs 2020-21:
Starting Date to Apply Online
18th March 2020
Last Date to Apply Online
02nd April 2020
Important Links for Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020-21:
Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020: Apply Online for 30 Ship Design Assistant Jobs @ cochinshipyard.com!! The Cochin Shipyard Notification has released for 30 vacancies. The board wants to hire candidates for the post of Ship Design Assistant. Interested and eligible candidates are called to apply online for these vacancies. Eligible candidates can start to apply for Cochin Shipyard Recruitment from 20th February 2020. candidates can find the eligibility details in the sections below. The last date to apply for Shipyard recruitment in Cochin is 04th March 2020.
Read all the details given below carefully. You will find all details about the Cochin Shipyard Jobs like eligibility, salary, application fee, application procedure. Candidates can make sure of these details to check if they are interested and eligible for these posts. If interested, candidates can also refer to the official notification. Once eligibility and interest are confirmed, candidates can click on the Cochin Shipyard Apply online link to start applying. Candidates are advised to apply at the earliest to avoid any confusion and difficulties at the last minute. You can also click on the website link to know more about Cochin Shipyard Limited.
The details of the vacancy as given in the Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020 is as below
Name of the Post
Number of Posts
Ship Design Assistant
30
Total
30
Eligibility Criteria for Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020
Candidates interested in Cochin Shipyard Jobs can check their eligibility with the details below to apply online.
Academic Qualification:
10th Pass
Three Year Diploma in Mechanical Engineering
Read the official notification for more details on Cochin Shipyard Careers.
Experience:
Two Years of experience in Shipyard Engineering Company/ Government/ Semi-Government Company/ Establishment/ Private Design Establishment/ Large Commercial Establishment with advanced proficiency in Tribon
Age Limit:
The upper age limit as on 04th March 2020 should be
Maximum Age – 30 Years
Age relaxation:
PwBD Candidates – 10 Years on Upper Age Limit
For age limit as given in the Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020, refer to the official notification
Selection Process:
Written Test
Interview
Document Verification
Pay Scale for Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020:
Rs. 24,400/- to Rs. 25,900/- per month
Refer to the official website for details on the pay scale for Cochin Shipyard Jobs
Cochin Shipyard Online Application Fee:
All candidates must pay Rs. 200/- plus bank charges as application fee
Information about application fee:
The application fee has to be paid online (Debit Card/ Credit Card/ Internet Banking) only
The fee paid is non-refundable and extra bank charges will be applied
If the application fee is not paid, the application will be rejected
How to apply for Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020?
Go to the users manual published in the careers page of www.cochinshipyard.com
Read all the instructions carefully
Open the official notification
Read and check if you are eligible for the post
Go back to the careers page and register yourself if you are a first time user (One Time Registration) in the SAP online portal
Now, log in using your credentials
Fill the application form with all the details asked for
Attach a scanned copy of all the documents required
Make sure the application form is complete
Submit the application form on the SAP online portal
Make sure to take a print out the application form and save the unique registration number immediately
General Information :
Try to apply well in advance to avoid heavy traffic on the website on the last day
Assistance will be available only till 5.00 pm on the last day
Application form and payment have to be submitted only online. No hardcopy should be sent to the officials
Candidates will be informed about call later through SMS/ Mail/ Website only
Call letters will not be sent via post
Important Dates for Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020-21:
Starting Date to Apply Online
20th February 2020
Last Date to Apply Online
04th March 2020
Last Date to Pay Online Application Fee
04th March 2020
Important Links for Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020-21:
Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020: Apply for 19 Junior Technical Assistant Posts before 25th February 2020!! Cochin Shipyard has released a new notification for candidates who wish to apply for Junior Technical Assistant Posts. There are 19 vacancies that need to be filled at the moment. Interested candidates can read all the details below and check if they are eligible for Cochin Shipyard Jobs. Eligible candidates can then proceed to apply in the prescribed manner. The Cochin Shipyard Online application process is explained below. Candidates can apply online before 25th February 2020.
Cochin Shipyard Jr Technical Assistant Recruitment 2020-21
Interested candidates make use of this opportunity. The salary offered by the officials is very good. If selected, placement will be in Cochin/ Kochi/ Ernakulam. The Cochin Shipyard Notification can be found below. Candidates are advised to read the entire notification before applying. Also, find the Cochin Shipyard Apply Online link below to start applying easily. Candidates who have been looking for government jobs in India can definitely check this. Apply now for Cochin Shipyard Recruitment.
Overview of Cochin Shipyard Jobs 2020
Name of the Organization
Cochin Shipyard
Number of Vacancies
19
Name of Post
Junior Technical Assistant & Others
Starting date of application
Started
Closing date of application
25th February 2020
Job Category
Kerala Government Jobs
Job Location
Cochin/ Kochi/ Ernakulam
Application process
Online Procedure
Official Website
www.cochinshipyard.com
Details of Cochin Shipyard Vacancy 2020-21:
The details of the vacancy as given in the Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020 is as below
Name of the Department
Number of Posts
Mechanical – Junior Technical Assistant
3
Electrical – Junior Technical Assistant
2
Electronics – Junior Technical Assistant
2
Information Technology – Junior Technical Assistant
1
Junior Commercial Assistant
2
Welder – Welder cum Fitter
3
Plumber – Welder cum Fitter
2
Electrical – Fitter
1
Electronics – Fitter
2
Shipwright Wood
1
Total
19
Eligibility Criteria for Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020
Candidates interested in Cochin Shipyard Jobs can check their eligibility with the details below to apply online.
Nationality:
Only Indian Citizens can apply for Cochin Shipyard Recruitment
Academic Qualification:
Name of the Post
Education Qualification
Mechanical – Junior Technical Assistant
Mechanical Engineering – Three Year Diploma
Electrical – Junior Technical Assistant
Electrical Engineering – Three Year Diploma
Electronics – Junior Technical Assistant
Electronics Engineering – Three Year Diploma
Information Technology – Junior Technical Assistant
Computer Engineering/ Information Technology – Three Year Diploma
Junior Commercial Assistant
Commercial Practice/ Computer Engineering/ Information Technology – Three Year Diploma
Welder – Welder cum Fitter
10th Pass + ITI
Plumber – Welder cum Fitter
10th Pass + ITI
Electrical – Fitter
10th Pass + ITI
Electronics – Fitter
10th Pass + ITI
Shipwright Wood
10th Pass + ITI
Read the official notification for more details on Cochin Shipyard Careers.
Age Limit:
As on 25th February 2020, the upper age limit should not extend
Maximum Age – 35 Years
Age relaxation is available as below:
OBC (Non-creamy layer) candidates – 3 Years
SC/ ST candidates – 5 Years
Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) candidates – 10 Years
Read the official notification for details on the Cochin Shipyard Recruitment age limit.
Selection Process:
Phase I – Objective Online Test
Phase II – Descriptive Type Written Test/ Practical Test in relevant trade
Pay Scale for Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020:
Name of the Post
Salary Offered
Mechanical – Junior Technical Assistant
Rs. 23,500/- to Rs. 77,000/-
Electrical – Junior Technical Assistant
Rs. 23,500/- to Rs. 77,000/-
Electronics – Junior Technical Assistant
Rs. 23,500/- to Rs. 77,000/-
Information Technology – Junior Technical Assistant
Rs. 23,500/- to Rs. 77,000/-
Junior Commercial Assistant
Rs. 23,500/- to Rs. 77,000/-
Welder – Welder cum Fitter
Rs. 22,500/- to Rs. 73,750/-
Plumber – Welder cum Fitter
Rs. 22,500/- to Rs. 73,750/-
Electrical – Fitter
Rs. 22,500/- to Rs. 73,750/-
Electronics – Fitter
Rs. 22,500/- to Rs. 73,750/-
Shipwright Wood
Rs. 22,500/- to Rs. 73,750/-
Cochin Shipyard Online Application Fee:
General Candidates – Rs. 200/-
SC/ ST/ PwBD Candidates – No Application Fee
Information about application fee:
The application fee has to be paid online (Debit Card/ Credit Card/ Internet Banking) only
The fee paid is non-refundable and extra bank charges will be applied
If the application fee is not paid, the application will be rejected
How to apply for CSL Recruitment 2020?
Go to the users manual published in the careers page of www.cochinshipyard.com
Read all the instructions carefully
Open the official notification
Read and check if you are eligible for the post
Go back to the careers page and register yourself if you are a first time user (One Time Registration) in the SAP online portal
Now, log in using your credentials
Fill the application form with all the details asked for
Attach a scanned copy of all the documents required
Make sure the application form is complete
Submit the application form on the SAP online portal
Make sure to take a print out the application form and save the unique registration number immediately
General Information :
Try to apply well in advance to avoid heavy traffic on the website on the last day
Assistance will be available only till 5.00 pm on the last day
Application form and payment have to be submitted only online. No hardcopy should be sent to the officials
Candidates must keep their original documents ready for verification after Phase I
Candidates will be informed about call later through SMS/ Mail/ Website only
Call letters will not be sent via post
Important Links for Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020-21:
Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020: Walk-in for 83 Commissioning Engineering & Commissioning Assistant Posts in Kerala!! Were you waiting for Shipyard Recruitment in Cochin? This may be the end of your wait. The Cochin Shipyard Notification has released. There has been an announcement for 83 vacancies for Commissioning Engineer & Commissioning Assistant vacancies. Interested candidates can walk-in on 10th February 2020. To check eligibility for Cochin Shipyard Recruitment, read the details given below.
Candidates, please make sure that you are eligible before attending the Cochin Shipyard Walkin recruitment drive. You can find all the details loaded in the sections below. Make sure to read them carefully. Applications are invited from Ex – Indian Navy Personnels for Commissioning Engineers & Commissioning Assistant Posts.
Overview of Cochin Shipyard Jobs 2020
Name of the Organization
Cochin Shipyard
Number of Vacancies
83
Name of Post
Commissioning Engineer & Commissioning Assistant
Walk-in-interview Date
10th February 2020
Job Category
Kerala Government Jobs
Job Location
Cochin/ Kochi/ Ernakulam
Application process
Walk-in
Official Website
www.cochinshipyard.com
Details of Cochin Shipyard Vacancy 2020-21:
The details of the vacancy as given in the Cochin Shipyard Recruitment 2020 is as below
Name of the Post
Number of Posts
Mechanical – Commissioning Engineer
1
Electronics/ Communication & Navigation/ Instrumentation & Control – Commissioning Engineer
ICMR Recruitment 2020 Notification Released – Apply Online for 150 Fellowships in New Delhi. The Indian Council of Medical Research is in plan to recruit the candidates. Those who are interested in joining the Central Government Jobs can apply for the ICMR Jobs 2020. Therefore, Authorities have released the Official Notification to check the eligibility details. Before applying for the posts aspirants must go through the details stated. Online Application starting date is from 27th April 2020. Moreover, the last date to windup the process should be on or before 27th May 2020.
ICMR Recruitment 2020 Details
Applying aspirants are suggested to download the Official Notification before submitting the applications. However, all should undergo the eligibility details to apply for ICMR Vacancy. Get the Age Limit, Selection Process rounds from the upcoming webpage. You can see the ICMR Apply Online Link at the end of the segment on 27th April 2020. How to Apply Steps may help you to fill the application in an easier way. You are adviced to get to the end of the webpage to read the Apply Online steps.
The Indian Council of Medical Research, the peak body in India for the definition, coordination, and advancement of biomedical research, is one of the most established and biggest clinical research bodies on the planet. Indian Council of Medical Research is supported by the Indian Government through the Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare departments.
ICMR’s 26 national organizations address themselves to explore on explicit wellbeing subjects like tuberculosis, sickness, cholera and diarrhoeal infections, viral illnesses including AIDS, intestinal sickness, kala-azar, vector control, sustenance, nourishment, and medication toxicology, propagation, immuno-hematology, oncology, clinical insights, and so on. Its 6 provincial clinical research communities address themselves to territorial medical issues, and furthermore expect to reinforce or produce investigate capacities in various geographic regions of the country.
The chamber’s exploration needs concur with National wellbeing needs, for example, control and the board of transmittable illnesses, richness control, maternal and youngster well being, control of the dietary issue, creating elective systems for human services conveyance, regulation inside security cutoff points of ecological and word related medical issues; examine on major non-transferable ailments like malignancy, cardiovascular infections, visual deficiency, diabetes, and another metabolic and hematological issue; emotional well-being examination and medication inquire about (counting conventional cures). These endeavors are embraced so as to decrease the complete weight of sickness and to advance the wellbeing and prosperity of the populace.
NALCO Recruitment 2020 – Apply Online for 120 Graduate Engineer Trainee Post Vacancies: National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has released a Job notification to recruit 16 candidates for Graduate Engineer Trainee Posts. Interested candidates can apply online for NALCO Vacancy 2020 from 20th March 2020. However, NALCO Apply Online Link is provided below. Last Date to apply for NALCO Career 2020 is 09th April 2020. Get additional details such as Salary, Vacancy Details, Eligibility, and Others in the following sections of this page.
NALCO Recruitment 2020
Name of the Organization: National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO)
Name of the Posts: Graduate Engineer Trainee (GET)
Above are all the important dates to make a note for NALCO Job Vacancy 2020.
NALCO Career 2020 Vacancy Details
Graduate Engineer Trainee – 120
Name of the Disciplines
Number of Vacancies
Mechanical
45
Electrical
29
Instrumentation
15
Chemical
9
Metallurgy
13
Civil
5
Mining
4
Total
120
Eligibility Criteria for National Aluminium Company Limited Recruitment 2020
Educational Qualification
The NALCO Bhubaneswar Jobs qualification requirements are as follows, A candidate with full time prescribed degree for the disciplines as given below can only apply for the post of Graduate Engineer Trainees(GETs) in the respective discipline.
NALCO Recruitment through GATE 2018 – Apply Online for 115 Graduate Engineer Trainee Posts: National Aluminium Company Limited announced the NALCO Recruitment 2018 Notification. all Central Government Job seekers can avail of this job opportunity. NALCO Careers 2018 has 115 Vacancies of Graduate Engineer Trainee posts. Candidates interested to be a part of NALCO Company can apply Online from 23rd April 2018. The last date to apply for NALCO India is 22nd May 2018. Aspirants with a valid GATE 2018 score can check salary, application fee and other details here. For more details about NALCO Recruitment, check www.nalcoindia.com
NALCO Recruitment 2018 Details
Name of the Organization: National Aluminium Company Limited Name of the Posts: Graduate Engineer Trainee No. of Vacancies: 115 Apply Mode: Online Job Category: Central Government Jobs Job Location: Odisha Starting Date: 23rd April 2018 Last Date: 22nd May 2018
NALCO Recruitment through GATE 2018 Details
Posted on: 23rd April 2018
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) 115 Graduate Engineer Trainee Vacancies WWW.RECRUITMENT.GURU
Important Dates
Advertisement Date: 22nd April 2018
Starting Date to Apply: 23rd April 2018
Last Date to Apply: 22nd May 2018
Selection Process
GATE 2018 Score
Interview
NALCO Careers 2018
Name of the Post
Number of Vacancies
Graduate Engineer Trainee
115
Total
115
www.nalcoindia.com Recruitment 2018
Name of the Discipline
Number of Vacancies
Mechanical
54
Electrical
32
Metallurgy
18
Electronics
05
Instrumentation
06
Total
115
NALCO Company Jobs 2018 Eligibility Details
Educational Qualification
Possess full-time Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or Technology in relevant discipline with 65% marks from a recognized Institution
SHS Bihar Jobs 2020 Notification: Lab Technician, Psychologist & Other Vacancies – Apply Online NOW!! The State Health Society Bihar has released the Job Notification for various Vacancy. There has been an announcement for 70 vacancies. These vacancies are for the posts of Lab Technician, Psychologist & Others. Interested candidates can read the details given below. The officials are inviting online applications from dynamic and enthusiastic candidates to fill up this SHS Bihar Jobs. Candidates can start to apply from 20th March 2020. The last date to apply for the BSSS Recruitment is 09th April 2020.
State Health Society Bihar Recruitment 2020
Interested candidates can refer to the BSSS notification for more details. Once the candidates have confirmed they are eligible, they can proceed to apply online. To apply, click on the SHS Bihar Apply Online link given below. Candidates should refer to the official notification and check the eligibility details before ap[plying for the SHS Bihar vacancies. Applicants who wish to know more about the Bihar Swasthya Suraksha Samiti or State Health Society Bihar can click on the official website link below.
Overview of SHS Bihar Jobs 2020
Name of the Organization
Bihar Swasthya Suraksha Samiti (BSSS) or State Health Society Bihar (SHS Bihar)
BSSS Recruitment 2020: Executive Assistant, Accountant & Other Vacancies – Apply Online NOW!! Bihar Swasthya Suraksha Samiti (BSSS) AB – PMJAY has released the SHS Bihar Notification. There has been an announcement for 54 vacancies. These vacancies are for the posts of Executive Assistant, Accountant & others. Interested candidates can read the details given below. The officials are inviting online applications from vibrant and enthusiastic candidates to fill up this BSSS Vacancy. Candidates can start to apply from 17th March 2020. The last date to apply for the BSSS Recruitment is 07th April 2020. Interested candidates make use of this opportunity.
BSSS Recruitment 2020-21
Interested candidates can read all the details below carefully. They can also refer to the BSSS notification for more details. Once the candidates have confirmed they are eligible, they can proceed to apply online. To apply, click on the BSSS Apply Online link given below. Follow the instructions to apply to make sure your application is not rejected. Candidates who wish to know more about the Bihar Swasthya Suraksha Samiti or State Health Society Bihar can click on the official website link below.
Overview of BSSS Jobs 2020
Name of the Organization
Bihar Swasthya Suraksha Samiti (BSSS) or State Health Society Bihar (SHS Bihar)
Number of Vacancies
54
Name of Post
Executive Assistant, Accountant & others
Starting date of application
17th March 2020
Closing date of application
07th April 2020
Job Category
Bihar Government Jobs
Job Location
Bihar
Application process
Online Application
Official Website
www.statehealthsocietybihar.org OR www.health.bih.nic.in
Details of BSSS Vacancy 2020-21:
The details of the vacancy as given in the BSSS Recruitment 2020 is as below
Name of the Post
Number of Posts
Accounts Officer (State)
02
Accountant (State)
02
Executive Assistant (State)
12
Executive Assistant (District)
38
Total
Total
Eligibility Criteria for BSSS Recruitment 2020
Candidates interested in BSSS Jobs can check their eligibility with the details below to apply.
Academic Qualification:
Name of the Post
Education Qualification
Accounts Officer (State)
Post Graduate in Commerce Working Knowledge of Tally Software
Accountant (State)
Graduate in Commerce Working Knowledge of Tally Software
Executive Assistant (State)
Graduate in Commerce English Typing Speed min 25 words per minute and Hindi Typing Test min 20 words per minute
Executive Assistant (District)
Graduate in Commerce English Typing Speed min 25 words per minute and Hindi Typing Test min 20 words per minute
Read the official notification for more details on BSSS Careers.
Age Limit:
Minimum Age – 21 Years
Maximum Age – 37 Years
For age limit as given in the BSSS Recruitment 2020, refer to the official notification
Selection Process:
Written Test
Interview
Document Verification
Pay Scale for BSSS Recruitment 2020:
Name of the Post
Salary Offered Per Month
Accounts Officer (State)
Rs. 50,000/-
Accountant (State)
Rs. 25,000/-
Executive Assistant (State)
Rs. 25,000/-
Executive Assistant (District)
Rs. 20,000/-
Refer to the official website for details on the pay scale for BSSS Jobs
BSSS Online Application Fee:
General/ OBC Candidates – Rs. 300/-
SC/ ST Candidates – No Fee
How to apply for BSSS Recruitment 2020?
Open the State Health Society Bihar Recruitment notification using the link below
Read all the details carefully and make sure you are eligible
If eligible, click on the State Health Society Bihar Apply Online link
Duly fill in all the details asked for
Attach scanned copies of document, signature, and photographs where required
Pay the application fee as per your category
Submit the application form and take a print out for future
State Health Society Bihar Recruitment 2020: Online Applications for 865 Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery Posts @ www.statehealthsocietybihar.org!! The SHS Bihar Notification has released. There has been an announcement for 865 vacancies. These vacancies are for the post of Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery (ANM). The officials are inviting online applications from interested candidates. The details of State Health Society Bihar Jobs has been provided below. Interested candidates can read all the details and check for eligibility. Eligible candidates can start applying online from 09th March 2020. The last date to apply for SHS Bihar Recruitment is 30th March 2020.
State Health Society Bihar Recruitment 2020-21
Candidates can find all the details below like education qualification, age limit, selection process, salary, application fee, application procedure and any other details required by the candidate about SHS Jobs. You can read these details and also refer to the State Health Society Bihar Notification for more details. By this, you will be able to determine if you are eligible for the vacancy or not. If eligible, click on the SHS Bihar Apply Online link below and follow the steps given to start applying. Candidates who wish to know more about State Health Society Bihar can visit the official website @ www.statehealthsocietybihar.org or click on the website link below. Apply now for SHS Bihar Careers.
State Health Society Bihar Recruitment 2020: Online Application for 660 Counsellor, Dental Assistant & Other Posts!! State Health Society Bihar has released its job circular to hire 660 candidates. These vacancies are for Counsellor, Dental Assistant & Others. Interested candidates are invited to refer to the State Health Society Bihar notification and apply online. You can start applying from 26th February 2020. The last date to apply for the State Health Society Bihar Recruitment is 17th March 2020. Find all the details below and check if you are eligible. Selected candidates will be placed in Bihar. Selection will happen through Computer Based Test and Interview.
State Health Society Bihar Recruitment 2020-21
Interested candidates start to read all the details below. You can also refer to these details from the official notification. Once you determine you are eligible, you can start to apply by clicking on the State Health Society Bihar Apply Online link. To know more about the State Health Society Bihar, visit the official website @ statehealthsocietybihar.org or click on the website link below. Candidates are recommended to start applying soon to avoid a last-minute rush. In case of any queries, candidates can contact the officials of State Health Society Bihar or make use of the comment section below
Overview of State Health Society Bihar Jobs 2020
Name of the Organization
State Health Society Bihar (SHS Bihar)
Number of Vacancies
660
Name of Post
Counsellor, Dental Assistant & Others
Starting date of application
26th February 2020
Closing date of application
17th March 2020
Job Category
Bihar Government Jobs
Job Location
Bihar
Application process
Online Application
Official Website
www.statehealthsocietybihar.org
Details of State Health Society Bihar Vacancy 2020-21:
The details of the vacancy as given in the State Health Society Bihar Recruitment 2020 is as below
Name of the Post
Number of Posts
Counsellor
579
District Urban Health Consultant (NUHM)
13
District Community Mobilizer
26
Audiometric Assistant (NPPCD)
11
Instructor for Hearing Impaired Children (NPPCD)
11
Dental Hygienist (NOHP)
10
Dental Assistant (NOHP)
10
Total
660
Eligibility Criteria for State Health Society Bihar Recruitment 2020
Candidates interested in State Health Society Bihar Jobs can check their eligibility with the details below to apply.
Academic Qualification:
Name of the Post
Education Qualification
Counsellor
Bachelor Degree (Full Time) in Social Work/ Sociology/ Psychology
District Urban Health Consultant (NUHM)
Master of Public Health (MPH) or MBA or PG Diploma with specialization in Public Health/ Hospital Management/ Health Management/ Health Care Management
District Community Mobilizer
Master Degree of Social Work (MSW) or MA in Social Work or Post Graduate Degree with Specialization in Rural Development
Audiometric Assistant (NPPCD)
Intermediate with a 1-year diploma in Audiology
Instructor for Hearing Impaired Children (NPPCD)
Intermediate with a 1-year diploma in Audiology
Dental Hygienist (NOHP)
Intermediate Biology with a Diploma in Dental Technician/ Dental Hygienist/ Dental Mechanic courses AND Registration with State Dental Council
Dental Assistant (NOHP)
Matriculation and Certificate Course in Dental Assistant (6 to 12 Months)
Read the official notification for more details on State Health Society Bihar Careers.
Age Limit:
The maximum age limit as on 1st January 2020 should be
Unreserved/ EWS Candidates – 37 Years
Unreserved/ EWS Candidates (Female) – 40 Years
BC/ MBC (Male & Female) – 40 Years
SC/ ST Candidates (Male & Female) – 42 Years
10 Years relaxation in age is admissible to Divine Body Applicant
For age limit as given in the State Health Society Bihar Recruitment 2020, refer to the official notification
Selection Process:
Computer Based Test (CBT)
Interview
Document Verification
Pay Scale for SHS Bihar Recruitment 2020:
Name of the Post
Salary Offered per Month
Counsellor
Rs. 15,000/-
District Urban Health Consultant (NUHM)
Rs. 35,000/-
District Community Mobilizer
Rs. 20,000/-
Audiometric Assistant (NPPCD)
Rs. 15,000/-
Instructor for Hearing Impaired Children (NPPCD)
Rs. 15,000/-
Dental Hygienist (NOHP)
Rs. 15,000/-
Dental Assistant (NOHP)
Rs. 10,500/-
State Health Society Bihar Online Application Fee:
General/ OBC Candidates – Rs. 500/-
SC/ ST Candidate – Rs. 250/-
Candidates may read the official notification to get more details on State Health Society Bihar online application fees
How to apply for SHS Bihar Recruitment 2020?
Open the notification using the link below
Read all the details carefully
If eligible, click on the online application link
New users will have to register before starting to apply
Fill in all the details asked for
Make sure to attach required documents, signature and photograph where required
Pay the application fee as per your category
Submit the application form and take a print out of the same
Important Dates for State Health Society Bihar Recruitment 2020-21:
Starting Date to Apply
26th February 2020
Last Date to Apply
17th March 2020
Important Links for State Health Society Bihar Recruitment 2020-21:
Frequently Asked Questions About State Health Society Bihar Recruitment 2020:
1. What is the mode of application form State Health Society Bihar ANM Vacancy 2020? A. Applications for State Health Society Bihar Recruitment will be accepted only in the Online mode. Candidates can apply for ANM, Psychologist, Physiotherapist, psychologist & Others posts by following the steps given above
2. Where will the candidates be placed after selection? A. The selected candidates can be placed in Bihar which has an office of State Health Society Bihar (State Health Society Bihar).
3. What are the important dates I must know for State Health Society Bihar Jobs 2020? A. Candidates must make note of the following date
Starting Date of Application – Started
Last Date To Apply Online – 09th April 2020
4. What is the selection process for the State Health Society Bihar Recruitment 2020? A. Candidates will be selected based on Written Exam and Interview.
5. How much will I be paid for State Health Society Bihar Vacancy 2020? A. Candidates will get Rs.60000/-
6. What is the application fee that I will have to pay for State Health Society Bihar CHO Recruitment? A. UR, BC, MBC & EWS candidates will have to pay – Rs. 500/- as application fee and SC/ST of Bihar domicile Female & Divine Body candidates of all categories Rs. 250/-.
About State Health Society Bihar (State Health Society Bihar):
The state health society, Bihar has been established to guide its functionaries towards Receiving, managing (including disbursement to implementing agencies e.g. Directorate, of Medical & Public Health District Societies, NGOs, etc.) and account for the funds received from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
Its resources will manage the NGO / PPP (Public-Private partnership) components of the NRHM in the state including the execution of contracts, disbursement of funds and monitoring of performance. Bihar Govt. has decided that State Health Society Bihar will function as a Resource Centre for the Department of Health & Family Welfare in policy/situational analysis and policy development.
RSMSSB Investigator Admit Card 2020 – Candidates who are going to take down the Investigator Exam on 10th May 2020. Thus, the admit card will be available at this page from 01st Week of May 2020. The Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board will declare the hall ticket and the exam on its official portal soon.
RSMSSB Librarian Grade III Admit Card 2020 – Applicants of Librarian Grade III Posts can now download the admit card from the below section. Therefore, the exam on 29th December 2019has been cancelled and the Rescheduled date will be announced soon on its official portal. Moreover, the RSMSSB Hall Ticket should be downloaded before the exam date. After that the admit card link will get disappeared.
RSMSSB Lab Assistant Admit Card 2020 – The RSMSSB Board has released the Admit Card details for Lab Assistant and the written exam will be held on 3rd February 2020, and the vacancy for the above-mentioned posts is 1200. So the candidates, who had applied for the Lab Assistant post and can download their Admit Card details through our below-given link. The RSMSSB is releasing the various vacancy for every here. so people before download their Admit Card has to check appeared details or correct or not. Because it would be a very important document for the exams. The Candidate who failed to carry the RSMSSB Librarian Admit Card is not allowed to write the exam.
We are introducing through this article about RSMSSB PTI Hall Ticket. The Rajasthan PTI Grade III Admit card is important to allow in the exam centre. The permission letter provides useful and important details about Exams and candidates. All applicants may check the Exam Day & Dates, the venue of the test, paper pattern, and Candidate's Name, Gender, Date of birth, Father name, etc. from RSMSSB PTI Call letter. The Hall Ticket includes all the upcoming details,
Name of candidates
Father's name
Date of birth
Fender
Exam Day, Date & Reporting time
Exam Centre Code
Enrollment Number
Space for Invigilator's Signature
Instructions to follow during the exam
Space for Examiner's Signature
Candidate's Photograph
Download RSMSSB Admit Card 2020
The necessary documents must require along with RSMSSB Admit Card 2020. Candidates will need to carry one valid original identity card for invigilator verification. Examiners have to take any one of the valid ID to the test centre along with RSMSSB Physical Training Instructor Exam call letter.
Aadhar Card & RSMSSB Admit Card
College ID
Ration Card
Driving License
PAN Card
Voter ID
Any Valid ID Proof Issued By Gazetted Officer
Bank Passbook
Passport
How to Download RSMSSB Admit Card 2020?
First candidates visit the official website of Rajasthan Staff Selection Board
At the home page, select the Candidate Corner section
Click on Admit Cards link and open it
Select the link of “Download RSMSSB Admit Card 2020”
Enter necessary details such as name, Application number/Registration ID, and date of birth.
Click on submit button and save the Rajasthan Admit Card 2020
Take a print out of RSMSSB Exam Admit card for further use.
HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Jobs 2020: Apply Online | 72 Job Vacancy – The HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Ltd. (HRRL) invites proficient and motivated candidates looking for exciting career opportunities to be a part of our growth journey. All the interested candidates can check the eligibility details from the below section. The eligible applicants can start to apply for the HPCL Recruitment from 19th March 2020 to 24th April 2020. The selected candidates will be placed under Jaipur, Rajasthan.
HPCL Recruitment 2020
The HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Ltd. (HRRL) invites application for 72 candidates of Engineer & Professionals Job Vacancies. Interested candidates can find the HPCL Recruitment 2020 details in the official website www.hpcl.co.in (OR) www. hindustanpetroleum.com as well as in the link given below. Read the entire notification before applying for the HPCL Jobs. Find the details of Hindustan Petroleum Recruitment 2020 eligibility, age limit, salary, application fee, etc below.
Eligibility Criteria for Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited Recruitment 2020
Candidates meeting the requisite eligibility criteria may apply online below for the HPCL Jobs 2020.
Educational Qualification:
Post Name
Qualification
Engineering Functions
4-years full-time regular engineering course in Mechanical Engineering/ Electrical Engineering/ Instrumentation Engineering/ Civil Engineering/ Fire Engineering or Fire & Safety Engineering/ from AICTE approved/ UGC recognized University with minimum 60% marks for UR/OBCNC/EWS candidates and 50% for SC/ST/PwBD candidates
Finance
Candidates should be Qualified Chartered Accountant (CA) from Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) with 50% marks
Human Resources
Two-years full time, Post-graduate Degree in HR /Personnel Management / Industrial Relations/Psychology or Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with specialization in HR/Personnel Management from AICTE approved / UGC recognized institute/university
Information Systems
4 years Full time B.E. / B.Tech in the discipline of Electronics / Telecommunications /Electronics & Telecommunications / Computer Science / Information Technology
Legal
3-years full-time course in law after graduation or 5 years course in law after 12th Standard from AICTE approved / UGC recognized University/Deemed University
1. I have completed my B.E. / B.Tech Engineering degree after diploma in engineering. Am I eligible to apply?
Yes, as long as the engineering degree is as stipulated in the advertisement. You should have a minimum of 60% marks (For SC, ST & PwBD – minimum 50%) in aggregate of all semesters, in qualifying graduate (B.E. / B. Tech.) Degree.
2. Is there any specific format in which I have to upload my CV?
Yes. The CV should be in a standard format. The standard template for the same has been uploaded on the website. The doc / docx file format file size should be a maximum of 1 MB.
Hindustan Petroleum Recruitment 2019
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) – Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) is inviting online applications for the post of Officer, Managers & Others. There are 24 vacancies for the said posts. Interested candidates can apply online from 24th November 2019 to 31st December 2019. Candidates must have completed their Masters/Ph.D. to be eligible for the posts. Hired applicants will be posted across India.
Interested candidates can find the HPCL Recruitment 2019 details in the official website www.hpcl.co.in (OR) www. hindustanpetroleum.com as well as in the link given below. Read the entire notification before applying. Find the details of Hindustan Petroleum Recruitment 2019 eligibility, age limit, salary, application fee, etc below.
Overview of HPCL Recruitment 2020
Name of the Organisation
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) – Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE)
Name of the Post
Officer, Managers & Others
Number of Vacancies
24
Application Mode
Online Mode
Notification Release Date
24th November 2019
Application Starting Date
24th November 2019
Application Last Date
31st December 2019
Job Category
Central Government Jobs
Job Location
Across India
Official Website
hindustanpetroleum.com
HPCL Vacancy 2019 Details
Name of the Department
Number of Vacancies
Chief General Manager Process Technologies
1
Assistant Manager Intellectual Property Rights Call
1
Senior Manager – FCC
1
Assistant Manager/Manager – Hydroprocessing
1
Sr Manager – Catalysis
1
Assistant Manager/Manager – Catalysis
1
Sr. Manager – Nanotechnology
4
Officer – Catalysis
1
Officer – Nanotechnology
2
Sr. Manager Analytical
2
Officer – Analytical
3
Assistant Manager/ Manager- Bioprocess
1
Officer – Bioprocess
1
Sr. Manager- Polymer/ Petrochemical
1
Officer- Polymer / Petrochemical
1
Assistant Manager/ Manager- Corrosion Study / Metallurgy
1
Chief Manager/ DGM – Analytical
1
Total
24
Eligibility Criteria for HPCL Jobs 2019
Candidates meeting the requisite eligibility criteria may apply online below.
Educational Qualification & Experience:
Name of the Department
Qualification
Chief General Manager Process Technologies
ME/M.Tech in Chemical Engineering or PhD in Chemical Engineering post ME/M.Tech/B.Tech
Assistant Manager Intellectual Property Rights Call
BE/B.Tech in Chemical / MSc (Chemistry) / PhD in Chemical Engineering or Chemistry AND Registered Patent Agent with Indian Patent Office or any other patent office such as USPTO & EPO
Senior Manager – FCC
ME/M.Tech in Chemical Engineering or related subjects and BE/B.Tech in Chemical
Assistant Manager/Manager – Hydroprocessing
ME/M.Tech in Chemical or related subjects and BE/B.Tech in Chemical
Sr Manager – Catalysis
PhD in Chemistry (Catalysis/ Materials / Chemical Engineering)
Assistant Manager/Manager – Catalysis
PhD in Chemistry (Catalysis/Materials/Chemical Engineering)
Sr. Manager – Nanotechnology
PhD in Chemistry (Catalysis, Materials) & other relevant areas of Chemical Sciences & MSc & BSc in the relevant area of chemical science
Officer – Catalysis
PhD in Chemistry (Materials/Nanomaterials) & other relevant areas of Chemical Sciences
Officer – Nanotechnology
PhD in Chemistry (Materials/Nanomaterials) & other relevant areas of Chemical Sciences
Sr. Manager Analytical
Ph.D. in Chemistry (Analytical/ Organic/Physical Chemistry
Officer – Analytical
PhD in Chemistry (Analytical/ Organic /Inorganic) & MSc & BSc in relevant areas of chemical sciences
Assistant Manager/ Manager- Bioprocess
PhD in Microbiology/Biotechnology/ Chemical Engineering
Officer – Bioprocess
PhD in Biosciences (Microbiology, Molecular biology or biotechnology or relevant areas)
Sr. Manager- Polymer/ Petrochemical
Ph.D in Polymers/Polyolefin/ Petrochemicals etc
Officer- Polymer / Petrochemical
Ph.D in Polymers/ Polyolefin/ Petrochemicals etc
Assistant Manager/ Manager- Corrosion Study / Metallurgy
M.Tech in Chemical engineering or Metallurgy Ph. D in Chemistry/ Chemical Engineering/ Metallurgy with specialization in corrosion studies
Chief Manager/ DGM – Analytical
Ph. D in Analytical/Organic/Physical Chemistry
Age Limit:
Name of the Department
Age Limit
Chief General Manager Process Technologies
Max Age – 52 Years
Assistant Manager Intellectual Property Rights Call
Max Age – 34 Years
Senior Manager – FCC
Max Age – 40 Years
Assistant Manager/Manager – Hydroprocessing
Max Age – 33/36 Years
Sr Manager – Catalysis
Max Age – 40 Years
Assistant Manager/Manager – Catalysis
Max Age – 34/36
Sr. Manager – Nanotechnology
Max Age – 32
Officer – Catalysis
Max Age – 40
Officer – Nanotechnology
Max Age – 32
Sr. Manager Analytical
Max Age – 40
Officer – Analytical
Max Age – 32
Assistant Manager/ Manager- Bioprocess
Max Age – 34/36
Officer – Bioprocess
Max Age – 32
Sr. Manager- Polymer/ Petrochemical
Max Age – 40
Officer- Polymer / Petrochemical
Max Age – 32
Assistant Manager/ Manager- Corrosion Study / Metallurgy
Max Age – 34/36 Years
Chief Manager/ DGM – Analytical
Max Age – 45/50 Years
Total
24
Age Relaxation:
As per the norms
HPCL Salary:
Best Salary
Application Fee:
SC/ST & PWBD – No Application Fee
GEN/EWS/OBCNC – Rs.500/- + GST of Rs.90/-
Selection Process:
General Aptitude
Technical / Professional Knowledge
Computer Based Test, Group Task and Personal Interview
Final Scoring
How to Apply Online for Hindustan Petroleum Recruitment 2019?
Download the Official Notification given below.
Read the given details completely and ensure the eligibility level.
Now, click on the apply online link given below
Fill it with the essential details that are asked in.
Enclose scanned copies with the application form.
Pay prescribed application fee
Finally, hit on the submit button to complete your recruitment process.
Address:
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited,
Visakh Refinery, Malkapuram,
Visakhapatnam-530011,
Andhra Pradesh, India,
Important Dates for HPCL Careers 2019
Notification Release Date
24th November 2019
Online application starting date
24th November 2019
Last Date to Apply
31st December 2019
Important Links for HPCL Vacancies for Graduates & PG 2019
About Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL):
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) is an Indian oil and flammable gas organization with its central command at Mumbai, Maharashtra. It has about 25% piece of the pie in India among open segment organizations (PSUs) and a solid showcasing framework. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, likewise the advertiser of the organization, possesses 51.11% offers in HPCL and others are conveyed among money related foundations, open and other investors. The organization is positioned 367th on the Fortune Global 500 rundown of the world’s greatest enterprises starting in 2016.
HPPSC Admit Card 2020 Releasing Soon. Download the hall ticket for the post of 28 Assistant Professor, Tehsil Welfare Officer. Hence, the hall ticket will be available in the month of April 2020. Moreover, the HP Public Service Commission will commence the exam on the declared date. The hall ticket can be downloaded by entering the valid particulars.
HPPSC Admit Card 2020 – Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission has issued the HPPSC Hall Ticket for the post of Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF), Class-I (Gazetted). Thus, the admit card has been issued on 27th February 2020. Therefore, the HPPSC Exam will be held on 08th March 2020. Hence, Download the hall ticket from the bottom of the table.
HPPSC Exam Admit Card 2020
Description
Details
Name of the Board
Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission
Name of the Post
Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF), Class-I (Gazetted)
HPPSC Lecturer Hall Ticket 2020 – Candidates who are going to take down the screening test are suggested to check the test date here. Thus, the board will issue the admit card on its official portal soon. Thus, the screening test will be held on 23rd February & 14th March 2020.
HPPSC Inspector Admit Card 2020 – Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission is yet to release the admit card for 54 Inspectors & Other Posts. The Commission will issue the admit card to the participants after the declaration of the exam date. The HPPSC Prelims and Mains exam date will be announced soon on its official portal. So, Make sure to download the admit card once the board releases it.
HPPSC Inspector Hall Ticket 2020 – Download Here (Available Soon)
HPPSC Allied Subordinate Services Admit Card 2020 – The Commission has announced the exam date for the above-said post on 09th February 2020. Thus, the HPPSC Admit Card is released on 31st January 2020. Therefore, Candidates who are eligible to take down the examination can download the HPPS Allied Subordinate Services Hall Ticket from here.
HPPSC Exam Admit Card 2020 – HPPSC allows applicants to download the admit card online. Generally, the board announces the admit card 15-20 days before the date of examination. Candidates who clear the written are called for the interview round. Hence, aspirants can visit our page to download the HPPSC interview call letter 2020. Find the exam dates and steps to download the admit card/hall ticket and interview call letter online below. Also, check the important documents to carry for written and interview rounds in the sections following.
Himachal Pradesh PSC has given the notification for officer vacancies. A huge number of applicants have been applied for the posts and might be looking for Admit Card 2020. Therefore, all the candidates who are waiting to download the HP PSC Officer Admit Card can get it via the link present below. The HPPSC Officer Hall Ticket 2020 has been released for Law Officer in Department of Labor & Employment, Law Officer Personnel Secretariat Administrative and Sub Editor.
All the candidates looking for HPPSC Admit Card do not need to search anywhere. They can directly use the link present above to Download the HPPSC Hall Ticket 2020. However, Candidates can visit the official site @ hppsconline.in to download the Himachal Pradesh PSC Admit Card 2020. Follow the following steps to download Himachal Pradesh Hall Ticket 2020 from the original site.
Candidates need to visit the HPPSC official site
There find a link to download the released Admit Card
Click on the link where you will find released Admit Card.
Enter the details they ask for and download you HPSSC Hall Ticket 2020
HPPSC Result 2020
The HPPSC Result 2020 will be declared soon after the commencement of the HPPSC Exam. The Exam date has been scheduled in the coming days so download your HPPSC Admit Card 2020. You can access your results when the HPPSC Board releases the Result. The Himachal Pradesh PSC Results will also be updated on our site @ recruitment.guru.
If you have lost your job or income due to Coronavirus you may be able to have mortgage payments reduced or suspended for up to a year. Here's how to qualify.
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The number of confirmed coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in India has been growing at a rate seen at the early stages in other countries where there was subsequently an exponential rise in infections in a matter of weeks. As a result, worries are beginning to mount whether India will also witness a significant outbreak in the days ahead. This is despite the sweeping measures put in place by governments at the Centre and in the states. In a televised speech on the evening of March 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people not to leave their homes unless necessary for the next few weeks.While India placed travel restrictions relatively early in the spread of Covid-19, and several states moved quickly to shutter public places, the country's high population density (and the associated difficulty in practising social distancing), overburdened public health infrastructure, high prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the prospect of transmission from younger people to the elderly in joint families all stack the odds against effective containment.The number of people in India who have tested positive for Covid-19 has nearly doubled to 283 in three days. Seven countries have thus far had more than 10,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19, and it took all of them just 13-19 days to go from 100 reported cases to 10,000, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). 74753760 "We have to assume that the worst that happened in other countries will also happen here," says T Jacob John, a former professor of virology at Christian Medical College in Vellore, Tamil Nadu.He is not the only one sceptical of drawing comfort from the limited number of reported Covid-19 cases in India. "There is no reason to believe the trajectory of the disease will be any different in India," says Ramanan Laxminarayan, director of Washington, DC-based Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy.Though an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study has ruled out community transmission—in which someone who has not travelled abroad, and has not been exposed to a Covid-19 patient, tests positive—till now, Laxminarayan says the ICMR's sample size of 830 is too small for a country of India's size. "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence," he said. On March 18, a Rampur resident who had travelled by train from Delhi to Chennai six days earlier in search of a job, tested positive in Tamil Nadu.Since the man had no history of foreign travel or known contact with an infected person, authorities in the state said it could be a case of local transmission. 74753765 If true, it would be India's first. On Saturday, a woman in Pune who had not travelled abroad was confirmed to have tested positive. It's not clear yet if she had met someone with a foreign travel history.India has come in for praise for being quick to restrict travel from other countries and for tracking down those who came in contact with Covid-19 patients. "But where we dropped the ball is testing," says Laxminarayan. As of March 20, around 14,500 individuals had been tested in India, according to the ICMR. The same day, the government agreed to expand its testing beyond those who have had international travel; contacts of those who tested positive; and healthcare workers, all of whom have to exhibit symptoms to be tested.Now, even asymptomatic contacts of a confirmed case and those hospitalised with severe acute respiratory illness will be tested. Hospitals also have to report pneumonia patients for testing. Adding to India's woes are the reckless behaviour of some who are at risk. Kanika Kapoor, a Bollywood singer, went to a party in Lucknow days after returning from London, instead of being in selfisolation. She later tested positive for Covid-19.Also at the party were former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her son Dushyant Singh, a member of the Lok Sabha. Singh then attended Parliament and a breakfast meeting hosted by President Ram Nath Kovind. Raje, Singh and other politicians who came in contact with them have now quarantined themselves at home.The Lucknow police have lodged a case against Kapoor for negligence. A large Covid-19 outbreak can challenge an already under-equipped healthcare system in India. The country only has nine beds for every 10,000 people, compared with more than four times that many in China.Around 20% of those infected with the coronavirus need to be hospitalised, explains V Ravi, professor of neurovirology at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences. "Other countries have had a problem treating severe cases of Covid-19. So will India."India also has to contend with the problem of high population density. There are 455 people per sq km, compared with 148 in China, 205 in Italy and 50 in Iran, according to the World Bank.China, Italy and Iran have reported the highest number of Covid-19 cases. The other risk factor, according to D Prabhakaran, vice-president for research and policy at the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), is the high number of people with NCDs such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. "These are risk factors for mortality among older people with Covid-19." One in every four deaths in India in 2016 was because of heart conditions, according to a study by the ICMR, the PHFI and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Moreover, one in every eight Indians aged 50 and above is diabetic, showed a Union government survey conducted between 2015 and 2019.India has so far seen four deaths, which puts its fatality rate at 1.4%, while Italy's is as high as 8.3%. That means more than 8 out of every 100 infected people have died—an alarming statistic.India was among the last major countries to experience an outbreak of Covid-19. So while it has had a good head start in preparing itself to face the challenge, the next couple of weeks will prove crucial in its battle against the invisible enemy.
New Delhi: The country will be observing an unprecedented shutdown on Sunday following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal for a 'Janata curfew', where people have been urged to voluntarily stay indoors to check the spread of coronavirus while public transport will be suspended or curtailed and all markets and shops except those dealing in essential items will be closed on the day.Cutting across party lines, chief ministers and others leaders urged the people to follow the self-imposed curfew from 7 am to 9 pm, noting that "social distancing" was key to breaking the chain of infection, as the number of coronavirus cases rose to 283 after 60 new cases were detected on Saturday, the highest so far in a day, and states like Maharashtra, Odisha and Bihar imposed partial lockdown till month end.No passenger train will originate from any railway station in the country from midnight to 10 pm on Sunday while all suburban train services will be reduced to a bare minimum as well. Metro services, including in Delhi, will remain suspended for the day.Air carriers like GoAir, IndiGo and Vistara have announced that they will be curtailing domestic operations on Sunday.Traders' body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has announced that they will keep their establishments shut across the country on Sunday.From suspending regular prayers involving large gatherings in shrines of various faiths, including Sunday mass, to disallowing jail inmates from meeting their families on the day, organisations and institutions in every sphere have announced restrictions for Sunday.Modi had on Thursday called for the 'Janata curfew' from 7 am to 9 pm on March 22, saying no citizen, barring those in essential services, should get out of their houses, and asserted that it will be a litmus test to show India's readiness to take on the coronavirus challenge.Describing it as the need of the hour, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked everyone in the country to support the step.In a series of tweets, Shah also asked all citizens to express gratitude to those who are working round the clock to keep the country safe and healthy amid the pandemic.Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu too made a fervent appeal to the people of the country to confine themselves to homes on Sunday.He said that since the virus spreads through physical contact, social distancing is an effective measure to contain its spread by avoiding contact during the incubation period of the virus."Janata curfew should be seen in the largest context of the initiative to insulate people with their voluntary involvement. It is a matter of great assurance that people have responded very positively to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal. People remaining indoors and social distancing are part of measures to curb the contagion virus," Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Saturday.In Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said 50 per cent of the buses will ply on roads on Sunday considering some people may have to travel due to an emergency.Autos and taxis will, however, be off roads in the national capital as several unions including the Delhi Autorickshaw Sangh, Delhi Pradesh Taxi Union, Delhi Auto Taxi Transport Congress Union and Delhi Taxi Tourist Transport Association, have decided to join the 'Janata curfew'.Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to the people of the state to stay indoors on Sunday."Metro trains, roadways buses and city buses will not operate on Sunday," the statement said on behalf of the chief minister."Coronavirus is in the second stage all over the country. It will convey a big message to the entire world if we are successful in stopping this at this stage."To curb this infection, we are working on a war footing. Isolation wards have been set up in every district hospital and medical college. So far, 23 patients have been identified in the state, out of which nine have completely recovered. There is no need to panic, but prepare yourself to fight against this challenge," the UP chief minister said in the statement.Leaders and other prominent personalities also urged the traders not to hoard essential items and the people to purchase only necessary things."We can prevent the virus entering third stage if people stay indoors and for that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced Janata Curfew on March 22," Tamil superstar Rajinikanth said in a video message.Archbishop of Goa Filipe Neri Ferrao cancelled the Sunday mass at all churches in support of the call for "janata" curfew to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.In Delhi too, St Peter's Mar Thomas Syrian Church, Patparganj and Cathedral Church of Redemption in central Delhi have cancelled Sunday mass and all services for next week, sources said.Prominent Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh said it will remain closed on March 22 and asked its students not to venture outside.The Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board announced suspension of regular prayers at mosques and shrines affiliated to it in the Kashmir valley as a preventive measure to contain the spread of the coronavirus.On Saturday, the prime minister thanked various organisations and business bodies for their efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus."Never forget -- precautions not panic!" he said adding that it is not only important to be home but also remain in the town/ city where you are."Unnecessary travels will not help you or others. In these times, every small effort on our part will leave a big impact," Modi said reacting to tweets by people on the virus.This is the time we should all listen to the advice given by doctors and authorities, he said."All those who have been told to stay in home quarantine, I urge you to please follow the instructions. This will protect you as well as your friends and family," he said.The prime minister also shared a video which showed how virus spreads and ways to check its outbreak taking small precautions.The Odisha government on Saturday announced a "near total" shutdown in five districts and eight other prominent towns for a week.These districts are Khurda, Ganjam, Cuttack, Kendrapara and Angul, while the towns include Puri, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Balasore, Rourkela, Bhadrak, Jajpur Road and Jajpur.The Bihar government ordered shutting down of bus services, restaurants and banquet halls across the state till March 31. All schools and malls are already closed in the state.Authorities have already ordered a shutdown in Maharashtra's major cities like Mumbai, Pune, Thane and Nagpur.The Akola district administration also ordered a sectoral lockdown between March 22 and 24.
The Epidemic Disease Act was enacted in 1897 and needs to be repealed. The Act does not provide any power to the Centre to intervene in biological emergencies. It has to be substituted by an Act which takes care of the prevailing and foreseeable public health needs, including emergencies such as BT (bioterrorism) attack and use of biological weapons by an adversary, cross border issues and international spread of diseases" — Management of Biological Disaster Guideline, GoI, 2008Behind the urgency to detect and quarantine suspected Covid-19 patients and the clarion call for social distancing lies a stark reality: in terms of enforcing laws to contain Covid-19, the Centre can do little on the ground.The legal inadequacy to tackle disease outbreaks was known for long, baby steps were taken, but at the end of the day, the country was not ready when it encountered another pandemic — arguably the severest since the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed around seven million people in the country.The main legal weapon the government possess today is the Epidemic Disease Act of 1897, a hurriedly drafted short legislation to stonewall the bubonic plague that devastated life in Bombay in 1896, forcing people to migrate out of the city. No wonder, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba last week advised states to invoke Section 2 of the Act so that all advisories the Union health ministry was issuing could be enforced on the ground. After all, health is a state subject. Union government's role could, at best, be advisory and coordinating in nature, since Section 2 of the Act only empowers a state to inspect people and segregate suspected patients. The only power the Centre derives from the British Raj-era law is on "inspection of any ship or vessel leaving or arriving at any port" that comes under its jurisdiction. The Act does not even mention airports. It is understandable — there were no aeroplanes 123 years ago. 74753020 However, when the Centre drafted the 156-page Management of Biological Disaster Guideline in 2008 — followed in letter and spirit even today — the realisation came that the Epidemic Disease Act was inadequate to deal with bioterrorism and international spread of diseases. After all, the law does not bestow the Centre any power beyond issuing advisories and coordinating. It cannot even regulate the transfer of biological samples — imagine a coronavirus sample getting stolen while being taken to a laboratory. During the first term of the UPA government, a public health emergencies bill was drafted. But the bill went into cold storage after states called it an infringement upon their powers. Later, during the Modi government's first term, a similar draft was more sincerely followed up, with the health & family welfare ministry naming it Public Health (Prevention, Control and Management of Epidemics, Bio-terrorism and Disasters) Bill 2017, proposing to repeal the epidemic law of 1897. The draft bill explains in clearer terms the quarantining of suspects and isolation of the infected, in addition to empowering the Centre to direct states and district or local bodies as well as usurping powers bestowed to states under Section 3 if it is found to be "expedient and in public interests" to do so. In addition, the proposed law also embedded a provision marking that anyone intentionally violating the law could end up paying a fine of up to `1 lakh and face imprisonment of up to two years. This provision could have been useful now given the rising instances of Covid-19 suspects skipping quarantine.Under current laws, police can charge someone under IPC's Section 269 for negligent act and Section 270 for malignant act for spreading an infectious disease which is dangerous to life.Former Union health secretary Lov Verma concedes that there is a need to strengthen India's legal framework but laws alone are insufficient. "India still has a plethora of laws to take on such an emergency. There are enough guidelines too. The problem arises mainly because of coordination and implementation issues," he says, adding that silo mentality in the government often poses a challenge.In the last fortnight, during which the Centre intensified its efforts to contain the pandemic, its coordination with states has largely been satisfactory. Also, no inter-ministerial tussles have come to the fore. In fact, the home ministry, which usually takes the lead during crises such as earthquakes, floods and cyclones, has taken a backseat, allowing the health ministry to coordinate with states as mandated by the Disaster Management Act of 2005.On March 11, Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, who chairs the national executive committee to coordinate during crises, invoked certain provisions of the National Disaster Management Act to delegate coordinating powers to the union health secretary to facilitate antiCovid preparations and interventions.The government indeed preempted a scenario like this, says Kamal Kishore, a member of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), which comes under the home ministry. "We thought about a possible biological disaster and did a lot of peacetime work, including drafting the National Disaster Management Plan, 2019. That, along with the guidelines on biological disaster (2008), are coming handy now," he told ET Magazine.True, the NDMA, along with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), did India's first full-scale biological management emergency mock drill at Patna airport in the summer of 2018.The participants had enacted an Ebola outbreak scenario, vindicating what Kishore says -- an inkling about a biological disaster and the need to be prepared. But, according to an official who took part in the 2018 exercise, that mock drill was never followed up, nor did its outcomes find any place in subsequent government guidelines or laws.
It is so boring, so boring, I can't tell you!" says Veena Iyer, repeating the two words so that there is no smidgen of doubt over how she feels about having to miss her twice-a-week dance classes. For Iyer and her friends, the afternoon classes at The Rising Groove Dance Academy in Mumbai's Lal Baug meant a chance to meet friends, exercise and, of course, dance with gusto. "We used to look forward to it a lot. Otherwise, who will go out in the hot sun!" she exclaims.For two weeks now, though, Iyer has been despondent as the classes have been cancelled. But she does not quibble over the reasoning. "They are doing it for our safety as we are more prone to it at our age," she muses, referring to Covid-19, the current pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus that is sweeping the world. After all, Iyer and her dance-class batchmates are all over 60 (Iyer herself is 70), putting them squarely in the bracket of the age group most at risk from the virus.In putting away their dancing shoes, the group of 10 enthusiastic women who would otherwise never skip a class join the rest of the country in a collective bid to stall the relentless march of Covid-19. 74752255 Flatten the curve, exhort researchers, referring to the steep rise in graphs showing the spread of the virus. Or we are a goner. Weeks into the battle against Covid-19, experts say the best way to achieve this is through social distancing. If crises come with their own vocabularies, the most used word in the Covid-19 pandemic would probably be social distancing, a term that's seen as a 100-fold rise in Google searches. This involves not mixing with people — for work or play — not going out of our houses except for essentials and throwing life as we knew it out of the window so that hospitals are not inundated with coronavirus cases. It is an unprecedented behavioural change experiment that is seeing people slow down and rethink many things they took for granted. 74752294 For people like Anshul Akhoury, the shift to this "new normal" has been rather drastic. Akhoury, a freelance writer, belongs to the tribe of digital nomads who enjoy combining writing assignments with their love for backpacking. In fact, the 31-year-old should have been exploring the historic quarter of Hoi An in Vietnam or the stunning Kuang Si Falls in Laos as you read this. But Covid-19 meant he had to cancel this and three other work trips. Instead, he has confined himself to his parents' home in Patna.The lifestyle change has taken some getting used to. But Akhoury says he has been keeping himself busy by finishing pending assignments, editing videos for his new You-Tube channel and making his way through various books he had bought but never had the time to read. "I don't like being idle," he explains.While Akhoury's trips were for work, many people have also had to cancel holidays because of travel bans and practising social distancing as a precaution. For several years now, higher incomes and better connectivity meant everyone had gotten used to the idea of being able to pack their backs and head out without a second thought, whether for an impulsive weekend trip or a longer holiday. The shutting of borders and grounding of planes have put paid to the plans of even those who haven't quite bought into the notion of social distancing.74752379 74752383 74752387 After some initial lamenting, people are now figuring out how to make the best of this. A look at online travel forums or the feeds of inveterate travellers shows that people are using the time to savour travel-themed books, organise photos of old holidays or to finally start the travel blog they had always planned to. Others intend to use the time to research for their next trip, whenever it might be.There is no question about the gravity of living in the middle of a pandemic. But as with every crisis, it has also thrown up unexpected opportunities like these, says New Delhi-based social commentator Santosh Desai. "While an overall sense of anxiety still pervades, I do believe it is an opportunity of a certain kind that was not available in the course of our everyday lives. Whether by spending more time with your family or reading a little, it allows a sense of enforced slowing down of everything," says Desai, also the CEO of Future Brands. For instance, the neighbourhood park that he is speaking from, he says on the phone, has never had so many people at 6 pm on a weekday.Akhoury agrees. "I hope there is a kind of soft reboot in people's minds so that they can learn to enjoy the small joys, like staying with their loved ones. I hope people realise that travelling on every holiday is not something they need to do."All this social distancing also seems to have created more time and opportunity for forays into the kitchen. "There are people I know who like to cook but could not because there wasn't time. Now that you are stuck indoors, you can rediscover that talent," says Desai. This would explain the recent deluge of pictures of people cooking up a storm, which has replaced the deluge of travel photos on social media.For some, though, this is about survival as it becomes infeasible to order in every single meal — because of the expense, infection risk or both. Spadika Jayaraj, a 26-year-old business development executive, had gotten used to eating lunch at the offices of the fintech startup in Bengaluru where she works, and ordering dinner from a food-delivery app. But with her company telling employees to work from home from last week, that has changed. "I used to come back from work around 8:30 pm so there was never enough time to cook dinner. But now that I am home, it doesn't make sense to not cook," says Jayaraj. With many of her friends in the same boat, they exchange easy recipes.Question of FitnessOthers are doing this at a larger scale. Mumbai-based journalist Peter Griffin has set up a Facebook group expressly aimed at those people who are not used to cooking but are now being forced to. Titled "Simple recipes for complicated times", it attracted 175 members and several recipes in less than 24 hours.But even as Jayaraj is enjoying her culinary experiments, the social distancing and partial lockdown involves other, less palatable readjustments. "I used to go to a CrossFit gym every day after work. That used to be the best part of my day and I really miss that." Jayaraj's gym in Bengaluru had downed shutters even before the Karnataka government ordered the closure of such public places to contain the spread of coronavirus.Several others have voluntarily decided to stay away from fitness classes and similar group activities because of the risk of transmission. Final-year law student Nivedita Pandit, based in Delhi, is one of them. "I stopped going for Zumba classes a week ago because the cases of coronavirus were increasing. And they're still increasing," says Pandit. But since working out had become as important as brushing her teeth for Pandit, she makes sure she does not skip a daily routine of exercise, which includes a run in the park and bodyweight training. "Since I'm mostly at home and my workouts are limited, I am also making sure I eat well," says the 23-year-old, who has been avoiding going out and meeting friends.In the Great Isolation that everyone is being subject to, the big differentiator with any parallel event in history has been technology, which is turning out to be a lifeline for many. It is helping people get around the physical barriers now in place in new and innovative ways, whether for fitness or socialising. Atulaa Krishnamurthy will vouch for it.The corporate lawyer used to treasure her one-hour gym session when she could switch off from work. For the past week or so, she has substituted that with a workout app. "Working out has so many benefits that spill over to my life. Hopefully, the app-based workout will give me the same feeling," says the 26-year-old who is based in Bengaluru. As a bonus, she can coordinate these workouts with her younger sister, who is under lockdown in Paris. "We are planning to be accountability buddies — we will do the same workouts remotely and keep each other posted about our progress," she says.Serendipitously, Krishnamurthy also started a virtual book club recently with friends in Melbourne, New Delhi and Mumbai. "It was something we randomly planned but now it is proving to be really useful," she adds. Psychologists underline the importance of these digital connections and activities for people holed up at home. In these anxiety-inducing times, it is important to stay connected emotionally, even as we distance ourselves physically. According to an article in medical journal The Lancet, "Confinement, loss of usual routine, and reduced social and physical contact with others were frequently shown to cause boredom, frustration, and a sense of isolation from the rest of the world, which was distressing to participants."One way for those staying alone to avoid such a situation is to throw virtual dinner parties, where you eat together over a video call. Or you can tune into virtual concerts by Coldplay's Chris Martin and John Legend that are being livestreamed on social media as part of the Together, At Home campaign by WHO and Global Citizen. The idea behind the campaign, according to the Global Citizen website, "is to unify people around the world when they may feel isolated by the conditions of Covid-19".Even games and quizzes are being organised online for those who miss the offline version. In Bengaluru, board game collective ReRoll is experimenting by substituting their Tabletop Thursdays, the weekly game nights they have been organising for over three years, with free virtual sessions."We wanted to put something together for people staying at home on weekdays. We figured anything was better than not having a board game night at all," says cofounder Karthik Balakrishnan. The first week saw a live-stream of Skribble, a Pictionary-like game, while last Thursday had games as well as an online quiz. There is even an upside to going virtual, says Balakrishnan. "The scope of who can participate becomes much wider. It could be an opportunity for us to reach people we otherwise would never have been able to."As leisure options change, so have the systems around work. Several companies have asked employees to work from home to enforce social distancing. But the new arrangements come with their own challenges, as content marketer Priya Ravichandran discovered last week. For instance, a recent video call with colleagues had a surprise participant — her two-year-old son, who decided to sit at her feet. Her two children, says the 37-year-old, are not yet used to seeing her at home all day. "My elder son has a million questions and wants to sit with me. My younger one wants to make sure I'm still at home, so he keeps coming to look at my face," she says, laughing. But she is hopeful that this is a period of transition, which will get better. The upside, apart from no commutes, has been the ability to focus more deeply on the job at hand and the luxury of home-cooked, sit-down lunches on weekdays.Behaviour ChangesAll of these changes could well induce behavioural shifts, in the long term. "A change of this kind is so unusual and goes so against the general flow of life that it creates a very abrupt kind of counterpoint. If it lasts a long time, it will have a residual effect," says social commentator Desai.As we emerge from the Covid-19-induced tunnel of isolation, he says there could be two sets of reactions: those who get back to their old life with a vengeance and those who have an easier, more relaxed idea of life. This would, of course, hinge on the length of the self-imposed quarantine.In the meanwhile, people continue to adjust to the new normal as best as they can. Mumbai-based Iyer, for one, has taken to practising dance at home, Tai Chi and watching dance videos online. "It is difficult to pass the time now," she adds. "But we can find novel ways."
MUMBAI: India's largest two wheeler maker, Hero MotoCorp has decided to stop operations in all facilities including in India, Colombia and Bangladesh - and the Global Parts Centre (GPC) at Neemrana with immediate effect until March 31, 2020 in view of the escalating COVID-19 virus situation to safeguard wellbeing of its employees.Employees at all the other functions and locations including the Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan will continue to work from home, except for those whose physical presence is necessary to run the day-to-day essential services, the company said in a statement shared with stock exchanges early Sunday morning. Chairman of Hero MotoCorp, Dr. Pawan Munjal, through two Digital Town Hall meetings held in quick succession last week, has already conveyed the organisation's commitment to stand by the employees despite the severe disruptions caused by the ongoing situation. The Task Force set-up by the Chairman is constantly monitoring the developments through regular video conferencing and tele-meetings to ensure that safety and business-continuity plans are up-to-date and effective."Hero MotoCorp is hopeful and confident that our global society will emerge stronger and wiser from this unprecedented calamity. The Company wishes good health to everyone and is empathetic towards those suffering from this situation," added the statement.
New Delhi: As cities shutdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has initiated a rare protocol to safeguard its workforce while at the same time ensuring that plants operate uninterruptedly so as to keep the nation's fuel supplies running. "We are in a business where we need to ensure not just consumers get uninterrupted supplies of petrol, diesel and cooking gas (LPG), but also airlines get jet fuel on demand and supply lines for nation's defence forces are unhindered," IOC Chairman Sanjiv Singh said. The company has implemented work from home at non-critical locations and implemented staggered work hours and working on alternate days at others with all precautions. Its consumer facing points such as petrol pumps and LPG delivery services have initiated safeguard protocol with face masks and sanitisers. "We have an obligation towards the nation to keep its supply lines running and we are doing everything while ensuring employee and consumer safety," he said adding rare times require extraordinary measures and Indian Oil and all its employees are rising to the occasion to serve the nation. Singh said to keep fuel supply lines running, oil refineries have to function, depots have to operate, pipelines need to flow and retail outlets need to dispense. "To keep our operations running, we have to ensure that crude oil is imported on regular basis, it is stored and then refined at refineries, fuel so produced is transported to depots from where it has to be moved to consumer dispensing points. These are 24x7 operations and so we have taken measures to ensure they run while at the same time employees are protected," he said. At petrol pumps and LPG distributorships, the company is trying to run operations with minimum number of employees while ensuring they dont take public transport, he said. In all this, the company has to also ensure that the switch over to ultra-clean BS-VI petrol and diesel, equivalent to Euro-VI emission compliant fuel, happens before April 1 deadline, he said. "The challenge before us is to protect employees and stakeholders (consumers). Challenge is that we cannot stop operations at any plant, location or retail outlet. The challenge is to maintain supplies at all times," he said. The protocol IOC has implemented involves restricting outsider entries to company plants and townships as well as avoiding non-essential gathering of people, he said adding board meetings are being conducted through video conferencing. "Indian Oil Tanking Ltd and Chennai Petroleum Corp Ltd (IOC subsidiaries) will hold forthcoming board meetings through video conferencing," he said. IOC also tweeted pictures of its employees and retail outlet operators in precautionary gears while doing refils. "The IndianOil aviation team working against the face of adversity, while taking the proper precautionary measures and following guidelines, to ensure uninterrupted supply of aviation fuel," it said in a tweet. "Hats off to our customer attendants who are ensuring uninterrupted fuel supplies despite the challenging times; #IndianOil is committed to the health of all its stakeholders, ensuring all safe practices are in place," it said in another tweet. IOC said all its distributors and delivery personnel have been advised on the best practices of personal hygiene and usage of hand sanitisers frequently. "We are taking all the necessary precautions to service our customers successfully." "We are committed to the safety of our customers, employees and channel partners. We are ensuring cashless payments on home delivery of #Indane cylinders and are taking all necessary precautions for safety," it added.
As India's worst coronavirus-hit state Maharashtra has enforced a partial shutdown, financial capital Mumbai has come to a standstill.But the financial markets fraternity is rising to the occasion in a show of its characteristic never-say-die spirit.As soon as the stock exchanges on Friday announced relaxations to allow work from home, big brokerages rushed to issue guidelines to facilitate their employees to operate out of their homes, wherever possible.They have also put up alternative facilities for the on-ground staff, in a bid to make the ongoing social distancing drive successful.Top brokerages told ETMarkets.com on Saturday that after the exchanges allowed those relaxations, they have temporarily permitted employees to log on to trading systems from remote locations to put through client orders and execute transactions.Vijay Bhushan, President at ANMI, an association that represents 900 members, said brokerage are taking steps to ensure that their clients are not inconvenienced and trading volumes do not suffer.He said stock exchanges' decision to allow brokers to trade on behalf of clients from remote locations was a swift and appreciable response to the virus outbreak.The sanitation of office premises, redesigning of IT policies to meet regulatory requirements and setting up of disaster recovery sites under business contingency plan are underway, said Sudhir Dhar, Executive Director & Head of HR at Motilal Oswal Financial Services.He said most of Motilal Oswal employees were already working from home since March 17, except for what he called 'business-critical staff' .The business-critical employees, on the other hand, will work from 'secondary office locations' closer to their homes, so that they could avoid public transport, he said.Nikhil Kamath, CIO and Co-founder Zerodha and True Beacon, said his companies had already made necessary investments in technology and infrastructure to provide employees with the capabilities to work remotely."Covid-19 will have both a cultural and institutional impact where businesses will be compelled to reflect their longstanding 'work from home; policies and technologies that enable them to do so," Kamath said.Historically, a turmoil accompanying such downturns significantly reconfigures a business and often removes redundancies, he said.Edelweiss said it has implemented various tools and is partnering with companies like Microsoft, Zscaler and AWS "to ensure better productivity and a better experience for customers even in these unprecedented times."Currently, more than 90% of Edelweiss Group employees, i.e. 9,000 people, have been enabled and are working seamlessly from home, while ensuring that client information and data are protected at all times."Employees are using digital tools for online video meetings and secure instant messaging through Microsoft Teams. They are accessing internal applications hosted on our 'On Premises Datacenter' as well as AWS/Azure Cloud, using the zero trust security platforms of Zscaler and Microsoft. Our digital engagement internally has gone up 30 times in the last week," said Nitin Agarwal, CTO Edelweiss.He said Edelweiss Group was holding over 1,500 online video meetings a day (up from just 30 the previous week).Ravi Kumar, co-founder at Upstox, a discount broking firm, said his company has pro-actively started implementing work from home policy for most of its employees for a week. "That's the advantage of being a technology-driven online business," he said, adding that his online brokerage has been witnessing healthy month-on-month growth in the number on new demat accounts and transactions, given the online nature of the business.Queries sent to Sharekhan and IndiaNivesh remained unanswered as Saturday was a holiday for them.Other brokerages said meetings with external visitors are being called off or are being done via video conferencing. Lav Chaturvedi ED & CEO at Reliance Securities said his team had been working on a contingency plan since the outbreak of Covid 19."This has given us the agility to continue with our operations in these challenging times. We do not expect any hit on our business as our customers can seamlessly transact using our digital platforms across web & mobile," he said.Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddav Thackeray on Friday announced a lockdown of Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Pimpri till March 31. While essential services will be in place, government offices will operate with just 25 per cent attendance. At the time of writing of this report, Maharashtra accounted for 56 out of the total 275 confirmed cases in India so far. They included singer Kanika Kapoor, who has also been booked for negligence.NSE said the arrangement will continue till April 30 or longer if the situation demands.This would be the first time in history when the brokerages are being permitted to operate the trading terminals from locations other than main or branch offices or from the office of an authorised person.That said, stock exchanges have asked brokers to put in place an internal policy to prevent unauthorised trading and provide a list of approved users, terminal details, segment, certificate details and addresses of the alternate locations to the exchange.The virus fears have rattled financial markets globally. The Philippines shut down its financial markets last week amid a surge in volatility. There has been debates in the US and also in India whether domestic stock exchanges should be shut.Indian investors have lost Rs 44 lakh crore in wealth since January 25 in the market turmoil triggered by the virus crisis. To curb the market free fall, Sebi on Friday stepped up and announced curbs on short positions in the F&O segment, raised margins for non-F&O stocks in cash market and revised marketwide position limits.Globally, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has lowered the threshold for reporting short-selling to regulators for the next three months. Hedge funds and other investors in the region will have to give regulators more information about the bets.France, Italy, Belgium and Spain have introduced temporary measures to halt bets on falling shares at scores of companies.On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an address to the nation described social distancing as the key measure to contain the virus. He warned that the next 3-4 weeks will be crucial for the country to tackle the crisis.
The unabated meltdown of the equity markets continued this week as well, which saw Nifty plunge to the fresh weekly lows. Domestic equities traded in line with weak global setup and lost ground as rapidly as other global markets.Benchmark Nifty declined and ended in the negative for the first four days of the week. Despite some short covering-led pullback, the headline index ended with a net weekly loss of 1,209 points, or 12.75 per cent. The currently weekly fall remains one of the largest in the absolute terms in the history of the Index.The market has got damaged extensively on the technical front as of today. With the current weekly decline, Nifty has violated the over 10-year-long upward rising trend line, as it appears on the chart. While the index trades below all the moving averages, it is also set to negatively react to the new Sebi circular that came out after market on Friday, aiming to curb market volatility. 74745037 The India Volatility Index, INDIA VIX, surged by further 30.36 per cent to 67.10, and now it trades very close to its lifetime high.The week ahead is likely to see a volatile and weak start, and the 9,000 and 9,315 levels will act as key resistance for Nifty. The downside risks remain deep with key supports at 8,200 and 7,800 levels. Volatility is likely to stay ingrained in the sessions over the coming days.The weekly RSI stands at 16.13; it trades deeply oversold. The weekly RSI has marked a fresh 14-period low, which is a bearish indication, but it remains neutral and shows no divergence against the price. The weekly MACD is bearish as it trades below the signal line. The PPO remains negative. 74745040 Pattern analysis shows Nifty has violated the 11-year-old upward rising trend line. In the process, it has disrupted a decade-long uptrend.On technical ground, any pullback will face resistance at this trend line going ahead. Sebi's measures to curb shorts and, therefore, volatility, will bring in very volatile and adverse reaction in the market. It has made creating shorts much tougher; in the process, it will also reduce the amount of short-covering that usually fuels a pullback.This will result in lower volumes, lead to either margin pressure or liquidation of positions, and will also practically drive retail index traders out of the market for a month.We strongly recommend staying away from the current setup, as it is nearly impossible to apply technical readings in isolation on such a market. The market will not only react to the Sebi measures, but will remain highly responsive to weak global market setup as well. Medium and long-term portfolio investors may invest a small amount of total available funds at lower levels, but should strictly avoid any significant exposures. 74745053 In our look at Relative Rotation Graphs®, we compared various sectors against CNX500 (Nifty500 Index), which represents over 95% of the free-float market-cap of all the listed stocks.The review showed the only way to approach such a weak and volatile market is to go for defensive plays.Without going into microanalysis this week, as it would be pointless to do so, RRG charts convey a clear message that defensive pockets like FMCG, consumption, pharma and realty are the only ones that are rotating favorably. Nifty pharma, consumption and IT indices are the only ones in the leading quadrant. Nifty FMCG is currently in the improving quadrant, but appears to steady while maintaining its relative momentum. These groups are likely to relatively outperform the broader market.It is best advised to stay away from the rest of the pockets in this market.Important Note: RRGTM charts show the relative strength and momentum for a group of stocks. In the above chart, they show relative performance against Nifty500 Index (broader market) and should not be used directly as buy or sell signals.(Milan Vaishnav, CMT, MSTA is a Consultant Technical Analyst and founder of Gemstone Equity Research & Advisory Services, Vadodara. He can be reached at milan.vaishnav@equityresearch.asia)
he Ministry of Health and MyGov, along with WhatsApp, have launched a helpline number to raise awareness and answer questions about the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting Saturday, WhatsApp users across the country can reach out to the ministry of health on +91 9013151515 for credible information and to verify any uncertain information on precautionary measures or treatment practices.To contact the helpline, citizens should save the WhatsApp number in their phone, and then start a chat by typing "Hi" and sending it to the number, which will prompt them to either type in a query or choose from a list of frequently asked questions. Depending on the question, users will receive verified information in the form of a video, infographic or text. "In times of global crisis such as the COVID 19 Pandemic, it is imperative that we rely only on factually correct and verified information. I commend Facebook for this great effort to synergise facts from credible sources and put it in the public domain through a popular messaging platform like WhatsApp. It shall definitely have a resounding positive impact on public health. When facts are incorrect, it leads to panic and takes the form of a vicious cycle. I appeal to people, transcending all borders, to use precautions that are being given out through official sources and to NOT get misled by myths that are circulated by mischievous elements," said Dr Harsh Vardhan, union minister for health and family welfare, science and technology, earth sciences."Access to credible sources of information is critical to battling Coronavirus and is our top priority. We appreciate the opportunity to work with the ministry of health and MyGov on this initiative. We encourage users across the country to depend on verified sources for any information during this period" said Abhijit Bose, head of India for WhatsApp.
Plastic and silicone bags are pretty durable, so it's important to keep them clean before you use them again. While most plastic and silicone bags can be hand washed or cleaned in a dishwasher, they need to be dried out completely to prevent any mold or mildew from building up later on. To keep the bags sanitary, use a drying rack or clothesline to air-dry them completely.
Throw out any bags that were used to store raw meats or known allergens. Check the label of your bag, or try to recall what it was used to store previously. If your bags came into direct contact with raw poultry, meat, or any other possible source of foodborne illnesses, be sure to discard them completely. The same rule applies to bags that held possible allergens for your household.[1]
For instance, if someone in your household is allergic to peanuts, you'd want to throw out a reusable plastic bag that once held peanut brittle.
Damaged or torn bags also shouldn't be reused.
Flip your bags so they're inside-out. Find the bottom edge of your plastic bag and push it upwards, pulling it past the zipper or seal. Double-check the edges and corners of the bag to ensure that they're completely inside-out so you can clean the plastic surface more thoroughly.[2]
Fill a basin with cool or lukewarm water and a pea-sized amount of dish soap. Pour lukewarm or cool water into a sink, basin, bucket, or other small container. Next, take the dish soap of your choice and pour a tiny amount into the basin. Use your hand or a long utensil to stir and agitate the water until suds form.[3]
Use a sponge to clean off the inside of the bag. Dip a clean sponge into the sudsy water and begin wiping down the plastic bag. Focus on any big spills or messes sticking to the plastic, then move your sponge around the rest of the plastic surface. As you wipe, try to get the bag completely spotless.[4]
Rinse off the surface with cool or lukewarm water. Wring out your sponge over the sink or container, then soak it with clean tap water. Remove the bag from the sudsy basin, then wipe down the surface with the clean sponge. Try to get rid of any visible suds until the bag is completely clean.[5]
You don't want to leave any suds on the outside of your bag, or the soapy residue could rub off onto whatever you store in the bag later.
Wash your bags in the dishwasher if you don't want to hand wash them. Arrange your plastic bags over the racks in your dishwasher, then set the machine to a regular cycle. Don't choose a heated dry setting or a cycle that uses hot water, as these could damage and melt your plastic bags.[6]
If your bags are still wet when they come out of the dishwasher, you can always air-dry them!
You can use whatever dish detergent you have on hand; however, keep in mind that gentler detergents may help your plastic bags to last longer.
Turn your plastic bags right-side-out. Push the bottom edge of your bag downward so it goes past the zipper or seal. Next, use your fingers to press along the edges and corners of the bag to ensure that it's back to normal. At this point, examine the item to make sure that the wet portions of plastic are along the inside of the bag.[7]
Arrange your damp plastic bags over a bag drying rack. Place your homemade or store-bought bag drying rack on a countertop, table, or other flat surface in your living space. If you don't have a drying rack on hand, look for any spokes, hooks, or other sturdy objects that you could drape the bag over. You could also place a chopstick in a drinking glass and drape your bag over that.[8]
For instance, a mini birdhouse could work as an impromptu drying rack.[9]
You can purchase bag drying racks online. These items can be wooden or metal, and are composed of multiple spokes that you can drape your plastic bags over.
This method works best for Ziploc-style plastic bags. You can try drying your silicone bags this way, but a dishwasher is probably more efficient.[10]
Place your bags on a clothesline if you don't have a drying rack handy. Arrange the bottom seam of your damp plastic bags on an outdoor clothesline, then secure the top of the bag into place with a clothespin. Only clip 1 side of the bag onto the clothesline so it can stay open and air-dry completely.[11]
If you don't have a lot of room outside, you can set up an indoor clothesline instead.
You can line-dry both plastic bags and reusable grocery bags.
Wait until the inside of your bags are dry to the touch. Check on your bags on an hourly or daily basis to see if they're dry. If you see any leftover moisture or water droplets in your bags, leave them on the rack or clothesline for several more hours. Leave your reusable plastic or grocery bags be until they're fully dry to the touch.[12]
If you use your bags when they're still damp, you could be setting yourself up for unwanted mold or mildew later.
Wipe out your bag with a microfiber cloth if it's still damp. If your bag is taking too much time to air-dry, place a folded microfiber cloth inside. Seal or zip the end of the bag, then shake and squeeze the cloth inside of the plastic. Continue doing this for around 30 seconds, or until the inside of the bag is completely dry. Then, you can remove the cloth and use the bag again![13]
Although untucked shirts aren't a great option for formal events, they can add a layer of polish and style to a casual ensemble. Before selecting a dress shirt to wear, compare the garment against a few basic guidelines to see if it can be untucked. Then, you can experiment with different sweaters, jeans, and various kinds of shoes until you find a casual or formal outfit that works well for you!
Select a shirt that only goes down to your zipper. Try on your dress shirt in front of a mirror, so you can see how long the shirt tails are. While you don't have to measure the garment, see if the hem drifts below the middle of your pant's zipper. If the shirt is long and baggy, set it aside and try on a different garment. Additionally, check that the shirt doesn't ride up on your midsection.[1]
Untucked dress shirts look best when they're shorter in length overall.
Lift up your arms to see how long or short your garment is. If your shirt lifts up to the point where you can see your midsection, then you shouldn't wear it untucked.
Untuck shirts that have a straight hemline. Examine the bottom section of your shirt to see if it's straight or curved. While many dress shirts can be worn tucked or untucked, note that shirts with curved, uneven seams with obvious shirt tails are designed to be tucked into your pants.[2]
Shirts with curved hemlines and shirt tails are designed to be tucked into dress pants, and are typically worn with jackets or blazers, or as part of a suit ensemble.
Shirts with straight hems can be squared-off or curved along the bottom.
Opt for dress shirts with loose collars to create a casual outfit. Pinch the fabric of your collar to see how stiff or loose the material is. If the collar is stuffed or made with an especially sturdy fabric, set the shirt aside for a more formal occasion. If the collar is loose, then you can repurpose the shirt for a business-casual or everyday look.[3]
Shirts with tight, stiff collars are more designed to be paired with ties, dress pants, suits, and other formal attire.
Pick out dress shirts that comfortably fit so you can look professional. Try on different garments to see if they fit over your back, shoulders, and midsection without being too tight or baggy. If the shirt is too loose, you might look unpolished. However, if you choose a garment that's too tight, your outfit might come off as awkward and uncomfortable. If the dress shirt doesn't fit properly, don't wear it untucked.[4]
To ensure that your clothing fits comfortably, take some basic measurements and compare them to a sizing chart. This can help give you a better idea of what size shirt is best for your body type.
Gauge the formality of the event before attending in an untucked shirt. Think about the purpose of your outing and determine if it's a fancy or casual event. If the event is considered black-tie, be sure to tuck in your dress shirt. If you're going out for drinks or to a casual party, then you'll be fine going out with an untucked shirt.[5]
Always err on the side of caution when planning an outfit. If you aren't sure if the occasion is formal or casual, leave your dress shirt tucked in.
For instance, you'll probably want to tuck in your shirt when attending a wedding, unless the event is explicitly described as a relaxed, casual.
Roll up your sleeves for a more casual, on-the-go look. If you're leaving your shirt untucked, there's no reason to leave your arms constricted by long shirt sleeves! Take the cuff of your shirt sleeve and roll it backwards until you reach your elbow. Try to roll your sleeves evenly on both sides, so your outfit still looks polished and professional.[6]
If you're planning an outfit for warmer weather, choose a short-sleeved dress shirt or polo shirt instead.
Pair an untucked dress shirt with jeans to give off a casual vibe. Choose a comfortable pair of jeans in your preferred style. As you put the outfit together, check that the dress shirt doesn't fall below the middle of the zipper. You can finish off the outfit with a formal or casual pair of shoes, depending on your own personal preference.[7]
For instance, try pairing a blue-patterned dress shirt with dark blue jeans. Create a relaxed look by rolling up the sleeves, or add a formal touch by sliding on a watch.
Belts are an acceptable accessory to wear with an untucked shirt.[8]
Keep the top 2 buttons undone to give yourself some breathing room. If you're not wearing a tie or similar accessory, you don't need to keep all of your dress shirt's buttons secured into place. Instead, leave the top buttons open, while the rest are still secured into place. If you'd prefer to create a more polished look, only leave the top collar button undone.[9]
Leaving the top button tied will make your outfit stiff and uncomfortable.
Pick sneakers or athletic shoes to create a more casual look. If you're planning to be on-the-go, opt for a pair of shoes that fit comfortably and provide you with a lot of mobility. If you don't like wearing sneakers or trainers, opt for tennis shoes or another type of comfortable footwear.[10]
For example, try pairing a short-sleeved, untucked dress shirt with a pair of jeans and some comfortable tennis shoes.
Wear a dress shirt with nice pants or chinos to a formal setting. Instead of choosing a pair of baggy pants, opt for a pair of chinos or dress pants that have a sleek, professional look. Choose soft, muted colors that work well in an office or other professional atmosphere, like dark green or tan. For an especially comfortable and stylish ensemble, choose an untucked, short-sleeve dress shirt to complete your outfit.[11]
Belts, watches, and aviators are great accessories to try with this type of outfit.
For example, try pairing a blue short-sleeved dress shirt with a pair of green chinos, along with professional, neutral-toned desert boots.
Slip on a sweater to create a stylish ensemble. Add an extra layer of warmth to your outfit during the colder months by slipping a sweater overtop of an untucked dress shirt. Be sure to select a dress shirt that fits correctly and doesn't fall over the midsection of your pants zipper.[12]
While some people prefer to tuck in dress shirts beneath a sweater, there's nothing wrong with the bottom of the shirt being visible beneath the garment.
For example, try slipping on a dark green sweater over a white dress shirt. Pair these items with a pair of jeans, along with a comfortable pair of loafers.
For instance, a pair of loafers can go well with a pair of dark jeans.
Avoid wearing jackets or blazers with an untucked shirt. While untucked shirts are a comfortable option for social gatherings and casual, everyday outfits, don't try to mix them into your especially formal attire. If you're choosing to wear a suit or blazer of any kind, keep your shirt tucked into the waistline of your pants.[13]
If you're trying to stay warm, opt for a casual jacket or coat instead.
Choose loafers if you're headed to a fancier location. When adding the finishing touches to your outfit, look for a pair of shoes that add a layer of polish to your outfit without appearing over-the-top. If you're headed to a party or other social gathering, slip on a pair of loafers to compliment the relaxed style of your untucked dress shirt.[14]
Since an untucked shirt is only used for relaxed, casual occasions, you don't need to slip on fancy dress shoes or wingtips.
Going away to college is a big life transition, and it can also be hard to leave home. However, it's important to remember that you haven't left for good. You can always go home for a visit or to stay if you really want to. But while you're away at college, you have a whole new world of people and fun opening up to you! Enjoy this exciting time of growth and adventure by getting involved in campus activities and meeting new people. When homesickness hits you hard, allow yourself to feel it and seek help if you are struggling. As you continue your college journey, maintain your connections to home with regular phone calls, visits, and decorative touches.
Talk to people at home via weekly phone calls. Don't rely on social media, text, or emails alone to stay connected. Make sure that you call home once per week or more if needed to maintain your connection. You could even try video chatting with friends and family back home to feel even more connected.[1]
Try scheduling a weekly phone call home when you have time to sit and chat for a while, such as on a Saturday morning or on a weeknight evening when you don't have anything planned.
Plan a visit home so you'll have something to look forward to. Most colleges give students a long weekend and a 1 week break at some point during the semester, which is the perfect opportunity to head home for a visit. Plan out your visit in advance, such as by securing transportation and making plans with friends and family back home.[2]
Decorate your room with things that remind you of home. Your dorm room or college apartment is your home away from home, so you can decorate it however you want. Try decorating it with a few items from your bedroom at home to help make it seem more inviting. You could even maintain the same color scheme and theme as your bedroom back home.[3]
For example, if the walls of your bedroom at home are covered with your favorite movie posters, bring some of them with you to college and put them up.
Or, if you have a green and white color scheme in your bedroom at home, get some green and white decorative touches to place in your dorm room.
Adorning your bed with your favorite old comforter, throw pillow, or even a stuffed animal can also help to make it seem more like home.
Acknowledge your feelings and allow yourself to experience them. If you notice that you're feeling homesick, don't try to ignore how you're feeling. Acknowledge that you're experiencing homesickness and allow yourself to feel sad for a while, such as by crying or just being quiet and noticing how you feel. However, make sure to limit how long you spend feeling sad, such as keeping it to a 1-2 hour window.[4]
You might also benefit from writing about your feelings. This can help you to understand your feelings better and give you time to experience them.
Talk to a friend or family member about how you're feeling. Once you have given yourself permission and time to experience your feelings, talk to someone you trust about what you're going through. Try calling up a friend, parent, or sibling and telling them how you feel.[5]
For example, you might say something like, "I'm feeling really sad and I think it's because I'm homesick."
Let them know how being homesick is affecting you, such as if it's making it hard to concentrate or enjoy fun things.
Visit the counseling center on your campus if you're struggling. If you continue to feel sad and isolated, reach out to someone who can help you. Most college campuses provide free counseling to their students, so consider paying a visit to the campus counseling center. Try calling first to see if you need to make an appointment or if they have drop-in hours available.[6]
It's especially important to talk with a counselor if your homesickness is interfering with your ability to succeed in your courses or engage in everyday activities. Also, make sure to talk to someone right away if you've lost interest in things you used to enjoy.
Contact emergency services in your country, such as by dialing 911 in the United States, if you are thinking of hurting yourself.
Join a club or special interest group on campus. This is a great way to fill your time, meet new friends, and have fun while you're in college. Attend the club fair during the first couple weeks of the semester or visit the office of student activities to find out what clubs are available. Pick one or two that sound interesting to you and attend their meetings.[7]
For example, if you're interested in politics, you could join the College Democrats or College Republicans.
If you like acting, you might get involved with the campus Drama or Improv club.
Attend all of your classes even if you're feeling down. Regular attendance is important for doing well in college and it's also a great way to distract yourself if you're feeling homesick. Don't skip class because you're feeling sad about missing home. Go to class, learn as much as you can, and talk to people![8]
For example, you could chat with your neighbor before class starts, introduce yourself to your professor after class, or just respond to questions your professor asks during the lesson.
Take advantage of your campus's amenities. If you don't have anything going on, use the time to explore a new part of your campus. Colleges usually have a student gym, recreation center, and a large library. Pick something on your campus to check out and enjoy yourself.[9]
For example, you could head to the gym and use the equipment or take a class.
Or, see what's happening in the recreation center and attend an event or workshop.
If you've got studying to do or just want a quiet place to read, head to your campus's library and find a cozy spot.
Introduce yourself to classmates and other people you meet. It can be a little scary to be in a new place with all new people, but it's also very exciting! Take the opportunity to make new friends. Introduce yourself to the person or people sitting next to you in each of your classes. Ask them where they're from, what their major is, and how they're liking college so far.[10]
Many professors include an icebreaker activity on the first day of classes to help students get to know each other. Try to remember the names of each of the people you meet during this activity. Then, greet them by their name if you happen to bump into them later in the day.
Make plans to do things with the people you meet. Take people up on invitations to go out and do things and invite people to go out and do things with you as well. Look for opportunities to invite people to do things with you and accept invitations from people that you want to get to know better.[11]
For example, you could invite your roommate to go on a walk through town over the weekend.
Ask the person who always sits next to you in chemistry class if they want to grab lunch or coffee with you sometime.
Go have fun with members of your Improv club if they invite you out with them.
Although chai has its origins in India, this flavorful black tea is popular around the world. To make homemade chai with a bold flavor, crush your own spices and steep them with black tea bags and milk. If you don't feel like measuring your own spices, buy flavored chai tea bags from the store and pour hot water over the bag to brew the tea. For the speediest mug of chai, create a powdered chai tea mix that you can dissolve in water or milk.
Use a skillet to crush cardamom, cloves, and peppercorns. Put 8 green cardamom pods, 8 cloves, and 4 whole black peppercorns into a sealable plastic bag and press the air out. Seal the bag and press a heavy skillet or rolling pin on it to crush the spices.[1]
If you have a mortar, put the spices into it and use the pestle to crush the spices until the pods open.
Peel a piece of ginger and slice it into pieces. Use the edge of a spoon to scrape the peel from a piece of fresh ginger. Carefully cut it into thin slices that are thick.[2]
If you can't find fresh ginger, substitute 1 teaspoon (2 g) of ground ginger.
Place the spices, cinnamon sticks, and ginger in a saucepan. Put the crushed spices into a medium saucepan on the stove. Add two cinnamon sticks and the sliced ginger.[3]
There's no need to crush the cinnamon sticks since you'll strain them out along with the spices. They'll add a strong, spicy flavor to your tea.
Add of milk and of water. Pour the whole milk and water into the saucepan with the spices. Although you can use low-fat milk, using whole milk gives your tea a richer, creamier taste.[4]
Feel free to substitute alternative milk, such as soy, oat, or almond milk.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Turn the burner on and keep the lid off of the saucepan. This helps you see when the mixture begins to boil. You can stir it occasionally to distribute the spices.[5]
Heating the spices in the milk will make the tea more flavorful.
Add 4 tea bags and turn off the heat. As soon as the liquid reaches a boil, turn off the burner. Open 4 black tea bags and place them into the saucepan with the liquid. Press down on each tea bag with the back of a spoon to submerge it completely.[6]
Cover the saucepan and steep the tea for 10 minutes. Put the lid on the pan so the tea doesn't cool and set a timer. Steep the tea until the liquid becomes a deep, pinkish-tan color.[7]
You can stir the tea occasionally to prevent the spices from settling as the tea steeps.
Strain the tea and sweeten it according to your taste. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a teapot or large measuring jug. Slowly pour the chai tea through the strainer and discard the solids. Then, taste the tea and stir in as much sugar as you like.[8]
Put the lid on the saucepan and refrigerate leftover chai tea for up to 3 days.
Use your favorite sweetener. You could try honey, agave, or stevia, for instance.
Bring of water to a boil. Fill a kettle or saucepan with water that hasn't been boiled before and set it on the stove. Using fresh water gives your tea the best flavor. Then, turn the burner to high so the water comes to a boil.[9]
If you prefer, heat the water in an electric kettle.
Put 1 chai tea bag in a mug and pour in the boiling water. Open 1 chai tea bag and put it in a large serving mug. Carefully pour of the boiling water into the mug so the tea bag is saturated.[10]
Try your favorite variety of storebought chai tea bags. You could use decaffeinated, chai green tea, or herbal chai tea, for instance.
Steep the tea for 4 to 6 minutes before you remove the bag. Stir the tea occasionally to distribute the chai tea seasonings in the water and set a timer for at least 4 minutes. The longer you steep the tea, the more flavorful the chai will be. Remove the tea bag once the tea has brewed as long as you like.[11]
For even stronger chai tea, leave the tea to steep for up to 10 minutes.
Stir in the honey and sugar. Pour in 1 1/2 teaspoons (10 g) of honey along with 1 teaspoon (4 g) of sugar. Stir the sweeteners well so they dissolve into the tea. Then, taste the tea and add more honey or sugar if you want the tea even sweeter.[12]
You could substitute agave, stevia, or low-calorie sweetener for the honey and sugar.
Pour in of milk. If you don't mind your chai tea cooling off a little, stir in the milk while it's cold. For hot chai tea, warm the milk in a saucepan on the stove or microwave it for about 30 seconds before you add it to your mug of tea.[13]
Put all of the spices into a large bowl. If your spices are over 6 months old, buy new spices so they have a bolder flavor. Measure each of the following spices and add them to the bowl:[14]
2 ½ teaspoons (4.5 g) of ground ginger
2 teaspoons (4 g) of ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon (1.5 g) of ground cloves
¾ teaspoon (1.5 g) of ground cardamom
1 teaspoon (2 g) of ground allspice
1 teaspoon (2 g) of ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon (1 g) of finely-ground black pepper
Whisk in instant tea, sugar, milk powder, and the nondairy creamers. Use 1 ½ cups (187 g) of unsweetened or decaffeinated black tea and add between 1 ½ and 2 cups (300 to 400 g) of sugar, depending on how sweet you like your chai. To make your chai mix milky, whisk in 1 cup (125 g) of nonfat dry milk powder, 1 cup (125 g) of powdered nondairy creamer, and 1 cup (125 g) of French vanilla-flavored powdered nondairy creamer.[15]
If you don't want to buy 3 different powdered products, use a total of 3 cups (375 g) of any 1 of these ingredients.
Store the mix in an airtight container until you're ready to drink it. Your chai mix is good to use for up to 6 months. Keep it in your pantry in an airtight container, like a jar or a sealable bag, for maximum freshness.[16]
Remember to label the container so you know when to use the mix by.
Dissolve (16 g) of mix in of boiling water to make a mug of tea. To make a quick cup of chai tea, carefully pour the boiling water into a large mug. Then, stir in the powdered mix until it's completely dissolved. If you'd like even creamier chai tea, use milk or a combination of milk and water.[17]
If you added cocoa powder to the mix, use hot milk instead of water.
Right now the world is at war. But this is no ordinary war. It’s a fight with an organism so small we can only detect it through use of a microscope — and if we don’t stop it, it could kill millions of us in the next several decades. No, I’m not talking about COVID-19, though that organism is the one on everyone’s mind right now. I’m talking about antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
You see, more than 700,000 people died globally from bacterial infections last year — 35,000 of them in the U.S. If we do nothing, that number could grow to 10 million annually by 2050, according to a United Nations report.
The problem? Antibiotic overuse at the doctor’s office or in livestock and farming practices. We used a lot of drugs over time to kill off all the bad bacteria — but it only killed off most, not all, of the bad bacteria. And, as the famous line from Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park goes, “life finds a way.”
Enter Felix, a biotech startup in the latest Y Combinator batch that thinks it has a novel approach to keeping bacterial infections at bay – viruses.
Phage killing bacteria in a petri dish
It seems weird in a time of widespread concern over the corona virus to be looking at any virus in a good light but as co-founder Robert McBride explains it, Felix’s key technology allows him to target his virus to specific sites on bacteria. This not only kills off the bad bacteria but can also halt its ability to evolve and once more become resistant.
But the idea to use a virus to kill off bacteria is not necessarily new. Bacteriophages, or viruses that can “infect” bacteria, were first discovered by an English researcher in 1915 and commercialized phage therapy began in the U.S. in the 1940’s through Eli Lilly and Company. Right about then antibiotics came along and Western scientists just never seemed to explore the therapy further.
However, with too few new solutions being offered and the standard drug model not working effectively to combat the situation, McBride believes his company can put phage therapy back at the forefront.
Already Felix has tested its solution on an initial group of 10 people to demonstrate its approach.
Felix researcher helping cystic fibrosis patient Ella Balasa through phage therapy
“We can develop therapies in less time and for less money than traditional antibiotics because we are targeting orphan indications and we already know our therapy can work in humans,” McBride told TechCrunch . “We argue that our approach, which re-sensitizes bacteria to traditional antibiotics could be a first line therapy.”
Felix plans to deploy its treatment in those suffering from cystic fibrosis first as there is no cure for this disease, which tends to require a near constant stream of antibiotics to combat lung infections.
The next step will be to conduct a small clinical trial involving 30 people, then, as the scientific research and development model tends to go, a larger human trial before seeking FDA approval. But McBride hopes his viral solution will prove itself out in time to help the coming onslaught of antibiotic resistance.
“We know the antibiotic resistant challenge is large now and is only going to get worse,” McBride said. “We have an elegant technological solution to this challenge and we know our treatment can work. We want to contribute to a future in which these infections do not kill more than 10 million people a year, a future we can get excited about.”
The flood of status symbol content into Instagram Stories has run dry. No one is going out and doing anything cool right now, and if they are, they should be shamed for it. Beyond sharing video chat happy hour screenshots and quarantine dinner concoctions, our piece-by-piece biographies have ground to a halt. Oddly, what remains feels more social than social networks have in a long time.
With no source material, we’re doing it live. Coronavirus has absolved our desire to share the recent past. The drab days stuck inside blur into each other. The near future is so uncertain that there’s little impetus to make plans. Why schedule an event or get excited for a trip just to get your heartbroken if shelter-in-place orders are extended? We’re left firmly fixed in the present.
What is social media when there’s nothing to brag about? Many of us are discovering it’s a lot more fun. We had turned social media into a sport but spent the whole time staring at the scoreboard rather than embracing the joy of play.
But thankfully, there are no Like counts on Zoom .
Nothing permanent remains. That’s freed us from the external validation that too often rules our decision making. It’s stopped being about how this looks and started being about how this feels. Does it put me at peace, make me laugh, or abate the loneliness? Then do it. There’s no more FOMO because there’s nothing to miss by staying home to read, take a bath, or play board games. You do you.
Being social animals, what feels most natural is to connect. Not asynchronously through feeds of what we just did. But by coexisting concurrently. Professional enterprise technology for agenda-driven video calls has been subverted for meandering, motive-less togetherness. We’re doing what many of us spent our childhoods doing in basements and parking lots: just hanging out.
It’s time to Houseparty
For evidence, just look at group video chat app Houseparty, where teens aimlessly chill with everyone’s face on screen at once. In Italy, which has tragically been on lock down since COVID-19’s rapid spread in the country, Houseparty wasn’t even in the top 1500 apps a month ago. Today it’s the #1 social app, and the #2 app overall second only to Zoom which is topping the charts in tons of countries.
Houseparty topped all the charts on Monday, when Sensor Tower tells TechCrunch the app’s download rate was 323X higher than its average in February. As of yesterday it was #1 in Portugal (up 371X) and Spain (up 592X), as well as Peru, Argentina, Chile, Austria, Belgium, and the U.K. I despite being absent from the chart a week earlier. Apptopia tells me Houseparty saw 25 downloads in Spain on March 1st and 40,000 yesterday.
Houseparty rockets to #1 in many countries
A year ago Houseparty was nearly dead, languishing at #245 on the US charts before being acquired by Fortnite-maker Epic in June. Our sudden need for unmediated connection has brought Houseparty roaring back to life, even if Epic has neglected to update it since July.
“Houseparty was designed to connect people in the most human way possible when they are physically apart” the startup’s co-founder Ben Rubin tells me. “This is a time of isolation and uncertainty for us all. I'm grateful that we created a product that gives a sense of human connection to millions people during this critical moment.”
Around the world, apps for direct connection are spiking. Google Hangouts rules in Sweden. Discord for chat while gaming is #1 in France. Slack clone Microsoft Teams is king in the Netherlands. After binging through Netflix, all that’s left to entertain us is each other.
Undivided By Geography
If we’re all stuck at home, it doesn’t matter where that home is. We’ve been released from the confines of which friends are within a 20 minute drive or hour-long train. Just like students are saying they all go to Zoom University since every school’s classes moved online, we all now live in Zoom Town. All commutes have been reduced to how long it takes to generate an invite URL.
Nestled in San Francisco, even pals across the Bay in Berkeley felt far away before. But this week I had hour-long video calls with my favorite people who typically feel out of reach in Chicago and New York. I spent time with babies I hadn’t met in person. And I kept in closer touch with my parents on the other coast, which is more vital and urgent than ever before.
Playing board game Codenames over Zoom with friends in New York and North Carolina
Typically, our time is occupied by acquaintances of circumstance. The co-workers who share our office. The friends who happen to live in the neighborhood. But now we’re each building a virtual family completely of our choosing. The calculus has shifted from who is convenient or who invites us to the most exciting place, to who makes us feel most human.
Even celebrities are getting into it. Rather than pristine portraits and flashy music videos, they’re appearing raw, with crappy lighting, on Facebook and Instagram Live. John Legend played piano for 100,000 people while his wife Chrissy Teigen sat on screen in a towel looking salty like she’s heard “All Of Me” far too many times. That’s more authentic than anything you’ll get on TV.
And without the traditional norms of who we are and aren’t supposed to call, there’s an opportunity to contact those we cared about in a different moment of our lives. The old college roommate, the high school buddy, the mentor who gave you you’re shot. If we have the emotional capacity in these trying times, there’s good to be done. Who do you know who’s single, lives alone, or resides in a city without a dense support network?
Reforging those connections not only surfaces prized memories we may have forgotten, but could help keep someone sane. For those who relied on work and play for social interaction, shelter-in-place is essentially solitary confinement. There’s a looming mental health crisis if we don’t check in on the isolated.
The crisis language of memes
It can be hard to muster the energy to seize these connections, though. We’re all drenched in angst about the health impacts of the virus and financial impacts of the response. I certainly spent a few mornings sleeping in just to make the days feel shorter. When all small talk leads to rehashing our fears, sometimes you don’t have anything to say.
Luckily we don’t have to say anything to communicate. We can share memes instead.
My father-in-law sent me this. That’s when you know memes have become the universal language
The internet’s response to COVID-19 has been an international outpour of gallow’s humor. From group chats to Instagram joke accounts to Reddit threads to Facebook groups like quarter-million member “Zoom Memes For Quaranteens”, we’re joining up to weather the crisis.
A nervous laugh is better than no laugh at all. Memes allow us to convert our creeping dread and stir craziness into something borderline productive. We can assume an anonymous voice, resharing what some unspecified other made without the vulnerability of self-attribution. We can dive into the creation of memes ourselves, killing time under house arrest in hopes of generating smiles for our generation. And with the feeds and Stories emptied, consuming memes offers a new medium of solidarity. We’re all in this hellscape together so we may as well make fun of it.
The web’s mental immune system has kicked into gear amidst the outbreak. Rather than wallowing in captivity, we’ve developed digital antibodies that are evolving to fight the solitude. We’re spicing up video chats with board games like Codenames. One-off livestreams have turned into wholly online music festivals to bring the sounds of New Orleans or Berlin to the world. Trolls and pranksters are finding ways to get their lulz too, Zoombombing webinars. And after a half-decade of techlash, our industry’s leaders are launching peer-to-peer social safety nets and ways to help small businesses survive until we can be patrons in person again.
Rather than scrounging for experiences to share, we’re inventing them from scratch with the only thing we’re left with us in quarantine: ourselves. When the infection waves pass, I hope this swell of creativity and in-the-moment togetherness stays strong. The best part of the internet isn’t showing off, it’s showing up.
Billions of dollars have flowed into startup investing this decade, but the era appears to be closing with the coronavirus pandemic. Limited partners are saying no to younger venture firms who are still out raising, while cutting back on weaker existing firms in their portfolios, Connie Loizos reports on TechCrunch this week.
Other firms with direct ties to public markets are losing even more access to working capital. Connie thinks we will soon see term sheets getting pulled using force majure clauses (and in fact we’ve been hearing a few rumors). In another sign of pressure in the funding ecosystem, Danny Crichton hears that some investors are preparing for layoffs at their own firms.
With the pandemic’s impact just starting to be felt across global economies, everyone is bracing for hard times. So, if you’re a startup with fresh funding in the bank, Danny suggests that now is an especially good time to make a funding announcement that stands out.
Over on Extra Crunch, we’ve been going deeper on what startups and investors are facing and how they can adapt. “I expected 20-30% declines in valuation, but I would up that today to 50-60% in the earliest stages based on feedback I have heard,” Danny details in his latest update on pandemic fundraising trends.
But what is really changing, when you look at the time scales of startups? Here’s an even-keeled view from long-time VC Mike Volpi, in an interview with Connie this week:
“[The business of venture is a very long-term one. For the average holding period we have within our portfolio companies is probably eight years. If you think about an investment that we made even, let's say, last year, it's going to look really different seven years from now. So these moments of fluctuation for us as VCs shouldn't impact our thinking too much. They're unpleasant. You have to be thoughtful about how to manage through them. But from an investment perspective, we shouldn't really let it get too much in in the scope of how we think about it.”
Image Credits: Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch
The great unicorn stall?
Alex had been writing a popular series on companies on their way to IPO. Now the window on hundreds of unicorns appears to have closed for months if not longer. “Procore and Accolade, for instance, have filed publicly to debut but have yet to price and pull the trigger on their offering,” he writes on Extra Crunch this week. “Asana and DoorDash and Postmates have all filed privately to go public, but given the insane repricing of their comps on the public markets, no public filings appear to be in the offing.” He then breaks out Airbnb’s particular situation as a travel unicorn in a time of frozen borders.
Y Combinator’s first remote-first demo day
While the entire event was online, we covered it as usual in a series of articles breaking out the entire class by categories:
Image via Getty Images / Colin Anderson Productions pty ltd
Where top VCs are investing in remote events
Suddenly everybody needs to come up with new solutions to remote events. But what does that even look like? Arman Tabatabai surveyed five investors with bets in the space for Extra Crunch on what they think will be happening next. Respondents include:
I swear the whole newsletter was not just building up to this moment, but we are also working out our plans for Disrupt and other conferences this year. For starters, we’ll have a discounted pass for the livestream and recorded videos of the main stage. More details here!
We’re also experimenting with lighter-weight ways for startup people to stay in the loop from anywhere through Extra Crunch. Danny kicked off a weekly conference call with investors and other specialists. Check out the recording from this week with Niko Bonatsos of General Catalyst; stay tuned next Tuesday for a live call with resident immigration law columnist Sophie Alcorn.
“This week's episode was a testament to making do, as we've had to cancel some trips, juggle a few guests, and get up and running as a podcast that have guests dial in without losing our stride. So, this week Danny and Natasha and Alex were joined by Unshackled VC's Manan Mehta. And it went pretty ok, aside from a hiccup or two, expect Equity to still feature guests as often as it makes sense, even if we're currently locked out of our own studio….”
Much of the world is waking up to a strange new reality. As the coronavirus strain, COVID-19, swept across the planet, today may go down in history as the day when huge numbers of countries were largely united in a global shut-down to address the pandemic.
TechCrunch brings you a wrap of the technology world's response to the virus so far in our own dedicated COVID-19 coverage.
• Google says coronavirus has become its biggest search topic by a country mile this year, and to continue its efforts to harness that attention in the best possible way, late on Friday the company launched a new information portal dedicated to the pandemic as well as an improved search experience for desktop and mobile.
• In response to COVID-19, Hulu has added a free live news stream to its on-demand app for customers who only subscribe to its on-demand service, not its live TV add-on. The news coverage is provided in partnership with ABC News Live, and brings live news 24/7 to Hulu on-demand subscribers as part of their existing subscription.
• Unfortunately, "Robocalls", which have been targeting the vulnerable and unsuspecting for years, are taking advantage of the current global catastrophe to enhance their scams. The FCC warns that it has received numerous reports of coronavirus-related robocall cons in the wild — here's what to look for.
• Two major tech companies — Amazon and IBM — have each announced programs to encourage developers to find solutions to a variety of problems related to the pandemic.
• Google announced on Twitter that it is cancelling its annual I/O developer conference out of concern for the health and safety of all involved. It will not be holding any online conference in its place either.
• Rivian, the buzzy electric vehicle startup that is backed by Amazon and Ford, is shutting down all of its facilities due to the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. Rivian employs more than 2,000 workers across several locations, including its headquarters in Plymouth, Mich., a factory in Normal, Ill. as well as operations in San Jose and Irvine, Calif., where engineers are working on autonomous vehicle technology. Rivian also has an office in the U.K.
• During two of this week's White House briefings, President Trump referred specifically to two potential treatments that have been identified by medical researchers and clinicians. But no drugs or treatments have been proven as effective for either the prevention of contracting COVID-19 or for its treatment. While chloroquine has been used for decades to treat malaria, and chronic rheumatoid arthritis, it can have dangerous side effects, including death, if taken incorrectly. Even when taken correctly, it can cause things like stomach distress and even permanent damage to a person's vision.
• The COVID-19 outbreak isn't just affecting movie theaters — it has also halted TV and film production around the world. For Netflix, that has included production on high-profile titles like "The Witcher" and "Stranger Things." So the streaming company just announced that it has created a $100 million fund that it says will support the cast and crew who have suddenly found themselves out of work.
• Elon Musk tweeted Friday that Tesla and SpaceX employees are "working on ventilators" even though he doesn't believe they will be needed. His confirmation on Twitter that both of the companies he leads are working on ventilators comes a day after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio made a direct plea to Musk to help alleviate a shortage at hospitals gearing up to combat COVID-19.
• Uber Eats is waiving delivery and activation fees in the UK to support restaurants hit by decreasing demand during the coronavirus crisis. The measure will apply until March 31 when it says it will review it. On Monday the on-demand food delivery giant announced a similar waiver of delivery fees in the US. The announcement by Uber Eats UK comes shortly after Just Eat UK said it would reduce its commission and waive some fees for 30 days — as part of an emergency support package for partner restaurants struggling to cope with disruption to their businesses.
• Privacy-hostile practices by tech giants face ongoing legislative challenges, but a pandemic is clearly an exceptional circumstance. These days, governments are now turning to the tech sector for help. US President Donald Trump was reported last week to have summoned a number of tech companies to the White House to discuss how mobile location data could be used for tracking citizens. And in another development this month he announced Google was working on a nationwide coronavirus screening site — in fact it's Verily, a different division of Alphabet. But concerns were quickly raised that the site requires users to sign in with a Google account, suggesting users' health-related queries could be linked to other online activity the tech giant monetizes via ads.
• Diligent Robotics wants to give nurses a helper droid that can run errands for them around the hospital. The startup's bot Moxi is equipped with a flexible arm, gripper hand and full mobility so it can hunt down lightweight medical resources, navigate a clinic's hallways and drop them off for the nurse. With the world facing a critical shortage of medical care professionals, Moxi could help healthcare centers use their staff as efficiently as possible. And because robots can't be infected by COVID-19, they're one less potential carrier interacting with vulnerable populations.
In other news from around the web:
• The Telegram app emerged a few years ago as a challenger to WhatsApp and took off largely in non-Western countries. A story today in the China Tech site Abacus explores how Telegram is emerging as an alternative source of news form outside China 'Great Firewall', and is being accessed by citizens there who are hungry for uncensored news about the COVID-19 pandemic. The "2019-nCoV outbreak real-time broadcast," channel now has more than 87,000 subscribers, with recent messages getting between 15,000 and 20,000 views, according to Telegram channel's view counter.
• Another report today in The Verge explores how Amazon workers across the US and in many other countries are finding themselves designated as "key workers" who must continue to show up to deliver goods nations, like the US, which have gone into an effective quarantine. However, many of those workers are concerned that safety precautions, benefits, and protections have not changed sufficiently to reflect the new reality of living and working in a pandemic, and that even Amazon warehouses that keep operating as everything else shuts down many workers there are of course likely to contract the virus.
• Getaround is a startup that actually launched at TechCrunch Disrupt several years ago, and the car-sharing company has soared in distribution and valuation in the last few years. But with the coronavirus outbreak suddenly affecting people unwilling or unable to share a personal car that might well be owned by someone infected by the virus, Getaround is now experiencing a huge plunge in demand. As a result, the company is now, according to Bloomberg. reportedly seeking a sale after finding itself "dangerously short on cash", according to people familiar with the matter.
• Over at Microsoft, the tech giant is now offering its Healthcare Bot service to organizations on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response to help screen patients for potential infection and care. As an example, the CDC just released a COVID-19 assessment bot that can quickly assess the symptoms and risk factors for people worried about infection, provide information and suggest the next course of action such as contacting a medical provider or, for those who do not need in-person medical care, managing the illness safely at home.
The news is significant because several healthcare startups such as Babylon Health and Ada Health already offer such AI-powered 'chat' apps which many will likely be turning to in this crisis.
Now, after some behind-the-scenes drama, “Amazing Stories” has launched on Apple TV+, with the first two segments currently available. The first, “The Cellar,” is a time travel romance, while “The Heat” is a combination ghost story/murder mystery/sports drama.
As we explain on the latest episode of the Original Content podcast, it’s hard to tell exactly who this show was made for. Both of the episodes aired so far get pretty goofy, as if the show was made for kids — but they also move into surprisingly dark territory. Both start with familiar setups, then take some surprising twists and turns, but the results aren’t very satisfying.
In the end, it was hard for any of us to muster any enthusiasm for watching the show’s remaining three episodes.
You can listen to our full review in the player below, subscribe using Apple Podcasts or find us in your podcast player of choice. If you like the show, please let us know by leaving a review on Apple . You can also send us feedback directly. (Or suggest shows and movies for us to review!)
And if you’d like to skip ahead, here’s how the episode breaks down:
WhatsApp, one of the most popular instant messaging platforms on the planet, is testing a feature that could make it simpler for its 2 billion users to tell whether the assertion made in messages they have received is true.
In the recent most beta version of its Android app, the Facebook-owned service has given users the ability to quickly comb through the web with the text or video they have received for more context.
WhatsApp has been testing this feature in some capacity for several quarters now (last year, it allowed some users to look up an image on the web), but a spokesperson has now told TechCrunch that the platform plans to roll out this feature in the near future.
"We are working on new features to help empower users to find out more information about the messages they receive that have been forwarded many times. This feature is currently in testing, and we look forward to rolling it out in the near future," a spokesperson said in a statement.
The timely test of this feature comes at a time when WhatsApp and other messaging platforms are being used more often than ever before as people stay in touch with their friends, families, and colleagues in the face of a global pandemic.
And as it has happened in the past, several platforms including WhatsApp are grappling with spread of misinformation — this time about the coronavirus.
But WhatsApp has moved to take action much swiftly this time. It began reaching out to dozens of governments last month to assist in their efforts to provide accurate information to the general public, it said today.
"The WHO Health Alert is the latest official NGO or government helpline to become available on WhatsApp, joining the Singapore Government, The Israel Ministry of Health, the South Africa Department of Health, and KOMINFO Indonesia. We are actively working to launch local services with other countries as well," WhatsApp said in a statement.
Netflix is picking up “The Lovebirds,” an upcoming romantic comedy starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae.
“The Lovebirds” reunites Nanjiani with director Michael Showalter. Their previous collaboration, “The Big Sick,” was distributed by Amazon Studios, who gave it a theatrical release before moving to streaming.
This is part of the ongoing fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced Hollywood studios to scramble as theaters close amidst a broader push for social distancing. Responses have ranged from delaying major releases to releasing movies early, either as digital rentals or via subscription streaming services like Disney+.
Paramount has already delayed a number of its releases, including “The Lovebirds” (originally scheduled for April 3) and “A Quiet Place II.” This is the first time the outbreak has prompted one of the major studios to have cancel a theatrical release entirely in favor of Netflix, but Paramount had an existing deal with the streamer and previously chose to distribute “The Cloverfield Paradox” via Netflix rather than theaters.
There does not appear to be an official announcement or release date yet. Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter are both reporting on the deal.
This approach likely makes more sense for a mid-budget romantic comedy like “The Lovebirds” than it does for a big-budget blockbuster — but according to The Wrap, Warner Bros. is even considering a streaming release for this summer’s “Wonder Woman.”
Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the Extra Crunch series that recaps the latest OS news, the applications they support and the money that flows through it all.
The app industry is as hot as ever, with a record 204 billion downloads in 2019 and $120 billion in consumer spending in 2019, according to App Annie's "State of Mobile" annual report. People are now spending 3 hours and 40 minutes per day using apps, rivaling TV. Apps aren't just a way to pass idle hours — they're a big business. In 2019, mobile-first companies had a combined $544 billion valuation, 6.5x higher than those without a mobile focus.
In this Extra Crunch series, we help you keep up with the latest news from the world of apps, delivered on a weekly basis.
This week we’re continuing to look at how the coronavirus outbreak is impacting the world of mobile applications. In particular, we have new data from App Annie that shows which app categories are gaining or losing as a result of the pandemic. We also take a look at other mobile news, including the new Android 11 preview, iPad’s new lidar, TikTok’s new advisory committee and more, as well as a few apps to help get you through this tough time.
Coronavirus Special Coverage
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are continuing to play out on app stores and across the industry. This week, we're leading with these stories, followed by other news.
Android apps reviews slow down
Google this week warned Android developers that Play Store app review times will be much longer than normal due to the COVID-19 crisis. Developers should expect app reviews to take up to a week or even longer, the company informed its community by way of an alert on the Google Play Console.
At long last, here’s an actually useful purpose for Twitter’s blue-check verification mark: Twitter last night announced that it is mobilising the badge system to help surface and signal more authoritative and verified voices that can provide “credible updates” on the topic of the coronavirus, and made a general call out for people that are experts to get all of their information up to date — including associating the word addresses with their accounts — to speed up this process.
This is the latest move from Twitter in what has been an ongoing effort to clear its platform of false information and the harmful spread of it as the pandemic increasingly takes its grip on the world.
The blue check mark was always intended to help steer people to know when they looking at more authentic voices or the official accounts for high-profile people or organizations, although it’s also been a huge vanity metric for many people, and so has often had a taint of the more ridiculous side of Twitter (the one where people also obsess over like and retweet counts). So harnessing it for a truly useful purpose is a great move.
It’s also one that is linking up with other efforts online: yesterday Google launched an updated search experience that includes a carousel of Twitter accounts Tweeting information related to the pandemic. This will help Twitter and Google populate that in a more informative and dynamic way.
If you are an expert who would like to use Twitter to broadcast more effective messages to the public, please read on. And if you are an authority who is not affiliated with one of the authorities working on fighting and managing the coronavirus outbreak, hold tight as Twitter said it will also be working on how to more quickly verify you, too.
Twitter said it is working with global health authorities — these include organizations like the WHO, the CDC, state health authorities and recognized academic institutions — to identify not just these organizations’ own accounts but those of experts affiliated with them. While it has it has “already Verified hundreds of accounts,” there are many more to verify, but the process is being slowed down by people not having all of their information in order. (Essentially these are some of the usual requirements for verification, applied specifically now to coronavirus experts.)
Specifically, Twitter said that experts needed to make sure that the email address that a person has associated with their Twitter account is their work emails. Instructions on how to do that here.
Then, Twitter said that a person’s bio needs to include references and a link to the place where they are working, and ideally that the page they are linking to also includes a reference back to the Twitter account (if it’s a link to a bio page). Instructions on how to update your profile here.
And accounts that are looking for verification, it goes without saying, have to follow the official Twitter Rules (which cover things like no harassment, impersonation accounts and so on), and specifically as it relates to coronavirus and COVID-19, Twitter’s guidance for that.
Twitter had, predictably, what looked like hundreds of responses to its Tweets on this subject, both from people simply saying, “Hey, what about me? Can I get verified today for my birthday?!” and those saying they also should be verified because of their authoritative position on COVID-19. Going about how to do the latter with accuracy will be a much bigger challenge that Twitter is still working out. “We're also considering a way to take public suggestions, but first are reviewing the suggestions we have from global public health authorities and partners,” it concluded.
Google says coronavirus has become its biggest search topic by a country mile this year, and to continue its efforts to harness that attention in the best possible way, late on Friday the company launched a new information portal dedicated to the pandemic as well as an improved search experience for desktop and mobile.
The search experience, Google says, was updated in response to “people's information needs expanding,” while the new information portal also provides the basic, most useful information (for example around symptoms), plus a lot of links and on-site options to explore further.
Something notably absent on Google’s page or search experience are any links to conversation forums or places to hear and talk to other average people. Google has never been particularly successful in its many efforts to break into social media and this underscores that, while also helping it steer away from the fact that many of these forums are not always well managed. I would imagine that more tools for direct communication, such as the Google Hangouts product, and possibly others in that same category, might well be added or linked to as well over time.
Let’s dive into some more details.
The new search experience now not only includes search results but also a number of additional links to “authoritative information” from health authorities and updated data and visualisations.
“This new format organizes the search results page to help people easily navigate information and resources, and it will also make it possible to add more information over time as it becomes available,” Emily Moxley, Google’s product manager for search, writes in a blog post.
The search experience now also includes links to a Twitter carousel featuring accounts from civic organizations local to you, and also a new “most common questions” section related to the pandemic from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This is rolling out first in the US in English and Google said it would be adding more languages and regions soon.
Meanwhile, the portal — also available first for the US — features tips on staying healthy and advice for those who are concerned; links to further official resources; links to more localised resources; links to fundraising efforts; the latest statistics; and an overview of all of Google’s own work (for example, the specific efforts it’s making for educators). We have asked the company when and if it plans to cover other regions beyond the US, and we’ll update this as we learn more.
This is an important move for Google. The internet has figured as critical platform from the earliest days of the Novel Coronavirus emerging out of China, but it hasn’t all been positive.
On one hand, there has been a ton of misinformation spread around about the virus, and the internet overall (plus specific sites like Google’s search and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter) has played a huge role in being responsible for disseminating the majority of that bad news. (Not all those searches and clicks lead to the right information, or good data, unfortunately.)
On the other hand, it’s also been an indispensable resource: in countries where health services have already become overwhelmed by the influx of people seeking help, official online portals (like this one) are serving a very important role in triaging inbound requests before people resort to physically getting themselves into the system (if they need to). And the internet is the main place people will turn in the days and weeks ahead as they are asked to socially isolate themselves to slow down the spread of the pandemic, serving its role in providing information, but hopefully also some diversion and enrichment.
Google’s site is bringing together as many of the positive and legitimate strands of information as it can.
The main page focuses on the most important basics: an brief overview of the virus, a list of the most common symptoms, a list of most common things you can do to prevent getting infected or spreading the infection and a (very brief, for now) section on treatments.
From this, it goes on to more detailed links to videos and other resources for specific interests such as advice for the elderly, a map-based data overview to monitor what is going on elsewhere; and then resources for further help for topics that are coming up a lot, such as advice for people working from home, or for how to set up self-isolation, online education advice, cooking resources and more. Relief efforts so far only has one link, to the Solidarity Response Fund started by the UN Foundation, which has had a donation of $50 million from Google. \
There are a number of other relief and fundraising efforts underway, including those to help fund the race for research to improve the medical tools and medicine we have to fight this. I think the idea is that all of these sections will grow and evolve as the situation evolves.
India is turning to WhatsApp, the most popular app in the country, to create awareness about the coronavirus pandemic and has urged social media services to tackle the spread of misinformation on their platforms.
Narendra Modi, India's Prime Minister, said on Saturday that citizens in the country can text a WhatsApp bot — called MyGov Corona Helpdesk — to get instant authoritative answers to their coronavirus queries such as the symptoms of the viral disease and how they could seek help.
An individual is required to text +919013151515 (or click on this shortcut link) to connect to the bot.
The bot was built by Mumbai-based firm Haptik Technologies, which local telecom giant Reliance Jio acquired last year, and the information is being provided by the nation's Ministry of Health.
"The 'MyGov Corona Helpdesk' has been engineered to fight rumors, educate the masses and bring a sense of calm to the current chaos-like situation. We are committed to assisting the government with all our possible strengths and resources and hope that this chatbot can help the GoI spread the right information across the nation,” Aakrit Vaish, co-founder and chief executive of Haptik, told TechCrunch.
A screenshot of New Delhi’s WhatsApp bot
On Thursday, Modi urged the nation's 1.3 billion citizens to stay at home as much as possible for the next few days to prevent any "explosion" of coronavirus cases.
"For the last few days we have seen that people think we are safe from coronavirus. This is not right. It's not okay to get complacent," he said in a nationwide televised appearance.
More than 250 individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in India so far.
On Friday, India’s IT ministry issued an advisory to social media giants including Facebook, ByteDance, Twitter, and Sharechat, to take immediate actions to remove or disable fake content around coronavirus.
“Intermediaries are urged to initiate awareness campaign on their platforms for the users not to upload/ circulate any false news/misinformation concerning coronavirus which are likely to create panic among public and disturb the public order and social tranquility,” it said.
Earlier this week, the World Health Organization partnered with WhatsApp to create a helpline to provide people with accurate health information related to the coronavirus.
The WHO Health Alert provides tips on how people could protect themselves, the latest news updates and findings on the pandemic, and answers to some of the frequently asked questions. People can sign up to this bot by clicking here.
In a statement, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, said, "digital technology gives us an unprecedented opportunity for vital health information to go viral and spread faster than the pandemic, helping us save lives and protect the vulnerable. We are proud to have partners like Facebook and Whatsapp, that are supporting us in reaching billions of people with important health information.”
WhatsApp, which has been grappling with spread of rumors about the pandemic, began reaching out to dozens of governments last month to assist in their efforts to provide accurate information to the general public, it said.
“As part of our effort to make sure everyone has accurate and timely information about coronavirus, we’re working with the Indian government and national governments around the world,” said Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of Facebook.
GM said Friday that it is working with Ventec Life Systems to help increase production of respiratory care products such as ventilators that are needed by a growing number of hospitals as the COVID-19 pandemics spreads throughout the U.S.
The partnership is part of StopTheSpread.org, a coordinated effort of private companies to respond to COVId-19, a disease caused by coronavirus.
Ventec will use GM’s logistics, purchasing and manufacturing expertise to build more ventilators. The companies did not provide further details such as when production might be able to ramp up or how many ventilators would be produced.
GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said in a statement that GM is working closely with Ventec to rapidly scale up production.
"We will continue to explore ways to help in this time of crisis,” Barra added.
The need for ventilators is urgent as cases of COVID-19 pop up with increasing frequency as widespread testing begins. While some people with COVID-19 reported more mild symptoms, others have experienced severe respiratory problems and need to be hospitalized.
The shortage has prompted automakers to investigate ways of ramping up ventilator production. Volkswagen and Ford have reportedly either talked to the White House or committed to looking at the problem. Volkswagen said Friday it has created a task force to look into using 3D printing to make hospital ventilators.
Elon Musk tweeted Friday that Tesla and SpaceX employees are "working on ventilators" even though he doesn't believe they will be needed. His confirmation on Twitter that both of the companies he leads are working on ventilators comes a day after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio made a direct plea to Musk to help alleviate a shortage at hospitals gearing up to combat COVID-19.
Musk didn’t provide specifics what “working on ventilators” means, what Tesla factory might be used, the possible capacity or when he planned to begin production.
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అవసరమైతే షట్డౌన్ చేస్తాం వైరస్ ఉధృతమైతే ఇంటికే రేషన్ విలేకరు సమావేశంలో కేసీఆర్ తెలంగాణ రాష్ట్రంలో కరోనా వైరస్ వేగంగా వ్యాపిస్తున్న సమయంలో ప్రభుత్వం కఠిన చర్యలు చేపట్టింది. ప్రధాని మోడీ పిలుపు మేరకు ఆదివారం ఉదయం 7 గంటల నుంచి రాత్రి 9 గంటల వరకు జనతా కర్ఫ్యూ నిర్వహించాలని నిర్ణయించిన సంగతి తెలిసిందే. కాగా, తెలంగాణలో కర్ఫ్యూ 24 గంటల పాటు పాటించాలని కేసీఆర్ ఆదేశించారు. ఆదివారం ఉదయం 6 గంటల నుంచి సోమవారం […]
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టీవీ9 సీఈవోగా ఉన్నప్పుడు రవిప్రకాశ్ చేసిన దందాలు, మోసాలపై ఇప్పటికీ బాధితులు కథలు కథలుగా చెబుతూనే ఉంటారు. టీవీ9 లాంటి అతిపెద్ద మీడియా సామ్రాజ్యాన్ని అడ్డుపెట్టుకొని రవిప్రకాష్ ఆడిన ఆటలకు చెక్ పడింది. కొద్దిరోజుల క్రితమే ఆయనను తొలగించి బయటకు పంపారు. మోసం, మనీ లాండరింగ్ లాంటి కేసులను ఎదుర్కొంటున్నాడు రవిప్రకాష్. అయితే కేంద్రంలోని బీజేపీ సహా జాతీయ పార్టీలతో కలిసి మరో చానెల్ ను లాంచ్ చేసే పనిలో ఉన్న రవిప్రకాశ్ తన ప్రత్యర్థులను మరోసారి […]
వైసీపీ సీనియర్ నాయకుడు, రాజ్యసభ సభ్యుడు విజయసాయిరెడ్డి తాజాగా సంచలన వ్యాఖ్యలు చేశారు. కేంద్ర హోంశాఖకు రాష్ట్ర ఎన్నికల కమిషనర్ నిమ్మగడ్డ రమేశ్ కుమార్ రాసిన లేఖ ఏపీ సర్కారును కుదిపేసిన సంగతి తెలిసిందే. ఈ లేఖను తాను రాయలేదన్న రమేశ్ కుమార్ మాటను పరిగణనలోకి తీసుకున్న ఏపీ ప్రభుత్వం దానిపై విచారణ జరిపేందుకు నడుం బిగించింది. నిమ్మగడ్డ పేరుతో విడుదలైన లేఖను ఎవరు సృష్టించినా, పంపినా క్రిమినల్ కేసులు తప్పవని వైసీపీ ఎంపీ విజయసాయిరెడ్డి స్పష్టం […]
కరోనా వైరస్ను కట్టడి చేసే చర్యల్లో భాగంగా ప్రధాని మోడీ ఆదివారం జనతా కర్ఫ్యూకు పిలుపిచ్చిన సంగతి తెలిసిందే. దీనిలో భాగంగా రేపు మెట్రో రైలు సేవలను పూర్తిగా నిలివేస్తున్నట్లు అధికారులు తెలిపారు. కరోనా మహమ్మారి వ్యాప్తిని నిరోధించేందుకు తీసుకోవాల్సిన చర్యలపై ఇప్పటికే అవగాహన కల్పిస్తున్న మెట్రో.. రేపు పూర్తిగా రైళ్లు నిలిపేయాలని నిర్ణయం తీసుకుంది. కర్ఫ్యూ ఉదయం 7 గంటల నుంచి 9 గంటల వరకే అయినా.. మెట్రో రైళ్లు మాత్రం రోజంతా నడువవు. అలాగే […]
ఉత్తరకొరియా అధ్యక్షుడు కిమ్ జొంగ్ గురించి ప్రత్యేకంగా చెప్పనక్కరలేదు. ప్రస్తుత కాలపు నియంత అయిన కిమ్ ఎప్పుడు ఎలా ప్రవర్తిస్తాడో ఎవరికీ తెలియదు. ఊరంతా ఒక దారైతే ఉలిపికట్టెది మరో దారి అన్నట్లు.. అతడి రూటే సపరేటు. అయితే ఇదంతా మామూలు సమయంలో చేసుకుంటే ఓకే.. కానీ ప్రపంచమంతా కరోనా భయాందోళనలతో తమ ప్రజలను ఎలా కాపాడుకోవాలా అని దేశాధినేతలు ఆలోచిస్తుంటే.. కిమ్కు మాత్రం ప్రజల ప్రాణాల కంటే మిసైల్ టెస్టులే ఎక్కువయ్యాయి. చైనాకి ఆనుకొని ఉన్న […]
కరోనాపై పోరాటానికి ప్రధాని మోడీ ఈ నెల 22 (ఆదివారం) జనతా కర్ఫ్యూ పాటించాలని విజ్ఞప్తి చేసిన విషయం తెలిసిందే. ఉదయం 7 గంటల నుంచి రాత్రి 9 గంటల వరకు ప్రజలందరూ ఇళ్లలోనే ఉండాలని ఆయన కోరారు. ఈ నేపథ్యంలో ఏపీ ప్రభుత్వం కీలక నిర్ణయం తీసుకుంది. ఆదివారం ఉదయం నుంచి రాత్రి వరకు ఏపీఎస్ఆర్టీసీ బస్ సర్వీసులను నిలిపివేస్తున్నట్లు రవాణా శాఖ మంత్రి పేర్ని నాని తెలిపారు. దూర ప్రాంతాలకు వెళ్లే సర్వీసులను ఇవాళ […]
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