How mangroves in Odisha, India likely reduced Cyclone Dana’s impact 

Image Source: Google

Cyclone Dana, which made landfall close to Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha at 3.30 am on Friday, did not cause significant damage as many had feared. Although efforts by state authorities helped limit the devastation — for instance, Odisha evacuated one million people to cyclone shelters — there was one non-human factor that also played a crucial role. It was the rich mangrove forest cover of Bhitarkanika.

What are mangroves?

Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees and shrubs typical of estuarine and intertidal regions, meaning they grow in areas where freshwater and saltwater meet. Mangroves typically have aerial, breathing roots and waxy, succulent leaves, and are flowering plants. The Sundarbans (spread across India and Bangladesh) is the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world. Mangrove seedlings called propagules germinate on the parent tree before falling into the waters and growing into a mangrove tree again.

Red mangrove, Avicennia marina, grey mangrove, rhizophora etc. are some common mangrove trees. Abundant in swampy and marshy areas, mangroves represent a littoral forest ecosystem, which means they thrive in saline or brackish waters in coastal regions.

In India, many locations boast of mangroves. The Godavari Krishna delta in Andhra Pradesh, Bhitarkanika in Odisha, mangrove forests in Andamans, Kerala, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, etc., are some examples.

How do mangroves protect against cyclones?

When cyclones strike, mangrove forests act as a barrier against storm surges — a change in sea level caused by a storm, usually leading to large waves — by obstructing the water flow with their roots, husks, and leaves, according to a report published by the World Bank Group.

A different report by the group revealed that some of the mangrove species such as Sonneratia apetala “reduced the surge height from 4 cm to 16.5 cm with 50 m to 2 km wide mangrove strips, and reduced the water flow velocity from 29% to 92% with 50 m or 100 m wide mangrove forests”.

When mangroves are combined with built infrastructure, the impact of a cyclone can further be reduced. For instance, planting mangroves in front of an embankment can decrease water flow velocity, the report said.

What vast is Bhitarkanika’s mangrove forest cover?

Currently, Odisha has a reserve of a mangrove forest area of 231 square kilometres with a major chunk lying in Bhitarkanika. It stands second only to Sundarbans in West Bengal. Besides Bhitarkanika in Kendrapara, the districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur and Puri are also home to mangroves, otherwise known as coastal woodland.

While 82 sq km area in Bhitarkanika is densely mangrove-infested, 95 sq km area has moderate mangrove forest. The coastal patches spread across 672 sq km were declared the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary in 1975. The core area of the sanctuary, with an area of 145 km, got the National Park tag in September 1998.

The park has withstood the onslaught of several cyclones in the past including the Super Cyclone, which took place in October 1999.

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India's Modi backs down on farm reforms in surprise victory for protesters

Latest News World/India News: In a surprise announcement on Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he would repeal agriculture laws that farmers have been protesting against for more than a year, sparking celebrations for what farmers called a hard-fought victory.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, India, January 29, 2021. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo

Modi's decision is a significant climb-down for the combative leader and comes as state elections in politically important grain-belt states loom.

The legislation - three laws introduced in September last year - was aimed at deregulating the sector, allowing farmers to sell produce to buyers beyond government-regulated wholesale markets where growers are assured of a minimum price.

Farmers, fearing the reform would cut the prices they get for their crops, staged nationwide protests that drew in activists and celebrities from India and beyond, including climate activist Greta Thunberg and pop singer Rihanna.

"Today I have come to tell you, the whole country, that we have decided to withdraw all three agricultural laws," Modi said in an address to the nation.

"I urge farmers to return to their homes, their farms and their families, and I also request them to start afresh."

The government would repeal the laws in the new session of parliament, starting this month, he said.

Farmers feed each other sweets and celebrate as they pose for pictures after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that he will repeal the controversial farm laws, at the Ghazipur farmers protest site near Delhi-UP border, India, November 19, 2021. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

The concession on laws the government had said were essential to tackle chronic wastage and inefficiencies comes ahead of elections early next year in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India's most populous state and long a key political battleground, and two other northern states with large rural populations.

Modi's capitulation leaves unresolved a complex system of farm subsidies and price supports that critics say the government cannot afford.

It could also raise questions for investors about how economic reforms risk being undermined by political pressures.

Protesting farmers, who have been camped out in their thousands by main roads around the capital, New Delhi, celebrated Modi's back-track.

"Despite a lot of difficulties, we have been here for nearly a year and today our sacrifice finally paid off," said Ranjit Kumar, a 36-year-old farmer at Ghazipur, a major protest site in Uttar Pradesh.

Jubilant farmers handed out sweets in celebration and chanted "hail the farmer" and "long live farmers' movement".

Rakesh Tikait, a farmers' group leader, said the protests would only be called off when parliament repealed the laws.

VULNERABLE TO BIG BUSINESS

Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government said last year there was no question of repealing the laws. It attempted to break the impasse by offering to water down the legislation but protracted negotiations failed.

The protests took a violent turn on Jan. 26, India's Republic Day, when farmers overwhelmed police and stormed the historic Red Fort in New Delhi after tearing down barricades and driving tractors through roadblocks.

One protester was killed and scores of farmers and policemen were injured.

Farmers celebrate after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that he will repeal the controversial farm laws, at the Ghazipur farmers protest site near Delhi-UP border, India, November 19, 2021. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

Farmers say the changes would make them vulnerable to competition from big business and they could eventually lose price support for staples such as wheat and rice.

The government says reform of the sector, which accounts for about 15% of the $2.7 trillion economy, would have meant new opportunities and better prices for farmers.

Modi announced the scrapping of the laws in a speech marking the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. Many of the protesting farmers are Sikh.

He acknowledged that the government had failed to win the argument.

The farmers are also calling for minimum support prices for all of their crops, not just rice and wheat, a new demand that has gained traction among farmers across the country.

Some agriculture experts said Modi's reversal was unfortunate because the reforms would have brought new technology and investment.

"It's a blow to India's agriculture," said Sandip Das, a New Delhi-based researcher and agricultural policy analyst.

"The laws would have helped attract a lot of investment in agricultural and food processing - two sectors that need a lot of money for modernisation."

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), a group that represents top corporations, had pinned hopes on the laws to pave the way for modernising India's decrepit post-harvest infrastructure.

Also, the $34 billion domestic food processing sector would have grown exponentially, thanks to the laws, according to CII.

Another industry body, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, late last year said the laws should spur startups, and technological interventions would help cut wastage and bring efficiency in the agriculture sector.

Seizing on opportunities, global and Indian venture capitals have already started funding agritech startups that aim to run the entire food supply chain, currently prone to massive wastage, often as high as four to five times that of most large economies, experts say.

Anil Ghanwat, head of a farmers' union and a member of Supreme Court appointed farm panel, said the laws promised farmers freedom from middlemen and their repeal would leave them open to old exploitation.

The opposition has been keen to take advantage of the acrimony between farming communities and Modi's party and Rahul Gandhi of the main opposition Congress party, said the "arrogant" government had been forced to concede.

"Just the beginning of many more victories for people’s voices," Mahua Moitra, a lawmaker from the Trinamool Congress Party and one of Modi's staunchest critics, said on Twitter.

State elections are also due soon in Punjab and Uttarakhand in the north.

Modi's party looks well placed to fend off challenges in the next general election, due by 2024, but in a worrying sign for him, a regional party swept to power in West Bengal state in May.

News Source: Reuters

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SII’s Covishield approved by India: Efficacy, cost and all about AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine

AstraZeneca had signed an agreement with Serum Institute of India (SII) to produce 1 billion doses of its experimental vaccine for low- and middle-income countries.

Image Source: Google

India News/ Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker: A government’s expert panel has reportedly approved the vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, for emergency use in India to provide immunity against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). According to news agency Reuters, a subject expert committee, set up by Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to vet Covid-19 vaccine proposals, recommended granting emergency use authorisation to AstraZeneca’s vaccine AZD1222, dubbed in India as Covishield.

AstraZeneca had signed an agreement with Serum Institute of India (SII) to produce 1 billion doses of its experimental vaccine for low- and middle-income countries. The Pune-based company has sought an emergency use authorisation for the Covid-19 vaccine which recently received approval from British regulators.

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Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on Wednesday authorised the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine for deployment across the United Kingdom on the conditions that the vaccine should be administered in two doses, with the second dose given between 4 and 12 weeks after the first.

Here’s all you need to know about the vaccine:

Efficacy: In two different dosing regimens, the AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine showed the efficacy of 90 per cent and 62 per cent. In participants who received two full doses at least one month apart, vaccine efficacy was 62 per cent, and in participants who received a low dose followed by a full dose, efficacy was 90 per cent.

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Safety: The Lancet publication, a leading medical journal, has confirmed that AZD1222 was well tolerated and there were no serious safety events confirmed related to the vaccine. The safety data published is from over 20,000 participants, so far, enrolled across four clinical trials in the UK and Brazil and South Africa.

Storage: The AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine can be stored, transported and handled at normal refrigerated conditions (2°C to 8°C) for at least six months.

Cost: Adar Poonawalla, the chief executive officer of SII, had told Hindustan Times that Covidshield will be priced in India at Rs 500-600.

Also Read| SII’s Covishield approved by India: Efficacy, cost and all about AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine

Technology: AZD1222 is made of a weakened and modified version of adenovirus (a common cold virus) that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack the SARS-CoV-2 virus if it later infects the body.

News Source: Hidustan Times

Superstar Thalaiva Rajinikanth admitted in hospital

Bollywood News/ India News:  Superstar Rajinikanth has been admitted in the hospital. The actor, who had tested negative for Covid-19 recently, seems to possess severe fluctuations in his blood pressure and is being monitored for the same at a private hospital in Hyderabad. Rajinikanth was shooting for his upcoming film, Annaatthe within the city, but the was placed on hold after four crew members tested positive for Covid-19.

Image Source: Google

The hospital authorities released a press release today about his health condition. The statement read, "Mr Rajinikanth has been admitted in the hospital today in the morning. He was shooting for a movie in Hyderabad since the last 10 days. a couple of people on the sets tested positive for Covid-19. Mr Rajinikanth was tested on 22nd December for Covid-19 and he was negative. Since then he has isolated himself and was monitored closely.

Image Source: Google

Though he did not have any symptoms of Covid-19, his blood pressure showed severe fluctuations and needed further evaluation for which he has been admitted to the hospital. He will be investigated and monitored closely in the hospital till his blood pressure settles down before being discharged. apart from fluctuating blood pressure and exhausation. he does not have any other symptoms and is hemodynamically stable. "

Earlier, Annaatthe producers Sun Pictures had shared on their social media page, "Announcement : During routine testing at #Annaathe shoot 4 crew members have tested positive for Covid19. Superstar @rajinikanth

and other crew members have tested negative. To ensure utmost safety #Annaatthe shooting has been postponed."

Announcement : During routine testing at #Annaathe shoot 4 crew members have tested positive for Covid19. Superstar @rajinikanth and other crew members have tested negative. To ensure utmost safety #Annaatthe shooting has been postponed.

— Sun Pictures (@sunpictures) December 23, 2020

 News Source: ETimes

India may approve AstraZeneca vaccine by next week

Image Source: Google

Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker/India News:  India is probably going to approve Oxford/AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency use by next week after its local manufacturer submitted additional data sought by authorities, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.

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This could be the first country to give the regulatory green light for British drugmaker’s vaccine because the British medicine regulator continues to look at data from the trials.

India, the world’s biggest vaccine-making country, wants to start out inoculating its citizens next month and is additionally considering emergency use authorisation applications for vaccines made by Pfizer Inc and native company Bharat Biotech.

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Getting vaccines to the world’s second-most populous country with one among the very best infection rates also will be an enormous step within the battle against the pandemic.

The AstraZeneca-Oxford shot is taken into account vital for lower-income countries and people in hot climates because it's cheaper, easier to move and may be stored for long periods at normal fridge temperatures.

India's Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) first reviewed the three applications on Dec. 9 here and sought more information from all the businesses , including from Serum Institute of India (SII), which is making the AstraZeneca shots.

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SII, the world's biggest vaccine manufacturer, has now provided all the info , the 2 sources said. The authorities were still expecting more details from Pfizer, a government health adviser told here a news briefing on Tuesday, while one among the sources said additional information was expected from Bharat Biotech.

Both sources said Indian health officials were in direct contact with their British counterparts over the AstraZeneca shot which there have been “strong indications” an approval would come by next week.

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The expected approval comes after data from AstraZeneca’s late-stage trials within the UK and Brazil released earlier this month showed the vaccine had efficacy of 62% for trial participants given two full doses, but 90% for a smaller sub-group given a half, then a full dose.

The Indian regulator is merely considering the 2 full-dose regimen of the shot despite it showing a lower success rate, the sources said.

“Serum is ready,” said one of the sources. “Initially, we may get around 50 million to 60 million doses.”

The sources declined to be named as deliberations were ongoing and therefore the timeline could change.

CDSCO chief V.G. Somani didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Bharat Biotech and Pfizer declined to comment, while SII didn't immediately answer an email seeking comment.

India has not yet signed a vaccine supply affect any company, but SII has already stockpiled quite 50 million doses of the AstraZeneca shot and plans to form a complete of 400 million doses by July.

Yuzvendra Chahal got married with fiance Dhanashree, shared this special picture on social media

Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal got married today with fiance Dhanashree. He has shared the picture on social media.

Image Source:dhanashree9/Instagram

India News: Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal got married today with fiance Dhanashree. They shared the wedding photo on social media. The pictures of the wedding of both are becoming very viral on social media. Please tell that Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhanashree had engaged in August this year.

22.12.20 💍

We started at “Once Upon A Time” and found “Our Happily Ever After,” coz’ finally, #DhanaSaidYuz for infinity & beyond! pic.twitter.com/h7k3G3QrYx

— Yuzvendra Chahal (@yuzi_chahal) December 22, 2020

Significantly, during IPL 2020, Dhanashree was also present in the UAE along with Chahal. Dhanashree was often seen supporting Chahal's team Royal Challengers Bangalore during the match. Chahal and Dhanashree's fans are very happy to get married and are also commenting fiercely on their photos.

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dhanashree Verma (@dhanashree9)

Know who is Dhanshree

Please tell that Dhanashree is a doctor, choreographer and YouTuber. Dhanashree often shares her dance videos on social media. His videos get a lot of likes and comments. She runs her own dance company Dhanashree Verma Company. Dhanashree has more than five lakh followers on Instagram.

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Yuzvendra Chahal was part of the Indian team during the tour of Australia 

It is worth noting that leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was part of the Indian team in the ODI and T20 series during the tour of Australia. Chahal has not yet made his Test debut for India, but he is a regular member of the ODI and T20 teams. Chahal was instrumental in India winning the T20 series against Australia. Chahal has played 54 ODIs and 45 T20 Internationals for India so far. Chahal has 92 wickets in ODIs and 59 wickets in T20s.

MDH Spice King Dharampal Gulati dies at the age of 98 years

India News: MDH owner ‘Mahashay’ Dharampal Gulati died on December 3. Gulati, 98, suffered cardiac arrest.

Image Source: Google

Popularly referred to as "Spice King", Gulati was born (1923) and raised in Sialkot, Pakistan. His father Dharampal’s father Chuni Lal sold spices from a small shop Mahashian Di Hat. He left studies at a very young age to assist his father at the shop. 

Dharampal came to India after partition with just Rs 1,500 in his hand. Out of Rs 1,500 he purchased a Tonga for Rs 650 and would drove it from New Delhi railway station to Qutab Road and Karol Bagh to Bara Hindu Rao at two Annas sawari for a couple of days. Afterwards, he bought a small wooden shop (also referred to as khokha/Hatti) at Ajmal Khan Road in Delhi's Karol Bagh. He started his family business of ground spices and again raised the banner of Mahashian Di Hatti of Sialkot “DEGGI MIRCH WALE“.

From the tiny hatti that Gulati opened, he slowly and steadily turned it into an Rs 1,000 crore empire, today globally referred to as MDH Masala. 

MDH is now an enormous brand and it exports spices to countries across the planet like Switzerland, Japan, the US, and Canada. MDH spices are sold throughout India and abroad through a network of over 1000 Stockists and over 4 lakh retail dealers. MDH sells products across various range from ground spices to blended spices and even exotic spices like saffron.

In 2017, Gulati was India's highest paid FMCG CEO, getting salary of over 21 crore, which was more than Adi Godrej and Vivek Gambhir of Godrej Consumer, Sanjiv Mehta of Hindustan Unilever and YC Deveshwar of ITC. MDH had posted a profit of Rs 213 crore while its total revenues were Rs 924 crore in 2017 fiscal.

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India says may not need to vaccinate entire population to control COVID-19

Aditya Narayan's Baaraat : Images and videos

India says may not need to vaccinate entire population to control COVID-19

 India News/Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker: India may not need to vaccinate all of its 1.3 billion people if it manages to inoculate a critical mass and break the transmission of the coronavirus, senior government officials said on Tuesday.

Image Source: Google

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who toured the facilities of three vaccine makers over the weekend, has emphasized the importance of a vaccine to rein in COVID-19.

India says may not need to vaccinate entire population to control COVID-19

In October, he said that the government was preparing to reach every single citizen as soon as a vaccine was ready.

World Health Organization experts have pointed to a 65%-70% vaccine coverage rate as sufficient to reach population immunity.

“The government has never spoken about vaccinating the entire country,” Rajesh Bhushan, the top bureaucrat in India’s federal health ministry, told a news conference on Tuesday without reference to Modi.

India says may not need to vaccinate entire population to control COVID-19

India currently has the world’s second-highest number of coronavirus infections, behind only the United States, with 9.46 million cases and 137,621 deaths.

India recorded 31,118 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, the lowest daily tally since Nov. 17, data from the health ministry showed.

“...If we are able to vaccinate a critical mass of people, and break that virus transmission, then we may not have to vaccinate the entire population,” Balram Bhargava, Director General of the state-run Indian Council Of Medical Research, said at the press briefing.

India’s plan to roll out a COVID-19 shot in the first few months of 2021 wouldn’t be impacted by an alleged adverse reaction during AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine trial, Bhushan said.

India says may not need to vaccinate entire population to control COVID-19

A 40-year-old Indian man said in a complaint over the weekend that he had suffered serious “neurological and psychological” symptoms after receiving the vaccine in a trial being run by the British drugmaker’s partner, Serum Institute of India.

The incident is currently under investigation.

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Russia vaccine to be made in India:100 million doses of effective Sputnik V will be made every year, production will start next year

Russia vaccine to be made in India:100 million doses of effective Sputnik V will be made every year, production will start next year

 

Image Source: Google

• India's pharmaceutical company Hetero ties up with Russian Direct Investment Fund

• Sputnik V free in Russia, for other countries its price will be less than 700 rupees

India News/Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker: The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and India's pharmaceutical company Hetero have tied up to produce Corona's vaccine Sputnik V. This agreement is to make 100 million doses every year in India. Production will start from next year.

Sputnik V has been created by the Gameleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of Russia. RDIF is overseeing its production and promotion abroad. The clinical trial for the third phase of the vaccine has been approved. These trials are ongoing in many countries including Belarus, UAE, Venezuela. According to IDIF, the second and third phase trials are going on in India.

More than 50 countries have requested to make 120 million doses of this vaccine. The vaccine will be produced in India, China, Brazil, South Korea and other countries for supply in the global market.

'Big step in the fight against Corona'

Murali Krishna Reddy, Director, International Marketing, Hetero Labs Ltd, said Sputnik V is most effective in treating Kovid-19. We are very pleased with this partnership with RDIF to develop the vaccine. This partnership is another step towards fulfilling our commitment and the Make in India campaign in the fight against Corona.

At the same time, RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev said that we are happy to announce the agreement with Hetero. This will pave the way for the production of safe and most effective corona vaccine in India. Thank you for partnering with Hetero. This will help us to increase the production capacity and provide a better solution to the people of India in this challenging period of Corona.

Hetero has over 25 years of experience

Hyderabad based company Hetero is India's leading generic pharmaceutical company. It was founded in 1993 by Dr. BPS Reddy. It is the world's largest manufacturer of anti-retroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV / AIDS. The company has over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Hetero's business spans 126 countries.

95% effective Sputnik vaccine

Sputnik has proven to be 95% effective in fighting corona during a trial. The second preliminary analysis of the clinical trial showed that 42 days after the first dose, it showed 95% efficacy. The data was 91.4% 28 days after the dose was given.It will also cost much less than other vaccines. People of Russia will get it for free. For other countries, its price will be less than 700 rupees.

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India bans 43 new Chinese apps, including Snack Video, AliExpress

 India on Tuesday blocked 43 Chinese mobile applications from accessing by users in India. This action was taken based on the inputs regarding these apps for engaging in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.

Image Source: Google

India News: India on Tuesday blocked 43 Chinese mobile applications from accessing by users in India. This action was taken based on the inputs regarding these apps for engaging in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued the order for blocking the access of these apps by users in India based on the comprehensive reports received from Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center, Ministry of Home Affairs.

This comes even as apps which were blocked in the first round are waiting for a clarification from the government on their future course of action after they submitted detailed responses to government questionnaires. The government had banned apps such as ByteDance-owned TikTok and Helo along with WeChat, CamScanner and PUBG in multiple rounds so far.

Earlier on 28 June, 2020 the Centre had blocked access to 59 Chinese mobile apps and on 2nd September, 2020 118 more apps were banned under section 69A of the Information Technology Act. Government is committed to protect the interests of citizens and sovereignty and integrity of India on all fronts and it shall take all possible steps to ensure that.

Here is the full list of apps:

AliSuppliers Mobile App

Alibaba Workbench

AliExpress - Smarter Shopping, Better Living

Alipay Cashier

Lalamove India - Delivery App

Drive with Lalamove India

Snack Video

CamCard - Business Card Reader

CamCard - BCR (Western)

Soul- Follow the soul to find you

Chinese Social - Free Online Dating Video App & Chat

Date in Asia - Dating & Chat For Asian Singles

WeDate-Dating App

Free dating app-Singol, start your date!

Adore App

TrulyChinese - Chinese Dating App

TrulyAsian - Asian Dating App

ChinaLove: dating app for Chinese singles

DateMyAge: Chat, Meet, Date Mature Singles Online

AsianDate: find Asian singles

FlirtWish: chat with singles

Guys Only Dating: Gay Chat

Tubit: Live Streams

WeWorkChina

First Love Live- super hot live beauties live online

Rela - Lesbian Social Network

Cashier Wallet

MangoTV

MGTV-HunanTV official TV APP

WeTV - TV version

WeTV - Cdrama, Kdrama&More

WeTV Lite

Lucky Live-Live Video Streaming App

Taobao Live

DingTalk

Identity V

Isoland 2: Ashes of Time

BoxStar (Early Access)

Heroes Evolved

Happy Fish

Jellipop Match-Decorate your dream island！

Munchkin Match: magic home building

Conquista Online II

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Sonu Sood setup Mobile tower in Haryana Village where students struggle for online access

 The situation came to light after a video on social media showed a child from Dapana village, Morni sitting on a tree branch to catch mobile signals to assist other children to finish their homework.

Image Source: Google

Bollywood News: After distributing smartphones to the students of a government school in Chandigarh, Sonu Sood together with his friend based in Chandigarh, Karan Gilhotra, once more helped students who were struggling to access online classes at Morni. The duo with the help of Indus towers and Airtel, installed a mobile tower within the village to enable uninterrupted connectivity.

The situation came to light after a video on social media showed a child from Dapana village, Morni sitting on a tree branch to catch mobile signals to assist other children to finish their homework. Both Sonu Sood and Karan Gilhotra were tagged on Twitter which caught their attention.

“It was very disheartening to see how children are still struggling to get a basic education. In such difficult times, we will do everything in our power to overcome such hurdles and help those in need. After learning about the situation, I spoke to Indus Towers and Airtel who helped us in installing the towers. They did a survey of the village and identified a location for installation.Indus has supported the village by setting up of a pole where active infrastructure has been installed. this is to boost coverage in the area so that students can seamlessly access their online classes from the safety of their homes,” said Karan Gilhotra, Chairman PHD Chamber, Punjab.

Commenting on the initiative, Sonu Sood, Bollywood actor and humanitarian said, “Children are the future of our nation and they deserve an equal chance to a better future. I believe such challenges should never stop anyone from reaching their full potential. it is my honour to help set up a mobile tower in the remote village to help these kids access online classes. They not have to climb trees to catch mobile signals.”

Gagan Kapoor, CCEO-Punjab & Haryana, Indus Towers said, “Mobile towers are a critical part of telecom infrastructure and are key to enabling the best in education experience even in India’s hinterlands. Indus Towers is proud to collaborate with Airtel and Karan Gilhotta for this initiative to improve network coverage in this area of Morni Hills.”

He further said, “During these challenging times, our last mile field team and technicians have been demonstrating our ethos of ‘Putting India First’ through their tireless efforts to ensure seamless connectivity. Going forward, we will continue to create a robust and efficient telecom infrastructure.”

Since the lockdown phase began, actor Sonu Sood has generously worked towards helping those in need.

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