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Forensic report rules out rape angle in Hathras case, deliberate attempt to instigate caste violence in state: ADG

OpIndia Staff
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Forensic report rules out rape angle in Hathras case, deliberate attempt to instigate caste violence in state: ADG

A lot of debate and political mu slinging has been happening around the Hathras case since the victim succumbed to her injuries in Delhi’s Safdarjung hospital on Tuesday morning. Hathras Police on Thursday said that “forced sexual intercourse” has not been established in the post-mortem report yet. The post mortem report had mentioned neck injury due to strangulation as the cause of death.

On Tuesday, the victim of an alleged gang-rape died in Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi. She was allegedly raped two weeks ago. The case attracted nationwide outrage when some reports claimed Hathras Police forcefully cremated the girl on Tuesday night without consent of the family members. The police had later stated that the victim’s father was present during the cremation.

Speaking to ANI, ADG Prashant Kumar has informed today that the forensic reports that were awaited have also been received now. ADG stated that the FSL report has found no sperm or semen in the samples collected from the victim’s body. He asserted that it concludes that there was no sexual assault, as was predicted from the post mortem report.

ADG Prashant Kumar further stated that despite swift action by the police to arrest the attackers and repeated clarifications in the case, certain groups have been involved to instigate caste-based violence based on false claims and misinformation.

He added that the police will identify elements who have spread fake news and twisted facts to gain political milage from the case.

The UP police has already arrested the four culprits in the case.

SP Vikram Vir, speaking to ANI, stated that the Special Investigation Team is currently in the city. They have visited the crime and scene and spoke to the family members on Wednesday.

On September 14, the victim was hospitalised after she was attacked by a group of men who had strangulated her. The police had stated that media reports claiming that she victim was brutalised, had her tongue cut, eyes gouged out and spine broken, are all false. They had stated that the victim was violently strangulated which had caused her to bite and injure her tongue, also causing spinal damage.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently talked to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, and asked for strict action against the culprits.

CM Yogi ordered the formation of SIT to investigate the case. The trial will be conducted in a fast track court. SIT will submit its report in seven days. CM Yogi also talked to the father of the victim and ensured strict action against the culprits. As per the reports, the media will not be allowed in SIT meetings. The UP government has also announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 25 lakhs for the bereaved family.

Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi travelling to meet victim’s family despite section 144

Congress party’s Priyanka Gandhi and her brother Rahul Gandhi are on their way to meet the victim’s famly. Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in the area to control the law and order situation. As per the law, more than five people can not gather after the imposition of section 144. In a video statement, Sonia Gandhi launched an attack on the Yogi government, saying that the people of India are sad and angry. The rape victim was “killed by a ruthless government,” she added.

As per the latest reports, the motorcade with Priyanka and Rahul along with several Congress workers has been stopped on the Yamuna Expressway, almost 150 km away from Hathras. The Congress scions have announced that they will proceed on foot.

Hypocrisy, thy name Rohini Singh: The Wire employee outrages selectively depending on caste and religious identity of victim and perpetrator

OpIndia Staff
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Hypocrisy, thy name Rohini Singh: The Wire employee outrages selectively depending on caste and religious identity of victim and perpetrator

The unfortunate incident at Hathras has the nation’s emotions running high. 19-year-old Dalit girl was reportedly strangulated by four men on 14th September, 2020 in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. Over a week later, she gave a statement to police that she was also gang-raped by the four men. Days later, she succumbed to her injuries. A crime as heinous as rape invokes extreme anger and rightly so.

While the girl said she was raped, the initial medical report has stated that the rape cannot be confirmed. Hathras SP has said that the medical report from Aligarh hospital mentions the injuries inflicted upon her but does not confirm forced sexual intercourse. The doctors are not confirming rape yet. FSL reports are still awaited.

Close on the heels of Hathras horror, a 22-year-old Dalit girl was gang-raped in Balrampur also in Uttar Pradesh. But did it invoke same angry reactions? No.

Rohini Singh and selective outrage on rapes

The Wire employee Rohini Singh seems to have taken charge on being the brand ambassador of ‘liberal’ hypocrisy when it comes to crimes.

This is what she had to say when she was questioned why is she bringing in the caste angle in the Hathras rape and murder case.

She claimed that rape is not only about sex but about power and ‘showing a woman her place’. She claimed that when Dalit women are raped by upper caste men, it is usually a ‘lesson’ rapists want to give to her community. Since the person who questioned her had ‘Mishra’, an upper caste, surname, she won’t understand, claimed Singh, an upper caste person herself. How do you think she reacted when she heard about the Balrampur rape and murder case? A 22-year-old Dalit woman was raped by two men, Shahid and Salil.

Suddenly, when the perpetrators of heinous crime on a Dalit woman are not ‘upper caste Hindus’ but two Muslim youth, the same crime becomes a matter of ‘lawlessness’. So you see, the reaction and severity of the same changes for similar crimes only because perpetrators are not ‘upper caste Hindus’.

Further, while accusing the UP Police of not being prompt in taking action, she tweeted something like this:

Singh is visibly angry at Uttar Pradesh chief minister.

Now, here is what has happened. In Congress-ruled Rajasthan, two minor girls, aged 13 and 15, in Baran said on camera that they were gang-raped by two men. The girls accused that the men took them to Kota, Jaipur and Ajmer and raped for three days. The boys were also reportedly minor.

Rajasthan Chief Minister tweets how it is unfair to compare the two incidents because the same two minor girls said in front of magistrate that they had gone with the two boys on their own will. Singh retweets it.

Ashok Gehlot’s tweet retweeted by Rohini Singh
Ashok Gehlot’s tweet retweeted by Rohini Singh

Gehlot is essentially saying that since two minor girls said in front of a magistrate that they went on their own, what they said in front of a camera previously would be false, right? And whatever happened to the fact that sex with minor, even if consensual, is rape. Rohini Singh retweeted these tweets only to undo the retweets later. She perhaps realised how Gehlot’s little tweet theory is flawed.

May called out Singh’s hypocrisy over her selective outrage on rapes. While the ‘accused’ hypocrites here might say that they are seeking justice in both the cases, such criticism has a point. In the first case, Singh and many other ‘liberals’ like her saw the identity of the victim and perpetrator as relevant detail and in fact, they vehemently disagreed when someone said ‘don’t bring caste’.

Journalist Pallavi Ghosh was mercilessly abused when she said that the rape case should not be reduced to caste identities.

She was also accused of ‘preaching’ Dalit on how to tell their story as she comes from a place of privilege. A bit rich coming from those who are doing exactly that: preaching Dalits on how to tell their stories. So what makes them not make identity a focus in the second incident of rape? Where two Muslim men raped a Dalit woman?

Do they think religion is never a factor like caste in a crime? The idea itself is absurd because religion plays a part in society, in shaping a group’s or a person’s thinking as much as caste. Then why they leave out religion? They started with ‘terrorism has no religion and went to Hindu terror’ in matter of few years. But now within a matter of literally few hours, they have gone from ‘rape has a caste’ to ‘rape has no religion’.

One can only marvel at such hypocrisy.

Hathras case gets politicised: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra shares video of the victim’s father where he is being prompted to demand ‘court monitored CBI probe’

OpIndia Staff
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Hathras case gets politicised: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra shares video of the victim’s father where he is being prompted to demand ‘court monitored CBI probe’

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vardra today shared a video of the father of the Hathras gang rape victim alleging that he is being pressurised and the whole family is kept under house arrest. She claimed that the family is not satisfied by the investigation being conducted by the UP Police in the case.

In the video shared by her, the victim’s father with half of his face covered can be seen speaking. However, if one listens carefully, another voice also can be heard in the background prompting him to say certain things on the camera. The father can be heard alleging that the District Magistrate made him and two others sign a paper and that they were pressurised. However, before he completes his sentence he pauses for a while and then says the full sentence as if reading something (at 0:20).

Again, when the father demands that the case should be inquired by a Supreme Court judge, he pauses for a while and a voice in the background says “CBI Jaanch” (CBI inquiry) (at 0:32). The father then adds that the CBI should investigate the matter.

The same voice in the background can be heard murmuring “dabaav banaya tha” (you were pressurised) (at 0:42) after which the father nods and says that he is indeed being pressurised by officials and that his family is kept under arrest. He further said the media is not being allowed around his house.

An SIT has been formed by Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath to investigate the matter. The state government has also announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the family and the job of Junior Assistant will also be given to one of the members from the family of the victim.

Two minor girls from Baran say on camera that they were gang-raped, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot claims they were ‘not forced’

OpIndia Staff
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Two minor girls from Baran say on camera that they were gang-raped, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot claims they were ‘not forced’

Yesterday it was reported that two minor girls, aged 13 and 15, from Baran in Rajasthan, were taken to Kota, Jaipur and Ajmer and were raped for three days. The two sisters have reportedly admitted on camera that the two boys had abducted them, drugged them and raped for days.

Despite their statement, Rajasthan CM and Congress senior leader Ashok Gehlot has taken to Twitter to claim that the minor girls were not ‘forced’. He claims that they went with the boys on their own free will. The Rajasthan CM Tweeted that the girls have themselves admitted in front of the magistrate in their CrPC section 164 statement that they were not forced by the boys, who he claims were also minors.

He said that the girls are being given medical treatment and the investigation in underway.

According to reports, the Rajasthan police has also denied allegations of gang-rape. A cop has reportedly said that the girls denied the rape allegation in their statement. The family of the two minor girls have, however, alleged that they were threatened not to file a complaint against the accused.

Victims admit in front of camera that they were gang-raped, Rajasthan police and CM Ashok Gehlot downplay the incident

Yesterday, it was reported, that the father of the victims had urged police to help him get justice. When the girls tried to tell police officers about the incident, the accused had allegedly threatened to kill them in front of the police.

The father of the minor girls told police that the two accused, also minors, lured his daughters on the night of September 18 to leave the district with them. They were then taken to Kota and Jaipur where they were raped by the two minor boys and three others for three consecutive days, the father alleged. The two girls were found in Kota on 21st September.

While police and CM Ashok Gehlot claim that the minor girls denied allegations of rape in their statement, the two admitted on camera to having been drugged and gang-raped.

Uttar Pradesh: 20-year-olds Danish and Rizwan rape minor girls in Azamgarh and Bulandshahr respectively, both arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: 20-year-olds Danish and Rizwan rape minor girls in Azamgarh and Bulandshahr respectively, both arrested

Close on the heels of horrifying rape and death case of 19-year-old Hathras girl, reports of minor girls being raped in Azamgarh and Bulandshahr have emerged. In Azamgarh, one 20-year-old Danish is accused of raping an 8-year-old while in Bulandshahr, 20-year-old Rizwan is accused of raping 14-year-old girl.

20-year old Danish raped 8-year-old raped on the pretext of bath in Azamgarh

As per the reports, the incident took place in Jiyanpur area. the victim’s mother said in her statement that the neighbor took the 8-year-old on the pretext of the bath. The police said that the accused took the girl’s clothes from her mother. When she returned from the neighbor’s house, she was bleeding and in pain. The girl was taken to a hospital in serious condition. Police have arrested Danish.

20-year-old Rizwan raped a 14-year-old neighbour in Bulandshahr

According to the police report, a 14-year-old minor was allegedly raped by 20-year-old Rizwan, who lives in her neighbourhood on Tuesday night. The incident took place around 1 AM on 29th-30th September night. The family informed the police in the afternoon.

DSP Namrata Shrivastav and station in-charge Kapoor reached the location and initiated an investigation after filing a complaint on behalf of the victim’s family. The accused was arrested around 1 AM on 1st October, 2020.

Google to block ads for content in Punjabi, Odia, Assamese and several other Indian languages, will hurt startups and media industry

OpIndia Staff
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Google to block ads for content in Punjabi, Odia, Assamese and several other Indian languages, will hurt startups and media industry

Google has announced a change in their publisher policy that will stop monetisation of content, web pages, and applications in languages that are currently not listed in their “supported languages”.

In an email sent to existing publishers on 30 September around at 10 pm IST, Google announced that from October 30 onwards, they will not allow new sites to be monetised using AdSense, Ad Manager and Ad Mob if they are not primarily on languages that they support.

The communication further stated that from 30 March 2020, they will not allow any sites, web pages and apps to be monetised using AdSense, Ad Manager and Ad Mob if they are in the unsupported languages. The date of the blanket ban on all existing pages, sites and apps was initially mentioned as 30 March 2020, which was a mistake. Google later sent a corrected email, confirming that the date will be 30 March 2021.

Communication from Google

Google supported languages list: Many scheduled Indian languages are missing

Google has a list of supported languages. Though many Indian languages are there in the list, namely, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu (in alphabetical order), there are still several scheduled Indian languages missing from the list.

Scheduled Indian languages like Assamese, Bodo, Dogri, Kashmiri, Odia, Punjabi, Manipuri, Santhali, Maithili and many others are not in the list of Google supported languages.

What would it mean for languages not supported by Google

Google’s announcement regarding monetising content means that many writers and professionals, startups and apps in the unsupported languages may miss out on monetisation. It would mean that an Odia blogger looking to monetise his blog or an Assamese webpage that has content in the Assamese language, or any mobile application in Dogri which aims to cater to users in that language, will not be monetised. It may mean a significant loss for language-based content creators who are planning to cater to regional readers or users.

Since this ban is applicable for mobile applications too, many app-based start-ups aiming to cater to users in these languages will be affected.

Google is a very powerful player in the digital world, enjoying a virtual monopoly in the digital ecosystem. Many revenue earning options depend on what Google decides. Small and medium publishers have simply no option but to depend on google for their earnings.

Existing websites in Odia, Punjabi, Assamese, and many other languages may suffer too

There are several mainstream media and entertainment, services websites in scheduled Indian languages like Odia, Assamese, Punjabi, Manipuri and other languages that are not supported by Google. The blanket ban that is announced by Google, though the date for which is not clear, may also suffer. Regional news websites, blog pages and websites catering to readers of these specific languages will no longer be able to monetise, get ads and earn money.

There are mobile applications who may have content in one of the unsupported languages. Google’s decision will mean they can no longer monetise, leaving such applications struggling to earn, maybe financially unviable.

Websites and pages can earn direct ads from the market, without using Google’s tools. But even then, Google’s Ad Manager is a very popular tool even for direct ads. So Google’s decision is set to render significant financial loss for a large number of content creators in the unsupported languages.

Pakistan echoes Indian ‘liberals’ while condemning acquittal of Ram Bhakts by CBI court, claims ‘wrong direction’ was earlier set by Ram Janmabhoomi verdict

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan echoes Indian ‘liberals’ while condemning acquittal of Ram Bhakts by CBI court, claims ‘wrong direction’ was earlier set by Ram Janmabhoomi verdict

Pakistan foreign ministry on Wednesday ‘condemned‘ the acquittal of 32 Ram Bhakts accused of planning a conspiracy to bring down the disputed structure referred to as ‘Babri Masjid’ in Ayodhya. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan accused the Supreme Court of India of giving a ‘wrong direction’ in the Ram Janmabhoomi verdict wherein the apex court gave the verdict in favour of the Ram Mandir.

Referring to the verdict as ‘partisan’, the Pakistan’s foreign ministry claimed that yesterday’s acquittal by the CBI court was even against the SC verdict that demolition was violation of law. The Pakistan foreign ministry, much like Indian ‘liberals’, seems to have wilfully misinterpreted the verdict. The CBI court said that the demolition was not a pre-planned conspiracy and was spontaneous. The CBI court did not deny the demolition.

Spreading further lies on the CAA, wherein India fast-tracks Indian citizenship to persecuted religious minorities in neighbouring Islamic countries, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, Pakistan accused India of ‘disenfranchising’ Muslims. Pakistan further toed the Indian ‘liberal’ line and accused India of carrying out ‘anti-Muslim’ agenda in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) and claimed the BJP is trying to ‘change demographic structure’.

Pakistan echoes Indian liberals

This is not the first time Pakistan has spoken in the same language as Indian ‘liberals’. In June this year, Imran Khan had panicked after Indian government started issuing domicile certificates to residents of newly carved Union Territory Jammu & Kashmir. Similarly, soon after abrogation of Article 370 that made erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir an integral part of India, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed concern over violence in Kashmir despite repeated assertions by the Indian government that the situation in the Valley was peaceful. Pakistan picked up the statement to further their twisted narrative on the issue. Priyanka Gandhi, too, jumped on the matter. Significantly, she used the occasion of Eid to peddle her agenda.

Uttar Pradesh: 22-year-old Dalit woman gang-raped in Balrampur, two accused Shahid and Sahil arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: 22-year-old Dalit woman gang-raped in Balrampur, two accused Shahid and Sahil arrested

Another gang-rape case has come into light in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur. A 22-year-old Dalit woman has been raped by two men, Shahid and Sahil, on Tuesday. The women died after the incident. As per the reports, the police have arrested both of them based on the statement of the victim’s family. The woman, who worked in a private firm was allegedly raped by the accused when she was coming back home from work.

The girl was sent back home in an unconscious state

The family members came to know about the incident when the girl returned home on a rickshaw in an unconscious state. It was alleged that her legs and spine were broken, but the police denied those claims in the report. The family rushed her to the hospital, but she died on the way. The family has alleged in the complaint that she was injected with some intoxicating substance before she was raped.

Superintendent of Police Dev Ranjan Verma, Balrampur, said the family mentioned in the report that the woman did not come back home on time on Tuesday. When they tried calling her, she was unreachable. After some time, they saw her coming home in a rickshaw with a glucose drip attached to her arm. “The relatives took her to a hospital, but she died on the way,” he added.

The victim was in excruciating pain

As per the mother’s statement, the victim was in excruciating pain. She was unable to speak when she came back home. She only uttered a few words, “I am in a lot of pain, I won’t survive.” The mother said that when she was coming back, 3-4 men forced her into their car. They injected her and raped her. “They broke her back and legs and sent her back in a rickshaw. She had no strength left even to walk,” she added.

Accused Sahil and Shahid arrested

Based on the complaint filed by the victim’s family, the police have arrested two accused, Shahid and Sahil, on the charges of gang-rape and murder. According to the police report, she was raped in the backroom of a grocery store in the Gaisari village. Her sandals were found outside the room. The owner of the shop was allegedly the one who planned the crime. The police informed, “In the said case, the police took quick action and arrested both accused.”

The accused called a doctor to treat the victim

As per reports, when the accused saw the victim’s health deteriorating, they called a doctor to treat her, claiming she was their family member. The doctor got suspicious and refused to treat her in the absence of a guardian. The doctor in a statement said that Sahil came to call him at around 5 PM. He took him to Shahid’s grocery shop. When he reached there, they told him to treat the victim, claiming she was their relative. He denied and said he wouldn’t treat her in the absence of an elder or a woman. “They told me to go back to my clinic and said they would call the secretary and get the victim to my clinic. I don’t know where they went after that, he added.

Bollywood drug probe: A, D and S under scanner for drug abuse stand for ‘Arjun Rampal’, ‘Dino Morea’ and ‘Shah Rukh Khan’, says report

OpIndia Staff
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Bollywood drug probe: A, D and S under scanner for drug abuse stand for ‘Arjun Rampal’, ‘Dino Morea’ and ‘Shah Rukh Khan’, says report

A report by Dainik Bhaskar states that the top Bollywood actors under probe for drug abuse whose names start with ‘A’, ‘D’ and ‘S’ are Arjun Rampal, Dino Morea and Shah Rukh Khan respectively. An NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau) officer made this disclosure to Bhaskar on condition of anonymity it states. As per the report, Arjun Rampal allegedly supplied drugs to Shah Rukh Khan. Till now names of only actresses like Deepika Padukone and Sara Ali Khan had come up in the drug abuse probe. This is the first time an actor, that too a top actor like Shah Rukh Khan, has been named.

As per the report, the NCB is yet to find out whom did Dino Morea supply drugs to. Citing the NCB officer, Bhaskar report states that the drug peddler source told them that Arjun Rampal would take drugs to Shah Rukh Khan’s house. The NCB is yet to seize solid evidence to back the claims yet.

Bhaskar report states that they have two intelligence inputs on the drug abuse and an international agency input on Shah Rukh Khan’s involvement. The NCB is figuring out how to take things further on this. Another initial that has cropped up in the drug probe is ‘R’ for an actor. Bhaskar report states that NCB sources say that ‘R’ could be Ranbir Kapoor.

Shah Rukh Khan is currently in Dubai as Franchise owner of Kolkata Knight Riders IPL team.

Bollywood drug probe

Earlier this week, the NCB officials had impounded mobile phones of Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet Singh and Deepika’s manager Karishma Prakash. During the interrogation, the NCB officials had confronted Deepika Padukone with the digital evidence gathered from Jaya Saha’s phone that showed the actor’s chats about procuring ‘maal’ for her. However, as per a report, Deepika had claimed that by ‘Maal’ she meant cigarettes and ‘Hash’ referred to the different brands of cigarettes.

Government issues guidelines for Unlock 5.0, cinema halls and entertainment parks to reopen from 15th October

OpIndia Staff
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Government issues guidelines for Unlock 5.0, cinema halls and entertainment parks to reopen from 15th October

The Ministry of Home Affairs today issued Unlock 5.0 guidelines for opening up of more activities outside the containment zones. The guidelines which will be from October 15, 2020 have been framed based on the feedback from the States and the Union Territories.

Activities Permitted from October 15

  • Cinemas/theatres/multiplexes allowed to open from 15th October with up to 50% of their seating capacities in accordance with the SOPs to be issued by the Home Ministry.
  • Business to Business (B2B) Exhibitions will be allowed subject to the SOPs issued by the Department of Commerce.
  • Swimming pools will be allowed to open for the training of sportspersons for which the SOPs will be issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYA&S).
  • Entertainment parks and similar places will be permitted to be opened subject to the SOPs issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MHFW).

Schools and Coaching Institutions

States and UTs to decide for the reopening of schools and coaching institutions after October 15, 2020 in a graded manner after consultation with the respective school/institution management, based on their assessment of the situation and subject to the following conditions:

  • The preferred mode of teaching should be online or distance learning and it should be encouraged.
  • Where online classes are being conducted by the schools and some students prefer to attend online classes instead of physically attending the classes, they may be allowed to do so.
  • Students can attend schools/institutions only with the consent of parents in writing.
  • Attendance should not be enforced and it will depend completely on the consent of the parents.
  • States and UTs will prepare their own SOPs for health and safety precautions for the reopening of schools/institutions based on the SOPs that will be issued by Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India considering the local requirements.
  • Schools that will be allowed to open will mandatorily have to follow the SOPs issued by Education Departments of States and UTs.

Higher Educational Institutions

Regarding the timing of the opening of Colleges/ Higher Education Institutions, Department of Higher Education (DHE), Ministry of Education can take a decision in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs based on the assessment of the situation. However, online/distance learning should continue to be the preferred mode of teaching and should be encouraged. Higher Educational Institutions only for research scholars and post-graduate students in science and technology stream requiring laboratory/experimental works will be allowed to open from October 15, 2020 subject to the following conditions:

  • For Higher Educational Institutions funded by the Centre, the Head of the Institution will have to be satisfied that there is a genuine requirement for the research scholars and post-graduate students to in science and technology stream for laboratory/experimental work.
  • For all other Higher Educational Institutions, for example, State Universities, Private Universities, etc. the respective State or UT governments can take decision regarding opening them for research scholars and post-graduate students in science and technology stream requiring laboratory/experimental work.

Congregations and Gatherings

Social/ academic/sports/entertainment/cultural/ religious or political functions and other congregations which are allowed being permitted with a limit of 100 persons can now be allowed with more than 100 persons outside containment zones from October 15, 2020 subject to the following conditions:

  • In closed spaces, a gathering can be allowed up to 50% of the hall capacity with an upper limit of 200 persons with mandatory compliance with social distancing, wearing of masks, thermal scanning and use of hand wash and sanitisers.
  • In open spaces, gatherings can be allowed keeping in view the size of the ground in view and with strict observance of social distancing, mandatory wearing of masks, thermal scanning and hand wash and sanitiser.

Other Guidelines

  • International air travel of passengers not permitted except as permitted by the MHA.
  • Lockdown to continue in containment zones till October 31, 2020.
  • Taking into consideration the guidelines of the MHFW, containment zones will be demarcated by the District authorities at micro level with the objective of effectively breaking the chains of transmission. Only essential activities are to be allowed in containment zones with strict containment measures.
  • Strict perimeter control should be maintained in containment zones.
  • Containment zones will be notified on the websites of the respective District Collectors and the State and the UTs. The information will also be shared with the MHFW.
  • States/UTs will not enforce any local lockdown outside containment zones without prior consultation with the Centre.
  • No restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods and no separate permission or approval will be needed for such movement.
  • National Directives for Covid-19 management will continue to be followed throughout the country with a view to encourage social distancing. Shops will be required to maintain adequate physical distancing among customers. The MHA will monitor the effective implementation of the National Directives.
  • Vulnerable persons which are above the age of 65 years, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below 10 years of age are advised to stay at home except for meeting essential requirements and for health purposed.
  • Use of Aarogya Setu app is encouraged.
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